Reese Kaplan -- Outfield Depth Needed, Apply Here!

Recently I suggested that BVW might want to aggressively pursue trades involving Juan Lagares who is not likely to have his option picked up next year and will become a free agent anyway.  There is merit in doing so, but it’s a tough sell considering how expensive he is and how little he produces at the plate. 

There is another issue, however, that may make trading him away somewhat imprudent.  For as poor as the catching depth and other positional depth may be in the Mets farm system, the outfield is a huge black hole.  The closest they had to a “prospect” was the 27 year old Kevin Kaczmarski who Terry II deigned to give a whopping 4 ABs last season while trotting out the likes of Austin Jackson on a nightly basis because, after all, we needed to see more of him, right?

Picture by Ed Delaney

This year they filled the AAA roster with has-beens like Gregor Blanco, Rajai Davis, Carlos Gomez and some 31 year old named Tim something or other.  Dispatching Juan Lagares elsewhere may not hurt much considering how little he provides offensively, but there’s not much depth in the minors nor is he taking ABs away from anyone.

Now it’s entirely possible that once Jed Lowrie and/or Todd Frazier make it back that Jeff McNeil becomes a full time outfielder.  If so, then Lagares’ value plummets even further.  Right now he’s getting the nod far more often than Keon Broxton who, though with greater offensive potential, still has not proven much at the big league level. 

Draft picks are often a matter of choosing the best available talent when your time comes up to make a selection, rather than choosing on a basis of positional need.  However, when you look to make trades you do have the luxury of opting to go for people who help plug holes in your organization.  Trader Sandy, in his many salary dumps, seemed enamored with hard throwing albeit wild relievers.  Perhaps BVW should be insisting on outfield prospects unless you think all of the sudden Dominic Smith will morph into the second coming of Roberto Clemente.  There’s not much in the whole Mets organization (thinner still now that Jared Kelenic has been sent to the Mariners). 

A lot of people are going gaga over the quick start for Pete Alonso who was very much against the Mets’ philosophy of drafting pitching and non-power-hitting middle infielders during the Alderson regime.  How are those Gavin Cecchini type picks working out for ya?  

Power may be devalued in today’s game given the long periods of time and reduced paychecks some sluggers accepted this year in free agency, yet who got the biggest and longest term contracts?  It seems to me they went to the likes of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, not .260 hitting guys who don’t drive in runs. 

Going forward there needs to be a new emphasis placed on offense.  Right now with Brandon Nimmo off to a slow start, Juan Lagares hitting like, well, Juan Lagares, there’s a big hole in the OF.  Maybe that’s why Dr. Strangeglove, J.D. Davis, has been getting so much playing time because they need McNeil in the OF.  Come on, Brodie – find us some OF depth!