Remember's Ruminations: November 14, 2021

 

This will be a bit more like an Open Thread piece.    

Let’s talk about trades.

Who do you trade FROM the Mets?

Who do you obtain FOR the Mets?

While there are probably plenty of players available on the Free Agent market that would satisfy the Mets roster needs for 2022, part of the fun of the hot stove season is playing general manager and figuring out a trade or two.  

So, let’s assume that the the CBA process will go well and there are no stoppages of winter transactions or the threat of 2022 baseball not being played so let’s do some trading.

Another assumption is that a trade or two is needed because they cannot sign the free agents to fill the needs.

I have seen a lot of articles and comments about the Mets best trade chips, the best players to trade for and the players that the Mets NEED to trade.

The four players most mentioned as trade bait for one reason or another are J.D. Davis, Dom Smith, Jeff McNeil, and Robinson Cano.     The biggest needs for the team are starting pitching and outfielders. 

The problem that goes along with three of those four names is the associated statement that is always present: “they had a poor year and we’d be selling low”.  It is generally thought that Cano is untradeable. 

I have seen some lists of guys that are trade targets.   The likes of Kevin Kiermaier, Sonny Gray, Whit Merrifield, Luis Castillo, Matt Chapman, Ketel Marte, Gary Sanchez and Jose Ramirez, among others have had some press here or there.

First, my thoughts, then I’d like some of your comments and ideas.

My top trade candidate is Jeff McNeil for two reasons.   In looking at the roster of players,  he has the most upside and his down year in 2021 will probably be considered less than others.    He also has three years of team control.   

For trade targets, I am not a huge fan of trading for guys that only have one year of control left and will be free agents after 2022, although for the right deal, there are four players I would like to see wearing blue and orange.   Without suggesting specific trades, those players are Byron Buxton, Mitch Haniger, Ketel Marte, and Sean Manaea.   

My first proposed trade is Jeff McNeil even up for LuisCastillo of the Reds.    Who says no?  

My next trade is looking at one of the three young starters on Cleveland.   Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, or Triston McKenzie are all young and have broken into MLB.    I think McNeil could be the centerpiece on a deal for one of them.    Cleveland needs offense badly and got pretty much nothing out of second base this past year.   There may need to be some other parts to make something like this happen. 

John Means is a guy that will always be an interesting target, but with three years of control left, I cannot see Baltimore swapping him for anybody.    Bryan Reynolds is in the same boat in Pittsburgh.  I’m fairly sure they only way they would swap him is for a king’s ransom of prospects.  The Mets do not have that to work with for one player. 

That is a start.   What do you all think?   Anybody have a simple trade that makes sense or a blockbuster that is really interesting?    Three team involvement is good.

 Since there is no GM in place yet, let's help Sandy out by giving him some good ideas.  

As a post note, I had a feed come across my phone the other day (don’t ask me why) from a Kansas City Royals FanNation site where a guy was putting together 29 blockbuster trades with 29 other teams.  

His proposed trade with the Mets was:  Royals get Jacob deGrom, Mets get LHP Asa Lacy (#3 prospect), RHP Jackson Kowar (MLB, rough debut in 2021; #33 overall pick in 2018), RHP Brad Keller (MLB, alternating decent and poor years 2018 – 2021), and SS Nicky Lopez (MLB – LHB light hitting utility infielder type who had a ‘decent’ 2021).      

As the Mets GM, I say no at this point.  Lacy is a nice prospect, but still in A+ ball.   Not enough.