We are now less than two weeks away from the trading deadline. Bunches of Twitter people posted yesterday that the phones were busy, by both the Mets, but also other teams. This is normal during the all-star break because they don’t have anything else to do.
I hate when people proposes trade that are never going to happen. Fun exercise, but, in my opinion, an exercise in futility.
Still, the Juan Soto developments do have my mind swirling. One can not stop wondering what it would take to get him.
A few things to ponder:
1. The incident where the Nationals refuse to charter a jet for Soto, to take him to the All-Star game, speaks volumes that a deal will be done with some team soon. Deal breakers like this are not good when this player is scheduled to be inside that clubhouse for two and a half years more. No, he’s a goner.
2. Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, will never let his client sign an extension with a new club at the time of any deal here. Boras always takes his clients to free agency so they can see what is out there. He will do the same with Soto, so any deal for his services beginning this season, must be for the two and a half, and three playoffs, left on this season.
3. Only a handful of teams can approach this kind of mega-deal.
4. I suggest that the biggest topic in the Mets brass’s office before this news came down was whether they should up the ante on Jake deGrom’s existing contract before he opts out. Now I don’t think so. You can only pay so many people Mad Max money even if you are Steve Cohen and you also only can pay 40-50mil a year to pitchers that, well, pitch.
5. I would hope a couple of the great deals done during this trading deadline period would be extensions to some of their core players that are scheduled to become free agents this year. Forget Taijuan Walker. He just signed with Boras. But you can’t let Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo leave.
MLB.com - The Best Draft, by Team, by Rank:
1. Mets
New York got more than Parada, a Georgia Tech catcher who was one of the best all-around hitters in the college class, and Williams, a 5-foot-8 sparkplug beloved by scouts. The Mets concluded the first day with Tennessee right-hander Blade Tidwell (second round), a likely mid-first-rounder before he missed the first six weeks of the season with shoulder trouble, and Washington D.C. high school outfielder Nick Morabito (supplemental second), who combines hitting ability with plus raw power and speed. The hits kept coming afterward, including a power arm in Florida righty Brandon Sproat (third) and offensive upside in California prep third baseman Jacob Reimer (fourth).
Through The Fence - The Best Draft, by Grade, by Team:
NEW YORK METS
Notable Picks: Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech; Jett Williams, SS, Rockwall-Heath HS (TX); Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee
Grade: A+
Analysis: The Mets might’ve had the best draft out of any team. When Texas chose Kumar Rocker at three, everyone suddenly started wondering if the Mets screwed up by not signing him after drafting him in 2021. They stood steadfast and chose the best-catching prospect Kevin Parada, then followed that up with a shortstop some are considering the next Jose Altuve in Jett Williams. I don’t think Williams has as much power in his bat as Altuve, but the comps are there, regardless. The rest of their draft they chose stud after stud. Blade Tidwell was one of my favorite pitchers out of this year’s crop and somehow, someway he fell to them in the second round. Hell of a draft, Mets. Hell of a draft.
Mack - Okay… two sites filled with draft experts and scouts tell you the Mets had the best draft and I say their draft rating was a C.
Who ya gonna believe?
BPJ - 2023 MLB Draft: 10 College Players to Know
Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi
Gonzalez has made a tremendous impact offensively in his first two years at Ole Miss. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-handed hitter is a well-rounded offensive player. He has notable bat-to-ball skills and hits for average and power to all fields. He also has tremendous plate discipline, as he has more walks (88) than strikeouts (66) at Ole Miss.
Defensively, Gonzalez is athletic and possesses above-average arm strength. He has good instincts and will remain at shortstop long term.
Yesterday’s Tweets -
#BBG @BBGenerations_
Jacob Reimer drafted by the New York Mets in the 4th round. Dom Smith from the mets was his manager in 2020 & 2021 at the BBG All-Star Game. Team Smith vs Team Crawford
Brian Recca @brian_recca
Transfer Portal: Former Vanderbilt star outfielder Isaiah Thomas has transferred to Oregon for the 2023 season. Thomas stepped away from Vanderbilt following the '21 season but will make a comeback as a member of the Ducks.
Very physical w/ excellent size. Power/arm fit in RF
Butch Chaffin @ButchBaseball29
This guy will be one of the top 3 picks in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft. If not, shut the whole draft down. Best high school left handed hitting catcher perhaps ever. Build a franchise around Blake Mitchell. Revisit this tweet in one year. Guaranteed.
Mack, with the Mets' historical draft record, I'll go with your "C" and hope you're "A+ Wrong"
ReplyDeleteIt is encouraging that two different parties gave the Mets such high grades. THAT I can never remember happening before.
Who says that 2023 lefty hitting catcher is the best ever - we got Mazeika, remember?
I will say this.
DeleteYou hope you can walk away with one of top 5 players per season in the whole draft with Tidwell, Williams, Parada, and D'Andre
The Mets did this 4 TIMES this draft
Money will tell us more. Let's see who had to go overslot etc
ReplyDeleteSign 'em and get 'em playing. Let's hope the Tommy John doctor's phone doesn't start ringing.
ReplyDeleteMack, who would you have ranked higher at draft time if they were in the same year? Matt Allan or Blake Tidwell? Heck, I'll throw Cal Ziegler into the mix.
Tidwell, Allan, Zeigler, in that order
ReplyDeleteSo, yesterday the DSL Mets1 team scored seven runs in the first inning, seven more in the third inning, and nineteen for the game. Simon Juan went 0-4 but scored once and drove in one run. He's sitting at .216. I had a bad feeling about that kid. Anyway…
ReplyDeleteI was thinking yesterday, how good is next year’s draft? If the MLBPA and MLB don’t settle the QO difference by Monday, we have it next winter. QO candidates include JDG, Walker, Bassett, Nimmo, Diaz, and maybe even Trevor Williams, who I would leave in the starting rotation if I could. Does anyone know the rules about getting picks if you are a Fourth Level Luxury Tax offender?
I read today in Heyman’s article for the NY Post that the Mets balked at Baty, Mauricio, and Alvarez for Soto. LOL, exactly why? Which one of those set the minors on fire while at their ag Soto is setting the majors on fire? I read the argument that Nimmo is a 3.1 WAR player, and Soto is a 3.4 WAR player, so why spend the prospect capital? Well, Soto is having a bad year at that 3.4 WAR, and honestly, Nimmo is nice, but I can’t see the similarities.
Next year's draft seems a titch below this one in talent
DeleteLove Soto and would enjoy seeing him in NY.......however;
ReplyDeleteI would not gut the farm system (that has already been significantly impacted over the past few years) for one player. I call this the Angels strategy (star hunting), which hasn't been successful, compared to the success teams that have a deep farm system like the Braves, Dodgers, etc.
Said player will also cost a TON to re-sign, which will cause further problems when the Mets need to pony up money for other needs and pending free agents (like a majority of the starting rotation for 2023 and beyond).
As far as the draft goes, I guess it is all opinions and projection for now, Mack. You do a ton of quality prep work, so your opinion is just as valid as any of the "experts". What I did find interesting is Keith Law really liked our draft and that is a 180 from what he usually has to say about our system and picks.
Here's hoping they hit on a handful of the picks and they form the core of our future teams.
You can't keep signing mega Max deals without balancing that out with team control players
DeleteI hope Boras doesn't take Walker away from the Mets - he has been good for them (even made #5 in Reese's ratings!). Unfortunately, I thought Nimmo was also a Boras client now.
ReplyDelete2 and a half years of Soto would be very good for establishing success on this team, but part of Cohen's strategy was to build a sustainable program. Can the Mets be sustainable if they lose 2 of their top 3 prospects? After a great draft? I would love to be a fly on the wall during some of the conversations among the Mets front office this week.
I read somewhere a quote from Walker that he wants to test the 💧
ReplyDeleteGus we can only hope Simon Juan is about to outgrow his growing pains. But, then again, you or I at age 17 might have hit .216 against those guys.
ReplyDeleteBoy, the Mets' keep/don't keep decisions will probably be like never before in complexity. At the end of the day, I don't care how - I just want 100 wins a year. Mr. Eppler, make it happen.
Gus, for perspective, Simon Juan has just the 220th highest average in the DSL. Meanwhile, twenty three hitters are at .340 or better, 64 are .300 or better, and 3 are above .400. Juan has just one HR, but is 10 for 10 in steals.
ReplyDeleteDyron Campos is the Mets' best hitter down there: .336/.383/.607. 28 RBIs in 30 games. Name to remember, it seems.
The Dodgers have a kid with 6 HRs named Mairoshendrick Martinus. Now there's a name for ya. A 14 letter first name.
Andinson Ferrer has 32 Ks in 20 innings, against just 9 hits, but is suddenly wild, with 8 walks in his last 6 innings. But...he's 18. Kids that age can take time to adjust.
Blankenhorn over Vientos. Doesn’t look like the Mets are too high on the kid. I expect him to be traded for the
ReplyDeleteBlankenhorn over Vientos. Doesn’t look like the Mets are too high on the kid. I expect him to be traded for the DH or reliever we are trading for?
ReplyDeleteI just can't imagine the Nats trading Soto with their sale pending AND to the Mets. I don't think it would ever balance out for the Nat fans no matter what our prospects did to see Soto do it against them.
ReplyDelete