So.
The trading deadline has come and gone and, though imperfect, the Mets seem to accomplish what they set out to do when they entered this period.
They wanted to find better designated hitters, an additional outfielder, and a new reliever. More important, they wanted all these people to be experienced major league players that have had success at that level in to the past.
None were in the Soto class, but the Mets did accomplish this without losing any of their core top 10 prospects.
Talented minor league players were sacrificed here, but you have to give to get. Will any of them come back to haunt us? Maybe. But, if all this accomplishes our goal this year to win a World Series, in the long run will this matter?
In addition, only one core 26-man member was lost, but his output this season was far below his accomplishments in the past.
There’s a reason I like to wait until the entire trading deadline is over and that is so I can analyse the events as a whole rather than individual pieces. It also gives me the time to dive deeper into the research why some of these players were chosen.
In a perfect world, we would love to have found a designated hitter that could mash both types of pitchers, but we walk away instead with a two headed monster that has been way more productive than the guys we have used so far this season.
We’ve already fell in love with Vogelbach and see the obvious advantage he brings to the plate over JD Davis, but did you know than Ruf has an .886-OPS against lefties?
Yes, we wanted a lefty hand pitcher for the pen, but did you know that Mychal Givens is pitching this year to a 2.36-ERA and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 17.1 innings, dating back to June 14th?
And though nothing screams out yet about Tyler Naquin, he is obviously a better hitter and an equal runner to Travis Jankowski.
I have graded thing like this in the past, but it’s 6:30am here and I got around five hours of sleep after that miserable loss last night to a AAA team.
I do know this. We are a better MAJOR league team this morning after yesterday’s events and we would never make it to top of the mountain this season with minor leaguers.
I hope this post this morning generates generous response.
Please note the following Syracuse Mets roster moves:
August 2nd
-RHP Joe Zanghi placed on Development List, retroactive to July 30th
-RHP Eric Orze placed on 7-Day Injured List, retroactive to August 1st
-LHP Mike Montgomery returned from rehab assignment and activated off Injured List
-C Nick Dini activated off Injured List
-RHP R.J. Alvarez cleared waivers, sent outright to Syracuse, and added to the Syracuse roster today
-OF Johneshwy Fargas transferred to Double-A Binghamton
2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 100 COLLEGE PROSPECTS here -
#8 Cade Kuehler RHP Campbell
Kuehler developed extremely quickly upon arriving to Campbell. He's got a super-quick arm and natural deception that's been hell on the opposition. The fastball is already up into the upper-90s with top of the scale ride. He's really dialed in a slider/cutter that flash plus when he's got feel for it. Kuehler will need to continue throwing more strikes and ironing down the effort in his delivery as he develops and gets more college innings under his belt, but there's definitive day one upside here if the track record and production continue to impress.
2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS HERE -
#17 SS Arjun Nimmala Strawberry Crest, FL
Long, lean and explosive describe Nimmala well. He started tapping into power on the showcase circuit but still remains very projectable and likely to add plenty more strength. Potential to be an athletic impact bat on the left side of the infield.
Yesterday's tweets
J. Williams @DanceMets84
Remember when Twitter tried to tell you that Lindor was washed? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Michael Baron @michaelgbaron
Francisco Lindor's 162 game pace for:
HR: 28
RBI: 115
Mack @JohnMackinAde
(let's try this again...)
SOURCE
Trevor Bauer has agreed to sign with the Mets
Michael Mayer @mikemayer22
Adam Ottavino has a 0.87 ERA in his last 30 games.
Rich MacLeod @richmacleod
Lucas Duda would have NEVER blocked the Mets from trading for Juan Soto.
I cannot disagree that the trade objectives were met with the 2-headed DH and a lefty reliever, but there are many degrees of "met". Eppler minimally satisfied the need and made the team a little bit better, but GMs in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Diego seem to have made their teams a lot better. That hurts our competitiveness this year. If we don't win the NL East and face a monster San Diego team early in the playoffs that may come back to haunt us.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed that we did not land Robertson from the Cubs given the minimal price Philadelphia paid for him. He was more than we get with Givens even though he is a righty.
I was disappointed that we did not land JD Martinez from the Sox as he was much more than we get with Ruf.
I don't know what we would have had to give up to land those two, but we would have been stronger this year with them.
And finally, JD Davis got a much needed change of scenery on the other coast near where he grew up. Good for him and I wish him success, as he has helped the Mets - just not this year. However, we still have Dom Smith on the bench where he has not seen any playing time. That doesn't help him at all but also hurts the Mets as it consumes a roster spot. There are a few other guys including Canha and Vogelberg that can play first, so what do we do with Dom?
I don't think you would be happy with who we gave up for most of the players you mentioned
DeleteThe team is unquestionably better than it was before Eppler made his moves going back to Vogelback.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that the team is focused both on the future and now. I am very happy with the overall philosophy. I want to see homegrown talent and I don't want to sacrifice the future for marginal upgrades in 2023.
The Mets were not as sexy as the Padres and other teams at the trade deadline but they filled some holes....were very active this past offseason and will be again this year. I think the Padres are a disaster in waiting in a few years.
I think my biggest criticism (and seemingly everyone elses) is that Eppler paid such a premium for Ruf while also seeing Robertson going off the board for just about nothing. In the end the players in the Ruf trade may never amount to anything but compared to the prices other teams were paying for their rentals it makes you scratch your head for 2 months of a 36yr old that only hits lefties. You can say we have control of Ruf next year but do you really want to give up a roster spot a 37yr old that only hits lefties? Maybe you can eat his salary and spin him off to another team for some low level prospects.
I for one am happy the Soto drama is over. I personally think the Padres hurt themselves massively long term for a short window now. The amount of young controllable talent they gave up was massive. What happens if he gets hurt? Putting so many resources (players/prospects/money) into one player is just insanely risky. It really doesn't matter how good they are or how historic. We have seen plenty of examples of super stars hampering teams with their salary only to see their production fall off a cliff or they get injured. Soto may be less risky in that regards because of his age but not having the same depth anymore because they jettisoned all that talent could certainly hurt them.
The Mets still have opportunities to upgrade using Alvarez & Vientos. I'm surprised they trashed Szapucki who might have been a useful lefty out of the pen. They must really not have been impressed with him at all. At the same time would you be surprised if the Giants brought him up immediately and he was out perfroming Joely? I wouldn't..
I too am surprised about Szapucki.
DeleteHe looked to finally be finding his place here
Paul, Dom goes down - he is a AAA player. I looked the other day,,,462 players have homered this year - not Dom. Not for 54 weeks and counting. If Palka can get mired in AAA, so can Smith. Good riddance.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you - it is hard for me to imagine, as one example, getting Ruf for Davis AND 3 prospect pitchers with potential. Other teams got cheap deals. We never seem to - does that mean Eppler sucks?
Mack, my brother is enraged. He sees San Diego improve by light years, getting Soto, whom he coveted as a once-in-a-generation talent, PLUS Hader and Bell! Phillies do well, Yanks do well, Atlanta does well - and the Mets logically tweak. They better be good and darned sure that their top 5 hitting prospects are a legitimate feeding tube of future Mets stars. I'm with him - I wanted SOTO!
ReplyDeleteWe are all getting old - we need blockbusters, not tweaks.
One thing
DeleteI personally know of 2 scouts from other teams that read us daily
Believe me. Raving about.guys like Zwack don't fall on deaf.ears.
For the record:
ReplyDeleteI am glad they didn’t trade Dom. His production wasn’t a mirage, and I’m willing to wait;
The Ruf trade was stupid for all the points Dallas wrote above;
When I saw Montgomery was the starting pitcher last night, I laughed. Especially thinking of the “internal options” that Eppler mentioned. Where are they hiding them?
Can we trust Eppler going forward? Right now, no. He got hosed and last year Alderson got played. Thats a bad sign.
My guess is Eppler was desperate when time was running.out for an RP
DeleteHmm
ReplyDeleteVin Scully passed
Dom’s going to be DFAed..
ReplyDeleteI can't disagree more on blockbusters. Lindor, Marte and Scherzer were your blockbusters. You don't have to try to do a blockbuster every single offseason and trade deadline. The Mets did very well this past offseason. We had to give up talent because Dom & JD could not perform.
ReplyDeleteI'm very ok with not winning the headlines but having a sustainable winning club over the long term.
All that being said perhaps they need a better negotiator than Eppler... David Sterns may still get his chance.
After all the heat directed at Brodie and Billy for trading away Kelenic and Crow-Armstrong, now Billy gets more heat all over the internet for NOT trading away Top Prospects to fill holes we don't have.
ReplyDeleteYes, we could use a LHRP, and I was hopeful that Szapucki would be him, but as I 've said before the 3-batter rule has nullified the need. A pitcher must be effective vs hitters on BOTH sides of the plate, and Givens fits that role pretty damn well.
To improve an already-great team without morrgaging the future ain't easy, but Billy has done it well.
This Winter we have key pieces who may leave via FA and Opt-out, and at that point we may have to trade a Top Prospect or two. I'm glad we still have all of them.
Here here
DeleteIt’s a good team,if Scherzer and DeGrom stay healthy they can go all the way. Alvarez Baty andVientos could all be up at sometime next season. IfdeGomwalks a Correa or Turner might replace him. Don’t worry,be happy.
ReplyDeletePepper did all the heavy lifting in the off-season, garnering Scherzer, Marte, Bassitt etc. Even Escobar was a good siging although he has struggled this year. The roster needed tweaking and he did that. Maybe he paid a little too much for Ruf but I can live with that
ReplyDeleteEppler not pepper lol
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to overlook one lefty - Joey Lucchesi. Probably back Sept 1.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing Szapucki got torched so badly previously, they thought he'd be set up to fail in a playoff run. But it is ironic that SFG got him, since they were his perpetrators
One of our retained "super" prospects - Mauricio has 3 hits, 3 RBIs, and now has 19 HRs and 61 RBIs in 340+ at bats - plus 20 SS errors in 74 games - that just is not working.
ReplyDeleteLast time I looked we have the 2nd best record in the NL and thats w/o Jake and Max only having 6 wins mid season as well as no offensive production from DH catcher and mininal from 3rd base and we've addressed those now. Also didn't SC say he wanted to compete in 3 to 5 years? This is better and making crazy implusive moves now hurts long term so I'm good with where we are. Third base should be a platoon with EE agains't lefty's and Luis righty's. I just hope the "Jake affect" meaning he pitches great and we don't score for him is comimg back.
ReplyDeleteMack, I saw above you responded to me about Eppler getting desperate for a reliever. I’m fine with that, it’s the Ruf trade that I can’t believe, especially with Vientos ready
ReplyDeleteIs there a Buck connection here 🤔
DeleteRemember Lee and all the K’s, how about JD and all the K’s? ML pitchers would probably do that Vientos.
ReplyDeleteBut Vientos hits so many HRs, might he be capable of Kyle Schwarber #s?
ReplyDeleteMack, Tom: I've got a hypothetical question for you.
ReplyDeleteImagine a 22-year-old pitcher in the A+ level.
He's started 15 games: 71 IP, 53 H, 105 K, 23 BB, 1.04 WHIP, 3.08 ERA.
A 0.9 HR9, 12.9 SO9.
Are you excited about him?
Where would he rank among the Mets prospects? I realize you don't have all the data, but given that info. What do you make of that prospect and where does he fit for Mets?
Thanks,
Jimmy
I don't do hypothetical
DeleteWho are you talking about
Darin Ruf vs. LHP since 2020 ranks 6th in OPS in all of MLB.
ReplyDeleteHe's behind Turner, Hoskins, Judge, Story, and Ramirez at .937.
Davis in 2022 was at .660.
Jimmy
Jimmy, I would likely be excited with that player - but his stuff is what counts most. You can fan a bunch of A ball guys, but I've seen lots of guys suddenly find out AA and AAA is a whole lot tougher.
ReplyDelete