As the month of November closes out, there’s no doubt that the New York Mets are making moves this offseason to be contenders in 2019. The signing of new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has fans excited and certain he will make a big move in his first year at the position.
Most of the offseason so far has been filled with talk, and no real moves have been made to splash the market. However, the Mets find themselves amongst a large amount of this talk, with rumors spreading about trading Noah Syndergaard and who the team will pick up this year in free agency.
Although there has been little done to boost the performance of the field, New York has done a great job of filling their front office vacancies. They signed former Boston Red Sox executive and former Royals general manager, Allard Baird, as their new VP of player development and scouting, while also acquiring Adam Guttridge as the new assistant GM for systematic development. With Baird coming from a proven winner in the World Series champion Red Sox, and Guttridge adding to a scarce analytics department, both moves put the Mets in a good position.
Hopefully the Mets will start signing players soon, and prove to their fans that they’re ready to compete in 2019. Let’s take a look at some of the rumors that have come up so far this offseason, and what moves New York should or shouldn’t make.
Signing Machado or Harper
Although both far-fetched, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are the two best hitters on the market this offseason and would provide a much needed spark in the Mets’ lineup. The problem is, these type of players come with a significant cost, and it’s uncertain how much New York truly wants to spend.
After rumors swirled around the Mets as contenders for Machado, the Mets came out earlier this off-season and said he is not the kind of player they would spend large amounts of money on. I agree with this decision: Machado’s attitude certainly doesn’t make him anyone’s favorite player, and his lack of hustle is, quite frankly, a showing of disrespect to the game of baseball. But then again, what other options do the Mets have for a big bat? They have to spend money someday.
Although Bryce Harper isn’t adored by opposing team’s fans either, the people of Washington D.C. adore him for his grit, hustle and desire to win. That’s exactly what Van Wagenen, the Wilpon’s and Mets fans are looking for, so why not give it a shot? A $300 million price tag is a bit too much, but sometimes, that’s what it takes to win in this league.
The Cano Trade
This past week, a story surfaced that the Seattle Mariners were looking to dump the contract of Robinson Cano, while also looking to trade hard-throwing reliever Edwin Diaz for prospects to either the New York Yankees, or the Mets.
In many ways, this trade makes little sense for the Mets, having to take on a 36-year-old’s contract for five more years at $24 million a year. However, the Mets may be desperate for a strong bullpen arm, while also gaining a proven major leaguer who still has some pop.
Sure, the Mariners do deserve some top prospects for Diaz, but now is not the right time for the Mets to spend theirs on a reliever. With so many arms on the market like Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino, there are better options for the Mets to boost their bullpen, while also keeping younger assets. Plus, Jeff McNeil has proven he can play second base at the major league level and should be given the opportunity to prove his consistency in 2019.
Trade Syndergaard?
While multiple teams have called asking about what it will take to acquire Mets star pitcher Noah Syndergaard, the team made it known that it will take a lot. That doesn’t rule out that the Mets won’t move him at all, especially if the right deal comes along.
If Syndergaard can bring the Mets a strong, middle of the lineup bat like Kris Bryant, I’m all for it. If he can bring in return one of a team’s top three prospects, I’m all for it. But anything other than that, is not worth it.
New York has expressed that if they move Syndergaard it will be because they have a plan to sign another veteran pitcher, whether it be J.A. Happ, Nathan Eovaldi or Gio Gonzalez, who holds a 1.75 career ERA at Citi Field. None of these pitchers compare to the talent that Syndergaard possesses, and I really think it would be the wrong decision to send off one of their top assets.
Only time will tell what will happen, but the Mets are ready to make a splash. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more updates on the Mets’ offseason.