Earlier today, the Mets added a late-inning relief arm in Tyler Clippard. That move did not come as a major surprise, but it nevertheless created a ripple effect for the two teams involved, as well as the rest of the market.
- Most notably, perhaps, Athletics GM Billy Beane indicated in his comments on the deal that the team could continue to build up lower-level prospect depth in its summer trades, as MLB.com’s Jane Lee reports. “The Houston Astros have done a really good job of spending the last three or four years really creating a dynamic farm system,” said Beane, “and now they’re starting to reap the rewards of that. If we’re ever going to compete, we’re probably going to have to take a somewhat similar approach and at least make sure we’ve got young players that are coming through the system that will be here for a few years.” Oakland acquired younger players in both the Clippard trade and the earlier swap involving Scott Kazmir, marking something of a departure from the team’s winter moves (to say nothing of its win-now acquisitions last summer).
- The Mets had been working on a deal with the Athletics that would have delivered not only Tyler Clippard, but also Ben Zobrist, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. But the clubs honed in on the reliever alone after New York went out and got Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. That, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean that the Mets are out on Zobrist, though adding a pair of versatile pieces in Uribe and Johnson could lessen heir need.
- Meanwhile, the Mets have clearly positioned themselves as buyers, and are still looking at corner outfield bats. As we also covered in that link, the Athletics seem uninterested in parting with controllable pieces like Josh Reddick — despite their apparent decision to load up on high-ceiling youngsters.
- Zobrist will likely be the next player dealt away from the A’s, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. She sees the Royals and Nationals as the possible front-runners for his services. Oakland has drawn wide interest in the utility man extraordinaire, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, with almost every contender having checked in on him. Joining Kansas City with active interest, per the report, are the Pirates, Yankees, and Cubs. We’ve heard no shortage of other clubs mentioned in recent weeks as well, as Zobrist’s MLBTR timeline attests.
- While the Mets are earning plaudits in some circles for adding a quality pen arm without dealing away any top prospects, prospect analysts say that the return for Clippard might be better than many realize. Keith Law of ESPN.com writes that he’d rank Casey Meisner as the organization’s sixth-best prospect, just behind a touted group of names, giving him a #2 starter ceiling. That’s far too much to give up for a few months of a reliever who has not been pitching at an elite level this year, Law argues. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs is not quite as high on Meisner, but still tweets that he sees him as a solid return for Oakland.
- Clippard becomes the second shoe to drop on the relief market, following the Cardinals’ acquisition of Steve Cishek. Check out MLBTR’s round-up of the relief market. We’ve heard rumblings on star Padres Craig Kimbrel today, and there are plenty of other high-end arms that could change hands.
heisenberg58
Casey Meisner is not going to be a no. 2 starter. His stuff just isn’t that great. Assuming for the moment that he would be ready to join the Mets in a year or two, he’d be the no. 5 starter if that. But he won’t be ready in a year or two, so good for Beane and the As. We’re chasing a chip. I like the deal. Now lets get a RH OF who can thump. I’d like Cespedes or Upton tho I’m concerned about Upton’s oblique injury.
AsFan89
He’s 20.
A'sfaninUK
Mets fans trying to justify the massive overpay by badmouthing the A-ball prospect on the way out.
Real talk: even if the deal was Meisner for Zobrist the A’s still come out on top. Clippard’s value is minimal, the A’s hosed all over the LOLMets of this deal.
rct
I don’t know how you can speak so definitively about a 20 year old in A ball. He’s possibly the Mets 4th or even 5th best pitching prospect and won’t be a regular until possibly 2018. I’m not badmouthing him, but a lot can happen, especially for a pitcher, in 2+ years.
Meisner isn’t a lock to be anything, he’s a mid-level prospect with upside and room to grow. I mean, even if only he tops out around #3/4 talent, the As win this trade, sure. But it’s also so far away from bearing any fruit. Seems pretty fair to me.
A'sfaninUK
Did you not read the above? According to Law, he’s the Mets #6 prospect, period, not “4th or 5th best pitching prospect” as you say – and I’ll take Law’s opinion over yours, thanks very much.
A’s got the Mets #6 prospect for 2 months of a non-elite reliever, that’s a win no matter what happens to Meisner, but honestly its not one of those trades that the Mets were even trying to win. They just wanted an upgrade and got it. Meisner could have gotten a way better pitcher than Clippard, but a way lesser prospect could have gotten him too.
Whats funny is I dont know why you are responding to me, when the OP is the one stating definitively about a 20 year old A-ball guy and I did not.
rct
You’re taking Law’s prognosticating as gospel. Do you follow the Mets? I’m assuming you don’t (also, literally everything you’re writing is a definitive statement, so that’s why I’m replying to you; you said, “Clippard’s value is minimal, the A’s hosed all over the LOLMets of this deal”; how is that not a definitive statement?). Feel free to ‘take Law’s opinion over [mine]’, but he’s pretty much the only one who feels that way. But you’re a ‘LOLMETS’ guy, so of course you’ll take the opinion that bolsters your opinion
Meisner *MIGHT* be the Mets number 6 prospect. As someone who follows the Mets, I disagree completely. I put Molina, Ynoa, Fullmer, Blake Taylor, and possibly even Matt Bowman ahead of Meisner. And that’s just pitchers. Nimmo, Rosario, Cecchini, Urena, and Dom Smith are also easily ahead of him. You could even make the argument that Conforto and Matz are still prospects.
Since you’re so knowledgeable, please show me your ranking of Mets prospects that puts Meinser at #6. Please. Until then, you’re just parroting Law and knowing nothing.
A'sfaninUK
I don’t count Conforto or Matz, who are definitely better than Meisner. But first, please explain why you are picking older guys with lower K/9 and higher BB/9 rates over Meisner? Bowman? He’s a total scrub! Methinks you don’t know how to even evaluate prospects too well, whereas I’ve been in this game a long time – and over that time that particular organization’s farm system has been constantly overrated, comedically, hence the hilarious twitter-inspired “LOLMets” hashtag.
Going purely off numbers, the only current guys in the system I’d rate over Meisner would be Cecchini and Fulmer.
Nimmo has had an unbelievably bad year, he’s falling into failed prospect territory. He’s a powerless, speedless corner OF who strikes out more than he walks.
I’ll parrot Law when he’s right, and you know who else “parroted” Law? This site. ON this article. You come off as just someone who doesnt want to get categorically shown that his fave team he homers for, lost a trade, which you did no matter what happens in the future. But Clippard is a nice setup guy to have for 2 months, so there’s that.
rct
A) this site is not parroting Law. They presented his viewpoint as he was very vocal yesterday about the deal. They ALSO presented a dissenting opinion, which is something you are not doing. You are taking him as infallible.
B) I have no idea where you’re getting that I come off as ‘someone who doesnt want to get categorically shown that his fave team he homers for’ from. Please, I beg you to actually read what I wrote. Go back and do it. It’s a level-headed assessment. You’re aggressively anti-Mets. Fine. But I’m definitely not a homer, and there’s zero way that you can prove that the Mets lost the trade. Law is literally the only one who is that high on Meisner. And, AGAIN, he’s 2018 at the earliest. You’re trading away Meisner but you’re also passing off that a prospect who is 2+ years away might not pan out or could get injured. Prospects, very often, do not work out.
C) Your bias is showing re: Nimmo. Seriously. That is a very poor assessment of him. But fine.
D) Funny that you cite low K rates when Meisner has one as well. ‘Going purely off numbers’ is your problem. You’re just going to B-Ref and comparing numbers. Nearly every place on the internet (minus Law) have Meisner outside the Mets’ top ten. But, of course, that doesn’t fit the ‘hilarious’ LOLMETS narrative, so you ignore that. Fine. I think this argument is over for me, as you’re overly-negative and are just itching to shout at Mets fans for some reason.
draftguru
lol at this site “parroting Law”. dude theyre just reporting what he said. they also “parroted” a guy from FG who said this is pretty fair, then
kingjenrry
Explain to me why you think Meisner is better than Harvey, Wheeler, deGrom, Syndergaard, and Matz, and you have an argument. If not, you don’t.
kingjenrry
Let’s not forget Harvey, deGrom, Matz, Syndergaard, and Wheeler, all of whom have already had Major League success and are young and cost-controlled.
kingjenrry
Fulmer’s better. Cessa’s better. And every single one of Wheeler, Harvey, Matz, Syndergaard, and deGrom is better. When you already have 7 young guys at or near the Major League level with higher ceilings AND floors, another arm isn’t worth that much.
kingjenrry
Massive overpay? Let’s say, best case, Meisner reaches his optimal projections and turns out to be a #2 or #3 pitcher. The Mets already have several guys better than that at the big league level already and at least two more (Cessa and Fulmer) who are close.
The New York Mets’ goal is for the New York Mets to win, not the Brooklyn Cyclones, Savannah Sand Gnats, Binghamton Mets, etc. The team traded a guy who didn’t fit into their plans for a guy who does. It’s straightforward. Is Meisner going to be more valuable 5 years down the road than Clippard? Maybe. Heck, even if the answer is probably or definitely, it doesn’t change things.
You have to give up something to get something.
TheWoodyD
Pretty infuriating to hear Beane talk about building up the farm and needing prospect to succeed AFTER he trades Russell, Robertson, and McKinney.
A'sfaninUK
“If we’re ever going to compete,”
You WERE competing, and would have competed this year if you won like 10 more of those 40 1-run losses, which is so many 1-run losses that it’s borderline impossible to do.
“we’re probably going to have to take a somewhat similar approach and at least make sure we’ve got young players that are coming through the system that will be here for a few years.”
Yeah, like Addison Russell & Daniel Roberston, smh.
thewrightstuff
He may have a no. 2 starter ceiling, but that’s not happening in the Mets rotation, no room for him.
A'sfaninUK
True, but they could have gotten Clippard for less, or a better quality player for him.
kingjenrry
Who cares? The point of a trade is not to fleece your opponent. The point of the trade is to improve your team while minimizing long-term negative impacts resulting from the pieces you move. Sandy’s got tons of arms better than Meisner so he didn’t lose much in order to improve the team short-term. Fleecing the opponent is a bonus.
tomrantmore
It may wind up being an overpay by the Mets but their window to win is open. They have pitching depth so moving a pitcher (even a potentially highly touted one) isn’t as bad as it might be for other teams.
Getting another reliever, particularly one that can get lefties out, was a must if they plan on contending this year. If that’s what it cost to get him then I won’t lose too much sleep over what we gave up (at least not until a few years down the line when Meisner starts tearing it up).
I honestly believe it’s a win win for both teams. Keith Law seems to be the only one I’m seeing that is that high on this kid, everyone else has him ranked around 20th in the Mets prospect pool.
A'sfaninUK
The Mets SBN site, Amazin Avenue, had him #9 on their midseason list, that had Conforto as #1, so he’d be #8 now, according to Mets super-fans.
tomrantmore
I don’t doubt that he’ll be a solid player but at the same time the Mets could afford to lose him. If the Mets had the Red Sox rotation and pulled this trade off I’d be irate but they have a plethora of young arms. deGrom, Harvey, Syndergaard, Matz, Wheeler, Montero, Niese (not so young), Fulmer, they can afford to move a guy that may or may not be good 2-3 years down the line.
It fills an immediate need for a playoff run and doesn’t cripple the organization so I can live with it. A’s get a good prospect, Mets fill a big need in a year when they’re going for it, win win as far as I’m concerned.