The Mets held a fascinating press conference today to introduce recent acquisitions Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz — players who the organization clearly sees as major pieces of the club’s next winning roster. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among the reporters to cover the festivities; all links below are to his Twitter feed unless otherwise noted.
New Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen offered soaring thoughts on the occasion of his first major move with the club. “I stated that this organization intended to be relentless and fearless in the pursuit of greatness,” he said. “This trade should be a signal to our fans that words alone will not define our franchise.”
Getting a deal done was spurred not only by the team’s own direct interest, but also by a desire to land Diaz before the Phillies could do so. COO Jeff Wilpon indicated the presence of the division rivals in the bidding helped drive the talks. The Phillies ultimately balked at including their best young pitching in a deal for Diaz, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription link). Ultimately, they struck a separate deal for shortstop Jean Segura.
Van Wagenen explained further that an “all-consuming” push over the past ten days or so led to a deal. Though Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto had said he was “inclined to hold onto Diaz” and “told us no a number of times,” the Mets “kept staying on it, kept trying to be aggressive on it” and ultimately made a match after batting around numerous deal possibilities.
Unsurprisingly, the addition of an aging but still-excellent player in Cano and a top-shelf young closer in Diaz seem to portend yet more acquisitions. As Van Wagenen put it, the Mets “did not make this move to be our last move.” Wilpon went into further detail, offering up some internal perspective on the club’s status. The team’s own analytical staff see this move as taking the club from an 83 to 84 win team to one that is a true-talent, upper-eighties outfit. With “a couple more things,” he suggested, “maybe we can be 90-plus.”
As ever, payroll remains a factor. This deal is cash-neutral for the 2019 season, though it does add future dollars. And as ever, there’s an opportunity cost — in this case, long-term spending capacity and the loss of young talent. But the Mets evidently feel they can continue to boost their competitiveness.
Wilpon chatted about the Mets’ financials, explaining that the ongoing efforts to work out a settlement on the insurance coverage for David Wright will hopefully soon result in a deal. Even if the funds won’t come in a lump sum, “some of that will go back to payroll.” Meanwhile, though the coverage on outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is said to be a “little bit less” than the 75% coverage the Mets have on Wright’s salary, there could be some funds flowing back for his absence as well.
It’s still not clear how high the Mets will go in an Opening Day payroll. The club has yet to crack the $155MM barrier to start a season, though even that mark would seem to leave room to spend. Of course, there are still quite a few obvious needs on the roster — as we covered in breaking down the Mets’ offseason outlook. Most notably, the club has a variety of bullpen openings to account for and could still pursue upgrades in the outfield, behind the dish, and perhaps also in the infield mix.
One possibility that has popped up on the rumor mill in recent weeks is a trade involving starter Noah Syndergaard, presumably with intentions of adding multiple youthful assets who could join a still-developing core. The early explorations evidently have not shown promise of resulting in a deal, however, as the Mets now say they are strongly leaning against moving Thor. Per Van Wagenen, only under “very special circumstances” would he “even consider” trading a pitcher who, at his best, is among the top hurlers in all of baseball.
Needless to say, there’s tons to digest from this presser. Taken in conjunction with the trade itself, it sets up the Mets for a fascinating upcoming trip to Vegas for the Winter Meetings.
realgone2
“I stated that this organization intended to be relentless and fearless in the pursuit of greatness,” HAHAH. What is he a pro wrestling manager?
khopper10
Come on down to the ballpark on SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!
baseballpun
He’s an agent. Very similar profile.
thorshair
Jeff Wilpon also thought Angel Pagan was still on the roster
Gomez Toth
Perhaps Jeffy is thinking about his other “angel,” Tim Tebow.
wright4seaver
“leaning against” = “What fans we have left would burn Citi Field to the ground.”
steelerbravenation
No Thor trade just brought up Cleveland’s asking prices on Kluber/Carracci/Bauer
Giants for MadBum
Dbacks for Greinke
Yankees were smart to get Paxton when they did
hiflew
Well maybe they were. But not always.
Last year the Phillies signed Carlos Santana early in the off season and then the bottom fell out of the first base market. If they had waited, they could have gotten him or someone similar for about half the cost.
Asking prices only go up as long as demand remains high.
RunDMC
I’ll take Carracci the Italian Flamethrower.
DTI812
As a wise man once said- “you gotta believe!”
I was not in favor of this GM hiring, but I also wasn’t consulted before he was offered this role. As a long suffering Mets fan I need to support him.
My fear is repeat of the winter they picked up Mo Vaugh, Roberto Alomar tried to trade for Juan Gonzalez, etc, etc.
Please no! But they have my support until they don’t.
MetsYankeesRedSox
Yeah! I loved that guy! He was always shown on WOR during the game. He had lots of signs too. Believe he had box seats on the third base side.
ABCD
Karl Erhardt
But the slogan was coined by Tug McGraw.
MetsYankeesRedSox
That’s right! (About the Tugger)
1969 seems like it was yesterday.
Cat Mando
So does 1980 and it was better.
Loved his “Scroogie” cartoon as well.
GarryHarris
It was quoted from Tug McGraw in 1973, not in 1969.
seaver41
1973
juicemane
The Mets don’t really have any depth to compete, same as last year and the year before. Once a few injuries happen, the drop-off is massive.
No SP depth
No Bullpen
No catcher or infield depth.
Name your 4th outfielder??
khopper10
Frazier is set to be a bench player. Cespedes (once healthy) Conforto Nimmo Lagares is 4 in the OF. The rotation is a clear strength. Your point about being injury-prone is obviously valid but they’re also obviously not done adding.
-Mariners fan
juicemane
So Larages is your 4th…
who are your 4 & 5 starters???
So no catcher and the infield depth is Fraizer? ok what is his BA last two years.
Not done adding? have you seen the payroll already? ok point proven
DanzigInTheDark
Lagares won a gold glove in CF his one full year as a starter there and hits lefties pretty well. Are you looking for more out of a 4th OFer than a good glove and a platoon advantage?
Rotation is deGrom-Noah-Wheeler-Vargas-Matz. After coming back from the DL on 8/2, Vargas had 10 starts with a 3.60 ERA, 2.3 BB/9 and 8.8 K/9 so it’s possible to chalk up his terrible first half of the year to injury. Matz is Matz – he’s gonna be streaky (last 8 starts of 2018: 2.44 ERA, 3.4 BB/9 and 10.3 K/9; his 8 starts before that were similar BB & K numbers with a 6.28 ERA). Again, what are you expecting out of your 4th and 5th starters
Todd Frazier’s OPS+ was 101 the last two years (are you seriously coming with batting average to make an argument?). Acting like backup infield depth can’t be easily had on the FA market in January and February is just silly.
Gomez Toth
Uh, no point proven. Not yet anyway.
Sure, they need a 5th starter, but who doesn’t? The top four of deGrom/Thor/Wheeler/Matz exceeds that of most teams.
A RH outfield bat with decent OBP would be welcome of course, but any number of short-term alternatives to Cespedes (including the gold glove caliber Lagares) are available. Hell, you or I could arrange that deal.
Frazier is/should be infield depth, and assuming he isn’t counted on for anything more, things could be much worse. He isn’t (and never was) there for his bat. He also has the advantage of not being Jose Reyes.
Yes, catcher is definitely a huge problem, and 1B is only slightly less troubling. Maybe, just maybe, Alonso is ready for the big time. I know that’s wishful thinking, but it isn’t crazy talk either: the guy has rocketed up the minors with good numbers at each stop, including AAA.
juicemane
Wheeler,Matz,Thor, and Vargas. Again why keep trying to turn glass into stone?? You cant list 4 guys who can never be consistent or healthy “better than most teams” sorry only on a piece of paper does your logic work.
Birch
Bud do some research. Rotation is easy. Jake, Thor, Wheeler, Matz, Vargas with potential spots from Lugo and Gsellman who’ve both had success as starters for us. With Cespedes out we’ve got Austin Jackson, Nimmo, Conforto, Lagares (if he can go 10 games without injuring his thumb). Frazier is probably going to split time at 1B/3B, mostly as a bench bat. Have you seen the payroll? Because it’s $20M+ lower than the last 2 years even with adding in Cano. But, hey, you seem to know your Mets better than us.
And yeah, you’re only right on the injury item. However, Wheeler pitched 29 starts with over 180 innings in his first full season back from serious injury. Matz made 30 starts and Jake hasn’t suffered from anything. Thor was the only risk last season. So until those guys start going down again, you can’t possibly use it against them.
alien
we can always get guys like Bill Hamilton since he was non tendered as 4th OF. Ramos or Maldonado if we cant acquire Realmulto. add either Miller or Robinson or Octavino for bullpen deph.. we good with SP depth.. Lugo/Gsellman/Oswalt.
petrie000
This why they’re going to spend a ridiculous amount of money on aging free agents in a desperate grab for a wild card spot… Then wonder why, 2 seasons from now, the roster is A dumpster fire and they have no money to extend any of the good players they actually have.
saveferris
Lets be honest here. Turning a mediocre team into a contender for the short term is not that difficult if you are willing to trade your prospects and sign some free agents. The reality is that as your mlb players age, leave as free agents, or decline in their performance, with a barren farm system you will wind up being in the situation the Baltimore Orioles are currently in.
hiflew
If you win a division title or two in that time, it could be worth it though. The Orioles did exactly what they should have done. The Yankees and Red Sox were both retooling a bit and if the Orioles hadn’t gone for it when they did, they would have been peaking at the same time as Boston and NY, which would have likely made them a very good 3rd place team that misses the playoffs. Instead they made the playoffs 3 out of 5 years. Regardless of the postseason outcomes, they did the right thing.
traverave
Fair but they also should have prepared for the future a bit better by investing more internationally, not signing Chris Davis to such a long deal when the first base market has bottomed out, etc. They could’ve shortened their rebuild a bit by being able to take on more veterans that they could later flip for assets.
petrie000
If it wasn’t difficult you could actually name a current team that’s actually been built that way….
metseventually 2
Still need to address a CF, catcher, 2 bullpen pieces and a RH impact bat…..
jvent
How about a 3 team trade:
Dodgers get Syndergaard and Zimmer
Mets get Kluber,Verdugo,Puig,Wood.and Ruiz (catcher from the Dodgers)
Cleveland gets Nimmo,Frazier and Maeda
Mets sign Robertson and Miller
Mets rotation: deGrom,Kluber,Wood,Wheeler and Matz
Lineup: Verdugo,Mcneil,Cano,Alonso,Conforto,Puig,Ruiz and Rosario
RedRooster
The Mets are absolutely not trading Syndergaard and trading for Kluber! That would be a lateral move!
callingoutdummies247
Why wouldn’t they? You trade Syndergaard for a haul and then trade some of that for Kluber…. you keep what’s left. Then you get a lateral move on the field with some extra pieces left over. Thor should and would get you more pieces than what Kluber would cost but with the Mets, ya never know
RedRooster
There would be nothing left! Kluber has more trade value than Thor. They are a wash in terms of club control and performance when healthy but Kluber is much more durable.
baseballpun
It depends (a) on when the Mets are trying to contend and (b) if they plan on extending Syndergaard.
Kluber has thrown 200+ each of the last five season (something Thor has never done) and been better in those innings, while pitching in a tougher league (though bad division) than Thor. I think it’s fair to assume that in 2019 and probably 2020 the rotation is better with DeGrom and Kluber than DeGrom and Thor, if money isn’t an issue.
Obviously, you’d rather have Thor for the next 5-10 years than Kluber, but for the next two? Gimme the 2-time Cy Young winner.
RedRooster
Upgrading from Thor to Kluber would also cost prospects (which the Mets don’t have) and in any event I think Mets fans would rather just keep Thor because of his sentimental value. By the way you never assume the player will sign an extension so if the Mets are tooking beyond the 2021 season they wouldn’t want either guy on the team right now.
baseballpun
If I were the Indians, I’d do Kluber for Thor straight up. That would limit the damage done to the rotation and help save money, which seems to be Cleveland’s biggest motivation for moving Kluber at a time when the Central is theirs for the taking. They could flip Thor for prospects next season if things change.
RedRooster
Thor’s salary will balloon in arbitration over the next few years to the point where he makes more money than Kluber and even now, Kluber has a better ROI than Thor considering the whole durability issue.
Burgeezy
Awful
khopper10
Lol this deal is horrendous for Cleveland.
ExileInLA 2
Why would CLE trade Kluber + Zimmer for Nimmo, Maeva and Frazier?
realgone2
Well this is the epitome of ridiculous.
hockeyjohn
Why would the mets get a 2 time Cy Young winner and the Dodgers top two prospects and pieces for Syndergaard and Cleveland only get Nimmo, Maeda, and a not needed high priced Frazier for Kluber and Zimmer? Please take off your Mets glasses and come back to the real world. Indians and Dodgers do not do that deal.
carlos15
At least Van Wagenen doesn’t mince words. Anderson would talk endlessly while saying nothing of substance all so that you could think you understood a part of one comment to maybe imply something intentional.
carlos15
Alderson
ASapsFables
So the Mets were coerced into this deal because of the Phillies mutual interest in Edwin Diaz?
Well, it appears that Philadelphia might have done a better job with the Mariners in their subsequent deal for SS Jean Segura and two useful relievers. The Phillies can now turn their attention to acquiring one of the available veteran closers in free agency and with their virtually unlimited spending power this offseason they figure to land one of them.
callingoutdummies247
No, what I got is the Mets we’re compelled to work quicker and more aggressive because the Phillies were involved. Common occurrence
petrie000
Common mistake, you mean
jakec77
Wilpon’s assessment that before this move Mets were about a .500 club and now look to be a a high 80’s win is a surprising honest, and not totally off the wall, assessment.
But, here’s the thing- if you are Atlanta with a developing young core you can afford to go into a season with a team that you think can win 87 games and (a) hope to be surprised and (b) add at the trade deadline. Because, if it goes wrong and you end up in low 80s or even high 70s the future is still bright.
With this trade, Mets are all in for next couple of seasons. After that, no way will they be able to afford Syndergaard, Degrom, Cano along with the arbitration set salaries of guys like Conforto and Diaz. And there is now not a lot in the system that looks to be making an impact any time soon.
So, Mets have to stay aggressive in adding to get into the mid 90’s.
Top tier bullpen guy. Best free agent catcher they can get. Somebody who can at least be a league average 1b, ideally who can play a couple of positions if Alonso (or McNeil) is able to force his way into starting lineup. If Pollock slips to something a little more affordable, get him. If not, then hopefully that 1b you acquired can play some OF. Another SP to compete with Vargas for 5th starter/swingman and provide adequate depth for when needed.
baseballhobo
I miss Shea Stadium.
Gomez Toth
I miss Mettle the Mule.
Day1Mets
Love this trade. Cano is currently the only contract in the books for 2021 at $20 million, worst case they offload him to an AL team and eat some of his contract if the NL doesn’t implement the DH in 2021.
We will have the following low cost arbitration players through 2020 and some beyond: Edwin Diaz, Conforto, Nimmo, McNeil, Rosario, Alonso, Syndergaard, DeGrom, Matz, Lugo, Gsellman, etc..
I’m glad Brodie talked the Wilpons into winning now. Missing a Catcher, middle-low Starter and 2 more relievers before we can be confident in 2019.
GarryHarris
One of the easiest positions to improve upon, the Mets need to improve 1B.
What’s the status of Yoenis Cespedes?
Gomez Toth
He is slicing a bit off the tee, and his sand wedge needs some work. But overall, he’s doing well for a guy who only plays five rounds a week.
ham77
I think he’s referring to his status for the baseball season. No one really cares about his golf game.
CharlieH
He had an operation on both his heels. The timetable right now is that he will be rehabbing/getting prepped until at least the middle of June. This being the Mets, of course, it will probably be more like the beginning of September.
DXC
Relentless and fearless in the pursuit of greatness? OK. But there’s nothing particularly impressive about being able to trade future assets (top prospects and claims on future payrolls) to get win now assets. In fact, it’s quite easy, and shouldn’t be this tortured, as there are always many more future asset buyers than sellers. In any event, the Mets don’t have enough future assets left at this point to complete a roster that figures to be a serious contender for even a couple of years. So, relentless and fearless won’t mean much without the pursuit also being “funded” – preferably without the shell games, For that, the Wilpons would have to change their ways. I believe it when I see it.
Samuel
Cut it out with the “top prospects”…….
Two are ordinary, and the Nimmo-like guy is at least 3 years away from cracking the major leagues.
By this time next year you will have lost track of them; and by mid-2020 you won’t remember their names.
DXC
I guess you’re saying that you’ll lose track of them and/or forget their names in short order, Anyway, neither is average, and the “Nimmo-like guy” will likely be a top 20 or better overall prospect by next year right about the time you lose track of him, so maybe it’s best you do.
dematteo1982
Now….
Sign Andrew Miller 3yr/$28 mil
Sign.Cody Allen 2yr/$17 mil
Sign Wilson Ramos 2yr/$19 mil
Trade Matz,Gsellman,Gimenez and Thompson
For Kluber and a prospect
1) Nimmo
2) Conforto
3) Cespedes
4) Cano
5) Ramos
6) Frazier
7) McNeil
8) Rosario
1)deGrom
2) Syndergaard
3) Kluber
4) Wheeler
5) Vargas
Closer- Diaz
8th Miller
7th Allen
Lugo
Blevins
Smith
Ramos
100% NL Contenders