Jay trading

Mets can’t afford to wait for perfect deal

WHEN the Mets obtained Jay Bruce at the trade deadline, they were trying to replicate the magic of 12 months earlier — an imperfect-fit slugger nevertheless elevating the team. But Bruce was no Yoenis Cespedes. He shared too much in common with Jason Bay. Was it because he is a streaky player who simply had gone into a dip? Was it because his temperament was ill-suited for the New York market? Was it a combination? Either way, the Mets want to trade him and his $13 million 2017 salary, and are operating under a mandate not to spend on the reliever or two they still need until they remove money currently on the payroll — Bruce or otherwise, and otherwise appears to be a nickname for Curtis Granderson. Mets fans have expressed annoyance their club has yet to upgrade the bullpen. The diatribes mainly focus on ownership’s perceived cheapness or the sentiment of: “When are the Mets going to do something?” Which suggest amnesia is rampant because in a tight market for sluggers, the Mets not only qualified Neil Walker for $17.2 million, they gave out what will be the only nine-figure free-agent contract this offseason to Cespedes. There also is forgetfulness about how well Sandy Alderson has done as a trader while the Mets GM. No one is perfect, but if the worst trade on a GM’s ledger is Angel Pagan for Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres, then consider the tenure a success. Alderson has shown the ability to sell (obtaining Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud) and buy (Cespedes, Walker, Addison Reed) during the Mets’ rebuild.

He also has demonstrated an expertise in when to exert patience and aggressiveness. So the Mets not moving with alacrity right now reflects a GM reading a market in which Economics 101 is reigning — there is a far greater supply of sluggers than demand.

Eight free agents remain who hit 20 or more homers last season — including the AL homer champ (Mark Trumbo) and the NL cochamp (Chris Carter) — and Bruce is part of a flood of sluggers available via trade. The Mets could wait and see if Bruce builds value, and the environment is better to trade him during the season. That occurred with another lefty slugger with the initials J.B.: The Mets reacquired Jeromy Burnitz after the 2001 season, he was dis- mal in 2002, but rebounded in 2003 and the Mets dealt him to the Dodgers in July. However, those were rebuilding Mets.

These are win-now Mets, and because of that I believe: a) the Mets should not trade Granderson because he is valuable to the 2017 effort; b) Alderson simply has to move Bruce even if it means eating a portion of his contract and/or taking an inferior return because this season’s roster works far better without him; and c) Mets ownership has to give the thumbs-up to bulk up the pen and therefore the payroll if Bruce cannot be moved.

If Dilson Herrera proves to be a good major leaguer, perhaps the Bruce trade becomes Alderson’s worst with the Mets. But at some point you have to think of it as buying a house under time constraints (in this case, the trade deadline) and then realizing the best you could do is sell at a loss to move on to a better life.

Alderson has made a few trades with his protégé, Oakland GM Billy Beane, and I wonder whether there is a way to offset some salary by building a trade around Bruce and an A’s reliever such as Ryan Madson (owed $15 million over the next two years), John Axford ($5.5 million in 2017) or Sean Doolittle (two years at $7.45 million with 2019-20 options worth $12.5 million). The Rangers could use a lefty power bat and are deep in relief pitching.

But if Alderson cannot find bullpen help in a trade or is unable to deal Bruce, Mets ownership has to appreciate the win-now window is built around a fragile rotation that must be protected by a deep relief group. Jeurys Familia is facing suspension to begin the season. Nothing in Reed’s history suggests the Mets can bank on him being as brilliant in 2017 as he was in 2016. Depth is needed.

There are still useful relievers available in free agency, such as Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas, Joe Blanton, Santiago Casilla, Neftali Feliz, Luke Hochevar, Boone Logan and Travis Wood. The supplydemand quotient suggests the prices probably will fall here. Alderson has earned enough trust that he will act appropriately. He went for it in 2016 with Bruce.

That decision cannot haunt the 2017 team.