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CANO’S RETURN JUST START OF BRODIE’S PLAN
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen can’t rest after Seattle deal, because this club still has many holes to fill, especially behind the plate.
Brodie Van Wagenen has our attention.
Whether or not you like the deal that brings Robthe inson Cano and Edwin Diaz to Flushing, the Mets’ new GM has shaken things up. He has gone into this offseason with a new, aggressive approach.
The trade was completed Monday afternoon. The Mets are expected to officially welcome Cano and Diaz to Flushing this morning. So, now what? Van Wagenen still has heavy lifting to do. A closer on a losing team is a luxury the Mets can’t afford. Cano makes the lineup better, but not enough to put them in position to win the National League East.
So this trade only makes sense if it is the first step in a plan to invest in players who can make the Mets a contender in 2019.
For his first trade as a GM, Van Wagenen is getting mixed reviews.
Diaz was a much-needed upgrade as an anchor to the Mets struggling bullpen.
As soon as Cano slips on that jersey, with the familiar No. 24 he wore with the Yankees, he’ll become the most dangerous hitter in their lineup. The Mets shipped out two bad contracts with Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak heading to the Mariners.
With Bruce gone, Van Wagenen also got rid of a logjam in the outfield and at first base to allow younger players to develop into their natural positions.
With the money that Seattle is sending back with Cano and Diaz, $20 million for the next two years according to a source, the deal leaves Mets pretty much with the same payroll as last year.
Van Wagenen gets credit for addressing one big need without spending significant money.
But this is a club that has so many needs — this deal cannot be the cornerstone of the winter.
So far, Van Wagenen has been described as energetic and diligent by rival executives. He is making the rounds and checking out all the options.
The Mets are being linked to some big-name players who are available via trades. They talked to the Indians about Corey Kluber, an industry source confirmed, but it was described as a preliminary conversation.
They inquired about the former Cy Young winner — whom manager Mickey Callaway had as the pitching coach in Cleveland — but no names of players were exchanged.
The Met have also told teams they are willing to listen to offers on Noah Syndergaard, the 26-year-old flamethrower. It would be the best chance to quickly replenish a farm system and maybe address another need on the big-league team.
Push both of those moves way down on the priority list, though.
Van Wagenen began his tenure with the bold and optimistic declaration that the Mets can win in 2019. He also said he believes the season will start with a strong rotation led by Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, Jason Vargas and Syndergaard.
If the Mets are truly planning on competing in 2019, they need to focus on the immediate needs of the big-league club.
Sure, they could use more prospects, another back-end of the bullpen arm and a true, everyday center fielder, but they need an upgrade behind the plate more than anything.
The Mets need to sign a catcher, which will likely be their biggest challenge this winter. The best catcher available via trade, J.T. Realmuto, is most likely out of their reach.
They just sent two of their most coveted prospects — Justin Dunn and Jarred Kelenic — to Seattle in this deal. That means the Mets would most likely have to part with a young major leaguer, such as Michael Conforto or Brandon Nimmo, to get the Marlins to part with the All-Star catcher. And the Marlins reportedly do not want to trade Realmuto within the division.
So, the Mets are most likely going to have to expand their payroll to sign a free-gent catcher and contend in 2019.
Yasmani Grandal is considered the top free-agent catcher available, but Martin Maldonado would be a good fit at a slightly lower price. He doesn’t come with the draft penalty of declining a qualifying offer like Grandal.
The Mets tendered a contract to Travis d’Arnaud last Friday, but they are well aware they cannot go into 2019 with the same plan of platooning him with Kevin Plawecki.
Van Wagenen has grabbed the headlines with this Cano deal. It’s bold, aggressive and controversial enough to fire up the hot stove talk. Now the first-year GM needs to get focused on fixing the rest of the Mets’ roster and backing up his bold predictions for 2019.