Brodie Van Wagenen’s seemingly non-sensical move may make sense.
Wow, BVW! (photo, NY Daily News)
Nobody, including the Mets’ front office, knew what they were getting into by hiring Brodie Van Wagenen. He’s the agent for Jacob DeGrom and Noah Syndergaard who’ll be the team’s next GM.
But everybody knows something about him now. With the recent blockbuster deal he pulled off, it’s clear this man is fearless.
His first major acquisition is a 36-year-old veteran coming off a PED suspension. Van Wagenen traded for a player nobody else wanted: Robinson Canó.
The Mets also received lights-out closer, Edwin Diaz, along with $20 million in compensation for Canó’s lengthy 5-year, 120 million dollar contract. In exchange, the Mets gave up two bad contracts in Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak, two top prospects in Justin Dunn and Jarred Kelenic, and Gerson Bautista.
The initial reactions from Mets fans have been skepticism and disgust. But I see it differently.
Yes, the Mets gave up two top prospects–from an already shallow farm system, I might add–but this was a deal meant for the 2019 Mets, not for the future. It’s clear that BVW wants the Mets to be a win-now team.
If you look at the Mets’ contract books, nobody on the team is locked up through 2021.
What’s more, I’m willing to bet that the pitching nucleus of Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, and Steven Matz won’t be with the team in 2022–that is, by the time Justin Dunn and Jarred Kelenic are MLB-ready.
That’s why I think Van Wagenen has the Mets in win-now mode. The NL East not getting younger and let’s remember that the Mets didn’t deal a big-name player for prospects last summer. That means the team needs to compete now, not later.
Yes, acquiring a 36-year-old fresh off a PED suspension is risky, but the Mets know what they are getting in Canó. He may be average defensively (at best) with minimal versatility, but I implore baseball fans to stop referring to him as ‘washed up.’
Canó’s days of being the most formidable second baseman may be over, but he has at least two good seasons left in his bat. That’s two more seasons of about .285 and 20-home run ball. That’s not bad for ‘a washed up 36-year-old.’
Edwin and Robinson are now Mets (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
And if you turn your head in another direction, you’ll see that the Mets just got (in Diaz) the top closer in baseball! What’s more, he’s 24-years-old and secured through 2023!
And getting Diaz is much cheaper than going out and signing a Craig Kimbrel or Zach Britton-type through free agency. A lights-out closer is a must-have for any successful team, something the Mets lacked massively last season.
In conclusion, yes, this is a risky move. To boot, we won’t know if the Mets won this deal until Kelenic and Dunn show what they can do (or don’t). And, yes. BVW still has work to do to make this team competitive in the East come spring.
Edwin Diaz is terrific, but the Mets still need to shore up the rest of their bullpen. And signing an offensive catcher, like Yasmani Grandal or Wilson Ramos, is a huge priority. And, finally, the move frees up a spot in the outfield until Cespedes’s return.
I’m not inferring anything, but (hint) how about Bryce Harper?
