New York Mets fans have waited for this day for a long time.
In terms of generating excitement, I look back on the Yoenis Cespedes trade on July 29, 2015 and the Johan Santana trade on January 29, 2008 as the gold standards for acquisitions in this century for the Mets. Prior to that, there was obviously Mike Piazza in May of 1998 and Gary Carter in December 1984. But for young Mets fans, this is as good as it gets. Acquiring an actual superstar, in his prime, and not an over-the-hill player such as Jason Bay or Robinson Cano is something that every die-hard fan can get behind.
Additionally, they acquired a legitimate No. 2 pitcher in Carlos Carrasco, who will immediately slot behind all-world pitcher Jacob deGrom atop the Mets’ rotation. It was significant to include him as the Mets solidified their rotation with a pitcher that is coming off a season with a 2.91 ERA and has struck out 10.2 batters per nine innings since 2014. Along with Marcus Stroman and David Peterson, the Mets have a solid quartet that perhaps only ranks behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres as the best in the National League.
I’m going to look at this deal through a few different lens.
Mets Fans:
I’m not sure what kind of satisfaction they got from it, but I felt second-hand embarrassment for those who chose to incessantly tweet complains at owner Steve Cohen. Here’s a guy that literally saved the franchise from the worst owners in sports and the ink is barely dry on the deal and people are already complaining. Oh, by the the way, the Mets have already significantly upgraded their teams through the re-signing of Stroman, catcher James McCann and RHP Trevor May. So even if he did nothing else, that is an improvement over the team he took over.
Lindor is a four-time All Star in the prime of his career, that is widely considered the top SS in the game. He plays a premium position, he’s excellent defensively, possesses the charisma needed to be a superstar in the biggest market and as long as the Mets extend him beyond this year, he will be in Queens for a long time. Adding to an already sterling lineup makes the Mets one of the top five offenses in the game. Here’s a potential Opening Day lineup with the DH if they round out their offseason with a moderate signing like JBJ.
- Nimmo, LF
- McNeil, 2B
- Lindor, SS
- Conforto, RF
- Alonso, DH
- Smith, 1B
- Davis, 3B
- McCann, C
- Bradley Jr., CF
Lastly, this should reassure you that Cohen wasn’t just here to make jokes on Twitter. But if you have a brain, you would know this guy is ruthless and he hired the right people to have the Mets competing for a championship.
For the Rest of the National League
I’m not saying the Mets are the best team in baseball. They still have to go out and prove they can first de-throne the Atlanta Braves in their own division, let alone the reigning World Series Champs in LA, but they are on the right track. This isn’t Brodie’s team that rode a hot streak into contention. This team, along with the future moves I am expecting them to make, will allow them to be a perennial playoff contender. It is also in stark contrast to the Mets you used to know. This team is no longer a circus run by the worst owners in sports and a car salesman of a GM. There were no leaks to the media, which I’m sure frustrates guys like Andy Martino, and there have been no PR nightmares or #LOLMets moments. I’m going to go out on a limb and say those days are over.
For the Cleveland Baseball Fans
I know what it’s like to see an ownership not committed to winning and prioritized money. Frankly, in these situations Major League Baseball should step in and make them sell the team. If you are unable to maintain a payroll commensurate with the rest of the league, you are unable to own a team. They are projected to have a payroll of $50 million which would be their lowest since 2004. That’s unacceptable. Now they have outstanding front office decision-makers, but they are not on the Minnesota Twins or Chicago White Sox level of talent right now and shouldn’t finish above third place. Their return of Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf was underwhelming. Rosario is a lesser talented version of Lindor. Gimenez had a nice rookie season but is a great fielder but has no extra-base power. Greene and Wolf are top-10 prospects in a mediocre minor league system.
