Link Roundup: Trade Deadline, Wheeler Strong
The non-waiver trade deadline is scheduled to hit at 4 PM EDT today. To quote Douglas Adams, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” For the Mets, the deadline will likely whoosh by without any trades being made.
The Mets are in a delicate situation. Some pieces of the future puzzle have begun to fall in place, particularly on the mound. Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and closer Bobby Parnell would be valuable pieces of a 2014 team that, with a couple of offensive upgrades, could contend for a Wild Card spot. Conventional wisdom states that they’ll have about $40 million more dollars to play with during the offseason, which should make them players in the free agent market for the first time in the post-Madoff era.
Given that train of thought, a complete sell-off doesn’t make sense. The Mets have been gauging interest in players like Marlon Byrd, Daniel Murphy, and Parnell. The Mets don’t feel they can get a top prospect for Byrd, and Parnell, like most relief pitchers, just wouldn’t net a lot of value in return. For instance, the Houston Astros got a minor league outfielder who projects to be a fourth outfielder at best in the majors.
Parnell’s having a career year, despite the fact that his strikeouts are down (7.9 K/9) and his BABIP is low (.258), which could either mean he’s a little lucky, or he’s really keeping hitters off-balance, or both. Some of the ground balls he’s getting could start finding holes. If he does regress, I doubt if it will be that much.
Last night, Zack Wheeler threw strikes, got ahead of hitters, and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He lost the no-no and the lead in that frame, but the Mets got out of their own way long enough to score 2 runs in the 10th pull out a win against the mighty (against us, anyway) Marlins. But are the Mets messing with his mechanics too much? Also, check out this Chad Qualls celebration fail.
In other news, organizational cancer Frank Francisco advised Jenrry Mejia to stay in Port St. Lucie and collect his money instead of returning to the majors, just like his ol’ pal Frankie! It will be such a relief when Francisco’s contract runs out, and he’s as far away from the Mets franchise as possible.
And finally, for no particular reason, here’s Nino Espinosa.
Whoosh.
Yanks need a 3B that hits. Maybe Murphy is a good fit.
Mets aren’t getting much action. I agree to not trade Parnell for a low level prospect. However, Byrd being traded for any prospect should be done. Parnell is part of our future, Byrd is not.
I’m thinking that it’s another year where we don’t trade anything again. Wilponese’s want the Mets to win this year so we get a worst draft pick OR even worse fall out of the 10 ten in draft order. Then we’ll be in the same stop as last year.
Ideological differences, I guess.
But, by then the kids are back in school, fans are more interested in the Giants/Jets, so, who cares? Good business plan by the Wilpons – keep showing the intention to win through the end of August, and hope for the best in terms of ticket sales.
A. When did I say “they were so good”?
B. They aren’t meaningless games to all fans, Izzy. I like wins; I like 81 wins more than 70. Moves for the sake of moves is fine, if you want the illusion that progress is being made; real progress won’t come from trading Byrd. You guys remind me of a panic-stricken manager I once reported to, who said, “we have to make a change!”
“Okay,” I respond. “What’s the strategy?”
“I don’t know!” was the response. “We just need changes!”
Oh sure. I can see the merit in that.
C. I didn’t say the Mets should “stand pat.” They should bring up D’Arnaud in September. Barring another injury, he should be their everyday catcher in 2013. They Mets should look to spend good money on an impact player, either by trade or free agent. Syndergaard should join the rotation in June. Will that be enough? Apparently, you’d be surprised. In fact, I think the improvement will annoy you rather than delight you. Your loss.
Repeat: a strategy to lose more games for a better draft pick is cynical to extremes, and further alienates the fans who have an emotional attachment to them (that would be most of them; it’s how sports relationships work).
Trading a productive, hard-working player for a chance at gaining another George Theodore/Mike Baxter is…positive? You can’t be serious.
Travis is not ready. I want frank Pena and Juan centeno. I want jack leathersich, Noah and his ark, and Thor puello.
Rest David, Harvey, Jenry. Let Juan lagares leadoff, use Eric in the 2nd spot.
06-03-1985: Selected by Detroit Tigers in the 22nd round (574th overall) — free-agent draft.
08-12-1987: Traded by Detroit Tigers to Atlanta Braves for Doyle Alexander.
Do you know who this person is?
John Smoltz. He turned out to be great.
06-01-1995: Selected by New York Yankees in the 20th round (562nd Overall) — free-agent draft.
02-01-1999: Traded by New York Yankees to Florida Marlins for Mark Johnson and Ed Yarnall.
This person was a franchise player for the Marlins and key part of the Red Sox World Series. Mike Lowell.
I’m not saying that trading Byrd, Omar Q, Buck or Aardsma would have given us someone like Smoltz or Lowell BUT it could have.
I want to see our future rather than our past. None of our good players in the past were resigned by the Mets. It’s going to be the same this year.