Home » 12-13 Offseason » Rays Trade James Shields for Wil Myers
8
December 10, 2012 12-13 Offseason Joe Janish

Rays Trade James Shields for Wil Myers

Jon Heyman just tweeted that the Tampa Bay Rays have traded “Big Game” James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals in return for uber-stud Wil Myers, former first-rounder Jake Odorizzi, 22-year-old LHP Mike Montgomery, and 20-year-old third baseman Patrick Leonard.

Holy crap.

It seems that the Winter Meetings were more about laying the groundwork for blockbusters than it was for actual trades.

There was some buzz about the Mets asking for Myers from the Royals in return for R.A. Dickey, but obviously, that’s not happening now. Not only did KC get a frontline starter in Big Game James, but they also receive a very solid middle reliever in Wade Davis. And actually, Davis was an OK starter in 2010 and 2011, before transitioning to the ‘pen, so the Royals might consider moving him back to the rotation. Davis’ numbers weren’t spectacular as a starter, but they were decent for a #4 or #5 — especially when you consider most of his starts came against AL East offensive powerhouses.

To put this deal in perspective, the Mets likely would have had to part with both R.A. Dickey (or, Jonathon Niese) and someone like Dillon Gee or Bobby Parnell in order to land Myers. Think about that.

Also, think about the fact that Sandy Alderson’s options are quickly dwindling as teams that were interested in R.A. are acquiring other pitchers. On the flip side, it could be argued that other pitchers are coming off the block, possibly making R.A. a more in-demand entity. It’s all about perspective, I guess.

What do you think? Does the Dodgers’ signing of Zack Greinke and the Royals’ trade for Shields and Davis make R.A. a hotter or cooler commodity? Answer in the comments.

Tags: , , ,

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
Related Articles
  1. acoustic567 December 10, 2012 at 12:16 am
    If the Mets really want to get both Mike Olt and Leonys Martin from the Rangers, they are going to have to put something else of value in the deal. Would you do Dickey & Parnell for Olt and Martin?
    • Joe Janish December 10, 2012 at 12:20 am
      I’d do that in a heartbeat. As much as I love R.A., he and Parnell won’t do much to prevent the Mets from finishing in fourth in 2013 and 2014. However, a deal like that might help them move upward at some point before 2020.
  2. marc hunchik December 10, 2012 at 1:24 am
    i think there will be demand for Dickey.Texas, Angels, are big possibilities. I LIKE Olt, but there is also this kid theyjust drafted out of high school named, Joey Gallo. He is an infielder like Olt, but his bat seems scary. Power and plate discipline combo. Olt worries me a little bit, with his age, and high k numbers.Maybe a prospect package like Gallo, Scheppers, and Perez for Dickey match up well.
    • Joe Janish December 10, 2012 at 1:47 am
      I like the Angels and Blue Jays as trade partners, since both have catching surplus and the Mets are desperate to get a young catcher. I wouldn’t mind the Mets getting Bourjos, Conger, and/or Trumbo from the Angels, for example. I also wouldn’t mind a package from the Jays that includes Arencibia or D’Arnaud.
  3. Dan B December 10, 2012 at 9:15 am
    Do you think the Mets are in the position to trade Dickey for prospects? I am not against it but it would mean the Mets could be looking at a 65-70 win season if they trade Dickey for players who won’t contribute in 2013. Can they afford to lose one of their two popular players and lose even more games? Imagine what that will do to attendance and viewership. This is why I worry they will keep Dickey for the year and let him walk via free agency. Ironically, I think they are too poor to risk being that bad. Sometimes spending money involves more then buying free agents.
  4. Askabry December 10, 2012 at 9:23 am
    Alderson needs to hold onto Dickey unless he can get a C/CF combon (D’Arnaud/Gose) or LF/CF (Olt/Martin).

    If you need to drop Parnell into that mix to make someone like Tor or Tx feel good about themselves, fine. Parnell’s value is based on his last 12 innings and I don’t see him as anything more than window dressing. Dickey … he’s the real deal, and especially at 3/30.

    And OBTW … the Shields trade puts tremendous weight on Toronto. Now the ‘Rays just got better. If Toronto thinks now is the time to compete with the Bosox and Yanks on decline, what better way to do it than pick up a CYA winner?

  5. Metstheory22 December 10, 2012 at 10:00 am
    We might also have to “throw in” Thole to catch Dickey in any deal. So we might have to have a deal for another catcher down the line.
  6. Izzy December 10, 2012 at 10:18 am
    You guys are really really overrating Met players if you think a hard throwing middle releiver in his upper twenties with a history of total mediocrity and inconsistency adds much to a package. Watch other teams. Everybody has a Parnell or two or three of them. Even the mets. They had two more Parnell’s up in September.