The Mets certainly shocked us all with the trade heard around the world Sunday evening. Following a three-game sweep of the Pirates to make it four wins in a row for the rocky, roller-coaster team, the Mets made a trade to acquire Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman.
Then came the wait for word on whom the Mets were giving up. Eventually, we found out they were dealing their two top pitching prospects, Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson. The immediate reaction there was, what the hell are general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and the Mets doing? One, why get Stroman when you're five games under .500 and six games out of the second National League wild-card spot? Two, why give up two promising prospects?
There is always that instant reaction of frustration, but sometimes you need to let it settle in for a bit and observe it from all angles.
Pros: Great Pitcher, Hometown Product, Stacked Rotation
The Mets are getting an incredible pitcher. Stroman has a 2.96 ERA on a bad Blue Jays team this season and is flat-out good. He struggled last season and dealt with injuries, but he's a ground-ball pitcher who gets outs. He has another year of team control, so he won't cost the Mets a fortune next season. The Blue Jays also sent the Mets $2.5 million for the remainder of his salary this season.
Stroman is a Medford native, joining Steven Matz as fellow Long Islanders in the rotation. He grew up a Mets fan and posted to social media Sunday a great picture of him in a Mets jacket as a kid. Fans here love a New York product. Being a local guy and having 2020 to prove himself could help the Mets potentially sign him to an extension if they deal out the money and Stroman decides he wants to stay home. He also will join Jacob deGrom in what has the potential to be a stacked starting five in 2020. The others are still to be determined, but deGrom, Stroman and Matz would highlight that. If the Mets do keep Noah Syndergaard, that rotation would be lethal.
NEW YORK! Where I was born. Where my heart lies. Where my family resides. Crazy excited for this part of my journey. Some things were meant to be! @Mets #HDMH pic.twitter.com/Z2H3GaxfLG
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) July 29, 2019Cons: Farm System Depleted, Lose 2 Potential Starters For 2021 And Beyond
Van Wagenen once again dealt a few really good prospects to try to win now. It hasn't worked in 2019, and now he has to hope it works for 2020. Kay was struggling in Triple-A, but he dominated Double-A and was expected to be on the big-league roster by next season. The lefty definitely has shown promise. Woods Richardson has had scouts rave about his stuff. The 18-year-old strikes out a ton of guys and has also shown a lot of promise despite his 4.25 ERA so far in Single-A Columbia. He likely would have been in the Mets' rotation in either 2021 or 2022 and beyond.
Trading former first-round picks Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn in the deal for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz is already looking like a failure for the Mets. Sunday's trade could end up being similar if they don't win and if Stroman doesn't perform well. The Mets' farm system is pretty much depleted after this deal, as they lose two pitchers who could have been staples in the rotation for years to come. Van Wagenen is going to have to find some way to get great prospects in trades without hurting the Mets' chances for 2020. It's a very difficult balance.
Conclusion
The Mets have set themselves up to put all their chips in for a World Series run in 2020. They are going to have to worry about 2021 and beyond at some point. Now they have to realize it's a championship-or-bust mentality for next season. This trade means they are not rebuilding and they must commit to spending money this offseason. Anything short of that is an absolute disgrace. This trade defines win now.
If they trade Syndergaard, they need to get a haul. The same goes for Diaz. They should be listening to offers, but they need to be blown away. Trading Seth Lugo would be a huge mistake considering he's affordable and under team control for three more years. If the Mets don't get a strong enough offer for Zack Wheeler, it sure looks like Thor may be the next man packing.
While a lot of fans are worried about the future, we have to wait and see what happens these next couple of days. Van Wagenen's next move is a monster decision that could make or break this franchise. Whatever the Mets GM does with his next trade, he must realize if the Mets aren't a major contender in 2020, he'll be taking his slick-hair, smooth-talking act somewhere else.
Follow Jake on Twitter at @JakeBrownRadio.
Listen to Mets games this season on the team's new flagship station -- our sister station -- WCBS 880 AM.
