The Mets lineup can use a left-handed power bat. They also need a genuine major league centerfielder. Joc Pederson is available – why not take a look?
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen has seen the about the falling out between the Dodgers and Angels on a trade that was set to send 27-year-old outfielder Joc Pederson to the American League.
And if Van Wagenen looked a little deeper, he couldn’t have helped but noted that one of the newer teams making overtures to the Dodgers about Pederson is the New York Yankees.
And maybe, because he should, Van Wagenen will take his phone to text or call the Dodgers general manager with an inquiry asking, “Who do you like on the Mets for Joc Pederson?”
That is, Van Wagenen would – if only the Dodgers had a GM – a spot held vacant since the departure of Farhan Zaidi when he jumped to the Giants to be their President. But we can be reasonably sure Brodie will figure it out.
Pederson A Definite Upgrade Over Marisnick
Joc Pederson fills a void much needed in the Mets lineup going into 2020 as a left-handed power bat (36 HR, .876 OPS in 2019).
Pederson also provides the Mets with a significant upgrade over Jake Marisnick, a good-field, can’t hit a lick centerfielder who was recently acquired by Van Wagenen in a trade with the Astros.
Pederson is fresh off losing his arbitration case and is due to make about $7.5 million in 2020. Following this season, he will be a free agent.
The Mets are getting up there in team payroll, but Pederson in no way breaks the bank or the luxury tax threshold.
There should be a bell going off in the head of Brodie Van Wagenen whenever he hears or sees the Yankees having an interest in a player.
He may not like or admit it, but there is something he should respect regarding the 23 years of successful service Brian Cashman has provided for the Mets cross-town rivals.
Besides, an inquiry by Van Wagenen on Pederson is just that – testing to see if the Dodgers and the Mets might be a fit.
Do The Mets Have What The Dodgers Need
So, an excellent question to ask then is who on the Mets team might interest the Dodgers?
The Dodgers, as their farm system always provides, have young pitching coming out of their ears. So, that’s out. However, with the loss of Hyun-Jin Ryu, the team is looking for a fifth starter, if the Mets consider either Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, or Michael Wacha expendable. Not likely.
The name Brandon Nimmo is sure to come up in any serious talk. Nimmo provides the Dodgers with a chance to reduce their bloated payroll, the main reason for trading Pederson in the first place.
The Mets would balk, but it’s the adage in baseball trades that you have to give up something to get something.
For the Mets, who already have an overcrowded outfield, gaining and outfielder doesn’t make sense without subtracting one.
Ooh…what if the Dodgers ask for Dominic Smith straight up for Joc Pederson? While not expendable, Smith is not a fit on the current Mets team. Pete Alonso has first base locked up, and as we’ve already said, there’s a traffic jam in the Mets outfield.
Brodie: No Shame In Taking A Cue From Brian Cashman
To beat what is a dead horse with the Mets, these are the moves the team should at least be involved in pursuing. So that in today’s story in the New York Daily News, the Mets should appear in the headline alongside the Yankees.
Brodie Van Wagenen is still green under the collar. There should be no shame if he quietly takes a cue from Brian Cashman now and then.
This is especially true when a name pops up as a “sleeper” (like Pederson) where you say the Yankees look set, so what is it with this guy who has piqued their interest.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Just saying…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
