New York Mets: Grading Brodie Van Wagenen’s Busy Offseason
Brodie Van Wagenen and the New York Mets have had a busy offseason. Let’s grade some of BVW’s biggest moves… Can the Mets win the NL East?
After a flurry of offseason moves, fans of the New York Mets are anxiously waiting for the start of the 2019 season. Will the team return to the playoffs following a two-year gap? We will have to wait and see, but there seems to be a reason for optimism. Could this be the start of a new era of New York Mets baseball?
For years, the Amazins’ seemed to be stuck in a rut. Following a tumultuous beginning to the decade, former general manager, Sandy Alderson, led the team through a much-needed rebuild.
Alderson’s tenure culminated in 2015, as the Mets made their first World Series appearance since 2000. After a series of seemingly shortsighted signings and poor injury luck, the Mets found themselves with more questions than answers, hindering their results over the past two seasons. How did the team address their questions?
They started by hiring Brodie Van Wagenen (BVW).
In my eyes, BVW has been a godsend for the New York Mets. Unlike past regimes, BVW seems to have a modern view of the game of baseball. BVW has been innovative, as he has led the team through a revamp of their front office staff and through a semi-roster overhaul. Let’s grade some of his major moves…
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Acquiring Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano: Grade- A
BVW began to shake things up in December as he acquired Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. This move also included the expulsion of some of the aforementioned “short-sighted” salary, as Anthony Swarzak and Jay Bruce were sent back to Seattle.
In my eyes, BVW deserves an “A” for this trade because he was able to bring two All-Star caliber players back to Queens.
Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano will be huge upgrades for the Mets in 2019. BVW, the former representation to Jacob deGrom, watched his client dominate games throughout 2018, only to be inevitably lost by the hands of a weak bullpen or through a lack of run support. Unsurprisingly, look what BVW did in his first major move… He acquired one of the best closers in baseball (Edwin Diaz) and a perennial All-Star (Robinson Cano).
At one point, yes, Cano’s age and “history” were concerning factors. After the recent rumors of a potential universal DH, this trade seems destined to pay dividends throughout the team’s future.
The Mets will feel the loss of their prospects as they lack depth within their farm system, but in the end, they will survive, especially considering that they were able to hold onto their top prospects, Peter Alonso and Andres Gimenez. We will see Alonso and maybe even Gimenez in the Major Leagues in 2019.
Continuing with the discussion of organizational depth, BVW’s semi-roster overhaul included an infusion of much-needed depth.
Eliminating the If’s: Grade- B+
Very early on, BVW made it known that his aim was to eliminate the if’s throughout his club’s roster. To accomplish this, BVW has made a number of moves to enhance the team’s depth.
To start, we can look at the signing of Wilson Ramos. In year’s past, we have looked at the Mets’ catching core and thought, “IF Travis d’Arnaud steps up, the Mets will be one step closer to a World Championship”. Well, this year, the Mets go into spring training without that if, as Wilson Ramos is a proven catcher and former All-Star.
The same logic can be applied to their infield. “IF Todd Fraizer shows that he can be a reliable offensive weapon, the Mets will be one step closer to success”. Well, now they have JD Davis and Jed Lowrie to plug into the mix. Lowrie was a surprising signing. The infielder was an All-Star in 2018 who received an MVP vote.
Even in the outfield, the Mets had an IF in the health of center fielder, Juan Lagares. Well, BVW went out and acquired Keon Broxton and a number of minor league free agents to square up the club’s fourth outfield spot.
I wanted to give BVW an “A” for these moves, but that didn’t feel right. On paper, the team could have signed better players to fill these roles, but in the end, Mets’ fans should be happy with these outcomes. Lowrie will make a difference while bouncing around the Mets’ infield and it is reasonable to assume that defensive specialists, Broxton and Lagares, will both see time in the outfield as Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil are all left-handed hitters.
More importantly, the team won’t need to turn to midseason acquisitions to fill holes in their roster. Jose Bautista and Austin Jackson spent too much time in the Mets’ lineup in 2018…
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The New York Mets do have their doubters, but after their busy offseason, we should believe in BVW’s vision. The Mets are improved, but we are left to wonder, are they better than the Nationals, Braves, and Phillies? What do you think? Comment below!