Over the past few days, in some form, I have received the following sentiment from three high-ranking front office men independent of one another:
“What is up with the Mets? Why aren’t they doing more to make some trades before the deadline?”
Translation: Though they are playing better, they still are in a rebuilding phase and should be much more aggressive in this trade market.
So I spoke with a few Mets officials who essentially said, what are these guys talking about? Members of the Mets front office say their phones have been mainly quiet, that there has been a nibble here and there but nothing special, zero traction. The Mets officials said it is not their job to push their players or else you look desperate and lower the value of your commodities. The message was, call us.
So what we have here is a failure to communicate. Outside officials believe the Mets have been underwhelming in their efforts in trying to see what would be surrendered for Bobby Parnell and Marlon Byrd, in particular. They theorize ownership wants to win as much as possible this year to sell tickets now and for 2014.
The Mets say when teams were aggressive in coming after Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey, they were dogged in completing two huge trades. They insist they will meet aggression with aggression.
It also raises the question: Do the Mets think they should hold it together to chase long-shot playoff dreams in 2013?
The Mets are 46-55. There has been only one team in major league history with that record or worse after 100 games that made the playoffs — the 1973 Mets, who also were 44-56. So do ya gotta believe?
Well, the Nationals have underperformed massively and the Braves have faltered after such a strong start, and have now lost Tim Hudson for the year. The Phillies, like the Yankees, got old without a strong next line of protection.
On coolstandings.com, which simulates the season millions of times, the Mets’ playoff chances were just 4.3 percent, better than Washington (3.6) or Philadelphia (2.1), but still not good. Mets officials said they are not kidding themselves about October, even with two wild cards. They actually began yesterday further back in the wild card (11 games) than in the NL East (10 1/2). They essentially had the same record as the Cubs, who have been the most active sellers in the marketplace.
The Mets didn’t have as many veteran commodities who would interest teams as the Cubs, who have moved Matt Garza, Scott Feldman, Scott Hairston and Alfonso Soriano so far, and are not done.
The Mets said they would trade Parnell or Byrd in the right deal, but they do not see the value of being busy just to look active. They either will get pieces they like for the future or just keep what they have and try to finish as positively as possible.
With so many teams hungry for bats, particularly righty bats with power, you would think Byrd would get some feelers. But when I ask outside executives, there is a variance of what the Mets could get in return from “not much,” according to an AL general manager, to “a piece that can help them in the future,” according to a scout whose team needs a bat.
The Mets also have not dismissed keeping Byrd beyond this season. Part of that will involve what the Mets can do in the trade and freeagent markets, where they clearly will be pursuing offense. But what limits Byrd’s value in the current trade environment worries the Mets as well — he turns 36 next month and is just a year removed from a .488 OPS and being suspended for using illegal performance enhancers.
Giants may look to deal Pence
The defending champion Giants went into yesterday 10 games under .500, and more and more executives believe that by the deadline San Francisco will be willing to move free-agent-to-be Hunter Pence. For now, though, the Giants are talking to teams about lefty reliever Javier Lopez.
* The Astros have set a high price on starter Bud Norris — “they want a package that begins with a top prospect,” according to one scout — because of his cost (just $3 million this year) and because he can’t be a free agent until after the 2015 season. But the same scout said: “Just because you can control him that doesn’t make him a top-of-the-rotation starter.”
* If you are searching for encouraging Yankees news, there is this from a scout who recently watched their Triple-A team: “I think Dellin Betances has settled into a solid role. He fits the bullpen. He is not near what he should have been. Everyone but the Yankees knew years ago that he was not a starter. He is always going to be a shaky command guy. But he fits in the pen. He is throwing 94-96 [mph], still has a good curve, is 6-foot-8 and has a good downhill plane. It works in the pen.”
In 23 games and 43 1/3 relief innings, Betances has a 1.66 ERA, a .164 batting average against and had fanned 56.
History says Sori deal won’t pay off
If you think you have seen this movie before, you have. The acquisition of Alfonso Soriano is the fifth time since 2006 the Yankees have dealt for a right-handed bat in July to address a deficiency against lefty pitching. Actually, this is the worst need ever, because the Yankees went into yesterday with their righties having produced a .584 OPS against southpaws, which if it holds would be the worst team performance since the 1972 Indians (.573).
Also, if the previous four trades — three of which were with Pittsburgh — are any indicator, then Soriano’s addition is not going to make a ton of difference. The previous four righty hitters specifically obtained in July to counter left-handed pitching were Craig Wilson (2006), Xavier Nady (2008), Austin Kearns (2010) and Casey McGehee (2012). None even earned a playoff at-bat. In fact, Kearns was the only one who made a Yankees postseason roster.
The 2008 Yankees didn’t make the postseason, though Nady performed well in general (12 homers, .794 OPS), but not against lefties (.622 OPS). The Yankees also got Damaso Marte in that deal, and Marte, while mainly an expensive dud in pinstripes, was invaluable in the 2009 postseason, helping the Bombers win their most recent title.
So far, the only player they gave up in any of these trades they probably regret is Zach McAllister, who has turned into a good starter after being the player-to-be-named sent to Cleveland for Kearns.