John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Mets fans don't want to trade Noah Syndergaard -- I get it.
But are you telling me you wouldn't deal him for J.T. Realmuto and Miguel Andujar, with the understanding that Brodie Van Wagenen would then sign another starting pitcher?
Come on, you can't love the long blond hair that much.
And Yankee fans, I understand you've grown attached to Andujar, but are you telling me you wouldn't give him up, as well whatever Brian Cashman is sending to the Marlins, to bring Syndergaard to the Bronx?
Especially if Brian Cashman's plan was to then sign Manny Machado?
In other words, by those parameters this is a trade that could make all the sense in the world for both sides, even if dealing with the team across town brings extra anxiety for all involved.
The knee-jerk response is that it will never happen, of course, mostly because the Mets would fear dealing a star pitcher like Syndergaard, who might wind up being a final piece to a Yankees' championship.
However, if Van Wagenen is convincing ownership to put aside such fears and think bigger than that, then maybe he really is the right man to be GM of the Mets.
Indeed, if he can get Realmuto and Andujar, those could be two pieces to put the Mets in position to win a championship of their own.
That's what the mentality in Queens should be: make the best deal possible, even if it involves the Big-Brother Yankees.
Whether Van Wagenen can convince ownership to adopt that mentality remains to be seen. As one person in the Mets' inner circle told me on Tuesday, "That would be a 180 for Fred (Wilpon)."
If anyone can sway both Fred and Jeff Wilpon, Van Wagenen seems to be the guy. They hired him with the understanding that he'd be bold and explore all possibilities; it's an approach that Mets fans should love.
I still think he gave up too much in the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade -- most notably ballyhooed prospect Jarred Kelenic -- when the Mets had all the leverage, but I do appreciate him bringing in such star talent.
Same idea applies here. Realmuto is such an upgrade at catcher that he improves the Mets dramatically, and Van Wagenen seems willing to pay a stiff price for that as well.
On Monday at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas he indicated to reporters he wasn't willing to deal shortstop Amed Rosario in a Realmuto trade, saying he didn't want to create a new hole while filling an existing one.
In the case of Syndergaard, however, Van Wagenen's thinking is surely that he can trade from an area of strength, with the idea that he can sign a suitable replacement anyway on the free-agent market.
And while someone like Gio Gonzalez or Charlie Morton wouldn't offer the potential for consistent dominance the Mets would be losing, such a starter would bring a level of certainty as a No. 3-4 type starter who could slot in capably behind Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler --- and perhaps Steven Matz as well.
Maybe it would mean the Mets don't wind up spending on A.J. Pollock to play center field, but if you have Realmuto and Andujar, as well as Cano, to beef up the offense, and you add another big bullpen piece in someone like Andrew Miller, you can live with taking a chance on Juan Lagares, hoping he can finally stay healthy.
But the deal has to include Andujar: if the Yankees aren't willing to include him, that's when Van Wagenen should walk away from the discussion.
So is Cashman willing to do it?
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal has reported that Cashman is open to moving Andujar and that the third baseman is the kind of player Miami is looking for in a potential return. Such a deal would also seem to make the Yankees a more serious contender in the Machado sweepstakes.
And then there is the question of what they would need to give the Marlins in this potential three-team scenario that became all the talk in Vegas on Monday night.
If Derek Jeter is insisting on getting Gary Sanchez for Realmuto, as could be the case, then the question is whether Cashman would think including both Sanchez and Andujar in a package would be too much to give up for Syndergaard.
There is also the question of who would then catch for the Yankees, other than Austin Romine.
Cashman has been adamant in saying publicly that he won't trade Sanchez, but you have to wonder at what point the Yankees become tired of defending their enigmatic catcher's problems blocking balls in the dirt, as well as his perceived laziness -- if they aren't already.
In any case, acquiring a high-end talent such as Syndergaard might be exactly what it takes to convince Cashman to go the extra mile, if you will, to make such a deal.
After all, slotting Syndergaard in with James Paxton, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka would give the Yankees a championship-worthy starting rotation.
The thought of which, of course, is what makes Mets fans a little nuts.
Maybe they just need to Believe In Brodie, who seems determined to change the mindset at Citi Field, even if it means overcoming the Little Brother-complex that comes with co-existing in New York with the Yankees.