Glass Half Full

It didn't take long for the long-term vibes to shift in Flushing..

The highly speculated trade deadline has now come and gone. As the dust settles and knee-jerk reactions turn into reasonable thoughts, it is the proper time to discuss what occurred and how this should change the viewpoint moving forward.

Let’s begin with the trades. It started with the David Robertson deal late on Thursday night. The Mets sent set up man turned closer to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez. The next night, Max Scherzer pitched well, then surprisingly questioned the team’s direction post-game. Shortly after, he was dealt himself, heading to Texas (along with a large bag of cash) in exchange for LuisAngel Acuña.

We then got closer to the deadline where we saw many men (50 Cent voice) walk out the door. Mark Canha to the Brewers for Justin Jarvis. Dominic Leone to the Angels for Jeremiah Jackson. Tommy Pham to the Diamondbacks for Jeremy Rodriguez. Along with the blockbuster just ahead of the 6 PM EST deadline, Justin Verlander went back to the Houston Astros in exchange for top prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.

We can break down each trade one by one here, but I’d rather focus on the Mets’ deadline moves in their entirety. The farm system went from the middle of the pack to arguably top-five in a matter of days. Something that typically takes years to do. It was obviously made possible by what will be a huge chunk of dead money on the books for next season. Said chunk could limit how much management will spend in free agency.

That being said, this is not an organization that we should ever expect to have their hands tied with the richest owner in the sport in charge. It feels the Verlander and Scherzer deals were a learning lesson for Cohen and Co. It’s not as simple as “buying” a championship. At least not if you want to have multiple shots in one window.

The goal now seems to be to build the team properly so that it can compete year in and year out. Top contenders this year all have a very solid influx of homegrown talent. The Braves, Dodgers and Orioles all being prime examples.

So perhaps if the Mets are to catch up to those teams they did exactly what they needed to. Sell high on what won’t be here for long. Sadly that could mean the wait lasts longer. It could also mean the fun lasts longer than that.

Perhaps it depends on how you look at things. To me, champagne always tastes better with a glass half full. Cheers to the future.

---

Never any paywalls. Sign up for free below!