29
2012
Nationals Acquire Denard Span
An article by 
The Washington Nationals have made quick work of their pursuit for a center fielder, as they have acquired Denard Span from the Twins for minor league pitcher Alex Meyer.
Earlier today MLBTradeRumors.com reported that in a recent interview Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo discussed the clubs desire to move young phenom Bryce Harper to one of the corner outfield spots. Rizzo said that the team was looking for a “dynamic” player in center field, who could also be the teams leadoff hitter.
Alex Meyer is a 6’9″ 22-year-old right handed pitcher who was ranked as the number two prospect in the Nationals farm system. He was drafted 23rd overall in the 2011 draft, and posted a 10-6 mark, with a 2.86 ERA, and 139 strikeouts in 129 innings of work.
The 28-year old Span had spent his entire five year career with the Twins. He posted a .283/.342/.395 batting line in 568 plate appearances with Minnesota in 2012. He is a career .284 hitter, and gives the Nationals the dynamic player they were looking for at the leadoff position. Span is still under contract and will earn $4.75MM in 2013 and $6.5MM in 2014. The Nationals will also have the right to exercise his $9MM club option for 2015, or decide to buy him out for $500K.
About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
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So this is something similar to trading Fulmer (and possibly another small chip) for Span.
Would you all do that?
No way. Span isn’t worth that.
In fact, the Twins killed them in this trade.
I think the Twins got the better end of this deal, but we won’t know for some time.
Especially from the Nats…they seem to know pitching and how to develop it. He might be a gem for the Twins.
Guess that also means no Nats for Bourne.
Everyone please remember patience is a virtue. Dont worry about the Braves and Nationals making moves. We will have our wholesale changes, damn it.! Just give Sandy more time! He needs more time!
And don’t forget, the Phillies almost picked up a quality reliever from the ‘Stros.
No worries. We will win in 2014.
Wow, it wasn’t that long ago that the Nats were worse than the Mets. I’m thinking they’re early favorites to make the World Series.
Let’s see, the Nats get a CFer the Mets could use for a minor leaguer. Nothing that the Mets could have done as well.
75 million has been spent on BJ Upton, 6 million on Ryan Madsen.
So 81 million and a minor leaguer is what it took to get 2 solid outfielders and a nice reliever but Mets are going to spend all 140 million on………………….David Wright.
well of course they are, David Wright is twice as good as B.J. Upton and Ryan Madson combined so it makes sense.
well first of all you’re wrong. David Wright is a giant choke artist than cannot be relied upon when your team is in a pennant race, don’t even know if you are old enough to remember 2006-2008 and if you are don’t waster your team showing me those silly September slashlines because they don’t tell the true story. The guy is a choker but if you like empty, padded stats he’s your guy.
And secondly come see me when the remaining 60 million is divvied up. The point is I’d like to see what 140 million can get you by the time all is said and done.
I always think about what my team can do to try and win every off season regardless, I’m not a blind puppet who sits there with a glazed wide-eyed look waiting for Sandy Alderson to appear on a big screen to give orders on what to think and say. And unless we’ve been lied to big time and like magic the Mets happen to pull another few million out of their butts and sign another impact player in addition to Wright it will be 140 million down the drain and an organization crippled, all because a few people in higher places think this is what all Mets fans want.
nevermind. “_”
Hi Bayonne,
If Sandy had any sense (cents) he would have acquired either Madsen or Upton to go with Span and re-signed both David and R.A. Then, if he could only get some decent relief help (which would allow Francisco to return to him more comfortable late inning role) then overnight the Mets would be back in the fold.
They would have better hitting.
They would have the starting pitching
They would have a better bench (players who would otherwise start in the outfield)
We would have a better center fielder who might be able to compensate for Duda in left.
They might have a better bullpen (but with Sandy and his people it’s already two strikes against them).
Know you played the game professionally so don’t take this in stone but only as thoughts to throw around. There is still the same talent on this team (if they retain who they have)
“…was ranked as the number two prospect in the Nationals farm system.”
I am not sure if the Mets have anyone ranked #2 in their farm system. LOL
oh i see, so he has to be “ranked” by some organization and not just a solid prospect that a team can use. Got it, i see you follow everything you read with strict guidelines.
i’d send Fulmer and if necessary another minor leaguer for Denard Span.
Of course you would…but what makes you think the Twins would take that?
I love Mets fans who make up these trades only looking at one side of the equation. Fulmer isnt on many people’s radar as a top prospect. Outside of Wheeler and Flores, the Mets have very little worthwhile past Savannah unless you count Familia and Mejia whom many around baseball (including fans) question.
I don’t know what the Twins would take and I understand the concept of people only offering trades from their own team’s point of view. I’m well aware of that and have chastised people before about that, flaskmaster.
My point is he could have been had. You don’t know what the Twins would have wanted and neither do it. That does not mean a trade could not have been made.
You’re just a Sandy Alderson defender plain and simple. That is 100% what this is about because if it was the other way around you’d sure as hell come up with a plausible deal that could lure Denard Span from the Twins. I don’t follow the Twins and I do not know what that organization needs.
I’d throw Mejia in a heartbeat, maybe Kirk, maybe UpperDecker – who knows but the Mets I’m sure have some combination in the minors the Twins can use.
Do you know as a 100% fact that the Mets didn’t chat with the Twins about Span?
No. You don’t.
Do you know 100% that they did?
If not your point is no better than his!
Maybe you should learn about the Twins since you are looking for another team. It must be nice to be a FA fan.
And there is an unwritten rule in debating that when you resort to name calling you lost the debate. Case closed. Move along. The Yankee boards await you.
yeah, you get called names because you post false information and lie. That is exactly what you do.
I’d rather be accused of calling people names, accused of being rude and all that then be accused of intentionally falsifying information and flat out lying anyday of the week.
Now the case is closed.
Another adage is the accuser is guilty of what he is accusing.
As for the accusation itself, all the stuff I post is based upon intense baseball knowledge unlike yourself. You are just one who wants to attack this FO but defend the asinine decisions over the past 20 years. You want money spent without knowing how a winning organization is put together. That is your basic problem. If you would learn what takes place and stop trying to be right you, would see how the path is already written. But that approach doesn’t allow you to be an internet loudmouth banging away on your keyboard. Are you trying to make up for lack of attention growing up? Are you the middle child or something? Perhaps you should ask your therapist about that.
So when you research how a winning organization is put together you will begin to grasp some of what I write.
“all the stuff I post is based upon intense baseball knowledge….”
AHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Whatever your on is illegal in at least 48 states that I know of!
I nearly spit my drink thanks to that one
there we go – the last 20 years again. You are the WORST kind of second guessing, monday morning quaterback sleaze there is.
That’s like a coach telling his high school team – hey guys sorry we lost but it’s not your fault, it’s the school’s fault because we’re low on funds and all the better talented kids go to the better schools and that’s why they beat you.
That’s bullshit. The Mets lost the games, they had the chances to win those games from 1999-2006 and they LOST. If they won some of those games then we’re not having this stupid conversation.
And you, some anonymous guy..is going to tell ME about team building? Like you know? Have you ever even attempted to actually build rosters in your life? Let’s start there pal.
If not, then go back to doing what you do best and that’s analyzing the results 20 years later before coming to a conclusion on what went wrong during the times you HAD the chance to win.
In other words – a second guesser. A deceiving, lying, second guesser.
Overly pessimistic much?
Montero and Tapia are highly rated prospects, just a tick below Fulmer.
Fulmer is a top prospect. Not a Wheeler, but definitely back-end top 100. The new lists are coming out soon enough so we can see…
Something like Fulmer+Verrett could get Denard Span.
http://baseballinstinct.com/2012/05/12/michael-fulmer-rhp-new-york-mets-scouting-report/ (the 124 ranking is from before the 2012 season)
And not by some organization…one that is noted for churning out pitchers the last few years. #2 prospect as a pitcher in an organization like Washington or SF carries some weight.
…coming from you who just went back to 1995 to try and put down the Mets in comparison to the Braves, Yanks home grown talent. You were SO unfair in your analysis that you didn’t even list David Wright, Reyes, Davis, Harvey, Edgardo Alfonzo, Niese but instead you listed lesser Mets prospect in order to lie just to prove a point. Your word about the information you share about other organizations is mud. You’re a liar and you twist things so you can’t be trusted.
There are quite a few other people here that, even though we may not agree, i sure as hell trust more than you when it comes to honestly evaluating Mets minors and other teams minors.
Allow me to clarify so you can understand. The reason that post went back to 1995 was because that was when those teams started their post season runs. Can you understand that? The Yankees were the foundation for many championships came out of the organization at that time.
As for the Mets development, how many All stars have they produced from their system in the last 15 years? Of all the guys you listed, how many have AS appearances? Alfonso, Reyes, Wright, Bobby Jones…who else? Maybe one other I missed. Who was the last catcher the Mets groomed? Hundley? Outside of Reyes, Alfonso, and Tejada, how many middle infielders have the Mets produced in that time?
Do not try to defend the Mets farm system. Overall, the track record is pathetic since Cashen left.
oh okay, so you’re angry the Mets are not as good as the Yankees. Got it.
But the Mets could have been almost as good if they won the big games they needed to back in 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, & 2008.
Your still mad about it and so am I. Difference is you’re looking to lay blame in all the wrong places. Sure the farm could have been better but it wasn’t and that made no difference in those games the Mets lost in 1999, 2000, 2006, & 2008.
Can it already. This is known around here as “t agee syndrome”
No actually I dont have an issue with the Mets not being as good as the Yankees. I am not one who really worries what happens in the Bronx. In fact, I am glad they approach things the way they do because they are turning into an outright joke. Almost $2B spent in the last 12 years and only 1 title to show for it. If you are going to pay the price for lobster, at least get something for your money. Cards and Giants are more successful in that time with less money spent combined.
I only worry about the progress of the Mets as a franchise and they did it wrong for the better part of 20 years. The game is played to win championships and the Mets have attained that end since 1986. You can hang your hat on a couple of spurts (1999-2000, 2006-2008) as evidence of success but that isnt the case. Spend some money and anyone might get lucky. By the way, what happened after those years? How did 2001, 2002, and the last 4 years look? Is that a successful organization? The Braves have had, what, two down years in the last 17? The Phillies, one in the last 6, and most likely bouncing back this year? The Giants have a down year between WS titles. Do you really think the Mets accomplishments compare with those? Not even close.
wait…so ur def of success changes when u compare the yanks to the braves.
the yanks technically have had 1 down year since 1994…thats 17 out of 18 years making the playoffs…
sorry, but as a fan, I dont give a shi* if my team spent 40 mil or 140 mil or 240 mil
its nice that the braves are able to succeed with a small budget…and i can consider their front office much better than the yankees…
but Im willing to bet their fans would rather have 6 rings in the past 16 years than 1 in the past 40
Their minors WERE good, but they aren’t the same now because all their top guys have either been promoted already, or they were traded.
Some minor league rankings had the Nats almost the same as the Mets.
Here’s two rankings:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/1/23/2728027/2012-baseball-farm-system-rankings-prospects
http://www.thefanatic.net/threads/keith-laws-1-30-team-farm-system-rankings.7647/
There is more to the minors than the talent they have…it is also the ability to develop that talent. Sure a system can be down in terms of the players because of the reasons you mention but certain organizations are able to develop that talent. The Nats, Rays, and Giants have shown consistently the ability to develop successful major league pitchers. Therefore, someone coming from those organizations has a leg up over others simply because they tend to evaluate differently when drafting and developing from day 1. And that is the reason why I think all Met fans can be high on Wheeler. If the Giants drafted him and had him highly ranked in their system, they saw a lot in him.
Sure, when you get as many #1 picks, and top ten overall picks as they did, you will naturally have the ability to develop talent.
Not true. An organization can have top picks and not develop them. Development includes a lot more than the players. It includes the coaches, philosophy, ability to teach, pace of progress, and an assortment of other attributes. The Indians, as an example, had plenty of high draft choices yet have turned out a ton of talent since the 1990s. Yet teams like the Giants, Rays, and Braves keep churning it out even when they win.
Strasburg and Harper are once in a generation type talents – my two dogs could have developed them.
Anyway, if they are so great at developing players, wouldn’t that show in the rankings, right? If they are being coached well, then they all would be playing better, which would cause them to be higher ranked.
I’m not saying development doesn’t play a role, but I think it would show in the rankings, and their past record is skewed by them having the opportunity to draft once in a generation type talents like Harper and Strasburg.
Certainly Harper and Strasburg were generational picks, just like Strawberry back in 1980. Players like that are rare. However, the rankings certainly wont reflect the scenario you just cited. If a team calls up a fair bit of its talent to the big league level, especially if it is before the lower level players are ready to move up, that will appear in the rankings. Lower level players, for the most part, have been developed as much, hence wont rank as highly. If a team has a lot of talent in rookie ball or A ball, that isnt valued as much as guys at AAA. We see this in trade scenarios.
For this reason, the Nats might be down for a year or so while their lower level talent works it ways up. The key is a good system will develop that talent and will rise quickly in the overall rankings. Crappy ones tend to remain in the lower third of all teams.
Okay, but if all their top prospects are gone, and their lower level prospects aren’t ready to move up, then right now on 11/29/2012, their system isn’t that special and shouldn’t be considered that way.
Maybe they move up again in the future, but as of right now they aren’t really any better than us.
Shane Victorino here we come. Gaaaaaaaah!
Russell Martin signs with Pirates big loss for yanks, wow
I see Martin as the Dave Kingman of backstops. Power with a batting average just barely above .200.
One thing the Pirates don’t need is another pathetic bat in their lineup that happens to have good power for a team that finishes 4th in the league in home runs should also not finish tenth in the league in run production. Defensively, he is average but 80 percent of potential base stealers do wind up with the base.
I’m glad the Mets didn’t pursue him – I would rather see Thole continue behind the plate than Russell.
Talking about Martin going to the Pirates, I guess finishing next to last in attendance and playing in a small market enabled them to find that $17 million over two years to sign the former Yankee catcher.
Boy, I tell you the advantages these teams have over Sandy Alderson – it’s just too unfair.
wish we played in a big market like washington…..looks like it’ll be another long year for the kansas citymets er–excuse me, NEW YORK mets
:sigh: