24
2012
Niese Is As Close To Being Untouchable As Any Met Can Get
An article by 
When I look at the current Mets’ 40-man roster there are few players where it would take a lot to pry away from the team. Matt Harvey is one of them, in fact, there’s a thought of re-doing his contract as to buy out his arbitration years.
I keep Harvey, of course. And, prospect Zack Wheeler.
NIESE: An untouchable Met?
Also on the list is Jonathan Niese, who signed a long-term deal that will carry him through 2016, with option years for 2017 and 2018, going as high as $11 million in the last year. A hard-throwing lefthander with a positive history and contract controllable for four more years is a bargain.
Considering Niese’s production, contract and being a lefty, it’s small wonder he is the name most often brought up when Mets GM Sandy Alderson is contacted. That’s also the reason the Mets would be foolish to part with him.
As Niese continues to develop, and dare I say it, approach 20 wins and becomes an All-Star, I can see the Mets picking up those options and extending the contract.
Niese is a rare commodity in today’s economics. Harvey could see a long-term offer is he proves the real deal in 2013.
Signing Niese when they did was a smart move and akin to the long-term deal David Wright is on. That’s why they won’t deal him. He and Harvey are on a short list, one that doesn’t include Wright and R.A. Dickey.
The Mets want to keep both but admit they could be dealt. They are currently talking to more teams about Dickey than Wright, presumably because the knuckleballer is on a $5 million contract for 2013 while Wright is more than triple that amount.
Trading Dickey and/or Wright in the offseason would be have the obstacle on them being free-agents after next season and would likely be contingent on the other team getting the opportunity to negotiate its own contract extension, similar to what the Mets did when they traded with Minnesota for Johan Santana.
That other team would be stuck with the task of negotiating with Dickey for roughly $50 million and Wright for perhaps as high as $120 million. Few teams want to assume that burden, which is why Jeff Wilpon said last week he’d rather let them walk and take the draft picks.
From the player’s perspective, the concept of free-agency is deciding where you go and for how much. Chances are both players, unless they are blown away with an offer, would walk after being traded.
The Mets won’t have any such dilemma with Niese, which is why he’ll be in Flushing for a long time.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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I agree that Niese is a key piece and very valuable and that his contract make him very team friendly, for those very reasons I would say he is probably one of the best trade chips we have. On the basis of pure talent vs. return he may fetch the most of any player or prospect the Mets have. If someone comes with the type of package I am imagining, I say trade him. I like Niese a TON and think he may be a key contributor when we finally turn the corner, so I am in no way saying to shop him but I do feel he would return a handsome bounty for a pitcher that is quality but replaceble.
Your exactly right, which further makes the point that this article is silly. Everything has its price, including Niese. Would the author consider Niese untouchable if the Royals offered Myers in return or if the Rangers offered Andrus or Arizona offered Upton?
You can never have enough pitching. The Mets rotation on Opening Day should be Dickey, Niese, Harvey, Santana, and Gee. At some point next season Wheeler should be in Queens. I guess Alderson would move a pitcher to a bat in the lineup, but I wouldn’t give up Niese or any other young pitcher at this point, especially since Niese is a left-hander.
Niese is probably the Mets most attractive piece do to age,team friendly contract, great stuff for a hard throwing lefty. And is closest thing the Mets have to untouchable BUT he or no one else on this team should be considered untouchable at this point.
IF the Mets were to deal Niese it would have to be in a package that would bring back a player of this caliber:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/royals-willing-to-part-with-top-prospect-to-land-frontline-starting-pitcher-015456742.html
Wil Myers of the Royals one of the 2 position prospects in baseball(Profar being the other)…And if this report is true Sandy should be all over it. Niese is great but Myers would not only fill a need but he is a extraordinary talent and could be on par with the Bryce Harper and Trouts of the world.
I definitely agree that Neise is a good starting point for a trade for Meyers.
Myers is a beast but Harper and Trout are generational talents. Harper just put up the greatest season ever for a teenager and Trout… well we all know about Trout. Trout is the rare true 5 tool superstar, Harper 56 walks 120 k’s as a 19 year old in the MAJORS, Myers 61 walks 140 k’s as a 21 year old in AA-AAA (AAA in the PCL no less). I’d LOVE to add Myers and I’d absolutely trade Niese for him but Myers isn’t in the Harper/Trout category. Those 2 will likely be all-time greats barring injuries.
Wexlerrules
Notice I said “COULD BE” …..
Also Trout didnt look so good in his 1st taste of the Majors last year, and although he was underage for both leagues Harper struggled in Double-A and Triple-A nothing he did warranted a promotion to the majors but he turned it on…
I say that to say you never know what these kids can do when they get their chance in the pro’s….I was making the point that Myers has very similar tools to Harper and Trout…not that it matters but its an interesting side note both he and Harper are converted Catchers…
Harper had a nice year and will probably be a force to reckon with…
but by no stretch of the imagination did he have the best season for a teenager…
there is this guy named Dwight Gooden, maybe you heard of him
At age 19, he went 17-6, had a 2.60 ERA with 276 K’s
Harper hit .276 with 22 HR and 59 RBI and 18 SB
I believe Harvey and Wheeler are the untouchables,along with Ike Davis. Ike would be an untouchable because trading him would just create another hole in the line-up. Nobody would be able to match his HR production,and the Wilpons/Front Office know that. Trading him would be the worst possible thing the Mets could do,and I personally love Ike,and believe he’ll figure things out.
Dickey and Wright will be moved before the July deadline if no extensions are worked out. Asking too much for Dickey right now
You can ask. You only need 1 team to give in.
I don’t think a #3 pitcher would be totally untouchable but I would not trade him for Upton.
I remain stunned when people keep bringing up Jon Niese as a trade piece.
How many frontline LHSP have the Mets developed over the past 25 years ?
Err, none they kept with all due respect to Pete Schourek and Scott Kazmir who became good pitchers elsewhere for a brief time before imploding.
Jon Niese took a big step forward, was in the top 30 among major league SP in basically every relevant pitching category and is at the very least a very good # 3 caliber SP on a good team if not borderline # 2. Basically our version of Andy Pettitte.
The Yankees also didn´t trade Pettitte in the mid 90s but kept him around for quite a bit of time. And that´s basically what the Mets should do with Niese, especially considering the team friendly contract he signed. Odds are, there´s not a single LHP in the entire Mets system right now who´ll have anywhere close to the success Niese has already has. Heck, only a couple of RHP max will have as much success.
So, Niese is a keeper for the next 5+ years.
If Neise is what we need to trade to further our offense, then it has to be done. There’s no doubt he’s something special, and would solidify any middle of the rotation in the MLB, the Mets have greater holes, the lack of right handed power just cannot be ignored anymore, Meyers will be worth it if we have to give Neise up for him.