7
2012
Rangers Would Trade Mike Olt For Dickey If They Fail To Land Greinke
An article by 
According to John Harper of the Daily News, the Texas Rangers would trade top hitting prospect Mike Olt for R.A. Dickey, but only if they first lose out on free-agent Zack Greinke AND are unable to trade for James Shields who is their top preference if they have to make a swap.
Meanwhile the Royals and Blue Jays are not that interested in Dickey and and prefer the Mets young lefthander Jonathan Niese. They also have many other options they are considering.
Olt for Dickey makes more logic in terms of a swap than the Royals trading Wil Myers for Dickey. But is the Rangers power-hitting prospect the difference maker Alderson said it would take for him to move Dickey? I don’t think so.
Clearly Wil Myers is much more superior and polished prospect, but as more than three people have reported, any talks with the Mets are dead. They will not consider trading him for Dickey. They want Wheeler or Niese.
Olt, 24, spent some time on the 2012 Rangers roster, coming up at the start of August to be a regular starter and bench option, but got less and less playing time ultimately hitting only .152/.250/.182 in 33 plate appearances with 15 strikeouts.
He skipped Triple-A and was promoted directly from Double-A Frisco where he batted .288 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI in 421 plate appearances with 101 strikeouts.
He has no speed and unless the ball goes out of the park his extra base power doesn’t rise to the level of his home runs. In 871 at-bats he has 52 homers and 48 doubles, while grounding into 28 double plays and 253 strikeouts.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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If I could get Olt+ maybe Kirkman (LHRP) and Joey Butler a 26 year old OF RH OF that looks like he is MLB ready. I would have to consider it.
These kind of rumors is exactly why Dickey wasn’t traded this week. Greinke needs to get figured out first. My gut tells me the right deal will be in place.
As I ask Wanny in the desert, why wouldn’t the Rangers want both, especially with Olt completely blocked at this point? Imagine adding Greinke and Dickey to this list. It would also allow the Rangers to trade some backend guys for OF help and would strengthen their pen. All for what Olt, some filler and 5M? Sure.
1. M. Harrison
2. Y. Darvish
3. D. Holland
4. A. Ogando
5. M. Perez
6. C. Lewis
I just updated the post after taking a very closer look at Olt and I have to tell you that he scares the daylights out of me.
Matt den Dekkers numbers at Double-A were infinitely better than Olt’s. .340/.397/.563
Not that I know anything about the guy but the big difference I see in him is his power numbers and that’s what the team desperately needs. 28 HR and 82 RBI in AA. DD has no power what do ever.
Got to see DD play in August and the guy was so over-matched. If he makes it up he will just spray singles around.
I wouldn’t say no power, he did hit 17 HR last year.
The guy’s swing and approach is not built for power what so ever, he’s just trying to get line drives. Put him in Citi and he aint hitting anything out. He crouches so low he is practically sitting on the ground.
.288 .398 .579 .977 with 28 HR isn’t too shabby either. Also keep in mind that DD struggled in AA before that and that sample size you showed was 58 games and he struggled mighty in AAA.
Also he’s LH.
A lot of people compare Olt to Chris Davis when he was a young prospect with the Rangers.
Both were excellent defensively at 3B/1B, both given time in the OF, both power bats who have trouble making contact and striking out at an alarming rate.
1 thing going for Olt other than Power is he’s a local kid from Connecticut
He seems boom or bust though
I’d be more comfortable giving Dickey up for him if we received another piece like Luis Sardinas/Leury Garcia….and maybe Julio Borbon who seems to be the odd man out…..
Too much? lol
Olt for Dickey makes more sense than Wil Myers for Dickey, but is the Rangers outfield prospect the difference maker Alderson said it would take for him to move Dickey? I don’t think so”
Well, wanna know the fun part about that? If he does in fact becomes a met, he’s the best OF on the team right away… Believe it or not!
LOL, you are right… and he’s not even an OF.
Looks like he did play some RF but primarily a corner infielder.
Some is generous. He has 5 games in the OF in his professional career.
Wait a second, why is he being shopped as an outfielder? How does he help us?
I am guessing because they believe he can play the OF.
Mike Olt has played a grand total of four games in the outfield as a pro. He’s an outstanding third baseman, actually, and it would be a shame to waste his fielding talents in the outfield. The Rangers only tried that because they have Adrian Beltre around for, like, forever, but I don’t know anybody who regards Olt as an outfielder. Of course, considering David Wright, the Mets would have to do the same thing.
Lol….yeah he’s said by scouts to be a great defender at 3B lol….the one place that has been blockaded
I am really curious to see what scouts would say about his ability to play the OF. Just because Murphy was an awful LF and Duda is a lumbering DH doesn’t mean that Olt can’t be a decent OF. Plenty of guys who were 3B in the minors wound up in the OF in the majors.
I think us mets fans over-react when we hear young player converting to the OF because of Todd Hundley, Daniel Murphy being extremely bad there….
Mets fans IMO are the biggest critics of defense in the Outfield…for crying out loud they criticized Carlos Beltrans defense because he played deep in CF….you cant win
AGREED. And while SRT will come and beat me, I honestly think Murphy could have adapted to LF as well as he is adapting to 2B. They just didn’t spend the time to do it.
hahaha – come on…even the Mets told him to leave his OF glove home last spring training.
LOL, yeah I know. I honestly think Murphy was the type of kid I see all the time in HS basketball. The kid that spends hours and hours shooting and working on his offensive game and can’t play defense for crap. Then he heads off to college and has a rude awakening.
Yes TRS is right, maybe Olt can take to right field as well as Duda did. Lets not assume he’ll be the disaster that Murphy was. lol
LOL, lets hope he can take to RF at least as well as Carlos Lee instead of Duda…. Lee was another guy who was a 3B in the minors. Certainly wasn’t a good OF but he made up for it well enough usually.
He already had a 2 base error in the OF. SeeVideo. And lets not knock Murphy as he did well in the OF at Shea in 2008. He had a problem at Citifield and never was allowed to work it out.
I should rewrite that sentence because I’m not saying Olt is better than Myers, I’m saying on a one for one it makes more sense. Myers is infinitely the better prospect but it wouldnt make sense for the Royals to swap him for Dickey and they wont.
This is going to all blow up in our face. We will end up trading Dickey who will go on to have three great seasons like the three he gave us, his void in the rotation will go unfilled, and the outfielder we get back will not live up to his hype or expectations like most Met young outfielders.
Is this kid related to Dave Kingman? More strikeouts than hits and more homers than doubles? I’d prefer the more athletic Myers if we’re going to trade Dickey. Give them Dickey and Kirk if that’s what it takes.
Hey, why are you so down on Ike Davis?
I’m not down on Ike Davis, but could you imagine Davis chasing ball in Citi Field’s right or left field?
We know nothing about his ability to play the OF. Just because he’s an IF doesn’t mean he can’t play the OF or even be a better OF than IF, Braun was pointed out.
What I am saying is those 2 things that you said, more K’s than hits, more HR than doubles… that was Ike last year.
Wait…this kid is a lefty hitter?
We need a RH hitter…wouldn’t it make more sense – if we’re trading Dickey – to go after that?
Huh?
No he’s RH.
and familia, and mejia etc… Lol, I guess myers is that good, but KC feels they’re ready to compete, pitching is the way to go. and dickey will provide them that, but him only won’t net myers.
Hey Alex! Maybe this guy replaces Ike Davis who doesn’t really go for Alderson’s whole PPPA thing?
LOL, you think not huh?
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/1b/league/nl/sort/pitchesPerPlateAppearance/type/expanded
I think it takes Niese and unfortunately plus some to get Myers and I am not sure that’s worth it unless they are 100% sure he is the man.
Do you think that Neise/Flores/Groski would be enough for the Mets to pry Myers from the Royals? I definitely believe Alderson is still talking with the Royals about Myers,and Neise seems much more appealing then James Sheilds,but after being a 200+ inning work horse for the Rays,it seems likely that he would break down. Neise easily solidifies any team’s rotation.
TRS, do you think for once, just for once me and maniac, or leroy and I can have a little conversation without you having the need to have the last word? I mean, is having the last word on everything your addiction…? Ugh..
Maniac, wouldn’t surprise me to see Ike davis being traded by sandy, but i think the wilpons won’t allow it..
Good god Alex, I am being civil here. Just trying to talk baseball. I will continue to respond to comments here. Good luck with getting me not to. If you don’t want anyone but your buddies to respond to your post… maybe you should do like me and make my own blog
LOL Alex I purposely greeted you by name when I saw your friend were lurking about. But seriously, I think it’s hilarious.
Lol, Maniac, i thought it was just me, but those desert people are getting lonelier and sadder by the day.. SMH.
If you just want to talk amongst yourselves, then take it to the chat room. It’s still around and you guys can be left alone giving each other salutes.
Maniac, you and I attempt to have baseball discussions. Thus I will ask. Did you realize that Ike lead the NL 1B in PPA?
Even in the 2nd half he was 2nd to only Howard.
Perhaps it’s possible it was never Ike Davis that the comments about getting away from the approach were intended for.
I am not telling you not to comment, we all know there’s nothing going on in the desert anyways so your presence in this blog that you have insulted in the past is somehow necessary to you, the funny part is yesterday you were saying how you were not gonna get involve with me yet as soon as i say something, or someone say something to me, you appear.. It’s getting a bit ridiculous and sad..
Alex, did I say anything in my comment to you that wasn’t baseball related? I wasn’t starting anything with you by making a baseball statement. Get off yourself.
Damn it! Is there anything we can blame Alderson for that doesn’t involve Wilpon? I’m going to have to check with srt.
Dickey and/or Neise AND Duda for Myers. Then package Myers and Wheeler for Stanton.
Uh… Dickey, Niese, Wheeler and Duda for Stanton? Uh.. No.
As J-Lo would say, hell to the no!
Myers for Dickey sure doesn’t seem to be happening, but I’ll never say its impossible.
The royals have been a bad team for two decades while their natural rival, the Cardinals, have had monumentous success. Despite all the low draft picks, it’s taken 20 years to get to this point. They have a really good offensive club, one that can win games with their bats, yet they still need pitching. They signed Guthrie who isn’t a sure thing; actually, it’s probably going to be a bad signing when you consider what he got. They traded for Santana, who is coming off a horrible year. They need a legit game winner. Their team needs to finally win some games and be consistant. Their fans are probably fed up and deserve for once to root for a good team.
So, how can you haggle over another prospect that right now you don’t need, when your team is finally on the cusp of having a contender? Yes, it hurts to give up a guy like Myers, but how could they not? And I’m not even talking about for Dickey.
If the Rays want Myers + prospects for Shields, how do you not go for it if you’re the Royals? As a Met fan who is pissed about the last four years, I would kill someone if I waited 20 years and the GM of my team was playing hardball over a kid who has yet to swing a bat in the major leagues.
Where is Olt playing? Right field? What is the scouting reports on that? Sounds like yet another first baseman playing out of position and we already have three situations like that in Thole, Murphy and Duda. Do we really want to go there?
Only thing we got are a few reports from his AA manager that of course gave him high praise. Also, lets not pencil in Duda in LF. You could put Olt in LF and trade Duda or keep him as a LH PH.
Here’s a report from his first games as a OF for the Rangers:
“Being a corner infield guy, he’s got instincts and you have to have instincts,” Pettis said. “It’s always just going to be a matter of reading the ball off the bat. I just want him to make the routine play and hit the cutoff man. He will grow into it as he plays.”
Olt played three games in right field at Double-A Frisco this season, but had never worked in the outfield at any point before that.
“I felt good at Frisco,” Olt said. “It felt like I’d been out there for a while.”
“If I can keep Moreland out of the outfield, that’s what I want to do,” Washington said. “Gary has been working with Olt since he came up and said he can get the job done. The kid has a little speed and can catch fly balls.”
You may get the gold star for today on that comment.
I am not sure we have the ability to make a judgement on if he can play OF and we would have to unfortunately trust that if they trade for him they believe he can.
If they are moving him from first then maybe they don’t think he can be better than Mitch Moreland? Looks like a possible trade bait move the more I look at it. But again I really don’t know much about him.
He’s a 3B who they are moving to the OF. They wanted to get Moreland and Olt’s bat in the lineup and didn’t want Moreland in the OF.
I understand put they put him at first as well and I guess that didn’t work out. So are they going to replace Cruz? Doubt it. Looks like they are increasing his resume for a trade but if he was truly that good at third, they could probably get more out of him keeping him there.
I am sure they want to market him as more than just a 3B but the reason they moved him around last year was based on need and luckily for Texas he was a guy they could move around. They had injuries at 1B and needed to rest a struggling Cruz in RF.
Knowing Alderson, he’ll want Darvish too. Trade wise, we all know Dickey isn’t gonna come cheap, no matter what his age is. Don’t be too down on Olt, Joe. Read some scouting reports and seen videos on Olt, and I’ve read stuff about him saying that he’s a future cornerstone with .275, 30+ HR potential. If that isn’t much of a difference, I dont know what is. I’m not gonna go off of a diminutive sample size from last season in Texas.
I happen to like Olt and he’d instantly become better than any OF we have despite his inexperience there. His range might be a concern, but I heard he had a great arm as a third baseman.
Agreed and if we could net him and Joey Butler: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=butler001joe
We could totally remake our OF.
I was doing some research on the Rangers farm system and Butler is an intriguing choice. Wonder why he was never considered a top prospect. I was unable to find a scouting report on him, but was able to find a piece of footage of Butler’s play and I liked what I saw so you’re on to something.
Well I am guessing it’s because he’s 26 and they already had their OF covered quite well? Either way he could be just a Chris Carter type or he could be a guy that could stick.
Sounds like the Rangers are now favorites to get Greinke from what I’m reading so this is all a moot point?
I still don’t see why they wouldn’t try to get both.
Just what we need – a third baseman. As much as I think Alderson is doing a terrible job, these “maybe” offers for Dickey are ridiculous.
It’s posturing and negotiating. No team is just going to roll over and accept what anyone else offers, especially for their biggest chip.
If Mets can get Olt back in a trade for Dickey, they have to pull the trigger. The guy is going to be a 30 home run bat in the big leagues under team control for at least through 2018.