According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, the Brewers and Mariners were recently scouting the Double-A Binghamton Mets.
The Mets and Brewers have been connected in trade rumors for weeks. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported on June 10th that the two teams had preliminary trade talks, and Marc Carig of Newsday reported that New York was interested in Third Baseman Aramis Ramirez.
Ramirez is batting .215 this season with eight home runs and 26 RBI. While he once was an elite power hitter, the 37-year old is clearly in the midst of rapid decline although he’d still be an upgrade over let’s say Eric Campbell.
Jean Segura is another possible target. He had a breakout rookie season in 2013, but he’s underperformed ever since. He’s batting .271 this year with three home runs and a .299 OBP in 56 games.
The Mariners’ interest could mean that they are looking to revisit negotiations for Brad Miller or Chris Taylor. The Mets were in trade talks for these two players during the off-season, but a deal never worked out.
Miller is batting .221 this season with six home runs in 68 games, and Taylor was recently demoted to the minors after batting .159 in 63 at-bats.
Double-A is home to some of the best prospects in the Mets system. Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Gavin Cecchini, Michael Fulmer and Gabriel Ynoa are all on the Binghamton Mets roster. Is it worth trading any of these young players for someone like Ramirez, Segura or Miller?
They are only marginal upgrades at best. What this team needs is a true game changer like Gary Carter was in ’85 or Mike Piazza in 1998.
So why not set our sights higher? The Mets shouldn’t settle on mediocre talent, not if it’s going to cost us any of our top ten prospects.
A much better option would be to go after Carlos Gomez. He batted .284 last year with 23 home runs and 34 steals. With his excellent combination of power and speed, he would be an excellent player for the Mets’ struggling offense.
