Despite the recent run of success by lefthander Jon Niese, Andy Martino of the Daily News says it’s done little if anything to increase his value or interest in him.
Baseball people he checked in with were impressed that Niese had pitched well against quality teams like the Blue Jays, Cubs and Giants, but noted that good general managers are rarely swayed by a hot streak.
“I would assume GMs wouldn’t overreact to recent performance, and would consider the long term picture along with health and the financial commitment,” one evaluator said.
Added one National League executive: “It changes nothing for me. Stuff has gotten lighter every year. The Mets are going to tell everyone it’s as good as ever to keep trade value high.”
Niese pitched his best game of the season against the Giants on Monday, tossing eight shutout innings and limiting San Francisco to just three hits. He has a 2.41 ERA over his last six starts.
As the trade market continues to expand, there are no shortage of quality pitchers who are reportedly available including Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir.
It’s not clear what exactly the Mets can net in a trade for Niese and there’s some buzz he may not even be available at all.
