Let me get this out of the way first, I give full credit to RotoExperts for the dramatic title. It looked way too seductive to me and I felt it would be a cardinal sin to mess with it or alter it in any way.
But lets get to the sirloin… Apparently they’ve been given some hot information from a top Sports Agency and I’m warning you right now that you might want to sit down as you read the rest of this post…
Are you seated? Okay, here goes:
A source close to the SFX Baseball Group, an agency representing some of the biggest stars in the game, told me this morning that the Marlins have recently discussed a trade that would include sending recently signed Juan Pierre (an SFX client) and Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Mets, for super pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, obtained from the Giants in the Carlos Beltran trade, and minor league catcher Travis D’Arnaud, the centerpiece in the R.A. Dickey deal.
But wait, the Marlins are publicly telling people that Stanton will not be traded aren’t they? They sure are, but pay no attention because no Marlins executive is to be believed, most notably Jeffrey Loria, the team’s owner.
Everyone loves a great baseball rumor, especially when it involves one of the best players in the game and two of the best prospects in the minors. But could there be even a tiny slither of truth to a deal of this magnitude? Hey Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal, what’s the good word?
Let’s put aside for a moment the veracity of deal like this one, would you pull the trigger if you were the New York Mets? Forget whether or not there’s any truth to this, lets take the premise of this deal at face value just for argument’s sake; would you trade top prospects Zack Wheeler and catcher Travis D’Arnaud for outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Pierre?
Play along with me and let’s examine this blockbuster from both sides.
From the Marlins point of view they get two near MLB-ready prospects who are among the highest ranked talents in the game at their positions. Two players that will remain under team control for seven years and at minimum salaries for the first three of those years. For a low-market, cash-strapped team like the Marlins, you can certainly see the allure considering that Stanton will bolt as soon as he gets his Get Out Of Jail Free card. Can the Marlins fetch two better prospects from one team than Wheeler and D’Arnaud? I’d have to say no. So from the Miami angle, I jump at this.
Looking at it from the Mets point of view is a little more complicated. We’ve been waiting almost two years to see some payback for trading Carlos Beltran and let’s face it, Wheeler as become the face of the Sandy Alderson era with all apologies to David Wright. Then there’s 24-year old Travis D’Arnaud who hasn’t even been a Met for two months yet. Surely the attachment to Wheeler is much greater than that of the power-hitting catcher who we’re still just getting to know. It’s quite the quandary. The temptation of adding Stanton – just 22 and one of the best talents in baseball – it almost hard to resist.
Throw in the fact that the Mets have nothing cooking in the outfield both at the major league level and the minor league level – so what’s the problem? Why the hesitation?
Without question the Mets get the best player in the deal, and Stanton instantly puts the Mets back on the map of baseball credibility. He has everything the Mets need, batting right handed with the potential for many years of 40+ home runs seasons. Already, Stanton is at an elite level and he wont reach his peak for another 5-6 years. His first three seasons are tantalizingly amazing to look at:
From a Mets perspective I have to call this a no-brainer. I can deal with Buck until Kevin Plawecki is ready. remember him? He was the catcher of the future until January 12th, maybe the name will ring a bell.
As for losing Wheeler, we still have Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Domingo Tapia and Michael Fulmer on the way. Throw in the fact that Matt Harvey is already here and oozing with ace-like potential – and lets not forget left-hander Jonathon Niese who looks ready and primed to be a legitimate No. 2 starter for the Mets.
Remember when last season ended, Sandy Alderson told Mike Francesa that his offseason goal was to add a difference-maker? It was right after he said he would revamp the outfield…
Can you think of a better difference-maker than Giancarlo Stanton?
Wouldn’t he look amazing in a Mets uniform?
I do agree with Roto Experts, who say this would probably never happen simply because Sandy Alderson would be too afraid to pull the trigger. His head would likely explode. But imagine the possibilities…
Hey, maybe I can ask him about this when I speak to him on Wednesday? Hmm…
Fire away…
