Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Another trade deadline has come and gone, and boy was it a crazy one. The Mets finally struck late Friday afternoon, acquiring shortstop Javier Baez and right-hander Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Love the move? Hate the move? Should the Mets have done more? Did they give up too much? Now that we’ve had a few days to process the trade and the state of this team moving forward, here are our thoughts.
I like Javier Baez quite a bit, I think he helps the Mets in a variety of ways. That being said, the Mets went into the deadline needing pitching and they got Rich Hill and Trevor Williams.
That screams underwhelming. Then you find out they knew Jacob deGrom had a setback before the deadline and you really wonder why they didn’t get a better starting pitching option.
Overall, I think it’s a disappointing first deadline for the Steve Cohen Mets.
Leading up to Friday afternoon’s deadline, we kept hearing that the Mets were looking for another starter, another reliever, and a versatile position player. They went 2-for-3 in that pursuit, and admittedly, hearing the news of them acquiring Javy Baez got me jacked up.
Once that broke, we then kept hearing New York wasn’t done, but they actually were.
It certainly seemed like a seller’s market with the kind of returns teams were getting for big-time trade targets. However, it was disappointing and a gut punch to hear about deGrom’s setback just a couple of hours following the deadline. Having Carlos Carrasco back and maybe Noah Syndergaard coming soon is great, but as we’ve already seen this year, that’s not a guarantee.
Do the Mets have enough to win the division? It’s possible. Some of it can be attributed to their own performance, but some can also be attributed to the rest of the division’s inability to make up ground as the Mets tread water.
I understand not gutting the system for some rentals, but in hindsight, they probably should’ve done more. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that injuries can pile up in an instant. The pitching staff can’t really take many more hits, but if they do, they’ll just have to figure it out now.
I do like the addition of Javy Baez. I think he plays with the passion and fire to absolutely thrive in New York. I have no doubt this fanbase will quickly fall in love with the energy and flair he brings to the field each and every day, and he’ll help this team in many ways.
I also think playing alongside one of his best friends in Francisco Lindor, when he returns from the injured list, will help bring out the best in both superstars. If the Mets are able to retain Baez after this season, which certainly seems possible, they could solidify one of the best middle infields in baseball for years to come.
Now onto the negative. As everyone else has said, I absolutely would’ve liked to see the Mets add more pitching at the deadline. While both Rich Hill and Trevor Williams are two solid serviceable arms, that’s certainly very underwhelming, especially factoring in deGrom’s setback.
The rotation has been decimated by injuries all year long, and the bullpen is taxed. They absolutely needed to add at least one or two more reliable arms, and failed to get the job done.
While asking prices were reportedly high, it’s certainly a bit disappointing, but there’s nothing they can do about it now. They absolutely should’ve done more, but now this team just has to continue to battle and find ways to win ballgames as they’ve done all season long.
I’m going to give the Mets a “B” on their trade deadline performance. They needed a big bat, and landed one (albeit one that strikes out a lot) in Javier Baez.
Also, the Mets spent prospect capital to get Baez, trading Pete Crow-Armstrong, a first-round pick. If you’re going to do that, at least spend that prospect capital on a player you may retain. With Baez’s statements about playing alongside Lindor, at least the Mets have a chance to retain him after 2021.
The Mets also needed a starter (they clearly knew about deGrom and suppressed the information to avoid other teams raising their prices). They did not do well in that regard, bringing in Rich Hill and Trevor Williams, both of whom may be serviceable, but not really what a contending team needs.
I will give the front office a pass to a degree on this one, as the trade demands of other teams for starters seemed insanely high. Perhaps it was better the Mets settled as they did in terms of obtaining pitching, though as fans we wanted bigger names. Perhaps discretion was the better part of valor in this case.
Of course, getting Javy Baez is exciting. Seeing him and Francisco Lindor on the field together is going to be electric and that electricity is going to be felt throughout the entire time. The Mets offense needed a spark and hopefully this can be it.
But I agree with a lot of you — it’s hard to see Pete Crow-Armstrong go.
I am also surprised the Mets didn’t do more in terms of pitching, especially with all the hits the rotation has already taken this year, and the news of deGrom’s setback just hours before the deadline.
