Echoing the sentiments around MMO, Mets special assistant J.P. Ricciardi told Jim Duquette of SiriusXM Radio this morning that the team is not looking to trade outfielder Marlon Byrd, and that it would take something serious for the Mets to move him.
Byrd, who is batting .263 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI this season, spoke to MMO on Wednesday and expressed his desire to remain with the Mets, but understood that baseball is a business.
“Getting traded…That’s a part of the business. Sandy Alderson’s going to do anything possible to make this organization the best it can be. That could be keeping me or trading me for some pieces down the road.”
“It’s one of those things where I need to keep producing so I can make his job a little bit easier. If he does want to trade me, he can get some key pieces back instead of just getting rid of me for no reason. Again, it’s part of the business. I’ve been around long enough. I’ve been traded. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I love this organization and I’d love to stay.”
As I’ve said earlier in the week, I doubt Byrd is going anywhere. He is much too important to the moderate success the Mets have had in the last three weeks, and without him I shudder to think how much more anemic the Mets offense can get. Imagine this team without him…
This reputation Sandy Alderson has garnered as someone who’s just intent on flipping any major league piece of value is also something the Mets GM is looking to dispel. Listening to him talk a couple of weeks ago, Sandy seems to be seeing things from the fans point of view and realizes that keeping major league squad competitive is just as important to the city as building the minor league system.
He promised changes, and an improved MLB roster within six months back in early June. He said he would add significant MLB talent.
Look… Nobody should be untouchable – not when you’re steering toward a fifth straight losing season. But at the same time, the team will keep on losing until the MLB team is built up.
I don’t think the Mets could afford to lose Byrd right now. He’s the second most productive player the Mets have in the lineup and they have nobody on tap to replace him if he were to be moved.
The other thing is how much would a team be willing to give up to add the 35-year old Byrd?
Instead, I’d prefer to see the Mets offer Byrd a 2-year, $4 million dollar extension and to keep him on board for whatever is to come. It gives the Mets an asset to move next season if things don’t work out and the dollars on a deal like that mean very little in the grand scheme of things.
He’s a good guy and has become a huge positive presence in the clubhouse that the younger players all look up to. Anyway, that’s my view on it.
