Rosenthal: Rangers Open To Trading Veterans Including Hamels, Beltre

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Texas Rangers, seemingly out of contention, are open to trading their many veterans this season. While Rosenthal says that some rivals have begun to talk with Texas about some players, he also says nothing is serious as it’s still May and most teams are focused on the June draft.

While the Rangers will be unlikely to trade young players like Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor, Nomar Mazara, or Delino DeShields Jr, they have many players that the Mets should, at the very least, kick the tires of. Let’s take a look at the menu, starting with starters, a very good place to start.

Cole Hamels

Rosenthal says Hamels is the “most prominent Ranger” who will be available. Mets fans should still remember Hamels very well as he was a long-time Phillies ace. After throwing a no-hitter in his last game in the red and white, he added some blue to his uniform when he was traded to the Rangers in 2015. He was effective in his first full American League season, going 15-5 with a 3.32 ERA and 3.98 FIP across 200.2 innings in 2016, striking out 200 and walking 77. He dealt with injuries in 2017 which limited him to 148.0 innings, but he was still moderately effective pitching to a 4.20 ERA and 4.62 FIP.

He is under contract for $22.5 million this season, and his contract includes a $20 million club option for 2019 with a $6 million buyout. He is expensive, but is still a very effective pitcher at the age of 34. If the Rangers are willing to eat a portion of his contract (which, of course, depends on the return they get in a deal), he should be a hot commodity this summer.

Adding to the drama is the twenty-team no-trade clause in his contract. Teams he can be traded to without his permission include the Phillies, Braves, Cardinals, Nationals, Astros, Yankees and Cubs. It is unclear what the remaining 13 teams are, but while he was still on the Phillies in 2015 and trade rumors were swirling, he said that he was open-minded and would be more than willing to consider options presented to him.

“When I’m approached, then I can make a decision and provide an answer about a team,” Hamels said in 2015. “I’ve always been open-minded. I will think about everything.”

One thing is for sure, he would look great in a rotation behind Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. However, the likelihood the Mets land him are slim. Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicts the favorites to land the southpaw are the Brewers, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, and Diamondbacks.

Adrian Beltre

While the infield is not one of the problems facing the Mets right now, things change. Injuries happen — something we Mets fans know all too well. If the Mets need security at third base for the second half of 2018, who better than no-doubt Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre?

Beltre, 39, has defied his age, winning a Gold Glove at third base (beating Manny Machado) and finishing 7th in MVP voting in 2016. His 2017 campaign was limited to 94 games due to injury, and has been sidelined with a nagging hamstring this season having played in only 29 games thus far. Considering he averaged 147 games per season from 1999-2016, it would be difficult to make a solid argument if you wanted to call him “injury-prone”.

He is in the final year of his contract and is to be paid $18 million this season. That price tag will obviously have shrunk by the trade deadline, but many teams will be clamoring for his services. He is a bonafide Hall of Famer and has definitely still got it, not even mentioning his notoriously strong clubhouse presence.

Unless something terrible happens to Todd Frazier, or he is open to playing first base, I don’t see Beltre in a Mets uniform any time soon.

Jake Diekman

The hard-throwing lefty reliever went to the Rangers with teammate Cole Hamels back in 2015 and has been effective in his very limited playing time. He missed most of 2017 following a surgery to remove his colon, managing to pitch just 10.2 effective innings (three earned runs, 13 strikeouts). His last full season was 2016 when he pitched 53.0 innings, striking out 59, walking 10, and pitching to a 3.40 ERA and 3.54 FIP.

He had reverse splits that season, as in 66 at-bats against him, lefties hit .212/.317/.318. Righties, however, managed just a .177/.288/.290 slash line across 124 at-bats. That is characteristic of his entire career, as even though you would guess his sidearm delivery and high velocity would play better against lefties, he has historically been better against righties. He is very effective against both righties and lefties, however, and as he’s being paid just $2.7 million this season, he will be a high commodity for any team needing bullpen help.

If the trade deadline were today, I don’t think the Mets would spend prospects or money on the bullpen as that has been one of their stronger areas. Unless something drastic happens between now and July, I wouldn’t expect to see Diekman in New York in lieu of a starting pitcher or a bat.

Bartolo Colon

I mean come on, you didn’t think I’d gloss over this sexy man, did you? Colon, who turns 45 on May 24th, has been effective for the Rangers so far this season. He even took a perfect game into the 8th inning against the defending World Champion Houston Astros, a team with a very good offense. He is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in seven starts and nine appearances this season. He’s struck out 32 and walked four across 51.0 innings.

If he keeps up the good numbers, teams will surely be interested in Big Sexy this summer. He is on a cheap contract worth just $1.75 million, which will of course be less come July. It would be interesting to see how much the Rangers fetch for him, but it is very unlikely he is still in Texas at the end of 2018. The Mets should almost surely be looking for a starting pitcher at the deadline (unless Jason Vargas figures it out), so a reunion with Bart isn’t terribly unlikely.

Doug Fister

The journeyman starter has already played for six MLB teams, and it’s likely that number will increase to seven by August 1st. He’s gone 1-4 so far this season with a 3.43 ERA and 4.75 FIP across eight starts. In 44.2 innings he has struck out 33 and walked 15. He is no ace, but he generally stays healthy and is capable of putting up a quality start each time out.

Owed $3.5 million this season, he has a $4.5 club option for 2019 with a $500,000 buyout. He will absolutely be trade-bait this summer, but it obviously remains to be seen if the Mets bite. If they’re looking for starting pitching at the deadline, hopefully they will be looking for someone more quality that Fister.