Should the Mets trade Jonathon Niese?
I don’t know why MetsBlog keeps putting this out there every month, but the answer is the same as it’s always been and that is NO.
I just don’t understand this fascination they have with this silly and somewhat ignorant discussion. If the goal is to build from within, than why would you ever consider trading one of your homegrown pitchers, and one that has exceeded expectations, for more prospects that will be years away?
Is it not apparent to them that winning teams are built on a foundation of solid pitching?
In April, Sandy Alderson signed Niese to a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension through 2016. It probably ranks up there with the trade for Zack Wheeler as one if his very few good moves since becoming the general manager of the Mets. Not only is this a great team-friendly contract on a young pitcher who has put durability questions behind him, but the deal even includes team options for 2017 for $10 million and 2018 for $11 million. Based on the season Niese has just completed, I have no doubt that his agents are kicking themselves in the ass right now.
The Mets’ hard-throwing southpaw went 13-9 with a 3.40 ERA in 30 starts over 190 1/3 innings this year after tossing a solid final effort last night.
This talk of trading Niese that is resurrected with astonishing frequency on MetsBlog goes against everything the Alderson era was brought here to achieve.
I don’t see why they don’t get that. Why must this ridiculous debate get such a big spotlight every single time somebody asks such an absurd question?
Niese is someone you build with along with Matt Harvey and hopefully Zack Wheeler if and when he can achieve the same success as his predecessors at the major league level.
So please, lets stop all this crazy talk about trading Niese.
And in the future, if someone brings up that silly question about trading Niese again, simply answer them with one resounding word. No.
