With the hinted announcement that Zack Wheeler could be making his major league debut on June 18th, the Mets are officially on the clock for the future.
June 18th is vital to the Mets future success, and it’s probably not for reasons you may think I am going to say.
They need to trade Wheeler, if not for the team’s sake – then for his sake. Wheeler is never, ever going to live up to the expectations the fan base has put on him already. He’s always going to be thought of as the guy brought in for Beltran. While in my eyes, that deal had to be made, there will always be a group of Mets fans that scoff at Wheeler because of it. There will be fans that are quick to boo him, and when you’re a young player – that can get to you.
When you pair that with the expectations put forth due to the success of Matt Harvey, you have yourself a recipe for disaster.
The Mets are in a unique position, they actually have “too much” young starting pitching. When you consider Harvey, Niese, along with Montero and perhaps Dillon Gee in the mix, the Mets are in good shape with the rotation for several years to come. Even if Gee doesn’t pan out, they still have ample young replacements.
Wheeler needs to come out strong and look sharp right away, and if he does, he needs to be dangled out there for an impact position player like Giancarlo Stanton. I am not saying the Mets need to give Wheeler away, but I am saying he is a perfect quality for quality trade piece if he can prove he has the skills to compete at the big league level.
I want Wheeler to be a part of the Mets, but I also believe his value is greater to the Mets in a trade because of all of the intangibles that go with his presence on this roster.
If Wheeler is dealt for a player like Giancarlo, I think almost nobody would disagree with the move and it would change things dramatically in New York for the Mets and their future.
