Thanks to this post on reddit, the writers over at Beyond the Box Score came up with the idea of conducting a mock expansion draft. That means, as a first step, for all 30 teams, each writer needs to select the list of 15 players they would protect as acting general manager. Any player left off the protected list of 15 is available to be drafted by the expansion teams (as the draft progresses, more players can be protected).
Of course, I took the Mets. And I thought it would be fun to get your feedback.
Before I reveal my list, skim over the guidelines.
- You can protect 15 players in your organization — including minor leaguers and guys on the 60-day DL.
- Guys drafted in the last two years (2013 and 2014) are automatically protected, as are any players signed in 2012 who were 18 and under. To make this easy and to account for non-US players, we assumed any amateur player drafted/signed/whatever since 2012 is automatically protected, regardless of age.
Without further ado, here is the list of 15 Mets that I would protect if an expansion draft was held at the conclusion of this season.
There are several obvious picks, like David Wright and Matt Harvey. But then there are some tricky ones.
I decided to leave off Lucas Duda. Although he is proving to be an effective power hitter and has several years of arbitration-eligible seasons remaining, he is already 28, and for me, holding onto the top young prospects (in their lower-20s), as well as a current piece like Murphy is more important. Murphy is due to be a free agent in 2016, so the Mets can decide if he is part of a competitive team by then, or a valuable trade piece.
Another tricky one is Juan Lagares. I really wanted to include him, but ran out of room. Curtis Granderson is 33 and on the way down, but it’s hard to pick Lagares over one of the few veteran bats the Mets have in their lineup. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a decision of Lagares versus Granderson. How about Dillon Gee? There are a few other places you can argue Lagares to take a spot.
I also decided against Bobby Parnell. Coming off a major injury, he turns 30 this year, and there are plenty of young arms, like Mejia’s, ready to take the closing role for the long-term.
Now the fun begins. Let’s hear from you! Which players do you agree or disagree with from my list?
Keep in mind that some potential choices from the 2012-2014 draft/signing years like Dominic Smith, Kevin Plawecki, Gavin Cecchini, Amed Rosario, Marcos Molina, Michael Conforto, Milton Ramos, and Andrew Church are all automatically protected.
