Reyes + half the Marlins team to Toronto

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jeff Musselman is the first Blue Jay-Met I think of whenever I think of Blue Jay-Mets but wouldn't recall if he ever wore the teal.

Graeme Lloyd, maybe?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yes to Lloyd.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Here's the full list:

Juan Acevedo, Miguel Batista, Armando Benitez, Felix Heredia, Al Leiter, Graeme Lloyd, Darren Oliver, Dave Weathers

(And Carlos Delgado.)

[Frayed Knot]

Commish Bud is going under the hood for the purpose of reviewing the evidence and deciding whether he should overturn the trade.

"I am aware of the anger (among some Marlins fans)," Selig said. "I'm also aware that in Toronto, they're very happy." But then goes on to say that he's talked to baseball people who believe the Marlins "in terms of young players, did very well."

[ashie62]

The Miami Vice.

[Frayed Knot]

It's official!!

Bud -- Since Tuesday, I have carefully reviewed the proposed transaction between the Miami Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays. I asked our Baseball Operations Department and our Labor Relations Department to compare this proposed transaction with similar deals. I also consulted with experienced baseball operations executives to get their input regarding the talent involved in this transaction.
After a thorough examination of this information, it is my conclusion that this transaction, involving established Major Leaguers and highly regarded young players and prospects, represents the exercise of plausible baseball judgment on the part of both Clubs, does not violate any express rule of Major League Baseball and does not otherwise warrant the exercise of any of my powers to prevent its completion. It is, of course, up to the Clubs involved to make the case to their respective fans that this transaction makes sense and enhances the competitive position of each, now or in the future.
I am sensitive to the concerns of the fans of Miami regarding this trade, and I understand the reactions I have heard since Tuesday. Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities and I fully understand that the Miami community has done its part to put the Marlins into a position to succeed with beautiful new Marlins Park. Going forward, I will continue to monitor this situation with the expectation that the Marlins will take into account the sentiments of their fans, who deserve the best efforts and considered judgment of their Club. I have received assurances from the ownership of the Marlins that they share these beliefs and are fully committed to build a long-term winning team that their fans can be proud of.


Final details:
- Toronto acquires SS Jose Reyes, RHP Josh Johnson, LHP Mark Buehrle, C John Buck, IF/OF Emilio Bonifacio and reportedly $4 million to help compensate for the almost $165 million in salary headed their way (which sounds like trying to bail out the Titanic with a Dixie Cup).
- Going to the Marlins are SS Yunel Escobar, IF Adeiny Hechavarria, RHP Henderson Alvarez, C Jeff Mathis, OF Jake Marisnick, LHP Justin Nicolino, RHP Anthony DeSclafani.

[ashie62]

So Selig has presented himself as an advocate from here on for the fans of Miami.

[Edgy MD]

Bud Selig wrote: I am sensitive to the concerns of the fans of Miami regarding this trade, and I understand the reactions I have heard since Tuesday. Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities and I fully understand that the Miami community has done its part to put the Marlins into a position to succeed with beautiful new Marlins Park. Going forward, I will continue to monitor this situation with the expectation that the Marlins will take into account the sentiments of their fans, who deserve the best efforts and considered judgment of their Club.

The governance of baseball is so weird.

[Lefty Specialist]

Shorter Bud:

"I wasn't going to block this anyway, so I'll make a long statement that sounds like I care."

[Frayed Knot]

Yunel Escobar, the one living, breathing ML player received by Miami in their wholesale trade of Reyes et al to Toronto, has been flipped to Tampa for a minor leaguer.
So whatever those meager team salary projections for the Marlins were for this coming year ... they just went down about another $5 mils.

[Frayed Knot]

Marlins say they're not actively shopping him BUT ..... did say publicly this weekend that it's standard club policy for them to listen to any offers that might come their way on any player, and that Giancarlo Stanton is no exception.


I think history tells us that emanations like this coming out of south Florida usually represent step one in a process that leads to the inevitable conclusion.

[Edgy MD]

Build your Mets package for Giancarlo Stanton --- GO!

[bmfc1]

Harvey, Snydergaard and Duda.

Watch MLB Network's "Biggest Blast" Countdown for more of Giancarlo Stanton.

[Edgy MD]

I'm not sure I could deal with the pain of that package. A fair one, however.

[seawolf17]

No. Flores, Syndergaard, Duda.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, giving up the fantasy of Harvey and Wheeler at the top of the rotation is not something I'm ready to do, Giancarlo be damned.

Flores is more or less close to ready to play in the bigs, although probably not ready to play well, but the Marlins have clearly cashed in the present. He doesn't have a position, but the Fish have to fill 'em all, so... .

[metirish]

Michael Stanton could probably be had for a lot less.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe, but there would probably be a number of teams interested. If the Marlins show patience, they can probably get a nice package.

[Edgy MD]

Stanton slugged over .600 last year. And his glove and arm are weaponized too. Whatever we're hoping for from our outfield prospects, he's it.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Keep in mind-- Stanton's not even arbitration-eligible for another season. I would gulp and do anything up to/including Wheeler and Duda and [pick your A-level prospect]

[seawolf17]

metirish wrote: Michael Stanton could probably be had for a lot less.

Let's trick Loria. Sandy, call him up and ask for "Mike Stanton." Loria will get confused, see that "Mike Stanton" hasn't even had a hit since 2011, and trade him for practically nothing! Bingo!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Marlins say they're not actively shopping him BUT ..... did say publicly this weekend that it's standard club policy for them to listen to any offers that might come their way on any player, and that Giancarlo Stanton is no exception.

But he is, insofar as he is exceptional on-field, and exceptionally cheap to keep around on payday for at least another year or two.

It's gonna take a LOT of love.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Stanton slugged over .600 last year. And his glove and arm are weaponized too. Whatever we're hoping for from our outfield prospects, he's it.

this guy's clearly ready for promotion to the next level. He should be called up from the official MLB AAA club and I suggest Queens.

[smg58]

If we traded Wheeler, Harvey, and d'Arnaud for Stanton (and there's no guarantee that would even be enough, if 28 other teams are in on the bidding), we'd have a major league team that's more or less as good as the teams that had Dickey the past two seasons, without any front-end prospects in the pipeline and with the likelihood that Stanton will command as much in arbitration over the seasons after this one as signing Dickey to an extension would have cost (meaning no additional money to go after free agents). Sure I'd want Stanton if the price is less than I think it will be, but there might be 29 teams thinking along those lines right now.

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, giving up the fantasy of Harvey and Wheeler at the top of the rotation is not something I'm ready to do, Giancarlo be damned. Flores is more or less close to ready to play in the bigs, although probably not ready to play well, but the Marlins have clearly cashed in the present. He doesn't have a position, but the Fish have to fill 'em all, so... .

The Mets almost have to wait for Flores boom or bust... Stanton? Angels Dodgers or Marlins..

[Edgy MD]

Why would they have to wait? Wouldn't he be as tradeable as any other prospect at his level?

[smg58]

Flores very quietly had an excellent season. His contact rate was superb (only 60 Ks in 493 ABs over high A and AA), which leads me to think he can carry this form to higher levels. Plus he's still only 21, so even though it seems like he's been in our system forever he was not old at all for the leagues he was playing in. The only question is where to play him. If he can handle second base or centerfield, he could still be very valuable to us as something other than a trading chip.

[seawolf17]

Word on the webs is that Tim Raines has been hired as a coach by Toronto. Could he make Reyes even better? Interesting.

[Frayed Knot]

I brought up the whole Stanton story merely to illustrate the continued transformation of the revenue-share gobbling, public stadium financed Marlins and their slime-ball owner, not because I thought it would be a good idea for the Mets to trade for him.
Trading for G. Stanton is what you do when you believe yourself to be a 'this-year' team that's one player away and/or because you have a minor league system with prospects to spare who are blocked by the depth in your major league squad. We're not at either spot right now.


Oh, and according to any and all sources on minor league prospects, there's no way Wilmer Flores is a future CF.
A 2B? ... maybe.
A corner OF or 1B most likely.

[Edgy MD]

smg58 wrote: If he can handle second base or centerfield, he could still be very valuable to us as something other than a trading chip.

I'm certainly not arguing that he should be a trading chip. (I hate trading chips.) I'm just not sure why the Mets he's necessarily a property the Mets have to see through, as opposed to other prospects.

But I'm pretty sure there's little chance of him landing in centerfield. By almost all reports, the speed just isn't there.