Bye Bye Byrdie (?)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jon Heyman sez Byrd has been selected by another NL team on waivers.

[smg58]

I'm surprised he wasn't put through waivers long before now. (It's routine, post-deadline.) I'm not at all surprised he didn't clear them. The Mets could conceivably try to work a deal out with the team who claimed him, but if they really wanted to deal him it would have happened a month ago when there were most likely multiple suitors. I'm assuming he stays put.

[Centerfield]

I can't imagine they move him now when there is even less of a market for him. The mistake was not moving him a month ago.

[MFS62]

A memorable song from the show Bye Bye Birdie is the opening number - the telephone song, in which all the kids are on their phones talking to each other. I get the image of all the GMs this time of year scanning the waiver wire and doing the same thing.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Joel Sherman ?@Joelsherman1 2m can confirm #Mets are trying to make trade of player(s) claimed on waivers, and as @JonHeymanCBS reports Byrd has been claimed by NL team

[Guest sharpie]

My guess on the team would be the post-Heyward Braves.

[MFS62]

sharpie wrote: My guess on the team would be the post-Heyward Braves.

Well then let's do it. Anyone they get back from the Braves will be a future Hall of Famer. Just go on a Braves fan site if you don't believe me.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: I can't imagine they move him now when there is even less of a market for him.

It happens all the time.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

sharpie wrote: My guess on the team would be the post-Heyward Braves.

Hurt Heyward, then sell you his replacement? If Sandy were able to prise something of value there-- and it's VERY likely, when you consider how big a hit that is to their Fiesta del Underachieving Uptons lineup-- how do you think Atlanta fans would feel about that?

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: Centerfield wrote: I can't imagine they move him now when there is even less of a market for him. It happens all the time.

True, let me rephrase. It would be incredibly frustrating if the Mets ended up getting less for him in exchange for a month of service in a lost season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

As per Rubin's sources, it's Pittsburgh. (And Buck's a Buc, too.)

[Guest sharpie]

I aguess Starling Marte's injury was the prompt for Pittsburgh. Buck backs up Russell Martin I suppose.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Dilson Hererra, Columbian middle infielder.

[Edgy MD]

Still a baby, but he would be the first Colombian Met. A quick search puts him around number 10 on lists of prospective Pirates.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Apparently the cheapass Mets kicked in a million smackeroos to cover the rest of Buck's $$ in exchange for a tastier prospect. 5-10 teenager who can hit, I like it.

The PTBNL is likely on the Pirates' 40-man roster btw

[batmagadanleadoff]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The PTBNL is likely on the Pirates' 40-man roster btw

If that's so, then in all likelihood, the teams already know who the PTBNL is. They're probably just delaying the rest of the trade because the PTBNL likely wouldn't clear waivers. The PTBNL method is a way around waivers.

[Vic Sage]

Not that i begrudge them anything they can get out of Byrd and Buck, but does it really seem likely to anybody ... ANYBODY... that the Mets got more in this deal than they could have gotten a month ago, when they weren't under the same restrictions in terms of who they could deal with? I mean, i suppose it's possible they got no decent offers in July, but did they really think they'd get better ones now, when players have to get thru waivers?

my feeling is that Sandy was under orders not to start selling off parts until the last possible second, so they could still sell tickets and the idea that they were still trying to be competitive. Now, a month later, Harvey's injury torpedoes the silly illusion and we're stuck with scraps. Of course, i could be wrong. this might have been the best they could've gotten at any point. we'll never know, i guess, unless Sandy writes a tell-all book one day. Even then, we'll only have his side of it.

[bmfc1]

The new guys thinks that Citi Field is "huge and beautiful":
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130806&content_id=56063574&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t525&sid=t525

[Edgy MD]

First Mets trade with the Privateers since the famed Ollie Perez-Roberto Hernandez/Xavier Nady deal in 2006. In 2004 came the equally salacious Ty Wigginton-Jos� Bautista-Matt Peterson/Kris Benson-Jeff Keppinger deal that probably was the nail in the fandom of Salamander Q. Pirates-Mets deals are game changers!

Jeremy Hefner was an Alderson-era waiver claim from the Pirates. The Mets scout the Buccos!

First-ever Mets transaction with the Pirates was grabbing Al Jackson in the expansion draft. That one's still paying dividends 52 years later!

[Edgy MD]

On dealing now vs. July. Is it likely that this deal is the best, no. Plausible certainly. We don't know.

[seawolf17]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Apparently the cheapass Mets kicked in a million smackeroos to cover the rest of Buck's $$ in exchange for a tastier prospect. 5-10 teenager who can hit, I like it. The PTBNL is likely on the Pirates' 40-man roster btw

WHICH MEANS IT'S ANDREW MCCUTCHEN WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Vic Sage wrote: Not that i begrudge them anything they can get out of Byrd and Buck, but does it really seem likely to anybody ... ANYBODY... that the Mets got more in this deal than they could have gotten a month ago, when they weren't under the same restrictions in terms of who they could deal with? I mean, i suppose it's possible they got no decent offers in July, but did they really think they'd get better ones now, when players have to get thru waivers? my feeling is that Sandy was under orders not to start selling off parts until the last possible second, so they could still sell tickets and the idea that they were still trying to be competitive. Now, a month later, Harvey's injury torpedoes the silly illusion and we're stuck with scraps. Of course, i could be wrong. this might have been the best they could've gotten at any point. we'll never know, i guess, unless Sandy writes a tell-all book one day. Even then, we'll only have his side of it.

While I think the Mets might have been less inclined to make this deal last month for the reason you say, I'm less convinced Byrd is bringing back more than 10th best prospect at any point this year. And I don't think that not trading a guy is akin to blocking incoming phone calls.

If anything, I think the Pirates are more inclined to deal given their recent injuries, and that's the trigger for all this today.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Both guys were Schaefer Mets Players of the Month this year. Marlon Byrd had a real chance at being the Player of the Year.

[Edgy MD]

With three of the leaders --- Boid, Wright, and Harvey --- in the clubhouse, it's an interesting falloff to the active leader. Buck's race is run, too.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Muffy, unless he's traded tonight.

[Edgy MD]

Parnell also pretty much done collecting Schaefer for the year, isn't he?

[Benjamin Grimm]

It does look that way.

[Frayed Knot]

Dilson Hererra, Columbian middle infielder.

John Sickels' take (as of about a month ago) -- Hitting .266/.327/.414 in Low-A, good defender at second base and has some pop in his bat, solid overall at age 19.

He gave him a grade of 'B-' prior to the season which, for Sickels, is an above-average prospect grade and you'd think that a "solid" year in full-season ball at age 19 (not 20 until next March) would do nothing to diminish that heading into next season.

I'm going to assume if he's not a SS by now he's unlikely to become one in the future which is too bad, but there's nothing wrong with a good fielding, wiry 2Bman (BB-Ref lists at 5' 10" / 150) with a bit of pop (41 of his 112 hits this season for XBHs) if things all work out.

For other Pitt Prospects with an eye towards the PTBNL (read somewhere that it's going to be a pitcher) see the rest of John's Pirate list here



BA sez: Herrera hit .321 for short-season State College in 2012 and led the New York-Penn League with 22 extra-base hits, and despite a dip in his raw production this season at low Class A, he remains an intriguing prospect as an offensive-oriented second baseman. A compactly-built 5-foot-10, Herrera makes consistent line-drive contact and ought to develop at least average power to go with a solid average and on-base percentage. He lacks the type of flashy defensive tools to get a look at shortstop, though sticking at the keystone will be no problem thanks to solid range and quick hands. As such, South Atlantic League managers recently selected Herrera as the best defensive second baseman in the circuit.

[Farmer Ted]

Byrd and Buck have never been to the post-season. Glad they're in the hunt for the playoffs with PGH. They played hard and were liked. Good for them.

[Farmer Ted]

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates also got cash in the deal. If by "cash" they mean Andrew McCutchen, I'm good with that.