I'm wheelin' and dealin' I make a little bit of a stealing

[Edgy MD]

Does THE DEAL long predicted by the Bucket go down today? Who are the dealers? Who are the chips? What will the reaction be?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Only 12 days until Opening Day, but Sandy is a patient guy; I don't think the deal happens today, but I do think something will happen within the week.

I think a deal with Arizona is most likely, followed by Seattle for Nick Franklin. Not likely: The Phillies and Jimmy Rollins.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think it does. I mean there's been a lot of scouting back and forth going on, we know that, and Alderson is no dummy, there's no way he oversees a team with Tejada on it after what he said and what little Tejada's done.

My thinking has only changed to reflect that Ike is probably not part of the Big Deal, but will be dealt off, separately, perhaps to Houston which is evidently looking.

OK, so here goes. A starter (Mejia?) to Arizona for Gregorius. Gregorius because as Edgy said he has a greeat name and he's Dutch, but also because he's probably the most "ready" of the candidates, and his being dealt would jibe with the adage that young players who get traded tend to get traded. You could look it up.

Mejia seems like a big price to pay and obviously if Sandy can do better he will (degrom, Black, mazzoni etc). But I think Corbin's injury puts the Dbaggs in need of a "ready" pitcher in the same way we're in need of a "ready" shortstop, so it makes sense. I'm not strongly opposed to moving Gee in fact if the Mets are reasonably sure they're getting something.

The Tigers are also looking for SS help and are expected to look at Drew, but I'd offer them Tejada and see if they bite.

[MFS62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The Tigers are also looking for SS help and are expected to look at Drew, but I'd offer them Tejada and see if they bite.

The Tiggers offered Cabrera for Tejada, but Sandy declined because the Mets already had a third baseman.

Later

[Ceetar]

I don't think so personally, but the slow-play of Ike and Duda in minor league games and staying home might be an indication of active talks. Both for extra showcasing and to just take it easy.

Of course, it also might be a byproduct of an attempt to manage the media. Keeping them there keeps them away from them mostly.



I dunno, my bet was on the Mets bringing in Drew early in camp but we're reaching a point where he wouldn't even be ready for Opening Day. I'll leave the trade guessing to yous.

[Edgy MD]

I too was thinking the Mets might bite the bullet and deal off Gee. It'd probably be a painful bite for the Mets, as he and his wife seem like good citizens and he's a healthy-ish young vet in a rotation full of old (Colon), fat (Colon), of questionable health (Niese, Mejia), of unquestionably BAD health (Hefner, Harvey), the high-living and model-chasing (Harv), and the young and innings-restricted (everybody but Niese, Colon, and maybe Lannan).

But Gee has had two surgeries himself, so maybe this is that peaceful oasis period and it's the high-value time to deal him off, and just live with the question-mark-riddled-but-deep-staff that they have. Fear of uncertainty is for the faint of heart.

Gee would be much more dealable if Lannan hadn't looked so hittable thus far. But the strikeout/walk ratio isn't so bad. Maybe they're seeing more from him in workouts then we're seeing in games.

[ashie62]

Morning interweb..Rubin or ESPN claims Gregorious is on the block, not Owings and AZ wants an MLB ready starting P in return...

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: I too was thinking the Mets might bite the bullet and deal off Gee. It'd probably be a painful bite for the Mets, as he and his wife seem like good citizens and he's a healthy-ish young vet in a rotation full of old (Colon), fat (Colon), of questionable health (Niese, Mejia), of unquestionably BAD health (Hefner, Harvey), the high-living and model-chasing (Harv), and the young and innings-restricted (everybody but Niese, Colon, and maybe Lannan). But Gee has had two surgeries himself, so maybe this is that peaceful oasis period and it's the high-value time to deal him off, and just live with the question-mark-riddled-but-deep-staff that they have. Fear of uncertainty is for the faint of heart. Gee would be much more dealable if Lannan hadn't looked so hittable thus far. But the strikeout/walk ratio isn't so bad. Maybe they're seeing more from him in workouts then we're seeing in games.

So the bullseye would be on Montero?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ashie62 wrote: Morning interweb..Rubin or ESPN claims Gregorious is on the block, not Owings and AZ wants an MLB ready starting P in return...

If that's true, then the answer is probably Gee. Maybe Mejia. Arizona would be understandably hesitant on Niese, and the Mets wouldn't trade Wheeler or Syndergaard. (I'm not sure if Colon, as a newly signed free agent, can be traded yet. Is the rule that says he can't be traded until June 1 still in effect?)

I don't know if guys like deGrom or Montero fit the bill as "major league ready". Maybe they do, but definitely not as clearly as Gee does.

Without Gee, the Mets would have a rotation of Niese, Colon, Wheeler, Matsuzaka, Mejia/Lannan to start the season. If Niese is hurt, then it's Mejia and Lannan instead of Mejia or Lannan.

[Edgy MD]

Ashie62 wrote: So the bullseye would be on Montero?

I tried really hard to put the bullseye on Gee there.

[Guest sharpie]

DG for DG, I'd do it.

[Lefty Specialist]

Boy, you're really rolling the dice if you deal Gee. Colon, Wheeler, Niese, Dice-K, Mejia/Lannan is a really scary rotation. Reinforcements will be on the way, but it'd be an uncomfortable April and May.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, I think I'd rather sign Drew or go with Wilmer.

[Guest sharpie]

But it seems pretty clear that we're not going with Wilmer, at least not at first and I don't think Sandy has any designs on Drew.

[Edgy MD]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Boy, you're really rolling the dice if you deal Gee. Colon, Wheeler, Niese, Dice-K, Mejia/Lannan is a really scary rotation. Reinforcements will be on the way, but it'd be an uncomfortable April and May.

Maybe, but you roll the dice any way you turn. Is rolling the dice with Tejada on a daily basis the way to go? Life is fraught with peril. The wise man doesn't dodge the roll, but instead chooses his dice with deep deliberation.

Maybe Arizona will throw in Henry Blanco and J.J. Putz and we can shore up some weaknesses and have a reunion if dubious Omar Minaya-era acquisitions.

[Vic Sage]

I think we've seen Gee's upside. If Sandy thinks Gregorious has a higher ceiling, then make the deal.
It's not about 2014. With Harvey coming back eventually, and Montero, Syndergaard, Matz, etal, in the pipeline, we'll get by without Gee in the long run, regardless of the question marks in 2014.

As for me, Gregorious doesn't excite me much and I still think we should be giving Flores a full shot at SS coming out of ST.

[Lefty Specialist]

Gee's a generic pitcher; not great, not terrible, but certainly a useful piece of any rotation.

We know what Gee can do. Gregorius/Owens/whoever is a bit of a mystery. We're also assuming that things beyond 2014 are going to be great from a pitching perspective, but prospects don't always pan out. There's a need for the Dillon Gee's of the world.

[Edgy MD]

The nature of trades usually means trading a guy you know well for somebody you don't know so much. But beyond that, I don't think there's a black/white difference between prospects and allegedly known quantities. It's more a matter of degrees of certainty.

I mean, yeah, we know what Gee can do. Among other things, he can get hurt.

Gregorius, on the other hand, is something more than an entirely unknown quantity himself. He's got 111 games under his hat, more than Satin or Brown or Flores or a bunch of other guys were hoping to see something from. Plus, he's got like a five-year minor-league track record.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I would send Gee-plus for the apparently higher-ceiling Owings. But for a guy with Ruben-ish bat?

I have a feeling it's Montero-- younger, cheaper, higher-regarded version of same-- they push for. Considering the kid's complexion and English-language skills.... well, let's just say a move to Arizona might not make for the most fun of summers.

[Frayed Knot]

I've thought all winter that a trade was coming, and that when it comes it'll be a big one rather than just one-for-one. Not necessarily blockbuster big, but one involving a multiple player mix of MLers, minor leaguers, throw-ins, and quite possibly more than two teams.

I still think that although I have no idea where, when or who.

[Lefty Specialist]

I got a feeling they're doing nothing. Most of the urgency for a trade is coming from the papers and us fans, not the front office. Collins already anointed Tejada as his shortstop, and nothing has come of trade talks for Davis or Duda. I think what you see is what you get. Not a 90-win team, but Sandy can always talk himself out of that one later.

[Edgy MD]

It's 4:38.

This trade sucks.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Goes off at like, 9:30 or 10.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Like I said, Sandy is patient. I can see another week passing before a deal is made.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And maybe it's Arizona who's being patient. The Tigers and Mets both want shortstops; maybe they're working the bidding between the two teams.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And maybe it's Arizona who's being patient. The Tigers and Mets both want shortstops; maybe they're working the bidding between the two teams.

Adam Rubin wrote: A trio of Arizona scouts, including special assistant Todd Greene, watched a Mets intrasquad game involving Double-A and Triple-A players Tuesday on a back field at the Port St. Lucie complex. Noah Syndergaard, Logan Verrett and Jacob deGrom, who all may be in Triple-A Las Vegas' rotation to open the season, pitched in that game. Syndergaard almost certainly is off-limits in Mets discussions.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Goes off at like, 9:30 or 10.

that's like, the middle of our draft.

[Edgy MD]

This trade has totally been oversold!