The Knee of Cuddyer

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Who says "No"?: Scott Van Slyke for Niese, (Mets eat half this year's remaining dollars and 2-3 mil next year.) The Mets.

Even if one were given toward trading for SVS (and I'm not) there's no reason why the Mets should need to eat money on a Niese trade.
His deal of $9 + $10, + $11/0.5 buyout for 2016-2018 is perfectly reasonable for a mid-rotation starter.

[nymr83]

Frayed Knot wrote: Who says "No"?: Scott Van Slyke for Niese, (Mets eat half this year's remaining dollars and 2-3 mil next year.) The Mets. Even if one were given toward trading for SVS (and I'm not) there's no reason why the Mets should need to eat money on a Niese trade. His deal of $9 + $10, + $11/0.5 buyout for 2016-2018 is perfectly reasonable for a mid-rotation starter.

not as reasonable as SvS's major league minimum though, and i think you see this a lot with midseason trades where the team's budgets may already be "locked in" for the year by ownership that they split the difference on the current year.

Why no love for Van Slyke? he seems to me like a pretty decent player who has always been blocked by an outfield glut in Los Angelos. he is 28 years old but only has 580 PAs over the past 4 years. those 580 PAs add up to .257/.342/.465 (31 doubles, 24 homers, 61 walks). he looks like a player to me, certainly a better one than Conforto is right now. BR has his league/park-neutralized stats as the equivalent of .273/.360/.494

Why can't the Mets use this guy?

[Ceetar]

because he's a 28 year old outfielder who's only gotten about one season worth of AB so far? OPS down to nearly .700 against righties.

So he's a better version of John Mayberry basically. That's a minor upgrade and not really worth Niese. You'd really have to see something to think he's a solid regular to do that. Not really a CFer so it's not like you're going to play him over Lagares and he's not better than Cuddyer or Granderson so..

[Frayed Knot]

Why can't the Mets use this guy?

It's not that they couldn't use him, he'd probably be better than Mayberry whose role he'd essentially take.
But I wouldn't give up Niese for him and I certainly wouldn't give up Niese plus pay part of the freight.

Besides, Van Slyke's a limited player - almost totally the opposite set of skills from his father. He doesn't run well, he doesn't field well, he doesn't hit RHP particularly well, he K's a lot, he's no longer young as you've already said. Plus for a high-K/low-BA slugger he's not that much of a slugger: a 17-HR over a 162-game average and of course he would be a poor bet to actually get 17 HRs if given a full season because then he's not just facing the pitchers he has the best shot at.

Useful piece? - Sure.
Worth a solid starting pitcher? - Not even close IMO. I'd give them Gee if they want.