In this thread, Ian Desmond is the topic of conversation

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I know we got some good debate in some other thread around this guy, but let's consolidate it.

PROS:
Excellent power for a SS -- likely to go homer-for-homer with guys like Zobrist and Heyward
Athletic, capable of spectacular plays, range at SS
Frees up Flores for 2B/UT role
Durable
QO stigma + bad year = comes cheap in years?
Won't cost us current talent


CONS:
Whiffs a lot
Costs a draft pick
Puzzling: Very poor O&D in walk year, although righted the ship in 2nd half. Secretly injured? Unhappy?

[Edgy MD]

PRO:
Buds with Cal Ripken, who gave him a pep talk that precipitated him turning his season around (in part).

CON:
Buds with Cal Ripken, from whom he needed a pep talk that precipitated him turning his season around (in part).

[nymr83]

He is a better defender than I thought looking at the stats...I think I'd still rather roll the dice with Wilmer Flores while waiting for Cechiani or eventually Ahmed. On the other hand I realize it not an either/or because Flores could be the starter at 2B and Wright-insurance at 3B.

Something tells me we'd all be very unhappy with a Desmond-Deal a few years in.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think what I'm hoping to get here is one of those 1 or 1+1 "make-good" contracts for him, as opposed to the long-term, with the idea that given his weird 2015 and QO penalty, he has to take such. That's hard to count on happening, but who else is in on this guy?

[Edgy MD]

Signing him now sure beats last season's proposal to trade Syndergaard for him.

[TransMonk]

I'm of the opinion that if the Mets are going to lock up a SS with a track record, it needs to be a sure thing. There are a glut of SS maturing in the Mets' minor league system that I would not want to block long term.

I'm not opposed to riding Wilmer until one of them is ready.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Seems like something I could be okay with. But I think... yeah, let's let this one go by."

--Desmond, after any one of, like, 30 potentially-routine plays last year

[Lefty Specialist]

[Edgy MD]

TransMonk wrote: I'm of the opinion that if the Mets are going to lock up a SS with a track record, it needs to be a sure thing. There are a glut of SS maturing in the Mets' minor league system that I would not want to block long term. I'm not opposed to riding Wilmer until one of them is ready.

This sounds like me until JUST before reading the report of Wilmer's broken ankle. I'm a little jitterier now.

But yeah, there's a good chance both Reynolds and Cecchini debut this season. Don't know if there'll be enough shortstopping among them and Flores and Tejada, but there might.

[Centerfield]

The QO is the real killer for me.

I'd be find with giving Desmond a short-term deal. I think he has good upside, and if he sucks we can move Flores/Reynolds/Cecchini in.

But you don't want to give up that draft pick for a short term commitment.

It's tough.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You get that pick back when Muffy signs.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You get that pick back when Muffy signs.

We'd lose pick #24-ish and get back #40-ish in that exchange.
But, in general, if you're signing Desmond (or any other QO guy) instead of Murphy then, yeah, the picks at least come close to canceling each other out.
Losing Muffy and signing a non-QO guy allows us to keep our #24 and add the 40th. Signing both would mean neither pick but I can't see a scenario where that happens.

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: PRO: Buds with Cal Ripken, who gave him a pep talk that precipitated him turning his season around (in part). CON: Buds with Cal Ripken, from whom he needed a pep talk that precipitated him turning his season around (in part).

"What you want to do, Ian, is make sure that when you swing that bat, it hits the ball that's coming at you."

[Edgy MD]

Alexei Ramirez (Hijack!), I believe, gets you into something like Desmond's neighborhood without sacrificing a draft pick.

[Centerfield]

Yikes. .642 OPS. 34 years old.

Wilmer please.