On the one hand, it feels like an awfully convenient excuse for a deadline that was already looking like it might be historically slow.
On the other hand, when you take a significant trade piece and send him to a team that not only doesn’t “need” that trade piece but also has similar trade pieces of its own to deal, it really throws everything for a loop … especially if the perceived return on the trade is not close to what people were expecting.
So things rest in chaos:
teams can’t understand why the Blue Jays made what looks to the industry a deadline desperation trade several days before the deadline.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 30, 2019
On #Mets: They acquired Stroman for what many in game view as a low price. In a vacuum, it might prove a very good trade. But they get little to no benefit of the doubt because most of BVW’s moves last winter backfired and because their plan – whatever it is – is far from clear.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 29, 2019
Mets still engaged on Syndergaard (who’s been linked to SD, Hou, NYY, Oak and Minn) but still seem much more likely to deal Wheeler. Makes sense. Stroman trade highlighted Mets interest in 2020; Noah under control thru 2021, Wheeler a FA after year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2019
Other teams are aware of the tension in the relationship between Noah Syndergaard and the Mets leadership and believe it will be a factor in their trade decision before the deadline.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 29, 2019
Two execs used the word “chaos” to describe the starting pitching trade market following Sunday’s Stroman trade to the Mets. https://t.co/n8FvtxDGm6 pic.twitter.com/gltOYErg5f
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2019
It’s not at all hard to see how the move could have not only unsettled the starting pitching trade market by consolidating pieces in the Mets’ hands and by removing a chip while not removing a buyer, but it also could have deeply unsettled the plans of pursuing teams. Without Stroman to go after, teams may have to turn to the Mets for Zack Wheeler or Noah Syndergaard or to the Diamondbacks for Robbie Ray … and those teams can apply the squeeze even more to team with whom they’d already been talking … but those teams may also have bullpen needs … and so they may shift assets into those talks … which impacts the talks that were ongoing with teams like the Cubs who are “aggressively” pursuing relievers.
So that means either you need some team to just pull the trigger on some dam-breaking move, or everyone is instead going to need the pressure of tomorrow’s deadline to force the issue.
Blame the Mets and Blue Jays.