NEWSLETTER
Is this going to be the normal for the next few days? An evening trade? One per day?
Tonight’s installment is one that looks pretty weird on its face:
Tyler Naquin, 31, is a roughly league-average lefty bat (well, roughly average if you platoon him), who can play passably all over the outfield, if not quite well. Not necessarily the type you’d target if you wanted a sure-fire upgrade in your outfield.
Philip Diehl, 28, is a lefty reliever who isn’t quite established yet in the big leagues, pitching most of this season at Triple-A. There, he put up really compelling peripherals, but only so-so results. Not necessarily the type you’d target if you wanted a sure-fire upgrade in your bullpen.
That’s why I’m thinking this is a hedge trade by the Mets.
It provides them a “might be useful lefty” for the bullpen, and a “useful reserve outfielder,” ensuring that they’ve made those additions in case they can’t come to a deal on more impactful pieces by Tuesday. Because of the Mets’ tricky farm system – some very elite, non-tradable guys at the top, and then a lot of depth after that – maybe they aren’t confident, after early talks, that they can get a bigger piece. Much like the Dan Vogelbach addition.
So, that is to say, I wouldn’t necessarily expect this to put a stop to any ongoing talks between the Mets and other teams (they have been heavily connected to the Cubs). I would instead expect it to be protection – and a tiny bit of leverage – for those kinds of talks.
