Mets: Three lessons Brodie Van Wagenen seems to have learned

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 20: New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen answers questions during a press conference before the game between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on May 20, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

New York Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen appears to have learned some valuable lessons running a baseball team.

During Brodie Van Wagenen’s tenure as New York Mets General Manager, he has had plenty of time to learn from his mistakes. Those errors have been gigantic and in 2020, he’ll have to cross his fingers and hope some of them don’t get worse.

Van Wagenen hasn’t been a complete disaster. As a general manager, he’s going to get beat up a little more than he probably deserves.

This offseason for the Mets has been imperfect, but it also includes fewer questionable moves. Sure, we can debate the merits of each. However, BVW seems to have learned some important lessons.

Don’t sell the farm

How many prospects can Van Wagenen sell before his tenure is up? If trading away highly-ranked minor leaguers was a sport, he’d be its Mike Trout.

Although none of the prospects Van Wagenen has traded has made a major impact in the big leagues, Mets fans will hold their breath and hope guys like Jarred Kelenic, Anthony Kay, and Justin Dunn never become superstars. Otherwise, the trades BVW made which sent them elsewhere will look a whole lot worse.

This winter has included plenty of trade rumors about the Mets potentially pursuing another big-name player. From Mookie Betts to Nolan Arenado to Starling Marte, nearly every player rumored to have a spot on their team’s trade block has been linked to the Mets in one way or another.

Instead of going after the big splash, Van Wagenen has avoided selling the farm for some immediate success. There are times when this is perfectly fine.

However, with a depleted minor league system at the moment, I would be incredibly hesitant to make a trade to shrivel it further.

There’s plenty of offseason left for Van Wagenen to actually go out there and acquire a big-name player. I have my doubts. Other teams can outbid the Mets for a superstar and many of them have contracts that may push the team a little too out of budget.

Steve Cohen is already in the ownership office measuring the windows. Van Wagenen’s reputation is on the line and his plan appears to include keeping some of the best prospects the team has.

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