NY Mets: Three best moves from the Brodie Van Wagenen era

Three moves by former New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen to be thankful for in 2021.

From the moment Steve Cohen was set to purchase the New York Mets from the Wilpon family, it became clear Brodie Van Wagenen’s days as the Mets general manager were numbered. Then, one of the first things Cohen did was clean house in the front office. He ushers a new era, one that looks to clean up what Van Wagenen left behind.

Joining the franchise in 2019, Van Wagenen was a rather unusual hire for the team. A star agent turned general manager, he made for an out of the box hire to replace Sandy Alderson, who is now back as the team president. And like his hire, Van Wagenen’s tenure was full of risky and questionable moves.

He had an unorthodox approach to filling out team needs, often including dealing top prospects for aging veterans. Most notably being the Robinson Cano and Marcus Stroman trades. Van Wagenen often overpaid in trades, as well as free agents. The latter being most disappointing given they rarely were in discussion for top free agents.

Nevertheless, as any tenure does, there were some good moves that came out of it. The team just missed the playoffs in 2019 and have a very talented young offensive core going forward. That being said, let’s take a look at the best moves made during the Van Wagenen era.

Honorable Mention: Signing relievers Justin Wilson and Brad Bach

Yes, Van Wagenen whiffed on numerous free agent signings over the past two years. However, he did make a few under-the-radar moves that paid dividends. The biggest two wound up being relief pitchers Justin Wilson and Brad Brach.

Signed to a two-year, $10-million deal in 2019, Wilson is currently on the market. Whether or not he is brought back, he was arguably the team’s most reliable reliever the past two seasons. The southpaw posted his best numbers since his second season in 2019, with a 2.54era over 45 games. He followed up that performance with a 3.66era in 23 in the bizarre 2020 season. For a last-second move, the Wilson signing was a big one.

Unlike Wilson, Brach was brought in mid-season, after being designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs. The former all-star reliever bounced around the league since 2018 before finding a home in the Mets bullpen. In 2019 he posted a 3.68era over 16 games and pitched another 12.1 in 2020. While neither Wilson nor Brach offered elite arms, the two were reliable arms out of a lackluster Mets bullpen.

Honorable Mention: Not Trading for J.T. Realmuto

Prior to the Philadelphia Phillies acquiring the two-time All-Star in 2019, the Mets were the heavy favorites to trade for catcher J.T. Realmuto. The now free agent catcher commanded a hefty return, one that rumored to include some combination of either Brandon Nimmo or Michael Conforto and prospects.

While Realmuto would have been a significant upgrade over Wilson Ramos, such a trade would have put the Mets in a tricky spot. Conforto is coming off of a career year and both he and Nimmo will be starters in 2021. Not to mention two prospects that came up in negotiations were star first baseman Pete Alonso and potential starting infielder Andres Gimenez.

At the end of the day, Van Wagenen not trading for Realmuto was the right move.

3) Having Pete Alonso on the Opening Day roster in 2019

Back in Spring Training 2019, it was unknown as to whether or not Pete Alonso would start the year in the majors. The 6’3” and 245lbs first baseman had natural power and hitting ability, though concerns remained about his defensive play. Additionally, service time rules also gave the Mets another year of the prospect’s control had they waited two weeks into the season to promote him.

Thank goodness Van Wagenen ignored it.

Pete Alonso started the 2019 season not only on the Opening Day roster but as the Mets’ starting first baseman. Van Wagenen took a chance on the power-first slugger and one that paid off. After a slow start to the season, the team went on a tear in the second half but fell just shy of the playoffs.

Nevertheless, had it not been for Alonso literally powering the team through the first half, they would not have come close.

Alonso’s power was on full display right out of the gate, seemingly hitting home runs whenever the team needed them most. Earning the nickname “Polar Bear,” Alonso quickly became a fan favorite on his way to the All-Star game. He finished the year with 120RBI and a .358OBP on his way to winning National League Rookie of the Year. But what was most impressive is Alonso beat Aaron Judge’s rookie season record for home runs with 53 just two years after it was set.

Despite a sophomore slump, Alonso has established himself as a building block for years to come, and one that Steve Cohen must thank Van Wagenen for promoting right away.

1) Extending starting pitcher Jacob deGrom

Back in 2015, who knew where the Mets starting pitchers stood long-term. Which would go onto being the ace? Could it be Matt Harvey? Rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard? Would Zack Wheeler become the ace upon his return?

Instead, it turned out to be the late-blooming shortstop turned starter Jacob deGrom.

Making his debut at 26-years old in 2014, deGrom quietly became better every year. He won National League Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star game his second season. deGrom pitched well over the next two seasons until taking it to another level from 2018 on. He posted one of the greatest single-season performances in history at 30-years old. In 32 starts, deGrom posted a 1.70era in 217 innings, striking out 269 with a 1.98FIP.

That year, deGrom won his first Cy Young award, as Van Wagenen knew it was time to lock him up long-term. After all, deGrom only stood behind Tom Seaver for the lowest earned run average in team history. That March, Van Wagenen extended deGrom on a five-year deal worth north of $137-million, with a player option for a sixth year.

As it is now known, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. He followed up his historic 2018 season with another Cy Young in 2019 and was a finalist this past year. deGrom is signed through 2023, to which he will be 35-years old should he chose to opt-out.

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Without a doubt, headlines as one of the few great moves made by former Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.