Mets Monday Morning GM: Jared Porter stomped all over Brodie Van Wagenen

The first blockbuster move by New York Mets General Manager Jared Porter puts Brodie Van Wagenen’s “legacy” to shame.

In one move, Jared Porter jumped over Brodie Van Wagenen on the list of the greatest general managers in New York Mets history. Some fans might argue that he was already there without actually making a move. Sometimes, the best moves a GM can make are the ones they turn down.

Porter didn’t turn down the latest offer he got from the Cleveland Indians. He managed to acquire Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco in exchange for Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, and a pair of prospects. If the Mets don’t make any other major move this winter, they’re already set up in a good position.

This trade compares best to what Van Wagenen did shortly after he became the general manager. Only weeks into his time calling the shots for the Mets, he famously traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. The cost was far steeper. The quality of players the Mets got in return from the Seattle Mariners didn’t even compare to what Porter picked up.

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Sure, Lindor is a rental and Carrasco won’t be around for many more years. However, in the win-now environment they have entered, I can’t think of a single reason to dislike this deal.

Rosario certainly had some room to grow and I’m not sure the Mets were ready to commit to Gimenez as an everyday player. As for the prospects, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene, they are far away from where Justin Dunn and Jarred Kelenic were at the time Van Wagenen dealt them to Seattle.

Because of the current climate of the world, we haven’t had a great chance to really get to know Porter. He’s not out there in our face like Van Wagenen was when he got the job. This will hopefully change at some point during his tenure when things get a little more normal in this crazy world.

As a general manager, the mission isn’t to be seen. How many past general managers from championship teams can any of us really name? Unless we were following along, it’s what they did that stands out and not who they were.

Porter has already made his presence known with the Mets organization. He swung big, connected, and now we’ll have to wait and see how far the trade with Cleveland lands. A great year by Lindor and Carrasco drops it in the gap for a base’s clearing double. Signing Lindor to an extension puts it over the wall for a game-winning grand slam.

The atmosphere around the Mets front office feels vastly different than it did during the last two seasons under BVW and his puppet masters, the Wilpons. They are focused on making wise moves and not jumping out to strike a deal at the risk of damaging the future.

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It appears Porter is in it for the long haul. Still trying to make a name for himself in the game, he’s off to a fantastic start with this first blockbuster.