Mets first-round pick Jarred Kelenic gets his first MLB promotion

I can already hear the eggs hitting Brodie Van Wagenen’s front door. Do angry people still egg houses? I feel that’s not environmentally friendly and takes too much effort. Whatever they do, New York Mets fans will be raging this week, probably by sending the former general manager some nasty words on social media.

Immediately questioned when it happened, the first big trade swung by BVW as the general manager is about to take another leap forward in terms of who won or lost the deal. The Seattle Mariners are reportedly promoting Jarred Kelenic this Thursday for his major league debut.

Mets fans will never forgive Brodie Van Wagenen for this trade

This is a trade I think people will analyze until the end of time. The Mets did get back a terrific closer in the move. Edwin Diaz has turned things around post-2019 and could be an integral part of a championship puzzle.

Although, at the cost of an everyday player like Kelenic, it stings even if Diaz does finish off his career with Hall of Fame numbers for the next decade.

Whenever any trade happens that involves such high-level talent, there are questions. Because this deal involved Robinson Cano, an aging PED user, I’m not sure we can rationalize the move whatsoever. The Mets took on his massive salary in the move which involved a few other moving parts. One could easily argue Diaz could have been acquired for much less than the sixth-overall draft pick. Even considering all Diaz can provide to the team and his age, it feels like a dramatic overpayment.

What if Jarred Kelenic isn’t any good?

There’s always a possibility Kelenic doesn’t live up to the hype. Current Mets outfielder Albert Almora was selected sixth overall in his draft. He’s only 27 and has already been relegated to fifth outfielder duty.

I know Kelenic appears to be cut from a different cloth than Almora. And he has been outstanding in the minor leagues. The chances of him floundering at the major leagues feels minimal. At just 21-years-old right now, the young Seattle outfielder has time to figure things out even if there are some rookie struggles to shake off.

I’m not sure there is any transaction in the last decade Mets fans are more passionate about than this one. The same night it happened, people were already screaming at their electronic devices—who watches TV anymore?

Even if Kelenic ends up as a bust with the Mariners, this is a trade fans will never look at fondly because of the involvement of Cano. One bad season on the books for the Mets and a tainted second season followed by a suspension, even the more forgiving fans would be left to wonder if there was something better the front office could have done.

Will we add Kelenic to a list of names like Nolan Ryan, Amos Otis, and so many others? I think some already have.

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The timing of this does have some irony. Just a day after Matt Harvey returns to Citi Field and will be celebrated for what he did in the past, a guy who should have been a part of the Mets’ future debuts somewhere else.