3 Brodie Van Wagenen moves aging well

New York Mets Introduce Luis Rojas
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It seems like Brodie Van Wagenen was with the New York Mets organization for much longer than two seasons. One of those years was the shortened 2020 campaign. Maybe it’s the name that sounds like it came from a Washington Irving story which has kept him in the rearview.

Van Wagenen’s modus operandi with the Mets was all about winning now. Forget the future. Trade all of the youth you can. He wasn’t well-liked during his two seasons with the ball club for many of the moves he made. However, three moves BVW did make seem to have aged well.

3) NY Mets trade for J.D. Davis looks ever better after Darin Ruf deal

J.D. Davis won’t go down as one of the greatest Mets of all-time. His 2019 season with the ball club was still one of the more unexpectedly impressive ones from a guy viewed as a bench piece. Davis slashed .307/.369/.527 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI in 453 plate appearances. Definitely well-served by the juiced baseballs in 2019, his overall Mets numbers are still solid.

In 1,100 trips to the plate for New York, Davis hit .278/.364/.451. He hit 37 home runs and drove in 120.

A defensive liability throughout his stay, the Mets gave up three prospects and acquired one in the trade with the Houston Astros for him. None of the prospects have yet to make the majors. Thus far, only the Mets have benefitted. Luis Santana is most on track to have a strong MLB career but even he is far from a sure thing to do so.

Davis’ time with the Mets came to an end at the 2022 trade deadline when he and three prospects were sent to the San Francisco Giants for Darin Ruf. Thanks to this trade, the original trade for Davis looks even better.

2) NY Mets drafting Brett Baty looks like it will work out well

Many of Van Wagenen’s top draft picks have already been traded. It’s karma catching up. He did the same thing to the previous regime’s top picks. Brett Baty managed to survive the changes at the top. He looks like a big asset to the organization moving forward.

We already saw Baty make his MLB debut in 2022. A home run in his first trip to the plate definitely had Van Wagenen feeling himself. At least someone he drafted can continue on with the Mets in a big way.

The Mets traded BVW’s other first-round pick, Pete Crow-Armstrong. Matt Allan, a guy Van Wagenen built the 2019 draft around acquiring, has suffered through some major injuries. His future is more uncertain than ever.

Not Baty. He’s a contender for two starting jobs in 2023. Either the third baseman or left fielder of the future in Flushing, Baty arrived in the majors ahead of schedule. Due to need but also how well he was playing in the minors, it’s looking like at least one addition Van Wagenen made to the farm is going to benefit the Amazins.

This move by the Van Wagenen version of the Mets aging well is the least surprising. Baty came out of high school as the twelfth overall pick. Immediately, many believed it was a solid selection. So far, however, it hasn’t necessarily been the best-looking move of all. Time will tell.

1) NY Mets trade for Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano hasn’t hurt much

Mets fans can’t look at Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball without seeing the Seattle Mariners uniform and remembering an infamous trade.

Side bar: Is there a more memorable yet poorly titled sports video game in history? They make it sound like Griffey is an energy drink sponsoring the game. Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball for the win. It’s so real!

The moment it became official that Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano were coming to New York put fans in a panic. The team gave up veterans Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak along with prospects Justin Dunn, Gerson Bautista, and Jarred Kelenic. It was Kelenic fans were upset about most. 

I won’t bore you with how things went in 2019 or how any success Cano had was aided by PEDs. Diaz’s miraculous turnaround following his debut season changed the perception of this trade entirely. He is now one of the more popular players on the roster. He’s signed to an extension. Fans couldn’t adore him more.

Meanwhile, the veterans sent to the M’s have already retired, Dunn is with the Cincinnati Reds, and Kelenc is batting .168/.251/.338 in his first 558 plate appearances.  

Tell someone after the 2019 season that this trade would actually favor the Mets and they might slap you for speaking lies. That’s how it is, though. Who would’ve imagined?

Next. 3 Mets free agent signings that turned out better than expected. dark

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