3 Brodie Van Wagenen moves aging well

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?