Small Mets trade helps answer a question some fans may be wondering

Why all of the waiver claims? If you’ve been paying close attention to the New York Mets this offseason, you’ll know they’ve actively added to the 40-man roster beyond major league quality players. One of their early offseason moves was claiming catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel from the Seattle Mariners. Beyond his positional availability in a Triple-A fantasy baseball league, it seems pretty innocuous.

As the Mets have continued to add to the roster with moves like claiming Diego Castillo off of waivers and DFA’ing him in favor of someone else only days later, fans may be curious as to why David Stearns even bothers to make such moves. Well, we got an answer on Tuesday.

Hummel, who had been in DFA limbo himself, was traded to the San Francisco Giants for cash consideration. It’s a small trade that adds to the modus operandi of how David Stearns plans to operate.

The Mets claiming any quality players while they can with the idea of trading many later for anything at all

Cash considerations are hardly a need for Steve Cohen. The fact remains, adding players for free and then trading them away for anything at all is a win. This Hummel deal isn’t even the first of its kind by the Mets this offseason.

Cleverly, the Mets took Justin Slaten in the Rule 5 Draft back in December. Required to keep him on their 26-man roster for the full season or offer him back to the Texas Rangers, they instead immediately dealt him to the Boston Red Sox for Ryan Ammons and cash. Ammons is a 22-year-old 10th round draft pick from last year who has yet to pitch in a professional game. He does throw left-handed and perhaps it was lack of interest by Stearns to carry a Rule 5 Draft pick for the length of the year that had them quickly pivoting away and making a trade at all.

The next player the Mets could try doing this with is recent waiver addition Max Kranick. The out of options starting pitcher picked up from the Pittsburgh Pirates is already a longshot to make the Mets. Although he could pass through waivers and accept an assignment to the minor leagues, a trade is one other way for the team to benefit.

Fans like to joke whenever their ball club makes a small move. “World Series here we come!” is a common response. It’s probably how Giants fans are feeling about the Hummel trade, sarcastically praising the front office.

That’s all part of the offseason game. Seize any opportunity you can get. Who knows when you stumble upon a chance to do something you didn’t think you could? One team’s Hummel is another ball club’s R.A. Dickey.