(Neil Miller/Sportsday Wire)
Finally, a well needed Mets win.
But even with Michael Cuddyer’s walk-off single, the Amazin’s need help and soon.
It’s funny because the Mets may now have too much pitching, something a few years ago no one would want to give up.
If you include Steven Matz, who is obviously ready to come up, the team has seven starters for five spots, and even with the possibility of an injury or two – especially with this team – there’s a tremendous need for the club to move either Jon Niese of Dillon Gee for some lineup help.
Unfortunately, there’s just no market out there. Or at least there’s a very small one.
“I’d say it’s a very narrow market,” general manager Sandy Alderson said tonight. “Teams are not looking to dump their players in the middle of June. That’s like advertising to their fans that the season is over. I don’t care how bad your record is, teams are reluctant to do that at this point in the season.
“As you get closer to the trade deadline, fans and media develop more of an expectation that teams are going to move players. But right now it’s a little early. And, as I said, the market is pretty narrow.”
Ok early, but how much longer will the Mets tread water? Sure they won tonight and Niese pitched pretty well, and last night you expected the team to win after scoring five yesterday with Matt Harvey on the mound. It wasn’t the lineup’s fault.
However, they did get no-hit on Tuesday and were 3-6 this month before winning tonight. And after six very disappointing seasons in Citi Field, you can understand why everyone is hitting the panic button.
But on June 11, it’s just not easy to find a team looking to trade you some of their top talent. With the second Wild Card, most of the league is in the playoff hunt and still want to sell some tickets.
“But again, I have to emphasize, you’re constantly weighing what you have against what’s out there,” Alderson said. “By and large, the players that are available aren’t doing particularly well themselves. And if they’re doing well — or even if they have a reputation for having done well in the past — it’s like an arm and a leg. So when I say there’s a narrow market, there aren’t that many sellers. And they’re going to take advantage of their position. I get that.”
Look, if the Mets wanted to go to say a team like the Phillies and see about trading for say Chase Utley, they probably would at least get a listen, because Utley is hitting .185 and is owed a ton of money. So yes, those types of trades can be made, but they may not help the club.
And right now, both Niese and Gee are assets to the club, and Alderson will want something back for one or both of them, so there’s no need to move them for nothing or send them away with a check, because the Mets may have an opportunity over the next 45 days to get a decent return for one or both of their expendable pitchers.
Sure, it’s not easy to sit here and wait and sure, most of 25,143 in attendance tonight would have wanted to see Matz make his first major league start instead of Niese flip-flopping along. It’s just that the Mets are better to be patient and see what the trade market brings them as the deadline approaches.
Just look at next week to see why playing it smart works in the trade market. The Blue Jays come into town, who have the players of Alderson’s best move and his worst.
Unfortunately, Noah Syndergaard pitches Sunday, meaning unless there’s a rainout, he won’t face the Jays in the four game home-and-home, but with Travis d’Arnaud back in the lineup, Toronto will see what a mistake it was to trade for RA Dickey a few years and Alderson will see why it was a mistake to let Jose Reyes walk after the 2011 season. The Mets could surely use him right now.
And that’s why sometimes it is better to wait and see. Play it smart and enjoy getting back on the winning side. At least for tonight.
The Mets do need help, but we will need to wait until it comes.
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