Mets Trade Future for Present

When building, if you remove important pieces from the bottom to strengthen the top, you risk the building becoming top-heavy and, as a result, toppling.

That’s the risk Brodie Van Wagenen, the Mets new GM is taking. Since assuming the position in October 2018, Van Wagenen has traded away 12 players, mostly prospects and including former top draft picks OF Jarred Kelenic and P Justin Dunn, for seven players. 

While strengthening the team’s depth, he’s weakened the organization’s depth, swapping the future for the present.

Van Wagenen’s primary pre-Mets experience was as a sports agent. On his LinkedIn page, its states that he “Led contract negotiations for CAA Baseball clients totalling more than $2 billion” and “has advised 67 first-round draft picks.” 

He never ran an MLB front office; yet, the Wilpons hired him.

After the hire, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said on sny.tv that "We hired our first choice and somebody that we think is gonna be great," adding "He's a leader, he's organized, he's gonna be collaborative with our entire staff."

The Wilpons’ decision had its critics. 

On beyondtheboxscore.com, Daniel R. Epstein wrote, “this hire is curious at best. Van Wagenen has no front office experience whatsoever.”

On risingapple.com, a Mets blog, Jonathan Rosen wrote with Van Wagenen’s hiring over “Tampa Bay Rays Senior Vice-President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom, the Mets have solidified themselves as a joke of a franchise.” Rosen then argues that success as a sport agent “has zero bearing on knowing the ins and outs of running a team.”

Friendship seems to have played a role in Van Wagenen’s hire. In the above-mentioned sny.tv appearance, Wilpon’s opening remark was “Brodie and I have a long relationship, a friendship, going back a number of years.” How significant a factor was that in the hire?

With the trades of so many prospects, Van Wagenen has dug a hole in the Mets farm system. Hopefully, he won’t deepen it.

GM Van Wagenen’s roster roulette

Jan 6, 2019: Walker Lockett, SP, traded From Cleveland w/INF Sam Haggerty for C Kevin Plawecki.

Jan 6, 2019: J.D. Davis, 3B and Cody Bohanek, INF, traded From Houston for OF Ross Adolph, C Scott Manea, and INF Luis Santana.

Jan 5, 2019: Keon Broxton, CF, traded From Milwaukee for P Bobby Wahl, P Adam Hill and INF Felix Valeriol

Dec 3, 2018: Edwin Diaz, RP and Robinson Cano, 2B, traded from Seattle for OF Jay Bruce, P Anthony Swarzak, P Gerson Bautista, OF Jarred Kelenic and P Justin Dunn

Sources: CBSSPORTS.COM and espn.com