I think the Maldonado move was forced because McCann went on the DL for the second time prior to the deadline. Stassi and Stubbs have another year of development, and Chirinos has been healthy this season (though he's never had a huge workload, and he's older than McCann was last year) so I'm not sure catcher will be a priority unless someone gets injured. I think a Wheeler/Lugo package makes some sense, especially if the probably-trying-to-contend in 2020 Mets are enamored with some of the upper level depth that would become a 40 man roster crunch otherwise.
I know pitching is obviously the most pressing need, and he's right to prioritize that, but I still would like to see us get one decent rental bat as well, for depth and extra pop. That's one thing teams like the Yankees and Dodgers have, but not us. A little extra depth will be great, not just as insurance, but also allows for variation in the lineup based on the pitcher, like we've seen teams such as the Dodgers do.
I don't know where you would fit the 'rental bat' in the lineup. We have a surplus of offense talent as is.
The easy answer is yes. Would you like to point out an obvious position that needs to be upgraded? When Correa comes back, we have a potential bench of Marisnick, Straw, Tucker, Diaz and Stassi. This is after we subtract Kemp and White.
[QUOTE="Stros4me, post: 12486644, member: 62247] When Correa comes back, we have a potential bench of Marisnick, Straw, Tucker, Diaz and Stassi. This is after we subtract Kemp and White.[/QUOTE] And of these guys, who is this offense that you speak of?
Agree. Many fans take a ton of pride in their teams and say "oh we're the best, our guys are better, we don't need help" but the truth is, you have to be realistic. NYY and LAD (maybe MIN, too) have deeper lineups than we do. #Facts. JV and Cole are, IMO, the best 1-2 TOR starters, Chirinos is a plus offensive catcher, and we have a solid (but not that deep) bullpen. But we can use one more "thumper" in our order. Justin Smoak is the guy I'm eyeing. As said, I watch a decent amount of Blue Jays games during free time b/c I like many of their players. Always gives a tough AB, has a great eye. Good power, just has hit into some bad luck, and appears that opposing pitchers like to try and pitch around him. Great pop, Jays want to shop him, and they love our AAAA pitchers. Can help clear out some of those. He can add depth, and I believe he can find a spot in our lineup. Bet you we will run into some true slugfests in October, and all the power will be welcome, especially in today's game (see: last year, when we failed to come up with key hits).
And of these guys, who is this offense that you speak of?[/QUOTE] Marisnick OPS .794 Straw OPS .819 Tucker OPS .968 Diaz OPS .831 Stassi OPS .495 Stassi is the only player that would be a reasonable upgrade target, but I would argue that the value of adding a backup C as an offensive upgrade would likely be more of a defensive detriment to the team that any offensive contributor. How many ABs do you expect Stassi to get in the postseason? When he does play, would the value of these few bats outweigh the defensive metrics and continuous work that Stassi has developed with our pitching staff? In the postseason, Marisnick and Stassi are defensive replacements and/or baserunning replacements. They offer a LOT of value in both areas. Aside from the injury, Diaz has been a strong weapon on offense. And Tucker will not be traded.
Springer Bregman Altuve Brantley Alvarez Correa Chirinos Gurriel Reddick or Tucker I don't know whom you are thinking about taking out of the lineup for Smoak. We just added another "thumper" in Alvarez. At full health, we DO have the deepest lineup in MLB, and it's not close.
^Also, a large part of the value in a backup catcher is so our starting C doesn't take a beating every day. I don't think everybody gets that. Chirinos really needs rest, he's about as old as McCann, and has a history of injuries, and has taken many foul tips to his mask (including one just earlier today). And we know that Stubbs needs seasoning, and Stassi is unliked. That's where a guy like Lucroy is welcomed. Do you want Chirinos to get all banged up come October? I don't.
Yankees have a tough time finding room for all their thumpers. Look at when a Voit, or Encarnacion, or Torres gets a day off because there's no room in the lineup. As I've said, this is too much pride from the fan's view. Didn't look like the Yanks needed to add Edwin, and look? I really wanted him, and that's why we should move sooner rather than later. I sincerely think even when we're both healthy, the Yankees are stronger than us offensively. Smoak would take over as the main 1B with more pop, Gurriel and Diaz duke it out for the extra IF spot. ETA: For pitching, the more I watch and read about Wheeler, the more and more I want him. If only he wasn't a rental.
Luhnow: "I think we're more focused on pitching than we are on position players," Luhnow said on Wednesday. "We have plenty of position players at this point. It doesn't need to necessarily be a starter or a reliever, just the best arm that can help us get outs against teams we're likely to face down the stretch in the playoffs."
Marisnick OPS .794 Straw OPS .819 Tucker OPS .968 Diaz OPS .831 Stassi OPS .495 Stassi is the only player that would be a reasonable upgrade target, but I would argue that the value of adding a backup C as an offensive upgrade would likely be more of a defensive detriment to the team that any offensive contributor. How many ABs do you expect Stassi to get in the postseason? When he does play, would the value of these few bats outweigh the defensive metrics and continuous work that Stassi has developed with our pitching staff? In the postseason, Marisnick and Stassi are defensive replacements and/or baserunning replacements. They offer a LOT of value in both areas. Aside from the injury, Diaz has been a strong weapon on offense. And Tucker will not be traded.[/QUOTE] Let's not move the fence post here... you said they have a surplus of offense. Now you're talking about defense replacements and showing OPS percentage. Tucker isn't a proven MLB hitter just yet. Diaz has some pop but is hurt. Wasn't he also hurt last year? I don't see an issue with Straw or Marisnick. I just dont think you can just say they have a surplus of offense. If they can add a bat that can play 1B, it provides some depth that this team doesnt have.
Pitching is the priority hands down but if they lose a core piece, they do not have the depth to overcome that come playoff time.
Agree. Yes, Diaz missed about a month with the Jays due to an ankle sprain. Hope he's okay, but I believe I hear he's out until at least mid (or late) july? And, I agree that the more depth, the better. Dodgers did that last year (Freese), as did the Red Sox (Pearce, and you know how that turned out) and Brewers (Schoop, Granderson). Of course, in Luhnow I trust, but that is my honest opinion.
