Jose Bautista a Mets Target?

Wow. It didn’t take long for rumors to start flying. Before I go any further, I want to point out that the following is just that- rumors. It is speculation, flights of fancy, if you will. The playoffs have barely started for crying out loud. But that didn’t stop Mark Simon of ESPN from trying to figure out how to fix the New York Mets. (H/T to Paul Taylor at Tip of the Tower)

Simon says (see what I did there?) that Plan A for the Mets is to target Jose Bautista. Simon points out the need for an outfielder. He likes Bautista’s contract situation (one year, a team option and no trade veto power). Obviously, he likes Bautista’s production. Who wouldn’t? We know what the Mets would be getting in Bautista: elite hitter, top defender, leader. What would come in return? Simon suggests the deal should start with Zack Wheeler, and Daniel Murphy as well as throwing in prospects Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki and Steven Matz.

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Paul Taylor has already said that Jose Bautista is not going anywhere. And, I agree. But, what if? Should the Blue Jays automatically close the door to any deal involving Bautista? That would be silly. They should at least consider it. So, let’s consider it.

Zack Wheeler– 24 yrs old. Won’t be a free agent until 2020. Went 11-11 with a 3.54 ERA, 1.327 WHIP, 187K. According to Fangraphs.com, Wheeler’s command is not exactly stellar, but his strike out capability compensates. What this immediately screams to me is “High pitch counts”.

Daniel Murphy– 29 yrs old. Free agent in 2016. The 2014 All Star would fill the 2nd base void. He slashed .289/.332/.403/.734 while collecting 9 HR, 57 RBI and 13 SB. He offers some versatility as he’s played all infield positions but short stop in 2014. He’s not an elite defender, but he’s passable.

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Brandon Nimmo– The 21yr old outfielder played in A+/AA in 2014. He slashed .278/.394/.426/.820 His 21 doubles, 9 triples, 10 HR and 51 RBI look appealing. He also chipped in 14 stolen bases.

Kevin Plawecki– 23 yr old catcher/1B. Played last season in AA/AAA. His numbers are impressive. He slashed .309/.365/.460/.825 His 11 HR and 64 RBI are nice. But, what stands out to me are his mere 48 strike outs in 419 plate appearances.

Steven Matz– 23 yr old LHP who went 10-9 with a 2.24 ERA in A+/AA. His 131 strike outs to 35 walks is impressive. But his 8.4 H/9 is ugly.

Again, Jose Bautista is not going anywhere. But, if he were and this is the package the Blue Jays got in return, it wouldn’t be so bad. The age of this group is higher than I’d like. Getting Murphy and Wheeler is a good haul, though. The others probably won’t have much of an impact, but they aren’t terrible. All in all, this is enough to make me listen.

The problem is that by doing this deal, it creates an even bigger whole than the Blue Jays are trying to fill. Removing Bautista from the lineup for this return is tantamount to stupid. His numbers cannot be replaced so easily, especially by the Mets. This deal might solve the 2B dilemma. It might give us another great young pitcher. But, it handcuffs our offense.

Sorry, Mark Simon. No deal. But it is good to know the kind of haul Joey Bats could command. You know, if other teams come calling.

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