Steve Phillips, the former GM of the Mets and now sports commentator, once said of Omar Minaya, the current GM and a former Phillips understudy, “Omar feels prospects do not win you Worlds Series”. In other words, if you have the chance to trade a prospect for an established player, you do it.
Perhaps we can see why that philosophy should be applied by looking at the recent Lastings Milledge trade. In the past, before Milledge ever put on a Mets uniform, he was considered the major chip to a trade for Manny Rameriz, to a trade for Roy Oswalt, to a trade (I think) for Barry Zito, to some other trades for well known players. I don’t know if it was the Mets that balked or the other team, or a combination of both, but certainly the trade value for Milledge was high.
Now, Milledge is gone and the Mets got Brian Schneider and Ryan Church in the deal. WHAT??!!?!?! Is this really the best the Mets could do for someone expected to be a superstar and at one time able to get them a big name player?
Perhaps Minaya knows something I don’t (Okay, I’m a fan, baseball is Omar’s livelihood. I hope he knows something I don’t). Perhaps Minaya has another dealing in the works for Johnny Estrada now that Brian Schneider will be catching. Perhaps Minaya knows he can now get better pitchers because they know they will be throwing to a good defensive catcher. Certainly from his days with the Montreal Expos, Minaya knows about the two players he obtained.
And yet, I just can’t help but think he could have gotten the same thing for less. I can’t help think that if this is all Milledge lands you, keep him and wait for his value to go up. If it doesn’t what have you missed out on—Ryan Church and Brian Schneider? And, I certainly can’t help but think why Omar is addressing these issues when his biggest problem is pitching. Hopefully, I will read in the very near future about a trade Minaya made for a high quality starting pitcher.
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Days later and I'm still just sick over this deal. What a joke! Keep Milledge, see how he does, and if he's mediocre after a year or two then trade him for this package, and even then it seems foolish because he'd still be young with an enormous upside. I just don't know where there heads are at. This isn't even all about talent, which is a tricky thing, its about assets and bargaining chips and buying low and selling high. Gee, let's see, who bought low here?
As for the Nats, I LOVE the Milledge move when combined with the Elijah Dukes move. Both have great upside talent and will be exciting to watch. What a smart, aggressive way to approach the offseason. Their fans actually have a reason to go out to the ballpark.
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