SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. _ The Mets' Sandy Alderson and the Yankees' Brian Cashman departed the general managers' meetings Thursday morning within minutes of each other. Neither completed a trade during their stay, but here are the parameters for a mutually beneficial deal they maybe could have wrapped up over coffee and bagels.
Sending Brian McCann to the Mets for either Curtis Granderson or Jay Bruce, with the sweetener of a young pitcher _ maybe Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo _ to entice the Yankees to pay the significant difference in money. McCann still has two years and $34 million left on his contract, with a potential $15-million vesting option for 2019. Granderson ($15M) and Bruce ($13M) will be free agents after this season, while Gsellman and Lugo are still years from arbitration.
It's not very often these crosstown rivals are such a good match that they can ignore whatever hangups have prevented the Mets and Yankees from doing business more frequently. But in this case, it makes too much sense not to happen.
Alderson and Cashman didn't talk about this particular swap this week, according to a source, but we've also been told neither GM is opposed to making a deal with the other, so there's no ruling out a later discussion between them on the topic.
Cashman has made no secret of his interest in trading McCann now that Gary Sanchez seems to have morphed into Johnny Bench overnight, and the Mets certainly could use a veteran catcher with a power bat after Travis d'Arnaud took a big step backward last season. Alderson is leaning toward sticking with d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki _ fingers crossed, hoping for improvement _ but those plans aren't set in stone.
Getting McCann would remedy that problem instantly, and despite a full no-trade clause, there doesn't seem an obvious reason he would object to playing in Flushing. Cashman said this week he's had an open dialogue with McCann's agent, B.B. Abbott, to keep him in the loop on potential trade partners.
"He's conveyed to me that he's extremely happy in New York," Cashman said Thursday. "His first thought would be to stay."
Abbott was referring to the Bronx, of course. But if McCann does enjoy the city, what's a few miles east over the RFK Bridge? He'd miss Yankee Stadium's short right field porch, having to swap that for the deeper Coca-Cola Corner at Citi. The opportunity for more time behind the plate, however, rather than being stuck at DH, is something that likely would be appealing to him.
As for what the Yankees get back, in Bruce or Granderson, along with a young, controllable pitcher, that's also an immediate fit, given their particular weaknesses at the moment. While Cashman would prefer that Aaron Judge take over the right field job, that scenario is hardly a lock given his post-promotion struggles last season. Judge batted .179 (15-for-84) and struck out every 2.26 plate appearances. Even after this trade, the Yankees still could give Judge a shot in right by using Bruce or Granderson as the DH, a spot the lefty sluggers could use to do significant damage, especially at the Stadium. And if Judge flopped again, Bruce/Granderson could spend more time in right, where the smaller stretch of lawn wouldn't be as much of a problem for their limited defensive abilities.
The Yankees are included on Bruce's limited no-trade list. But maybe the chance to take aim at the short fence, and put up huge numbers in his walk year, could convince him to waive it. He's stuck in New York anyway with the Mets, so switching boroughs shouldn't be a big issue. In Granderson's case, it would be a no-brainer. He twice hit 40-plus homers during his four-year stay with the Yankees, with an .829 OPS.
Ideally, Alderson would like to hold on to Gsellman and Lugo, both of whom helped save the Mets' playoff push, because of the rotation's somewhat fragile health. But they are very attractive trade chips, and one may have to be sacrificed to improve an area of need. Those areas eventually may be determined by where Yoenis Cespedes winds up or the fate of Neil Walker's qualifying offer. But if Alderson needs to be flexible in improving the Mets, with the kind of limited financial commitment he likes, it's worth dialing up Cashman in the coming weeks.
