When Brodie Van Wagenen’s name resurfaces among New York Mets fans, it elicits a certain discomfort, varying in intensity. For some, it’s like waking up to a bright light after a nap, while others liken it to the sensation of battery acid on their retinas. Regardless, his presence on Monday likely crossed your mind.
Three full seasons have passed since Van Wagenen’s tenure with the team, revealing a mixed bag of decisions. While some have surpassed expectations, others, whether due to unforeseen circumstances or not, continue to age poorly. Let’s examine these lingering regrets haunting the Mets, assigning blame to Van Wagenen accordingly.
1) Allowing Zack Wheeler to depart in free agency stands out as a glaring mistake. Despite past injury setbacks, Wheeler showed promise upon his return to form in 2018 and 2019. Despite his potential, the Mets opted not to compete for his re-signing, a decision they’d soon regret as Wheeler flourished with the Philadelphia Phillies. His subsequent achievements, including a World Series appearance and Cy Young contention, underscore the Mets’ misjudgment. Van Wagenen’s dismissive remarks further accentuate this misstep.
"[We] helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last 5 years into $118 million"
Brodie Van Wagenen took a jab back at Zack Wheeler https://t.co/p3phExnStj pic.twitter.com/lc8FFnWTUM
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 15, 2020
Blame Level for BVW: 8 out of 10 – While the Phillies’ extravagant contract offer may have been beyond the Mets’ means, Van Wagenen’s disregard for Wheeler’s worth remains a sore point.
2) The decision to non-tender Wilmer Flores due to injury concerns is another regrettable move. Flores, despite initial doubts, proved his resilience with impressive performances elsewhere, making the Mets’ choice to replace him with Jed Lowrie even more puzzling. The subsequent success and versatility demonstrated by Flores only exacerbate this blunder.
Blame Level for BVW: 10 out of 10 – The downgrade from Flores to Lowrie, compounded by injury concerns, highlights the severity of this error.
3) The acquisition of Jake Marisnick, primarily as a fifth outfielder for the 2020 season, reflects Van Wagenen’s penchant for questionable trades. Marisnick’s brief and unremarkable stint with the Mets, coupled with the loss of promising prospects Blake Taylor and Kenedy Corona to the Houston Astros, further underscores the folly of this deal.
Blame Level for BVW: 6 out of 10 – While unforeseen successes for Taylor and Corona may absolve Van Wagenen to some extent, the trade’s overall lack of benefit for the Mets remains a mark against him.
4) Van Wagenen’s focus on securing bonus slot money for high school pitcher Matt Allan in the 2019 MLB Draft has yielded disappointing results thus far. While Allan’s persistent injuries are beyond his control, the lack of notable successes from other draft picks underscores the riskiness of this strategy.
Blame Level for BVW: 2 out of 10 – While Allan’s injuries cannot be attributed solely to Van Wagenen, his reliance on one prospect highlights a strategic flaw.
In hindsight, the non-tendering of Travis d’Arnaud serves as an additional critique of Van Wagenen’s tenure, though the blame for this move is less clear-cut, given d’Arnaud’s inconsistent performance and injury history.
