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The Mets should make every attempt to acquire Xavier Nady before the trading deadline this year. The case I make does not just effect the Mets in 2008, but as well as the future.
A. He is hitting .322 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. Acquiring him and slotting him in near the middle of the order would instantly make the lineup better, not to mention will give you a stable man in one of the corner outfield spots, which has been a rare instance so far this season between both Moises Alou and Ryan Church’s injuries.
B. When and if both Alou and Church ever are simultaneously healthy, the Mets could experiment with using Nady against lefties at first base, while giving Carlos Delgado a break. In 99 at-bats against left handed hitters, Delgado is hitting .212 with 3 home runs and 11 runs batted in. Nady is hitting .318 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs in 66 at-bats against lefties.
C. One of Nady’s biggest downfalls during his time with the Mets was his inability to hit right-handed pitchers. In 2006, he finished with a .263 average against right-handers, but has been absolutely crushing them this year, hitting .323 with 8 home runs and 42 RBIs.
D. Lastly, looking even further, Nady will provide insurance for the Mets to be their starting first baseman in 2009, if the Mets choose not to pursue or end up losing in a bidding war for impending free agent Mark Teixeira.
All in all, it makes a ton of sense for the Mets to go out and bring back the X-Man to the orange and blue.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as expected, the market is thick for Nady. The article notes that the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are both in the market for a corner outfielder. The article also includes the Mets on there as well, but notes that they could potentially be a poor match because of a “dearth of prospects.”
I believe the Mets should undoubtedly attempt to send Aaron Heilman to Pittsburgh if the opportunity presents itself. Whether or not the Pirates are that interested in him is unclear, but they would have control of him through the next two seasons. What other players the Mets would have to give up to bring Nady back remains to be seen. If they can find a reasonable deal for the 29-year old righty, it’s a no brainer.
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2 Responses for "Mets Need To Bring Back Xavier Nady"
Great article. All these are solid reasons for grabbing Nady.
I guess a major factor is just what the Mets give up. As positive as an acquisition of Nady would be, I think the immediate reaction of the sports world would be — “Oh man, the Mets traded MORE of their prospects??” This would especially be the case if the cost for Nady was Jon Niese and Eddie Kunz or some combination of the Mets’ more developed prospects. This is regardless of whether or not it’s a good trade. I think Omar Minaya fears that reaction.
But if the cost was Aaron Heilman (and somebody else), the blow might be lessened for Minaya, considering the Mets’ fans love/hate relationship with Heilman. I’m kind of in the middle on him but I could see both sides of wanting to trade him.
Everyone knows why Nady would be a great fit, But, the only reason the Pirates are even considering trading Navy is because he’s arbitration eligible… just like Heilman.
If you want Nady it would cost Kunz AND and outfielder.
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