MLB Trade Rumors: Why Jonathan Niese for Gavin Floyd Trade Must Happen for Mets

If the New York Mets could swing a trade for Gavin Floyd, they would be in a much better position to succeed over the next few seasons.

I’m a New York Mets fan. I’m not going to say that the team is in any place to do well this season. They’re young, they’re rebuilding, they lost Jose Reyes and the media and the fans agree that the owners ought to sell the team. While the Mets have very little going for them in a suddenly hypercompetitive division, the introduction of fresh blood is nothing but an improvement for a franchise in distress.

Enter Jonathan Niese. Coming from one of my favorite named cities in the US (Defiance, Ohio), Niese has been a favorite of mine in his recent years in the organization. In one of my first articles on the site, I named Niese the third most promising pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization. Out of pure respect to Niese, I still believe in a promising MLB career for the young southpaw.

Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening while he wears the blue and orange in the Big Apple.

Niese, who was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year two years in a row when he played in Ohio, has since consistently underperformed for the New York Mets.

His numbers (11-11, 4.40 ERA) were drastically overshadowed by the surprise sensation of Dillon Gee (13-6, 4.43 ERA) because of Gee’s impressive ability to win big games. With his play on the field, Gee has introduced himself as a standout pitcher that will maintain a slot in the New York Mets' pitching staff.

His strikeout count was also lowered from 2010 (148) after producing 138 in 2011, and his ERA has increased from 2010 (from 4.20 in 2010 to 4.40 in 2011). Thankfully for Niese, however, his young age and impressive scouting reports have allowed him to maintain a reasonable amount of trade value in the MLB winter market. He has shown flashes of success (including a one-hit shutout on June 10^th) and has drawn comparisons to the likes of Tom Glavine.

This article, by no means, acts to trash Niese. Instead, it petitions to put him in a position better for his own success. He has been unable to win in New York, and a .500 record given his performance is subpar to expectations. If the Mets want to become relevant again in the next few years, they can take a page from the books of the San Francisco Giants and build around pitching.

Clearly, their hitting is facing some troubles with the recent loss of former Mets shortstop and current Miami Marlins superstar Jose Reyes. But the Mets do contain some depth and youth, and building along the corners of the infield is the talent and leadership of David Wright and Ike Davis. With high performers in Lucas Duda and Justin Turner, this young team can grow into an actual franchise in the next five years.

Their young staff is what could be the “holy grail” for this organization. I’m not the first Mets columnist to argue that it’s time for the team to rebuild. But not enough writers are talking about their strangely impressive pitching prospects.

Darin Gorski. Jennry Mejia. Jeurys Familia. Matt Harvey. Zach Wheeler. Bradley Holt. Among that group, the odds of at least one or two of them hitting big are in the team’s favor. With their lack of depth in the top level of the organization, these prospects will have an opportunity to show their worth. Just as Gee came from nowhere, the organization also never knows when the next flux of a star can emerge from a lower-division club.

Niese may not have room to continue his style of play, waiting for something that may never emerge. Instead, it’s time to quit the gamble and move on to a more proven and experienced pitcher that can help spark some life into the team.

My suggestion for the New York Mets would be the 28-year old righty from the Chicago White Sox, Gavin Floyd.

Floyd, who was the fourth pick in the 2001 MLB Draft, first debuted for the Phillies in 2004. This would be his eighth year of service in the MLB.

His best year was in 2008, in which he won 17 games and recorded 145 strikeouts. While he has won fewer games in recent years (11, 10, 12 respectively), his WHIP has gotten better (1.228, 1.372, 1.162) and he walked fewer batters last year (45) than any year in his career, sans 2008. He also threw a complete game last season, recorded an H/9 (8.4) on par with his 2008 season (8.3) and a K/9 (7.0) better than his 2008 season (6.3).

I also like Gavin Floyd’s size; he sort of reminds me of a more productive version of what I wish Mike Pelfrey turned out to be.

I'm impressed with the Mets pitching staff this year. In fact, I like them more than most other writers would care to admit.

I think Dickey and Gee are both more than capable starters for this staff. With the emergence of any combination of Harvey, Familia, Wheeler or Mejia they have the youth to succeed over the long haul.

At the same time, someone who would be willing to work hard, like Gavin Floyd, without proving that he has MLB-ready stuff is something that the New York Mets desperately need.

Niese is a fantastic athlete. As a fan, he is someone that I have grown to love. It’s become apparent, however, that he is unable to win in New York.

I’m not saying that winning for this organization is something that is even mildly easy to do.

What I am saying, though, is that a fresh face in a staff searching for identity can only help this struggling franchise.

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