Should The Mets Trade Pedro Feliciano?
It’s a very interesting time in the MLB: the trading deadline. So many deadlines have come to go, and while there are always whispers of potential blockbusters, rarely do they occur. More often than not, it’s media members that fan the flames and exaggerate stories, but that’s the age we live in.
With Scott Downs (RP, TOR) garnering so much interest on the open market, one has to wonder if the Mets should go about shopping Pedro Feliciano? The Jays are getting flooded with phone calls regarding Downs’ availability and have been demanding a top prospect (or two!) in return for the lefty. I know left-handed pitching out of the bullpen is valuable, but give me a break! New Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is right to begin the bidding high, but if he thinks teams will pay top dollar for a reliever with a career 3.80 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, he may need to re-think his strategy.
Having said that, if a major league team does decide to cave to the Jays’ highfalutin demands, the Mets should immediately place Feliciano on the block. Despite being a very valuable member of the bullpen through the last few seasons, the 33-year old lefty may be more valuable to the organization in what he brings back via trade than his personal production over the long term.
Despite being just 2-6 on the season, Feliciano is having another solid year (2.90 ERA) which is right in line with his ERA from last season (3.03). For his career, Feliciano is more than a half of a run better than Downs with a 3.27 ERA and a similar 1.38 WHIP.
The Mets could replace Feliciano with Hisanori Takahashi or choose to promote from within, perhaps Mike O'Connor or Pat Misch down on the farm.
So, let’s recap: Downs (34 y/o): 3.87 ERA, 1.37 WHIP .260 BAA
Feliciano (33 y/o): 3.27 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, .251 BAA
The numbers don’t lie, and if the Jays can demand a king’s ransom in return for an ordinary left-handed reliever, I can’t begin to think what the Mets could possibly ask for in exchange for Feliciano.
