News: Is Ian Desmond Worth It?

     Ian Desmond's name has been brought up a lot as a potential trade chip for the Washington Nationals. Right before the Tampa Bay Rays traded Ben Zobrist to the Oakland A's it was rumored that there was a potential three team trade that sent Desmond to the Mets and the Mets sent prospects to the Rays while the Nationals wound up with Zobrist and Yunel Escobar going to the Nationals. 

     The Nationals of course wound up asking for none other than Noah Syndergaard. Ian Desmond's number's over his career are: .270/.317/.431, 15 homers, 62 RBI, 59 runs and 18 stolen bases. He became much more of an offensive piece in 2012 hitting .292 with 25 homers, 73 RBI and 21 stolen bases. That was the first year he joined 20/20 and has renewed his membership every year since then. His strikeouts however has also steadily increased increased from 113 to 145 up to 183 with a foreshadowing in 2011 with 139 K's.

     I have always thought Desmond was a decent player but he has quietly become one of the better shortstops in the league. After five plus years in the league, at age 29 he is a good shortstop that plays an average defensive shortstop at best with an above average stick. As good as Ian Desmond has been I still would not trade Syndergaard for a 29 year old shortstop whose strikeouts are on the rise. He makes six and a half million dollars and unless the Wilpons sell the team before the start of the year $6.5 million might be out of there price range for this good of a shortstop. Even though the price for him is inexpensive compared to his numbers. He will be making a lot more after this year because he is a free agent in 2016. Unless there is a window to discuss a contract extension I would not want him, I don't want a rental player for any of our young prospects.

     Unless the Nationals want Montero and another minor league prospect that isn't named Noah Syndergaard, maybe that could work, even if it is just for a year. His defense isn't too great either. I would like for the Mets to get a shortstop that is defensively sound. Defense up the middle is very important and if the Mets had better hitters on the corners, they wouldn't be trying to get a shortstop that is of Ian Desmonds caliber offensively. I like Desmond's offensive numbers but we can't wait a year and make our run for him then instead of giving up minor league talent? Oh right...he'll probably be $15-$18 million per year which would probably be too much for the penny pinching Wilpon's.