Okay, so it turns out everybody was wrong about the New York Mets!
Or I was, anyway.
They weren't supposed to contend (I thought).
They're contending.
They weren't supposed to do much before the deadline.
They got Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, and Tyler Clippard.
They weren't supposed to do anything after getting Uribe, Johnson, and Clippard.
They got Yoenis Cespedes.
No, they did not get Carlos Gomez, and people are saying it's because they're too cheap; Gomez is owed $9 million next season, which should be a bargain still, but hey, whatever.
But they got Yoenis Cespedes, who's owed nothing next year. And they didn't have to give up one of their premier pitching prospects to get him.
Just in case you haven't been following along, this is the Mets' projected rotation next season:
1. deGrom
2. Harvey
3. Syndergaard
4. Matz
5. Wheeler
That's probably the best rotation in the majors. Granted, you can't count on all five starters, these five or any other five, to be healthy on Opening Day. But you can understand why the Mets were willing to trade a Double-A starter for a huge upgrade like Cespedes.
Just a few hours ago, I was going to place the Mets atop my "Losers at the Deadline" list. Not because they didn't acquire a great player, but rather because of the p.r. disaster in the wake of the aborted Carlos Gomez deal.
No, #LOLMets isn't going away. Not immediately, anyway. And no, Cespedes isn't going to turn around the Mets' run-production problems all by himself. But if I'm a Mets fan today, I've got a bit of a spring in my stride, just thinking about how great our left fielder's going to look in his new livery.
Correction: As a reader helpful points out, Wheeler won't be ready to pitch on Opening Day next year. But Niese isn't a bad No. 5 starter, no?
