Breaking it all down – Mets are on the verge of trading a haul for Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano

It hasn’t been that long since Brodie Van Wagenen has been announced as the GM of the Mets, and he is already leaving a wild impression on Mets fans. The club is very close to nabbing two All-Stars for a plethora of talent.

According to various reports, the Mets have an opportunity to trade for Mariners closer Edwin Diaz. The catch is they must take on former Yankee Robinson Cano and his enormous contract in the deal. In return, the Mets would give away the contracts of Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak, along with OF Jarred Kelenic (6th pick in the 2018 MLB Draft) and RHP Justin Dunn (19th pick in the 2016 MLB Draft).

How close is this deal from becoming official? Consider this the doomsday clock, and we have reached one minute to midnight.

#Mets and #Mariners are now near certain to complete the Diaz/Cano trade tomorrow. Minor hurdles now. Still medicals and Cano officially waiving his no trade. NYM will send Bruce, Swarzak, Dunn, Kelenic and a reliever they do not see being on 25-man next yr to Seattle.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 30, 2018

At first glance, it is hard to really have a fresh opinion on the deal. The Mets look to be giving too much while the Mariners are getting what they want, and possibly more. Let us try and look at all the facts here, shall we?

Robinson Cano is 36 and is still owed $24 million annually through 2023. This is after he signed a 10-year, $240 million deal when he was 31. His agent at the time? Brodie Van Wagenen. Cano is coming from a year in which he was suspended for PEDs. After serving his suspension, Cano hit .317 in 179 plate appearances. While his power may not have disappeared, it is clearly not the same when he was slugging with the Yankees. It is also unknown how much money the Mariners will be willing to take on in a deal.

The real focus on this deal is Edwin Diaz. The 24-year-old reliever posted 57 saves this past season, the best in the majors. He also had a 1.96 ERA and struck out 124 batters. Diaz’s 100 MPH fastball is deadly, and he is under team control until 2022. The Mariners are willing to get rid of the young stud in order to rid themselves of Can0. And the Mets? They are willing to make complicated moves instead of testing their luck with the Andrew Miller’s of the baseball world.

Various reports are going around saying Bruce’s remaining $28 million and Swarzak’s $8.5 million will be taken by Seattle. In Bruce’s case, he leaves behind an ugly legacy with the team; a .237/.312/.442 slash line with 46 home runs in 894 at-bats. Even with questionable stats, the Mets signed him to a three-year, $39 million deal to start the 2018 season. This trade would come after the Mets signed Dilson Herrera, who they traded to the Reds for Jay Bruce in 2016, to a minor-league deal. It would be almost as if the trade never happened.

The Mets would be depleting their minor-league system with the subtractions of Dunn and Kelenic, but that’s not all. Pitcher Gerson Bautista may also be going to Seattle. There were rumors that Jeff McNeil was included, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. If the Mets were able to keep McNeil it would be a major relief for the team and the Flushing Faithful.

The Mariners are in sell mode, looking to start over and put some depth back into their system. For the Mets, the move means they are in win-now mode. It also means a new type of rebuilding process, one that can significantly impact the Mets’ Opening Day roster snd internal system for years to come.

Once the deal becomes official, whatever version of it, it will be dissected by everyone who can get their hands on it. Once a hot commodity, Cano is considered the throwaway in this blockbuster deal. That’s when you know this MLB offseason is a wild one.