Here’s the latest from Flushing Meadows…
- The Mets have some interest in Denard Span and Gerardo Parra as potential center field candidates, Newsday’s Marc Carig reports. The team has cooled a bit on Dexter Fowler, another free agent center fielder who was targeted by New York earlier in the offseason. Signing Fowler (who rejected a qualifying offer from the Cubs) would cost the Mets their first round draft pick, while Span or Parra could be signed without any draft compensation.
- The Mets “will cast a wide net” in searching for relief help, and former Marlin Steve Cishek is one of many names under consideration. Cishek was non-tendered by the Cardinals last week following a season that saw him post a 3.58 ERA, 1.78 K/BB rate and 7.8 K/9 over 55 1/3 innings for St. Louis and Miami. Cishek was projected by MLBTR to earn $7.1MM in arbitration this winter, a number boosted by his impressive run at the Marlins’ closer from 2012-14.
- Ben Zobrist is expected to make his choice fairly soon and the Mets are said to be heavily in the running for the versatile veteran. Assistant GM John Ricco told reporters (including Carig) if Zobrist signs, the Mets still have payroll space to make other moves. “I don’t think we’re operating under it’s either or at this point. I think we can do what we need to do,” Ricco said.
- Ricco also said the Mets hadn’t yet had any talks with their young pitchers about extensions that would buy out remaining arbitration years, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. I’d think that Jacob deGrom, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter, would be the clearest extension candidate if the Mets eventually do go down that road with a young pitcher. Matt Harvey is arb-eligible for the first time this winter, though Scott Boras clients are more apt to pursue free agency than sign extensions. Zack Wheeler (also a year away from arbitration) is recovering from Tommy John surgery, while Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are already controlled through the 2021 season.
- Could the Mets re-sign Yoenis Cespedes? ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required) wonders if the longer Cespedes stays on the market, his price tag could drop to the point that the Mets would feel comfortable inking the outfielder to a contract. We haven’t heard much about Cespedes this offseason, apart from the elaborate promotional book Cespedes’ agents created to market their client. Olney reports that Cespedes’ agents at CAA/Roc Nation Sports have been contacting teams with multiple calls recently in an effort to drum up interest in Cespedes’ services.
Cespedes would be an awesome fit in Texas and make them a serious threat next year with Darvish back.
If the Orioles don’t sign Davis I’d love to see them sign Cespedes. He could end up being slightly cheaper, and would be a great addition in their outfield. They could just put Trumbo at first.
At this point I think the Dodgers, Giants, Cards, and Nats have the most money to spend. They will grad the next tier talent.
If the Os don’t resign Davis it seems they would have to pursue either Cespedes, Heyward, or Upton.
I see the big market teams out bidding the O’s on those players. They should spend their money on locking up Jones and Machado.
Cespedes will probably get like 130-150 million.Largest contract given by the O’s is Adam Jones’s 77 mil or something like that.They won’t get Cespedes
The Mets need to make some serious moves to upgrade their position players, remember what they looked like last year before the end of July. The Nats are going to make moves to upgrade and I wouldn’t count on them being as bad as last year. The wild cards look to clearly come out of the Central with Cards, Cubs, and Pirates all better than anyone in the West or East right now.
They also need to add proven arms to that bullpen. The postseason alone showed everyone how much of a weakness that was to them. As Washington continues to improve their bullpen, the Mets have been silent on that front.
Tell me which team could survive having its closer and 2 of its other top 3 arms out for the season, plus all of their second tier arms gone for the season. I would love to know which bullpen can lose 3 of its 4 best arms and all of their backups and all of the backups backups and still survive the season on the back of their pitchers.
Their bullpen that they started the season with was incredibly strong. They all got injured. The only one who survived was Familia.
Mejia? Out for year. Edgin? Out for year. Black? Out for year. Blevins? Out for year. Carlyle? Out for year. It is ridiculous.
Tell me how the Royals fair if they lost every member of their bullpen except Wade Davis, replaced all of them with their second tier bullpen arms, and then all of them got injured. Who was their third tier? Do they win the World Series with only third tier arms plus Wade Davis? Somehow the Mets got to the World Series that way.
None of those relievers you mentioned are proven arms, maybe Blevins. Mejia had a great 2014 season, but was his success based on the result of PEDs? Edgin has flashes, that’s it. Black was awful in 2015 and never established himself in the majors. He had the hype, but never the results to back it at the major league level. Buddy Carlyle is like a Carlos Torres clone. Let’s be honest, Alderson did an excellent job at building the team last season, but he has yet to construct a formidable bullpen during his tenure. They can’t rely on the Frank Francisco’s and Alex Torres’s of the world.
I’m not sure where you are getting this information from Ruben. Vic Black was absolutely fantastic in 2014 when used to strand runners. That WAS his role that year and he was brought in primarily in high leverage situations with men on base. That season, he inherited 26 runners and stranded 25 of them.
The lone incident where he failed to get the runner was on June 8th against the Giants. He came into the game in the 8th inning with 2 outs and a man on, and the Mets were down one. He gave up a hit, the run scored to make it 6-4 Giants. The Mets came up in the 9th and Duda drew a leadoff walk. Then Romo entered the game and Campbell Struck Out, Recker popped up to 2b, and Flores Struck Out.
So the ONE time he screwed up, our potent offense didn’t bail him out, and it didn’t matter anyway. We were going to lose the game either way.
The point is, Black was fantastic in that role, and it’s a very important role. In fact, it’s a role that would have gotten us a ring this year, had we had someone like him available. The injury seems to have derailed his career though. It’s not the first time something like this has happened, but it doesn’t mean he wasn’t a legitimate RP. He certainly was that and could be again if he ever finds his groove.
Edgin also had a LARGE number of runners he stranded that year, but you seem to forget that as well. It’s easy to forget the successes, because those are the times when nothing bad happened. Both of these guys had a LOT of those.
Hopefully, Edgin has a LOT more of them next year too.
Tolleson, Gallo, Profar for Zack Wheeler?
So one of the Rangers best relievers, one of their best prospects, and an injured yet still promising SS prospect that was at one point one of the top prospects in baseball for an injured, yet promising pitcher? Terrible trade.
Young pitching is expensive. Gallo has high bust potential and Profar has been a bust to this point.
yeah – remember their offense when they had no wright, no tda, murphy is missing time and cuddyer missing time. the mets dont need to “Seriously” upgrade. they need a platoon for the outfield and bulllpen help
If Cespedes’s price drops, the Tigers will resign him before the Mets do.
The longer cespedes is on the market the better for the mets. Same if u include heyward as well. If mets can get rid of cuddyer either player can fit in their budget
They can get rid of Cuddyer, they can’t get rid of his contract.
Good luck getting rid of Cuddyer. He showed little last year to establish value, unless he’s getting traded for no return or the Mets eat a little bit of his contract, he’s not getting moved.
Heyward isn’t going to be on the market that long to drop to the Mets price range. I don’t see the Mets paying more than $150-$160 for an outfielder. Heyward’s starting point is at about $190-$200.
I would be a little concerned with the Mets young starting pitching being over worked in the playoffs.
The mets still have to replace power they lose when Cespedes signs elsewhere.Duda is the only legit power hitter they have.Granderson can supply some help,but more is needed
This is certainly the off season of pitchers. I’d imagine with most of the front line starters off the board, more will develop for the position players.
I would love to see the mets get Markakis and Jace Peterson if they don’t get Zonrist or Cespedes
It would give the mets a better contact and speedier and defensive lineup
The Mets will get Chapman and Frazier.
They will?
So far the movement in the market has been exclusively with pitching. Seems a bit premature to be saying Cespedes price will come down the longer he is on the market, when basically ALL the OF’s are still on the market.
What would it take to trade for Francisco lindor