Mets Positional Future - OF

Positional Future – OF


Current Mets:

Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church, Nick Evans, Daniel Murphy, Endy Chavez

The Mets can’t win a World Series with 2 infielders playing outfield. And frankly, they have probably got the best out of Chavez. The outfield needs a total overhaul and, frankly, the pipeline isn’t even close to full.

Pipeline:

Fernando Martinez – 20-yrs. old – everyone says he’s still too young and not ready, and keeps getting hurt, and… Tough. Buck up and show us why we’ve been writing about you for what seems like 20 years. A starting outfield of Beltran, Church, and Martinez wouldn’t be the worst in the league, though I still tink the Mets need to go out and sign a free agent in the Vlad/Burrell/Manny mode.

Mike Carp – 22-yrs. old – I’ve never been high on him, but Murphy and Evans proved to be this year that a platoon system can get you through the season. Carp offers a good bat and he can play either LF, 3B, or 1B. The Mets need young utility players with the desire to win every day, and Carp should be given a chance to win one of those utility jobs in 2009.

Cesar Puello – 18-years old – looks like the Mets have a real prospect here and, even though they are short on OF prospects, this kid shouldn’t be rushed. ETA looks like 2011 if he keeps it up. Not earlier.

Ezequiel Carrera – 21-yrs. old - didn’t have the best 2008 and, at this point, he’s not major league bound.

D.J. Wabick – 24-yrs. old – ditto Carrera.


Draft Needs:

This is one of the positions the Mets need to fill their roster with. There simply isn’t enough good bats in the system and I expect them to concentrate on this position in the early rounds


Trade/FA Needs:

The Mets have to find at least one more starting outfielder, maybe two. First, they need to open the bank to players like Vlad, Burrell, and Manny. If that doesn’t work, package three of your young pitching prospects and go get someone in their young 30s that’s being pushed out by a prospect, or trade for someone in their last year of their contract on a small market team. The Mets have a ton of young pitching prospects that simple aren’t all going to make a 5-man rotation. Trade some for what you need, and what the Mets need is an outfielder.