Michael Friere = Q and A - Robinson Cano

Michael Friere emailed me -

Mack;

 Greetings, first of all........I am glad that your recent health "scare" was just that and not something more serious.

 I also appreciate the consistent content that you provide to your readers on a daily basis.    I know that each morning, I have a collection of unique articles to look at with my coffee (although I try not to get emotionally involved in the negative slant that seems to be common place among Mets' fans of late).

 With that said, I am about to ask you a question that I thought would be impossible a few weeks ago and one that goes against everything Sandy Alderson seems to believe in (however, the developing free agent market has changed my mind).

 Do you think the Mets' offseason "prize" will be Robinson Cano?

 On the surface, Sandy and Co have steadfastly refused to invest a bunch of money into one asset (outside of the unusual case of David Wright), stating that it is a losing proposition to pay for past performance on a second generation contract (I am also of that mindset, since most of these deals end up being train wrecks).     Furthermore, Sandy and Co have gone out of their way to state that the Mets have a strict budget this offseason and that they are going to follow the Red Sox model of 2013 (a collection of smaller free agent contracts).

 There is no doubt that Sandy is a crafty SOB......could all of this be a smokescreen?   Is it vintage Sandy, meaning he is waiting out the market in an effort to maximize his resources?   We have seen this before with the Marlon Byrd trade, the Carlos Beltran trade and even the R.A. Dickey trade last winter.  Plus, spin the recent news article(s) however you want, but Sandy met with Robinson Cano's agent recently, as well.    It was supposed to be low key and away from the glare of the GM's Meetings but it did happen.   Odd to say the least, but perhaps it means more?

 Think about that for a second.   Our remaining offseason budget is estimated to be around 25 million dollars, give or take a few million.   By the time the dust settles in the Cano market, I bet he will be in the 22-25 million dollar per year range, which would fit into the equation and not seem that crazy compared to the other "deals" that have taken place (Joe Smith is worth 5 million per year to pitch in the 7th and 8th inning).    It would also solidify second base, add a New York "star" player to the roster and give you two marketable, building block type players to go forward.  Sandy is on record as stating that good teams usually have a couple of stars, surrounded by a cast of supporting players (cheaper, younger).

 David Wright and Robinson Cano would qualify as "a couple of stars", IMO.    One righty and one lefty, batting 3rd and 4th in the lineup.......both are solid defensive players, both stay out of trouble and are largely seen as ambassadors of the game.   Plus, it would energize the fan base, increase ticket/merchandise sales and tweak the Yankees nose, all at the same time!

 The rest of our roster is pretty young and we have quite a collection of up and coming talent, so we can easily afford two big contracts (especially if you front load the deal, or defer some cash).

 Using your time line of improving in 2014 and contending in 2015 and beyond, David Wright and Robinson Cano would still be effective ball players, joined by one hell of a young and controllable pitching staff.   You can use the excess of talent to trade for young/cheaper talent at positions of need, knowing that two of the harder positions to fill (2B, 3B) and the heart of your lineup are locked up for the foreseeable future.

 I think that would be worth the offseason budget and our second round draft pick.

 Mike

Mack – Thanks for your kind thoughts, Mike. Boy, do I miss you as a writer.

I think your approach here to the free agency market is a wonderful one. There are eight every day positions on each team and Cano and Wright would give you two viable all-stars. The addition of Juan Lagares, Chris Young and Travis d’Arnaud potentially give you a solid 2014 base of five starters in the lineup.

You now have to market Daniel Murphy and decide whether Wilmer Flores is your future first baseman. I would probably stick with Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada for another year and trade Lucas Duda, Murphy, and Flores for an upgrade in the outfield or shortstop.

The only hold up I see on your ‘plan’ would be the amount of the total contract plus the amount of the years. I can’t see this going past 2021, so the total package would be $200mil, not $300mil as his agent has said they want.

The important thing is the Mets are being left behind because they are ‘sticking to their plan’ while the rest of the baseball world is moving on and spending next year’s television money in advance of receiving it. Teams that are profitable can do this. These are multiple year contracts and all they have to do is come up with is needed to be paid in 2014. The new money will take care of the rest.

Wright, Cano, Harvey, Wheeler, Syndergaard, d’Arnaud… this would be quite the positive start in the right direction.