Mike Freire - Fantasy Island?

picture - Tom Brennan

Good Morning, Mets' fans!

Well, it happened, didn't it?  The MLB season sneakily got underway earlier this week with the Mariners and the A's going at it in Tokyo.  So, even though the rest of the teams have to wait a bit before starting their respective seasons, things are transitioning from "practice" to REAL!

With that being said, I am aware that it is pretty late in the off season to propose any significant roster additions.  However, if we close our eyes just a little bit (squint) and allow our collective minds to wander for just a second, I have a wild proposal for you to consider.  Heck, it would be right at home on Fantasy Island, but perhaps not quite on par with the HUGE contract that a certain player in Anaheim recently signed.

TWELVE years and 430 MILLION dollars!  Really, Anaheim?

Anyway, getting back to my proposal, the basic idea occurred to me while reading a recent article here on Mack's Mets that took a deeper look at the pitching staff (nice work, Tom).  It is pretty clear that the top of the rotation and the back of the bullpen are in good hands, barring anything unusual taking place.  Isn't it funny that Mets' fans always add that qualifier at the end of a statement like that?

No, the emphasis of the article was on the "fringes" of the pitching staff, meaning your 4th and 5th starters and/or your middle relievers and situational pitchers.  In short, there are some very real question marks that need to be answered if the season is going to be a success.

By all accounts, the Mets are well under the luxury tax threshold and our new leader (BVW) is still in the "honeymoon phase" of his new arrangement with the Wilpons.  So, why not crank the volume up to eleven and make a couple of moves that will solidify the fringes of the pitching staff and put the Mets in the proverbial driver's seat in the NL East?

The last time I checked the following two players were still standing by the punch bowl, waiting for dance partners:

Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel

Yes, I am probably crazy (preempting the first question that likely flashed across your minds), but with it being late in the off season, you could likely get both pitchers for less then they would have cost just a few months ago.  Perhaps,  you could even get one or both of them on a "one year prove it deal" so that they re-enter the free agent market in time for the 2020 season.

For the purposes of our "vision quest", let's assume that BVW somehow signed both players over the course of the next few days.  Both of them would need an extended Spring Training session to get up to speed, but it isn't far fetched that they could be ready by the end of April (or around the same time that The Pounder will make his arrival in Queens).

Keuchel would likely bump either Steven Matz or Jason Vargas from the rotation, but the "bumped" player would move to the bullpen and add another lefty to Mickey's options.  

Kimbrel would slot nicely in to the back end of the bullpen and give you a veritable "gauntlet" along with Familia and Diaz.  Plus, adding two arms to the bullpen (Kimbrel and the bumped left handed starter) would move your two weakest bullpen arms off the roster in a "survival of the fittest" type maneuver.

In one fell swoop (or maybe two separate ones), you would go a long way towards solving the issues with the pitching staff while putting the team squarely into contender status.

I should probably wake myself up at this point, but even in my most lucid state it still sounds like a pretty good idea.