PRESS RELEASE - METS ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL SIGNINGS

 

FLUSHING, N.Y., January 15, 2022 – The New York Mets today announced that the club has signed 21 international players. 

"It's an exciting day for the New York Mets to congratulate and welcome these talented young men to our organization," said Vice President of Amateur and International Scouting, Tommy Tanous. "This is the first step in realizing their dreams of becoming major leaguers. I want to thank everyone from the family of the players to our incredible scouting staff for their hard work in this process." 

"Today is another step in establishing and achieving sustained success," said General Manager Billy Eppler. "We are excited for these players to get started on their path to Queens. We also want to thank Tommy, Steve Barningham, and our entire international scouting department as well as everyone in the baseball operations department who worked tirelessly to make this day possible." 

The class is highlighted by Simon Juan, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic. The 6-2, 195-pounder is ranked at the 14th-best international prospect according to Baseball America and as the 16th-best prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 50 Internationals Prospect List. An additional notable signing includes Willy Fañas, a dynamic five tool center fielder from the Dominican Republic. 

The full list of players is below:

 Last Year's Signings - 1/15/2021.

Mets International Prospects Signed Yesterday

 

Johairo Cuevas, of, Dominican Republic
Gustavo Marquez, of, Venezuela
Elian Nuñez, rhp, Dominican Republic
Enderson Arevalo, rhp, Venezuela
Diego Mosquera, ss, Venezuela
Aaron Martinez, rhp, Venezuela
Sebastian Castro, of, Dominican Republic
Isaac Lechuga, ss, Colombia
Jensy Silvestre, ss, Dominican Republic
Yoandy Perez, ss, Dominican Republic 
Hector Rodriguez, ss, Dominican Republic
Joel Diaz, rhp, Dominican Republic
Mike Ibarguen, of, Colombia
Francis de Leon, of, Dominican Republic
Brian Sierra, rhp, Venezuela
Lennerd Ramos, rhp, Venezuela
Angel Guerrero, of, Dominican Republic
Juan Veliz, lhp, Venezuela
Pedro Quintana, lhp, Venezuela
Enyer Serrano, of, Venezuela
David Davalillo, rhp, Venezuela
Johenny Mata, ss, Venezuela

Also at Mack's Mets:

Pujols/Wilson Fallout

The Cardinals enter the POST-Pujols era today and I'm betting they just have Berkman move over to first and focus on other areas (Heck, sign Carlos Betran to play RF) . There are other teams that are directly affected by the signings. Here are some of those teams that are affected by the moves and how I think they might react.

The Chicago Cubs: Prince Fielder is no longer so extremely essential as the Angels are adding Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales to the mix of 1B candidates. Now... the Cubs don't have a lot of trade chips to offer but a three team deal with Texas and LA involving Garza and Morales/Trumbo could work for everyone. However... I betting Fielder lands in Chicago anyway.

The New York Yankees: Pujols doesn't matter but C.J. Wilson going off the market that leaves the Yankees with a SINGLE impact pitcher available. What makes this worse is that I foresee in my crystal ball that Boston and their Japanese speaking manager will be signing Yu Know Who (I think it would also be a great sitcom if Darvish and Valentine were roommates). What does that mean? Well... it means the Yankees will probably need to make a trade or be left behind. The Mets are a viable option on two fronts: 1) The Yankees could move Burnett away in a deal that involves Jason Bay (Maybe Mike Pelfrey too) or 2) They can go after Jon Niese. The rub? The Mets will want Montero... and Montero... and Montero.

The Florida Marlins: The rumors about them and Fielder... just don't make sense. UNLESS they were planning to move Gaby Sanchez for a big-time pitcher... which I can't see. I'm betting that the Marlins are pretty much done with Bell, Reyes and Buehrle. Frankly is a lineup of: Reyes, Sanchez, Ramirez, Stanton, Morrison that much worse than: Reyes, Ramirez, Stanton, Fielder, Morrison?

The Tampa Bay Rays: Look at all the available 1Bs... I think they can find a match for Trumbo or Morales. I also think that might keep them ahead of the AL East in terms of overall talent. Adding a switch hitting bat like Morales to the middle of their lineup would be huge.

The Milwaukee Brewers: If/When Fielder signs with the Marlins or Cubs... Mark Trumbo looks like a good fit to replace the Prince in the kingdom of Beer and Cheese. Not exactly sure who gets traded to LA but I'm thinking that the Angels will sort it out.

Crystal Ball Projections:

Prince Fielder: Goes to the Chicago Cubs For 6+ Years and $160+ Mil

Kendrys Morales: Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Prospects

Mark Trumbo: Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Prospects

Yu Darvish: Signed by the Boston Redsox

Yankees & Marlins: Don't do anything

Tapping The Non-Tender List

Firstly, to explain. When a player still has years of arbitration left, sometimes teams opt to allow them to hit free agency instead of negotiating a new deal. This is done primarily for money savings as you may see the Mets do with Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey, Ronny Paulino and Taylor Buchholz. The following players are on the edge of not being asked back by there teams and I think they might have value as Mets.

NOTE: Not all of these players will be non-tendered.


Hitters:

Jesus Flores - Back in 2008, Jesus Flores seemed like a pretty steady catcher. He hit for a pretty good average, had some power and used it to drive in some runs. In 2009, Flores hit some injury problems and by 2011 he had been supplanted as the starter for the Nationals. He'll only be 27 this season and might be a good alternative/platoon to Josh Thole.


George Kottaras - Is George a superstar? No. Is George a power catcher? Yes. I have always liked George Kottaras. Part of this is years of playing Baseball Mogul and watching him become a 30+ HR hitter. Kottaras is potentially good enough to be an everyday player and I'd give him a look.

Ian Stewart - Let us imagine that we trade David Wright and have lost Jose Reyes. The Mets will NEED NEED NEED offense. After Stewart's 2011... maybe I shouldn't list him. HOWEVER... I think I still should. Assuming we trade Wright and don't want Murphy AND Turner starting every day, Stewart is an option to add quite a bit of power back into the lineup.

Ryan Theriot - Purely if we DID move Reyes... I'd prefer Theriot as an everyday player to what I see as a BAD situation for Ruben Tejada. Before you ignore this and assume I'm just being my usual self with Ruben, think about being THE GUY who came in to replace REYES.

Andres Torres - So... for all those anti-Angel Pagan people out there. Here is a guy who I'd like to look at. He's got a similar tool set to Angel and might be a better fit. If he were non-tendered... I'd probably like him. WITH OR WITHOUT Angel being on the team.

Pitchers:

Tom Gorzelanny - Should Tom not be tendered a contract he becomes a reasonably attractive SP in general. I like the idea of Gorzelanny because he's a lefty and the Mets really could use another lefty in what will eventually be the post-Johan era.

Hong-Chih Kuo - has had issues since being hurt, but if there ever was a buy low candidate for a bullpen it might be him. If he can rebound to his 2010 numbers he could not only be the closer, but he might be better than most of the closers on the list.


Joe Saunders - HOORAY FOR BORING! Joe Saunders isn't a sexy pitcher, but he IS an innings eater who can be mighty useful to a team on a rebuilding year. He doesn't need to win 20 games... he just needs to go out and throw 6 innings every 5th game.

Kevin Slowey - Slowey... should he be healthy... could be another guy like Gorzelanny who draws some interest on the free agent market. Slowey has shown plenty of glimpses of stuff to make me think him capable as a #3 pitcher. That's not a terrible thing.

Chris Volstad - Alright... scoff. Volstad has been a HUGE... COLOSSAL... GIGANTIMOUS disappointment for the Marlins. Why would we want him? Well... when he isn't giving up HRs and hits to just about everyone... he's still gifted with stuff scouts like. Low Risk... High Reward?

Take a look and see who else the Mets should look at:

Non-Tender List

Taking a Lap Around The Pen

The 2012 Mets are a bit of an enigma right now. Are they rebuilding? Are they trying to compete? Are they just treading water? One area I'm not terribly concerned with is the bullpen. Sure we don't have a closer and the most steady arm is over 37 years old... I think they'll be fine.

Current Depth Chart:

1. Bobby Parnell (R)
2. Manny Acosta (R)
3. Tim Byrdak (L)
4. Taylor Buchholz (R) [Non-Tender Possibility]
5. Pedro Beato (R)
6. D.J. Carrasco (R)
7. Daniel Herrera (L)
8. Josh Stinson (R)
9. Pat Misch (L)

What are we missing? Assuming that Byrdak and Herrera are both fine for 2012... a closer. The 8th inning can fall to a mix of Parnell, Acosta and Byrdak (Pressure lefties) and the Mets wouldn't be bad off. Carrasco can continue to be wonderfully mediocre and if he can't... Misch can be the long reliever (Or Gee, Schwinden, or Cohoon) and step in. That still leaves the Mets 1 closer shy of a bullpen.

And The Candidates Are:

1. Heath Bell (34) - We all remember the promise of Heath Bell when he WAS a Met. He wasn't yet a star. Seems all he needed was a little West Coast mellow to take his game to the next level. As a Padre he's been ELITE. There are two things working against Bell's contract: 1) He's 34 and 2) He's been protected by Petco. Even with all of that he's likely to be looking for $14 Million per year or more... and 3+ years. I can't see that happening.
   
2. Francisco Rodriguez (30) - Let's all groan at the idea of bringing Frankie back. Now let's grow up and realize that he wasn't BAD when not abusing the elderly and being injured. So... We re-hash a little K-Rod in the bullpen. Now... I don't think he's going to sniff $12 Million but I do think he'll be trying for 3+ years. I think a realistic offer would be 3 years and $28 Million (TOTAL). Would he even WANT to come back to Queens? I don't know.
   
3. Francisco Cordero (37) - Cordero has been pretty sweet for the Reds. At 37 and with a pretty good bullpen, I think the Reds are likely to allow him to walk. (Maybe not?) If Cordero is looking for a contract at 37 he'll be hard pressed to get over 2 years. I think 2 years at $10 Million per year is not a bad deal for a closer who has been as remarkably steady as Cordero has. Now that I've said that we'll watch him implode.
4. Ryan Madson (31) - At 31 he's still among the younger closers and I happen to think in terms of skill he's probably among the most talented. Prior to Phillies poorly budgeted signing of Jonathan Papelbon, I just have to worry over the projected price of what Madson would be. I also have this lingering doubt that Madson is a setup man and NOT a closer. His 2011 success aside, I have watched Ryan be thrust into the closer role a few times and fail. Phillies were talking 4 years and $44 Million. I don't think he'll get that but I think 3 years and $27 Million should be easy.
   
5. Frank Francisco (32) - Francisco is never the guy you WANT to have as your closer. Teams always seem to look at Frank as the ideal 8th inning guy, who gets THRUST into closing situations and can handle himself. I look at his numbers and I see him as the poor man's Francisco Cordero. He's got pretty good stats (Not great) but gets the job done. He'll likely be shooting for 3 years and $20 Million which isn't too bad for a pitcher like this.
   
6. Matt Capps (28) - Capps is one of the interesting names on this list. For one thing... he's only 28 and has 4 years before I typically worry about arms declining. For another he's been a successful closer. His 2011 will likely keep his overall value pretty reasonable but I do think he'll earn over $6 Million a year and seek a contract 2-3 years in length. Given his age, durability and success... he'll likely get it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets had him on the radar.
   
7. Joe Nathan (37) -Now... I think this WILL be Alderson's #1 target... BUT I also think there will need to be a safety net. He's 37 and coming off a BAD season (after being hurt for a long time). It kinda reminds me of the J.J. Putz situation but hopefully we'd get the second year back numbers. At 37 and coming off a bad year he's only going to want/get a 1 year deal and even inflating the price to match his former stuff... $8 Million? I can live with that.
   
8. Jonathan Broxton (28) - Allow me to introduce the safety net that EVERYONE wants. Broxton needs a change of scenery and that's fine. I'd LOVE to get he and another risky closer a shot in Queens... I really would. I simply think that because he's 28 and has a REAL upside, if he can regain his footing. He will want a 1 year deal with a player option. He will get over $6 Million from some team. I don't think the Mets would be willing to pay that for an insurance policy.
   
9. Jon Rauch (33) - Now... the safety net I think the Mets COULD afford. You can give a guy like Jon Rauch multiple years because at best... he's a closer and at worst... he's a setup guy. ALSO... if Chris Young and Jon Rauch are on the same team we'd have the tallest pitching staff in the majors. 2 years and $10-12 Million. Whether he's our closer or our setup guy/insurance policy I think I'm willing to do that.

Then The Phillies Ruin EVERYTHING:

Jonathan Papelbon (31) - Signs a 4 year $50 Million deal that throws all of my numerology out of whack. Sure... it adds Ryan Madson into the mix but it also pumps up closer values a good bit. Bell (Who would still be a better signing then Papelbon should get more annual money than Jonathan (at 34 I don't know about years). The deal is bad for the Phillies and I'm happy they made it on one hand but on the other... it adds $1-4 Million to each one of my projected yearly salaries.

Looking At Things From THEIR Perspective

I've done a lot of posting about what I'd do, or at least LIKE to do if I were running the Mets. I mean I've listed every solution from signing Reyes to going after Albert Pujols and back again. I think it might be more important to look at things from the perspective about the guys paying the bills.

Let us face some facts:

• Attendance Is Down
• The Team Isn't Winning
• They Either Participated In Or Were Taken By A Ponzi Scheme
• They Will Need To Pay Irving Picard Between $83 and $383 Million

Let us also remember that a year spent rebuilding without stars like Wright and/or Reyes means LOWER attendance, LESS wins and LESS revenue with which to pay Irving Picard. So... forgetting what is in the best interest of the team... what is in the best interest of the OWNERS?

Let us look at assets:

• David Wright, the face of the franchise, he's a homegrown talent with a large fan following. He's had a couple of rougher seasons now, and might net you more talent in a trade.
• Johan Santana, He's beyond the point where he's a draw for fans because he hasn't pitched in a long time and he's not the pitcher he was.
• Ike Davis, He's the future face of the offense which is fine, but he won't draw big box office numbers by himself.
• Scrappy Go-Getters, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda and R.A. Dickey might all be fine players but they aren't getting fans into the seats.
• Generation 2K, You have a crop of TOP starting pitching talent in the farm but it could be over a year away and could fizzle like Generation K did.

If Alderson did nothing, and let Reyes walk there isn't enough there to keep the fans interested. The Wilpons WANT fans to be interested. They would love to bring in an Albert Pujols who could single-handedly bring in a slew of fans with his reputation alone. However, Pujols does NOT make sense for the Mets and their pitcher's park. So... what should the Wilpons do to keep fans in the seats for 2012?

The Fan Plan:

• Re-Sign Jose Reyes - (It's a good-will gesture to the fans that you are not going to play it cheap in a big city like NY. It says, "Yes, we can afford to keep our home grown talent.")
• Lock Up Wright - (Does he live up to the marquee billing? Maybe not, but he's the face of the team and you need to maintain the face of your team until you can establish a new one. Think the Yankees with Jeter into Cano.)
• Let Alderson Find His Gems - (I'd love the Mets to anti-up and get a Yu Darvish or C.J. Wilson but that is a little much. Instead let Alderson take low-risk chances on guys like: Chris Young, Scott Kazmir etc...)
• Get A Legit Closer - (For a short-term deal. I'm starting to feel like Francisco Cordero is the best fit because he can come in with a 1-2 year deal, do his job... then retire.)

If the Mets did those things they could stay relatively competitive in 2012 and still start promoting the crop of young talent from 2012 to 2014. This way you aren't sacrificing the future but also not giving the fans reason to panic and/or abandon ship. It is in the Wilpon's best FINANCIAL interest for Alderson to spend SOME money.

Finding The Diamonds in the Rough

Low Risk... High Reward... we've heard it about 1000 times. A player who has been VERY good, who has dealt with repeated years of disappointment due to injury or some other issue. You give him an incentive rich deal for a single season and if he does NOT perform, you haven't lost much money. Let us see who is out there who might fit into this category.

Catchers:
The category is pretty slim in free agency. The only names I come up with are Ivan Rodriguez who will be 40 and Gerald Laird who reminds me of a slightly worse Ronny Paulino. Now... Ryan Doumit might be a guy to look at but all and all I don't think there is anyone with upside enough to bother.

First Base:
The Mets have Ike Davis who is cheap, young and talented. They also have Murphy and Evans who can fill in if there is an injury. Moving on.

Second Base:
I don't know if any of these guys are necessarily good fits for the Mets, but they are at least offensive upgrades to Ruben Tejada.

Aaron Hill - He's sorta been hit or miss his entire career. He burst onto the scene with tremendous numbers in 2007 then again came up big in 2009. He's got some power and the ability to play a few positions, but the question is... how much do teams think he's worth. Arizona could keep him for $8 Mil but... I'm betting they don't. As a free agent I think he costs AT LEAST $2.5 Mil guaranteed. But I doubt much higher.

Kelly Johnson - Kelly had a good year in Atlanta before falling off the charts rapidly. He then re-emerged in Arizona where he developed a powerful reputation for HRs and strikeouts. Now... he's probably THE best 2B on the market (if Phillips is brought back to Cincy) and not what I'd call CHEAP, but again I don't think the interest will garner a contract anywhere near $10 Mil guaranteed. Think more around $4 or $5.

Third Base:
IF Wright were traded... the Mets have Murphy, Lutz and even Evans, Satin and Turner to throw out to the position. HOWEVER, it never hurts to look at other options.

Kevin Kouzmanoff - From 2008 through 2010 he was actually a pretty solid contributor and he managed it in PITCHER parks. In 2011 he flopped pretty hard but he's likely to not cost much at all and he has pretty solid power. He'd NOT be more than a 1 year deal and for that year... he'd not be more than a $2-3 Mil guaranteed. IS he better than Murphy? I don't know. HOWEVER, we could potentially trade Murphy.

Short Stop:
IF Reyes isn't re-signed. There ISN'T a cheap option with high upside to be had. SORRY, Jimmy Rollins will not be cheap.

Outfield:
I only see the Mets looking at a free agent OF if they intend to not offer arbitration to Angel Pagan. If they do go that route getting a free agent CF in case Captain Kirk proves not to be ready would just be a wise backup plan. There are actually a good number of options. Though only two strike me as value options.

Nate McLouth - Remember when Nate was the best player on the Pirates? Well 2.5 BAD seasons in Atlanta later and few people do. His option will not be picked up and he's not likely to get a BIG offer from anyone. With all that out in the open, if I can get McLouth for less than the commitment we'd be giving Pagan in arbitration I think I'd have to sign up for it. He still has some power and some speed and gives some prospects a little extra time to develop.

Grady Sizemore - Since the height of his value in 2006 he's taken a nose dive. Does that mean teams have forgotten about what Grady COULD be? Maybe... maybe not. I'm willing to bet that the Mets COULD take a chance on Grady for right around what Pagan would win in arbitration and that the reward of suce a venture could be VERY high. It's a lot of IF. I still happen to think he has something to offer a pro team.

Starting Pitchers:
We've finally reached the point where you can BANK on Alderson getting 1 or 2 guys in this type of category. The list starts with a couple of guys we all know and from there... well it's other guys we know.

Chris Capuano - Capuano was not a phenomenal starter for the Mets but I like bringing him back as a starter because IF/WHEN the Mets start bringing up the Harveys, Familias and Mejias of the world he can switch back into the bullpen and be DARNED effective. He's also a fine option for eating innings as a starter during what might be another ROUGH rebuilding year.

Chris Young - Before he got hurt... AGAIN, he was the BEST pitcher on the Met staff. Will he be able to be healthy in 2012? Probably not, but he's also likely to be cheap, and WHEN healthy he's likely to be pretty darned good. If we struck gold and he managed to stay off the DL... well we would be in a very NICE situation.

Scott Kazmir - Kazmir fell off the wagon HARD. He's not looked at remotely like the pseudo-ace he was (briefly) in Tampa. He really wouldn't be expected by almost anyone to be anything all that special in ANY capacity. HOWEVER, as he was once a front-end starter and once a top prospect for the Mets so he'd be worth a minor league contract and Spring Training invite.

Javier Vazquez - His 2011 wasn't good but I still think Vazquez could cobble together another fine season of NL pitching. He actually might be my favorite pick from this list to have the biggest impact on the 2012 Mets. He's got the ability to be a #3 pitcher if things break right and wouldn't cost much more than a Chris Capuano.

Chien-Ming Wang - Now... he didn't exactly wow anyone in 2011 but with injury recovery I really think it's the second year back that you can judge. With a chance to train full time again, perhaps the Mets could coax Wang into the pitcher he was for that team in the Bronx? Perhaps not. Again... he wouldn't cost much.

Relief Pitching:
I'm sorry but there isn't a real answer for low-risk high-reward players right now. Once the number of teams looking for closers goes down... then YES, there will be, but until then all the options should be considered middle of the road (though Papelbon should be considered pricey).

Paying More To Make More

My post yesterday discussed the three biggest pitchers on the market this offseason and the biggest holds people seem to have are about the budget. The Wilpons don't have the money and the budget will not be over $110 Million. Okay... fine... then the Mets attendance will continue to diminish and the process of building up the fan base will take even longer.

If the Mets spent NOTHING: They let Reyes go and used minor leaguers for every hole they had left, they would lose fans in DROVES. The $20-ish Million saved by not signing Reyes will bes LOST in yearly revenue between ticket sales and lowered merchandise sales.

If the Mets ONLY resign Reyes: They are merely treading water. While teams like the Yankees and Phillies are going out and gaining talent and improving the Mets become stagnant and lose fans or potential fans of the future.

If the Mets signed Reyes AND another SUPERSTAR player: They earn themselves buzz and press and become a magnet for new fans. They also energize the existing fan base. I'm not saying that they immediately earn back every dime they invest and there is plenty of risk but it's simply to risky not to send an IMPROVED product onto the field in 2012.

The Young, The Fat and The Lefty

Like the Good, the Bad and the Ugly the pitchers of note in this upcoming offseason. I read a nice piece this morning on the merits of signing C.J. Wilson but I can't be sure I agree with it. Lets just evaluate the options before we jump head-long into that fray.

The Young:

Yu Darvish
Born: August 16, 1986
Height: 196cm
Weight: 98kg
Throws: Right
Bats: Right

Year	G	W	L	H	HR	BB	SO	ERA
2005	14	5	5	97	7	48	52	3.53
2006	25	12	5	128	12	64	115	2.89
2007	26	15	5	123	9	49	210	1.82
2008	25	16	4	136	11	44	208	1.88
2009	23	15	5	118	9	45	167	1.73
2010	26	12	8	158	5	47	222	1.78
2011	23	16	5	128	4	30	223	1.47

Yu has been good in Japan from the first year he pitched but he's also gotten better. Starting 2012 as a 25 year old, he's likely the second best overall talent available in free agency. However he COULD be the most expensive.

We all remember Matsuzaka and the insane price Boston paid for negotiating rights to him. The Wilpons could be looking at a posting fee in the same $50 Million range (though I think the climate of spending has changed) and that is a VERY un-Wilpon thing to do.

The Fat:

Carsten Charles Sabathia
Born: July 21, 1980
Height: 6' 7''
Weight: 290
Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Year	G	W	L	H	HR	BB	SO	ERA
2005	31	15	10	185	19	62	161	4.03
2006	28	12	11	182	17	44	172	3.22
2007	34	19	7	238	20	37	209	3.21
2008	35	17	10	223	19	59	251	2.70
2009	34	19	8	197	18	67	197	3.37
2010	34	21	7	209	20	74	197	3.18
2011	31	19	8	213	15	55	216	2.93

Sabathia is likely to opt out of his enormous contract with the Yankees to sign an even more enormous contract with... well... probably the Yankees. He's already making around (or over) $23 Million per year and his new contract is likely to be higher or (at the very least) longer.

But...

Wouldn't it be nice to steal talent from those cross-town rivals? Sabathia is the only TRULY proven Ace in the free agent market (Carpenter WAS and Ace... now he's just Old). If the Wilpons HAD to shell out big money, wouldn't it make sense to do it for proven talent?

The Lefty:

Christopher John Wilson
Born: November 18, 1980
Height: 6' 1''
Weight: 210
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
College: Loyola Marymount

Year	G	W	L	H	HR	BB	SO	ERA
2010	33	15	8	161	10	93	170	3.35
2011	31	16	6	178	15	67	190	3.01

Wilson has only been a starter for a few seasons but he's been a roaring success. Add that he's in the AL... in a hitter's park... and he's JUST north of 30 and he seems like a pretty good option.

Of the legitimate free agents, he's probably the guy most clubs will be targeting. Sure... Sabathia is more proven and Darvish is younger with a higher ceiling... but Wilson is attainable. Well... if he wasn't that "attainable" guy for EVERYONE.

Here's My Point:
The Mets NEED to improve pitching and cannot rely on every prospect turning into the next Nolan Ryan or Doc Gooden. Instead we need to use free agency to protect us in case we actually wind up with Paul Wilsons and Bill Pulsiphers. If I'm running the team I... still can't bid on Sabathia he'll REALLY just cost too much. HOWEVER before I go hog-wild for Wilson I'm trying to win posting rights on Darvish. Lefty or not... Darvish is the best pitching value available in the next offseason.

Given the choice, who would you try for first?

Hit or Stay

The following post is dedicated to the Mets off season plans. They could potentially spend up to $160 Million dollars and have about $80 Million available to spend. You can BET that there isn't anything worth the Wilpon's moving back towards a $200 Million payroll and I seriously doubt that Alderson even approaches $140 Million. Here is why:

Catchers: Stay

Josh Thole and Ronny Paulino are not exactly all aces. Neither is a tremendous fielder and neither is a dynamite hitter but... the Mets REALLY shouldn't be looking elsewhere for help. WHY? You ask... Take a look at the names that will be available this winter.

Rod Barajas (36)
Josh Bard (34)
Henry Blanco (40)
Ramon Castro (36)
Ryan Doumit (31)
Ramon Hernandez (36)
Jason Kendall (38)
Gerald Laird (32)
Jose Molina (36)
Dioner Navarro (28)
Ivan Rodriguez (40)
Brian Schneider (35)
Kelly Shoppach (29)
Chris Snyder (31)
Matt Treanor (36)
Jason Varitek (40)

The names that stick out are Ramon Hernandez, Ryan Doumit and maybe Snyder and Navarro. The fact remains that NONE of these guys are heads and tails better than a Thole/Paulino tandem. Sadly we don't really have a catching prospect down the pipeline in AA or AAA (Maybe Dock Doyle but I doubt it). So... the Mets will need to wait until a top catcher becomes available OR... perhaps Albert Cordero comes up the pipeline in 2014 or later.

First Base: Stay

Ike Davis is screwing around with his recovery at this point and I'm starting to worry. With that said their is almost nothing that you could say to get me to displace him. Well... there might be one thing... but it's pretty outrageously silly. Let's look at the available players for this winter.

Lance Berkman (36)
Russell Branyan (36)
Jorge Cantu (30)
Michael Cuddyer (33)
Prince Fielder (28)
Ross Gload (36)
Brad Hawpe (33)
Casey Kotchman (29)
Mark Kotsay (36)
Derrek Lee (36)
Xavier Nady (33)
Lyle Overbay (35)
Carlos Pena (34)
Wily Mo Pena (30)
Albert Pujols (32)

Two names should clearly stick out: Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Why would the Mets consider signing one of these guys. Well there are two scenarios: 1) Sandy Alderson gets a memo from the Wilpons that he needs to bring in a NEW big ticket guy to energize the fans. He shifts Davis into the outfield and BAM! We have a new cleanup hitter. Or... 2) The Mets need a TOP pitcher and decide to trade Ike Davis in an effort to acquire one. This opens up the position for a free agent. Either way... the memo needs to come down from ownership to spend ridiculous money on a position we have cheaply filled with a talented player already.

Second Base: Stay... PROBABLY

Ruben Tejada and... REESE HAVENS?!? What happened to Justin Turner? What happened to Daniel Murphy, Jordany Valdespin, Joshua Satin and the eight other options? Mets will go with defense unless Reese proves to be READY in which case... they can go with the total package. HOWEVER... the free agents give me pause.

Alfredo Amezaga (34)
Clint Barmes (33)
Orlando Cabrera (37)
Jamey Carroll (37)
Alex Cora (36)
Craig Counsell (41)
Mark Ellis (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (36)
Aaron Hill (30) - $8MM club option for 2012 and $8MM club option for '13
Omar Infante (30)
Kelly Johnson (30)
Adam Kennedy (36)
Felipe Lopez (32)
Jose Lopez (28)
Aaron Miles (35)
Brandon Phillips (31) - $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout

The Reds and Brandon Phillips could conceivably part ways over the $12 Million he's owed. Assuming Phillips could be signed for something around that amount might he make sense for the Mets? It would sure be tempting. In the end... I pass and I think Alderson would as well.

Third Base: Stay (Double Down?)

Nobody is rushing to displace David. He's certainly pulled his weight since returning from the injury. Mets would even have a few internal options for third with Murphy and Lutz hanging about. As I'm doing my sue diligence... below is the list of free agent third basemen who will be hitting free agency.

Wilson Betemit (30)
Casey Blake (38)
Jorge Cantu (30)
Eric Chavez (34)
Craig Counsell (41)
Mark DeRosa (37)
Greg Dobbs (33)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (36)
Wes Helms (36)
Omar Infante (30)
Kevin Kouzmanoff (30)
Felipe Lopez (32)
Jose Lopez (28)
Nick Punto (34)
Aramis Ramirez (34)
Miguel Tejada (38)
Omar Vizquel (45)

Better question is if the Mets would work on signing Wright for longer term. Moving on...

Short Stop: Double Down!

Jose Reyes and an extra helping of Jose Reyes! There is NO question that the Mets NEED NEED NEED to sign Jose Reyes. Valdespin is probably not ready. Tejada is a HUGE downgrade and Jose is one of the most love members of the team. There aren't exactly great options out there anyway...

Clint Barmes (33)
Yuniesky Betancourt (30)
Orlando Cabrera (37)
Jamey Carroll (37)
Ronny Cedeno (29)
Craig Counsell (41)
Rafael Furcal (34)
Alex Gonzalez (34)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (36)
Omar Infante (30)
Cesar Izturis (32)
John McDonald (37)
Nick Punto (34)
Edgar Renteria (35)
Jose Reyes (29)
Jimmy Rollins (33)
Ramon Santiago (32)
Miguel Tejada (38)
Jack Wilson (34)

Obviously there is only one name on the list who sniffs the value of Reyes and that would be Rollins. Here is the problem: He's 3 years older and already clearly in his decline. So... Reyes! He's going to cost a lot of money but he's the only legitimate option in multiple ways.

Left Field: Fold

Bay makes too much not to play but it's not like I'm excited about it. He'll have Evans to back him up and FRANKLY... I hope Collins sits bay frequently if he doesn't start to produce. How does one get a Canadian to improve his game? Maple syrup? Hockey? Politeness? I don't see much point to listing free agents, but here goes...

Pat Burrell (35)
Johnny Damon (37)
Mark DeRosa (37)
Jonny Gomes (31)
Carlos Guillen (36)
Scott Hairston (32)
Bill Hall (32) - $4MM mutual option with a $250K buyout
Willie Harris (34)
Raul Ibanez (40)
Conor Jackson (30)
Reed Johnson (35)
Ryan Ludwick (33)
Jason Michaels (36)
Laynce Nix (31)
Juan Pierre (34)
Scott Podsednik (36)
Juan Rivera (33)
Marcus Thames (35)
Josh Willingham (33)

Josh Willingham, Laynce Nix and Ryan Ludwick would all be fine, but as I said... too much money is tied into Bay to buy a replacement.

Center Field: Play a Second Hand

Angel Pagan is still cheap enough to retain. HOWEVER... the Mets DO have Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt Den Dekker waiting in the wings and should Pagan stumble let us not forget that he makes a dynamite 4th OF. Kirk is hurt and needs to rehab to get back into form but I expect him to be part of the discussion. If not one of them, is there a free agent upgrade that might strike our fancy?

Rick Ankiel (32)
Carlos Beltran (35)
Mike Cameron (39)
Coco Crisp (32)
David DeJesus (32)
Scott Hairston (32)
Andruw Jones (35)
Nate McLouth (30)
Corey Patterson (32)
Cody Ross (31)
Grady Sizemore (29) - $8.5MM club option with a $500K buyout

BELTRAN! NOT FOR CENTER FIELD! Beyond him, I suppose Sizemore is at least interesting but I don't think that the Mets should waste money on a position they don't necessarily need. I happen to think that Den Dekker is the center fielder of the future right now.

Right Field: Stay... PROBABLY

Why do I keep hedging my bets? In the cases of right field and second base the Mets COULD stay with what they got OR they could go with a more proven entity. I'm slotting Duda in for right on my depth charts but have to give Fernando Martinez an outside chance if he wows in the spring. Who might we get who could be better?

Lance Berkman (36)
Milton Bradley (34)
Michael Cuddyer (33)
David DeJesus (32)
J.D. Drew (36)
Kosuke Fukudome (35)
Willie Harris (34)
Brad Hawpe (33)
Jason Kubel (29)
Ryan Ludwick (33)
Xavier Nady (33)
Magglio Ordonez (38)
Cody Ross (31)
Nick Swisher (31)
Josh Willingham (33)

A bunch of names jump out at me. A pair of twins: Cuddyer and Kubel, Ludwick, Ross, Swisher and Willingham. However the biggest potential on the list belongs to Lance Berkman. NOW... I don't think the Puma would love playing his home games in Citi Field and though I lucked into Lance in my fantasy draft I'm sure not keeping him. SO... Do one of these options make sense. I have to say maybe because if the Mets are only signing Reyes and some filler pitching getting a veteran bat for right field might be a solid play.

Starting Pitching: Hit Me!

Johan SHOULD be back. Niese, Dickey and Gee should be back as well... but I'm done with Pelfrey. I think MOST Met fans are. So that leaves one pitching spot open and I don't exactly want to give it to Schwinden or Generation 2K just yet. Question is do the Mets go BIG or little with their signing. There are only a handful of options that could remotely be called front-of-the-rotation options. There are tons of secondary ones and there's a few guys that fall in the middle. Who is out there?


Erik Bedard (33)
Mark Buehrle (33)
Chris Capuano (33)
Chris Carpenter (37) - $15MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Bruce Chen (35)
Bartolo Colon (39)
Aaron Cook (33)
Kyle Davies (28)
Doug Davis (36)
Jeff Francis (30)
Freddy Garcia (36)
Aaron Harang (34)
Rich Harden (30)
Livan Hernandez (37)
Hisashi Iwakuma (31)
Edwin Jackson (28)
Kenshin Kawakami (37)
Scott Kazmir (28)
Hiroki Kuroda (37)
Rodrigo Lopez (36)
Paul Maholm (30)
Jason Marquis (33)
Kevin Millwood (37)
Sergio Mitre (31)
Roy Oswalt (34)
Brad Penny (34)
Oliver Perez (30)
Joel Pineiro (33)
Javier Vazquez (35)
Adam Wainwright (30) - $10MM vesting option for '12, $12MM for '13
Tim Wakefield (45)
Chien-Ming Wang (32)
Brandon Webb (33)
Dontrelle Willis (30)
C.J. Wilson (31)
Chris Young (33)
Yu Darvish (25) International Posting Rights Required

Let us count the pitchers who I'd put in the front half of the Met rotation: Yu Darvish, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright (Probably not a FA), Erik Bedard, and C.J. Wilson. Now let us list the issues:

Yu Darvish - Is the biggest target and costs an arm and a leg just to SPEAK with him.

Chris Carpenter - Don't trust pitchers over 35.

Adam Wainwright - He's not going to be a free agent.

Erik Bedard - Made of glass and full of cracks.

C.J. Wilson - He's the consistent option every other team will hone in on.

If it's my team I go after Yu Darvish. It makes too much sense considering the fact that the other pitchers are older and have more issues. It's not Alderson's style and the Wilpon's could be avoiding putting that kind of money into the team. If I missed on Darvish, I'd take a stab at Bedard. OR... bring back Chris Young.

Closer: Hit Me!

Bobby Parnell has an electric arm and Beato might be one of the best Rule 5 picks of the season but Alderson knows about supply and demand. The demand for closers is only mediocre and there happens to be a glut of possibilities on the market. Wanna see who?

Heath Bell (34)
Jonathan Broxton (28)
Matt Capps (28)
Francisco Cordero (37) - $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Frank Francisco (32)
Brad Lidge (35)
Joe Nathan (37)
Jonathan Papelbon (31)
Francisco Rodriguez (30)
Rafael Soriano (32) - $11MM player option or a $1.5MM buyout
Jose Valverde (34) - $9MM club option, no buyout

Bell, Papelbon and K-Rod will likely still cost some money to get and I'd avoid them but a guy like Broxton or Capps who is less proven won't cost the team a ton in terms of contract or time commitment. PLUS having Parnell etc... in the pen gives the Mets a more complete bullpen.

Bullpen: Stay... Maybe a LOOGY

The bullpen is actually pretty good. We have some guys who can go a few innings. Some guys who can go every day. Some setup arms and a few lefty options. Parnell is best suited to being a dominant middle reliever. Beato is not REALLY a close in my eyes. Buchholz (He's arb eligible and I like him) is a dynamic setup guy. Accosta is better than a lot of his critics would have you believe. D.J. Carrasco is a workhorse who hasn't been BAD for the Mets in 2011. Mike O'Connor is in the farm and likely about as good as most of the lefty bullpen options. That isn't a BAD crew of relievers for the Mets to work with. In fact, I think it would make them competetive with the types of bullpens I've seen throughout baseball. Now... I'm not sold on O'Connor and there are other good arms available through free agency. Let's take a look...

Right-handed relievers
Luis Ayala (34)
Danys Baez (34)
Miguel Batista (41)
Shawn Camp (36)
Todd Coffey (31)
Juan Cruz (31)
Octavio Dotel (38) - $3.75MM club option with a $750K buyout
Chad Durbin (34)
Kyle Farnsworth (36) - $3.3MM club option with a $650K buyout
Jason Frasor (34) - $3.75MM club option
LaTroy Hawkins (37)
Aaron Heilman (33)
Ryota Igarashi (33)
Jason Isringhausen (39)
Scott Linebrink (35)
Mike MacDougal (35)
Ryan Madson (31)
Guillermo Mota (38)
Ramon Ortiz (39)
Micah Owings (29)
Vicente Padilla (34)
Joel Peralta (36)
Chad Qualls (33)
Fernando Rodney (35)
Takashi Saito (42)
Yoshinori Tateyama (36) - $1MM club option
Dan Wheeler (34) - $3MM club option with no buyout
Kerry Wood (35)
Jamey Wright (37)
Michael Wuertz (33) - $3.25MM club option with a $250K buyout
Joel Zumaya (27)
Left-handed relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (33) - $5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Tim Byrdak (38)
Mike Gonzalez (34)
John Grabow (33)
Javier Lopez (34)
Damaso Marte (37) - $4MM club option with a $250K buyout
Hideki Okajima (36) - can opt for free agency
Darren Oliver (41)
Arthur Rhodes (41) - $4MM club option with a $200K buyout
J.C. Romero (36)
George Sherrill (35)
Brian Tallet (34)

There are plenty of names that might be upgrades but I'm not sold on the need to spend money. I'd happily take a run at any of those lefties though.

There's a lot here and plenty I'm sure you don't agree with. The reason I posted it like this is so other people could make their own decisions by position. You may notice I sometimes removed guys who had options and I sometimes didn't show the options at all. I did this to save space and time. Some players, like Eric Hinske have options that are VERY easy for the team to pick up. Some players, like Scott Kazmir have VERY hard options for anyone to ever consider. I removed what I saw as fluff.