Aside from twiddling their thumbs, the question remains for
the Mets this off-season is when will they make a significant move to improve
this baseball team?
It has been the question that has plagued Mets fans for
weeks. As has become pretty commonplace for the Mets, they have watched other
teams wheel and deal during the Winter Meetings while they stand pat, waiting
for the tide to come in.
Sure, they signed veteran right-hander Anthony Swarzak to
bolster their bullpen, and gave General Manager Sandy Alderson a contract
extension for an “unspecified” amount of time, but the fact is this is an
organization that has been frugal in its approach thus far this off-season.
Bottom line, the Wilpon’s do not want to spend big bucks,
period.
If anyone is upset that the team didn’t pursue Giancarolo
Stanton before he was dealt to the Yankees. 1) Stanton had a no-trade clause,
and he probably wouldn’t have approved a deal to play for a potential last
place team in the Mets to begin with. 2) The Wilpon’s were never going to spend
$265 million on one player.
Instead the Mets have been looking for cheaper deals.
There was speculation earlier this month that the team would
swing a deal for Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis. However, the cost for the second
baseman might be out of their price range. According to the New York Post, the Indians may value Kipnis more after Carlos
Santana signed a long-term deal with the Phillies.
While Kipnis is coming off an injury-plagued year in 2017,
and is due $13.7 million this year alone, the Mets do not have the farm system
pieces that can satisfy Cleveland. In addition, the pool for quality second
baseman on the free agent market is pretty barron, and it would make little
sense now for Cleveland to dump Kipnis when the other options aren’t good.
Unless the Indians and Mets re-enter negotiations, New York
has to find other ways to fill the voids at catcher, second base, third base,
starting rotation, bullpen, and bench.
Other second base options include, Brandon Phillips, Gordon
Beckham and Darwin Barney. Neil Walker is also available, but there were
reports last year of a rift between Walker and the Mets before the second
baseman was dealt to Milwaukee.
Because of ownership’s reluctance to spend this off-season,
there are reports the Mets could target first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who at
this point in his career might be viewed as more of a stop-gap/bench player.
Gonzalez, who was just released by the Braves after a deal
with the Dodgers last week, hit only .245 in 71 games for Los Angles last
season. He was so bad last year that he was left off the postseason roster, as
L.A. made its run to the World Series.
Signing Gonzalez makes little sense, unless the Mets are truly down on
Dominic Smith, who deserves a reasonable shot at earning the first base job in
only his first full Spring Training.
As for third base, the Mets had discussions with free agent
Todd Fraizer, but chances are he’s going back to the Yankees this season.
The biggest name still out there at the hot corner is Mike
Moustakas. Moustakas was a big part of the Royals success in recent years, and
would add tremendous credibility to the Mets clubhouse, should New York jump
in. He has seen plenty of ebbs and flows in his career, but before the injury,
everything was pointing up for Moustakas and it showed. Last season, Moustakas
hit .272 with 35 home runs and 85 runs driven in, just one year separated from
a torn ACL in his knee.
But again, it’s all about the price tag.
While the third baseman’s market is slow this year, keep in
mind Evan Longoria is due $80 million over the next five years from the Giants,
and Pablo Sandoval is still getting paid for that ill-fated $95 million deal he
signed with Boston in 2014. So one would venture to guess that Moustakas could
be looking at a deal in the $90 million range. Can the Mets pay that? They have
shown no sign they want to.
The Mets are already paying an injured and gaunt David
Wright $20 million this season. Wright is due $27 million in 2019 and 2020
combined, and has shown no desire to retire because of a series of neck and
back injuries.
Chances are the Mets plug Wilmer Flores at third base, and
let Asdrubal Cabrera play out the year at second base and see what happens,
because, it’s the Wilpon way.
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