tanakaSpring training is only a few months away and the odds favor the Mets starting 2014 with Ike Davis at first base, Ruben Tejada at shortstop and no further large acquisitions (via trade or signing).  It’s okay.  The 2014 Mets are already a better product, on paper, than the 2013 Mets and progress is a good thing, but… what if you could make one more change?  Given the power to alter one aspect of the 2014 roster, what would you choose?

First Base: Davis is 95% likely to start spring training as the Met first baseman.  Would you use your one Met wish improving on his bat?  Would you use the wish to make that trade for Tyler Thornburg come through?  Given the options I might just use the wish to fix the Ike Davis we have and have the hitter we were penciling in hitting 4th through 2017.

Shortstop: Then again, if Davis doesn’t work, there’s Lucas Duda, Josh Satin and even Allan Dykstra waiting in the wings.  Maybe it would be better to replace Tejada.  Would you make Stephen Drew accept a two year deal with the Mets?  Would you complete a trade for Chris Owings, Elvis Andrus or Asdrubal Cabrera (Noting that we’d be giving up talent we might need in the process)?  Given the options and the future availability of shortstops, I’m not sure what the big deal would be in giving Drew a third season.

Big Splash: Maybe you’d use this magical wish to ignore the pressing needs and go with the best player available.  The Mets don’t need Masahiro Tanaka, but wouldn’t he be nice?  Wouldn’t it be nice to cripple the Yankees whose whole offseason now hinges on the signing of this Japanese pitcher?  Wouldn’t it be nice to not look at Bartolo Colon as your interim ace?  I don’t think it’s the way I’d go, but you have to wonder.

What Would You Do?

You can make any one move to alter the 2014 Mets.  How would you use it?

31 comments on “Wish upon a star: Ike Davis, Stephen Drew and Masahiro Tanaka

  • Jerry Grote

    If it is only one wish …

    It would be that Cesar Puello replicates 2013 in Spring Training, forcing his way into RF and then completes the year in ROY fashion … something along the lines of .285/.345/.515 with 22 HR, 75 RBIs and 9 assists.

    I figure we’ve got the pitching, we can manage at 1B one way or the other, and I’d trade an ongoing, cheap, dynamic offensive firepower at a corner position.

  • Big Hank

    My Mets wish would be to have Arizona accept Synergaard, Flores, Davis, Fulmer and Nimmo for Goldshmidt, Owings and Cahill

    • David Groveman

      Hey Big Hank,

      I’ll say this much, a “realistic” trade for those players should make a Met fan balk at the price. I don’t think I’d make that move, but to each there own. Would make the Mets much better for 2014.

      • Big Hank

        Dave

        Would make the Mets much better of 2014 and beyond:
        1. Owings
        2. Murphy
        3. Goldshmidt
        4. Wright
        5. Granderson
        6. Young
        7. TdA
        8. Lagares

        Rotaion:
        Colon
        Wheeler
        Niese
        Gee
        Cahill

      • Spencer Manners

        I’m not sure if I would give up Syndergaard for anything realistic

      • Jerry Grote

        Good to see we are all Mets fans, overvaluing our bags of magic beans and hoping other teams will be willing to trade their MVPs for our bunch of maybes.

        Dbacks are not trading Goldschmidt unless they are getting back Harvey. Not Noah, not Noah and a bunch of prospects.

        • David Groveman

          Arizona wouldn’t want this either. Truth!

          I just wouldn’t want to trade those particular beans.

  • Chuck Lasher

    I find it hard to believe that the Mets can even think about starting the season with Ruben Tejada at SS. His line last year compares unfavorably with the worst lines ever recorded and a solid case can be made that Tejada is the poorest position player in baseball today. I therefore wish that management removes their heads from where the sun don’t shine and sign Stephen Drew to a 3 year contract.

  • Herb

    My Mets wish? It most certainly would not be for Masahiro Tenaka. With the Mets rotation as it now stands, plus the return of Harvey and what we have on the brink and in the pipeline, it would be a terrible misuse of our financial resources. Here is a link detailing why:

    http://macksmets.blogspot.com/2013/12/herb-g-tale-of-two-pitchers.html

    What I would wish for? It would be for Sandy to stretch the budget a bit, and get two of the remaining free agents – Stephen Drew and Nelson Cruz. He should offer Drew the extra year and get it done. Drew is a major upgrade at shortstop, and is a legitimate leadoff hitter to boot. Not a flashy base stealer, but definitelt a table setter. Cruz, they’re saying, will probably need to accept a 1 year “pillow contract” to re-establish his value, perhaps in the $10 – $12 million range. That should be right up the Mets alley. It would stretch the budget, for sure, but I believe the dynamic offense it would preduce, and the fact that it would make us into contenders, would add enough revenue to make up the extra. Consider this lineup:

    Drew, Murphy, Wright, Granderson, Cruz, Davis, C. Young, d’Arnaud.

    You have 20+ HR power from #3 through #7, and plenty of offense from the other three. That team will score alot of runs.

    Editor’s note – Please do not capitalize words. It’s a violation of our Comment Policy.

    • pete

      Herb. I know it’s only a wish list. But have you considered that Cruz is a right fielder and playing in cavernous Citifield will only add to his defensive liabilities? Realistically Drew (and his agent) is looking for at least 13 million for 3 years and Cruz is this years Michael Bourn. If Drew were to sign a 2 year contract then he’ll just re-sign with Boston. Add it up and it comes to 120 million dollars in payroll. The simple truth is the Mets just don’t have the financial resources to make this happen, You’re right the additional firepower in the line up would draw more fans. But the Wilpons only concern is maintaining control of this team. Sad but true.

  • Scott Ferguson

    I’d push the Thornburg Davis trade through. I think that opens up the SS situation.

    • David Groveman

      Agreed. It is a good wish although I think Davis has the best chance (out of: Davis, Duda, Satin and Dykstra) of having a productive full season.

  • pete

    My one wish for the 2014 Mets would be that the Wilpons are not able to re-finance their loans and the team gets a new owner (Michael Bloomberg?) with the resources that comes with being in the number one market in America.

  • John Zakour

    My wish would be for new ownership. Until that happens I fear the Mets will act like a mid market team… Which is sad.

  • John Zakour

    One more note when you look at the numbers Byrd put up last year I’m not sure Grandy is going to do much better. Byrd had a bWAR of 5.0. Granderson has only had two season above that and he’s not getting any younger. Sure the year was and aberration for Byrd but I still doubt Granderson will contribute much more. C Young could be a nice addition if we get the Young from three years ago. If not he’s not a big upgrade over E Young, and it could be argued he’s a downgrade. Colon is a nice pickup, but still he’s not Matt Harvey. We have some good talent coming with great potential, but you can never be certain how that will pan out. We can hope for the best, but right now on paper I wouldn’t say the 2014 Mets are a heck of lot better than the 2013 Mets.

  • Les Gomez

    Do whatever it takes to land Jurickson Profar.

    • David Groveman

      Mets trade entire farm system

      • Les Gomez

        I think Gee, Murphy, Montero, Nimmo and Leathersich get it done.

  • pete

    My one player for my wish list would be Carlos Gonzalez. I would send Puello, Murphy and Gee or Montero. Flores and EY can compete for the starting job at second base. It leaves the Mets with 4 out fielders and flexibility for another trade(ss).

    • David Groveman

      Wouldn’t that take away flexibility and leave the rotation in jeopardy? Carlos Gonzalez costs a reasonably high amount.

  • ReneNYM1

    A new owner with deep pockets,sign Drew for 30 for three and see where we are.

    • David Groveman

      One wish. The deeper pockets might bring Drew or might not.

  • pete

    Les! The Rangers moved Kinsler to make room for him. He’s their version of Jose Reyes. So you need to give them back a shortstop which we unfortunately don’t have.

  • Robby

    Can someone explain why Dykstra is not a better option. Why are they so low on hi, I know he has never been past AA but is tearing it up down there.

    • David Groveman

      Dykstra hasn’t played above AA and has obvious flaws with his swing. He is not likely even a bench player at the MLB level. He might carry AAA for a while though.

  • pete

    I guess it does diminish the flexibility of the rotation Dave. But in order to get something of value you have to give the other team feels is equal value. I know you would have four quality starters in your outfield. CarGo has an extremely team friendly contract and can bat between Wright and Granderson.

    • David Groveman

      I think that Colorado isn’t willing to part with CarGo but if they were I’d imagine they’d want better players than any in the package you offer. They’d be looking for Syndergaard and perhaps two of the other names.

  • Patrick Albanesius

    I’d trade for Owings. Nothing else seems worth the cost. Sorry Herb but Nelson Cruz in Citi Field would not end well.

  • Chris

    My wish is to keep Davis. He’s my favorite baseball player, so I’m biased. I watched
    him hit three home runs in a game in 2012. He’s 26, he’s young, strong, has a good attitude, wants to stay on the team, and is learning. He’s made mistakes. Batting is psychological,
    batting can’t really be looked at as mistakes. He’s made some egregious fielding mistakes, but that’s the learning curve. He also dove into the dugout a few times for catches.
    26 is prime time baseball age. He’s a lefty, which is good for first base. Once he hits again, which he will, he’ll be fine. I don’t think I’d pay the money Tanaka will cost at this point. I’m more looking forward to Syndergaard coming up as soon as possible. I like Tejada, he got accused of being lazy, but I like him, he hit .289 in 2012.
    After the Jason Bay and Bernie Madoff money problems, we should sit back and be happy those are past. Buying high priced players is always too much of a gamble these days. Let’s have a winning season, and really set the place on fire in 2015 when Harvey comes back. Winning season, ticket sales, and a good attitude all around. I don’t think we should have bought Colon, he’s 40. I think we should be way more of a farm team team. But if Colon has a winning season, I’ll eat that up. Nothing is Easy – Jethro Tull

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