Here are the headlines that greeted me on my return from Cincinnati:
Mets sign Chris Young to a one-year deal
Yankees sign Brian McCann to a five-year deal
Cardinals sign Jhonny Peralta to a four year deal
Not exactly the type of news that will get most Met fans excited. The Yankees continue to do what we Met fans feel most major markets should, spend money. The Cardinals continue to craft a winning team through the combined efforts of player development and wise spending. The Mets… seemingly over-spend in the bargain basement of free agency.
Let’s look at things another way. The Mets spent roughly a fifth of their projected budget room on an outfielder who has speed, power and should be a suitable candidate to patrol left or right field. Young looked like a budding star six years ago. He had hit .237/.295/.467 and clubbed 32 home runs for Arizona while stealing 27 bases. People looked and they saw a player who would be a “30/30 Threat” for his career. The faults were there, in abundance, but what mattered was that Young was only 23 and he had a bright and powerful future ahead of him.
Recently, Young had a dismal season in a move to Oakland where he hoped to re-ignite his stalling career. That didn’t work out so well for either Young or the Athletics and he looks again, to find SOMETHING on a short-term contract with the Mets. It’s been done before.
Remember Scott Hairston who had himself a miniature renaissance with the Mets in 2012? Hairston had hid a pathetic .210/.295/.346 for San Diego in 2010 before joining the Mets and working his way into a near full-time opportunity. In 2012 he managed a .263/.299/.504 with 20 home runs. Perhaps you recall Marlon Byrd who looked like a star for the Mets in 2013? Before being traded to Pittsburgh for Dilson Herrera and Vic Black, Byrd had hit .285/.330/.518 for the Mets and had clubbed 21 home runs. Could Young be the next outfielder to get his groove back in Citi Field?
Also, the offseason will not be ending with Young’s signing. Sandy Alderson will bring in new faces and frankly I’m still betting that Curtis Granderson is one of them. A Granderson signing would give the Mets five quality outfielders: Granderson, Young, Juan Lagares, Eric Young Jr. and Matt den Dekker. Then again, Alderson could still make a trade for someone like Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. He could even find himself trading for a shortstop. I’m not being paid by SNY to say this but, “Have some frigg’n faith!”
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I agree with your faith and the idea that Young could resurrect his entire career. I also think that young and talented shortstop could be on the field next year (please Chris Owings). I just highly doubt another outfielder will make his way to the Mets.
I would bet on at least 3 more new players being added to the 25-man roster
You know David, I’m betting I’ve got as much inventory in rose color as anyone.
Failing to sign Jhonny Peralta is damning. It doesn’t matter what happens at LF, or whether or not Chris Young produces another 5 WAR season for the Mets, and Lagares reprises a 4 WAR CF.
There simply isn’t a relevant alternative, and choosing not spend an additional $2MM per year or go for four year instead of two, isn’t reason enough.
This is a bit off topic but I think it’s worth mentioning
Peds are a dicey topic and everyone has their own views on it, but judging by the responses to the Peralta signing, I think that a lot of people’s opinion on the Cardinals franchise just went down a notch. I wonder what will happen to the market for Cruz.
p’raps, regarding Cardinals stature. But then again, they’ve never bidded up a non-Cardinal in the past so the question is whether that might have happened (to a lesser extent) if the name was Drew instead of Peralta.
And Cruz? I hope he gets priced right out of the Mets market.
Maybe SA will sign Cruz to a 4 million dollar contract for half a season since he’ll trade him for more valuable assets for the future? Even though this team doesn’t have one.
Jose Cruz … or Hector Cruz?
If we got Peralta on that deal I’m 95% sure that he’d become the next Luis Castillo.
HOPE I would understand…FAITH> why?
Because Sandy Alderson has rewarded me before.
Sure, I’m willing to play the “Long Game”
Once upon a time he was crazy to think he could get Zack Wheeler for a Carlos Beltran rental
Once upon another he was mad if he thought Toronto would include Travis d’Arnaud for R.A. Dickey
I am keeping the FAITH
Dave it would have been more fun if you did not list the team who signed each player. Met fans would have guessed correctly just on the fact it was a one year signing of a player who we as fans hardly know. No faith here but whatever. Just answer two questions for me. Say Young plays above expectations will SA trade him at the trading deadline? Very difficult to sustain a winning atmosphere when your team lacks continuity with at so many positions. At what point does SA come to realize that of the other 29 teams some of them will take their additional 23-25 million dollars and apply it to a free agent of their choice? If he’s having sticker shock this year, what makes him think next year will be any better? The Met farm system right now has no potential every day corner outfielder for 2014. The free agent market for 2015 is weak with Handley Ramirez leading the group. At some point you need sign players who are going to be here for more than half a season. Is Chris Young going to bring in additional fans to Citi?
Agreed, Young is not a star and the Mets still need another star to place beside David Wright. If Matt Harvey were healthy I’d still say this.
I would take that bet against you on Granderson. I think what you are seeing is the Mets having had their internal discussions have given a salary value on all potential free agents. Now that Peralta had signed for 13 million more than what they expected, Grandersons market value just went up exponentially.
Why continue to look for short term solutions? In the long run you cannot run the Mets(who are in the number one market in MLB)like the Oakland A’s. You can apply the fundamental ideas but you still need dynamic players to bring the fans to Cittifield. Another 74 win season and how many more fans do you think the team will lose this season? When you’re being outspent by the Kansas City Royals something is wrong. The payroll last year was not 93 but 81 million since Bay deferred 12 OF HIS 18 million to 2014 and 2015 to help the financially crippled franchise.
What player looks like a slam-dunk long-term solution?
Everyone on the list has their warts.
2:30 pm: The Mets are definitely seeking a power-hitting corner outfielder, and are continuing to pursue Cruz and Granderson, among others (Heyman).
While I don’t quite understand the deal for Young, I’m not a fan of Peralta for a deal like that. Even the Tigers didn’t play him at SS at the end. Drew? Can’t hit. Remember, Jason Bay had decent Fenway numbers. I like the young guys. If we have Niese, Wheeler, Gee, Syndegaard and Montero, and d’Arnaud and Duda hit some, I think we might be okay. Lagares is still leading the Dominican winter league in hitting(barely), den Dekker may develop, and E. Young had 40+ sb’s in a limited season. I’d like a reliable lefty bat, with some pop, and certainly would like a SS, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Tovar get some time, with maybe Turner as a sub. I’m done on Tejada, and Quintanilla can’t play more than 50 games. I see two dire needs: a SS and a bullpen. Everything else will be okay. Not great hitting, but I don’t see that as #1 issue. Bad SS and many blown games last year. And let’s see what we get for Ike.
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the thoughts.
I agree I didn’t want Peralta on any deal over three years. I don’t think his defense would keep up.
SS: I think you are looking at Rafael Furcal with Ruben Tejada and Wilfredo Tovar as back-ups for 2014… it’s a gut feeling.
Lefty Bat: Agreed (Davis and Duda don’t count). Curtis Granderson and Andre Ethier are the most likely nominations.
1. Eric Young Jr. 2B
2. Rafael Furcal, SS
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Curtis Granderson, LF (Andre Ethier?)
5. Chris Young, RF
6. Daniel Murphy, 1B (Lucas Duda?)
7. Travis d’Arnaud, C
8. Juan Lagares, CF
Looking at that lineup I note that 1-5 are would play well to Citi Field in terms of using their legs to take extra bases.
All Peralta had to do, in his first three years, is roughly average 3 WAR to make the 4th year irrelevant.
Hardly a stretch, and that precluded getting any value at all out of him in the 4th year at 2B, LF, ball boy, ticket taker, seller of soda pop.
Any lineup that still has Tejada, EY and Lagares in it still has too many offensive holes. EY to 2b looks more appealing (only if Murphy gets traded) but Flores is the better choice as a second baseman if Murphy is traded.
CY should be a plus CF offensively instead of Lagares. CY offensively as a RF is below average
Davis for Matt Joyce takes care of LF and Granderson as an FA (not Cruz) or Ethier via trade covers RF.
Probably Tejada at SS because the SS market is too expensive via FA or trade.
The Mets still are gambling on d’Arnaud and Duda/Satin being productive but at least it is a gamble with some pedigree.
Financially this can be done.
Half full or half empty makes little difference when the Mets cup is really a thimble.
Stay thirsty, my friends
not likely to be waterboarded with the amount of great tidings coming out of Queens.
Dour Met fans…
We finally know SAs true objective with we, the fan base!
Make us drink Dos Equis?
to forget the general nightmare that surrounds us!
“I dont often like to sign free agents, but when I do, I prefer scrap heap reclamation projects…stay thirsty, my friends”
Now this feels like the kind of discussion my posts are supposed to generate
The same way they were pursuing Michael Bourn last year right Dave? And we all know what happened there. I seemed to recall SA saying he would not get into a bidding war for any free agent. The noise you hear is just to appease the fan base and show them that they are actively pursuing any viable free agents from their living room recliners. Signing Cruz to play defense in cavernous Citifield is such a mismatch. Maybe they intend for him to play first base? What a glorious opportunity for Cruz to play here! just think of how many places he can shop for his PED’s!
How about trading Ike Davis and Chris Young for Ryan Braun?
Hey Tom! If you were the GM for Milwaukee would you make that deal? Would you trade your only star player for 2 rejects? Reverse the deal and trade the two players for David Wright? You see where I’m going? Doesn’t make a lot of sense does it?
Pete, if the GM for Milwaukee wants to dump Ryan Braun because of Peds it could make sense.
But Tom Milwaukee will have no left for the fans to go see. Fans are fickle. If Braun hits 3 home runs opening day they’ll forget the past. My point is you don’t trade a player when his value is lowest just to accommodate Met fans. He’s not going to dump Braun and leave the team with Gomez and Ramirez as his only stars. Do you see the Mets trying to dump Puello anywhere? Haven’t heard a thing. And yet he’s part of that group.