10-11 Offseason

Free Agent Focus: Starting Pitchers

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Earlier this offseason, Sandy Alderson mentioned that the Mets would be looking to acquire arms for the bullpen and the starting rotation. Not necessarily big names, but more likely bargain-bin pitchers who could compete for spots and provide depth. Alderson acknowledged that an MLB staff needs about seven or so starting pitchers to begin a season; five in the rotation and then at least two others who usually are either stashed in AAA or used as long men in the bullpen.

As it stands right now, the Mets have as potential starters (in no particular order):

1. Mike Pelfrey
2. Jon Niese
3. R.A. Dickey
4. Dillon Gee
5. Pat Misch
??

I guess you put Oliver Perez in there, as well as Tobi Stoner and Boof Bonser, though they wouldn’t seem to be names you want in that mix. And you could put Jenrry Mejia in the mix as well, but all signs from the new front office is that they’re going to give Mejia a full year of development in the minors. Additionally, Alderson has suggested that D.J. Carrasco could be a starter, though that doesn’t seem prudent considering Carrasco’s poor history in the role. All that said, we can assume the Mets are in the market for at least one more starter. Whether that arm comes via trade or free agency, we’ll soon see, but in the meantime let’s look at a few of the pitchers still available on the free-agent market.

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What I’m Reading: Faith and Fear in Flushing

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In my last post I mentioned “cabin fever” getting the best of me. Trying to write about the Mets during a winter of inaction led me to do some reading.

For the past few weeks I’ve been re-reading favorites from my own shelf and borrowing books from the library. What I’m reading this weekend is a book I’ve been meaning to read for two years, and never got around to it, until now: Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets, by Greg Prince.

Prince’s blog partner Jason Fry wrote the Foreward, and in it, describes one of Greg’s extraordinary traits:

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New Years Mets Rant

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New Year’s is supposed to be a time of optimism. We write resolutions in the hopes of making ourselves better people(or at least, more accepting of ourselves). The dropping of the ball, the fireworks, and the ushering in of a new digit at the end of the vintage are supposed to be signs of better things to come.

Why don’t I feel that way as a Mets fan?

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Happy New Year

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Thanks so much for making 2010 a wonderful year. Even if the Mets stunk (and will continue to stink), it’s still great — in my mind — to have the chance to connect with you and banter about baseball. I wish all the best for you and your family in 2011, and look forward to … Read more

Next Mets Free Agent Target: Jeff D’Amico

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This offseason has been trying, to say the least, for most Mets fans. Yes, I get the whole idea of rebuilding, the constrained budget, the need for MLB to take over the organization, and that 2011 is a throwaway season. But it’s still disappointing to see that the “big” acquisitions of the winter are D.J. Carrasco, Ronny Paulino, Boof Bonser, and Chin-lung Hu. Seriously?

But there’s still another month to six weeks of potential activity before spring training opens; meaning, there could still be some “big” free agent signing coming up. Unfortunately, “big” means a cheap bullpen arm (Manny Delcarmen? Randy Flores?), a fourth outfielder (Fred Lewis? Delwyn Young?), and/or a high-risk, low-reward starting pitcher coming off injury (Jeff Francis? Chris Young?).

Wait … did I get that term confused? Isn’t it supposed to be “LOW-risk, high-reward” ?

Yeah, but when you’re talking about Chris Young and Jeff Francis, it’s the other way around.

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Quick Look: DJ Carrasco

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The Mets biggest winter acquisition thus far has been the signing of free-agent pitcher D.J. Carrasco. Personally, I don’t know much about Carrasco, since he spent most of his career in the Adulterated League and Japan. What little we saw of him in 2010 with the D’backs and Pirates was inconclusive. That said, I called … Read more

The Fourth Outfielder

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I keep reading in various places that the Mets have earmarked a portion of their meager winter budget for a fourth outfielder. If this is true, why?

It’s pretty much been established that the 2011 season will not be one seeing the Mets fighting for a playoff spot. Call it “rebuliding”, “assessing and evaluating”, “reconstructing”, or whatever you wish — the bottom line is that the team is not making a conscious effort for the short-term, and is only in the nascent stages of the long-term plan. That said, why would there be any concern about acquiring a fourth outfielder — even if it is low on the list of priorities?

Moreover, don’t the Mets already have a fourth outfielder somewhere in their system? Unless something changes between now and opening day, the starting outfield will consist of Carlos Beltran, Angel Pagan, and Jason Bay. None of these three men need a defensive replacement in the late innings, and none are likely to be lifted for a pinch-hitter in any situation, either. Beltran is the only of the three who may require regular rest; if he’s the starting centerfielder, Pagan will slide into his spot on those days and a the “fourth” outfielder will step into a corner.

Now that we’ve established the regular routine, what do the Mets need from that fourth outfielder?

Ideally, he’s someone who can provide some power on the days Beltran (or Bay) is absent from the lineup. It would help, but is not necessary, if he can cover all three outfield positions; if Pagan turns out to be the starting centerfielder, both Bay and Beltran are capable of handling CF when Pagan needs a break. Additionally, this extra outfielder should also be a potentially strong pinch-hitter. In reality, the Mets probably are best suited with not only a fourth outfielder but a fifth one as well — but that “fifth” would also be versatile enough to handle an infield position (or catch) and have a slightly different skill set (i.e., hit from the opposite side, provide speed if the other has power, etc.).

Taking a cursory look at the Mets 40-man roster and high-level minor leaguers, there are several candidates to fill these roles:

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