Tag Archives: Winter Meetings

Dec 19

Clippard Likely Too Expensive For Mets

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Personally, I’d like for the Mets to bring back set-up reliever Tyler Clippard, but not for two years for an estimated $15 million total package. Reports are he wants two years to come back to the Mets, who do have a bullpen need.

Clippard started hot, but cooled at the end and was replaced by Addison Reed for the set-up role to Jeurys Familia. He appeared in 32 games for the Mets and went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.052 WHIP. His ERA ballooned to 6.75 in eight playoff games.

The Clippard we saw in August was top drawer and would be worth two years, but things spiraled downwards in September and October and that makes him quite risky. I’d give him one year and an option and if he doesn’t take it then I’d say good-bye.

 

 

Dec 11

Mets’ Remaining Shopping List

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The Mets upgraded their up-the-middle defense by signing FA shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and trading for second baseman Neil Walker. They also freed up their rotation by trading Jon Niese. They are better today than they were when the Winter Meetings began.

Even so, that doesn’t mean they don’t have things left to do. Here’s what they have to do:

BLEVINS: Will he be ready? (AP)

BLEVINS: Will he be ready? (AP)

* BOLSTER THE BULLPEN:  Re-signing Tyler Clippard is an option. Hansel Robles, Sean Gilmartin and Carlos Torres aren’t the answers by themselves. Their primary need is to get a left-handed reliever.

Maybe Josh Edgin will bounce back from surgery. Perhaps Jerry Blevins will, also.

When you come down to it, the most certain arms in the bullpen are Jeurys Familia and Addison Reed. The Mets are currently considering bringing back Bartolo Colon, who came up big working out of the pen during the playoffs.

* CENTER FIELD:  Most of the talk is finding a left-handed hitting platoon for Juan Lagares. When you sign a player to a five-year extension and after one year are looking to platoon him, that tells me they aren’t completely sold on him. Am I jumping the gun? I don’t think so.

Personally, the Mets signed Jason Heyward, I’d be thrilled, but I don’t think it will happen. I’d rather the Mets get a full-time player than go with a platoon. The Mets have some internal options, which makes be thing the best thing they should do with Lagares is have him undergo Tommy John surgery and prepare him for 2017.

* PAY THE ROTATION: The Mets say they won’t break up their young pitching core, so they might as well sign at least one of them long-term to avoid their arbitration years. Sooner or later they’ll have to make this move, and with the estimated $30 million they saved by not signing Ben Zobrist, it should be sooner.

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Dec 08

Mets Wrap: Day One At Winter Meetings

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While the Mets remain focused on Ben Zobrist, the Winter Meetings were rocked Monday with the report of a domestic assault against Aroldis Chapman that voided a trade by the Reds to the Dodgers. The trade has been held up as Major League Baseball investigates.

It is the second domestic violence incident this winter, with the first involving Jose Reyes. New Commissioner Rob Manfred has a lot of work to do to avoid the embarrassment NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell felt in the Ray Rice and Greg Hardy cases.

Something disturbing is the Reds were aware of the incident before making the trade.

You can bet this trade won’t go through soon, if at all, which actually is good news for the Mets.

The Mets remain hot for Zobrist and met with his agents. Zobrist is expected to arrive in Nashville today for the Winter Meetings, an indication a deal is imminent. Zobrist met with San Francisco, but told the Giants he wants to play second and not left field. That leaves the field down to the Mets and Washington. If the Mets want him, they’ll have to give the 35-year-old a four-year contract.

Meanwhile, there’s nothing going on with Daniel Murphy, not even a whisper.

Also happening today:

* Mets assistant GM John Ricco confirmed Yoenis Cespedes is out of their price range.

* Left hander Jon Niese is being shopped as the Mets won’t deal from their core of five young starters.

* There’s interest in re-signing lefty reliever Jerry Blevins. The Mets need bullpen help but weren’t players for either Darren O’Day or Ryan Madson.

 

Dec 07

Niese Mets’ Best Trade Chip

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While the Mets insist they aren’t actively shopping left hander Jon Niese, you can be certain they make it known to every team they speak with that he’s available.

The Mets made it clear they aren’t going to trade Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler. That leaves Niese as their lone pitching trade chip. And, with them high on Rafael Montero, that leaves Niese as the bait to obtain an outfield bat.

NIESE: Could he soon wave good bye. (AP)

NIESE: Could he soon wave good bye. (AP)

“We haven’t been actively shopping him, but other than the four guys [Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard and Matz], we’re going to be looking for ways to improve the team,” assistant general manager John Ricco told reporters at the Winter Meetings. “If there’s a deal that involves him and makes us better, I think we would definitely consider it.”

Niese is attactive to other teams because he’s a left, throws hard, isn’t phased about pitching in big games and has a manageable contract. He’s also healthy, having made 29 starts last season. On the downside, he’s been mostly mediocre (9-10 with a 4.13 ERA last year).

He also has an unnerving knack of not being able to slam the door and minimize trouble.

Even so, when teams talk to the Mets about pitching, he’s the first name they bring up.

ON DECK: Wrapping up Mets’ first day at Winter Meetings.

Dec 07

Former Met Murphy’s Potential Landing Spots

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On the first day of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, there’s considerable speculation as to where 2015 playoff slugger Daniel Murphy could land. But, back to the Mets isn’t one of them, despite them saying he’s still on their radar. If he were, they would have given him more than a qualifying offer.

The Mets can’t be a serious contender because of their stated preference for Ben Zobrist and several internal options, among them Wilmer Flores and Dilson Herrera.

MURPHY: Where will he go. (AP)

MURPHY: Where will he go. (AP)

Not surprisingly, many of the potential teams having an interest, or need, for Murphy are in the American League, where he could also get at-bats as a designated hitter.

The Angels are among them, but they could also be players for Zobrist. At one time, it was thought the Dodgers could be interested, but they just signed Chase Utley.

Murphy to the Yankees is always in play, but they are saying no. As I wrote with Zobrist, I take their denials with a grain of salt.

If I were Murphy, I would seriously look at Baltimore as he could develop that October show of power in bandbox Camden Yards. Murphy could play first, second and third for the Orioles.

He could also do the same for the White Sox and Indians.

ON DECK: Mets need power, but not Yoenis Cespedes.