At 5.21, the Mets have the worst bullpen ERA in baseball by three-tenths of a run. Closer Frank Francisco is out with an oblique injury and Bobby Parnell has taken over ninth inning responsibilities, leaving the setup work to Jon Rauch and Miguel Batista. Ken Davidoff of The New York Post writes that the club is looking for bullpen help outside the organization.
“It’s not too early to do the research,” said assistant GM John Ricco. “It’s probably too early to make a move, although each year there is several pre-emptive ones. For the seller more than the buyer.”
Ricco also indicated that sometimes “you try to catch lightning in a bottle,” using the team's 2006 acquisition of Guillermo Mota as an example. Mota pitched to 6.21 ERA in 34 games for the Indians before being sent to New York and posting a 1.00 ERA in 18 appearances that year.
GM Sandy Alderson told Davidoff that the club hasn't ruled out the possibility of adding payroll, but they are weary of trading top-shelf prospects for volatile relievers. Davidoff mentions that the Mets are likely to get involved in any trade talks for Brett Myers and Huston Street, and not to rule out Grant Balfour as well.
As long as nimmo, dan dekker, familia, wheleer and harvey i’m fine with with.
I like Balfour and Street out of these three but I also hope the Mets go after guys like Broxton and Gregerson.
Broxton and Gregerson I think are high on their list of targets.
Joe Thatcher too
The Mets really need a lefty. I like thatcher..
The Mets definitely need lots of bullpen help, but I’m very interested to see how Parnell does in his new role.
Its not a new role. They tried to make him close last year and he was atrocious. But he looks like a new pitcher this season.
I meant that it’s a new role for him this year buddy
Brad Lidge is available…
So am I… but I think the Mets want to upgrade.
Carlos Marmol???
lidge cant be worse then francisco, so i would sign him to the minimum
The Mets have had an absolutely hideous bullpen for 6 years now. But this is by far the worst ive seen.
Street, please.
Resop or Slaten from the Pirates should be available today
Someone out the Pirates pen will be available later today when Sutton is activated..Resop, Slaten, Cruz possibly
I remember Slaten. He pitched for Washington and I guess he could fit with the Mets.
The Red Sox have way too many relievers, all of them pitching well, and a bargain could be had there.
Matt Albers and Clayton Mortensen would be the first names to come to mind. Melancon probably has no value right now, they can’t let Aceves go yet and Miller has been tough. Prospects….give us prospects.
The Mets should not only get some bull pen help, but also try to make at least an attempt in trying to acquire Carlos Quentin. Mets desperately need a decent-to-average RH-power bat. Quentin is just 29 and under contract through 2013. This would put Hairston back on the bench, where he is better suited and give a viable compliment to Wright in the lineup.
You think the Mets would be willing to part with Lastings Milledge in exchange for Balfour?
What is this Zito for Milledge Pt. 2?
Take Fuentews… just send Oakland a bag of cotton candy and a box of new baseballs
I still have no faith in the Wilpons. I’m hoping for the best, but expecting nothing.
den Dekker for Huston Street.
No way is Street worth Den Dekker.
The Mets would be looking at giving 1-2 second tier prospects. No Top Prospects and No First Tier Prospects.
Top Prospects:
Wilmer Flores
Matt Harvey
Zack Wheeler
First Tier:
Jeurys Familia
Jenrry Mejia
Matt Den Dekker
Second Tier:
Collin McHugh
Reese Havens
Jefry Marte
Juan Lagares
den Dekker, Havens, Murphy + cash for Quentin and Street.
den Dekker really is barely a top tier guy. We already have a younger (by 3 days) in the majors named Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Street has proven to be a closer and been very good this year. den Dekker for Street would be a steal.
TRUE. If we can somehow just snag Quentin off of their hands too, that would be so amazin’.
How about getting K-Rod back from the Brewers?
Brandon Lyon, please.
Brandon League value is down also, maybe he could be had for 2nd tier prospects
Almost every team in contention will want to upgrade the pen. The Mets may not want to enter a sellers market.
At some time the Red Sox will have as bullpen candidates Aceves, Andrew Miller who’s been great, Andrew Bailey back from injury, Melancon, Daniel Bard who’s returning to the bullpen, Atkinson who’s been superb, Matt Albers, Clayton Mortensen, Padilla who’s been great, Hill who’s hurt now but should be OK, Mark Prior (20 k’s in 9 AAA innings), Junichi Tazawa, and probably Dubront who will reach his innings limit and have to go back to the bullpen, maybe Aaron Cook who started and won two days ago, and maybe Franklin Morales who’s won two starts, and youngster Alex Wilson. That’s 15.
The Mets are in need of a right handed bat with power and an arm in the bullpen that can stabilize things. Guys like Beato, Hampson, and Mejia may be able to be call ups that help but I think adding an established piece from outside the organization is essential. Typically, a team that claims to be rebuilding needs to grow their own relievers, and the Mets are somewhat doing that with Parnell but the Mets are in a spot where they can contend thanks to a great first half from RA Dickey and should be looking to buy, not sell. A guy like Francisco Rodriguez actually makes sense if he were to be brought back.
A right handed bat is also needed. The Mets will be thin offensively over time if they keep running the same players out there. Guys like Hairston are great sub guys but as a starter he can be exposed long term. I think a right handed power bat is a big need for them as well.
Kevin Gregg for PTBNL? Lindstrom is coming back from injury Gregg is odd man out. He sucks but has late inning experience. The article does said they are looking for lightning in a bottle..
bring back K-Rod !!!
I have no idea in which parallel universe this article was written. It’s much more likely that the team will stand pat considering they already have Rauch, Francisco, Ramón Ramírez, and Parnell who have been decent or will regress to better numbers. They just called up Justin Hampson and they still have Acosta in the minors who hasn’t walked a guy while down there. And let’s face it – it’s not like Grant Balfour and Brett Myers are actually upgrades over what the Mets are likely to get from the guys they have.
Well said – very cogent observations, I think. And keep Den Decker – he’ll be good.
If the Mets want a RH power bat, they might be able to get Jonny Gomes for cheap.
Daniel Murphy for Javy Guerra, similar age, arbitration times, free agency times, with flores, havens, and now cecchini, he’s expendable