The Mets plan to pursue veteran relievers via trades and free agency this offseason, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. Though Mets executives are pleased that several young relievers have developed, they hope to supplement their young arms with more established pitchers.
“The young guys give us some depth, but we will still need to add,” one person told Martino.
GM Sandy Alderson spent a significant portion of last offseason’s budget on relievers Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. The strategy will be different this year, with Francisco, Jeurys Familia, Josh Edgin, Robert Carson and Bobby Parnell already in place. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reported yesterday that the Mets aren’t expected to re-sign Rauch or Ramon Ramirez when they hit free agency after the season.
Soria and jp howell would be two great additions to the pen. if they think soria will be too much, maybe someone like madson would be a little cheaper. they gotta take a risk.
no one has to take a risk on the bullpen. Every bullpen signing is a risk. Theres no reason to add risk to risk
Yeah. Bring in as many low cost options as you can. Cheaper signs are just as viable as guys like Ramirez, who is declining anyway and Isringhausen with extensive injury history who will be available more than likely.. Just bring in a bunch of guys on MiLB contracts and can find 1-2 even.
Ramirez shouldn’t be resigned though he was terrible to be honest there are better options out there this offseason compared to last so Sandy has no excuse not to bring in better bullpen help this time.
Would they want aceves ir melancon? Cost controlled power arms who could use a change of scenery?
Melencon will in all likelihood be back with Boston next year, deep BP and all. He hasn’t been *that* brutal all season, other than early April. Aceves is a goner and yeah.. Change of scenery again for a couple of years until he gets tired of his surroundings, or his surroundings get tired of him is more like it..
Aceves has good “stuff” 94-96mph FB, decent slider and change.. Just a rotten attitude.
Aceves has had a poor attitude with the Sox and Yankees. Two teams most players would kill to play for. Who’s left?
THAT is a good question.. He wanted to start in ST, was told “no”. Was told his closing days would be TEMPORARY, or until Bailey came back and they even let him blow an “extra” 2 games after Bailey returned before removing him from being the closer. he even LOOKS like he doesn’t wanna’ be out there!
JP Howell on a one year deal would be nice. They need to go with at least two lefties, not one like they have been.
Wouldn’t mind JP at all he’s a very solid reliever would fit in well with Edgin as the second lefty in the pen.
Didn’t the Mets do this a few years ago with Rodriguez and Putz? And at 73-89, shouldn’t they focus on something a bit more impactful than the relief corps?
You have a point, however, at that time, the offense wasn’t an issue with the likes of Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, Wright, etc… And the rotation, iirc, had Pedro, Glavine, and Johan in it. Bullpen was the only glaring weakness at that time.
Things are different now – everything is a weakness haha. My point is it made sense then, not so much now.
Good idea, Sandy. Because it worked so well last time you tried it.
Would have been nice to have had Angel Pagan this year! A classic sell low (Pagan) / buy high (Ramirez) deal.
Kinda hard to blame him when his hands are tied. His only two options are 1) get a vet cheap that no one else wants or 2) bring up a prospect – they’ve been doing the latter for a while now.
The problem is with the exception of Harvey none of our “prospects” are good enough to make a difference.
None of this matters at all until there are new owners in Queens who will invest in the team at all levels. Until then, might as well sign crappy players for the minimum and let RA and Wright walk for nothing. Rebuilding is pointless when the guy calling the shots thought Victor Zambrano would be a good prospect.
Blame Jim Duquette and Rick Peterson for the Zambrano deal. They are the baseball men, and the owners rely on their professional judgment before signing off.
Not only was Fred Wilpon the one with a personal problem with Scott Kazmir and wanted him shipped out of town as fast as possible, it was Wilpon who overruled Duquette on acquiring Zambrano since he believed Rick Sutcliffe could “fix” Zambrano. Not only that, but even after it was painfully clear Zambrano’s arm was falling off, Wilpon refused to annul the deal on medical grounds. Wilpon has never listened to his baseball men. Every single problem with the Mets for the last 10 years starts and ends with the Wilpons.
The Mets’ offense is a disaster. They lack a single major-league-starter quality OF bat. The number one goal this offseason should be getting a CF, a black hole for them.
I like Nieuwenhuis, but he still seems like a guy who isn’t quite good enough defensively for CF and who isn’t quite good enough offensively for the corners; plus, lost time due to injury again. Den Dekker is old (for a prospect) and a AAA strikeout machine. There’s no one else.
The Mets need to trade for legit OF power bat this offseason if the trade is available they need to pull the trigger on that.
Their number one goal should be putting new people in the owner’s box. Without that, everything else is a moot point.
Should bring the pennant back to NY. Team need help everywhere. I think sign a bunch of vets to one year contracts off the scrap heap and hope someone has a good year and trade them for prospects at the deadline. Then let your young guys down in the farm play through the good and bad like Nieuwenhuis, Den Decker and Dudas. Have to stop trying to get a few players hoping you will win it all. One step back for two steps forward.
The Mets will sign Ryan Madson in the offseason if the Reds decline his option for 2013.
Wouldn’t mind him if he’s affordable to be honest…. but then again there are quite a few relievers available this offseason that would be good options as well. Madson is pretty much in the same boat that Jonathan Broxton was in last offseason coming off of injury.