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According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, Mets GM Omar Minaya continues to insist the team’s primary focus this off season will be to bolster the starting rotation.
Rubin notes due to the limited-free agent pool, the Mets may have to resort to the trade market to obtain a front-line starter, which would certainly cost them either Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber, plus one of Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez.
According to Rubin if the Mets are unable to trade for a starting pitcher they will most certainly look to obtain a starter via free agency.
Rubin also provides updates on the Mets search to fill the team’s voids at second base and catcher, as well as, news that the Mets had the opportunity to trade for RHP Brad Lidge, who was traded to the Phillies earlier this week, but the price apparently was too steep.
Posted this earlier, but it seems to fit nicely here.
this little tidbit was in Starks column on ESPN.com today (well, I read it today, I think he posted yesterday!)
• A-Rod to the Mets? One rival NL executive predicts that the Mets will sign a Boras client, all right. But not that one. His pick: Kyle Lohse.
Haven’t heard him mentioned much (if at all) but that actually kind of fits the Omar/Jacket mold. Younger guy with “stuff” that hasn’t really harnessed it (also a bit of a head case).
Could be a huge plus if the jacket works his magic on his mechanics and head. Or of course, a complete bust.
But, he has the potential to be way better than a Silva or Livan.
That is probably the scary thing about those guys. They are average at best, with really no upside.
that is, you hope they crank out 200-220 mediocre innings and that gets you by. There really isn’t much chance they do better than that.
Burnett or even a Lohse might be less of a good bet to do that, but they also have the potential to put up #1/#2 numbers. More boom or bust maybe.
another name to throw out there in the “decent innings eater” livan hernandez mold is jose contreras.
contreras’ basic numbers were terrible, but once you adjust for the terrible defense in chicago the past couple years and for league he’s not nearly as bad an option as i’d initially thought. he has decent walk- and home run rates. also, his FIP and % batted balls turned into outs strongly suggest that he could be a bargain with decent defense behind him.
if omar picks up contreras on the cheap you bring he and pelfrey into spring training, much like with sosa, and say the better guy gets the starting slot. the other guy is the 6th inning guy/long man.
not thrownin away prospects for jose “i came here on floating door” contreras
Burnett and Pavano have been the most overmentioned overrated pitching duo of the last several years.
I think Pedro and Maine and Perez are good enough, where what we really need is a better bullpen/longer starters. So in some sense I’d rather a Livan type guy. (or both, if you demote Lohse, oh no!) Do we need another head case pitcher on our staff? It lends the risk of them both being crazy at the same time, like last september when everything fell apart at the same time. The Mets are a good team, they just need some consistency.
this item scares me (from Rubin’s column):
Second base is also a void. The Mets appear confident they’ll eventually be able to re-sign Luis Castillo, though he plans to entertain other offers, which means there’s no certainty. One prominent agent, who does not represent Castillo, estimated he’d get a four-year deal worth at least $28 million.
Castllo I can live with, but thinking of having him locked up (at pretty good money) on those knees for 4 years? Ouch.
I was thinking 2 years max and hope that he holds up.
Castillo for 4 years? That would be a total joke. That better not happen.
ok, someone please tell me what team doesn’t have “Pitching” as a priority. Or better yet, someone please tell me the year that a team didn’t see pitching as a priority. Pitching is always a priority. It was a priority last year too, and who was the big pitcher we signed? And please explain to me why it has to be either/or. Why is it either ARod or pitching but not both. that makes no sense. I remember a few years ago, I said why can’t the met’s get Beltran and a big time pitcher, and having a bunch of posters tell me it can’t happen fiscally. Well it did. We have to get out of this small market mentality where we’re only allowed to get one star player a year if that. Truthfully, we have to start thinking like yankee fans, and ask for every star player, and settle on a just a couple of them.
This is exactly what I’m saying too! Why is it either a good bat or a good pitcher, why not both. The mets have the money they need to spend it and surely they will see a return on their investment.
this is why i want to sign arod, bc you sign arod then you use the chips to trade for a pitcher. its completely doable. i hate the people whos reason for not getting arod is because we need pitching like theres some rule that if we sign arod we cant improve the pitching also.
i’m with you on this one totally!!
im guessing this means that the mets turned down lastings or gomez for lidge — which is very good to hear.
agreed
Price was too steep?? Astros get a mullet headed junk balling reliever, some minor leaguer and a very fast rookie who hasn’t proven he can hit.
What the hell did the Stros want from us. Gomez, Milledge, martinez. Those guys are a heck of a lot more valuable than Bourn. Unreal.
Would you have put Endy Chavez in a deal for Lidge?
and driven him to the airport. Even would have bought him a beer for the road.
is it me , but it seems like ever since the dreaded kasmir deal other teams look to rip us off in the hope that we overpay w our prospects.
I know it’s early in the offseason but is anyone worried that Omar Minaya won’t commit to a significant upgrade similar to last offseason like I am?
who did you want him to get last year? please don’t tell me zito
The only difference between the value of Bourn and the value of Gomez in some fans eyes is that Bourn wears a Philly uniform. If Bourn wore a Met uni, he would be talked about in the same way Gomez were talked about.
well i think gomez sucks so i guess its ok for me to also think bourn sucks. although i wouldnt trade gomez for lidge simply bc lidge is a big roll of the dice and bc i feel you can actually get more with gomez than an inconsistent head case closer.
i see what your saying, but there is definitely a difference in the value of the two players. Bourn is listed at 5′11, 180. Gomez 6′4, 195. and Gomez is 3 years younger. there is a lot more potential for Gomez to turn into a more complete player.