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Opinion: How the Off-Season will Go

by Matthew Cerrone on October 31st, 2008 at 10:39 am

MLB teams can negotiate only with their own free agents between now and November 14.

However, while they can contact the representatives for other free agents, they can only ‘express interest.’  They are not allowed to negotiate financial terms of a deal until after Nov. 14.

From what I can gather, the Mets are able to add between $20 and $30 million to their payroll for 2009.

I do not believe the team yet has a definitive plan for the off-season, which is a good thing.  I think they have a general idea, which will become more focused following next week’s GM Meetings in California, but there will be a lot of solutions available in trade, which will cause for a lot of activity, creativity, rumors and sudden turns in the road.

Based on conversations I have had with people close to the team, combined with the team’s past habits, my own logic, their needs, the market, and so on, my guess is that the off-season will go as follows:

  • The Mets will sign a reliable, experienced, free-agent starting pitcher, which is why Derek Lowe’s name keeps popping up in reports;
  • They’ll pick up Carlos Delgado’s option and consider trading him, though it will not be a priority;
  • They’ll flirt with Manny Ramirez, who will be able to get more money and years from another team;
  • They’ll scramble to find a ‘big bat,’ most likely for left field, but we will all be disappointed with what they get.
  • They’ll try to acquire a new second baseman, keeping a very close eye on Orlando Hudson;
  • They’ll try to trade Luis Castillo, Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman, either for another team’s ‘headache,’ or in a cash-for-low-level-prospect type of deal.
  • They’ll bring in all sorts of relief pitchers, including a veteran or two, like a 2006 Darren Oliver, ‘because it’s all about having arms at this point.’
  • Lastly, they’ll try to trade for a closer, specifically Mariners RHP JJ Putz, who, from what I can gather, likes the idea of pitching in New York.

The point is, it’s going to be a hectic off-season, mostly involving potential trades – and so, with so many blogs, reporters with blogs, real-time rumor mills, and with so many ‘guys who know a guy,’ I expect there to be lots and lots of buzz, and buzz about buzz, and buzz that contradicts buzz, and so on. 

In other words, take your Dramamine, because we’re all going to be quite dizzy.