Matthew Cerrone

Outfielder: Mets looking for Right-Handed Bat
By Matthew Cerrone - Nov 19, 2008 11:25 am

According to Ken Davidoff in Newsday, ‘the Mets continue to maintain communication with free agent Raul Ibanez,’ who is also drawing interest from the Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs, Royals and Mariners.

However, in a report for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal says the Mets want to add ‘a right-handed bat, writing, ‘The Mets are not high on Pat Burrell, and Ibanez is not an ideal fit.’

and that’s the thing, most of the best free-agent options all bat lefty, such as Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Garret Anderson, and Ken Griffey Jr.…

yes, Manny Ramirez is a free agent, but i just can’t see any National League team, much less then Mets, signing him to a long-term deal, except maybe the Dodgers who need him as much as he needs Hollywood

Juan Rivera is a right-handed bat, who can also play first base, and the Mets reportedly expressed interest in him around the trade deadline, so it would stand to reason they have at least minimal interest in him now…however, he is two years removed from his one good season, in his eight-year career, so to rely on him would be a huge mistakethough, to his credit, he did not get many at bats last season

…to me, the most effective solution would be to acquire Jermaine Dye from the White Sox…

“On Tuesday, Nov. 11, several White Sox officials watched Mets pitching prospects Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ reported Mark Gonzales in the Chicago Tribune.

According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox were scouting players for deals that include Dye, who hit .292 with 34 HR, 96 RBI and a .344 OBP in 154 games last season.

Dye will earn $11.5 million in 2009, after which he has a mutual option in 2010 for $12 million, or a $1 million buyout that could make him a free agent.

either way, the Mets are not going to have enough minor-league talent or money to upgrade at both second base and left field…so, if the Mets are unable to trade for dye, and they decide ibanez is not ideal, then my suggestion would be to sign Orlando Hudson to play second, and start Daniel Murphy in left field with a substantial back-up, i.e., Jose Reyes, Orlando Hudson, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church and Daniel Murphy would lack substantial power, but it would be sound and balanced, and the infield would be strong up the middle, which, to me, is more important

167 Responses to “Outfielder: Mets looking for Right-Handed Bat”

  1. bkfitz says:

    Juan Rivera got no playing time last year b/c the Angels had 5 other OFs (Hunter, Matthews, Anderson, Willits, Guerrero)

    • BiggieSmalls says:

      Juan Rivera is OK if you are the4 KC Royals.. Not the NEW YORK Mets.

    • PA-Mets-Fan says:

      As much as I like Dye, you can’t deplete the farm for a 1 or 2 year player, who is getting up in age. Hang onto the kids and go the free agent route!!!

      • BiggieSmalls says:

        who is teh free agent?

        this offense gives me pause.

        I dont see DelGado repeating,
        Church is a Question Mark
        Scheilder is an auto out.
        Castillo is horrendous and
        we are penciling in Fernando Tatis and a rookie who may not be Mickey Mantle right away for significant time in Left

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          also, we have to hope to get 156+ games from Beltran, Wright and Reyes without a decent backup player

        • Gina says:

          Unfortunately I agree. But I also see this as more of a reason not to give up prospects in a trade. IMO you only do that for older risky players like Dye if you ave a deep farm system and can afford it, which we obviously don’t and/or you don’t have a lot of question marks and you know that one piece can get you over the hump, which isn’t us either IMO.

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          if we arent one player from getting over the hump then we are in deep do do.. (A$$uming that one player is in addition to K Rod as closer)

          Im not crazy worried about the BP as that is sooo streaky.. again.. a$$uming we have a lock down closer… I think the farm may be deeper at the low end then we think so we may have to use some of the higher chips to get us to the show over the next two years.

          Id trade out F Mart if it meant we had a real good chance of getting to late October over the next three years. prospects are just that.. prospects/

        • Gina says:

          I’d trade F-mart, if we were bringing in a relatively young, like late 20s maybe early 30s player, Jason Bay for example, who would played at a well above average level and would fill a hole for multiple years. But not for one year band-aid type players.

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          get on the El Caballo bandwagon.

          32 years old
          300 hitter/30+ homers and doesnt stike out.

          plus a great marketing tool and hits right handed.\

          signed for 4 years at 18.5 a year which aint bad when Ty Wigginton is gonna make 10 mil a year.

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          and bobby abreu is signing up for 15 mil a year./

        • therealsince86 says:

          Exactly Gina. Fmart can be traded but it has to be for a young player still under control. Maybe even a SP.

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          Four years of the Horse in left is a worth F Mart.

          We could only hope for him to get to that level of play.

          And 18.5mil is a bargain in a world where Manny will get 25+ a year.

        • Gina says:

          I don’t think Lee is going to be playing at the same level he is 2 years from now let alone 4. If nothing else I don’t think there’s anyway he’s going to be able to continue to play left field 2 years from now. I honestly think Manny might have a better chance of avoiding a drastic offensive decline than Lee.

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          Just because a brotha is built like a brick house doesnt mean he is fat..What’s he to do? he’s Panamanian?

          He missed tome this year for the first time in forrver because he had a broken FINGER>

          other than that the big dude has played 155+ games every year.

          He is a 32 year old Rock in his prime. Manny is 36 and without much muscle tone.

        • Tidewater says:

          I don’t think generally be too worried about offense. The offense was not the issue last year. If we had even a decent bullpen we’d have made the post season. A full year of Church will help, and Castillo can’t be that bad again! I believe that Delgado will be fine.

          Let’s work on the pitching first and foremost, then worry about the upgrades on “o”

        • 4JoeOrsulak says:

          Carlos Lee is not worth F!Mart. He’s one of the most overrated players in baseball.

        • LNBGS says:

          Fmart package for Lee anyday anytime…

        • BiggieSmalls says:

          over rated? does anyone even know who he is?

          check his numbers and you wont call him over rated.

  2. MetsLv31 says:

    Grammar police:
    “…accept maybe the Dodgers…” -> “…except maybe the Dodgers…”

    Also, just say No to Manny

  3. stickguy says:

    like dye. Don’t like hudson. bad vibes on the age, declining range, and multiple wrist injuries. Plus, he really isn’t that good of a hitter (clas-sic case of the reputation being better than the reality).

    Dye as essentially a salary dump make a lot of sense.

    I honestly think if they aren’t going with Murphy at 2B, and go with murphy/tatis/evans etc. as the left fielder, then we will see castillo to start the year at 2B. unless a miracle occurs and someone decides to trade for him!

    Wiggington would be a useful bat for sure. part platoon? super sub? Might be a tad redundant to Tatis, but certainly would be nice to have him back, since he could serve as the BU MI (better than Easley).

    Bench needs to be better next year. Of course, it would help if all the bench guys didn’t end up starting or on the DL!

    anyway, other than hudson, theer is penty of power. Lots of doubles, and every guy (notice though you don’t likst a catcher!) is good for 20 HRs probably (or close to it), especailly when you factor in the LF platoon.

    • BiggieSmalls says:

      if we can upgrade left field with significant power (Dye of Carlos Lee) then move DelGado for some relievers and insert Murph at First I can live with Castillo batting eight and playing his way off the team in June.

    • BiggieSmalls says:

      stick- 8 mil on Wiggy just doesnt sounds like a bargain when he started mostly last year.- esp for a super sub we have to trade for.

      And im getting quezzy of the left field situation. We are relying on Tatis and Mickey Mantle Murphy to carry the load which Im not comfortable with.

      Murph can be the super sub on the cheap- Kevin Mitchell player if we can get some real power for LF.

    • JamesK says:

      “Juan Rivera is a right-handed bat, who can also play first base”

      Juan Rivera has played exactly 2 innings at 1st base in his major league career…. got anymore tall tales for us??

  4. One Day This Team Will Kill Me says:

    Carlos Lee

  5. Deaner says:

    I’d like to see them take a run at dye

    That’d be pretty solid.

    reyes
    beltran
    wright
    delgado
    dye
    church
    murphy
    shchneider

    bench: tatis, castro, endy, evans, castillo? etc…

  6. casey s. says:

    Slim pickin’s, huh? Omar needs to focus on the pen, rotation, and second base. Outfield doesn’t seem to offer much other than bad trade opportunities.

    • Gina says:

      Agreed. The only thing I would think would make sense would be bringing Rivera in, to be a bench player or part of some super platoon of course not an every day player, if he signs for a relatively cheap contract. Or signing a guy like Dunn with the plan to move him to first next year, at least we’d have one less hole next year to fill.

  7. mark4212 says:

    I wouldn’t consider El Caballo (Lee) a bad trade option. This guy is an offensive Beast from the right side of the plate. He’s Manny Lite. He averages over 25 HR a year, close to 100 RBI, about a .300 average. He’s 32 and under contract for a few years.

    I would love him over Dye. But it always depends on what the trades will be.

  8. chicagometfan says:

    If we can’t get Dye or Lee how about Ty Wiggington ?.
    Solid RH bat with multiple position ability plus knows NY and is available

  9. zen says: