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Yesterday, on FOX’s Best Damn Sports Show Period, FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal had the following to say about the trade market:
“It’s still the second week of June, and we’re not yet in the situation where teams are ready to give up… Oakland has a team with a young rotation, and they don’t want to lose the support for that young rotation by starting to trade people now. In time, perhaps… We’re gonna see a lot of activity (in the trade market), but it’s just not time.”
…i get a lot of e-mails saying, ‘Why don’t the Mets just go get so-and-so,’ as if it only matters what the Mets want… i mean, it takes two to tango, and the other team has a plan and goal as well… the only team, right now, who you could probably go and make something happen with would be the Nationals…
In a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish explains why the Mets should 
not look to acquire a power bat, instead going after speed.
“Chicks don’t dig the long ball when it’s caught at the warning track,” Janish concludes.
…i totally agree, joe… this is why, a guy like A’s OF Matt Holliday could end up being the best solution, because he runs well, can steal a base, he can hit the ball for a double in the gap, and he plays an aggressive-style of baseball, for better or worse, which i think the team and fans will enjoy…
…the problem is a) will the A’s ever trade him, and b) if they decide to trade him, will the A’s ever trade him… i mean, how many times have we, as Mets fans, been down this road with Billy Beane, only to see him sit on the player and do nothing… what’s more, don’t look now, but the A’s are just four games under .500 and six games back of first place…
Last week, in a report for SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote that the Mets will not trade Fernando Martinez in a deal for Holliday.
However, yesterday morning, on ESPN Radio, Buster Olney said, from what he can tell, as of now, no team is willing to give up the number of prospects Beane will be seeking in return for Holliday.
Instead, Beane could simply keep Holliday, offer arbitration, let him walk as a free agent, and receive two compensatory draft picks.
…and so, in the end, the Mets biggest competition for holliday may be beane’s imagination, and what he believes he can get in return for those picks…
I disagree with Joe Janish…the last thing the Mets need is another line drives hitter who will be frustrated with his drop in power numbers because of Citi Field.
If there is anybody the Mets should look to pick up, it’s Adam Dunn. The overhang in RF would play to his advantage…besides, he doesn’t hit cheap HRs…he crushes them. Even Citi Field wouldn’t be able to hold him.
For what Holliday would cost, he would still just be a rental…I don’t feel like pulling a Milwaukee and trading away all of our prospects in order to get a guy for a couple of months.
I am a die hard fan and want the mets to win, but I do not want to see the farm depleted in an attempt to fix the 2009 team.
I have said this numerous times before. I would prefer looking within. Next off season, for sure, the Mets will need to acquire power and if they do not look to resign Delgado (which I do not expect them to do) then they will have some $$ to spend. Remember, both Wagner and Putz will also be gone. So just from those three you have approx 25 million to spend.
I am not saying to give up, but it would be nice to get FMART accolomated to the bigs. If he can fill a spot in the OF, then that is one less position to worry about. If he does, then we are either fairly set in OF or if we want to put power in the OF, we can trade Church.
I have to be honest here. As much as I like Murphy, I just do not see a position for him. Is he really going to be our first baseman? If he is, then the only place for power is in the OF.
If Murphy shines perhaps he (and pehaps paired with Church) would be attractive to a small market team.
I agree with all of your points, and I too think they should package Murphy to a small-market team because he just does not fit here.
An interesting note on Putz, though, is that he has a club option for $8.5 million with a $1 million buyout for 2010…do you re-sign him and hope he becomes the lights-out reliever he really is, or do you let him walk and take the compensatory draft picks?
Tough decision, but I think most of it depends on how Eddie Kunz develops. Right now he is not doing to good, and because the bullpen has been the Mets’ achilles heel in the past, I think Omar might exercise that option…
IMO trading for Holliday doesnt make us that much better, so to me, why trade a lot for him? Lets be honest with ourselves. If the Mets can get Dunn on a cheaper trade, you do it. Or if you can nab Carlos Lee or Oswalt you do it. Or if you can get a bat here with a low cost, you do it.
the fact is, unless you make a significant move it will make no difference in making us a world series contender. Therefore, keep head over water and hope the other players come back and hit well.
Billy Beane does not have the guaranteed fall back of sitting on his guy and getting good draft positioning anymore.
Even if Oakland finishes .500 or below, a team with a worse record could go out and snag Holliday and retain their top pick, allowing only supplementals to the A’s.
He got burned that way with Zito in 2006, when he roundly assumed Zito would land in New York for either the Yankees or Mets, instead he landed in San Francisco.
I don’t think it a coincidence that Adam Dunn has played on bad teams for his entire career. He strikes out too much, doesn’t drive runners in (for the amount of homers he hits), and is the worst defensive player in baseball (Murphy included).
I don’t think Nick Johnson would cost all that much. He is a free agent after this season and the Nats are completely out of it. I think Carlos Lee would not cost us that much. If the Mets eat his 18.5 million for the next 3 years, that would be the value of two prospects for the Astros. Todd Helton would be a solid option and he would not cost that much either because of his salary. He is a good defensive 1B and a professional hitter.
Just say no to Todd Helton…this team does not need any more old guys with HUGE contracts.
I am willing to ride out the storm and see how we do. The only trade I would make where I would give up the remaining prospects (including Murphy) would be for a top notch starter (Halliday, Oswalt, Peavy). Otherwise, hold onto the prospects. I have said it numerous times recently but we will be losing Delgado, Putz, Wagner off of the pay roll. That right there is about 30 million. Putz has a 9 million dollar option with a 1 million buyout. Buy him out. We do not need a 9 million dollar setup man.
I feel there is a strong possibility we will be looking to move Church and possibly Schneider if not at season’s end then at the deadline. There is another several million. That will allow us to be aggressive in the free agent market for POWER HITTING OF/1B. We do not need rentals. After blowing leads the last 2 seasons, if this season starts to get away from us due to injury let it go and retool for next year. Do not go with throwing prospects away (like V. Zambrano) to only see us miss the playoffs and lose prospects.
Speed, defense, and pitching — these have been the hallmarks of the most successful Mets teams, and should be our focus now.
Murphy’s a gamer, and a fine hitting prospect, but he’s a one-tool player. He should be in the minors learning to play a position, or he should be packaged in a deal.
Dunn doesn’t fit, but Nick Johnson does. I think we need to take a good look at obtaining him now. We can’t bank on Delgado.
Beyond that, you’re patient, waiting for the injured to return, and you explore what can happen re: adding pitching and an outfielder as things become more clear.
What exactly is that one tool that Murphy has? He is currently hitting .247 with 4 homers. He proved that he couldn’t play LF and has 1 stolen base.
The Mets organization made a huge mistake with this guy. It reminds me of when Victor Diaz had a huge September and people were calling him the next Manny Rameriez.
I agree with you on Nick Johnson. Why should we expect Delgado to be back when Brett Myers has the same injury and is out for the season.
If the mets get a bat..its gunna be a big power bat…like a holliday…nick johnson doesnt help very much..adding nick johnson gives u a guy with 1 more HR then murphy..and hes not a feared hitter so u wont be upgrading much
Fear and power are entirely subjective elements that fans project into a situation that rarely if ever impact the way players actually attack a situation.
Is Holliday a hitter than might cause a pitcher more concern than Johnson, perhaps, but so is Alex Rodriquez or Mark Tiexera the same to Holliday times 2.
The bigger problem with Johnson is he a disabled list visit waiting to happen, which is not a solution the Mets can afford.
If the Met’s are going to move quality for a guy like Holliday, I say change gears and try and pry a guy like Carl Crawford away from the Rays.
Granted, it may be a tall order, but I had heard rumblings in the offseason about their outfield glut. How do we fit? I’m not sure, F-Mart would judt be more glut . . . but we did swing a deal for Johan. Perhaps the Rays would like Niese, Murphy and two of the lower minors high upside guys?
With this park, I love the idea of Reyes and Crawford scamping around the bases, with Wright and Beltran following them. In fact, based on that, Murphy may be a decent fit at first . . .
Crawford
Castillo
Reyes
Beltran
Wright
Church
Murphy
Santos
That’s speed and gap power.
Almost everybody on here agrees that Murphy is not the answer. In my opinion neither are Church or Schneider. Changes have to happen sooner rather than later. I think Church stil has some value in a package deal. I would like to get Dunn or Carlos Lee if we could. I know about their defensive shortcomings, but right now we’re weak on defense and still have no power anyway.