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In his most recent report for SI.com, Jon Heyman lists the Mets and Phillies among 10 teams that can add payroll in a mid-season acquisition.
Last week, in a post to his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney said the Mets can add roughly $5 million to their payroll.
Heyman says the Mets seek ‘a hitter who plays the outfield or first base (but preferably both) is the priority.’
In a post to the Daily Stache, Anthony Lafaman writes:
“This has to be an instance where Minaya earns that pay. He has to be creative, he can’t sleep until he makes a deal that plugs one of these holes. Even if that means parting with Niese or Fernando Martinez. I’m always against trading blue-chippers but this is a extreme set of circumstances.”
… i don’t know… i’m torn on this… i mean, at this point, as much as i think Adam Dunn is a perfect fit for the Mets, is he enough… is he, alone, able to make up for Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran… i am just not sure it makes sense to trade, say, Bobby Parnell and position prospect for one hitter, like dunn… or, say, parnell, Fernando Martinez, and who knows what else, to get Matt Holliday from the A’s… and so, right now, with so many injuries, is over-paying for one hitter the right move… i am not yet sure it is…
That said, according to MLB.com, the D’Backs are getting closer to moving players, such as Jon Garland, infielder Felipe Lopez and Chad Tracy.
If Bobby Parnell is the main piece in a deal to get an Adam Dunn type player you have to do it. He’s a nice pitcher, and I know he’s the setup-man-de jour, but he’s not irreplaceable.
plus we have Dunn for 2010 at 1b
I’d rather they go after someone like Adam LaRoche in the offseason. I believe he’s a FA.
Dunn and Holliday shouldn’t even be in the same paragraph.
I think Holliday would be great in Citi because he hits well to the gaps.
Tough to put Fernando Martinez in that trade. Question is how many games does Holliday make the Mets better by, and how many do we need to make the playoffs.
Holliday should be cheaper than anticipated, his numbers are so so this year.
Yes, his numbers are so so because now he is playing in a big park like Citi! Who cares if he can hit the gaps? We got plenty of guys that can do that! WE need a guy that can crush it out of Citifield on a regular basis. Adam Dunn is the only player available guaranteed to do so. NOt too mention Holiday would cost too much.
I am in the boat that likes Dunn as a player. But especially right now i don’t know where he fits with the Mets. Do you send Murphy down who currently is starting to hit well, and defensively has been good at 1st. We know he can’t play the Outfield and We know DUNN can’t either. What does Sheff and Church do straight Platoon?
Also what do the Mets do next season. Does F-Mart get an everyday job? Do the move Church? Do you not play Murphy or Evans?
There is a lot more to consider with acquiring Dunn then just needing Homers this year.
Excellent points Mark! I would think u would have to platoon CHurch and Sheffield in right with obviously more CHurch. SHeff was supposed to come off the bench to begin with.
This is why i wanted Delgado Gone to start the year. Live with Murphy in the Outfield or use Reed, Pagan, Evans or call up F-mart and live with them and have Dunn at 1st.
Fair enough, but I’d say his low numbers are because he has O Cabrera or Giambi behind him everynight, hitting .230 and .210 respectively.
Matt, asmuch as I agree with you that Dunn would fit nicely, he alone cannot help with Beltran now out. Now if we are still in it when Beltran comes back after the all-star break than I think you have to explore it. I mean what good is having that big power bat if teams are just going to walk him. To me , right now it just doesn’t makes sense to do a trade from a realistic stand point why give up what could be key pieces for someone who is just going to get pitched around with no protection in the lineup? Not too mention rival GM’s will simply try to rape Omar because they know the mets are in rough shape right now. NOt a good position to be in for sure when doing a trade.
I agree they are not in the best position to make a trade with the injuries, but being 1.5 games back and this only being June actually means this could be a buy low time (relatively to later). My point is, the price is very high now, but it will only get higher when other teams suffer injuries and start to get more serious about going for it, and when the Mets get more desperate after the Phillies make a deal or go on a run.
Let’s not wait for the prices to go up. Get your guy now, make your move, and if it doesn’t work out, you can trade him to a contender later, ala Astros with Beltran (traded for him June 24 and said publicly if they dont start winning that month, they’ll trade him for prospects in July — but they won)
Razor,…… A) You have to find someone to trade with! And you have to find someone not on the D.L. alot of top flight pitchers (as the phillies are finding out) are on the DL. THe longer wehold out the lower the price is going to be. At the deadline two things happen: 1) The Mets should be getting healthier at that point! 2) NOn-contending teams will be looking to move their players closer to the deadline. Now there are nowhere near enough teams in the selling phase of the season to make a good trade market. too many teams are still in it. Which believe it or not may work to our advantage, because the Mets if healthy don’t really need to make a trade right now in this divison to win it. THe PHillies do! even though they are currently ahead it is my belief that if we were healthy we would have buried them by now.
We are discussing a deal for Adam Dunn. The rumor is Bobby Parnell. Dunn for this year at 1b, and maybe LF if Delgado comes back, and then 1b for 2010 seems worth it to me.
I can assure you it’s going to take alot more than Bobby Parnell to get Adam Dunn. IF that was the total cost for ( Parnell for Dunn striaght up) then sure I’d pull the triger on that, but they wanted PArnell and a B level prospect for NIck JOhnson! What makes you think they’d give up Dunn for less?
I can give you $12 mil reasons a 100 loss team with a $60 mil payroll would want to go with younger players next year.
Hey I didn’t say the Nationals made sense, but their asking prices are awefull high at this point. All the teams are saying so. But then again maybe they have no intentions of trading Dunn. I certainly would’nt with as little as they are paying him (considering his power) with a dam good reason.
oops, that was supposed to read without a dam good reason. not with. my bad
So you are saying that because we need more than one guy, we should get none?
How about getting the one guy first and going from there…
You are missing the point! A) we have only got the trade chips to get one guy that can make an impact. B) Even if you get that impact guy whats the point? OMar would end up giving away half the farm for someone that teams would simply pitch around with no protection in the line up. NOw if the mets are still within say 5 games after the all-star break and either Beltran or REyes is back then yes you try to make a move, but at this point its moot.
No, you are missing the point. You don’t hedge your season like that. If you really think this team is going to win the same amount of games with Adam Dunn in the lineup as without him in the lineup the next few weeks, then no, there is no point in getting him now. I happen to think they can win a few more games the next few weeks. And while I also see the potential to fall apart the next few weeks with him or without him, his value will remain the same, if not better since the Nats may pay some of his salary. So you turn around and trade him for your prospects later.
If you seriously don’t see this as the time to make a move, you are drinking the Mets PR Kool-Aid.
And look — I understand the point. If this was a first year GM, or Pat Gillick who just won, etc, I agree. In a perfect world when you are hit like this with injuries, and your core is young, you trade your veterans and get better for the future. Yes, I see that point.
My point is that I am working under the pretty good assumption that Omar Minaya will not be back after a third straight non-playoff season, injuries or not. At the very least, he will operate under that assumption come August. So if we try to tread water until our guys come back, and we fail, I see bad things on the horizon. I see Omar desperately making a late run, and we’ve seen how great Omar is at his in-season desperation trades for veterans when his job is on the line. We can say goodbye to Wilmer, FMart, et al.
Omar Minaya will be trying to make the playoffs until the bitter end in 2009. The faster we plug these holes and try to repair what is broken now, and hope for health and in-house help later, the better off we are come August.
Hey I’d like to trade for every one under the sun too, but the FACTS ARE that we don’t have the trade chips to get multiple guys! And it’s going to take multiple guys to replace the multiple guys we’ve lost! It’s simple math really 4 glaring holes in the lineup + only 2 somewhat major league ready prospects+ OMar over a barrell and Rival GM’s know it does not = success!
no one has been talking about multiple guys. I want Adam Dunn (2009-2010) for Bobby Parnell. We pay his full salary and they can sign their first round pick and move on with Nick Johnson and their 400 5 tool OFers.
The nationals will want more than Parnell for Dunn, even if we paid the whole salary! I’m not saying it’s sound thinking, but like I said they wanted Parnell and a B level prospect just for Johnson who is a free agent next year. Why in the world would they part with a guy that they control for a season and a half for reasonable money for less than they want for Johnson? I think the Nationals are crazy, but that’s what they are asking for.
This team is too messed up to make any drastic moves right now. Most people thought that even when we had Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran all playing and healthy that this team was still one big bat or big pitcher away from seriously contending.
So considering we have lost 2 pitchers, a set up man and 3 of the top 4 offensive players how could we still be the same 1 bat away.
We might need to trade Niese or Martinez next year to fill a missing spot that would put us over the top.
We are limited in prospects and if we are going to trade one it should be to put us over the top, not to keep us afloat.
perfectly said. You trade for pieces of the future core or for the final piece of the puzzle. Not to plug holes and buy time
Yes, Dunn and Holliday shouldn’t be in the same paragraph. Dunn is a far better addition. Dunn would provide an instant power source, one that this team does not have. At. All. Ask the Mets pitchers if they enjoy going to war with 8 singles hitters (like last night). To win with a small-ball team, you need excellent pitching. Which the Mets do not have.
Holliday truly is a Coors Field illusion, and he adding further proof to that reality this year. As a Met, his slugging percentage would drop even lower than it is now (a robust .421). We already have a bunch of light-hitting OFers—adding another (who is a FA at the end of the season) doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Stache’s rationale is exactly the kind of thinking that cost us Scott Kazmir. Remember, we were deluded that year into thinking that we could pick up a “now” player to help us win in a weak division when we were, after sweeping the Yanks just before the All Star Break, 1 game over .500.
There is no quick fix to this problem. When Dunn is butchering the position he’s asked to play in a pitcher’s park, people will be wondering if those tape-measure home runs are worth it, especially with all the holes created by multiple injuries and underperforming players.
I for one, can handle things just the way they are. The team is snake-bitten this year on injuries a-la 1987. Let this rag-tag bunch try to piece it together, and if we get healthy, we could run away with it in the 2nd half. If not, they have an offseason to make non-panic moves that can keep us growing both from the inside and out, instead of mortgaging the future on a real gamble of a team this year.
Well said. I feel pretty comfortable that Omar is not the sort of GM that panics easily.
I disagree completely. If this team does not make the playoffs this season Omar Minaya will not be here this off-season. If you think they will just re-tool in August at 9 games back you are dead wrong. If they fall apart, say goodbye to every prospect in the tank.
Omar will be here even if they miss the playoffs.
The over the top amount of injuries to key players is going to give him a pass. Especially if he has the calm forethought to hold onto the key prospects he needs to put together the 2010 team.
I would actually fire him instead if he gutted the farm for a run at the playoffs, even if they mad e the WC and got blown out in round 1, if it meant they were going to suck in 2010+
Yes, that’s how I would do it too, but I fear Omar feeling the heat more than what should happen, or what you and I would do.
I personally would not give him a pass. The Reyes injury is the only thing that he couldn’t see coming. Delgado was injured last year and is 37, Seattle told us Putz had an elbow injury, and Beltran is hurt like this all the time — it’s just 15 days. Maine’s injury is just returning from his 2008, not a surprise, and I don’t think anyone is buying OP’s ‘injury’
To me, you can say every year was just injuries (Floyd, Alou, Delgado) but injuries happen and tho i actually like Omar, I would move on if the team either 1) falls dramatically or 2) loses on the final day of the season.
Omar may make some tweaks to the team at the margins, but I’d be very surprised if he pulled the trigger on someone like Dunn right now. Especially with what the Nats are asking for him. Dunn’s bat would not make that much of a difference to the Mets current roster – especially when you factor in his high Ks and lousy defense.
I believe Omar will stand pat. If he’s getting reports that Reyes, Beltran and Delgado will all be back before the end of July, then he has no compelling reason to make a big trade. If they are all going to be out indefinitely, then he still has no reason to make a trade as the season is basically over for the Mets.
The 2009 Mets are much like the 2005 Red Sox right now – a good team brought down by a ridiculous amount of injuries. If things stay as they are, Omar will take a page out of Theo’s book and start planning for 2010.
I agree OMar gets a pass this year due to the injuries and sadly likewise with Jerry Manuel.
I dunno if Jerry gets a pass this season. His mismanagement of the bullpen has been pretty glaring and is somewhat independent of the injuries issue.
I’m not a big fan of Bobby Valentine, but I found it interesting that he said he has no hard feelings about the Mets and that he will wait until the offseason before deciding his future (thus telling the Nats, don’t call me I’ll call you). Jerry may be gone this offseason if the right manager becomes available. I’d prefer Tony LaRussa over Bobby V anyday, but Tony’s not going anywhere.
I agree its really not the time to make a move because
1 – everybody knows the mets are injury ravaged and that they are looking to make a move hence they are going to increase their prices
2 – is one big bat really going to help us at this point? we need to see if the team can keep it together until we get players back most importantly i believe reyes and beltran, maine should be back soon, maybe pagan? and then see where we are with the trade
With the high on base percentage our lineup has Dunn would be a great asset. Think 3 run homers as he will be up with men on base most of the time. 18 more home runs year to date from Dunn probably would have added 6-10 wins to our current total. The sad thing is we could havehad him as a free agent instead of giving up future contributers
Don’t know if I agree with that reasoning. First Dunn’s home runs are not in a vacuum. Add Dunn’s, but subtract Sheffield and the LF home runs from Tatis and Murphy. So you’re really talking about a +8-10–not insignificant, but still, not +18. Then note that he’s a worse defensive outfielder than Sheffield and Tatis and maybe even Murphy, which is saying something.
He has a high OBP, but is an absolute base-clogger with no speed, so does not fit into our offensive mold at all. I think he would make our team marginally better, but not nearly as much as you think. Now, combine his Ks with Wright’s K problem and you’re talking about a 3-4 or 4-5 hole combination in the middle of the lineup that whiffs like 400 times. Talk about rally killers in a ballpark where you need to extend innings…
In all, I think Omar was right not to sign him this offseason–he’s not the right fit for us. I don’t think that’s changed because 2/3 of our team is injured. It just means that, well, 2/3 of our team is injured…
% of Sheff’s HR’s have come as a pinch hitter or DH so he still would have gotten those AB’s .Dunn would only replace one of the two (Tatisor Shef0 anf that is 5 total hr’s vs Dunn’s 18 plus Sheff would get some AB’s against tough lefties instead of Church
Sheff is just as big a base clogger as Dunn. Tatis is a bigger rally killer with DP’s . Dunn in this lineup from day 1 would have made a HUGE difference.
5 of Sheff’s HR’s have come as a pinch hitter or dh so he would still have had those AB’s even with Dunn
Valid point on the HRs, but Sheff as much of a base clogger as Dunn? That’s rediculous. Sheff still has SB ability that he’s already demonstrated, and has good baserunning instincts. Dunn is essentially Delgado on the bases.
Matt, I hear what your saying. There is merit to your assessment, but I think a move may be needed.
The key to whether or not you make a move is if the Mets medical staff can be trusted with making an accurate assessment. If the injured players are realistically thought to return around their estimated dates, then you make a trade now?
Why? Not because a new player would make up for Delgado, Beltran and Reyes, but because they may help the Mets win a few more games than they would have without him. Each game is critical to keep the Mets within striking distance when the injured players return and THAT IS THE KEY. The Mets must stay within striking distance.
Now, I wouldn’t look to the Nationals for help. Their ownership and front office have always been disfunctional. They can never read the market correctly. If they are looking for two or three top prospects for Johnson or Dunn, they’re nuts. (I’m getting that vibe, since everyone is reporting that the prices are high).
Here’s the thing – people keep talking about Aubrey Huff because he can play the outfield and first base. Well, Daniel Murphy seems to be finding his stride at first and Huff hasn’t played one inning in the outfield this season. I’m not sure he’s an ideal fit.
That said, I would reach out to Kenny Williams in Chicago and see what the price on Jermaine Dye is. Ken Rosenthal seems to think that a team willing to assume his entire contract wouldn’t have to give up much. How much is not much? Would a package around Jon Niese and Ike Davis do it?
good points all around, I agree with Murphy, he’s finally starting to hit he can play first so the ideal position to fill with a big bat would be LF. If we can get somewhere there cheap then do it, if not wait it out.
I agree with one thing and that is that Omar will earn his salary in the upcoming weeks.
I’d rather have Dunn than Holliday because he’s essentially a rental and won’t come cheap. But if we get Dunn we’ll essentially have to two DH’s and a terrible defensive outfield.
On a side note, Oliver Perez might go down as the worst signing in mets history.
Clarification: Holliday is the rental and will be expensive in terms of prospects
Coleman, Bobby Bo, Mo and Jim Fergosi come to mind…when I think bad deals…
THIS team, as is, is perfectly capable of beating out the NL East.
Philly’s had their miracle. It’s over.
I’m torn; but trading the guys being mentioned here for a “rental” that strikes out 3 times more than he hits a tator, seems too desparate.
After a game like last nite, I tend to say we can get to the playoffs as is!
Sometimes the best move, is no move at all.
Lets Go Mets!
Well said,,…Well said!
After a game against last night, I say, well, that was nice, but I haven’t forgotten about the game before that. Have you?
If you think that this team as constructed can get past the Phillies, you’re delusional. If everyone was healthy, sure, we’d probably be in first already. But when you’re starting Cora at SS and the not-quite-ready F-Mart in CF and Murphy/Tatis at first and Sheffield (old, playing hurt) in left, you do not have a playoff team. You have a recipe for being the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Can we win it all with the current team? NO of course not! But we can stay afloat untill we get healthy. Pagan should be back in the next week. That is atleast a start. Not an earth shattering addition, but a start!
Hey, Chad Tracy would be a savvy pickup. Dude can hit, but he’s been pushed to the periphery in Arizona because there’s nowhere for him to play with Reynolds and Jackson entrenched at the corner IF spots. He’s played a little outfield in his day, and he’s likely to be relatively inexpensive, since he’s basically a bench player for Arizona.
Lastly, it’s weird to read how getting Dunn will not affect much because he’ll have Tatis or Church batting behind him and get walked constantly. Well, instead you have Wright being walked twice yesterday to get to Tatis, and then nothing behind him. Dunn extends the lineup, gives Wright pitches to see, and with Wright’s 400 OB% I can’t see Dunn being pitched around too often to push him in to scoring position.
A couple of ideas to put on the table:
1. Again the discussion about Dunn, or Holliday or whoever. If the trade brings value, then do it. If we get an impact player, a winner who is going to make a difference and really add up, then get him. If not, forget it, get somebody without giving up value and just ride the wave.
I’m not sure, but I tend to think that Dunn doesn’t add that much value. Sure he can hit the long ball, but they say his defense isn’t up to par. They also say he’s been said to not care. Finally, Omar had a chance to get him in the offseason and he didn’t.
2. This week will be very important. They have six very difficult games ahead, and the results will tell us a big story.
3. I get the idea that pitching is still the most important part of the game. Look at our team last night. No apparent power at the plate but we ended up with 6 runs, 12 hits and won. The point is, great offense or average offense, the difference comes from the pitching.
4. That being said, it also seems to be important that Wright has officially asumed a leadership role, that I hope he cherishes and excels in. This week will give him the opportunity to really make a difference and it will also give the whole team an opportunity to feel pressure and gain a new winning attitude.
5. So, if the Mets end the week ahead, or better said, if they end the week with more wins than losses, then it shows that we have a pretty good pitching staff, only to get better (I agree with a post that said that competition from Nieve has made Redding better. I expect Perez to also benefit from it and come back really strong), and it will show that we have a pretty good team, only to get better.
6. If the week ends up being a disaster, then its another story. I personally like our chances.
Regarding your #1: JP Ricciardi, who has never been in the same organization as Adam Dunn, said — completely out of the blue — that he doesn’t care about baseball. Forgive me if I take that with a grain of salt.
Also, you’re totally right, guys who hit 40 home runs every year don’t add much value.
Maybe your right and Dunn is a great, 40 hr a year, future hall of famer, that fits perfectly with the Mets and helps them go all the way.
Personally, I am writing this season off. I realize that is heresy hear and I dont want to …just I see too many injuries to assume we can stay competitive. A hot 2 weeks by the Phillies and we would have been 6 – 8 games back right now and a few out of the WC.
I think we should strongly consider a trade of Jose Reyes to repopulate the high AAA tank with 2 – 3 near ready pitchers who can dominate. I heard this talk on the fan with Fatcessa yesterday and I think it has some merit. He was pushing Reyes to the Red Sox for Bucholz, Ellsbury and some fireballing middle reliever they have. The idea had some promise to me actually….I love Jose but he is what he is and Cora has shown me that you do not need the best flashiest glove and speed demon to be successful.
Jose for sale….see what the best offers are coming back