Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets should stick with the current Mets core for one more year, and prioritize the draft in June, 2010.
Sherman believes signing one Type A free agent doesn’t elevate the Mets to a championship level, and it would cost the Mets a second round draft pick in the amateur 
draft in June and not necessarily guarantee success based on the results of the spending spree after the 2001 season.
…this is really a wise course in my opinion…i really don’t want the Mets to make a splash just for the sake of spending money and appeasing that desire, rather i would be much happier with spending on several key pieces that upgrade the team all around… not that guys like Matt Holliday, John Lackey and Roy Halladay don’t address their needs, but spending on those types players, while they definitely need their talent and guts, both talent wise and dollar wise, limits their ability to address a lot of other needs they clearly have…
Instead, Sherman suggests augmenting their current group with several pieces this winter, and then supplement the team again at the trade deadline in July, all while addressing the issues of depth which he believes is the reason for their failures the past three years.
…i think depth is certainly a key reason, but i also believe the Mets have been poorly coached over that stretch as well… i feel the pitching staff has been poorly coached and developed as they just don’t seem to progress and improve as they get older and get more experienced and it seems to be a common thread whether it’s with guys on the Major League level or guys they bring up through the system…
For more on this, check out the New York Post here.
Added to by Matthew Cerrone:
...this is why i think previous reports might be correct, in that the team is trying to thread the needle, i.e., sign a big-time free agent, but only if the market shifts in a way that makes that player reasonable, then make a trade or two to switch up the roster and lessen long-term commitments, all while keeping the draft in tact... i bet if they could, they’d make nothing but trades, but that just isn’t realistic…
Our farm team should be 75% of our off season efforts. I agree 100% We are so far away from competing that one or two high priced option will not get the job done. It’s time to scrap & grow.
We need better coaches, and talent scouts IMHO, not high priced talent.
How did the Mets go from predicted division winners (BP)/ WS champions (SI) to so far away from competing after one freakish season of injuries?
I guaran-damn-tee that if either the Phillies or Yankees had the equivalent injuries befall their teams, neither would have been in the playoffs, let alone the WS.
Because as much as they like to say otherwise, baseball fans and writers often can’t see much further ahead of them than the nose on their face.
I agree with Sherman to a point. I’m all for building the farm system and adding much needed depth to this team. I think that’s exactly what Omar has done thus far with his moves at Catcher.
IMO the biggest need the Mets currently have is a #2 SP. In Santana, the Mets currently have one of the highest paid players in the game and it’s clear that they’re not looking to add another #1 who commands $18-$22 million in annual salary.
Sherman though points to a greater crop of FA pitchers that could be available in the next couple of seasons, and suggests we don’t fall in love with guys like Lackey, who are a step below, but look better due to the lack of FA depth at the position.
While the greater abundance of FA pitchers in coming years will certainly drive down their price tags, pitchers like Beckett, Holliday, Cliff Lee in 2010 and Felix Hernandez, Verlander and Josh Johnson in 2011 will most likely all command #1 type contracts.
The Mets should not overpay for Lackey, and have the stones not to chase the market if other teams start driving up his price, but that certainly shouldn’t preclude them from trying to sign him at a reasonable contract (less than what Burnett got).
I agree with the idea of trying to retain the better prospects and build the farm for another year. And duh, yes the core is going to be here in 2010.
Where I disagree with many (yes sellitman, oooking at you!) is that the Mets are “so far away from competing”
They still have 5 (20% of the roster) of the best players in the league, all of whom could easily be on the AS team in 2010 if they just stay normally healthy and productive (career averages). Very few teams have that, and that alone will at least keep them in the hunt (IOW competitive).
Unless, of course, you think every injured guy wont recover, and every one that had an off year will not imporve. But if that is the case, there is no hope no matter who you sign!
There is a reason many pundits picked them to be in the WS last season.
Yes, they have some holes to fill, and some guys they have to count on to rebound. But really, just about every team has the same thing, every year.
Omar and friends will make some moves. But with the core, in place, and lots of other talent on the roster, passing on the mega contract type A FAs isn’t conceding, it is a very reasonable plan to build the farm and depth while going for the PS in 2010.
The key, of course, is to target the right guys to beef up the supporting cast (not always an Omar trait). And feel free to grab a LT solution like Holliday if the price is reasonable.
I’m pretty sick of that angle where one guy isn’t going to help. We do realize that we were in first place when the injuries started. FIRST. We still were hanging on until the final rash of injuries with Beltran.
Yes, one player can make the difference when we are really going to adding 3 or 4 others as well.
Holiday replaces Delgado’s production, heck you can still resign him, and it’s basically the team we started the year with minus murphy, plus Holiday. Grab yourself a Randy Wolfe and your rotation is upgraded from last year as well. You’d be replacing Livan with Wolfe.
2 quick moves plus injured players will = success.
That is what i have been trying to say for a long time. We can pick up Delgado to platoon with Murphy at first base. Holliday in LF. I would be very intrigued by what Bedard would accomplish by a switch to the NL along with Wolf. That’s a better line up and a better rotation with more depth then last year BEFORE all the injuries when we were a supposed force in the NL East.
I disagree. Beltran, santana, Krod and soon to be Wroght and Reyes are in their prime. We need just 1 or 2 players more to make a championship. I would take Holliday as a LF, Sheets, Harden or Bedard as your #2, Pineiro,Wolf or Marquis as your #3, Hudson as your 2B, Barajas or Molina as your C and Biemel or Putz as your RP. So right now I think this is a winning team and it should be the 2010 Mets team
Line-up:
Reyes
Hudson
Beltran
Holliday
Wright
F-Core
Molina/Barajas
Murphy
P
Rotation:
Johan
Sheets/Harden/Bedard
Pineiro/Wolf/MArquis
Pelfrey
Perez
Bullpen:
Stokes
Parnell
Feliciano
Maine
Biemel/Putz
K-Rod
Bench:
Pagan
Other catcher
Cora
A Hern
Reed
Sullivan/Evans
Exaclty 06!
We are in perfect position to get two guys and be the best team in the NL
I agree, good call. We where AWSOME in 06, missed the playoffs by ONE GAME in 07, THREE GAMES in 08 and 09 was a diaster due to injuries. We where in first place for part of 09. I think that if we DO NOT make a splash and get a #2 arm and a big bat we will waste the prime of the players we have. The window is almost closed, if we dont push now I fear it will be to late. Santana, Beltran, Wright, Reyes, K-Rod they are not getting younger, we have to make a move now or forget about it. We will be looking ahead to 2012 . LETS GO METS !!!
Omar will be fired if the MEts don’t make the playoffs in 2010. He has to sign Holliday and all the other suggestons I made.
Holliday is an ownership decision. No owner will let a GM commit $100M withou their approval.
Omar won’t be fired if they don’t make the 2010 playoffs. If they make the proper long term deals he will be retained. There are money issues from Madoff, last year was injury plagued, and any sane owner can look at the issues and realize it is an uphill battle this year. Reyes and Beltran are coming off serious injuries. Santana, Perez also had surgery. Maine is coming off an injury. The probability all these come back at 100% of 2008 levels is nowhere near 100%. Add in the Wright full season funk and adding one or two players is not going to guarantee a playoff situation.
I dont think Omar will be fired because he is a puppet right now. He can’t make a move without going through a chain of command. I read somewhere that other GM’s were saying Omar is not the same, not as decisive as he used to be and had to get back to them on every issue discussed. IMO Jeff is running the show, and Omar the puppet.
I really hate to constantly make the Yankees comparison, but again it gets so frustrating to watch a team identify its needs and routinely fill them with the best available players while the Mets continue to operate in the most gimmicky manner possible. It’s always about ‘waiting for the market to shift’ and ‘hoping for a bargain’ and the like.
Matt Holliday is just a perfect fit in a position at which we don’t have much of a future option. Just like Teixiera was for the Yankees last winter. But rather than just be aggressive nad be focused and get him, we are going to dance around hoping his “price comes down” or he “runs out of options.” And losing a second round pick for a perennial all-star is an issue? Really?
The best way I can describe the Mets is they are always trying to get away with something. Squeeze an extra year out of a problem player….try to get something out of every bad contract rather than cut them loose…always go into the free-agent market looking for bargains or positioned as an ‘alternative’ instead of making themselves a destination…to say nothing of the way they market themselves. It’s impossible to have a ‘plan’ this way, because it requires reacting to what everyone else does.
dave27,
I couldn’t agree more! There isn’t a better time to sign a Type A than this off-season when our top pick is protected. Especially when that type A is the power hitting leftfielder in his prime that the Mets have been searching for since Cliff Floyd was here. Would I give up a second rounder to sign Matt Holiday?? You bet ya, anyday of the week I would pull the trigger! There are no guarantees with the draft, not too mention unless we were to find an absolute stud in the draft you are talking 3 years minimum before he even sniffs the majors at which point our core will be much older and some may not even be on the team! But without a doubt we know what Matt Holiday is, the perfect piece to fill our LF and line-up needs much like Texeira was for the Yankees. That said I’m in total agreement with not overpaying Lackey, or anyone else not named Matt Holiday! We must sign Matt Holiday it’s as close to a no -brainer decision as you can get!
While Sherman makes some good points, I don’t agree with him on saying the Mets shouldn’t go for a FA (like Holliday). He is implying they shouldn’t add a very good hitter in the middle of the lineup so they can save a 2nd round pick (they will still have their #1 Draft pick no matter what happens)??
Key to the draft is to have good scouting and smart choices, but that’s where the Mets have failed. Does having a 2nd rounder helps? Yes. But if you are going to pass on Holliday to draft guys like Moviel and Kunz in the 2nd round, it’s a mood point. By signing a Type A FA this year (and making some smart trades) Minaya should have the chance to put a very good team on the field in 2010 and beyond (assuming all core players are healthy: Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Santana, etc).
Of course, the key to the Mets season will be to unload Castillo and then start making moves. But with all possible players available (not offer arbitration, non tender + teams with financial issues) and combining it with FA signing of Matt Holliday, the Mets should be in very good shape to compete in the NL East while improving the farm system in the future. Just to mention a few moves that could improve the team?
FA Signing: Matt Holliday
Rotation Options: Wolf, E Jackson (trade), Washburn, Garland
Bullpen Options: Dotel, Bemiel, K Calero, W Ohman, JJ Putz
2B Option: O Hudson, Felipe Lopez (assuming the Mets can trade Castillo)
C Option: Bengie Molina, Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba, Jason Kendall, Ivan Rodriguez, Rod Barajas (Type B FA won’t cost picks), Chris Snyder (trade)
Then add those low risk / high reward type players that could get incentive type deals or invitations to ST:
Chad Cordero, Luis Vizcaino, Jeff Weaver, Luis Ayala, K Escobar, Sheets, Bedard, E Gagne, Jason Schmidt, Noah Lowry, Mark Mulder, Brett Myers, Brad Penny, Troy Glaus (1B), Carlos Delgado
Lineup:
SS Reyes
2B Hudson / F Lopez
CF Beltran
LF Holliday
3B Wright
1B Glaus
C Olivo / Barajas / Snyder / Rodriguez
Rotation
LHP Santana
RHP Jackson
LHP Wolf / Washburn / Garland
RHP Pelfrey / Maine
LHP O Perez
Bullpen
CL-RHP Rodriguez
RHP Dotel / Putz
RHP Parnell
LHP Feliciano
LHP Bemiel / Ohman
RHP Green
RHP Stokes
Bench:
OF Pagan
C Blanco
INF Murphy
INF Cora
OF Sullivan
That team will should put 93 Wins (if healthy), with an approximately $139MM budget (same as last year) and costs only a 2nd rounder (Holliday signing).
Agreed, does anyone know who St. Louis gave up for Holliday for half a season?
high risk, high reward guys that are cheap: Harden AND Beddard; Glaus or Delgado to 1B; Olivo for C; get Gonzalez for the pen as setup and potential closer if KRod tanks. Keep Pagan to limit Beltran’s games. For LF Holliday if there is enough money, Dye or Derosa otherwise. If the latter then add Ankiel as a 5th OF.
Excluding Holliday from the following conversation: All are upgrades. None cost a pick. All have risks. But 4 of the 5 will have real trade value and at least two would generate Type A picks, the rest may generate Type B.
Olivo / Blanco
Delgado / Murphy or Evans
Castillo /Cora
Reyes
Wright
Dye I’d Derosa / Ankiel
Beltran / Pagan
Francouer
Santana
Beddard / Sheets
Harden
Pelfrey / Niese
Perez
KRod
Gonzalez
Parnell
Niece
Stokes like pitcher
Feliciano
Maine
Focus on rebuilding the farm system
This is why neither Omar nor Jerry should’ve been brought back.
The Mets are in a quandry because they had no plan or strategy in years past and they don’t appear to have one this year either.
Omar has always been about the quick fix…see 2005/2006 as examples. Throw a ton of money at past-their-prime stars (Pedro)make a big splashy trade (Delgado) for the same type of player and get out of the way. In the 2006 the Mets dominate and fold in the NLCS…why? Because they broke down…El Duque and Pedro. That year was the last we heard from those two guys. Omar had no plan beyond that so he went aggressively at it again.
The following two years, Santana aside, Omar has made big moves for broken down players.
In 2009 it exploded into a disater revealing that Omar never really had a plan and the Mets coaches and staff were literally along for the ride on the backs of a $145 million payroll.
Good business sense, baseball smarts, caution and a vision for the future were never part of the Wilpon philosophy when it came to the Mets. And Omar, Manuel and Warthen et al fit right in to this mess
So now we have the great Santana to lead an otherwise disappointing starting rotation and a third baseman and leader of the team spooked by his own home park.
With Johan, Wright, Beltran, Reyes (if healthy) and K-Rod…the team is built to win now. They almost have to spend the money…it’s just too bad they’re the guys writing the checks and making the decisions.
This idea of tanking an offseason to retain draft picks is completely absurd! Having the 1st rounder protected already saves the draft.
Draft picks are such a crap shoot that keeping their 2nd round pick can in no way compare to what signing a Holliday or Lackey would mean. They have to do what is best for both the short and long term, and that is signing Holliday to a six year deal.
It has been my opinion for a number of years now that the best way for a team to conserve its draft picks and still be top major league team is to group its big free agents into one offseason, so they get the players they need while only effecting every third draft or so.
This winter the Mets are in the ideal situation to sign three Type A free agents because the first round pick is protected, and they have the needs.
It is so much better to lose the 2010 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks, than to lose the 2010 2nd, 2011 1st, and 2012 1st rounders.
They have to be very smart this offseason and sign the right players because they should be looking to ride these players out for the next 2-5 years. Help will have to come from the farm after this winter, not during this winter.
the problem is Sherman didn’t give any options for spending this money around.
I wouldn’t mind signing Piniero and say Sheets. What about LF though if we dont go after holliday?
Bay.
I agree with Sherman for the most part but what he misses in his analysis and in his list of upcoming fa’s is that there are no lf options in the coming years like Holliday. Giving up a 2nd rounded for a guy like him is not going hurt your future and just makes too much sense to pass up on!