Tom Seaver Fan Club

The New York Mets are looking to add a veteran starting pitcher and multiple arms to a weak relief core as the New Year approaches. The rotation has 4 quality starters with Lefties Johan Santana and Jon Niese as well as righties Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey signed for 2013. However, both Santana(arm fatigue) and Gee(Blood clot surgery) missed large portions of the 2012 campaign and the team would be smart to have a surplus of available starting pitching. Bullpen wise, the top 3 spots appear secure with their closer(Frank Francisco), 8th inning man(Bobby Parnell) and lefty specialist(Josh Edgin) all back. Francisco underwent surgery December 18th to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He should be ready to throw well before Spring Training. The Mets could use at least one more veteran righthander and a lefty to ease the load on Edgin.

The Mets have 3 primary internal options who made starts with the team in 2012 in RHPs Jeremy Heffner, Jenrry Mejia and Collin McHugh. Heffner made 13 starts(appeared in 26 games) and went 4-7 with a 5.09 ERA. The youngster has guts and could be a bottom of the rotation type. McHugh was hit hard in his 8 games(4 starts) but K-ed 17 in 21 and a third innings. He also was one of the better pitchers in the Mets minor league system the last two seasons(9-4,3.84 ERA in 27 games(22 starts) in 2011, 7-9,2.91 ERA in 25 2012 starts). Mejia has the most promise of the 3 and had a strong 2012 minor league campaign(1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 5 starts at Triple A Buffalo, 4-4,3.59 in 14 minor league starts(30 games) after missing most of 2011 with Tommy John surgery in his throwing elbow. He was called up by the big club in September,going 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 5 games(3 starts). Whoever earns the 5th spot in the rotation is more than likely keeping the seat warm for Mets super prospect RHP Zach Wheeler, who posted sub 3.30 ERAs at the Double and Triple A levels in 25 starts in 2012. A veteran free agent like ex Met Chris Young(4-9,4.15 ERA in 20 starts after rejoining the team in May after missing most of 2011 with an injured pitching shoulder) would also make sense. The team has also been linked to free agent Carl Pavano and engaged trade talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers who have 8 to 9 ML ready starters under contract.

The relief corps needs more quality arms as well as internal improvement. Francisco is a good ML closer and just needs to stay healthy. Parnell is an enigma and has struggled when attempting to close. He has tremendous stuff and talent, Mets fans continue to hope he turns those tools into outs and production. Edgin was impressive after being recalled and the southpaw has big time gas(30 Ks in 25.2 innings). He also has extensive closing experience in the minors(converted 30 of 39 saves in the minors from 2010-11) and just looks like a player. The team definitely needs to add another lefty to help Edgin avoid the same fate that felled lefty specialist Tim Byrdak(shoulder surgery) in 2012. Byrdak was brought back as a non roster FA and could pitch by midseason. Here is a name for Mets fans to remember- LHP Darin Gorski. After a strong 2011 at A ball(11-3,2.08 in 28 games(27 starts), he regressed at AA in 2012(9-8,4.00, 25 games(24 starts). However, Mets skipper Terry Collins wants to try him as a lefty specialist in Spring Training and the team added Gorski to the 40 man roster November 20th. LH Robert Carson(1-2,3.86, 10 saves in the minors in 2012, 0-0,4.73 with Mets in 17 games) also figures in the mix. RHP Jeurys Familia was appeared in 8 games with the big club in 2012 also could make the big league club with a strong spring. The Mets could also add a veteran arm with late inning experience to provide Collins with flexibility- names like ex closers Matt Capps and Jose Valverde have been rumored. J.P. Howell, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays, is a strong free agent option.

After resolving the two major issues of the 2012 offseason by resigning 3B David Wright and trading 2012 NL CY Young winner R.A. Dickey, NY Mets GM Sandy Alderson still has moves to make as the start of spring training approaches. Outfield continues to be the most obvious need with only Lucas Duda, the favorite to be the starting Left Fielder in 2013, a good bet to be in the lineup opening day. The team could also use another veteran low cost veteran starting pitcher as well as bullpen help, particularly of the left handed variety.

The recent trade with the Oakland A’s helped the Mets add an ideal 4th OF type in RH Collin Cowgill. His right handed stick(.298 vs LHP, .223 vs RH in 196 at bats over 2 ML seasons) makes him a strong platoon candidate on a team loaded with left handed bats in the Outfield. Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis(Can play all 3 OF spots) and Mike Baxter are all left handed batters, so adding a quality righty helps balance the group. Scott Hairston is a free agent and continues to talk with the Mets and 2-3 other teams. Reportedly, he is holding out for a 2 year deal. Hairston had a strong 2012 campaign, hitting .263 with 20 homers(career high) and 57 rbi in 377 at bats for the Mets. He brutalized lefties, clubbing 11 homers in 189 at bats while hitting .286 vs Southpaws.

In an ideal world, free agent CF Michael Bourn would be on the Mets by New Years. But he is a Scott Boras client($$$$$$$) and the Mets are not yet in the position to target elite free agents. Bourn, a top flight leadoff man and excellent CF, is a perfect fit for the Mets. Just not going to happen unless Santa drops off a present at Citi Field! Instead, look to trades for players such as Oakland A’s CF Coco Crisp or two members of the Arizona Diamondbacks- OFs Jason Kubel and Gerardo Parra. The Colorado Rockies also have 5 major league level OFs and reportedly have been shopping CF Dexter Fowler(GET HIM!) and superstar RF Carlos Gonzalez(expensive!!!). Regardless, the Mets cannot seriously open the season with this current group in the outfield and Alderson must add at least 1 major league player before April 1st.

In a deal that will hurt the Mets definitely short term but hopefully help long term, New York traded 2012 National League CY Young winner R.A. Dickey and Catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to the Toronto Blue Jays for Cs Travis d’Arnaud and John Buck, RH pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard and minor league OF-INF Wuilmer Becerra. The deal was finalized Monday after hard negotiations over the past several days, Dickey signed a two year extension with the Jays after passing his physical. While the trade of their staff ace hurts the teams prospects in 2013, the Mets turned a position of weakness(catcher) into a strength with the addition of a proven major leaguer in Buck and elite super prospect in D’Arnaud. Syndergaard is another power arm who should combine with Matt Harvey and top prospect Zach Wheeler to provide the Mets with dominant starting pitching over the next decade.

This deal was about the future of the Mets franchise and not short term success or ticket sales. GM Sandy Alderson has done a great job with these types of trades in the past, famously acquiring Wheeler from the Pitching rich San Francisco Giants at the 2011 trade deadline for soon to be free agent OF Carlos Beltran. Dickey is 38 and the Mets are not going to win the World Series in the next 2-3 years. They might in 4 or 5. As great a story and man Dickey is, this was a great baseball trade and had to be done. The Mets lack proven major league level talent and they added three parts that will help them in 2013 and beyond.

Buck is not Johnny Bench but he is a major league starting catcher and will at worst keep the set warm for d’Arnaud when the 2013 campaign opens. Buck hit a career high 20 homers for the Jays in 2010 before signing with the Miami Marlins in 2011. He hit 16 and 12 long balls the past 2 seasons in Florida and is a career .235 hitter in over 3100 major league at bats. Buck was part of the huge Marlins offseason trade(fire sale?) with the Jays where ex Met SS Jose Reyes and several other high profile Marlins were essentially sold to Toronto. Travis is an elite power bat and was the key component of the trade the Philadelphia Phillies made to acquire staff ace Roy Halladay in November 2009. A good athlete behind the plate who also controls the oppositions run game, he should be in Queens sometime in 2013. A late season knee injury kept him from being September call up for Toronto in 2012. The #11 prospect in all of baseball according to mlb.com’s 2012 prospect watch, D’arnaud hit .333 with 16 homers in 67 games for Triple A Las Vegas in 2012.

Syndergaard(#83 of 100 in the MLB’s Top 100 prospects list) is a big, talented righty who was a first round pick in the 2010 supplemental draft by Toronto. Noah was a third in the MidWest league in strikeouts and made the league’s all star team. If he pitched enough innings to qualify, he would have had the fourth lowest ERA in the MWL.(Toronto had him on an innings limit) Featuring a fastball in the upper 90s, he also possesses an above average power breaking ball and changeup. He projects to be a top line starter in the near future. Becerra is a raw athlete from Venezuela that will remind many Mets fans of Jordanny Valdespin. Has tremendous physical tools(speed,power) and needs to find a position. Originally a shortstop, he moved to to the outfield in 2012. Unfortunately, a pitch hit him in the face, breaking his jaw and cutting his season to 11 games. The Mets generally do well with this type of talent.

As far as Dickey goes, I have a mixed bag of emotions. Love the guy and what he brought to the Mets. Genuinely a good dude who overcame a well documented and extremely difficult child hood to become a major league star. Never mind the fact that he is missing a major ligament in his arm that is vital for pitching, Dickey was fun to watch and cover. I am glad he got paid and I am also glad I got to watch him pitch in New York for 3 years. This season was not a fluke, R.A. was good for his entire tenure in Queens. Hopefully, he will continue to pitch well in Toronto and unlike so many ex-Mets, I will pull for him for the rest of his career. Guy battled for a team that has lacked that over the past couple of seasons and by all accounts, was an excellent teammate. However, this trade needed to be done and Alderson should be praised for showing both the brains and balls to do it. It is never easy to trade a star for the unknown- prospects. Particularly in the win now Market that is NY.

Finally, some of the credit for this deal has to be thrown to Mets executive J.P Ricciardi, who served as the GM of Toronto from November 2001 til October 2009. He has tremendous contacts within that organization and had to play a vital role for Alderson in the dealings with the Jays. Hats off to the Special assistant to the General Manager! While this deal has put helped the Mets future, they still have holes to fill. The team needs at least 2 major league outfielders(Lucas Duda is a good bet to start in Left while internal candidates Mike Baxter(RF) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis(CF) are more platoon types at this point), a starting pitcher and relief help. The Mets made a minor trade with the Oakland A’s today to acquire OF Collin Cowgill today, who is 4th outfielder type. However, numerous reports have the team working on adding an OF with teams like the A’s(CF Coco Crisp) and Arizona Diamondbacks mentioned. Ex Met Scott Hairston(would be a good platoon guy with Baxter in RF) and Cody Ross(Good offensive player and locker room guy) are the free agent targets. The team has around 7 million to spend according to reports.

The New York Mets and their star 3B David Wright finalized a 8 year, $138 million dollar extension Thursday night and the deal is the biggest in franchise history. The signing is huge for both the player and organization, the Mets have moved(or lost them to free agency) their own homegrown stars(Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden) or added players who were already established stars(Keith Hernandez, Gary Garter and Mike Piazza) on other teams. David Wright grew up in this organization and is the Mets. He idolizes Cal Ripken Jr and it is important to him that he is linked to one team. This deal all but insures that.

The Mets needed this extension done for reasons both on and off the field. The Wilpon ownership group seems to be on better financial ground after the Madoff fiasco and this deal should give them some good will with a tortured fan base. Wright also understood the economics of the contract and the team. The deal is more front-loaded to help the team add assets and also not punish the team when Wright is near the end of what should be a Hall of Fame career. More importantly, Wright is clearly the Mets leader and best player and the team needs him in both capacities. Fans look to #5 to help lead them back to the postseason and he also provides them with a level of comfort. On a personal note, I am happier than a pig in mud. I was terrified Wright would be an ex Met and this news ends that speculation. David Wright is the face of the Mets and you could not ask for a better representative in MLB. An early Holiday gift for Mets fans!

Now that the team has inked Wright, all the focus of the offseason turns to 2012 NL CY Young Award winner R.A. Dickey. The team has him under contract thru 2013 and has been trying to sign him to an extension. Reports have a deal close with a term and dollar amount being reasonable(3 years/25 mill). Thing should heat up this week at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. Numerous media outlets have the Mets looking to trade either Dickey or LHSP Jon Niese for players that could help the 2013 Mets. One of these two is a good bet to be moved within the next 7 to 10 days. New York’s biggest needs are in the outfield, bullpen and behind the plate at catcher.

Regardless of how the contract talks with 3B David Wright and Starting pitcher R.A. Dickey turn out, GM Sandy Alderson’s needs to fill holes in the Outfield, bullpen and at catcher. Whether the players are acquired in a trade, signed as free agents or a combination of both, the Mets need more talent. Most of the clubs position player prospects are two to three years away. The next month or so should give us a better idea what type of team the 2013 New York Mets will be. Here are some areas to focus on as the Winter Meetings approach(December 3rd thru the 6th)

The team has internal options in the outfield but could use at least 1 veteran and possibly two after the team let free agent bust Jason Bay go earlier this offseason. Lucas Duda is a natural LF and would provide the team with lacking power. Centerfield is another issue. Matt den Dekker is a 5 tool talent but struggled with his batting average after being called up to Triple A Buffalo. The 2010 5th round pick is a solid all around player but a best case scenario has him in Queens mid season 2014. Internally, Kirk Nieuwenhuis is your best option in 2013. A very good defender, his batting average plummeted every month he was up in majors- .325(April), .263(May), .238(June) and .105(38 July at bats). Right field sees local favorite Mike Baxter as a platoon type who hits righties and struggles vs southpaws. A veteran who can bat leadoff and possibly play some RF would be ideal addition.

The Mets are not likely to chase the top tier free agent Outfielders like Josh Hamilton, BJ Upton or Michael Bourn(who would look great at Citi Field!) due to the clubs perilous financial situation. Alderson does have some trade options however. The Cubs David DeJesus(More of a RF) and Twins Denard Span(Perfect for the Mets!!!) would be solid adds. Both players have young cheaper talent ready to take their spots so the Twins and Cubs could be looking to move them. Some free agent names that the team could afford include Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross, who provide both power and the ability to handle lefties. Angel Pagan( Starting CF for the World Champion San Francisco Giants) and Scott Hairston(Solid 2012 campaign in Queens, 20 homers and hammered southpaws) are two players Mets fans are familiar with and would be good fits for the 2013 team.