Trade Proposal - R.A. Dickey to the Angels?

R.A. Dickey has gotten quite a bit of attention lately because several teams have shown interest in acquiring him, and he doesn't not seem like he is willing to budge in these extension talks with Alderson and Co. If the Mets do not sign him to an extension within the next couple of weeks, I expect him to be traded, therefore the club can finally fill the vacant spots of other parts on the roster, specifically catcher and center field.

Now, I have a trade proposal, and it may sound crazy but it is possible. I expect the Angels to go out and look for some pitching this winter, whether they try to re-sign Zack Greinke or trade for an ace. They will make a push for Greinke for sure, but what happens if they lose him? That means that they are scrambling for pitching, and that could lead to an overpay for the right player. R.A. Dickey could be just the guy for them, because he has proved that he is not just a one-year wonder. Here is my trade proposal:

Mets acquire

CF Peter Bourjos

C Hank Conger

P Jordan Walden

P Brad Mills

Angels acquire

P R.A. Dickey

3B Zack Lutz

The Mets are looking for major league ready players in return for Dickey, and that is what they will be getting. Bourjos is a great defensive outfielder who is one of the fastest players in the game, and has the ability to hit .295+ over the course of a full season. Granted, he will not hit for power all that much, but I would love to see him patrolling center field for the Mets. He will be available because he is pretty much blocked on the depth chart by Mike Trout, one of the best players in the game. Conger has been blocked on the depth chart by several players over the last couple of years, and Chris Iannetta recently signed a contract extension that will let him remain the team's starting catcher for the next 3+ years, which makes me believe that Conger will be expendable. Conger is a switch hitting catcher who hasn't really gotten the opportunity to play at the big league level. He would be a somewhat risky acquisition, but I would roll the dice on him. Walden was slated to be the Angels' closer in 2012, but he had some problems with his mechanics, causing the team to acquire Ernesto Frieri, who ran away with the job. Walden will probably be expendable, and I love the fact that he has a live arm and can dial up to perhaps 100 mph on some of his pitches. Mills would pretty much be a throw-in. He is a young lefty who has some upside, and I don't think the Angels would really freak out over losing him. 

Now, is Dickey really worth all of these prospects? Yes, actually he probably is. The Angels will be getting Dickey, who we know is easily one of the best pitchers in the game, and third base-man prospect Zack Lutz, who is blocked on the depth chart by Wright, who will most likely not be going anywhere. Lutz can hit, when he's healthy. The last few years he has struggled to stay on the field, but since the Angels do not really have a true third baseman, I expect that they would take their chances with him.

So as you can see this trade would benefit to both teams. The Angels would be getting an ace in R.A. Dickey, and a young third baseman who could fill an important hole in the club's infield. The Mets would be getting several young pieces that would allow them to contend long-term, as well as some salary relief, which is unimportant in a situation like this. The Mets are going to start being creative, because players like this are out there, and Alderson just has to dig deep to find them. 

Dickey gauging trade interest, should the Mets deal him?

The GM meetings have recently started, and it is unusual to have any big moves happen at this time. However, many reports have indicated that the Mets are currently in trade talks with other teams about R.A. Dickey. GM Sandy Alderson has acknowledged that he is definitely getting several calls from rival GM's about Dickey's availability, but he doesn't expect the trade talks to intensify within the next couple of days. 

Now many people believe that 10-12 teams will be interested in dealing for the 38 year old knuckle-baller who is on the cusp of a Cy Young Award, but that may not be the case. We all know that knuckle-baller's tend to last a long time, but Dickey throws exceptionally harder than the other greats, such as Tim Wakefield and Phil Niekro, and that could hurt his longevity in this league. Also, another thing to consider is that he is coming off a "surprise" abdominal surgery, so that may scare some teams away. 

Despite all of that, Dickey is still one of the better pitchers in the game, and Alderson should certainly ask for a king's ransom in return. Losing your ace would be a tough pill to swallow, especially in a New York market, but if it can net us a few key offensive pieces, such as a young catcher and/or center-fielder, then I am all for it. 

Mets, Bay, agree to terminate contract

The Mets announced that they have agreed with Jason Bay to terminate his contract, meaning that Bay will receive money and become a free agent. New York will give him $21 million-his $16 million for the 2013 season, his $3 million buyout for 2014, and $2 million of his original $8.5 million signing bonus. 

"I still feel I have plenty to give to this game and that I can play baseball at a high level. But after serious consideration, both sides agree that we would benefit from a fresh start," said Bay in a statement. "I'm grateful we were able to reach an agreement to allow that to happen. I’m excited to keep playing and have no intention of just walking away. I enjoyed my time in New York. I have no regrets in signing with the Mets, other than that I wasn’t able to play to the level that the team, the fans and I all expected and that we weren’t able to win more games. I move on with nothing but an appreciation for the organization and its fans and best wishes to all my teammates there."

Bay signed a four year, $66 million contract with the Mets after the 2009 season, and he hit .234 with only 26 homers in 1,125 total plate appearances in his time with New York. Before joining the Mets, he finished seventh in the MVP voting, hitting .267 with 36 home runs with the Red Sox.

My take: The day has come! Bay will no longer be wearing a Mets uniform! I have to say this is a somewhat classy way to go out by Bay, because he understands that New York is just not the right city for him, and I hope he has success elsewhere. I can't blame former GM Omar Minaya for the Bay signing, because let's be honest, how many of us saw this coming? Bay was dreadful for the Mets, and I honestly doubt that he ever returns to being a star. However, like I said before, I wish him the best, because he is a great guy and you don't want to see people like him struggling. 

Trade Proposal: Justin Upton - Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks have made it very clear that they are interested in trading their star outfielder Justin Upton this winter, if the price is right. With that being said I believe that the Mets will be heavily involved in his sweepstakes, considering that he could be a major building block as the club rebuild their entire outfield. Upton is 25 years old, and is under a team friendly deal, so it definitely makes sense to pursue him.

I would imagine that several top notch prospects, or major league ready players, would be required in a package to pry Upton out of Arizona. Now that Lucas Duda's trade value has got down the toilet (due to the wrist surgery that was announced earlier today), the Mets will have to find other trade chips to use. Let's just think about what the Diamondbacks would want in such a trade. They have several young arms that will crack the rotation in 2013, so pitching, for the most part, will not be their priority. I would imagine that they will looking for a second baseman (Kelly Johnson is likely to leave via free agency), a shortstop (Stephen Drew is a free agent), and a third baseman (uncertainty with Ryan Wheeler.) They have a nice amount of outfield depth, so perhaps Duda would not appeal to them even if he was healthy. I can see a potential trade like this making sense: 

Mets get:

RF Justin Upton

Cash considerations ($2-3 million)

Diamondbacks get:

SP Jon Niese

SS/3B Wilmer Flores

3B Zack Lutz

2B Daniel Murphy

SP Cory Mazzoni

Sandy Alderson has publicly stated that he would like to keep his young core of players intact, meaning that he would probably not be prone to such a move. However, some of the players, most notably the prospects, are blocked on the depth chart by player's who are likely not going anywhere. Flores and Lutz are two prospects that I have heard quite a bit about, and I expect them to greatly interest Arizona's GM Kevin Towers. Flores is a toolsy infielder whose value is very high right now since he is coming off a strong season (and having a nice winter ball season.) He was originally a shortstop, but the club has shifted him over to the third base position, I'm assuming to make him a backup plan if Wright leaves via free agency or trade. Lutz is a guy who isn't necessarily a top prospect due to his age (26 years old.) However he is still a useful player to have, and good depth over at the hot corner. Who knows? He may turn into something special. He never really got a chance to play for the Mets, since he is blocked by David Wright on the depth chart. As for Murphy, he obviously isn't a prospect anymore, but could serve as a stop-gap second baseman until Arizona finds a younger second baseman. He isn't a bad player, but his defense is sometimes questioned. The guy is a natural hitter, and would thrive in Arizona. Niese obviously would be a tough loss, and a risky one. I have a feeling that he will be traded only if the front office feels like the duo of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler are the real deal. He would appeal to Arizona because he is young, is under a team-friendly deal, and has the potential to be a solid #2 or #3 starter. Mazzoni would pretty much be a throw-in so the club can acquire some cash. Mazzoni is sort of a lower-tiered pitching prospect, similar to Brad Holt, and will probably not be anything more than a #4 or #5 pitcher if lucky. He wouldn't be a major loss, and the Mets could certainly use that money to upgrade other positions.

Obviously losing some of those players would be risky, considering that it would jeopardize a part of the club's future. But, let's think for a second here. The Mets would be getting Justin Upton, whose talent hasn't really been specified in this article. The guy is a two time All-Star, who is a threat to go deep and on the base-paths. He has a great throwing arm, and would probably thrive in New York. If Sandy Alderson can acquire him, it would tell us fans that he is not willing to rebuild for 5-6 years, rather retool and go get em in 2014 (when Bay and Santana's contracts are off the books.) 

Lucas Duda has surgery on broken right wrist

The Mets have announced that outfielder Lucas Duda broke his wrist while moving furniture last month, and had surgery to repair it yesterday. He will start rehabbing, and is expected to be ready by the time Spring Training rolls around.

Duda did not live up to expectations in 2012, hitting .239 with 15 homers and 57 RBI while spending some time in the minor leagues to work on his swing. 

Well, there is virtually no chance that Duda is going to get traded now, as no team will want to take a chance on him while rehabbing from this injury. I personally thought that he was going to packaged in a deal, perhaps around Justin Upton, this winter. The upper-management likes him and his potential, but I'd rather have Ike Davis than Duda, and that is what it is going to come down to since Duda just cannot handle the outfield. 

Also, this is just another typical Mets players injury. Bad luck haunts this team, and some fans think that the squad is "snake-bitten", which would be a nice way of saying that nothing goes our way. 

Mets' biggest areas of need

Heading into the 2012-2013 off-season, few expect the Mets to make any major moves that will them to compete in 2012, but there is no question that the roster needs to be upgraded, when via trade or free agency. Due to the organization's financial constraints, these player will likely be arriving via trade, and it will be interesting to see how creative GM Sandy Alderson gets this winter in order to make his team better.

Catcher

Josh Thole failed to live up to expectations in 2012, taking a major step back in his development in the process. The club is most likely going to give him another shot in 2012, but there is no question that they need to acquire a backup catcher with some pop his bat. Kelly Shoppach did a nice job complementing Thole at the end of last season, and could be brought back on a reasonable contract. 

Names to consider via free agency: Kelly Shoppach, Miguel Olivo, Rod Barajas, Russell Martin, David Ross.

Names to consider via trade: Ryan Hanigan, John Buck

Center fielder

Andres Torres had a rough 2012 campaign, but honestly, what did we expect from a guy with one decent season under his belt. Torres is a fast outfielder, and can hit from both sides of the plate, but occasionally makes bonehead plays out in center field and is easily one of the worst offensive hitters outfielders in the game. I doubt that the club brings him back. Kirk Nieuwenhuis provided a spark for the Amazin's in the first half of the season, but faded down the stretch once pitcher's realized how to handle him. I expect him to be in the center field mix in Spring Training, but going out and acquiring a veteran outfielder makes sense.

Names to consider via free agency: Rick Ankiel, Grady Sizemore, Shane Victorino

Names to consider via trade: Peter Bourjos, Dexter Fowler, Roger Bernadina

Right fielder

Now that Duda has pretty much moved over to left field, the right field position is pretty much empty. On the depth chart, you will see Mike Baxter as the right fielder. However, Baxter is a bench player, and it is obvious that the Mets need a corner outfielder with some pop. The team could shift Jason Bay over there, but he will probably continue to struggle, forcing the Mets to go out and look for a right fielder. 

Names to consider via free agency: Scott Hairston, Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera, Cody Ross, Melky Cabrera

Names to consider via trade: Corey Hart, Justin Upton, David DeJesus

Starting Rotation

The rotation is going to need some minor tweaking. Santana, Dickey and Niese are all locks for the 2013 rotation, but players like Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner could be left out. Mike Pelfrey could possibly come back on a minor league deal, and those are the sort of moves you will see Alderson make this winter. Reclamation projects will be what he will focus on.

Names to consider via free agency: Scott Baker (unlikely), Jeremy Guthrie, Shaun Marcum, Tim Stauffer, Chris Young

Names to consider via trade: Rick Porcello

Bullpen

The Mets' bullpen need some major work, whether it is the closer role or the long relief man. Frank Francisco is unfortunately locked up for the 2013 season for the hefty price of $6 million, and he will likely start the 2013 season as the closer. Do I agree with that? No. I think the team should look to sign a few "Jon Rauch" type players. If the team isn't competing by the time July comes around, they can just trade those players for some prospects. That's definitely what I'd do, and I have a feeling that Alderson has the same mindset.

Names to consider via free agency: Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria, Matt Capps, Mike Adams,  Shawn Camp, (Plenty of other players)

Names to consider via trade:  Matt Belisle, Luke Gregorson, Chris Perez

How to handle the David Wright situation

After losing Jose Reyes via free agency last off-season, the Mets face another crisis that could cost them their other cornerstone infielder. Financial constraints have really made many Met fans like myself doubt whether the team will be able to retain Wright for the long-term. GM Sandy Alderson has made it his priority to re-sign the 29 year old third baseman before he hits the open market next winter, but we honestly cannot go by what he is saying. 

Some fans actually want Wright to be traded for prospects, considering that he is coming off a strong season and would net a king's ransom. Honestly, if Wright wasn't my favorite player I'd say, Yeah, go ahead and trade him that would make sense for a rebuilding club. However, seeing Wright in a different uniform would break my heart, and I don't think I, or several other Met fans, would be pleased with it. 

Now the Mets recently picked up his option for the 2013 season, and it was worth $16 million. That kind of money is going to definitely impact the 2013 payroll, as the team has only about $5-10 million worth of wiggle room with their payroll. Since we are on the subject of money, it is no surprise that Wright is going to ask for a bloated contract, considering that the guy is one of the best third basemen in the game, and is entering his prime. I highly doubt that he is going to get a deal over $200 million, but something along the lines of 6-7 yrs, $160-175 million is likely. Wright will probably seek $20+ million, and I have a feeling that Alderson will give in. 

The Wright situation is such a tough one because it makes so much sense to just trade him away for prospects, but keeping him around shows that the team is not willing to rebuild, rather retool and reload. Perhaps in the coming weeks I'll come up with a few trade scenarios that would benefit the Mets, but I'll stick to my word and say that the Mets should hold onto Wright. 

Welcome

If you are reading this article, then you are probably a die-hard Mets fan like myself who has suffered within the last couple of years. I am creating this blog to express my feelings toward the franchise that I have grown up watching and loving despite the struggles. I am no professional writer, but love expressing my thoughts through text and having people from all over the world (for this blog, specifically Mets fans) check it out and give me feedback. 

For the last 6 months or so, I have been blogging over at my other website, baseballfan4life,blogspot.com, and that site has been dedicated to all team's throughout the league. I have such a passion for the game, but following every little transaction has been extremely hard to keep up with, especially in the off-season. Like I said I am a die-hard Mets fan, therefore I have quite a bit of knowledge on the franchise. I hope that as this site grows and gets larger, my knowledge about the team I love grows and I become a bigger fan that I am today. 

Since it is currently the off-season, I will obviously not be doing game previews or recaps, but it something I may consider when the Spring rolls around. I am not going to be a big, hot-shot Mets blog, but I hope to provide you with a somewhat consistent basis of news on the Metropolitan's. As of now, you can pretty much expect occasional articles on the hottest Mets news as of late, and my opinion on it. Feel free to post a comment on any one of my articles, as I am very eager to hear feedback from each and every one of you.