Why the Mets should not go after Ludwick or Pagan

The Mets desperately need help in the outfield, and they have limited financial flexibility so they cannot go out and sign a Josh Hamilton or Michael Bourn. This means that Sandy Alderson is going to have to get a little creative with his moves next week (Winter Meetings), and acquire some cheap players that can put up solid production. Finding a player like that is very hard, but the Mets have already expressed interest in several of them, including Ryan Ludwick and former-Met Angel Pagan. I'm here to tell you why the Mets should not be going after either one of these players.

Ryan Ludwick

First of all, why in the world would we want to get a guy who just so happened to play well in his walk year and is on the wrong side of 30. Ludwick has been a very streaky hitter throughout his career, and has had trouble staying healthy. I don't know what is so appealing about that. Also, he'll probably be looking at a multiyear deal along the lines of $5-6 million per season, so let's stay away.

Angel Pagan

Pagan had a great season with the Giants in 2012, and really made the Mets look bad after they traded him for two scrubs. However, we all know about his boneheaded plays in the outfield, as well as his negative attitude in the clubhouse. He is also going to be seeking quite a large deal, considering that he is in his prime. I believe that there will be a lot of interest in him, because he is one of the only decent center-fielders available now that Denard Span and B.J. Upton are with their new teams. The Mets are simply not going to have enough money to spend to enter the bidding war for him, and frankly, he isn't worth it. 

Mets, Wright agree to massive contract extension

The day has finally come. 

The Mets and David Wright have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the third-baseman in Queens for the next eight years (Including the 2013 season.) It is a 7 year, $122 million deal according to Ed Coleman of WFAN, but can be considered an 8 year, $138 million deal because the 2013 club option is being included. 

Wright was drafted by the Mets in the 2001 draft, as a supplemental pick for the loss of free agent Mike Hampton. He has hit .301 with 204 home runs in 5,453 plate appearances with New York since he made his MLB debut in 2004. He is clearly the face of the franchise, and leads the franchise is most offensive categories.

I understand that some Mets fans want Wright here, and some see flaws in his game that could really hurt him down the road. Bottom line is, there is no chance that he is getting traded now, so let's just look forward. I am one of those fans who is a Wright lover and will always support him through the good times and the bad. The guy is my favorite player, and I grew up idolizing him. 

I feel like this move was driven by the Mets fans' impatience to rebuild, and honestly, you can't blame them. Trading Wright made sense from a small-market team perspective, but this is NEW YORK. I hope that this deal doesn't grid-lock the Mets' payroll for year's to come, and I don't think it will -- well at least not yet. 

So, now that Alderson accomplished this task, he can cross it off his to-do list. However, he still has quite a bit of work to still do. The whole R.A. Dickey situation still has to play out, and it sounds like Dickey is being reasonable with his price. If the Mets trade him, they better get blown away with an offer because I don't know how happy I'll, as well as many other Met fans, will be if he gets dealt. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the catching and outfield situation. I wonder if this means that Wilmer Flores is as good as gone now, considering that every one of his positions is being occupied on the depth chart. I wouldn't mind seeing him packaged in a deal that could bring in some offense.

Overall, it is nice to see that this organization is going in the right direction. Locking up Wright will ensure that they have an above-average third baseman for the next few years (at least) and give them an icon for the franchise. 

Royals interested in Dickey, what could the Mets get?

The Royals want to compete in 2013, and acquiring starting pitching has been their main priority so far this off-season. Several reports have said today that Kansas City is interested in acquiring R.A. Dickey, and some believe that the Royals have the unnecessary pieces to facilitate such a trade. In my opinion, I would love to see the Royals make a push for Dickey, because they have several interesting prospects that intrigue me. 

Cain has the potential to be something special

One of those prospects is Wil Myers, who is regarded as one of the best outfield prospects in the game. Myers is the complete package, and I don't know if the Royals would be willing to part with him for an aging knuckle-baller. However, they, according to reports, were willing to let him go in a possible Jon Lester deal, so trading him is perhaps not out of the question. I would love to have Myers, but a more realistic player to look at is someone like Lorenzo Cain. Cain originally came over to the Royals in the Greinke deal a few years ago, and hasn't really gotten enough playing time to prove himself. He is a big, athletic center-fielder who has great upside. He is also 26 years old, so the Royals better make a decision about him before his value gets any lower. Cain, in my mind, could be a 20-20 player in 2013, and may improve from there. 

Another player to consider is Salvador Perez, whose future looks incredibly bright. He is the young catcher that the Mets need -- a right handed power bat. His above-average defense just makes his value even higher, and makes me believe that the Royals wouldn't be crazy about sending him to New York similar to Myers' situation. However, he is an interesting piece to talk about and, if the Royals get desperate, his name could enter these possible trade discussions. 

You would have to imagine that the Mets would ask for some bullpen help as well, and luckily the Royals have a surplus of it. Tim Collins and Greg Holland are intriguing names that interest me. Collins is a young, hard-throwing left hander who has the potential to be a real nice setup man. Holland has a slight bit more of upside, and can reach 100 mph on the radar gun. 

Overall, an R.A. Dickey trade between the Mets and Royals seems very realistic, considering that the two sides match up very well together. Dickey would be a great addition to that weak rotation of the Royals, and the Mets would be getting major league ready players who, hopefully, would contribute during the 2013 season and beyond. 

Mets will non-tender Pelfrey, Acosta, Torres

The Mets plan to non-tender Mike Pelfrey, Manny Acosta, and Andres Torres sometime this week.  Unless they are traded from now until the point that they are officially non-tendered, they will become free agents. New York will think about the idea of bringing back Pelfrey for less than the $5.875 he earned in 2012, and Mike has reportedly said that he will be ready for Opening Day.

I would definitely consider bringing back Mike Pelfrey because pitching depth never hurts, and we know that he is capable of doing well. However, we also know about him being a head-base -- not being able to handle the New York media. A minor league deal would be an ideal situation for him, but since his agent is Scott Boras, he would be looking more along the lines of a one-year, incentive  based deal. 

The whole Torres experiment was a mess, and the Mets should not bring him back for the 2013 season, even if he made the roster as a fourth outfielder. His weak bat, bonehead plays in the outfield, and injuries were his weaknesses, and I do not want to go down that road again. 

I am actually not surprised that they non-tendered Acosta because the guy was dreadful last season. He had a great finish to the year, but was a train-wreck when they really needed him. If they tendered him a contract, he would probably make something along the lines of $1.1 million (According to Mlbtraderumors.com). 

Overall these moves were expected but is nice to see the Mets kind of cleaning house here. Losing Pelfrey wouldn't be over-ally depressing, and I'm glad that they didn't throw him $6+ million just because of his so-so track record. Torres was pretty much brought in to be a stop-gap center-fielder, and that is all he did. Acosta had a nice 2011 season, and looked like a key bullpen piece for 2012, but everything fell apart, and I'm sure a team will give him a chance. 

Mets make another small move, acquire Hicks from Oakland

The Mets have continued their little scavenger hunt for useless minor league depth players, officially acquiring infielder Brandon Hicks from the Athletics in exchange from cash considerations. Hicks had a cup of coffee with Oakland in 2012, hitting .172 in 22 games with the team. He has hit a whopping .133 with 8 RBI in 55 career MLB games since making his debut in 2010.

I understand that moves like these are unnecessary, but what exactly does Hicks have that makes him stand out? His minor league on-base percentage is above-average, so could Alderson be playing a little Moneyball here. I can only imagine what he sees in him, but what I see is a guy who will, unfortunately, seek out a spot on the bench. He is a cheaper alternative to Ronny Cedeno, and I suppose his versatility is his greatest asset. Don't expect anything with the bat, and as a matter of fact, don't expect him to be even mentioned in 2013. The only way that he is getting on the big league club is if he fills in for an injured player. 

Mets re-sign Tim Byrdak, Will he even pitch in 2013?

The Mets have re-signed pitcher Tim Byrdak to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Byrdak had surgery in September to repair an anterior capsule tear that was presumably caused by him being overworked by manager Terry Collins. Byrdak also had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his knee.  

Byrdak made 56 relief appearances in 2012, posting a 4.40 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. When he was lost for the season, the Mets gave young lefty Josh Edgin his job as the team's left handed specialist.

I believe that a signing like this is sort of a favor for Byrdak, because he was probably not going to get a deal from a different team until he was fully recovered. The man is 39 years old, and I was certain that he was going to call it career, but apparently he still has something to prove. The truth of the matter is he will not be ready by the time the season starts, and that is a fact. Keep in mind that this is the same injury that Chris Young and Johan Santana dealt with, and we all know how long they were out for. However, since he is a relief pitcher, he could try to make it back earlier in the season, but that would jeopardize his health for the rest of the season.

I can't really argue with a signing like this, because he can serve as a mentor to Josh Edgin, whom I am very excited about seeing in 2013. Edgin has a nice arsenal of pitches, and could develop into a nice left handed specialist. 

Regardless of Byrdak's health, he will likely have a small role on the 2013 team, considering that they are looking to get younger, and Byrdak is not a young man by any means. Minor league deals can never hurt, so I suppose signings like this need to be made by Alderson.