Beltran may return to the Mets

Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran is a free agent this winter, and has not ruled out a possible return to the Mets, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. According to Puma, the Mets would consider bringing Beltran back, but they are concerned about his declining range in the outfield. 

Beltran was traded from the Mets to the Giants in July of 2011, a trade that gave the team pitcher Zack Wheeler. Before that season, Beltran chose to undergo an arthroscopic knee surgery that surprised many members of the front office, one being GM Omar Minaya and COO Jeff Wilpon. The decision created tension between the two sides, and despite the changing GM's in 2010-2011, the tension may still exist withh the ownership. 

Puma also added that Beltran and Wilpon had a chat during the All-Star game that probably patched up some old wounds.

The 36 year old outfielder hit .296 with 24 HR and 84 RBI for St. Louis in the 2013 season.

I've always been a huge Beltran supporter, and I know that Mets fans would gladly welcome him back with open arms. He was one of the more underrated players that the Mets have had in recent years, and his tenure really went unappreciated. At age 36, he still has a few years of solid baseball left before considers retirement.

I don't see his "declining range" as a valid excuse to not sign him. Lets hypothetically say that we have Juan Lagares in center field during the 2014 season. Lagares is arguably the best defensive centerfielder in the National League, and the Mets will not need some sort of defensive specialist out in right field. My point is, Beltran is probably not a Gold Glover anymore, but he still provides decent enough defense to be considered for an outfield spot. Not to mention he still has his power stroke, which is something the Mets desperately need right now.

I don't know what kind of deal he'll demand, but this will likely be his last "big deal" of his career. That said, he'll probably want a multiyear deal with about $6-10 million annually. Assuming both parties are interested in reuniting, I'd be okay with the Mets giving him a deal along the lines of 2-3 years, $15-25 million. 

Harvey to undergo TJ surgery

Matt Harvey will officially undergo Tommy John surgery on the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, Sandy Alderson announced on Friday. The surgery will knock him out for the entire 2014 season.

"There was a more reasoned approach to the injury," Alderson answered when asked why Harvey decided to have surgery instead of continuing the throwing program. He also said that Harvey had begun rehabbing, but not physically throwing.

Alderson and Harvey met on Friday to come up with a final conclusion.

"I felt this would be the right decision. So, in that sense, I'm happy that Matt has reached that same conclusion." Alderson said.

Alderson also mentioned that now two rotation spots are open, with Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee being the only locks in 2014. He said he would be a "little uncomfortable" with relying on his younger pitchers to fill those holes.

"It's a possibility," he said. "I don't think it's a scenario that we would prefer." 

Harvey is expected to be ready to throw again in February of 2015, as pitchers generally take a full calender year to completely recover from this procedure. Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery sometime later this month.

The 24 year old hurler posted a 2.27 ERA in 26 starts for the Mets this season. He also struck out 191 batters in 178.1 innings pitched.

This is clearly the smartest move for Harvey from a long-term standpoint. It makes sense to have him just miss the 2014 season, and not have to worry about re-tearing his elbow sometime in the future. The Mets will have to make moves to fill the void he is leaving, whether that is an in-house move or a free agent signing. 

Personally, I think if they plan on contending, they should sign someone like Bronson Arroyo. I know I've mentioned Arroyo as being a pricey and risky player, but if they can somehow get his asking price down to a reasonable number, then he'd be a solid innings eater for this team next season. Also, they could try to sign someone like Phil Hughes to an incentive-based deal. Granted, I am not the biggest Hughes fan, but his home/away splits are somewhat promising, and a change of scenery would certainly benefit him. Finally, there's Josh Johnson, who I've always been tough on. He is a free agent this winter, and the Blue Jays will probably not sign him back. Due to his potential and history of success, I would imagine a string of teams are going to chase after him. However, he could be a great buy low candidate for the Mets, because he is great when on the field. 

Should the Mets trade d'Arnaud?

Travis d'Arnaud's rookie season wasn't exactly mind-blowing, as he hit .202 with 1 home run and 5 RBI in 31 games. Of-course, it would be incredibly unfair to judge a player on 100+ plate appearances, so the idea of trading him does not relate to that. My thought process is: you have to give up something to get something, and d'Arnaud's value is still relatively high. 

Now, the Mets brought in d'Arnaud to fill the huge hole at catcher, so at a quick glance trading him would seem idiotic. However, I'm personally very high on a catching prospect by
the name of Kevin Plawecki, a 22 year old backstop who was chosen by the Mets in the 1st round of the 2012 Amateur Draft. Plawecki finished the 2013 season in Single-A Savannah, where he hit .294 with a .391 on-base percentage. The Purdue University product has a high ceiling, and the Mets will need to make a long-term decision about him. He'll like start the 2014 season in Double-A, and earn a promotion to Triple-A by the summer. While he doesn't possess the power stroke that d'Arnaud has, he is still a solid presence at the plate and an above average defender.

I did like what I saw from d'Arnaud in his first taste of the big leagues, but if the Mets want to make a splash this winter, they are going to need to trade a big named prospect. Whether that is d'Arnaud, Wheeler, Montero, or Syndergaard remains to be seen, but my point being is that d'Arnaud may be more expendable then we think. 

Mets sign Collins to an extension

The Mets have announced that Terry Collins has been extended through the 2015 season, with a team option for 2016. Also, the entire coaching staff will return for the 2014 season. 

"Terry has done an outstanding job for us," Sandy Alderson said. "We're not happy with the win-loss record we had this year, particularly unhappy with the home record. On the other hand, we had a winning record on the road. And, if you look at the last 100 games of the season we played .500 baseball." 

Alderson also went on to say that Collins did a great job managing the team, as they never quit, played hard, and finished well given the limited resources. 

"We're certainly not happy with the win-loss record the last year, or the last three years," Collins said. "We're very excited about 2014. We've got some outstanding young pitching coming, we think that's gonna lead us. We're going into Spring Training with high expectations. It's time to put some wins on the board."

Collins has a combined record of 225-261 (.463 W-L%) in three seasons with the Mets. 

Many Mets fans like myself are disappointed that this is the direction the team is going with Collins. Granted, Alderson didn't exactly give out the cream of the crop in terms of players, but Collins still made some questionable moves throughout his three years here. The one that stands out the most for me is his tendency to ruin bullpen arms, specifically lefties. Pedro Feliciano, Tim Byrdak, and Scott Rice were all overworked and forced to go under the knife and miss a bulk of time. 

In the big picture, Collins isn't a problem for this team. At the end of the day it's about wins and losses, and right now Alderson is not putting a good product on the field, and it would be unfair to expect Collins to take this squad to glory. Now, with the right players, Collins and his team could surprise people in 2014. If 2014 is a bust, look for him to be on the hot seat despite being under team control for another season. 

The Mets should NOT sign Arroyo this winter

Mike Puma of the New York Post recently said that pitcher Bronson Arroyo could be targeted by the Mets this winter. Arroyo, 36, is 14-11 with a 3.60 ERA in 31 starts in his eighth season with the Reds. He expressed interest in coming to New York.

"I definitely think the Mets are a team that I would look at," Arroyo told Puma. "There's going to be some ballclubs, maybe like the Mets, that have a nice mix of young arms, but need somebody to kind of anchor a rotation with 200 innings, so it's going to be a very interesting off-season for me."

I've liked Arroyo, and I always have. Normally I would advocate signing him, but to my understanding he will likely demand a big deal, perhaps a three year deal, and at age 36 I don't know if he'll continue to pitch at the level he is right now. There is no question that Arroyo is a work-house, and he would be an ideal fit for the Mets rotation, but they need to concentrate their money spending on big hitters. Their pitching depth is fine right now, so obtaining Arroyo isn't a must.

The Mets need to prioritize everything this winter. Pitching, with or without Harvey, is pretty much under control. However, the offense is going to need to get going. That said, I'd rather have the team go out, sign a Hunter Pence or Shin-Soo Choo, and give Terry Collins another weapon in his lineup. No disrespect for Arroyo, I just think he'll be too expensive, and not worth all of the money that he'll wind up getting. 

Off-season outlook: Sign Infante, and move Murphy to first?

The Mets have big decisions to make this winter, one of them being first base. At this point, most Mets fans would love to see the team non-tender Ike Davis, stick Lucas Duda on the bench, and sign a big name bat like Cuban defector Jose Dariel Abreu. Sandy Alderson seems determined to spend this off-season, but what if he misses out on Abreu? Would the Mets settle with a veteran like Justin Morneau or Kendrys Morales, or perhaps stay-in house by moving Daniel Murphy back to his original position.

Understandably so, Murphy doesn't possess the big time power that most first baseman in the league currently have. However, he is easily the team's best hitter not named David Wright, and as a first baseman he plays good enough defense to get by unscathed.

Of-course, moving Murphy to first base would just create a different problem -- who plays second base? Assuming he doesn't get traded, young Wilmer Flores could be ready to take the job. However, after a so-so stint with the Mets late this season, where he hit .211 in 27 games, the Mets may want to consider proven talent.

In comes Omar Infante, who will likely be let go by Detroit after this season through the free agent process. Infante, a career .279 in 12 seasons with the Marlins, Braves, and Tigers, has been relatively consistent throughout his career. At age 31, he may demand a deal along the lines of 3 years, $25-30 million, but the Mets could afford to overpay. With most buyers looking at the big target, Robinson Cano, Infante will probably fly under the radar this winter, which easily gives Sandy Alderson and Co. the opportunity to swoop in and snag him. 

Infante would be an ideal number 2 hitter for the Mets lineup, and should have someone like Daniel Murphy as his protection. The Mets are an up and coming team that won't be afraid to break the bank so Infante should strongly consider coming to Queens. 

Wheeler shut down with shoulder stiffness

The Mets have announced that pitcher Zack Wheeler has been shut down for the final week or so of the season due to shoulder stiffness. 

"With what's happen with Matt, it's not time to take chances," Terry Collins explained.

Wheeler will not undergo any tests at this time because it is assumed that it is just shoulder fatigue. In his rookie season, the 23 year old went 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 17 starts after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in June. 

This move is very cautious and I like it. Why risk running him out there when he would only be making one more start on the season anyway. I'm not too worried about the stiffness itself, as I expected he would fatigue a bit down the stretch. Wheeler threw a total of 168 2/3 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mets in 2013, and he threw 149 innings in the minors during the 2012 season, so he did increase his workload. 

Overall, it was a very promising season for the young hurler. Despite his slight control problems, he showed the fans what he was capable of, and he certainly has the pitching arsenal to be a top-notch pitcher in this league for years to come.

I've trade possibilities regarding Wheeler, but I'm confident that they will not be dealing him this winter. I can see a lower grade prospect like Rafael Montero being dealt instead. The Mets do, after all, have a significant amount of pitching depth with or without Matt Harvey in 2014.