24
2013
From Left Field: Mets Finally Sign A Free Agent
An article by 
With the announcement this morning that the Mets have agreed to sign Shaun Marcum, the offseason drought is officially over.
The Mets were the only team in the game to have not signed a Major League free agent before the Marcum deal.
Of course, the Mets are going through a rebuilding phase, but the team didn’t even sign a bench player or relief pitcher to a pro deal.
What this means is that the team will be relying on youngsters to get them through this season.
“Get them through” can be interpreted in one of two ways.
First, these young guys can burst onto the scene and form a competitive team. Maybe we’re not talking about going all the way to the World Series, but the team could have the potential to play exciting baseball.
Look at the Oakland A’s last year. A team of young no-names went on a run and won the AL West division over the likes of the powerhouse Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Mets will be trying to unseat the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East, but it might take more than just an extended late season run to do this.
But the more likely scenario is that the young players will be under constant scrutiny to see if they belong in the Majors. “Get them through” in this case would apply to just getting through this season – no matter what their record winds up being – in anticipation to be a competitive team in 2014, when superstar prospects like Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud are ready to contribute to the big club.
This year will be telling for guys like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Josh Edgin and others. They’ll be given every chance to succeed to see if they fit into the mix in 2014.
Players like Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, Dillon Gee and Bobby Parnell are not off the hook. They too have to prove that they can have sustained Major League success.
Marcum is a nice stopgap who can eat innings if he’s healthy, but the future of this team lies far from the hands of Shaun Marcum.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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“no matter what their record winds up being – in anticipation to be a competitive team in 2014, when superstar prospects like Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud are ready to contribute to the big club”
Not a good attitude to have. Shows complacency, and having no problem losing, no fight.
When the Mets were rebuilding in the early 80s they pretty much showed signs of improvement gradually until 1984 and you can see it coming. If you don’t care what the record is and they wind up being worst than last year than that makes it harder for the kids to learn how to compete, how to fight, and what it takes to finish strong. You can’t teach your troops to finish strong if there continues to be nothing to finish with.
But that’s the attitude of the “new fan” the last couple years, it’s “oh well, we ARE going to get better, it’s guaranteed, it’s going to be SMOOTH soon, suddenly starting in 2014 we will flip a switch and KNOW we will compete.
Not a good attitude to have. Never was like that before.
Welcome back ! I totally agree with you. Bringing the expectation level down is really a disgusting ploy.
Agree with your take on the young players, but as I said before who cares when the Mets sign a player, the season does not start till April. If they end up with Marcum, Bourn, and two relievers on deals they want that are team friendly for instance, then I’d say that is a decent off season and who cares if its done in December, January, or February
Or March or April. There should be changes even in season.
Bayonne,
I COMPLETELY AGREE with you on the attitude. I’m sure that is the writer’s opinion and not fact but totally agree. Heck. I want them to win in the minors and even in spring training.
Now sign Javier Vazquez, kill the Uptons with pitching …
Hey this is actually a first…
We signed a pitcher who has an ERA below 4 and a 2:1 K:BB ratio….
I’m sure there is something about him I’m missing here….LOL
There’s the injury history…
It’s a good move but it’s just one guy. Hopefully Sandy hasn’t broken out the Dom P.
There is that and the fact thaJessup loves the signing…LOL
He was the one starter I was hoping they’d sign all winter. Lohse would have been nice but you’d lose the draft pick and Lohse is a hothead. Now Javier Vazquez, if what they’re saying is true, would be a great addition but I doubt he’d return to NY.
If anyone in the Met FO was smart enough to look at Met winners they’d notice they did it with pitching and little else. It ticked me off when DePo went on about how they were looking at building a team like the Giants … far as I’m concerned the 69 Mets are the prototype in that regard. Do your history homework Met FO …
Pitching and Defense …
I have no problem with a no-hit good good glove CFer like Den Dekker. Move Kirk/Cowgill to right, Duda/Brown in left, Sign Vazquez and …
Fix the damn bullpen and …
a team like that might actually have a shot.
You figure what little you might lose in offense by putting Dekker in center in place of Kirk, you’d gain back (and then some) in defense which would improve in two positions (center and right).
How exactly do you think the Giants won? If you havent noticed, they arent exactly murderers row? Do you think Scutaro scares anyone.
The Giants won exactly like that…with strong pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting.
As for that outlook with the Mets, for them it is pitching and no defense since Alderson does not place a premium on defense.
As for that outlook with the Mets, for them it is pitching and no defense since Alderson does not place a premium on defense”
Don’t stop there, continue……. Or the Bullpen, Or the OutField, or the bench
Not putting a premium on defense is going to cost you big time right there. With the young pitchers coming up for the Mets and if they wind up being in an important position during the season they can lost tight low scoring games due to defensive incompetence.
Not putting a premium on defense i am telling you right now is going to be a big disadvantage for young pitching, or any good pitching for that matter. Brainless concept.