While the Mets know they need to get an upgrade in power in left field or first base, I get the sense it will be in the outfield. There’s little sense blocking prospect Ike Davis by signing a first baseman to a multi-year deal. I’m told the Mets likely will trade for a righty-hitting first baseman with a short-term commitment to pair with Daniel Murphy in 2010.

While it’s not an awful idea, it really depends on who the bat in leftfield ends up being. If we get Jason Bay or Matt Holliday I can live with the idea, but if it ends up being one of the lower tier options like Randy Winn or Marlon Byrd, then I’m not sure we accomplished anything.

One available bat that might do the trick at first base is Mark DeRosa.

DeRosa was in the midst of a solid season for the Cleveland Indians and was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished the season with 23 homeruns and 78 RBI with an OPS of ,752. However, when you look at his splits, which I posted below, DeRosa has put up some impressive numbers against left handed pitching.

His OPS against lefties is over .200 points higher than righties at a very impressive .928. His homeruns per at-bats ratio is nearly three times higher against southpaws and he sports a magnificent .587 slugging percentage.

I lobbied hard for the Mets to sign Mark DeRosa back in June when I believed he could have helped out at shortstop, first base and even some left field. In June I wrote,

DeRosa would be very high on my list simply because he has the power we desperately need right now, and if Delgado ever gets back, DeRosa can simply shift to another position like left field. He would also be able to give David Wright a day off and fill in at third base if necessary. He’s enjoying a power spike in the last two seasons and is in the midst of another solid season. Has a solid reputation as clubhouse guy and can play all four infield positions as well as corner outfield.  He would look great batting second or fifth in the Mets lineup.

The New Jersey native earned $5.5 million last year and at 35 years old will probably get no more than a 1 or 2 year offer. 

If the Mets only intend to acquire a right handed bat to platoon with Murphy, I prefer DeRosa for the following reasons:

• It wouldn’t require a long term commitment.
• His cost would not be prohibitive.
• We wouldn’t have to give up any players to acquire him.
• His versatility could help at other positions.
• He would be a solid weapon off the bench late in a game as pinch hitter.

I see very little if any downside to getting DeRosa. We could use his intensity in the clubhouse and he knows how to play the game the right way, a quality that was in very short supply last season.

As most of you know, the Cardinals picked up utility infielder Mark DeRosa for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.

Of course some of us were shocked that the mets couldn’t up that offer, and there has been plenty of debate as to whether or not trading Bobby Parnell was worth it. Of course Mets fans always place such a high premium on Mets prospects even when they don’t warrant it. The funny thing is that the Indians flat out told Omar Minaya they didn’t particularly care for any Mets relief prospects and that includes Parnell, and last year’s untouchable Eddie Kunz.

We sometimes for get you don’t make a deal by giving the other team what you want to give them. You make a deal by giving them what THEY want.

As much as we like to convince ourselves about the future greatness of Jon Niese, Fernando Martinez and Bobby Parnell, the fact of the matter is they are just not looked at the same way outside of Mets circles. It doesn’t matter how valuable we think they are. All that matters is how valuable the rest of the league thinks they are.

Getting back to the Mark DeRosa deal, it’s mind boggling when you consider how brilliant this move was from every angle you look at it. The Cardinals are such a first class operation from top to bottom.

The Cards already knew that Khalil Greene was going to be out with stress related problems. They were able to get DeRosa without getting squeezed by the Indians because everyone in the organization operates on the same page unlike the Mets. The Indians would have demanded much more if they knew the Cardinals were about to DL their third baseman. Loose lips, sink ships.

The Cardinals also stand to gain two more prospects if they decide to let Mark DeRosa walk at the end of the season. And we are not talking 5th and 6th rounders either. If DeRosa continues to rake as he has, he will be a Class A free agent. That means who ever signs him in the off season, forfeits their first round draft pick. Plus the Cardinals get a supplemental pick before the start of the second round.

So the bottom line is they get the services of a 100 RBI bat with a great clubhouse attitude and a winning mentality, and then after the season they get two top draft picks, and all that for a middle relief prospect and a player to be named later. Considering the enormous drafts the Cardinals have had in this decade, what a bonanza of riches.

Genius… I tip my hat to the Cardinals… Well played guys…

Don’t blame Omar for not trying to get DeRosa. We have no evidence to suggest he didn’t. But if you believe some of the stuff circulating out there, the Indians told Minaya that we were not a good match. In other words, they had no interest in any of our relievers, and that includes Parnell and Kunz.

Parnell will be back in the minors as soon as Maine and Perez are activated. You could put that in the bank.

I guess this is a great example of that old adage, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”.

The Cleveland Indians have traded infielder Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.

DeRosa was hitting .270 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs this season while playing several infield positions and outfield.

DeRosa goes from the Indians, who have the worst record in the American League, to the Cardinals, who are tied with Milwaukee for first place in the National League Central.

DeRosa was all smiles when they broke the news to him.

“You want to hit the rewind button here,” DeRosa said of the Indians’ disappointing season. “From a selfish standpoint, I get to battle for a division title again and I’m in a good position with a great team.”

After helping the Cubs win the division last season, he will now attempt to do the same for St. Louis while filling in at a number of positions.

Why the Mets didn’t make a move on DeRosa is a mystery to me. Especially if the major component to the deal was a reliever prospect like Perez, who turns 24, on July 1, and had a 4.18 ERA in 29 appearances.

Surely, DeRosa could have been ours with a prospect like Eddie Kunz who is thriving in the minors or Bobby Parnell who throws even harder than Perez.

No team needed a utility infielder like Mark DeRosa more than the Mets did.

It’s a terrible missed opportunity, especially when you consider how little the Cardinals had to give up for a chance to strengthen their post season hopes.

It’s a winning move that will make a huge impact, just as the Manny Ramirez trade did last year for the Dodgers.

And while most baseball analysts agree that each will be made available, I believe each of them bring something different to the table.

Lets take a look at their numbers and at the same time I’ll give you what I believe are the pros and cons for each player.

Aubrey Huff – Age 32 – Bats Left – $8.0 million – Free Agent 2010

Pros – Huff is the pure slugger in the group and has the most homerun power, a factor that sits in his favor. His average and OBP percentage are not bad and just slightly above average. Last season he batted .304 with 32 homers and 108 RBIs. Finished in top ten in doubles, homers, total bases, SLG and OPS in 2009.

Cons – He is not a great defender at 1B and but has slightly better than average range and fielding percentage. The Orioles split his time at DH. The Orioles want a lot and he’s a free agent after the season.

Mark De Rosa – Age 34 – Bats Right – $5.5 million – Free Agent 2010

Pros – He’s enjoying a power spike in the last two seasons and is in the midst of another solid season. After a career high 87 RBIs in ’08, he is on pace to surpass 100 this season. Has a solid reputation as clubhouse guy and can play all four infield positions as well as corner outfield.  He would look great batting second or fifth in the Mets lineup.

Cons – There really are no cons with DeRosa outside of the Indians asking price, and this fear I have that after the season the Mets may hand him a 4-year deal at age 35.

Nick Johnson – Age 30 – Bats Left – $5.5 million – Free Agent 2010

Pros – He is having a solid season at the plate and has always been a solid OBP guy with a .398 career mark. His career OPS is better than either Huff or DeRosa, but his slugging has been erratic throughout his career. Makes solid contact. He is younger than the other two and the Mets could keep him if he pans out, but don’t expect big homerun numbers.

Cons – After hitting .220 last season, he’s batting .308 and is about to cash in on free agency at season’s end. I always wonder about guys who have career years at this stage of the game. Although he has good range at 1B, his fielding is below average. He is also one of the most injury prone players in the league and has only had over 400 at-bats twice in a seven year career. He has little speed and it’s mostly station to station with NJ.

All three players are in the final year of their contracts, so unless any of them resign with the Mets, they are all to be viewed as three month rentals.

1. Nick Johnson, Nationals: Johnson is hitting .315 with a .417 on-base percentage, and although he is not a thumper like Delgado, he would add to the drumbeat of tough hitters that the Mets roll out every night. Scouts say Johnson’s defense is much worse than what it was five years ago, and there is always the risk of injury; a nightmare scenario for the Mets would be for him to break down a few days after joining the team. Keep in mind that Mets GM Omar Minaya has traded for Johnson before, when he was general manager of the Montreal Expos. 

   Another factor that makes Johnson attractive to the Mets is that, presumably, because he is not a major run producer and because of his injury history, the asking price won’t be off the charts. The Nationals, facing a summer of negotiations for top MLB draft pick Stephen Strasburg, might like to clear some payroll. They could save about $3 million if they shed Johnson in the next few weeks. 

2. Aubrey Huff, Orioles: He had one of the most unnoticed and underrated seasons in baseball last year, when he mashed 32 homers among 82 extra-base hits and drove in 108 runs. This year, he’s hitting .261 with 41 RBIs. He would fit the Mets in a lot of ways, but again, a potential trade might come down to price. Some other guys who have played first base are listed here. 
3. Jorge Cantu, Marlins: Florida would have to roll up the white flag before trading the veteran first baseman, who is hitting .271 with nine homers. 
4. Dan Uggla, Marlins: It’s an outside-the-box thought — the Mets could add him and ask him to play first base, and that would give them some flexibility moving forward. They could then think about moving him to another position next year. 
5. Mark DeRosa, Indians: He can play a whole lot of positions, so if Delgado were to make it back, DeRosa could shift to another spot of need for the Mets. In the big picture, adding DeRosa would make the most sense, but would the price be too high? Keep in mind that Minaya, well-liked by his peers, has made trades with Indians GM Mark Shapiro in the past.

I have my own opinions on who I prefer, but let me first say that Nick Johnson would do little to help the Mets with their current power void. The Nationals want a ton for him, his defense is shaky, and he is one of the most injury prone players in the game.

Although Olney has DeRosa ranked at number five, he would be very high on my list simply because he has the power we desperately need right now, and if Delgado ever gets back, DeRosa can simply shift to another position like left field. He would also be able to give David Wright a day off and fill in at third base if necessary.

As for the others, I like Uggla’s power but he is a defensive nightmare and there’s no room for bad defense on a team that sometimes struggles to score runs. I’m not quite sold on all the Aubrey Huff fascination either.

I know that some on this site have preached patience, but think we could definitely use some pop in this lineup and first base would be the best place to add a bat. Besides, I think we can all agree that Daniel Murphy needs to spend some time in the minors for more seasoning… make that a lot more seasoning.

He writes,

Even before Jose Reyes became the latest Met to suffer an injury, leaving Wednesday night’s game, the Mets had been talking with the Indians about acquiring Mark DeRosa to play first base in Carlos Delgado’s absence, an official from one of the teams confirmed to FanHouse.

DeRosa could also help out at shortstop where he has played 139 games in his career. He obviously would be an immediate upgrade to anyone the Mets can currently pencil in at shortstop if Jose Reyes were to miss any games.

DeRosa is hitting .255 with six homers and 26 RBI and is a solid righthanded bat with a .316 average against lefties.

I couldn’t even begin to guess what the Mets would have to give up in order to acquire him, although I could bet Ramon Martinez is not in the deal.