Last night rumors abounded that the Mets were actively looking for relief help and actually contacted the san Diego Padres to inquire about Huston Street. You could read more about that below this update.
However, Adam Rubin reported that a baseball official familiar with the Mets plans told him that he did not foresee the Mets acquiring a large-salaried closer from another team at the trading deadline with the reason being they have Frank Francisco who is currently on the disabled list. The Mets signed Francisco to a two year, $12 million dollar deal as the headliner to their hot stove season.
If Alderson & Co. are shopping in the $3 million dollar or less department, it would eliminate most of the quality relievers that have been reported to be available. Basically it will be more dumpster diving and not any actual proven veteran closer who can bolster the bullpen and stop the bleeding.
The revamped bullpen which had been much ballyhooed leading into the season has been a phenomenal failure and has the worst ERA in the majors to prove it.
As I mentioned in a post last week, the Mets are also in great need of a right-handed bat, but there’s no indication that they plan to acquire one.
Everyone seems to think this operation runs in stealth mode – it doesn’t. Social media killed stealth mode so stop deluding yourself.
While this rumor that they contacted the Padres about Street was nice to see, how serious of a conversation was it and were any names exchanged? We’ll never know, but if history is any lesson, usually any big name players who the Mets have been tied to in the last two years have been just that – rumors. Nothing tangible ever came out of those rumors and it almost seems as though these leaks serve one purpose and that is to keep the Mets fan base engaged and hopefull that something big is going down which of course never materializes.
Will this front office give this Mets team – a Mets team that currently owns the Wild Card spot – the pieces it needs to put them over the top? Recent history tells us no. We might get a reliever to fill out the back of the bullpen and maybe even spare bat that might be drifting around, but don’t expect any of the sexier names you’ll be hearing about for the next 31 days. And believe me the Mets will be tied to just about every big name that may come available, but by now you should be used to that. You should know these types of leaks are just for some immediate PR value and to create some buzz, and not because all of a sudden there’s been some sort of strategical shift or a seismic philosophy change. Stone is stone.
These Mets will pretty much have to do it on their own if they are to hang on to that coveted Wild Card which they have done for almost the entire first half.
Holdovers from the Minaya regime like David Wright, Ruben Tejada, R.A. Dickey, Johan Santana and even rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis will have to continue to step up and get the job done with or without any help at the trade deadline. Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy need to each give the Mets a big second-half and so far things on that front look good. Dillon Gee and Jon Niese must not tire as they’ve done in past seasons once the calendar turns to August – those two must continue to progress as they have. Bobby Parnell must exorcise his demons and be the late game reliever that is commensurate with his talent.
The Mets have proven to be resilient which is what has kept them from any prolonged losing streaks so far. They have shown tremendous fight and are one of the most dangerous teams in the majors with two outs. They’ve even showed some guts which we haven’t seen before. Who wasn’t charged up when Dickey retaliated and hit Gordon with that pitch last night?
This team could go to the play offs and I’m certain that they will. How far they go after that is the real mystery. Some real help from the front office would certainly be a grand gesture, but this front office doesn’t operate that way. They are methodical to a fault. We’ve gone from feast (Minaya) to famine (Alderson). Maybe one day we can get it right and find some middle ground. But for now what we have is a team that is busting their asses everyday win or lose and nothing seems to phase them.
I’m looking forward to an exciting second half.
Original Post 6/29
According to Andy Martino of the Daily News, the Mets are actively looking for bullpen help and have inquired about Padres RHP Huston Street,
This comes a couple of days after Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, first reported the Mets were going to contact the San Diego Padres to inquire about Huston Street and also consider other candidates like Grant Balfour and Brett Myers.
MetsBlog writes:
Street, 28, is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 11 saves, having allowed just three earned runs and eight hits in 19 innings over 20 appearances so far this season. Street missed most of May with a strained right shoulder, but has returned to record seven saves and pitch to a 1.93 ERA since June 4.
Street is in the final year of a three-year, $22.5 million contract he signed with the A’s in January, 2010. Street holds a $9 million option for 2013, but the Padres can decline that option and pay him $500,000 to become a free agent.
Nothing like a good trade rumor to get the weekend going. 🙂
