The Mets are not in play for Stephen Drew as a report on MetsBlog suggests. It sounds like another source who has no idea of the current landscape surrounding Drew and the Mets.
1. Lets remember that Scott Boras nixed a meeting with the Mets in Orlando to discuss Drew. Instead he scurried to the hotel lobby and made astronaut jokes about them
2. Then there’s this presumption that Drew will only get three years and $40 million at the top of his market? If a source told me that I’d drop him like a hot potato…
Has this source taken a look at the skyrocketing free agent contracts in this current market?
Does this source really believe that Boras will let Drew sign a deal for even a penny less than Jhonny Peralta?
3. Furthermore, have we forgotten that Drew will cost the Mets a draft pick?
Only two weeks ago, the Assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi made very clear the team’s position on that:
“I don’t know if we’ll be that involved with those type of guys.
Like I said, it has to be the right guy for us to even do one.” I mean what sanitarium is this coming from?
4. Just last week, Mike Puma of the New York Post, spoke to two Mets executives who told him that their checklist has been cut to two bats, one starting pitcher and one reliever.
Chris Young has supplied one of those bats, and everyone except this source knows that the Mets looking for another outfielder with power to supply the other bat.
5. Then lets not forget Payroll Concentration…
Have we already forgotten what Sandy Alderson said about concentrating a third of the payroll on two players? I mean it was only nine days ago, you couldn’t have forgotten that already…
Lets assume Drew gets 3/$40 or $13.5 million dollars annually. That means between him and David Wright the Mets will allot $33.5 million of their $87 million payroll on two players and thus wiping out any flexibility for the next three years.
Add in Chris Young’s $7.25 million and you have $41 million or nearly half of their payroll on three players.
I haven’t even mentioned the potential bidding war from other interested teams that will no doubt be fueled by Boras and a depleted shortstop market. Call that a bonus sixth reason.
Believe what you want, but you have to be a complete loon to buy into this new farce that the Mets are in on Drew. Even more insane as the Mets being in on Peralta.
