Here we are almost four weeks before the Winter Meetings and we’re already getting a good sense of what the New York Mets will look like in 2017.
After seeing Neil Walker accept his one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer on Monday, it appears the Mets infield is pretty much locked in with Lucas Duda at first base, Walker at second, Asdrubal Cabrera returns at shortstop, and David Wright gives it another go at third base.
The Mets have already picked up the option on Jose Reyes, and Wilmer Flores heads into his first year of arbitration. There’s your starting infield and your two backups. For now, T.J. Rivera is likely looking at a return to Las Vegas where he will remain until needed.
Some have raised the possibility of a trade that could change the landscape of the infield in 2017, but I just don’t see it.
Who are we trading exactly? Lucas Duda has seen his value plummet to a four-year low. David Wright is going nowhere. Asdrubal Cabrera is coming off a career year and the Mets have no plans to move him off shortstop. And Neil Walker is now a $17.2 million dollar rental coming off back surgery.
Could the Mets move Flores perhaps? It’s possible, but after years of characterizing him as a part time player who is a defensive liability who can’t hit right-handed pitching, he’s a throw-in a deal at best, and the last thing the Mets need is to lose a key right-handed bat in their lefty-loaded lineup.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York has already done the math and he places the Mets current payroll at roughly $123,915,000. Of course, that figure does not include Yoenis Cespedes or any upgrades in the bullpen.
Here is how the 25 man roster looks right now including estimates for arbitration-eligible players. Rubin rounded off players not eligible for arbitration to $500,000 – just under the 2017 MLB minimum salary.
Starting Rotation
1. Jacob deGrom $4.225M
2. Matt Harvey $5.325M
3. Steven Matz
5. Zack Wheeler $1.0M
Bullpen
6. Jeurys Familia $7.375M
7. Addison Reed $7.9M
8. Josh Edgin $725K
10. Josh Smoker
11. Seth Lugo
12. Erik Goeddel
Starters
13. Travis d’Arnaud $1.9M
14. Lucas Duda $7.315M
15. Neil Walker $17.2M
16. David Wright $20M
17. Asdrubal Cabrera $8.25M
18. Michael Conforto
19. Curtis Granderson $15M
20. Jay Bruce $13M
Bench
21. Wilmer Flores $2.9M
22. Rene Rivera $2.3M
23. Jose Reyes
24. Juan Lagares $4.5M
25. Brandon Nimmo
One thing to keep an eye on is if the Mets end up dealing Jay Bruce at the Winter Meetings. Some writers say it all hinges on whether the Mets bring back Yoenis Cespedes, I say the two are mutually exclusive.
Even if the Mets fail to bring back Cespedes, I can still see the team parlaying Bruce to bring back a significant bullpen upgrade and freeing up money to sign a right-handed power bat via free agency or trade.
I just can’t envision the Mets going into a new season with three left-handed, all or nothing hitters in the outfield.
Rubin projects Wheeler as one of the five starters. Two things… One, I’m not so sure Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo will be left out of the equation for fifth starter. Two, I can’t see all four starting pitchers returning from surgery to be ready for the Opening Day roster without any hiccups. After all, these are the Mets we are talking about.
Anyway, those are a few of my thoughts, and I look forward to reading yours.
