Is shortstop Stephen Drew “that” guy?
The financial handcuffs are finally off and Sandy Alderson apparently now has the wherewithal and flexibility to attack this offseason like he’s never had before.
If there’s a player out there that can help this team and improve the Mets in any particular area, money will not prevent Sandy from pursuing that option like it has in the past. Or so that’s the message the Mets are trying to convey this Fall and Winter… Whether or not you choose to believe it is purely up to you…
I was wondering what some of our writers thought about that, and who they thought would be the biggest splash we make this offseason that would improve the team.
Satish – Wow… do I let my pessimism run free here? My gut says LaTroy Hawkins, but I think we’ll go out and get Stephen Drew or Jhonny Peralta.
Kirk – I think in the end the biggest splash you may see from the Mets is the signing of a mid-rotation pitcher to hold us over while Matt Harvey makes his way back. Maybe a guy like Josh Johnson who is looking to prove his health and is willing to accept a one-year, incentive laden deal in order to do so. Another option would be someone like Matt Garza on a multi-year deal. He offers solid upside despite his late-season trouble in Texas which unlike Citi Field becomes a launching pad in the late stages of the summer.
Xtreem – That depends on the market, but I think they’d make the biggest play for Shin-Soo Choo.
DrDooby – I do believe the Mets have a real shot at Choo, Carlos Beltran or Jacoby Ellsbury – but could be involved in a heavy bidding war with a handful of more short term oriented teams. I do believe that the front office does see both the fit with one of these three players aligning with a need to show the public that the Mets will be serious players again, even below the “all-in” status of past years. As for who “WILL” be, I believe and have repeatedly stated that Bronson Arroyo would be a perfect fit in the current situation. 2-year-contract of about $25 million (comparable to what Ryan Dempster signed for last winter) – and provide a veteran stabilizer who takes the ball every 5th day for the otherwise young & fragile Mets staff.
Tommy – I think the biggest signing the Mets will make will be a mid-level bat with power, such as Jhonny Peralta or Nelson Cruz. In terms of signing a big name, Tim Lincecum could be on the way, although his popularity has exceeded his production the last 2 years.
Joe D. – As for me, a month ago I would have said Jose Abreu, fresh off of Sandy’s comments saying that his goal this offseason was to add a power bat and a first baseman. Obviously, that ship has sailed. I think the Choo, Ellsbury and Beltran ships will drift away from the Mets as well. I imagine that bringing back Marlon Byrd and hoping for him to duplicate his 2013 season would be right up the Mets’ alley for a number of reasons, the least of which would be the PR value and all the fluffy feel good stories that would accompany his signing. This is how the Men in Black operate these days. On the pitching front, I’d like to see them pursue a better class than they have in the last three seasons, but I wouldn’t rule out a simple one-year fix with Daisuke Matsuzaka or Aaron Harang. Shortstop is where they’ll likely exert their greatest effort and Stephen Drew could be that guy who becomes their biggest splash. Drew hasn’t played more than 125 games since 2010, but he’s coming off a somewhat solid season in which he batted .253/.333/.443 with 13 home runs and 67 RBI. I wonder how those numbers will play out at Citi Field? Nevertheless, Drew’s my pick for the biggest splash you’ll see the Mets make this offseason.
