A second straight brutal season at the plate likely means the Mets will non-tender Andres Torres, but the team has not ruled out the possibility of bringing back the center fielder, according to a source.
Despite hitting just .230 with a .664 OPS, Torres would be in line for a slight raise from the $2.7 million he made last season in arbitration. The Mets have no interest in paying that amount to Torres, who turns 35 in January, but could re-sign him for about half that.
It is a similar philosophy to the one the Mets likely will use with Mike Pelfrey after the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May, sidelining him through the start of next season.
At the GM meetings in Indian Wells, Calif., last week, Sandy Alderson said he might have some more “leeway” with the payroll after cutting ties with Jason Bay, but still had to be “realistic” about the players he could go after.
That could mean Torres remains in their plans.
Alderson also acknowledged he might explore the trade market and, although he isn’t looking to break up the starting rotation, he isn’t keeping many players off limits.
The Red Sox could look to move Jarrod Saltalamacchia after signing free-agent catcher David Ross, and the Mets may listen if Saltalamacchia is on the trade market.
With the Mets looking for an upgrade over Josh Thole, the 27-year-old Saltalamacchia would fit. He is coming off a season in which he hit a career-high 25 home runs, although he also struck out 139 times.
But the price for Saltalamacchia would also be high, perhaps Jon Niese. The left-hander just finished the first year of a five-year deal.
“It’s a good place to start building a team,” Alderson said of the rotation, “so we want to be a little bit careful about who we trade, particularly those who are going to be valuable to us for more than one year.”
Though Niese is in that category, the Mets’ desire for a power bat behind the plate could override that.
— Additional reporting by Mike Puma