SAN DIEGO — Sandy Alderson arrived at Petco Park on Friday doing the “limbo” dance.
Despite his team’s improved play in the final week and a half before the All-Star break, the Mets general manager said he still is unsure whether he will pursue additional pieces for 2014.
The Mets won eight of 10 games on their homestand heading into the break, and began the second half with a 5-4 win against the Padres. They have a 46-50 record — seven games behind the Braves, the NL East leaders.
“I think the last 10 games were important because they make the next 10 games relevant to what happens at the [July 31] trade deadline,” Alderson said before the game. “We’ll see what happens over the next 10 days or so. But certainly the last 10 games have to make us a little more optimistic.”
Alderson said if he does trade for help with 2014 in mind, the player or players acquired would have to be more than rentals. The team’s biggest need is a corner outfielder with power, although Alderson could consider an upgrade at shortstop for Ruben Tejada.
Starlin Castro’s name has been mentioned throughout the industry as a potential fit, but the Cubs shortstop is also owed $44 million, and the Mets don’t seem desperate enough to go that direction.
But Castro would obviously fill the bill, in that he would be more than a rental player.
“I don’t think we would deal significant prospects or significant value for somebody who is going to help us for a couple of months,” Alderson said. “We spent too much time improving our minor league system and setting ourselves up for the future to commit significant resources to somebody in a deal that is only going to help us for a short period of time. In that sense we would probably be looking for somebody who can help us longer term as well.”
Daniel Murphy, who stands to get a significant raise this offseason from the $5.7 million he is making — he can become a free agent after the 2015 season — is among the organization’s top trade chips, but Alderson said no decision has been reached on the All-Star second baseman’s future.
“We’re not actively looking to trade Daniel Murphy by any means,” Alderson said. “That situation will resolve itself over time.”
The Mets are willing to deal Bartolo Colon, but there have been limited trade discussions involving the veteran right-hander at this point, according to club sources.
If Alderson can’t find a deal to his liking involving Colon, he could wait past the trade deadline and attempt to make a waiver deal in August with a playoff contender. He took the same tack last year with Marlon Byrd and John Buck, trading both to the Pirates in late August for Vic Black and Dilson Herrera.
Before the recent surge, Alderson had indicated he liked his team, citing the number of close games in which the Mets had participated. So winning eight of 10 to close the first half did nothing to change the general manager’s opinion of the team.
“I thought we were a little better than our record and I would like to think the last 10 games reinforced that notion,” Alderson said. “At the same time, I don’t expect us to play .800 baseball the rest of the way.”