This week in Nashville, the Mets should essentially have a one-track mind. All of their real needs deal with pitching.
Thanks to the trade with the Nationals that brought catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church on Friday, the Mets should be set at those positions, you would think. The biggest need is in the starting rotation and bullpen. With the Winter Meetings kicking off tomorrow, the Mets’ focus will undoubtedly be on the mound.
Here are the five items to look for with the Mets this week:
ACE A TRADE
This seems like the only way to acquire a top starter. The Mets will certainly try to talk about Dan Haren and Joe Blanton with the A’s, Erik Bedard with the Orioles, and, of course, Johan Santana with the Twins.
How likely is it the Mets can pry one of them loose? Very doubtful on Santana, since the Mets are unwilling to include Jose Reyes, David Wright or Carlos Beltran in a deal. Minnesota likes Carlos Gomez, but the Mets still are longshots to pull off a swap.
The others remain to be seen. The Mets seemingly moved a valuable trade chip when they dealt Lastings Milledge to Washington, but Omar Minaya insisted the Mets were informed that they hadn’t taken themselves out of the running for a good starter by doing so.
“We were told that if we were to move Lastings, we do have enough talent in our system to be able to complete deals for the guys we’re talking about,” Minaya said Friday.
The Mets’ best prospects include Gomez, fellow outfielder Fernando Martinez and pitchers Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Mulvey, Philip Humber and Deolis Guerra.
LOOK INTo FREE AGENTS
How much this will happen is debatable since the better pitchers are available via trades rather than free agency. Still, the Mets have interest in Japanese righty Hiroki Kuroda and fellow right-hander Livan Hernandez. They also have shown interest in Shawn Chacon, who could start or relieve.
“We’re looking not only at trades,” Minaya said last week. “But all of us are looking at the free agent market.”
BEEF UP BULLPEN
The Mets’ best shot at fixing their relief corps might have been to pay star free-agent closer Francisco Cordero at closer money and have him set up for Billy Wagner. They have shown interest in at least two other free-agent relievers – Octavio Dotel and Luis Vizcaino.
Agent Bean Stringfellow said on Friday that Vizcaino’s first choice is to go back to The Bronx. But the Mets are among several teams interested.
“Omar and I have expressed that we’re going to get together early in Nashville,” Stringfellow said.
RIGHTY FOR RIGHT
The Mets have Church in right field now, and the lefty swinger is a good hitter. However, Church hit .229 with one homer against lefties this past season.
The Mets could pursue a righty bat, especially with Milledge gone, who can help play right field. One free agent who could be a logical fit would be switch-hitting Bobby Kielty, who in his career against lefties has hit .296 with a .379 on-base percentage and 30 homers in 702 at-bats.
WHERE’S JOHNNY?
Asked about Johnny Estrada on Friday, Minaya replied, “We have three catchers, and we’re going to go to the Winter Meetings this week and look at how we can best put this team together for the year 2008.”
The Mets could attempt to trade Estrada, perhaps sending cash in a deal to compensate for his projected 2008 salary.
The Mets decided not to offer arbitration to free agents Paul Lo Duca and Shawn Green, meaning if either signs with another team, the Mets will not receive draft-pick compensation. The Mets will receive the Braves’ first-round pick and a supplemental pick (which is between rounds one and two) for Atlanta’s signing of Tom Glavine.