Ramon Hernandez (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Miguel Olivo (AP)
(
)
The Mets are contenders, and you know what contenders do in July — they try to improve themselves.
Look, there still are 75-win scenarios for these Mets, mainly because their greatest strength, starting pitching, quickly could become a liability. They have limited-to-no depth behind a somewhat fragile group: Johan Santana and Chris Young are defying the odds so far by becoming the first pitchers to thrive following their particular type shoulder surgery; Jon Niese and Dillon Gee are homegrown success stories, but pitchers who have worn down as the season progressed in previous years. And, come on, isn’t there a little part of everyone still wondering just how long the R.A. Dickey magical, mystery knuckleball tour can extend?
But the Mets have this formula: They have overachieved in a year without an elite NL team. It strongly suggests that, at minimum, the wild card will remain in play for them and that finding an upgrade or two could be the difference between, say, 85 wins and the 88 that might net that second wild card.
The Mets are not in position yet to go all in. Their farm system and financial picture are both substantially improved from a year ago, but not enough to make a huge investment of prospects and/or dollars, especially in a year when they are no sure thing.
Still, they owe it to a steadily enthused and returning fan base and to a hard-playing clubhouse to try to address areas of need. But which areas?
With their unwillingness to expend big dollars or prospects, the Mets will be unable to address every shortcoming. Thus, in some areas they are just going to have to gamble that an internal candidate can solve the problem.
That is why they plan to call up Josh Edgin early in the second half to see if he can be the second lefty in the bullpen for which they have hungered. Jason Bay is due back July 17, and they hope he can provide righty balance to the lineup. Matt Harvey has probably reached the stage where, if necessary, he has a chance to help the major league rotation.
But the Mets have no good options to even pray on for the right-handed hitting catcher they crave or righty relief — unless Jenrry Mejia or Elvin Ramirez becomes much more viable … and soon.
So those are the two areas the Mets will need to concentrate upon and, The Post has learned, they already are very interested in Colorado catcher Ramon Hernandez, a long-time favorite of Sandy Alderson. As A’s general manager, Alderson signed Hernandez out of Venezuela in 1994. Hernandez is on Colorado’s disabled list with a left hand strain, but nearing a return. In his absence, rookie Wilin Rosario essentially won the job.
Hernandez is making $3.2 million this year and due $3.2 million next year, and Colorado is in full rebuild mode. Two other catchers the Mets are interested in, the Post has learned, are Boston’s Kelly Shoppach and Seattle’s Miguel Olivo. Both fit the profile of what the Mets desire — a righty catcher with power to move Mike Nickeas off the roster. The Mets entered the weekend tied for the fewest homers by catchers in the majors (two). Their .618 catching OPS ranked 24th out of 30 teams.
Boston is looking to promote Ryan Lavarnway to platoon with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, making Shoppach expendable. The out-of-contention Mariners could use the second half to get a better feel for Jesus Montero as a regular catcher and have John Jaso on the roster, as well, which would free them to move Olivo, who is making $3.5 million this year and has a $3 million 2013 option with a $750,000 buyout.
As for righty relief, colleague Ken Davidoff reported last week that the Mets are open to a reunion with very available Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez. Besides that, there are the usual suspects available, such as Houston’s Brett Myers and Oakland’s Grant Balfour. In fact, righty relief is always one of the more available commodities on the market, not just through the July 31 phase, but until Aug. 31.
However, the Mets already have tried once in this area for this year and done poorly, adding Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez in the offseason.
Also, Mets officials are concerned about disrupting the positive eco-system around the team by adding the wrong personalities or unsettling the pitching by bringing in a catcher in midstream — although they would still do so if they found the right catcher.
In fact, despite fan feelings to the contrary, Mets officials want to get Bay back because they think his teammates like him and he is a clubhouse positive.
The Mets are toying with the idea of starting an all-righty outfield against lefties: Bay, Andres Torres and Scott Hairston. The Mets remember, through all the struggles, that Bay had a .918 OPS vs. southpaws last year. They don’t want to make him a platoon player, but if that is the only way to get something out of his onerous contract, then so be it — especially in a pennant race.
And the Mets consider themselves enough in the race that Alderson said by phone that he was willing to use his prospect base, “but I will not trade anyone I believe is on schedule to help us in 2013-14.” That means the best of the system, notably Harvey, Zack Wheeler and a few others, are off limits.
We will have to see what the industry thinks about their secondary group of prospects — such as Juan Lagares, Wilmer Flores, Wilfredo Tovar, Blake Forsythe, Jack Leathersich, Tyler Pill, Logan Verrett and Colin McHugh.
The fact the Mets are even finding out what the value of this group is says the following: It is July and they are contenders.
joel.sherman@nypost.com