WINTER-IZE THOSE PENS
With Familia in limbo, Mets seek relief help
THE METS already made their big offseason moves. Getting Yoenis Cespedes back on a reasonable contract and Neil Walker back on a one-year qualifying offer were the top two things on their winter wish list. Friday they even added insurance for their shaky catching by agreeing to a contract with backup Rene Rivera.
So unlike last December, when they chased free agent Ben Zobrist, this should be a slower week for the Mets when the Winter Meetings begin Monday at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside of Washington, D.C.
That does not mean the Mets won’t be working this week. Mets GM Sandy Alderson and his front office staff will be looking for ways to make trades and smaller moves to improve. Last December, after losing out on Zobrist, the Mets pivoted quickly and made two big moves — signing Asdrubal Cabrera and trading for Walker — in quick succession.
So stay tuned during the four biggest days of the baseball offseason. Follow @Ackert_ NYDN and check nydailynews.com for all the latest on the Mets and the rest of the National League.
BIGGEST NEED
The bullpen needs another big arm — or two. Even before closer Jeurys Familia was arrested on assault charges in which he faces a possible suspension by MLB under the joint domestic violence policy, the Mets knew they needed to add another back-of-the bullpen arm. Sandy Alderson bluntly said the Mets will not be in the running for the top closers, but he knows the bullpen needs help. At the very least the Mets need another arm to take the workload off Familia and set-up man Addison Reed. The GM needs to find some insurance in case Familia is suspended and also some help to keep his lateinning relievers healthy.
The Mets will be looking for possible trades for a lefty and back-end of the bullpen, or a way to clear some salary, enabling them to go out and get another lefty like Jerry Blevins.
TRADE TALK
The Mets will be in the middle of a lot of trade rumors this week. It’s no secret that with Cespedes back in the fold with his four-year, $110 million deal, Alderson needs to make room in his already crowded outfield and on a payroll that is already pushing the limits of his budget.
So the Mets will be looking to move Jay Bruce and his $13 million salary, which the Mets just picked up the option on last month. The 29-year-old lefthanded-hitting right fielder was not a good fit in New York. Always a streaky hitter, Bruce slumped when he came over from the Reds and got tagged with the label that he cannot play on the big stage of New York. True or not, he is not a good fit anymore so the Mets will shop him. A guy who has clubbed 30 or more home runs in four of his nine major league seasons should not be hard to move theoretically, but Bruce is a one-dimensional player and the Mets are not going to just give him away.
The Mets prefer to trade Bruce, but have to think about dealing Curtis Granderson, who is in the final season of his four-year deal with the Mets. According to teams that have talked to the Mets, Michael Conforto is not an option to be traded. Industry sources see Granderson generating more interest.
An industry source familiar with the Mets’ thinking said they still “have to analyze which move would make them better in the long and short term.”
THANKS, BUT NO THANKS
Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon are not on the Mets’ radar, even though the team is looking for bullpen arms. Familia has raised concerns about his ability in big spots with three blown saves in the 2015 World Series and a meltdown in the wild-card game last season, but the Mets are convinced this is simply his workload catching up with him at the end of the year. Their concern was heightened with his arrest in a domestic violence incident on Oct. 31, knowing he faces a possible significant suspension by MLB even if he makes it through the legal process without penalty. They feel they can survive a suspension with Reed sliding into the closer’s spot and bolstering the back end of the bullpen to cut down on the workload.
PREDICTION
The Mets have addressed their top three offseason concerns even before getting to the Winter Meetings. So look for them to quietly work through a trade for Bruce or Granderson, getting back a top prospect and freeing up enough payroll space to go out and sign a reliever.