Blogger Roundtable

Author: Will Sommer

I recently asked Andrew Vazzano of The Ropolitans, Michael Baron of MetsBlog, Joe Janish of Mets Today, and Joe D. of Mets Merized a question concerning the big free agents and whether they think the Mets will sign any of them. Here were their responses.

Joe Janish: I think the "biggest" free agents the Mets will sign will be Bengie Molina and one of either Jason Marquis or Randy Wolf. Ho-hum, I know.  If they find a way to rid themselves of Luis Castillo, add Orlando Hudson to the list. Of course, none of those four will make the Mets a significantly better team in 2010, but neither would the signing of Matt Holliday or John Lackey (though, signing both Holliday and Lackey MIGHT improve the club).

  The Mets have too many holes to address, and this year's free agent class is lacking in talent and depth. There are a number of "under the radar" free agents that can plug some of those holes, but to find them and land them requires a sharp eye, willingness to gamble, and shrewd negotiation skills. Based on the recent signings of Alex Cora, Elmer Dessens, and Chris Coste, I have little faith that the Mets front office meets any of those requirements.

Andrew Vazzano: I think the Mets will make a hard push for Matt Holliday. He is not a perfect fit, but he's the premier free agent on the market. If the team is willing to hand out a big contract worth a ton of money, I think they're more set to use it on a position player over a pitcher, like John Lackey.

Michael Baron: I think the Mets are going to make a splash this winter, although I think it is highly unnecessary to make a move because the fans are angry and upset.

I think eventually, the Mets will end up with Matt Holliday, Randy Wolf, and Jason Marquis. I think the only true competition right now is St. Louis for Holliday, but if Boston loses Bay, it suddenly becomes a more interesting contest for Holliday. However, I think Bay and the Red Sox are meant for each other. In addition, much to my chagrin, I think Carlos Delgado will get a one year deal from the Mets with a performance based option for 2011.

Even if they secure all of the above, I believe they will still pursue Roy Halladay, because why not? They have the prospects and the Major League pitcher (Pelfrey) to acquire him, and even with Holliday, they still can pay him, even though I think acquiring him is unwise for the future while tempting. That rotation is a very good short term situation, albeit expensive, to say the least, but does it make them a contender?

No.

The current group needs to get healthy, and stay healthy. The coaching and training needs to get better. The fundamentals on the field need to get better. If all remains the same, this team is an 83-88 win team with the above acquisitions and the current group. If they can acquire the above players and improve the fundamentals from within, they have the potential of being an overpowering force in 2010.

Joe D:  To answer your question, I don't really envision the Mets going after either of the big three free agents. They have too many areas of concern and not enough money to sign a big name and still address the other team needs which includes finding a setup man and another lefty for the bullpen, a right handed corner infielder, a left fielder, a number two type starter and a catcher.

 

The Mets may look to either Randy Wolf or Jason Marquis as their big pitching acquisition, and they may kick the tires on either Carlos Delgado or Jermaine Dye to fill their need at cleanup hitter. They may even consider Adam LaRoche, but they will probably have to fend off 3-4 other teams to secure his services.