Writers Roundtable

Author: Will Sommer

I recently asked all of the writers of MFF the following question:

What is the Mets greatest need right now and why? Here were their responses:

Clare Lafferty: The Mets greatest position of need for me is pitching. You always need pitching if you want to succeed, even if your hitting is stellar. Pitching wins you pennants - sim ple as that.

That being said, I would also want the first base position to be decided on whether that means giving Delgado another chance, using Murphy or going out and getting another first baseman. We could also use a power outfielder and hopefully Jason Bay will agree to become part of our team.

But it always comes down to pitching. We need at least one or possibly two more quality starters and another reliever wouldn't hurt.

Greg Pomes: The Mets greatest position need is starting pitching.  The Mets need a solid number 2 pitcher behind Santana if they want to be competitive.  The last 3 years have shown us that lack of starting pitching hurts your team as it tires your bullpen and leads to bullpen problems.  The Mets are not a power team, they need pitching to succeed.

Lenny Chiarello: If I would have written this on December 6th, the night before Omar Minaya headed to Indianapolis, I would have told you that the Mets needed pitching. When thinking about the 2009 Free Agent class, when one thinks of pitching they think of John Lackey. Unfortunately for the New York Mets, John Lackey is currently a member of the Boston Red Sox. 

The Mets STILL need pitching. Unfortunately for them, the best pitcher in the market is no longer on the market. Sources are saying that the Cincinnati Reds are actively shopping Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo-- let's not forget that former Reds GM Wayne Krivsky is a special assistant to Omar Minaya. Of the two, I prefer Bronson Arroyo for three simple reasons: 

1) He has proved to pitch effectively in a big market in his years in Boston.

2) His ability to stay on the field (since 2004 he has not pitched less than 32 starts). 

3) He makes $2 million less per season than Aaron Harang. 

One more person to keep in the back of your head: Ben Sheets. The former Brewer may sign an incentive-laden deal much like Andy Pettitte signed before the 2009 season with the New York Yankees.

Regarding the Jason Bay vs. Matt Holliday debate--I'm going to solve it right now. Jason Bay is someone who proved that he can play in a playoff atmosphere every night at Fenway Park (much like our buddy Bronson Arroyo). Jason Bay is also someone who knows his worth and isn't letting his agent decide it for him. I know I may be in the minority, but I want Jason Bay in Queens.

Paul Zinn: The Mets greatest need right now is starting pitching, simply because of how important it is to success and little is available. With John Lackey and Roy Halladay now off the market, the Mets are looking at a rotation that includes Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine. There are major question marks with the last three, and even Santana is coming off of season-ending surgery. The team is desperately lacking a No. 1A or No. 2 starter to place Pelfrey, Perez and Maine into a role that more suits their abilities.

 While the other large need is leftfield, it will probably be filled by Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Maybe the Mets had no shot at Lackey or Halladay from the start. Maybe they did. Regardless of that, the lack of starting pitching now available and the numerous question marks in the Mets’ rotation makes this the team’s greatest need.

Drew Costello: A lot of people may argue that the Mets greatest need is pitching. I would argue that a power hitting LF is their greatest need. The Mets were a good pitching team before the injuries to their every day players happened. Pitchers such as Mike Pelfrey felt the pressure of having to keep their team in the game by not giving up any runs. The Mets were down right awful at hitting the ball out of the ball park last season. It felt as though every run they scored had to come from 3 base hits, which is tough to live by especially when players go into their inevitable slumps. That being said, one of Jason Bay or Matt Holliday needs to be a priority for this team. Adding 35 home runs to the middle of the lineup will take the pressure off the pitchers and the rest of the lineup.

Will Sommer: Clearly almost everyone who writes for MFF wants the Mets to land pitching. The thing is what  pitchers are out there? Joel Pineiro? Jon Garland? Both these pitchers are supposedly looking for multi-year deals, and if that's the case I wouldn't go near them.

The Mets need pitching, there is no doubt about that, but there is a thin market right now of elite SP. This team has so many holes to fill that my sense is they are all top priorities in their own way. LF is a top priority because the Mets had no power last year. SP is a top priority because outside of Santana there is just a bunch of back end of the rotation type guys. At this point I just want the Mets to land a player that will fill one of their needs, like a Jason Bay, but only at 4 years. If the Mets have to go 5 with him, that's when I would go after Holliday. I would much rather have Holliday at 6 or even 7 years than Bay at 5.

What do you think?  Should the Mets go after Holliday rather than Bay? Or should the Mets just focus on SP?