STEP FOUR: Choose players that best fit that plan.
Despite 2009, we’ve got lots of very good/great players at lots of different positions. Anyone who argues that the Mets need to “break up the core” is out of their mind. We’ve got the best CF in baseball and one of the best 3B and SS. The biggest openings are in LF, 1B and C.
The 2010 free agent class is weak, but it's not without some good names that would be a good fit for the Mets. The keys here should be to find young(er) guys who have been relatively healthy throughout their careers.
Before I start with position players, I want to point out that the most important thing for the 2010 Mets is to address their rotation. They can add big stars in LF, at 1B and behind the dish, but without stronger starting pitching, they’ll continue to flounder.
That being said, let’s proceed with…
LEFT FIELD__________________________________________
Without a doubt, the biggest mistake going into 2009 was thinking that Daniel Murphy would be an everyday LF. Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Murph/LF project is even more ridiculous when you consider that The Mets could've signed either Adam Dunn (.267, 38 HRs, 105 RBIs) or Bobby Abreu (.293, 15 HRs, 103 RBIs) for under $10 million.
Let me say that this is not an indictment of Murph. His 2009 campaign was similar to any normal second-year player, particularly one who’s trying to learn a new position at the Major League level. The issue is that our expectations were too high, thanks to how management shoved Murph down our throats as the second coming of Mickey Mantle. I admit that I, too, bought into the hype. I still believe in Murph as a player, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time in 2009. More on that in a bit.
We can't make the same mistake going into 2010. Angel Pagan, while he was really good (.303, 6 HRs, 32 RBIs and 11 3B), is just NOT good enough to be an everyday LF. The big off-season “sweepstakes” will be centered around two free agent boppers in Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, who are both offensive players with less than average defensive abilities.
Holliday will command an assload of money after having a terrific season (.313, 24 HRs, 109 RBIs), and he will probably get it because his agent is Scott Boras. Bay had a really good year in Boston, with slugger numbers (.267, 36 HRs, 119 RBIs). Since I’ve already talked about the team being built around speed and defense, the Mets should avoid both men.
Instead, I’d make a bid for Carl Crawford from Tampa Bay. He’s got a $10 million option with The Rays, who are looking to dump salary going into 2010. Assuming they don’t pick up the option, the Mets should sign him ASAP. It'll surely cost them $10 million+ a year for a multi-year deal, but Crawford is only 28 and he’s got great career averages – .296, 10 HRs, 70 RBIs, 80+ Rs and 40+ SBs per year.
The only downside with Crawford is his injury history. He's missed quite a bit of time in his young career, playing in 109 games in 2008 and 143 in 2007. He did play in 153 in 2009, which is a good sign. Regardless, and with the thought that Pagan will be a regular fourth outfielder and can fill in every now and again, Crawford fits perfectly into the speed and defense mode the team should be building toward. With him patrolling LF, Beltran in CF and Francoeur in RF, our outfield defense will be stellar.
Outside of Crawford (and the aforementioned Holliday and Bay), there aren’t any other free agents worth mentioning.
There's a shot that Fernando Martinez might be ready by 2010, but frankly, I'm not convinced that he's the savior we all hoped he'd be. I’m glad that they’re not Milledgeing (or Murphying) him on us.
A long shot alternative is Chris Carter, who was acquired from Boston in the Billy Wagner trade. Early reports on him are that he's got lots of pop – he drove in the first run at CitiField during the April exhibition game with a long double. It would've been nice to see him get some playing time with The Mets in September, but The Yankees dashed those chances by making a waiver claim on him, which kept him in Boston for the rest of 2009. It was a shrewd move by Cashman to weaken The Red Sox post-season roster, but it really hurt us. Carter also plays 1B, so he may end up on the 25-man roster as a bench guy. I just can’t see him being the starting LF in 2010.
Coming up next is the continuation of STEP FOUR... 1B.
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