The New York Mets were awfully quiet at this year's MLB Winter Meetings, which can mean one of two things - they were unwilling to trade some of their attractive young pitchers or they're content heading into the 2015 season.
General manager Sandy Alderson and the Mets essentially kicked off this year's free agency period when they signed Michael Cuddyer to a two-year, $21 million contract. The move was particularly puzzling since Cuddyer will be turning 36 before the season begins, New York had to surrender a first round draft pick to the Colorado Rockies when they signed him, and there were a number of corner outfield options available that early in the offseason.
What's also puzzling is that the Mets want to trade for another shortstop to upgrade at the position without even giving 23-year-old Wilmer Flores a chance to compete. Flores has played only 105 professional games during which he's slashed .240/.275/.356 with 36 runs scored, seven home runs and 42 RBIs. He was successful during his two stints at Triple-A Las Vegas, batting .321/.357/.531 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs in 107 games in 2013 and .323/.367/.568 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 55 games this past season before reaching the majors.
What's even more puzzling is that the Mets want to give up essentially nothing to acquire another shortstop/power-hitter/whatever they want. It's been known the team is looking to trade one of their starting pitchers to make room for Matt Harvey in the rotation in 2015, but those pitchers include Bartolo Colon, Dillon Gee and Jonathon Niese. The Mets refuse to eat any of the 41-year-old Colon's salary in a trade and are likely only dangling Niese because the left-hander got into a "heated confrontation" with manager Terry Collins at the end of the season. Gee remains the most likely to be traded because he's a serviceable starter under club control for another two seasons, and the Mets have been "aggressively shopping" him.
However, Gee likely won't yield a significant piece the Mets are looking to add. According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets were unwilling to trade one of their young pitchers to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The Detroit Tigers eventually acquired Cespedes for starter Rick Porcello, who owns a career 4.30 ERA. The Mets couldn't at least negotiate?
"According to a source, the Mets asked the Red Sox about Cespedes toward the end of the season but were told it would take Zack Wheeler or Jacob deGrom," writes Lennon. "Those two names remain virtually untouchable for the Mets, and that ended the discussion before it really even began ... Getting Cuddyer instead of continuing to hunt bigger prey on the trade front goes to show what the Mets face in those sort of talks. While they prefer to move Gee, Bartolo Colon or Jon Niese, other teams want Wheeler, deGrom or Noah Syndergaard."
Granted it's never the best of ideas to surrender a solid starting pitcher for an outfielder, but the Mets failed to at least engage in talks to the point where a back and forth could have ultimately resulted in a deal both sides wanted. Lennon also notes the Diamondbacks were willing to trade shortstop Didi Gregorius to New York if Noah Syndergaard was packaged in the deal. Syndergaard was 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 26 starts at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2014.
It's understandable the Mets are adamant about building a formidable starting rotation, but at the end of the day, runs are what win games. New York has ranked at the bottom of the league in terms of runs scored over the past three seasons: 25th in 2012 with 650 runs, 23rd in 2013 with 619 runs and 22nd in 2014 with 629 runs. Unless they have a plan to build a pitching staff like the Kansas City Royals', the Mets are going to need to drastically improve their offense if they want a chance to contend in 2015 and beyond.
