Benjamin Grimm

So maybe the Mets will replace the catcher with the pretty face with a catcher with a pretty name.

Mike Puma of the Post is saying that the White Sox may non-tender a catcher named Tyler Flowers, and if so, the Mets might be interested in him as a backup to d'Arnaud. One name Mets will keep an eye for non-tender is ChiSox Tyler Flowers. Team execs have liked him in the past. Potential d'Arnaud backup. Tyler Flowers He hit ten homers last year, but other than that, his numbers don't look so hot. He'll turn 28 next month.

Signing Arroyo would fill a hole, not create an excess. It wouldn't necessarily be linked to the Mets dealing a pitcher.

While they certainly have needs for position players, there's no denying that they also need a starting pitcher or two. As of now, their rotation is Niese, Gee, and Wheeler.

Joel Sherman, NY Post wrote: Furcal falls off Mets� radar for physical worries The Mets had begun the offseason intrigued about enlisting Rafael Furcal to play shortstop next year. Furcal missed all of last season for the Cardinals after needing Tommy John surgery last March. But the more the Mets researched the 36-year-old free agent, the greater their worry about his physical viability became, to the point that one executive said the switch-hitter no longer is a candidate for the Mets. Perhaps that is why general manager Sandy Alderson last week revived the possibility of going with Ruben Tejada shortly after Jhonny Peralta enlisted with St. Louis. Peralta was the Mets� main shortstop target, and Furcal was a lightning-in-a-bottle candidate. Officials who do not work for the Mets but have received progress reports from Furcal�s workouts in Miami expressed the same physical concerns. The plan was for Furcal to begin throwing in a more aggressive way this week. With Drew likely too expensive, it's looking good, for the moment anyway, for Ruben Tejada. But I have to think there's another alternative out there, one not necessarily named "Quintanilla." Maybe a trade, or someone who gets released in spring training, or even possibly a Rule 5 pick.

Current reports indicate that the Mets are getting serious about locking down Arroyo. Here's Adam Rubin: Source: Mets eye Bronson Arroyo Updated: November 30, 2013, 6:46 PM ET By Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com NEW YORK -- New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson plans to meet with right-hander Bronson Arroyo at the free-agent pitcher's Tampa, Fla., home during the upcoming week, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com. Alderson, who has spent the holiday weekend in Maryland, touched base with Arroyo's representatives Wednesday to try to arrange a face-to-face meeting. Alderson has met in person with at least two free agents so far this offseason -- shortstop Jhonny Peralta and outfielder Chris Young. ... How serious the Mets' inquiry with Arroyo will be remains to be seen, since they have been averse to committing to large contracts in recent years. In fact, the largest contract Alderson has given to a free agent in four offseasons as GM is a now-expired two-year, $12 million deal to former closer Frank Francisco. A baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com that Arroyo seeks a three-year deal, but may ultimately accept a two-year offer with a vesting option for 2016. The Mets particularly need rotation help because right-hander Matt Harvey is due to miss next season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Ideally, the Mets would add two starting pitchers from outside the organization, to pair with Jonathon Niese, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee. That would allow upper-level pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom to open the season at Triple-A Las Vegas. Arroyo, 36, went 14-12 with a 3.79 ERA in 202 innings with the Cincinnati Reds this past season. Since 2005, Arroyo has logged the third-most innings in the majors (1,895 2/3), trailing only CC Sabathia (1,999 1/3) and Dan Haren (1,927 2/3). While Alderson hopes to meet with Arroyo during the upcoming week in Tampa, a source indicated the meeting may be pushed back to the following week, when the winter meetings will be held in nearby Orlando, Fla. SB Nation first reported a potential meeting between Alderson and Arroyo.

It's funny; people who I knew 30 years ago and with whom I've reconnected on Facebook still see the Mets as a core part of my identity, where people I've met more recently may not even know I'm a fan, unless they see a vacation photo of me in a Mets cap.

I have no problem with taking a flyer on a guy like him. My issue is that it's using up $7.25 million of the offseason budget. It remains to be seen how much that will handcuff the Mets from any future moves, but right now that's where my concern is.

This is now official, as of yesterday. I know that batmagadanleadoff is delighted about this, but the rest of us, it seems, are rather lukewarm about it. Hopefully there are better announcements to come. Mets press release wrote: METS SIGN OUTFIELDER CHRIS YOUNG The New York Mets today announced the club signed outfielder Chris Young to a one-year contract. Young, 30, appeared in 107 games with Oakland last season, hitting .200 (67-335) with 12 home runs and 40 RBI. The 6-2, 190-pound native of Houston, TX, who throws and bats right-handed, hit double-digit home runs for the seventh consecutive season in 2013. He finished with 33 extra-base hits, the second most in the American League among players with 335 at-bats or less. Originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft out of Bellaire High School in Houston, Young was traded to Arizona in 2005 as part of a deal for righthanded pitcher Javier Vazquez. He made his major league debut in 2006 with the Diamondbacks, and the next season, he hit 32 home runs and stole 27 bases to finish fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. Young became the first rookie in major league history to hit 30 home runs and steal 25 bases in a season. He was an All-Star in 2010. The A's acquired him in 2012 for infielder Cliff Pennington and minor league infielder Yordy Cabrera. Young owns a .235 (825-3,508) lifetime average with 144 home runs and 122 stolen bases. He is one of 17 active major leaguers, along with teammate David Wright, to have at least 140 home runs and 120 stolen bases. His lifetime OPS against lefthanders is .838 (on-base percentage, .363; slugging percentage, .475).

Yeah, I think that's probably how it will play out. Unless there's some leftover inexpensive veteran still available (or newly available) in February or March.

How much money is Loney expected to get? I figure if they sign a decent first baseman, maybe they trade Davis and/or Duda for a shortstop who's better than Tejada, a standard that shouldn't be at all hard to meet.

I don't understand the desire to get as many people as possible into the Hall. If I was a voter, I doubt I'd ever vote for more than three or four players in a given year. I'd never vote for ten. I seem to be in the minority here, but I want the Hall of Fame to be very exclusive, even though it's already too late for that.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Plus he can also do what everyone else is doing: contrive some Kama Sutra like contortions to convince himself that Chris Young was a great signing. Not because the Mets outfield is so crappy that Young is an upgrade, but because Young is very good. /rolls eyes Who exactly is doing that now?

OH SNAP!

Has he had some work done on his face?

Mike Shrimp?

The Mets need to do whatever it takes to reacquire Jose Reyes to make up for the way they bumbled Jaff Decker.

Well, that was fun while it lasted!

Well... there's always Furcal. I suppose if they soup up in other areas they can allow themselves to be weak at shortstop, but I do have to say that none of the developments so far have been at all encouraging. But it's still early.

SteveJRogers wrote: ...and probably won't be for the rest of the decade I'm not so quick to write off the next six years.

Mex17 wrote: As far as what this means for the Mets shortstop situation, I think now that you have to look at giving Tejada another shot. Maybe you're right, but BLAH! That's the kind of decision that leads to another 73-win season.

No, but they did have a lot of passed balls.

I agree. Make moves that lead to winning, and the rest will follow.

I think it may be time to stop rooting for this team.

Bob Johnson