Benjamin Grimm

Jerry Koosman.

Cleon Jones

My concern is that it takes too big a bite out of the budget. (If indeed, the budget is $30 million; that may not be accurate at all.) If 25 per cent of what they have to spend is going to players of this caliber, then we're going to have a fairly modest offseason. Can the Mets get another outfielder, a shortstop, and a starting pitcher for $22.75 million? I don't know; maybe they can. But I have my doubts.

Chris Young, Mets reach deal Updated: November 22, 2013, 10:26 AM ET By Jerry Crasnick and Adam Rubin | ESPN.com Free-agent outfielder Chris Young has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the New York Mets, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com on Friday. The deal is for $7.25 million, a source said. The agreement is pending results of a physical next week. Young, 30, is a career .235 hitter with 144 home runs in parts of eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics. He made the National League All-Star team with Arizona in 2010. This past season, Young slumped to .200 with 12 home runs in 107 games with the A's. The Mets have not commented on which outfield position Young, who hits from the right side, would play. He has appeared in 905 games in center field, 26 games in right and 24 games in left during his major league career. The hope is that Juan Lagares hits enough to play center field, pushing Young to a corner spot. But Young would be capable of stepping into center field if needed. Currently, the Mets' outfield alignment would be Eric Young Jr. in left field, Lagares in center and Chris Young in right. The Mets, however, still hope to add another outfield bat via free agency or trade, which could push Young Jr. to a fourth outfielder role or second base if Daniel Murphy were traded. The Mets have been linked to free agent Nelson Cruz, but his salary demands exceed the Mets' appetite, according to a source. The Mets also have had dialogue with the Milwaukee Brewers about a trade that could send Ike Davis for an outfielder, although a Mets official recently insisted there has been zero dialogue about Ryan Braun. The Boston Red Sox were among the other teams who had expressed an early interest in Young.

$7.25 million dollars for a one-year deal. I hope they have more than $30 million to spend, because if not, they've just spend almost a quarter of their budget on this guy.

I bet the "Twitterverse" is "aflame" with complaints about how this is all that the Mets are gonna do.

Edgy MD wrote: And let's be honest. Wright can never mean as much to us as Seaver meant when we were ten. Definitely. I liked having Mike Piazza as a Met, for example, but he never meant as much to me as he did to some of the forum member (like Valadius) who are quite a bit younger than me.

Definitely not too late for Wright. And Harvey, I hate to say, is likely to be elsewhere in 2019.

Anthony DiComo, MLB.com wrote: Mets shield former top pick Matz from Rule 5 Draft Southpaw joined by righties Walters, deGrom, Goeddel on 40-man roster NEW YORK -- Coming off a season in which he reestablished himself on the prospect map, former Mets top pick Steven Matz is now guaranteed to continue his comeback with the organization that drafted him. The Mets added Matz to their 40-man roster on Wednesday, along with right-handers Jeff Walters, Jacob deGrom and Erik Goeddel, protecting those players from being selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft. Major League regulations stipulate that any player who signed his first professional contract before age 19 and has been in the organization for five seasons, or who signed after age 19 and has been in the organization for four seasons, is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft if he's not on the 40-man roster. Thus, players such as Matz must be protected, while more recently drafted prospects such as Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini are safe. If selected, a player must remain on his new team's active roster or disabled list all season, or be offered back to his original club for half of the original $50,000 selection fee. The Mets made one selection in last year's Rule 5 Draft, plucking left-hander Kyle Lobstein from the Rays and immediately flipping him to the Tigers for cash. The Mets' protection decisions were less obvious this year than last November, when they added Zack Wheeler and five others to the 40-man roster. Four of those six wound up appearing in the Majors. Matz, a second-round selection and the Mets' first pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, did not make his professional debut until '12 due to left elbow issues that led to Tommy John surgery. He dominated down the stretch that season, however, and picked up where he left off with a 2.62 ERA, 121 strikeouts and 38 walks in 106 1/3 innings this year for Class A Savannah. He later tacked on 12 2/3 shutout innings with 17 strikeouts and two walks in the South Atlantic League playoffs. The Stony Brook, N.Y., native is still only 22 years old and could rise rapidly up the Minor League ranks this summer, provided he can stay healthy. deGrom, 25, nearly earned a September callup after going 7-7 with a 4.51 ERA over three Minor League levels, advancing from Class A St. Lucie all the way to Triple-A Las Vegas. The Mets' 19th-ranked prospect, deGrom could compete for a rotation spot as soon as this spring. Walters, 26, led the Minor Leagues with 38 saves, five more than the next-closest pitcher. He accumulated all of them at Double-A Binghamton, posting a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings while priming himself for a big league debut at some point in 2014. Goeddel, 24, went 9-7 with a 4.37 ERA in 25 starts for Binghamton, striking out 125 batters with 58 walks in 134 innings. He could open next season as high as at Las Vegas, potentially alongside blue-chip prospects Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero at the top of the rotation. Some of the higher-profile players the Mets left unprotected are left-hander Chase Huchingson, who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for a second violation of Minor League Baseball's drug policy, and outfielder Cory Vaughn, who batted .252 with 10 homers over three levels this season. The Mets' 40-man roster now stands at 40, meaning they will need to make cuts once they begin acquiring free agents. Infielder Jordany Valdespin and reliever Scott Atchison are among the Mets who could be at risk.

Mike Puma, New York Post wrote: A club source discounted the idea of the Mets orchestrating a deal with the Brewers for former MVP Ryan Braun, who probably can use a change of scenery after lying about his involvement in the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal. The Brewers have interest in Ike Davis, but any package for Braun � who still is owed $113 million � likely would need to center around top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, whom Alderson has said is off limits.

Kinda like Josh Satin's eyebrows!

And even if the Brewers don't throw in any money at all, his contract averages to about $16 million per year the rest of the way. That's not by any means a low number, but it's also not super high by today's standards. And by the time that contract ends in 2020, there will probably be a lot of players making a lot more than that.

Edgy MD wrote: The if-he-was-any-good-another-team-would-want-him-more logic applies to everybody. Somehow, though, the Mets do find players --- some of them good, some of them affordable, and some small amount both. That's true enough. I guess my point was that it was unlikely that the Brewers would pay off a big chunk of Braun's contract just to get Ike Davis. But to your other point... The Mets, if I recall correctly, were considered very unlikely to be the ones to get Pedro Martinez. And Johan Santana. And Carlos Beltran. And Mike Piazza. And they were considered likely to get Juan Gonzalez. And Alex Rodriguez.

Report: Brewers could trade Ryan Braun to Mets Embattled outfielder could provide Mets elite offense at discount rate. By Ted Berg -- November 20, 2013 at 2:26pm EST Here�s a very juicy trade rumor, pardon the pun. According to MetsBlog.com�s Matthew Cerrone, citing "people familiar with the team�s thinking," "there is a better chance the Brewers trade OF Ryan Braun for Mets 1B Ike Davis than deal OF Norichika Aoki." There�s little doubt the Brewers are looking for first-base help after seeing the Major Leagues� worst production at the position in 2013. And general manager Doug Melvin even acknowledged the Mets as a potential trade partner during the GM meetings last week. In Davis and Lucas Duda, the Mets have a pair of lefty-hitting first basemen with big power potential that have not yet managed to consistently hit at the Major League level. Davis endured prolonged slumps to start both the 2012 and 2013 season, but he�s a year younger than Duda, a better defender, and has a slightly better Major League resume, so he�s likely the more coveted trade piece. The Brewers, meanwhile, have a crowded outfield picture, with Braun, Aoki and Carlos Gomez standing in the way of 25-year-old Khris Davis (not to be confused with Orioles slugger Chris Davis), who flourished during Braun�s suspension late in the 2013 season. But no one anywhere near Milwaukee is likely to outproduce Braun anytime soon, regardless of Braun�s history with performance-enhancing drugs. The 30-year-old left fielder has been one of the very best hitters in the Majors since he was promoted in 2007. Unless you believe that all 211 of his homers in seven big-league seasons were entirely the product of illegal substances, it�d be silly to bet that he�ll be anything short of a great hitter for the foreseeable future. If the Brewers are eager to get a fresh start without the disgraced face of their franchise, Braun could present a tremendous opportunity for any club willing to overlook his indiscretions and pick him up at the nadir of his value. And under GM Sandy Alderson, the Mets have not shied away from players with PED stigma attached to them, including 2013 success story Marlon Byrd. Milwaukee owes Braun $113 million over the next seven seasons, which might give pause to the cost-conscious Mets. But Cerrone�s report suggests the Brewers would be willing to eat part of Braun�s salary, giving Alderson an opportunity to pick up an elite offensive performer to pair with David Wright at below market value. The amount of money the Brewers are willing to take on likely depends on how desperate they are to move on from Braun. But if it�s enough to get his salary down into a range that seems palatable to the Mets, it seems like there�d be another team willing to jump in with something better than Davis to offer. The Mets do have pitching prospects with which to sweeten the pot, though. The specifics will make the deal, of course. And Braun�s is a complicated case complicated further by his hefty contract. But on face, it looks like potentially a great way for the Mets to add the impact bat they covet without sacrificing a draft pick and overpaying for a free agent, and a way for the Brewers to move on from Braun and pick up a potentially useful young player in the process. Will all Mets fans be thrilled to see their team acquire a guy with a troubling history of not only using performance-enhancing drugs but also flatly lying about it? Of course not. But until the Mets can start throwing around money like they did in the early part of the last decade, the front office will need to be creative to find players of Braun�s ilk, and nothing comforts a conflicted fan quite like winning. This line makes a lot of sense: But if it�s enough to get his salary down into a range that seems palatable to the Mets, it seems like there�d be another team willing to jump in with something better than Davis to offer.

I can see Sandy standing next to Braun at an introductory press conference. "Yes, we said we only wanted to add 'nice guys', but when an asshole as talented as Ryan Braun becomes available, you sometimes have to adjust your priorities."

That may be what chased him away. Who knows? Perhaps he'd prefer to hug Greg Burke.

Think he'd accept a stadium parking lot tent in lieu of $300 million?

More glut!

Frayed Knot wrote: Aardsma got exactly ONE shot at closer, he blew the save and Hawkins took over from there. Was it really only one? I would have guessed, based on my possibly faulty memory, that it was three.

He's no Kelvin Torve, I guess.

I had posted this in another thread, but in the interest of keeping all the Cano stuff together, here it is again: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I can't see any way that this is gonna happen. Ken Davidoff, New York Post wrote: Changing his stripes? Mets, Jay Z hold secret meeting about Cano Robinson Cano a Met? It sounds outlandish on the surface, but Cano put his best man on the job Monday night. Yes, it turns out Jay Z is as hands-on as promised. So hands-on he�s willing to shop his client across the RFK Bridge into Flushing. The hip-hop impresario joined Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, general manager Sandy Alderson and assistant general manager John Ricco for dinner at a posh Manhattan hotel to discuss Cano�s free agency, two sources familiar with the situation told The Post. Cano�s group, which also featured agents Brodie Van Wagenen and Juan Perez, initiated the meeting; Cano himself didn�t attend. Alderson went on record last week to say he couldn�t envision the Mets taking on another player with a nine-figure contract to join David Wright, and Cano sure as heck wants nine figures. He asked the Yankees for a 10-year, $310 million contract, and the Yankees countered with a seven-year offer for between $161 and $168 million. The Yankees have not held extensive talks with Cano�s representatives since free agency began, and they�re unlikely to be unnerved by this meeting, given the Mets� stated salary-commitment intentions and their payroll-slashing of the last three years. The Mets have a capable second baseman in Daniel Murphy, but it isn�t the presence of Murphy that would block Cano; Murphy could be traded. Rather, it�s Cano�s demands and desires, not to mention his love of the Yankees, that make this a shaky bet. So Cano going to the Mets remains a distinct long shot. The Mets simply had little to lose by agreeing to this meeting. And Jay Z, a rookie sports representative, could test out his pitch on a club that is ultimately unlikely to land his client. Jay Z has made it clear his representation of Cano is about marketing as well as baseball, and staying in New York with the Mets would afford Cano the many marketing opportunities the Big Apple offers. Of course, the Yankees remain the city�s top baseball team even after missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, and Cano�s brand-expansion potential � both short-term, given the Yankees� pursuit of big-name free agents and long-term, given the benefits of a career spent exclusively in the Bronx � looms considerably larger by sticking with the Yankees. While Cano ranks as the undisputed top free agent of this Hot Stove season, his precise market has been a mystery. Natural-fitting, high-spending clubs like Detroit, Texas (which could trade from its middle-infield depth for starting pitching) and Washington have yet to proclaim themselves as interested. It�s possible, as The Post�s Joel Sherman suggested last week, Cano might have to wait for his fellow top free agents Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury to sign contracts so the suitors for Cano become more clear. The operations of Cano�s agent, too, have been a mystery, given Jay Z�s immense celebrity. However, Jay Z�s group Roc Nation Sports and its partner CAA, which employs Van Wagenen, have been adamant Jay Z was more than a figurehead. Jay Z has been very active behind the scenes and figures to be more in front now that it�s time to pitch his first and only baseball client.

Schaefer Mets Reliever of the Year, 2013. It's possible that all four of the Players of the Year for 2013 won't play a single game for the Mets in 2014: Murphy, Harvey, Hawkins, Valdespin. Harvey and Hawkins are out, Valdespin is unlikely. I think Murphy will return, but a trade is certainly possible.

I can't see any way that this is gonna happen. Ken Davidoff, New York Post wrote: Changing his stripes? Mets, Jay Z hold secret meeting about Cano Robinson Cano a Met? It sounds outlandish on the surface, but Cano put his best man on the job Monday night. Yes, it turns out Jay Z is as hands-on as promised. So hands-on he�s willing to shop his client across the RFK Bridge into Flushing. The hip-hop impresario joined Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, general manager Sandy Alderson and assistant general manager John Ricco for dinner at a posh Manhattan hotel to discuss Cano�s free agency, two sources familiar with the situation told The Post. Cano�s group, which also featured agents Brodie Van Wagenen and Juan Perez, initiated the meeting; Cano himself didn�t attend. Alderson went on record last week to say he couldn�t envision the Mets taking on another player with a nine-figure contract to join David Wright, and Cano sure as heck wants nine figures. He asked the Yankees for a 10-year, $310 million contract, and the Yankees countered with a seven-year offer for between $161 and $168 million. The Yankees have not held extensive talks with Cano�s representatives since free agency began, and they�re unlikely to be unnerved by this meeting, given the Mets� stated salary-commitment intentions and their payroll-slashing of the last three years. The Mets have a capable second baseman in Daniel Murphy, but it isn�t the presence of Murphy that would block Cano; Murphy could be traded. Rather, it�s Cano�s demands and desires, not to mention his love of the Yankees, that make this a shaky bet. So Cano going to the Mets remains a distinct long shot. The Mets simply had little to lose by agreeing to this meeting. And Jay Z, a rookie sports representative, could test out his pitch on a club that is ultimately unlikely to land his client. Jay Z has made it clear his representation of Cano is about marketing as well as baseball, and staying in New York with the Mets would afford Cano the many marketing opportunities the Big Apple offers. Of course, the Yankees remain the city�s top baseball team even after missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, and Cano�s brand-expansion potential � both short-term, given the Yankees� pursuit of big-name free agents and long-term, given the benefits of a career spent exclusively in the Bronx � looms considerably larger by sticking with the Yankees. While Cano ranks as the undisputed top free agent of this Hot Stove season, his precise market has been a mystery. Natural-fitting, high-spending clubs like Detroit, Texas (which could trade from its middle-infield depth for starting pitching) and Washington have yet to proclaim themselves as interested. It�s possible, as The Post�s Joel Sherman suggested last week, Cano might have to wait for his fellow top free agents Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury to sign contracts so the suitors for Cano become more clear. The operations of Cano�s agent, too, have been a mystery, given Jay Z�s immense celebrity. However, Jay Z�s group Roc Nation Sports and its partner CAA, which employs Van Wagenen, have been adamant Jay Z was more than a figurehead. Jay Z has been very active behind the scenes and figures to be more in front now that it�s time to pitch his first and only baseball client.

If he doesn't get his act together, he may be a free agent well before 2016.

Lefty Specialist wrote: the minute Harvey went under the knife plans should have changed. I don't agree with that. Whoever wins the pennant this year will do so without Matt Harvey.