If there was a question as to whether or not the Mets would spend money on improving the roster during the offseason, the team addressed those concerns by handing out $87 million in contracts to Curtis Granderson, Chris Young and Bartolo Colon. That equals what the Mets say their payroll was for 2013. (Last year's opening day payroll was estimated at $75 million.)
So the handcuffs appear to be off when it comes to paying out some money to free agent talent. That takes care of one perceived weakness for the Mets. But that leaves at least two more flaws — or notable question marks — on the roster going into spring training. At this point, the two biggest weaknesses for the Mets appear to be shortstop and their bullpen.
The impasse with shortstop Stephen Drew shows that there are still limits to how much the Mets are willing to spend. The team did make some high-profile acquistions, but didn't hand out crazy money in the process. General manager Sandy Alderson is especially concerned with committing to a long-term contract that ties down the payroll and restricts payroll flexibility. Young received a one-year deal, while Colon got a two-year contract. The team did have to extend its offer for Granderson to four years, and its willingness to do so demonstrated how much they needed a power-hitting outfielder.
Drew seems like an ideal fit for the Mets, but wants more than the one-year deal that the team reportedly prefers. Another snag in negotiations is that Drew and agent Scott Boras are apparently seeking an opt-out clause after the first year of any multiyear contract. As you might expect, the Mets aren't interested in playing that game. Yet if Drew still wants a starting shortstop job, rather than switching positions or taking a utility role, he'll seemingly have to eventually cede to the Mets.
Until then, however, the team says it's prepared to go into the season with Ruben Tejada at the position. That doesn't exactly instill confidence in fans and analysts following the team.
Tejada compiled a slash average of .202/.219/.260 last year. Additionally, he missed considerable time due to a quadriceps injury, creating an opportunity for Omar Quintanilla to take the shortstop job. However, Quintanilla hit only .222 and played poor defense, opening a window for Tejada to claim the position again. Unfortunately, his season ended when he suffered a broken leg while colliding with outfielder Andrew Brown.
There is some hope when it comes to Tejada, however. In 2012, the Mets' first season after Jose Reyes departed as a free agent, Tejada had an impressive season. He hit .289 with a .685 OPS and played above-average defense at shortstop. Is he capable of playing at that level again or was 2012 a fluke? Or was 2013 an injury-riddled aberration? As of right now, the Mets are apparently willing to bet on the latter. That is, unless Drew finally signs.
For the Mets bullpen, there isn't necessarily one quick fix. Closer Bobby Parnell is recovering from neck surgery in September and is expected to be ready for opening day. According to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, he's about two weeks behind his typical offseason schedule, but that isn't viewed as a significant setback.
Considering Parnell's health status, it's even more curious that the Mets didn't sign an established closer or setup man that could fill in. Bringing back LaTroy Hawkins seemed like an ideal solution, but he opted to sign with the Rockies, who tabbed him as their closer. Reportedly, the Mets did pursue Grant Balfour and showed interest in Fernando Rodney, but perhaps didn't want to spend what those relievers were asking for when Parnell was already on hand.
Instead, the Mets decided to sign Kyle Farnsworth to a minor league deal, apparently hoping that he can pitch as well in nine games with the Pirates last season. During that stint, he compiled a 1.04 ERA with nine strikeouts in 8.2 innings. Prior to that, however, Farnsworth was awful for the Rays, posting a 5.76 ERA and striking out only 19 batters in 29.2 innings.
As of this writing, the Mets also added Jose Valverde, inking him to a minor league contract. The team is also keeping an eye on Joel Hanrahan, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and expected to be ready to pitch by May.
Valverde is an even more questionable proposition than Farnsworth. The Tigers let him go via free agency after the 2012 season, but brought him back when their closer situation became desperate. Valverde was terrible, racking up a 5.59 ERA and yielding 18 hits in 19.1 innings. He did strike out 19 batters, but his stuff was just too hittable to make him a reliable late-inning reliever. The Mets are obviously hoping Valverde is at least capable of striking out some batters this year.
Besides Parnell, the one reliable strikeout threat in the Mets' bullpen appears to be Vic Black. Black was acquired in the trade that sent Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh last season. In 15 appearance for the Mets, he struck out 12 batters in 13 innings to go with a 3.46 ERA. With that kind of stuff, Black might be the one to get the call at closer if Parnell isn't ready to begin the season. Otherwise, he looks like an excellent candidate to be the top setup man or perhaps the reliever used whenever the Mets need a strikeout in a key late-inning jam.
Ultimately, the Mets may try to use some of its young (and unproven) pitching depth to fill in holes in the bullpen. If Jenrry Meija doesn't win the fifth starter job, he could provide another hard-thrower in the bullpen. Gonzalez German and Jeurys Familia are two other younger arms that could play key roles. Carlos Torres and Scott Rice are both in their thirties and thus can't be considered young arms, but both prove to be important. Rice is likely to be the top left-hander in the bullpen, and Torres could be a swingman, toggling between the bullpen and rotation when needed.
There are plenty of other question marks on the Mets roster. How will their outfield perform? Will Travis d'Arnaud provide some offense at catcher. Will Ike Davis or Lucas Duda finally emerge as a reliable first baseman? But if the Mets can't get some consistent hitting and solid defense at shortstop, that will be a major issue for the team throughout the season. And if the bullpen can't protect leads and give the Mets a chance to win close ballgames, that could be the major difference between this team winning more than 74 games for the first time in three years or falling behind the Phillies for fourth place in the NL East.
