I almost feel bad for the Mets with the financial mess they have gotten themselves into, but can you ever really feel bad for a New York based team?
No, the Mets are on the hook for over $142 million this season, and have only 5 players on the payroll for next season and that is over $66 million. With five player’s arbitration eligible, it will certainly be interesting to see how they are able to shed some unwanted contracts, yet add the pieces that are needed to keep the diehard Mets fans happy?
Then you look at the people they have under contract and you wonder who the hell is going to take those massive contracts with the lack of production that is coming from them.
Well looking over the entire roster, and knowing that the Mets are hell bent on keeping Jose Reyes as the center piece of their mini-rebuild, you have to say that David Wright is the best option to trade for them, except for the fact that they are not going to get fair value at all.
You see Wright’s back issues have him only seeing the field in 39 games this season, and with his return date so uncertain, there is no team that is going to come up with a huge package, for that matter even a package with a top prospect involved because of the injury concerns.
Teams like the Diamondbacks and Tigers are in the hunt and desperate for help at third base, but I don’t see them giving up a Jarrod Parker or Jacob Turner respectively for a potential injured star that is making over $15 million next season.
So maybe I am a little blinded by the idea of Wright getting healthy and coming over to my team, but I think the Diamondbacks have the ability, with fringe top prospects and a ballpark conducive to Wright’s strengths and get him back on the track of being a yearly MVP candidate.
It really is a match made in heaven if you think about, the Mets are desperate for payroll relief and the Diamondbacks have young 3B’s that aren’t close to being major league ready in Matt Davidson and Bobby Borchering.
So what, other than salary relief can the Diamondbacks offer the Mets? Can the Mets really expect to get much more than just salary relief for a guy that can’t do any heavy lifting until July?
Well Borchering and Davidson will most likely need to be involved in any deal, as they both have high ceilings offensively at the major league level, but both have some inadequacies defensively.
With the third baseman likely going, they will need to add a pitcher or two as well. I don’t see the Diamondbacks giving up a top pitching prospect for Wright at this point, but I could see them giving up a high level prospect that could help, or maybe even someone like Barry Enright, who has had some success in the majors, and may fit better in the cavernous Citi Field.
Adding in a lower level, higher ceiling prospect in the Michael Belfiore or Chase Anderson mold would likely be the best type of package that the Mets could expect at this time.
The Diamondbacks get the best player, but are taking on the biggest risk, while the Mets get some prospects that can contribute down the road, but more importantly open up the payroll to continue in their efforts to make Jose Reyes the foundation to build around.
So what could the Tigers offer in order to come in and nab away Wright?
Well the Tigers have a third base prospect of their own in Nick Castellanos that looks to be ready for the bigs in 2013 or 2014 that would be the third baseman of the future that the Mets would most likely covet in exchange for their injured star.
Add in a potential front of the rotation starter in Andy Oliver or Casey Crosby, who are closer to big league ready than any of the young arms the Diamondbacks can offer, and you are talking about a package that may appeal a little more to the Mets than what the DBacks can offer.
Any way you slice it, the Mets are going to be making moves. Knowing that they want to hold onto Jose Reyes as long as possible, I don’t see any way they pass up an opportunity to get something, anything for David Wright, while shedding that albatross of a salary all in one fell swoop.
Maybe they can even sucker someone into taking on Jason Bay for a rack of bats and a couple of rosin bags.
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