July 7, 2006
Adding payroll, as one Mets official flatly said, isn't a problem. As far as dealing prospects, the organization has a few of those handy, too. Then what will it take for the Mets to pull the trigger on a trade this month before the July 31 non-waiver deadline? Probably some better options.
The Mets have yet to enter into serious discussions with any team, but general manager Omar Minaya took a step in that direction yesterday by polling his professional scouts for players who could help in the second half.
It's no secret that the Mets, like everyone else, could use another quality starter, especially with Pedro Martinez hurting and the back end of the rotation more suspect than ever. But a person familiar with the club's thinking also suggested that relief help is among the Mets' top priorities, and that probably won't be much easier to attain.
Not that there's much urgency. With the Mets holding a 12 1/2-game lead in the National League East, any trade would be with an eye on October, and that seems to mean adding a more veteran presence for the second half.
As of yesterday, they had no illusions of acquiring either the A's Barry Zito or the Marlins' Dontrelle Willis. There was a time when the Mets could have made a play for Zito, and Oakland GM Billy Beane remains enamored of Lastings Milledge, but the A's obviously need Zito if they have any designs on the postseason.
In the case of Willis, the Mets have been told he is unavailable, or at least to them. The Marlins would require a Mets' collapse to get back into the NL East race, but they are technically alive in the crowded wild-card race.
Willis best fits what the Mets want - a young, hard thrower who would add a jolt to a rotation filled with aging finesse pitchers. But so does Mike Pelfrey, and all he cost the Mets was a phone call to Double-A Binghamton and a plane ticket. Which is why it makes sense to give Pelfrey an audition first, and he'll start tomorrow at Shea in a doubleheader against the Marlins. If he adapts quickly, Pelfrey has the potential to be a better alternative than most of the trade options.
"That's a good question," Minaya said. "But whenever you bring up young players, you always have to keep in mind they're young players."
That learning curve is what worries Minaya, and in turn pushes him toward making a deal for a more experienced starter - someone like the Nationals' Livan Hernandez, who keeps resurfacing in the Mets' internal discussions. Minaya favors players he knows, and as the former GM of the Expos, he is plenty familiar with the Cuban righthander.
It probably doesn't hurt that Hernandez's price is sure to drop as the deadline approaches, and after another brief, ineffective stint yesterday, he could wind up being relatively cheap in terms of minor-league talent. He's also the half-brother of Orlando Hernandez, and the Mets hope bringing him on board a contender would help steer Livan back on course.
One of the most intriguing names to come on the market recently is Greg Maddux, and with the Cubs in shambles, the four-time Cy Young winner could be willing to try a change of scenery. Maddux, 40, is making $9 million this season, which is the final year of his contract, and the Mets are one of the few teams that would absorb that kind of salary. The biggest obstacle might be getting him to come to New York.
Maddux doesn't have a blanket no-trade clause, but Cubs GM Jim Hendry has said he'll ask for the pitcher's approval regardless of any contractual obligation. That would probably eliminate the Mets. Tom Glavine is friendly with Maddux, but the two aren't as tight as Glavine is with John Smoltz, which might help lure his golfing buddy from the Braves if it ever came to that.
So where does that leave the Mets? At the moment, mulling a list of second-tier choices that probably aren't much better than waiting for rookie Brian Bannister to return from his hamstring complications.
Minaya already has made a pair of significant trades this season - swapping Jorge Julio for Orlando Hernandez and Kaz Matsui for Eli Marrero. Chances are he'll have some more in mind after the All-Star break.
Adding payroll, as one Mets official flatly said, isn't a problem. As far as dealing prospects, the organization has a few of those handy, too. Then what will it take for the Mets to pull the trigger on a trade this month before the July 31 non-waiver deadline? Probably some better options.
The Mets have yet to enter into serious discussions with any team, but general manager Omar Minaya took a step in that direction yesterday by polling his professional scouts for players who could help in the second half.
It's no secret that the Mets, like everyone else, could use another quality starter, especially with Pedro Martinez hurting and the back end of the rotation more suspect than ever. But a person familiar with the club's thinking also suggested that relief help is among the Mets' top priorities, and that probably won't be much easier to attain.
Not that there's much urgency. With the Mets holding a 12 1/2-game lead in the National League East, any trade would be with an eye on October, and that seems to mean adding a more veteran presence for the second half.
As of yesterday, they had no illusions of acquiring either the A's Barry Zito or the Marlins' Dontrelle Willis. There was a time when the Mets could have made a play for Zito, and Oakland GM Billy Beane remains enamored of Lastings Milledge, but the A's obviously need Zito if they have any designs on the postseason.
In the case of Willis, the Mets have been told he is unavailable, or at least to them. The Marlins would require a Mets' collapse to get back into the NL East race, but they are technically alive in the crowded wild-card race.
Willis best fits what the Mets want - a young, hard thrower who would add a jolt to a rotation filled with aging finesse pitchers. But so does Mike Pelfrey, and all he cost the Mets was a phone call to Double-A Binghamton and a plane ticket. Which is why it makes sense to give Pelfrey an audition first, and he'll start tomorrow at Shea in a doubleheader against the Marlins. If he adapts quickly, Pelfrey has the potential to be a better alternative than most of the trade options.
"That's a good question," Minaya said. "But whenever you bring up young players, you always have to keep in mind they're young players."
That learning curve is what worries Minaya, and in turn pushes him toward making a deal for a more experienced starter - someone like the Nationals' Livan Hernandez, who keeps resurfacing in the Mets' internal discussions. Minaya favors players he knows, and as the former GM of the Expos, he is plenty familiar with the Cuban righthander.
It probably doesn't hurt that Hernandez's price is sure to drop as the deadline approaches, and after another brief, ineffective stint yesterday, he could wind up being relatively cheap in terms of minor-league talent. He's also the half-brother of Orlando Hernandez, and the Mets hope bringing him on board a contender would help steer Livan back on course.
One of the most intriguing names to come on the market recently is Greg Maddux, and with the Cubs in shambles, the four-time Cy Young winner could be willing to try a change of scenery. Maddux, 40, is making $9 million this season, which is the final year of his contract, and the Mets are one of the few teams that would absorb that kind of salary. The biggest obstacle might be getting him to come to New York.
Maddux doesn't have a blanket no-trade clause, but Cubs GM Jim Hendry has said he'll ask for the pitcher's approval regardless of any contractual obligation. That would probably eliminate the Mets. Tom Glavine is friendly with Maddux, but the two aren't as tight as Glavine is with John Smoltz, which might help lure his golfing buddy from the Braves if it ever came to that.
So where does that leave the Mets? At the moment, mulling a list of second-tier choices that probably aren't much better than waiting for rookie Brian Bannister to return from his hamstring complications.
Minaya already has made a pair of significant trades this season - swapping Jorge Julio for Orlando Hernandez and Kaz Matsui for Eli Marrero. Chances are he'll have some more in mind after the All-Star break.
