Minyana Closing in on Molina and Surveying Pitching Options
Omar Minaya came to the Winter Meetings in search of help for his team and truthfully, the Met General Manager has had some of his greatest moments during these annual meetings roping in players like Pedro Martinez and Francisco Rodriquez. This year,he may indeed leave with help behind the plate and a clearer picture of who might be in his starting rotation.
One of the more underrated problems on the Mets last year was their lack of leadership behind the plate and how that affected a pitching staff that served up more walks than any Met team in recent memory. Offensively, the position provided very little other than a dramatic May home run by Omir Santos off Jonathan Papelbon.
The best option on the free agent market is Bengie Molina whom the Mets like a great deal because he can provide leadership both on and off the field and add offensive pop to a Met lineup badly in need of it. And Omar Minaya is set to make an offer for him with the Molina camp wanting a 3 year deal but Minaya wanting to sign him to a one year contract with a 1 year team option. My guess is they will finally land on a 2 year deal possibly even before Omar leaves Indy.
The pitching issues are a bit more complex as the Met hierarchy is a bit divided over whether to offer John Lackey a long term contract. The issue has become further complicated by the fact that the pitchers viewed as a step below Lackey seem to have a much higher price tag than the Mets originally thought they would go for due mainly to the lack of quality free agent arms. If Joel Pinhiero for instance wants a 4 year deal, why not go the extra yard for Lackey?
It could preclude the Mets from going "big" on other issues but it seems the team has put a priority at settling the catching position and positioning themselves in a spot to pounce on Lackey if the timing is right, and then and only then look to fill the left field void. That could also have a big impact on the first base position which could go to Daniel Murphy by default unless Carlos Delgado impresses the team enough in a winter ball stint that will begin in about 10 days.
Do not be fooled by the lack of news coming out of the Met war room better known as the Minaya Suite. If history has taught us anything, this is the time of the year when he generally returns to New York with what he needs. My sense is he has spent the last 2 days in Indy building the foundation for making those moves.
One of the more underrated problems on the Mets last year was their lack of leadership behind the plate and how that affected a pitching staff that served up more walks than any Met team in recent memory. Offensively, the position provided very little other than a dramatic May home run by Omir Santos off Jonathan Papelbon.
The best option on the free agent market is Bengie Molina whom the Mets like a great deal because he can provide leadership both on and off the field and add offensive pop to a Met lineup badly in need of it. And Omar Minaya is set to make an offer for him with the Molina camp wanting a 3 year deal but Minaya wanting to sign him to a one year contract with a 1 year team option. My guess is they will finally land on a 2 year deal possibly even before Omar leaves Indy.
The pitching issues are a bit more complex as the Met hierarchy is a bit divided over whether to offer John Lackey a long term contract. The issue has become further complicated by the fact that the pitchers viewed as a step below Lackey seem to have a much higher price tag than the Mets originally thought they would go for due mainly to the lack of quality free agent arms. If Joel Pinhiero for instance wants a 4 year deal, why not go the extra yard for Lackey?
It could preclude the Mets from going "big" on other issues but it seems the team has put a priority at settling the catching position and positioning themselves in a spot to pounce on Lackey if the timing is right, and then and only then look to fill the left field void. That could also have a big impact on the first base position which could go to Daniel Murphy by default unless Carlos Delgado impresses the team enough in a winter ball stint that will begin in about 10 days.
Do not be fooled by the lack of news coming out of the Met war room better known as the Minaya Suite. If history has taught us anything, this is the time of the year when he generally returns to New York with what he needs. My sense is he has spent the last 2 days in Indy building the foundation for making those moves.
If you are beginning to think about Christmas gifts, why not something from your favorite team? For Mets fans out there, check out these New York Mets Holiday Gift Ideas
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