The Mets should talk to the Tigers about Bobby Parnell

By Steven Inman

The Mets have been patient with Bobby Parnell over the years and it looks to have paid off where the closer has blossomed into an all star candidate. The Mets should now trade Parnell.

Bobby Parnell was nearly moved to the Tigers last offseason as BrokeMets reported last December during the Winter Meetings. The Mets and Tigers could be a fit again at the trade deadline except this time the Mets can ask for a whole lot more for their flame throwing closer.

If the Tigers liked Parnell this winter why wouldn’t they still like him after the improvements he has made?

The Tigers are desperate to find a closer and are finding it difficult to find a team that is out of the race but has a closer that it is willing to move him this far ahead of the trade deadline.

This is where the Mets come in.

Parnell,28, is making just $1.7 million this season and will be arbitration eligible the next two seasons before becoming a free agent.

Parnell not under a long term deal will start to make big money in arbitration if he continues to rack up saves.

Sandy Alderson’s reputation is one who thinks the closer position is too volatile, meaning relievers are too up and down to be depended on year in and year out. Alderson and Billy Beane constantly traded their closers once they became established in Oakland.

I hope the Mets at least look at Parnell’s market because he could really help with this rebuilding process in getting the Mets a legit outfield prospect.

The Tigers top prospect Nick Castellanos has been playing the outfield this season. After coming up as a third basemen he has moved to left this season to accommodate the Tigers 3B who happens to be pretty good. I believe he won the Triple Crown last year.

Nick Castellanos has been waiting for his chance to play in the majors, it could come with the Mets

Castellanos, 21, this season in Triple A has hit .299 with a .376 OBP and 11 homers. He is ready for the big leagues now and here is the best part. The Tigers will move him in the right deal.

This could be exactly like the Zack Wheeler deal, where the Giants who were the defending champs were willing to do anything to get back there including giving up their top prospect Wheeler.

Perhaps the Mets can pry Castellanos away from the Tigers who are desperate to get back to the World Series while their core is still in their prime.

If the Mets can get Castellanos (who will be at the Futures Game) for Parnell, it will be another victory for Alderson and he has himself a left fielder for the future who can come to Citi Field and play right away. Castellanos may never hit 35 homers in a season but he could be a guy who competes for batting titles every year and fills the Mets biggest need, outfield.

Mets could look at Alexei Ramirez as a long term solution

By Steven Inman

In a recent article Jon Heyman of CBSsports reports that an executive told him that the Mets could look at White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez as a long term answer at shortstop this offseason.

Heyman doesn’t detail if the Mets would trade for Ramirez now or in the offseason.

“Rivals say the White Sox are taking a very reasonable approach in terms of where they stand this year”  Heyman writes.

Ramirez, 31, is a veteran player who could be a nice stop gap option for the Mets while he is still in his prime.

Ramirez has hit 15 homers or more 4 times since 2008 but somehow only has one this year. Ramirez has also battled defensive issues this season with 12 errors.

I believe Ramirez is just having a down year and is just not prepared to play on a terrible team for the first time in his career. A lot of players struggle staying focused after so many winning seasons.

I would trade for Ramirez as I believe the Mets have to upgrade shortstop this winter. Ruben Tejada has badly struggled this season and has missed a large chunk of games in two straight seasons now.

Ramirez has two years left on his deal with a club option after this season after signing a four year deal for 32.5 million a few winters ago.

Ramirez on a two year deal for around 16 million would make a lot of sense if Ramirez can turn around his defensive issues.

It seems as if the Mets and White Sox could be a match as the Mets should also have interest in RF Alex Rios.

Do you think the Mets need to upgrade shortstop this winter?

Matt Harvey is the favorite to start the All-Star Game

By Steven Inman

Matt Harvey leads the NL with 121 strikeouts, and his 2.05 ERA is also the best in the league, making him the early favorite to start the All-Star game for the National League. Giants manager Bruce Bochy acknowledged that if two guys equally deserved to start the game, he would go with the home town guy, which is Harvey.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday he can shuffle his rotation if Harvey is asked to start the All-Star Game.

Harvey should have four more starts before the break including Friday night against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Harvey dazzled at home against Washington on a Friday night in April earlier this season.

The Mets should sell high on Marlon Byrd

By Steven Inman

After Thursday night’s game winning homer in Colorado last night, Marlon Byrd is now hitting .260 with 12 homers and 38 RBI’s in 232 plate appearances for the Mets this season.

Byrd has been the Mets best outfielder for sure this season which is remarkable considering Sandy Alderson acknowledged they brought him too spring training “as a favor”.

Byrd was definitely Sandy Alderson’s best free agent signing from this offseason.

Byrd will be a free agent at the end of the year and the Mets should not make the mistake of keeping him. The Mets should sell high on Marlon Byrd.

Byrd has been very productive for the Mets and they could get a nice prospect for him at the trade deadline next month.

The San Francisco Giants just lost Angel Pagan for the season so they could be a fit. The Kansas City Royals have been using Jeff Francoeur and David Lough in right field with very little success.

The Mets wouldn’t get an Oscar Tavares or some top prospect for Byrd but could they get a nice piece for the future? Absolutely.

The Mets have the 4^th worst record in all of baseball, it would be harmful for their organization if they didn’t try to trade role players like Byrd who have some value.

The Mets made this mistake last year when they kept guys like Scott Hairston hoping to squeeze another win out of the club. Hopefully they learned their lesson.

Marlon Byrd will turn 36 later this summer, he isn’t part of the future and the Mets should do whatever they can at the deadline to add young pieces.

Should the Mets trade Marlon Byrd?

Montero, Syndergaard make Futures game rosters

By Steven Inman

Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard will be the Mets representatives in this year’s futures game during All- Star weekend at Citi Field.

Montero will play for the World Team while Syndergaard will pitch for the U.S. squad.

It would be really cool if both of these Mets prospects started against each other for their respective squads although that is just speculation on my part.

Pitchers in this game usually pitch only one inning.

You can see the full rosters for the Futures game here.

The rule is the maximum amount of players from each team that can play is two. However this year there will be a final vote to determine the last player on both rosters.

Mets 2011 first round pick Brandon Nimmo is one of the candidates to be voted in as the final player. If you want to see the Mets top outfield prospect at Citi Field, click here to vote. Voting ends Sunday night.

Montero and Syndergaard are the Mets top two pitching prospects now so it will be very nice to see both of them at Citi Field next month taking on some of the best young players in the game.

David Wright reclaims starting 3B job for NL in latest ballot update

By Steven Inman

Mets 3B David Wright has reclaimed the top spot as the all star starter for third base in the National League in the latest all star ballot update. Wright was behind the injured Pablo Sandoval.

“6 all-star games and I’d gladly trade them all away to be at this one” Wright told reporters.

Wright clearly has the superior numbers but the Giants have stuffed the ballot boxes the last few years. David Wright is now leading Pablo Sandoval at third base, albeit by an uncomfortably small margin of fewer than 130,000 votes.

Last year Wright was up over 500,000 on Sandoval with only a few days to go and lost by over two million despite Wright having the superior numbers yet again.

This time it’s different though. Sandoval is having half the year that Wright is plus, Sandoval has spent a few weeks on the disabled list.

With Bruce Bochy as the manager of the NL Pablo Sandoval will get on the roster anyway. With the game at Citi Field it should give the fans even more incentive to let Wright start the game.

The best players should be starting the all-star game it shouldn’t be a popularity contest where the Bay Area can stuff the ballot box.

Both the NL and the AL rosters will be announced on July 6th on FOX.

The Mets trade Collin Cowgill to the Angels

By Steven Inman

Well the Collin Cowgill experiment in Queens is officially over. Cowgill was traded to the Angels for minor league outfielder Kyle Johnson. Johnson will report to Low A Savannah.

Johnson, 23, was the Angels’ 25th round pick in last year’s draft.

The Mets have been talking to the Angels about Cowgill for a number of days and finally agreed on compensation for the 27 year old outfielder.

In 63 plate appearances for the Mets Cowgill hit .180 with two homers. Cowgill was a guy who didn’t have a spot in Oakland so it made sense for the Mets to give him a look. They didn’t give up much to get him and it just didn’t work.

Cowgill will be added to the Angels 40 man roster and will report to Triple A Salt Lake. He provides depth and will probably have a chance at the major league level with the Angels later this year.

Mookie Wilson and Edgardo Alfonzo to manage the futures game

By Steven Inman

Zack Wheeler in the 2012 Futures Game

Former Mets Mookie Wilson and Edgardo Alfonzo have been named the two managers for the U.S. and World teams in the futures game.

The futures game will be held Sunday July 14^th as a part of all-star weekend at Citi Field. Both rosters are filled with impact prospects who are close to making big impacts with their teams.

The two rosters will be announced in full tomorrow but it’s usually for players in the upper levels of the minors and you can’t qualify if you are called up to the big leagues.

Players like Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard who are the Mets top two pitching prospects have a good chance of making the teams.

Last year #1 overall prospect Jurickson Profar of the Rangers played in the game for the World team and homered.

It’s a great way for fans to see the next group of young stars who are about to get to the major leagues.

This year in addition to possibly Syndergaard and Montero top prospects like Cardinals OF Oscar Tavares, Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker and Twins 3B Miguel Sano could headline the next wave of great players to play in the futures game.

Last year Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores represented the Mets in the futures game in Kansas City.

During White Sox series, keep an eye on Alex Rios Mets fans

By Steven Inman

The Mets start a two game series Tuesday night against the White Sox with Zack Wheeler going up against Chris Sale at U.S. Cellular Field.

Keep an eye on White Sox RF Alex Rios. The Mets are looking for an outfielder at the July 31^st trade deadline and Rios fits the profile of a guy with power, speed and a decent on base percentage.

The White Sox are in dead last in the American League Central and are likely to unload veteran players like Jessie Crain and Alex Rios if they get a prospect or two that they like.

Rios, 32, can play both center and right field. The white sox outfielder has hit .284 with 11 homers and 34 RBI’s.

Alex Rios beats out an infield hit to end Matt Harvey’s no hitter in the 7th inning earlier in 2013

Rios had a fantastic 2012 hitting .304 with 25 homers and 91 driven in.

Rios will make $12.5 million in each of 2013 and 2014 before he becomes a free agent.

Rios is a nice player who could fit very nicely as a right handed bat in the middle of the Mets lineup.

Unlike other outfielders we have mentioned here on BrokeMets, it looks like the White Sox are ready to move Rios now and it appears likely that Rios will be traded sometime within the next month or so.

He’s still making decent money and he’s 32 so the Mets could acquire him without giving up top pitching prospects like Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero.

Andre Ethier doesn’t make sense for the Mets

By Steven Inman

The Mets are looking for an outfielder and hope to strike a deal before the July 31^st trade deadline. One name that has been speculated is Dodgers OF Andre Ethier. Ethier, 31, is in the first year of a five year $85 million deal he signed last year.

Despite just signing a large contract, Ethier has become a part time player after top prospect Yasiel Puig has burst onto the scene.

Ethier is batting .255 with 5 homers and 21 RBI’s in 271 plate appearances for the Dodgers this season.

Even if the Dodgers are willing to pay half of Ethier’s salary he still isn’t worth that kind of money for the Mets.

Ethier never hit left handers well but this year he’s been worse, hitting .231 with just one homer in 78 at bats.

The Mets will have plenty of outfield options this winter and they shouldn’t rush into this. The Mets have much better options than Andre Ethier.

Outfielders like Alex Rios, Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Gonzalez and Hunter Pence are all better options the Mets can get in trades or as free agents this winter.