Scott Hairston: Mets wanted different direction

By Steven Inman

Many thought that it was a done deal that if the Mets didn’t bring in a “star” outfielder that New York would bring back OF Scott Hariston. Hariston hit 20 homers for the Mets last year turning that into a two year deal worth five million for the Cubbies over the offseason.

With the Mets in town to play the Chicago Cubs this weekend Hairston talked to the New York media about not resigning with the Mets. “I get the feeling that they wanted to go in a different direction,” Hairston told ESPNNewYork.com. “There was an opportunity — a slight opportunity — for me to come back to New York. I just didn’t get the sense that they wanted to move forward in that direction.”

Hairston has gotten off to a miserable start this season in Chicago batting just .125 in 52 plate appearances this season. He got off to a slow start in New York during his first season with the Mets. It could just be adjusting to a new city and a new team. Hariston is a good hitter and will probably have some big hits for the Cubs off the bench over the next few years.

With the way the Mets outfield has played this season, Hairston and the Mets probably regret the outfielder leaving New York. Hariston would be playing every day, probably in centerfield for the Mets if he was still on the team.

It’s still early but if the Mets outfield continues its early season play, Sandy Alderson will need to bring in a major overhaul of outfield talent for the 2014 Mets.

Mets lose Scott Hairston to Cubs

By Steven Inman

It appears that the Mets are running out of outfield options. Former Met outfielder Scott Hairston has signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth around $6 million including incentives. It seems as if Scott Hairston was the Mets backup plan if they couldn’t bring in a “big name” outfielder. Six million dollars over two years is not a lot of money for a major league team but apparently it was too much money for the Mets. Hairston batted .263 with an .803 OPS, 20 homers and 57 RBI in 398 plate appearances.

Hairston was a big part of the Mets last season and in 2011. It doesn’t make much sense that the while the Mets were interested in Hairston, they weren’t willing to offer him just a two million dollar raise if he hits all of his incentives. The only explanation I think is credible is what John Harper of the Daily News said in a tweet. “Club source insists reason Mets hadn’t re-signed him was “playing time, not money.”

Hairston will platoon with Nate Schierholtz in right field for the Cubs so I can’t see him getting more playing time than he would in the Mets outfield unless the Mets have another outfielder up their sleeve. The Mets privately still believe they will get an outfielder but I’m not buying it anymore. Justin Upton will likely go to a team like Atlanta who have prospects and are willing to deal them now.

Alderson: 50-50 chance Mets acquire a big time outfielder

By Steven Inman

Yesterday on WFAN with Mike Francesa, Sandy Alderson said there is about a 50-50 chance of the Mets acquiring a “big time” outfielder. The Mets like Michael Bourn a lot but money is an issue there. More importantly the Mets won’t and shouldn’t give up their first round pick that is needed to sign Bourn. Bourn is still just 30 years old. The Mets have the 11th overall pick and only the top ten are protected from draft pick compensation. If the Mets could find a way around giving up the draft pick to Atlanta, we may have a different story here.

The Mets are much more likely to find a starting outfielder via trade. Justin Upton is out there on the trade market and he would be a perfect fit for Sandy Alderson. A right hand hitting outfielder who is young, on an affordable contract and is under team control for three more years. However Alderson is unwilling to give up Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler so it would be difficult if not unlikely that the Mets will acquire Upton.

Atlanta, Texas and San Diego are also interested in the 25-year old Upton. They all have more impact prospects to offer than the Mets. The only way I see an Upton deal happen is if the Mets gave up Jon Niese. Niese seems to just be getting into his prime but on WFAN yesterday, Alderson hinted that the Mets may deal another starting pitcher. If the Mets traded another starter Zack Wheeler would likely make the team out of Spring Training.

The Diamondbacks are also looking for a young third basemen, which could be where Wilmer Flores comes in. Flores is blocked at third base by David Wright and would only have Chris Johnson to outplay if he was traded to Arizona.

If the Mets do not bring in a “big name” outfielder, that would increase the chances of Scott Hairston returning. Hairston has been asking for a two-year deal worth a total of eight million. Hairston’s agent has said he is close to a decision on where he would play in 2013.

January 16th: Latest on the Mets

By Steven Inman

Spring Training is just a month away and the Mets have been very quiet so far. They still need a starting pitcher, bullpen help and outfielders. Here is the very latest.

 

• The Mets have been talking to Kevin Towers of the Diamondbacks about a deal for Justin Upton but they refuse to give up Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler, making a deal unlikely.
• The Mets are still talking to Scott Hairston who is seeking a two-year contract worth around $8 million total. The Mets so far have been willing to offer one year at $2 million.
• The Cubs, Yankees, Phillies and Braves are also interested in Hairston.
• The Mets watched Brian Wilson work out over the weekend but believe he has a ways to go in his rehab and are only willing to offer a minor league deal.
• The Mets won’t give up the 11th overall pick that is required to sign Michael Bourn.

The Mets might have an outfielder up their sleeve

By Steven Inman

The Mets have been linked to Scott Hairston on and off throughout the offseason. He is still looking for a two year deal and depending on the report the Mets may or may not be willing to give him that. My suspicion is that if the Mets were willing to give Hairston a two-year deal they would have done it by now.

The Mets #1 priority right now remains adding help to their outfield. The Mets also plan to address their bullpen as relievers start to get desperate as Spring Training gets closer.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted that while the Mets like Scott Hairston he is being viewed as a fallback option in case they can’t obtain a bigger name outfielder. Before hearing that I was under the assumption that Hairston was the Mets bigger name outfielder.

Justin Upton would look perfect wearing the orange and blue, but the Mets can’t afford to empty the farm at this point.

The Mets have talked with the Diamondbacks about Justin Upton but his price tag has been deemed too high by the Mets. Upton, 25, was traded to the Mariners yesterday but has a four team no-trade clause and the Mariners were on it so Upton in his right, rejected the trade. The Mariners were giving up a lot including SS Nick Franklin, LHP Charlie Furbush, reliever Stephen Pryor and top prospect pitcher Taijuan Walker. That would be the equivalent of Zack Wheeler, Wilmer Flores, Josh Edgin probably Jeurys Familia and probably more. With the Mets farm system in the state that it is right now, a deal like that probably doesn’t make a ton of sense.

It’s hard to imagine any team giving the Diamondbacks the type of package that the Mariners were willing to give up.

It doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Mets to give up a combined 12 years of service time between Wheeler and Flores for three years of Upton. The one positive of rumors of an Upton deal is Upton’s contract is three years and $39 million. It’s a positive that the Mets can afford that type of contract on their limited budget.

Perhaps the Mets are thinking about an outfielder that hasn’t been previously reported. However the Mets are going to have to get creative to fix their outfield. Time is running out.

Hairston decision comes down to New York, Yankees pessimistic

By Steven Inman

Scott Hairston’s decision appears to be coming down to the wire and it appears that he will be staying in New York.  According to ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews, Hairston is deciding between offers of just the Mets and Yankees now. A decision will be made in the next couple of days. According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York the Yankees are pessimistic about signing Hairston as he can get more playing time elsewhere.

If Hairston went to the Yankees he would be a fourth outfielder and wouldn’t get as many at bats as he would with a team like the Mets with huge outfield problems. Hairston was holding out hope for a two year contract worth around $8-10 million.

At this point I believe Hairston will be back with the Mets. He hasn’t found the offer he was looking for and I thought the longer this dragged out, the better the chance the Mets would have of retaining him. To be honest the Mets need Hairston at this point. I believe Hairston will be back with the Mets because he could get about 400 at bats with the Mets mainly in right field.

The Mets plan is a platoon in center with Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Colin Cowgill

By Steven Inman

It appears the Mets outfield is close to set despite not signing a major league outfielder. The Mets may or may not bring back Scott Hairston. Hairston has a 50-50 shot at returning to the Mets. The Mets main competition for Hairston is coming from the Phillies and the Yankees.  If he returns to the Mets he will platoon with Mike Baxter in right field. Whether Hairston comes back or not, it appears Collin Cowgill and Kirk Nieuwenhuis will platoon in centerfield. Nieuwenhuis will play against righties while Cowgill will play against lefties.

They both have significant holes in their game but could work well in a platoon.  Terry Collins may even ask them to hit leadoff together in the Mets lineup.

I actually think this platoon could work. Nieuwenhuis, 25, hit .271 against righties last season and Cowgill, 26, hit .318 against lefties in a small sample size. Both have the ability to hit for a lot of doubles and both could play well defensively in center.

Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are expected to be key players in the Mets outfield in 2013

Fangraphs said Nieuwenhuis was slightly above average in center last season and played well there. However Nieuwenhuis really struggled offensively after the first two months. He always was a guy who struck out a lot in the minors but struck out way more than expected. Nieuwenhuis struck out in over 30% of his at bats last season.If he wants to play a big role on next year’s Mets, he must cut down on his strikeouts. This is a huge year for Nieuwenhuis. He has to prove he’s the guy going forward or the Mets will pass him by and go to Matt Den Dekker.

Cowgill and Nieuwenhuis could form a solid centerfield option if Nieuwenhuis can cut down on his strikeouts and Cowgill can show he can continue to hit lefties in a larger sample size.

The Mets best chance of improving their outfield may be by signing international free agents

By Steven Inman

As free agent outfielders continue to fly off the board, the Mets are running out of time and players to improve arguably the worst outfield in baseball. The best outfielder left in the Mets price range may be Scott Hairston, who spent the last two years in Queens. Even if Sandy Alderson does give in by giving Hairston the two year contract he is looking for, then the outfield will be the exact same alignment as last year. The Mets need to think outside the box to fix their outfield. Their best option may be to sign an international free agent to put into their outfield mix.

Signing a Cuban defector worked out well for the A’s last season with Cespedes

Last February the Oakland Athletics signed Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, to a four-year, $36 million deal. Cespedes turned out to be a huge steal for the A’s and finished second in American League rookie of the year voting.

The two top Cuban prospects this year, shortstop Aledmys Diaz and outfielder Dariel Alvarez, have been declared free agents and could soon enter the free agent market as early as next week, according to an industry source. Neither is expected to sign with a major league team until mid January at the earliest.

Diaz, 22, is training with a professional team in Mexicali, Mexico, and will take part in a series of showcases that could start next week. Several teams have already expressed interest in the infielder, but will likely have to wait until early next year to sign him. He is a right-hand hitting shortstop so he probably isn’t the best fit for the Mets. Alvarez, an outfielder is a much better fit for the Mets.

Alvarez, 24, is much closer to the Major Leagues than Diaz and fits the Mets much better as a right-hand hitting outfielder. He can play all three outfield positions and has an excellent throwing arm, probably his best tool. Alvarez defected from Cuba last summer and has been playing professionally in Vera Cruz, Mexico, since October. Alvarez through 49 games with Tuxpan was hitting .317/.335/.465 with three homers, 19 RBI, 18 doubles, five

Dariel Alvarez

walks and 19 strikeouts. He will do a showcase for interested teams on January 5^th and will sign shortly after that according to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.

For the Mets to field a quality outfield in 2013 Sandy Alderson is going to need to think outside the box. A Cuban prospect like Alvarez makes sense, he will likely get a lot less money than Cespedes did and is very close to the major leagues. It’s definitely an idea the Mets should consider. Alvarez would be interested in signing with the Mets because they have the outfield hole and he could play right away at the big league level.

What we learned from the Winter Meetings about the Mets

By Steven Inman

The Mets will likely leave Nashville with no new players but we did gain a little clarity on the 2013 team, not as much clarity as we would have liked but here is what we know

• The Mets and R.A. Dickey are still very far apart on a contract extension.
• Dickey’s agent believes there is a good chance he is traded because the contract talks aren’t going well.
• The Mets have gotten interest in Dickey by at least 8 teams but haven’t found an offer that they will seriously consider yet.
• Sandy Alderson would be surprised if the R.A. Dickey situation carried on into January, 2013.
•  The Mets have interest in bringing back Scott Hairston but don’t want to give him multiple years
• Hairston believes he can get two years elsewhere and the Giants, Cardinals and Yankees are all very interested.
• The Mets have interest in right handed hitters Cody Ross and Ryan Ludwick.
• Ludwick may be close to a deal to go back to the Reds however.
• The Mets, surprisingly have had very few discussions about LHP Jon Niese
• The Mets would love to get Wil Myers for R.A. Dickey but those talks haven’t gone far despite the Royals interest in Dickey.
• The Royals instead may trade Myers plus others to Tampa for James Shields.
• The Mets still believe some team will overpay for Dickey once Zack Greinke is off the market.
• The Mets dislike the free agent catching market and would prefer to acquire a catcher via trade.
• The Mets are unlikely to make a selection in the Rule 5 draft tomorrow morning at 10am.

Team officials are still unsure what to do with Dickey since the gap in a contract extension is still very large and the team hasn’t gotten the prospects in a trade that they were looking for. It is disappointing as the team was hoping to leave the meetings with a plan on what will happen to Dickey. The team knows very little more on what to do with him than they did at this time last week. Only time will tell but this Dickey situation can drag on for a while.

The Latest on Scott Hairston

By Steven Inman

Scott Hairston is coming off his best season of his career after hitting 20 homeruns for the Mets in 2012. He is expected to get a two year deal and when the season ended, the Mets felt he would get a starting role and more money somewhere else. The Yankees were the early favorite to sign him but they do not want to commit 2014 dollars as they aim to get under the $189 luxury tax. The Detroit Tigers who were also interested in Hairston to platoon with Andy Dirks, deemed the outfielder too expensive.

The Tigers, Yankees, Giants, Cardinals, Indians and Mets have all shown interest in Hairston so far in these winter meetings.

Based on where the Mets outfield is now, I can’t see Hairston getting a bigger role somewhere else. The Mets highest paid outfielder is Bobby Bonilla at $1million. Hairston would play a lot because the Mets outfield is very young and unproven.

At this point the Mets may be willing to give Hairston the two year deal he is looking for. In fact Hairston told ESPNNY that a return to the Mets at this point is “probable”. Hairston, 32, had a good year this season but he had never hit 20 homeruns before so don’t expect him to have another career year. If the Mets offer anywhere close to what other teams offer, I believe Hairston will be back because he enjoys playing for the Mets and probably won’t get more plate appearances anywhere else.