The New York Mets have dealt with being the little brother to the Yankees for years and while the team still remains in that spot, they are actually trying this offseason and after signing Curtis Granderson, the team has moves to make in possibly signing Bartolo Colon and trading Daniel Murphy.
The Mets signed Granderson away from the Yankees on a four year contract and that is the biggest deal the team has dished out in like four years and while that won't transform the team, it at least shows fans that the Mets are willing to spend some money and moving Murphy could also open up some possibilities. Hardball Talk reported that the team may be interested in dealing for Mariners second baseman Dustin Ackley and that could signal a move for Murphy. Ackley has been a disappointment for the Mariners since being drafted number two overall a few years ago and the Mets may see him as a cheap option to replace Murphy.
According to ESPN New York, the Meta could sign Colon to a deal with him being a free agent, as they would like some more depth in the rotation after Matt Harvey was lost for the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and that was a huge loss for the Mets after Harvey showed Cy Young potential last season. The loss of Harvey is a big blow for the Mets, as they have some very solid young arms and with him at the top of the rotation, New York may have had one of the deepest rosters in the NL among starting hurlers. The team got some great performances from Jonathon Niese, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee last season and with Harvey at the top, that would have been a nice set, but now the team will have to rely on young pitching quite a bit and that is why Colon may come into play.
While Colon is 40, he was second in the AL in wins last season with 18 and had a sub 3.00 ERA in 190 innings and that would be more than enough for the Mets. The Orioles reportedly are also interested and he has been solid over the past two seasons and is a former Cy Young winner. Murphy seems like a nice chip to have, as he had 13 home runs at 2B last season and 78 RBIs while hitting a solid .286 and that could be a nice addition for a number of teams with needs at the position.
The Yankees could be an interesting option for Murphy after they lost Robinson Cano to the Mariners, but the team doesn't really have much to trade apart from Brett Gardner and after the Mets signed Curtis Granderson, it doesn't make too much sense for them. The team is in the market for a second baseman and if nothing develops, a deal could happen, but it's unlikely.