Justin Morneau hasn't been quite the same player he was back in the late 2000's when he was the face of the Minnesota Twins' franchise. However, the New York Mets have seen nothing great out of their first baseman Ike Davis, which is why he was sent back down to the minors. Though the Mets aren't in contention, they have a bright future ahead of them as their payroll will be reduced to nothing.
Morneau isn't a guy you would build a team around. He is also not a guy who can smack 20-30 home runs like he did before suffering from a concussion that reduced him to an average player. However, Morneau can provide the Mets with veteran leadership and a decent bat in the fifth hole. Davis hasn't provided the pop he once possessed. In 55 games, Davis hit five home runs and drove in just 16 runs. He is long removed from his 32-home run season in 2012.
Morneau is an aging star and more importantly, he'll become a free agent in 2014. The Mets can either do two things, trade for Morneau or purchase him during the offseason, the latter being the more logical option. In 2014, the Mets will only owe players $33 million in guaranteed money. Their current payroll is up to $95 million, but with the likes of Johan Santana and Jason Bay gone from the roster, the Mets will have enough money to play around and shop for players.
There won't be any true stars out on the market, which is why the Mets might have to depend on a mixture of their young players and the veterans on the market as they look to surround Wright with the right group of players. Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Kubel are outfielders that will be be available after the end of the season, but Ellsbury might come at a high cost. There will be pitching available on the market for the Mets as James Shields, Jason Vargas, Paul Maholm, John Lester and Scot Feldman will be some of the young, effective arms available on the market.
The Mets have a hole at first base however, and with the rise of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler set to make his debut any time soon, New York might want to focus on hitting and fielding in the upcoming season and Morneau is a viable option.
