The New York Mets are quietly starting to look at ways to improve their roster in order to return next season as contenders. The team has already denied one marquee trade for Andrelton Simmons, but they certainly need roster help with both Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy hitting free agency. One move the Mets do not plan on making is trading away their core group of pitchers for other players.
After denying trade deals for Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, the Mets are also unlikely to send Matt Harvey or Zach Wheeler packing this offseason. According to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com, trade rumors have circled both Harvey and Wheeler, but the Mets are not interested unless truly blown away by an offer. The Mets came close to dealing Wheeler back in July, but the trades fell apart and the pitcher stayed in New York. That is expected to be the case once again. Keeping all four pitchers along with Steven Matz means the Mets bring back their biggest strength of last season which was their starting pitching.
With pitching not an issue, the Mets must focus on finding big bats. However, while Murphy is set to hit free agency, is he necessarily out of the picture in New York? The infielder already turned down the one-year qualifying offer which was expected since he can really cash in this offseason. According to Rubin, the Mets still plan on putting in a legitimate offer on the free agent in hopes of winning him back. ESPN's Jim Bowden predicts that retaining Murphy will cost four years and $48 million. It is unclear if the Mets are willing to go that big for Murphy as he was a team MVP for them this year.
The bid on Murphy could be driven by who else is available. Outside of Murphy, most of the interest is going to Ben Zobrist for infield help. Bowden reports the Mets have already talked with Zobrist to determine what kind of contract is looking for. With his versatility and recent success, Zobrist could earn a deal worth three years and $48 million. That is another high-priced contract the Mets might turn away from. That could leave them eyeing players like Chase Utley or Kelly Johnson as more affordable options. They would certainly not be the big bat that the Mets want and need with Murphy exiting, but their contracts would be more manageable and allow the team to eye other moves.
