Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings kick off tomorrow, and there should be a ton of action in Orlando. The Hot Stove season has been ice cold so far as most teams were waiting for the two biggest dominoes to fall: the arrival of two way Japanese star Shohei Otani and the trade saga of Giancarlo Stanton. Both of those dominoes fell over the weekend, clearing the way for some excitement as baseball’s top executives and agents descend on Disney World this week. Here are some storylines to keep an eye on for the Mets as the week unfolds:
The Second Base Saga: If there’s a second baseman on the market, the New York Mets have been looking at them. The Mets have been linked to Ian Kinsler, Neil Walker, Jason Kipnis, Brian Dozier, Cesar Hernandez, Josh Harrison, and Starlin Castro in rumors this winter. There aren’t a ton of teams seeking second basemen right now, so the Mets should be able to find a deal to their liking. If the Mets don’t come out of the meetings with a new second baseman, they should at least be able to lay the groundwork for a future deal.
Relief Market: The Mets have been working hard to try and land relief pitching help this winter. The bullpen market has moved extremely slowly, with only Mike Minor landing a deal, although that came with an opportunity to start. Multiple reports indicate that the Mets have had a multi-year offer out to former Indians’ reliever Bryan Shaw since Thanksgiving, but Shaw appears willing to wait for the elite closers to sign before he picks his new home. The Mets are also interested in Addison Reed, Brandon Morrow, Joe Smith, and Luke Gregerson among others.
Jay Bruce: The Mets are expected to meet with Jay Bruce’s agent this week, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Bruce has been open to a return to Queens, and the Mets have him on their list of corner outfield types who could also fill in at first base. Talks have been preliminary to this point, but the biggest issue has been the length of a potential deal. Bruce is looking for a five year deal at this point, and the Mets aren’t willing to offer him more than three.
The Other First Base Options: While the Mets like Bruce, they may also look for a bench type piece to give them veteran insurance at first base. They have been linked to Adam Lind, who played well in spot duty for Washington last season and has some exposure to the corner outfield as well. The Mets have also been tied to Mitch Moreland, but haven’t shown any real interest in Logan Morrison at this venture.
The Trade Front: The Mets may look to get creative on the trade front in order to shuffle up their roster a bit. Juan Lagares has drawn interest from a lot of teams this winter due to his defensive ability, but it isn’t clear if the Mets want to move him yet. The Mets are open to trading starting pitchers other than Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom, Marc Carig of Newsday reports, but the value of that group has taken a hit over the past two years. There is also the possibility that something completely unexpected happens, which isn’t common for the Mets, but there is almost always a move at the Winter Meetings that takes everyone by surprise. The Mets last pulled a surprise move at the 2013 meetings, when they signed Bartolo Colon to a two year deal without any warning, so they might be due for a shocker.
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