Dillon Gee is being shopped, the Mets still need a left-handed reliever and a shortstop, and Jimmy Rollins finally left the NL East!
Meet the Mets
Dillon Gee has emerged as the starting pitcher that the Mets are most likely to trade due to Bartolo Colon's salary and the belief that Jon Niese would be more valuable to the team as they look to compete in 2015. Among the teams believed to be interested are the Rangers, Giants, Twins, Royals, and Rockies, but no trade appears imminent.
The Mets are still in the market for another left-handed relief option to complement Josh Edgin. Andy Martino reported that the they personally met with Craig Breslow while Jon Morosi said they had contact with Phil Coke. Meanwhile, the Mets are bringing backScott Rice on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.
As the Mets search for an upgrade at shortstop, the options are becoming "increasingly limited," according to Sandy Alderson. A trade is unlikely and therefore the Mets will possibly wait out the market to see if a free agent option emerges. If this does not happen, they will head into the season with Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada.
Mark Simon continued his Mets' history series, this time discussing the best trades in Mets history. The list is topped by the deal that brought Keith Hernandez to the Mets in 1983 for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.
Around the NL East
The Phillies were very busy yesterday. They traded longtime shortstopJimmy Rollins to the Dodgers. Left-handed relief pitcher Antonio Bastardo was also traded to the Pirates. Finally, former Met Marlon Byrd was discussed as a trade piece with the Orioles.
While the Nationals have not made a deal yet, Jim Duquette believes they are working on something big. They have reportedly listened to offers for Tyler Clippard, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler. Internally, they decided that Bryce Harper and Jayson Werthwould swap corner-outfield spots in 2015.
The Braves had a quiet day.
The Marlinsmade a deal with the Dodgers, acquiring Dee Gordon and Dan Haren. In exchange, they received pitching prospect Andrew Heaney, second baseman Enrique Hernandez, reliever Chris Hatcher, and catching prospect Austin Barnes.
Around the Majors
The Twins have reportedly made an offer to free agent pitcher Ervin Santana. The 31-year-old is said to be seeking a five-year deal. The Giants also met with him at the winter meetings.
A deal to sendMatt Kemp from the Dodgers to the Padres is apparently in the works. He is still owed a ton of money through 2019, but at 30 years old put up solid numbers in the second half of 2014.
With the signing of Jon Lester, it is expected that the market for starting pitchers will pick up. One pitcher who should be affected is James Shields, and it was reported that he has met with the Rangers. Shields is coming off a year in which he posted good numbers in the regular season, but had an uninspiring postseason for the World Series runners up.
The Diamondbacks are willing to trade pitcher Wade Miley. The 28-year-old struggled this past season, but previously put up good numbers and is under team control.
This Date in Mets History
Six years ago on this date, Bernie Madoff was arrested on charges of security fraud. It would later be revealed that Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz dealt extensively with Madoff.