SIGNED! Shaun Marcum

To the Mets, one year.

The details are not yet finalized, but Shaun Marcum looks all but confirmed to be a New York Met next year pending his physical. Marcum was a quality pitcher for the Brewers the last couple of seasons when he was healthy, posting a 3.70 ERA over 21 starts. Marcum's health has been spotty throughout much of his career, missing chunks of 2012 with an elbow issue and the entire 2009 season after undergoing elbow reconstruction surgery.  Assuming he passes the physical he'll be a very serviceable addition to the Mets rotation which also includes Johan Santana, Jonathon Niese, Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee. As the Mets would have to pull out some pretty miraculous stops to contend in 2013, Marcum also becomes a credible trade chip to a contending club come mid-season.

Offseason Review: New York Mets

New York Mets

It's relatively difficult to assess with any real accuracy how the Mets performed in this offseason because it seems like they still have work to do. The Mets are in an interesting place franchise-wise and kind of remind me of the Nationals a few years ago. Lots of young, developable talent that has yet to prove itself; but no realistic ambition of contending immediately. That being said, there are still a few loose ends in the bullpen and off the bench that need to happen and an major extension for David Wright that needs to prove itself worthwhile.

David Wright
Lovin' the game.

It's almost impossible to disagree with extending a player with franchise status such as David Wright. He's given the Mets an all-star performance in all but one of his eight seasons, as well as two gold gloves, two silver sluggers and a 30-30 performance. Not too shabby. The problem being that he's a little older, has a little bit of a history with injuries and is playing in the difficult-to-inspire role of being the cornerstone in a franchise that isn't poised to be do a whole lot in the immediate future. This hasn't discouraged Wright from expressing a desire to stay with New York for the remainder of his career, and my guess is he'll repay Sandy Alderson for his $140MM investment.

Travis d'Arnaud
Centerpiece in the Dickey trade

It's pretty unlikely for a team in the Mets position to make several major moves in one offseason, but after 38 year old R.A. Dickey's unlikely Cy Young season, that's just what needed to happen. The Mets appeared to be willfully inactive on a ripe market for Dickey through early December until he made his displeasure for that inactivity known. The Mets struck a deal with the hyperactive Blue Jays and shipped Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas for fine young catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud as well as Noah Syndergaard, John Buck and Wuilmer Becerra. The bounty hauled in by the Dickey trade is an unexpected and well-played boost for a team in need of rebuilding.

Ike Davis
I haven't mentioned him at all in this post but he looks
a LOT like a young Bruce Springsteen, right?

The Mets aren't going to make the playoffs next year and probably not for a couple years after that. The NL East of today is the AL East of yesterday. Every other team with the exception of the stupid ass Marlins looks like they are at least capable of contending for the next several years, forcing the Mets to be at least marginally docile. With players Frank Francisco as the incumbent closer and Lucas Duda, Collin Cowgill and Kirk Nieuwenhuis heading up the outfield, it's clear that the Metropolitans need some bandage additions to even breach relevancy; but they are proving to be competent in their plans for the future. Expect the Zach Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud era to be an exciting one in Queens, but until then expect to see a few consecutive second to last seasons for New York. 

Contract Corner: Andy Pettite

WHAA?!

Last night I got very little sleep and had to wake up early. After running a couple errands I came home and passed out on the couch for a while watching the beginning of the Tigers Mets Grapefruit League game.  I was dozing off when I heard that the Yankees had re-signed Andy Pettite to a minor league deal, and had to pinch myself to make sure this wasn't some kind of weird dream where my brain was reporting false news to me that would only kind of matter to me. I'm not a Yankees fan, but this really surprised me.

Offseason Review: New York Mets

2x Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana returns after an injury plagued 2011 campaign

This has to be the most difficult offseason review to find substance for because the Mets have done very close to nothing. Due to a whole lot of financial turmoil and a suddenly steep level of divisional competition, the Mets activity was essentially rendered paralyzed by practicality.
 

Contract Corner: Bill Hall, Clayton Kershaw

Bill Hall

Usually I'd be full of snark about an aging, declining utility man (ex-Brewer nonetheless) but the Bill Hall to the Yankees contract seems pretty agreeable on both sides.  $600K base salary with $50K paid incentives for each 50 at bats from 100-250 and 100K payouts for each 50 at bats after that. Hall looked totally shitty last year splitting time with Houston and San Francisco with a .211/.261/.314 line, and two home runs.

So why invest at all? Here's my guess. The guy who looked forgettable to Houston last year is the same guy who had 85 hits and 18 HRs while playing in the AL East in 2010. Not a bad gamble at $600K for a vet who may be craving a ring.

2011 NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw

I love this gawky Cy Young award winning monster. I also almost don't even care what his contract is so long as it satisfies him and baits in an owner interested in keeping him around and winning championships. At the age of 23, Clayton Kershaw has already been in the majors for four seasons. In 2011 he earned the distinction of being voted the best pitcher in the National League. In a franchise where the pressure of pseudo-ownership of the psychotic McCourt family dissolved in to non-ownership, and the lack of incentive that comes with a losing team, Kershaw came up huge. The contract details are as follows: $500K signing bonus, $7.5 million in 2012 and $11 million in 2013. Not bad for either side. If you're inspired by horrible camera filters and HIGH OCTANE SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS!!! the video below is worth watching.