Report: Mets Will Go Hard After Sheets
By Mike Silva ~ January 21st, 2010. Filed under: New York Mets, Rumor Mill.
This offseason has been filled with a lot of smoke, but very little fire. In an interesting twist, just a day after it appeared that Texas was the favorite to land Ben Sheets, reports are circulating the Rangers may not have the capital to go after his services. Buster Olney of ESPN believes the Mets and Oakland are in a position to be the “most aggressive.”
NYBD’s very own Joe Demayo has confirmed from a league source the Mets do intend to go hard after Sheets. In my conversation with Demayo, we both think a “Rich Harden type deal” may be what it takes to get done, however the Mets may be in a position where they have to overpay for Sheets’s services. After being spurned by Pineiro and Molina, it would be a devastating blow to be outbid for Sheets, especially if he picks playing in the Oakland Mausoleum over Citi Field.
I have been a proponent of Sheets for weeks. Earlier today I thought Jon Garland was more realistic, especially after Matt Pignataro was told by an AL source that Texas wanted to make a strong push. The fact that Sheets may be out of the Rangers price range indicates this will not be an inexpensive deal. Signing Sheets would stray from the Mets original plan, which was to bring in someone who could guarantee them innings. If healthy, Sheets can throw 200 outstanding innings, but the health is a big “if” with the righty.
At this point the Mets need to do something dynamic. Sign Sheets, and complement it with John Smoltz in the bullpen. When you factor in the depth that Fernando Nieve, Nelson Figueroa, and Jonathan Niese provide you could feel better about signing a pitcher with the injury history of Sheets.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Sheets and Delgado? What’ d you think?
January 21st, 2010 at 10:27 pm
I really want Sheets. I hope this gets done.
But I absolutely do not want Smoltz. Old pitchers wear down by the end of the year and have nothing left. The Glavine melt-down on the last day of the season was enough. I don’t need another Atlanta pitcher to snuff out our team’s chances.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:39 pm
As you say Sheets is a huge risk health wise. But when healthy he provides precisely what this team needs in the rotation between Santana and “the rest.” Having missed out, whether they were ever realistic opportunities or not, on Lackey, Halladay, and pitchers of their ilk, the Mets can’t let another one go elsewhere.
If he turns up lame and misses all or most of the season, I won’t hold that against the team. I will applaud their having “gone for it.” Garland alone, while decent, does not help the Mets rotation compete with tandems like Halladay/Hamels, Johnson/Nolasco and Jurrjens/Hanson.
If the Mets were somehow able to land both Sheets and Garland that would be ideal.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Come on Omar Sheets Smoltz and Garko. Or Garland -Bedard and Nady. Take your pick but please let me sleep knowing you are awake at the wheel.