With a hot stove as cold as the January air, the Wilpons and the New York Mets could be willing to spend if the price tag is right.
Little action by the New York Mets this winter combined with incessant uproar by the fanbase may have finally pushed the Wilpons to realize that the time is now to infuse funds into this roster.
John Harper of the New York Daily News reported last night that the Mets may indeed be willing to spend more money than originally budgeted if the market falls back to where they feel comfortable.
Sources say Mets will spend if "value" is there in slow-moving FA market. I'll believe when I see it, but Moustakas thought to be a possibility at right price.https://t.co/8XY2ZGokNy
— John Harper (@NYDNHarper) January 5, 2018
Harper specifically singles out Mike Moustakas as a player that could fit this mold for the Mets. The third base market is significantly thin, featuring Moustakas and Todd Frazier as the only viable options.
And that lack of talent at the third base position is met with an identical lack of suitors. As Harper suggests, the St. Louis Cardinals seem to be the only club looking for a top of the market third baseman at the moment, but seem more preoccupied with Josh Donaldson, who is a free agent after the 2018 season.
With all these developments, the Mets could wait in the weeds and pounce when the demand is dried up. Moustakas may not be the only one on the table after this recent change in the market setting.
Harper names Todd Frazier, Jay Bruce, Lance Lynn and Lorenzo Cain as players that could garner contracts that are significantly less than their original asking prices. For the Mets, any of those four players could make an immediate impact and fill a hole on the Opening Day roster.
This has to be welcome news for Mets fans, who rightly were outraged after Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the team’s budget was going to be less than $10 million this winter, after shedding $60 million in payroll.
At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words. Will Mets ownership open their wallets after all?
