The New York Mets have a very bright future, one built around their starting pitching. Matt Harvey has already established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Zack Wheeler, although wild at times, has shown the potential to be a solid number two starter behind Harvey. Jon Niese is locked up for the next five years, and once Santana is officially off the books will be by far the best lefty in the organization. Noah Syndergaard, acquired in the R.A. Dickey trade, is only 20 and already pitching well in AA. Hypothetically, these four could make up the rotation for years to come. The fifth rotation spot could then be filled by any one of a number of pitchers. Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner have shown flashes of brilliance this season, and both are only 27. Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia, while both on the DL, are each 23 and have some major league experience in recent years. In essence, the Mets have eight starters to turn to, and, with the exception of Gee, all are under team control through 2018.
In the bullpen, Bobby Parnell figures to be the closer at least through the end of 2015. Parnell, only 28, is someone I've always felt had the stuff to be a closer. He has certainly proven that this season, playing at a near All Star level. As a side note, Parnell is the first closer developed by the Mets since Randy Myers.
Looking at the lineup, there are certainly more question marks here than with the pitching. Behind the plate, John Buck and Anthony Recker have held down the fort, but neither figures to be part of the teams long term plans, especially considering that Buck is a free agent after the season. Hopefully, Travis D'Arnaud will be healthy and ready to play in the big leagues by next season. He projects to be a middle of the order hitter, something the Mets badly need. Nonetheless, the Mets should pursue a veteran catcher in the off-season, to be both a stopgap if D'Arnaud isn't ready and a mentor for the young pitching staff. Daniel Murphy, despite his inconsistency, is still the second baseman of the next few seasons, and is a solid bat in the two-hole. Shortstop should be filled by Ruben Tejada, as although he has taken a step or two backwards this season, he is only 23 and should get things figured out in the minor leagues. Third base is set for the next decade or so, with David Wright likely to spend the remainder of his career with the team.
The outfield certainly figured to be an interesting area to watch the next couple of years. For the moment, both left field and the lead-off spot have been filled ably by Eric Young Jr. Center field is fairly crowded, with as many as three players vying for playing time. Juan Lagares has been something of a revelation, and his speed and defense make up for most of his liabilities with the bat. However, the Mets also have Kirk Nieuwenhuis who can certainly play, not to mention Matt Den Dekker waiting in the wings.
Right field and first base are closely tied to one another. So far, Marlon Byrd has done very well in right, hitting well in the cleanup spot and playing great defense. Ike Davis and Josh Satin are platooning at first base, with Satin having really opened up eyeballs this season. However, there is a looming question not far off on the horizon: where does Lucas Duda play when he comes back from the DL? The Mets already have two first basemen, and left field has since been occupied by EY Jr. The only other position Duda can play is right field. So, what should the Mets do?
As I see it, the Mets need to trade Byrd. As well as he's played, he is 35 and will be a free agent after the season. A team like the Pirates would be a perfect fit, as Pittsburgh needs a right fielder and has a deep minor league system. I figure the Mets at the very least can get a couple of low to mid-level prospects, preferably an outfielder and a left-handed pitcher. From there, the Mets can put Duda in right, and see what they have at first base with Davis and Satin. If Davis proves himself, then the Mets should commit to him at first base. If not, they can move Duda back to first, his natural defensive position anyways. The Mets can then look at filling right field through free agency. Remember, the contracts of both Santana and Jason Bay come off the books at the end of the season. They could go after a lead-off hitter like Shin-Soo Choo, a power guy like Nelson Cruz, or even reunite with ex-Met Carlos Beltran. At any rate, I feel confident in the future of the franchise, and I feel that it won't be long before we are back in contention.
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