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Sandy Alderson photo taken from Google Images
The Phillies made waves this offseason by signing much-sought free agent pitcher, Cliff Lee. Braves stole Dan Uggla from the Marlins in a trade.
The Mets’ biggest enemies in the NL East both made major moves to bolster themselves.
So what have the Mets done?
Well, not as much.
- Image via Wikipedia
New GM Sandy Alderson has added veteran pitchers Chris Young and Chris Capuano.
And that’s just fine.
The addition of these two – and the other minor moves Alderson has made – will not make Mets’ fans run out to reserve time off from work in October. But the moves make sense.
The Mets’ motto this offseason could be “Low Risk, High Reward,” and Capuano and Young are fruits of that strategy. If the hurlers succeed in their comebacks, the Mets will have found two starting pitchers for very little cost. If they fail, then the Mets have not lost much.
Alderson has made it known that the Mets were not going to spend much money this offseason. And with some of the horrific contracts (Luis Castillo, Oliver Perez) on the payroll, who could blame him?
The Mets, though, don’t need to spend millions to get great pitching. In 2010, the Mets got a huge season from unheralded knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Maybe Capuano or Young can be the Dickey of 2011.
They both have pitched well at times in the past. Young is 48-34 in his career, with a 3.80 ERA. Capuano is 46-52 with a 4.35 ERA. Both pitched well in 2010 after coming back from major injuries.
Also, if Young and Capuano are healthy, they should reap the benefits of Citi Field. As ex-Met Jeff Francoeur recently said, Citi Field is a terrible park for hitters. Dickey had a great year in part due to the spacious confines of the Citi.
And spending a lot of money on pitchers can be risky. Who knows where Cliff Lee will be in three years? The Mets have gotten production from Johan Santana, but he’s hurt right now, and it’s not known how much he will contribute in 2011.
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