The Mets were in the rumor mill as much as anyone this offseason, but only made a couple of major moves. Let's check in on what is going on in Mets Land.
A chat with Paul Depodesta
Chris McShane of Amazin' Avenue spoke with Paul Depodesta, and it is a really good read. Chris has been all over Mets Spring Training, which I would recommend checking out over at Amazin' Avenue. I liked how they talked about the fact that the front office lives and dies with the team as much as the fans do, which jives with the common perception of the cold, calculating front office team.
It is fascinating to here Depodesta talk about the personal relationships they build with prospects and players, as well as the pressures of picking in the first round. The Mets have accumulated a good amount of young talent, which Depodesta played a role in.
Mets thought they had Bourn, Upton
In a fascinating note, the Mets thought that they were going to land either Justin Upton or Michael Bourn. While obviously that did not work out, it is still interesting to hear the team talk about what went down. I found it troubling that the pursuit of Bourn was so heavily based on getting around the draft pick rule, which actually ended up being the undoing of the entire exchange.
Upton was certainly a long-shot, with the team trying to build packages around Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy. Any of the proposed trades certainly would have been a coup for the Mets, but they were unable to swing the deal.
Mets add minor league depth
In a small move, the Mets added minor league first baseman Rhyne Hughes. He should provide good depth for them in the high minors, and allow the team to slowly progress some of their lower level bats. This move really is not particularly consequential, but it is a nice little move that gives the Mets a veteran guy for the high minors.