Much of the chatter in Mets Land the last few days has revolved around the team’s interest in free agent outfielder Michael Bourn. The Mets interest in Bourn is very real and they are one of the final few teams in the running to sign him, but it is far from a certainty that they will sign him. With time starting to run out until the start of spring training, and the Mets being the only team in baseball that is yet to sign a free agent to a major league contract, the signing of Bourn is something that the Mets must do to complete their 2013 offseason.
What’s holding the Mets back from signing Bourn is not his contract demands, which are substantial, but not unreasonable; nor is it the threat of other teams out bidding them. What’s holding the Mets back is the possibility of having to forfeit the 11th overall pick in the Amateur Draft this June. The Mets have made an appeal to forfeit their second round pick instead of their first round pick if they are to sign Bourn, but an answer will not come until after they sign him, meaning that if the Mets were to go ahead and sign Bourn, they would have to do so without certainty of whether or not they would lose the 11th overall pick. For a team in rebuilding mode like the Mets, the 11th overall pick is a critical part of the building up the farm system and rebuilding the team. The front office should be commended for trying to save the pick, since they would have had a protected pick if the Pirates had been able to sign their first pick from last year. However, whether they can keep the pick or not, the Mets must move forward and do whatever they can to sign Bourn. The money Bourn is asking for, in addition to the losing the draft pick, would be a steep price, but ultimately the Mets have more to gain than to lose from the move.
The signing of Bourn by the Mets would send a message to the fan base that the team is capable of signing big money free agents. After a drop in payroll flexibility over the past couple of years and an offseason without signing any major league free agents, paying Bourn, albeit with a back-loaded contract, would be a signal that the Mets do have some money at their disposal and that they are willing to spend it, two things that can’t be said for certain at the moment.
More importantly, the signing of Bourn would also send the message to the fan base that the Mets are not going to punt the 2013 season, a common thought among fans. It’s been no secret that the Mets have needed help in the outfield and needed a legitimate leadoff man, both of which are needs that Bourn would immediately fill. By filling those needs now, instead of next offseason when the team will have more money available to spend in free agency, the Mets would show a desire to be competitive in 2013. Also, by signing Bourn to a multi-year contract, they would solidify themselves in centerfield and at the leadoff spot in the long term, which would help them to be competitive for years to come.
Yes, the price to sign Bourn would be high. In the long run, the 11th overall pick that they risk losing would likely have more value than they would get out of Bourn. However, the Mets need to make a splash, they need to send a message, and above all they need to be competitive. Signing Bourn would do all of those, and that’s why the Mets need to do all that they can to sign him.
Back to the New York Mets Newsfeed