Veteran Hawkins Joins Mets

By ZACH DOLEIDEN

NEW YORK — The Mets continued adding to their bullpen depth when they inked veteran right-hander LaTroy Hawkins to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training on Thursday.

New York will be the tenth team Hawkins has played for during a career that began in 1995.

Hawkins, 40, pitched effectively last season for the Los Angeles Angels, going 2-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 48 appearances out of the bullpen.

The addition of Hawkins marks the third relief pitcher the Mets have signed this offseason over the age of 35.

New York signed Scott Atchison, 36, to a minor league deal two days ago that includes a trip to camp. Atchison posted a career-best 1.58 ERA in 42 appearances for the Boston Red Sox last year.

Pedro Feliciano, 36, rejoined his former team by signing a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training early last week. The veteran lefty missed the better part of two seasons with the Yankees due to a shoulder injury after appearing in 92 games for the Metropolitans in 2010. He owns a record of 22-19 with a 3.31 ERA in his career.

Mets Dine with Bourn in Houston

By ZACH DOLEIDEN

NEW YORK — The Amazins’ search for an established outfielder has once again brought them to Michael Bourn, considered by many to be the best free agent centerfielder on the market this offseason.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Mets GM Sandy Alderson and assistant GM John Ricco met with Bourn and his agent Scott Boras over dinner last week in Houston. It is not believed that intense negotiations took place between the two sides.

Boras is thought to be seeking a 5-year deal worth about $75 million for his client. Bourn hit .274 with nine home runs and 57 RBI last season with Atlanta.

Although the addition of Bourn would seem to be a no-brainer, two key roadblocks stand in the way of a deal getting done.

First off, the Mets are reluctant to give the 30-year-old Bourn a contract that would exceed three years. They are still a few seasons away from contending in the NL East so Bourn is viewed more as a stopgap player than a long-term solution.

Secondly, signing Bourn, who turned down a qualifying offer from the Braves earlier this offseason, means the Mets would have to surrender their 11th overall pick in the first round of this year’s Draft.

Since taking over as GM, Alderson has done a nice job returning legitimacy to New York’s farm system through the Draft and various trades but there is still work to be done. Therefore, Alderson believes that losing a first-round pick would be out of the question.

While the likelihood of Bourn starting out in center field on opening day does not appear great, neither did that of a Metropolitan tossing a no-hitter.  

Mets Do Not Fear the Beard

By ZACH DOLEIDEN

NEW YORK — Always looking to make some additions to a bullpen that was one of the worst in the Major Leagues last season, the Mets are showing interest in one of the biggest characters in baseball: former Giants closer Brian Wilson.

The two sides have yet to sit down to discuss any details of a potential deal, but the Mets are the only team known to have watched the 30-year-old throw on his way back from a second career Tommy John surgery that limited his 2012 season to just two appearances.

This type of low-risk, high-reward free agent has been a staple of the Mets' plans the past few years and any deal between the two parties would be contingent on Wilson accepting a minor league deal with potential incentives based on his level of performance. 

Wilson has been one of the most consistent closers over the past five seasons, picking up 164 saves from 2008-2012. The pitcher also referred to simply as “The Beard” due to his popular jet-black facial hair is 20-20 with a 3.21 ERA in his seven-year stint in the majors.

If the Mets are able to convince Wilson that his next uniform should predominantly feature blue and orange, he could be a strong addition to the bullpen in terms of both skill and clubhouse leadership, provided he is able to return to his previous All-Star form.

Wilson is one of the best when it comes to keeping inherited runners from scoring, which can’t be said for Frank Francisco and Bobby Parnell, who are seen as the go-to combination to finish games at this point. Wilson’s quirky personality would also bring a much needed shot in the arm to the normally stoic likes of Francisco and Parnell, who looked a bit indifferent at certain times last season and utterly shell-shocked at others.

For the right price, the Mets could be the next club to ask whether or not other teams “Fear the Beard.”

Mets Sign Shaun Marcum to One-Year Deal

By ZACH DOLEIDEN

NEW YORK — The New York Mets added some depth to their starting rotation today when the team signed veteran right-hander Shaun Marcum to a one-year deal. The free agent will look to help fill the void left when the Mets traded knuckle-balling ace R.A. Dickey to Toronto earlier this winter.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the deal is worth $4 million with another $4 million possible through incentives. The one-year pact is contingent on Marcum passing a physical.

Marcum, 31, is coming off of a relatively solid season with the Brewers that was cut short due to issues with tightness in his elbow and shoulder discomfort. In his 21 starts, Marcum worked through 124 innings while posting a 7-4 record with a 3.70 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

With the signing, the Mets are expected to enter the upcoming season with a starting rotation featuring Johan Santana, Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey and Marcum. Previously considered frontrunners for the fifth spot, Jenrry Mejia and Jeremy Hefner will most likely start the season at AAA Las Vegas and the bullpen, respectively.

As it stands right now, Marcum is an upgrade over Chris Young, whom the Mets were considering bringing back for a third season after he went 5-9 with a 3.76 ERA in just 139 innings pitched over two injury-riddled campaigns.

However, Marcum comes with plenty of question marks of his own. Marcum has seen a small dip in velocity since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2009, resulting in a mid-80s fastball that National Leaguers have been eating up in recent years.

Boasting decent control and command of his pitches, Marcum will provide the Mets with a fairly strong option at the back end of the rotation if he can remain healthy and continue pitching to his strengths.