New York Mets sign Minor League contract with Tim Byrdak - MLB Update
New York Mets follow inexpensive ways to address issues with their bullpen. Far from approaching high value free agent relievers in the market, they are trying to save as much money as possible.
Even knowing that Tim Byrdak has nothing much left in him to offer the team at the age of 39, they have inked an agreement with him.
One of the few ways through which Byrdak can help New York is to use his experience and let the younger players learn from it.
Some of the Minor Leaguers that boast credentials to become reliable relievers one day can take the existence of Byrdak among them as an opportunity to fine-tune their skills.
It is possible that the only motivation that officials of the Mets had before signing Byrdak was the fact that he can pass his expertise on to the young arms present in their farm system.
Regardless of the intensity of the requirements, the Mets more probably will turn to Minor League prospects in order to fill vacant spots on the roster. They lack resources to acquire players externally.
For the same season, in spite of the dire need of adding an outfielder in the team, there have not been any moves taken as yet by their management.
Ever since exclusion of Jason Bay from the roster, a vacancy has opened in the outfield.
While it is hard to expect the officials to sign another equally capable left fielder in place of Bay, an option of trading their star players for such an acquisition can help their cause in this regard.
For example, Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey has an immense trade value at the moment, which means that he can bring quality prospects for the team if traded. A range of organisations will be willing to sacrifice their emerging stars for obtaining Dickey.
Unfortunately, exclusion of Dickey will come at the expense of offending fans who want him stay in the team until retirement. For fans, Dickey was the sole source of their pride during the last season. The way he spearheaded the pitching staff of the team
is incredible.
His performance will not be forgotten by them, at least for the foreseeable future.
The problem in the case of granting contract extension to Dickey is again money.
Due to his leading role in winning a great number of matches for the team, he must be expecting something substantial in the deal. The Mets, on the other hand, may not meet his demands and end up getting rid of him eventually through a trade.
Apart from Dickey, third baseman David Wright is another player that awaits contract renewal from the team.
Cinching deals with both these players will most probably dry up their resources and leave little to be spent on other areas.
It will be interesting to see how the Mets manage their limited financial budget and expend money for hiring new players in the offseason.
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