One of the overlooked stories concerning the impact Sandy Alderson has already had on the Mets’ roster concerns the values he’s managed to pick up. Saving money at the margins is vital, and quite different from failing to address issues of secondary talent and depth. Indeed, spending less for the same player affords a team the chance to add both depth and a big-ticket item worth signing when one hits the market.
So let’s compare Matt Guerrier, who agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and D.J. Carrasco, who Alderson signed for two years, $2.5 million last week.
– Howard Megdal, New York Baseball Digest.
Howard makes some good points here. Guerrier has been a very good reliever in five of the last six seasons and Carrasco has only been doing it for two and a half, so certainly the Dodgers paid for certainty. But given the deals given out to Guerrier and Jesse Crain this week, Carrasco looks like a bargain.
I think for now, optimistic Mets fans like Howard and myself will have to point to Sandy Alderson’s more subtle savvy moves. I spent the last several years bleating on about the way in which the Mets were wasting money and roster spots at the margins of their roster, with the Marlon Andersons and Julio Francos and Abraham Nunezes of the world.
But, as I was discussing with Will Davidian this morning, Alderson has an opportunity to create a pretty fearsome bench on the cheap if he uses the right mix of in-house options and free agents. Ronny Paulino gives the Mets a backup catcher that’s actually a useful hitter against lefties. Likely Brad Emaus or Justin Turner (or perhaps both) will be on the squad, reserve middle infielders that might get on base now and then.
If the Mets pursue and acquire Fred Lewis, with whom they were linked earlier this offseason, they’d have a useful fourth outfielder that wouldn’t be a hole in the lineup when one of the starters needed a rest. Throw in a one or two of the Mets’ young power hitters and corner players from the Minors — Lucas Duda and/or Nick Evans, say — and you’ve got a bench full of guys that present real offensive value. And they’re guys that, unlike Alex Cora and Gary Matthews Jr., show at least some promise that they can be more than bench guys if everything falls in their favor.
So there’s that. They’re still going to need some guys to start games though.
Tedquarters 
While hard to consider sexy it’s precisely these types of moves the Mets need at this stage.
Under Minaya the Mets were always capable of sexy moves for top dollar but seldom capable of, to use your phrase, “subtle savvy” moves based on value to supplement the sexy roster.
This is why, unlike some popular radio show hosts, I don’t think Alderson and the Mets are “pulling the wool over the fans eyes” when they say if things break right the team can compete. Do I expect that? No. But with many big sexy expensive players already in place, should they prove healthy and produce like their salaries suggest they should, surrounding them in this subtle savvy way with secondary pieces will go a long way.
This. I mean, yeah, something will probably go wrong and they definitely need starters. But potentially, if a Murphy/Emaus or Murphy/Turner platoon is feasible at second and Thole doesn’t collapse, they’ll field a lineup without any massive holes.
Ted, I’m back, haven’t posted comments, but have been keeping up to date from time to time. It’s weird because the 8 months or so I lived in Arizona, I did Roofing with a guy who said D.J. Carasco was his cousin. I didn’t here of him until then, but he played for the royals before being sent to the pirates or somewhere. I’m pretty sure this is the dude that punched someone or threw a chair, so there is that fire the Mets have lacked the last few seasons, besides the k rod incident.
Another thing, and I know you mentioned him before Donald Veal, was from that highschool. Apperently, my brother and his brother are good friends. Good stuff.