Entering the offseason, one of the New York Mets’ top
priorities was improving their outfield. This ultimately didn’t happen, but
there was a time in January when general manager Sandy Alderson expected to
acquire Justin Upton or Michael Bourn, according to John Harper of The New York
Daily News.
Alderson wouldn’t admit that he missed out on either player,
as he didn’t get into specific names. All he was willing to say recently is the
Mets “tried to do some things” this offseason, but “unfortunately, nothing worked
out.”
However, according to Harper, all signs point to a time in
mid-to-late January when the GM felt strongly that he was going to land Upton
from the Arizona Diamondbacks or sign Bourn as a free agent.
New York had been discussing a trade with Arizona, but they
balked at the Diamondbacks’ asking price, which included top pitching prospect
Zack Wheeler. New York was hoping to send a package of non-Wheeler pitching
prospects along with Daniel Murphy or Ruben Tejada to Arizona in exchange for
Upton.
The Mets were also closely tied to Bourn throughout the winter. Their hesitation in his case was the free agent’s asking price and the
potential draft pick they would have to surrender to sign him.
This hesitancy resulted in Upton landing with the Atlanta Braves, Bourn signing with the Cleveland Indians and the Mets entering spring
with a bevy of uninspiring outfielders. Instead of Upton and Bourn, New York
has names like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Alex Brown, Marlon
Byrd and Collin Cowgill as potential outfielders.
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