The Major League Baseball hot stove season is going strong, and speculation is heating up across baseball. Here is what our writers are hearing today:
MLB Free-Agent Tracker | Rumors
The #Mets have Denard Span, Will Venable and Alejandro De Aza on their radar as left-handed CF options. They're slow-playing it.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 21, 2015
Crasnick's take: The New York Mets have already made the bulk of their offseason moves before the holidays. They acquired second baseman Neil Walker in a trade with Pittsburgh, signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to a two-year contract, and added depth to the rotation and the bullpen by bringing back free agents Bartolo Colon and Jerry Blevins. One item left on management's agenda is adding a left-handed hitting center fielder to share time with Juan Lagares, who logged a .599 OPS versus right-handed pitching in 2015.
Denard Span is the preferred choice. But he's coming off hip surgery and is represented by Scott Boras, who has already made it clear he's looking for a multi-year deal. Gerardo Parra has also been mentioned in speculation, but his defensive metrics have slipped and he might be looking for more money than GM Sandy Alderson & Co. want to spend. There are enough options on the market -- and things are moving slowly enough -- that the Mets can afford to wait to make their decision. Barring a surprise change of heart and a late Yoenis Cespedes pursuit, the new year probably won't bring much in the way of riveting roster moves for Mets fans.