Watch CBS News

Mets Notes: Alderson Stands Pat At Deadline; Wheeler To Bullpen?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Baseball's trading deadline came and went on Wednesday without any movement from the Mets.

General manager Sandy Alderson was comfortable with his decision to hang on to New York's two most-discussed trade chips: closer Bobby Parnell and outfielder Marlon Byrd.

"From our standpoint, we weren't prepared to make a move just to make a move," Alderson said Wednesday. "Nor were we prepared to make a move that would have perhaps significant short-term impact on the major league team, and possibly only modest impact on the organization long-term."

Byrd will be due for a payday in free agency after his resurgent 2013 season. Parnell is under the Mets' control until 2016.

"We've made it clear over the last couple of years that how we perform in the second half was important to us as an organization," the GM said. "So players contributing to that performance in the second half had a certain value to us, both short-term this season and getting into longer-term. And if the market didn't reflect that value to us, we wouldn't make a deal."

Alderson said he was curious to see how the positives will play out -- like the team's rebuilt outfield, led by Byrd and Eric Young Jr.

"We've taken what seemed to be a fairly barren outfield at the beginning of the season and turned it over the last month into maybe the most productive outfield in baseball," he said.

There were some discussions about hitters who wouldn't be rent-a-players this year for the Mets, Alderson said. He expected them to also be available during the offseason.

The Mets have been putting on a better brand of baseball behind sharp young pitching and improved all-around play. But they are still 13.5 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 10 games out of a wild card spot.

"I'm still here," Byrd said. "I can be a part of this great organization and keep moving forward these next two months, see what we can do, see if we can make a push."

OTHER NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins is tinkering with ways to avoid or put off a shutdown for pitchers Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey. In Wheeler's case, his innings could be limited by a move to the bullpen. "It's nothing that we're settled on," said Collins, "but we're just saying, 'Hey look, how can we get these guys through the year without having to shut them down completely?'" ... Collins also said "there's a chance" prospect Travis d'Arnaud could temporarily join the team while catcher John Buck is out on paternity leave. D'Arnaud is expected to make his major league debut in September if he doesn't get the call-up. ... Captain David Wright insisted he'd be in the lineup Thursday despite a cranky right hamstring. "I can play through this, so I'll be in there tomorrow," he said.

Terry Collins

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.