NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One Mets starting pitcher can be had this offseason.
Though team officials aren’t rushing to trade Jon Niese, he stands as the lone member of the Mets’ rotation who realistically could be dealt at this week’s Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
The veteran lefty is due $9 million next season and is expendable if the team deems Rafael Montero’s right shoulder worth gambling on until Zack Wheeler returns from Tommy John surgery next summer. Or the Mets could deal Niese and try to sign a lower-priced swingman such as Yusmeiro Petit, or perhaps even Bartolo Colon, to fill that spot.
“We’re going to be looking for ways to improve the team,” assistant general manager John Ricco said Sunday. “And if we think there’s a deal that involves [Niese] that makes us better, I think we would definitely consider it.”
Ricco said he plans to soon speak with representatives for Colon, who is open to the possibility of returning as a swingman or reliever. But Montero, who missed most of last season with right shoulder discomfort, could be the top option for that rotation spot if Niese is dealt.
“We do feel good about where Montero is right now health-wise,” Ricco said. “And I do think he would be a candidate for that. But we have other guys that we like.”
Among them is lefty Sean Gilmartin, who impressed the Mets in a bullpen role last season.
The 29-year-old Niese went 9-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 33 appearances last season. He was moved to the bullpen for the postseason and pitched to mixed results in six appearances.
Niese has been a subject of trade discussions in recent offseasons, but his subtraction always would have created a hole in the Mets’ rotation. That is no longer the case, after Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz reached the major leagues last season, to join Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey in a young, star-studded rotation.
Montero might have taken Niese’s rotation spot last season if he had been healthy. But the rookie was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder discomfort in April after making a spot start in Miami and never resurfaced.
Of value to the Mets for Niese would be middle-infield help if the club can’t sign free agent Ben Zobrist or a possible lefty bat to help in the outfield.
Always working against the Mets in trade talks involving Niese is the perception his left shoulder is fragile, after he incurred a partially torn rotator cuff in 2013. But Niese has been among the Mets’ most durable pitchers the last two seasons. The Mets hold an option on Niese for 2017 worth $10 million with a $500,000 buyout. The club’s option on Niese for 2018 is worth $11 million with a $500,000 buyout.
Though teams inquired about Niese before last season’s trade deadline, the Mets were reluctant to deal him given that pitchers such as Harvey and Syndergaard were facing workload limits and the team needed Niese’s innings.
Zobrist met with team officials during a day-long visit to New York last week and reportedly will meet with the Nationals at these Winter Meetings. If the Mets can sign the 34-year-old utilityman, the bulk of their offseason spending will be complete. Otherwise, they could go with rookie Dilson Herrera and the combination of Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada at shortstop. With free-agent Daniel Murphy most likely removed from the equation, the other possibility is using a piece such as Niese — the Mets would be dealing from surplus — in an effort to land an infielder.
The Mets also have a surplus at catcher, with Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, but are reluctant to trade the latter because of fear the injury-prone d’Arnaud will be sidelined for an extended period, leaving the cupboard bare. And the Mets like d’Arnaud’s offensive potential too much to trade him and go with Plawecki behind the plate.