MLB Power Rankings: Post Winter Meetings

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 11: Giancarlo Stanton is introduced as a member of the New York Yankees during the 2017 Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort on Monday, December 11, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – May 6: Fred Wilpon, owner of the New York Mets and Jeff Wilpon the COO of the New York Mets at batting practice before the Miami Marlins Vs New York Mets regular season MLB game at Citi Field on May 06, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /

20. New York Mets

On one side of New York, the Yankees are making championship moves. On the other side, the Mets owners and front office are drawing straws to see who has to break the bad news to the paying customers that there will be no big-money moves this winter. Such is the life of a Mets fan.

Free agents Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain make perfect sense for the Mets, but they probably won’t sign either or even make a serious offer. The Wilpons can only blame the financial hardships caused by Bernie Madoff for so long. At some point, they will have to decide whether or not they are serious about competing in the biggest media market in the world. While it’s true that the Mets may be the second-class citizens compared to the Yankees, their revenue streams are still extremely healthy.

The Mets did make one move at the Winter Meetings, locking up reliever Anthony Swarzak. He is coming off a dominant season with the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. Swarzak made big strides with his fastball and slider and struck out 10.6 per nine with a 2.33 ERA in 77.1 innings. Last year was the best season of the 32-year-old right-hander’s career by far, so he will have to prove it was not a fluke.

Matt Harvey was also shopped at the Winter Meetings, but it’s hard to imagine he has much trade value at this point. The Mets may want to just wash their hands of Harvey, but there’s no reason not to hold onto him and hope he bounces back in 2018. Any trade now would be strictly about getting him out of the clubhouse.

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