Fishing the NL East: New York Mets Still a Fit for Stephen Drew?

Oct 30, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew (right) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning during game six of the MLB baseball World Series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

While most free agent bats have come off the market at this time, two big names are still awaiting to see what the market holds for them. One of them is Red Sox shortstop, Stephen Drew, who has also drawn interest from the New York Mets.

The Mets have played Ruben Tejada at the position since they let Jose Reyes walk to the Marlins in free agency two years ago. Drew would provide a significant improvement over Tejada at short for the Mets. Even though they have been linked to Drew, nothing has come of the talks yet, but it’s something NL East fans need to keep an eye on.

Last weeks poll for the second place in the NL East went to the Washington Nationals, in a landslide. Interesting enough, the Marlins finished in second in the poll, again:

Here is the poll for you guys to vote on who’ll finish in third in the NL East. I maybe  a little biased, but I do feel like the Marlins have a decent chance to challenge the Phillies and Mets for this spot:

Here is the latest news from around the NL East.

Atlanta Braves

Jim Bowden: Braves Still Kicking Tires on Premium Pitching | Tomahawk Take

FauxFrankWren is a consistent friend of the team – and I believe his source on this was Jim Bowden’s show on the XM MLB Radio Network channel.

Order In The Sport: 2014 Braves | Tomahawk Take

When you experiment with a batting order as much as Fredi Gonzalez does, it’s difficult at best to predict the order Fredi will go with come the regular 2014 season.  Typically, if things aren’t going as well as expected, Fredi will shuffle in a New York Mets minute!

Atlanta Braves will struggle to find teams interested in Dan Uggla | Fansided

The Atlanta Braves are looking for an upgrade at second base. They recently thought they had a longtime answer at the position with the slugging Dan Uggla, a belief they expressed in the form of a five year, $62 million contract.

Washington Nationals

Nationals: New Years Resolutions for Top Players | District on Deck

Bryce Harper—Learn to hit lefties. If you took Bryce’s at bats against right handers last year and expanded them over a full season’s worth of at bats, Bryce would have hit nearly 40 homer’s, driven in nearly a hundred runs, and batted .300 with an OPS of .948

Washington Nationals 2014 Top 15 Prospects | Grading on the Curve

The Washington Nationals have an intriguing farm system. A few of the players on this list have serious top-tier potential but the others are a combination of lower-ceiling players who are just about ready for the majors, guys who have tremendous risk to them or guys who have had significant injuries. Doing research for this article, I’ve found that, while there is likely to be some issues with who shows up where on the list, the top three to five are probably the same everywhere.

Bryce Harper’s goal is to ‘get as big as a house’ | Fansided

Are you ready to see a bunch of pictures of Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in tight shirts? Are you then ready to discuss how he looks?

Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies, Comcast Finalize $2.5 BILLION Television Contract (Update) | That Balls Outta Here

Philly.com’s Matt Gelb is reporting that the terms of the deal is $2.5 BILLION over 25 years, with the Phillies receiving equity in Comcast SportsNet and a favorable advertising revenue split for the team.

Jonathan Papelbon says Phillies have more talent than any other team | Fansided

It appears Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon may be attempting to get back into the good graces of his franchise.

Jonathan Papelbon Blames the Phillies Problems on Poor Chemistry | That Balls Outta Here

Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon recently spoke to Boston radio station WEEI and had some interesting things to say about the different fates his former and current team have experienced since he signed a free agent contract after the 2011 season.

New York Mets

Mets & Orioles Have Discussed Trades For Davis, Murphy, & Duda | Rising Apple

According to Eduardo Encinca of the Baltimore Sun. the Mets and Orioles have recently had trade discussions involving not only Ike Davis, but Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy as well. Writes Encina:

Are the 2014 Mets Destined for a Power Surge? | Rising Apple

When I saw the Mets take on the Brewers in Milwaukee last summer, something stuck out about my team’s profile in the Miller Park program: “The Mets will stand toe-to-toe with any offense that wants to slug it out in the National League.” …

Are The New York Mets A Contender In The NL East In 2014? | Call to the Pen

With the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, despite the 2013 failure of the latter, firmly established as National League powerhouses, the National League East is shaping up to be quite the division over the course of the next few years. Despite their status as a punchline, the Miami Marlins have improved this winter and could make some noise, in addition to the New York Mets. With a combination of their young talent coming up and some veteran additions, they’re a team to keep an eye on as we move forward.