ANAHEIM — The Mets swung for the fences at these winter meetings. And missed. They aimed high and left low.
Their play for Ken Griffey Jr. died on the warning track. It was illustrative in showing just how far the Mets are willing to go to be champions in 2000, since they offered a Junior mint in players to land the star center fielder.
But, ultimately, it also showed how far the Mets still have to go, since their executive contingent left early yesterday morning not only without Griffey, but without adding a run-producing outfielder or front-line starter.
It means the Mets are still an incomplete team despite the spirited efforts of GM Steve Phillips, who was part Sancho Panza, pursuing an impossible dream named Griffey, and part Energizer Bunny, trying to rouse his counterparts into doing deals.
The result was the Mets had zeal and Zeile at these meetings, but that was not enough.
Phillips made a minor first trade to open the meetings — getting Jesse Orosco from Baltimore for Chuck McElroy — but could not close with a blockbuster. Oh, how he tried.
He talked to the Indians about Manny Ramirez, the Orioles about Scott Erickson and B.J. Surhoff, the Twins about Brad Radke, the Astros about Mike Hampton, the Pirates about Jason Schmidt, the Blue Jays about David Wells, the Expos about Rondell White, the Padres about Sterling Hitchcock and the Angels about Jim Edmonds.
Now, the most likely Met outfield acquisition is Bobby Higginson from Detroit for Rickey Henderson and another player. Edmonds also remains a strong possibility, while White could be an alternative. The Mets are continuing to eye Erickson with some chance on Schmidt and Hitchcock, and the potential to revisit Radke.
Before the meetings, the acquisition of any of those high-profile players by the Mets would have seemed more likely than Griffey. Yet, it was Griffey whom Phillips actually completed a deal for. Both Phillips and Mariner GM Pat Gillick cautiously avoided the T-word, but it appeared there was indeed a trade in place Monday with the Mets willing to give up some combination or all three of their best young, 25-man roster players: Armando Benitez, Roger Cedeno and Octavio Dotel, and perhaps Dennis Cook, Jorge Toca and Jay Payton, too.
Because Griffey can be a free agent after the season and never has shown an inclination to play in New York, the potential transaction exemplified just how much the Mets are emphasizing winning it all in 2000. But a trade is not a trade in this case without a Junior partner. And Griffey would not go for it.
As a veteran with 10 years experience, five with the same team, he can nullify any trade. His agent, Brian Goldberg, had said over the weekend Griffey would accept shipment to just one locale, Cincinnati. And, true to that word, Goldberg rejected this Mariner-Met marriage when contacted by a Seattle official Monday.
So, the Griffey odyssey will play on. Red GM Jim Bowden theatrically bowed out of contention for Griffey on Saturday because he said he would not trade Pokey Reese and Seattle kept asking for the second baseman. The baseball world, though, expects Bowden to bow back in at some point because he so badly wants this player.
Gillick has built up a loathing of dealing with the Reds. But when asked if he could see keeping Griffey rather than dealing him, Gillick said, “it is a possibility, but I wouldn’t say it is high on my list of options.”
No, he wants to get Griffey out of town before spring training. That is why talk has surfaced of a third team getting involved to broker a deal so Seattle and the Reds do not have to deal directly. And many executives in baseball continue to believe Atlanta still might swoop in at the end and land Griffey, who has shown a previous interest in being a Brave.
Both Gillick and Phillips tried to depict a door to the Mets still being open slightly. But it is now more likely Bobby Bonilla will play center field for the Mets in 2000 than Griffey. Partly because the Mets cannot simply try to wait out Griffey, when they have to finish adjusting the roster.
Phillips insists his team was not hurt one iota by his Griffey pursuit. He said, “this process has not taken us away from any other consideration.”
However, as of today, the Met roster would be viewed as having holes, not being whole. Even Met officials concede the signing of Todd Zeile to replace the departed John Olerud means a hit both defensively and offensively. One Met executive said without adding an impact-hitting outfielder — preferably a lefty-swinging one — the lineup could become problematic.
Surhoff would be the most ideal solution now, but he does not want to be a Met either, and Baltimore is balking at the Met offers. Edmonds and White are more likely to end up in Oakland and Cleveland, respectively, than Flushing. The Mets think Higginson is much better than he played in 1999, and would not mind injecting his lefty bat in the lineup if other avenues remained.
Erickson appears the best starting option. But, again, Baltimore is eyeing Dotel and the Mets are against moving him. The Mets could turn to free agency, with groundball specialist Omar Olivares a possibility.
The Mets still have plenty of time until the regular season begins in three-plus months to upgrade their roster. The end of the winter meetings do not represent a finish line. But, for now, their work here will be remembered as a Junior miss.