Mets hope small signings pay big dividends

The biggest moves the New York Mets have made so far this offseason have taken place in the club's front office. After two late season collapses and a couple sub .500 finishes, team executives decided it was time for some relief. Exit Omar Minaya, enter Sandy Alderson. The new General Manager has a clear plan, fans just hope it works.

Alderson all but confirmed he is under constraints to add any significant contracts to a payroll that is anticipated to be around $130 million once all the current arbitration-eligible players are signed. The problem is the team still has a bunch of holes, mostly in the bullpen and starting rotation. Though reports vary, the one item that can be agreed upon is that Johan Santana will miss significant time as he continues his recovery from rotator cuff surgery.

The current solution? The signing of low risk, potential high reward candidates to either straight-up minor league deals, or heavy incentive-laden major league contracts. Not counting players that were re-signed or had their options picked up, Alderson has added eight players to the organization.

Here are the additions and what is currently known about their contracts:

• Boof Bonser, rhp - Signed to minor league deal. Makes $15,000/month in the minors, but would collect $700,000 if he plays in Queens. Invited to spring training.
• Ronny Paulino, c - Agreed to a $1.35 million guaranteed deal.
• Dusty Ryan, c - Signed to minor league deal and invited to spring training.
• D.J. Carrasco, rhp - Agreed to a 2 year deal for $2.4 million. Gets $1.2 million in 2011.
• Chin-lung Hu, ss - Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league pitcher Mike Antonini. Hu is arbitration eligible.
• Taylor Buchholz, rhp - Signed for $600,000 guaranteed, gets a $400,000 bonus if he makes the opening day roster and is not on the disabled list. Can make an additional $200,000 if he makes 60 major league appearances.
• Chris Capuano, lhp - Signed for $1.5 million guaranteed. 
• Taylor Tankersley, lhp - Signed to a minor league deal and invited to spring training.

Combine all of those contracts and they wouldn't amount to as much as the New York Yankees just threw at their new 8th inning man, Rafael Soriano. Sure the next R.A. Dickey might be among the names mentioned above, and a few are due to rebound from injuries, but how likely is that?

Things will be very interesting leading up to the start of the regular season. Unfortunately for the fans, the fight for major league jobs in spring training just might be the most exciting aspect of the 2011 Mets... that is, until the trade deadline approaches and Alderson will be forced to make the biggest decision of his short tenure: what to do with pending free agent Jose Reyes?

4:05 PM update: Mets have signed OF Willie Harris to, you guessed it, a minor league contract and have invited him to spring training. At least now if he robs a Met of a home run it will be during batting practice.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts: New York Mets for providing contract details.