Mets Morning News: Mets miss out on Andrelton Simmons, may non-tender Ruben Tejada

Meet the Mets

Before sending their prized shortstop to Anaheim, the Braves reportedly asked the Mets for one of their top starting pitchers in exchange for Andrelton Simmons.

Simmons may now be off the market, but free agent Ben Zobrist is still available. The Mets have been one of several teams to check in with the infielder's agent.

Although he began the postseason as New York's starting shortstop, the club might not tender a contract to Ruben Tejada this winter. If that is the case, we could see Matt Reynolds compete with Wilmer Flores for playing time in 2016.

It's going to be tough for the Mets to make any additions to the team before they hear back from Daniel Murphy regarding the qualifying offer.

Recent misfortune in St. Louis should serve as an example to the Mets that you can never have too much starting pitching.

Around the National League East

Instead of trading Simmons to the Mets, Atlanta shipped him to the Angels for Erick Aybar, two pitching prospects, and cash.

Since Simmons is still young and controllable in addition to being the best defensive shortstop in baseball, it's worth asking what the Braves were thinking.

Despite having some free cash and a protected first-round draft pick, the Phillies are unlikely to sign a top free agent pitcher.

The Marlins are not too happy about Scott Boras's comments regarding their management of outfielder Marcell Ozuna,

Federal Baseball wonders if Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen will both be on Washington's roster at the start of next season.

Around the majors

MLB announced the Silver Slugger Award winners last night. The Mets don't have any of those guys on their team, but they do have the 25 guys who won the NL pennant.

It looks like Houston's Colby Ramus will become the first ever player to accept a qualifying offer later today.

Grant Brisbee hid an interesting theory about rebuilding inside his White Sox analysis.

FanGraph's fan experience poll shows that Mets fans had a very good time with baseball in 2015.

Yesterday at Amazin' Avenue

Milo Taibi wrote a free agent profile on Joba Chamberlain.

Steve Schrieber reviewed the 2015 campaign of Curtis Granderson.

This date in Mets history

In 1958, New York mayor Robert Wagner and attorney William A. Shea announced plans to start a third major baseball league. Those plans never came to fruition, but they did lead to expansion of the existing major leagues, which in turn led to the birth of the Mets.