For Mets, Hu’s on Second?

Mets GM Sandy Alderson made another blockbuster move on Monday to go along with the huge acquisitions of D.J. Carrasco and Ronny Paulino. He somehow was able to pry second baseman/shortstop Chin lung-Hu away from the Dodgers, tragically parting with minor league pitcher Mike Antonini.

If you’re like me, you are both panting and salivating at the thought of watching Hu patrol the middle of the Mets infield for years and years to come. It’s yet another shrewd move by the experienced and ultra-talented new Mets general manager and his highly-regarded lieutenants.

This useless move comes on the same day the Mets failed to make what really could have been a shrewd move — signing Brandon Webb (left). Instead, he signed with the Rangers for a reported base salary of just $3 million. If he meets incentives, the deal could be worth $8-$10 million.

Except for one start, Webb has missed the past two seasons to injury, so signing him is definitely a risk. But the Mets are apparently willing to sign Chris Young or Jeff Francis, and they are both damaged goods as well. Either one will likely cost around the same $3 million Webb got. But if Webb is healthy, he’s an ace. The other two are back-of-the-rotation guys at best.

The Mets are always talking about low cost-high return players. At $3 million, Webb definitely fits that description as well as their budget. And if he manages to meet his incentives, well, that just means he’s pitching like the ace he used to be.

This is different from the Ben Sheets signing last off-season. Sheets was in the same boat as Webb, yet he somehow commanded $10 million from the A’s — a high price to pay for a pitcher coming off an injury who ended up spending part of 2010 on the DL. $3 million for Webb is not too much.

Now, who knows if the Mets even considered Webb. Of if Webb even considered the Mets. Or what his medical records say. There are of course things we don’t know. But for a team starved for starting pitching, this seems like a low-cost opportunity that slipped away.