I always wanted to make something official. Anyway the corner has been turned and relevancy and contention are real possibilities.Gone is the feeling that it will get worse before it gets better. This is a critical offseason and with a few " non-sexy" but solid moves, they should contend. The Giants and Royals proved good pitching goes a long way and the one thing the Mets have is the best young pitching in baseball. What do you want to see Alderson do in the next few months?
C: Darnaud, Plawecki. Outlook: B+
1B: Duda and Smith is a few years away. Outlook: B-
2B: Murphy unless traded, Herrera waiting in wings. Outlook: B-
SS: A bunch of flawed prospects. Outlook: D-
3B: Wright and hopes of a rebound. Outlook: B
LF/RF: unsure of the prospects like Nimmo and the outlook.
CF: Lagares - premier fielder, can he repeat his '14 hitting?
Starting pitching: Outlook - at least a B+, right?
Relievers: unsure
Note: my baseball knowledge is pretty weak, so I defer to DMM and others.
C: Darnaud, Plawecki. Outlook: B+
1B: Duda and Smith is a few years away. Outlook: B-
2B: Murphy unless traded, Herrera waiting in wings. Outlook: B-
SS: A bunch of flawed prospects. Outlook: D-
3B: Wright and hopes of a rebound. Outlook: B
LF/RF: unsure of the prospects like Nimmo and the outlook.
CF: Lagares - premier fielder, can he repeat his '14 hitting?
Starting pitching: Outlook - at least a B+, right?
Relievers: unsure
Note: my baseball knowledge is pretty weak, so I defer to DMM and others.
I honestly don't even count Smith until he actually does something. I'm not saying he won't but he just as easily could be a non-prospect. Well see what happens this year and luckily we have Duda so it's less of an issue. SS prospects are all 2+ years away. Cecchini is still somewhat interesting, Rosario very much so (though Toby/Jeff P not as high on him as other "experts" interestingly enough. Reynolds still profiles as a utility type but who knows?
OF in the system is insanely weak. Nimmo and Conforto are very good (not elite) prospects but beyond them it's very, very, very thin. I'm not even sure who the next guy would be... maybe Becerra who is 3+ years away? Or Stuart who is a Dyson type?
3b it comes down to Wright and Wright only. The next best 3b talent is probably Urena... who is again 3+ years away if he's even any good.
2. SS
3. upgrade bats elsewhere - could be bench, could be 2B
4. Something else
5. Another thing
6. Bullpen
Gee, kinda looks the same as last offseason.
Although last year I might have had bullpen higher, but the emergence of Familia, the official move of Mejia, and the return of Parnell, plus guys like Black, Edgin, and even Carlyle proving to be legit major league bullpen regulars (some of them better than that - even though I know it doesn't mean they will be next year) I have almost no issue with the bullpen AS IS. I don't know for sure who the closer will be, but they have options.
IMO, part of it is Bumgarner - he's tall and lanky, and his delivery is a bit funky and hard to pick up the ball. Throw in he's a lefty and voila! Lots of swing and misses at bad pitches...
Enough already with Tejada
Cuddyer is expected to get 2, possibly even 3 years due to the market.
For what role? Closer? he has one career save, and I don't see the Mets paying Miller 4 years 32M to be the 8th inning guy when they have about 4 options for 8th inning guy on the roster making a fraction of that.
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my guess is they just sign Cuddyer for LF. Probably because they can get him for the same thing they got Chris Young for. I do think they should take a serious look at Miller for the bullpen though.
Cuddyer is expected to get 2, possibly even 3 years due to the market.
2yrs at 7-8 mill per wouldn't surprise me. When I say what they got Chris Young for. I mean his a salary. I believe he got 7.5 mill.
Well, not BJ Upton, he's awful, but Zimmerman or Justin.
Flores was one of the best hitting prospects this team has ever had. To be honest, my biggest concern last year after watching his defense at SS, was if he was going to hit. The bat clearly started coming around the last 6 weeks after he started playing regularly finally. Reynolds hit everything in sight last year and far surpassed expectations with his defense as well. A couple people said his defense was better than Tejada's which might not say much but Reynolds is nice depth. We also have Tovar if we really want a glove and Cechinni in high A ball now, and Rosario right behind him. I think we are ok in the middle infield. If there is a clear upgrade like Addison Russell, fine but Im not looking for a Stephen Drew or a Didi trade anymore. Those days are gone.
I want a bat in RF. I'd prefer to pull off a trade for Bautista or Stanton but thats just unrealistic but who knows?. Maybe we'll go for Cargo although that is a big risk. In an insanely weak free agent market, Cuddyer looks to be the best of the bunch. Ill take the former batting champ with real nice road splits for 2 years until Conforto and Nimmo get here. I also don't think MDD or Kirk are useless if you want work them around the outfield a bit or if Cuddyer can't play a whole year.
I'd start looking to unload some of the veterans. Id hang on to Murph to hedge against Wright for at least half a season. I start looking to see if anyone wants Gee, Neise, Colon, or even Parnell and trade them for prospects if need be.
Maybe sign another nice reliever to make our bullpen that much better.
Go to war.
Almost spit my beer out reading that HH. Thanks!!! Hysterical, but well said.
I do give it about a 50/50 chance we pull off a blockbuster trade though. I say that only because Sandy has been trying to get that outfield power bat for years now. Whether it was Justin Upton, Will Myers, or Cargo ect... he's been asking about all of them. I know he wants and is willing if the price is right. But if the deal isn't there, he isn't going to force it and Im happy about that actually. But if he was ever going to pull the trigger, now is the time.
However, if the deal isn't there then the deal isn't there. Don't come away with nothing. Cuddyer fills a need.
and I don't go three years on him. I'd handle it like Sandy did the Drew negotiations, hold firm at how they value him and don't cave.
His years in Colorado were the best in his career in many offensive categories at 33 - 35 year old, he's ripe for an overpay. I don't know for a fact, but he's probably approaching defensive liability, if he's not there already.
Hell... I'd trade for Cargo and still sign Cuddyer for 2 years. I think we have enough hitters that can't hit lefties where he would get plenty of time at 1st, LF, and RF.
Hell... I'd trade for Cargo and still sign Cuddyer for 2 years. I think we have enough hitters that can't hit lefties where he would get plenty of time at 1st, LF, and RF.
Where would they fit the 2 of them? Cuddyer is signing somewhere to start and CarGo + Granderson + Lagares? They have room for 1 full-time OF.
I love Wright but honestly I think the whole team is changing. Before it was Wright and nobody else.
I think TDA hits 20 homers next year and is a borderline all-star, especially with the fences moved in. Duda, unlike Ike, will maintain his bat and even improve slightly. He'll be a all-star caliber bat as well The new core is Lagares, TDA, and Duda. Murphy is always gonna be a nice .300 hitter with passable defense at 2nd or 3rd but I could really see Herrera and Flores breaking out next year if they play regularly. Wright is almost a complete wild card to me. Im not counting on him at all but still think we are set up well enough to cover his absence. If he comes back healthy its a bonus. Granderson will hit better as well even if not by much. A solid bat and Im going to be very happy with our lineup.
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I'm thinking he's 35. Still... on a 2 year deal it doesn't hurt us in any way.
Hell... I'd trade for Cargo and still sign Cuddyer for 2 years. I think we have enough hitters that can't hit lefties where he would get plenty of time at 1st, LF, and RF.
Where would they fit the 2 of them? Cuddyer is signing somewhere to start and CarGo + Granderson + Lagares? They have room for 1 full-time OF.
Sign Cuddyer first then still pull off a trade? Im saying I think there would be enough playing time for all 4 in that situation. Or another outfielder noontime Cargo. Im saying with all those lefty I still think Cuddyer will get plenty of atbats.
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In comment 11949214 ZGiants98 said:
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I'm thinking he's 35. Still... on a 2 year deal it doesn't hurt us in any way.
Hell... I'd trade for Cargo and still sign Cuddyer for 2 years. I think we have enough hitters that can't hit lefties where he would get plenty of time at 1st, LF, and RF.
Where would they fit the 2 of them? Cuddyer is signing somewhere to start and CarGo + Granderson + Lagares? They have room for 1 full-time OF.
Sign Cuddyer first then still pull off a trade? Im saying I think there would be enough playing time for all 4 in that situation. Or another outfielder noontime Cargo. Im saying with all those lefty I still think Cuddyer will get plenty of atbats.
I'm going to go out of my way to be positive until proven otherwise but I don't see any scenario where the money is there for BOTh a Cuddyer and Gonzalez unless they get really wild and deal a bunch of guys like Niese, Gee, Colon, Murphy etc. Possible of course but I project Cuddyer+Cargo to come in at around 26 million in 2015 and the Mets to have roughly 15. million to spend unless they move some guys around
Might consider it for Colon if that's the best you can do in a Colon salary dump. For Gee? I'd rather not trade a5th. Starter for a 5th OF. One who has a slight bit more upgrade potential over MdD/Kirk.
If you are picking up Snider as an inexpensive starter, I'm very against it. Can't base a season on an OK player being your lightening in a bottle. I'd be OK hoping to catch lightening in a bottle with a24th/25th player on the roster. The team isn't good or deep enough to hope on a starter for 2015 too many question marks already.
Might consider it for Colon if that's the best you can do in a Colon salary dump. For Gee? I'd rather not trade a5th. Starter for a 5th OF. One who has a slight bit more upgrade potential over MdD/Kirk.
If you are picking up Snider as an inexpensive starter, I'm very against it. Can't base a season on an OK player being your lightening in a bottle. I'd be OK hoping to catch lightening in a bottle with a24th/25th player on the roster. The team isn't good or deep enough to hope on a starter for 2015 too many question marks already.
Snider would be a good inexpensive OF option if they spend a good chunk of the budget on a really solid SS who can hit mid-order. Problem is I don't think there's a SS that's a good match.
Tulo is too expensive. Reyes and Andrus are expensive and who knows if available. Castro will cost too much in prospects, Hanley likely too much money. That said I'd take any of the above even if it meant that any other additions had to be cheap options like Snider.
I'd be all over that. Try to resign Gordon during the season and if not you get a #1 pick as compensation (Murphy would get us comp too, but I suspect he'd be signed by a team that was on a spending spree and wouldnt net us their #1). Though it's tough to tell how much Gordon will make. I've seen anywhere from a 65-5 deal mentioned to Choo's 130.
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A trade like this (or any trade really) should be about going forward, not looking back, too often GM's get caught up in the agent hoopla about "WAR since" and sign guys to contracts they don't deserve or trade more than they should for them.
Jason Bay in 2010 when the Mets signed him was probably top 5 in WAR from 2005 - 2010.
I'm not saying that offer is fair value for Gordon or not, but he's 31 before the next season starts, and costs 12.5M per year the next two years (which is good I guess for his production, but probably more than KC wants to pay 1 player). So, if they were to deal him, it's not exactly like they'd be dealing from a position of strength like if the Pirates were to deal Marte or even the Cubs with Castro.
So, just saying even if that offer Martino cited is light, he's not a guy I empty the farm for in a trade. I do like him though.
A trade like this (or any trade really) should be about going forward, not looking back, too often GM's get caught up in the agent hoopla about "WAR since" and sign guys to contracts they don't deserve or trade more than they should for them.
Jason Bay in 2010 when the Mets signed him was probably top 5 in WAR from 2005 - 2010.
I'm not saying that offer is fair value for Gordon or not, but he's 31 before the next season starts, and costs 12.5M per year the next two years (which is good I guess for his production, but probably more than KC wants to pay 1 player). So, if they were to deal him, it's not exactly like they'd be dealing from a position of strength like if the Pirates were to deal Marte or even the Cubs with Castro.
So, just saying even if that offer Martino cited is light, he's not a guy I empty the farm for in a trade. I do like him though.
PJ,
Murphy has 1 year left as well. Why in the world would the Royals want a player like that? Their whole "plan" would be to move Gordon so they could afford to keep other players. Murphy will be a FA and/or need a new deal himself at significant money. It's not "light" it makes no sense at all. If they deal Gordon it will be for controllable players/prospects not another pending FA who happens to be slightly cheaper.
A trade like this (or any trade really) should be about going forward, not looking back, too often GM's get caught up in the agent hoopla about "WAR since" and sign guys to contracts they don't deserve or trade more than they should for them.
Jason Bay in 2010 when the Mets signed him was probably top 5 in WAR from 2005 - 2010.
I'm not saying that offer is fair value for Gordon or not, but he's 31 before the next season starts, and costs 12.5M per year the next two years (which is good I guess for his production, but probably more than KC wants to pay 1 player). So, if they were to deal him, it's not exactly like they'd be dealing from a position of strength like if the Pirates were to deal Marte or even the Cubs with Castro.
So, just saying even if that offer Martino cited is light, he's not a guy I empty the farm for in a trade. I do like him though.
Just for the record Jason Bay from 2005-2010 was 44th in baseball in WAR. That is neither here nor there. The point is Gordon 1. is elite but more importantly 2. the entire point in considering moving him would be to free up significant money to spend on others/replenish the farm. Murphy doesn't do that and Montero while a solid prospect is certainly not considered some blue chipper. 3. Gordon's salary is so low MOST teams in baseball will be interested/able to add him.