The Mariners are all in for Victor Martinez - 4 years @ $18m per.. they like him more than Cruz and he's less $. They are also gonna try to lock up Kyle Seager but he wants Freddie Freeman $.
He had 54 SBs last year. 97 H, of them 14 were 2Bs, 2 3Bs and 11 HRs. So he probably stole 2B the majority of the times he got to 1B. He hit .236 at AA and he strikes out too damned much, but I'd be surprised if SOMEONE isn't willing to grab him as a 4th OF and try to hold onto him for a year.
Mike Puma þ@NYPost_Mets · 3m3 minutes ago
Mets have hired former Yankees farm director Pat Roessler for vaccant coaching position. Will be assistant hitting coach + other duties.
I wrote that the other GM's aren't dummies or rubes Â
Morris makes the non-promotion to A+ even more curious. He wasn't ready ALL of 2014 for A+ but ready enough they are scared he is picked AND sticks? Robles is an organizational favorite out of the pen. Twice added pre rule v now.
Reynolds didn't need to be added. Walters is rehabbing TJ, even if they like him I doubt they were worried about losing him. Pill/Verrett could be sneaky adds for someone.
claims the Mets have no interest in going with Wilmer and just hyping him up to reduce asking prices.
Does Bowden have sources or Mets connections? There are things in his past that make me question his veracity. Also, if he really is reporting this out of Mets' sources, then they should investigate the leaker, since this would be info that you would only leak if you're putting your career ahead of the Mets' fortunes.
He isn't the most liked or respected guy around the league. So I wouldn't think he has much in the form of sources. I assume he is just twisting words slightly from what a GM with excess SS is feeding him. New GMs like to play those games.
- One of Niese/Gee is getting traded prior to the season as long as they don't get low-balled
- They're probably waiting until January to make a move for a SS, whether it's because trade price goes down or there's a free agent sitting there at a bargain (he has it as a 55%/45% likelihood Wilmer is the starter)
- They haven't had any discussions with CHI about Ramirez, but still thinks something could happen with the Mariners
- Still looking for a reliever (1 year deal) and possible RH upgrade over Campbell like Ludwig or Gomes
Per the AJC's David O'Brien, the Braves' meeting with coveted free agent Jon Lester went down during lunch yesterday, But the front office apparently did not make a concrete offer, opting instead to lay out how Lester could be part of their plans to be competitive for the new ballpark.
Not surprising on Lester, but this one is.
Quote:
The race to sign Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas is heating up once again.
The Braves and Padres have emerged as the frontrunners in the Tomas’ sweepstakes and top officials from both clubs are expected to meet with him this weekend in the Dominican Republic, according to industry sources.
What’s more, sources indicate Tomas is currently mulling offers and his camp is considering attending Winter Meetings in San Diego next month. The slugger is believed to be seeking at least a five to seven year deal with an annual salary near $15 million, but the Tomas’ camp has not ruled out the possibility of signing a short-term, high-value deal that would allow him to return to the market sooner rather than later.
When the Padres are considered front runners for top free agents and the Mets aren't even in the discussion.
I know once they signed Cuddyer, they were out on Tomas.. which I could stomach if I knew they'd go hard in on Moncada. But they won't even be in the discussion. That's what bothers the hell out of me.
These Cuban players are being persued by smaller market teams. The mets went into the off season needing two things desperately, OF and SS. The top two options are Cuban and not being persued by the Coupons.
Another example to why the Braves go through brief periods of mediocrity, and the Mets endure decades.
Less about Tomas, specifically. More about the obvious plan for them. Its like the baseball Gods are handing them the final pieces for a long successful future on a golden platter and they are saying "nah..the older cheaper option is more what we are about"
Having SS or OF locked up for 8 plus years would be huge. Instead, let's march out older injury prone corner OFers! This way MDD can get some at bats!! Pathetic.
I don't know if I like the Braves going in on Tomas. Â
in a huge, huge cash/debt situation. They're doing mimimum level investments (Grandy, Colon, Cuddyer). That's it.
Now, I think the FA class sucked and I get that the correlation between spending and winning is corroding. But it is clear that the whole league is in an arms war over controllable international talent (I think as a reaction to lesser FA classes and shorter careers post-PEDs). The Mets are sitting that out too. It's very frustrating.
I don't know how much he'll K but I do know that power is at a premium right now and if you can get a guy who can hit the ball out like that, it's certainly an asset.
have a very hard time believing the realistic view of Tomas is Justin Upton. Why do I say this? Because Justin Upton with a good 2015 will get close to 200 million while Tomas (at 23) is looking at 70-90 and while there is interest, you would assume it would be higher if it were "Upton" esque. I think more realistically a 2013 Marlon Byrd type of player. Certainly worth the money (and a lot more) if he gives you something like that for 6-7 years. Just saying I think that's more realistic.
Re SSs: The other thing is that it is one of the few positions where you cant just move a guy and have passable play. C and SS and to a MUCH lesser extent CF have non-fungible players. By contrast, a CF can be moved to RF or LF, and a SS can be moved over to 2B or 3B (if he has the arm).
Tomas: If he's 2013 Marlon Byrd then he's a star worth way more than $70. 2013 Marlon was a 25 HR, 846 OBP monster (playing in a shitty park). He was good for 4.1 fWAR. Steamer has 8 OFs being 4.1 fWAR players for 2015.
be clear I wasn't suggested if Tomas is 2013 Byrd he's not worth the money. I'm suggesting if he were viewed as Upton 2.0 he would be getting even more. Upton at times has looked like an MVP caliber talent. He's overrated by virtue of "untapped upside" but nobody would lose their minds if next year Upton were NL MVP hitting 42 homers with 120 rbi and 20 steals and there aren't many guys who you can say that about.
He isnt going anywhere because he doesnt want too. If Rollins/Utley didnt leave after the writing on the wall last year, there's no reaosn to believe he will go this year either.
I wouldnt say he had a very good year. He was solid to good. Pretty productive. But .240 with a .320 OBP is still pretty low. His power numbers were nice to see though. I wonder if moving to LA/Oak would hurt them though.
He isnt going anywhere because he doesnt want too. If Rollins/Utley didnt leave after the writing on the wall last year, there's no reaosn to believe he will go this year either.
I wouldnt say he had a very good year. He was solid to good. Pretty productive. But .240 with a .320 OBP is still pretty low. His power numbers were nice to see though. I wonder if moving to LA/Oak would hurt them though.
Rollins ranking among SS-
4th in fWAR
5th in wOBA
7th in slugging
6th in total defense
tied for 6th in baserunning
6th in wRC+
3rd in steals
3rd in homers
Really not looking to argue Jimmy Rollins but by any measure vs. other SS he had a very good year. He was top 7 in almost every major category.
The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward.
In exchange for Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden, Atlanta received from St. Louis a pretty good starter with four years of control in Shelby Miller plus pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Like Heyward, Upton can be a free agent after this season and is due $14.5 million in 2015 compared to the $8.3 million that Heyward will earn. Nevertheless, the Braves think Upton has greater value in the trade market because his overall offense – particularly his power – is superior. Upton hit 29 homers and Heyward 11. And Upton brings righty power, which is in particularly short demand.
The only right-handed hitter who had more homers than Upton in the National League was Giancarlo Stanton (37), who just signed a 13-year, $325 million contract.
DMM - I didnt think you were saying that. I know you can do the dollars/years/WAR math pretty easily. I have no idea if Tomas is going to be any good, and I dont specifically advocate signing him. But our lineup really concerns me -- I could easily see sub-2 WAR seasons from Grandy, Cuddyer, SS, and even TDA. And that isnt counting injury/disaster scenarios (like Duda regressing).
DMM - I didnt think you were saying that. I know you can do the dollars/years/WAR math pretty easily. I have no idea if Tomas is going to be any good, and I dont specifically advocate signing him. But our lineup really concerns me -- I could easily see sub-2 WAR seasons from Grandy, Cuddyer, SS, and even TDA. And that isnt counting injury/disaster scenarios (like Duda regressing).
Yeah well I've tried to avoid being "negative" this off-season because I'm excited for 2015 but yeah I think too many people are penciling in all the positives and ignoring regressions. I mean it's sort of scary to think about but if we are just going by guys who are coming off back to back good seasons then the list is basically Juan Lagares and Daniel Murphy. Now I've always been a Duda guy, I think Wright will bounce back a bit and Cuddyer could be solid but yeah regression is something to consider.
Im very positive. Love the rotation, live arms in the pen, starter depth. Frankly, just love the whole staff except for pen depth and overall experience, and I think a guy like Gee could do really well from the pen (pitchers tend to get markedly better when moving to RP).
As for hitters, I see no reason Lagares and Murphy shouldnt repeat. A healthy Wright is a 4-6 WAR player, maybe better. Duda could easily repeat (and could be even more valuable losing ABs to Cuddyer). Flores I think hits at every level. But the corner OFs and defense really scare me. I could see things going south with some bad luck pretty easily.
I'm not looking to be "negative" but beyond just hoping for the best I'm not really sure what there is to point to in hoping Granderson is significantly better. His WAR likely will be higher since his arm graded out AWFULLY in RF (so that should help) but he's hit .229 over his last 376 games (1.5 of those seasons in Yankee Stadium). I mean he could/should hit for a few more homers with the dimensions but unlike Wright who was AWESOME in 2013, what exactly are we pointing to to expect him to be much different in 2015?
My expectations for him are very, very low. I honestly think that this is the last time he goes into spring training being thought of as an every day player. Didnt like the signing at the time (I dont believe in "legitimacy" signings), and I hate that it will be thrown back in our face as we skip the next good FA. You just know you're going to hear about how much they blew on Grandy and Bay etc.
No wayyyyyy. I was called an idiot the other day for saying that, and told that other GMs aren't dumb enough to fall for that. Lol
LInk - ( New Window )
Link - ( New Window )
Mets have hired former Yankees farm director Pat Roessler for vaccant coaching position. Will be assistant hitting coach + other duties.
they only had 5 spots.
Quote:
claims the Mets have no interest in going with Wilmer and just hyping him up to reduce asking prices.
No wayyyyyy. I was called an idiot the other day for saying that, and told that other GMs aren't dumb enough to fall for that. Lol
But you said that WAS what the Mets were doing.
Reynolds didn't need to be added. Walters is rehabbing TJ, even if they like him I doubt they were worried about losing him. Pill/Verrett could be sneaky adds for someone.
Does Bowden have sources or Mets connections? There are things in his past that make me question his veracity. Also, if he really is reporting this out of Mets' sources, then they should investigate the leaker, since this would be info that you would only leak if you're putting your career ahead of the Mets' fortunes.
Ike DFAd - ( New Window )
I wonder if the Nats will be interested in Ike. They have injury-prone Ryan Zimmerman moving to 1B. Ike could be the backup 1B and a LH bat.
How about this: the Astros have added Michael Feliz to their 40 man roster, announcing it an hour before deadline.
- One of Niese/Gee is getting traded prior to the season as long as they don't get low-balled
- They're probably waiting until January to make a move for a SS, whether it's because trade price goes down or there's a free agent sitting there at a bargain (he has it as a 55%/45% likelihood Wilmer is the starter)
- They haven't had any discussions with CHI about Ramirez, but still thinks something could happen with the Mariners
- Still looking for a reliever (1 year deal) and possible RH upgrade over Campbell like Ludwig or Gomes
Not surprising on Lester, but this one is.
The Braves and Padres have emerged as the frontrunners in the Tomas’ sweepstakes and top officials from both clubs are expected to meet with him this weekend in the Dominican Republic, according to industry sources.
What’s more, sources indicate Tomas is currently mulling offers and his camp is considering attending Winter Meetings in San Diego next month. The slugger is believed to be seeking at least a five to seven year deal with an annual salary near $15 million, but the Tomas’ camp has not ruled out the possibility of signing a short-term, high-value deal that would allow him to return to the market sooner rather than later.
I know once they signed Cuddyer, they were out on Tomas.. which I could stomach if I knew they'd go hard in on Moncada. But they won't even be in the discussion. That's what bothers the hell out of me.
Another example to why the Braves go through brief periods of mediocrity, and the Mets endure decades.
Having SS or OF locked up for 8 plus years would be huge. Instead, let's march out older injury prone corner OFers! This way MDD can get some at bats!! Pathetic.
Now, I think the FA class sucked and I get that the correlation between spending and winning is corroding. But it is clear that the whole league is in an arms war over controllable international talent (I think as a reaction to lesser FA classes and shorter careers post-PEDs). The Mets are sitting that out too. It's very frustrating.
1. Simmons
2. Peralta
3.Desmond
4. Tulo
5. Hardy
6. Crawford
7. Aybar
8. A. Ramirez
9. Escobar
10. Castro
1. Simmons
2. Peralta
3.Desmond
4. Tulo
5. Hardy
6. Crawford
7. Aybar
8. A. Ramirez
9. Escobar
10. Castro
The sabremetrics crowd in Phillies land would be astonished by this. They felt Rollins was EXCELLENT last year.
1. Simmons
2. Peralta
3.Desmond
4. Tulo
5. Hardy
6. Crawford
7. Aybar
8. A. Ramirez
9. Escobar
10. Castro
Could have had Peralta as well for just money, but.. newp.
Quote:
is a good explanation why SS's are so expensive nowadays... Buster Olney's top 10 MLB SS's
1. Simmons
2. Peralta
3.Desmond
4. Tulo
5. Hardy
6. Crawford
7. Aybar
8. A. Ramirez
9. Escobar
10. Castro
The sabremetrics crowd in Phillies land would be astonished by this. They felt Rollins was EXCELLENT last year.
Rollins was #11. He did have a very good year. I think he'd be a great fit for a team like the Dodgers.
Tomas: If he's 2013 Marlon Byrd then he's a star worth way more than $70. 2013 Marlon was a 25 HR, 846 OBP monster (playing in a shitty park). He was good for 4.1 fWAR. Steamer has 8 OFs being 4.1 fWAR players for 2015.
He isnt going anywhere because he doesnt want too. If Rollins/Utley didnt leave after the writing on the wall last year, there's no reaosn to believe he will go this year either.
I wouldnt say he had a very good year. He was solid to good. Pretty productive. But .240 with a .320 OBP is still pretty low. His power numbers were nice to see though. I wonder if moving to LA/Oak would hurt them though.
In comment 11991516 dep026 said:
Quote:
great spot for Rollins would be Oakland.
He isnt going anywhere because he doesnt want too. If Rollins/Utley didnt leave after the writing on the wall last year, there's no reaosn to believe he will go this year either.
I wouldnt say he had a very good year. He was solid to good. Pretty productive. But .240 with a .320 OBP is still pretty low. His power numbers were nice to see though. I wonder if moving to LA/Oak would hurt them though.
Rollins ranking among SS-
4th in fWAR
5th in wOBA
7th in slugging
6th in total defense
tied for 6th in baserunning
6th in wRC+
3rd in steals
3rd in homers
Really not looking to argue Jimmy Rollins but by any measure vs. other SS he had a very good year. He was top 7 in almost every major category.
The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward.
In exchange for Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden, Atlanta received from St. Louis a pretty good starter with four years of control in Shelby Miller plus pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Like Heyward, Upton can be a free agent after this season and is due $14.5 million in 2015 compared to the $8.3 million that Heyward will earn. Nevertheless, the Braves think Upton has greater value in the trade market because his overall offense – particularly his power – is superior. Upton hit 29 homers and Heyward 11. And Upton brings righty power, which is in particularly short demand.
The only right-handed hitter who had more homers than Upton in the National League was Giancarlo Stanton (37), who just signed a 13-year, $325 million contract.
NY Post - ( New Window )
Yeah well I've tried to avoid being "negative" this off-season because I'm excited for 2015 but yeah I think too many people are penciling in all the positives and ignoring regressions. I mean it's sort of scary to think about but if we are just going by guys who are coming off back to back good seasons then the list is basically Juan Lagares and Daniel Murphy. Now I've always been a Duda guy, I think Wright will bounce back a bit and Cuddyer could be solid but yeah regression is something to consider.
As for hitters, I see no reason Lagares and Murphy shouldnt repeat. A healthy Wright is a 4-6 WAR player, maybe better. Duda could easily repeat (and could be even more valuable losing ABs to Cuddyer). Flores I think hits at every level. But the corner OFs and defense really scare me. I could see things going south with some bad luck pretty easily.