NEW YORK (AP) — Speedy outfielder Eric Young Jr. is becoming a free agent after the New York Mets declined to offer him a contract for next season.
The team announced the move before Tuesday night's deadline.
Young, who had been eligible for arbitration, batted .229 with 30 stolen bases in 100 games this year, when his salary was $1.85 million.
He led the National League with 46 steals in 2013 and opened this season as New York's primary leadoff hitter but managed only a .299 on-base percentage and lost playing time in a crowded outfield. The switch-hitter finished with a homer and 17 RBIs in 316 plate appearances, scoring 48 runs.
The 29-year-old Young became expendable when the Mets signed free-agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a $21 million, two-year contract last month.
New York tendered contracts to its six other players who are eligible for arbitration: first baseman Lucas Duda, second baseman Daniel Murphy, shortstop Ruben Tejada and pitchers Dillon Gee, Jenrry Mejia and Bobby Parnell.
but like others, Collins makes me nervous. I'd like to see Tovar get a shot at that role. Reynolds and Herrera need to be playing every day in AAA and Tovar can't really sit in AA anymore.
I know it's a ZERO percent chance at happening, but I'd still like it if Puello had an outside chance of making the team somehow. Maybe bring in a right handed vet with pop on a spring training invite so at least Puello would have the slimmest of shots of beating him out if he caught fire in spring training. I know its unlikely but Im gonna be bummed if the dude shows up in shape and is hitting and we have to cut him because he is out of options.
Anyways. Plenty of Rule V options for another lefty reliever, as well as some names left in free agency. If you are going all in on an outfielder with pop for the bench just sign Ludwick. He'd probably play like 30 games and he would bring some serious power off the bench.
He did his job and wasted two years on a garbage team. Â
I like that team. Still a little tinkering left. One of the starters maybe gets traded for Miller like Cerrone keeps insisting? Swap out Tejada for Miller. Use the extra starter's spot for another lefty. We'll find somebody there. And then the last spot is the right-handed outfielder. Plenty of time to make these moves but man am I ready to see Harvey take the mound and kick this off!
Filthy Bullpen, Very Solid Lineup, Nice Flexible bench. Shitload of talent in AAA knocking on the door. Is the team perfect? No. The defense up the middle won't be stellar(that's the tradeoff to finally bring offense to this team) and Lagares isn't an ideal leadoff hitter. Big deal. Find me a team that's perfect.
None of the potential SS mentioned has more upside as a hitter than Flores, except maybe Castro.
And why would Sandy trade Syndergaard+ for someone like Miller and totally block both Reynolds and Cecchini. That would make no sense unless he thinks Mets can win it all in 2015 if they just add Miller.
Let Flores/Tejada play the position for the first few months. Then maybe you trade Murph at the deadline and move Flores to 2B.
Given Wright's health, I think you need to keep Flores around because Mets have no one else at 3B.
Filthy Bullpen, Very Solid Lineup, Nice Flexible bench. Shitload of talent in AAA knocking on the door. Is the team perfect? No. The defense up the middle won't be stellar(that's the tradeoff to finally bring offense to this team) and Lagares isn't an ideal leadoff hitter. Big deal. Find me a team that's perfect.
Yeah, its lineup that is not really outstanding at any one position but that's solid one through eight
I want this kid to get a full shot in the worst way. I think he has extreme offensive potential and showed he can hold the position in the very least last year. I think he has star potential.
I think we are a borderline playoff team now but I still don't think we are a finished product. We won't be a perennial WS contender until Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler are all hitting their primes in a few years and Syndergaard, Matz, ect have all broken in. I still think we need to see what we have with a few players like Flores. This kid has been a stud in our system for as long as I can remember. Give him a shot. He's as good an option as just about anybody. I think you'd still have fallback options in Reynolds and Tovar and we will still have excess to pull off a trade mid-season if he is REALLY so horrible like some believe.
Who's a better 2 hitter than Murphy? There's 2 guys that hit more homeruns than Duda in the NL last year. He's not a clean up hitter? Cuddyer and Wright are nice 3 hitters if they are healthy on any team. Granderson hitting 25 homeruns in the 6th or 7th hole? How many teams have offense like TDA and Flores can provide in the 7th and 8th hole? Its solid right now but the potential is through the roof. I think its a top 5 lineup and yes some of that is due to my own personal projections.
Watching a team with a homegrown core is very rewarding to me Â
Who's a better 2 hitter than Murphy? There's 2 guys that hit more homeruns than Duda in the NL last year. He's not a clean up hitter? Cuddyer and Wright are nice 3 hitters if they are healthy on any team. Granderson hitting 25 homeruns in the 6th or 7th hole? How many teams have offense like TDA and Flores can provide in the 7th and 8th hole? Its solid right now but the potential is through the roof. I think its a top 5 lineup and yes some of that is due to my own personal projections.
I think it's a lot of projection, the addition of Cuddyer turns the Mets from last year (a bottom 5 offense) to a top 5? There is a ton of projection there. I hope you're right, but it's not something I'm confident in - I'm hopeful this isn't the finished product.
If it is, I'd be more confident that the pitching can carry the team with marginal offensive improvement (other than Cuddyer)
But it isn't just the addition of Cuddyer. Last years lineup evolved as the year went on. Ike Davis, Dominic Brown, and Ruben Tejada opened the season as starters. The lightbulb didn't go on for Duda until June. TDA was awful the first half of the season until he figured it out. Flores didn't play every day until September. Granderson in the very least should benefit from the shorter porch. As he would have hit 29 homeruns last year Wright basically turned in a lost year. Anything he gives is a huge upgrade. The only positions I wouldn't expect improvement from would be 2nd and CF. Murphy has posted almost identical slash lines the last three years so it's a safe bet he isn't going improve much. Lagares could improve but it would be simply a guess. Every other position there's a logical eason they should improve.
RE: Watching a team with a homegrown core is very rewarding to me Â
offensively. I'm a pretty rosy fan but Im also realistic enough to know that
David Wright must prove himself. Curtis Granderson must prove himself. Wilmer Flores must prove himself. TDA must stay injury free. Michael Cuddyer must stay injury free. There is no depth to speak of behind those guys. Thinking that a new year will erase DW's & CG's debacles is at best risky.
is a horrendous MLB player. Outside of a 50 or so game run while with the Rockies he hasn't hit at all and sucks in the field. This was an absolute no brainer. I'm sure he's a great guy (that's the claim at least" but a little extra speed on the bench with zero other skills just doesn't have much value. Sort of sucks Tejada adds zero speed given the fact Flores obviously doesn't either but it is what it is for now.
You can't just assume improvement across the board. Â
It won't happen that way and it's dangerous to go into a season basically banking on best case scenario for every player. For the guys who improve or surprise there will be ones who get hurt or fail to meet expectations. It's just how it works.
I like the pitching a lot, I think the lineup is getting better.. but we need a bit more offensively. I'd be disappointed if Cuddyer was the only "notable" move we made this winter.
Best possible outcomes across the board. Full seasons are better than half seasons. Upgrades are upgrades. I'd make a friendly wager that assuming health and full seasons C, 3B, SS, 1B, LF, and RF are all better to much better over their 2014 counterparts. Now of course injuries can strike but our bench and pool to draw from in AAA is also much stronger than last year. We could lose any player in the lineup for a stretch and replace them with a pretty good player and that simply wasn't the case in years past. And moving from 8th in runs scored to 5th isn't the monumental leap some are making it out to be.
Andrew Brown was in the opening day lineup and that torch got passed to Chris Young. Duda didnt play a full season and was a different player from June on even if it wasn't substantial.
Best possible outcomes across the board. Full seasons are better than half seasons. Upgrades are upgrades. I'd make a friendly wager that assuming health and full seasons C, 3B, SS, 1B, LF, and RF are all better to much better over their 2014 counterparts. Now of course injuries can strike but our bench and pool to draw from in AAA is also much stronger than last year. We could lose any player in the lineup for a stretch and replace them with a pretty good player and that simply wasn't the case in years past. And moving from 8th in runs scored to 5th isn't the monumental leap some are making it out to be.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
was ranked around 25th (my guess) they can be top 15, but it would require bounce back seasons from Wright and Granderson, and then consistent (at worst) seasons from Murphy, Duda, and Cuddyer, and improvement from TDA, and SS.
Lagares can stay the course, if the above happens they can carry Lagares's bat.
But...for the above to happen we're assuming the best case.
And I'm generally not negative, but when's the last time "best case" happened with the Mets?
On the pitching side my only real concern is people penciling Harvey as 2013 Harvey. I hope that's the case, but no guarantee.
If they go into the season without adding anything else Â
it will be a big mistake. This is currently an 85 win team. Everything breaks right maybe they get closer to 90, but if anything goes wrong (Wright, Granderson, Cuddyer, Harvey) you're looking at another 80ish win season. Note that things haven't gone right for any of those 4 guys over the last 12 months (and plenty has gone right for the rest of the roster to limited results).
And, as PJ said, it's the Mets - when does everything break right? After all this time losing, If 90 wins is the goal, they need to have a roster that's not only capable of winning 90 but capable of winning 95-100 (in a best case scenario). That's what it is to be a true contender, and that's what this team would be if they could add just 1 more significant piece. You can't just expect them to develop the winning culture the Giants/Cardinals have overnight and waltz into the season/playoffs with an 88 win team and expect them to compete.
was ranked around 25th (my guess) they can be top 15, but it would require bounce back seasons from Wright and Granderson, and then consistent (at worst) seasons from Murphy, Duda, and Cuddyer, and improvement from TDA, and SS.
Lagares can stay the course, if the above happens they can carry Lagares's bat.
But...for the above to happen we're assuming the best case.
And I'm generally not negative, but when's the last time "best case" happened with the Mets?
On the pitching side my only real concern is people penciling Harvey as 2013 Harvey. I hope that's the case, but no guarantee.
Wait your combining leagues in which there is a DH in one?? Not how it works. They need to move from 8th to 5th... 3 spots.
Best possible outcomes across the board. Full seasons are better than half seasons. Upgrades are upgrades. I'd make a friendly wager that assuming health and full seasons C, 3B, SS, 1B, LF, and RF are all better to much better over their 2014 counterparts. Now of course injuries can strike but our bench and pool to draw from in AAA is also much stronger than last year. We could lose any player in the lineup for a stretch and replace them with a pretty good player and that simply wasn't the case in years past. And moving from 8th in runs scored to 5th isn't the monumental leap some are making it out to be.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
I said better to much better not much better for everyone. Duda would fall into the slightly better range. The shorter porch will help him along with a fresh full season as the starter. I'm guessing 35.
if you are right about everything, I'm going to be very happy this summer.
I'm still really skeptical. If they don't want to give up an stud arm or two to get an SS, why not sign one of the stud bullpen arms (Miller/Robertson) and have an elite pen? We need upgrades wherever we can get them. One injury to Familia/Meija and we're relying on post TJ Parnell and probably converting starters into relievers to try to put a pen together.
I just don't think this is the time for the Mets to just coast and wait for things to happen. I think this is the point where they need to get a little aggressive and really open this window now.
It's a team that will probably not make the playoffs if they just stand pat. They'll get close, but.. not close enough.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
I assume Duda will regress a bit, but one could argue that 1B could get better just by giving 60 of Duda's ABs vs LHPs to Cuddyer.
Also, to whoever speculated that Miller would require Syndergaard+, I think that is nonsense. And while I'm on it, does anyone notice the insane assumptions made by Metsblog on what it would take Wheeler/deGrom PLUS Syndergaard to get Kemp or Alexei Ramirez. I have no idea why I still go to that site.
But I also have higher expectations (in other words, I have not been disappointed - even a little in their results so far because I've expected them to stink). This year will be different.
I'm not as optimistic with the offense as ZG, but I feel with one more move they could be a legit contender. SS. they HAVE to upgrade SS. Maybe that means Flores, but you don't tender Tejada at 1.5? to be your backup SS.
And then you still need bounce backs or improvement from a bunch of guys, no significant regression, and no major injuries.
very thin margin for error, but the Mets can contend this year.
Does anyone feel like the Mets should pursue Cabrera now that he's a FA? I don't. There's a MetsBlog post where Cerrone thinks they should. I just disagree (I'm not really a fan of Cerrone)
Does anyone feel like the Mets should pursue Cabrera now that he's a FA? I don't. There's a MetsBlog post where Cerrone thinks they should. I just disagree (I'm not really a fan of Cerrone)
I think the domestic abuse, DUI and PED stuff likely scares off the Mets even if he were good (which he likely isn't). I almost feel like aim higher or stick with Flores. I'm still hoping they somehow land a guy like Miller too.
Does anyone feel like the Mets should pursue Cabrera now that he's a FA? I don't. There's a MetsBlog post where Cerrone thinks they should. I just disagree (I'm not really a fan of Cerrone)
He's a SS version of EY, but the opposite off the field. I'd replace Tejada with him on a 1/$2mm deal. Just a guess, but wouldn't expect the Mets to look into him much unless he is still unsigned in February.
Asdrubal? Maybe. He's twice as good as Tejada, but he seems like the Mets would be settling.
Seems like Reyes is out now that the Jays feel like they're contenders again, but I'd still look at a trade for a SS, but Cabrera isn't a bad fallback that only costs cash.
But we are deep this year and have significant depth. We can sustain a bunch of injuries this year and still be fine. Is it going to kill us if Kirk plays in LF over Granderson for a month? How about MDD in CF over Lagares? Lose Duda? Cuddyer can play 1st. TDA? Call up Plawecki. Wright? Slide Murphy or Flores over and call up Herrera. We didn't have these options in years past. I'm calling 88 wins right now and that's being conservative. Another deGrom breaks out and it could easily push us over.
been said a lot in the past only to be proven wrong but I really love what the Blue Jays are doing this off-season. They really should be in on guys like Lester though.
They now have this situation where they have decent but not great players 1-8.
Most of these bloggers lapse into this grass is greener syndrome with other teams prospects. Tejada will wind up with way more ABs in his career than most of the SS being mentioned as trade possibilities for the Mets.
Tulo is the only guy who,significantly upgrades the lineup, but he would be a huge gamble with his health/contract.
The fact that the Mets are looking to trade for a guy rather than sign a free agent tells you they are not willing to spend for a top FA. So, given that, I think they would be better off signing cheap vets and looking for the next Marlon Byrd.
How about signing Moncada and adding a super prospect to the system and bridge to him with Flores?
Chance to strengthen the pipeline even more and only costs money. But the Mets won't do it. Sucks.
I'd love that and it's really the only thing we can really do that makes sense. Everyone wants more upgrades but if we are rolling with Flores I don't really see where we can upgrade. A right handed bench bat and another LOOGY maybe but the team is set and solid across the board. I don't see any holes this year.
Was tendered at 1.5 was because that WAS the going rate for backup middle infielders. Sandy isn't going to let Collins fuck it up again. Flores will start this year.
exactly. dude fucking sucked.
Like Collins said, you need that bat in the lineup.
nor does he excel with the bat and he can't really play any other position except 2b a little and not extremely well there.
I have less use for Tejada than I did for Ike Davis.
I know it's a ZERO percent chance at happening, but I'd still like it if Puello had an outside chance of making the team somehow. Maybe bring in a right handed vet with pop on a spring training invite so at least Puello would have the slimmest of shots of beating him out if he caught fire in spring training. I know its unlikely but Im gonna be bummed if the dude shows up in shape and is hitting and we have to cut him because he is out of options.
Anyways. Plenty of Rule V options for another lefty reliever, as well as some names left in free agency. If you are going all in on an outfielder with pop for the bench just sign Ludwick. He'd probably play like 30 games and he would bring some serious power off the bench.
Lineup
1.) Lagares
2.) Murphy
3.) Wright
4.) Duda
5.) Cuddyer
6.) Granderson
7.) TDA
8.) Flores
Rotation
1.) Harvey
2.) deGrom
3.) Wheeler
4.) Neise
5.) Colon
Bullpen
Gee
Torres
Edgin
Black
Familia
Mejia
Parnell
Bench
Kirk
Puello
Cambell
Tejada/Tovar
Recker
AAA
MDD
Nimmo
Herrera
Reynolds
Plawecki
Montero
Matz
Syndergaard
Bowman
Mazzoni
Alvarez
Leathersich
Verrett
I like that team. Still a little tinkering left. One of the starters maybe gets traded for Miller like Cerrone keeps insisting? Swap out Tejada for Miller. Use the extra starter's spot for another lefty. We'll find somebody there. And then the last spot is the right-handed outfielder. Plenty of time to make these moves but man am I ready to see Harvey take the mound and kick this off!
And why would Sandy trade Syndergaard+ for someone like Miller and totally block both Reynolds and Cecchini. That would make no sense unless he thinks Mets can win it all in 2015 if they just add Miller.
Let Flores/Tejada play the position for the first few months. Then maybe you trade Murph at the deadline and move Flores to 2B.
Given Wright's health, I think you need to keep Flores around because Mets have no one else at 3B.
Yeah, its lineup that is not really outstanding at any one position but that's solid one through eight
I think we are a borderline playoff team now but I still don't think we are a finished product. We won't be a perennial WS contender until Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler are all hitting their primes in a few years and Syndergaard, Matz, ect have all broken in. I still think we need to see what we have with a few players like Flores. This kid has been a stud in our system for as long as I can remember. Give him a shot. He's as good an option as just about anybody. I think you'd still have fallback options in Reynolds and Tovar and we will still have excess to pull off a trade mid-season if he is REALLY so horrible like some believe.
I think it's a lot of projection, the addition of Cuddyer turns the Mets from last year (a bottom 5 offense) to a top 5? There is a ton of projection there. I hope you're right, but it's not something I'm confident in - I'm hopeful this isn't the finished product.
If it is, I'd be more confident that the pitching can carry the team with marginal offensive improvement (other than Cuddyer)
Very cool. Just realized Colon, Granderson, Cuddyer, and Recker are the only players on our roster at least not partially developed by our system.
David Wright must prove himself. Curtis Granderson must prove himself. Wilmer Flores must prove himself. TDA must stay injury free. Michael Cuddyer must stay injury free. There is no depth to speak of behind those guys. Thinking that a new year will erase DW's & CG's debacles is at best risky.
I like the pitching a lot, I think the lineup is getting better.. but we need a bit more offensively. I'd be disappointed if Cuddyer was the only "notable" move we made this winter.
You realize Ike Davis had 24 at-bats as a Met last year, right?
that's around 4 games.
that dragged down the offense? and Dominic Brown is on the Philies.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
Lagares can stay the course, if the above happens they can carry Lagares's bat.
But...for the above to happen we're assuming the best case.
And I'm generally not negative, but when's the last time "best case" happened with the Mets?
On the pitching side my only real concern is people penciling Harvey as 2013 Harvey. I hope that's the case, but no guarantee.
And, as PJ said, it's the Mets - when does everything break right? After all this time losing, If 90 wins is the goal, they need to have a roster that's not only capable of winning 90 but capable of winning 95-100 (in a best case scenario). That's what it is to be a true contender, and that's what this team would be if they could add just 1 more significant piece. You can't just expect them to develop the winning culture the Giants/Cardinals have overnight and waltz into the season/playoffs with an 88 win team and expect them to compete.
Lagares can stay the course, if the above happens they can carry Lagares's bat.
But...for the above to happen we're assuming the best case.
And I'm generally not negative, but when's the last time "best case" happened with the Mets?
On the pitching side my only real concern is people penciling Harvey as 2013 Harvey. I hope that's the case, but no guarantee.
Wait your combining leagues in which there is a DH in one?? Not how it works. They need to move from 8th to 5th... 3 spots.
Quote:
Best possible outcomes across the board. Full seasons are better than half seasons. Upgrades are upgrades. I'd make a friendly wager that assuming health and full seasons C, 3B, SS, 1B, LF, and RF are all better to much better over their 2014 counterparts. Now of course injuries can strike but our bench and pool to draw from in AAA is also much stronger than last year. We could lose any player in the lineup for a stretch and replace them with a pretty good player and that simply wasn't the case in years past. And moving from 8th in runs scored to 5th isn't the monumental leap some are making it out to be.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
I said better to much better not much better for everyone. Duda would fall into the slightly better range. The shorter porch will help him along with a fresh full season as the starter. I'm guessing 35.
I'm still really skeptical. If they don't want to give up an stud arm or two to get an SS, why not sign one of the stud bullpen arms (Miller/Robertson) and have an elite pen? We need upgrades wherever we can get them. One injury to Familia/Meija and we're relying on post TJ Parnell and probably converting starters into relievers to try to put a pen together.
It's a team that will probably not make the playoffs if they just stand pat. They'll get close, but.. not close enough.
We need a little more.
How is 1B going to be "much better" than its 2014 counterpart? Duda is going to hit 40 HRs or something?
I assume Duda will regress a bit, but one could argue that 1B could get better just by giving 60 of Duda's ABs vs LHPs to Cuddyer.
Also, to whoever speculated that Miller would require Syndergaard+, I think that is nonsense. And while I'm on it, does anyone notice the insane assumptions made by Metsblog on what it would take Wheeler/deGrom PLUS Syndergaard to get Kemp or Alexei Ramirez. I have no idea why I still go to that site.
But I also have higher expectations (in other words, I have not been disappointed - even a little in their results so far because I've expected them to stink). This year will be different.
I'm not as optimistic with the offense as ZG, but I feel with one more move they could be a legit contender. SS. they HAVE to upgrade SS. Maybe that means Flores, but you don't tender Tejada at 1.5? to be your backup SS.
And then you still need bounce backs or improvement from a bunch of guys, no significant regression, and no major injuries.
very thin margin for error, but the Mets can contend this year.
I think the domestic abuse, DUI and PED stuff likely scares off the Mets even if he were good (which he likely isn't). I almost feel like aim higher or stick with Flores. I'm still hoping they somehow land a guy like Miller too.
He's a SS version of EY, but the opposite off the field. I'd replace Tejada with him on a 1/$2mm deal. Just a guess, but wouldn't expect the Mets to look into him much unless he is still unsigned in February.
Asdrubal? Maybe. He's twice as good as Tejada, but he seems like the Mets would be settling.
Seems like Reyes is out now that the Jays feel like they're contenders again, but I'd still look at a trade for a SS, but Cabrera isn't a bad fallback that only costs cash.
But yeah, that's not the guy I'd want to go with as the everyday SS with Tejada behind him.
I'd like to see us swing a deal for Miller.
Most of these bloggers lapse into this grass is greener syndrome with other teams prospects. Tejada will wind up with way more ABs in his career than most of the SS being mentioned as trade possibilities for the Mets.
Tulo is the only guy who,significantly upgrades the lineup, but he would be a huge gamble with his health/contract.
The fact that the Mets are looking to trade for a guy rather than sign a free agent tells you they are not willing to spend for a top FA. So, given that, I think they would be better off signing cheap vets and looking for the next Marlon Byrd.
Chance to strengthen the pipeline even more and only costs money. But the Mets won't do it. Sucks.
Chance to strengthen the pipeline even more and only costs money. But the Mets won't do it. Sucks.
I'd love that and it's really the only thing we can really do that makes sense. Everyone wants more upgrades but if we are rolling with Flores I don't really see where we can upgrade. A right handed bench bat and another LOOGY maybe but the team is set and solid across the board. I don't see any holes this year.