everyone is healthy, everyone is completely back to pre surgery strength and command. I don't know, I go back and forth on all 5 of them. They each
can make a case for being the best on this staff. Who has the highest ceiling?
It's times like these I feel the need to get literary.
Quote:
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you are referring to me what part of the roster do I not see the bad in? I would like a huge MVP caliber bat in the middle of the lineup as much as the next guy but it might not be doable or all that easy to pull off. And Im not up for mortgaging the future either. I think we likely have enough right now to compete. Especially with TDA back Friday and possibly Wright the end of August.
I just can't remember you criticizing the Mets. And God knows that they've been bad for long enough to deserve a ton of a criticism. We can enjoy this amazing young pitching and being in it (though the Nats haven't been great) while knocking them for past and current mismanagement, no?
I criticize Collins. I fault the Wilpons for the entire Madoff situations and I especially don't like Jeff. There's many players I hate on the team. I am a big believer in Sandy and I absolutely support him and his process. I think he has turned this team around and has us built for many years of sustained success. That said I don't think Sandy is having the best year. Think he should have pulled the trigger earlier on getting rid of Cambell. I never was thrilled with the A. Torres trade and even more keeping him this long... He's not perfect and I share my gripes.
sounds like a guy resurrected who can be an impact lefty out of the pen
Very excited. He reportedly has hit 99 multiple times. A hard throwing lefty out of the pen of that caliber would be an awesome find. Former first round pick.
he feels healthy and in control. Lefties over 95 mph will always find a spot on a roster. Going to start following him *unless he like everyone else i follow is traded by 4:00pm on Friday
Mets have done a nice job with pitching reclamations Â
even though he is having a horrific couple of months. I wouldn't give up a ton but I think he would add a much needed presence and hopefully heats up again soon.
any plus games from Bartolo is like stealing. You just want to get past
Bartolo & Niese( no disrespect to those guys, they've been above and beyond) and get to deGrom Harvey Thor and hopefully Matz. The bigger the game, these guys( the young guys) step up their games
with Upton is you need to give the Padres "more than" the first round pick they will get if/when he walks.
Yeah. Thats what I was thinking too. So Maybe Montero is worth more than a first round comp pick? About as far as I would go.
Find it hard to believe he's viewed as such when Beane turned down Montero for Zobrist. If Montero were healthy having a big year I think it changes things. "Lost season" working his way back dims his value.
unless he's part of the future i.e. can take Granderson's spot and grow with the pitching long term. If we get that player, I'd look to sell high on Granderson this offseason and get out of that contract. I think there's a big risk of him regressing to the poor form of the past few seasons.
I just meant in worth as far as being better than a first round comp pick. Upton has been so bad lately Im guessing his value has plummeted as well. At least Zobrist had severely heated up before being traded.
why is Wheeler's name out there? you talk about lowest value point, has to be for Wheeler unless you just want to give him away
Shoulder is often career ending and Wheeler when healthy still has sex appeal. Big tall arm with mid 90's FB. Would anyone honestly prefer Montero over Wheeler if you could only keep one on BBI? And I say that as a Wheeler critique and Montero fan.
What is your basis for saying it was Meisner or no deal?
What could we have had from Oakland instead of the $1 million? A prospect? IFA money? Is it your position that the $1 million was just completely free and we couldnt have gotten anything else instead? Again, your basis please.
And what alternative transactions might we have considered if we didnt need to fit into a small market budget? Fangraphs said Steve Cishek was had for a non-prospect. Might we have been better off with him? I dont know, but getting back money in BOTH recent deals is awfully telling -- it tells me that the Wilpons were unwilling to add payroll beyond the Wright insurance funds, and that we got talent and paid prices commensurate with that unwillingness to pony up.
What is your basis for saying it was Meisner or no deal?
What could we have had from Oakland instead of the $1 million? A prospect? IFA money? Is it your position that the $1 million was just completely free and we couldnt have gotten anything else instead? Again, your basis please.
And what alternative transactions might we have considered if we didnt need to fit into a small market budget? Fangraphs said Steve Cishek was had for a non-prospect. Might we have been better off with him? I dont know, but getting back money in BOTH recent deals is awfully telling -- it tells me that the Wilpons were unwilling to add payroll beyond the Wright insurance funds, and that we got talent and paid prices commensurate with that unwillingness to pony up.
Its been widely reported that Beane was insistent on Meisner. Clippard had almost 4 million left on his deal and we are paying close to 3 million of it. That IS taking on most of the deal. If you honestly think we were closing the deal without Meisner if we had paid the extra million then I don't know what to tell you. It is my opinion that is not the case here.
"Clippard, who is a free agent after this season, is owed approximately $3 million for the rest of this season. A team source said that the A’s are paying at least $1 million of that."
still want to keep painting me as someone who is saying there is NO money issues and we have unlimited funds. lol. I have NEVER said that and have to explain myself almost daily here. Seems to me Sandy was targeting some pretty big fish. I have long said flexibility probably only means a 10-15 million dollar buffer, if that. Getting a million bucks here, 500,000 bucks here I'm sure is prudent if thats the case. And no I don't think that changing what we gave up all that much. The Uribe and Johnson deal was an absolute steal and its widely reported Meisner was Beane's target for Clippard and they had long been scouting each other for months.
"Clippard, who is a free agent after this season, is owed approximately $3 million for the rest of this season. A team source said that the A’s are paying at least $1 million of that."
Yeah I thought it was like 3.8 and they were paying a million of that but Id have to double check. It could have been 3 and 1. Doesn't change what Im saying whatsoever.
maybe I missed it. Where is the report that Meisner was a deal breaker irregardless of the $1 million?
And in any event, if we were willing to take on more salary then there may have been better/talent-cheaper options. Big market teams use $$ like a weapon. The Mets are down there with the Poors, trying to fashion a competitive team on a relative shoestring budget. There isnt another NY area team that spends like a small market team, excepting the Islanders who have been a joke for years (and were recently sold).
Alex (Ct): What is the latest feeling o. Dilso. Herrera? Is he still the answer for the Mets at 2nd next he? Whatprojection do you have on him?
Ben Badler: Still very optimistic about his future. He’s had a couple of very brief stints in the major leagues that have shown flashes of his potential but overall weren’t good enough, but he’s a 21-year-old pure hitter with good balance and a quick stroke who’s dominated at every level, including this year in Triple-A. If you give him consistent playing time, he can develop into an above-average regular.
Nick (Right Field): Do you think Hi-A might have been a little to big of a jump for Marcos Molina. How do you project him going forward?
Ben Badler: The competition level was fine, he just got hurt. When he was healthy, he had frontline starter potential.
Sandy (Queens): What can you tell me about Luis Carpio?
Ben Badler: A personal favorite of mine we put into our Top 30 for July 2 a couple years ago. Very young kid for his signing class who’s hit better than I would have expected given his aggressive assignment this year to the Appy League. Nice, level line drive stroke, good pitch recognition, understands the strike zone and will always be more about OBP over power with a chance to stay at shortstop. Scrappy, gamer type too that managers will love. Stock is definitely up this year.
Jonathan (NYC): Hey Ben, I know most prospect lists had Thor maxing out as #2, but now seeing what Thor is doing in the majors, do you think he has an ace-ceiling? And if so where was his improvements from the minors? Thanks!
Ben Badler: I had him the top pitching prospect coming into the season and thought at the time he could be an ace, which is a label I only throw on a small, elite group of minor league pitchers. It’s overpowering stuff that he commands and holds deep into the game.
Last year impending FA Andrew Miller fetched significantly more than Meisner and I don't think there was any money that changed hands as part of the deal.
The counterpoint that is Paplebon this year, but he was a different case since he had a huge option year next year and he had a lot of leverage to hold up the deal (reduced his market).
Meisner was pretty fair value and though I'd agree the need to have 1M kicked in is confounding, I don't believe that money is the difference between the A's accepting a lesser prospect. If it was I would 100% agree and be pretty furious with the organization.
make that same deal if you replace Conforto with any of Nimmo, Cecchini, Fulmer or Herrera and be very excited about it. I'd be dreaming big after that one.
RE: PEDs and his personality and the way he handled himself Â
Colon is at the end. I don't feel any particular sort of way for colon other than laughing when he actually gets a hit.
But if Colon is pitching a 1 game playoff, you will cheer for him correct? I personally cheer for the laundry and accept I have cheered for (and will continue to) cheer for cheaters, homophobes, racists and jerks. Before this last suspension we were all prepared to cheer for Mejia, we all cheered for Mota etc etc.
serious question because that's the only guy out there that would get me thinking seriously. Though I'm sure they'd ask for Wheeler also, and to me that's possibly way too rich given his #'s this season.
Segura has just been so awful. Huge downgrade from Tejada and yes Im serious. Braun is paid a ton and should really be a salary dump. If your giving up a huge package for Braun they should be kicking in some salary. If they did I could probably get on board with a Nimmo, Cecchini, Herrera, ect package, sure.
Miller was a lefty with better numbers and WAY better stuff than Clippard. Going on the assumption that better stuff is more likely to translate in the playoffs, Miller had way more value.
Also, Im not an expert on Balt's system so the prospect may have sucked. But unless the system is terrible, I dont think you trade your #3 prospect for a UFA reliever at the deadline. I think that's stupid. We got Pitt's #9 and #11 prospects for Byrd and Buck, and one of those was a RP himself, and Byrd > Miller. Though I possibly under-rate the value of specific relievers, especially when the Royals made bullpens cool again.
serious question because that's the only guy out there that would get me thinking seriously. Though I'm sure they'd ask for Wheeler also, and to me that's possibly way too rich given his #'s this season.
They'd ask for way more than Conforto and Wheeler. Your giving up Syndergaard or Matz for Puig.
Quote:
In comment 12391296 chris r said:
Quote:
are annoying as F.
It's times like these I feel the need to get literary.
Quote:
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you are referring to me what part of the roster do I not see the bad in? I would like a huge MVP caliber bat in the middle of the lineup as much as the next guy but it might not be doable or all that easy to pull off. And Im not up for mortgaging the future either. I think we likely have enough right now to compete. Especially with TDA back Friday and possibly Wright the end of August.
I just can't remember you criticizing the Mets. And God knows that they've been bad for long enough to deserve a ton of a criticism. We can enjoy this amazing young pitching and being in it (though the Nats haven't been great) while knocking them for past and current mismanagement, no?
I criticize Collins. I fault the Wilpons for the entire Madoff situations and I especially don't like Jeff. There's many players I hate on the team. I am a big believer in Sandy and I absolutely support him and his process. I think he has turned this team around and has us built for many years of sustained success. That said I don't think Sandy is having the best year. Think he should have pulled the trigger earlier on getting rid of Cambell. I never was thrilled with the A. Torres trade and even more keeping him this long... He's not perfect and I share my gripes.
He brought something up that was directed at me. I answered it. Fuck off you twit.
Very excited. He reportedly has hit 99 multiple times. A hard throwing lefty out of the pen of that caliber would be an awesome find. Former first round pick.
If we can find the touch to identify position players and bats to complement our success in the pitching realm we'll be a force to reckon with.
Quote:
What is this therapy? or a baseball discussion. Put a sock in it you attention whore.
He brought something up that was directed at me. I answered it. Fuck off you twit.
It was more broad actually. There seems to be an inordinate amount of pom pom Giants fans on here too. Anyway sorry for the OT.
Quote:
In comment 12391339 Torrag said:
Quote:
What is this therapy? or a baseball discussion. Put a sock in it you attention whore.
He brought something up that was directed at me. I answered it. Fuck off you twit.
It was more broad actually. There seems to be an inordinate amount of pom pom Giants fans on here too. Anyway sorry for the OT.
Well sorry I elaborated. lol. I thought I was discussing baseball and the Mets but silly me.
Bartolo & Niese( no disrespect to those guys, they've been above and beyond) and get to deGrom Harvey Thor and hopefully Matz. The bigger the game, these guys( the young guys) step up their games
Yeah. Thats what I was thinking too. So Maybe Montero is worth more than a first round comp pick? About as far as I would go.
Quote:
with Upton is you need to give the Padres "more than" the first round pick they will get if/when he walks.
Yeah. Thats what I was thinking too. So Maybe Montero is worth more than a first round comp pick? About as far as I would go.
Find it hard to believe he's viewed as such when Beane turned down Montero for Zobrist. If Montero were healthy having a big year I think it changes things. "Lost season" working his way back dims his value.
Shoulder is often career ending and Wheeler when healthy still has sex appeal. Big tall arm with mid 90's FB. Would anyone honestly prefer Montero over Wheeler if you could only keep one on BBI? And I say that as a Wheeler critique and Montero fan.
What could we have had from Oakland instead of the $1 million? A prospect? IFA money? Is it your position that the $1 million was just completely free and we couldnt have gotten anything else instead? Again, your basis please.
And what alternative transactions might we have considered if we didnt need to fit into a small market budget? Fangraphs said Steve Cishek was had for a non-prospect. Might we have been better off with him? I dont know, but getting back money in BOTH recent deals is awfully telling -- it tells me that the Wilpons were unwilling to add payroll beyond the Wright insurance funds, and that we got talent and paid prices commensurate with that unwillingness to pony up.
What could we have had from Oakland instead of the $1 million? A prospect? IFA money? Is it your position that the $1 million was just completely free and we couldnt have gotten anything else instead? Again, your basis please.
And what alternative transactions might we have considered if we didnt need to fit into a small market budget? Fangraphs said Steve Cishek was had for a non-prospect. Might we have been better off with him? I dont know, but getting back money in BOTH recent deals is awfully telling -- it tells me that the Wilpons were unwilling to add payroll beyond the Wright insurance funds, and that we got talent and paid prices commensurate with that unwillingness to pony up.
Its been widely reported that Beane was insistent on Meisner. Clippard had almost 4 million left on his deal and we are paying close to 3 million of it. That IS taking on most of the deal. If you honestly think we were closing the deal without Meisner if we had paid the extra million then I don't know what to tell you. It is my opinion that is not the case here.
"Clippard, who is a free agent after this season, is owed approximately $3 million for the rest of this season. A team source said that the A’s are paying at least $1 million of that."
Remember 6 days ago Mets lost in DC we lamented could have been 1 back missed a chance--well--check the standings today
"Clippard, who is a free agent after this season, is owed approximately $3 million for the rest of this season. A team source said that the A’s are paying at least $1 million of that."
Yeah I thought it was like 3.8 and they were paying a million of that but Id have to double check. It could have been 3 and 1. Doesn't change what Im saying whatsoever.
And in any event, if we were willing to take on more salary then there may have been better/talent-cheaper options. Big market teams use $$ like a weapon. The Mets are down there with the Poors, trying to fashion a competitive team on a relative shoestring budget. There isnt another NY area team that spends like a small market team, excepting the Islanders who have been a joke for years (and were recently sold).
Wheeler
Niese
For
Braun
Segura
Proposed on MLB network as a suggestion. O'Dowd loved it.
It's not being discussed by the teams, just a fun discussion for fans.
Wheeler
Niese
For
Braun
Segura
Proposed on MLB network as a suggestion. O'Dowd loved it.
It's not being discussed by the teams, just a fun discussion for fans.
Absolutely not. Braun is owed big money. Swap Conforto for Nimmo and I'd do it though
Ben Badler: Still very optimistic about his future. He’s had a couple of very brief stints in the major leagues that have shown flashes of his potential but overall weren’t good enough, but he’s a 21-year-old pure hitter with good balance and a quick stroke who’s dominated at every level, including this year in Triple-A. If you give him consistent playing time, he can develop into an above-average regular.
Nick (Right Field): Do you think Hi-A might have been a little to big of a jump for Marcos Molina. How do you project him going forward?
Ben Badler: The competition level was fine, he just got hurt. When he was healthy, he had frontline starter potential.
Sandy (Queens): What can you tell me about Luis Carpio?
Ben Badler: A personal favorite of mine we put into our Top 30 for July 2 a couple years ago. Very young kid for his signing class who’s hit better than I would have expected given his aggressive assignment this year to the Appy League. Nice, level line drive stroke, good pitch recognition, understands the strike zone and will always be more about OBP over power with a chance to stay at shortstop. Scrappy, gamer type too that managers will love. Stock is definitely up this year.
Jonathan (NYC): Hey Ben, I know most prospect lists had Thor maxing out as #2, but now seeing what Thor is doing in the majors, do you think he has an ace-ceiling? And if so where was his improvements from the minors? Thanks!
Ben Badler: I had him the top pitching prospect coming into the season and thought at the time he could be an ace, which is a label I only throw on a small, elite group of minor league pitchers. It’s overpowering stuff that he commands and holds deep into the game.
The counterpoint that is Paplebon this year, but he was a different case since he had a huge option year next year and he had a lot of leverage to hold up the deal (reduced his market).
Meisner was pretty fair value and though I'd agree the need to have 1M kicked in is confounding, I don't believe that money is the difference between the A's accepting a lesser prospect. If it was I would 100% agree and be pretty furious with the organization.
Wheeler
Niese
For
Braun
Segura
Proposed on MLB network as a suggestion. O'Dowd loved it.
It's not being discussed by the teams, just a fun discussion for fans.
Same answer as Dan, not dealing Conforto. Would be willing to swap in Herrera or Nimmo.
Why? PED's? Will you cheer Colon down the stretch?
Colon is at the end. I don't feel any particular sort of way for colon other than laughing when he actually gets a hit.
Colon is at the end. I don't feel any particular sort of way for colon other than laughing when he actually gets a hit.
But if Colon is pitching a 1 game playoff, you will cheer for him correct? I personally cheer for the laundry and accept I have cheered for (and will continue to) cheer for cheaters, homophobes, racists and jerks. Before this last suspension we were all prepared to cheer for Mejia, we all cheered for Mota etc etc.
Also, Im not an expert on Balt's system so the prospect may have sucked. But unless the system is terrible, I dont think you trade your #3 prospect for a UFA reliever at the deadline. I think that's stupid. We got Pitt's #9 and #11 prospects for Byrd and Buck, and one of those was a RP himself, and Byrd > Miller. Though I possibly under-rate the value of specific relievers, especially when the Royals made bullpens cool again.
They'd ask for way more than Conforto and Wheeler. Your giving up Syndergaard or Matz for Puig.
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