This trade sends Rays reliver Jake McGee, whose value may not be a far cry from present-day Craig Kimbrel, to the Mets for C Kevin Plawecki and RHRP Hansel Robles. That's plenty of team control, both players only just reached the majors in 2015, so it's easy to see the plug-and-play appeal.
Robles pitched 54.0 innings over 57 games in the regular season and had trouble leaving guys on base in his rookie year, but still turned in a 3.67 ERA and 3.91 FIP with a 28.1% strikeout rate and .188 BAA. His troubles came from walks (8.3%) and longballs (8 allowed). He should get better results over time, though the walks are a problem.
Plawecki is also a tempting get, his framing run rate ranked him 8th in baseball, according to B-Pro's leaderboard, and he has a history of offense in the minors.
Plawecki may never hit, and Robles may have his deadarm return that shelved his 2014 season, but McGee could be just as much of an injury risk and is getting expensive.
I don't like the idea of trading youth (especially at the catcher position) for a middle reliever.
I'd open the vault for Aroldis Chapman and make him my 8th inning guy for a year (or Familia my 8th inning guy), but middle relievers in my unscientific view tend to be inconsistent from year to year and not worth that price (Plawecki more than Robles).
I don't like the idea of trading youth (especially at the catcher position) for a middle reliever.
I'd open the vault for Aroldis Chapman and make him my 8th inning guy for a year (or Familia my 8th inning guy), but middle relievers in my unscientific view tend to be inconsistent from year to year and not worth that price (Plawecki more than Robles).
adding to this is the Mets don't have another backup catcher and d'Arnaud has not exactly been what anyone would call durable.
Oh they are very open to trading McGee...and Boxberger.
I saw someone suggest Carlos Gonzalez for the Mets - that's an interesting idea. He's just as solid as most of the FA out there and only has 2 years 37M left on his deal. If there was any way to get him without Wheeler I'd be on board, but I doubt Nimmo+ gets it done.
Tom Verducci said on MLB Network this morning that he heard #Nationals and #Mets would be high bidders on Zobrist. Remains to be seen.
Presuming it will take a 4 year deal to get him, if you structure the back half right, it could be feasible that he's just a well paid bench player then.
Years 1 & 2 (18M) - BZ is a solid bet for the 5 total wins above replacement Cameron projects in each of these years playing mostly at 2B. Not a value deal, but fair - and if he happens to crank out 1 more prime level season (like Granderson did this year) it will look great.
Year 3 (14M) - He turns 37 in May of this season and it's likely that this is when things will start getting hairy. But at the same time we're planning to pay Cuddyer 12.5M this year (turns 37 this year) and it's not that prohibitive to the budget having him as a bench player. Would be even better if he ends up not being completely cooked.
Year 4 (10M) - at this point I think you need to plan on him being an expensive bench player like Uribe was this year, and potentially a movable contract if you kick in some money. Almost like a defacto 3-4M buyout year.
Biggest question to me as it relates to Zobrist is what they'd do with Herrera.
Figuring Out What To Pay Ben Zobrist - ( New Window )
Rays
Tom Verducci said on MLB Network this morning that he heard #Nationals and #Mets would be high bidders on Zobrist. Remains to be seen.
Presuming it will take a 4 year deal to get him, if you structure the back half right, it could be feasible that he's just a well paid bench player then.
Just speculating here but does any of this mean the Mets have lowered expectations for Dilson Herrera ?
Ok so open to it.
Would suck to block 1 of our most promising young guys, but sometimes you have to play the cards as they are dealt.
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Yup, not to mention being able to bid on guys like Moncada.
I also imagine they had a very similar internal debate around signing Granderson a few years back and that decision obviously looks amazing in retrospect compared to the premium guys we all would have preferred at the time - like Cano or Ellsbury. Granderson was 2 years younger but not coming off as good of a season and also didn't have as much position flexibility.
Stolmy Pimentel is a New York Met. He gets a minor league deal with an invite to spring training: http://www.baseball-
Stolmy Pimentel is a New York Met. He gets a minor league deal with an invite to spring training: http://www.baseball-
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disagree. The reason BZ is so perfect is that he can back up a rookie, back up a 3B with a chronic back issue, back up a semi-rookie LF, back up an aging RF, bat righty if need be at 1B. Herrera is the 2B unless he can't cut it, and if he can he still likely needs some breathers as a rookie.
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over the next 8 months. I wouldn't necessarily feel forced to deal him right away, probably bring him into ST and see how Wright holds up - and then if there's no spot for him he becomes your trade bait for a move at the deadline.
disagree. The reason BZ is so perfect is that he can back up a rookie, back up a 3B with a chronic back issue, back up a semi-rookie LF, back up an aging RF, bat righty if need be at 1B. Herrera is the 2B unless he can't cut it, and if he can he still likely needs some breathers as a rookie.
No chance that's the plan. He's going to be the second highest paid player on the team. He's going to be in the lineup 145+ games and that's impossible in the role you described. If he's on the roster he's the starting 2b. No questions asked.
Eric,
How often are you benching Granderson (your best player in 2015?) how often are you benching Conforto? C'mon he's getting 60+ million to be an every day player. Herrera will no longer be a starter 0% chance.
None of those options, though, would help a lineup that could not only be missing Murphy, but also Yoenis Cespedes, another free agent who is almost certainly headed for richer pastures.
Thats where Zobrist could fit in Queens, rather than in The Bronx. The Yankees plans, especially this early in the offseason, are subject to change, but they stuck to their pledge last year.
Escobar played well for them at 3rd last year + has a cheap 2017 option.
Espinosa still there backing up both spots.
Zimmerman locked in at 1st.
Werth is locked in LF.
I supposed they could consider Harper in CF or trade Escobar to open up 3rd? Hopefully he liked what he saw from the Mets in the WS and prefers to step into a starting role at his most natural position.
And to answer your question I could see him playing 1 total game per week maximum in LF/RF/1B. 3B I could see him playing 1 or 2 depending on whatever the plan becomes with Wright.
Zobrist helps you back up so many positions. Likely that if we sign him Herrera still gets 100-120 starts IMO.
Not advocating signing Zobrist. Would want to see the #s first.
The reason Zobrist is attractive is because he can play everyday, everywhere/ They aren't trying to block Herrera from getting a chance to win the everyday role. That doesn't mean he plays 162 as a rookie. My point was that the Mets have enough of a need around the field that the major difference between Zobrist and Murphy is that Zobrist plays everywhere and switch hits. Which is why it makes a ton of sense to replace Murphy with him. If you are right, they they will split Flores and Herrera at SS. They simply are not blocking Herrera from at least having a chance at everyday player.
And its not about "benching" COnforto and Grandy - its about resting a guy in his first full year and rotating Grandy, COnforto, Lagares, Cuddyer, Zobrist, maybe one other guy?
Agree Zobrist will get materially more if both get 4 year deals. But of course Zobrist's deal is a lot more impacted by age. If Zobrist was the same player but was 30 years old, he'd probably be looking at $125-150 million, no? So Murphy and Zobrist prices are a bit apples and oranges.
Also, saying Murphy plays second "averagely" is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about his D.
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play second averagely and DH if he goes to AL, then ZObrist is worth more than that for sure to do lots of other things.
Agree Zobrist will get materially more if both get 4 year deals. But of course Zobrist's deal is a lot more impacted by age. If Zobrist was the same player but was 30 years old, he'd probably be looking at $125-150 million, no? So Murphy and Zobrist prices are a bit apples and oranges.
Also, saying Murphy plays second "averagely" is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about his D.
Sure but as we saw unfortunately, Zobrist is not exactly old looking. In fact we can probably get his last couple of good years and then replace him. So the timing is good in a way. Not that I know whether we get him or not. I hope so. I think he would excellent for a team ready to go back and try again. And yeah the prices are different but if you combine all the factors, Zobrist is the better player even if he's older.
And yeah I was nice about Murph's d because i love the dude and his work as a Met and mainly in these playoffs. Don't want to down on the guy. Plus people get very very testy when it comes to Murph and his D.
With Conforto, Grandy and Lagares, I like our outfield. Lagares was playing hurt all year. With the off-season, he should heal and be a better hitter as well as the great center fielder he was in 2014.
I think the infielders we need are all in the system. Herrera can hit and has a better range than Murphy. Cecchini will come up mid-season and challenge Flores for playing time.
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... if I were the Royals. But ... I don't know whether that overvalues Plawecki -- objectively and because the Royals have a durable catcher -- or undervalues McGee.
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Thanks? I knew I should have checked on that. Confused him with Wade Davis. Pretty sure both were drafted as starters by TB, but before they traded most of them, or lost them to free agency, over the past few years, their batch of starters was pretty tough to crack. Never mind! ( . . . pending further research I haven't got time for right now)
#Cubs, #stlcards, #Dodgers, #RedSox and #SFGiants reportedly showing most interest in David Price. Read more: http://bit.ly/1PPcjeb
Anthony Recker signs minor league deal with Indians
With Conforto, Grandy and Lagares, I like our outfield. Lagares was playing hurt all year. With the off-season, he should heal and be a better hitter as well as the great center fielder he was in 2014.
I think the infielders we need are all in the system. Herrera can hit and has a better range than Murphy. Cecchini will come up mid-season and challenge Flores for playing time.
I agree with this. We likely have some room to spend, so why not spend some on a reliever thats likely a short term solution? Is Soria/Sipp really "lights out" though. Good pitchers. Ill take one for sure.
People laugh but Kirk's career OPS of .730 against righties would actually make a solid platoon partner with Lagares until hopefully Nimmo starts pushing the envelope. .730 OPS puts him up with players like Brett Gardner. Been though this but there is absolutely no chance Herrera isn't a league average player next year which is pretty much what Murphy has been, slightly more. If Herrera just continues doing what he's already shown in 160 abats he gets there easily and obviously we all expect much more.
That said, Sandy will absolutely bring people in. I fully expect Span, ect.
We spoke with employees at Blue Martini in Miami, who tell us Puig was drinking with his sister Wednesday night when they got into a heated argument ... and things escalated when he pushed her.
Bar staffers immediately rushed over to break it up, but Puig turned on them ... getting physical with several staffers.
The crew was eventually able to get Puig outside where they say he brutally sucker punched the manager, setting off a brawl.
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#Cubs, #stlcards, #Dodgers, #RedSox and #SFGiants reportedly showing most interest in David Price. Read more: http://bit.ly/1PPcjeb
I see the Sox landing him. It would be a disaster if they missed out on him IMO. They would likely be forced to overpay in the trade market for a pitcher if they miss on Price.