NFT: Mets Jason Vargas

Montero has nothing. He sucks.

Welcome

Mets should re-name the franchise to the NY Snafus.

SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.

than later I guess.

Montero has another chance.

Montero that he can either start attacking hitters and maybe be a useful major leaguer, or to keep nibbling and be DFA'd?

In comment 13872878 Rob in Rockaway said:

Quote:

Montero that he can either start attacking hitters and maybe be a useful major leaguer, or to keep nibbling and be DFA'd?

Seems like a good pitching coach could get him to understand that. Is it that he is just to dumb to listen to them or just too scared when on the mound?

for Syndergaard.

Lugo and Gsellman each pitched an inning afterwards.

With Vargas out, does that point to

Syndegaard
deGrom
Harvey
Wheeler
Matz as the rotation?

In comment 13873004 jpkmets said:

Quote:

for Syndergaard. Lugo and Gsellman each pitched an inning afterwards. With Vargas out, does that point to Syndegaard deGrom Harvey Wheeler Matz as the rotation?

I think so.

Matz wins the distinction of being the tallest midget because he�s a lefty. He will be in the rotation by default because of the Vargas injury.

Wheeler sucks and should not sniff the rotation. I�d rather have Lugo or Gsellman over Wheeler because they are both better.

In comment 13873004 jpkmets said:

Quote:

for Syndergaard. Lugo and Gsellman each pitched an inning afterwards. With Vargas out, does that point to Syndegaard deGrom Harvey Wheeler Matz as the rotation?

Yep sounds like the band is back together for one more attempt at harmony. Who would have guessed?

Wasn�t Vargas signed as a pm inning eater? Lolz. Only he mets always get this wrong.

In comment 13873004 jpkmets said:

Quote:

. Lugo and Gsellman each pitched an inning afterwards.

In comment 13873139 Shecky said:

Quote:

In comment 13873004 jpkmets said: Quote: . Lugo and Gsellman each pitched an inning afterwards.

Is there more to this selective repost?

They rank deGrom and Thor #1.
Link - ( New Window )

I fully expect him to throw a perfect game, or at least a no no, this season. Early season favorite for Cy Young and MVP. Well, if Plaw doesn�t steal too many votes from him of course.

if degrom and Thor both make the ASG

Thor staying healthy is obviously the key - he's one of the best pitchers in the entire sport, which goes without saying.

ERA can be a bit misleading, I typically look at FIP.

In 2016, Thor led the majors with a 2.29 FIP and last year before he got hurt, his FIP was @ 1.31

The guy has stuff as good as anyone in the sport.

deGrom looked filthy on Friday - he had a good year last year, but not by his standards. Hoping to see him regain his 2015 form this year. If he does, our 1-2 at the top can absolutely be as good as any in baseball.

But when you do finally get a Thor unveiling, I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

and it's only because the reliable free agent they brought in got hurt. Hopefully Wheeler and Matz are energized and use this audition to show they belong at the major league level.

Nice to see Nimmo continuing his good spring. Really looking forward to seeing him get a look at the top of the order. Tda looks like he has quietly had a pretty good spring too.

Hard to believe opening day is only about 10 days away.

In comment 13873328 Shecky said:

Quote:

But when you do finally get a Thor unveiling, I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

LOL, they have no choice that day because I'll be there in person.

There are two guys I think can surprise people this year...

Nimmo and Plawecki.

Well, Plawecki wouldn't surprise Shecky.. but I can see some of the reason for the optimism now. Very nice spring.

I want guys who can hit for average. I'm not worried about power. Between Cespedes, Frazier, Bruce, and eventually Conforto - I think we have enough pop.

If Nimmo can be a bit of a spark at the top of the order, I think it'll make a huge difference. He got on base at a solid clip last year - he's shown a little pop this spring and his OPS is close to 1.000 in 15 spring games (SSS, yes)

The Mets need a couple of guys to surprise and outperform their projections by a good margin and I think those are two guys who can do it.

I still think this team is going to have a bit of a tough year. There are teams that can sustain a couple bad breaks and injuries and still contend - the Mets are the type of team that needs everything to break right along with good injury luck to stay in the race. I just hate having a team that is dependent on good fortune - it rarely seems to work out.

But hey - we're getting close. We'll see soon enough.

In comment 13873358 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

and it's only because the reliable free agent they brought in got hurt. Hopefully Wheeler and Matz are energized and use this audition to show they belong at the major league level. Nice to see Nimmo continuing his good spring. Really looking forward to seeing him get a look at the top of the order. Tda looks like he has quietly had a pretty good spring too. Hard to believe opening day is only about 10 days away.

Nimmo is really easy to root for. I like him as well. Maybe he can be the next Mookie. My all time fave positional player

He could win a GG in LF, the silver slugger, even contend for MVP. Or like the last 2 years he could be plagued by injuries. Really need him to have a strong opening month to get things going while they wait for Conforto's return. I don't want to say it's all on him, but I think any of us could make a pretty good guess at their overall record this year if we somehow knew what Cespedes final stat line was. If he has a big year they will be in the playoff race. If not, it's hard to see how that's possible.

In comment 13873366 giantsFC said:

Quote:

In comment 13873358 Eric on Li said: Quote: and it's only because the reliable free agent they brought in got hurt. Hopefully Wheeler and Matz are energized and use this audition to show they belong at the major league level. Nice to see Nimmo continuing his good spring. Really looking forward to seeing him get a look at the top of the order. Tda looks like he has quietly had a pretty good spring too. Hard to believe opening day is only about 10 days away. Nimmo is really easy to root for. I like him as well. Maybe he can be the next Mookie. My all time fave positional player

Yea he seems like a good guy and a grinder. I've always kind of hoped he could turn himself into Darin Erstad (minus the 1 insane year). Draw walks, hit for a respectable average with about 15 homers and 15 steals, and bring some all around hustle/toughness. He was a solid top of the order guy for a bunch of years.

Not often mentioned and also underrated.

Brian Macrae is another thst comes to mind.

In comment 13873369 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

He could win a GG in LF, the silver slugger, even contend for MVP. Or like the last 2 years he could be plagued by injuries. Really need him to have a strong opening month to get things going while they wait for Conforto's return. I don't want to say it's all on him, but I think any of us could make a pretty good guess at their overall record this year if we somehow knew what Cespedes final stat line was. If he has a big year they will be in the playoff race. If not, it's hard to see how that's possible.

Agreed, I loved Cespedes...even when I realized he was a bit soft and possibly a diva. .
Though unless 4 of the 8 starters in the pitching staff remain healthy nothing may matter.

Yep - Cespedes is our superstar hitter. I think Conforto and Rosario have huge ceilings as well - but Cespedes is the guy who has proven that he can be an upper-echelon hitter in this league when he's on his game.

The guy just has to stop getting banged up.

I'm glad he's not training like a bodybuilder anymore - but it's alarming that he still managed to need a cortisone shot before the season even started.

He's now had... hamstring, quad, shoulder AND wrist issues.

And all of these things have happened here, as a Met. Which hasn't been terribly long. 2 and a half seasons.

The Mets desperately need Ces to play 140+ this year. Healthy Yo changes the look of the lineup. Without him, it's very pedestrian and won't scare many pitchers.

For better or worse - we're in a position where we have to hope for good health in order to have a competitive season. And if you're a Mets fan, that's pretty frightening!

equally as frustrating with the injuries. Really hope he can put a full season (140 starts) together.

He makes a huge difference in the lineup and there is very little margin for error on the offensive side of the ball.

The obvious road to the playoffs =

Thor and deG 35 starts each pitching to their potential.

One of Harvey, Matz or Wheeler pitching like a no. 3 or better.

Cespedes staying healthy

Conforto returning and picking up where he left off.

That's asking a lot to go right for a team that doesn't have good injury fortune.

But, I'd rather it be health questions than talent questions.

Such a wide range out outcomes for this squad. could win 90+, could lose 90+.

Is settling quite nicely, really nice to see!! Plaw needs to fix his throwing right now though.

�I was kind of glad Gsellman had to come into a one-run game and pitch the ninth with something on the line,� Callaway said. �And then he got a man on third and upped it even more. He was walking off the field and said, �I love that.� That got me going.�

The catchers will revert to the backs of their baseball cards once the reak games begin

In comment 13873797 spike said:

Quote:

once the reak games begin

This may be the all time misspelling in the history of BBI. It�s awesome!!!

REEK!

but I think this is a really interesting new BP theory. This type of once in a while, extended relief appearance role for Lugo and Gsellman could really fit them perfectly. Keep them to once through the heart of the order and give almost the entire BP a full night off once or twice a week. Plus you have spot starters up with the club whenever you need them.
Hybrid Theory: How the Mets could use starters to bolster their bullpen - ( New Window )

Verlander pitching better
But not one Mets fan cares

In comment 13873915 spike said:

Quote:

REEK!

Theon?

Against the WS champs lineup no less. The pitching is bouncing back this year big time. I almost wish we didn�t sign Vargas. Now can we hit? Mickey is allergic to starting the whole lineup together in the spring apparently.

By plaw

Plaw getting the message :)

Looked arlight!

will be having surgery. I feel this will add 2 weeks to his RTP. So our innings eater will miss at least one regular season month of eating innings.

To me, Montero is the poor man's Jason Vargas (if there is such a thing) and too valuable to cut right now.

He likely only misses one start at best unless Wheeler does enough to take his spot permanently which I doubt. Harvey and Matz are locks.

But I want to see the 5 horseman together one time through a rotation dammit. Lol. The buildup has been forever!

In comment 13874576 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

He likely only misses one start at best unless Wheeler does enough to take his spot permanently which I doubt. Harvey and Matz are locks.

The good thing about being a pitcher and an injury on a non-throwing hand. It's not like he needs to practice AB's.

In comment 13874581 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

But I want to see the 5 horseman together one time through a rotation dammit. Lol. The buildup has been forever!

Agreed.

Finally reach expectations, this lineup could be formidable.

He is probably better than the corpse we have at first base.

The Rangers just picked him up from the Phils

But I just dont think any really offer more than the upside AGone and Smith provide. At this point, AGone needs reps to get ready for the season and Smith does too if he ever gets healthy. If the plan was to go with them then you might as well ride it out a little longer because 15 spring training games or so isnt really going to tell us anything. It would have been nice if it was a real competition but Smith's injury ruined that. Now Smith has to go to Vegas and start his spring training virtually from scratch and we'll see what AGone has left when the games start for real. Worst case scenario, we still have options in place like Bruce, Flores, and eventually TJ Rivera if everything completely bombed.

I'm content riding it out for a little longer.

But Cespedes was back in the lineup and got a hit... Matz pitched his best outing of the spring against a A++ lineup... Real good stuff..

For some reason Callaway had to keep Rosario and Nimmo out of the lineup today. He is isnt going to play the full lineup together until opening day apparently. lol.

1.) Nimmo L
2.) Cabrera S
3.) Cespedes R
4.) Bruce L
5.) Frazier R
6.) A Gone L
7.) TDA/Plaw R
8.) Rosario R

To me that's a "good" but not "great" lineup. Middle of the pack... If our pitching holds up that should be enough to carry us. The good news is by late May/June Smith may have replaced AGone, Conforto should be back and have pushed Nimmo to the bench making it stronger, and TJ Rivera could be a bench option again. The lineup has the potential to evolve and get better as the year goes on. Especially if what the catchers have been doing lately is legit. Im excited to watch this play out but Im betting there are some growing pains early.

Without you Z
You and DMM...

:)

In comment 13875018 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

1.) Nimmo L 2.) Cabrera S 3.) Cespedes R 4.) Bruce L 5.) Frazier R 6.) A Gone L 7.) TDA/Plaw R 8.) Rosario R To me that's a "good" but not "great" lineup. Middle of the pack... If our pitching holds up that should be enough to carry us. The good news is by late May/June Smith may have replaced AGone, Conforto should be back and have pushed Nimmo to the bench making it stronger, and TJ Rivera could be a bench option again. The lineup has the potential to evolve and get better as the year goes on. Especially if what the catchers have been doing lately is legit. Im excited to watch this play out but Im betting there are some growing pains early.

Gonzalez bats 7th imo. I would say Bruce to 1B when Conforto returns but they just aren�t playing him there any.

Justin Turner hit by a pitch last night and broke his wrist. out indefinitely.

the Mets injury curse now extends to ex-mets. If I was Daniel Murphy I would watch my step today.

Is Dave in DC, right?

In comment 13875440 figgy2989 said:

Quote:

Is Dave in DC, right?

Is it? He absolutely hated me so if that's the case I know who to avoid. Not bout dat life anymore lol.

in the 6th spot. He shouldn�t even be on the team but if he has to, you bat him eighth.

for Las Vegas.

and get a placeholder like Lind

In comment 13875009 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

But I just dont think any really offer more than the upside AGone and Smith provide. At this point, AGone needs reps to get ready for the season and Smith does too if he ever gets healthy. If the plan was to go with them then you might as well ride it out a little longer because 15 spring training games or so isnt really going to tell us anything. It would have been nice if it was a real competition but Smith's injury ruined that. Now Smith has to go to Vegas and start his spring training virtually from scratch and we'll see what AGone has left when the games start for real. Worst case scenario, we still have options in place like Bruce, Flores, and eventually TJ Rivera if everything completely bombed. I'm content riding it out for a little longer.

Not arguing that Adam Lind is the answer, but he did OPS .900 v. RHP last year. A-Gone is gone, he just looks shot, so I would be open to a Lind/Flores platoon until Smith is ready.

too, if anything get a RH batting veteran 1B (or just temporarily start Flores there, so should Dom breakout and either remain in the majors or warrant a call up you can at least have a lefty/righty platoon with Smith getting most starts there.

Having another LH batting 1B just means it's really one or the other. Or that Smith is really just blocked all year.

was the move that should have been made. Perfect fit. Oh Well.

In comment 13875589 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

was the move that should have been made. Perfect fit. Oh Well.

He was the best gamble in FA. If he can ever get back to what he was a just a year and a half ago he would have been an awesome and versatile piece.

In comment 13875589 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

was the move that should have been made. Perfect fit. Oh Well.

He was realllllly bad last year. Both of our catchers look OK in camp. I'm relatively optimistic that we'll get some production from that spot.

Would've been much better IMO to sign Carlos Santana rather than Jay Bruce IMO.

Re Lou Roy. FO always had a man crush on him, yet never seriously considered him this winter. Says everything you need to know.

In comment 13875615 Metnut said:

Quote:

In comment 13875589 DanMetroMan said: Quote: was the move that should have been made. Perfect fit. Oh Well. He was realllllly bad last year. Both of our catchers look OK in camp. I'm relatively optimistic that we'll get some production from that spot. Would've been much better IMO to sign Carlos Santana rather than Jay Bruce IMO.

Doesn't matter how bad he was last year. He was a 1 year 6.5 million gamble to split time at 1b/C and potentially platoon with Dom if Dom showed he was ready. Carlos Santana wasn't an option given the budget. Lucroy was.

in 2016 123 OPS+, maybe he's finished but one awful season at 31 doesn't = it's over. As bad as Lucroy was in 2017 he still outhit Gonzalez who is 36, lefty and can only play one position.

.

In comment 13876018 Shecky said:

Quote:

.

.

Jose dropped it :(

But a clean inning

Pound him outside, keeps going with the pitch, take what they give you. For an RBI.
With that said, I have no clue who this pitcher is lol

is Gone Gone, right?

No way they go into the season with that black hole at 1B, right?

Harvey gives up a HR to Dejong in the 5th.

A-gone HR, opposite field

A-Gone, goes deep, 2 run HR off a righty.

ditch A-gone, make Flores everyday 1B until Smith comes up.

Sewald off the hook. i think he's a lock for the pen, but I wouldn't be too comfortable if I was him.

But... �it�s only spring training�

In comment 13876264 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

A-Gone, goes deep, 2 run HR off a righty. ditch A-gone, make Flores everyday 1B until Smith comes up.

That makes too much sense.

Duck, incoming from TDA!!!

Officially fine. And no longer in his head either

Harvey with another nice game... Offense explosion today! :)

Monster spring. Is this finaly the year??

In comment 13876297 Section331 said:

Quote:

In comment 13876264 pjcas18 said: Quote: A-Gone, goes deep, 2 run HR off a righty. ditch A-gone, make Flores everyday 1B until Smith comes up. That makes too much sense.

Why not just platoon them for a few weeks. If AGone can�t hit that will sort itself out. He�s actually hit safely in 4 of his last 5 spring games.

we finally cut bait on Montero.

In comment 13876721 spike said:

Quote:

we finally cut bait on Montero.

He's had an awful spring after finally showing some promise last season at times but why is everyone so obsessed with him? He's like the 7th or 8th guy in the pen/long man at best. We have 3-4 quality starting pitching options after whichever 5 make up the "5"... the pen has about 5-10 guys in the upper minors that should be making an assault on the pen as the year goes on (Rhame, Bashlor, D Smith, Bautista, C Taylor, etc)

If Montero is our biggest problem, we are in for a hell of a good year.

Montero gets DFA or traded at this point and Gsellman and Lugo both have shots of making the backend of the pen. It will be interesting when Vargas gets back to see what they do.

Does Vargas push Wheeler to AAA or the pen and if its the pen does Lugo or Gsellman go back to AAA to start?

Does Wheeler show enough in a start or two for them to consider Vargas in a very expensive Darren Oliver role?

Familia
Swarzak
Ramos
Blevins
Sewald
Gsellman
Lugo

with Rhame a shot if they go with a 4 man bench until Conforto returns.

Ramos scares the shit out of me. He looks like garbage.

He was a top reliever in 2015 and 2016 and he has a ton of closing experience. Velocity and everything seem there this spring. If you dive into the numbers he's your typical tightrope guy. His ERA ALWAYS outperforms his FIP. He's just one of those relievers that's a little wild, will put a runner or two on but seems to get out of it when the pressure is at it's highest (John Franco). He's supposed to stress you out. lol

I'd be concerned if he was our closer like he was for the Marlins the last few seasons but we have Familia back and Swarzak was a top 10 reliever in the sport last year (including closers). At best, Ramos is a guy who can fill in and give Familia a blow from time to time but I really dont see him being much more than the 7th inning guy which is a massive upgrade from Salas heading into last season.

Ramos was bad when he came over here (1.632 WHIP is downright ugly) last year and he's been bad this spring.

Doesn't instill much confidence as a guy who is going to be pitching in high leverage situations on a regular basis.

If he can round back into form, great - but I haven't seen it so far this spring. He looks like the same crappy reliever that came over last year.

He gives up hits and walks guys. He's also a bit wild. That's never going to change. Yet he still finished his crappy year, which was a lost season for both the Marlins and then the Mets by the time he came over, with an ERA in the 3s. Something he always seems to do (or better). HIs ERA always outperforms his FIP. I'm an FIP guy all day but sometimes with relievers you'll find guys like this. Again, when I'm comparing him to somebody like Salas last year I'm pretty A.O.K.

You also have a ton of upside guys right beneath him. The pen is going to evolve as the year goes on. Ramos will dictate what happens with him. He'll either stay in the 7th inning role or he'll get replaced with a Rhame or somebody like that before long if he's struggling. What happens if Wheeler is back in the pen week 2? Is Ramos still the 7th inning guy? We'll see. The pen is something we are going to have to watch unfold a little bit but it has plenty of talent with some proven guys at the end which you want.

Im happy with it. It's also never that difficult to add another reliever at the deadline but with so many excess options right now I think it's prudent to see what we have. You cant really say the bullpen wasn't a focal point. We've added about 10 guys since the deadline last year for both now and the future.

TDA with a 1.147 OPS
Flores with a .992 OPS
Nimmo .946 OPS
Evans .932 OPS (legit shot to make team)
Cespedes .894 OPS
Rosario .876 OPS
Guillorme .863 OPS
Cecchini .833 OPS
Bruce .824 OPS
Cabrera .778 OPS
Plawecki .776 OPS


Really only hitters of note not having good springs are AGone, Frazier, and Reyes and even they have shown life lately. It's also completely normal for a few guys to be cold over a few week samp,e in baseball.

For the life of me I cant understand why. He had a brutal second half (4.99 FIP) and didnt perform well against righties at all (4.48 FIP).

He's another guy that's wild and puts a lot of runners on but get's out of it because he's a big K guy. I really don't see much difference between Holland and Ramos over the last few years. Only difference is Holland has a draft pick, IFA pool money, etc attached to him. There's a reason nobody has signed Holland.

When was the last Mets Spring Training without at least one pulled oblique?

In comment 13876572 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

Why not just platoon them for a few weeks. If AGone can�t hit that will sort itself out. He�s actually hit safely in 4 of his last 5 spring games.

That's fair, my concern is that they will give A-Gone too much rope, and he'll still be starting in late May with a .400 OPS.

In comment 13876963 Shecky said:

Quote:

When was the last Mets Spring Training without at least one pulled oblique?

Kiss of death

he overslept one day, pulled his quad the next day, I haven't heard from him in a month since then.

Have i just missed him or has that quad turned into gang green or something.

In comment 13876966 PhiPsi125 said:

Quote:

In comment 13876963 Shecky said: Quote: When was the last Mets Spring Training without at least one pulled oblique? Kiss of death

Astros playoffs odds are the highest in the history of fangraphs 25.5%

Quote:

Anthony DiComo ‏Verified account @AnthonyDiComo Michael Conforto (rehabbing from shoulder surgery) just jacked a second homer in a minor league scrimmage, also off a lefty: Daniel Zamora, whom the Mets acquired this winter for Josh Smoker. This one landed just to the right of straightaway center field.

In comment 13877851 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

Quote: Anthony DiComo ‏Verified account @AnthonyDiComo Michael Conforto (rehabbing from shoulder surgery) just jacked a second homer in a minor league scrimmage, also off a lefty: Daniel Zamora, whom the Mets acquired this winter for Josh Smoker. This one landed just to the right of straightaway center field.

Fuck yes. I wonder if he'll be ready be mid-April.

I really hope that Bruce is getting time at 1B because we have a black hole their at the moment and if Nimmo looks the part to start the year in CF, we're not going to want to bench him.

but I havent seen or heard of Bruce doing much there.
Conforto has always been way ahead of schedule - team just won't talk about it. thats why it was mentioned over a month ago...
Coming into camp, they wanted Nimmo as the 4th OF. All this spring has done for some, is prove he is ready for the role. Others that are newer, want him in CF...
They truly expect Gonzo to be adequate at 1B, and dom has almost fallen off the radar unfortunately. Alonso is far from ready, but they got a great look at him...

In comment 13878030 Shecky said:

Quote:

They truly expect Gonzo to be adequate at 1B, and dom has almost fallen off the radar unfortunately. Alonso is far from ready, but they got a great look at him...

The good news is that the Mets have a very different definition of �adequate� than every other team. So that ridiculous notion actually makes sense coming from the Mets.

MLB.com ranks the Mets system 26th in baseball #Mets

And I�ll keep banging my top ten drum lol

SportsNet New York
‏Verified account @SNYtv
47s47 seconds ago

Mets RHP Rafael Montero has a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery.

In comment 13880169 KevinBBWC said:

Quote:

SportsNet New York ‏Verified account @SNYtv 47s47 seconds ago Mets RHP Rafael Montero has a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery.

Hopefully that's our sacrifice to the TJS gods for the year. Sucks for him but really not sure that's worse than having to pitch in Vegas all summer again.

Way to choke on a dick when a spot was literally being handed to you.
Maine was too high of a compliment to him...

Another awful outing for Wheeler.

I have no faith in this dude anymore. He struggles out of the gates almost every single time he pitches. Might as well just spot the other team 2-3 runs and save the time.

There's the bats!

It's a hit parade. Roark can't get anyone out.

Now Bruce clubs one. 9 runs across this inning.

Suck it, Roark.

That our O will provide all year long. And disappear for several games at a time as well

In comment 13881330 Shecky said:

Quote:

That our O will provide all year long. And disappear for several games at a time as well

When did we switch handles?

Lugo really deserves the rotation spot over Wheeler, IMO. He's a better pitcher.

In comment 13881332 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

In comment 13881330 Shecky said: Quote: That our O will provide all year long. And disappear for several games at a time as well When did we switch handles?

HAAAAAAAAAAAA
There�s plenty I don�t like. But when everyone else around is pissy, I have to find the motivation to be optimistic. And man is it exhausting. Wish Z would show up more often. We could all use his optimism.

Outstanding hustle young fella

Nice to see Frazier get in on the hit parade.

12 runs across.

Hmmm... our offense is shredding almost a complete Nats roster without their best hitter of the spring (TDA) and oh yeah... Conforto hit for the cycle today in a minor league game and oh yeah... Matz and Harvey look good... and oh yeah... Vargas now likely won�t even miss one game...meaning Wheeler is likely ticketed for AAA

How�s that for optimistic? 😜

Lmao!

Conforto's progress is really encouraging. He seems like he's way, way ahead of the initial May 1 target.

I bet they 10 day him when the season starts and he's in the lineup the first day he's eligible.

and see how he does. If he bombs, he goes to AAA.

Montero going to the DL would keep him on a major league salary for the season. sorta the silver lining to the injury

In comment 13881441 spike said:

Quote:

and see how he does. If he bombs, he goes to AAA. Montero going to the DL would keep him on a major league salary for the season. sorta the silver lining to the injury

I think you typed one too many A�s

I also think Shecky's biggest concern about the lineup (all or nothing) will dissipate as the season goes on... Why?

1B will either be A Gone because he's hitting or Smith because he's not. These guys profile as high average guys and as the year goes on if Smith gets acclimated he'll break up the big power guys. Conforto and Nimmo are high OBP guys that also hit for average. If the catchers finally come to life they really have never profiled as boom or bust power guys either. Cespedes is a complete hitter if healthy. Rosario actually had a high OBP when he took off in AA/AAA. There's really only two power guys that are a little all or nothing and that's Bruce and Frazier. Two guys we needed to replace some of the power we lost. It's all good. This lineup potentially could end up pretty balanced by the time the year is out.

against the Cardinals in actual Grapefruit League action. Does he have a shot at opening day??

In comment 13881429 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

Lmao!

Lol, this internet thing has EVERYTHING!!!!

In comment 13881486 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

against the Cardinals in actual Grapefruit League action. Does he have a shot at opening day??

I'm starting to think he might... he's progressing very, very quickly.

But this is the Mets, so. I am tip toeing around with my optimism here.

In comment 13881486 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

against the Cardinals in actual Grapefruit League action. Does he have a shot at opening day??

Highly unlikely, but not impossible. He�s just DHing tomorrow, still a process to go through.

In comment 13881531 Shecky said:

Quote:

In comment 13881486 ZGiants98 said: Quote: against the Cardinals in actual Grapefruit League action. Does he have a shot at opening day?? Highly unlikely, but not impossible. He�s just DHing tomorrow, still a process to go through.

Yeah I saw he was DHing but he played in the field for 7 innings today. We still have a week left no? Either way, it's exciting. I always thought May was possible but I saw people saying end of 2018 or not even the same until 2019. lol. This is terriffic. Even better he's raking (dont care who its against) :)

but let's expand our minds a bit and go off three things that theoretically could happen based on what we are seeing in spring training. Rosario actually becomes a stud and continues mashing into the season (.900 OPS this spring so far). TDA finally has figured it out and continues mashing into the season (best hitter of the spring). Gonzales is healthy and turns back the clock a couple years (big stretch but he's hit safely in 6 of the last 7 games now including a HR and a double off the wall).

1.) Rosario R
2.) Conforto L
3.) Cespedes R
4.) A Gone L
5.) TDA R
6.) Bruce L
7.) Frazier R
8,) Cabrera S

That lineup looks deep as hell if those things were a reality. Probably they wont all be but it's fun to look down the road a bit.

Quote:

Callaway is intent on finding as many at-bats as possible this season for Wilmer Flores, who has experience at all four infield positions. Flores hit seven homers in 103 at-bats last season against lefties. �[Flores] is going to play,� Callaway said. �It might be a different position every day or the same position three days in a row, but my goal is to get him starting as much as possible. �We are going to be able to do that because guys need days off and Wilmer deserves to play and not just against lefties. He can hit a good right-handed pitcher, too, so he�s going to play.�

Obv not a primary player yet it always seems like he deserves to play based on production & comparing to many of the other options over the last few seasons. Certainly 1st base seems like a good place to start but this is good to hear

NY Post Article - ( New Window )

In comment 13881609 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

but let's expand our minds a bit and go off three things that theoretically could happen based on what we are seeing in spring training. Rosario actually becomes a stud and continues mashing into the season (.900 OPS this spring so far). TDA finally has figured it out and continues mashing into the season (best hitter of the spring). Gonzales is healthy and turns back the clock a couple years (big stretch but he's hit safely in 6 of the last 7 games now including a HR and a double off the wall). 1.) Rosario R 2.) Conforto L 3.) Cespedes R 4.) A Gone L 5.) TDA R 6.) Bruce L 7.) Frazier R 8,) Cabrera S That lineup looks deep as hell if those things were a reality. Probably they wont all be but it's fun to look down the road a bit.

So, in the span of four days your claim of this lineup being "good but not great/middle of the pack" went to "ridiculous" by just swapping in a rehabbing Conforto for Nimmo? Based off of what? Conforto having a few good games against minor leaguers?

has walked once and still swinging at everything. .900 OPS means very little in context (and I say this as a big believer long term). Odds are extremely likely he's a below average offensive player this season. Evans, Guillorme, Nimmo, those guys have had impressive springs.

would never include 36 year old Adrian Gonzalez, "rookie" Rosario, Cabrera as 3/8 regulars I'm sorry.

In comment 13881934 PhiPsi125 said:

Quote:

In comment 13881609 ZGiants98 said: Quote: but let's expand our minds a bit and go off three things that theoretically could happen based on what we are seeing in spring training. Rosario actually becomes a stud and continues mashing into the season (.900 OPS this spring so far). TDA finally has figured it out and continues mashing into the season (best hitter of the spring). Gonzales is healthy and turns back the clock a couple years (big stretch but he's hit safely in 6 of the last 7 games now including a HR and a double off the wall). 1.) Rosario R 2.) Conforto L 3.) Cespedes R 4.) A Gone L 5.) TDA R 6.) Bruce L 7.) Frazier R 8,) Cabrera S That lineup looks deep as hell if those things were a reality. Probably they wont all be but it's fun to look down the road a bit. So, in the span of four days your claim of this lineup being "good but not great/middle of the pack" went to "ridiculous" by just swapping in a rehabbing Conforto for Nimmo? Based off of what? Conforto having a few good games against minor leaguers?

Wow. First of all I meant it�s ridiculous in a bad way... meaning it sounds stupid and far fetched as of today. Second, I�m saying based on three things we were not expecting... basically three X factors that we put little stock in. I also then said not very likely all would happen... As of today I still see the lineup as middle of the pack with upside for more as the year carries on. That�s not changing. I do see the pitching rebounding big time.

In comment 13881952 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

would never include 36 year old Adrian Gonzalez, "rookie" Rosario, Cabrera as 3/8 regulars I'm sorry.

Read my response to Phi. I meant �ridiculous� as �ridiculous�. Not in a good way.

is a key here. If he hits the lineup will be solid. If he doesn't we are in trouble offensive. TDA/Plawecki hitting could be big as well.

Cespedes, Cabrera, Bruce, and Frazier to be healthy and carry us early but I�m hoping by the end of the season guys like Frazier and Bruce have been pushed into lesser roles because Rosario, Smith, Nimmo, the catchers, and of course Conforto have acclimated and our performing at acceptable or higher levels then we can see now.

And replacing Cabrera over the summer. Maybe Cheech�s fixed swing is legit and he�s back in the conversation for 2B. Those things don�t seem likely now but there are always players that come out of nowhere we don�t expect.

To be above average but we are counting on a lot of things to go right. My personal hope is that it isn�t a straight out disaster after last years injuries.

In comment 13882195 ZGiants98 said:

Quote:

In comment 13881934 PhiPsi125 said: Quote: In comment 13881609 ZGiants98 said: Quote: but let's expand our minds a bit and go off three things that theoretically could happen based on what we are seeing in spring training. Rosario actually becomes a stud and continues mashing into the season (.900 OPS this spring so far). TDA finally has figured it out and continues mashing into the season (best hitter of the spring). Gonzales is healthy and turns back the clock a couple years (big stretch but he's hit safely in 6 of the last 7 games now including a HR and a double off the wall). 1.) Rosario R 2.) Conforto L 3.) Cespedes R 4.) A Gone L 5.) TDA R 6.) Bruce L 7.) Frazier R 8,) Cabrera S That lineup looks deep as hell if those things were a reality. Probably they wont all be but it's fun to look down the road a bit. So, in the span of four days your claim of this lineup being "good but not great/middle of the pack" went to "ridiculous" by just swapping in a rehabbing Conforto for Nimmo? Based off of what? Conforto having a few good games against minor leaguers? Wow. First of all I meant it�s ridiculous in a bad way... meaning it sounds stupid and far fetched as of today. Second, I�m saying based on three things we were not expecting... basically three X factors that we put little stock in. I also then said not very likely all would happen... As of today I still see the lineup as middle of the pack with upside for more as the year carries on. That�s not changing. I do see the pitching rebounding big time.

My bad then. I took "ridiculous" as a good thing.

This team is just one huge question mark. We basically need to hinge on health and good luck in order to succeed. Neither of those two things have been our friend in the recent/not so recent past.

We have Thor/Degrom...which is better than the most. The rest of the rotation is like walking on a tightrope. I really feel that Lugo should be in the rotation over some of the other guys. He's just plain better.

Cespedes and Conforto are massive for this lineup and need to be counted on. Something needs to click at the catcher position. Hopefully Rosario can improve and round into form. Bruce is what he is. Same with Frazier but to a lesser extent. Agon should never see the light of day and it's unfortunate that we have to start the season with him at 1B. It should be Wilmer there. He's just plain better. I'd love to see Nimmo more than Legares.

I'm starting to feel a little optimistic. Conforto is playing in grapefruit league games now, I bet he's back by April 15 at the latest and maybe even sooner.

I wish the season would start already. LGM!

So let's start there. 2-4 (Conforto - Ces - Bruce) is very good if Conforto and Cespedes are healthy. Kind of big ifs, but looking good right now. Bruce should be reliable for 30/90 but we know he's not on the same level as the other two.

1, 5, 6 are questions with upside. Frazier is safest and should be solid at 5. Agon is a huge variable at 6. Nimmo and Rosario have upside at 1, but Nimmo has no everyday spot once Conforto gets healthy and Rosario may not be ready for #1 yet. Boy wouldn't Jason Kipnis look really good in the mix for leadoff at 2B. I wonder what the Indians would want for him?

7 and 8 have some upside depending who ends up getting the playing time, but realistically those spots aren't changing the course of the season.

So first and foremost they need good years from the OF'ers.
Secondarily they need a couple of guys around them to settle into roles, or in the young guy's cases, break out.

Also, not to get revisionist about the offseason again, but if the Dee Gordon CF experiment doesn't go well, I'd be all over trying to get him for a package around Lagares and maybe one of the MI'ers at Vegas Cecchini or Guillorme? He'd have a huge impact up the middle defensively and at the top of the lineup.

MC batting leadoff today :)

10th in baseball to start season.
Link - ( New Window )

Up in gator land right now

In comment 13882381 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

So let's start there. 2-4 (Conforto - Ces - Bruce) is very good if Conforto and Cespedes are healthy. Kind of big ifs, but looking good right now. Bruce should be reliable for 30/90 but we know he's not on the same level as the other two. 1, 5, 6 are questions with upside. Frazier is safest and should be solid at 5. Agon is a huge variable at 6. Nimmo and Rosario have upside at 1, but Nimmo has no everyday spot once Conforto gets healthy and Rosario may not be ready for #1 yet. Boy wouldn't Jason Kipnis look really good in the mix for leadoff at 2B. I wonder what the Indians would want for him? .

The leadoff spot is weighing huge on my mind.

I�m more team Nimmo more each day.

I like this team outside of the leadoff issue and lack of numerous high on base guys in general..though that can change if Rosario and/or Nimmo reach expectations and Conforto returns to norm.