NFT: Tuesday Mets Talk - Rajai Davis

Guy's 38 years old but has decent speed and and CF experience. Cheap option signed to minors contract till Yoenis Cespedes is ready later on this season.

finished. He can still run and play the OF but arguably the worst hitter in baseball over the past 2 seasons. If they add a big OF and dump Lagares, Davis would be okay as a 5th OF/Pinch runner otherwise he shouldn't make the team.

be clear I could care less about minor league deals (though the Mets are prone to giving guys like this way too much time... see Adrian Gonzalez, Reyes) anyway Rajai Davis over the past 2 seasons (again, he's 38) 218 games played .231/.288/.323, OPS+ 66, for context Jose Reyes posted an OPS+ of 63 this past season.

The sad part is that still makes him better than most, if not all of the scrubs brought in in recent years on minor league contracts to fill AAA roster. In past years Mets would have given him a major league contract

more thing to note. This is a minor league deal but Rajai Davis likely isn't going to Syracuse at all and if he is it will be very brief. He's 38, he almost certainly has an opt out.

Jay Jaffe on Ramos

"Now that they have Ramos, the key for the Mets is finding another catcher with whom to pair him. Between Kevin Plawecki, Devin Mesoraco, Tomas Nido, Jose Lobaton and Travis d�Arnaud, the team got just an 82 wRC+ offensive showing (.208/.297/.355) from its catchers in 2018, and a total of 0.7 WAR by our measures (0.8 via Baseball-Reference, and 1.5 WARP via Baseball Prospectus). Mesoraco and Lobaton are both free agents, while the going-on-30-year-old d�Arnaud, the best defender of the bunch (41.8 FRAA career, 11.4 FRAA in 2017) is coming off April 2018 Tommy John surgery and has a track record for health that would make Ramos blanch.

All told, our Depth Charts projections suggest that the signing of Ramos eyeballs as about a one-win upgrade over a Plawecki/d�Arnaud pairing. Given that the Mets now project as an 86-win team, this is exactly the type of move they should be making, one that significantly increases their odds of securing a playoff spot without compromising their longer-term resources. When was the last time anybody could say that about a move that the Mets made?"
Link - ( New Window )

sounds mildly intriguing as a depth OF.

on that final BP piece?

Mets relief pitcher? GTFO

That guy was brutal and was ultimately responsible for bring back Bobby Bonilla the 2nd time. They dumped his bad contract and took back Bobby Bo's and are still paying it.

Lol Mets

In comment 14224273 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

more thing to note. This is a minor league deal but Rajai Davis likely isn't going to Syracuse at all and if he is it will be very brief. He's 38, he almost certainly has an opt out. Jay Jaffe on Ramos "Now that they have Ramos, the key for the Mets is finding another catcher with whom to pair him. Between Kevin Plawecki, Devin Mesoraco, Tomas Nido, Jose Lobaton and Travis d�Arnaud, the team got just an 82 wRC+ offensive showing (.208/.297/.355) from its catchers in 2018, and a total of 0.7 WAR by our measures (0.8 via Baseball-Reference, and 1.5 WARP via Baseball Prospectus). Mesoraco and Lobaton are both free agents, while the going-on-30-year-old d�Arnaud, the best defender of the bunch (41.8 FRAA career, 11.4 FRAA in 2017) is coming off April 2018 Tommy John surgery and has a track record for health that would make Ramos blanch. All told, our Depth Charts projections suggest that the signing of Ramos eyeballs as about a one-win upgrade over a Plawecki/d�Arnaud pairing. Given that the Mets now project as an 86-win team, this is exactly the type of move they should be making, one that significantly increases their odds of securing a playoff spot without compromising their longer-term resources. When was the last time anybody could say that about a move that the Mets made?" Link - ( New Window )

LOL:

Quote:

....while the going-on-30-year-old d�Arnaud, the best defender of the bunch (41.8 FRAA career, 11.4 FRAA in 2017) is coming off April 2018 Tommy John surgery and has a track record for health that would make Ramos blanch....

Remember when people on here tried to argue that TDA was not injury prone. He just had continual, unrelated, fluke injuries.

In comment 14224277 debo_GIANTS said:

Quote:

Mets relief pitcher? GTFO That guy was brutal and was ultimately responsible for bring back Bobby Bonilla the 2nd time. They dumped his bad contract and took back Bobby Bo's and are still paying it. Lol Mets

Yup that's the one. Switch hitter/Was a middling prospect with the Braves. Went to Korea and this season slugged 43 homers with a .980 OPS, 18 steals 71 walks. He's viewed a potential 4th OF type, not some big time hidden gem.

Bring him in give him a shot.

How about we send a minor league invite to Jordany Valdespin too while we are at it. We need a back up middle infielder and he just won back to back MVPs Indy League and Dominican summer league.

Having Mel Rojas Jr and JV1 in the house.. He's still the man!

In comment 14224268 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

finished. He can still run and play the OF but arguably the worst hitter in baseball over the past 2 seasons. If they add a big OF and dump Lagares, Davis would be okay as a 5th OF/Pinch runner otherwise he shouldn't make the team.

Why dump Lagares? Money? Injury prone? He's a gold glover who was hitting .340 before going down last year. I get that its a small sample and he's never been a 300 hitter and he's always been streaky... BUT he's a no risk let's see what we have in this guy as an every day CF.

Lagares:
79 games
94 games
30 games

and I feel like he was plan A going into those seasons and left the team scrambling trying to find a legit CFer or putting a player who is not a CFer in CF.

And for that he has a $9M salary.

I like him as a player, but he can't stay healthy, so for that $$$ I'd look to trade him and either live with Nimmo in CF or bring in a more reliable one.

In comment 14224292 Gmanfandan said:

Quote:

In comment 14224268 DanMetroMan said: Quote: finished. He can still run and play the OF but arguably the worst hitter in baseball over the past 2 seasons. If they add a big OF and dump Lagares, Davis would be okay as a 5th OF/Pinch runner otherwise he shouldn't make the team. Why dump Lagares? Money? Injury prone? He's a gold glover who was hitting .340 before going down last year. I get that its a small sample and he's never been a 300 hitter and he's always been streaky... BUT he's a no risk let's see what we have in this guy as an every day CF.

Lagares is owed 9 million and yes is beyond injury prone. If you add say.. Pollock in CF at his projected salary it would be a very high rate to pay a Lagares a 4th OF given the payroll. The mets themselves have said Lagares will not play every day as hes proven he can hit RHP

one of your outfielders goes down. Even then, he doesn't get many or any at bats. Use him as a pinch runner and, if we trade Lagares, as a 9th inning defensive replacement.

Treats a trip to AAA as putting his toe in the water of coaching?

In comment 14224298 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

In comment 14224292 Gmanfandan said: Quote: In comment 14224268 DanMetroMan said: Quote: finished. He can still run and play the OF but arguably the worst hitter in baseball over the past 2 seasons. If they add a big OF and dump Lagares, Davis would be okay as a 5th OF/Pinch runner otherwise he shouldn't make the team. Why dump Lagares? Money? Injury prone? He's a gold glover who was hitting .340 before going down last year. I get that its a small sample and he's never been a 300 hitter and he's always been streaky... BUT he's a no risk let's see what we have in this guy as an every day CF. Lagares is owed 9 million and yes is beyond injury prone. If you add say.. Pollock in CF at his projected salary it would be a very high rate to pay a Lagares a 4th OF given the payroll. The mets themselves have said Lagares will not play every day as hes proven he can hit RHP

Does replacing Lagares with Pollock really move the needle? Similar durability concerns...and even when he has been healthy Pollock hasn't really produced over the last 3 years..

Even with missed time was an above average regular the past 2 seasons 4.7 fear, 2.5 this year. +6 DRS so he can really pick it. Speed, power, steamer projects 3.1 fwar for 2019 so yes with moderate health hes unquestionably a significant move. The health is a major ?? But when he plays hes an above average player and the Mets can use that. His one monster season is probably an outlier but 5 seasons hes been an above average regular

Kiley�s Take
Has eclipsed 500 plate appearances only once, so durability is a question. That one season was pretty great, though. Makes sense for team that would benefit from high-ceiling, shorter-term investment. A huge AAV on a two-year deal is possible, but a bigger guarantee is hard to pass up.

Player Notes
Pollock became a true five-tool player in 2014, when a swing change unlocked previously dormant in-game power. Peak Pollock was on display the following season when he was healthy and generated a whopping 6.8 WAR. But the outfielder has been plagued by injuries during four of the last five seasons and has missed about 50 games during each of the last two. The Diamondbacks have extended him a qualifying offer ($17.9 million), which sets a high bar to clear for teams that to offer Pollock an upcharged, short-term deal, as is often the case for injury-prone players. Healthy Pollock is a well-rounded All Star, not only an impact bat but also a plus defensive center fielder.

if you throw out everything Pollock has done before the past 2 seasons... 103 wRC+ in 2017, 110 in 2018... Juan Lagares career wRC+... 85. Pollock wOBA the past 2 .340 and .338, Lagares career .290. So yeah, Pollock and his 110-ish games played is 100% a significant upgrade over Lagares or at least the Lagares we saw 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.

Is he is a GREAT fit if it�s a short term signing.
But losing a second and intl $$ weighs more against a ST signing than a longer bigger deal.

In comment 14224380 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

if you throw out everything Pollock has done before the past 2 seasons... 103 wRC+ in 2017, 110 in 2018... Juan Lagares career wRC+... 85. Pollock wOBA the past 2 .340 and .338, Lagares career .290. So yeah, Pollock and his 110-ish games played is 100% a significant upgrade over Lagares or at least the Lagares we saw 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.

OK..still don't see it as a significant upgrade, but maybe because I'm bullish on Lagares talent level...

Plus.. I'm super opposed to giving any offensive player more than $10M a year when Harper and Machado are out there...

It's been 14 years since we signed the best free agent.

In comment 14224389 Shecky said:

Quote:

Is he is a GREAT fit if it�s a short term signing. But losing a second and intl $$ weighs more against a ST signing than a longer bigger deal.

Great point.. Pollock for 3 years or less is ideal.

Quick question.. Did we lose a pick by signing Ramos?

Pollock would be an upgrade vs Lagares... understand that.. you made a good case

In comment 14224410 moze1021 said:

Quote:

In comment 14224380 DanMetroMan said: Quote: if you throw out everything Pollock has done before the past 2 seasons... 103 wRC+ in 2017, 110 in 2018... Juan Lagares career wRC+... 85. Pollock wOBA the past 2 .340 and .338, Lagares career .290. So yeah, Pollock and his 110-ish games played is 100% a significant upgrade over Lagares or at least the Lagares we saw 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. OK..still don't see it as a significant upgrade, but maybe because I'm bullish on Lagares talent level... Plus.. I'm super opposed to giving any offensive player more than $10M a year when Harper and Machado are out there... It's been 14 years since we signed the best free agent.

1. Brodie has made clear they aren't going to be in on Harper so if that's your reasoning prepare to be very disappointed

2. 10 million a year is NOTHING in today's game. Brantley just got 16 million, McCutchen got 17.

In comment 14224411 debo_GIANTS said:

Quote:

In comment 14224389 Shecky said: Quote: Is he is a GREAT fit if it�s a short term signing. But losing a second and intl $$ weighs more against a ST signing than a longer bigger deal. Great point.. Pollock for 3 years or less is ideal. Quick question.. Did we lose a pick by signing Ramos?

We did not lose a pick

but Pollock has NY roots. I know his uncle and cousins who live out in Long Island. They are big Mets fans for what its worth.

not Pollock then they almost have to consider Nimmo or Conforto in CF and someone like Marwin Gonzalez or Puig. The CF options are horrendous and even the CO options are suddenly very poor.

He signed with Cleveland last year for $1 million + a quarter million in incentives. (They were for plate appearances - $100,000, then $150,000 each for 250,300,350,400,450,500.)

Primarily a RF, wouldn't that be fine, since you can play Nimmo, Corforto and Legares in center? No idea what McNeil's role will be but he could get spot starts in left, maybe, if needed? 10-15 a season? Keeps his bat in the order.

Yanks fans can say what kind of a clubhouse vet Cabrera would be (I don't know). He's 34, can still hit, appears pretty durable (played 150-plus games in 2017), hits for average.

Thoughts?

is done. Last 2 seasons combined .3 fWAR, -7 defensive runs saved in RF. Syracuse? Sure. Otherwise he's not even worth looking at.

give an idea how bad Melky was in RF this season, he played 467 innings in RF 4 RF in baseball posted worse DRS... CarGO in... 600 more innings, Nick Williams in 300 more, Harper in 400 more, and Castellanos in 800 more.

.

I can see the logic either way, especially on a shorter term contract, though losing the pick would sting.

I wonder if they've considered Mcneil in CF. He seemed to have more speed than Nimmo + Conforto, Lagares could obviously spell him once in a while too.

Ultimately I think the best route is via trade to add a young guy who has a chance to develop into something similar to Pollock. Hamilton would have made some sense but I get that he probably wanted a situation that guaranteed playing time.

Pollock 2 years with a 3rd year monster team option and buyout. Works for both parties.

In comment 14224468 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

Pollock 2 years with a 3rd year monster team option and buyout. Works for both parties.

That would really be the cherry on top.

Nimmo
Pollock
Cano
Conforto
Ramos
Mcneil
Frazier/Alonso
(pitcher)
Rosario

In comment 14224418 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

In comment 14224410 moze1021 said: Quote: In comment 14224380 DanMetroMan said: Quote: if you throw out everything Pollock has done before the past 2 seasons... 103 wRC+ in 2017, 110 in 2018... Juan Lagares career wRC+... 85. Pollock wOBA the past 2 .340 and .338, Lagares career .290. So yeah, Pollock and his 110-ish games played is 100% a significant upgrade over Lagares or at least the Lagares we saw 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. OK..still don't see it as a significant upgrade, but maybe because I'm bullish on Lagares talent level... Plus.. I'm super opposed to giving any offensive player more than $10M a year when Harper and Machado are out there... It's been 14 years since we signed the best free agent. 1. Brodie has made clear they aren't going to be in on Harper so if that's your reasoning prepare to be very disappointed 2. 10 million a year is NOTHING in today's game. Brantley just got 16 million, McCutchen got 17.

Agreed that $10M a year is nothing! That's why I think they should throw 3 "nothings" together and go get Harper or Machado...

I think they are idiots if they don't.

I am very prepared to be disappointed...

Pollock 2 for 36) (Brantley got 32) with a team option for 20, buyout for say 5. So he'd be guaranteed 2 years 41 million with the possibility of 3 for 56. Something like that.

Matt Kemp posted a 124 wRC+ vs. lefties this season. -9 DRS (not good) but at the right price point (meaning the Dodgers eat money) owed 19.5. Not the worst option #Mets

A Mets scout when asked recently about why not Harper/Machado...

"well, they would cost money"


Sounds like a freaking US manufacturing company employee thinking more about cost cutting than about growth and excellence!

Freaking terrible that the NEW YORK Mets continue to operate this way. They have $45M to spend before they get to luxury tax threshold... none of that should be left unspent..

In comment 14224472 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

In comment 14224468 DanMetroMan said: Quote: Pollock 2 years with a 3rd year monster team option and buyout. Works for both parties. That would really be the cherry on top. Nimmo Pollock Cano Conforto Ramos Mcneil Frazier/Alonso (pitcher) Rosario

I know it's been said Cano will be in the 3 hole, but with Mcneil's knack for hitting for average, I think I'd rather Mcneil at the 2 and then slide Pollock, Cano, Conforto & Ramos down one

Angels apparently offered the same deal we did but he wanted to be on the East Coast.

In comment 14224653 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

Angels apparently offered the same deal we did but he wanted to be on the East Coast.

Davis?

In comment 14224657 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

In comment 14224653 DanMetroMan said: Quote: Angels apparently offered the same deal we did but he wanted to be on the East Coast. Davis?

Ramos.

Brodie apparently downplaying the need for another bat so sounds like they are out on Pollock. Ugh.

did anything interesting come out of the pc today?

In comment 14224688 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

did anything interesting come out of the pc today?

Well it's been suggested Brodie implied Ramos was the RH bat they needed and when asked about it mentioned Cespedes vs. looking for someone else.

Mike Puma
‏
Verified account

@NYPost_Mets
13m13 minutes ago
More
When RH bat for OF is broached again, Van Wagenen brought up Cespedes.

lol... sometimes I wish I was born a Red Sox or Yankees fan...

This TDA "versatility" story is quite a head scratcher. He's played 9 major league innings at another position and 18 career innings (2012 1b) in the minors 🧐🧐🧐🧐 #Mets

Mike Puma
‏
Verified account

@NYPost_Mets
1m1 minute ago
More
Van Wagenen: �We are going to be using our resources efficiently, but we also have to look at where our priorities are. Before this signing, RH middle of the order bat was real important to give us balance. Now that we have it, that may not be the No. 1 priority.�

Before signing a veteran CF desperate for a team friendly deal