The Mack Attack - 1-1-9

The Mack Attack - January 1, 2009

MLB – NY Mets:

The NY Mets are now putting together an offer to the agent for SP Oliver Perez, while they wait for a return salvo from the agent of SP Derek Lowe. Sounds like one phone call to me.

From Adam Rubin: - "Yosef Sebrow sends in this look at what appears to be modest tweaks to the black uniforms the Mets wear, which he shot at a Sports Authority in Forest Hills. It's labeled "METH," presumably for Mets' home. He writes: "The old one was black, orange drop shadow, then white, then blue. And the accent stripe around the buttons: just blue. This has four colors for the Mets logo: big white splotch, then a black drop shadow, then orange, then blue, and the stripe around the buttons is blue and orange."

From Mets Today: - In an effort to better tie in the New York Giants' side of their history, the Mets will be wearing green home jerseys as "alternates" in lieu of the traditional blacks. From what I gather, the green matches the color of the Citi Field seats, which as you may know are a tribute to the green seating in the old Polo Grounds. The green dye used to produce this particular hue is 100% organic, made from a mixture of soy and lentils. According to a person familiar with the team's thinking, the use of this dye is part of a new "green" initiative by the Mets to be more earth friendly. In fact the jerseys are consumable, and, strangely enough, those sold at retail will have detachable green wafers made from the same material so you can "sample" the flavor — though I'd suggest you smear a little mustard on them before taking a bite

.From John Harper/NYP: - The fact that the Mets would consider taking outfielder Andruw Jones in a trade tells you they are continuing to explore all avenues to dump second baseman Luis Castillo's contract. Jones is owed nearly $18million next season, the second year of a two-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Dodgers last season, and he had a disastrous 2008 season, hitting just .158. However, according to a baseball source, the Mets would take Jones if it meant unloading the final three years and $18 million of Castillo's contract. But the Dodgers, who have young Blake DeWitt as their second baseman, have repeatedly said no to taking
Castillo.


AAA – Buffalo:

OF Jose Coronado went 2-4 with an RBI for Caribes/VWL on Tuesday night.

I was told on my blog that the reason P Nelson Figueroa pitched so bad the other night was he was in the hospital the night before and then was returned to the hospital in the DR after trying to make his start to help out his team in the playoffs. He spent the entire day back in the hospital yesterday.

BA named Fernando Martinez as the best Met prospect for power hitting (bet no one came in second…)

Famous Bison alumni: Richie Sexson, Jay Bell, Moises Alou, Otis Nixon, Hal McRae, Tony Pena, Ron Kittle, Tim Wakefield, Cleon Jones, Johnny Bench


AA – B-Mets:

The B-Mets have made the playoffs in 6 of 8 even-numbered years, but never in an odd-numbered year.


A+ - Lucy:

RP Roy Merritt (Mack Met prospect #22) pitched another scoreless inning Tuesday night for Mayaquez/VWL. His seasonal ERA is now 0.90.


A – Gnats:

BA named SS Wilmer Flores as the best Met hitting prospect for average.

Brooklyn Bums continues his New Year's resolutions: - Nick Carr- Bring down those walk totals. 5-2 with 74 K's and a respectable 3.80 ERA in 2007 with Brooklyn, Carr was starting to look like a sleeper prospect. Shedding 25 pounds before the season, the 2005 41st round pick seemed to be beginning to understood what it took to be succesful in professional baseball. That seemed to go out with window last season in Savannah and St. Lucie, where his walk totals were beginning to become a bigger problem than they were before. Never having amazing control to say the very least, Carr was averaging a K an inning in Brooklyn and less than a hit an inning as well, which made up for his mediocre at best control. Last season in St. Lucie, not only were his strikeout totals down, but his walk numbers were up as well as his hits allowed. In order for him to continue to develop into a solid power pitcher at higher levels, those numbers will obviously have to change.


Low A – Clones:

New Year's resolution from Brooklyn Bums: - Matt Smith- Stay healthy and consistent. His first dozen games with Brooklyn this season, Smith was an on-base machine. He drew long counts and wasn't scared to take a pitch in a hitter's count. He was so good that after about a week, it seemed like the Clones had found their temporary replacement Reese Havens. However, after about 50 ABs, he started to swing a bit more than he was before and all of a sudden, his batting average was under .200 and his on-base percentage was average, rather than stellar. Playing through a few injuries during the time, Smith's season was finished, leaving the Aces to look for another shortstop in what turned out to be an injury-riddled season for both Smith and Brooklyn. If healthy, he can and will be a solid middle-infielder at the Double-A level and perhaps even higher, despite being known more for his glove than his bat. It's just a matter of him getting in the at-bats he needs to show the Mets what he's truly capable ofBA named IF Reece Havens as the top Mets prospect for strike-zone discipline


2010 Free Agents:

Second basemen: - Ronnie Belliard (35) - Jamey Carroll (36) - Mark DeRosa (35) – Akinori Iwamura (31) - $4.25MM club option with a $250K buyout - Adam Kennedy (34)- Felipe Lopez (30) - Mark Loretta (38) - Placido Polanco (34) - Brian Roberts (32) - Freddy Sanchez (32) - $8MM club option with a $600K buyout


International:

Baseball America recently posted a feature on the new international prospects entering the minors this year and none were Mets. It seems to be very quiet this year on the Mets international scene, but it's normal for the Mets to play this area of development down. We'll see; however, if big money was given to somebody, we would have read about it.


Alumni:

Hot-hitting Anderson Hernandez (.500) collected three hits, three RBIs and three runs as Licey improved to 3-1 in the Dominican Winter League round-robin playoffs with a 10-8 win over Este on Tuesday

The Dodgers signed pitcher Claudio Vargas to an incentive-laden, one-year deal. He'll earn $400K and has $1.4MM in incentives.

The Orioles are still interested in free-agent pitcher Braden Looper, but the price tag likely would have to decrease significantly for them to sign the veteran right-hander


General Baseball News:

Fr: NYP - Derek Lowe, John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley are the only pitchers to win 20 or more games in one season and save 40 or more in another. Fr. Fenway West: - Derek Lowe will not be returning to the Boston Red Sox. The Mets have offered him a 3-year deal and with the Red Sox signing of Brad Penny there is very little chance they would want another middle of the road starter. The Daily News had this additional information: Lowe recently told a friend that the Red Sox, who signed Brad Penny to a one-year deal this week, have never showed serious interest in him, and indicated that he thinks he'll wind up as a Met, telling the friend the two sides had exchanged contract proposals before Christmas.


Med Talk:

Got a written explanation of my neck MRI… lots of references under C-5, C-6, and C-7 to the word "severe" and basically racked with Arthur Ritis, but the neuro-dudette from the VA said surgery is only recommended at this point if the patient deems it too uncomfortable at present… picking up a CD of the MRI on Friday (218 mile roundtrip) and seeing my private doctor that worked on my back next Thursday… still looking for someone to put me down…