1/18/11

Cutnpaste: - Chris Young, Strasburg, Matt Lindstrom, Zach Dotson, and Tug McGraw

Chris Young:

It looks like the Mets reached an agreement with Chris Young the pitcher, formerly of San Diego. Chris is no stranger to the northeast, having attended Princeton. Young is rather unhittable, with a .220 career batting average against. While he is a high strikeout pitcher, his career rate of 7.8 per nine innings is not extraordinary. He is wild, which may make it tougher for batters to figure out what’s coming. Young’s problems as a pitcher mostly relate to health. He’s never quite reached 180 innings for a season, and his innings have gone down four years in a row to just 20 in 2010. I suspect he was a low cost, potentially high reward signing. - baseballmusings.  



Strasburg:

Sometimes, for a drill that strengthens his fingertips without too stringently testing the new ligament in his right elbow, Strasburg flips a yellow softball in the air. That is the closest he has allowed himself to come to touching a baseball since Aug. 21, the day he threw the final pitch of his rookie season. He cannot remember the last time he went so long. Within two or three weeks, according to the plan set out by Strasburg's doctors, he will begin tossing a ball again, a significant milepost in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Until then, the second chapter of his baseball life will continue its tedious churn. Physical therapy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Running. Weightlifting. One day off per week - washingtonpost.  



Matt Lindstrom:

Lindstrom’s deal is interesting because of its length. He’s coming off a down season in Houston, losing his closer’s role. The Rockies could have just given him a one-year deal in the arbitration process. Lindstrom will make $2.8 million this season, $3.6 million in 2012, with a $4 million club option in 2013 with a $200,000 buyout. Lindstrom also has $1 million in escalators for both 2011 and 2012 for games finished. The escalators start at 40 games and end with 60 games. He profiles as a setupman for the Rockies and might morph into the closer’s role. Why multiple years?  - .denverpost.  

Zach Dotson

1-17-11 from: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/1/17/1939161/mets-farm-system-top-5-sleepers  - Despite just four career pro appearances - with the GCL Mets no less - I'm very high on Dotson coming into 2011. You may remember him as the Mets steal of a pick out of a Savannah-area high school in the 13th round of the '09 draft. Or perhaps more recently being suspended for testing positive for a banned substance - that turned out to be nasal decongestant. Either way I like him for many of the same reasons that people like Stephen Matz & Juan Urbina: He's a lefty with the kind of size, stuff & youth to project for big things. According to Mets former Scouting Director Rudy Terrasas: "His fastball has as good a life as I’ve ever seen...and I’ve been scouting for 27 years." Nice praise. And don't be fooled by the late-round selection; Dotson belongs in the same class as high round blue-chippers like Matz, he only dropped due to a seemingly strong commitment to UGA. Fortunately, an over-slot bonus and the chance to pitch in his back yard with the Sand Gnats was a strong enough draw to make a deal and a big-time draft bargain. Urbina may be the class of that group thanks to his ridiculously young age but Dotson belongs right there alongside Matz when discussing talented young pitchers.



Tug McGraw:

He reminded me of the seventies version of John Franco when I was watching a recap of the 1973 season. His “You Gotta Believe” chant is still being used today. Garnered 86 saves during a time where closers were expected to go more than one inning. Was good as any reliever in Mets history from 1969-1972. Not many players can be loved in both New York and Philadelphia, but Tug accomplished that with near identical pitching lines, and a championship in both towns. - nybaseballdigest  

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