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12/31/12

Francisco Pena, Pedro Feliciano, Jordany Valdespin, Coco Crisp, Relief Pitchers



Mack Stuff –  Francisco Pena, Pedro Feliciano, Jordany Valdespin, Coco Crisp, Relief Pitchers

C Francisco Pena – Aguilas Cibaenas - 1-4, .250 – there’s always someone in baseball that thinks they can turn around an ex-prospect like Pena. The Mets signed the undrafted free agent Pena, the son of Yankees first-base coach Tony Peña, to a $750,000 signing bonus, in July 2006. He was first sent to the Mets Florida Instruction camp, where he remained for the remainder of the 2006 season. Baseball America had one international scouting director (in 2007) termed Pena's body as "heavy and thick." Willie Randolph was quoted in January 2007 to say: "he's a little different than I remember. He's a big boy. I saw Ken Griffey and all those kids come through . . . Jessie Barfield's kid (Indians second baseman Josh). It's amazing to see how they've grown and to see the resemblance in some ways. You can see the evolution, and it's weird to look at that." Pena, was considered to be one of the best catching prospects in the Dominican Republic's baseball history. His initial claim to fame so far in his career is he caught the controversial pitcher Danny Almonte on that infamous Little League World Series team. It just hasn’t happened. Right now, his 6-year stat line is: .233/.284/.335/.619. The good news is he’s still only 22-years old which easily could be the same age he would have come out of college if he stayed playing in NYC instead of the DR. He would a wonderful throw in as part of a package for an outfielder. I expect Blake Forsythe will get the lion share of time in Binghamton and he’s simply not ready for Las Vegas.


RP Pedro Feliciano - Leones de Ponce – 1.1-IP, 1-K, 0-H, 0-BB, 1.23. That’s now seven games thrown with 7.1 innings… 2-R, 6-K, 1-BB. Yeah, I know how old he is, but an invitation to camp would kill you? This guy was the heart and soul of the Mets bullpen for seven years (22-19, 459-G, 371-IP, 341-K, 159-BB, 3.32, 1.38) and I can’t see why an invite wouldn’t be proper. Even his limited 2012 numbers in the Yankees system were good: 10-G, 9.1-IP, 3-ER, 10-K, 3-BB, 2.89. He’s only going to be 36-years old. Aaron Lafey? Come on.


Playoffs – RF – Jordany Valdespin - Leones del Escogido – 3-4, 2-R, 2-2B, 2-RBI, 1-BB, .667 – No one has ever said that Valdespin wasn’t talented. Let me take that another step: no one has ever said that Valdespin doesn’t rise to the occasion. Normal baseball games put this guy asleep, but ask him to step up and win you an important game, and you have a good chance that it will be accomplished. Is this because he’s such a great guy and team player? Hell no. This is our Manny. This is our Melky. But, you might want to go to Baseball Cube and check the stats on the two guys I just mentioned before you throw him out of the 2013 outfield. Whether we like it or not, ‘Spin’ is going to play a very important role next season, probably in LF or possibly in center. Get used to it and the baggage that comes along with it.


Ken Davidoff of The New York Post reported that the New York Mets have expressed interest in Oakland Athletics outfielder Coco Crisp.

                We just covered Oakland and these were my thoughts:

we now move on to the Oakland Athletics who currently have eight (8) outfielders on their 40-man squad:

                                   Yoenis Cespedes – righty – $10.5mil thru 2015 – MLB, 487-AB, .292, 23-82
                                  Coco Crisp – switch – $7mil for 2013 – FA-2014 – MLB:  455-AB, .259
                                   Grant Green – righty –   AAA: 524-AB, .296, 15-HR, 75-RBI
                                    Shane Peterson – lefty – pre-ARB  -   AAA:  .389
                             Josh Reddick – lefty –   ARB-1/2014 -  MLB:  611-AB, 32-HR, 85-RBI, .242, RF
                                  Seth Smith – lefty –  ARB-2 -  MLB:  383-AB, .240, 14-HR, 52-RBI
                            Michael Taylor – righty –   pre-ARB -  MLB: 21-AB, AAA:  12-HR, 67-RBI, .287
                                    Chris Young – righty - $8.7mil through 2013 – FA-2014 – CF –

Free agent losses this off-season include Jonny Gomes Boston) and Collin Cowgill (Mets). Obviously, if someone was available who was more talented than Cowgill, he probably would have already been traded, but this is a team in transition.

2013 looks set with Cespedes, Reddick, Young, and Crisp. Their problem is Crisp  is in the last year of his contract and Young’s deal is just for 2013.

Green, Peterson, and Taylor seem all ready to make the next step.

Mets target:  Grant Green -  Green has made the conversion from SS to CF… right behind him in the system is top prospect Michael Choice. Taylor projects out as either a DH or 1Bman. If I can’t get Green, I pass on both Crisp and Young.

                I’m dreaming when it comes to Green and, at this point, I’d be thrilled to have Crisp for even only one year.



Jon Heyman of CBS said that the Mets were “scouring” the relief market with “plenty of good option still out there”. Here’s a reprint of who is “still out there”:

                RHP Jeremy Accardo -    31-yrs old  -  .350 BABIP, 3.92 FIP, 18.4% K/PA, 10.5% BB/PA
RHP Scott Atchison  -  36-yrs old  -  .272 BABIP, 2.67 FIP, 18.0% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA
RHP Miguel Batista – 42-yrs old  -  .222 BABIP, 5.63 FIP, 8.3% K/PA, 8.3% BB/PA, 1.16 WHIP
RHP Matt Capps – 29-yrs old  -  .250 BABIP, 4.44 FIP, 15.0% K/PA, 3.3% BB/PA, 1.09 WHIP
RHP Todd Coffey – 32-yrs old -  .314 BABIP, 3.64 FIP, 21.7% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.34 WHIP
RHP Jose Contreras – 40-yrs old - .343 BABIP, 2.76 FIP, 26.8% K/PA, 5.4% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP
RHP Francisco Cordero – 37-yrs old - .579 BABIP, 9.33 FIP, 15.6% K/PA, 12.5% BB/PA, 1.80 WHIP
RHP Juan Cruz – 34-yrs old -  .364 BABIP, 4.22 FIP, 20.4% K/PA, 11.7% BB/PA, 1.62
RHP Chad Durbin – 35-yrs old - .262 BABIP, 4.82 FIP, 19.1% K/PA, 10.9% BB/PA, 1.31 WHIP
RHP Kyle Farnsworth – 36-yrs old - .284 BABIP, 3.34 FIP, 20.8% K/PA, 11.7% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP
LHP Pedro Feliciano -  - did not pitch MLB in 2011 and 2012
RHP Jason Frasor – 35-yrs old - .346 BABIP, 4.05 FIP, 27.7% K/PA, 11.5% BB/PA, 1.46
LHP Mike Gonzalez – 34-yr old - .322 BABIP, 3.02 FIP, 25.8% K/PA, 10.6% BB/PA, 1.31
RHP Kevin Gregg  - 34-yrs old - .339 BABIP, 4.99 FIP, 18.5% K/PA, 12.0% BB/PA, 1.67 WHIP
RHP LaTroy Hawkins – 39-yrs old - .301 BABIP, 4.42 FIP, 12.9% K/PA, 7.3% BB/PA, 1.38 WHIP
RHP Livan Hernandez – 37-yrs old - .324 BABIP, 5.85 FIP, 18.6% K/PA, 5.1% BB/PA, 1.43 WHIP
RHP J.P. Howell – 29-yrs old - .258 BABIP, 4.73 FIP, 20.7% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.21 WHIP
RHPP Jason Isringhausen – 39-yrs old - .276 BABIP, 4.93 FIP, 15.7% K/PA, 9.6% BB/PA, 1.37 WHIP
RHP Matt Lindstrom – 32-yrs old - .312 BABIP, 2.10 FIP, 22.2% K/PA, 4.4% BB/PA, 1.12 WHIP
RHP Mark Lowe – 29-yrs old - .265 BABIP, 4.26 FIP, 17.3% K/PA, 8.0% BB/PA, 1.22 WHIP
RHP Brandon Lyon – 33-yrs old - .337 BABIP, 3.35 FIP, 22.7% K/PA, 7.1% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP
RHP Kyle McClellan – 28-yrs old - .237 BABIP, 5.11 FIP, 13.3% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP
RHP Guillermo Mota – 39-yrs old - .396 BABIP, 4.14 FIP, 26.4% K/PA, 8.8% BB/PA, 1.54 WHIP
RHP Peter Moylan – 34-yrs old - .133 BABIP, 6.13 FIP, 9.5% K/PA, 9.5% BB/PA, 1.00 WHIP
RHP Brett Myers – 32-yrs old - .316 BABIP,, 4.30 FIP, 14.9% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP
LHP Will Ohman – 35-yrs old - .207 BABIP, 6.23 FIP, 11.6% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA, 1.04 WHIP
RHP Vicente Padilla  - 35-yrs old - .372 BABIP, 3.90 FIP, 23.4% K/PA, 6.9% BB/PA, 1.46 WHIP
LHP Manny Parra – 30-yrs old - .351 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 22.3% K/PA, 12.8% BB/PA, 1.65 WHIP
RHP Brad Penny – 34-yrs old - .358 BABIP, 5.34 FIP, 7.5% K/PA, 6.8% BB/PA, 1.82 WHIP
LHP Rafael Perez – 30-yrs old - .190 BABIP, 5.26 FIP, 12.9% K/PA, 12.9% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP
RHP Chad Qualls – 34-yrs old - .292 BABIP, 2.69 FIP, 10.3% K/PA, 3.4% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP
RHP Ramon Ramirez – 31-yrs old - .305 BABIP, 3.96 FIP, 18.8% K/PA, 12.6% BB/PA, 1.46 WHIP
RHP Jon Rauch – 34-yrs old - .232 BABIP, 3.93 FIP, 18.0% K/PA,  5.2% BB/PA, 0.98 WHIP
RHP Francisco Rodriguez – 29-yrs old - .302 BABIP, 3.86 FIP, 23.6% K/PA, 10.2% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP
LHP J.C. Romero – 36-yrs old - .353 BABIP, 6.54 FIP, 4.8% K/PA, 4.8% BB/PA, 2.00 WHIP
RHP Takashi Saito- 42-yrs old - .351 BABIP, 7.13 FIP, 18.3% K/PA, 8.3% BB/PA, 1.83 WHIP
RHP Rafael Soriano – 33-yrs old - .282 BABIP, 3.27 FIP, 24.7% K/PA, 8.6$ BB/PA, 1.16 WHIP
RHP Hisanori Takahashi – 37-yrs old - .292 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 23.7% K/PA, 5.8% BB/PA, 1.68 WHIP
RHP Jose Valverde – 33-yrs old - .276 BABIP, 3.57 FIP, 16.3% K/PA, 9.2% BB/PA, 1.24 WHIP
RHP Kyle Waldrop – 27-yrs old - .333 BABIP, 4.87 FIP, 7.4% K/PA, 6.4% BB/PA, 1.54 WHIP
RHP Brian Wilson – 30-yrs old – only 2 games in 2012 – TJS surgery
RHP Jamey Wright – 37-yrs old - .340 BABIP, 3.42 FIP, 17.6% K/PA, 9.8% BB/PA, 1.50 WHIP  

4 comments:

  1. Hey Mack, really enjoying your blog. A few comments on today's posts:

    Bourn vs Crisp. Whether or have the money to sign Bourn or not is irrelevant. (I believe there is sufficient p/r flex to do it.) Bourn would cost us our 1st round pick, too high a price. Coco Crisp is more than a servicable alternative. He could lead off and play a fine CF. If we can't trade for one of the other young outfielders we have identified, I'd grab Crisp. My list of trade candidates is considerable shorter than yours, but a few are extemely attractive to me.

    Francisco Pena: I'm sure you noticed that Pena is hitting a respectable .271 in winter ball after hitting .254 at St. Lucie, but being totally outclassed when promoted to Bingo. At 22, he could still find himself and be a productive back-up catcher in the majors, a la Jesus Flores.

    Pedro Feliciano and the Long List of Available Relievers: It would be foolish not to offer Pedro a minor league contract with an invite, if he would accept it. Only upside to that. Of all the other relievers on that list, I'd like to see Sandy bring Matt Lindstrom back to the Mets, and also offer Peter Moylan a minor league offer with an invite. Brian Wilson is also intriguing, if he wouldn't cost too much. Maybe a low base with incentives for games pitched and/or finished.

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  2. Hey Mack, Happy New year to you. I had a day off of work and had some free time to do a Mets talk. I wish I had more free time to post more, but with my new job I'm on the road all the time and my wife and I just had a baby girl, so free time is out of the question.

    Anyways, I was just scouring the mlbtraderumors.com 2013 remaining free agents and there's a few guys that I think the Mets can reasonably pick up within our price range and some on minor league deals. These guys could have an impact on our 2013 roster and not mortgage the future.

    What do you think about taking a shot on a 2-3 of these guys....

    Free Agent Hitting options

    Scott Hairston(RH) OF (2 yrs-$6M)
    I think Hairston will come back, it's just a matter at what price tag. He's a great platoon option with Duda since he kills lefties. We know he deserves a 2 yr deal, does Sandy?

    Ryan Raburn (RH) OF/2B (1 yrs-$2M)
    Love his versatility and the way he plays the game. He struggled last year, but could hopefully bounce back.

    Ben Francisco (RH) OF (1 yr-$1.5M)
    Not quite Hairston's pop, but can be that platoon RH/OF if Hairston goes elsewhere.

    Grady Sizemore (LH) CF (1yr-$2M) Depending on his long term health, he could be a low risk, high reward that should be ready by all-star break. It's a big IF, but if he can regain what he once was, he would instantly be the best OF in our system, hands down.

    Delmon Young (RH) OF (1yr-$5M)
    I love the bat and he would give us the RH/OF pop we need but the baggage may be too much for the Mets to handle him being in NYC

    Any backup catcher that is willing to take a either a 1yr-$1M or minor league deal,(Shoppach, Barajas, Flores, Blanco, Paulino, Schneider, etc..) to hold the spot open until D'Arnaud is ready in June-ish. I don't know anything about this Anthony Recker guy, but I'd like to see them pickup a professional backup catcher that can work with our young arms.


    Free agent Pitching options


    Scott Frasor (RH) RP (1 yr-$3M)
    K/9 ratio is outstanding. I'd love to see him in Queens as out 8th inning option.

    Brian Wilson (RH) RP (1 yr-$3M)
    Absolutely love this guy and if we can get him on a 1 yr deal with an option for 2nd year, he would bring a little energy to the roster.

    Matt Capps (RH) RP (1 yr-$3M)
    Always liked the way this guy threw the ball. If he's still around in a few weeks and can be had at a reasonable price, he would be a great signing and potentially flip at the deadline for a prospect.

    Jon Rauch (RH) RP (1 yr-$2M)
    He pitched great for us in the 2nd half last year after his knees were drained.

    Derek Lowe (RH) SP5/RH (minor league invite)I like the idea of Derek Lowe to start as the SP5 role until Mejia/Wheeler are ready and then he can transition to the bullpen. Sorta like Hefner was for us last year.

    Juan Carlos Oviedo (RH) RP (minor league invite) Formerlly Leo Nunez from Marlins. Turns out he's 30, but still has a great arm and might be worth a look.

    Pedro Feliciano (LH) RP (minor league invite) Mr. Reliable! The least we can do is invite him to camp and see what he has. Can't hurt right?


    We still need a solid relief arm to be that first out of the bullpen guy that can be reliable and we can count on. We have a few spots to fill and I'm not counting on Familia to be that option out of ST. He may be able to contribute in season, but I'd like to have someone a little more reliable.

    I like Edgin and Carson as the LH options and Greg Burke looks like a solid option as a sidearming RH arm. Parnell and Francisco have spots locked up and Hefner could be the long man if we don't pick up a guy like Lowe.

    I'm intersted to see what the Mets do in the next 3 months to fill out this roster since I think given the price we suspect we have left, picking up 2-3 of these guys would be within our budget and help round out our team.

    Happy New Year & Let's go Mets!

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  3. Herb:

    You and I agree on Feliciano. Bring him to camp.

    I don't think debating whether it would be wise to offer a deal to Bourn is worth the time. Sandy is NOT going to give up a 1st round draft pick in a light draft.

    I think you are seing the same logic being used in the Dickey deal. There are a lot of teams that have to DFA outfielders off their active rosters before opening day and I wouldn' be surprised if Alderson doesn't think he can snag one then.

    As for Pena, I've been too close to the situation and have been waiting to see him hit since 2007. And, NEVER get excited about BA in Latin winter leagues. The pitching can be quite bad there.

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  4. Closer:

    You've spent more time on this than any of writers :)

    All the names you mentioned would help , but, IMO, other than Capps, none would solve any long term needs.

    By my estimate, this team is currently at around $75mil and may stay that way unless someone is DFA's at the last minute that stands out.

    The series of "In Search of an Outfielder" proves that there are some teams that have some tough decisions to make...

    THAT's where the Mets may find their future outfield.

    You wake up one morning and find David Murphy was DFA'd... boom...

    Next day, Coco Crisp is DFA'd... boom...

    see what I mean?

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