2-21-13 – Daniel Murphy, Article XX(B), Grantland on Mets OF, Rockies Looking for Starter

Kristieackert‏ - @Kristieackert

Daniel Murphy says needs to patient with injury. Will do ice and bike today and gauge discomfort daily. Says ideal time to b back: April 1

                        Yesterday it was 3-5 days… today it’s April 1^st… let’s just assume that Murphy will begin the season remaining behind in Florida and rehabbing in a St. Lucie game or two. My money remains on Jordany Valdespin starting the season at second and possibly leading off games that Mike Baxter isn’t playing.

There’s a new kind of free agent this year… the Article XX(B) major league free agent.

Created by the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement), XX(B)MLFAs are players signed as an invitee to join the camp and try to win a job, either on the major league team, or on one of the minor league affiliates. The had to be in camp by yesterday and must be told by March 26^th whether they will make the 25-man squad. The club can say no, and offer him a ‘retention bonus’ of $100,000 to play AAA ball. Lastly, if he’s still on the AAA team come June 1^st, the player can opt out, keep the moolah, and make a new deal with a new team.

Three Mets fall into this new category… LHP Tim Byrdak, LHP Pedro Feliciano, and RHP LaTroy Hawkins.

Grantland - 

“Last year, the team lopped $52 million from its 2011 payroll. They're down another $9 million this year to $84 million, which includes $19.3 million in dead money buried in the corpses of Jason Bay and Bobby Bonilla. And speaking of dead outfielders … Forget Michael Bourn, Mets fans. Josh Hamilton, too; he's at Disneyland. Not even Scott Hairston is walking through that door. Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Mike Baxter: These are the men for our times. Knights. Legends. Warriors from an ancient guard sent to protect us. Just kidding. They suck.”

                       

                    What’s Grantland trying to say here?

Something I wanted to point out that will repeat itself next year around this time and could benefit our team greatly.

Multiple sources are reporting that the Colorado Rockies are looking to trade for a starter. This seemed to begin this morning on ‘Hot Stove’ on MLB-TV and continued on MLBTR. The Rockies are operating with four catchers  and are looking for someone that needs one. One report has them interested in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Capuano or Aaron Harang.

What does this all have to do with the Mets? I mean, the Mets don’t need a catcher, but, what they do need (outfielders, 2B) will readily come available to them as soon as the rotation swells to more than five excellent pitchers.

Zack Wheeler and Jenrry Mejia will arrive sometime this year and, even if Johan Santana is traded, that leaves the Mets with a 6-man rotation. Let’s say Shawn Marcum isn’t resigned for 2014… well, you still could wind up with Rafael Montero, Darin Gorski, Tyler Pill, and Cory Mazzoni all ready to make the jump to the majors.

This is how you fill in the cracks in your system.

Build around pitching, then trade excess pitching for positional needs.