Jack Leathersich @LeatherRocket - Love relaxing during the off season, but this year left a sour taste in my mouth. I am about to work harder than I ever have before
2013 New York Penn League Awards –
Player of the Year- 3) LJ Mazzilli, Brooklyn Cyclones- It was as if no time had passed in the transition between college baseball and the pros. The second baseman, and second generation Met, played like a seasoned veteran: disciplined, aggressive, smart, and loose all at the same time. He was a consistent contributor all season. He topped the Cyclones in at-bats (270, tied for first), games played (69), and hits (76, fourth overall).
Starting Pitcher of the Year- 3) Miller Diaz, Brooklyn Cyclones- Diaz led the league in strikeouts (82) over sixty two innings.
5) Robert Gsellman, Brooklyn Cyclones- He was 2nd to Diaz in ERA (2.06). Over seventy six innings, he only allowed twelve walks. His 1.01 WHIP was the best of all Brooklyn pitchers
Manager of the Year- 3) Rich Donnelly, Brooklyn Cyclones- Donnelly's ballclub seemed to improve in some small way everyday. His gritty, humorous, straightforward approach is perfect for guys just coming into the pros and guys repeating the league
Game of the Year: Cyclones John Gant Pitches Two-Hit Complete Game Shutout- Flawless to the end, Gant pitched a game with the Cyclones season battling hard for a playoffs spot. He got the job done. Not just for the sake of post-season hopes, but for the ever-loving sake of the bullpen: the previous night, the Cyclones and Valley Cats played sixteen innings. Gant was a reliable, sturdy starter all season, and showcased the best of his talents in that important game.
http://www.highheelsonthefield.net/my_weblog/2013/09/2013-new-york-penn-league-awards.html
Mack – The test of whether or not you have great players in the system is when the people in charge give your players awards like this. All you need is three great players at this level every year an you will eventually have yourself a great 25-man. Congrats to all of them.
Baseball America’s 2013 Minor League All-Star Team -
SP Rafael Montero • Mets - Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast) - Miniscule rates for walks (35 in 155 innings) and home runs (six in 27 starts) allowed Montero to survive a second half spent pitching in the hostile environs of Las Vegas, where he managed to go 3-2, 2.87 in nine home starts. Signed out of the Dominican Republic at age 20, Montero mastered all four levels of the full-season minors in two years and struck out more batters this season (150) than more-heralded Mets pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard this year or Zack Wheeler in 2012. http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2013-minor-league-all-star-team/
Mack – This was not an all-star AAA team. This was an all-star every level team, meaning Montero beat out Syndergaard as a member of the team (Thor didn’t make the 2nd team either). Bottom line here is BA has him as one of the top five starters in the minors 2014 majors.
Ken Davidoff on Yankees options for SS in 2014 – Ruben Tejada, SS. We know the Mets are down on him. Still, they have little financial motivation to give up on him. He turns 24 in the offseason. http://nypost.com/2013/09/12/if-no-a-rod-jeter-candidates-for-2014-yankees-infield/
Mack – Tejada is not a free agent and this scenario would take some kind of trade. Also, the Yanks do not have any prospect in the system that could rise to the major league level for at least three plus years. Any replacement for Derek Jeter will have to come from outside the system and we all know they are trying to reduce their future salary, not add a Tulo-type contract to this position.
These two teams trade with each other as often as Obama and Putin dance with each other. The problem is both want to lead. I can’t see this.
Erik Hudson sent -
With all the good young pitching in the system, it would love to see them get Duncan. From MLB Trade Rumors: Former Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan isn't sure whether he wants to return to baseball, but he's listening, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "I’ve had several clubs call me and talk to me not so much about coaching, but joining them in some other capacity," says Duncan. "I really don’t think I would coach again — not right now, anyway. But if someone is interested, I’d listen to whatever they’re thinking about." Duncan left the game in January 2012 as his wife Jeanine was suffering from cancer. Duncan still has an excellent reputation as a pitching coach, but he does not want to return to coaching, calling it "a grind." Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
From: Michi L. -
Hey Mack, with the Mets are that horrible the last few weeks I can’t wait till the season is over. So I’m already thinking about the 2014 OF and would love to hear your steadily interesting opinion. So would do your think about:
1. Bringing back Young as 4th OF and pinch runner
2. Sign Choo for about 40/3years and play him RF
3. Let Juan Lagares play in CF
4. Sign Corey Hart for maybe 20/2years
5. Let Puello develop in Vegas
Lineup: - Choo RF, Murphy, Wright, Hart LF, d'Arnaud, Davis, SS, Lagares CF
and after promotions
Choo CF, Murphy, Wright, Hart LF, d'Arnaud, Davis, SS, Puello RF
Mack – Well. First of all, thanks for the email.
I like the direction you are going. The 2014 Mets need at least two new every day outfielders f they want to compete. Choo and Hart would be a good start in that direction. I like Choo and Beltran, but I’d be very happy with your plan.
I think the Mets are committed (right now) to an opening day CF platoon of Lagares and den Dekker, so we might as well get used to it. I project Puello much higher than an 8th hitter, but I thought d’Arnaud would be impressing us right now and he clearly isn’t.
Keep those emails coming.
21 comments:
I don't see Choo signing that deal. The free agent market is weak and those few good, not great, players available will get stupid contracts like always and remember he's a Boras client. The question is are we better off with a Beltran/Byrd signing with them getting more money per year but for only 1 or 2 years to help in 14' while Puello, Lawley, Lagares and DenDecker hopefully progress. I'm staying with my thought that we have to improve SS and I'm still not sure about our three-headed first base situation. We will only get better if most our young guys improve while filling in with Beltran/Byrd type free agents short term with fingers crossed about Sandy's BIG off season plans.
I would be happy if they added 2 outfielders like Choo and Hart. I'm also a fan of Granderson and I think his left handed power bat could help the team from having to rely on 1B.
What kind of contract do you think Nelson Cruz will be looking for this offseason? I could see the rangers moving on and going after Beltran. I hate Cruz's defense but could we live with it if we have Choo and Lagares out there with him. His bat would fit nicely hitting cleanup if we could get him on a 1 or 2 year deal.
The guy I like the most is Dexter Fowler but I don't see this team parting with the pitching to obtain him with the health concerns surrounding most of the arms in the organization. Maybe moving Gee & Flores + a prospect for him at the deadline if Puello or Lawley isn't progressing enough to be called up.
I just hope they target out 2 bats they want and go and get them. I don't want them waiting around for the leftovers.
I would just go get Cano and Beltran in free agency and trade for either starlin castro or Elvis Andrus...I would trade Flores, Ike, gee and ynoa for one of the shortstops. Put lagares in right and den dekker in center.
Lineup would be
1) Castro/Andrus
2) lagares
3) wright
4) cano
5) Beltran
6) Duda/ satin
7) den dekker
8) darnaud
That's a great offense and amazing defense... Yeah I know everyone will say the yanks won't let it happen, blah, blah, blah...but the metsies have to grab their balls and go out and get him for an 8yr $200 mill contract. They would make most of that money back with how many fannies would be put in the seats right away.... That's what they need to awaken the dormant fan base.
I'd really like to not sign anyone to a 4 year deal like Choo. I'd like a lineup of:
Andrus
Murphy
Wright
Granderson
Hart
Ike/Duda
d'Arnaud
Lagares
All depends on what it would take to get Andrus and offset his contract. He's still young and has a chance to continue to develop and be the guy who warranted that contract to begin with.
Broken record time - it's great to see Montero get this kind of recognition. His reputation around MLB should be pretty high and his trade value should be enough to make him an important piece in a trade package for a top hitter.
Texas can keep that Andrus contract.
Getting Dave Duncan would be a coup.
I'm not sure you can consider Hart an OF after having missed this season with a knee injury.
Choo is the big offseason question for the Mets. Cincy inflates offensive stats. But more of a concern is that he will be 32 next season. If Harvey has to miss next season then Choo won't team up with Harvey until he's 33. I don't see that as a wise use of limited assets. It just doesn't feel like a Sandy move.
I think the Mets will add salary but it will be for the SS and a starting pitcher. If Texas wants to clear some salary to add (say) Beltran and are willing to trade Andrus for salary relief (as opposed to top prospects) then that's the SS move that I think is realistic and worth the $$$ risk. I'm also in favor of adding Abreu to play first. Again, it's just money and not prospects (6yrs/$72mil?). These moves (hopefully) provide long term solutions at two positions and also create a surplus of players with which to deal for an OF.
My preferred 'add' at SP is Arroyo - the guy eats innings and has pitched in a hitters park and so should benefit from a switch to Citifield. He's 37 so shouldn't commend a long term commitment.
Arroyo would be good.
Choo had a pretty nice career playing in Cleveland as well.
Beltran's gotta sign with an AL squad. Anyway, at his age I wouldn't want to lose a second round pick for him in the event he gets tendered.
It feels like the Mets caught lightning in a bottle with Byrd. He's 36 and wouldn't want to bet on him repeating this glorious season.
I like Choo. But I think he's going to get a longer and more lucrative deal than will make sense for the Mets. If its a long term deal then I'd rather take the risk with younger players (I realize there is huge risk with Andrus and Abreu). I'm hoping the Mets continue to build a young core with which to compete and then fill holes with complimentary players on short term deals.
We're hoping for Arroyo? I remember a time when the Mets wouldn't even bother calling his agent.
The Mets have good pitching, but without Harvey there isn't a number one. Maybe not even a number two. Just some real good number 3 types in Niese and Wheeler, with the chance that Zach increases that with more seasoning.
We don't know what Montero and Thor will be when and if they get called up. They're prospects, which means they aren't sure things. Just look at what DarNo is giving the Mets right now. The Mets should sign a number 5 innings eater if they want to compete.
Sign someone that can stop a losing streak, a solid number two starter like Garza. Then, if everything works out, when the young guys come up, you can trade Dillon Gee in July and keep filling your system with more young talent.
As I know you know (since he was traded during the season), Garza's not subject to the QO thing so I guess he's going to get an astronomical deal. And I don't see the Mets devoting huge assets toward starting pitching. I agree with your thought process and like the idea of creating a surplus, but by July we will hopefully have that once Thor gets called up.
It's an interesting conversation - sad because the product on the field isn't.
Any money Garza gets will be diverted from the offense and he'll want more years than we're willing to give. Arroyo makes sense at less money and less years.
Everyone:
Frankly, I'm sort of done with all the speculation at this point in 2014. I guess the first objective is to get a guaranteed pick and then we'd take it from there.
There are so many pieces that are needed to make this team a top tier one. I'm going to wait and see the results of the Matt Harvey situation before I speculate any further. The Mets have to continue to build on their strengths an that is the rotation. They need to firm that up for 2014 first.
Without Harvey, I'm looking at Wheeler, Niese, Gee, Mejia and Montero... though, for some reasons, Mets pundits like Michael G. Baron are saying that Montero isn't ready for Queens in 2014. Didn't he pitch enough in 2013 at the AAA level? He did make the AAA all-star team.
I want my rotation firm and healthy and a guaranteed pick.
Then, I will turn to the rest of the positions.
I tend to agree Mack...
We're in September and there's a long way to go before anything solid happens in the off season. I also want a solid rotation, but I doubt Sandy would let Montero start the year in Queens.
They always want to prolong controllability with their younger players and that's fine in a losing season, but if he wants to contend and isn't able to get a starter in the off season that's better than Montero, he'll be making a major mistake. Why worry about 2020 when 2014 needs to be a winning year?
I know Garza is probably a pipe dream, but if Harvey is hurt all of next year, they will not make it to October with the rotation they have now and Bronson Arroyo. They'll need a legit top of the rotation starter.
Speculating about the Mets moves in the off season never gets old.
IMO Montero is clearly ready to face major league batters. He showed as much in spring training this year, and then reinforced it in Binghamton and Las Vegas (otherwise known as Pitcher's Purgatory) during this season. But Sandy clearly stated that he was going to sign a veteran starter this winter, so it would seem that Montero would not be slated to start the season in Citifield unless one of the other starters gets traded, or if Montero himself, is traded, since he is certainly a very desirable chip. Question . . which Mets starter (not named Harvey, Wheeler, or Syndergaard) would be the most desirable chip in a trade for an elite bat?
Regarding adding a vet starter, I am currently in the Arroyo camp. He is an innings eater who fits into the middle of the rotation and almost always gives his team a chance to win. I don't think there is any way Alderson is giving out a long term deal to a SP, 2 years at most. A 1 year incentive deal for Josh Johnson is also an intriguing option. There are a few other decent candidates for short term deals on the maeket, but Arroyo's my guy.
Regarding Davidoff's idea for a Tejada deal, I'd move him across town in a heartbeat if Sandy gets us a quality SS in trade, someone like Aybar, Andrus, Hardy . . . Tolu's too much to hope for. Would the Yanks give up Mark Montgomery and Aaron Judge in return for Tejada?
Herb:
I would expect that Niese would be the most desirable, though Gee might be the better pitcher at this point.
Lincecum is my guy.
How about Kazmir 2 yrs. $14 mil?
I always have a hard time turning the clock back.
I applaud what he has done this year, but this might be his last toot.
Mack,
I fear Lincecum is too fragile. And I don't think SA wants to go long term with any SP. Arroyo will give us plenty of innings, probably take 2 years, and at less money.
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