Mack Ade – Morning Report – 10-3-13 – Noah Syndergaard, Red Sox, EYJ, ARB List

 



11. Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets - Affiliate Team: Double-A Binghamton Mets  Age: 20  Ht/Wt: 6-6/240  Bats/Throws: L/R  Drafted: 1st Round (38th overall), 2010  Mets Minor Leagues - Syndergaard, following a solid 2012 season with Low Class A Lansing where he posted an 8-5 record with a 122/31 strikeout to walk ratio in 103.2 innings, has been ranked amongst the top pitching prospects in the minor leagues. A tall, sturdy frame allows Syndergaard to throw downhill with a plus mid-90s fastball that has decent movement. Syndergaard has showcased one of the better fastballs in the minors this season, an elite pitch that should propel him to the Mets’ big league rotation in the coming future. He maintains mid-90s velocity on his heater and is able to reach back for more if needed. Syndergaard delivers from an angle that gives the ball strong sink and deception, inducing groundballs and preventing batters from squaring up on the ball. His pitching arsenal not only includes a powerful heater, but also off-speed offerings such as a changeup and curveball that he throws hard and effectively. Syndergaard’s sound mechanics, pitch offerings, and ability to throw strikes will allow him to become a frontend starter for the Mets within the next couple seasons. http://baseballnewssource.com/prospects/bns-top-50-mlb-prospects-end-of-season-report-and-analysis/26685/22/

Mack - We're going to have to wait for this one.

This one is going nowhere. He projects better than Wheeler who projected better than Harvey.

Sadly, Sandy Alderson now has to put a plan together that doesn't include Harvey... ever. There is always the Mark Pryor possibility and you have to be ready for this.

I guarantee you will see a veteran arm (Santana, Dice-K, Arroyo, etc.) signed for 2014.

 

Because what doomed the Red Sox last season was less a lack of talent than clubhouse dysfunction, Cherington and his staff made a point to value character in their free-agent acquisitions. That was a strategy they knew from the start they would pursue. Whether those character players would agree to join a team with as much chaos in his recent history -- well, they were less certain about that. It wasn't until Cherington picked up the phone to talk to targets Jonny Gomes and David Ross -- the first two free agents signed last winter, and now two of the veteran leaders of the playoff-bound Red Sox -- that his mind was put at ease. http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/content/20131001-how-jonny-gomes-and-david-ross-set-the-tone-for-the-red-sox-last-offseason.ece

Mack - Gary  and I were on the phone two days ago discussing how it would be in the best interest for the Mets to follow what Boston did to rebuild their team. Now, a couple of days later, no one would believe us we thought of that before the stories were written...  lol

I look for 3-5 'building blocks of intermediate free agents in the 1-2 year range to turn this team around and make it immediatel competitive in 2014.

 

Eric Young Jr. has deficiencies in the outfield, namely a weak throwing arm and a hard time going back on the ball, but he’s also made a number of game-saving and inning-saving diving catches. The problem is, compared with Matt Den Dekker and the astounding Juan Lagares, Young’s fielding deficiencies seem particularly glaring. There are ample reasons to believe that Young, despite his weak batting average, could have a future atop the Mets lineup, especially if they acquire a power bat. A low batting average and a weak throwing arm in left field are hard to justify, even in a player who provides, hustle, electricity and a great example for younger players. Furthermore, having him in left field prohibits the acquisition of a power-hitting outfielder. Fortunately, Young is also a second baseman by trade. Moving Young to second base would have two primary effects: 1. It would free the Mets to use Wilmer Flores and/or Daniel Murphy, both promising hitters who are average defensive second basemen, as trade bait. Flores or Murphy, packaged with a pitching prospect or a draft pick, might be able to land the kind of power hitter the Mets really need. Ideally, they could acquire shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies, in exchange for a couple of young players and maybe the work-in-progress shortstop Ruben Tejada. And if they were to acquire a big hitter like Carlos Gonzalez without giving up Tejada, then the lineup would be strengthened enough to be worth giving Tejada a chance to right the ship. Then the Mets could move Lagares behind Young to provide a 1-2 speed combination at the top of the order. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/eric-young-jr-second-base-mets/38337#P6lcbAFyRurY9rfW.99  

A very interesting option if you can move both Murphy and Flores. You go from ann under-producting, poor defensive right fielder to a good production decent leadoff man... but you now have no starting outfieders except the two-headed defensive monster in center. Fill this is with tow new guys plus a Tulo deal at short and we might have something here.

 

A.J. Burnett certainly doesn’t look like an old-school baseball player. The Pirates right-hander’s arm are covered with tattoos, and when he takes the mound before the first inning of his starts at PNC Park, music from punk rocker Marilyn Manson blares over the sound system.         

The 36-year-old was also famous for wearing nipple rings when he broke into the major leagues with the Marlins.

Once you get past his appearance and drill down to the core – in those times when Burnett will provide a little window into his world – you find out he really is an old-fashioned player http://www.timesonline.com/sports/pirates/pirates-burnett-is-a-throw-back/article_47ec111c-c526-57e1-a7e0-0f29292be9da.html

 

Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke didn't know one another until this year and — even with their pedigrees — can't recall if they had ever spoken.

Their personalities, after all, are as different as the states from which they hail, the suburban Texas kid who exudes diplomacy and exercises restraint, and the Florida guy speaking without filter, no matter who it might offend. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/dodgers/2013/10/02/clayton-kershaw-zack-greinke-dodgers-greatest-1-2-punch/2912923/

 

Alderson has three men penciled into his 2014 rotation: Zack Wheeler (7-5, 3.42), Jon Niese (8-8, 3.71) and Dillon Gee (12-11, 3.62). If Harvey opts for surgery – the bet here is he eventually will – then the Mets will need to fill two spots. "We’ve got some guys coming off injury, like [Jenrry] Mejia, who pitched great for us in a limited sample," Alderson said. "But given the injury situation, I’m not sure how we count on him going forward without seeing more in spring training and what have you." But if you believe Alderson, the Mets will not be going after the biggest fish in the free agent pond. On Monday, he basically discounted a pursuit of a guy like Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. "I think we’re going to look for somebody that can pitch innings for us and fill those spots if we need to fill them while waiting for some of the other guys," Alderson said. Those other guys: Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom. They are the three latest studs to emerge from the club’s pitching-rich farm system. It is unlikely any of those young men will start the season at Citi, but the Mets are hopeful at least one of the three could join the major league team by midseason. - http://www.northjersey.com/sports/226256281_Mets_are_OK_with_their_pitching_Mets_OK_with_their_pitching.html#sthash.Z4gUuPkV.dpuf

Mets arbitration list:

Player	Service Time	2013 Salary	Projected 2014 Salary
Daniel Murphy	4.1	$2.9 million	$5.8 million
Ike Davis	3.1	$3.1 million	$3.5 million
Dillon Gee	3.0	$527,000	$3.4 million
Bobby Parnell	4.1	$1.7 million	$3.2 million
Eric Young Jr.	3.1	$490,000	$1.9 million
Lucas Duda	2.1	$520,000	$1.8 million
Scott Atchison	4.1	$700,000	$1.3 million
Ruben Tejada	2.1	$514,000	$1.0 million
Omar Quintanilla	4.1	$500,000	$900.000
Justin Turner	3.0	$504,000	$800,000
Mike Baxter	2.1	$500,000	$500,000