Mack’s Morning Report – 11/29 – 2018 Mets, Best Year Lineup, Druggies, Chris Young, Shortstop

 

There’s been a considerable amount of positive chatter here on Mack’s Mets about the long range future of the Mets system. None of us are thrilled with the limitations of the current budget being given to Sandy Alderson, but, at the same time, we must give credit to what he has accomplished via the draft, trades, and signing international free agents.

Below is what this team could look like come the 2018 season:

1B – Dominic Smith – ETA: 2018

2B – Dilson Herrera – ETA: 2017

SS – Amed Rosario – ETA: 2017

3B – David Wright

C – Travis d’Arnaud

LF – Cesar Puello – ETA: 2014

CF – Brandon Nimmo – ETA: 2017

RF – Wuilmer Beccera – ETA: 2018

 

There’s one other way we can look at this team… currently. What is the current starting lineup and the last ‘best year’ they have had in baseball?

            1B – Ike Davis:                   2012:                         MLB: 32-HR, 90-RBI

            2B – Wilmer Flores:          2013:                         AAA:  .321, 15-HR, 86-RBI        

            SS – Ruben Tejada            2012:                         MLB:  .289

            3B – David Wright            2013:                          MLB:  .307, 18-HR, 58-RBI

            C  - Travis d’Arnaud          2012:                           AAA:  .333, 16-HR, 52-RBI

            LF – Chris Young                2011:                           MLB:  20-HR, 71-RBI

            CF – Juan Lagares             2012:                           AA      .283

            RF – Cesar Puello              2013:                           AA      .326, 16-HR, 73-RBI

-sure, half of these stats were in the minors and the majority of them were not last season, but don’t let anybody tell you that this team doesn’t have a lot of hitting talent. They simply have to do it again, beginning in April, in the majors.

 

First it’s Jhonny Peralta. Now I read that OF Nelson Cruz is seeking a 4-year, $75 million dollar deal and I’m starting to figure this whole thing out. Basically, you take anything you can get your hands on before the last season you are under contract and, if you are tested and things come up positive, you take your 50 games in stride and just tell your agent to pump up the volume because there is going to be some dumb son of a bitch team to pay you what you want, right? I’m sure the players union would fight this, but we need at least a one-year suspension with full loss of pay to begin with. I also think baseball needs to come up with some kind of formula that limits the percentage of addition salary a druggie can get on a new contract. That’s right, a druggie. These are professional ballplayers breaking the rules and altering their performance for nothing more than personal gain. But let’s be clear… there is no one more wrong here than teams like St. Louis that are willing to pay this kind of bloated salary to cheats and liars. 

 

I managed to catch OF Chris Young live on MLB-TV on Wednesday morning and it was interesting that he said that Sandy Alderson gave him a promise that he would play every day and ‘he would get his 600 at-bats’ next season. That was a lot more than Alderson said last week to reporters. My assumption is Young is reporting this correctly and Alderson was easing all of us into this decision. More slickness by Sandy. Boy, I get sick of all this syrup. 

 

Alderson on Shortstop:

“So is it conceivable that Ruben Tejada or someone within in the organization is playing shortstop for us on Opening Day? I think the short answer is yes. But, again, what we’re trying to do is improve the team as a whole. And so while shortstop is an obvious place for improvement, it’s not the only one. And if we’re successful elsewhere, as many clubs do, they get by on their strengths and hope to be as adequate as possible in those areas where they’re weaker.”

Mack – It amazes me how much Sandy Alderson is sounding like a politician these days. I guess you do reach a time when you realize that it wouldn’t kill you to say something nice about the ballplayers you already have on your team, especially when you are also beginning to realize that the market for a decent free agent shortstop is quickly coming to an end. Now, go back and read the paragraph again and you’ll see what a half-assed attempt it was for saying something nice about Tejada.

I would like to see Tejada get another shot but it’s not going to work unless somebody starts publically believing in this kid. There was no problem here two years ago so there easily could be no problem this year. Age doesn’t come into play, only confidence, team acceptance, and attitude.

It is so important that guys like Tejada, Ike Davis, and Travis d’Arnaud get off to a good start. It’s no guarantee for a great season (remember John Buck’s start last year), but these guys have already proven they have the talent to succeed at this level. All they have to do is to remember how to do I again.