11/17/13

'The War Room' - Home Grown



We really have sort of run out of questions at this point, haven't we?

I wrote the other day about abandoning this whole 'let's go out and buy some other team's FA' and, instead, concentrate on promoting from within, drafting better players, increasing our commitment to the International free agent process, and trading excess prospects for ones that play positions we need to plug a hole.

I really don't care that the Dodgers have 4 outfielders... I want Joc Peterson from their system.

I'm starting to feel we should trade one of our first basemen for either an outfielder, relief pitcher, SP5, or shortstop (Davis or Duda)... then, let the other fight it out with Flores in camp for the starting 1Bman.

Leave Murphy at 2B, give Tejada another year at SS, and Wright on 3B.

I want to see a new RFer via either a trade for one of our young pitchers in AAA/AA/A+, or one of our 1Bman...  than I will live with Young until until Puello comes up.

Keep the 2nd round pick... concentrate the 2014 year on pitching by bringing up Montero and Syndergaard when ready... possibly convert Mejia at that point to the pen.

Sign up Gee for a 3-4 year deal.

Feel free to use this post for your thoughts and discussions.

Just a new approach to tear apart on a Sunday afternoon.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the same approach that the Mets have used over the past several years. It has not worked at all. If we now have money to spend, why would you not want to get better players to improve the team? If you want to win a championship, you need star players. Offensively, we have one star player right now. I don't think the farm system has a lot of star offensive players on their way right now.

Mack Ade said...

I understand how you feel.

I'm just throwing out a question for everyone to hash around.

That's why it's called the 'War' room :)

Anonymous said...

Trade for 2 outfielders who are blocked at their current team. Colorado (Cargo, Fowler and Cuddyer), Dodgers(Crawford, Kemp, Ethier, Puig) to name a few are loaded with OF-ers and have a few blocked players who could be helpful to the Mets.

Sign 2 SP for a year. Montero and Syndergaard should be ready during the 2014 season and those 2signed pitchers should be nice pieces to trade around the ASB. Would a guy like Josh Johnson sign with the Mets for $4M knowing he will be traded to a contender. He "only" needs to pitch like he can pitch (like a #2). He kind of has a guaranteed spot in the rotation and being traded to a contender makes the
rest of the season a nice bonus. This also boosts his value for next winter. Perhaps Phil Hughes as the other?

Trade Flores, Murphy and Davis or Duda. (Or keep Flores or Murphy to play 2nd and put Young in LF. Works for me aswell. But Murphy has value in a trade....)

TDA
Davis or Duda/Satin
Young
Tejada
Wright
OF-er #1 out of a trade or FA for a year
Lagares
OF-er #2 out of a trade or FA for a year

Rotation, Wheeler, Niese, Gee, SP#4 signed for a year, SP#5 signed for a year.

Pen, Parnell, Black, Familia, Torres, Edgin, (and hopefully) Feliciano and Hawkins

Bench, Recker, Den Dekker, Turner, Satin and Brown

Next winter (so after the 2014 season) the Mets are ready to deal starters. Wheeler, Niese, Gee, Montero and Syndergaard end 2014 as the rotation. Perhaps some are on a limit but I think you get the picture. Harvey and Hefner most likely will be recovered from TJS. I hope the Mets stretch out Mejia in Las Vegas. DeGrom should play in Las Vegas in 2014. Perhaps Verrett, Gorski and Mazzoni prove they mastered AAA and are also ready for MLB action. That could, in
theory, be a 12 man rotation after the 2014 season. Matz, Ynoa, Fulmer, Lara and hopefully Mateo will end the season in Binghamton so those 5 should open AAA in 2015.

I think the Mets can be in the position to trade Wheeler and Gee/Montero and get a boatload of prospects (like the Rays did last winter with Myers, Odorizzi and Montgomery).

Next winter the rotation could be Harvey, Niese, Syndergaard, Mejia and Gee/Montero. DeGrom, Verrett, Gorski and Mazzoni at AAA.

I know, theory on the SP depth.

Mack, next week something about the Rule 5 draft. And perhaps players the Mets could take in that draft?

Jonah

Mack Ade said...

Jonah -

Thanks for your comments. They make sense.

Please sign up on this site so you don't have to post as 'anonymous'

jonah said...

Mack, what do you offer to get Peterson from the Dodgers. They need somebody at 3rd. Murphy enough?

Mack Ade said...

On the surface, Murphy should be enough but the Mets have 10-12 AAA/AA/A+ SP options they could throw in for his deal.

I would probably keep Flores because he has the potential of giving the Mets 20-30 HRs a year.

Throw in someone like Gorski, Lara, Mazzoni, Cessa. It wouldn't hurt you in the long run to go 1-for-2

Reese Kaplan said...

Agreed. They want to pretend Gorski wasn't lights out 2 of the last 3 seasons. Use him as a chip.

Unknown said...

Mack

How does Peterson compare to Puello, weren't their AA numbers last year close before the suspension?

Are you thinking a Puello, Peterson, Lagares outfield?

With KC possibly not having Santana back and losing Shields the following, pitching could get you Gordon.

steve said...

Im really getting pissed at the FO. They say one thing do another,leak stuff out then withdraw. Mack I wish the Mets could be all home grown. But when you go cheap on the draft instead of High end,this is what you get.

Mack Ade said...

I believe that Peterson offers a little more talent overall than Puello and, yes, I would like an outfield of the two of them plus Lagares

Gordon also would be great acquisition.

Look, the future of this team is NOT through free agency. It's internal and trades.

There is enough internal talent right now to get BOTH Gordon and Peterson and not hurt this team

jonah said...

Mack, how do you both get Gordon and Peterson without hurting this team in the future?

Mack Ade said...

Read Michael Scannell's post tomorrow on how to get Gordonn

Herb G said...

I'd like to see Michael's post on a practical way to get Gordon, because he would be a fine acquisition but I have discounted him thus far.

Meanwhile, my currently doable plan would be:

Trade Murphy, Gee, and 2 good prospects to the Dodgerss for Ethier and Pederson.

Trade Duda and a prospect to the Rays for Hellickson (or Odorizzi, Colome or Romero) to replace Gee.

Sign David Murphy for LF

Wait out Peralta until his price is reasonable, and if he doesn't come down trade for one of the many shortstops who are said to be on the market. (Aybar, Asdrubal Cabrera, Andrus/Profar, Lowrie, Hardy, etc.)

Keep Davis and Montero.

I have:

1B - Davis
2B - Young
SS - Peralta or trade
3B - Wright
LF - David Murphy
CF - Lagares
RF - Ethier
C - d'Arnaud

Rotation: Wheeler, Niese, Hellickson, Mejia, Montero.

I can field a solid bull pen internally, although I would probably bring back Hawkins to provide some age to a young corps.

I'd have both Pederson and Puello in Vegas waiting for a call.

Michael S. said...

Thanks for the promo Mack :).

On your point re: Pederson, he'd be my choice...I just worry that LA is more likely to ask for the moon for him and push one of the more expensive OF on us.

Michael S. said...

Herb-

Just as an FYI on Gordon, their offseason needs happen to lineup with what the Mets have.

Michael S. said...

Pederson is the superior player to Puello at this point. He can play CF and will eventually be able to hit anywhere from 2-6 in the lineup.

Mack Ade said...

Guys...

I believe that Cesar Puello has the talent to start and do well in the majors.

I also believe that Brandon Nimmo has the tools and moxie to play beginning in 2017, 2018 latest.

Past that, someone is going to have to come out of the shadows and impress me the way Lagares did.

Is Lagares for real?

I'll tell you this... if he is, it's going to be a lot easier to build this team

jonah said...

Can Lawley play LF? He has power but can he play any D in LF?

Michael S. said...

I think Nimmo showed a lot when healthy this year and is going to put up major numbers when he eventually makes it to AA.

I think Lagares unfortunately is only a 4th OF.

Mack Ade said...

So far, Lawley has played pleny of LF

Unknown said...

I am concerned that Terry Collins won't allow any of the young talent an opportunity to prove themselves capable of playing at the major league level. If Peterson or Puello had a slump they would be benched for the Brown, Baxter type veteran that Collins so loves to play.

jd said...

Love the Pederson idea. Lagares Puello, Pederson. Also, love the idea of Josh Johnson holding the fort for half or all of the year. Two ideas I've been kicking around: 1.) a trade for Profar. Does Wheeler get that done? Does it make sense? 2.)Going all out and spending on Tanaka. Gives you room to move some starting pitching for a ss or of. Plus gives the Mets a whole new fan base and income stream. Thoughts Mack?

Mack Ade said...

JD:

My comments on Tanaka are simple... Alderson is not going to get involved with him so I don't need to evaluate him.

Re Profar... I've said this before. I just don't see what is special about this guy. He has never hit above .286 (2011 - in the SAL league) and hit .234 last yr. for Texas. You tell me what I'm missing.

Michael S. said...

Profar is more of a tools/traditional scouting guy. IMO, he's not worth what it would take to get him.

Craig Brown said...

Good afternoon guys

If guys like Peralta are demanding 15m per, then I would be all for giving the current core another year...

But I would still expect them to spend the 30 or 35 million they have on depth. They could sign 5 guys at around 7-8 per year.

If you replace Mike Baxter, Omar Quintinilla, Andrew Brown, Greg Burke, and Anthony Recker with 5 real live major league baseball players---and then Davis, and Tejada turn their careers around...this team could easily add 10-15 wins.

Mack Ade said...

I absolutely agree with you Craig.

Hobie said...

So I start playing games like this ….

TBAY GIVES: Pace, Zobrist
TBAY GETS: Duda, Flores, Puello, Ynoa, Z.Lee

LADs GIVE: Pederson, Z.Lee
LADS GET: Montero, Zobrist, Pawlecki

METS GIVE: Montero, Duda, Flores, Puello, Ynoa, Pawlecki
METS GET: Pace, Pederson

…and wind up asking myself. “Is Pederson’s ceiling THAT much higher than Puello?” and “Even if Pace is > Montero + Ynoa, is he ‘Flores + Pawlecki’ better?”

So I’m bsck to: trade Ike +… for Cuddyer,
sign Carlos & a FA SP,
live with Tejada/Tovar for the year,
platoon EYJ/Puello & Lagares/denD until we find out who cuts it.

TP said...

Mack,
I wholeheartedly agree that you cannot build a team with FAs, that must be done through the system and trades. BUT, the Cards and Red Sox, the finalists this year, both touted for their systems, bought their big bats. I will not be disappointed if Alderson does not sign Choo or Elisbury, I wouldn't either at the current asking prices. I will be disappointed if he fields a team on opening day 2014 with even one significant hole. They do need to upgrade at SS, and someone that can handle the bat a little, not Tulo level, but not a #8 hitter. I would like to give Lagares the CF job, but he needs to be slotted into the #8. I would like to give TDA the job but he needs to be slotted into the #7. The survivor at 1B needs to hit #6. DW is #3. They need to add a legit #4 and #5. I like Murph but if it takes dealing him to get the #4 then so be it.

Herb G said...

Michael - I see what you mean about KCR and NYM matching up. We can talk about your suggestions tomorrow.

Mack Ade said...

TP -

We just agree to disagree on Tejada.

I think the kid got a raw deal from TC and deserves a 2nd chance