Coming
Later Today –
9 30 am – Herb G
– Minor League Report
10 30 am - St. Lucie 7 - Fort Myers 4
11 30 am - Binghamton 6 - Richmond 0
10 30 am - St. Lucie 7 - Fort Myers 4
11 30 am - Binghamton 6 - Richmond 0
3
00 pm - 2015 Draft Profile - SS - Brendan Rodgers -
Lake Mary (FL) HS
Morning.
I'm not going to say that the complete game shutout last night was a season changer for the team; however, this might be the defining moment that begins the Wheeler-era.
You simply can't pitch better than this one and, as we all know, confidence is half the game. The 2015 season just got a lot brighter with this victory from a major member of the future rotation.
I'm not going to say that the complete game shutout last night was a season changer for the team; however, this might be the defining moment that begins the Wheeler-era.
You simply can't pitch better than this one and, as we all know, confidence is half the game. The 2015 season just got a lot brighter with this victory from a major member of the future rotation.
Mets Signed 20 yr old Dominican SS Cecilio Aybar. At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Aybar
is a 70 runner on the 20-80 scale, has a plus arm and is an excellent athlete.
The rest of his game remains raw, and even with his more advanced age, his lack
of experience is evident in his inconsistent hitting and overall feel for the
game, though he’s made progress with his defense over the past year. The Mets
had $251,100 left in their international pool fund and the remainder of that
sum is going to Aybar. http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mets-sign-dominican-shortstop-cecilio-aybar/
John Looby asked -
Mack, I'm very interested to hear your
thoughts on SS. In my opinion any money that we have to spend needs to go on
the best free agent available. Hopefully they can lead off as well. A 3-4 year
deal would be a nice lead in to one of Cecchini, Rosario, Giullorme or Ramos.
Mack –
Morning, John.
At the risk of sounding
redundant, the solution here from the beginning was Stephen Drew. A two or three year contract
to him would fit in perfectly with the prospects coming through the pipeline;
however, I can’t seem to get any read any longer on what the Alderson plan for
multiple year contracts is. They seem to be okay for anyone he wants to sign,
but an excuse for the rest of the world.
Ironically, Drew will be
available again this off season via free agency. First, it will interesting to
see if he keeps Scott Boras as his agent.
Past Drew, I’m not that excited
about the free agent list. Maybe J.J. Hardy. I don’t know.
I still want to believe that
Alderson can orchestrate a trading season deal for one of the excess young
shortstops we have discussed (Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius, etc.) before. The Mets have the pitching (Jacob deGrom) to get this done.
Regarding the prospects in the
system, that’s still all guesswork at this point, but Rosario looks the most
talented, especially with a bat.
Lastly, it’s rare to find a
shortstop with power (A-Rod, Tulo). Don’t worry about that here. The Mets need
to solve this dark cloud that sits above them daily and get on to other ways of
improving this team.
Steve from Norfolk said...
Mack,
I saw on Pravda (Metsblog) that Hefner is throwing a full bullpen Sunday. He
was pitching very well last year before he got hurt. Do you think we'll see him
in Queens this year, and if he looks good, what do you think we could get for
him?
Mack –
MetsBlog? What’s that?
Throwing a ‘full bullpen’ is
always a good sign. It’s even better if you survive it.o
It sounds to me like he’s close
to coming back, but I expect quite an extensive rehab through a couple of
affiliates first. That would target any return for, the earliest, the beginning
of August.
I always liked him as a long
man, but he could be a wonderful SP5 in a losing season, to fill in for someone
like Jacob deGrom after he was traded.
Long range, I don’t see him
having any chance of being part of the 2015 Mets rotation.
“Wilmer Flores batting
8th in front of Bartolo while Teagarden is hitting 7th”.
It is extremely hard to find a more mismanaged baseball
player in the history of this game.
You have a 22-year old that hit .321, 15-HR, 86-RBI last year
in AAA… he followed that this season hitting .307 at the same level… at 23
years old.
Can you imagine any team completely disregarding this job well
done and not playing this power hitting league leading RBI produced SHORTSTOP…
I said… SHORTSTOP… ???
Would it kill you in this miserable season to let this guy
play?
And if trading him is your goal, how in the hell can you trade
him if he’s not even good enough for you to play him?
I simply have never seen anything this disrespectful in the
game of baseball. Flores may never win a golden Glove at any level (at any
position), but damn it, he did everything you asked him to do.
What in the hell is wrong with 86-RBIs for a 22-year old?
I was told today that Toronto
is interested in Jon Niese… makes sense to me… lefty, relatively young, cheap contract,
currently healthy.
Jose Reyes is their long term shortstop.
There really is no other one in the system… in fact, their whole minor league
system is pretty wiped out. Outfield wise, do you want Anthony Gose?
I don’t see the fit.
Mack, could not agree with you more on Flores. You quote his #'s last year - as perhaps the youngest regular in that league last year - and those are very good #'s - but he had a weak April 2013 in his initiation into AAA, so he actually hit BETTER than what his overall stats indicate for most of the season - an 80 game stretch from start of May to mid-August where he hit .340 with 70+ RBIs. Basically like Miguel Cabrera #'s. #'s Tejada could not achieve in Kingsport.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that, their not playing him, and then batting him 8th, is criminal. d'Arnaud is totally tearing it up - when he returns, having him and Flores in the line up 80% of the time would HAVE to help this punch-and-judy offense.
Chris Young doubled last night. Whoopee. What has he done, this year and last? Comprising virtually a full season's work, with over 560 plate appearances, he has hit .199 in 508 official at bats. 52 walks, giving him an on base % over that span of .279, which would be a nice batting average, with a .356 slug % and 134 K's. Question 1: Why is he playing? Question 2: Why is he still on this team? Question 3: Will they release him when Lagares returns soon, or do the "prudent" thing and send down Eric Campbell for more "seasoning"?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion we have 3 big holes that need to be filled this off-season. A) SS, B) LF, C) a #4 hitter.
ReplyDeleteOur primary SS target this off-season should be 28 yr old Astrubal Cabrera.
Career Averages in 162 Games per season
.270 AVG, 15 HR, 75 RBI, 10 SB, 17% K rate, 7.6% BB rate.
Very reasonable numbers which is something we haven't had here in years. Hanley Ramirez is going to be the cream of the SS crop and he + Jed Lawrie will hog up all the attention which could allow us to sneak in and grab Cabrera.
Soto,
DeleteIn my opinion you left off 1b as a need. Despite a surge lately I'm not confident that Duda is a 1b on a competing team. I got Zero with a capital Z confidence in him in a key spot with men on base.
@Tom
ReplyDeleteI personally think Young is playing for his lifeline right now.....
I think he's DFA'd and released when Lagares returns. The club loves Campbell's versatility
Mack,
ReplyDeleteThe Mets really can't afford to trade Niese, I just don't theink a rotation of all RHP is wise. Alderson (probably as per the instruction of Jeffy Wilpon, maybe misreading the market prices) made a huge mistake in not outbidding Billy Beane for Scott Kazmir. Not that I or anyone else predicted he would have a Cy Young-type year, and not that Big Bartolo hasn't pitched well (because he has) but because of the lack of LHP and anothe LH starter. Inking Kazmir would have provided more balance in the rotation and the flexibility to deal Niese if the opportunity arose.
Kudos to Wheeler, that was a great game, and hopefully he can step it up a little vs. teams not named the Marlins, as his ERA vs the rest of baseball this year is over 5.00. Anyhow, we Met fans place so much focus on our prospects, often times overrating them. The Marlins have as much, if not more, elite pitching prospects, they have a 24 year old MVP slugger in Stanton, and several other good young OF. While Alderson lets Flores rot on the pines, his grand "plan" needs work to catch up to what the Marlins have right now, no less the Nats and Braves.
Flores, C. Young, and Campbell; I couldn't agree more with your comments on Flores. I get that TC is as sick of losing as everyone else and at this point is sick of "developing" players. However, whenever Flores comes to bat I feel like I'm watching a hitter who can do some damage. Let the kid play.
ReplyDeleteC. Young is a symptom of the Wilpon payroll restrictions and the budgetary limits Alderson has to work with. Sandy always seems to have to try to find that diamond in the rough like Scott Hairston, Marlon Byrd, and now C. Young. Hairston and Byrd worked at significantly lower money. Young is not but does Alderson have the ability to eat the remainder of that contract and move on when Lagares returns? Give Campbell a chance in LF with some playing time mixed in for EYJ.
Hanley Ramirez this offseason is probably the only chance the Mets have of getting any butts in seats next year if this year continues the way it does. Fills a major hole that seem very far from filling internally. In the Minaya years you know that would be a major target. Time to open the chest. Our payroll is $50 million less than it was, time to get off the pot.
ReplyDeleteTell the Jays we want Melky Cabrera for Niese and see how bad they want him. He's the only player on their roster I can see that is a match for our needs.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. Then again, with the Jays, you never know!
ReplyDeleteMack
ReplyDeleteBravo, ... round of applause... my hat is off to you...
You have summed up the Flores situation completely.
Those responsible for how Flores has been handled this year are the problem here with the Mets.
Whether it is Collins choosing to sit him and then bat him so low in the batting order. Or if it is Alderson pulling the strings, telling Collins what to do.
Something that appears so simple to EVERYBODY else, being done soooooo terribly wrong, is symbolic of so much of the Met organization during the past few years.
Those responsible need to go, or there is no hope for this organization.
I don't know.......at this point. ........I think the bottom line is that the front office is simply abusing and taking advantage of Flores being young.....they screw with him again all year. Then, next year, maybe tejada or murph will be gone, and poor mouth piece terry collins will publicly start stating the teams 'confidence' in Flores as an every day player.............
ReplyDeleteIf he was on the marlins type organization, he'd been playing every day since last year. .
Thomas -
ReplyDeleteMorning all.
I have no explanation why Flores doesn't get to play every day. I just don't.
TP -
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with you about Niese... I just fill these morning reports with what I hear and offer up opinios on both sides of the fence sometimes.
TP -
ReplyDeleteGive Wheeler credit when credit is due... the Marlins have been one of the better offenses this year.
Dallas -
ReplyDeleteWAKE UP... you're dreaming again :)
Mack,
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, I am giving Wheeler credit. I didn't mean that as a knock on the Marlins' offense, which is actually good, nor was it a knock on Zack. I just meant that for whatever reason he is able to dominate that one team and be not so good vs. others, so a little more success vs. non-Marlins teams will be the next step to consistent quality pitching.
TP -
ReplyDeleteYou are right and that strengthens my theory that half this game is in your head.
When I mentioned Cabrera before, I didn't realize he was an FA this offseason. With all the OF's we have coming up over the next 2 years, he'd be a nice 1 or 2 year sign, Of course, someone will have to loan Fred the money.
ReplyDeleteMack,
ReplyDeleteThink we should go for Yasmani Tomas, the new Cuban defector? He's supposed to have mad power, but needs some polish in AAA. Not that I think the Won'tpons will spend the money, but he looks like he could be too good to pass up, and maybe cheaper than Abreu was.
Steve -
ReplyDeleteYes I do, if for no other reason than to make a statement. The current Mets just don't have the players to contend.
This team needs two players with 'mad power'... everything would change.
Question: How many people bitched and moaned when I brought up the name Nelson Cruz?
What would this team's W-L record be with his current stats in our lineup this year?
Too much time is spent with personal opinions about players that are going to be paid with money not out of your own pockets.
I don't expect the Wilpons to do anything here. It's just how they operate.
Mack
ReplyDeleteabsolutely with you on the Nelson Cruz statement.
Imagine if Alderson just made 3 free agent signings this year.
Abreu for 1b
Cruz for of
Drew for SS
Bob - you have these 3 players in the lineup - all year - attendance would be 35-40K+ every game and this team would be making money
ReplyDeleteI can't believe they are so shortsighted
I was about to say something about Cruz' HR total shrinking at Citi Field, but Oriole Park's dimensions are about the same. We sure missed on that call!
ReplyDeleteLook, a lot of teams passed on Cruz and the 14mil, but the point is everyone jumped... wrong kind of player... too old... struck out too much...
ReplyDeletewhy does everyone have to take a magnifying glass to stats?
If a baseball player gets three hits every ten at bats, I could care how he makes out the other seven at bats.
Let's remember something... the Mets signed Chris Young, Curtis Granderson, and Bartolo Colon.
It could have been Cruz, Abreu, and Drew...
Alderson, in all his wisdom, picked the wrong guys (coupled with the fact that the Wilpons would have never spent the $45mil+ to sign these three guys).
In his defense, he at least signed them