From
Baseball America –
The current
Collective Bargaining Agreement and its bonus pools have created incentives for
teams to select high school players early in the draft before spending less in
the back half of the top 10 rounds, and 2014 saw the most aggressive use of
that strategy in the three years under the current CBA. Nearly half of the high
school players drafted in the top 10 rounds (47.1 percent) went in the top two
rounds. More prep players went in the first 89 picks (43) than in the next 225
picks (42). The percentage of high school players taken in each round fell in
every round in the top 10 (with the exception of ties). Only one high school
player was selected in the senior-heavy 10th round. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/draft-report-cards-vitals/
Mack
– And guess what team was ranked first in 2014, with the drafting of 35.7% of
their picks out of high school?
Read
this very interesting article.
Eric
Young, left field -
Young led the Mets in steals (30) — and was tied for 12th in MLB — but
that’s about the only positive for him. Young is a fourth outfielder who would
be a nice bench player on a winning ball club. With the Mets, he got 77 starts.
Left field, along with short, is the biggest need for the team. By the end of
the season, Kirk Nieuwenhuis — a fourth
outfielder in his own right — was often playing in Young’s stead. Grade: D
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/mlb/2014/09/30/mets-2014-report-card/
Mack
– Remember, I didn’t write this. The fact is Matt
den Dekker finished
the season ‘playing in Young’s stead’. I thought this was a decent secondary
trade, especially since they traded a washed up pitcher for Young (sic), but I
never considered him having either star or starting potential. Don’t get me
wrong… I love his speed and sometimes he reminds me of Jose Reyes when he’s up,
but the end result just isn’t there. Young will never be more than a .220-.230
hitter and the Mets have enough of them.
My
guess is three outfielders are safe for opening day 2015… Curtis Granderson, Juan Lagares, and super-sub Eric Campbell. Den Dekker is probably also
safe but the Mets still need a fifth outfielder. It really shouldn’t be Young
anymore.
LJ
Mazzilli had a strong
finish to the season in Advanced-A and made a cameo in Triple-A during the
minor league playoffs. The Mets need to find out if he can be productive
against pitchers with big league stuff, and that's why he's going to the AFL.
Mazzilli will likely start 2015 in Double-A, so a stint in the AFL will prepare
him for that. - http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2014/10/07/arizona-fall-league-preview-for-new-york-mets-prospects/#slide_3
Jarred
Cosart - I’ve long been suspicious of
Cosart because there hasn’t really been a change worth pointing to in the
National League. He didn’t change his release point, his spot on the rubber, or
his pitching mix with the Marlins, and yet his results started to improve. And
it doesn’t help too much to point to his curveball, because we know his
cutter/curve combo is decent from a stuff standpoint. But if a pitching-starved
team let Cosart go, even if the return was decent, it does throw some shade on
his upside. Especially since that command has been so bad for so long. But!
Nice curve! Despite the below-average whiff rate (7.4%)! http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/finding-the-next-collin-mchugh-with-spin-rates/
After a
disappointing end to what was once a promising season, many people think the
Oakland Athletics will be looking to make offseason moves. Their right fielder,
Josh Reddick, would be a good, inexpensive
option for the Mets to pursue.
2014: $2.7mil-ARB/1 – FA/2017 – 27/yrs old –
363-AB, .264/.319/.446/765, 12-HR, 54-RBI, 16-doubles, 1-SB
Josh Reddick
has power, speed and athleticism. He’s become known for wall-scaling catches in
Oakland’s spacious outfield, and he’s got an excellent arm in right field. A
lefty, Reddick has batted second as well as in the bottom third of the A’s
lineup. He’s only had one year that’s particularly impressive at the plate, but
this is partly because of injuries and the A’s tendency to platoon nearly
everyone. His strikeout totals are concerning, but there are signs he can be
coached out of that as he’s only 27 years old and on the front end of his peak
years. And he’s currently only making $2.7 million with the A’s, which makes
him a proverbial steal given his age, upside and established talents.
Even if Josh
Reddick didn’t improve greatly as a hitter, he’d make the Mets’ outfield
defense even more solid. In a pitcher’s park, with a pitching-heavy roster,
this is no small consideration. If Reddick blossomed into a viable option
behind leadoff, he’d be a dangerous table-setter with power and speed.
Otherwise, he’d be as good of a seven or eight hitter as there is in the
National League, giving protection to Daniel Murphy, David Wright, Duda and Travis
d’Arnaud. Because he’s a known commodity but not yet a superstar, the Athletics
couldn’t ask for the farm for him. And he’s comfortable playing under pressure
and in big moments, which is exactly the kind of trait the Mets need more of. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/mets-consider-pursuing-josh-reddick/44175#T8uRs7qpZV22ELyC.99
Mack
– Here’s a new name that we haven’t discussed in quite a while. He would be the
perfect defensive compliment in right field to Juan Lagares in center and, he probably
would hit a little better also. These are the kind of skilled athletes I want
on my team. They don’t all have to be superstars. They just have to pull their
weight.
Vic
Black - Black is definitely a keeper,
as he can add incredible depth to the back end of the Mets' bullpen. He may
struggle with his control at times, but he has the stuff to pitch his way out
of trouble when he walks a couple of batters. He won't be the team's closer
next year, but he'll be a useful setup man. Of course, Black could be an
interesting trade chip as well, as he has the stuff and the desire to be a
closer somewhere else. http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2014/10/10/determining-fate-for-each-member-of-new-york-mets-bullpen-in-2015/#slide_25
Mack
– Yes, these are old articles, but I just use them sometimes so I can tell you
my thoughts on these players. Black is the kind of reliever that never gets the
credit but all great bullpens have at least two pitchers like this that fill in
the back end of the pen. They also can emergency close and especially come in
handy on long, extra inning games. I really like this guy.
John Sickles’
‘Pitching Sleepers’:
Chase Anderson, RHP, Arizona
Diamondbacks
David
Buchanan, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Jacob
deGrom, RHP, New York Mets
Shane
Greene, RHP, New York Yankees
Mike Fiers,
RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Kyle
Hendricks, RHP, Chicago Cubs
T.J. House,
LHP, Cleveland Indians
Corey
Kluber, RHP, Cleveland Indians
Collin
McHugh, RHP, Houston Astros
Zach Putnam,
RHP, Chicago White Sox
Tanner
Roark, RHP, Washington Nationals
Matt
Shoemaker, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Chase
Whitley, RHP, New York Yankees
11 comments:
Reddick may not be as good as den Dekker. Sure, he's proven it longer on the major league level and possibly has a bit more pop, but a .319 on base and 1 steal is less than what den Dekker will provide. Too bad he is a lefty, and I do not know enough about Reddick otherwise to be more definitive.
This goes back to why I wish they'd have recalled Dekker 3 or 4 weeks sooner. A longer "audition period" would have proved greater clarity about projecting Matt, who was .330 with .430 on base (approx) in Sept.
Super sub Eric Campbell, who I super-supported in early 2014, need to show he is not Josh Satin, who had a solid 2013 and stunk in 2014. Eric's late season fade concerns me. If he does not have a good spring, the slope could be slippery.
When I wrote on Saturday about names not yet discussed as trade acquisitions I had dismissed Reddick due to his left handedness and his one and done flash-in-the-pan results. In fact, the parallel I drew was Ike Davis. The results are eerily similar.
Yikes, not Ike.
I looked back at Cesar P, as a platoon for Dekker. We know Cesar hits lefties very well. We know last year was a struggle.
But I look for trends. In 36 games after the All Star break, he was .286/.394/.464. I HAVE to go with him over EY Jr. Cheaper and considerably more upside.
C'mon, Cesar, have a great fall/winter stint and be our #5 OF next year.
Thomas—
Yes, much prefer a den Dekker/Puello RF than Riddick. As long as Granderson is still present, that, with Lagares, is my OF. The only thought is would Riddick have and plus value over Kirk as OF No. 5? I think that’s almost a push. Of course signing a Cuddyer/Rios/Markakis changes the pecking order. (Dealing Grandy, signing one of those 3 & waiting for Nimmo would be my preference)
Mack—
DeGrom WAS a sleeper in 2014. I think most are wide-awake now. My sleeper candidate for 2015 is Matt Bowman.
Hobie -
I don't think we have anymore sleepers now :)
Thomas -
Let's watch Puello closely through the winter. He needs to really step up fast.
Take a look at the two players in question, Tom:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reddijo01.shtml?redir
Then there's Ike:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisik02.shtml
Ike has about 150 more ABs in the majors and has produced a dozen more HRs and 38 more RBIs, but he's also K'd 100 times more, too. The batting averages are within 5 points of each other, too.
Reese -
you're right, plus the Wilpons would want him to shave
He'd need deforestation more than a shave. If the Mets don't call, there's always ZZ Top.
Yep, Reese, got rid of an Ike, don't need a repeat.
My Gosh!!! Reddick has almost 2000 ab's and he's an ACTUAL Major League Ballplayer!!!
He may not be better than Den Decker?????!!!!
Den Decker COULD be better....there's absolutely NO evidence of that, but he COULD be better....sure...it's possible.
Let's not be too drunk with our own guys.... Matt Den Decker is 28 years old with some definite skills....but he wasn't a Major Leaguer for MOST of the past two seasons (on a team that SUCKED for outfielders) because he's not yet shown he should be.... see Wilmer Flores....See Dilson Herrera.,...See Ceasar Puello....Kevein PLawecki.,...Matt Reynolds......... and MOST of the "14 starting pitchers" that someone counted up last week.
"let's not be too drunk with our own players..."
great line!
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