The Building Blocks of 2015 – Pt. 3 of 3 - By Mack Ade

****Winter Stats****

				IP	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
Julian Hilario		AWL - Scottsdale		4	0	0.75	3	1
Cory Mazzoni		AWL - Scottsdale
Paul Seward		AWL - Scottsdale		2	13.5	4.5	4	2
Rob Whalen		AWL - Scottsdale		3	9		3	2
Miquel Socolovich		VWL - Leones
Ryan Reed		VWL - Tiburones
Dario Alvarez		AWL - Scottsdale		3	9	2	2	2
				AB	BA	OBP	SLG	OBP
LJ Mazzilli		AWL - Scottsdale		6	0.167	0.286	0.167	452
Matt Reynolds		AWL - Scottsdale		14	0.286	0.375	0.714	1089
Brandon Nimmo		AWL - Scottsdale		18	0.333	0.333	0.5	833
Wilfredo Tovar		VWL - Bravos		3	0.333	0.333	0.667	1000
Albert Cordero		VWL - Leones
Xorge Carrillo		MWL - Aguilas		4	0.25	0.25	0.5	750
Ismael Tijerina		MWL - Aguilas
Cory Vaughn		MWL - Jalisco		3	0.667	0.75	1.667	2417
Leon Canelon		VWL - Lara		0	0	0	0	0
Vincente Lupo		VWL - Lara
Jairo Perez		VWL - Lara		6	0.167	0.286	0.167	452
Brandon Allen		VWL - Caribes		6	0.167	0.286	0.167	452
Oswaldo Caraballo		VWL - Navegantes

The Mack’s Mets season has begun. Most Mets fans and writers can’t wait for the season to start. We live for the ending.

This is my opening day 25-man squad based on who’s available to this team now. It really isn’t different than what the team was in 2014 so I don’t expect much of a different end result; however, I do expect the pitching will create a team with at least a .500 record. It will take management and a creative signing (or two) to make them a playoff contender.

This will be in three parts on Sunday mornings:

            Part 1 – Players 1-10

            Part 2 – Players – 2-20

            Part 3 – Players 21-25, Reductions, Waiting In The Wings

   

 21.   UT (SS-2B) Ruben Tejada – No, Tejada will never be a starter on my team again, but he’s a pretty dam good utility player that can play more than adequate defense at both short and second, turn the DP from either position, and consistently hit around .220-.230. This doesn’t mean I’m not going to take a long look at Matt Reynolds in spring camp before I decide if I’m paying Tejada ARB-2 money or I go with minimum with Reynolds.

   

 22,       UT (C) Juan Centeno – In my book, Plawecki is a goner, so I want to keep him in Vegas and pad his numbers for the trade that eventually will happen. It’s time for Centeno to make the fulltime jump to Queens as the backup catcher. He’s a better defensive catcher than any of them and also has the best arm, something this team could use once in a while. He also has learned not to embarrass himself with a bat in his hands.

   

 23.      UT (LF) Matt den Dekker- It’s so hard to write about den Dekker. We probably are never going to know what this kid could have produced for us in centerfield. His injury cost him his shot and Lagares will never give that job back. Now, den Dekker is left with slop time and nobody plays well under those conditions. For his and his family’s sake (his father lives here and used to be one of the Mack’s Mets writers), I’d probably like to see him move on to a new start with a team that will give him the chance to start. Until then, we’ll try to keep him busy. He's had a sizzling September which probably earned him the 4th outfield job come opening day. At least it did on my team.

 

  24.      UT (OF) Cesar Puello – I’m not even sure why I wrote his name down here. He sure as hell didn’t earn it last year, but I need another outfielder to pull off the possible platooning I may have to do in the corner outfielders. I also need a power pinch hitter to replace Bobby Abreu who turns 100 this year. My guess is Puello has lost the chance to be a star in the Mets system and will quickly be passed by Nimmo, but he could still be more productive than either Kirk Nieuwenhuis or den Dekker.

   

25.     UT (LF) Kirk Nieuwenhuis – Just by the hair of his chinny chin chin and only because he swings left. It’s a shame Matt Reynolds doesn’t also play the outfield.

             

Reductions –

              UT Eric Young Jr. – $1.85mil

              LF Chris Young - $7.5mil

              P Daisuke Matsuzaka - $1.5mil

              OF Bobby Abreu - $1mil

              RP Scott Rice - $542,5K

              RP Carlos Torres - $561,875K

              RP Buddy Carlyle - $500K

              RP Dana Everland - $500K    - 

                               Total:  $ 13,954,375          - not every one of these guys played badly in 2014… Carlyle actually was excellent… it’s just on ‘my team’ I have no room for players that have no future. I also have this opportunity to scrape up enough money for a pretty decent left fielder (or, at least, pay for the arbitration increases that come into effect.

There are 10, but they include Eric Young Jr., Carlyle, Dana Everland, and Taylor Teagarden, who I also have no intention of resigning.

The others are Daniel Murphy, Bobby Parnell, Dillon Gee, Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada, and Jenrry Mejia. A considerable amount of the above mentioned $13mil+ could be eaten up here.

Waiting In The Wings –

C Kevin Plawecki – You can trade this guy now, or you can trade him later, but eventually, you’re going to realize that you just can’t carry two talented starting catchers in this game. There simply aren’t enough of them in the game and their return via a trade is too great. Some of you are calling for him to go away during the winter and learn how to play left field. I just don’t see it happening. He’s worth more to the Mets as a marketable first string catcher than a Lucas Duda-like left fielder. Don’t worry. The Mets will get a good return for this guy, the latest being the 2015 mid-season trading period.

SP Noah Syndergaard – Simply put, I’m not letting this guy go. I love Jon Niese and Dillon Gee, and I have already moved a very pissed off Bartolo Colon to the pen, but one of these guys have to make room for Thor either via a trade or becoming a relief pitcher. The good news for them is the fact that the ‘Super 2’ bullshit will put this off until after the 2015 AAA All-Star game. Still, I have to get my best pitchers out of this God forsaken town and have them regain their confidence pitching in the normal air of Flushing.

SP Steven Matz – Same thing goes for Matz, who also will be held back for the ‘Super 2’ exemption. Frankly, Matz will probably be really before Thor due to his age and maturity level. Harvey… Wheeler…deGrom… Syndergaard… Matz… it’s really here.

2B Dilson Herrera – First thing first. I want to thank Herrera for a heroic effort for filling in for the best hitter on the Mets. For a few minutes there (that game he homered and tripled), I thought we had quite a story brewing, but things settled down and Herrera fell back like the vast majority do. It’s very hard to make a transition to the major league, especially if you’re batting 8^th surrounded by two .200 hitters. I still believe this is our long term second baseman in the future and I’m going to send him back to Vegas until the string runs out on Murphy, be it free agency or amid-season trade, but I can’t justifying replacing a .300 hitter straight out of spring training with an untested bat. Murphy deserves more respect than that.