11/4/14

The Morning Report – November 4 – Joe Maddon, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Scouting,, Francisco Lindor

Morning..

A couple of things... I'll be up early trying to get my Toyota to fix my oil leak that they just made me 
pay $500 to pay last week... and then it's off to vote. Should be online around 11am-noon.

I also want to welcome back one of our great writers, Anthony Camacchio, who used to be a big
 time college ballplayer and shared some interesting stuff with us until Hurricane Sandy pretty much
 tore his life to shit. Well, things are as back to normal as the coast can be right now and Tony will 
be stopping by and putting his spin on a few posts.




I congratulate the Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein, and Joe Maddon on yesterday’s announcement regarding Maddon joining the Cubs. This is a big time step up move by the Cubs and is as important as signing a top star player or a first round draft pick. Success starts from the top and, now with Epstein and Maddon on hand, there doesn’t seem to be any excuse left for this team to fail in the future.

For those of you that haven’t followed the prospect rankings, the Cubs dominate baseball with the most top players in their minor league system.

I’m sure the Cubs aren’t done yet and I don’t expect them to upset that applecart in this off-season. Look for additional starting pitching to be signed (starting with Jon Lester) beginning possibility today.




Jeffrey Paternostro ‏@jeffpaternostro  - .@mattkardos How concerned should Mets fans be about Syndergaard's struggles in Las Vegas in 2014?

Matt Kardos @mattkardos  - @jeffpaternostro Noah is still working on pitchability and commanding secondary pitches. Hitter friendly PCL isn't too kind either. Comparable prospects like Jameson Taillon and Archie Bradley have had similar setbacks. They aren't all Matt Harvey.

Mack – Look, it’s impossible to project how someone is going to do at the major league level. So much of it is mental along with the fact that you are playing against the crème of the game.

Matt Harvey came out of the box much faster as expected.

Scouts then told us that Zack Wheeler would pitcher better than Harvey.

Amd now, people are questioning Syndergaard because he pitches on the moon.

And Jacob deGrom? Don’t get me started.

(I really want to send out my congrats to the only player right now that has both the talent and clean record to pull off a one-for-one trade for a decent left fielder or shortstop for the 2015 season... Jacob deGrom

You strike at these award winning guys early and the entire world of baseball is right now in love with deGrom. He will wake up today with a higher trade value than either Wheeler or Syndergaard and he'd be forgotten before his cab left the complex because the person arriving in the incoming cab would change the entire dynamics of this team.

I could throw out 10 names, but let's use one as an example... you have a rookie pitcher... he gets 9 wins... he wins the ROY... next day... BOOM... Mookie Betts.

This is what young, healthy, team controlled star power can do.



We’re not going to know what kind of pitcher Syndergaard is until he’s part of the rotation and that won’t be until the second half of the 2015 season.




“There’s a tendency, when you start off, to not be sure of yourself. I don’t care how much baseball you know, or how much you played, it’s going to take a year or two to learn how to be a scout. Where a player fits in the draft and where they’re probably going to go in the draft is something that takes time to learn. You might be more apt to hedge. If you have a strong feeling on a player, but other people in your department – or even outside the department – aren’t as high on the kid, you’re going to doubt yourself. You’re not going to have quite as much conviction to stick your neck out for the kid. You won’t grade him as highly as you feel he should in regard to where he should go in the draft. You learn pretty quickly to regret those decisions. Above all, you have to go with your own opinion. That’s what you were hired for. Someone believed in your baseball-evaluation abilities and they want to get your unfiltered opinion on a player.

Mack – A scout that covered the Savannah Sand Gnats games told me he learned by travelling with a seasoned cross-checker, looking at how they graded players, and then beginning on the conservative side. He also said that every scout remembers the first player he had it all wrong about.

It really isn’t the job of the individual cross-checker to rank each player on the projected draft board. That’s the job on his boss.








Paul Hoynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports that 22-year old Jose Ramirez will move over from second base and be the Indians’ 2015 Opening Day shortstop, and Francisco Lindor is probably ticketed for Triple-A. The soon to be 21-year old hit .276/11-HR, 62-RBI for the Indians AA/AAA affiliates in 2014.

Is there an opportunity here for teams like the Mets to scoop up Cleveland’s top prospect? Remember, they also now have prospect Zach Walters (acquired in the Asdrubel Cabrera deal) who could back Ramirez up in the future.


My opinion? I really want to see what Wilmer Flores does this year, but it would be hard for me to turn down a deal for Lindor. This would cost the Mets more than a one-to-one deal for Jon Niese or Rafael Montero. They don’t need a new catcher. I don’t know where to take this…


25 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Morning everyone.

Tom Brennan said...

Morning, Mayor Mack, of the great city of Met-ropolis. My birthday today, got the day off as a holiday, life is good.

Considering DeGrom is ROY, should it be Betts PLUS a prospect? I love Jake, but I'd do the trade.

If Lindor is an upgrade, how about Niese and Reynolds for him?

Cuddyer qualifying offer - wow! Teams sure know how to SPEND our $$.

Anonymous said...

Top of the morning to you Mack.

Lots of good stuff from yesterday.

- I continue to have faith in Syndergaard. Something tells me he is going to come out firing next season and force the Mets hand in late May.

----------------------

While I would love to get my hands on Lindor....The Cleveland Indians have no immediate needs for their MLB club. If anything they need a 3B but that's not exactly a position of strength for the Mets unless you can sell them on Wilmer Flores.

Maybe Flores, Montero, and Mazzoni for Lindor? I'm not sure they would do it.

Unknown said...

I am not worried about Thor, Harvey and wheeler both had hiccups in triple A. Bring him up after the June cut off date and let's rock and roll with our pitching.

Hopefully someone bites soon on Murphy, Colon and Gee. Get us some prospects back ASAP so we can include them in trades for our future rightfielder. I would like a justin upton or Jason heyward type to hold down rightfield for awhile. I think they are both free agents after this upcoming year and shouldn't take too much to get. Maybe a Montero, Vic black, andHerrera (or anyone we get for trading the guys I mentioned earlier) could get us Heyward. After the year we offer him a qualifying offer and get a 1st round pick if he doesn't accept multi year offer from us.
Also Sandy has done a good job with a little help from Omar building up this team with the crappy resources they have at hand. Joe Maddon would have looked great uptop our leadership board.

Mack Ade said...

Happy Birthday Tom -

Yeah... a deGrom for Betts deal would do it for me. That's what you do with prospects that come out of nowhere... you deal them off when they are at the top of their game/value for the most you can get.

Similar to winning a Cy Young award for Dickey

Mack Ade said...

Chris -

Morning

I really think Thor will be fine. I really do.

Mack Ade said...

Zozo -

My plan this year (right now) for LF remains enDekker + a platoon partner (I'd like it to be Puello but he didn't step up last year for the promotion this year).

I'm playing Nimmo in Vegas on opening day and I expect him to OBP around .375 out there... if he does, he takes over in Queens after the all-star break

with Cuddyer now gone, I expect nothing out of the free agency market

Steve from Norfolk said...

This is off-topic, but I thought it was worth mentioning, Pittsburgh outrighted Chase d'Arnaud, Travis's brother. I thought he was supposed to be a stud, but his stats didn't realay show it. Wonder if he'd be worth having as a utility infielder.

Mack Ade said...

S-F-N -

Ask the Braves how that brother thing is working out... :)

Reese Kaplan said...

That thought brings me back to selling high on Juan Lagares. You do have Matt den Dekker with a solid glove, speed and potentially more offensive output available to play CF. Dangle a Gold Glove winning CF with a lesser pitcher such as Gee or Niese and see if someone bites on a corner outfielder.

Reese Kaplan said...

On the FA front, I would kick the tires on three of them:

Alex Rios (prove yourself deal)
Michael Morse (but butcher in the field)
Torii Hunter (one year last hurrah)

Anonymous said...

Mets have just announced that they WILL be attending Moncada's showcase next Wednesday.

@S.F.N

Chase was never a super highly touted prospect. He was generally thought of as a good athlete but a defense first SS. Never had the bat to stick at any other position.

He wouldn't be a bad idea as Flores' back-up on the bench. He's got a good glove and excellent 30 SB speed.

I'd give him a minor league invite and let him compete with Tovar for the back up SS role.

Anonymous said...

WOAH!!!!

HUGE DEVELOPMENT!!!

Angels just signed 20 yr old Cuban IFA, SS Roberto Baldoquin to a rookie contract with an $8m signing bonus.

As a similar, older, Cuban born middle infielder, this contract will probably be closer to what Moncada will command.

The Angels’ bonus pool total for this year’s signing period is $2,383,700, and because they are expected to exceed the pool by more than 15%, the club will not be allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods and will have to pay $5.5m in taxes to the MLB for the signing.

Mack Ade said...

Chris -

why do the Mets even bother to cross-check Cuban players?

They're never going to make offers like the Angels do.

Michi L. said...

Mets fans say goodbye to Moncada...they will never do something lome this.

Cant imagine what Vladimir Guerreros son is going to ask for

Anonymous said...

@Mack

No single Team has ever made a offer like the Angels just did.

The record for bonus given to an IFA under the new rules was previously $3.1m by the Phillies.

The Angels just shattered that...

Kevin S said...

Moncada didn't leave early (bypassing a potential $100M+ contract) to sign for $8-10M.

Since this whole international process is quite new, what happens if he says he wants a min. of $30M and holds out until he gets it. Say he is ruled a FA tomorrow and the top offer is $10M, can't he just keep playing in the Dominican or Mexican or Cuban leagues until someone meets his demands? No one can force him to sign with an MLB team.

Anonymous said...

@Kevin S.

Technically.....Yes he could. He'll be waiting till he's 23 for anything more than a $10m bonus.

Kevin S said...

So when he signs, is this technically just a signing bonus? Then he has to go through the whole arbitration process until he reaches FA?

Anonymous said...

would you buy a Lindor, Russell, or a Profar for $8M if you then only had to pay a minor league salary and not give up any players in your system? I would for sure. The IFA pool has produced tons of talent, but also has been a black hole for money poorly spent, so I don't mind breaking the bank for a player that has at least played some professional baseball and is rated as highly. $8M is nothing in the grand scheme of things, even for cash strapped Mets; better than doling out $50-60M on a FA
Anon Joe F

Anonymous said...

@Kevin S.

Correct! The purpose of the IFA bonus system is to limit the earning potential of overseas players to match what US college and High School players would have access to when they enter the MLB draft.

@ Joe F.

I absolutely would...but the penalties for going over your slot amount for the year is SIGNIFICANTLY greater. Basically put it this way.....

Would you sign a "tough sign" future star coming out of High School for Severely Overslot......if it meant you could go overslot on anyone else for the next 2 years??

Unknown said...

There is a big difference in this amount being paid to a 20 year old compared to 16 year olds coming from international draft. Like if you signed lindor or Russell right now they are more proven at an advanced age. I would defined give them that type of money.
I look at is signing a number 1 pick in the Amateur draft. If you think he is that good then the Angels did well.

Anonymous said...

@Zozo

Agreed....unfortunately, we have no idea if the $8m was an overpay or not because....well....quite frankly there's no scouting reports out there on this guy.

Moncada has far more hype and has much more concrete scouting reports to his name so I can see him getting to $10m.

Anonymous said...

Cubs announced that they will be making a run at Russell Martin.

If they fail to sign him, perhaps that could up the ante for a Plawecki + Montero for Starlin Castro swap.

Steve from Norfolk said...

I think I'd try for Russell - Castro's defense is too suspect.