NYDN –
The Mets were pro-active on Thursday
in responding to Internet chatter that the team charges its players to attend
offseason workouts.
A team
spokesman confirmed speculation that Mike Barwis charges players $1,000 to
participate in a non-mandatory conditioning program in the team’s spring
training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
But the
spokesperson stressed that Barwis, who trained players in Michigan last winter
before moving part of his operation to Florida, is a “consultant,” and that he
and the Mets are separate entities.
NY Post -
NY Post –
Don’t be fooled by the smile, the laid-back approach or the long curly brown hair.
Three words are all you need to know about Jacob deGrom as he prepares for an encore to his stunning Rookie of the Year season.
“My dad always had a saying — it’s from the movie ‘Remember the Titans.’ There’s a part where they say, ‘Leave no doubt,’” deGrom told the Post this week at his former college, Stetson University, where coach Pete Dunn had the good sense to move deGrom from shortstop to the pitching mound his junior season.
“My dad used to say that before games,” deGrom recalled, “so I guess I would go out there and try to do that: Leave no doubt.”
Those are the words the Mets’ right-hander lives by every time he takes the mound. DeGrom is as focused and as determined as Matt Harvey, he just does it a much different way.
http://nypost.com/2015/01/17/groundwork-for-degroms-stellar-rookie-season-began-long-ago/ NY Post –
One order of Dillon Gee to go could
be the extent of the Mets’ remaining offseason moves.
According to
industry sources, three to four teams remain interested in Gee, whom the Mets
are shopping in an attempt to consolidate their pitching rotation and create
payroll flexibility.
The Giants,
Padres and Rockies have all been mentioned as potential landing spots for the
right-hander, but a source indicated at least one AL team has shown interest.
The Mets and Gee avoided arbitration by reaching an agreement Friday on a
one-year contract worth $5.3 million.
The source
added that Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon are long shots to be traded, making it
extremely likely Gee will be the pitcher squeezed out.
Newsday –
Fred Wilpon
spoke at length on Thursday about the legacy of outgoing commissioner Bud
Selig.
The Mets?
Not so much.
Wilpon has
been tight-lipped regarding his own club for years, turning down requests for
state-of-the-team sessions that used to be regular events in Port St. Lucie and
Flushing.
But with the
Mets apparently coming out of a long rebuild under Sandy Alderson, Wilpon did
say on Thursday that he is "optimistic" about the 2015 club, more so
than he had been about any other Mets team in recent years.
Wilpon also
expressed confidence in Alderson and his staff, saying the roster appears to
have the "horses" to win.
17 comments:
Anybody see this?:
"Wilpon named MLB finance committee chair"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....let me take a breath....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
......does this fall into the phrase "those who can't do, teach"?...............
DeGrom is a pitching assassin who looks like a hippie. Works for me. Long hair is great...i was a big fan of Joe Pepitone back in the days my Dad and I used to watch Mets AND Yanks games together back in the early days...good times.
Wilpons do not want to say anything that can (and will) be used against them in a court of public opinion.
Gee's still here? Remember Ike last year...took a while for him to go. Gee may go quickly, but only when Sandy is sufficiently enticed.
Morning Mack:
Glad you brought the weekend report back. I was reading Buster Olney's series on ranking MLB teams in lists of 10 for overall lineup, rotation, bullpen, defense, infield, and I assume outfield will be next. Not surprisingly, the Mets don't show up on any lists that have defense or batting involved, however they are ranked top 5 in rotation and just out of top 10 in bullpen. It got me thinking what should the Mets identity be going into 2015 and beyond. And of course it hits you in the face like a 2 x 4, dominant pitching. I think that is where the focus needs to remain. Don't trade Thor or Matz they are 2 more links to that chain. And shore up defense up the middle. Desmond would be great but the price is too high in prospects. Tulo the same along with the injury uncertainty. My list would be Andrus, Miller, or Taylor. All could be had for a reasonable price. Move Murph, keep DD ready to go as another great OF defender. Accentuate the pitching strength.
@ Mets Dreams
Good points on keeping pitching studs. I thought i saw a headline where Olney(?) thought Herera would be an All Star in 3 years. If so, kudos to Alderson
Dreams -
It's too late for this team to change direction.
It is a team built around young pitching and that's what it will be for 5+ years
Maybe im crazy but I also think mets minors levels need an identity. What I mean is they need to:
1--stop the aaaa guys from taking ABs away from 'prospects'
2--decide quicker who's a starter-reliever-closer
Yes I can be a little naive and ignorant to how minors leagues work. I understand these individual teams in their individual stadiums/parks are owned by people who want winners to get extra butts in the seats. However its also my understanding that the farm system is now mostly considered a top 10 to a top 5 system as of 2015. Sooooooo that should mean there are enough quality prospects to offset some of those needs to start 27-32 year old aaaa guys even as low as AA ball to fill rosters and help win games....
Regarding identifying who does what, the same high farm rankings should mean that our hot young arms are meeting expectations and thus should start moving up, and not being beld back so that 30yr old aaaa guys can fill rotations and bullpen etc etc etc
Ernest -
I've been covering the Mets minors since 2006 and your complaint was mine for many years, but, under Alderson it has gotten much better. I couldn't tell you of a true 'prospect' (top 20) in the organization that's been blocked.
A couple of things...
you know all those gawky first basemen we have had in the org. that hit a ton of home runs in AAA but never got a shot in Queens?
well, they were there to make the owners of the AAA team happy and sell seats. If we did a better job at this, we'd still be playing in Buffalo.
I just looked over the rosters on my excel sheet and I can't find a single 'prospect' blocked.
Well I guess its that Macks Macks minor league prospect lovin part of me that prefers to take that 90min drive to st lucie this coming minor league season to watch dom smith HIT, and Marcos Molina PITCH, and not watch some 27yr old veteran straught outta independent league ball hit homers ;)
Speaking of which, Mack can you tell us who the top prospects are that project to start off or quickly be in Lucie this year, so I know who's worth the drive? Again im a macks mets junkie, so throw in a sleeper kid you like at this level for me to check out ;)
I can think of two young guys in Vegas who should each have gotten a few hundred more ABs, that were blocked by the AAAA's. Maybe or maybe not top 20 guys, but close. Leave it to you guys to guys the names.
In AA, Taijeron was really restricted on ABs. He may himself be a AAAA in the making - or he could be a Chris Davis type, even if that is unlikely. I'd have liked to have seen him get more than 387 plate appearances in 2014. He's had 180 extra base hits in 1332 official career at bats, 1 every 7.4 at bats, when anything above a 1 in 10 at bat ratio has to be considered superior. Play guys like that every day - maybe it is 90% he never makes it, but that 10% is worth trying.
And those who can't teach, teach Gym
Anon Joe F
Anon, that hurts, I'm a gym teacher (retired).
So true though. I never didn't appreciate being paid the same as the AP teachers, even though I got to play games all day.
Can't teach Gym? -->: Guidance Counselor.
Funny gym story, I went to a scholarship high school for boys, very high on intellect and low on physical skills. Our gym teacher ran us thru a physical fitness test, one of which was pullups. I went last. Of the other 6 dozen guys, most couldn't do one. The most was 6, which is astonishingly bad. When I did 13 (not an especially high #) I got a standing O. Best of F Troop.
Ernest -
Robert Whalen should be a starter there, maybe even SP1.
Sleeper starter to me is Logan Taylor
CThere's a good chance you will see Akeel Morris close if the Mets are winning after 8
Dom Smith will play 1B
Michael Conforto should be in the oF
OF Champ Stuart would be another sleeper and could have a breakout year
Thomas -
Regarding Taijeron and he being blocked...
1. nobody at AAA usually gets a full season of at bats. There are just too many outfielders on the roster.
2. only around 40 games use a DH
3. And lastly, and this might sound cruel but I'm not trying to be... you can't block a prospect if he's not a prospect.
Travis is a good bat with pop and it's up to him in 2015 to raise his BA and lower his K ratio to warrant any additional at bats.
I think the prospect window has closed on both Brandon Allen and Cory Vaughn. I'd sooner see a utility guy like Muno take some reps in the outfield as he still has a possible role in the bigs.
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