The Morning Report – 1-21 – Terry Collins, Team Strengths, Shortstop, Arismendy Alcantara

I see that the subject of Terry Collins dominated the site on Monday. Once again, most of what can be said pro or con regarding whether or not he’s been a good manager is speculative. I give him a D as a manager but a B+ as a teacher because I remember what an effective job he did in extended camp before he was named the manager,

It’s only a matter of time that the TC reference is followed with someone touting Wally Backman as Collins replacement. I don’t think that’s a good idea and here’s a few reasons why:

1.     You’ve never met two people that approach this job in more of a different way. This would be very hard to translate on the field.

2.     This is a very young team and, though most of these players have gone through one of Backman’s team, that doesn’t make his approach to the game the right one in 2015 and beyond. I’ve learned the hard way on this blog that ‘old school’ doesn’t particularly mean ‘correct school’.

3.     This could be the perfect time to break the chain and go outside the organization for some new, young blood. And I’m not particularly talking about an ex-Met.

4.     Lastly, I don’t know how to do the research on this statement, but I simply don’t remember many success stories of managers being replaced by AAA managers in the same organization.

If you make the break… make it a clean one.

Fangraphs[i] on –

                

                 Team strengths –

                

It’s not even a sinkhole compared to the rest of the team, really. Looking at the non-pitching projections for the Mets, we see that three positions look like they’ll be strengths — catcher, third base, and center field, because yes, Juan Lagares really is that good. ZiPS likes Lucas Duda a little more, but otherwise the two projection systems largely agree — Curtis Granderson, Cuddyer, and the overrated Daniel Murphy are far more likely to be “adequate” than “difference-makers.”

            Mack – This is what I keep saying.

The Granderson and Cuddyer signings are supposed to be the Mets ‘big deal’ deals, but are they? Granderson was never a big time all-star kind of outfielders and Cuddyer is a one-year deal that solves nothing.

IMO, this is where the Mets miss. Step up like the other teams around you do.

I give the last two General Managers all the credit in the world for securing talented, young starters through creative trades (Syndergaard, Wheeler) and the draft (Matz, deGrom, Harvey), but everyday players so far stop with a lucky card Lagares. All other 2015 talent (Duda, deArnaud, Flores) will have to come with better results from within.

                

                 Shortstops -

The problem isn’t so much what the Mets have right now at shortstop, because what they have could be perfectly acceptable compared to plenty of other teams. The problem is that the Mets hope to find themselves in a position where every added win — whether at short or any other position — is what potentially puts them into that second wild card. The problem is that just because you have a position you want to upgrade upon, it doesn’t mean that a solution is magically available. Shortstop is a problem for the Mets, but perhaps not entirely the problem everyone seems to think it is.

           

            Mack – Are we actually talking about shortstop again?

            The Mets need to strike gold here and do the right thing for the future.

            Put together a sign and trade deal for Ian Desmond and offer him $12mil in 2015, $13mil in 2016, and $18mil in 2017 (this kind of deal would save the Mets first round pick, right?).

            Send to Washington IF Wilmer Flores, 2B Daniel Murphy, and RP Jeurys Familia. 

            Reese Kaplan asked –

First, with the trade of Dexter Fowler to play CF for the Cubs, what becomes of Arismendy Alcantara?  He was a SS in the minors and was moved to the outfield out of necessity given the Castro/Baez overcrowding.  With Addison Russell in the minors, too, he really seems extraneous.  If you look at his minor league numbers he showed that combination of speed and power that teams drool over.  His last season in AAA saw him post 10 HRs, 41 RBIs and 21 SBs in just 335 ABs as a 22 year old.  He batted .307 and is .284 for his minor league career.  His OBP has been going up each year, too.  He might be an under-the-radar acquisition if a deal could be struck with the Cubs.  Of course, I have no idea about his fielding ability, but with the Cubbies pretty set at most positions on the field I'm thinking Mike Olt at 3B is the only weak link.  He struck out an alarming 113 times in just 258 ABs.  That's worse than Kirk Nieuwenhuis (and that's saying something).  Would Daniel Murphy interest them in their go-for-it-all approach they seem to be taking for 2015?

Mack – Interesting how you think (see my previous statements on a Desmond trade I would like to see.

Everybody respects Murphy’s bat and the last thing Washington needs is another starter, but I guy like Familia could ink the deal.

As for Alcantara, is he the Cubs version of J-Lag?

The more I keep reading about all these so-called SS prospects, the more I feel they are being projected to produce what Flores has already done in the second half of 2014.

I’m sticking with Wilmer for the first 300 at-bats in 2015.

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[i] http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/maybe-that-mets-shortstop-situation-isnt-such-a-disaster/