David Wright Injury Tracker | Working Out in Port St. Lucie
Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- If Kevin Plawecki’s days in the majors are numbered, he has certainly given the Mets something to think about. “He’s done great, he has played very well,” Terry Collins said before Wednesday night’s 9-0 loss to the Cardinals at Citi Field. “He’s caught the ball very well, he’s blocked the ball very well, he’s actually thrown better. While Plawecki has struggled at times at the plate, he is hitting .171 on the road and .224 overall. He has admittedly made the pending decision about whether to send him back to the minors a difficult one.
(Chris Soto: Quite frankly, I don't think it's a difficult decision at all. Yes, Plawecki has shown to be more than capable of being a full time everyday catcher. His receiving skills and throwing arm have been better than advertised. However, he is struggling at the plate and that is something the Mets cannot afford with the rest of the team ice cold right now. They need d'Arnaud's bat back in the line-up and Plawecki needs to go back to AAA to heat his bat back up in case he's needed again later in the year.)
Kate Feldman | Amazin Avenue- If he does go in for surgery, Ryu would join right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy in missing the rest of the season, leaving the Dodgers with three starting pitchers and a few "maybe" replacements. With the early success of Noah Syndergaard in his first two starts, the Mets will, once again, face a surplus of starting pitchers once Dillon Gee returns from the disabled list; Gee will pitch his second rehab start with St. Lucie on Thursday. Left-handed pitcher Steven Matz is also waiting in the wings (or Las Vegas) with a 1.80 ERA in 50 innings pitched. "From where we sit right now, if we can add an arm, that would certainly be helpful," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Mark Saxon of ESPN.
(Chris Soto: The Dodgers and the Mets do match up well for a potential trade. However, I don't think any of the current Dodger IF's are of any interest to the team, except for Corey Seager. The Dodgers have made it perfectly clear that Seager is untouchable and Guerrero is a below average defender at SS making him and Flores essentially a wash. I think if anything is gonna get done here it will be a deal just to clear Gee's roster spot in exchange for a minor league and perhaps an IFA signing bonus slot.)
Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- For a fifth consecutive year, the Mets saw a dip in revenue generated at Citi Field. The ballpark took in a little more than $117 million in revenue in 2014 and $2.2 million fewer than in 2013. It is a 35.1 percent decrease from the amount Citi Field accumulated in 2009, the ballpark's inaugural year. Through their first 21 home games this season, excluding Wednesday night's game against the Cardinals, attendance is up by 4.79 percent, according to a Mets spokesman. Average weekend attendance is up by 26.5 percent this season. The Mets also took on an added cost this year. They took out a $4 million loan in February to install and construct an LED video sign in the parking lot adjacent to Citi Field.
(Chris Soto: It does seem like the darkest of financial times are finally behind the Mets. Despite last year's decrease, it was the "smallest" decrease of the past 5 years as attendance figures are starting to turn with the influx of better talent.)
Ranking the MLB teams from best to worst in effectiveness at getting ground-ball outs. Astros rank No. 1 pic.twitter.com/vjmdNVv87e
— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) May 4, 2015
(Chris Soto: Boy....that's not a metric the Mets want to be a part of. Middle infield defense is so important in today's game so to be near the bottom of this list is killing the Mets. At some point Alderson is going to have to look at Flores and Murphy and say enough is enough.)
Matz is ready. Gee would just block him, so a move needs to be made Soon.
ReplyDeletePlawecki still has several games to make his case To stay. Hit .300 the next 10 days and make their decision even more difficult. This team needs hitting desperately, and d'Arnaud can't play every day.
I see Mets low in homers again, but they refused to move fences in further, and long shots like Murphy's last night are not homers but long outs. Enough of those (and thereh have been many) lead to offensive anemia, such as what the team is encountering this month. A team that does not win AND is anemic offensively will not draw. $$ is lost. Their own fault. Too late to ever change dimensions again.
But maybe touchable in light of their new circumstaces? Matz or Noah for Seager straight up, 1-for-1 … would you do it? would we do it? would they do it? and which one? Just curious to see what the opinions are out there on this?
ReplyDelete@Zach
ReplyDeleteId like to think that Noah has already pitched himself into being more untouchable then ever after only two starts.
Soooooo Matz for Seager ????? I guess no their either lol......maybe if Matz was a righty id say yes. Mets need a solid 10yr lefty in rotation.
Find position players elsewhere.
I'd hate to see Matz or Thor traded for anyone.
ReplyDeleteWith Harvey, deGrom, Thor, and Matz as a core 4, just sign a stud offensive free agent who is not entering his declining years if one presents itself this winter.
Wheeler's surgery was really serious. I'd not assume he'll come back 100%, though we hope he will. So trading one of the 4 will hurt that killer rotation.
Gavin Cecchini is having a nice little season so far and is a legit SS. Perhaps a strong season at Bingo and he is our 2016 starting SS?
ReplyDeleteHe's leading off now and hitting over .300. Has more homers then Nimmo and is a good fielder.
Perhaps he has quietly developed into a nice player that may be able to finally fill the revolving door at SS THE mets have had since Reyes left. I hope so.
I'm not saying he's the SS of the future. I'm saying that until Rosario gets here, if ever, there's a first round pedigree player that may just be one year away.
I always look at the "delta." Is Seager > Wilmer greater than Thor > Gee? I think not.
ReplyDeleteSince none of this speculation counts for anything, how about Gee & Murph for Guerrero and (say) Chris Reed (LHRP)? Dilson will be our 2B shortly and one of Wright/Guerrero goes to LF.
@ZachBoyer
ReplyDeleteNot matter what happens in their organization....I think Seager is as untouchable as ever.
They have a "set in stone" plan next season to have Seager replace Jimmy Rollins at SS, Guerrero replace Uribe at 3B, and Hector Olivera replace Kendrick at 2B.
@Hobie
Believe it or now...Alex Guerrero has ZERO trade value. This is because he has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out and become a free agent at the end of each season if he is traded.
To be honest I'd have to know how much better Seager is in the field than Flores to answer the question.
ReplyDeleteAnd Gee's ERA is usually sub-4, which to be fair is very respectable.
I also don't know where the Dodgers would put Murph?
This is a ranking of how good SSs have been at completing routine plays: http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=3&season=2015&month=0&season1=2015&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=15,d
Flores is 2nd-to-last among all who qualify.
@ZachBoyer
ReplyDeleteSeager is considered an average defender at SS. He has a plus arm and excellent baseball instincts. However there is a large fear that he's just flat out TOO BIG to stick at SS.
Currently he is 6'4" and 215 lbs.
That said though....plenty of bigger guys have had success at SS. Both Tulo and Desmond are 6'3" ~215lbs.
Afternoon -
ReplyDeleteWell, I hate to throw a monkey wrench into the mix, but, without emotion, I don't see enough on this team to make their way to the playoffs.
We knew going in that the Dodgers, Nats, and St. Louis would most probably win each division.
Chicago, with it's enormous offensive talent, looks to be one of the wild cards and the Mets will have to fight off everyone else (especially the Giants)
This may be a good time to look down the bench, check the medical report, and a report from your minor league VPs and realize that the best thing you can do with Syndergaard and Matz is send back/keep in Vegas until they are past the Super 2 requirement.
I've enjoyed April, but I don't see a stop to this.
Interesting Christopher. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the idea of Harvey-deGrom-Syndergaard-Matz-Wheeler, but I just want to win and am honestly unsure of the best way for us to go about doing that.
I might find the nearest thing defensively to Simmons in ATL, majors or minors, pray he hits .200 & bat him 8th (or 9th!). I just don't know.
Zach -
ReplyDeleteYou want the same rotation I want, but,we're both going to have to wait until around June 2016 to see that happening.
No, no, I know, I just felt a little shameful for even being open to the idea of trading one of the five.
ReplyDeleteBut if we're sticking to the Dodgers, how about Gee for Justin Turner back & his .395 OBP to be SS?
Zach -
ReplyDeleteI always try to remind people that it takes two to tango when it comes to a trade.
Let's stop a second and assume that both David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud will be back in the starting lineup by the end of May. The Mets are not going to find two players of this calibre on the trading market, from any team, for a back end starter like Gee, Niese, or Colon.
No, I'm afraid this is the team we've been dealt with and we can't force any team to want someone that basically isn't wanted in our rotation (Gee)
It's tough to get a set idea on 5 future starters---a Pipe Dream that they would all be healthy and available for a sustained time frame.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's a mistake to put those pipe dream as an unmoveable obstacle in addressing other possibilities...this team needs some makor parts, but they do have a possible Championship Level Staff THIS YEAR.
Don't trade every single part, but you neeed to have some immediacy and urgency--- it doesn't necessarily need to happen this month, but they should make a Here and NOW move...and it will cost some "dreams".
HOT NEWS OFF THE PRESS!
ReplyDeleteLHRP Jerry Blevins had his cast removed today and could resume baseball activities within the next week!
Eraff -
ReplyDeleteWell, as we've come to learn, nothing is etched in stone. How many years have we been bitching about the Mets medical staff and then along comes a year like this one that makes all the rest look like the amateur hour.
What a team can do is make a short list of top players that are untouchable for anyone at any level. Litmus test would be, let's say, a deal for Stanton.
My list wouldn't have many... no every day players... one reliver (Familia) and Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler, Syndergaard, and Matz as starters.
I could fix this team's problems in the off-season with around a $120mil salary, but so could Alderson if he was allowed to.
Look, this has been a tough stretch, but May has been tough so far, but it seems like a lot worse than the 8-10 record put up on the board.
We need to get through today, split the two in Pittsburgh and then get back on track against the Phillies and Marlins.
Who knows... maybe Alderson can make a deal for Ben Revere while he's in town :)
If Seager is seen as a Tulowitzki type player, then Alderson should do everything in his power in attempting to acquire him.
ReplyDeleteOffense is harder and harder to find in MLB.
On the Mets, offense is even more scarce.
Factor in Seager's age.
If indeed the Mets evaluators determine he is a talent with potential on par with Tulowitzki, then Alderson should make the Dodgers refuse his best offer.
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI just don't know if the Mets can market Colon and Niese right now, though I think both are far better pitchers than they have shown this month.
Regarding Gee, it just doesn't seem to be a pitcher anyone, especially the Dodgers, want.
@Bob Gregory
ReplyDeleteThat's all fine and dandy to say....
But it takes two to tango....and the Dodgers are not interested in trading Seager.
Mack
DeleteThat may be absolutely true.
My point is, if Seager is seen by the talent evaluators as being Tulo-talented, Alderson needs to change his approach to the trading process.
I don't see how you can baptize the Cubs over the Mets for the post-season, Mack. I think you're over estimating the Cubs and selling the Mets short. To date, they're playing even. The Mets have great pitching and (at least without Wright and d'Arnaud) no offense. The Cubs have good young offense and absolutely NO pitching. Is their pitching better than our hitting? I don't think so. There's not a single arm on that team I'd want on mine. And Wright and d'Arnaud will be coming back. Cubs have to hope for a trade or a miracle to improve their pitching. Mets are also in a weaker division. That's a fact. If I were a gambling man, I'd sooner bet on the Mets than the Cubs this year. The only thing that would make me put money on the Cubs is "Back to the Future II" and I'm pretty sure that was fiction.
ReplyDelete@Stubby
ReplyDeleteWhy not both??
There are two wild cards.
Stubby -
ReplyDeleteJust my opinion.
Another opinion... the Mets have nothing, either healthy or on the DL, that can match their middle of the lineup.
Also, I agree about Mets pitching, but you just can't keep asking your staff to shut out teams while you don't produce any runs of your own.
Like I said, bad week, bad month, just opinions.
Stubby - all:
ReplyDelete2:40pm -
Here's the critical time in the game.
DeGrom is throwing an all-star perfornance... 5 innings, 8 trikeouts, no walks, 78 pitchers...
This is when I would watch very carefully for loss of velocity, hits being given up, pitchers being piled up...
2:43pm - 1-2-3... 9th strikeout... pitches only up to 87... three innings to go
2:27pm -
ReplyDeleteDuda produces the critical insurance run with his 4th home run... 2-0 Mets and now bullpen issue becomes even more critical with St. Louis' middle lineup coming up.
3pm -
ReplyDeletenow you're at 99 pitches and you only produced 5 hits...
YOU CAN'T KEEP PUTTING THIS KIND OF PRESSURE ON YOUR ROTATION.
You know I'm starting to worry about Duda! He can't hit righties anymore! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been following the game a long time. Offense enchants the fans but pitching wins championships. Mets win, 5-0--split the series with the team with the best record in baseball--and, somehow, that's a negative? Mets are scoring roughly 3 and three-quarters runs per game (without Wright and d'Arnaud for much of that). Cubs are scoring roughly 4 and a quarter runs per game. Are the Mets pitchers at least a half-run per game better than the Cubs pitchers? I think so. Last year, the Mets actually scored more runs per game than the Cubs. Whether or not the Mets snag a playoff spot this year (I'm on record as saying at the outset that they'd be competitive but might still fall a half-game or a game short this year), I have not a single doubt that they'll have a better record than the Cubs at the end of the year. Mets fans need to stop acting like bullied teens cowering in expectation of the next body blow and start believing. A big part of winning is knowing you're going to win. Fearing a loss is a set-up for a self fulfilling prophecy. As Yogi would say "Ninety percent of this game is half mental."
ReplyDeleteI. Want. Seager.
ReplyDeleteSeager SS, Cecchini 2B
Seager is like a LH Tulo and we should be looking to the future. The only concern with him is his high K numbers.
To think, we passed on him to draft Cecchini. We could've picked him and then easily traded for Cecchini later. Ah, 20-20 hindsight.
Stubby -
ReplyDeleteRe: "Mets fans need to stop acting like bullied teens..."
i'm curious. Who are you referring to here?
Modern day Mets fans (on the Internets, at least) seem to me to come in two varieties. There are those who get their greatest joy in life by being negative and hating on the team they allegedly support. They were quiet in April but have been out in full force lately. Thankfully, there are few of that type at Mack's Mets. Then there are those who are so accustomed to losing, they expect it. Nothing good can last. If the Mets won their first 100 games, they'd be certain that the team would collapse and not make the post season somehow. And, if they made the postseason, they'd be certain of their failure therein. They look for the cloud in every silver lining--because they've been conditioned to it.
ReplyDeleteNot referring to any single individual, Mack. I'm just old school. I believe that, if you're a fan, you look for the silver lining in the cloud, not the other way around. I'm not saying you throw realism out the window. But its more realistic to expect a team 6 games over .500 at the end of May (while missing two of its strongest offensive weapons) to have a winning season, compete for a playoff spot, than it is to dream of trades of excess and sub-par pieces for some of baseball's best and most coveted prospects.
Its a long season. And the Mets are doing well. Pump it up! Shout your belief in the team from the rooftops. Don't sit in the dark waiting for a mythical bad shoe to drop.
Someone once said "Hope for the best, but expect the worst. That way you're never disappointed and, sometimes, you're pleasantly surprised." When I was younger, that seemed like sage advice. As I've gotten older, I've realized that's a crock. Life is too short. Approach it with no expectations whatsoever and enjoy every minute of it. That's my advice. The Mets are doing pretty darn well, I think. Had we gone to spring training knowing we'd lose Wheeler, Wright, d'Arnaud, Blevins, Mejia, Black, etc. for long stretches of time, who among us would've predicted the Mets wouldn't be completely under water and buried in 5th place by now? We just took two of four from the Cardinals. Celebrate, don't fret.