Good morning.
Question: Did Tommy John have
an innings limit when he came back from his surgery?
Gary asked –
Hi Mack, Few questions if I
may. Do you know why Cecchini and Dom Smith haven't played recently? Also after the season Luis Guillorme has had
where do you see him on the depth chart prospect wise. Last but not least how
do you like a Harvey, Flores and Lagares for Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley deal?
Thanks.
Mack - Dominic Smith had a shoulder
injury and the Mets decided to let him sit out the end of the season.
Stephen Guilbert tweeted that
Cecchini has been shut down for the year. Hip impingement and it's
precautionary.
As for Guillorme, no one in
the Mets organization has been a more pleasant surprise. The so-called
defensive specialist finished the 2015 regular season hitting .321 (439-AB),
.001 away from the league lead.
As for his future with the
Mets, the next step is obvious. He will play 2016 in St. Lucie, while fellow SS
prospects Amed Rosario and Gavin Cecchini, move up to, respectfully, Binghamton
and Las Vegas.
There’s a lot of projected talent
with these three guys and Guillorme is easily the best of them defensively.
Right now, I rank him above
Rosario and closely behind Cecchini as potential major league material.
Lastly, trades like the one
you outlined is frankly obtainable mainly because of Harvey’s talent. The Mets
would easily be able to tag on other players to a deal to become the only way
any team could get their hands on him. As for trading the three guys you
mentioned, it’s hard for me to believe that Boston would gut the youth of their
team even for a player as talented as Harvey.
I'm not talking about Harvey-drama anymore. I just want him to pitch well when the Mets allow him to.
Did You Know –
Three players for the Savannah Sand Gnats finished
the season ranked in the top ten hitters…
#2 Luis Guillorme (.321)… #5 Eudor Garcia (.299)… and #10 Wuilmer
Beccera (.292).
Erik asked -
I was surprised when I didn't see Dillon Gee called up as an extra long man or spot starter with the AAA season ending. I didn't realize he was taken off the 540-man when he was sent down to AAA.
Mack - I too was surprised he wasn't called back up.
Bob Gregory reported in Tuesday's comments that some players and members of the front office might have been upset with him on his perceived quitting on the team. I haven't seen anything written about that in the past and readers of Mack's Mets are welcome to link whatever articles they can find that would confirm those thoughts.
I will say three things...
1. Gee is super nice guy who's goal was always to be a successful Mets pitcher
2. The Mets handled him like crap this year.
3. Gee was a 21st round pick in 2007 who, over six seasons, posted a 40-37, 4.03 record. He did well.
And lastly...
I don't think you could possibly see more exciting baseball than just went on in that three game series against the Nationals. I only wish I could have been there to feel the electricity first hand.
And then my phone rang.
It was a lifelong friend named Steve Dinetz, who I had the pleasure and honor of working for three times in my career, first when he was VP of TK Communications in the 1980s (I was his GM at KLUV-FM in Dallas-Ft.Worth), then when he was COO of Capstar Broadcasting (NYSE: CPR), the precursor to Clear Channel Broadcasting (I was Senior VP of National Sales), and lastly when he was CEO of NextMedia ( I was GM of 7 radio stations in Panama City, Florida and Trustee for two more in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Steven and I have been close since the 1970s when he was sales manager for WXLO-FM and I was the sales manager for WKTU-FM.
Well anyway, Steve cashed out well many times and lives a beautiful life in both Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. He's become a Detroit Tigers fan, but his roots go back to Casey Stengel 1962 team we all rooted for as kids.
So Stephen says... here's the deal.... if the Mets make the World Series... airfare, hotel and tickets are on him. All I have to do is show up and meet him at the Shake Shack.
So, what do you think? A perfect sendoff for someone who never thought he's ever get the chance to reach out first hand once more to these guys. My body doesn't work anymore... arthritis has taken away my ability to play guitar anymore... and my diabetes, simply put, is fucking killing me... but I've got to figure out a way to get one more ride on the 7 Train, don't I?
3. Gee was a 21st round pick in 2007 who, over six seasons, posted a 40-37, 4.03 record. He did well.
And lastly...
I don't think you could possibly see more exciting baseball than just went on in that three game series against the Nationals. I only wish I could have been there to feel the electricity first hand.
And then my phone rang.
It was a lifelong friend named Steve Dinetz, who I had the pleasure and honor of working for three times in my career, first when he was VP of TK Communications in the 1980s (I was his GM at KLUV-FM in Dallas-Ft.Worth), then when he was COO of Capstar Broadcasting (NYSE: CPR), the precursor to Clear Channel Broadcasting (I was Senior VP of National Sales), and lastly when he was CEO of NextMedia ( I was GM of 7 radio stations in Panama City, Florida and Trustee for two more in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Steven and I have been close since the 1970s when he was sales manager for WXLO-FM and I was the sales manager for WKTU-FM.
Well anyway, Steve cashed out well many times and lives a beautiful life in both Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. He's become a Detroit Tigers fan, but his roots go back to Casey Stengel 1962 team we all rooted for as kids.
So Stephen says... here's the deal.... if the Mets make the World Series... airfare, hotel and tickets are on him. All I have to do is show up and meet him at the Shake Shack.
So, what do you think? A perfect sendoff for someone who never thought he's ever get the chance to reach out first hand once more to these guys. My body doesn't work anymore... arthritis has taken away my ability to play guitar anymore... and my diabetes, simply put, is fucking killing me... but I've got to figure out a way to get one more ride on the 7 Train, don't I?
Mack, get ready to get on that 7 train. We're going to the series. I take it from time to time, have never seen John Rocker on it, so you're safe.
ReplyDeleteNice trio of SS prospects in Gavin, Amed, and Luis. The pipeline still has talent.
The Gee story must be something - too bad.
Guys often bring up how Vegas conditions boost hitters. I wonder what the final averages of Luis, Garcia, and Becerra would have been in a normal park. Shame both Garcia and Becerra cracked .300 late in the season but could not stay there. Matt Oberste did for St Lucie (.301).
Mack - God Bless you - he will keep you strong to enjoy the next Mets WS Team!!!!
ReplyDeleteGee was off the 40 man - plus the Mets didn't need a starter - they needed a reliever, and Gee bit he'd repeatedly how he hates pitching out of the pen
So, he talked himself out of the chance - and frankly, he isn't as good as Matz or Verrett
Yeah Mack you gotta take that ride on the 7 train.
ReplyDeleteThen next year you gotta catch a game with the 7 line army !!!
But Lew, Tim Stauffer is on the team and Gee is not. They could have called up Gee, went with Tim. That says a lot.
ReplyDeleteMack,
ReplyDeleteThat is some offer for the WS...I'll be rooting for you and the Mets.
I hope you will be able to go to the ws. I get so much enjoyment every morning having my coffee and reading your column. Its the first one I go to when I go to sportspyder mets for all the reads on them. Thank you for your straight shooting. And as a guitar hack, I am sorry you are not able to play anymore.. Look forward to reading about your subway ride, and I will live vicariously thru you from Vegas if the mutts get there. One last question, is their anyway the wilpons aren't making more money with the crowds they have now with a playoff caliber team, as opposed to paying minor leaguers and finishing last with 1000 people in the stands for the last 3 months of the year? I just don't get it. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI really like Dillon Gee and it's sad how it worked out with him.
ReplyDeleteThat said: For any chance to stick, he needed to embrace the bullpen.
There was a PR event where the Mets were photographed and he later publicly complained about it, because it was anti-gun and he felt deceived.
I think there's a time in your career where you just have to be a good soldier and Dillon Gee had reached his breaking point. I've said it before: They gave away his uniform number. He was never coming back and it seems obvious that this went beyond baseball. It got personal.
On Stauffer: He's worked out of the pen in the past and would gladly do anything the Mets asked. At certain talent levels, guys become easily replaceable. There's a huge pool of "good, not great" talent available. Guys who can pass through waivers but still do replacement-level service. Is there really any difference between den Dekker, Kirkkkkk, and Ceciliani? They are all the same guy. Then it becomes about options, character issues, work ethic, personality.
Dillon Gee got to a point where he fell into that category. There's simply too many guys who can do what he does at this point in time.
Mabye next year he gets a Spring Training invite from some smart team that gives him a shot to make it as a starter. No reason he can't be the next Aaron Harang. In the best world, he signs a one-year deal at league minimum, pitches well, and puts himself in position to sign a decent, two-year deal after 2016. He should pick his ballpark well; he'll need a big one in order to succeed.
James Preller
Mike -
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see the Mets financials at the end of this season. They should tell a completely different picture, but we always knew that you had to spend money to make money.
James is correct regarding Gee.
ReplyDeleteHe fell into that vast hole that Alderson places you in when he's done wth you that can't be climbed out of.
The giving away of the number was brutal.
My first trip to Citi Field two weeks ago was worth the long wait. Seeing the memorial bricks out front, the apple from the old Shea Stadium being the rendezvous point just as the bat was at the old Yankee Stadium, the main entrance with its multi-story atrium, the way they post the lineup there in oversized baseball card images of the starters, the upgraded food options, the surprising cleanliness of the bathrooms....it's a very nice place indeed. (Of course, the fact the Mets beat the Red Sox that Sunday made it even better).
ReplyDeleteMack
ReplyDeleteI just want to clarify, I don't think reporting is what I did with Gee.
It is just what I see as the most likely series of events explaining the events that occurred and the personalities involved.
I am not judging Gee here. He can easily make a valid case that he was treated poorly and unfairly.
I am sure his feelings led him to act in some ways that he normally would not.
I am sure he felt betrayed (whether he should or not does not matter). I am sure all of us are capable of very uncharacteristic behavior when feeling betrayed. Sometimes these behaviors affect how we treat abd behave with others that surround us.
Gee was always a wonderful representative Met, ball player, team mate, and person from all indications.
Extreme circumstances occurred in his mind that made him most likely feel betrayed and result mist likely in behavior that was uncharacteristic.
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry if you thought I was misrepresenting what you said about Gee. It wasn't meant that way.
His time as a Met is clearly over mainly due to some actions at the end by him. What led him to being burned out as a Met may have been the Mets fault, but it was his actions that clearly put him in the dog house.
Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteGee is still responsible for his actions.
No worries regarding the "reporting". I wasn't upset. I just wanted anyone reading to know that I don't have any inside information.
Just me putting together the puzzle pieces.
I think James said it best about Gee - his attitude / behavior kept him off the team - at some point he needed to realize that there were simply better options than him and he needed to just be happy to have a role on the team.
ReplyDeleteAlso - he passed through waivers unclaimed - so what does that tell you?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell I know you have to spend money to make money, and you know they have to, but do these multi millionaire wilpons know it?seems like pretty common sense. Doesn't have to be the yanks, or sox payroll, but sheesh if you have a decent payroll with major league talent and you get 20,000 a night in the stands, compared to 2500 won't you make money,that's even excluding advertising dollar for having a more in demand product and how many cespedus jerseys at 75 a throw are being sold? I mean I'm no businessman but after the frank McCord running of the Dodgers, you think mlb would want real ownership in ny national league. I get Selig and wilpon ties, but it was criminal.
ReplyDelete