11/3/16

Mack’s Morning Report – Off Season, Part Three – Outfield - WOWY (with or without Yo)



Good morning.


My outfield has 5 ball players.

3 of them are my basic starters and 2 are my backups.

I have two separate approaches. The first will include Yoenes Cespedes and the second will not.

Let’s talk about Yo first –

CF – Yoenes Cespedes – Cespedes is currently under contract with the Mets, in 2017, for $23.7mil… but, as we all know, he has the option to opt out. There simply is no way in hell that he will accept this kind of money in 2017. Yo is a $30mil player and deserves to be paid this kind of money. I have to find $6.3mil somewhere to pay for this increase and I already saved $9.5mil by opting out Jon Niese and not paying once again the $5.75 mil I paid to Alejandro De Aza. The money is here to make Cespedes happy. Now I just have to make him a happy Met.

RF – Jay Bruce – $12.542mil – I can’t let this kind of talent go away even if he strikes out as much as he does and CitiField isn’t located in Colorado. Like many players that get traded, Bruce let the negative side of this game get into his head when he arrived as a Mets. Don’t quote me, but wasn’t he leading the NL in RBIs on that day? How could anyone not want someone with this kind of 30+ HR/120+ RBI  talent on your team for less than $13mil? He and Cespedes alone have the potential of 80+ HRs next season.

LF – Michael Conforto - $600K – Conforto becomes my starter in left for a couple of reasons, both of which are listed above. There will be little pressure for Conforto to produce 30+ HRs in 2017. I want to see what I have here and I have to let this guy play full time at least through the all-star break. I also would work with him during the off-season to become more of a hitter that can spray in all directions of the outfield, hit for power to the opposite field, and hit both left and right handed pitching. Potentially, I believe Conforto is a better major league option than Brandon Nimmo and Conforto would get my vote here (before any injuries set in).

UT – Curtis Granderson – $15mil – A lot of you want to trade Grandy. I did too the day after we signed him. But I, and most Mets fans have come to realize that he has become the clubhouse leader, especially since David Wright sent away with rehab duties. Many of you can dream that some deaf, dumb, and blind General Manager is going to come along and pick up this fifteen mil, but it just isn’t going to happen. There’s one year left hear and let’s use him where he can be utilized best by the team. I’m going to have him back up Bruce, spend some time giving pointers to Conforto and riding Cespedes’ horses.

UT – Juan Lagares – One of the best contracts Alderson and Company ever contracted was the long-term deal with Lagares. The past Golden Glove centerfielder is scheduled to be paid only $4.5mil in 2017, which is a steal if he can stay healthy. I will return him the role he had before he went thumbs up last season… late inning centerfield defense.

Now… what if we don’t sign Yo?


CF – Carlos Gomez – One simple subtraction, one simple addition, and $15-20mil back in the till. Gomez would be my Wild Card #2, but the unspent Yo money could be used in contracting a long term deal with someone like Noah Syndergaard… and… finally… spending some decent money in the International draft before it goes away. I think Gomez is past the low point in his career and I can build in various performance clauses in his contract to give him the incentive to stay on point. 

9 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

I like Plan A. Plan B sounds too much like the Mets, settling for a lesser option, then moaning about it all summer.

Someone mentioned Dexter Fowler as an option.

Nimmo I guess is back in Vegas until someone gets hurt or Grandy gets traded.

Of course, Tebow will be here by 2018 LOL.

Mack Ade said...

Tom -

Actually, I was going to change Gomez to Fowler at the last minute but I had to go to the VA this morning for blood tests. LOL.

I see Nimmo the same as I see T.J. Murphy. Potentially, a 25-man member for years to come but only as a backup.

Mack Ade said...

I see we have a new writer named 'unknown'.

Is that Irish?

Reese Kaplan said...

Actually I think Gomez excites me more than Fowler does. Fowler is a bit of an enigma for a guy as big as he is to have such little power. Gomez is a superior fielder, has more power, the same speed and would cost significantly less. Fowler's profile (and price tag) went up with national exposure.

I had advocated buying low last Hot Stove on Marcell Ozuna, but that bargain ship has sailed.

Tom Brennan said...

Reese, Ozuna woulda been nice. Using a ship has sailed analogy involving a Marlin, though....

Mack Ade said...

BTW -

I talked to someone in the Mets organization (yes, I still have some contracts...) and they expect (especially after he cut those domestic violence PSAs) 'the book' thrown at Familia.

Could be a suspension for the entire 2017 season.

Zozo said...

I don't think the whole season suspension? I really don't know how bad it was compared to other incidents but the most I believe last year was Reyes with 51 game suspension.

Zozo said...

Option A With Cespedes
I would sign Cespedes for 4year $120mil
Trade Granderson for Brian McCann
Sign Fowler 5 years 75 million
Trade Bruce for the best prospect package

Lineup A
Fowler
Reyes
Cabrera
Cespedes
Duda/Wright 1st
McCann
Conforto
Flores/TJ 2nd

Without Cespedes
Sign both Gomez and Fowler
Trade Granderson for McCann
Trade Bruce for best prospects

Lineup B

Gomez
Fowler
Reyes
Cabrera
Duda/Wright at first base
McCann
Conforto
Flores/TJ 2nd base

Reese Kaplan said...

Trading Granderson who is a one-year $15 million commitment for 2 years @ $17 million plus an automatic vesting option for a third year at $15 million doesn't seem like an Alderson type of payroll flexibility move.

The incremental cost for 2017 works -- an extra $5 million for Cespedes and an extra $2 million for McCann vs. Granderson, particularly if you're going to get prospects for Bruce. Where it becomes murkier to me is the cost of Dexter Fowler at $15 million per year...that seems quite high for what he provides.