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1/19/17

Mack Ade – Q and A – Relief, Harvey, Mejia, Granderson, Bruce


Good morning.


From Tom –

If you know as a GM that you'll need a relief pitcher or two, why do you HAVE to clear salary first? You'll clear it soon enough if you are determined enough, but by then your best BP choices may be off the board.

            Mack – I don’t know, Tom.

            The whole baseball world knows you are looking for relief help so what is the incentive cut a deal for an outfielder you don’t even want on your team?

I don’t happen to think any relief help for the Mets will be found via a trade. Alderson is going to have to swallow hard and sign a guy like Salas or Blevens separate to any deal to shed salary.

As for either Granderson or Bruce, I think the 2017 Mets are stuck with these contracts.

One new wrinkle to consider... the fact that Wilmer Flores has taken the Mets to task over his salary demands for the 2017 season could create a new trade scenario where Flores could be dealt one-for-one for a relief pitcher.


Anonymous asked –

           Let’s assume that Harvey has a great 2017 where he re-establishes his value. 

Who do the Mets trade him to and what can't they get from the following teams if they were willing to trade for Harvey. Yankees, Astros, Pirates, Red Sox.

Mack - First of all, a pitcher of this much talent, if healthy and producing numbers that he has proven in the past, can easily bring two top level players, either at the major league level or blue chip prospects. 

Let’s remember that even through his ups and downs, he has a combined MLB ERA of 2.94.

I have always believed that the way to go under these circumstances would be for a team to trade for two or three of the other team’s top prospects. Trust me… if you trade for a top star of the game, you are also trading for a top contract that still exists.

I vote for prospects and I would target two of –

            Yankees:       OF Clint Frazier, IF/OF/UT Jorge Mateo, LHSP Justus Sheffield

            Astros:          OF Kyle Tucker, RHP Franklin Perez, OF Daz Cameron

            Pirates:         OF Austin Meadows, RHP Mitch Keller, LHP Taylor Hearn

            Red Sox:       OF Andrew Benintendi, 3B Rafael Devers (or 3B Bobby Dalbec), LHP Jason Groome



Tony asked - 

    Mack, do you have an update on what's going on with Jenrry Mejia?

        Mack - Funny you should ask...

        Both The Daily News and Fangraphs published an update this week. Try to follow me here...

        The Mets and Jenrry Mejia areed to a 1-year contract worth $1.96mil; however, Mejia will not see one red cent from this deal because of his lifetime ban for his 786th positive test for every drug known to man.

        This represents a 20% cut from his previous year's contract of $2.47mil which he also never was paid a cent.

         Mejia will be eligible for free agency in 2019, which will definitely be another year he isn't paid anything by the Mets. 

        The only thing up to debate here is what the Mets will do with him in 2018.


Bob asked –

           In your opinion, who is more likely to have a better 1st half of the season? Bruce or Granderson?

                       Mack – I didn’t do any research on this one, but I don’t remember Granderson ever having a decent start of a season as a Met.

           My money would be on Bruce because I think his head would be on straight this time and he would be playing his arse off to help secure a long term offer after the 2017 season. I expect him to come out smoking with the intent of shutting out the media critics.

           I also don’t think there is much left in the tank for Grandy. No proof. Just speculation.

           Either way, I expect both of them to be in the starting lineup along with Cespedes. They are the guys being paid to play and they will get their turn before Conforto gets his. This is simply the way the Alderson-Collins brain (sic) trust works.




17 comments:

  1. Everyone assumes that Alderson hasnt signed a RP because he is hamstrung by payroll.....yet.....the RPs that he is assumed to be targeting.....havent been signed by anyone.

    Alderson is doing the same thing he does every year.....waiting the market out to jump on the best possible deal.

    If belvins signs first....he'll wake up and pivot to boone logan.

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  2. Mack the Yankees and Mets never deal even when it makes too much sense... that deal would be more than fair...
    I would love the red sox deal but I think now that they have sale they are done with trading for a Pitcher...
    If we are talking Astros then the guy we need to have is Alex Bregman who could fill 3b for next 7-10 years

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  3. Anon -

    I think Blevens will sign with the Mets... for 2 years

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  4. Might Flores rather than a pay-down of the existing money owed be a way to make a Bruce trade more palatable to another team -- Bruce+Flores for whatever...?

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  5. Here is another question Mack,

    How do you compare the job that Sandy Alderson has done vs Brian Cashman, Braves GM putting a team together for the long run.

    It seems to me that Cashman has done a lot more with a lot less as far as getting big time prospects in trades. Same with the Braves who seem to be only a couple of players away from having a really really good teams. They been at it for no more than 2 years.

    The Mets can't seem to even have a good future core going because they are either not being given the time to play or are still in AA, AAA. I say this because this is what? year #6 going on 7 for Alderson?

    Is it me or is Sandy really overrated?

    Viper

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  6. Viper
    Can I take a stab at answering Sandy vs Cashman vs Brave GM...
    they are equal...
    Braves did the same thing sandy did with the SS they received for Shelby Miller... Sandy did the same with Dickey and we got THOR (and sandy and I really thought D'arnaud would be the next Posada)
    Cashman traded Miller and Chapman... Sandy hasn't done this yet but it would have been like trading Reyes and Wright... Harvey got hurt or I believe he would have trade him this year... He traded Beltran for wheeler who was a tremendous prospect at the time and even though he was injured could still be a big time pitcher... Say he doesn't start again would anyone be surprised if he turns into a Big bullpen piece of the puzzle based on stuff? I wouldn't...
    The reason I think some may believe Sandy didn't do as well is that they were all pitchers and not Position player and we see position player every day...
    I believe all 3 have drafted poorly... Yankees always have more money and spend it so a couple of years ago they spent crazy on all the top international players... I expect they may have several those 16 year old come of age real soon...
    Problem to be is the Mets Fan... they hate the concept of trading someone too soon...
    If the FO believes a player isnt great trade them to someone who does for Higher value...
    this is what ATLANTA did with Andrelton Simmons...
    A year ago after the 2015 WS run if we felt conforto was not the next best thing who wouldnt have traded anything we wanted for him...
    I am not saying we should have traded him but that an example of selling High...But every mets fan would have blown a gasket... especially if it was for someone we didn't know of (A LA a kid named Syndergarrd)

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    Replies
    1. Eddie, a little sprucing up and you have a good article there.

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  7. I may be wrong...
    But aren't the Mets and Flores "only" $400k apart? That would make a middle of the road compromise $200

    It could be that Both sides do not see an incentive to compromise. No hard feelings if they lose.

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  8. @Bob Gregory

    Correct....the club will settle this with Flores before mid-February.

    If not....I doubt anyone is going to be butt hurt over a $400k difference....it seems both sides are most fighting based on principal.

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  9. It just amazes me that after all the good will Flores has built up he would let his agent blow all that for chump change its just stupid. I would also just let Bruce play as his value would be much higher hopefully by the trade deadline and before we bash SA on the BP lets see how this plays out.

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  10. I question whether this is a matter of Flores hurting any good will.

    I can easily imagine he would not be disgruntled if he loses.

    Equally I could easily believe the Mets will not be angered if they lose.

    I can easily imagine this being a case in which each side is agreeing to go through the process. No hard feelings either way.

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  11. Orioles out as suitors for Bruce -- just signed Trumnbo for Daniel Murphy money -- 3 years/$37.5 million total.

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  12. Wilmer Flores had one of the highest OPS vs lefties of any player in baseball last year. And he was hitting righties well when he got hurt. If they trade him in a snit over his going to arbitration, I will be very unhappy.

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  13. Yet despite the major strides Flores made in his offensive game in 2016 (same number of HRs and almost as many RBIs in nearly 200 fewer ABs, yet the Skipper preferred All Stars like Ty Kelly, Eric Campbell, James Loney and others to get chances ahead of him. Ride the cold hand. It's the Skipper's way.)

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