The Mets and 'lifetime banned pitcher Jenrry Mejia, have agreed on a 1-year, $1.729mil deal to avoid arbitration. Yes, the guy that is still banned FOR LIFE will get almost one point eight million dollars to NOT pitch.
John Morosi writes that the Mets are making calls about:
3B Mike Moustakas
3B Todd Frazier
C Jonathan Lucroy
1B Adam Lind
1B Logan Morrison
First, I love it any time I see the words Moose and Mets in the same sentence
Secondly, I simply love the degree of phone calls being made. For awhile there, I wasn't sure if Sandy and Company had returned from the holidays.
Lastly, I continue to be perplexed at the almost obsession for the Mets to purchase another first baseman. Sure, these two hit from the left aide and they can (sort of) play in the outfield, but, on my team, I have a lot bigger needs for the limited funds I have left than spending it on first,
The Yankees signed ex-prospect IF Jace Peterson to a minor league contract, with an invite to big boy camp.
Someone must have gifted Sandy Alderson with a pre-paid phone card for Christmas...
ReplyDeleteMaybe he can make calls about Mike Trout, Charlie Blackmon and Aroldis Chapman while he's at it. They're about as likely to happen.
Mejia gets paid, or gets paid only if he comes off suspension? I am confused.
ReplyDeleteAre they collect calls? If not, that must be some phone bill, and pretty soon they'll be looking for a Skype Goat.
Tom -
ReplyDeleteI am confused about that also.
Maybe Chris or one of our anonymous friends can help us out here.
MLB players only get payed during the 162 game schedule they are eligible to participate in. Outside of bonuses. Unless something else was in the contract he wont receive a single dollar until he makes an active roster and that roster plays in a game. This is likely a formality to avoid going through the arb system should he ever be reinstated.
ReplyDeleteActually, Mejia does not get paid - I read this from an article this time last year: "However, players serving drug suspensions do not get paid. Mejia's salary was cut the maximum 20 percent from his $2.47 million salary last year."
ReplyDeleteKid coulda been a millionaire.
Even if he applies for reinstatement, then he must sit out a mandatory 2-year period before coming back. So let's assume for the moment he is allowed back this year. That means he'd miss 2019 and 2020, eligible to play again in 2021.
ReplyDelete2 years from the date of the suspension, or from the day he's re-instated, or from the day he applies for re-instatement?
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DeleteI will believe it when I see it - any of those more desirable fee agents in Mets uniforms that is
ReplyDeleteMejia will certainly be well rested.
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't he try Japan? Performance-enhancing sushi.
Possible to center a trade for Yelich & Realmuto around Matz & D'Arnaud?
ReplyDeleteNationals and Braves are expressed as having interest in Realmuto and Yelich. Do we really think, short of including Rosario, that Jeter and Co. would be interested in Mets' prospects enough to do such a deal.
ReplyDeleteIf Rosario could get us Yelich it should be a no brainer... we can only hope based on what I saw Rosario turns into Yelich and that’s no guarantee
DeleteMejia cannot go to Japan and play because they respect MLB's rulings and abide by their suspension and such
ReplyDeleteMexico
ReplyDeleteHello all,
ReplyDeleteMejia will not receive a single penny until he is reinstated by the MLB (which i dont see happening). This is merely a required formality since by MLB rule he is still under Mets control via Arbitration#2.
Mejia did pitch in Venezuela this winter for a few games and his velocity was quite good.....but his control was non-existant.
As part of his suspension, mejia cannot play in the normal regular seasons in Japan, South Korea, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, or Mexico.
ReplyDeleteThe suspension does not affect winter leagues or independent baseball leagues.
@Metsiac -- two years from the date of the reinstatement.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the Long Island Ducks fans would react if they signed him. After all, they signed Rocker when he was finished as a MLer.
ReplyDeleteEddie,
ReplyDeleteI'm keeping Rosario. Yelich is good, but I'm not gutting limited depth for him or the catcher.
Wilpons need to wake up and take a look at the Braves and Phillies. While the Marlins are in fire sale mode, the other NL East competitors are poised to spend, trade from deep systems, and compete.
I am not suggesting top free agent spending, but they do need to strengthen the team by spending in order to keep the limited prospect depth they have.
I wonder if, since they don't have any full time outfielders on their call list, they may be progressing on a deal for Cutch? Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by "call list", but barring setbacks to Yo and/or 4to, the corners are full, with Nimmo as backup.
ReplyDeleteCutch was moved out of CF by the Bucs, just as Grandy was in NY. He might give us better Offense in CF than Lag/Nimmo, but as Mack said, Defense up the middle is essential. And according to "reports" the budget is tight. Do we want to take on Cutch's salary and block getting a 2Bman or 3Nman?
On getting JBruce, Mcutch, Frazier, LaCroy, Lind, Harrison...Answer: No. Why? 2017 team. What do I mean? I mean the 2017 team had not-so-good starting pitching and what made it even worse was that the team was old in the field too. Old and brittle is not a very good combination, except for radiologists and their families.
ReplyDeleteThis is the third season with the same rotation overall. We have waited for good health there for three years and been disappointed. Four years is a college lifetime, unless a doctor or a priest. It may be time for a redo here. Maybe start with eliminating the most peanut brittle first.
Most of the possible trade acquisition names mentioned above are past their prime, expensive, and questionable three years out. Look at Grandy, although we all loved him. The only name being bantered about that I would like here in 2018 orange and blue is 3B Moose Moustakis. Not unlike Mack, I too like the words Moose, Mets, and Miracles all used in the same one sentence. What makes "The Moose" so opportune for here is his homerun power.
It's currently possible, that Michael Conforto does not get back here whole until May 2018 from what I have been reading. Mr. Moose is also that contingency plan in the event that this were to happen. Then too, what if Cespedes got hurt early 2018 and was out as well? Then what? We need "The Moose" for 2018, not Frazier. He would fit in very nicely here with our current middle batting order.
Josh Harrison is intriguing, I agree. He's been mentioned now two seasons in a row here. But I'd much rather have "The Moose" loose here. Why else? Because this kid Luis Guillorme is lightning quick on defense, and combined with Amed Rosario at short, the middle alley is shutdown probably better than ever before here. Josh hits well but so could Luis, and Luis is awesome on D now. Quick hands, very fluid and smooth. If say Rosario went down, Luis plays shortstop to a high level as well. The top of the batting order (1 and 2) will include Rosario, and one from the Cabrera, Nimmo, Guillorme, or Lagares grouping. That's pretty good I think.
Luis Guillorme is in his very early stage batting wise, same as Nimmo is. Understand this because these guys can uptick their offense as they get stronger and more experienced in the MLB game and will. Guillorme (right now) is said to be a slapgap batter, but he hit .283 BA in 2017 MiLB.
If the Mets were to get "The Moose", then Cabrera could play second (if he doesn't mind it too much) or be possibly trade bait. Personally, I want this team to get younger in 2018. It needs to. So to me Luis Guillorme makes more sense on second base. And a trade for one or two more young lefty starters, a young power hitting corner outfielder more, not such a bad idea either.
My "Mack's Mets" Santa List?
1. Jay Groome Red Sox lefty starter for Steven Matz and/or Matt Harvey. Why? Red Sox are beaten on offense vs. NYY with Sanchez, Judge, and now Stanton. Cannot match that. And they overestimate their own starting pitching with weakness at the 4 and 5 starter roles, Wright and Porcello. David Price in the top-end of the rotation is not rock solid yet either. They need one more top-end starter, thus Matz and/or Harvey. 2. "The Moose". Mack, you could not be more right here. 3. OF/3B Nicky Delmonico and AAA lefty starter/age 24/6'4"/with nearly one strikeout per inning his entire MiLB career...Brian Clark.
Right there, these three moves (ideally speaking of course) get the Mets that quality power bat in "The Moose" for third, it gets them a superlative young lefty flamethrower in Jay Groome, and a solid potential no.3 lefty starter in Brian Clark. Mets need these quality lefty starters.
This is my 2018 Santa List.
Mack, I sort of agree with you on the first baseman obsession thing, it is to me over-exaggerated as well.
ReplyDeleteBut unlike yourself, I like the idea of having Yoenis Cespedes slide over to first base, mainly to protect his Hershel Walker legs. It's his bat that is so important to this team and batting cleanup. I am not certain if he has already been tried there at first base prior, or not. It is possible he has and I just cannot recall it. Moving from the outfield to infield (or visa versa) is an adjustment from fly ball to ground game.
The fan base and team brass like the idea of Dominic Smith on first for 2018, however, I am not so sure everyone is convinced on just how Dominic will do full time there after such a rocky late season call up in 2017. And I think the weight thing (a la Ruben Tejada Collins) sort of makes people wonder what this really all means to him, although his off season workout regiment has been absolutely stellar and most impressive I have to agree here.
If Cespedes started on first base, the team would obviously need one or two more corner outfielders, especially with Conforto predicted being out all of April. That's why I have been suggesting getting like a Nicky Delmonico (White Sox) and possibly also the neglected Bryce Brentz (Red Sox). Bryce hit 31 homeruns in 2017 for Pawtucket, and Nicky can play third base as well as the outfield.
How many MLB teams have anyone on their AAA/AA team who had over 30 homeruns in 2017. A: Not many. NYM are somewhat undermanned at the AAA and AA levels for this type of an outfielder. Both Delmonico and Brentz are very affordable solutions too, but they give you that immediate depth at corner outfield.
Then, there is the question of what happens with Smith if Cespedes were to move to first. I guess he could come off the bench, maybe learn the corner outfield position, and pinch hit later inning. But his use here would be lessened compared to starting on first base. Personally, I would probably consider him for trade purposes. The reasoning here would be Peter Alonso after Yoenis Cespedes at first base. This Alonso kid looks like a monster-in-the-making. His homerun swing is quite impressive thus far, although he still probably is a 2019 ST player. I am optimistic here with him.