7/1/18

From The Desk Of...


Good morning.


      1.    Monday, the Mets put the first baseman in the outfield, and extra catcher on first, a shortstop on third, and a left fielder in center. This can’t be by coincidence nor can it not be something that was blessed by the General Manager. What’s the long game here? Firing? An insanity fee? Kevin Plawecki said that there isn’t a single player on the team that doesn’t believe they can make the playoffs. Does he realize that, as of a wake up on Monday, the team would have to go 59-16 to wind up with 90 wins. Does anyone do the math there. Do they have a calculator? An abacus?


     2.     At the same time, using Monday morning stats, we have a natural second baseman hitting .387 in AAA (after hitting .327 in AA) and a natural first baseman hitting .300 in AAA (after hitting .314 in AA). Following this team always confused me a little, but is becoming min blowing.


     3.    The on-again, off-again promotion and demotion of IF Luis Guillorme is so TC. He had 10 hits in 58 at-bats, over 29 games (.172). That’s a little over two at bats per game played vs. the 76 games played all season long. Did he really stand a chance here? And how do you deal with this when you are famous for being a defensive specialist’ and you’re demoted the morning after you give up two errors?


     4.    I need to say something here about Sandy Alderson. I have been rough regarding what I have called in the past ‘Sandy and Co’, but backed off and shifted the blame to the Wilpon family once I found out that the initial diagnosis of Sandy’s cancer was, as described to me, ‘very bad’. Now, that my sources are telling me that the relapse is ‘very VERY bad’ it is impossible to write anything about him operationally from this point. As the husband of a cancer survivor, I know that one of the top three reasons cancer can return is stress. Frankly, Sandy should have retired when he was first diagnosed with this deadly form, but what’s that hindsight saying? I simply wish him  well and pray he has the strength for another pennant race against this fucking disease.


     5.    I want everybody to keep tract of my favorite during the last draft. RF/1B Seth Beer (Clemson) has been promoted from Low-A to Full-A after only 11 games. Beer powered four home runs with seven RBIs in 41 at-bats, hitting .293 with a .659 slugging percentage and a .431 on-base percentage.  I will keep updating this and show you that he will make it to the pros 2-3 years ahead of our first rounder and probably be compared to Aaron Judge when this is all over. But what did I know?


     6.    MMs reader Josh Drennen sends… Jonathan Mayo - @JonathanMayo - 22nd-rder Jaylen Palmer gets $200K from @Mets ($75K counts toward bonus pool). SS from @HCKBaseball in Flushing, NY had big growth spurt, now 6-3 w/power potential, maybe stay at SS or move to OF?  -  then… 11th-rder Franklin Parra gets $150K ($25K counts toward bonus pool). LHP from @CopiagueSchools has FB that touches low-90s, breaking ball and changeup. Relative newcomer to baseball.


     7.    Mike Puma - @NYPost_Mets - In the last three years, 3 Harvard guys have departed from the Mets front office: Paul DePodesta, Adam Fisher and Sandy Alderson.


     8.    One more thing about the ‘New Mets’ and Troika v2.0… I talked to some ‘people’ about what is going on with Sandy and how Fred and Ethel have decided to go forward. Everyone seems to be shaking their heads regarding this new way of approaching the remains of this season. The one thing everybody agrees on is that we will see a new, singular General Manager next year, hired from the outside. We are about to go into the most important trade season in the history of this team. Dead wood needs to be dealt off for anything we can get, even if it is only salary relief. Serious consideration needs to be made in either trading Noah or Jake… or even both… for a boatload of Top 100 prospects. And lastly, the right side of the infield needs to be cleared out for Alonso and McNeil. But instead of having one ’Charles in Charge’ pounding the gavel at this critical point, we have three underlings making a majority decision to take to a myopic owner that only will say no anyone. As one of the real inside Mets people told me this week… ‘this is going to be a real mess’.

     Trading is not the simple task of making a phone call and closing a deal. Go re-watch that scene from Money Ball. It takes multiple negotiations with multiple General Managers that you have built a relationship with. The only person that has these relationships is Sandy.  

      Yes, this is a real mess.


     9     Seems like the all-star promotions and releases have begun. First some good news… RHP chip, Anthony Kay has been promoted from A-Columbia to A+ - St. Lucie. Tom Brennan advises that the high ERA Kay should do better in the low hitting A+ league that Lucy plays in…. RHP Stephen Nogosek transferred from St. Lucie (High-A) to Binghamton (AA)… Nogosek went 3.06 and 10.30 SO9 in 23 games for Lucy and should be a great add. He’s 23… lastly, catcher Ali Sanchez (21/yrs. A-Columbia: .259, 4-HR) has been promoted to advanced-St. Lucie (A+). The 21/yr. old (yes, he still is only 21) is having his best pro season (.259) since he played for the GCL-Mets 2015 (.278). He is almost returning to the prospect chip he had when he first started with the Mets back then as a 17-year old. I also love it because it seems to mean that Anthony Dimino will move from Lucy to Bing, allowing Patrick Mazeika to get promoted to Vegas. .. on the downside, catcher Brandon Brosher and Dariel Rivera were cut.



16 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

True about trades...it is a terrible time for FO instability, given how important it is for the Mets to make the right trades for the right returns.

Beer is sure blasting, and I have a professed love of the long ball (shifts can't catch homers) but our 18 year old draftee Kelenic is 11 for 19 with a couple of walks so far. If he does that for another week, promote him.

McNeil had 3 more hits last night. Alonso has slumped a bit, but why Jose is on this Mets team and McNeil is not is beyond me. Hitting .397 after 14 AAA games, .342 overall, and 42 XBH in 71 games. I guess it is because the Mets' offense is so high powered. Promote him before the next series.

Luis G was 7 for his last 55 at bats...he simply failed the audition, at least for now (did hit a HR for Vegas last night, though.)

I always felt Ali Sanchez could hit for average because, unlike released Brandon Brosher, Ali does not strike out much, and he is 6'1, 200, so he is big enough.

Hopefully Mazeika hits in AAA. His .215 AA average was depressed by his uncharacteristic 1 for 27 season start.

I am puzzled why our 3rd rounder Carlos Cortez has not signed yet. He's 21, I believe, and age becomes a prospect's enemy quickly. I am impressed Seth Beer signed so quickly...shows he is hungry to be a major leaguer.

Mack Ade said...

I stand by my original comments about Cortez. I was not impressed with him in college.

Mack Ade said...

Once again...

Reyes is still on this team for the same reason all the other old timers remain on this team (for 2/3 years) with either Mickey or TC on the bench.

It is not the GM or Field manager's decision.

It is a Wilpon decision through Ricco.

Gary Seagren said...

Around Metville the more things change the more they stay the same. Callaway sure seemed to be a good hire but has turned into a disaster and his "its tough to play in New York" comment is mind blowing. Look we all hope for the best for SA but was there really even one good move he made last winter? Lupica's article today about Sandy was nice and warranted as he seems very well liked but our 2015 run to the WS was fueled by shear luck when YC fell in our laps so lets be honest here and were just finishing the worst month in franchise history....is that even possible or have we just all visited the Twilight zone and haven't woken up yet. Now as far as the team goes is this now time to showcase our trade options as if anyone not named Jake, Noah or Asbrubel is worth more than a bag of balls cause not bringing up McNeil at this point is almost criminal but like I said the more things change around here the more they stay the same.

Tom Brennan said...

Gary, it is McNeil's time. Get him up here.

I was t them to lose today, and force some changes.

Jose has been a little better of late, and a .261 OBP, which is improving somewhat, but he has 4 RBI. One grand slam in one swing of the bat is 4 RBI.

MCNEIL has 55 RBIs in 71 games. COME ON.

I think Matz and Wheeler would have real trade value. Shop them first.

Gary Seagren said...

Mack the only real upside here is were SO BAD at this point that Fred and Ethel and Jeffy HAVE to do something pretty dramatic because hanging around .500 and trying to sell the fan base on us being WC contenders is the worst hell to be in as fans so now they can't sell us on this crap and have to be proactive...finally.

Mack Ade said...

I'm a broken record.

1. The Wilpons will do NOTHING.

2. It does not matter who the GM is. Ricco reports to the Wilpons and pulls the shots.

3. The Troika feeds all their thoughts to Ricco.

4. Things will never change until this team is sold.

5. And, the team will NEVER be sold until revenue drops a minimum of 20% a month for 18 months

That Adam Smith said...

They probably can’t, and most likely shouldn’t bring up McNeil until they trade Cabrera. And with Cabrera hitting again, they ought to move on that deal as quickly as possible. I’ll be impressed if the three headed monster can find a taker for one of Frazier or Swarzak. The only chance of getting rid of Bruce will be in the off-season, IF they can get him back on the field for a couple of months (and who even sits to allow that to happen?) and IF he hits, and IF they are willing to eat more than half, maybe more like 2/3 of his contract. And even then, there will be nothing of value coming back. Guillorme got a bit of a raw deal, but hey, he made some extra money, and hopefully he gets another shot. Back down on the farm, it seems like Alonso has been a little bit exposed (breaking stuff away?) and probably needs at least the rest of this season to adjust before feeding him to big league pitchers.

Mack Ade said...

Adam -

You are right about veterans like Cabrera. They must be showcased if you want then to be included in a trade.

Gary Seagren said...

Hey shouldn't we all chip in for a plane to fly over Citi with a banner saying the Wilpon's Suck? Couldn't hurt and worked for the Jets.

Anonymous said...

Trade all the old cripples Omar!

Anonymous said...

If reading correctly online, the Mets have nine Mets players going to free agency at the end of this season. Of the nine, I would not re-sign any of them actually. In so doing, the Mets would save themselves approximately $44,500,000, enough to sign two really top tier star players here for 2019.

Is this what most the Mets fans really want now? You tell me.

Anonymous said...

Mets Trades

Would not trade anyone really good to any NL team. Why? Then you get beat by them in 2019 and beyond? No thanks.

What about the Yankees?

I wouldn't, but the Mets? Probably would.

Why?

What do they have for the Mets? They won't trade Gleyber, who is actually a shortstop and the next Yankee Captain.

They won't trade Severino. probably the Al Cy Young winner in 2018.

Loaiza (or however you spell it) he isn't a top tier starter.

If they had any really good guys left at their Scranton/Wilks/Barre AAA team, he'd be up by now.

Boston is the team I would trade to. Why? Beeks, Groome, Chavis possibility.

Anonymous said...

However this too...

Now if Cashman and the Yankees offered lefty starter Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams, Luis Medina, and Dillon Tate? I might at least consider it.
Get this...

Of the 30 NYY Top Prospects, 22 are pitchers and not one catcher because I guess the already have Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine.

Anonymous said...

So for me, it's Boston's Beeks, Groome, and Chavis versus the Yankees Sheffield, Adams, Medina (Funky Cold), and Tate.

We'll see.

Anonymous said...

Adam Smith:

I think what we have been seeing here with several of our utility type players is the result of these players never having been bench players before, but rather starting players down at the MiLB level. In other words and like what Jose Reyes has said prior, it is hard for a starting player to seamlessly transition into being a utility bench player. There is rust from it and a change in game preparation.

Some guys can transition while others cannot it seems. Here as a bench player, Guillorme was not good offensively. he gets sent back down and he tears it up again. Could be the level of starting pitching difference, but it could also at the same time be not coming off the bench and never knowing if or when you are playing again.

I have seen this with so many once starters like Jose too.