As the New York Mets’ general manager search continues this
off season they are finding out that it is not that easy. Jeff Wilpon said that
nobody from within the organization will be considered for the position. The
Mets received a phone call from Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa last week. He
spoke to one of the Mets’ executives and recommended Gary LaRocque, the
Cardinals’ director of player development for the position. Also, the Mets
interviewed Chaim Bloom, the Tampa Bay Rays’ senior vice president of baseball
operations this past week. He has been working for the Rays during the last
fourteen years. Team owner Fred Wilpon’s preference, is a candidate more versed
in scouting and player development. He will have the final say on the choice.
When the Mets make their choice the first order of business
of the new general manager would be to sign Jacob deGrom to a long-term
contract. Another task would be to make trades to upgrade at catcher and in the
bullpen. Also, there is a chance that the team may look at the free agents that
are available, however the Mets do not usually make a big splash in free agency
like the New York Yankees do and stay a little conservative. The Mets would
have to improve their hitting to be considered a serious World Series contender.
As for the Major League Baseball playoffs the Yankees were
eliminated by the Boston Red Sox in four games last week. The Yankees just
simply did not pitch well. They did not have that dominant frontline ace type of
pitcher they needed to get by Boston. Since 2016 they had a chance to obtain
the likes of Chris Sale, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, but they did not
capitalize to acquire them and what is worse is that they allowed both Boston
and Houston to acquire them and both teams had the better record since the Yankees
were challenging them for the division and homefield advantage etc. The Mets
even made Jacob deGrom available this past May and the Yankees did not even
make a serious attempt to trade for him. I’m sure the Yankees will be busy this
off season, because they need to improve the starting rotation to be considered
a serious World Series contender.
The off season of both the Mets and Yankees should be interesting.
It would be more interesting if the two teams discuss business together by talking
about a trade since they both have assets in which they would really be able to
help each other.
14 comments:
We have come to learn with this ownership: expect to be disappointed. How amazing it would be if we are not disappointed.
Tom what name would not disappoint you?
I would love the established young gun GM but i don’t know who that is... but being objective 2 guys who have come from the cardinals and the rays where they need to maximize the talents they have while balancing limited resources sound like solid bets... my only slight issue would be in LaRocque being older but if he would fire Ricco and develop a younger successor I would be convinced
I'm writing a little about these owners at 11 am.
Don't expect much here. Players don't want to play forthis team so why would competent GM candidates?
No one will ever forgive them for throwing Sandy under the bus while he was dying of cancer.
Well, maybe Lenny Dykstra would take the job.
The Mets GM search is not going to bring anyone of worth. The reason is that the insistence of Freddie that they have to keep the Three Stooges is going to be a bad situation from the get-go.
Out of the Three Amigos, GM Trifecta, the only one I would keep is Omar. He is a great scout especially for Latin America and that's how he should be kept.
Ricciardi (misspelled, won't bother to look it up)is all but invisible. Ricco, based on his trades, is severely under qualified and is lucky to have a job.
But as I have often asked here, "tell me one thing the Mets are good at" and it becomes very difficult if you are looking for something positive where they are good.
The lack of direction in this organization is its biggest flaw along with Freddy's insistence of being involved on the day to day operation.
Is there any hope? well they can shock us all and go out and sign Machado, Ramos, Familia and Britton or Miller or Herrera.
After that, sign deGrom long term and extend Wheeler.
Maybe is me but:
Nimmo, McNeil, Conforto, Machado, Bruce, Frazier (1B until Alonso takes over), Ramos, Rosario doesn't look too bad especially once Cespedes comes back and you can do Machado, Conforto, Cespedes, Bruce from 3 to 6.
Eddie, let Jeff Bezos buy the team, and change the team name to the Amazons instead of the Amazins.
Viper, I could live with Omar as GM, and an open checkbook from the Wilponzis.
My hopes for the new GM have been severely dampened by the reports from Mike puma and Joel Sherman of the NY Post. It seems like fred wilpon isnt as concerned with hiring the best candidate as he is with making sure he hires someone who's a buddy of his. He insists on keeping Terry collins, john ricco, Omar minaya (which I don't mind) before making any hire. Who does that? Only someone more concerned with keeping yes men around him than actually being exposed to new ideas
Can someone please explain to me why the hatred for Ricco? I follow reports on the Mets as closely as anyone, and yet I have no idea what he has done or not done as Sandy's assistant.
Where does all the hate come from? Please enlighten me with some specifics. Thanks.
Viper...
Wilson Ramos may now be too beat up (especially at the knees) to automatically assume to be a regular full time season long catcher. He's like 32 heading into 2019 and you may want to look up his injury list of recent to see what you think. The Mets really do need a full time catcher for 2019.
Yasmani Grandal.
He looks sort of like an older Patrick Mazeika type catcher, good defense and some homeruns. But to me, I think Patrick has way more upside then Grandal does now at age 30. I might finish developing Patrick Mazeika, if this were a choice to make.
I'd start Peter Alonso on first base in 2019. Trading this guy would be sort of a bad risk to ever take. One that the team might seriously regret doing.
I'd have Jay Bruce back him up, maybe play one or two games backing him every seven games or so to keep Peter fresh. Then have Bruce backup the corner outfielders one game each every six or seven games to keep them fresh as well. It's a long season. Something like that anyway. Then have Bruce be the later inning pinch hitter too, so that he does play every game and stays sharp at the plate.
I am not a huge Manny Machado fan.
Last night he slid two separate times into the shortstop for Milwaukee looking to break up the play or even injure the guy. Not sure which. Manny really hasn't made too many highlight reels since he left Baltimore, I have noticed. And the chance of him becoming another overpaid shortstop/third baseman we have to admit here, does exist. Plus, it's LA people and they will probably re-sign him to a new contract at year's end.
In all honesty, I think that keeping the NYY third baseman Andujar and not trading him for Manny, could prove to be the smartest move of the 2018 season.
And Finally This
On my above idea of getting Patrick Mazeika ready for the start of Spring Training 2019...
It simply cannot hurt.
I actually think that it could make tremendous sense, mainly because there are really not very many good catchers out there to get that will not be possibly cost prohibitive. i.e. JT Realmuto.
To me, there are actually other areas of concern on the NY Mets roster right now (like the bullpen) that probably could put to better use this same expenditure.
To be honest here, I might even consider obtaining another left handed starter too, and then move Jason Vargas to the left-handed long relief slot in the bullpen, where he would really excel.
If you browse over my idea for a possible 2019 NYM batting order above in a post, Yoenis Cespedes really can play at full tilt again, and the Mets were able to possibly add-in a more contributing third baseman, the whole darn thing really could fly.
But it is a tough call to make I certainly do realize on JT Realmuto and third base. JT is a winner and Todd Frazier could pick things back up in 2019.
How about this even...
You have the intention of getting Patrick Mazeika ready for Spring Training here as a NYMet, and then see where he is at that time. And you also make a trade for like a Danny Jansen type catcher from the Toronto Blue Jays. Maybe with the intention of instituting a viable catcher platoon here in 2019.
I think with all the bumps and bruises a catcher has to endure over the course of a whole season, that this probably could make decent logical sense. Two catchers who can field the position and contribute a lot on offense.
Bill, it was Ricco that traded Niese for Walker and signed Cabrera the same day. Too, Ricco made the Cabrera trade while was on record opposed to the Familia trade. smh
Anonymous, I love it but Mazeika is not ready yet. Keep him for a little in AAA and get someone to share with Plawecki as catchers hardly ever develop before their later twenties.
Gus, wasn't Sandy the one who made those moves on Niese /Walker and getting Cabrera? What's your source for saying Ricco did it?
If he did, IMO that's to his credit, not shame. And if he's the Mets' deal maker, then how did the Familia deal go down over his objections?
Anonymous,
I never suggested that we trade Alonso. He is the future 1B. I would simply start Frazier at 1B until Alonso so called bad defense improves.
Machado's antics in the last couple of games is giving me pause. For someone who is expected to make so much money, he is not helping himself.
Forget J.T. Realmuto as he would cost the Mets the very few good prospects the organization has. Namely, Alonso, Gimenez, Dunn. Not worth it when you can simply spend money.
Bill, the reason I don't like Ricco is due to past trades that were attributed to him, especially the Familia trade. If he, as you said, was not in favor of, then my view would change.
I didn't say that about the Familia deal; that was Gus. I questioned it. Re-read my post.
If he was responsible for a trade or two that didn't work out (We don't know yet about what we got back), that doesn't explain the hatred that spread before he made any trades.
I'm not defending him, just saying I know little about him other than that he was Sandy's protege. Why all thehate?
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