John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 2/3/2020

Congratulations to Patrick Mahomes, son of former Mets pitcher Pat Mahomes, on winning a Super Bowl. 

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can officially start Baseball season.  Pitchers and Catchers is less than two weeks away, February 12^th. 

The Caribbean Baseball series continued with ex-Mets Joshua Torres, and Jordany Valdespin in action yesterday, plus lots more.

NBC Sports sure was on target saying: “Despite all of the new rules changes, baseball’s real issues will go unsolved.” Writer Nick Stellini said: “What (MLB Commissioner Rob) Manfred doesn’t seem particularly interested in is the actual main issue plaguing the sport. The institution of baseball doesn’t seem to be all that interested in the game of baseball. The league and the owners care much more about short-term profit than they do about the health of the game…Additionally, while baseball is seeing record revenues, it’s also seeing attendance drop for the fourth straight year. The culprits there are the higher prices (between tickets, parking, concessions, etc.) of going to game combined with the abundance of teams that aren’t even trying to field highly competitive rosters means that fans aren’t as inclined to show up as they once were. Why pay ridiculous prices to take the kids to a ballgame when at least one of the teams involved is probably not serious about winning? Why buy season tickets to your hometown team when they’re more fixated on payroll flexibility than the win column?”  Much more included what is a great article.

Syracuse.com had a great profile of Jason Smorol, general manager of the Syracuse Mets. “Smorol had left a successful career with a global construction-equipment company to lead his hometown team at a time it was losing money, couldn’t pay its rent, and seemed to be teetering. He built attendance and revenue, rewarded innovation, and got the team to turn a profit. It’s taken hard work, but it helped that Smorol loves baseball, laughs easily, and is one of Central New York’s biggest fans.”  It also doesn’t hurt that Jason is amazing on the microphone.  I have seen him get on the field and make amazing addresses to a packed house.  Actually all of the workers at the stadium really do a great job.  We will talk more about that as we get close to the 2020 season.   

Brian Joura of Mets 360 wrote “Analyzing Mets players with a strong second half of the season. Brian tries to determine if strong second halves determine success in the following season.  As always Brian does an amazingly extensive job looking at the data. 

213 Miles from Shea continued reviewing Baseball America’s 2019 Top 30 Mets Prospects with #23 Ryder Ryan.  “While he didn’t make his (MLB) debut last year, this would be the appropriate year, at age 25, to move him to Syracuse and at that point he could get called up at any time. All he needs is a hot stretch to coincide when the Mets need a reliever, which is a matter of “when” not “if” and we could see Ryan as a result.

Amazing Avenue has One Last Move: Wilmer Flores.

Tim Boyle of Rising Apple has three Mets we cannot trust heading into the 2020 season: Yoenis Cespedes; Jeurys Familia; Jed Lowrie.

Elite Sports NY says the Mets “bullpen is poised to rebound after an unlucky 2019.”

Michael Calascione of Rising Apple asks: “Can catching prospect Ali Sanchez have a significant impact in 2020?” 

Metro.us thinks the Phillies may be suitors for Kris Bryant.  They note: Not only could the Phillies get that unquestionable star third baseman in Bryant, but they would bring in one of Bryce Harper's closest friends as the two grew up together in Las Vegas. The middle of Philadelphia's order gets that much better, too, with Bryant hypothetically teaming up with Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and JT Realmuto.”

Also about a Kris Bryant trade to Philly the ibtimes.com noted: “Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic explained how a deal would push the luxury-tax payroll of Philadelphia to $223.2 million. This means that that Phillies would be obligated to pay $3.04 million in tax. The cost of Bryant, then, effectively would be $21.64 million. This excludes the values of the prospects required to acquire him.”

Per NBC Sports Boston: Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox could make a decision regarding trading Mookie Betts soon, perhaps even within the next few days. The Padres and Dodgers are the two teams most involved in trade talks regarding Betts.

Also per NBC Sports Boston: Peter Gammons reported Sunday afternoon that Peter Gammons of The Athletic reports multiple National League sources consider such a deal to be "inevitable."  Peter tweeted: “Three different NL folks today predicted Betts-to-L.A. is "inevitable." Consensus deal: Alex Verdugo, Inf Jeter Downs, pitcher, maybe A prospect. Think P is LH Caleb Ferguson, 95 MPH FB/CB guy, 113-39 K-BB in 93.1 IP, eventual starter.”

Some reports have David Price being part of a Mookie Betts to Dodgers trade. Dodgersnation.com says “Forget David Price, Get Chris Sale.”   

Elite Sports NY reported: Ex-New York Met and Yankee Gary Sheffield says Boston Red Sox shouldn’t trade Mookie Betts. “’Mookie is that guy that can be a difference-maker…a lot of teams have good offenses but, if you got a certain player in your lineup, he can take you over the top and [Betts] is that guy’, Sheffield said.”

Bill Madden in the NY Daily News said: “Houston owner Jim Crane’s hiring of Dusty Baker to a one-year contract to manage the team is only further evidence he has no intention of changing the culture of his organization.  Putting the 70-year-old Baker in charge of a team full of cheaters, who are facing payback from fans and opponents all season long, was the absolute right decision on Crane’s part. But giving him only a one-year contract while retaining all of A.J. Hinch’s coaches, some of whom may have been complicit in the 2017 cheating, was like putting a band aid over a gaping wound.”

CBS Sports says: "Why MLB's credibility problem is only getting worse under Commissioner Rob Manfred."  

CBC.CA had Cleveland Indians Pitcher Mike Clevinger’s take on the sign stealing scandal: "I think players will deal with it the way it should be across the league," Clevinger said. "I don't think it's going to be a comfortable few ABs [at-bats] for a lot of those boys, and it shouldn't be. They shouldn't be comfortable."

NBC Sports Philadelphia profiled new Phillies pitcher Reggie McClain, recently claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. McClain started High A ball as a 26 year old and ended up making the Major leagues.  He was also possibly impacted by the sign stealing scandal: “McClain made 14 appearances for the Mariners last season. In the three games in Houston, he allowed 11 runs in three innings. In the other 11 appearances, he allowed three runs in 18 innings.”

Sportstalkatl.com noted: Ender Inciarte’s days as a Brave may come to an end in 2020.

Per CBS Sports: Rockies owner Dick Monfort has a bizarre explanation for his 94-win prediction for 2020. The Rockies lost 91 games in 2019, but the team owner seems to think his franchise will get back on track in 2020. "The Rockies went from 90 wins in 2007 to 74 wins in 2008 to 92 wins in 2009 and I think -- think -- Monfort is saying the Rockies will follow a similar pattern and go from 91 wins in 2018 to 71 in 2019 to 94 wins in 2020 because ... reasons? I don't think that's how any of this works."

MiLB had 5 Non-Roster Invitees to watch this Spring Training: Nick Madrigal, second baseman, White Sox; MacKenzie Gore, left-handed pitcher, Padres; Adley Rutschman, catcher, Orioles; Forrest Whitley, right-handed pitcher, Astros; Casey Mize, right-handed pitcher, Tigers; Julio Rodriguez, outfielder, Mariners; Spencer Howard, right-handed pitcher/Alec Bohm, third baseman, Phillies; Brady Singer, right-handed pitcher/Daniel Lynch, left-handed pitcher, Royals; and Drew Waters, outfielder/Ian Anderson, right-handed pitcher, Braves.

Fangraphs had a great post about On the Bubble Hitters without Options – National League.  Just in the NL East include: Adam Duvall and Charlie Culberson of the Braves; Jesús Aguilar and Magneuris Sierra of the Marlins; Tomás Nido of the Mets; Eric Thames, Michael A. Taylor, Wilmer Difo, and Adrían Sanchez on the Nationals and Roman Quinn of the Phillies.

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

The Phillies sign infielder Logan Forsythe to a minor league deal.

Winter Ball:

Day two of the Caribbean series in Puerto Rico.  Here are the scores from yesterday:

Panama Beat Columbia 1-0 (box).

Mexico was 4-2 winners over the Jose Valentin managed Puerto Rico team (box). 

2019 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Joshua Torres saw action for Puerto Rico.  Joshua came into pitch the bottom of the 8^th with 2 outs and men on First and Second with Puerto Rico, already down 4-2.  He threw a wild pitch that advanced the runners before striking out the only batter he faced. 

Venezuela beat the Domincan Republic 3-2 (box).  The game ended with the Dominican Republic having the tying run on third and the winning run on second after a ground rule double drove in the second run.  Venezuela was able to end the rally and now Venezuela is the only undefeated team in the series at 2-0.  

In that game, Jordany Valdespin went 1 for 4 with a run scored. 

Columbia is 0-2, all other teams are 1-1.

Three more games today. 

Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from February 3, 2012:  Mack on ‘The War Room’ – 40 Man Roster.  The Mets sure have changed a lot since then.

Per National Pastime.com:

1999

The Mets tell a surprised Tim McCarver that he will not be returning to the team's broadcast booth. The franchise's pitching legend Tom Seaver, who was in the television booth for the Yankees from 1989 to 1993, will replace the highly regarded, but outspoken 57 year-old broadcaster, who spent 16 years with the team doing local telecasts.

2002

Yankee catcher Jorge Posada (.277, 22, 95) signs a five-year, $51 million contract with a club option for a sixth season. The 30 year-old Bronx Bomber backstop, with an average annual value of more than $10 million, is the second-highest among major league catchers, trailing only the receiver Mike Piazza, who signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with the Mets in 1998 that averages $13 million annually.

2009

Oliver Perez agrees to a $36 million, three-year deal to stay with the Mets. The 29 year-old inconsistent southpaw, who has posted a 26-20 record with New York since being obtained from Pittsburgh during the 2006 season, will be part of the team's starting rotation.

2011

A lawsuit brought by the victims of Bernie Madoff name Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, contending the Mets owners' enriched themselves with many years of profitable investing in the Ponzi Scheme while ignoring many warnings that the payoffs might have been fraudulent. Speculation concerning the sale of the team, to meet the financial obligations caused by a possible $1 billion settlement, has started circulating in the sports and banking industries.

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