SNY had 4 Mets as part of their Top 100 prospects.
One was:
48. C Francisco
Alvarez
Next on the list comes the man that broke Mauricio's bonus
record with $2.7 million from the Mets in 2018. Alvarez made his debut with the
GCL Mets, went 12-for-26 with four doubles and two home runs in seven games
before being promoted.
Per Law, "He has a great swing, arguably the best in the
Mets' system, with very strong hands; he makes a deliberate, quick move back,
and then his hands explode forward, with a hard swing that already produces
hard contact."
A career .312 hitter in the minors thus far with .407 OBP and
.510 SLG, Alvarez has "MVP type upside" and will certainly be looked
at all year to see how advanced he really is.
Cespayless:
If Cespedes proves he is healthy can the Mets trade him asap? The restructured contract would help,
no? He seems a better fit for an AL team
with the DH. Plus, the Mets don’t need
to further clutter the OF logjam and deal with him potentially complaining
about playing time.
Jay Jaffe: Well, he still has full no-trade protection, so
that’s a hurdle that would have to be surmounted. But I’m not yet sure they can
afford to trade him if he’s performing well. Keeping Nimmo and Conforto healthy
and productive in the same lineup has proven to be a challenge and J.D. Davis’ fielding
in the outfield (or anywhere, really) costs him considerable value, so…
Mack: I still believe that the Mets outfield
needs one more solid piece. I would say George Springer in the off season but
that would take a new owner throwing mad money at him.
I keep saying that Cespedes should be traded,
but maybe I’m wrong. If he’s both healthy and productive, play him this year
and wish him well in the future.
CBS Sports grades the Mets off-season moves -
New York Mets: C
Not terrible, but not fantastic either. The Mets lost Zack
Wheeler to a division rival, but picked up right-handers Rick Porcello and
Michael Wacha to help ease the loss and fill out their rotation. New York also
grabbed relief pitcher Dellin Betances and picked up outfielder Jake Marisnick
in a trade with the Astros. But otherwise, there weren't any other standout
roster moves.
Mack – Pretty much agree…
Ideally,
a trade that converts the surplus of corner bats into a useful center fielder
would go a long way for the Mets, but neither Van Wagenen nor his predecessors
have found one to their liking. The GM is understandably less than willing to
sell low on Smith or Davis, each of whom has five years of club control — and
two minor league options — remaining, and while moving Céspedes makes sense,
he’ll not only have to show he’s healthy in order for that to happen, but the
team will likely need to eat some of the remaining salary, an utter rarity in
Wilponland. In the meantime, rostering everyone might be easier with the
addition of the 26th man and the maximum of 13 pitchers, but right now, the
Mets are a long way from sorting out their current logjam.
In this article...
| PA | OBP | ISO | wRC+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254 | .375 | .186 | 114 | 1.3 |
| PA | OBP | ISO | wRC+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 197 | .355 | .243 | 133 | 0.8 |
| PA | OBP | ISO | wRC+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 453 | .369 | .220 | 136 | 2.4 |
| PA | OBP | ISO | wRC+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 648 | .363 | .237 | 126 | 3.7 |
It's early, but the rotation seems to be setting up as deGrom, Syndergaard, Stroman, Matz, and… Wacha. I don’t think that Rick Porcello signed up with this team thinking that he could wind up in the pen, but that just might be where he is heading until someone goes down with an injury. I’m sure Porcello will be pissed, but I won’t be if we have this kind of successful depth. Add him to a pen consisting of Lugo, Betances, Wilson, and Diaz could make this pen a viable one to deal with and eliminate the lion share of blown saves we had last year.
Regarding
a sale of the team, only crickets are coming out of the front office. I’m sure
tires are being kicked, but it’s a rare person that can raise three billion
dollars for this team and the TV network. The baseball Gods want this to happen
and I look for something to develop sometime during the season. And, for those
of you that pray that Steve Cohen might re-enter the picture, I doubt it.
The name I heard being bantered about in terms of a sale was Jim Griffin. He manages another hedge fund, Citadel, and is worth close to Steve Cohen at $12 billion.
ReplyDeleteBob W.
I don't think there is any way on Earth that Porcello is going to the pen. Not happening.
ReplyDeleteA lot of articles and hand-wringing over this issue, and it's all so obvious:
Wacha to pen, done.
In last four seasons, the oft-injured Wacha has pitched 138, 165, 84, and 126 innings. No way you count on that guy to start for a full season. At best, he breaks down in late August under the workload.
As next man in, he'll get plenty of opportunities to start. Better to save those bullets.
Also, please, there's no need for these hair-brained "creative solutions" that people keep writing about. Using an "opening," splitting the rotation, and so on.
Let Wacha be the long man, use him regularly for 2-3 inning stretches, and see how it goes. In pen, his fastball will benefit and he could become a major weapon.
This signing was great and, I think, got Matz's attention -- a guy who, like Syndergaard, has coasted on his talent.
I don't see this as a difficult call at all.
Jimmy
good comments, Jimmy; glad to see you back!
ReplyDeleteJon Messenger is our most loyal follower.
ReplyDeleteI asked for no donations this year yet Jon still sent me a check in the mail.
All class here.
I think you, and this site, are a bargain, it's my 1st Mets read every day. glad to be able to help. be well!
ReplyDeleteJon, I echo Mack - thanks.
ReplyDeleteJimmy, I agree - if I were a betting man, Wacha is headed to the pen.
I do think that as Matz sees what Wheeler earned, it is waking him up - a strong record in the few years up to free agency and he'll cash in big. Now he is really on the clock in that regard.