12/4/20

John From Albany – Mets News and Breakfast Links 12/4/2020

 



Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Stanley Jefferson and Carlos Gomez.  Trevor May talks, and things heating up between the Mets and James McCann.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Winter Baseball, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:


SNY.TV: Newest Met Trevor May talks about how Dominic Smith's homer off him changed how he pitches. “'...it was that curveball that was kinda the straw that broke the camel's back’...'Hey, let's make the slider the go-to' after that day,’ he explained.”


NY Post: Trevor May to Mets fans: ‘Sorry it wasn’t the other Trevor’.

Amazing Avenue: How the Mets’ bullpen looks with Trevor May in it.

Amazing Avenue: Grading the Mets’ Trevor May signing.  They give it a B+


MLB Trade Rumors: Mets, James McCann In “Active” Talks.


Joel Sherman NY Post: “Two executives whose teams have interest in the catching market said they sense that the Mets have intensified their interest in James McCann and that he is their current focus…One of the executives said he thought the Mets began to show a plan…to use Steve Cohen’s money to differentiate themselves to land who they value on the second-tier market, such as May and perhaps McCann, maybe even Masahiro Tanaka.” 

MLB.com: Over the last two seasons with the White Sox, McCann hit .276 with 25 home runs, 75 RBIs and an .808 OPS in 149 games. In 2020, he also vastly improved his pitch framing, which was previously a weaker area of his game.



Rising Apple: Mets catcher candidate James McCann is not without his flaws. “McCann strikes out a lot...In 2019, McCann struck out 137 times in 476 trips to the plate…He’s a .249/.300/.394 hitter without a history of driving in runs. His 60 RBI in 2019 is the highest he has ever achieved.”

Brian Joura Mets360 - Who would be more valuable to the 2021 Mets – Edwin Diaz or Zack Wheeler? Brian talks about a hypothetical trade of Edwin Diaz for Zack Wheeler noting “In a vacuum, starting pitchers are more valuable than ace relievers. No club in this era is going to give out a nine-digit salary to a closer, which is what Wheeler got from the Phillies a year ago.”

Metstradamus: Steven Matz Mosies On Into The Last Chance Saloon.

Mike’s Mets looks at the Trevor May signing and the Non-Tender deadline in “Comings and Goings.”

Faith and Fear in Flushing looks back at the 2020 season and the changes that it brought such as the Runner on 2nd in Extra Innings, 7 inning double headers, etc. in “So Far Away”.

MLB Trade Rumors: The Mets interviewed Michael Hill for a front office job early last month, but they don’t appear likely to hire the former Miami executive. The team hasn’t spoken to Hill since president Sandy Alderson said Nov. 23 that it won’t hire a president of baseball ops.


ICYMI: Yesterday at Mack’s Mets: 

Tom Brennan - IS JAKE DEGROM AS GOOD A PITCHER AS SANDY KOUFAX WAS? 

SAVAGE VIEWS – On Keeping Prospects. 

Mack - Scouting Report - LHP - Anthony Solometo. 

Mack - Scouting Report - 1B - Max McGwire.

MLB Links:

MLB Trade Rumors: Staten Island Yankees Cease Operations; Team Files Lawsuit Against Yankees, MLB. 


MLB Trade Rumors: Ng: Bullpen Is Marlins’ Top Priority. 


MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Have Shown Interest In Michael Brantley. 

MLB.com: Giant’s 19-year-old Luciano on path to stardom. 

MLB.com: Sources: Red Sox interested in Rosario. 

Ballnine.com: The Hustler: Jim Gosger. Jim Gosger was the last MLB batter to face Satchel Paige, he hit a homer against Whitey Ford, – and the Mets prematurely proclaimed him dead at the Citi Field 50th Anniversary celebration of the ’69 Miracle Mets. 

Yahoo Sports: How did that instantly become a T-shirt? Inside baseball's moment-based merchandise boom. 


Yahoo Sports: How an MLB relief pitcher (ex-Met Sean Gilmartin} found himself in the middle of the latest White House mask drama. 

Winter Baseball:

No Games Thursday in the Dominican Republic.


In Venezuela:

The three Mets prospects in the League, Pitchers Yeizo Campos, Jaison Vilera and Cesar Loaiza did not see action last night.

Here is yesterday’s Venezuelan Scoreboard.

In the Mexican Pacific League:

Los Caneros de los Mochis 15 Sultanes de Monterrey 3 (Box Score). Mets Catching Prospect Juan Uriarte did not start for Los Caneros but came in later and went o for 1.  .230 this Winter. 

Here is the full Mexican Pacific League Scoreboard from yesterday.

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Jack DiLauro to the Detroit Tigers for Hector Valle on December 4, 1968.

Kansas City Royals signed Dan Schatzeder of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 4, 1990.

Boston Red Sox drafted Joe Crawford from the Mets on December 4, 1995.

New York Mets traded Butch Huskey to the Seattle Mariners for Lesli Brea on December 4, 1998.

New York Mets traded Willie Blair to the Detroit Tigers for Joe Randa on December 4, 1998.

New York Mets signed free agent Gustavo Molina of the Baltimore Orioles on December 4, 2007.

New York Mets signed free agent Raul Casanova on December 4, 2007.

New York Mets signed free agent Henry Blanco of the San Diego Padres on December 4, 2009.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (1973): Wayne Garrett's Hot September Hitting.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (1969) Rookie Wayne Garrett Drives In Four Runs.

Two Big Stories from a year ago today:

Zack Wheeler signs with the Phillies for 5 years and $118 million. 

Wilpons are taking steps to sell the Mets to billionaire Steve Cohen.  Per the NY Post, “As part of the agreement, Wilpon will remain as control person and CEO for five years. Team COO Jeff Wilpon (who is Fred’s son) will also continue in his role for five years. After that period — or perhaps sooner — it’s expected, according to a source, that both Wilpons will be removed from the daily operations of the team.”

Breakfast Links One year ago today - 12/4/2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want more?  Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news. 

Want something else tracked here each day?  Please leave a comment below.

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5 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Funny that a Dom Smith HR off Trevor May triggered May's change to a more effective pitching repertoire utilization.

You reference Jack Dilauro, which reminds me of another 1960s Jack, Hamilton, who I remember hitting a grand slam.

It gave him a 4-0 lead, and he hit it off Al Jackson. Of course, the early 1960s Mets needed more than a grand slam from a pitcher to win, as they last 11-9.

My one McCann concern is his strikeout rate, which hopefully is nothing more than an annoyance while he gives us good production. If the Mets do get McCann rather than JT to save $$, I want Bauer and Springer.

December 4, 2020 at 7:24 AM
Tom Brennan said...

Guillorme looks like a power hitter in that BP session. Just like Jeff McNeil and TJ Rivera before him, it is heartening to see that he has added an element of extra base hit power to his game, which also helps keep outfielders deeper and allow liners to drop in for hits.

December 4, 2020 at 7:38 AM
John From Albany said...

Tom - I agree. If they are getting McCann - then Springer and Bauer need to follow. Reading Joel Sherman's post about the Mets going for Depth I think about the last Off-Season Sandy presided over - 2017/2018 when he signed Todd Frazier, Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak at below market deals.

Here's what MLB.com said about the moves at the time "The move provides more evidence for Alderson's assertions that the Mets have been among baseball's most active teams this offseason. In signing Frazier, Bruce, Reyes, Gonzalez and Swarzak, the Mets have committed $72.5 million to free agents, increasing their projected Opening Day payroll above $140 million. And they may not be done. A source said the club plans to continue monitoring the pitching market, where Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, Jason Vargas and others remain available."

"Mets have have to be pleased about these moves"...LOL

December 4, 2020 at 7:52 AM
Tom Brennan said...

John, putting lipstick on a pig was a Mets specialty during the Wilpon era.

I wonder who they would have signed that year instead if Sandy had another $30 million in the budget.

All of the signings so far are fller, essentially, with some possible upside from Matz, Gsellman, and Kilome. Their leashes will be short. Be capable of winning baseball, or go elsewhere.

December 4, 2020 at 8:06 AM
John From Albany said...

Tom - Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Lorenzo Cain and a lot of busts -

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018-mlb-free-agent-tracker

December 4, 2020 at 8:20 AM

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