10/16/24

MACK - Wednesday Morning Observations

 

 

Rawlings Baseball             @RawlingsSports

The 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists - NL Shortstop - Masyn Winn, Dansby Swanson, Ezequiel Tovar

            Mack – No biggie. We know what we got on short.

 

https://www.smartnews.com/en-us/article/4736590792578049579?placement=article-preview-social&utm_source=share_android_other&utm_campaign=sn_lid%3A4736590792578049579%7Csn_channel%3Acr_en_us_follow&logo=logo_6&share_id=XgCnLl

Read "Baltimore Orioles Lose Top Scout to New York Mets" on SmartNews:

 

Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) posted at 9:22 AM on Thu, Oct 10, 2024:

Some notable elements of the NCAA Settlement Case to remember:

- 34 man roster

- 34 scholarships allowable (officially, most power league will be at 20-25, aid will stretch dollars)

- major talent windfall coming for mid-majors out of HS ranks

 

Underdog MLB       @Underdog__MLB

Justin Verlander intends to pitch next season.

            Christopher Soto (@SotoC803) posted at 8:57 AM on Fri, Oct 11, 2024:

I'm probably in the minority because of how "meh" he was.....but if the $$$ value is low enough....I would take a crack at Verlander on a 1yr deal as the #Mets #5 SP.  Something like 1 yr/$15M.  If it doesn’t work out....let him go....and call-up Sproat, Hamel, or Tidwell.

Its not like Verlander was "garbage" as a Met.....he just didn't perform equal to the money he was making. I'll gladly take a 3.90 ERA - 4.20 ERA type of guy for $15M as my #4/#5 SP. When you think about it...that's essentially what you got from Severino/Megill in 2024.

Mack – I don’t usually disagree with Soto but I do here. I want to move forward, not back.

 

Kiley McDaniel                   @kileymcd

The qualifying offer for this offseason will be $21.05 million, per sources.

The figure is calculated as the average of the top 125 salaries in MLB. The QO last offseason was $20.325 million.

Teams have 5 days days after the World Series ends to offer it to qualified players.

 

Mike Mayer            @mikemayer22

To give you an idea of just how awesome Vientos was in the NLDS, here are the division series leaders in wRC+ (weighted runs created plus):

357 Mark Vientos

350 Fernando Tatis Jr.

241 Bryce Harper

229 Pete Alonso

218 Steven Kwando

Mack – And this wasn’t even a full season for him. Ya know, I’m starting to think the Mets should leave him on third. Sure, he showed he is human twice in the Philly series, but he has done a tremendous job of upping his game. Leave him here and we’ll talk about first base on Thursday.

 

Sarah Langs             @SlangsOnSports

José Quintana now has gone 5+ IP with no earned runs in 3 straight postseason starts and only pitcher with a longer such streak since ER official in both leagues (1913): Whitey Ford (four straight, 1960-61).

            Mathew Brownstein        @MBrownstein89

Over his last 8 starts (including two postseason starts), Jose Quintana owns a 0.57 ERA

Mack – I just don’t know what to do with Q in the off season. History has proven to us how quickly old arms fade away. I need some help here. What do you think?

 

Keep your eyes on these AFL sleepers -- one from each MLB organization

https://www.mlb.com/news/sleeper-prospects-in-the-afl-2024?partnerID=web_article-share

Mets: Jonathan Pintaro, RHP

Pintaro opened the season with the Glacier Range Riders in the independent Pioneer League, struck out 23 in 14⅓ innings and signed with the Mets on June 3. He made 15 starts in the New York system between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A and finished with a 2.68 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 74 innings. 

The 26-year-old right-hander, who throws exclusively out of the stretch, features a pair of fastballs in the 93-95 mph range, an 89-91 cutter, an 82-85 mph slider with longer break and a mid-80s changeup. 

A solid Fall League could make him a legit option in the Majors next year, mirroring Zach Penrod’s journey from the Pioneer League to MLB in the Red Sox system.

Mack – Currently, I have Pintaro as a BLUE prospect, and a solid member of the 2025 Syracuse rotation. He has the potential of being the first call-up next season.

 

 Matt Eddy               @MattEddyBA

Dedniel Nuñez was a stud, but he hasn't appeared since Aug. 24 and not consistently since late July. Nuñez's 2.22 FIP ranked eighth among relievers with at least 30 IP this season. A true under-the-radar rookie performer.

            Mack – To me, Nunez is a keeper and is a member of my 2025 pen

 

Cuban star closer Raidel Martinez will remain in Japan for at least one more season, according to several sources.

Martinez, 27, is currently in negotiations with multiple teams interested in signing him.

Although the Chunichi Dragons, the team he has been with since 2017, are still pushing to retain him, Martinez is not expected to return to the Dragons and will likely explore other options.

In 2024, he became the Latin American pitcher with the most saves in a single season in Nippon Professional Baseball, with 43 saves, surpassing Venezuelan Robert Suárez’s record of 42 saves in 2021 with the Hanshin Tigers.

According to multiple sources from Japan, Martinez has offers from at least one team ranging between $8 and $10 million per season, with the Yokohama DeNa Baystars and Fukuoka Softbanks being the favorites.

https://www.beisbolfr.com/p/sources-cuban-star-closer-raidel?s=03

Mack – I haven’t heard this guy being tied to the Mets; however, those of you that love International stuff might find this informative and interesting.

 


 


 

15 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

I get into Mark Vientos tomorrow AM.

Baltimore scout? Gotta be good.

No on Verlander. He first pitched for Julius Caesar in the Gallic Wars.

Quintana I am open to for another year. He's got kind of a Whitey Ford thing going on.

Will he accept one year, though?

We still don't know if Dedniel will be healthy in 2025. I sure hope so.

Tom Brennan said...

To my point on Quintana, Jake Gibbs caught him, and I read this:
"Clearly, catching Ford was one of the joys of Gibbs' career. “He threw a two-seam fast ball, a four-seam fast ball and a slider,” Gibbs said. “You see those big strapping guys today throwing 95 and 99 miles per hour. White was 5-foot-10, tops, and he probably threw 87-88 mph, but he knew where that ball was going."

So, I think Quintana is one of the few softies who's proven he can compete as a starter these days.

Mack Ade said...

I don't know

I still wish one of our Syracuse youngins' came around this year.

I would offer a QO to Q

and still go after one of the big 3

Tom Brennan said...

Corbin Burnes and Manaea and Quintana? That would work 4 me.

TexasGusCC said...

QO’s for Alonso, Severino, Manaea. Don’t forget, before June 15th , Quintana’s ERA was 5.29. Afterwards to season’s end it was 2.77, but his FIP was 4.12, signaling a bit of good fortune. My biggest concern with Quintana is that since 2019, this is only the second time he has pitched a full season. Also, he will be 36 next year, but that isn’t a big deal if it’s a short deal. However, we spoke of not blocking our kids and stacking older players will certainly do that for the arms we would like to make room for. Plus, if you are going after a front line pitcher, you can’t tie up $21MM and a spot to Quintana before the offseason even starts.

Mack Ade said...

I would try to retain Manaea

Remember Scott will be back

Q to Q

Big bucks to one of the Big 3

Remember1969 said...

I have been preaching the effectiveness of Quintana since before the end of the regular season. Starting him in game 4 would sure make a lot of sense to me. The guy has been lights out for 2 months and deserves a shot at it. As far as 2025 goes, they could do worse than keeping him around as a #4 guy - I prefer him to Verlander in that role.

Remember1969 said...

I don't get starting the right handed hitting J(D)M and not the left handed hitting J(T)M. I hope Nimmo's foot has responded to treatment in two days. Maybe that is why they are not starting McNeil at DH is they want to have him as a backup LF if Nimmo cannot go or needs a replacement.

bill metsiac said...

Isn't Scott out until '26?

bill metsiac said...

I'm not at all a fan of GIGS (Grass is Greener Syndrome). Why do so many fans prefer someone who has been successful elsewhere over someone who has proven himself here?

I would have no problem with keeping our entire rotation, unless one of them is determined to leave.

What's wrong with a rotation of Senga, Manaea, Peterson, Sevy and Q, backed by Megill, Butto and Blackburn?

It ain't broke, so we don't need to fix it.

Mack Ade said...

You're right Bill

Tom Brennan said...

And, Bill, this team has huge chemistry. Your idea merits real consideration. Blackburn better be no more than a 6th starter. He would best be pitching for a team like the White Sox.

That Adam Smith said...

Hard to sit Winker, who is hitting, against a RHP who’s given up an .890 OPs vs lefties. Maybe they plan on starting Winker in RF and sitting Marte for Martinez, which also seems insane as Marte has had some of the best AB’s in the series thus far. Also, JDM’s comments yesterday “he (Mendoza) clearly doesn’t have confidence in me right now, and has confidence in other guys” comes off as a whiny and self-centered take for a vet of his stature. What’s wrong with “Jesse’s been hitting great, and he tortures RHP, and the Dodgers’ staff doesn’t have a lot of lefties. I’ll get my chance, whether it’s in this series or the WS, and I’ll be ready when that happens.”? That would be what grace and leadership look like. For me, (and clearly I hope he has multiple big hits today) we can’t be rid of that guy fast enough.

bill metsiac said...

I agree completely! I was very surprised to see that comment from him, given his professionalism and leadership.

That Adam Smith said...

Aside from the switch-hitting Lindor, they’ve got ONE healthy left handed bat to deploy against a pitcher who gets crushed by lefties, and he’s sitting. I really believe that JD whined himself into a start today.