Reese Kaplan -- Mets Offseason Roster Bullet List -- Week One

Mack's Mets will summarize players mentioned as possible new members of the team available via trade or free agency that have popped up in the media associated with them a part of the 40 man roster.  These bullet points are not necessarily factual as if they were leaked from the Mets front office.  They comprise opinions, rumors and hypotheticals that various Mets beat writers and bloggers have felt necessary to put out into public notice.  Like EPA gas mileage ratings, take the news with a grain of salt.  We share but don’t necessarily endorse any of these transactions.

Major League Players

• Switch hitting Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada is capable of manning 2B or 3B for his new employer.  He did have one monster season in 2019 when he cut down considerably on his strikeouts, hit .315 for the year with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs.  Those are borderline All Star numbers but unfortunately it was the only time he achieved that level of productivity.  His salary in 2024 was a lofty $24 million and the White Sox felt he was not worth retaining for a $25 million salary this year.  At age 30 he’s likely looking for a moderate multiyear deal of 3-4 years but he’s not going to get anywhere near that kind of money based on his 2022 through 2024 numbers.  During that period he missed a lot of time but in over 800 ABs did hit 23 HRs, drove in 91 but his average was below average .236.

• Juan Soto alternative number one is Teoscar Hernandez who is currently an ex Dodger.  During his nine year MLB career he has won three Silver Sluggers and been named an All Star twice.  In 2024 he clubbed 33 HRs and drove in 99 while hitting a very solid .272.  He is a little younger than Starling Marte was when signed, but he is not regarded as a solid defender as Marte used to be nor does he have eye popping base stealing totals.  Prior to having protection around him like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani he had previously topped out at 32 HRs and 116 RBIs in a year with the Blue Jays while hitting .296.  A typical 162 game output from the big right handed hitter would be .263 with 32 HRs and 96 RBIs.  Those are very solid numbers but he was last earning $23.5 million from Los Angeles.  It’s a noticeable drop off from Soto to Hernandez whose defense and batting average more closely parallel current ex Met Pete Alonso.

• Soto alternative number two is a player with whom NL fans are not quite as familiar.  The ex Baltimore Oriole by the name of Anthony Santander who knocked 44 balls over the fence last year while driving in 102 while earning a scant $11.7 million.  The down side here for the big switch hitter is his batting average.  It was just .235 last season and .246 for his career.  He’s pegged in a typical year for similar numbers to Hernandez at .246/34/94 with no speed whatsoever.  He’d likely get a sizable salary increase and want a long term deal given he was just 29 as the season ended.  Defensively he’s nothing special either. 

• While the names of the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Houston Astros have floated around for quite some time regarding former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, this week a shocking entrant into the bidding ware arose with the Washington Nationals.  Apparently the owners feel that their corps of young talent is strong and a solid run producer in the middle of the lineup would help get them out of the second division in the standings.  Enter the expensive but not unreachable salary and contract length sought by Pete Alonso.  It’s a name no one expected to hear regarding the Polar Bear, but stranger things have happened.

Minor League Players

• What more can be said about the stellar season coming from the bat and legs of AAA Met Luisangel Acuna?  He’s up again to a .375 average while stealing bases at will.  The concern here is that he’s exclusively playing shortstop in Winter ball which might be to increase his trade value.  With Francisco Lindor entrenched there for the Mets it would require a position change for Acuna to become a long term part of the big club. 

• Newcomer Joey Meneses is also apparently demonstrating that signing him was the right thing to do.  He’s hitting over .330 thus far and while the expectation is unrealistic that he would do so in the majors at that level, it’s still great to see.

MACK - MY Tuesday Observations

 

MACK – MY Tuesday Morning Observations

 

Bob Nightengale               @BNightengale

 

Five Scott Boras starting pitchers have now signed:

Blake Snell, Dodgers: 5 years, $182 million.

Yusei Kikuchi, Angels: 3 years, $63 million.

Frankie Montas, Mets: 2 years, $34 million.

Matthew Boyd, Cubs: 2 years, $29 million.

Nick Martinez, Reds: 1 year, $21.05 million.

 

 

David L Funnell                   @sportz_nutt51

Number of pitchers with 200+ innings pitched since 2021:

2021 - 4

2022 - 8

2023 - 5

2024 - 4

 

Total: 21

 

Mack – See? This is not just a Mets problem. It’s a problem throughout baseball. Is this the pitchers at fault here? Is it the teams? Or is it a combo of both? My guess it is baseball’s obsession with analytics, particularly with third time around stats and pitches thrown. The days of Bob Gibson are over and teams must now adjust by strengthening the depth of their pen.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/mets-prospect-luisangel-acu-swinging-163451071.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall –

Mets top prospect Luisangel Acuña has been red-hot at the plate during the Venezuelan Winter League.

The speedy infielder helped the Cardenales de Lara secure their doubleheader sweep on Friday as he reached base four times, stole three bases, drove in three runs, and scored three runs of his own.

Acuña is now hitting .388 with two doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBI, nine stolen bases, and an impressive .996 OPS over his first 17 Winter League games.

Mack – The problem here is all but one of these games had Acuna playing short, not second or any of the outfield positions that would be a path to a starting position on the Mets.

 

https://babylonbee.com/news/all-other-mlb-teams-forced-to-forfeit-as-dodgers-sign-every-baseball-player-in-existence?s=03 –

All Other MLB Teams Forced To Forfeit As Dodgers Sign Every Baseball Player In Existence

 

It's official, the 2025 Major League Baseball season is over and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been preemptively declared World Series Champions for the foreseeable future after all other teams were forced to forfeit due to the Dodgers signing every baseball player currently in existence to a collective 30-year, $400 trillion contract.

According to sources across the country, the Dodgers extended the astronomical contract offer to every single player who has ever laid a finger on a baseball, including all minor leaguers and a six-year-old second baseman on the Big Orange Machine Little League team of Mankato, MN.

"There's literally nothing else we could do except forfeit," said New York Mets  Manager Carlos Mendoza. "They've managed to sign every single baseball player currently walking the face of the earth. I heard they signed three contracts with unborn infants, too. I hate to say it, but they beat all of us. And by 'beat us,' I mean they made it so we literally can't sign any players. Because they're all Dodgers now."

 

 

BaseballHistoryNut          @nut_history

More people have walked on the moon (12) than men who have scored against Mariano Rivera in the postseason

 

 

Justin Rocke            @JustinRocke

RHP Alan Perdomo has signed a MiLB contract with the Colorado #Rockies per MiLB's transaction page.

Perdomo was taken by the #Mets from Colorado in the '23 MiLB R5 Draft. Recorded two saves and a 3.86 ERA in 10 outings for the @BKCyclones in 2024

 

 

Jim Koenigsberger            @Jimfrombaseball

 

“Steve Carlton does not pitch to the hitter, he pitches through him. The batter hardly  exists for Steve. He’s playing an elevated game of catch.”

Tim McCarver

 

“Joe  DiMaggio was the greatest all-around player I ever saw. His career cannot be summed up in numbers and awards. It might sound corny, but he had a profound and lasting impact on the country.”

Ted Williams

 

"I'll never forget September 6, 1950. I got a letter  threatening me, Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra & Johnny Mize. It said if I showed up in uniform against the Red Sox I'd be shot. I turned the letter over to the FBI & told my Mgr., Casey Stengel about it. You know what Casey did? He gave me a different uniform & gave mine to Billy Martin."

Phil Rizzuto

 

"In baseball and in life, it's not about how hard you can swing, but about how well you can connect."

Gary Carter  

SAVAGE VIEWS – NOTHING TO SAY

I’m back from my annual Thanksgiving jaunt to Northern NJ and Patchogue, NY.  Probably the last time we do Thanksgiving on L.I.

Took us more than 3 hours to get back to Jersey. We did stop by Uncle Giuseppe’s and Balthazar Bakery to stock up for the holidays. Spent way too much.

It was an exciting weekend. Out of nowhere, the Mets signed Frankie Montas to a two year contract for a whopping $34 million. You would think that we should be able to extend an offer to Sean Manaea for a couple of million extra.

Personally, I would have preferred making an offer to Walker Buehler, but let’s see what happens. I hope the pundits are right and the next major signing is Burnes. That would give us a much improved starting rotation and ensure we are competitive regardless of whether or not we sign Soto. The next couple of weeks should be revealing.

Got to say I’m envious of the likes of Paul Adams, Tom Brennan and Reese Kaplan who never seem to run out of thoughtful posts.

Ray

December 3, 2024

Remember 1969: Remembers Ramblings

 

Remember 1969: Remember's Ramblings

 

Remember's Ramblings – Volume 1, Article 8

December 03, 2024

 The Volatility of the Relief Pitcher

 

 

What makes a great relief pitcher?    The short answer is a guy that can come into a game at any point and not give up any runs.   Doing that 40 or 50 or 60 times every year is pretty much impossible.    Everybody has a bad day once in a while.   There are not a lot of starting pitchers in baseball history that have gone undefeated for a year.   Likewise, there are not a lot of relief pitchers that have been unscored upon for 6 months. 

So with that in mind, a look at four current Mets pitchers and one 2024 Met who is now a free agent.   For each of the five bullpen arms, this analysis looks at their 2024 full year stats and then takes their best 95% (or more accurately, removes their worst 5%) to see what effect it has on their stat line for the fans to read. 

Edwin Diaz:     This guy had a pretty good year

100%:  55 games.    ERA of 3.52, WHIP of 1.043, 7 HR allowed,  53.2 Innings 84 Ks with 20 walks

 5% of 55 = 2.75, so I rounded up and took out his worst three games to see what his best 95% looked like.

95%:   52 games.   ERA of 2.08, WHIP of .904, 4 HR allowed, 52.0 innings 81Ks with 18 walks.

In his worst three outings (one in April, one in May, and the other in August), he gave up  2, 4, and 3 earned runs, or 9 of the 21 total earned runs he gave up all year.    He gave up a homerun in each of his bad starts, bringing his homerun rate to 1 every 13 games compared to 1 every 7.5 games average.     7 hits, 9 earned runs, and 3 homers in 1 and 2/3 innings will kill the stat sheet.  

 Reed Garrett:   Another really good majority of the year

100%:  53 games.   ERA of 3.77, WHIP of 1.395, 6 HR allowed, 57.1 innings, 83 Ks with 30 walks

 Again I rounded up to 3 games.  When his worst three games are removed, it only took out 2.9% of his innings. 

95%:   50 games.  ERA of 1.94, WHIP of 1.203, 4 HR allowed, 55.2 innings 80 Ks with 26 walks.

Garrett’s three clunkers were in May, July, and unfortunately the final series in Milwaukee before going back to Atlanta in late September.    He gave up half of his 2024 earned runs in those 1 and 2/3 innings.    I will take a pitcher on the roster with a 1.94 ERA over 50 outings covering 55+ innings while limiting the bad stuff to three games.

Danny Young:   

Not quite as extreme, but the stat sheet still looks better

100%:    42 games.   ERA of 4.54, WHIP of 1.248, 3 HR allowed, 37.2 innings,  48 Ks with 18 walks

5% of 42 is a hair over 2, so I rounded down and found his two worst games  - a game in early June with 2 ER in 0.1 inning, and a game in early July with 3 ER in 0.1 inning.  

 95%:   40 games.  ERA of 3.41,  WHIP of 1.135, 2 HR allowed,  37 innings, 47 Ks with 17 walks

 Geez, that 3.41 ERA sure looks better than 4.54.  It’s too bad that he had those two poor outings.   Most fans would take 95% of Danny Young.  

 Huascar Brazoban:   You can see why the Mets traded for him

He had a 2.93 ERA going when he had his worst appearance of the year on June 26 to blow it up immediately to 5.63.    He was able to work it back down to 2.93 by not giving up an earned run in his last 10 outings as a Marlin before his trade to the Mets in late July.   Unfortunately, he did not pitch as well once he got to New York.   He gave up 3 earned runs in his second Mets appearance and kept the ERA in the high 3’s the rest of the year.   

100%:  39 games.  ERA of 3.83, WHIP of 1.219.  2 HR allowed,  52.2 innings, 51 Ks with 25 walks

95%:  37 games.  ERA of 3.16, WHIP of 1.052, 1 HR allowed 51.1 innings, 48 Ks with 24 walks

This is not a bad body of work for a full year.   He limits the homers but his K-BB ratio is not great.  He limits the hits to maintain a very good WHIP.   He had a couple not-so good outings at the end of the year, including in the final game loss to Atlanta that didn’t mean anything (let’s just get the heck back to Milwaukee) where he gave up 2 of the team’s 3 runs in their 3-0 loss.   That kind of sealed his fate for being left off the playoff roster.     Hopefully he can come back in 2025 and approach is 2024 stat sheet.

 Lastly, current free agent Ryne Stanek – why look elsewhere?

100%:  63 games.  ERA of 4.88,  WHIP of 1.319.  8 HR allowed,  55.1 innings, 67 Ks with 25 walks

95%:  60 games.  ERA of 3.38, WHIP of 1.1625.  6 HR allowed  53.1 innings,  65 Ks with 20 walks

What a difference a few bad days can make.  Two of the three were with the Mets, including his first game after the trade where he gave up 3 earned runs to Atlanta after jetting across the country following the trade, then his other poor showing as a Met was his only appearance back in Seattle about 3 weeks after he was traded from the Mariners in a game the Mets suffered a 12-1 shellacking.  Stanek only gave up 4 of them!     So the body of work for the Mets only: 

100%:  17 games.  ERA of 6.06,  WHIP of 1.304.  3 Homeruns allowed,  16.1 innings  23 Ks with 8 walks

90%:  15 games.  ERA of 2.40, WHIP of 1.000.   1 Homerun allowed,  15 innings  21 Ks with 6 walks

So taking out those two anomalies (I’ll forgive his bad start and again pitching against his old teammates), those are some pretty positive numbers he put up down the stretch.    Even with the blown up ERA (full year of 4.88, Mets only of 6.06), his WHIP was just over 1.3.      Last note:  9 of his good 15 appearances were perfect, and one other was hitless.

I would like to have this guy back – they could do a lot worse.   Just need to look past that 6.06 ERA.

In conclusion

While I haven’t rolled up the analysis on the rest of the pen, for 5 important members of the 2024 staff, a couple poor games separated them from having really good statistical years.   My sense is that is true for relief pitchers in general.  The great ones somehow get through a full year unscathed by one or two bad days as miracles.   The good ones limit their bad days to a couple and can move on past them. 

 Remember’s Reminiscing:   December 3 Birthdays

 Eight former Mets are celebrating birthdays today:    

Happy Birthday to Dave Eilers, Wayne Garrett (one of Reese’s unmentionable third baseman – and one of my favorite players when I was a kid), Mark Bradley,  Kevin Morgan (owner of the record for the smallest stat sheet of anyone to ever play for the Mets), Paul Byrd, Tobi Stoner, Matt Reynolds, and the late Darryl Hamilton (another one of my faves when he came through).       

Paul Articulates – Excellence at what price?

This off-season has Mets fans filled with anxious anticipation as they await news on new free agent signings that will improve a team that reached the NLCS last year.  With so much money coming off the books from previously traded stars, The Mets have some awesome flexibility to acquire some players that can bring them to the next level.

We are well aware of the Juan Soto sweepstakes, which most accounts would give the Mets a good chance of winning.  We are also aware of the strong need to bolster the starting rotation, and with several excellent arms in the market, time will tell who chooses to wear the Orange and Blue.

Unfortunately for the Mets’ owner and his accountants, the price of free agent pitching seems to be reaching new heights.  Of course it was the Dodgers, always among the top salary distributers in the league, who set the bar higher this year by signing Blake Snell to a five year, $182M contract.  

Snell has certainly had some outstanding years, winning the Cy Young award once in each league.  However, he also has had some less than outstanding years and a history of injury which makes the value of this year’s contract a large financial risk for the Dodgers.  But by taking that risk, the Dodgers also boxed in most other teams that have less financial strength to afford some of the remaining free agent pitchers.

We figured that something like this would happen to set a high bar.  What we did not figure were some of the deals lower down in the performance spectrum that have also escalated the price of pitching.  What do I mean?  

On November 27th, the Angels signed 33 year old left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to a three year, $63M contract.  Don’t change the batteries in your calculators, that really is a $21M AAV for a pitcher that has a lifetime 4.57 ERA and has only registered one season under 3.0 – last year with the Blue Jays and Astros.  

If a starter with six years in MLB with a sub-.500 record and a sub-100 ERA+ is worth $21M/year, what does it cost to sign someone like Corbin Burnes with a 60-36 record and career ERA of 3.19? Burnes has averaged 189+ innings pitched over the last four years which makes him a workhorse with a Cy Young pedigree.  

It seems like the “outrageous” $40M+ salaries paid to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander by the Mets a few years ago could be challenged with these salary escalations.

The Snell offer was interesting because the Dodgers structured their deal with large bonuses and significant deferrals, so the book value is only $26M AAV.  This is potentially a creative way to get away from the “outrageous” salary numbers, but it still hits the owner’s pocketbook just as hard.

I know that David Stearns is capable of making some pretty creative deals, and there is probably no one as savvy about finances as owner Steve Cohen.  But it is still mind-boggling to see where the market is headed this year.  

One would expect that the Mets are trying to score more than one starting pitcher, and with the escalation this is going to be very difficult to maneuver under the luxury tax thresholds.

We will all wait impatiently for word on the current bidding wars and hope for a favorable conclusion.

News Flash! Mets Sign Righty Starter Frankie Montas

Frankie in 2019 (Wiki)

We all had this one nailed, right?

We were all loudly saying, "Once we get Frankie Montas, everything else falls into place this offseason."

Saying that, of course, in jest.

He's been at best a mid rotation starter in recent campaigns, with some more notable success some years back.

What think you of this 2 year, $34 million, opt out after 2025 deal for this 31 year old hurler?

 

Reese Kaplan -- Saving Money While Bolstering the Infield for 2025

Any long term Mets fan remembers some less than spectacular players the Mets trotted out to 2nd base and in particular to 3rd base during their 62 year history in the National League.  I won’t cause you any gastric distress nor the need to reach for blotto-inducing alcohol or banned substances of choice.  You know the names and you know how hard it’s been to see All Stars across town and around all of baseball while the club for which we give our devotion and enthusiasm instead trot out the likes of guys like Roy Staiger (oops, sorry, I did cite someone but he is long enough ago that it shouldn’t cause too much of a disturbance for anyone's day). 

Nowadays the Mets are in a much different position given the unreal season produced by Mark Vientos and the fact that former NL batting champ Jeff McNeil are on the roster.  Of course, with the impending free agency departure of Pete Alonso the club may very well shift Mark Vientos across the diamond to take over for him.  Jeff McNeil on most folks’ radar is part of the outfield mix rather than at second base.  Consider for a moment that if these current veteran moves and the Vientos transition take place it opens up both the positions to the left and to the right of Francisco Lindor.

Now the conventional wisdom of how best to use Steve Cohen’s fortune is simply to look for the best of the best available in free agency and pad the roster that way.  For third base the big name is Alex Bregman formerly of the Astros.  For first base it would include Paul Goldschmidt who apparently has worn out his welcome in St. Louis.  Then there are trade rumors out there for third baseman Nolan Arenado also of the Cardinals and contract year ending players like Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. from Toronto. 

However, bear in mind if you get 30+ HR power from Vientos at close to minimum wage, picking out a new first baseman and keeping him struggling defensively at third makes little sense.  You could move Vientos into a DH role in place of the thus far coterie of less than stellar folks assigned to this role (including J.D. Martinez).  That still would leave the infield vacancies unfulfilled.

It’s not new to consider who the Mets have on the farm who could help in Queens.  The obvious one is Ronny Mauricio who missed the entire year with injury and recovery.  For now folks want to see how he’s progressed with a return to on-the-field action in winter ball.  He has a combination of power and speed to suggest he would be a solid major league player.  Whether he can transition to star is still a great unknown, but he’s shown enough in the minors to suggest he is ready.  If Vientos is at 1B or DH then 3B would likely belong to Mauricio if he’s fully healthy and not too rusty.

The much more surprising development is petite Luisangel Acuna obtained during the midyear fire sale in 2023.  His numbers in the minors are pretty impressive.  Even with a poor 2024 in Syracuse, he still produces a .280 batting average, 10 HRs and 50 stolen bases per season.  Last year’s promotion was out of reluctant necessity when Francisco Lindor went on the IL.  It wasn’t based upon his AAA performance. 

So how did he do? 

Well, in very limited action he had 39 big league at-bats during which he hit 3 HRs (one every 13 ABs) and hit .308.  Granted, you can’t assume that a switch flipped and he suddently morphed into a top prospect after finishing 2024 with just a .258 average.

Until...

Much to no one’s surprise Acuna is playing winter ball and thus far is putting on quite a show.  His latest numbers include a .388 batting average over his first 17 games down there, while also contributing four extra base hits and nine stolen bases. 

The question that arises now to media, fans and the Mets front office is whether or not what we’re all seeing is indicative of the type of player Acuna will be.  If so, then he gains a very strong foothold into the second base position giving the Mets a fantastic and speedy middle infield.  Or does the hot September and winter instead transform Acuna into a heavyweight trade chip to land someone else from another team?

Either way, it’s a very nice problem to have.

2025 Draft Prospect - C - Easton Carmichael - Oklahoma

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2024/11/7/2025-mlb-draft-top-sec-prospects-part-2 -

C Easton Carmichael - Oklahoma

Prospects Live Ranking: #43

Easton Carmichael has been a mainstay behind the dish for the Sooners since he arrived on campus as a freshman in 2023, appearing in 112 games over two seasons. The talented backstop enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, slashing .366/.406/.563 with an impressive 31 extra base hits as Oklahoma earned an NCAA Regional hosting bid. The power seems to have improved over the last year, but Carmichael appears to be more of a gap-to-gap hitter than home run slugger. His 10 doubles in 127 at-bats up in the Cape this past summer was good for second in the league as his contact rate and gap power continued to be on display even with wood bats. Despite the contact rate, he’s an aggressive hitter that’s seen his chase rate rise over the last year. Defensively, he needs to improve his arm strength behind the plate if he hopes to remain a catcher at the next level.  

 

https://soonersports.com/sports/baseball/roster/easton-carmichael/18777 -

2024: NCBWA Third Team All-American … ABCA All-Region Second Team … All-Big 12 First Team … NCAA Norman All-Regional selection … Big 12 All-Tournament Team member … Las Vegas Classic All-Tournament Team … Started 60 of 61 games, playing in all 61 … hit .366 with seven home runs, 19 doubles and five triples to go with a team-best 93 hits and 64 runs batted in … led the Sooners with multiple hits in 32 games to accompany 15 multi-RBI games … in Big 12 play, led the conference with 52 hits, 39 RBIs and four triples while batting .406 … ranked in the top five in league play in four other categories, including runs scored (37), doubles (10) and total bases (85) … had multiple hits in six of OU's nine postseason games with four extra-base hits and five RBIs.

 

https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/article/oklahoma-catcher-easton-carmichael-named-co-big-12-player-of-the-week-228482646/ -

One of Oklahoma’s most productive bats picks up some hardware.

Fresh off another huge week at the dish in which he helped the Sooners go 4-0 and open Big 12 play with a home sweep over UCF, OU catcher/designated hitter Easton Carmichael was named the co-Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, the league announced.

It was a monster week at the plate for Carmichael, as the sophomore hit an absurd .615 in the four home contests with four extra-base hits, including two home runs and eight RBIs. In addition to going 8-for-13, he also drew three walks, scored eight runs and stole a base while only striking out a single time.

2025 Draft Prospect - RHP - Matt Scott - Stanford

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2024/11/1/2025-mlb-draft-top-75-collegiate-prospects?s=03  –

Matt Scott , RHP - Stanford

Prospects Live Ranking - #31

The lone Stanford Cardinal on this list, Matt Scott attains some of the most electric stuff in this draft class.  Listed at 6’7 and 247 pounds, it’s immense aura on the mound.  His pitch arsenal is highlighted by a mid-90s fastball, ranking in the 95th percentile in velocity amongst Division I, that produces a ton of induced vertical break.  It’s been up to 98 and produces a ton of swing and miss when up in the zone.  Scott’s main off-speed offering is the slider.  It’s a plus pitch with some sweep as well as short depth, making it highly effective against right-handed hitters.  Scott also throws a split-change with good tumbling action, achieving a 48% whiff rate against lefties in 2024.  A member of the USA Collegiate National Team, Scott was very impressive holding opposing hitters to a .205 average while throwing 65% strikes.  From a stuff and physicality standpoint, Scott has the ideal profile.  Expect him to be the lead horse of a deep and talented Stanford pitching staff.

 

https://www.si.com/college/stanford/softball-baseball/stanford-baseball-s-matt-scott-named-top-15-mlb-draft-prospect-01j4bk4gsx59 -

According to Baseball America, Stanford has the No. 12 ranked college MLB Draft prospect in right-hander Matt Scott. The 6-foot-7 right-hander is set to enter his junior season with the Cardinal, and while his ERA's the past two seasons have been over five, scouts love his skill set.

BA had this to say: "Scott pitched to a 5.10 ERA with 62 strikeouts across 67 innings as a freshman and while his ERA was again nothing to write home about, he collected 103 strikeouts across 80 innings. Scott has a durable, workhorse frame at 6-foot-7 and 247 pounds with a thick lower half and serious physicality.

"Scott keeps his delivery under control and repeats it well. His fastball has been up to 98 mph with an absurd 24.5 inches of ride. Scott also features a low-80s split-changeup that on average is 11 mph slower than his fastball with heavy tumbling action as well as fade to the arm side. His mid-80s slider flashes late sweeping life and a touch of depth, and has the potential to be a strong 60-grade offering. It is an effective pitch that is difficult to get the barrel on."

He added 41 strikeouts in his sophomore season while tossing just 13 additional innings, improving his strikeouts per nine from 8.3 as a freshman to 11.6 this year. In the midst of that leap forward, Scott also lowered his walk total, and his walk rate. He gave up one less free pass with the extra innings, lowering his rate from five per nine to 4.1 per nine.

 

https://gostanford.com/sports/baseball/roster/player/matt-scott -

Career Accolades

 

Pac-12 team champion (2023)

Perfect Game Freshman All-America second team (2023)

Two-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (March 27, 2023; March 11, 2024)

USA Collegiate National Team (2024)

Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll (2024)

 

As a Sophomore (2024)

 

Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (March 11)

Baseball America Preseason All-America third team

Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference

Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

Went 4-10 with a 5.96 ERA and a Pac-12-best 103 strikeouts (41st nationally) over 80 innings in 16 appearances, including 15 starts

Posted a 2.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio (103 strikeouts compared to 36 walks)

Averaged 11.59 strikeouts per game to rank second in the Pac-12 and limited the opposition to a .236 average against

3-6 with a 6.36 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 52 1/3 innings and 10 starts in Pac-12 play

Named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week after tossing seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine at Washington (March 8)

Got the Opening Day start and struck out nine batters in a loss to Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 16)

Struck out a career-best 12 batters and allowed just one hit over six-plus innings in a victory at Rice (March 1)

Quality start with six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings vs. USC (March 15)

Fourth consecutive quality start after tossing seven innings and allowing three runs with seven strikeouts vs. Creighton (March 23)

Carried a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before ultimately allowing an unearned run on one hit and three walks with nine strikeouts over six innings in a no-decision vs. Washington State (April 5)

Struck out nine over six innings at No. 5 Oregon State (April 12)

Earned the victory against No. 16 Oregon after striking out seven batters over five innings (April 19)

Got the victory against California after working 5 1/3 innings with three strikeouts (April 26)

Spent the summer of 2024 playing for the USA Collegiate National Team, making one start and allowing one hit with two strikeouts over four scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over Chinese Taipei ( July 3)

2025 Draft Prospect - IF - Kyle Lodise - Georgia Tech

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2024/11/1/2025-mlb-draft-top-75-collegiate-prospects?s=03  –

KYLE LODISE, INF - Georgia tech

Prospects Live Ranking - #72

Regarded as one of the more notable transfers this recent cycle, Kyle Lodise shifted from Division II Augusta University to join Georgia Tech.  He was arguably the best hitter in the Peach Belt Conference in 2024, slashing .369/.498/.693 with 14 home runs.   A twitchy athlete, Lodise can play anywhere in the infield.  He’s a great defender, quick to react to the baseball, and maintains a strong internal clock while doing so.  A plus runner as well, Lodise stole 44 bags in 50 attempts during his two-year career at Augusta.  Over this past summer, Lodise played with the Chatham Anglers in the Cape.  In 37 games, he finished with a .239/.394/.358 line with seven extra base hits.  The key question regarding Lodise is whether he can consistently adapt to the quality of pitching in the ACC. If so, he and Drew Burress could formulate one of the most feared tandems in the ACC.

 

https://thebrunswicknews.com/sports/local_sports/kyle-lodise-announces-intentions-to-play-for-georgia-tech-baseball/article_af1665e6-f498-5bbb-b50d-2e62644462e3.html -

After two years playing the shortstop position at Augusta University — where he committed during his senior year with Brunswick High — Kyle Lodise put his name into the transfer portal after the Jaguars season ended a few weeks ago.

Winning the 2023 Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, Lodise topped his freshman year on the diamond with a sophomore season by hitting .369, accumulating 27 extra-base hits, 14 home runs, 49 runs batted in, and 24 stolen bases.

Earning second-team Peach Belt Conference honors for the second consecutive year, Lodise put his name into the transfer portal and announced his commitment to play baseball for Georgia Tech for the upcoming season.

With his two seasons at Augusta, Lodise is expected to make an instant impact for a Yellow Jacket side that is the No. 3 seed in the Athens Regional as they finished the season with a 31-23 record.

MACK - MY Sunday Observations - Genesis, Jeremiah, Snell, Predictions

 

Mike Mayer            @mikemayer22

Mets have signed lefty Genesis Cabrera to a minor league deal.

 

            Ernest Dove            @ernestdove

Solid signing because a lefty on a minor league deal/mlb camp invite is 100% of the time a solid deal to make in MLB.

 

                                    Genesis  Cabrera

            28/yrs old                LHRP              6-2                  180

            2024 Majors -         -0.1-WAR     3-3      3.59

            Career Majors -      -0.3-WAR     17-14    3.89

            2024 contract -     $1.51-mil     ARB eligible: 2025 

            Free Agent – 2026

            2013 IFA

            6 season majors - 275.2-IP        268-K      136-BB    1.39-WHIP

            99-FB             Go to pitch is cutter

           

            Mathew Brownstein                    @MBrownstein89

Highest cutter whiff percentage among 79 pitchers with a min. 250 cutters swung at since 2023:

José Alvarado: 45.1%

Génesis Cabrera: 38.0%           

Mack – Simply put, these is nothing wrong in signing this major league veteran that has pitched the past two seasons with an ERA of under 4.10, to a minor league contract. It’s a steal for a guy with this much velo and whiff rate.

He also has no problem pitching nasty. You may remember him as the dude that plunked JD Davis in the back with a 98mph fastball and caused one of the last full tilt boogie clearing of the dugout and pen brawls in recent Met seasons.

What he needs to do is concentrate on being a 2-pitch, cutter/fastball one inning backend reliever and get in the pitching labs to work on his accuracy in the zone.

Love this sign.

           

Steve Melewski                 @masnSteve

The Orioles have agreed to terms on 2025 minor league contracts with LHP Raul Alcantara, OF Franklin Barreto, and INF Jeremiah Jackson.

Mack – I sure hope the Jackson drop doesn’t come back to bite the Mets in the arse.

 

Jeff Passan               @JeffPassan

Left-hander Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a five-year, $182 million contract, pending physical, sources tell me and @jorgecastillo. The World Series champions get the two-time Cy Young winner in the first nine-figure deal of the winter.

           

Fabian Ardaya        @FabianArdaya

Blake Snell's deal includes a $52 million signing bonus, source confirms.

The signing bonus basically makes sure the present value of the deal is still high even with the deferrals. AAV is $36.4m, but his CBT figure is expected to be around $32-33m.

 

Joe Doyle                 @JoeDoyleMiLB

Math is hard. The Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation AAV is actually closer to $167m in 2025, not $140m.

This is larger than exactly half of the league’s 40-man payrolls (15) from 2024. 

Mack – There usually are only two kinds of signings before mid-December… trades and extensions of contracts. Smart move here by the Dodgers that caught the baseball world by surprise on Wednesday morning.

            A couple of things…

-this could open up the market for Japanese sensation, Roki Sasaki, and make his odds at ending up in Queens better.

-you have an idea what it is going to take to sign  Max Fried.

-teams that remain in search of starters are the Mets (2), Boston (2), Orioles (2), Phillies, Braves, Giants, and Cubs.

 

Some thoughts on the Mets off season:

 1.     The Mets are going to be a far more talented team than last season. 

2. I believe that the top dollar offer for Juan Soto will be the Mets. 

3. However, I believe the Yankees will resign Mr. Soto for a lifetime contract. 

4. I believe, once the Soto stuff is done, the Mets will quickly resign Pete Alonso to a contract that will allow him to someday retire as a Met. 

5. The Mets will sign two established relievers, but I predict that the steal of their off-season moves will be their signing of Genesis Cabrera. 

6. I believe the Mets will bring in two new veteran starters but, right now, it is too fluid to name names. 

7. I believe the Mets will "settle" with Starlin Marte as the 2025 DH. 

8. I believe Luis Robert will replace Marte in right. 

9. I believe Ronny Mauricio will start the season on the IL. 

10. I believe the Mets starting second baseman will be Luisangel Acuña.