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.
Mack, those would be some mighty big changes. And let's win 95+ this year in the process.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah Jackson already had one change of scenery when he was traded to the Mets. Maybe another scenery change to Baltimore is what he needs to get him going from his .205 AA season.
I hope the Dodgers are done - they are "ugly bad" already.
Re: changes
DeleteI would love Soto in right field but only under budget restraint. That's not going to happen but that doesn't mean the Mets can't add at least three quality pieces this off season and continue to build a world class team
Re: Dodgers
DeleteThey are far from done this off season
Questions
ReplyDeleteWhat do you believe in McNeil?
Robert in right? Who starts in center?
With the cost of the top free agent pitchers, in my mind it makes more sense to sign the next level of pitchers. With the cap on pitches around 100, most pitchers are only going five or into the sixth. Plus signing them to five year contracts has that added risks. I believe, sign the likes of Manaea and then sign bullpen arms. Last year no Snell, no Fried, no Burnes, no Senga,. How did that turn out? I believe that starters get you out of the gate, but the bullpen seals the wins.
Steve
DeleteI look at a Soto-less 2025 Mets outfield as a push until 2026
Center will be a defensive platoon of Taylor and Siri
Robert would be in right backed up by McNeil
Nimmo would be in Left backed up by McNeil
Steve
DeleteRe: pitching
Mets currently have two productive starters under contract... a questionable Senga and Peterson. Go into the season without t least two more and you might as well change the name of this team from the NY Mets to Giants
Steve
DeleteRelievers
I agree that the Mets should stop bringing in secondary relievers and pay the piper for two of the better ones out there
Mack
DeleteMy point on starters was although the Mets did not have a true number in starter they had a quality staff that got them through the 100 pitch count. Getting number twos and threes may be a better expenditure of money than getting one of the remaining two ones remaining. Getting two Manaea on three year contracts is better than one Burnes on a five year contract, I believe.
I tend to agree with you on Mauricio. Keep him in warm weather for a bit, then a rehab assignment, then see where he fits. Unless he gets dealt.
ReplyDeleteVery few teams trade for damaged goods
DeleteThis is very good work. The first article that convinced me Soto is worth it.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mlb.com/news/juan-soto-projection-scenarios-for-new-deal
Me r it?
DeleteMack,
ReplyDeleteI like Acuna at second. He could possibly be the one who catches fire at the right time for us in 2025. It happened at third base last year.
I just wish that winter ball team would play him there
DeleteI like Mauricio at 2B, and Acuna with a friend in Chicago for Crochet and Benintendi.
ReplyDeleteAll writing has Sasaki in Seattle, Boston, San Diego, Yankees…. Why not the Mets? Didn’t David Stearns go to Japan this past September for a reason? You think he went all the way over there during a pennant race and didn’t deliver a message? Once a player is posted, you can’t promise anything. But, before he is posted, you can say anything you want. His face will be on EVERY billboard.
Gus
DeleteI'm not sure he can handle third defensively at this level
Gus,
ReplyDeleteSasaki would be an outstanding signing.
Something is wrong with baseball when the Dodgers can have a billion dollars in deferred contracts and yet their payroll is still under ours avoiding the luxury tax? I still want to know what our Plan B is if we don't sign Soto.
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteThe Dodgers have some bean counter named Ira that knows how to funnel money into offshore accouts... especially yen.