MACK - DEEP DIVE - RHRP/RHSP - Jose Urena

 

The Mets continue to add pitchers to their camp.

They signed 33-year old RHSP/RHRP Jose Urena to a minor league contract.

6-2        210

Fron MLBTR:

Ureña spent the 2024 season with the Rangers, working primarily out of the bullpen but also making nine starts over the course of the season. He totaled 109 innings with a solid 3.80 earned run average, though not all of his numbers looked quite so sharp.

Ureña’s 15.1% strikeout rate was among the lowest in the league, and his 8.4% walk rate was roughly average. He notched a strong 50.1% ground-ball rate and kept the ball in the yard nicely enough (1.07 HR/9), but metrics like FIP (4.62) and SIERA (4.66) felt like he had a fair bit of good fortune to reach that more impressive ERA mark. Ureña’s .273 average on balls in play was a bit shy of the .289 mark he carried into the season, and his 75% strand rate was also higher than both league average (72%) and his career mark prior to 2024 (69.5%).

On the whole, Ureña has a 4.76 ERA in 948 1/3 big league innings. He had some stretches early in his career where he delivered solid midrotation results for the Marlins but has since been hit hard more often than not as he’s moved into journeyman status. His solid 2024 run in Texas was the first time since 2018 that he’s posted an ERA south of 5.00.

Ureña isn’t going to jump right into the Mets’ pitching plans, but there’s also little harm in seeing if a veteran arm coming of a nice rebound effort can sustain some of his production — especially early on while the rest of the pitching staff is a bit banged up. Even with Montas and Manaea ailing, the Mets have signaled they plan to stick with in-house arms, by and large. Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill give the Mets six experienced arms on which to rely. Top prospect Brandon Sproat could join the mix midseason.

As such, if Ureña is to make the club, it’d likely be as a swingman — but it’s equally or more likely that he’ll opt back into the market if he doesn’t make the club. As an Article XX(b) free agent (i.e. six-plus years MLB service, finished the prior season on a major league roster/injured list), Ureña will have a trio of uniform opt-out dates on his contract: five days before the season (March 22), May 1 and June 1.

 

Mike Mayer            @mikemayer22

José Ureña's groundball percentage of 50.1 in 2024 was tied with David Peterson for 13th highest among pitchers with at least 100 innings last year.

José Ureña pitched 109 innings last year for the Rangers with a 3.80 ERA over nine starts and 24 relief appearances.

He was significantly better in his relief outings with a 2.92 ERA in 64 2/3 innings.

 

Andy Martino         @martinonyc

Jose Urena signing a nice little move for Mets, cost effective way to cover innings with some upside. Team is taxed 110% on every dollar spent because they're over "Cohen Tax" threshold. Impacts decisions on players like Quintana. Stearns made his name building pitching staffs.

 

In summation… I’m not sure where this piece fits. He pitches better out of the pen, but the team need may be a sixth starter in an extended rotation.

What I do love is he has successful major league experience,  including last season. Folks, it's hard to produce an ERA below four when you are throwing the rock at pro bats. It's even harder to do this and produce a below 3.00-ERA, WHICH THIS GUY HAS DONE LAST YEAR OUT OF THE PEN.

Pickups like this one are always good ones. No down side.

Kapish?

Tom Brennan: When 13 Is No Longer 15, It Dashes Many Dreams; and Anthony Gose, the Hitter

 

53 HRs, 134 RBIs, in 241 High Minors Games Over Past Two Years

Nice.

Time in Majors? Zero Days. Not Nice.

Every so often, I think back to the Mets’ championship years of 1969 and 1986. 

Those were the days of 10 pitchers and 15 position players on teams' 25 man rosters. Those were also the days where, come September 1, rosters could expand up to 40 players.

Nowadays, with so many pitchers getting hurt, and the dramatic shortening of starting pitcher outings, teams carry 13 pitchers. 

The owners did expand a few years back to 26 on a roster instead of 25, but the offset to that increase was a decrease, only allowing September rosters to expand to 28. Who loses in that scenario?

The Hitters Do.

Essentially, each team carries just 13 position players now, as compared to 15 back in 1969 and 1986. You have 30 major league teams. Do the math:

2×30 = 60 jobs for aspiring minors hitters that simply no longer exist.

If you’re a halfway competent pitcher, you will be given the opportunity to pitch in the major leagues, even when in many cases, it is for a relatively short period of time. For the latter marginal cohort, the reason is that they are only marginal pitchers when it comes to major league skill sets. Good enough for an emergency call up.

The fact that starters go much shorter these days and injuries are more frequent has added three more jobs for pitchers on each roster (10 then, 13 now). And with so many pitchers getting hurt, at a rate which clearly seems much higher than back in 1969 and 1986, there’s much more dipping into the minor leagues to pull a pitcher up for a while to fill in. 

All those pitchers get the chance to play in the big leagues(!) and make some lucrative major league dough. 

A guy like Luke Ritter, who as a hitter has his contact flaws, but is more skilled baseball-wise than some of those marginal called-up pitchers, never gets called up. Why? Because of what I said above. Was 15, now 13.

Usually teams have the 13 hitters that are on the roster, and perhaps three or four guys that they will want to utilize in the minor leagues, should some hitter get hurt or be brutally slumping. 

You also have prospects who continue to develop, who are catching up to guys like Luke Ritter.

So the Luke Ritters of the baseball world essentially see and experience a very thick, almost impenetrable glass ceiling.

What’s the solution?  Here’s mine:

You expand the roster by two hitters to 28, and also, instead of capping September rosters to 28 players, cap September at 32 players, with the specification that at least 2 of those added 4 September call ups need to be hitters.

This would mean added costs to owners for expanded payrolls.  

How to minimize? No, no need to call Elon.  I got this:

In expanding the roster by two players during the year, for budgetary reasons, those two spots should only allow a salary of $1 million or less, annualized. And, I would expand the teams' salary thresholds for those additional players by $2 million, so that there would be no luxury tax impact on any team from doing so.

I don’t think about it a lot, but when I do, it doesn’t make me the most interest in man in the world, but it always bothers me that so many guys that are good minors hitting talents and who, back in 1969 or 1986, would’ve been on a major league roster now just can’t get there. 

Because there’s only room for 13. Not 15, like in the old days.

Any team could add a 3rd catcher for defensive purposes, allowing the team to pinch hit for their catcher without worrying that the 2nd catcher gets hurt and no one is skilled to catch.  A fast guy with good defense like Acuna?  Much more of a no-brainer to include on a roster.

Ex-Mets prospect Aderlin Rodriguez, now 33 years old, has never gotten to the majors, in part due to "13, not 15".  

His career key minors/winter/international numbers?

294 HRs, 1,102 RBIs.  Nearly 300 HRs, over 1,100 RBIs.

Not one day on a major league roster.  294 HRs, 1,102 RBIs. Very sad.

And spring training at bats? Up 72 times, .236, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs. Decent. Showed he most likely wouldn’t have embarrassed himself in a MLB cameo.

More recently and relevantly, Jose Iglesias was stuck in the minors at the start of 2024, due to "13 not being 15".  

He got called up to the majors and hit .337.  Not enough at bats to qualify for the title, but the highest qualifying average in the majors in 2024? Bobby Witt, .332. So, Iglesias led the majors in hitting. But missed being in the majors for a few months due to “13 not being 15.”

Talented hitters throughout baseball are being shoved down into the minors that really belong in the big leagues.

Those are my thoughts. 

What do you think?

ANTHONY GOSE, THE HITTER

Years ago, back when the west was very young, Mr. Gose was once almost traded to the Mets, but the Mets smartly insisted on a pitcher instead...

Noah Syndergaard.

Little did the Mets realize that Gose would eventually switch from hitting to pitching.  And be signed by the Mets more than a decade after the Syndergaard trade.

Gose this spring, thru Wednesday, had thrown 3 hitless innings.  

There is a very good chance the Mets will call up the 34 year old Gose as a fireballing lefty reliever at some point, or points, during 2025.  

And......he can also hit.  And field.  And run.

Yes, he has not batted in the major leagues since 2016.

But his MLB career slash line in a statistically significant 1,252 plate appearances was .240/.309/.348.

By comparison:

Brett Baty? .229/.306/.327

Tyrone Taylor? .241/.296/.438

Pretty comparable.

Gose has not batted in years, but was a career .252 minor leaguer.

A former 2nd rounder who first played professionally in 2008.

Did I mention he has 290 professional steals?

As a pitcher, just 31 MLB innings, and in 141 minors innings and 36 winter innings, 17-11 with 225 Ks.

Probably a marginal reliever if the lab doesn't fix him, but his advantage is that hitting ability in a pinch, as a lefty hitter.  

And he can play in the outfield or pinch run in a pinch, too.  

In this day and age of runners starting on 2nd base in extra innings, the frequency of using him on offense is less than prior to that rules change, but he is an offensive fallback if needed.  And certainly could be a pinch baserunner.

Gose is perhaps a little more intriguing than you might have recollected, huh?  In essence, a substandard version of Shohei Ohtani.  Huge gap there, but intriguing nonetheless is this Anthony Gose.

But Gose just got more competition:

METS SIGN PITCHER JOSE URENA TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL

One of Mack’s Mets other writers can fill you in. Good pick up, IMO.

THURSDAY GAME ACTION

Holmes and Kranick each went 3 scoreless in 5-0 win. 

Baty and Clifford 2 run shots. Baty is a sexy 6 for 11 (.545) so far. 

 - Baty is my utility guy, Kranick is my #5 starter. Period, end of story.

 - I ask myself…Will Holmes start the All Star game? Why not?

Reese Kaplan -- How to Replace Fallen Pitchers Without Spending

Creativity is often required to find ways out of difficult problems and with the two rapid injuries to the Mets starting rotation it may be time to think a bit outside the box in order to tackle the situation while not increasing the payroll.  Towards that end it’s time to visit some unwanted pitchers on other teams whose presence there is no longer required but whose payroll burden could mesh well with the Mets desire to offload some of their larger an potentially unwanted salary burdens.

No one really needs a deep analysis of who is on the table here.  Outfielder-turned-part-time-DH Starling Marte is on the last year of his four-year Mets contract and is slated to earn $19.5 million for the 2025 season.  If he could return to the .280 hitter with 30 stolen bases and low double digit home runs then that number is not outlandish.  

Unfortunately his health and age have not been a good mix and the arrival of Juan Soto took away his right field job.  If he’s healthy, his track record is good enough that someone might have interest.

The other big number player who could hit the market is contact hitter Jeff McNeil.  His contract is a bit more complex.  He is going to make $15.75 million in 2025 and again in 2026.  If he returned to the .300+ hitting he demonstrated earlier in his career then that number is quite reasonable but he had a poor 2023 and mostly poor 2024 though he did show a .280-ish uptick in the second part of the year which raised his average to a very mediocre .238.  

He is four years younger than Marte which stands in his favor and his positional versatility could also sell well.  However, he needs to show he’s on track for that .280+ hitting in order to gain someone’s attention.  The issue here is the salary for two upcoming seasons (and a club option for a third year).

Now where David Stearns needs to become creative is by examining the salary obligations for other teams’ unwanted or unneeded starting pitchers.  

Two classic examples come up with former Mets pitchers Marcus Stroman currently persona non grata in The Bronx and Taijuan Walker who has lost his job and his desire to be on the team in the City of Brotherly Love.  While I’m not necessarily advocating either of these pitchers specifically, they make the point of what the Mets front office must consider.

For the 2025 season, pint sized loudmouth Stroman is scheduled to earn $18.5 million which is pretty close to the $19.5 million that Marte is expected to be paid.  Stroman’s contract contains a player clause for 2026 if he achieves 140 IP and would renew at an $18 million salary level.  This type of deal would work in the Marte model.

For Walker, the Mets might be in the driver’s seat using Jeff McNeil as a trade option.  He’s going to play for two more seasons at $15.75 million.  If the Mets got the Phillies to pay down Walker to that same level from his current $18 million salary, then the hometown club gets a veteran pitcher who showed he can play in New York at no increase in pay.  It would then open up regular playing time for Luisangel Acuna at second base and gives you a built-in Francisco Lindor backup. 

As you peruse the rosters around the other 29 clubs there are surely many other pitchers who fit the high priced salary swap model for either Marte or McNeil.  Stroman and his mouthful of venom on the way out of Citifield and Walker with his very poor showing in 2024 may not be the best trade acquisitions but together they represent how Stearns can play the game without hitting an increase in payroll and taxation.   

MACK - DEEP DIVE - STARLING MARTE

 

Everybody can stop wondering why the Mets haven't traded Starling Marte.

Another day, another slow reported injury.

Seems it took this long for Carlos Mendoza to announce that Marte hasn't healed entirely.  In fact, he just isn't ready to play in exhibition games.

There is still soreness in his knee and the best Mendoza can estimate going forward is that he can't begin batting practice. Yet. Sometime this month but date unknown. 

So we can spend volumes on slow communication again, but I choose not to. What I'm going to do is project this outfield, going forward.

STARTERS

I'm going to assume that Brandon Nimmo will  solve him inyourfaceous problem by opening day and open up in left. That leaves the two headed centerfield combo of Siri-Tayler and Juan Soto in right.

JEFF MCNEIL 

My obvious choice. UT1 while doubling as playing second along with Luisangel Acuña. 

JESSE WINKER

Hands down the LHDH

ALEXANDER CANARIO

The new guy slots in as RHDH

The Mets could either promote a prospect or look outside, but I don't see either. The rooks just aren't there yet and I believe the Marte problems is just a short term hiccup.

Agree?

Tom Brennan: Game Highlights Since Monday

 

BASEBALL IS BACK - YOU MAY PROCEED TO PINCH YOURSELF.

OR WINK - THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Thoughts on Mets performers this week:

MONDAY:

Blade Tidwell reportedly hit 99 on the gun (yay), but in 2 innings gave up 4 hits and a walk, and 3 runs (on a 3 run jack), while fanning just 1. 

 - In 3.2 career spring IP, his ERA is 14.73. Batters are .421 in that span.

Joander Suarez coughed up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk and took the loss in a 7-4 defeat.

Pete (you know who - no last name needed) doubled in 2 and walked a few times.

Mark Vientos got hit by a pitch.  Being that these are the Mets, I googled it and was quite relieved to find out he didn't require last rights to be administered, so perhaps the Mets injury bug is eradicated.

Doug Orellana gave up a solo home run in his one inning - but fanned 3.

Chris Williams (106 MPH) and Jose Azocar (108.5 MPH) went DEEP, baby, DEEP DEEP DEEP, with solo shots.

Jose Butto and Senor Brazaban tossed perfect innings, with Huascar fanning 2.

No one, to my knowledge, got injured.

TUESDAY:

An 8-5 loss. Reed Garrett threw a scoreless frame. Seven other guys, all named Who, pitched the rest  of the game, allowing the 8 runs.

Baty 2 for 3, including a HR?  What?  He may turn out to be the MVP with an SUV.

Acuna had a hit.  A run.  An RBI. A steal.

Siri homered and walked. Alexa clapped.

Jared Young 2 for 2.

Jett 1 for 2.

No apparent new injuries!

WEDNESDAY: 

Mets lose 4-1. Phillies and Braves, meanwhile, each scored 9 runs. Early it is.

One RBI. Who else? Alonso.

Felipe de la Cruz and Ben Simon pitched poorly. Some jitters, no doubt.

McNeil’s first spring hit (.125). Lindor now 0-8.

Anthony Gose has been sharp, as has Daniel Juarez.

- Gose: 2 perfect one inning outings so far.

   - - A 34 year old lefty Billy Wagner? Why not?

- Juarez: 1.2 scoreless innings so far this spring. Nice.

PAUL BLACKBURN THREW A SCORELESS INNING. 

He is throwing his hat in the ring already, a good sign.  Who would have thought last week that he would be pitching and Manaea and Montas would not.

MARTE STILL HAS SORENESS IN HIS KNEE FROM LAST SUMMER:

Which is why he has not been in any boxscores. Doesn’t give one the warm fuzzies.  

Will he be ready by opening day?  Your guess is as good as anyone’s.  

He may look ripped, but his record says he is fragile.

Tom Brennan - Jose Quintana?? Paul Gervase Update, too

 Jose Quintana 

We all saw him last year.  Strong finish to his season.

And 2 strong post-season outings before the Dodgers beat him up in his 3rd PS outing.  But the Dodgers are the Dodgers, then there is everyone else.

We have two starters down for indeterminate periods.

Should we therefore get Quintana back?

Well, we know that his added salary would boost Cohen's luxury tax by $5 million or so.

And reports are Manaea's injury in particular is not that serious.

Quintana has pitched poorly against Atlanta in his career (6.62) and D Backs (7.44), but the Braves don't face the Mets until June - but the D Backs do, in April.

Overall, in his career, he has a slightly better ERA (.370) against .500+ teams than sub-.500 teams, which is good.

His worst ERA month in his career unfortunately is April (4.30 ERA), the month the Mets need him the most.  

He is Whitey Ford in July, though (23-9, 3.14 career).

And one vital stat - he is age 36.  

And he is just 19-26 combined over his last 5 years 2020-24.

My conclusion?  

Absent any further starter injuries, I think the distance between Quintana and the nine years younger Max Kranick, and the likely return in late April by Manaea likely makes it prudent to pass on adding $11 million or so in Quintana salary and taxes.  Don't panic, go with Kranick.

Of course, if Cohen and Stearns get Quintana after all, I won't complain.

PAUL GERVASE

The Mets traded 6'10" high strikeout reliever Paul Gervase to Tampa  - mistake?  I was sorry to see him go.  Wrote about him a lot.

Yesterday, though, he threw 1.2 innings for the Rays, allowing 2 hits, 5 walks, and 4 runs.  One game does not a career make. 

Sometimes, though, it can sooth your nerves over the departure of a favored prospect in a trade, when you see a box score that shows him getting shellacked.

 

MACK - Deep Dive: Alexander Canario

 

I read last week about a young slugging outfielder that the Cubs had DFA’d in order to activate Justin Turner and I was tempted to write about him as a possible pickup by the Mets. Low and behold, they did just that on Monday.

The Mets sent the Cubs some moolah for once highly projected prospect, outfielder Alexander Canario. The 24-year old produced a 0.3-WAR in 25 at-bats last season, hitting .280, and producing a .797 OPS. He also produced 18 home runs for AAA-Iowa last season, in 247 at-bats.

The site, North Side Baseball, had this to say about Canario:

The hard-hitting outfield prospect, Alexander Canario, is in a very weird position in the Cubs' organization. On the surface, Canario had a pretty good year in Iowa, hitting 18 home runs in under 300 plate appearances while posting an isolated slugging over .270 and an overall line good for 116 wRC+. However, a longer look at the righty gives you some pause as to what he can be moving forward. 

Canario's sub 63% contact rate was nearly 10% below that of the Triple-A average, and if he carried over the same contact rate to the MLB (which, considering the jump in talent, would be hard to do), would put him below every qualified hitter at the level. The results at Iowa suggest one thing, but the processes suggest another. A

In the end, I don't think Canario has much of a pathway with the Cubs. The Cubs already have four OF starters for three positions between Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and the recently opted-in Cody Bellinger, and that doesn't factor in at least two prospects Canario is behind as well in Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara. 

If the Cubs opt to keep Mike Tauchman, Canario might be no better than eighth in the pecking order. While I don't think he will offer a ton of trade value, I suspect that he could be on his way out of the organization this offseason as a 2nd or 3rd piece in a smaller trade. 

A team that's pretty empty in the OF could give him a chance to see if the power can outpace the contact issues, and maybe he could carve out a Patrick Wisdom-esque type of career. There's a decent chance that Canario is just that of a Quadruple-A player, but I remain rooting for him to succeed somewhere.

Another site, Cubbies Crib, may have written about a hint why the Mets went after this guy:

Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Canario has gotten reps at first base during the early stages of Spring Training, and the Cubs are looking to explore that possibility further. With the Cubs also prepping career utility man Jon Berti to potentially be the backup to Michael Busch at first base this season, Canario serving in that role would allow Berti to serve in the role he has been his entire career--a capable replacement at either second base or third base.

It would also seem that the Cubs' quest for a backup first baseman was tied to their pursuit of Alex Bregman. With Bregman now with the Boston Red Sox, it is fair to wonder if the Cubs' rumored interest in Justin Turner picks up. While Turner earned his reputation as a third baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is more suited for a backup first base role at this stage of his career.

I agree with what others have written about this guy. I just don’t see him as a future starter in the majors. A tick above Alex Ramirez maybe. But maybe, just maybe, this could be an alternative to a DH, while, at the same time, give the Mets a back-up first baseman in case the Polar Bear takes a ball in the eye again.

Reese Kaplan -- Mets Offseason Roster Bullet List Week Thirteen

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 as 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. 

As Spring Training progresses it appears that the Mets may need their own M*A*S*H unit of emergency medical personnel to handle the rash of injuries that have already occurred.  In chronological order let’s tack the trio of notable casualties.

Pitcher Frankie Montas was the first to hit the ER ward when it was revealed he’s suffering from a high lat strain which is putting him in non-baseball purgatory for several weeks before even thinking of resuming normal preparatory exercises and activities.  While many were not particularly happy about this signing, he was known for giving his all when healthy.  Consequently the innings missed are going to be hard to replace.

Next on the figurative stretcher was infielder Nick Madrigal whose quest to become the new Jose Iglesias got sidelined when he came down with a left shoulder sprain.  The Mets knew it was serious when a day after it happened he was put on the 60-day IL which opened up a 40-man roster spot for someone else.  The loud chorus of “Sign OMG Iglesias” rang loudly and frequently as soon as the injury was reported, but the Mets went back to the company line about trying to curtail further payroll dollars being paid out along with the corresponding Cohen Tax that would accompany them.

Speaking of lat strains, next on the injury list was the more-or-less rotation ace Sean Manaea whose personal one-on-one sessions with Johan Santana are now terminated.  His lat strain is regarded as not quite as severe as what afflicted teammate Montas, but he’s definitely off the baseball diamond perhaps for the remainder of Spring Training and into the first few weeks of the regular season. 

Ouch!

On the pitching front, it likely means that the Mets are going to lean heavily on the in-house options of Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn, Max Kranick and Griffin Canning.  They are all part of the existing payroll and as such won’t present additional salary dollars nor MLB tax revenue to absorb.  That solution on the starting rotation side is acceptable for perhaps 1-3 games, but instead now it is easily at minimum 2-6 since it’s two starting pitchers down and likely will last significantly longer than that given the nature of the recovery time each of Manaea and Montas are expecting.  While trades to help fill the void are appealing, you still have the financial side of the picture.  The only quick fixes around would be the Mets somehow finding takers for Starling Marte and/or Jeff McNeil since they would open up some money to spend even if a lot of what they were paid down would come off the top.  That situation quickly put off the seemingly easy solution of bringing back Jose Quintana as pitching insurance.

On the infield side, here again the Mets must be looking first in-house. Luisangel Acuna probably catapulted himself to the top of the depth chart as he can play all three infield positions in a backup role.  Brett Baty’s stock rose significantly as he’s been taking balls at second base in addition to his normal routine at third base, but he’s not anyone’s idea of a backup shortstop.  Ronny Mauricio is not yet 100% healthy and expected to begin yet another year in Syracuse when he’s deemed ready to play.  Jett Williams despite taking a HBP on the hand is not yet a veteran of AAA and likely is headed there as well.  Other veteran infielders would be available right now on the open market and later in Spring Training as cuts begin to be made.  Since it’s a fill-in position it’s more likely the Mets go internal here and keep both Mauricio and Williams as backups in AAA should either Acuna nor Baty not get the job done. 

That approach does indeed become a bit sketchier should Jeff McNeil wind up playing in a new uniform.  All of the sudden everyone on that list must bump up a slot on the depth chart.  While you won’t know what each of these four players can do until they try, it’s still a bigger risk than keeping the offensive/defensive side of the roster more-or-less intact.

Let’s not forget Pete Alonso taking a ball to the face during infield practice which could have been quite scary but he later in the same day rejoined the drills which suggested it was a temporary disruption.

In Other News...

Clay Holmes may have outperformed new teammate Juan Soto who hit a CF home run in his first Mets preseason at-bat.  While that was great to see, three perfect send ‘em up and mow ‘em down innings from the newly transitioned starting pitcher had to make everyone feel terrific from Holmes himself, his manager Carlos Mendoza, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and the front office.  Given the 2 major hits to the starting rotation already, the Mets are going to have to lean heavily on Holmes as a starting pitcher, Kodai Senga himself recovering from a lost 2024 season, David Peterson and whomever fills the shoes of lat strain duo. 

Long forgotten third round draft pick Matt Allan is back on the field and once again attempting to restore the team’s faith in their decision to engage him as a youngster.  Allan’s career has been riddled with long term injuries and recoveries.  How long has it been?  Well, back in 2019 between two teams he went 1-0 over 5 starts and 6 games with a 2.61 ERA fanning well over a dozen per 9 IP.  His walks will need to come under control which sabotaged his WHIP, but that small sample was certainly enough to get the team salivating about his future.  Of course, that was before multiple surgeons went after various ailments on his body, including his forearm, two hacks at his elbow and then his hamstring.  He’s not taken the field now to ring up metrics in four full years plus the missed 2020 Covid season which shut down all minor leaguers.  Five years is a mightly long time to wait and the once hotshot at age 18 is now 24 at an age where a progression to AAA would be considered fairly normal.  He hasn’t even made it to AA.  Still, everyone is watching and hoping...

The folks who work the betting slips are already out with the Mets line for 2025 with 91.5 wins being the arbitrary line in the sand for folks looking to bet the over or the under.  The issue at hand may have worsened somewhat with the injuries that occurred but it is still better than what people got in 2024 when the club rallied to garner 89 wins, tying the Atlanta Braves and 6 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Juan Soto made headlines this week but not for what he did with his bat.  He very much wanted his number 22 back which belonged to Met prospect Brett Baty.  The very wealthy Soto bought his number 22 by purchasing Baty the so-called “car of his dreams,” a brand new Chevrolet Tahoe.  It’s not an unheard of gesture by a star player but for the new Met it meant a great deal to earn his way into fraternity with his New York teammates.

A long shot minor leaguer, Jared Young was potentially a bench player when Pete Alonso had not yet signed a new Mets contract.  The 29 year old lefty swinging first baseman has played all over North America and recently in Korea.  During his 38 game audition there he his .326 with 10 HRs and 39 RBIs, so there is some pop in that bat.  Whether or not he fits into the Mets roster is an ultimate game of chance, but it would appear he’s worth observing in Florida.

Outfielder Jose Siri is well known for both his acrobatic defense and his base running speed.  He’s always shown elite home run power but unfortunately swinging and missing has curtailed his ability to gain traction as a regular player.  During this past off season he has retooled his swing in the hopes of making more regular contact as he fights for regular center field position with Tyrone Taylor.  While he obviously can out field now departed Harrison Bader, his hitting needs to show marked improvement to achieve at least a league average output before folks will be happy having him in the lineup for 4 or more occasions per game. 

An interesting bevy of former Mets are attempting to make a new home for themselves in the Tampa Rays organization.  Right now that list includes starting pitcher Mike Vasil, recovering pitcher Nate Lavender, relievers Eric Orze, Paul Gervase and Keyshawn Askew, along with outfielder Jake Mangum.  That’s a lot of guys from the Mets farm system landing in one place.

The Seattle Mariners ace pitcher Luis Castillo won’t go away with the Mets down not one but two starting pitchers.  Yes, he’s a workhorse and signed to what these days is an equitable salary for a number one hurler, but the Mets have been adamant about not wanting to pay 1.5 times the amount for new personnel.  He will continue to appear in articles now and towards the July trading deadline. 

Before the injuries hit the biggest battles appeared to be between the would-be 6th starting pitcher or long reliever.  Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning are out of options and either need to come north, get cut loose or traded.  Now that scenario shifts a bit.  The bullpen battles appeared to be between Huascar Brazoban, Dedniel Nunez, Sean Reid-Foley and Danny Young.  With one of the would-be starters perhaps residing in the pen it could make for a bloody battle.  Then there’s the question of spare infielder.  Acuna is intriguing if unproven.  Baty is not known for playing 2nd nor shortstop.  With Madrigal now down and out it’s anyone’s guess for backup infielders.

With the Yankees set to begin the year with another Giancarlo Stanton injury, one article proposed a natural fit for Starling Marte who could take the field and serve as base running speed.  The hypothetical return to the Mets was Allen Facundo and Rafael Flores.  For people unfamiliar with these names, Facundo is a left handed starting pitcher who has made 20 starts in 33 games going as high as A-ball.  He delivered a 3.22 ERA with 169 strikeouts in 109 IP.  Flores is a catcher/first baseman who hit 31 HRs and drove in 115 over 830 minor league ABs while hitting over .270.  He’s already 24 years old and was undrafted as a free agent, but has shown hitting ability.  Together it may not seem like a great return for Marte, but if the Mets can roll the dice on a few youngsters while reducing their payroll it’s not a bat thought.

No rumor week would be complete without a slew of articles regarding Vlad Guerrero, Jr. who turned down the last offer from Toronto.  He will sell himself to the highest bidder at year’s end unless some miracle occurs in the Blue Jays front office and payroll flexibility.  Obviously with Pete Alonso only guaranteed for a single season he will be on the Mets radar and in their spreadsheets. 

One name out of left field for the now starting pitching deprived Mets is Alex Wood who has been a quality pitcher for his major league career but posted some ugly numbers last season with Oakland while dealing with elbow pain.  He would likely take a minor league deal at this point but he’s not going to be in the $1 million range when promoted to the majors.  He would cost more and many would question if at his age, health and salary he is a smarter deal than rolling the dice on in-house options.

Let’s end this week’s rehash with a view of what the $765 million man can do for the Mets this season:

SAVAGE VIEWS – THE COMEBACK KIDS

  

SAVAGE VIEWS - THE COMEBACK KIDS

I’ve long been on record claiming that Brett Baty will have a long and successful career. Hopefully, it will be as a Met. 

Perhaps this is the year he gets things figured out. It’s early, but he is off to a good start in the Grapefruit league. 

I’d like to spend this post on four prospects once thought of very highly.

MATT ALLAN

When the Mets drafted Allan out of high school in 2019, they thought they had a potential top of the rotation pitcher. Unfortunately, he has been sidelined by a number of injuries. He seems to be healthy at last and is still only 23 years old. 

The news of training camp is that he is throwing 97 and his repertoire includes a good curve and changeup among other pitches. There is some question as to where he starts the season. My guess is Brooklyn with the potential to finish the year in Syracuse. He’s someone to be excited about.

KEVIN PARADA

Kevin was drafted number 11 in 2022 and was universally considered to be one of the best hitters in the country. Also, his catching skills were rated above average. He is an above average athlete who may wind up at another position. 

His pedestrian performance thus far has seen his stock fall dramatically. However, someone with his talent and pedigree is a strong candidate to have a solid bounce back season.

COLIN HOUCK

He was drafted out of high school as the number 32 pick in 2023. His scouting report shows him to have good offensive tools, an excellent eye, and strong defensively. While he has good speed, he probably will not steal a ton of bases. 

His first year as a professional player did not go well. Again, another player with an immense amount of talent who has yet to reach his 20^th birthday. Look for him to rise up in the prospect rankings this year.

ALEX RAMIREZ

When the Mets signed Ramirez out of the DR in 2019 they thought they were getting a 5-tool prospect. However, he has underperformed the last two years. He is an excellent defensive outfielder and his ability to steal a base is unquestioned. 

He’s a bit of a paradox and it’s hard to know what to expect going forward. This will be a pivotal year for him and, unless he shows dramatic improvement, he will likely be in another organization next year.

It’s a great time to be a Mets fan with a relatively strong farm system. Right now, our concern is keeping the starting rotation health with Manaea out for the next few weeks.

Ray

February 25, 2025

MACK - MY Tuesday Observations

 

Good morning. 

There's been a lineup change here.

I have moved my Thursday Observations post here to Tuesday.

Sorry for the bouncing ball.

First Montas, now Manaea. Hope we have run out of starters with a last name that starts with M.

THIS is why you come to camp with as many guys you can find that can throw 80+ pitches a game.

Especially if most of them are over 30.

The Manaea one brings question marks to me. You bring in Johan Santana to work with him and THIS is the result?

So. For now. You got Senga, Peterson, and Megill, and Blackburn, Canning, Holmes, and Kranick all fighting it out for the SP4 and SP5  slots. Not exactly the 1971 Baltimore rotation.

One thing. The talk of camp is the nastiness coming out of the arm of Brandon Sproat. His new pitch, the 2-seam sinking fastball, has potentially made him a more dangerous future piece.

Too early? Yeah, it still is, but if one more arm goes down... well... who the heck knows?

As for outside, the available starters still unsigned do not jump out at you so the Mets might want to make a serious run at Dylan Cease.  They really only have to protect Sproat, which leaves a projected offer of:

1.     Jonah Tong or Nolan McLean

2.     Drew Gilbert or Ronald Hernandez

3.     Jett Williams or Jesus Baez

4.     Brett Baty or Nick Morabito

 

Psst. Did you notice the inning Mack Darkhorse Candidate Douglas Orellana pitched yesterday? One inning, three strikeouts. Just sayin…

 

As all of us know, the Mets spring schedule started this past Saturday and I will share my thoughts on what goes on in these spring games. I also will try and pick up the pace and write more than I have recently. The posts may be shorter but they will continue to contain the kind of content ya'll are used to.

 

Carlos Mendoza mentioned this past Sunday that he wants Brett Baty to lower his bat trajectory and concentrate hitting line drives rather than going for the fences. It’s obvious Mendoza is looking for Baty to fit in somewhere while, at the same time, sending signs that this team will get its power from other bats. Good move in my opinion, but I still can’t see how Baty is going to fit in to this team. Other than a AAA third baseman waiting for Mark Vientos to either stumble or go down with an injury. 

I’ve said this before… the Mets have enough second baseman and Luisangel Acuna doubles as the backup shortstop. Baty needs to get his bat in order while in Syracuse, get some reps on first, and wait for the team to trade him where he can play regularly. He’s both talented and a nice guy and he deserves to play. Somewhere.

 

Let's revisit CF Simon Juan. He's 19. He doesn’t turn 20 until July. He stands six feet. He is projected to stick in center. In 2023 he had two homers for the FCL Mets. In 2024 he had seven for the same team. Sunday he hit a 3-run homer that came down just outside of Baltimore. His OPS went up .200 from the previous season. Forget the $75,000 signing bonus. That’s chump change these days. But it does look like this commitment is beginning to pay dividends.

Look for Juan to open up this spring in the St. Lucie outfield. The assumption is he would finish the season in Brooklyn. That would leave 2026 for stints in both Binghamton and Syracuse. Past that is all gravy in my boat.

 

Sadly, we need to revisit Nick Madrigal.

Remember when the Mets said they had big plans for LuisAngel Acuna this season? Well, it looks like that’s pretty much guaranteed now that Nicky boy’s left shoulder went pop.

Oh, and there could be another contracted infielder now in play. Here’s what Anthony DiComo said about him on Sunday:

Mets: INF Jared Young

The Mets signed Young off a successful half-season stint in Korea, where he slugged .660 over a 38-game sample. The 29-year-old isn’t quite as snug a roster fit as Nick Madrigal, who could back up Francisco Lindor at shortstop and garner some second-base reps as a right-handed foil to Jeff McNeil. But Young is versatile as well, with significant experience at both corner infield and outfield spots. He’s always had power, including two home runs in 22 career Major League games. With a strong spring, Young could win the lone Mets bench job up for grabs. 

 

Johan Santana

On working with Sean Manaea in camp, who idolized Santana while he was growing up:

"It was an honor, it's pretty cool - great kid. Whatever it takes to get him better and help him"

 

Carlos Mendosa

On writing in Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso on the lineup card:

"It's a good feeling."

 

Juan Soto

On the reception of the fans towards him in Port St. Lucie:

"It's been really cool to see them enjoying the moment and enjoying this time. First year with the Mets and everything, it's going to be unforgettable."

  

Codify        @CodifyBaseball 

Postseason wins since MLB went to 30 teams in 1998:

113 NYY    77 HOU   73 LAD   69 STL   68 BOS

50 SFG      49 ATL      47 PHI    35 CLE NYM 

Sandy Alcántara's fastball on Sunday:

98 99 99 99 99 99 99 98 98 99 99 99 99

 

MLB Network         @MLBNetwork

Career milestone watches to follow in 2025

Manny Machado - 2,000 H

Kyle Schwarber - 300 HR

Bryce Harper - 1,000 RBI

Trea Turner - 300 SB

Justin Verlander & Max Scherzer - 3,500 K

Chris Sale & Charlie Morton - 150 W

Terry Francona - 2,000 W

Clayton Kershaw - 3,000 K

 

Jim Koenigsberger       @Jimfrombaseball

The first time the word "f***" was ever heard on television, was during the broadcasts of Brooklyn Dodgers games on CBS, 1948