The LTJ Report: Why signing Bartolo Colon makes sense, an injury update on Juan Lagares, and how Curtis Granderson was key to show the Mets want to contend!

The LTJ Report
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

From what I've been hearing, I hear that the Mets are very much interested in the services of Free Agent Starting Pitcher Bartolo Colon of the Oakland Athletics. I've also been hearing that the Mets don't want to entertain any offers from any free agent starting pitchers who want long-term deals. They simply want at least one established veteran to add to their starting rotation in the absence of Matt Harvey for 2014. That makes a whole lot of sense because I know for a fact Harvey will indeed be back in 2015 and you better believe he will be starting and gathering a healthy collection of wins (by then the Mets should have vastly improved their run support). I really hope the Mets can nab Colon for at least 2014 but his asking price might be a bit steep. I still think though provided they don't break the bank, adding him would be extremely great even if they gotta spend a little more money. His solid pitching, experience, and mentoring for the pitchers around him is worth it. Remember, this guy last season went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA. Imagine what he could do in a Mets uniform for just one-year? I think they might have even offered him a one-year deal for an undisclosed amount of money.

Center Fielder Juan Lagares suffered a slight knee injury while playing winter ball but all is fine. He got some exams done and was given a two-week window to simply take it easy. You'd be surprised how some days off from the job fixes everything. In his case, time off on his knee will make sure he'll be fine to continue baseball activities by mid December.

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, the Mets did indeed acquire Center Fielder Curtis Granderson for the next four-years at $60 million. I love how the majority of New York Yankees fans said that he was "sloppy seconds" and how he sucked. Weren't these the same fans who were chanting his name the past few years? Also the same fans who were praising his HR's left and right while buying his jersey? Regardless, I'm extremely happy they got him because he's going to compliment everything the Mets believe in. This signing also showed to us all that the Mets were indeed serious about 2014 being something more than just another losing season. This backed up a lot of what the Mets were saying going into the offseason. It also shows to everyone that yes, the Mets have money and they like to spend it too on top talent. Had they not made any big free agent signings, I'm pretty sure many would have once again dubbed the Mets as not wanting to contend for being cheap. After all, if you want to survive, you have to compete, right? In order to compete, at some point, you have to open your wallet and invest. Granderson is a nice upgrade for our outfield and I'm anxious to see how well he does in 2014.

The LTJ Editorial: "What Chris Young brings to the Mets"

The LTJ Editorial
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Date: 11-26-13
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

"What Chris Young brings to the Mets"

As I'm sure you've already heard, free agent Center Fielder Chris Young has agreed on a one-year deal with the New York Mets for about $7.25 million. Last season, every baseball analyst figured the Mets outfield would be one of the worst in MLB but they surprised everyone, they exceeded expectations. With solid hitting from Marlon Byrd, the highlight creating defensive machine of Juan Lagares, and the speedy base-stealing of Eric Young Jr., it was entertaining to watch. Once Byrd was traded though, the trio was missing that offensive punch that Byrd provided so nicely. One of the needs the Mets needed to fill this offseason was to try to find a solid free agent to fill the void Byrd left. They hope they started to fill that void with their latest acquisition. Let's take a look at the pros and cons Young will bring to the table once he puts on his first ever Mets uniform.

Overall, Young's career hitting average is at a low .235 and he is known for striking out.... a lot. It's more of the fact that he swings at pitches he really shouldn't swing at but I'm sure with patience and coaching he will fit in just fine with the Mets. Despite this, remember, he brings something that the Mets have been lacking, power hitting. I've seen plenty of highlights of the time he spent with the Oakland Athletics and boy, does he hit with such raw power. It'll be great to see the damage he is going to cause in Citi Field. The Mets need it because their home winning record last season was absolutely horrible. They looked anemic at home and didn't hit that many homeruns. Perhaps Young will fix that with hitting balls out the ballpark so much that maybe the fan attendance will improve too.

I'm sure most of you diehard baseball fans out there enjoy a great baseball move, right? I'm sure you have seen or at least heard of the movie "Moneyball" right? Well, a part of me loves the theory crafting of the fact that if you have players that can get on base, you are statistically proven to have a better chance to win. Some agree, some disagree, all I know is, the Mets need to score more runs than they did last year. Another good attribute that Young brings is that he has a very good walk rate which is one of the aspects to Moneyball. Over the past few seasons of his career, a few times he was among the top 20% of all MLB hitters to walk in at-bats, pretty impressive if you ask me. So even though he strikes out a lot, he kind of makes up for it by at least getting walks to get the ball rolling on scoring runs. He is also very good at stealing bases, with over 120 in his career. So now if you have a threat to steal bases with someone who is very good at getting on base from walks, better scoring games are ahead of us!

Now the best part about Young is his defense in the outfield. It's probably one of the big reasons why they brought him in. In his career, Young has been ranked one of the best Center Fielders in Defensive Runs Saved. He has a keen eye when fielding and a decent arm to prevent bases and runs from the opposition. He is a quick decision maker and makes the right call most of the time. I don't really see the Mets moving him to the corners of the outfield since his most experience comes from center field. It would make sense to keep him there, keep Eric Young Jr. at left field, and move Juan Lagares to right field. Of course I still think the Mets should add one more free agent outfielder to the mix for depth and insurance in case of any unforeseen injuries.

Overall I like this signing as it's going in the right direction. I've always said that the Mets are really just a few missing pieces away from having a contending team. Realistically I think this signing is one of many more to come but I don't see them bringing any crazy big free agent to the team for insane amounts of money. I think they will sign a handful and bring in low-key players who will contribute and be productive. I'm sure they are doing all their research and doing their best to do what's right for this team. They have a long way to go to reach that goal but I'm patient, after all, it's still quite some time before Spring Training opens up again. Still have lots of free agents up for grabs and mark my words, the Mets are planning something big via trade. I sense it!

What do you think? Please leave your comments below and let's get some intelligent sports discussions brewing!