Tom Brennan - FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE

Tom Brennan - FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE

Remember Chipper, Greg, Tom and John.  The Braves of yore had too much talent and left the Mets behind year after year.

The Cubs, through strong drafts and acquisitions (Zobrist, Fowler, Hayward, Lester, Chapman), have a hugely talented team.  A headline yesterday speculated about a possible Cubs dynasty. What to do?

FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE...SIGN CESPEDES, FOR STARTERS.

Or spend a bunch of years coming in 2nd best. Again.

It is my birthday. I like gifts, timely or tardy. I'll take Cespedes gift wrapped in Mets wrapping paper.  FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.

FLASH - Jay Bruce

Mets officially announce they are picking up Jay Bruce's $13 million option for 2017.

Tom Brennan - HOW 'BOUT THAT GAME YESTERDAY?

Tom Brennan - HOW 'BOUT THAT GAME YESTERDAY?

 

Man, how about that game yesterday? 

 

No, not Cubs-Injuns, and no, not the big early season Brooklyn Nets' win over the Detroit Pistons.

 

Nope, I'm excited about the Scottsdale Scorpions (7-13) winning 8-5 in the Arizona Fall League!!

 

They had 8 big runs, 7 strolling walks, 6 hard hits, 5 fumbling errors, and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

There was limited Mets farmhand involvement in this one; I immediately assumed, with 5 errors, that Gavin Cecchini played, but he did not.  He no doubt was on the bench amazed at the level of errors!  "Who makes such errors?"

 

Kidding aside, Champ Stuart was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBIs.  He was also replaced late in the game, hopefully not due to injury 9don't think so, most likely a routine switch).  Champ is batting .372 (16 for 43, only 14 points behind the AFL batting leader). Keep it up and open some eyes, Champ.

 

The only other Mets' farm gem, the always competent Corey Taylor, threw well again, going 2 innings, allowing a few hits and a run and striking out 3.

 

Ex Met Akeel Morris got in the game, recording 2 outs, allowing a run on 2 walks and a hit.

 

Tim Tebow was diagnosed with a T Bone injury, and told to apply A-1 Steak Sauce to the injured area.

 

One non-Mets guy I never heard of that has been lights out is Jared Miller of Arizona's system: 13 IP, 4 H, 1, W, 24 K.  Just throwing it out there.

Mack’s Morning Report – Off Season, Part Three – Outfield - WOWY (with or without Yo)

Good morning.

My outfield has 5 ball players.

3 of them are my basic starters and 2 are my backups.

I have two separate approaches. The first will include Yoenes Cespedes and the second will not.

Let’s talk about Yo first –

CF – Yoenes Cespedes – Cespedes is currently under contract with the Mets, in 2017, for $23.7mil… but, as we all know, he has the option to opt out. There simply is no way in hell that he will accept this kind of money in 2017. Yo is a $30mil player and deserves to be paid this kind of money. I have to find $6.3mil somewhere to pay for this increase and I already saved $9.5mil by opting out Jon Niese and not paying once again the $5.75 mil I paid to Alejandro De Aza. The money is here to make Cespedes happy. Now I just have to make him a happy Met.

RF – Jay Bruce – $12.542mil – I can’t let this kind of talent go away even if he strikes out as much as he does and CitiField isn’t located in Colorado. Like many players that get traded, Bruce let the negative side of this game get into his head when he arrived as a Mets. Don’t quote me, but wasn’t he leading the NL in RBIs on that day? How could anyone not want someone with this kind of 30+ HR/120+ RBI  talent on your team for less than $13mil? He and Cespedes alone have the potential of 80+ HRs next season.

LF – Michael Conforto - $600K – Conforto becomes my starter in left for a couple of reasons, both of which are listed above. There will be little pressure for Conforto to produce 30+ HRs in 2017. I want to see what I have here and I have to let this guy play full time at least through the all-star break. I also would work with him during the off-season to become more of a hitter that can spray in all directions of the outfield, hit for power to the opposite field, and hit both left and right handed pitching. Potentially, I believe Conforto is a better major league option than Brandon Nimmo and Conforto would get my vote here (before any injuries set in).

UT – Curtis Granderson – $15mil – A lot of you want to trade Grandy. I did too the day after we signed him. But I, and most Mets fans have come to realize that he has become the clubhouse leader, especially since David Wright sent away with rehab duties. Many of you can dream that some deaf, dumb, and blind General Manager is going to come along and pick up this fifteen mil, but it just isn’t going to happen. There’s one year left hear and let’s use him where he can be utilized best by the team. I’m going to have him back up Bruce, spend some time giving pointers to Conforto and riding Cespedes’ horses.

UT – Juan Lagares – One of the best contracts Alderson and Company ever contracted was the long-term deal with Lagares. The past Golden Glove centerfielder is scheduled to be paid only $4.5mil in 2017, which is a steal if he can stay healthy. I will return him the role he had before he went thumbs up last season… late inning centerfield defense.

Now… what if we don’t sign Yo?

CF – Carlos Gomez – One simple subtraction, one simple addition, and $15-20mil back in the till. Gomez would be my Wild Card #2, but the unspent Yo money could be used in contracting a long term deal with someone like Noah Syndergaard… and… finally… spending some decent money in the International draft before it goes away. I think Gomez is past the low point in his career and I can build in various performance clauses in his contract to give him the incentive to stay on point. 

Tom Brennan - OFFSEASON LEAGUE RELIEF

Tom Brennan - OFFSEASON LEAGUE RELIEF

A hard core Mets fan could look at the exciting World Series going on and say, "yeah, sure, but ANYTHING Mets is better than this."

So what is such a hard core fan to do to get relief?

See how the Mets off season relievers are doing.

Three of note:

1) Jeurys Familia - not pitching, not doing so good

2) Paul Sewald - the ever-reliable one is pitching in the Mexican League.  Ever so reliably.  9 innings, no walks, 7 Ks, 6 hits, one run.  His career has consisted of over 20 superlative relief months, and one shaky month.  I've been told he's human, and even he can succumb to occasional shakiness in Vegas.  I will be shocked if he is not shielded from the Rule 5 draft.

3) Dave Roseboom - hanging out with Tebow and the boys in Arizona, he has been a bit wild but impressive: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 7 BB, 12 K.  I like the K's from a fellow lefty guy who, in 52 relief outings in AA this year, sported a sterling 1.87 ERA.

Corey Taylor also doing well in Ah-ah-ah-ah-rizona, except for surrendering a walk-off grand slam in one outing.  If you're gonna mess up, make it count.  Then get payback.

(Yawn) Cubs-Cleveland tonight.  Tell me how it turns out. I'll be checking the Mets winter off season action.

Reese Kaplan -- Setting Off-Season Priorities

If you are an avid reader of the papers and blogs, you find many people advocating various approaches to the off-season.  There’s the Yoenis Cespedes saga.  There are the health issues surrounding David Wright and Lucas Duda.  There’s the starting rotation, all of whom had health issues last year except free-agent-to-be Bartolo Colon.  There’s the bullpen where Addison Reed is about to cross the 8 figure mark for a single season of work and Jerry Blevins who is again a free agent.  There’s the saga of Neil Walker, his back, his prospective QO and whether signing him long term helps make up for the probably loss of Cespedes.  What about the players who had odiferous 2016 campaigns – Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto?  Did they hit bumps in the road or are they lost causes?  What about the slugger with the $13 million option, Jay Bruce, who seemed to forget how to hit once he arrived?

We all play armchair GM and some take it to the most granular level, picking very specific players to target and how many dollars they should be paid.  I think it’s time we step back and take a look at the multitude of areas which can be improved, then rank them in order of importance.  Here’s my stab at just that exercise:

• Pick up Jay Bruce’s option – whether you keep him here or look to trade him, for a player with his long track record of health and production, you can’t let him walk for nothing.  When Cespedes walks, you need his bat or you need to trade him to obtain another promising one.
• Swallow hard and pay Addison Reed – I still doubt they will do so, but without him the pen becomes a major question once again.
• Re-Sign Jerry Blevins – between he, Reed, Jeurys Familia and Hansel Robles you have the makings of a very fine pen.  Throw in perhaps a Paul Sewald and Josh Smoker or re-signing Fernando Salas and you could have one of the tops in the game.  I’m irritated every time I read about how the Mets need to trade to improve the pen.  You have the material here already.  (this entry was written before the news came down about Jeurys Familia's escapades on Tuesday.  Now I think they must look at the prospect of a Reyes-like suspension if there's anything to these allegations).
• Look for another catcher – I’m fine with Travis d’Arnaud getting another shot, but given his track record for long stays on the DL, whether you believe in him as a hitter or not, it’s foolish not to have a viable long term alternative available.
• Wave bye-bye to Neil Walker – You have Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores and TJ Rivera as capable replacements at 2B.  Gavin Cecchini is also transitioning to that side of diamond.  Risking a $17.3 million QO is bad business as he’ll likely take it so he can have a very well paid year to reestablish his health and hit the market again next year.  Let someone else pay him.  You’re dealing from a position of strength here. 
• Increase your catering budget and welcome back Bartolo Colon – He has been too good to let him walk away, especially considering that Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler are all dealing with issues.  For those who say, “What about Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman?” I suggest you look at the catcher bullet.  You have to give to get.
• Fortify the bench – Please, no more sightings of the likes of Eric Campbell and others of his ilk.  Rather than give up still more pieces for the third installment in the Kelly Johnson chronicles, just sign the man.  I’d keep Brandon Nimmo around as the spare outfielder to go along with Juan Lagares.  Rene Rivera earned his keep.  The losers in the 2B sweepstakes become the backup infielders. 

So what would you prioritize first?  (Don’t say sign Yoenis Cespedes – it ain’t happenin’!)

Dead Weight Roster Purge Begins

Eric Campbell and Jim Henderson are outrighted to Las Vegas, freeing up their 40-man roster spots for potentially more valuable players.

Jeurys Familia Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

News just broke and details are sketchy.  He was charged with simple assault when the victim was shown to have a bruise and scratch.  It happened at 2:20 AM today.

Tom Brennan - TIM TEBOW QUIZ QUESTION

Tom Brennan - TIM TEBOW QUIZ QUESTION

Tuesday is a great day for a quiz question.

I'll give you the answer, then you can guess the question:

ANSWER: Alfredo Escalera, Drew Jackson, Danny Mars, Troy Michalzewski, Alex Verdugo, Matt Oberste.

QUESTION: which highly regarded minor league prospects who have been playing minor league ball for years are hitting WORSE in the Arizona Fall League than the oft-mocked and vilified Tim Tebow?

I get to read mocking articles today that maybe poor Tim, who is so clearly over his head, can pray for his injured knee because he believes in miracles.

Funny - tens of millions in the USA (including this writer) believe in miracles, but as usual, moronic writers grab for low hanging Christian mockery fruit in their articles.  Fair game for the untalented. Let's skip the nonsense - how's he doing? 

FACT: Tim Tebow, who hadn't played baseball since high school roughly a decade ago, has hit in 5 of his last 6 games against pretty top notch minor league pitching talent in the Arizona Fall League.  Let's look at that another way: in his last 6 games, he only went hitless once. I'm impressed there.

While many of the recently drafted Mets minors outfield drafted "talent" who played in 2016 in the LOWER minors hit below .200, or barely above, Tebow steps in against far superior competition that would have cremated most of those hitters, and after going 0-12 in his first handful of games, he is 5 for 22 since.  The highest ANY Mets draftee starts out is in Brooklyn - the pitchers in the AFL are far better.  He is holding his own.  Most Cyclone outfielders did not, in 2016.

Consider former Mets 3rd rounder Ivan Wilson, who after a few supremely struggling seasons bursting with strikeouts recently retired after failing to climb past mid-A ball.  I could go on with failure examples, but I won't.

I for one am as anxious to see Tebow heal up and play minor league ball next year, as I was when Michael Jordan decided to give it a try.  And Michael might have made it, had it not been for an untimely baseball strike. 

Former NFL great Deon Sanders did make it, but it took him a while in the minors and a few struggling short years in the majors before he figured it out and had a reasonably successful major league career.  Bo Jackson was a freak, so I will not go into his successes.

As John Lennon would say, "All we are saying, is give Tim a chance."  "Imagine" Tim in the majors, I wonder if you can.