Reese Kaplan -- What Mets Do Other GMs Want?

One of the axioms in the baseball business is that you have to give to get.  A lot of people are advocating various trade scenarios in which the Mets dump overpaid, underperforming players in order to improve the ballclub.  While everyone would like to see that happen, the fact is that the other GMs are trying to do exactly the same thing.

If you’re serious about trying to upgrade the bullpen or the offense then you have to be prepared to give talent in return.  The risk is that when you do the person leaving will seriously outperform the one you received.  Those kinds of deals become the fodder of blogs and add to the folklore of the ones that got away.  Remember Joe Foy for Amos Otis?  Ugh!

It’s no wonder that many clubs eschew trades, preferring instead to address needs through free agency.  In those cases, it’s merely money that lures someone to your club while you preserve your trading chips for the next deal which may present itself to you.  However, even the free agent game has become controlled by the compensatory draft picks awarded to the clubs who issue qualifying offers to their departing talent.  What that means is not only will you have to pony up the big bucks but also sacrifice a draft pick to help build for the future.

What that means for armchair GMs is the way the free agent game is now played.  It’s no longer a case of trying to get solid major league talent via free agency.  Now it’s looking for the cream of the crop who are worth the sacrifice of the draft pick or it’s scrap heap picking with lower level talent who have QO offered and hence no compensation.

What then?  What else is a GM to do?  Well, there’s always the non-tender market.  This avenue has seemingly grown explosively in the past several years.  Players reach a certain stage of compensation from arbiters where a club must think long and hard about whether or not retaining their home grown talent is worth the ever more costly investment.

The corresponding issue is team control of the player’s compensation.  Nowadays the guys who have about three years of team control before arbitration and free agency are in VERY high demand.  If they’ve shown a modicum of success at the major league level then they become crown jewels for other cash-strapped clubs to covet.

So, given these parameters, who are the players that would be most desired by other teams?  Well, let’s take a look:

• Robert Gsellman – While he hasn’t got the raw power of some of his fellow pitchers, the 23 year old demonstrated both at the minor league level and major league level that he’s got the ability to get hitters out.  In latter season trial he delivered a 4-2 record, a 2.42 ERA and struck out 8.5 batters per nine innings while walking 3.  That kind of performance is going to make him highly desirable to other clubs.  Throw in the years of control and minimum wage paycheck and he’s the best they have to offer right now, even more so than stud minor leaguers like Amed Rosario and Dom Smith who have yet to advanced to AAA, let alone the majors.  

• Seth Lugo – His 26 year old age works against him and his minor league numbers were not as gaudy as Gsellman’s, but his control is the same and by most people’s opinion he’s not quite as talented.  As such, he wouldn’t generate quite as much interest, but 5-2, 2.67 and a tiny WHIP of a hair over 1.000 is going to make some GMs drool.  What was somewhat surprising was the paucity of strikeouts.  In the minors he fanned as many as 11 per nine innings, but in the majors this year he delivered a pedestrian 6.3.    

• Michael Conforto – Given his forgettable 2016 major league performance, his star is somewhat tarnished.  However, his first turn at the majors in 2015 and his otherworldly numbers in AAA may keep him in the upper eschelon of desirable, cost-controlled resources.  If the Mets do somehow wind up fielding the same outfield that finished 2016 – Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce – then he might be more valuable as a starter to another ballclub.  

• Josh Smoker – While experiencing trial-by-fire at the major league level, Josh Smoker was an enigma who fanned an incredible 14.7 batters per 9 IP.  Unlike his lefty clone before him, Jack Leathersich, he actually showed good control, walking just 2.3 batters per 9 IP.  His problem was being hittable when they weren’t swinging and missing. A live arm like that will certainly interest other teams.  

• Hansel Robles – Another high strikeout pitcher, Robles has turned in two solid seasons in middle relief.  His ERA improved this year, but his peripheral numbers declined.  Still, hard throwers will always generate some interest and he is still under team control.  

• TJ Rivera – Although the Mets were seemingly hellbent on burying him forever in the minors, out of desperation they gave him a late season trial and he did what he’s done at every level of ball he’s played – he hit.  He’s a bit long in the tooth to be considered a prospect but he’s a piece that would certainly draw interest from other clubs.  

Brandon Nimmo, Ty Kelly, Kevin Plawecki and Gabriel Ynoa didn’t show enough yet at the major league level that they would be anything more than fillers in trades.

Now there are some low cost players who have some team control left like Wilmer Flores who will likely draw interest after the two solid half-seasons of run production.  Depending on whether or not the team has plans for him to be a starter or a sub, he may indeed prove to be a valuable chip.

I’m assuming the starting rotation is off limits, not due to money but because it would be a classic case of selling low until they prove they are healthy.  Furthermore, the club needs them to win.

Of this group, I can see Lugo or Gsellman going in a major trade during the off-season (but not both).

JENRRY MEJIA LIVES - AND PITCHES

JENRRY MEJIA LIVES - AND PITCHES by Tom Brennan

I often think of how Jenrry Mejia foolishly killed not just his career (and millions of dollars), but sabotaged the Mets, too, this season, due to his lifetime ban brought on in self-inflicted fashion by repeated failed drug tests. 



How would the bullpen have looked it we were using a clean, healthy Mejia in 2016 rather than guys like Goeddell and Verrett?  Better, for sure.



Jenrry Mejia still lives - and remarkably, still pitches.  Whether he will ever see the light of day in major league baseball again is another story.



I saw the following from the excellently informative Adam Rubin - Rubin wrote:



"RHP Jenrry Mejia is still a member of the Mets organization, notes Adam Rubin of ESPN.  The Mets can release him if they choose but he's currently costing the team nothing.  Mejia, who was suspended from Major League Baseball for life last season due to a third positive PED test, recently began pitching in the Dominican Winter League" (with a scoreless inning - my added note). 

"He could potentially be reinstated from his lifetime ban after the 2017 season."



What a tragedy - but with a slim (?) chance at future redemption.  A future Met? He's still a member of the Mets!!!!  But a future as a Met?  Highly doubtful - "fool me thrice, shame on me."



Right now, though, he "did the crime, so he's doing the time."  Where will Jenrry's saga end?  Hopefully not at the local pharmacy.  Perhaps in a beer league in a few years with Bartolo Colon, should he ever retire.



Instead of Jenrry, I'd rather focus on Paul Sewald, pitching in the Mexican league this off season and already with with 6 innings of 1 run ball, and 0-1 but with 4 saves. 


Hopefully, Highly Reliable Paul will have an established MLB career before Mejia ever dons a big league uniform again.


P.S. Here is a picture of a character who looked like Jenrry, pose-wise, after one of his Mets' saves, and probably what he felt like while on the PEDS - just having a little fun, folks...

Richard Jones - Should the Mets use a permanent six man rotation in 2017?

This is my first post for Mack's Mets. A little about who I am. I grew up on Long Island NY as a died hard Mets fan. I joined the Air Force out of High School. I am now a displaced Mets fan. I live near Dallas Texas where I am a High School math and history teacher. I mostly teach math, Algebra II and Geometry. Some of my students who had me for both suggest that I never attempt to teach English. This indicates that I can't promise there wont be spelling and grammatical mistakes in my post. I will do a better job than I usually do at proof reading but still no promises. Now lets get to it.

The idea of a permanent six man rotation. In reality most teams are already using a six man rotation. It's just that one of the six is being rotated to the DL because of Tommy John surgery. Over the last five or six years there has been an average of 30 Tommy John surgeries performed on MLB pitchers per year. Starters end up under the knife more frequently than relievers. It takes 12 to 18 months to recover and generally two seasons to get back to normal. Bradley Woodrum of mlbtraderumors supplied stats that showed the better a pitcher performed the more likely he was to end up under the knife. The lower a pitcher's earned run average the more likely he is to end up under the knife. He suggest this is because better pitchers are asked to pitch more often. I think it's because better pitchers have better stuff and better stuff requires more of the arm. There's also a connection based on how hard pitchers throw. All of that means that at any given time there are about 36 starters somewhere in the process of recovering from Tommy John surgery and that they are above average starters as a whole.

If there was ever a team that was going to commit to a 6 man rotation it would be the Mets. Before we get into that lets look at some of the objections to a six man rotation.

1. A team's ace, who is likely getting paid a large sum of money, will lose 6 to 7 starts. You want him to pitch as much as possible. The 6 or 7 starts he loses will be picked up by someone with far less talent. That will likely result in more losses.

2. Pitchers will not be as sharp on 5 days rest as they would be on 4 days rest.

3. You lose a roster spot somewhere else or the starters have to go deeper into games which could increase their risk for Tommy John surgery.

So why would a six man rotation work for the Mets?

With the exception of Colon each pitcher in their rotation profiles at higher risk for Tommy John Surgery (including second Tommy John Surgery) than the average MLB pitcher. They throw harder and they have earned run averages below average. Both those factors contribute to a higher rate of Tommy John surgeries needed. The Mets are one of the few teams that have the depth to pull off a six man rotation. The Mets should have high expectations of playing in the post season. In both their last two trips to the post season their starters were far from 100%.

If the Mets come out of spring training in tact they could put forth a six man rotation of Syndergaard, deGrom, Harvey, Matz, Wheeler, and Gsellman. Lugo and Colon ready to jump in if one of them is not ready. So back to objection number 1. The Mets would be giving 6 or 7 of Syndergaard's and deGrom's starts to Gsellman. Gsellman helped the Mets get to the post season this year. I trust him and I think he earned the opportunity to help us get there in 2017. That increases the chances of having Syndergaard and deGrom at 100% when you need them most. Having Gsellman, Lugo, or Colon as your number six minimizes objection number  1.

Objection 2 is that pitchers will not be sharp on 5 days rest. I currently live near Arlington TX, home of the Texas Rangers. Even before Yu Darvish went under the knife he was advocating for a six man rotation. It was what he was used to and he performed well under those conditions. Japan and Korea are both using 6 man rotations. There are a lot of arm issues in Japan but not Tommy John type injuries. Most of the issues are attributed to the insane use of pitchers as amateurs. The lack of Tommy John surgeries needed suggest the 6 man rotation is working. Japan does have a 28 man roster. The manager does have to declare 3 players ineligible before each game. Pitchers in Japan and Korea don't have issues being sharp with 5 days of rest. They adjusted to that and Met pitchers can adjust to that.

Issue number 3 seems to be the biggest issue. MLB has to increase the rosters to at least 26 or 27 and allow teams to declare a player or 2 ineligible like Japan does. Until MLB does that they would have to build bullpen depth in their minors in rotate players through AAA for the bullpen.

Pitchers are getting bigger and stronger. However ligaments and tendons aren't keeping up with muscle and bone mass. So far MLB has not adjusted. They keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. Albert Einstein spoke to this "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Paying players to rehab is more expensive than paying them to pay. I only mentioned pitchers missing time recovering from Tommy John surgery. It would also minimize other injuries  such as bone spurs and shoulder injuries. 

The Mets are the team most likely to benefit from a six man rotation and the team in the best situation to implement it.

The show about nothing had quite a strong foundation in baseball.  Read here:

Seinfeld's Baseball Roots

Mack’s Morning Report – Off Season, Part Two – Infield

Good morning.

My infield has 8 ball players.

2 catchers, 4 starting infielders, and 2 utility players that can play multiple infield positions.

I can fill a few of these in quickly –

-         SS Astrubel Cabrera -I don’t think there is a Mets fan on this planet that isn’t happy with this guy and what he did this past season. He’s worth every penny of the $8.25mil he will be paid in 2017 and, if he repeats in 2017 what he did in 2016, I’ll gladly pick up his option.

Frankly, I next have to move to a couple of veterans that are both under contract and just not reasonable trade bait anymore because of the money and/or length of what’s left of their contract –

-         3B David Wright – Look, I have to respect both the amount of years and dollars committed over the length of Wright’s contract. I greatly question whether or not he will ever play at 100% again. I then will light a candle and hope he can produce like he has done in the past. And lastly, if everything goes south, I hope that David (I can call him by his first name because I know him) would have the decency to work out an exit package both he and the team could benefit from.

-         UT Jose Reyes – I’m thrilled to see that the Mets have picked up the option on this guy. I’m basically putting off any youth movement for my 2017 infield and paying Jose (I can call him by his first name because I know him) the approximate $600K minimum makes much sense when you also have so much invested in Wright ($20mil in 2017). I have him as the backup for Wright on third, Cabrera on short, an occasional gave at second, and late inning pinch hitting. You can’t find a more talented player in the league at this cost for this role.

-         1B Wilmer Flores – Frankly, I’m done with Lucas Duda and I would not pay him the projected $6.7mil it would take for him to return. I know we are still one year away from the Dominic Smith Experiment (spoiler alert: two years away from the Peter Alonso Project) so I’m going to try and limp through this season with a full time Flores and a part time returnee that I hope will sign up.

-         C-Reserve Rene Rivera -   Many of you know that I want two basic things from my backup catcher. First, I want his to catch a great defensive game which includes the ability to throw out runners on a consistent basic trying to steal second base. Secondly, I want my pitching staff to be happy when this guy is chosen to catch them as well as be encouraged by this catcher when my pitchers are getting things done right. Do these things and hit. 200 and I’m thrilled, but do these things and hit .222 and you’re the guy for me. He’ll cost around $2mil which is a steal.

And then there are the new guys that I would do what it takes to add to my roster -

-         C – Wilson Ramos – yeah, I know there’s a health problem (ACL and meniscus tear in right knee… second tear), but he’ll be back and, since he only cost $5.35mil last year for the Nats, I probably could easily (especially after the injury) get this guy in the $10-mil range for 2017. He hit 22 HRs/80 RBIs last year in 482 at bats and will play 2017 as a 29 year old. He easily could not be ready for the beginning of the season and his rehab literally could last until the all-star break, but I’ll still sign him through 2018. Big risk (two rebuilt knee operations for a catcher) but big rewards to. I’ll fill in with Travis d’Arnaud until the transition and then deal off ‘ d’ in some future trade. This is basically my wild card move this upcoming season.

-         2B – ??? – Yeah, this is where you come in. Do you send a QO to bad backed Neil Walker? Or do you promote rookies Gavin Cecchini or T.J. Murphy? I’m not going to allow you to use Flores here because I am going to play him at first for one year with the next guy as his back-up. Your call here.

-         UT – Kelly Johnson – I didn’t want this guy to go away the first time and I sure as hell don’t want to lose him again. Johnson knows his role. He can play at least three infield positions and there isn’t a better clutch late inning pinch hitter in the league. He also was only paid $2mil last season. I would easily double his salary to get him back.

Reese Kaplan -- WAY Outside The Box Thinking

Back when the Mets executed the trade that rescued Mike Piazza from his banishment to south Florida people were ecstatic to have someone of his offensive prowess available to help the club win.  However, that adulation quickly turned negative because he was not particularly adept at throwing baserunners out trying to steal. 

I don’t know…if I get a guy who hits well enough to make the Hall of Fame, I was willing to overlook his defensive shortcomings.  The Mets even dabbled with trying him at 1^st base to relieve the strain of catching every day and to bring in a backstop with a better arm.  That experiment was about as successful as was the Todd Hundley to the outfield decision. 

Anyway, fast forward several years and there was a promising young catcher who racked up multiple 20 HR seasons for the Colorado Rockies before the age of 25.  His name is Wilin Rosario.  While no one is suggesting Rosario will ever be mistaken for Mike Piazza, the fact remains he was an offense-first catcher who was pushed off the position and had to endure the constant catcalls about his defensive game. 

His career in Colorado came to a rather quick end and by age 26 he was cut loose by the Rockies who didn’t think what the arbiters wanted to pay him was good value.  He wound up signing with a Korean team and in his 2016 season there all he did was hit .321 with 33 HRs and 120 RBIs.  Granted, Korean baseball is not the major leagues but as many transplanted players have shown us it’s probably somewhere between AAA and the majors in terms of relative talent. 

So here’s a WAY outside-the-box idea to consider…should the Mets inquire about bringing Rosario back to the majors?  He earned just $1.3 million last year in Korea.  He can play catcher or 1^st base.  He’s a right handed hitter who could help balance out a lefty-heavy lineup.  He could also be an insurance policy should Travis d’Arnaud once again falter or make his annual trip to the DL.  He could form part of a lefty/righty platoon at 1^st base with Lucas Duda (or Jay Bruce or even Michael Conforto).  He could also provide right handed power off the bench which the Mets currently don’t have unless Wilmer Flores returns to that role. 

I think for less than you’ll likely pay bench pieces like Alejandro De Aza or Kelly Johnson or even Justin Ruggiano, it’s an option worth considering.  

Reese Kaplan -- Don't Let the Door Hit You...

Mets fans are by and large a loyal lot.  Every time they lose a player they bemoan that fact with tearful, “Oh, the humanity” type tirades and then welcome reunions with open arms.  However, there are certain players who get on the wrong side of the fans, drawing their wrath and ire to the point of no return.  The earliest one who comes to mind was Doug Sisk who, despite pitching to a career 3.10 ERA as a Met, was vilified and booed mercilessly.

Then came Bobby Bonilla, the player the fans loved to hate.  He was almost universally loathed for taking the money and not delivering what was expected of him.  He also produced an average of 32 HRs and 97 RBIs during his three years playing for the Mets in 1992 to 1994, but the fans were ready with pitchforks and torches.

Mel Rojas and Armando Benitez earned their wrath by usually pitching well, but blowing games when it counted most.  Oliver Perez was universally despised for his contract size and poor performance – a barely-above .500 record, a 4.58 ERA and an unsightly 1.54 WHIP. 

Next came the standard bearer for bad contracts, Jason Bay.  Now the fans never really seemed to have it in for him on a personal level the way they did for some of the others.  He was dealing with concussion after-effects and other maladies that contributed to his lackluster performance.  The fans’ wrath in this case was more about the Wilpons who chose to go for him rather than Matt Holliday when they had the choice. 

And then came Jay Bruce.  Acquired in late 2016 for proclaimed 2^nd baseman of the future Dilson Herrera, the fans were already irritated with his arrival.  Nevermind that he was leading the National League in RBIs and already had 25 HRs under his belt. 

His immediate output as a Met made people wish for the offensive prowess of John Mayberry, Jr. or Rick Ankiel.  Yes, it was that bad.  In fact, it wasn’t until the final week of the season when he turned in a .458 player-of-the-week type of output that the heretofore locked doors to the fans’ collective hearts edged open perhaps enough to deliver a piece of paper authorizing his 2017 option to kick in. 

Still, it seems everywhere you turn there are articles proclaiming that the Mets should decline his option or exercise simply to trade him.  While the former is flat out foolish, the latter could be as well depending on what the return is.  After all, getting merely the proverbial bag-of-balls for a three-time All Star would add gasoline to the fire of the fans’ hostility.  Let’s see what this guy is capable of doing. 

On a 162 game average, Jay Bruce will deliver 31 HRs, 94 RBIs, a .248 batting average and 158 strikeouts.  He’ll remind many of Lucas Duda as an outfielder and is a tick better as a hitter.  He ought to be since he’ll be earning more than double what Duda is paid. 

Delve a little deeper and there are somewhat troubling numbers.  Remember, he became an All Star with half of his games in arguably one of the best hitters’ parks in baseball.  There is a significant split on power.  In 2283 home ABs he hit 138 HRs but in slightly more away ABs – 2367 – he hit only 103 HRs.  That’s a 25% reduction in home runs as a result of being away from the cozy confines of The Great American Ballpark where he’s spent his entire career. 

Therefore, if you extrapolate his career numbers and factor in a 25% reduction (perhaps more given Citifield’s reputation as a pitcher’s park), he’s likely to deliver a .240/22/70 line playing a full season with half his games in Queens.  In today’s baseball economics, that may be worth $13 million.  After all, that’s not far off from Curtis Granderson’s season which actually cost more money. 

Yesterday one of our loyal readers suggested that the Mets actually try to trade away both Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce.  At first I thought the notion was too drastic, but do you really think that Michael Conforto playing every day couldn’t approach .240/22/70?  I think he can.  I also think that if by some miracle they retain Yoenis Cespedes, then the $27 million in salary savings for those two lefty sluggers gone in trade can help provide other solutions.  Put a Jay Bruce in another hitter’s park like Colorado and he’ll flourish.  Put him in Queens for a year and, well, people would probably rather see Cousin Brucie out in RF. 

Sign him, but trade him.  I’m most definitely on board with that approach.  

Reese Kaplan -- Trade 'Em a Year Too Soon

Branch Rickey once famously said it's better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late. One thing we have noticed about GM Sandy Alderson is his predilection for maintaining payroll flexibility, so towards that end, let’s have a look at who is scheduled to be a free agent in the 2018 season.  Perhaps some of the other GMs have some Branch Rickey in them and these players could possibly be on the move as a team could get something valuable in return rather than losing them for nothing or a Qualifying Offer draft pick.  Assuming that the club is set (pending health) in the starting pitching arena, let’s instead look at relievers and position players:

Relievers

• Fernando Abad – He’s been a solid middle reliever and last year combined to play for both the Twins and Red Sox.  He’s arbitration eligible this year and a pending FA in 2018.  His career record is a 3.23 ERA in the minors and he’s pretty much mirrored that in the majors. 
• Steve Cishek – The former Marlins closer was serving a setup role for the Mariners before a hip labrum tear ended his season prematurely.  He’s going to require 4-6 months of rehab which means he won’t be ready for the start of 2017.  The Mariners may want to non-tender him or consider moving him since he won’t be helpful to the club until probably June. 
• Tyler Clippard – Yup, remember him?  He was too rich for the Mets blood yet people think nothing of paying nearly double Clippard’s salary to retain Addison Reed. 
• Jeanmar Gomez  -- The Phillies’ closer by default did turn in 37 saves this year but his ERA spiked considerably into the high 4 area.  He still might be a good setup guy in the future. 
• Luke Gregerson – Once offered up in even exchange for Daniel Murphy, Gregerson year in and year out provides a sub 3.00 ERA as one of the most dependable middle relievers in the game.
• Craig Kimbrel – The seemingly untouchable reliever from Atlanta was somewhat more human in Boston this past year.  He earns big bucks and it will be interesting to see what the Red Sox do when he’s eligible to be a free agent.
• Jake McGee – Flying somewhat under the radar, the former Tampa Bay Ray has a 3.07 ERA for his career and would be a nice acquisition to try to make if Jerry Blevins does not return. 
• Seung-Hwan Oh – The Korean closer for the St. Louis Cardinals was virtually unhittable.  He’s already 34 years old and may transition to a stellar 8^th inning role rather than take on the stress of being the closer as he gets older.
• Huston Street – He had a rough go this past season, but has been a very good closer during his caerer.  He’s currently earning $9 million with  a $10 million option in 2018 (or a $1 million buyout)
• Tony Watson – Here’s a name many many not know, but he’s provided a 2.56 ERA over the past six seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It kind of makes you wonder why they wanted Antonio Bastardo when Watson was pitching at an elite level as a lefty?

Hitters

• Michael Brantley – He’s recovering from surgery and may or may not be ready to compete when Spring Training rolls around.  With Cleveland advancing in the post season without him, perhaps they might consider him superfluous if the right package can be cobbled together
• Melky Cabrera – He’s a slightly less powerful version of what most expect from Michael Conforto (plus he has some PED baggage)
• Todd Frazier – Local boy makes good to the tune of 47 HRs.  He put up nice numbers in Cincinnati before his batting average took a severe hit last year at just .217.  He’s worth a long look
• Carlos Gonzalez –The “away” numbers are not nearly as impressive for CarGo as his Coors Field inflated stats, but he’s a quality hitter and his $22 million per season contract is ending after the 2017 season.  Although the Mets are already too lefty-heavy, he could be a good Cespedes replacement in terms of power if the need arises
• Hyun Soo Kim – The Mets typically don’t take flyers on foreign players but Kim’s career .318 batting average in Korea is hard to ignore, particularly when you factor in that he rarely strikes out.  Last year as a part timer for Baltimore he hit  == career .318 with 20 HR power, doesn’t strike out.  He hit .302 over 300 ABs, so you might not be able to pry him loose even with a crowbar (especially since he’s slated to earn just $4.2 million in 2017)
• JD Martinez – Another one recovering from injury, Martinez is doing to Houston what Daniel Murphy did to the Mets – making them regret a decision to let him leave.  He’s the kind of right handed power bat the team could use.
• Cameron Maybin – Health has always been Maybin’s problem.  He never seems to be able to put together a full season.  However, when he does play, he’s shown stellar fielding and good speed.  He gets probably a little more attention that he deserves due to his high draft pick status
• Mike Moustakas – Mets fans remember well how he helped kill any chance the club had of winning the 2015 World Series.  If David Wright is forced into early retirement, you could do far worse at 3B
• Ben Revere – He lost his job last year to Trea Turner.  It may be that Washington returns Turner to the infield and Revere to the outfield, but if he’s a bench player again, then they may consider moving him.  He’s good for about a .290 average and 30+ steals
• Justin Upton – He has an opt-out after the 2017 season if he thinks he can get more than the $22 million per year he would get if he stayed in Detroit. 
• Danny Valencia – The clubhouse-questionable Valencia had a very nice part time gig in Oakland last year with both power and batting average.  There were rumblings that the Mets might have been interested but nothing materialized

Anyone look interesting to you?  Also, consider the shoe on the other foot...do the Mets try to move players in the final year of their contracts such as Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda and Addison Reed (assuming all are tendered contracts and/or have their options picked up)?

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY - Tom Brennan

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY - Tom Brennan

Should we extend a QO to Neil Walker that could cost us a painful $17.2 MM?

Those sorts of tough decisions make me reflect back...

What about the 2 second basemen we let get away?

JUSTIN TURNER

In 3 years for LAD, during which he earned a total of $8.6 million (exactly half of that one year QO # for Walker):

.296/.364/.492 in 1383 regular season plate appearances.

15 career playoff games, .391/.500/.696.

DANIEL MURPHY

142 games in 2016 for the Nemesis Nats: .347/.390/.595.

19 career playoff games, .351/.430/.662.

First year of a 3 year, $12.5MM average per year contract.



#'s our beloved Yoenis Cespedes would not sneeze at.

Oh, well.  Can't win 'em all.  Keep fishing.

TIM TEBOW UPDATE:

 

2 game hitting streak, on base 4 of 22 times, only 7 K.  Considering the stiff competition, I think he is more than holding his own.  And all the critics of him playing in the AFL after he has had 10 at bats may yet look awful stupid. Let's see what Tebow does in the minors in 2017.