Cutnpaste: - Jason Bay, Mets Minor League Transactions, Stephen Clyne, Jeff Francoeur... and Jason Isringhausen

Jason Bay:



7-12 from: - link  - TRDMB’s 2nd Annual Mets First Half Report Card - Jason Bay - B: A major disappointment power-wise, but basically everything else about his game is at his usual productive levels…still, should he finish with the projected HR/RBI numbers, the George Foster/Carlos Beltran 1st year Met blues will be rightfully belted out by the usually off-key Chorus of Complaint…regardless, remains a productive, hustling, excellent fundamental player.

Mets Minor League Transactions:



7-20 from: - link  - signed: RHP Ryota Igarashi*, LHP Chase Huchingson (NDFA—Central Arkansas)


Released: RHP Stephen Clyne, RHP Emary Frederick, LHP Jimmy Johnson


Recalled: 1B Nick Evans


Optioned to Triple-A: OF Jesus Feliciano


Optioned to high Class A: RHP Ryota Igarashi


Placed on 7-day DL: 1B D.J. Wabick


Reinstated from DL: LHP Jimmy Johnson, OF Brahiam Maldonado

Stephen Clyne:



7-20 from:- http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=9577 - The Mets released Stephen Clyne, who spent 17 games in Double-A last season, finishing with a 7.31 ERA with more walks (20) than strikeouts (17). But otherwise he has topped out with high Class A St. Lucie, for whom he allowed 31 baserunners in 14 innings this season. The Mets' third-round pick in ’07, Clyne signed as a fifth-year senior from Clemson for about $100,000, easily the lowest bonus paid to any player in the top three rounds.

 

Jeff Francoeur:



7-20 from: - link  - Right Field: Jeff Francoeur (.253 TAv, -0.3 WARP), Mets - The end of the world appeared nigh when Frenchy walked eight times in his first 12 games, but he steered us clear of the apocalypse by drawing just six unintentional passes in his next 77 games, batting .227/.270/.332 along the way. During one 37-game, 137-PA stretch, he "hit" .146/.197/.228, yet manager Jerry Manuel didn't let a day go by without making sure he got a chance to take his hacks. - Remedy (?): With Carlos Beltran making his 2010 debut last week, the Mets' most productive outfielder, Angel Pagan (.300 TAv, +12 FRAA) was displaced from the position he's manned so capably all year. According to WARP, Pagan has been the team's second-most valuable player behind David Wright, with 4.1. The obvious solution if the Mets insist upon playing Beltran in center regularly—something that's probably not a good idea given his arthritic knee—is to shift Pagan to right and shoot Francouer out of a cannon. The second most obvious solution—which Manuel went with last week, though he wouldn't exactly come out and say it—would be to platoon the switch-hitting Pagan, who's much stronger against righties over the course of his career (.306/.360/.463) than against lefties (.252/.295/.416), with Francoeur (.300/.343/.480 vs. lefties, .256/.297/.406 vs righties), though that still means a bit more Frenchy than necessary when Pagan shifts to center to give Beltran the day off. If Beltran stays healthy and hits like the guy in the catalog, problem solved, but the Mets could probably use some anti-Frenchy insurance in case Beltran gets hurt and Pagan returns to center.

Jason Isringhausen:



7-20 from: - http://benmaller.com/tag/mlb  - Jason Isringhausen hopes to return to the major leagues. His comeback may take him to Kansas City. The right-hander said Monday on KFNS 590 AM in St. Louis that he would throw Tuesday for the Reds. He also mentioned the Royals, Cardinals, Yankees and Rays were teams that have shown some level of interest. Manager Ned Yost saw Isringhausen pitch when he managed the Brewers from 2003 to 2008, while Isringhausen was with the Cardinals. He compared him to his current closer, Joakim Soria. “Any time you have a guy that comes in and is as close to a sure thing as you can get, it’s a great weapon to have,” he said. “It turns a game literally into an eight-inning game. With good closers, you try not to see them