Mack Ade – Morning Report – 11-1-13 – BoSox, Jacoby Ellsbury, Off-The-Cuff, LAD Outfield, Johan Santana

It took 34,478 days for the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series at Fenway Park. 

 

Mets activate seven from 60-day DL - Ike Davis, Josh Edgin, Matt Harvey, Jeremy Hefner, Jenrry Mejia, Bobby Parnell and Scott Rice

 

Steven Goldman -

The Red Sox won't have to do that. Back in September, I wondered if the Red Sox have the greatest farm system of all time.  Jackie Bradley, Jr., Xander Bogaerts, and Brandon Workman have just arrived. Garin Cecchini, Mookie Betts, Henry Owens, Matt Barnes, Christian Vazquez and more will be here in short order. With many key players about to reach free agency, this version of the Red Sox roster may be one-and-done, but the Red Sox franchise is likely to be cock of the walk in the AL East for some time to come. http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/10/31/5049576/world-series-2013-wrap-red-sox-win-cardinals

Let’s not forget…  the Yankees are old, their farm system is a mess, and the Mets have Travis d’Arnaud, Wilmer Flores, Vic Black, Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard, and Cesar Puello coming through the pipeline this year. Let’s not limit our focus to trading and free agency. This team is going to get much better by the end of 2014.

 

Sadly, the Domincan Republic passed a law that will all but kill any chance for kids from Haiti to playing this game – READ THIS: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/63501436/

 

Ken Rosenthal –

Jacoby Ellsbury’s hand was so badly bruised that his teammates wondered how he was playing at all.  Ellsbury had also been battling a foot injury, but the hand was the real issue. Now that the World Series is over, Ellsbury will get an MRI on his hand, and the true damage will be known.  Up until now, he had been diagnosed with a severe bone bruise. http://sportsinjuryalert.com/red-sox-jocoby-ellsbury-was-more-hurt-than-we-realized/

                Mack – Could affect the big-buck FA contract out there…

 

Sandy Alderson –

                “Fred Wilpon was speaking off the off…”

Adj. 1. off-the-cuff - with little or no preparation or forethought; "his ad-lib comments showed poor judgment"; "an extemporaneous piano recital"; "an extemporary lecture"; "an extempore skit"; "an impromptu speech"; "offhand excuses"; "trying to sound offhanded and reassuring"; "an off-the-cuff toast"; "a few unrehearsed comments"

ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, offhand, offhanded, unrehearsed

unprepared - without preparation; not prepared for; "unprepared remarks"; "the shock was unprepared"; "our treaty makers approached their immensely difficult problems unprepared"- R.E.Danielson

                               

Dylan Hernandez/LA Times –

What happens in the Dominican Republic winter league could significantly affect the Dodgers’ plans for next season…  Dee Gordon attempts to move from shortstop to center field. Gordon will primarily play center field for Tigres del Licey, according to a person familiar with his plans but unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter

This is a depth move for the Dodgers for a guy that hasn’t worked out at SS. If it works (and you really won’t know until around the all-star break), it could create an opportunity to acquire Joc Peterson.

 

Adam Rubin –

                The Mets will pay Johan Santana a $5.5 million buyout to avoid being responsible for a $25 million option for next season, according to an industry source. The buyout needs to be exercised within five days of the World Series, although the Mets likely will not wait that long. http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9908563/johan-santana-new-york-mets-2014-option-bought-out   zz

                Mack – Do you think Sandy could convince Johan to up the anti another mil and come back  under a minor league contract? There’s no big trick here. He was going to get the five million anyway, but you have to wonder how many people will make a run at him after all his problems. I would love the chance of pitching him in Vegas during April and, if it worked out, renegotiate a one-year deal before bumping him to Queens.

                Think Boston worst to first.

 

Jose Gordillo  -

What makes Carlos Beltran’s case for the Hall so interesting, and debatable, is he’s neither an obvious “yes”  nor an obvious “no.” He hasn’t reached either of the two major milestones that tend to make position players locks for the Hall (500 home runs, 3,000 hits) and likely won’t. Despite having more postseason home runs than Ruth, he has a little more than half as many in the regular season — 358 at the end of the 2013 season. That’s a good total, but it’s hardly enough to make him a lock, considering the era he’s playing in. Among active players, he’s ranked 13th. And among all players, he ranks 81st behind non-Hall of Famers Joe Carter and Dale Murphy. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/carlos-beltran-future-hall-famer/39489#M2E3zfqVdSjdfWUb.99

Mack – I don’t see Beltran getting in the first year he is eligible, but I think he eventually will. He’s one of the key players that so far define the 21^st Century. And, I think he’ll go in as a New York Met which is the primary reason I still think the Mets have a good chance of signing him this off season.

And please, don’t tell me he’s not worth wasting a third year of Wilpon’s money on.

 

Raymond Bureau -

“Very possible”: that is how MLB.com’s Pittsburgh Pirates beat writer Tom Singer describes the Pirates’ chances of landing Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in a trade. Singer reports that the Pirates will most likely re-sign Marlon Byrd, a late-season trade acquisition from the New York Mets, so they would not have excess money left to sign higher-priced veterans. To acquire Stanton, then, the Pirates would likely have to offer right fielder Jose Tabata and some bullpen help as an attractive package. Although Stanton made only $537,000 in 2013, he is now eligible for arbitration for the first time and will command a huge raise.  http://sportsinjuryalert.com/pirates-rumors-trade-for-giancarlo-stanton-is-very-possible/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

                Mack – Boy, I really don’t like this article.

I’ve never thought that the Mets had the prospects to pull off a Stanton deal and, frankly, there’s a part of me that just doesn’t get all the glitter here. Sure his home runs go a long way… it’s just that he doesn’t hit enough of them to warrant all this hub bub.

Wilmer Flores or Cesar Puello isn’t Jose Tabata. The Pirates would be a good home for him and they have the stones to pay him what he’s worth.

And I especially don’t like the rest of the story either. Let’s hope Byrd and his agent give Alderson at least one shot at him.

 

Robert Murray -

With the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees likely to create a bidding war, the San Francisco Giants are “probably not” going to be big players for Masahiro Tanaka, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area. Landing Tanaka is expected to take $100 million or more. Many big market teams are in on Tanaka and he is said to prefer signing with the Yankees or Dodgers. Other teams in on Tanaka are the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. http://sportsinjuryalert.com/giants-rumors-san-francisco-unlikely-to-be-major-players-for-masahiro-tanaka/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Mack – We know that the Mets were not going to be primary bidders here, so I just want to keep you up on who will.be. Same progressive team names.

 

Chris McShane -

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced this evening that they have declined their 2014 options on Chris Capuano. The cutting ties with Capuano wasn't an entirely obvious move since Los Angeles could have kept him for $6 million in 2014. Capuano wasn't outstanding this year, but he posted a 4.26 ERA and 3.55 FIP in 105.2 innings with the Dodgers, the grand majority of which came as a starting pitcher. Last year, he posted a 3.72 ERA and 3.95 FIP in 33 starts for Los Angeles. The fact that Capuano is available is obviously relevant to the Mets, who have at least one vacancy in their starting rotation heading into the 2014 season. Capuano revived his career with the Mets in 2011 after missing the entire 2010 season and barely pitching in 2009 because of Tommy John surgery. He will turn 36 years old in August next year, but add one more name to the list of players the Mets might reasonably target in free agency this winter.

Mack – Capuano is no stranger to Flushing baseball and could be a viable one-year option until the likes of Harvey, Syndergaard, and Montero arrive.

Everyone say the Mets need two starting slots. I disagree. Wheeler, Gee, Mejia, and Niese represent the top four. Capuano could be a good SP5 alternative until Montero or Syndergaard arrive. And, they will arrive around the all-star break regardless what they do in the lack of atmosphere Vegas offers.

 

Ed Leyro –

Bench?  The Mets need a well-balanced bench.  It can’t be full of .260 hitters with little power and no speed.  (The fact that Justin Turner has hit exactly .260 in his career with little power and no speed should be viewed as a coincidence.  It does not reflect my personal distaste for the pie-chucker.  Supposedly.)  The non-starters should be split evenly between left-handed and right-handed hitters, with at least one speedster that can be brought in to pinch-run, one power bat, one contact bat, one utility player and one late-inning defensive replacement.  If a player can combine two of those talents, the Mets will have a better chance to compete when they eventually play another 20-inning game.

                Mack – This is one of the most needed areas of improvement.

Personally, I’d keep Josh Satin. He’s a proven hitter that can fill in adequately at either first or second base.

My hopes are either Juan Legares or Eric Young Jr. are bench players, but two new stud outfielders might be asking too much.

                I’d also like to see a return of John Buck to back up the younger behind the plate.

Past that, we need more, better, defensive players that can help seal a game by being inserted into the late innings.

Keep the runs down with your starters, have quality relievers defensive gems for the 8^th and 9^th innings. You’ll win 10-15 more games.