FLASH: Jeurys Familia Suspended for 15 Games

     The MLB Commissioner's office has announced that Mets CL Jeurys Familia has been suspended for 15 games pursuant to his violation of the league's Domestic Violence policies. Familia will also forfeit 18 days of pay or approximately $730,000.

     Familia was initially arrested on November 1st in Fort Lee, NJ for allegedly scratching his wife's chest and a bruising her right cheek. The charges against him were dropped in December, after prosecutors met and spoke with his wife who indicated that the injuries were not caused by Familia. 

     While Familia is suspended, RHP Addison Reed will handle the closing responsibilities for the club. Reed has plenty of 9th inning experience from his time as the White Sox and Diamondbacks closer from 2012-2014. During this time, Reed saved 101 games with a success rate of 85% although his 4.22 ERA was rather high for the role.

The Morning Report 1.15.2015 | Orioles Make Offer to Cespedes, Is Reed Capable of Assuming Set-Up Role?

Associated Press | New York Post- Yoenis Cespedes’ market may be heating up after a dormant first two months as a free agent. According to MASNsports.com, the Orioles have been discussing a five-year offer in the range of $75-90 million for Cespedes

(Chris Soto: The Cespedes market may finally be waking up....but that offer is far below what his agency has been holding for. For what it's worth, there have been multiple reports of Cespedes negotiating a potential 1-2 year deal with the Mets in the event that he is unable to secure "the big deal" that he is looking for. Perhaps the Met can afford to bump up the dollars and try and secure a 3 year deal?)



Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- As it stands, right-hander Addison Reed is primed to take over the setup role for the Mets in 2016. The hope is that Reed will team up with closer Jeurys Familia to form an effective duo at the back end of the Mets' bullpen. But at least one scout has reservations about whether Reed will be suited to assume the eighth-inning job. "Definitely no," the talent evaluator said. "He throws too flat a breaking ball, throws hard but straight. He needs a splitter — not a changeup. You can tell he's not confident against lefties. Plus, he's tight in late-and-close situations." Another scout was a little more optimistic about Reed's ability, "With a little tweaking, I think he can be highly effective again." 

(Chris Soto: I do not agree at all with this talent evaluator's comments. Sure Reed struggled in Arizona and ended up losing his closer's job...but his peripherals have continued to look strong throughout his career. His K rate still hovers in or near the double digit per 9 IP mark and his BB rate is a reasonable (for a RP) 3.0 per 9. His FIP, which measure situations that the pitcher can only control, has been lower than his ERA every season. Last season when he came to the Mets, he saw an immediate boost in his numbers and posted a 1.17 ERA in his 17 games pitched. Do I think he can repeat that? Probably not....But it's not too far fetched to think he could settle 2016 at or near his FIP last season of 2.74. I'll take that in a RP.)

HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Miami Marlins have signed 2B Dee Gordon to a 5 yr contract extension worth $50M + a 6th year vesting option worth $14M or a $1M buyout.
• Another Cuban National team member has left the country in search of an MLB contract. 32 yr old OF Alexei Bell will be holding a showcase for interested team in roughly 2-3 weeks. Bell posted a .319 AVG with a .964 OPS in his Cuban Career. He has just 8 more K's (439) than BB's (431) in that span

The Morning Report 11.4.2015 | Offseason Goals for the Mets, Terry Collins Signs Extension, Mets want Reed, Johnson, and Blevins back in 2016, Position Change Looming for d'Arnaud?

Rob Neyer | Fox Sports- I do think it’s not too soon to talk about the Mets, though. They were, as everyone knows, a completely different team, performance-wise, after trading for Yoenis Céspedes. But Céspedes is free to sign with whomever he likes this winter. As is Daniel Murphy. The twin departures of Céspedes and Murphy would create a couple of holes in the lineup. Sure, you can always shift Wilmer Flores to second base, with Ruben Tejada reassuming his duties at shortstop. I’m going to guess the Mets are most aggressive this winter. The bullpen might not be the Mets’ biggest need this winter, it’s almost certainly the easiest to address.

(Chris Soto: I see 3 specific areas that the Mets need to address this off-season. A) Who plays 2B? Do you re-sign Murphy? Does Wilmer Flores slide over from SS? or do they think Dilson Herrera is ready? B) Improve the middle IF defense. The lack of defense was exposed by the Royals in the World Series and needs to be addressed. Sliding Flores over to 2B improves it a bit but using Herrera is even better. As for SS, there aren't really any good defensive free agents. Your best bets are Alexei Ramirez, Ian Desmond, and Asdrubal Cabrera.....all offense oriented guys.)

OFF-SEASON UPDATE

• The Mets are prepared to announce that they have signed Manager Terry Collins to a two year contract extension. According to reports, Collins is expected to receive a small bump in pay with the deal set to be announced via press conference today.

• Per Adam Rubin via Twitter, The Mets are expected to tender an arbitration contract to RHRP Addison Reed. Reed is forecasted to make ~$5.7M via the arbitration process since his 2015 salary was already reflective of him being a closer. Arbitration can only boost a player's salary not reduce it.

• Per Marc Carig via Twitter, With the emergence of Kevin Plawecki and Travis d'Arnaud's struggles controlling the running game, the Mets could look to add some versatility to d'Arnaud's portfolio by introducing him to a second position.

• Also from Marc Carig's Twitter feed, the Mets are preparing to offer new contracts to IF Kelly Johnson and LHRP Jerry Blevins. The Mets were happy with Johnson as the versatile utility bench player and would like him back in that role for 2016. Meanwhile Blevins was superb as the team high leverage LOOGY until injuries unfortunately shelved him for the season. They would look to use him in the same capacity as well.

The Morning Report 9.14.2015 | Niese Better but Not Good Enough Still, Front End of Bullpen Ready for Playoffs, Harvey No Longer a "Luxury"

Mike Puma | New York Post- Jon Niese kept the Mets in Sunday’s game even without the benefit of defensive support.“It was a big step forward, Niese said. “With everything that happened today it was a crazy game, but with a great outcome.” “I thought he pitched better than the results were today,” manager Terry Collins said. “He certainly had much better command and made pitches when he had to, and hopefully that is what you’re going to see from him the rest of the way.”

(Chris Soto: Ehh....it wasn't THAT good of a performance for Niese yesterday. In 6 IP, he still gave up 3 ER on 8 hits with only 3 K's. That's not exactly a dominating performance, nor is it one that will earn his playoff rotation spot back from the recently dominant Bartolo Colon. The Mets would be wise to start using Niese out of the bullpen on his "side session" days just so that he is ready to contribute from there if he is needed in the playoffs.)

James Newman | Mets 360- With lineups and starting rotations requiring so much focus and consideration throughout the offseason and during the season, the bullpen is a part of baseball that can be easily overlooked; yet it can make or break you when it comes to the playoffs. If you do not think bullpens are important, look at what happened this past week when the Mets played the Washington Nationals. The formula of Erik Goeddel, Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia is going to become a regularity in the postseason, as Goeddel has shown he can pitch in the big leagues, while the remaining three are extremely productive veterans.

(Chris Soto: The story of the bullpen continues to be the same over the past 2 weeks. Outside of Clippard's stinker this weekend, these 4 guys have been extremely solid at the front end of the bullpen. Unfortunately, everyone else compiling the back end of the bullpen hasn't been so good and that's ok. When it comes to the playoffs, rest is no longer going to be a concern; Getting work in for everyone is not going to be a concern either. Terry Collins is going let his SP throw deep into games and then ride his best 4 arms the rest of the way; As it should be.)

Rob Taub | Huffington Post- How many people have a 26-year-old doctor? Lawyer? Accountant? Real estate broker? Not many of us, as most folks in their mid-twenties are just beginning their careers. Matt Harvey is no different. Harvey has a professional career and adult life ahead of him, yet because he's a baseball player, he faces far more scrutiny than most other twenty-somethings. This doesn't make him smarter or more insightful than his peers, yet the rush to judge him has been harsh and merciless. I like the Mets. I like Matt Harvey. I want to see the Mets win -- not just now, but for many years to come. They need a healthy Harvey for that to happen. Keep track of those innings. Take care of the elbow.

(Chris Soto: Ok....these are my final words on the Matt Harvey situation. First off, I don't think anyone is mad at him for expressing concern for his long term health. Why should we? It's a very legitimate concern. However, the process of how he handle it; trying to strong arm the Mets into shutting him down and having his agent argue with the club about the issue publicly, was an idiotic way of handling it. Plus when you add that into the numerous "excuses" he's given after every poor start, it's starting to wear thin on the fans. We are getting tired of hearing about Matt Harvey! As good as he is...guess what? Your not a luxury anymore, your a commodity. Syndergaard is also good, Matz is also good, deGrom is actually better!, and Wheeler has started throwing again. Face it Matt....your not the center of attention anymore....nor should you try to be.)

The Morning Report 9.1.2015 | Conforto Continues to Shine, Duda Not Ready for Activation, Addison Reed Ready to Secure the 7th, Nationals in Free-Fall

Anthony McCarron | NY Daily News- Michael Conforto had an eventful night in the Mets' 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Monday, from homering to open the scoring to more of his trademark patient at-bats to a play that served as reminder that the technology age is changing the game. He finished the night 2-for-2 with a walk and is now batting .293 with a .928 OPS and has reached base in 13 consecutive games. "We continue to very quietly talk about what a good player this guy has a chance to become," Mets' manager Terry Collins said after the game. "He's an outstanding hitter. He's got a great swing."

(Chris Soto: After seeing Conforto in Binghamton a few I had no doubts that he could hit around .250ish with some pop immediately, however, I could have never imagined him just fitting right in and crushing the way he has so far. A .293 AVG?? I thought that was his peak! A .928 OPS, Nope....never would've pegged him for that either. How about the good defense he has displayed? Hah...we were all told he was a below average defender and yet he's posted a +3 DRS so far which across a full season equals a +20.3 defensive UZR. A mark only the most elite of OF'ers even sniff.)

Mike Puma | New York Post- The Mets’ first-base shuffle might continue longer than the club originally anticipated. Lucas Duda’s stiff lower back hasn’t progressed as quickly as the Mets would have hoped, leaving it unclear if he will be in position to return from the disabled list Sunday when he is eligible. “We don’t have any day in mind, be he hasn’t hit — he is still tracking [pitches],” manager Terry Collins said. “I don’t know how close he is. I know he gets his therapy inside and goes out and he’s doing what he should be doing. He’s played catch, so that was a good sign. He played catch [Monday] and tracked another 250 balls off the machines so he is doing stuff, he just hasn’t swung the bat.”

(Chris Soto: This is one of the view pieces of bad news the Mets have been dealing with during the 2nd half of the season. Yea....the team is doing well right now. However, if the club is going to continue to succeed and push into the playoffs, they are going to NEED Lucas Duda's power in the middle of this line-up. Having Duda hitting behind a guy like Cespedes or Wright will make pitcher's think twice about working around them as they certainly don't want men on base with Duda's 30 HR power behind them.)

Anthony DiComo | Mets.com-  Addison Reed stepped into a Mets uniform for the first time on Monday. Bobby Parnell should return from the disabled list on Tuesday. With those two, and with Jeurys Familia and Tyler Clippard in tow, the Mets will spend September with four relievers boasting significant closing experience. If the bullpen was a significant concern for the Mets during the second half of August, manager Terry Collins is convinced it no longer is. "They're very good, all of them," Collins said. "When Bobby's healthy, he's dynamic. So it's going to make a big difference for us as we move into September, and we've got a lot of options and a lot of mixing and matching we can do with some quality relievers."

(Chris Soto: I'm not sure if I would go as far as saying it's no longer a concern....but Addison Reed certainly makes me feel a little better about the 7th inning. Reed struggled mightily in the month of June and ended up losing his closer's job to Brad Ziegler, but it wasn't that long again when he was considered one of the top young emerging closers in baseball. The stuff is certainly still there, in fact it seems almost seems normal since throughout his entire career he has always struggled in June. Hopefully the Mets have found lightning in a bottle here.)

David Schoenfield | ESPN Sweetspot- There's a time to recognize that baseball is a long, six-month grind and as a manager you have to be aware not to burn out your bullpen. Then there's a time to play with a little more urgency. That time is now for the Washington Nationals. When Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist in the top of the seventh to give the Nationals a 5-3 lead, the Mets had already won to momentarily increase their lead. This is the kind of game the Nationals had to win, just to keep pace. Piscotty singled. Peralta singled. Score tied. Both batters had two strikes on them but Janssen couldn't put them away. Williams watched his bullpen implode because he didn't want his eighth-inning guy to get four outs. It's bad baseball. It's bad managing. And yes, it was bad relief pitching. 

(Chris Soto: Boy are the Nationals in trouble! The magic number continues to dwindle, the bullpen is fading, the dream rotation isn't getting it done, and the media continues to turn on them. Bryce Harper isn't worried though... Well, he certainly should be! The Nats are now 6.5 Games Behind the Mets and with the Cubs and Pirates running away with the wild cards spots, they need to wake up and start playing better or else they'll be left out of the playoffs completely.)

Baseball: Addison Reed, Pitchers and Catchers, Gary Carter, Cholesterol

Addison had no trouble staying under the radar as a 3rd round selection out of San Diego State University from 2010.  Being a teammate of Stephen Strasburg will do that to you.  In 2011, however, his sleeper status evaporated as he rolled through four minor league levels, starting in Single A Kannapolis through Triple A Charlotte   in 2011, eventually landing in the majors.  Reed struck out 111 batters in 78.1 innings pitched while walking only 14 over those four levels.  During 2011′s whirlwind tour through the minor leagues, Reed’s ERA never scored higher than 1.59.  Though with a pitifully low amount of data, his 7 major league innings saw his ERA jump to 3.38 while striking out 12 and walking just one with a painfully low ground ball rate at 20% and a sky-high .474 BABIP.  So Reed does have to prove that he’s ready for primetime yet. http://baseballinstinct.com/

One of the magical phrases for baseball fans is "pitchers and catchers report." This is the day when those players report for the first team workout of the year.Typically pitchers and catchers report first, ahead of other players, due the long term nature of a pitchers' work plan. When that date is within reach, fans allow ourselves to move the baseball caps and replica jerseys from the back of the closet to the front. Some of us start looking for season tickets to arrive in the mail or eagerly await single games to go on sale. You start looking at what your team has done over the past few months and start to get excited about the upcoming year. http://the42bus.blogspot.com/2012/01/pitchers-and-catchers.html

He was known as "The Kid" for his youthful, upbeat manner. A native Californian, he attended Sunny Hills High School -- how perfect -- in Fullerton before launching his professional career with the Montreal Expos at 20 in 1974. He would spend 11 more seasons in Canada before joining the Mets in 1985, the essential missing piece in a historic puzzle. Your well-traveled correspondent, a columnist for the New York Post at the time of the Mets' rise to prominence, dubbed Carter "Kid Sunshine." He seemed to like it. Things could get dark around those freewheeling, high-octane Mets at times. But there always was a light, an aura, surrounding the space occupied by No. 8. http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120126&content_id=26478476&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym

Ron Noy, a New York-based sports orthopedist, said weight inevitably increases stress on lower extremity joints, such as hips, knees and ankles, as well as the lower spine. The force across these joints increases up to eight times their weight during competition, so more weight means a higher likelihood of meniscus tears, hip labral tears and impingements. The degenerating joints then become "more susceptible to irritation that can result in swelling and decreased performance or increased need for days off," Noy said. Jeff Kotterman, director of the National Association of Sports Nutritionists, said any team that invests $200 million in a single player probably ought to hire him a personal nutritionist, too, if not a personal chef, though even that might not do the trick. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204661604577185101342728264.html?mod=djemMTIPOFF_h