Mack Ade – Morning Report – 6-26-13 – Carlos Beltran, Cesar Puello, Erik Goeddel, Angel Pagan, Tim Dierkes, Noah Syndergaard

Not the best nights for Mets pitching prospects. Both Zack Wheeler (Mets) and Rafael Montero (Las Vegas) forgot their main objective and that is to set up the game by pounding the zone with the fastball early in the game. It was nice to see Wheeler's curveball, but it was naked in the wind, especially since it seem like he was telegraphing the pitching by slowing down his delivery when he through it. Montero, on the other hand, just stunk up the place, giving up four runs in the first three innings. 

Let's chalk these up as their worse outings and take it from there. You know how important the future of this team sits on their right hand shoulder.

Andrew Vazzano ‏@AVSNY  - @RisingAppleBlog: The Mets should seriously consider signing Carlos Beltran after the season. Makes all the sense in the world.

                I hate when I start thinking the same as some of the Mets bloggers out there J

You all know I like this idea, especially if they can’t find themselves a long term solution for their three outfielder problems. A less talented version of this is in Queens right now… Marlin Byrd, and he, Juan Lagares, and Eric Young have helped stop the bleeding with a tight bandage. Beltran can give you one more solid year, slotted in between David Wright and Ike Davis in the lineup (think Wright, Beltran, Davis, d-Arnaud, Lucas Duda).

Look, it’s baby steps, but it’s a little bit better than today… which was a little bit better than (before Young) last month. 

Ted Berg ‏@OGTedBerg -  I asked Pedro Martinez, most dominant starter ever, about the most impressive pitchers he's seen this year. First name he said: Matt Harvey.

OF Cesar Puello - .338/.407/.616, 14-HR, 51-RBI through  58 games

This is about as good as you are going to get in the AA league. The AA all-star game is July 10^th and I’m sure he will ship out to Las Vegas the following day. Is there a chance he comes to Queens instead? No, right now the outfield is going to have to adjust first to the return of Ike Davis (probably this weekend) to first base. It is interesting though that he’s been playing more CF lately. Helps the marketing department.

Rich Coutinho ‏@coutinho9  - Marlon Byrd 10/35/.263, Justin Upton 15/34/.240, Ryan zimm 9/36/.269  Laroche 10/32/.251

RHP Erik Goeddel – 7-2, 3.72, 14-ST, 77.1-IP, 76-K, 28-BB

This is a guy no one ever talks about anymore. We’re all a little Harvey, Wheeler, Montero, and Syndergaard crazy, but, if these four weren’t in the system we’d be calling Goeddel a prospect. He’s also blocked out from AAA philosophy that sort of looks out of control. Would someone try and explain to me the future need of having D.J. Mitchell or Giancarlo Alvarado preventing a guy like Goeddel from elevation. Let’s write this off as another move that will happen the day after the all-star break. After that, there is no excuse.

Angel Pagan will have surgery to repair his torn hamstring, Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced. Out 12 weeks

Okay, we have some trading history here that has benefited each team and, frankly, the Giants did much better here what with both Beltran and Pagan for a nobody and a prospect just getting going.

Now, the least they need (for the rest of this season) is a good speedy defensive centerfielder that can lead off, not kick the ball around, OBP around .325 and steal a few bases. Insert either Juan Lagares or Eric Young Jr. or consider Marlon Byrd as well.

Gregor Blanco, Andres Torres and Juan Perez will be the starters and their two top prospects, Roger Kieschnick and Gary Brown have not been called up.

I would gladly take one of the two off their hands for their pick of our outfielders, including Lucas Duda.

Tim Dierkes -

MLBTR http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/06/analyzing-the-free-agent-starters.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter outlined the best of the 2014 free agent pitchers out there:

                        Innings eater – Bronson Arroyo, Hiroki Kuroda

                        Hardest Throwers – Jason Hammel, Josh Johnson, Matt Garza

                        Best Control – Bartolo Colon, Erwin Santana, Dan Haren

                        Extreme Ground Ballers – Chien-Ming Wang, Jake Westbrook, Tim Hudson, Phil Hughes

                        Low opponent BA – Jason Marquis

                        Lowest ERA – Santana (2.64), Kuroda, Colon

Folks, I’m not thrilled with spending a ton of money on any of them. I think the system is producing the future rotation of this team through 2020. The money needs to be spent on every day players, either through free agency, International signing that will hopefully pan out down the road, and trades for some of the young pitchers the Mets will never use.

A perfect example is a guy that we wrote about earlier in this piece. Erik Goeddel should be able to get you a quality AA prospect ready to move into AAA, either as an outfielder, or a shortstop.

 Jonathan Mayo on Noah Syndergaard –

“He could end up being the best player in the deal, though it may take more time for him to develop.”

He also ranked him 23^rd today on the new updated Baseball America Top 50 Prospects (Travis d-Arnaud was #28). Mayo also is on paper last December saying that Thor was ‘ahead’ of Zack Wheeler was at at the same time. I love all this… Thor ahead of Wheeler who was ahead of Harvey.

Frank Gray - Andres Torres, We Hardly Knew You.

The New York Mets traded Angel Pagan last month to the San Francisco Giants for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. At the time, it seemed like the centerfielder position was set. Last week rumors came out that the Mets were interested in free agent Cody Ross.

While reports this week point to Ross agreeing to terms with the Boston Red Sox, it still begs a question: where does Torres stand? It's obvious that the Mets are interested in a back up plan for that outfield position. Perhaps it's due to his injuries last season or his low AVG of .221 as a direct result of those injuries.

The Mets have said Torres is healthy, so why, then, consider another option?  Maybe they don't believe in him as much as they are admitting or maybe they aren't divulging all of the news on his health. Either way, there's something there that has yet to be revealed.

If he is healthy, he could perform admirably. Looking at his stats prior to his 2011, he hit .268, 16 home runs and had 26 stolen bases in 2010. Those are comparable to Angel Pagan's stats in that season, .290, 11 home runs and 37 stolen bases.

While it's certainly true that Pagan had the better year then, Torres wasn't too shabby. In fact, when considering he did it from the leadoff spot, those stats are inviting to a team that has a tremendous void at the top of their lineup.

Many fans may disagree and want to see the Mets go after another option. After all, they only have Jason Bay, Lucas Duda and Scott Hairston to go with Torres on the Major League roster. I believe that would be a mistake.

As opposed to Pagan, Torres is the type of player that clubhouses embrace. When he was healthy and productive in 2010, he was not just a spark in the San Francisco Giants lineup, but an important key in the playoff push and their eventual World Series victory. The fans there loved him.

Most Giants chat boards were filled last month with upset fans ranting over the trade. He was embraced in the community as well as the clubhouse. Isn't that the type of player a younger team should take a chance on having on board?

Rather than calling for the Mets to exhaust every minimally talented outfield option, perhaps it would be wiser for us to accept that Andres Torres is the option and embrace him as our opening day leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder. He might just surprise us.

Mets: Rebuilding, Angel Pagan, K-Rod, Joe Smith, Ike Davis

It’s true. Among Frank Francisco ($5.5 million), Jon Rauch ($3.5 million), Ronny Cedeno ($1.15 million) and Scott Hairston ($1.1 million), the Mets handed out $11.25 million in salaries for 2012. The Miami Marlins will pay Reyes $10 million this year. And while one can question both the intelligence and sincerity of a mega-backloaded deal like the one Miami gave Reyes, he will wear a Marlins uniform, not a Mets one, and that alone is damning. Trying to piecemeal together a ballclub like the Mets have done almost never works. Incremental upgrades work for contending teams. They’re wasted money for teams intent on slicing their payroll by one-third as the Mets are. As tough as it would have been to hand the injury-prone Reyes the six years Miami did, the structure of the contract actually made sense for the Mets, who have no money now but, whether under new ownership or a vanity-share-stabilized Fred Wilpon, should a few years down the road  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_hot_stove_daily_mets_wilpon_011512

The San Francisco Giants and outfielder Angel Pagan agreed to a $4.85 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the club hadn't formally announced the deal. Pagan was acquired during last month's winter meetings from the New York Mets for outfielder Andres Torres and reliever Ramon Ramirez. The 30-year-old Pagan, who replaced mentor Carlos Beltran in center field while with New York, is a switch-hitter with speed. He batted .262 with seven home runs and 56 RBIs last season, down from .290 with 11 homers and 69 RBIs in 2010. Beltran moved to right field for the Mets in spring training before he was traded to the Giants in late July. After an injury-plagued stint in the Bay Area that saw the 2010 World Series champions miss the playoffs, Beltran departed to the St. Louis Cardinals on a two-year contract. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7468903/san-francisco-giants-reportedly-reach-1-year-deal-angel-pagan

Did K-Rod do the right thing by signing with Boras and giving up the option? Hard to say, but probably. Sure, without offering to do away with the option, the teams the Mets could have traded him to would have been limited. But as it turned out, they dealt him to a team that used him in a setup role anyway. My bet is that had it not been the Brewers, the Mets could have and would have traded K-Rod to the Red Sox, Yankees, or another contending team that already had a closer if necessary — so the option was likely never going to vest anyway. By offering to give up the option, K-Rod opened up the trade market and cast a wider net for himself in terms of opportunities. In his perfect world, the Mets would have traded him to a team in need of a closer, and he would have shed the option in return for a two-year extension. Winding up as a setup man in Milwaukee was not the ideal situation at time, but right now, it’s not looking all that bad. Consider this: what might K-Rod have commanded on the open market, considering the lack of interest in closers after Jonathan Papelbon and Heath Bell signed? Many believe that Ryan Madson is a safer and superior choice compared to K-Rod, and all he got was a one-year, $8.5M deal; it could be argued that he’d have received even less if both he and K-Rod were both available. http://www.metstoday.com/7386/11-12-offseason/where-did-k-rod-go-wrong/

Of the five players the Indians re-signed Tuesday, Joe Smith might have the lowest profile—great as he was out of the bullpen this year, the 27-year-old right-hander is a relief pitcher, and not one who sees much action in high-leverage situations. But if for no other reason, that the two sides have agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal is noteworthy because it’s a huge bargain. Smith was one of the best relievers in one of the best bullpens in baseball last year, posting a fantastic 2.01 ERA in 71 appearances for the Tribe. Also noteworthy were his 2.1 K/BB ratio and sterling 1.09 WHIP. He may have gotten a little bit lucky—he had a .258 BABIP and a 2 percent HR/FB rate, and his xFIP was 3.57—but he’s beaten his peripherals at least a little bit five years in a row, so perhaps DIPS numbers are not the best way to judge him. http://wahoosonfirst.com/2012/01/18/indians-sign-joe-smith-a-bargain-deal-for-a-solid-arm/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Ike Davis, who hit .302 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in 36 games before the injury, was able to resume working out in July under the auspices of Brett Fischer, owner of Fischer Sports Physical Therapy and Conditioning and the physical therapist for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. The real rehab work couldn't start until the correct diagnosis came in. First, the Mets called it a calf strain. Then the ankle sprain and bone bruise surfaced. Then, finally, the cartilage damage was detected.

Ignorance can be bliss for the Mets brass

The New York Mets are a team that is in transition. The only problem is that everyone knows it except them. Off the field, they added a financial consultant this week, but claim this is not an indication of a pending bankruptcy or sale.

On the field, they are just as oblivious. While teams around them in the division continue to get better, they make small, under-the-radar type moves to "tweak" their roster slightly. It's almost as if they feel their team is just a set up pitcher or two away from glory.

They added depth in the bench this past week by re-signing Scott Hairston and adding Ronny Cedeno. They made a big trade last month when they dealt Angel Pagan for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. In addition to this, they added free agents Jon Rauch and Frankie Francisco all in an attempt to secure that bullpen.

Depending on the report you believe, Johan Santana may or may not be ready anywhere between Spring Training and  the All-Star game. Ike Davis is returning healthy. along with Daniel Murphy and David Wright. This trio could be potent. In fact, the offense with them, Lucas Duda and an improved Jason Bay could score some more runs this year since the Mets brought the fences in a little more over this off-season.

With all of this, the Mets must be banking on a resurgence of health and improved play from their embattled roster and, therefore, must feel they don't need to make a big splash to improve things. With Sandy Alderson rebuilding the farm system and working with such limited funds, it falls on the executive administration to recognize that this team is in rebuilding mode.

If that is the case, they need to be doing more than trading a disgruntled outfielder like Pagan or refuse to re-sign a spark plug player like Jose Reyes. They need to admit they are rebuilding and trade other key pieces to their roster.

Players like Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy and David Wright are all players they have to dangle to other teams. They all have trade value and can get some good talent back for the club right now. The fact that they are not interested in dealing any of these players says that they want this team to be competitive this year. There's a very fine line there.

If they want a competitive team this year, they need to spend on more than a Scott Hairston or a Jeremy Hefner. They need to go after a Ryan Madsen or a Coco Crisp. They have to spend money on talent. Otherwise, they are publicly admitting they think they are "good enough". If that's the case, this Mets brass is delusional.

A team that finished 25 games behind the Phillies needs more than Ronny Cedeno. They need more than a healthy Ike Davis too. They need to be deep and talented at every position. That's not the case here. This roster still has holes on the depth chart.

If the Mets brass truly believes they are a healthy Johan Santana away from contention, then a baseball I.Q. test may be required. That and a senility test. Either way, they have to know they are not close to a pennant. If that is the truth, why not just admit they are rebuilding and go full force into that plan?

If they do that, the fans would respect them a little more for their honesty. Also, they would be in a better position to build their system up for the future based on the players they would be giving up. It would force them to use younger players that may be ready for the Majors as well.

Their main fear for not doing this would have to be that they think it will lose fans and cause seats to be even more empty. Last time I checked, an average Mets game last year had a few thousand empty seats. That really will not be as much of a factor as they think.

In the end, the Mets seem deliriously blissful to be digging in the bargain basement bin for their next bench or bullpen option. After all, they must be a lot closer to the playoffs than the rest of us think.

Frank Gray - Mets Aren't Fruits or Nuts, They're Bargain Hunting

The New York Mets were recently described as the "fruits and nuts" of the league by Scott Boras. It was a description that resonated in a bad way with some optimistic fans. What he was saying is that they used to be big time spenders in the Winter Meetings and free agency but now they are reduced to making questionable and cheaper moves.

I don't think his analogy was all that bad, as it does hold a measure of truth, but I choose to think of the Mets in a different way these days. They're shopping in the giant, overloaded cheap bin of the store. Let me explain. Free agency is a lot like shopping.

These days, we can all relate to that. With the holidays upon us, it's a time to spend money we really don't have and don't want to part with on people we rarely see and will end up not liking the gift anyway. Sound familiar Mets fans?

A team decides to address needs. They don't have the money and their fans are not showing up to the brand new ballpark. So they go bargain hunting for the best deal they can afford. They have to buy so much for so little that there is no possible way they could know where to start.

When they get what they need the most, the people they are buying for (aka the fans) don't like it. They say "I loved Pagan, why those dumb owners trade him?". And "Frankie Frank? That's our upgrade?" They are relatively never satisfied. But to gain a better understanding of the presents, let's see where the Mets are shopping at, shall we?

They go to the big bin in the middle of the store. You know the one. It's bigger than your kid and almost bigger than you. It's overflowing with everything you can imagine: toys, games, makeup, appliances, remote controlled gadgets, etc. The really cool stuff (and the most expensive) is at the very top.

Sitting atop the massive heap of holiday joy. The Mets can't afford a $15 million toaster, so they dig deeper. There are movies, can-openers and stuffed South Park dolls in the next layer. The Mets can't afford a $10 million Cartman doll so they keep digging.

Finally, they get to the bottom of the bin. Everything is marked with a bright red "clearance" sticker. There's Halloween candy from 2009, cans of cat food with expiration dates from last month and box of band-aids. The Mets can afford a box of band-aids for around, oh let's say, $3.5 million.

This accomplishes two things for them. They have a present and they didn't break their piggy bank to get it. While fans would love for them to have gone after the toaster (a top player like Jose Reyes or Jonathan Papelbon) or the Cartman doll (a middle salary player like Grady Sizemore and Joe Nathan), the Mets had to financially settle with a box of band-aids (Frank Francisco or Jon Rauch).

These aren't bad purchases. They do stop the bleeding of a terrible bullpen, after all. But fans will always see this offseason as the day we lost our beloved Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan.

They will view Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez as the pink bunny suit in "A Christmas Story". Like Ralphie, fans will never like it or accept it, no matter the thought that went into it. Let's remember as fans that the Mets are in bargain hunting mode these days.

The era of breaking the bank for that brand new car with a big red bow on it are long gone. Of the last two new cars they bought, one is on the DL and the other can't hit home runs as frequently. While they are both good players, they aren't helping the team in their current state.

Don't look for the Mets to go down that road under its current administration. In fact, this Mets brass will be clipping coupons and diving into clearance bins. That's the way it's going to be for a while.

All we can do as fans is be thankful we're still getting presents.

Hot Stove: - A.J. Burnett, Huston Street, Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran, Rhiner Cruz

According to George A. King III, the Yankees are shopping A.J. Burnett at this week's Winter Meetings. The Yankees have told teams that they are willing to eat $8 million of the $33 million left on Burnett's contract, but they haven't found much interest yet. However, it does indicate that the Yanks aren't done working on their rotation. Burnett, who turns 35 in January, went 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA and 173/83 K/BB ratio over 190 1/3 innings this season. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346412/baseball-headlines?r=1

According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Padres will acquire Huston Street from the Rockies for a player to be named later. It appears that the deal is essentially done. The Padres are expected to pick up the remainder of Street's contract, which includes a $7.5 million salary for 2012 and either a $9 million option for 2013 or a $500,000 buyout. The 28-year-old right-hander had a 3.50 ERA over three seasons in Colorado, so he should do quite nicely in the spacious PETCO Park. He could be a nice late pickup among fantasy closers. As for the Rockies, the move gives them some wiggle room to add a free agent and ensures that Rafael Betancourt will be the closer next season. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346421/baseball-headlines?r=1

There are plenty of similarities when comparing Pagan and Torres — both were late-bloomers who, after years of part-time work, finally got the opportunity to play regularly for their respective teams in 2010.  In that year, they each posted career bests in both home runs and stolen bases and provided an offensive spark that few people saw coming.  They also both came back down to earth the following season.  Expectations were high coming into 2011 and neither delivered the goods. But there are also numerous differences in their game and in those differences is where Pagan’s edge is found.  Again, we’re talking strictly offensive production here.  You may think (as most of us do) that Torres brings a better glove to the table and that may be so.  But with the bat, the 30 year old Pagan brings plenty more. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/giants-acquire-pagan-to-upgrade-the-leadoff-spot

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the team will not re-sign free agent outfielders Carlos Beltran or Cody Ross. Sabean said that no offer was ever made to either player and that talks never went past the general stage. We figured once they traded for both Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan that signing another outfielder was a longshot, as they still have to find room for Aubrey Huff, Brandon Belt and Nate Schierholtz. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346509/baseball-headlines?r=1

Minnesota media was reporting the Twins were focused on selecting a pitcher, and speculation centered on Mets righty Rhiner Cruz, whose fastball touches the upper 90s. Cruz, a former Tigers farmhand who was released in 2006, has reached Double-A and is pitching well for Cibao in the Dominican League this winter. However, a Twins source indicated the club was looking in a different direction. Cruz still fits the profile of players who typically get picked in the Rule 5 and was one of the players not previously named in our two previews who had some buzz. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/12/luhnow-hire-trumps-rule-5-buzz

2012 Through Rose Colored Glasses

Ignoring the things we don't know... like the future of Jose Reyes and whether David Wright will be traded. Let us look at the season where everything just broke right for the Mets. So light a scented candle, put on some smooth jazz and relax as you allow yourself to pretend for a second that the Mets could JUST MAYBE get lucky.

Johan Santana is back on the mound on opening day. On that day he pitches seven strong innings whilst only giving up one run. As the season wares on he turns out a steady sub 3.00 ERA and 4-5 K's a game. He's not quite All-Star caliber but he's winning more games then he's losing and proving to still be the stopper when things aren't right.

Angel Pagan is hitting, running and fielding. By mid-July the thought of the Mets non-tendering Angel is laughable. His batting average is above .300 for the entire year and he's showed some pop here and there.

R.A. Dickey is SO good the Mets negotiate to extend his contract for two more seasons. Dickey has become the outspoken leader that the clubhouse has needed and his jersey becomes one of the top 5 selling Met jerseys.

Ike Davis is back and fully charged. He leads the NL in home runs through June before falling into a neck and neck race with Washington's surprising Mike Morse. Ike finishes his All Star season with the first (of what will be many) gold gloves.

Jenrry Mejia returns to AA after recovering from Tommy John surgery and promptly puts on a clinic. He winds up the year in AAA with a combined ERA under 2.00 and a 10.1 K/9. The Mets opt to not bring him up to the majors to allow him to build up his strength in the minors for a full year.

Lucas Duda is not only a surprise All Star game player, but he also manages to top Ike Davis for RBIs. His 111 RBIs have cemented Duda into the New York Met outfield for the foreseeable future.

Matt Harvey eases right into the majors. After giving up 4 runs in his first outing in the majors, Harvey quickly demonstrates JUST how good he really is. He finishes his year with a 3.56 ERA a 9.1 K/9 and a 10-4 record in 17 starts.

Jason Bay returns to being a solid performer with an average floating around .275 and 25 home runs on the year. He credits his returned success to an offseason strength building routine.

Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Familia both succeed in the minors. Both of them end the year in the AAA rotation ready to compete for the rotation in 2013. Familia is rumored to be headed for the bullpen but Sandy Alderson is mum on the issue.

The Mets are surprise contenders for the division finding themselves 7 games back of the Phillies with 14 games to play. After suffering injuries to Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard, the Mets win the NL East and return to the playoffs.

Improbable... unlikely and TECHNICALLY possible. Met fans... let us not give up on 2012 before 2012 begins. Even if the whole world tells us we have no shot of success, you play the game for a reason. In any season, in any game and in any inning... someone might just surprise you with something BIG.

Call it remodeling, Mets not showing clear direction

The term "rebuilding" is thrown around a lot in sports. It basically means a team that is ripping their entire roster apart and starting from scratch. The Florida (now Miami) Marlins did it twice. They won two World Series titles as a result. The Texas Rangers did it. They reached the World Series in consecutive years.

The term does not really apply to the New York Mets, though. They still have many of their players coming back. Out of their 25 man roster, only seven of the players are free agents. They still have the majority of their starting rotation returning (insert sarcasm here) and their corner infielders and corner outfielders are still intact.

Behind the plate, they still have Josh Thole (again, insert sarcasm of choice). The bullpen is hurting though with no immediate closer in sight. The team is not starting from the rubble.

This team is more like the show "Flip this house". For those who are not familiar with it, that series showcases contractors that buy dilapidated houses for very low cost and put a small amount of effort into making the house look appealing. They add siding, cabinets, paint, etc. The major trouble is that they rarely ever work on the essentials within the foundation.

Things like the electric, the roof, the septic and the plumbing all go untouched. What's left is a pretty house that they sucker some schmuck into buying that is ready to completely fall apart after the camera crews leave. That's the Mets right now. They are trying to wrap a pretty bow on the ugly mess that is the state of this franchise.

The trouble to that is the players they still have invested in are broken down. The team needs an injection of youth and a changing of the foundation. Reports are pointing to the team holding onto players like Angel Pagan and taking a risk at losing players like Nick Evans and Jason Pridie.

Moves like this are head scratching. On one hand the team has repeatedly stated they are cutting back on payroll. The idea is to get younger and cheaper. So they plan to tender a contract of a 30 year old outfielder who obviously has played more like himself last year than he did in his career year of 2010. Meanwhile, they demote Evans (25) and Pridie (28) at the risk of them entering free agency.

What sense does that make? Both of them can play multiple outfield positions and Evans can play the corner infield spots as well. Pagan is not the answer for the Mets at centerfield. His speed is on the decline as well as his bat. He will certainly not be the answer at leadoff should Jose Reyes depart. So if they want to get younger but keep Pagan, the direction is a bit fuzzy.

If this were a house being remodeled, the blueprint would have been erased and rewritten a dozen times by now. They need to show a clearer direction. If they are trying to save money, do it. Don't tender contracts of overrated 30 year old outfielders. Rather, they need to cut ties with the old ball and chain type of contracts.

Otherwise, they will be so confused the house will backwards. They need to show their plans openly in a start from scratch type of way, not a behind the scenes and in secret remodeling process.

Instead of trying to "flip this team", the Mets and Sandy Alderson need to try to rebuild them from the ground up. That's the only way they will return to prominence. If that is indeed the goal, the design team is a bit off so far.

Cutnpaste: - Zack Wheeler, Francisco Rodriguez, R.A. Dickey, Angel Pagan, Jordany Valdespin

 10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects - 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects - 2.Zack Wheeler, RHP (High Class A): Even though, statistically speaking (3.75 FIP), there may have been stronger pitchers out there, Wheeler has fantastic upside. His hard low-to-mid 90s tailing fastball gets on hitters quick, a pitch that sets up a quality hard breaking curve. As long as he brings down his 4.81 bb/9 IP in 2012, Wheeler should be well on his way to carving up AA hitting with an already strong 10+/9 IP strikeout rate. Only 21, his 1.68 FIP in 6 post-Beltran-trade starts show how good he can be when he keeps the walk totals low.

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1019347--mlb-free-agency-fire-up-the-hot-stove - Francisco Rodriguez: 6-2, 2.64 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 23 SV  Rodriguez spent the final few months as a successful setup man in Milwaukee, posting a 1.86 ERA and striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings. Even though he mostly kept quiet about it, he wants to close games again. A pitcher who will be 30 on Opening Day that has already racked up 291 saves is attractive to some teams. One could be the Marlins, who might not tender inconsistent Leo Nunez, otherwise known as Juan Carlos Oviedo.

Dickey's transition to becoming a knuckleballer came after years of trying to do something that simply was not working. He challenged the status quo, and by the end of the 2005 season, became one of the few knuckleball pitchers in baseball. In 2010, he made his way to the New York Mets after bouncing around the league and immediately became a fan favorite. Known, in part, for his fascinating, honest, and introspective post-game interviews, all in a deep, Tennessee drawl, Robert Allen Dickey has since become a voice to a franchise marked by inconsistency, injury, underperformance, and failure. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9108331/ra_dickey_one_of_the_games_best_pg2.html?cat=14

The word is the Mets will tender Pagan so this might all be a moot point. I would still rather them take the gamble with Grady Sizemore, or if nothing else, see what somebody else can do. The Mets aren’t loaded with outfield options, but if Pagan produces as he did last year, he’s not offering much. For a team wanting to get better defensively and fundamentally, Pagan doesn’t bring much to the table. Defensively, he doesn’t judge balls well and has a below average arm. In 2010 it appeared he was ready to take over centerfield, but I don’t see that anymore. For all his speed, his .322 on-base percentage is poor and his strikeouts-walks ratio is roughly 2-to-1. Let him go and move on. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/2011-player-review-angel-pagan.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29

11-9-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/season-review-upper-level-shortstop  - Jordany Valdespin played 78 games at shortstop for AA Binghamton. Did you realize that prior to 2011, he had played 47 games at short stop in his entire minor league career? Really. Coming into this year, scouts did not think he could handle shortstop everyday, questioning both his hands and arm. They weren’t wrong. Valdespin tied for second in the Eastern League shortstops with 26 errors. That’s an error every three games. Errors aren’t perfect, but they do illustrate a point here. At age 24 by Opening Day 2012, he’ll be two years older than Ruben.  Of course, Valdespin can hit: his .297/.341/.483 with 15 homers and 33 stolen bases was eye-opening. I certainly don’t regard him as a competitor to Tejada at short if Reyes isn’t resigned. Rather, he’s a second baseman, who like Justin Turner can slide over to short stop in a pinch.

Mack’s 25-man: CF Angel Pagan

Right here, right now, this is my centerfielder.

We’ve talked about this before. The system is light in AAA/AA outfield prospects. Juan Lagares is doing everything he can to learn center, Kirk Nieuwenhuis will need another year to heal/rehab/play, and Matt den Dekker is two years away.

I truly believe the Mets will deal with this position… a year from now. Michael Bourn, Melky Cabrera, Matt Kemp, and B.J. Upton will all be available and the Mets should be in a better financial situation to go after one of these guys.

For the arbitration money, Pagan is currently the best option out there, unless they can pry away Upton a year earlier with a couple of prospects.

My problem with Angel is not his ability, but what looks to be his focus, and maybe his attitude. He just didn’t seem to play 100% (especially in the field) once the team was out of the playoff picture. Word is he has pissed off both the manager and the coaches.

Frankly, I don’t care. I’d play him for one more year.

That’s 11 down, 14 to go.

Cutnpaste: - Jose Reyes, Mike Baxter, Angel Pagan, Chris Schwinden, J.J. Putz

Here's why I have no problem with what (Jose) Reyes did: SNY, for a little over a month, gave us Jose Reyes Batting Race Updates before and after every single game. Met fans wanted this. It was the only thing to look forward to at the end of another disaster of a season. Everybody who has a personal/professional stake in the Mets wanted this to happen. So when Reyes does something to ensure this happens, he gets killed for it? Met fans turn on him and root for Ryan Braun? Is this serious? I get that people were upset that they couldn't say good-bye to Jose Reyes one final time, but we knew his departure was possible for months now and had plenty of time to cheer for him. And if this was such a big deal, then were was the giant walk-up crowd for tickets? Tell me. - http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2011-articles/september/the-jose-reyes-manifesto.html

Mike Baxter — Baxter slammed his first major league home run in the team's final game of 2011, but that's not what makes his story special. He's a local kid, who grew up in Whitestone and attended Archbishop Molly High School in Queens. He even helped the Stanners win the Catholic High School Athletic Association city title in 2002 at Shea Stadium. Baxter is living proof that dreams do come true. -  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9174449

Alderson did not offer a ringing endorsement of outfielder Angel Pagan, who is a candidate to be non-tendered. After two strong campaigns, Pagan floundered in 2011. His .694 on-base plus slugging percentage was nearly 100 points below his average from 2009-2010. His defense regressed, according to advanced metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating.  Plus, Pagan’s injury woes resurfaced. After completing his first full big-league season in 2010, he played in just in 123 games this year. In all, he left the front office unimpressed. - http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_constant_rash_of_injuries.html

9-30-11: - With the season over for the Mets, (Chris) Schwinden's offseason began Thursday as he flew back home to Visalia. He's been instructed by the New York Mets organization to not play winter ball and was told to rest during the offseason. He said he'll be in contact with the Mets' brass throughout the offseason and will follow the workout plan that he was given by the team's strength coach. "I reached and went over my innings pitched, so they're just going to have me relax and have me prepare for the offseason," he said. "The big thing, though, during the offseason is fine tuning my mechanics and getting my body in shape.  - http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110930/SPORTS/109300333

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks -- The D'backs meteoric rise to the MLB Posteason resulted in a thorn in Mets' fans sides finally being dislodged. With Arizona KOing any chance for the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to repeat, it means this 2011 postseason will be the first since the Collapse of 2007 in which Guillermo Mota will have nothing to do over the next few weeks. Putz didn't exactly win the hearts and minds of the Shea Faithful with an injury-plagued and sub-par tenure, but it was the comments following his departure about his handling by the team's medical staff that finally made the media focus in on what Mets fans knew what a glaring problem under Minaya. That's more than current teammates and Mets expats Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco as well as current D'Backs hitting coach and former Mets bench coach Don Baylor ever contributed, and for that, we thank him. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/30/2459916/a-mets-fans-guide-to-recognizing-your-saints-in-the-2011-mlb-playoffs

I May Be Wrong, But…

1. I sadly hope that Adam Rubin is correct about Angel Pagan leaving. I have enjoyed Pagan during the time he has been a Met, but I’m committed to the 2013-2014 plan and he just isn’t in it. I have been more disappointed in his defensive…err… skills this season and he just isn’t the center fielder that is needed to cover CitiField. There’s no reason to spend $5mil in 2012 on him when the solution to this problem is either still in the pipeline (Matt den Dekker, Kirk Nieuwenhuis) or on the 2013 free agent list (Michael Bourn, Matt Kemp, B.J. Upton). First, I would play Nick Evans somewhere on a winter ball team and cut a deal with them to play him only in CF. After that doesn’t work, go sign someone in the $2-3mil range to hold the fort down for one year, while Evans stays up as a utility OF/3B/1B.

2. As I understand it… and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong… but the Madoff –mess judge has ruled that the MAXIMUM amount that the Mets could owe those that are suing, is $83mil, which was based on profits over a 2-year period. I assume that could also be paid over a 2-year period, which would be $41.5mil per year. Continuing on this, I also assume that both parties could settle this right now for around $30mil a year for 2-years. So, if Cot says the 2011 payroll was #143mil, then the team could operate 2012 and 2013 at $110mil and be done with this by 2014. Kewl… oh… just read they could owe close to $340mil… err… never mind.

3. Wednesday might have been the most outstanding night of baseball… ever.  Four teams trying to get in the playoffs and most of them go into extra innings… are you kidding me? There is no way to beat what we watched late into Thursday morning. This is why we watch baseball. This is why some of us write about it. Unbelievable.

4. Should the Mets try and resign 40-year old Miquel Batista? I mean, a two-hit shutout to finish the season? I can’t see anyone giving him a multi-year deal so why not bring him back for the 2012 season while the kids mature down in Buffalo?

5. We’ve added another great writer here at Mack’s Mets. Frank Gray, of The Bleacher Report, has joined us and will start off by posting twice a week, Monday and Thursday, at 2pm EST. Our goal here is to continue to bring you the best information on the New York Mets, by the best independent writers out there on the Internet. Welcome Frank.

Waiver Trading

Pausing from the prospect frenzy of yesterday (I'm super psyched and will right something soon) I wanted to focus on some current Mets who might FURTHER fill out farm systems. The Mets have gotten five players cleared through waivers... NO, nobody snagged Jason Bay... sigh... However, the four OTHER guys that DID make it through are slightly more surprising. Some of them could have been boons to a number of contending teams and now... the Mets are once more free to negotiate deals for them. HOWEVER, Alderson is not interested in salaray relieving deals... except with Bay. We'd trade Bay for the Mets owing someone a PTBNL.

Chris Capuano: Right... so HOW?!? does Chris Capuano NOT get snagged in waivers. Is it his 2011 success as a starter? Is it his earlier success as a left-handed RP? Perhaps he's just so smart that general managers feel threatened. Fact is a team, like the Yankees, will KICK themselves for not making a bid on Chris. As it is, they should probably be on line to make a deal. He can start if they need it, he can relieve if they don't. How many other teams would need a guy like that?

Angel Pagan: Less shock over Pagan. He's had a rough year, has an injury history and makes really dumb decisions. HOWEVER... he's only 30, he's got a cheap Arb elligable contract (Not due a large increase) and would slot into almost any outfield as the #4 outfielder EASILY. A guy with this much speed and a little pop who can play all the outfield positions... WELL. He has Atlanta braves written ALL over him. Then again, perhaps Sandy doesn't want to HAVE to sign a CF for more money than Pagan will get for 2012.

D.J. Carrasco: Say what you will, but the ability to toss innings has value. He doesn't necessarily toss them so well he could be a closer, but he also doesn't kill you. You can also use him almost every day without worrying that his right arm will fall off and he'll need to learn to pitch righty. If you think the contract is a worry, remember that $1 Mil contracts mean little to the top payroll teams in the world. To them it's like they got him for only one month of Alex Rodriguez.

Willie Harris: Waiver trades were MADE for players like Willie Harris. He doesn't hit a ton, but he does come up with some clutch hits. He can play all across the field and do a pretty knock-up job of it. He also has that X-Factor of being a "Role Player" that fits with the mentality of a GM making a run at a ring. They look at Willie and say, "Gee with a slim lead in the 9th I guess I could uses a guy to slide out there instead of Lance Berkman. Someone who might even win me a game by just making a catch at the right time.

Jason Bay: Hands, who would accept a bag of baseballs? My hand is up. Sad reality check, nobody wants to trade valuable baseballs for a $36+ Mil debt. Especially to someone from Canada. If Bay has a good Spring then the Mets might get someone to pull and Alex Rios and absorb his ill-gotten pay-check. It's just not going to happen for 2011.

Wait, but you're the rose-colored glasses guy, this is all depressing. Actually, I am probably overly optimistic about getting a trade done for even the top four guys. Sandy wants prospects and teams can probably get that type of player for that bag of balls I want to trade Bay for. I'm just saying that I'd be on the phone shopping the heck out of these guys.

Edgardo Alfonzo, Angel Pagan, Jeurys Familia, Tyler Greene, Update on SF Prospects

Edgardo Alfonzo:


Alfonzo broke into the majors in 1995 as a utility infielder. At just 21 years of age, Fonzie batted .278 with four home runs and 41 RBI. He played mostly at third base, but also filled in at second base and shortstop. However, his season was cut short due to a herniated disk and he missed the last months of the season because of it. In 1996, with Rey Ordonez as the new shortstop, Jose Vizcaino shifted to second base and Jeff Kent moved to third base, Alfonzo was the one left on the bench. His average fell to .261 and he finished with four home runs and 40 RBI. After Kent and Vizcaino got traded, Alfonzo played more at second base. - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/770405-new-york-mets-top-10-third-basemen-in-team-history#/articles/770405-new-york-mets-top-10-third-basemen-in-team-history/page/8


Angel Pagan:


7-23-11: - http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/7/22/2287731/checking-in-on-the-early-season-regression-candidates#storyjump  - Angel Pagan: Maybe my Met fandom influenced my regression, because it said that Pagan's early .249 wOBA should have been more like .392. Not so much, it turns out. Pagan has played a little better of late, but he's still only at .307, well below average.


Jeurys Familia:


7-14-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/764392-2011-eastern-league-all-star-game-top-10-prospects  - Familia has been a breakout performer for the Mets this season. With top pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia lost for the season with Tommy John surgery, Familia and 2010 first-round pick Matt Harvey have stepped up to fill the void. Some scouts still think Familia is best suited for the bullpen, but with a power arm that produces a high-90s fastball and a strong breaking ball the Mets will take their time and see if they can develop Familia as a starter. However, if that doesn't pan out, a relief role could put Familia on the fast track.


Tyler Greene:


7-23-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2011/07/phillies-give-greene-375000  - The Phillies have signed 11th-round pick Tyler Greene for $375,000, the highest bonus outside of the first three rounds thus far in the 2011 draft. His bonus is equivalent to third-round money. A shortstop from West Boca Raton (Fla.) HS, Greene has impressive speed and athleticism, though he has been inconsistent at the plate and in the field. His brother Chase is an outfielder in the Mets system. Tyler had committed to Georgia.


Update on SF Prospects:


The Giants’ farm system has been consistently underrated by prospect watchers (myself included). Their strength has been the terrific job they have done picking in the first round. For example, their last ten first rounders included: Matt Cain (#25), Tim Lincecum (#10), Madison Bumgarner (#10), Buster Posey (#5), Zack Wheeler (#6), and Gary Brown (#24). In this year’s draft, the team drafted St. John’s SS Joe Panik. The pick surprised me, but looking more closely, I understand the logic because he is a SS with power potential and plate discipline. On the whole, I have to grade this system low again because there does not seem to be much value after Wheeler and Brown. But realistically, the defending champs clearly have a strategy that’s worked (plus this list would look better w/ Brandon Belt), so I would not be too concerned about this team’s ability to remain competitive. - http://www.deepleagues.com/?p=3566