The Morning Report 12.9.2015 | Zobrist Shuns Mets for Cubs, Daniel Murphy Market Set, Flores Breaks Ankle in Venezuela, Braves Trade Shelby Miller

Jay Jaffe | Sports Illustrated- The Cubs enlivened a slow day at the Winter Meetings with a pair of moves that reconfigured their middle infield, added depth to their pitching staff and reunited manager Joe Maddon with perhaps his best player in Tampa Bay. First, they landed switch-hitting free agent Ben Zobrist via a four-year, $56 million deal, then they traded former All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro to the Yankees for swingman Adam Warren and utilityman Brendan Ryan.

(Chris Soto: Gotta tip your cap to the Cubs...despite not making the best offer, they made a better pitch to Zobrist and had his former coach Jon Maddon on the staff to entice him even more. Zobrist certainly has better numbers than Castro, but he is 10 yrs older than him. In addition, the return they received for Castro was not pretty bad considering he is cost controlled high end hitting SS.)



Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media-  Now that Ben Zobrist has signed with the Chicago Cubs, the Mets must search for a Plan B. With a hole still left to fill at second base, the Mets will circle back to free agent Daniel Murphy, who turned down the club's one-year, $14 million qualifying offer last month. Like Zobrist, Murphy is a versatile player who can play first, second and third base. Having drafted and developed him, the Mets also know exactly what kind of player they'd be getting. However, Murphy is a below-average defensive second baseman and he is also prone to blunders on the base paths.

(Chris Soto: Zobrist's deal with the Cubs sets a benchmark for Murphy. If Zobrist is worth $14M per season than Murphy is likely to sign a deal for possibly the same amount of years at a $12M per season rate. This is a figure that I personally would be very comfortable giving Murphy to be my everyday 2B as well as my "Oh Shit" plan for 3B in case David Wright gets hurt again. One thing a lot of folks are overlooking is that Murphy worked heavily with Kevin Long this season to make a tweak to his swing in an effort to develop more power. As a result, Murphy posted the best "power" season of his career posting an ISO rate 33 points above his career average.)



Associated Press | Yahoo Sports-   Mets infielder Wilmer Flores broke his left ankle last month when he was hit by a pitch playing winter ball in Venezuela. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Tuesday at the winter meetings that Flores does not need surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. Flores was injured in his season debut with the Bravos de Margarita in his home country. He took several days off then returned to the lineup for three games before being shut down for the winter. The Mets originally thought the injury a bruise but learned Tuesday it was a nondisplaced fracture.

(Chris Soto: Here is the danger with letting guys play in oversea Winter Leagues. The medical technology available to them is no where near what the Mets have sitting in Citi Field alone. Flores figured it was just a bruise and tried to gut it out. He even performed well in his 3 games back, but something still didn't feel right so he returned back to the States where an X-Ray was done and the fracture was found. It's certainly not too bad of an injury since it's non-displaced. It basically amounts to just a crack. He'll be fine in about 4-6 weeks.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Braves fire sale continues. They traded RHSP Shelby Miller and minor league LHRP Gabe Speier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 2015's 1st round pick and team #1 prospect SS Darby Swanson, #3 prospect RHSP Aaron Blair, and MLB OF Ender Inciarte. 
• The LA Dodgers seem to be the most aggressive team trying to convince the Miami Marlins to trade RHSP Jose Fernandez. The club is now trying to involve a 3rd party to try and get the necessary second high level prospect they need to acquire Fernandez without having to give up SS Corey Seager.
• The Mets have received offers for LHSP Jon Niese. According to Mike Puma, the club feels comfortable enough with Rafael Montero's health progress to use him in the #5 SP role in the event Niese is traded until Zack Wheeler is ready to return.

(Chris Soto: Boy....the Braves got a MASSIVE haul for Miller. There was no way I could have expected he would fetch that kind of price considering his advanced metrics, mainly FIP, were not in agreement with his solidly low 3.02 ERA from 2015. The Miller deal should be a good barometer for what the Mets could get should they decide to trade a healthy Zack Wheeler.)

The Morning Report 12.8.2015 | Mets Await Zobrist's Decision, Edgin Making Progress/Expects to be Ready Opening Day, Baseline Value Set for Potential Jon Niese trade

Also at Mack's Mets:

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- Ben Zobrist’s camp informed the Mets and others at the Winter Meetings that they expect to have a decision by “the end of the week.” First, the 34-year old will meet Tuesday with the Nationals at the Opryland Hotel. Many believe the decision will come down to the Mets and Nats. Zobrist’s representatives told the Mets and others that they were all planning to sit down and begin making a decision on Wednesday. “That could mean he makes a decision Wednesday night,” one industry source said. “Or it could mean by Sunday or Monday. But no one thinks it goes much further.”

(Chris Soto: I have succumbed to the fact that the Mets really want Zobrist. Fine, I get it, I am all for any free agent signing that makes the team better. Let's just make sure we get him and not the Washington Nationals. To be fair...over his past 5 seasons, Zobrist has averaged 148 Games per season with an outstanding .796 OPS. He may not be sexy, but his numbers are outstanding and better than any season Murphy was able to post. If his skillset can age well like the Mets think it will, then I am ok with the signing.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- According to Assistant General Manager John Ricco, left handed reliever Josh Edgin is making progress from Tommy John surgery and could be ready around opening day. Edgin has not had any setbacks in his recovery, and could be an effective weapon out of the bullpen next season if he returns to full health. “It’ll be about a year out right around Opening Day, and he’s progressing, hasn’t had any setbacks to this point,” Ricco said.

(Chris Soto: Spring Training is going to be an important barometer for Edgin. Is he truly 100%? or is this another Bobby Parnell case where a talented reliever is going to never find his stuff again? We wont know until Edgin steps onto that mound come March. Regardless, the Mets need a much more sure thing than Edgin and even Blevins. If you could pair those two with an Antonio Bastardo for instance, who held lefties to a .138 AVG, you have the makings of a very solid bullpen that has depth.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Braves could be close to finalizing a trade for young SP Shelby Miller today.
• The Nationals signed 31 yr old RP Shawn Kelley to an undisclosed major league contract. Last season Kelley posted a 2.45 ERA and 63 strikeouts. This could open the door for a Papelbon or Drew Storen trade as the club now has a surplus of late inning RP arms.
• The Boston Red Sox traded LHP Wade Miley to the Seattle Mariners for LHSP Roenis Elias and RHRP Carson Smith.

(Chris Soto: The Braves continues to blow up the squad and try to re-tool for 2017. Man Freddie Freeman should give David Wright a call to see how it feels to be part of a losing squad during the prime of your career.

It seems like the Mets and Nationals are continuing to compete for the same free agents every time a potential name pops up. O'Day, Kelley, Zobrist, etc. This is turning into a very heated battle to build the best team possible to grab control of the NL East.

The Red Sox deal is EXTREMELY important for the Mets as it sets a baseline for what the Mets should expect should they decide to deal LHSP Jon Niese. Both guys are 29 yr old left handed SPs, generally thought of as solid #4 rotation guys. Both have career K rates of 7.0 per 9 IP, Miley's BB rate is 2.8 per 9, Niese is 2.7 per 9 IP. Miley has a career 3.95 ERA, Niese is at 3.91.

The fact that the Red Sox were able to get a younger, possibly more talented, lefty in Elias + one of the best young RP in baseball in Carson Smith is an unbelievable steal! Do I think the Mets would get a similar package? Probably not, but as a Mets fan I would be exctastic if the club could get their hands on a controllable young RP who posted a 2.31 ERA thanks to a 11.8 K/9 rate with a slider filthy enough to make Mike Trout look silly.)

The Morning Report 12.2.2015 | Asking Price for Zobrist Continues to Rise, Mets Could be Sneaking in on SS Asdrubal Cabrera, Contract Tender Deadline is Today

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- With a bevy of suitors, Ben Zobrist's price tag on the free agent market continues to soar. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that Zobrist's asking price is currently hovering around four years, $60 million and may continue to climb. Zobrist is reportedly the Mets' "No. 1" free agent target this winter, but at least 10 other clubs have also been linked to the super utility man, including the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. 

(Chris Soto: This is turning out to be an all out bidding war for versatile 35 year old. In my opinion though, 4 years is just too much. Zobrist was already in decline as his OPS and defensive production from 2012 to 2014 was in steady decline before a strong bounce back season in a contract year. The Mets certainly don't want to be on the wrong side of a player's career as they did with OF Michael Cuddyer last season.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- Reports [indicate] that shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, is expected to make a decision within the next week or so. According to Venezuelan reporter Efrain Zavarce, the Mets are among five teams that are interested in free agent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. Zavarce says that the Yankees, White Sox, Royals and Angels have also expressed interest.

(Chris Soto: Cabrera is an interesting case...He's been on either the trade market or Free Agency market for a couple of years now which has led to a reduction of perceived value for him. Last season Cabrera was only able to secure a 1 year deal for $7.5M from the lowest payroll team in baseball. His 2015 wasn't "great", but he did provide a solid .265 AVG with a .744 OPS on 15 HR, 58 RBI for the Rays making him the 5th best offensive SS in baseball last season. Defensively though, he is only slightly better than Wilmer Flores as he has averaged -7 Defensive Runs Saved at SS over the past 2 years. Still better than Flores' -10 runs from 2015.....but not by much.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The deadline to tender arbitration eligible players a contract is today. Per Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets plan to tender contracts to all of their eligible players. This means SS Ruben Tejada, RP Jhenrry Mejia, RP Josh Edgin, RP Addison Reed, RP Juerys Familia, RP Carlos Torres, 1B Lucas Duda, and SP Matt Harvey will all go to arbitration hearings unless a new contract is mutually agreed upon before hearings begin in February.
• The Miami Marlins have a preliminary agreement to sign former MLB OF Barry Bonds to become their MLB co-hitting coach. 
• Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves are shopping SP Shelby Miller to teams looking to acquire higher upside rotation talent without having to shell out $20M per season to acquire it via free agency. 

The Morning Report 11.30.2015 | All Eyes on Ben Zobrist, Recker Signs with Cleveland, Nationals Lose Zimmerman to Detroit, Arias Signs with San Diego

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- The Mets appear to be making a strong effort to sign Ben Zobrist. According to sources, the Nationals along with Braves, SFGiants, others are also in. Per Ken Rosenthal, the Zobrist market likely will become more defined in next few days. A team's willingness to guarantee fourth year likely will be the deciding factor.

(Chris Soto: Ugh...I just don't like this potential move one bit. You've got a guy who's already 34 yrs old and his primary asset is "versatility." Versatility is only good if the defensively play at each position is average to above average. Unfortunately for Zobrist, his defensive metrics have been in decline the past 2 years and will likely only get worse as he continues to age. This is not the way to spend the first $12M+ of the off-season.)



Steve Schreiber | Amazin Avenue- After a disappointing final season with the Mets, Anthony Recker is headed to the Cleveland Indians' organization via a minor league deal that includes an invitation to spring training. Recker, who served as Travis d'Arnaud's backup for parts of 2013, 2014, and 2015, was removed from the 40-man roster on November 6 after clearing waivers. With Kevin Plawecki positioned as the backup for 2016, the Mets have no immediate need for Recker.

(Chris Soto: Say what you want about Recker...but the back-up catcher's main job is to be a solid defensive provider on days where the main catcher needs some rest. From that angle.....Recker did a great job during his time with the Mets as most of the starters praised his work behind the plate with some showing even better results with him over d'Arnaud. That said...despite providing the occasional super clutch HR...he struggled to stay over the Mendoza line on an annual basis. With Plawecki now MLB ready, it was time for Recker to go. GOOD LUCK in Cleveland!!)



Joe D. | Metsmerized Online- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a deal with free agent RHP Jordan Zimmermann. The former Washington Nationals rotation mainstay will receive a five year deal worth $110 million dollars. He is the Nationals’ all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts and games started. He is also one of four pitchers to work at least 190 innings and make 32 starts in each of the past four seasons.

(Chris Soto: Here's the first big blow to the Nationals 2016 team. Zimmerman has been a major piece of the Nationals rotation for years and was the guy behind Scherzer and Strasburg that you could always count on to provide you with a quality start week in and week out. His replacement, Joe Ross, certainly has talent and the potential to become a solid arm himself....but the immediate downgrade from Zimmerman will likely result in 2-3 more losses in 2016 alone.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• Mets lost a minor league free agent over the Thanksgiving Break, RHSP Martires Arias signed a new minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. Despite being 25yrs old, Arias only reached A-ball Savannah with the Mets organization. Before 2014, Arias was statistically one of the worst arms in the Mets system due to his poor control. However, he finally was able to harness his stuff and posted solid numbers in Brooklyn, and Savannah including double digit K/9 rates.
• Nothing else......just Zobrist, Zobrist, Zobrist, Zobrist......

The Morning Report 11.19.2015 | Jacob deGrom 7th in Cy Young Voting, Mets Taking Slow Approach this Winter, Tejada Likely to be Non-Tendered

Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- The Chicago Cubs' Jake Arrieta won the battle of the aces on Wednesday, besting fellow finalists Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to capture the 2015 NL Cy Young award, which was announced during a live presentation on MLB Network. Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, who went 14-8 with a 2.54 ERA in his sophomore season, finished seventh with seven total points.

(Chris Soto: deGrom really didn't have much of a shot for the award with as well as Grienke and Arrieta pitched down the stretch. However, this most certainly won't be deGrom's only shot for the award. The Mets, as a team, have 3 legitimate annual Cy Young candidates in deGrom, Matt Harvey, and my personal favorite Noah Syndergaard.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- The Mets expect to stay quiet until the Winter Meetings in early December. While they are currently searching for upgrades at several positions, they don’t expect anything to happen before then and believe talks will slow down soon with Thanksgiving approaching. The Mets are prioritizing centerfield, setup relievers and they are looking to find a potential trade partner for a shortstop.

(Chris Soto: In the past....most of the off-season activity doesn't really happen until the Winter Meetings anyone. There hasn't really been any major free agent signings yet but we have seen some big names get traded already with Kimbrel going to the Red Sox, K-Rod to the Tigers, and Simmons going to Anaheim. If this is just the appetizer, then the main course of the off-season is sure to be more than exciting to watch.)



Rocco Constantino | Amazin Avenue- The Mets are still considering non-tendering Tejada—a possibility floated last week—as he recovers from a fractured fibula. The move would not come as a surprise, as Tejada could earn up to $3 million next year. Even with a bit of a revival last season, Tejada still only batted .261 with a .338 on-base percentage and .688 OPS. Although he showed some value by playing games at second and third base, he rated poorly in nearly all defensive categories.

(Chris Soto: From what I have heard, the front office seems to have liked what they saw out of Matt Reynolds in AAA last season in the 90+ games he played at SS. His .721 OPS in the hitting freindly Pacific Coast League environment may not be all that exciting....but the club feels its good enough to at least have him start 2016 in a reserve role. Reynolds also has experience at 2B so he would be able to back-up both middle infield positions, which is the exact role that Ruben Tejada is currently filling.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• Tim Rohan of the New York Times reports that the Mets had a conference call with Ben Zobrists' representatives at Octagon today. Zobrist is seeking a four-year deal and is listening to the pitches from each club. The club still believes that Zobrist large market is going to put him out of their price range, however, there continues to be steady dialogue between the two camps.
• Per Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets are expected to make a “legitimate bid” for Daniel Murphy. Some Mets officials feel that Murphy might consider an offer from the Mets even if they don’t make the strongest bid due to his longstanding relationship with the team.
• Mike Puma of the New York Post tweeted out that upon learning of RP Darren O'Day's asking price of  a four-year contract in the $28-36MM range, that the Mets most likely wouldn’t remain in the mix if the price truly escalated to those levels.

The Morning Report 11.17.2015 | Zobrist Market Becoming Too Costly, A RP Mets Should Target, Syndergaard Finishes 4th in ROY Voting

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- The Mets are looking for a second chance at second base, but it looks like Ben Zobrist is out of their price range. An industry source said Monday they expect Zobrist, coming off a World Series championship with the Royals, could command at least a three- or four-year deal worth $40 to $50 million. The Mets were among several teams to express strong interest in Zobrist when free agency opened, meaning there is a chance his contract demands will skyrocket.

(Chris Soto: Don't be alarmed....this is not saying that the Mets cannot AFFORD the demands of Zobrist. What is more likely is that the Mets do not see Zobrist as being a large enough value add over Wilmer Flores or Dilson Herrera to be worth $12.5M to $13M per season.....and they are right! Flores is 11 years younger than Zobrist and has a similar defensive profile as him [poor SS, average 2B/3B] but already is producing more power than Zobrist. What Zobrist does better than Flores right now is....he draws walks and he is far more consistent, both things a 23 yr old ball player can grow into.)



Lukas Vlahos | Amazin Avenue- Coming into 2015, Mark Lowe appeared to be a washed-up middle reliever. In 2013 and 2014, Lowe pitched a combined 18.2 major league innings with a 7.23 ERA and 6.51 FIP. Lowe then had the finest season of his career [in 2015], with a 1.96 ERA with a 2.57 FIP in 55 innings. He posted a full-season career-high strikeout rate and a career-low walk rate, and returned to the ground ball-heavy ways that brought him success in 2011. The 32-year-old Lowe's free agent market will likely be depressed compared to other middle relievers. For the Mets, this could lead to a great chance to sign a cost-effective bullpen piece.

(Chris Soto: Mark Lowe has been a strong of mine this off-season for the Mets and is someone that is flying under the radar that I think could provide excellent value to the club's bullpen in 2016. I certainly wouldn't depend on him for late inning relief, but he could be a strong candidate for 7th inning work.)



Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- Kris Bryant, the stellar Cubs third baseman, won the National League Rookie of the Year award as expected. That should be no shock at all. Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard missed the top three. He wasn't among the finalists announced last week by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the group that votes on the award. Bryant won with 150 total points, with only the top three choices on each ballot. Duffy had 70 points, Kang was third with 28, and Syndergaard had 16 points to finish fourth.


(Chris Soto: Darn....quite an unfortunate. Syndergaard had a superb rookie season that would run away with the Rookie of Year award in most seasons. However, not during 2015 which was the year of the super prospects. Kris Bryant was flat out magnificent for the Cubs and Matt Duffy was a rock at 2B for the Giants all season long despite being under the radar. I was surprised to see Kang ahead of Syndergaard considering he was a part time player for a good chunk of the season. That said though, when Kang did start, he was a monster offensive force at SS which is a rare find right now.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Mar Carig of Newsday, the Mets have reached out to OF Gerard Parra. Parra could be part of a platoon with Juan Lagares in CF but there are other teams that are likely to give Parra more playing time.

(Chris Soto: Quite day on the Hot Stove....lets hope for a little more action today.)

The Morning Report 11.16.2015 | Murphy Declines Qualifying Offer, Wheeler Not Being Shopped but Available in Trades, Mets interested in CF Jackie Bradley, 1B Freddie Freeman on the Trade Block

Jared Diamond | Wall Street Journal- Longtime Mets infielder Daniel Murphy declined a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer before Friday’s deadline to do so, indicating that he intends to pursue a multiyear deal elsewhere. If Murphy departs for another team, the Mets will receive an additional draft pick between the first and second rounds of next June’s draft as compensation. On the open market, the 30-year-old Murphy will probably command upward of $10 million a year for up to four years. At this point, the Mets don’t appear interested in retaining Murphy under those conditions, likely marking the end of a relationship that started nearly a decade ago.

(Chris Soto: Murphy was always unlikely to accept the Qualifying Offer. He has always expressed himself as a family man, especially when unfairly took fan abuse for skipping games to be at his child's birth. As a family man he was likely to test the open market in hopes of obtaining long term stability for himself, his wife, and his children. We wish Daniel Murphy as the best as he truly was a an exemplary Met during his career. He will be sorely missed but this is indeed the right move for both sides.)



Mike Axisa | CBS Sports- As we saw in the postseason, no team boasts as much impressive young pitching as the Mets. One young pitcher we did not see in October is right-hander Zack Wheeler, who missed the 2015 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The club remains open to discussing Wheeler in trades, "We're not actively shopping Zack by any stretch," Ricco told Newsday. "But as with the other starters, if something came up that we thought made us better, we're going to talk about it."

(Chris Soto: The nixed deal between the Brewers and Mets for Carlos Gomez both resulted in the Mets acquiring OF Yeonis Cespedes, as well as, establishing a trade base for the injured Wheeler. Despite still recovering from Tommy John, to be able to acquire Gomez with Wheeler as the centerpiece shows that Wheeler still has immense value in trade talks. The Mets will likely need to be blown away with a similar offer in order to trade but I would bet good money that we will likely see something go down this winter.)



Michael Baron | Just Mets- Last week, Mets assistant GM John Ricco said the club had no intention to replace Juan Lagares in centerfield, and would instead like to find a left-handed complement to Lagares to form a potential platoon. One player the Mets are exploring is Red Sox OF Jackie Bradley Jr. He’s a left-handed hitter and an outstanding outfielder, capable of playing in all three spots. He has spent most of his big league time in center field, and as was the case with Lagares in 2014, Bradley was tremendous in center.


(Chris Soto: I can certainly see the fit...Bradley is a superb defensive CF and his left hander while Lagares is a superb defender and is a righty. Only problem with the logic is that Bradley hit almost 80 points better against lefties than he did righties this past season. The reverse split is consistent with his career thus far. In addition, the Red Sox do not view Bradley as a platoon CF, they feel he can be a superb defender with an above average bat as evidenced by his .832 OPS this season. A mark that is almost 200 basis points HIGHER than Lagares' 2015 OPS. The asking price for Bradley is going to be quite high. )



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Ken Davidoff of the NY Post, the Mets are one of the teams in the running to sign Ben Zobrist this offseason. The club views Zobrist as a candidate to replace Murphy at 2B while also providing depth in the corner OF spot.
• The Mets have signed minor league IF Ty Kelly to a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp. During 2015, Kelly hit .226 with a .619 OPS in AAA while playing 2B, 3B, and all 3 OF spots.  
• Having traded SS Andrelton Simmons, the Braves now are looking to trade star 1B Freddie Freeman as they continue to shed payroll off the books. Freeman is scheduled to be paid $12M this season followed by $20M starting in 2017 through 2021.

(Chris Soto: Boy....the Braves are just cleaning house huh. I would love to have Freddie Freeman on the team, however, just like with Simmons, the Braves are very unlikely to trade him in house to a division opponent. On top of that, Freeman is going to be making a ton of money starting next season for a long time. Even in a improved financial state I'm not quite sure the Mets would be able to handle such a large percentage of the team payroll being tied up to both Wright and Freeman.)

The Morning Report 7.22.2015 | Smoltz Praises Mets Young Arms, Granderson Worth His Contract, Zobrist Talks Heating Up, Conforto Being Promoted on Thursday?!?!

Peter Cappiello | Newsday- John Smoltz spent much of his career on a talented Braves pitching staff that included eventual Hall of Famers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. Smoltz, who played 21 MLB seasons, said the Mets' current rotation is more than comparable to his group."Well, they're way better, They've got more talent than we could ever have. The opportunities that exist today won't allow a lot of staffs to find out what kind of staff they can be. You know, that's the shame of the game."

(Chris Soto: That is some high praise from one of the best "two-way" pitchers to ever play in the MLB. The fact of the matter is....these young guys for the Mets are doing something that has not been done in the MLB for a long time. To have 4 pre-abritration young guys all posting sub 3.50 ERAs all at the same time with only 1 or 2 years of MLB experience each is just ridiculous. The scary thing is....they are only going to get better. These guys have at least 6 years minimum left in the "PRIME" of their careers.) 

Rich MacLeod | Just Mets- It’s been a season that’s severely lacked offense so far for the Mets, to say the least. But there is one Met, however, who has been productive at the plate this season. Often times, it’s been hard to notice, but Curtis Granderson has quietly been the most consistent player for the Mets all year long. Granderson is batting a very solid .251/.346/.426 this season. People have knocked Granderson, myself included, after he hasn’t been the big-time run producer fans had hoped he would be, but the reality is, he never was truly a prolific power hitter. Aside from his two full seasons with the Yankees, playing 81 games a year in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium, Granderson has never had a season where he’s driven in over 74 runs.

(Chris Soto: Granderson gets knocked on so much due to the fact that the Mets are paying $15M a year for a guy who is "perceived" to not bring much to the offense. However, in reality Granderson's numbers are 15% better than the MLB average. He's one of the better lead-of guys in the National League right now, is on pace for 23 HRs this season, and has been worth +2.6 Wins Above Replacement so far this season. With each +1.0 equaling roughly $5M, Granderson is certainly well on his way to being worth his contract this season.) 

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- While nothing is imminent, the Mets have gotten as far as discussing pieces with the A’s for a possible deal for Ben Zobrist, a source told The News Tuesday afternoon. Zobrist, who is earning $7.5 million this year, likely will be a free agent after the season. Hitting .259 with five home runs and 32 RBI, Zobrist would have been arguably the best hitter in the Mets’ lineup against the Nationals. With the ability to play second, shortstop and right field, Zobrist would offer the Mets a bat and versatility.

(Chris Soto: Everything I have heard so far is that the Mets are trying to acquire 2 players. One that can be sort of like the Red Sox Brock Holt, start 4 times a week while providing substantial value on the bench. Also one that can be an impact bat at a position of need to help the offense improve. In the talks for Zobrist, the Athletics have been seen at NYSEG Stadium scouting the Mets AA talent recently. The main focus seems to have been SP Michael Fulmer, SP Gabriel Ynoa, and SP Robert Gsellman.)

Mike Puma | New York Post- The Mets are pondering whether they should swap an ailing Michael for a fresh one. With Michael Cuddyer’s sore left knee showing no improvement, and a disabled list stint still possible for the veteran outfielder, general manager Sandy Alderson could turn to prized prospect Michael Conforto to fill the spot.“[Alderson] is thinking about it,” the source said before the Mets beat the Nationals 7-2 on Tuesday. For fans eager to see Conforto, the fact Alderson is considering the lefty-swinging outfielder represents progress over recent weeks, when the GM was against the idea of promoting the player from Double-A Binghamton.

(Chris Soto: This was the big news of the day yesterday. Cuddyer tried to run the bases yesterday but, while he did score, he was still running rather gingerly and seems like a good bet to be placed on the DL. With Ceciliani injured, along with Travis Taijeron, and Cory Vaughn both possessing scary high K rates in AAA, Alderson doesn't seem to have any options to call from Vegas thus changing his thinking on the Conforto situation. Reports are indicating that the team would wait till they get back to New York to promote him so that he doesn't have to face the Nationals dreaded rotation. Personally, I feel as though Conforto can hold his own right now at the MLB. Do I think he'll hit .300 with 5 HR in his 1st two weeks? No absolutely not.....but I am confident in saying that he can at least hold a .250 AVG with a manageable 20% K rate. It's sad, but those conservative stats would make him the 2nd best OF on the team. BRING HIM UP!!!)

The Morning Report 7.13.2015 | 2nd Half Mets Questions, Top MLB Futures Game Performances, Conforto Ready for MLB, Trade Proposals

James Newman | Mets 360- What a first half it has been for the New York Mets, as the team stands in contention for a playoff spot entering the All-Star break. At the end of Saturday, the Mets stood 46-42 and only two games behind the Washington Nationals, and one game out of the wild card race. While the Mets have hovered around a .500 winning percentage for most of the season, there are a lot of reasons to be excited for the second half. However, there are some questions that will need to be addressed as the season progresses.

(Chris Soto: James' questions in his article are all very fair ones. Will the Mets continue holding back young talent? Will Sandy make moves to improve the ballclub? When will d'Arnaud, Wright, Matz, and Blevins return? When talking about the current state of the Mets, I think it's very important to point out the following. At the beginning of the month we said that the current stretch of games against the Giants, Dodgers, D-backs, Cardinals, Nationals and then the Dodgers is by far the most difficult stretch the Mets will face all year. So far they are 7-2 against these opponents. If the Mets can continue this momentum and take a few games from the Nationals....they can turn this whole season around very quickly.) 

Ted Berg | For The Win- The U.S. team throttled the World team, 10-1, in the 2015 All-Star Futures Game at Great American Ballpark on Sunday. And though it’s impossible to conclude anything from a single exhibition game, the following prospects stood out from the rest of the pack: #5 Mets OF Michael Conforto. The Mets’ outfield hopeful showed why he was considered one of the most polished hitters in the 2014 draft with line-drive singles to center and right field in his two at-bats. Conforto also made a great throw home from left field to nail a runner trying to score from second on a single.

(Chris Soto: I watched the Futures Game pretty extensively yesterday and boy did Conforto stand out. Not only was he 2 for 2 against the top young pitchers in minor league baseball, but, he also looked....unchallenged or unphased, by the premium stuff that these guys were bringing. In addition, previous pre-draft reports citing that his defense needed significant work in the OF seem to be outdated and need to be thrown away. Not only is Conforto playing well in LF, but he is also displaying what seems to be a plus arm in LF. Conforto threw a runner out at home yesterday on a line and MLB Advanced Media clocked the throw velocity at 93mph.) 

David Lennon | Newsday- To Michael Conforto, the leap from Double-A to the majors is not unreasonable. He's seen it happen this season with the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber, the Rangers' Joey Gallo and a pair of Twins, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. So why not him? "Everyone's going to compare themselves to those guys," the outfielder said before Sunday's Futures Game at Great American Ball Park. "Yeah, I've pictured myself as that person. And I do think I'm ready. But it's not my call." Conforto, 22, wasn't shy about saying he could help the Mets right now. But not in a boastful way. And judging by the numbers, maybe he eventually will change the front office's mind.

(Chris Soto: After yesterday's Futures Game performance, Sandy's mind must be running around in circles about this guy. Conforto certainly "looks" ready to take on the MLB and most of the AA stats back that claim up. However, there is still 1 glaring item in his stat line, his K rate. Currently is sits at an even 20%, which is 5 basis points above in A+ numbers. However, Conforto has shown significant improvement in this department as well. During the 1st 2 weeks in AA the K rate was 28.2%, the following 2 weeks it was 21.7%, and these most recent 2 weeks it has dropped to 17.3%.)

Chris Soto | Trade Targets

Let's start taking a look at realistic trade targets that Sandy could possibly put together. We'll start in reverse standings order and climb the ladder a few teams at a time.

Colorado Rockies (39-49): "Re-tooling" mode 

• I feel like we say the same thing about the Colorado Rockies every season. They have one of the top offenses in baseball, but, they can't pitch worth a damn. You can blame the Coors Field event all you want, but, when your starting rotation is anchored by Jorge De La Rosa, who is likely no better than a #4 on most teams, you have a problem. However the Rockies solid core of young offense and young incoming pitching talent will prevent any thoughts of a full re-build. Everyone has their eyes on SS Troy Tulowitzki who is showing to not only be healthy, but, productive as well. In addition, the Rockies have been developing a very capable young SS in Trevor Story who has legitimate 5 tool potential and is now in AAA. The Rockies GM is a generally an irrational individual who is loyal to his players to a fault, but, with Story's rapid development, now may be the perfect time to deal Tulowitzki and net himself a massive package.
• Trade Proposal: Mets send RHSP Noah Syndergaard for SS Troy Tulowitzki + cash
• Reason: Man...I really DO NOT want to trade Thor.....but....the helium so far created by his performances to date may be enough to pick up Tulowitzki on his own. It's the basic, trade from strength to improve weakness strategy. Tulo instantly jumps the Mets from a bottom 25% offense to above the mid way point. Meanwhile the pitching would go from Top 3 to maybe Top 5 or 6. The net gain in offense would FAR outweigh the net loss in pitching.

Cincinnati Reds (39-47): "Re-tooling" mode 

• Just like the Rockies, the Reds have a solid group of young offensive talent and a young solid incoming class of pitching. Unfortunately, the Reds no longer have contract control over most of their current pitching staff so they need to re-tool the rotation in order to compete in future years. The club's biggest trade chip is of course Johnny Cueto, but, the Mets would have no interest in him with an already Top 3 SP rotation. Jay Bruce would also be another interesting name for the Mets to look at, but, with an already crowded OF and Michael Conforto potentially forcing his way to the MLB roster. I'm not sure Sandy would be interested in another piece blocking Conforto's path to the MLB LF spot.

NO FIT

Oakland Athletics (41-50): "Re-tooling" mode

• Let this sink in for a moment. The Oakland Athletics have only 2 players that are under guaranteed contracts past this season; Coco Crisp and Billy Butler. 5 of their top 7 contracts are coming off the books this season giving the club almost $40M to spend in Free Agency next season. Since the A's already have a strong core of SP's and GM Billy Beane always has a future vision, look for them to be really active this off-season to try an compete in 2016. Rather than letting Free Agents go for nothing, Beane is going to try and get something out of SP Scott Kazmir, UT Ben Zobrist, RP Tyler Clippard, and RP Eric O'Flaherty. Mets would certainly be interested in the versatile Zobrist as well as Clippard. Pending Jerry Blevins condition, they could also made a play for the lefty specialist Eric O'Flaherty as well.
• Trade Proposal: Mets send IF Matt Reynolds, SP Michael Fulmer for UTIL Ben Zobrist and RP Eric O'Flaherty.
• Reason: The A's farm system is completely barren after the failed Samardzija trade last season and needs significant help. Beane also loves his moneyball style utility players and Matt Reynolds certainly fits that bill. The Mets don't really need a late inning RP as much as they need a lefty specialist to replace Jerry Blevins who's fractured wrist is not healing well. 

The Morning Report 6.4.2015 | 6...No Wait..5 Man Rotation?, Black's Velocity In Question, Zobrist to the Mets?

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York-  The New York Mets' six-man rotation may end up a six-man rotation with an asterisk. After Dillon Gee allowed seven runs (four earned) in four-plus innings against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in his return from the disabled list, manager Terry Collins said it will be discussed among the staff whether Gee gets skipped the next time his turn comes up. "One of things that has got to be discussed is with that day off coming up," manager Terry Collins acknowledged after Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Padres. "Dan and I are going to sit down and talk about when [Gee's] next day will be."

(Chris Soto: There's so nice way of saying it...Gee stunk last night. This is the problem that is created when you go with a 6 man rotation. You spread out your superior talent and inferior talent usage becomes a larger percentage of your overall plan. In addition when you throw off days into the mix, suddenly 5 days of rest becomes 6 days and then 6 becomes 7 days. It throws everyone's timing off.)


Anthony DiComo | MLB.com- Vic Black's low velocity throughout his Minor League rehab stint has the Mets questioning their former setup man's readiness for the big leagues. As a result, Black is shifting his rehab to Triple-A Las Vegas, despite five consecutive scoreless outings at Double-A Binghamton. "His velocity is not what we know it to be," Collins said. "I just know that that's what got him here and that's all we've seen. We have yet to see Vic Black pitch at 93, 94. We've seen him pitch at 95, 96, 97. So if he's going to pitch at three or four miles an hour less than what he has, command of his fastball has to be very sharp. You can't live in the middle of the strike zone with a 93-mph fastball. That's average stuff to these guys these days."

(Chris Soto: I personally beared witness to Black's reduced velocity during his first rehab stint in AA. However, it's odd that his reduced velocity is being referenced again. Reports a few days ago indicated that he was sitting at that 93-94 range during his recent stretch with Binghamton with a few burners touching 96. Collins is making it sound like Black is still sitting in the low 90's like he did his first time out.)


Matt Ehalt | NJ Advance Media- The Mets are interested in Athletics utility player Ben Zobrist but nothing is brewing between the teams. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters in San Diego the team is looking at external and internal options while they wait for third baseman David Wright (back) to return from the disabled list. There is no timetable for when Wright will return. While Zobrist is having a down year with Oakland, he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season and can play multiple positions in the infield and the outfield.

(Chris Soto: Zobrist would be a good fit for this team as a multi-positional guy who brings a consistent bat. Defensively, he is average to above average at every position he has played outside of SS and his bat generally brings 15-20 HR power with a .270 AVG and a reasonable 17-18% K rate. He's been EXTREMELY unlucky this year as he is posting the lowest K rate in his career (8%) but still only hitting .234 thanks to a depressed .232 BABIP. He seems like a good bounce back, buy low candidate )

The Morning Report 6.2.2015 | Positive Injury Updates, deGrom's Fastball Improvement, Trade Candidates, May's Top Prospects

David Wright Injury Tracker |  Received a cortisone shot. Meeting with Team Today.

Michael Baron | Just Mets- Dilson Herrera has begun some light baseball activities at the team’s minor league complex in Port St. Lucie. Rafael Montero has progressed his throwing program and is now throwing off a mound in Port St. Lucie. Travis d’Arnaud began baseball activities in Port St. Lucie today, and he is hopeful d”Arnaud can resume his rehab assignment this week. Lastly, Buddy Carlyle, who strained his back in Chicago on May 12, is also mostly idle at the moment.

(Chris Soto: Excellent injury updates on most of these guys, d'Arnaud was pretty much almost good to go before taking a foul off the hand. He'll probably get an additional 3-5 rehab games before the Mets declare him ready to join the club. I'd say he returns June 9th when the club comes back to NY. As for Herrera and Montero, it'll be a while before we see those guys again. Lastly, the fact that Carlyle has not resumed throwing for what was considered a mild back injury is concerning. If he continues being idle the club may consider moving him to the 60 day DL to open a 40 man spot.)


Zachary Rymer | Bleacher Report- Against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, deGrom was superb. He led the Mets to a 7-0 victory with eight shutout innings that featured just two hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. He also darn near celebrated the anniversary of Santana's no-no by one-upping him, taking a perfect game into the sixth. In his last four starts, he's pitched 29.1 innings and struck out 34 with just one walk. He's also allowed only three earned runs, equating to a 0.93 ERA. "This is as good as I've ever seen [him] play" said Terry Collins. 

(Chris Soto: Not to be overlooked by Harvey or Syndergaard, deGrom has been superb over his past 4 starts. According to Pitch F/X, his fastball velocity is up from last year and he is taking advantage of it by throwing it almost 5% more than in 2014. The added velocity has also helped the bite on his slider which he has also begun to use more than his curveball. Those two pitches alone are dominating hitters to the tune of a .164 AVG against the 4 seamer and a .238 avg against the slider. The only knock against him right now is that the added velocity seems to be hurting the break on his change as hitters are hitting .321 against vs .237 last year. )


Joel Sherman | New York Post- We are in that period between Memorial Day and the draft, when clubs begin to intensify at least the chatter about doing something in the next two months, before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Let’s assume the Mets are going to be aggressive over the next two months to try to deliver their first playoff team since 2006. Where should they be concentrating? I offer these four names — Aroldis Chapman, Martin Prado, Ben Zobrist and Justin Upton.

(Chris Soto: I don't think Upton would be a fit for the club, considering the money they spent on Grandy and Cuddyer, unless an injury occurs to one of the OF'ers. Chapman is certainly an interesting idea but the front end of the bullpen has not been a problem for the Mets and they have a number of reinforcements on the way to shore up the middle and back end of the pen. Now Zobrist or Prado are two very likely candidates to be Mets. Both are multi positional guys who play every position well while bringing a consistent hitting approach that matches the overall team philosophy. Plus the cost to acquire won't be nearly as much as it would be for Upton.)


Bryan Zarpentine | Rant Sports- The New York Mets continue to get standout seasons from many of its prospects up and down its farm system. Several prospects have already earned a promotion to the next level less than two months into the season. Here is a look at 10 Mets prospects that made themselves stand out from the pack during the month of May.

1. Steven Matz
2. Gavin Cecchini
3. Dominic Smith
4. Amed Rosario
5. Casey Meisner
6. Robert Gsellman
7. Akeel Morris
8. Bradley Weick
9. Eudor Garcia
10. Wuilmer Becerra

(Chris Soto: May was a strong month for a number of Mets top prospects. In fact the only real "down" guy for the month in my opinion was the fact that Brandon Nimmo got hurt. You can make a case that Conforto has a "down" month, but if a guy's down equates to .255 AVG, .715 OPS, and a meager 11.7% K rate then sign me up today. The Mets still have a number of studs in the minor league system that will refuel the parent club in 2016, 17, 18, and beyond.)