Javier Vazquez, Josh Edgin, Toronto Trade for Stanton, Michael Morse

Andy McCullough wrote:  

During the winter, the team has been in contact with both Shaun Marcum and Carl Pavano. Their scouts in the Puerto Rico winter league have watched one-time All Star Javier Vazquez, who is making a comeback after sitting out 2012. And there was also some interest in bringing back Chris Young, who posted a 4.15 ERA in 115 innings last season.

I’m targeting into Vazquez here. He would be 35 if he pitches next year and has a 165-160, 4.22, 1.25 lifetime MLB record over 14-years. One of them included 2004 where both the Yankee fans and writers butchered him for his 14-10, 4.91 season after signing a 4-year deal. He also pitched for the Yankees in 2010 (10-10, 5.32). Vazguez chose to sit out 2012 and has been playing in the PRWL… he’s started five games there, going: 1-3, 3.52, 23.0-IP, 30-K, 6-BB… sure it’s just a winter league but it looks like the fastball is still working.

          Bryan Grosnick wrote:

I'd like to think that an improved Josh Edgin could be a lot like former Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano going forward. Feliciano was an effective workhorse in the Mets' bullpen for years, using a left-handed slider especially well to knock out opposing hitters and consistently posting a high strikeout rate despite yearly variances in walks and home runs. The big difference between Feliciano and Edgin, right now at least, is the aforementioned changeup. Feliciano threw a change between 10 and 20 percent of the time as a Met, and it allowed him to match up decently against righties as well as lefties.

Sounds good to me… this gives ‘my pen’ as Frank Francisco in the closer role, Bobby Parnell in the 8^th inning, Robert Carson as the other lefty, and Greg Burke and Jeremy Hefner as my righties. Now, we haven’t even considered Elvin Ramirez, Jeurys Familia, or Jenrry Mejia. This is where we sit right now. Is it good enough? You tell me.

               

            Hi Mack, Look I know for us Met maniacs its real hard to check the puter a few times everyday for the last 3 years and not have a Minaya like blockbuster to excite us but we all know how that worked out. I'm really starting to finally "get" Sandy's plan and have to give some credit to the Wilpons (wow that was hard to type) that the only real $$ invested in the team after the Madoff mess was in the front office. Patience is not the strong suit of fandom but Sandy staying the course when all we hear is "you cant rebuild in N.Y" will hopefully be very rewarding. The Frank Cashen era was a long time ago and if there was something we really needed now is a solid plan and I'm all in. Now to just throw something out there as we wait for pitchers and catchers reporting is a trade question: would you trade the 3 principles in the Blue Jay deal and Flores for Stanton? Thanks, Gary Seagren

                No. Stanton is a great player, but I would still need 24 more to make my squad. The Toronto trade gives me two players in 2012 (Buck, d’Arnaud), and the potential of two all-stars as early as 2015 (d-Arnaud, Syndergaard). I have been committed to dominating this sport through rotational pitching and this is the first time that the Mets have an opportunity to do that since the Seaver days. I’m sticking to my plan, which also seems to be Sandy Alderson’s. 

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post was told by a source that the Nationals and Adam LaRoche have agreed to a two-year deal.

So… what you’re left with here is Mike Morse, a 30-year old right-handed 1B-RF-LF who hit 18-HR and 62-RBIs for Washington last year and has no place to play. I can’t think of a better fit at this point in the off-season, though he might make Lucas Duda look like a Golden Glover outfielder. The problem is what do you offer Washington? They’re a conference rival with the top young rotation and they only thing you can tempt them with is one or two of your young prospects...  but, he may be a better fit as the DH/OF for the Yankees, making Scott Hairston have to turn his attention to whatever the Mets are offering. This one will be interesting to follow.

Giancarlo Stanton, Michael Bourne, Andrew Brown, Off-Season Moves

Gary Seagren asked - Hi Mack and Happy New Year, Just a couple of thoughts because it’s been so slow on Met news since the Blue Jay trade. In regards to the Giancarlo Stanton trade possibilities would you give up Wheeler or D'Arnaud in the deal?

                Mack – Happy New Year to you and your family too, Gary. The only New York Met I would not trade for Stanton would be David Wright. Stanton is better than any other Mets that has played more than a few games in Queens, and you simply never bet on a prospect, no matter how good he looks. That being said, I would offer Zack Wheeler before I would offer Matt Harvey because Harvey has already showed a little at the major league level. I think Wheeler will be a better pitcher than Harvey, but it’s all speculation at this point.

Also do you think with the current market for Michael Bourn. Scott Boras would take a one year deal ( I hear you laughing already) and Sandy pick him up? Hey I said it was really slow news month. Thanks, Gary.

                Sandy Alderson does not want to sign anyone that will cost him a first round draft pick in a very limited draft, talent wise. Bourn will find a home but it will not be the Mets.

The signing of OF Andrew Brown was interesting. The press release said that the Mets and Brown had “come to terms”. Yeah, I guess that’s what “pleeeeeeese sign me” comes to these days.

Brown had an impressive AAA year for Colorado (yes, that’s where that lack of air is), but let’s look at the last three in a row:

        2010:     AA-Texas - Spingfield .291/.371/.526/.897 – 22-HR, 63-RBI, 361-AB, 98-K, 41-BB

        2011:    AAA-Memphis -          .284/.382/.501/.883 – 20-HR, 73-RBI, 359-AB, 105-K, 56-BB

        2012:   AAA-Colo Springs -     .308/.364/.597/.961 – 24-HR, 98-RBI, 390-AB, 100-K, 37-BB

Did you notice the limited amount of at-bats?

Brown was used as a platoon player and has a career .321/.414/.612 stat line against left-handers in the upper minors.

As I have said in other posts, you can’t sign enough of these guys to invites.

Chris asked:  Mack, are you as unhappy and frustrated as I am about the lack of moves this off-season?

                Mack: You know Chris, it’s funny that you should ask that.

                So far this off season, the Mets signed one of the largest free agent deals for one of the best players in baseball (David Wright) and completed a blockbuster trade that solidified the catching position for years and brought aboard a third potential SP 1-2 candidate in 2015, for a 38-year old pitcher.

                The team has a way to go, but so far, it’s been a great off-season.

Dickey Trade, Giancarlo Stanton, Miquel Tejada, Brett Myers

Mack Stuff –  Dickey Trade, Giancarlo Stanton, Miquel Tejada

The Mets were awarded the 76^th overall pick as compensation for failure to sign 2012 second-rounder Teddy Stankewicz.

Q - After the R.A. Dickey trade, where would the Mets system rank overall?

Jim Callis - Catcher Travis d'Arnaud and righthander Noah Syndergaard were the top two prospects left in the Blue Jays system after Toronto made the Jose Reyes/Mark Buehrle trade with the Marlins, and now they've gone to the Mets as part of the Dickey package. D'Arnaud is the second-best catching prospect in baseball, behind only Mike Zunino of the Mariners, while Syndergaard is a potential No. 2 starter. They'be be New York's second- and third-best prospects, fitting between righthander Zack Wheeler and shortstop Gavin Cecchini. Dickey is the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and strikeout king, but I'm still surprised the Mets were able to extract Syndergaard as the second player in the deal. Adding him and d'Arnaud gives a significant boost to a system that was as thin as any in the National League before the trade. New York still lacks upper-level talent, but the addition of two blue-chip prospects boosts their system into the 18-20 range.

             

   Everyone in baseball knew two things about the Mets minor league system before this trade. One, they were filthy rich in pitching and, two, they might have been dead last in legitimate bats. The Dickey deal brings a much legitimate hitter in d-Arnaud, but the addition of Syndergaard gives the Mets the potential of having the most talented rotation as early as 2015. Moreover, there could be anywhere from 3-6 more top starters ready by 2016 that will be outstanding trait bait.

                Getting back to this trade. You traded a 38-year old major leaguer for a major league catcher (John Buck) they 2^nd top catching prospect in baseball, a projected SP2 with an ETA of mid-season 2014, and one of the top Latin bonus babies. This was an outstanding increase in depth and ranking of the minor league system in just one trade. This is a home run.

The Miami Marlins announced that they are willing to listen to offers for Giancarlo Stanton.

                -Who would be interesting in someone that Baseball Cube gives a power rating of 99?

                -First of all, I don’t understand the reasoning here. The guy doesn’t go into his first arbitration year until 2014 (unless he’s privately expressed a desire to get out of Dodge with the rest of his old team).

                Stop drooling Mets fans. You have no chance here. Miami has no desire to take on your contracts, but your minor league talent needs another year to prove they have a viable chance of making it in the pros.

                My offer would be:  Wilmer Flores (pre-ARB), Robert Carson (pre-ARB), Jeurys Familia (pre-ARB), Jenrry Mejia (pre-ARB), and Jordany Valdespin (pre-ARB).

                I would expect to still be hearing the laughter while I was entering my car in the parking lot.

Miguel Tejada and Endy Chavez Reaches Agreement With Kansas City Royals

                Omar Minaya used to do a lot of this. He’s sign a bunch of old guys to minor league contracts, hoping that one of them might have something left. Most of the time it didn’t work. Once in a while it did. One was named RA Dickey.

                It wouldn’t kill Sandy Alderson to give a few of these relics a shot in spring training.

                I’ve spent a fair amount of time talking about the winter leagues and players like OF Jason Botts. This is where second and third chances are born and guys like Tejada  are hitting .284/.336/.433/.768 for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican league.

                Google the name Jason Botts… .336 in the Mexican League last year… .342 this winter… he’s available.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Indians have reached a one-year contract with Brett Myers.

               this is the kind of singing I wish the Mets were capable of pulling off (yeah I know... not the nicest person in baseball). It's just a one year deal with a team option and is all up-side. He had a respectful season last year... 3.31-ERA, 1.22-WHIP. I would have gladly handed him the SP5 ball and let Mejia work on his game as the SP2 in Vegas.