SBNation.com User Blog: Jimmy Hascup

R.A. Dickey trade: Sandy Alderson, Mets make out well

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:51:57 -0000

Trading a Cy Young winner mere months after his acclaimed season isn't the typical approach teams take for improvement. But for the New York Mets, trading fan favorite R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package headlined by catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud was a no-brainer.

Monday, the deal that's been reported on for days finally came to a conclusion when the knuckleballer agreed to a two-year, $25 million extension with Toronto. In the deal, the Mets acquired catcher John Buck, d'Arnaud, pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard and minor-league outfielder Wuilmer Bacerra. New York sent Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to the Blue Jays.

Dickey dominated the team's offseason discussions almost more than David Wright's status because he was coming off a tremendous season, had a $5 million salary due for next year and was asking for a team-friendly extension. All of this comes with the caveat, however: he is also 38 and throws a trick pitch, making him very difficult to project, lending itself further for a trade if the Mets could cash in.

The Mets were a 74-88 team, 14 games out of the playoffs, with the Cy Young winner in the rotation last year. That doesn't get you anywhere. With no improvements elsewhere this winter, a similar record is more than likely. Even though Dickey may not have the normal wear and tear on his arm, the question marks surrounding an older knuckleballer with a short track record are real. And even with Dickey, the Mets are probably not legitimate contenders for at least another two years.

General manager Sandy Alderson can preach the company line all he wants -- we aren't "punting" 2013 -- but the fact of the matter is this was a baseball trade to continue to set the Mets up for long-term sustainability. In addition, it's one closer year to when Alderson can open up the checkbook and pay for a marquee name, at a time when the young rotation and d'Arnaud will be more experienced.

Alderson sought a "difference-maker" for Dickey, knowing full well his team was thin when it came to high-level position prospects. Baseball America recently included seven pitchers and just three position players, two of which are still several years from seeing the major leagues, in its Mets top-10 prospects list. New York entered the offseason with a disheveled outfield, an average catcher and a bullpen that needed work. It wasn't going to get any help anytime soon on the position-player front from its minor league system. And with the payroll restrictions Alderson wasn't about to splurge (overspend) on the few big-ticket free agents out there.

So in order to address one problem, Alderson dealt from a strength, making a rare trade for an up-the-middle cost-controlled player who has All-Star potential, in addition to a starter in 20-year-old Syndergaard who has power stuff and the makings to pitching in the front of the rotation in time. d'Arnaud, BA's 17th-best prospect, batted .333/.380/.595 with 16 home runs in 303 plate appearances last year in the Pacific Coast League. Syndergaard threw 103 2/3 innings, giving up 81 hits and 31 walks with 122 strikeouts, while posting a 2.60 ERA in A-ball.

"The Mets get the second-best catching prospect in the minors in Travis d'Arnaud and a potential No. 2 starter in Noah Syndergaard, and they get six years of control with each," said Jim Callis, executive editor of Baseball America, as reported by the New York Times. "I understand that the Blue Jays are going all-in for 2013, but I thought they overpaid."

For a while, it was reported that the Mets would net another "non-elite" prospect, but ESPN's Keith law says the 17-year-old Becerra is more than that, even hough he only had 39 plate appearances in rookie ball and is many years away. "He has a sweet-looking right-handed swing with strong hands, keeping his head steady with great hip rotation and loft for future power as his body matures," Law said.

So losing Dickey may be painful in the short-term, but gaining some youth has the potential to pay off bigger in the long run for the Mets.

R.A. Dickey trade: Taking a look at possible destinations for New York Mets' ace

Jimmy Hascup — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:10:31 -0000

R.A. Dickey is about to go from the New York Mets' beloved Cy Young winner to the front of another team's rotation. Multiple reports are indicating that the Mets are nearing a trade to send their knuckleballer elsewhere.

The Toronto Blue Jays are considered the the frontrunner, with the Baltimore Orioles also a possible destination, according to the New York Daily News' Andy Martino. The Texas Rangers were in the hunt, but are not involved any longer, Martino says.

The same report states that Dickey and the Mets ceased negotiations Wednesday, and that general manager Sandy Alderson has been involved in "intense" trade talks in the two days after.

Alderson stated earlier this offseason that he sought a "difference-maker" if Dickey were to be traded. To me, that means a young, impact position player -- an area the Mets sorely lack -- with multiple years of low-cost control left.

Let's take a quick look at some of the possible places Dickey could end up and why they make sense.

Blue Jays -- The Jays have been discussed as a fit pretty much since Day 1 of the offseason. Their general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, has gone full-force in improving his team with the acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck in the Miami Marlins' salary dump. It's clear he wants to end their 19-year playoff drought. The Jays are also stockpiled with prospects, and two of those -- outfielder Anthony Gose and catcher J.P. Arencibia -- have been rumored in Dickey trades. Personally, I don't think that's enough. Gose has supreme speed and is a great defender, but there are questions about how much he'll hit. And Arencibia may have more power than Josh Thole, but total value-wise, he's practically the same. Alderson has to hold out for catcher Travis d'Arnaud, their best prospect, who was ranked 19th by Baseball America mid-year.

Orioles -- The Orioles astoundingly made it to the postseason last year, ultimately falling in the first round. Now, they have to sense the division is up for the taking with the division-power Yankees weaker and older and the Red Sox a mess. Baltimore also has no slam-dunk No. 1 starter, and Dickey could fill that, and at a reasonable price. Who do they have to offer? That's the big question. Starter Dylan Bundy, considered a top-two prospect by most outlets, is unreasonable, as is shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado. Jonathan Schoop is probably their next-best prospect, but the 21-year-old middle infielder doesn't look like the "difference-maker" the Mets seek. Scanning their roster for young position players outside of those guys, it's hard to see a fit here.

Rangers -- Yeah, it's been reported that the Rangers are no longer involved. That's as of now. All it takes is one call and the inclusion of one player the Mets are looking for to get a deal done. The Rangers have lost out on every big-ticket free agent this winter, most recently Zack Greinke to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's never harm in adding another frontline arm. Dickey was originally drafted by the Rangers in 1996 so his career could come full circle here. Third baseman Mike Olt, whom the Mets would seemingly have to move to left field, would appear to have to be part of any package. But it doesn't seem like the Mets are sold on him and would want more. Middle infielder Jurickson Profar, the 1 or 2 to Bundy's 1 or 2, is way too good to include. Cody Buckel, a right-handed pitcher, is probably their next-best prospect, but the Rangers would probably deem that too expensive, too.

Angels -- Los Angeles has been rumored to be interested in Dickey. Owner Arte Moreno has already shown -- with the signing of Josh Hamilton -- that he's not afraid to be bold in an area that was a strength last year. They lost Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and Greinke in their rotation and did add Joe Blanton and Tommy Hanson ... but Dickey is in another tier and would only deepen the staff, while also hurting their division-rival Rangers. Hamilton's signing makes center fielder Peter Bourjos, a defensive whiz but a little suspect with the bat, and Mark Trumbo, a power-hitting right fielder -- with "fielder" in name only, available. But it's hard to see the Mets centering a trade on one of those guys. The other problem is, the Angels' farm system is depleted with Mike Trout in the big leagues and a few sent to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Greinke trade.

Sandy Alderson: Mets' roster probably won't look too different next season

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:10:43 -0000

See that 74-88 record the New York Mets finished with this past season? Get used to it because it very well could be how the Mets wind up in 2013, too.

General manager Sandy Alderson on Tuesday acknowledged there probably won't be any drastic changes to the roster by Opening Day.

"I would expect the roster will look similar to the way it did at the end of last year -- with some exceptions," Alderson said Tuesday, according to ESPN NY. "It's hard to speculate. When you think about it, the trade market, signing free agents and so forth, it's relatively young in the season. It's hard, really, to accurately predict where things will end up."

Granted, I'm exaggerating when I the same roster automatically equals the same results. The Mets have the makings of a great rotation and if the cards fall right, could, theoretically at least, make a run. Still, the composition of the roster being similar isn't something fans want to hear because nobody wants to finish fourth in the division again and losing has become all too familiar lately. In reality, though, are Alderson's comments really that surprising?

[Dickey, Mets don't appear close to deal]

By delaying Jason Bay's payments and deferring some of David Wright's new contract money, the Mets freed up more cash for this coming year, reportedly around $20 million. But all that did was get fans more excited that additions would become more substantial. Instead, Alderson seems to be practicing some fiscal responsibility because there's no point in saddling the organization with more ill-advised long-term contracts that is part of the reason the Mets are in this situation in the first place.

There are/were very few difference-makers on the free-agent market this winter, anyway. Zack Greinke? The Mets (or the majority of the teams, really) were never going to give him $147 million. Josh Hamilton? The best hitter on the market, but also one that comes with some serious risks, as the the market seems to be indicating of as well. The second-tier guys such as Cody Ross intrigue the Mets, but not for three years. Alderson wants short-term deals that carry less of a burden than lengthy extensions do.

Just because the Mets have some more "flexibility" now doesn't mean that's when it has to be spent.

"Again, it's hard for me to predict what exactly will happen," Alderson said, according to ESPN NY. "But we're not going to spend the money in mid-December just because we have it. We may spend it in January. We may spend it at some other time. We may not spend it. But the important thing is we have the flexibility to make a baseball decision about that rather than be constrained by sort of an artificial financial limitation."

It's definitely aggravating. The Mets have an outfield that needs overhauling. Catcher Josh Thole needs a platoon partner at a minimum. The bullpen posted the second-worst (4.65) ERA in the league. But this general manager wants nothing to do with overpaying for marginal free agents, so it's likely we'll have to wait to scoop up some bottom-of-the-barrel ones. It's a tough realization to come to grips with, but to be viable long-term tough (and unpopular) decisions need to be made now. I'm not saying the Mets shouldn't "splurge" on some upgrades, but I think it has to be done with the future's focus in mind, too. This is the hard lesson you learn when you're used to throwing money at problems (and getting whatever you want), rather than worrying about developing your own talent.

NHL lockout 2012: Hopes dashed yet again as league rejects union's proposal

Jimmy Hascup — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:55:49 -0000

You know growing up when your parents used to tell you not to do something because they knew you'd only get hurt, yet you kept doing it anyway, seemingly never learning your lesson?

Hockey fans can relate, and at this point, it's time to stop getting excited about "progress" and just be pleasantly surprised -- and thankful -- when a deal is reached and the lockout is over.

After two days of positive reports on the negotiations where it appeared like a conclusion was nearing, Thursday those good feelings were doused with ice-cold water. Tuesday, the owners and players met exclusively for 10 hours, and Wednesday they met even longer, lasting into the wee hours of Thursday. Talks were described by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly as "good, candid dialogue" with the "critical open issues" to be addressed Thursday. Those meetings, which then included commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, lasted about an hour.

Nobody knew what to make of Thursday. Did the short meetings mean there was a quick foundation formed on those key issues? Did talks break down quickly instead? Unfortunately, it was the latter, but it didn't come without itsuspense.

Fehr addressed the media Thursday night saying the sides had "complete agreement" on dollars and that was represented in their counterproposal to the league's offer, which was made late Wednesday. But then he returned minutes later in a bizarre scene with players perplexed, updating with the NHL deeming the offer "unacceptable." The voicemail was left by Daly to Fehr's brother, Steve, during Fehr's initial conference.

"This looks like it's not going to be resolved in the immediate future," Fehr said, as reported by TSN. "We are clearly very close if not on top of one another in connection with most of the major issues," Fehr said. "I don't know when discussions will resume."

Bettman spoke afterward, saying the optimism had "almost inexplicably" evaporated Wednesday afternoon after such a promising Tuesday. According to Bettman, the owners made a big push for a deal Wednesday -- which included a 10-year term with an eight-year opt out, while increasing "make whole" to $300 million from $211 (players sought $389 million so this was middle ground) -- and they expected a yes or no answer. The union was "shockingly silent" and countered Thursday instead, with a new take on pensions; the league's proposal reportedly included $50 million in pension-funding in "make-whole." The league also sought a five-year limit on player's contracts, with a seven-year one for a team re-signing its own. There would be a 5 percent variance from year-to-year as well, as a means to avoid front-loading contracts. Now, though, the union can say sayonara -- at least for the moment -- to those "make-whole" concessions as the NHL has taken them off the table.

"We have moved dramatically, we are proposing a long-term system that will play the players billions and billions of dollars over its term, but we have to have a system that works right," Bettman said, as reported by TSN. "It's all part of the package. I am disappointed beyond belief that we are where we are tonight. We're going to have to take a deep breath and try and regroup."

Bettman says there is no "drop-dead" date yet for canceling the season, but he did say he couldn't see anything less than a 48-game season, which realistically gives the two sides a month to resolve this mess, something I do think will happen eventually to salvage a season this year.

There has already been so much fan backlash the game will take time to recover as it is. Bettman and Fehr can duke it out all they want, the fact of the matter is there is way too much to be lost than gained by losing the entire season. Players lose a year's salary. Owners miss out on revenue generated games and television deals. Even though we've reached "ground zero" again, it doesn't mean a deal can't be resurrected out of the middle of nowhere, so long as the two sides meet. Thursday was a reminder that the best bet for those hockey fans still out there is to not live day-by-day with these negotiations and not get your hopes up until both sides say they are on the same page.

MLB Winter Meetings 2012: New York Mets preview

Jimmy Hascup — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 01:24:25 -0000

Baseball's offseason kicks into high gear with the winter meetings, which begin Monday and last through Thursday.

The New York Mets have already made headlines -- in the right way, finally -- by extending the face of their franchise, David Wright, for eight seasons, a contract that will most likely let him retire in New York. They figure to also be active in Nashville, Tenn., over the next few days as well because they're willing to trade a Cy Young winner and have holes up and down the roster. Even though general manager Sandy Alderson won't be able to ink any marquee free agents -- the Mets are still not operating like a major-market team -- the Amazins are intriguing because of how creative the GM will have to get. There's already been a report that the Mets will be willing to backload contracts as a way to minimize the salary now and take on more later, when the Mets' only commitments are Wright and Jon Niese post-2014.

Areas of need

Outfield: The Mets' outfielders, collectively, had the league's second-worst OPS last season (.236/.308/.384). Andres Torres wasn't tendered a contract, leaving New York, as of now at least, with a starting outfield of Lucas Duda in left field, Kirk Nieuwenhuis in center field and Mike Baxter in right field. That's not exactly major league-quality, and Alderson knows it, even quipping, "What outfield?" when speaking to reporters in early November. In a perfect world, it'd be totally remade. The Mets may have to make due with adding two players there and running with Duda in left. At the very least, the GM adds platoon-types or guys who have been in part-time roles but want to prove themselves with the everyday job. At the most, the Mets "splurge" on guys like Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross and/or Shane Victorino.

Catcher: The other black hole on the roster is at catcher, where the collection sported an MLB-worst OPS last season (.218/.281/.286). Josh Thole is still in town, but he's regressed over the past three seasons (1.6 WAR to replacement-level 0.1 last year). He's also not very good against lefties, so the ideal add at catcher would be a right-hander. The Mets may have to think outside the box here with a trade because the free-agent catching options aren't especially strong.

Bullpen: This is not a priority area at the winter meetings; Alderson will likely gauge the reliever market and snag a few guys later on in the offseason, but he has other more pressing needs to worry about. That's not to say the bullpen doesn't need work, though. The Mets had the second-worst ERA (4.65) in the majors last season. Frank Francisco is still in town, while Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez are out. New York does have a few interesting arms who could work in the bullpen.

Players who could be on the block

R.A. Dickey: The Mets were reportedly "stunned" to learn 40-year-old Andy Pettitte received a $12 million deal from the Yankees, so they upped their two-year offer to Dickey. Until Dickey signs on the dotted line, the front office has every reason to find a trade partner. There are reportedly six or seven teams that will meet with Alderson in Nashville about Dickey. It's hard to believe a trick-pitch 38-year-old could net enough value, but Dickey is coming off a Cy Young year and teams are desperate for pitching. There's big-time risk here: Dickey wants to be in New York, he's willing to sign below market value and New York's rotation would take a significant hit. That's why Alderson is paid to make those decisions and not the fans.

Jon Niese: There is some thought that Niese could actually command more in the trade market: He's only 26, more proven, a lefty and signed to a very team-friendly deal (he signed a five-year, $25.5 million pact he last April.) The contract aspect is what will make him so valuable on the market: Niese has settled in as a solid No. 3 starter and he's controlled for most of his prime seasons. He finished last year with a 3.40 ERA, 7.33 K/9 and 190 innings pitched. Starting pitching is an area of strength, so there's more of a reason (or comfort level) to move one of these two arms.

Lucas Duda: I'm kind of forcing the third option here, but truthfully it's hard to pick one because I don't think Ike Davis will be moved with the need for power and I'm not sure there's much trade value in anyone else. Duda is also recovering from wrist surgery, which makes him even harder to move. Fact is, Duda is an outfielder in name only; he's a designated hitter and the Mets would love to spin him to improve their outfield defense. He does have some pop, finishing with 15 home runs, but he also had a .239/.329/.389 line last year, one that saw him get sent to the minors. Daniel Murphy could also fall into this conversation as a way to improve by acquiring a more capable defender at second base.

Trade that could work: Niese for Dexter Fowler

The Mets need a center fielder. The Rockies need pitching. It seems like this could at least be the framework for a deal. Fowler is arbitration-eligible for the second time in his career (he made $2.35 million last year) and Niese is a cost-controlled lefty. The Mets may balk at Fowler's splits away from Coors Field -- .295/.395/.487 at home to .248/.331/.367 -- but Fowler is coming off his best season: .300/.389/.474 with 13 home runs, 12 steals and 72 runs, worth 2.9 wins, and he's 26 and talented. Not saying this will happen, but it's worth mentioning in this hot stove season.

David Wright: Closer look at extension, what it means for New York Mets

Jimmy Hascup — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 17:22:28 -0000

Since Adam Wainwright's knee-buckling curve ball on Carlos Beltran to end the New York Mets' World Series bid in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, the feel-good moments for the Amazins have been few and far between. In fact, in the past two-plus decades I've been a fan, there has been more reasons to be disappointed and heartbroken than proud and excited. Four postseason appearances, one of which I was a month old for, tell the whole story.

But Friday was a day to celebrate: The New York Mets reached an agreement on an extension with their franchise player, third baseman David Wright. Eight years, $140 million would seem to keep the face of the franchise in New York for the rest of his career, and I couldn't be happier. The Mets wouldn't be the Mets without Wright manning the hot corner.

Still, despite the news, there are a number of questions to address about the pact and what this means for the state of the franchise. Let's take a look at a few of them ...

1) Was this the right move? As much as I love Wright and I wanted to see him stay a Met for the duration, I can't help but think the Mets would've been better off trading him to accelerate their rebuild. With the dearth of position-player prospects and numerous holes to fill on the everyday roster, moving him seemed like an acceptable play, especially with the Wilpons still operating the Mets like they are the Twins. They could've easily gotten a few long-term young pieces on affordable deals, which would seem to be more important than ever for the front office.

2) What does this mean for the franchise? You're not broke if you just committed $138 million on one player. The Wilpons may not fully open their checkbooks like they used to just yet, but I think the overriding message this sends is that the Mets are serious about getting better, serious about retaining core players and serious about spending money to do so. Losing Wright would've been a public-relations nightmare, I get that. But this is also a move that brings respectability to a franchise sorely lacking it. After letting Jose Reyes walk without as much as a conversation, general manager Sandy Alderson and Co. showed what Wright means to the franchise and that they want him to be the lynchpin and captain as they slowly remake the roster. Having a revered leader like Wright can also only help the team's future free-agent pitches. Wright is to the Mets as Derek Jeter is to the Yankees. They carry a certain cache to the field, the locker room and to the organization and there's something to be said for that.

3) Was this an overpay? The Tampa Bay Rays just reached an agreement with third baseman Evan Longoria on a six-year, $100 million deal, essentially picking up his three options and keeping him there until 2022 when he's 36 years old. Altogether, it's worth 10 years, $136 million. The extension, which will kick in when he's 30, is valued at $16.7 million per season. Longoria has been more productive, but also more injury prone than Wright. The Nationals re-upped with their third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman, last February on exactly the same extension as Longoria: six years, $100 million, which will kick in when he's 29. Wright has been the healthier and more productive player. His average annual value is $17.25, and he will play his final season at 37. Sports Illustrated's Cliff Corcoran also pointed out that Wright has averaged 28.8 (Baseball Reference) wins above replacement over his first eight seasons, an average of 3.6 per, one he's topped five times. Anything below $5 million per win is a solid deal in today's market. If Wright produces at that level for the next eight years, the Mets will have gotten a very fair deal, even by those standards.

4) What is next? Alderson said he wanted clarity with Wright and R.A. Dickey heading into the winter meetings, which begin Sunday. He's halfway there and reportedly also working to keep Dickey in New York as well. I have no problems with the Cy Young winner staying in town for a few more seasons, but I still think the Mets do themselves a disservice by not trying to capitalize while his value is at an all-time high. I think Alderson will do that in the coming days, and if offers from other teams aren't worth it, then Dickey will also be a Met for the rest of his career. The front office also needs to find able outfield bodies, a righty-hitting catcher and repair the bullpen, all within a pretty confined payroll. Doubtful they'll be able to address all of those needs at the winter meetings, but they'll at least gain some traction.

David Wright: 'Disappointed' with reports, says they're 'inaccurate'

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:29:59 -0000

The highs and lows of a negotiation are all just part of the process. Tuesday, the New York Mets experienced it all with regard to David Wright, within a span of 12 hours.

7:21 AM: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports the Mets' initial offer was worth six years, $100 million. It was a starting point the third baseman was "certain to refuse."

11:14 AM: Andy Martino of The New York Daily News reports the Mets have offered a seven-year pact "well in excess of $100 million."

Then, a few others support that ...
3:43 PM: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports the Mets' offer for seven years is between $135-140 million. Twenty-one minutes later, Rosenthal's source tells him the deal is worth $119-129 million.

It seemed like discussions were really starting to heat up, that the ball was firmly in Wright's court. But then MLB Trade Rumors got it from the player himself a little after 7 PM:

"I have said from Day 1 that I want to play my entire career with the New York Mets," Wright said. "I remain hopeful that goal can be achieved. However, I am disappointed by reports that I have read today which are inaccurate."

So, now where do we stand?

It's obvious Wright is irked by the leaked contract figures. As someone who has always been private and has wanted to insulate negotiations from the media, these sources cannot be from Wright's camp. But it also doesn't make a lot of sense for the Mets -- if they truly want to retain their homegrown favorite -- to fabricate offers to the media. Yes, money talks. But frustrating their best player in the middle of negotiations doesn't seem like a great tactic ... unless the organization really has no interest in keeping him and wanted to spin it back on Wright: "We made a serious (and generous) offer, but Wright really never had interest in staying in New York, so now we can trade him and avoid the public-relations backlash we faced with letting Jose Reyes go."

I don't buy that. I think these negotiations are getting serious and Wright didn't appreciate this being leaked before he signed on the dotted line. Journalists aren't always right, but these are some of the best in the business. It's hard to believe these "sources" weren't reputable. Martino even tweeted later Tuesday night that he stood by his story. Neither Rosenthal, who, by the way, updated his original morning report after connecting with another source, nor Heyman have backtracked or stated otherwise.

What we know: Whether these reports were accurate or not, the Mets seem intent on clearing things up with Wright first, before focusing on R.A. Dickey. And I do think general manager Sandy Alderson and the front office honestly want to retain Wright long-term -- and they want to get it done before the season begins. It's also obvious the franchise feels Wright is worth more to the organization than Reyes was.

Implications of a deal: If Wright signs for anywhere in the neighborhood of those reports, the Mets send a message that they're willing to spend money on their star players. Certainly, inking Dickey and Wright reaffirms that their finances may be in better shape than they've let on.

But still, the biggest question remains: If both (or one, especially Wright) sign, these are still not the freespending Mets of old, so how does this affect their ability to address other holes this offseason?

NHL lockout 2012: No two-week break, talks will resume Monday night

Jimmy Hascup — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:28:00 -0000

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman proposed a two-week moratorium on the collective-bargaining talks. However, all along the union wanted meet, and that's what the league and the players' association will do Monday night in New York City, eight days after the two sides last convened.

After more frustration as the negotiations reached yet another stalemate, Bettman (oddly) thought that setting it aside altogether was the best way to go, instead of, you know, getting together and hashing out a deal. Some reports indicated it was a move by the Commissioner to get the players to sweat it out, eventually caving as more of their pay was lost. Others said that it was Bettman's move to show the that the league had never privately set a date it wanted to begin the season by.

Regardless, players and owners both will be attending a "smaller group" meeting, according to TSN's Darren Dreger, hopefully gaining some sort of traction as the talks hit a crucial point. The agenda has not been released.

The work stoppage has already dragged on for 63 days, with games through the end of November cancelled and games through Dec. 15 next, a move that will become official by the middle of this coming week. The Jan. 1 Winter Classic has been nixed and the All-Star game is also very close to being called off as well.

Along with how the 50-50 hockey-related revenue split would be reached, the two sides are still not seeing eye-to-eye on how the damage of the lockout will be accounted for, and player contract rights have also emerged as a significant hurdle. A report from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Michael Russo on Friday revealed that the NHL figured out the two sides were just over $1 billion apart and would never reach 50-50, based on league charts that illustrated the NHLPA's latest proposal, which begins with a "guaranteed" share of $1.916 in Year 1 and grows by 1.75% each year.

Still, a break in the talks would only be more destructive, so at least the two sides will be getting together. Though what that leads to is another question.

R.A. Dickey: Mets have offered knuckleballer two-year deal

Jimmy Hascup — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:12:38 -0000

ESPN's Buster Olney on Friday made it pretty clear: "If the Mets don't figure out a way to re-sign the 38-year-old [R.A.] Dickey, the Wilpon family ought to sell the team. Seriously."

Saturday it appeared the first moves toward keeping the knuckleballer have been made. The New York Daily News' Andy Martino said the two sides have been negotiating off of a two-year deal for two weeks now, while FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported that the Mets "plan" on offering the knuckleballer an extension of that length. Regardless of the exact details, it's an indication that the Mets do want to let their Cy Young winner finish his career in New York.

Still, Olney brings up a good point: the Mets' payroll has dipped to $92 million and they're now operating like a mid-market team in one of the biggest markets in the world, let alone baseball. I don't think there's this trade-him/sign-him debate five years ago because the Mets would've had him extended by now. But after the Wilpons' involvement in the Madoff Ponzi scheme and subsequent financial troubles, fans share the same sentiment Olney expresses. However, there's just no way the Wilpon family won't be the owners of this team. Even though the Mets are not living like a big-market team now, it does seem like better days are ahead (or at least that's what they've portrayed). Plus, the Wilpons are clearly not operating like Marlins owner Jeffrey Lloria, who shed $160 million in a salary-dump trade to the Blue Jays after fooling us all (again) last offseason, so to suggest the Mets be sold is a little harsh. The Mets clearly want to keep David Wright and there's obvious interest in retaining Dickey.

Olney tweeted Saturday that Dickey seeks more than $10 million a year if a two-year pact is on the table. Nobody knows the specifics of the Mets' offer, but speculation is that Sandy Alderson is thinking along the lines of $10 to $12 million a year. It's clear that the sticking point in these talks will be dollars and not years because all indications are that Dickey is open to a two-year extension.

Beyond that, even if the Mets have the "financial flexibility" to retain Dickey as Olney suggests, this is as much a baseball move as a money one. It's a win-win for the Mets: With a number of holes on the roster, Alderson is right to see what the trade market has to offer. If nothing is worth carrying out, he figures out what works for Dickey and keeps him in New York, something that already seems to be occurring.

Brad Richards, Scott Hartnell put together charity game to benefit Superstorm Sandy victims

Jimmy Hascup — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:23:40 -0000

Brad Richards has set up 537 goals in his NHL career, but now he's partnering to assist in another area, off the ice.

Richards and Flyers' Scott Hartnell have put together a charity game to aid the victims of Superstorm Sandy, "Operation Hat Trick," on Nov. 24 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J, featuring a number of big-name NHLers. The proceeds will go to the Empire Relief State Fund, the New Jersey Relief Fund and the American Red Cross. Tickets range from $20 to $100 and can be purchased on the Hall's website or ticketmaster.com.

Richards and Hartnell will captain the two teams in the exhibition. Other players joining in the fun include a number of Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle, Jeff Halpern and Steve Eminger. The Ducks' Bobby Ryan, Penguins' James Neal, the Kings' Simon Gagne, the Flyers' Kimmo Timonen and Jody Shelley, along with the Capitals' John Carlson and the Sabres' Ville Leino have also committed to playing. Expect more names to trickle in over the coming days as well.

"If we have an opportunity to make a difference for people, we're definitely going to do what we can to take advantage of that," Richards said to the New York Post. "I'm part of New York now. I know a lot of people who were affected by the storm, so whatever I can do, and whatever players in the area can do, we're going to do what we can.

The lockout officially has cost the NHL just over a month's worth of games, with the entirety of November wiped out and games up to Dec. 15 the next domino to fall, so it's very nice to see the players getting together to give back to the fans and areas they live in. Already, the Rangers and Islanders have lost 16 games and the Devils 14. This is not only a great opportunity to watch the sport's best players in a loose atmosphere, but also a chance to donate money to a great cause.

Born and bred in New Jersey, with so many friends affected and areas I've visited since I was a kid devastated, I can't wait to attend this game, knowing that I've assisted in the relief efforts. Despite the backlash from fans during the work stoppage, it's a wonderful reminder that players care and they have the rare ability to drum up support for philanthropic endeavors like this.

"We're not playing, but we feel a sense of responsibility to our communities," said Richards. "It's a privilege to be in this position, really."

R.A. Dickey: Trading knuckleballer is the right move for Mets

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 04:25:57 -0000

R.A. Dickey's journey to becoming one of the best pitchers in the National League in his late 30s is one that has captivated an entire sport, let alone the Mets fan base. He's the type of player fans easily attach themselves to because he's overcome so much personally and professionally, he's engaging and he's intelligent. And he throws the game's quirkiest pitch, a knuckleball, quite well.

But baseball teams are businesses and general managers are paid to run their business in a way that maximizes value and performance. They are paid to make tough decisions, sometimes those that many of their paying customers disagree with, despite the longer-term implications. Sandy Alderson is faced with just that type of choice this offseason: to trade Dickey, a frontrunner for the Cy Young award who has $5 million left on his contract, or keep him in Queens?

If I'm Alderson, I'm doing whatever it takes to spin the knuckle baller because it's the right move for the franchise now and into the future.

"It would be a little unusual to trade a Cy Young winner," Alderson said, "but I can remember a time (as GM of the Oakland A's in 1990) when we traded for the leading hitter in the National League at the time, so it happens."

There's been multiple reports this offseason of the front office canvassing other teams to gauge what the trade market is for the Mets' ace. That's the right strategy to take. If the return is weak, then you re-sign him. But if there's an offer out there that blows you away, then it's Alderson's job to take it. And right now, it's his job to sell other teams on Dickey, who at 38 is in his prime for a knuckleballer. The Mets are far away from contending and a way to speed up the rebuild process -- and even being more serious contenders in the present -- is trading from an area of strength.

Look, Dickey had a tremendous year that saw him throw 233 2/3 innings, 2.73 ERA, strike out 8.86 per nine innings and post a 4.6 wins above replacement. There's no denying how good he was. The problem is, even during a 20-win campaign, the Mets won 74 games, finishing with the 10th-worst record in the majors. Fans don't want to hear it, but the team is very much in a rebuilding stage. The Mets don't have enough in-house options (on the roster or in the minors) ready to fill the many gaps now (or even a few years down the road). Couple that with such little financial wiggle room, and it's not like the Mets can just go out and sign a few players to put them back into contention, so there has to be some outside-the-box thinking here.

The Mets have a laundry list of needs in their every day lineup and one of them is not starting pitching. The rotation is considered a major strength, with top prospect Zack Wheeler on the cusp of the big leagues. Sure, there are risks involved with dealing your most dependable starter, but there's just no way to address a variety of holes on such a limited budget without trading an asset at the top of his game for multiple pieces, those of which who would be ready to help now and into the future when the Mets are real contenders. Because let's face it, the Mets aren't the Oakland A's from this past season -- their hitting doesn't have nearly the power. The Mets have no outfield, they lack a legitimate starting catcher and could really use an upgrade at second base, too. On such a shoestring budget, there's no way of filling all of these holes adequately.

Now's the time to move Dickey not only because his value is at an all-time high, but because even with statistics proving that knuckleballers age well, Dickey is not the typical knuckleballer. He's successful, in part, because he throws the pitch much harder than the norm, averaging 77.1 mph last year. History may paint a promising picture, but there's been no pitcher like this ever with which to base data off of. There's reason to believe he could "age" faster due to the fact there's more power and effort involved throwing the pitch. There are a lot of unknowns here, and at age 38, it's not like he'll be getting any younger or more athletic, either.

This trade would be one with a short- and long-term focus. Alderson won't be making a deal that wouldn't aid the team now. But he's also not going to bring back over-the-hill veterans with expiring contracts either. It's a chance to build for the future, while bringing about some cost-controlled players -- not prospects years from arrival -- as well. It's a chance for Alderson to acquire some pieces in order to continue build a foundation that would allow him to sign a top-tier free agent to eventually put the Mets over the hump.

But with all that said, if Alderson and Co. deem the return insufficient, then there's no problem to me in signing Dickey for a few more years so long as it's a contract that doesn't hamstring the front office. After trading Carlos Beltran in the final year of his deal for a prospect of Wheeler's ilk, though, I just have a tough time not seeing Alderson strike gold if Dickey's truly on the market.

NHL lockout 2012: League, union quiet but talks to continue for fourth straight day

Jimmy Hascup — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:58:26 -0000

A month ago, the whole world knew what the NHL Players' Association and owners were eating for lunch during their (rare) meetings. Fast forward to this week, and for the most part, nobody knows where the two sides are even convening.

The league and the players met for the third straight day Thursday, for five hours -- this time word leaked that it was at a law firm in New York City -- and will continue collective-bargaining negotiations Friday. That's literally all we have from either party, though, as neither has divulged any pertinent information to the media, with the locations of their talks undisclosed Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Because we have work to do and my hope is that we can achieve the goal of getting a long-term, fair agreement in place as quickly as possible so we can play hockey," Bettman said as the reasoning for not updating the media, according to ESPN.

They've decided to get serious and elected to end their two-month public-relations back-and-forth game. That's an excellent sign. Another promising development, which emerged his week, is that they continue to meet, for hours at a time. All told, there's been about 20 hours of discussions over the past three days.

As ESPN's Pierre LeBrun notes in his column on the lockout, Thursday was considered a make-or-break day. It was the day the league responded to the NHLPA's make whole and revenue sharing proposals. Even though LeBrun reports the union wasn't enamored with the league's counterproposal, the meeting didn't end. In fact, Aaron Ward of TSN's says the players didn't believe the proposals were rejected, rather they were "countered." Before this week's meetings, when the union provided three proposals Oct. 18, the league walked out within minutes. There is a different tenor to the talks now, a controlled desperation to save the season.

"This could still fall apart, but I'm ready to state that I believe there's a better chance of a deal getting done than not at this stage," LeBrun said.

Under the make whole offer from the NHLPA, the hockey-related revenue split would reach 50-50 in the third year, slowly getting phased in based on "regular" growth. However, the NHL wants the players to go down from 57 to 50 right away. How they bridge the gap will be crucial to if -- and how quickly -- a season gets underway.

Other issues that still need to be worked out include revenue sharing and contract rules as the NHL wants to do away with front-loaded contracts.

NHL lockout 2012: Talks finally pick back up Tuesday

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:11:03 -0000

If there's one thing we can all agree on about the lockout, it's that there won't be an NHL season if the owners and union don't meet. Well, for the first time since Oct. 18, the two sides did so privately this weekend and will do so again Tuesday in New York City.

The chance for full 82-game season is gone. The Winter Classic -- a big revenue generator for the league -- has been nixed. But for the first time in three weeks, there seems to be a bit of a thaw in the deadlock because there's been willingness from the NHL to make some concessions.

Friday, the big development was that the NHL was reportedly willing to compromise on its "make-hole" provision, which would see the league honor all existing contracts, with at least a substantial amount of current players' contracts in escrow being funded by the owners and not the players' share of hockey-related revenue.

Then, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr convened privately in an undisclosed location over the weekend, with Saturday's meeting lasting all day, into the early hours of Sunday. That meeting sparked optimism, if only because those two figures wouldn't have met for that long without some serious discussions -- and dare we say, headway? Afterward, Daly told NHL.com that there was a "good, frank discussion on the most important issues separating us," and Fehr even said he agreed, hopeful these productive talks would continue. There was obviously enough common groundwork laid that the two sides agreed to continue the negotiations this week

As opposed to the previous times the two sides met, there will be no post-talks press conference, according to CSNPhilly.com. The league now wants to keep everything under wraps and is optimistic that the "silence may lead to better traction in the talks." I say, do whatever it takes to get the the season here quicker, and that's focusing on getting this new CBA squared away.

Still, the best way to describe the mood is "cautious optimism," with the players wanting more specifics on the make-whole idea before getting too excited.

Here's what New York Rangers player representative Martin Biron had to say about the two sides returning to the bargaining table.

"I think every time there is a layoff where there's no talks and then talks resume, there's always optimism in the air," Biron told ESPN.com on Monday. "Obviously, everybody is cautiously optimistic with some of the exchanges that Steve and Bill had, even though it was more brainstorming than anything concrete. But to be able to schedule some meetings and get larger groups involved again is going to be a good thing. Still, as with every case in the last little while when people got too optimistic, it's just part of the process and we'll see where it goes."

New York Mets' free agency preview

Jimmy Hascup — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 02:25:35 -0000

Free agency is typically a time when teams use money to patch up their biggest holes. The problem for the New York Mets, though, is that they have an assortment of areas to address, with a very limited budget to do so.

The Mets' payroll by year-end was about $90 million and a source told ESPN NY's Adam Rubin that general manager Sandy Alderson will have $10-15 million "max to spend -- if Sandy is lucky."

That means there will be no Zack Greinkes or Josh Hamiltons in Queens next year, so we can throw out any of those ideas immediately. With such a limited budget, it does make pinning down targets very difficult, but I'm going to try to include some names the Mets could have interested in below.

Because the Mets could really use upgrades at so many positions, the front office is going to have to prioritize how to allocate the available money. That's why Alderson hasn't been shy about saying he's going to have to be active in the trade market this winter, too. Whereas last winter was boring in terms of who was brought in and how many moves were made, I think we'll see much more movement this offseason -- just don't expect any big names.

Catcher

Josh Thole has basically been a replacement-level player throughout his career, so in a perfect world, the Mets would somehow find a legitimate starter here. Obviously, that's not going to be the case. Where Thole struggles the most is against lefties, thus New York has to bring in a right-handed option to at least platoon with him.

David Ross and Miguel Olivo are two players whom the NY Post says the Mets could go after. Ross is a plus defender and someone who can do just enough with the bat. The 35-year-old has found a niche in a part-time role during his career. Olivo has some pop, is OK defensively but is coming off two of his worst seasons (both played in Seattle). Kelly Shoppach is another guy with some pop but also has a career 36.4 percent strikeout rate. He didn't impress during his short stint, but I think he'd fit in fine as he'd be a cheap option, hit for a little power and spell Thole against lefties. It's likely A.J. Pierzynski and Russell Martin would be out of the Mets' price range, so this is an area Alderson could look to address via a trade.

Outfield

While their catchers collectively had the lowest OPS last year, their outfielders did them one better with the league's second-worst (.236/.308/.384). Jason Bay hit .155/.231/.294 while dealing with some injuries, but it's clear he's not in the starting picture anymore. Andres Torres is gone. Lucas Duda is the likely starter in right field, despite not being all that good with the glove and he's coming off a very poor season (239/.329/.389) that saw him get demoted to the minors. There are no minor league outfielders ready to step in and and Kirk Nieuwenhuis grew more overwhelmed the longer he was up in the big leagues. There's a slim chance the starting outfield could be brand new next year. This may be the area Alderson is the most creative in. Perhaps he adds an outfielder through the free agent market and also makes a deal?

With the Mets on such a limited budget and seemingly only willing to go for guys on short-term deals, they're left with the bottom of the barrel here. Despite all the negativity surrounding Melky Cabrera and his PED use (and how real his performance was), he might be had on the cheap -- though it's unclear how "cheap" -- as a way to re-build his stock and could be one of the more-decent options in the outfield. Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, Shane Victorino and Torii Hunter will be too expensive for the Mets' taste, though for the right place on a short deal, could be good options. Scott Hairston was a nice story last year but he could parlay that into a bigger contract this offseason. Jonny Gomes could be of interest, but he'd likely be exposed in a full-time role because he doesn't hit righties well. Reed Johnson could be relatively productive so long as he's not asked to play everyday. Fact of the matter is, the crop is weak under the Mets' situation.

Bullpen

This was the focus of the Mets' scaled-down resources last year. Sadly, the moves didn't help much because the bullpen finished with the second-worst ERA in the league at 4.65. There will be a bunch of new names in the relief corp next season, and I'd assume the Mets will go with one (or both) of their young lefties Josh Edgin or Robert Carson as their southpaw reliever, meaning it doesn't have to be a major priority this offseason.

That being said, the Alderson is unlikely to give any reliever more than a two-year deal and he won't be paying any big money. Again, this is an area that's nearly impossible to predict, but here are names that could be on Alderson's radar: Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth, Jason Grilli, Kameron Loe, Mark Lowe, Joel Peralta and Chad Qualls.

Starting pitching

The Mets have a solid rotation on paper, but you can never have enough depth and there are still a number of question marks. Will Johan Santana be healthy enough to contribute -- and how many innings will he give when he does? How will Dillon Gee fare after his surgery to clear an artery in his pitching shoulder? How will Matt Harvey perform in a full season? Even with these questions, this is still the lowest-priority area of the offseason and any move the Mets entertain will be discussed in relation to not blocking top prospect Zack Wheeler once they feel he's ready, which could be very soon. Ideally, the Mets look at adding a veteran swingman.

New York Mets free agency: Who to keep, who to let go

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 02:20:17 -0000

The end of the World Series means the beginning of free agency, but for the New York Mets, that's likely not going to equate to much. General manager Sandy Alderson has already indicated that the 2013 payroll won't be much different from the past year's, meaning any big free-agent splashes are unlikely.

That being said, the Mets do have a group of "affordable" free agents of their own to make decisions on this offseason. Below is their list and whether I'd try to retain the player or let him go.

[Related: What is David Wright worth?]

Ronny Cedeno: The 29-year-old is nothing more than a run-of-the-mill middle-infield option. In 186 plate appearances, Cedeno had a .259/.332/.410 slash line and he wasn't particularly great in the field. There's a number of other utility-types on the market who the Mets can get at their price. Let him go.

Scott Hairson: This is probably the toughest one on the list. Hairston provided nice pop -- 20 home runs, 57 RBI -- in limited time but he's really just a platoon player (.286/.317/.550 vs. lefties to .239/.281/.457 vs. lefties last year.) Ultimately, though, the Mets are not going to be able to sign him for $1.1 million after one of his best seasons. Because he's priced himself out of the the Mets' budget with so many other holes to address, I say: Let him go.

Kelly Shoppach: There have already been reports of the Mets not being too happy with Shoppach's play. In 79 at bats after coming to New York, he hit three homeruns and had a .233/.276/.342 line. Though it's not like the catching market is plentiful, there's enough right-handed hitting options that can perform (at least) like that, so I'd say: Let him go.

Jon Rauch: It's not that a year with a 3.59 ERA, .99 WHIP, 42 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings was bad. I'm just not a fan of spending considerable money on a middle reliever who has never been all that dominant, especially when he was up and down and dealt with a cranky throwing elbow. Unless he comes cheaper than $3.5 million, I let him go.

Ramon Ramirez: When the righty came over from the San Francisco Giants, the Mets thought they were getting a solid middle reliever. Instead, he had one of his worst seasons with a 4.24 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. The Mets' bullpen was such a disaster this year thus I think it's time to turn the page on anyone they can, so I say: Let him go.

Chris Young: The giant right-hander pitched the most innings since 2007, throwing 115 and compiling a 4.15 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 6.26 K/9. While the Mets seem to have a solid core in their rotation, there are still some question marks and possible trades this offseason that could alter things. Nothing Young does is flashy, but as a fifth/sixth starter who will come cheap, I say: See what it takes to bring him back.

Tim Byrdak: Surgery to a torn anterior capsule on his left shoulder and one to clean up torn meniscus cartlage in his right knee means Byrdak is going to miss most of the 2013 season and makes this one easy. Let him go.

What is David Wright worth? Ryan Zimmerman's deal could offer some insight

Jimmy Hascup — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:02:40 -0000

While not expected to be anything too exciting, the New York Mets' offseason will be defined by what they end up doing with David Wright. General manager Sandy Alderson has made his intentions of keeping the third baseman clear, and there's already been reports that discussions with Wright's representatives have taken place. He is due $16 million in 2013, an option that is certain to be picked up by New York.

The big question that remains this offseason -- especially after the organization let Jose Reyes play out his final season and then let him walk -- is what Wright will command and whether the now fiscally-conscious Mets will anti-up and pay him market value. Speculation has already surfaced that negotiations will begin at $100 million. The New York Post's Joel Sherman on Saturday reported that after polling several team executives, the "terms that came up most often was about seven years at $127 million." That would make the extension's annual value slightly over $18 million. Essentially, because the Mets would pick up Wright's option, the total value of his contract would be eight years, $143 million. Is that too much? Should the Mets even entertain a contract like that?

As Sherman says, this is a pact that would make Wright, who has become the face of the franchise since entering the big leagues in 2004, the highest-paid Met in history, surpassing the $137.5 million Johan Santana received. The Mets would retain not only a superb player, but also all the intangibles: a great role model, clubhouse presence and someone who seems to genuinely want to stay in New York.

Third base has become one of the thinnest positions in the major leagues. There are literally only a handful of superstar-caliber players, with Wright included. One of the players who Wright has been linked to since he began hit the big leagues -- because they grew up playing together and now man the same position -- Ryan Zimmerman. The connections continue because Zimmerman just inked a six-year, $100 million extension ($16.67 million average annual value) last spring, making his total contract equal eight years, $126 million, and the executives Sherman spoke to believe topping Zimmerman's deal would be important to Wright and his agents.

Because of the similarities -- and most importantly: they're both considered top third baseman -- I've decided to compare the two players to give us some food for thought as to Wright's worth on the open market when using Zimmerman's deal as a benchmark. Below I've selected a variety of stats to see how the two stack up against each other.

	David Wright	Ryan Zimmerman
Games	1,262	990
Slash	.301/.391/.492	.287/.353/.479
Homeruns/ISO	204/.205	153/.191
SB	166	30
wOBA	.380	.353
WAR	47.0	34.6

First, it makes sense to point out that Wright will be 30 years old Dec. 20, while Zimmerman just turned 28 on Sept. 28. But while Wright may be older, he debuted about one year earlier than the Nationals' third baseman. Wright has played 272 more games and has 1,143 more at bats. Age certainly doesn't help in the durability department for Wright, but Zimmerman doesn't exactly have the best track record of being healthy, either, and that matters. Further, Wright rebounded last year to play 156 games after managing 102 in 2011. Zimmerman played in 145 last season.

Before we discuss the numbers in the chart, it's also worth noting that Zimmerman is considered the superior defender at third base, though he's had two down years based on his standards. Wright did make big strides in 2012, however, which is definitely a good sign.

No matter how you slice it, offensively, Wright is the better hitter. The Mets' third baseman has the the advantage in average, seeing it bounce back (.306) nicely in 2012 after a down, injury-plagued 2011. Wright's on-base percentage lead also doesn't come strictly from his average, either, as he has an 11.3 percent walk rate, compared to Zimmerman's 9.2 percent.
While Wright and Zimmerman are both considered to have plus-power for a third baseman, neither will be putting up massive homerun totals anytime soon. Wright has more based on the fact he's played more, but on a per-plate appearance basis, Wright has hit one every 26, while Zimmerman has left the park every 28 plate apperaances. Zimmerman had 25 longballs last year (to Wright's 21) and it wouldn't be surprising to see him reach 30 next season, though there's questions with Wright returning to that level because it's been two seasons (14, 21) where he hasn't shown that ability like earlier in his career. Still, on a raw-power perspective, Wright has a bit of an edge.
Weighted on-base percentage essentially explains how much value each player contributes per plate appearance, and Wright -- .380 to .353 -- clearly has the advantage there. In addition when measuring against league average and adjusting for ballpark factors, Wright's on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS+) trumps Zimmerman's, 135-121.
Despite his stolen-base efficiency (25 attempts, 15 steals) dropping off last year, New York's third baseman has is the speedier of the two, even if his thefts continue to slide as he ages.
Wins above replacement, which attempts to measure a player's total contributions (combining hitting, baserunning, fielding into one metric), shows Wright has the upper hand (even when boiling it down on a per-season basis) with a 12.4-win lead.

I know that nobody necessarily was arguing whether Wright is better than Zimmerman or vice versa, but I thought it would be a worthwhile endeavor to compare the two, because of how seemingly similar their careers have been. That Zimmerman just received a new contract also made it impossible to pass up. It's pretty evident, though, that Wright is the more complete player, thereby one who is worth more money. He may be older, but a contract that takes him until 37 for that money fair when comparing it to Zimmerman's (which will take him to 35.) Zimmerman's may be safer because of the "prime" years the Nationals are still paying for. No matter who extends Wright, it's hard to believe it won't be a slight overpayment. There's little chance he's worth that money by the end of the deal, especially when he's already beginning the contract on the wrong side of 30.

So, if you're the Mets (or more specifically the Wilpons and Alderson): What are you willing to give Wright? Or do you trade him?

NHL lockout 2012: More games lost, more frustration builds

Jimmy Hascup — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:49:11 -0000

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello might be onto something.

"Maybe we should do like they do with juries," he told the New York Post on Wednesday. "Lock them in a room until they reach a verdict."

Of course, these comments came a few days before the lights turned off on the chances of a full NHL season. Commissioner Gary Bettman had said a collective bargaining agreement had to be reached by Thursday in order to preserve the 82-game slate for each of the league's 30 teams. On Friday, word that we all expected came down (cue replay button): the league canceled more games, this time until Nov. 30. Three hundred and twenty-six games have been lost, or 26.5 percent of the season. The Jan. 1 Winter Classic could be next casualty because there's so much preparation involved for the big event. And that's the scary part.

Multiple reports have indicated that players believe the most important date is that event. The NHL reels in a ton of money that day. The problem is, that day isn't the big date during these talks. It's probably coming next week -- possibly Thursday.

Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said it best:

If [NHLPA head] Donald Fehr is not willing to go immediately to a 50-50 split in a $3.3 billion business, he's not going to do so when revenues take a gigantic hit. And considering both the union and the league are basing proposals on revenue growth, those proposals are both going to have to come off the table as revenues plummet.

This means totally new proposals. This means if Fehr and the union isn't budging now on their expectations, don't expect it to change once revenues drop. The players want to meet and start anew with no "pre-conditions". The owners, who pulled their initial proposal off the table, don't want to. The players want their existing contracts honored. The owners have a take-it-or-leave-it approach: the union's counterproposal incldued three separate deals that eventually reached the widely-agreed upon 50-50 hockey-related revenue split and these were rejected in minutes. The NHL only wanted the union to work off the framework of its proposal. Thus, here we are with no meetings scheduled and no hope in sight.

Russo says that the players are essentially fighting over $1.6 billion over six years, but they'll lose more than that by missing this season alone. They might have to deal with a short term-hit in order to gain the long-term advantage as salaries have increased by $1 million over the last eight years.

The obvious caveat here is that NHL can cancel the entire season, and that doesn't necessarily signify the that the whole season will be lost. A deal could (it won't) be reached Saturday and a full season could still be played. Both sides use the media to express their messages. The league crosses off games partially as a way to scare players. Fehr may be a great leader and the players may back him 100 percent. The reality is, though, that the league holds a lot of power here. By the middle of next week, the players will have missed their second paycheck. That matters. When they feel it in their wallets, they're more likely to cave to the owners' demands.

The biggest loss here is the fans who love the game (and hate the shenanigans). The sad reality is that each side continues to speak different languages in these negotiations. So instead of sitting down and hashing out an agreement so there's not a labor dispute every seven years, we sit here reading the childish barbs each side trades with one another ... all while more and more players to head overseas to earn a living and stay in shape.

With the way this situation has gone, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see this get worse before it gets any better. Brace yourselves, hockey fans.

Player profile: Knicks' Rasheed Wallace a veteran unknown

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:53:37 -0000

Rasheed Wallace has never been one to shy away from attention. His big mouth and antics have often overshadowed his usefulness on the court during his 15-year career. So it's no wonder that after two years of retirement, the 38-year-old has decided to hit the court again under the Broadway lights.

This time, though, the power forward has no assurances of a roster spot or playing time. The New York Knicks signed Wallace on Oct. 3 to a $1.7 million contract with no guarantees until Jan. 5, according to the New York Post, thus the two sides could part ways and the team would not be on the hook for the rest of the money owed.

Wallace has played 1,088 game in his career, so he's another veteran the Knicks brought in this offseason -- names that include Jason Kidd, Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby -- who adds to the league's oldest roster. The power forward is a four-time All-Star and won one NBA championship, in 2004 with the Portland Trailblazers, the team he spent eight years
with. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound Wallace has career averages of 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks and a career 33.7 percent mark from the 3-point line. Wallace has played for four other teams in his career, being drafted by the Washington Wizards (then Bullets), spending one game with the Atlanta Hawks, then being sent to the Detroit Pistons, where he spent just over five years. Even though he reached the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics in 2010, age took its toll that year and he struggled, ultimately deciding to call it quits.

Wallace wasn't exactly the same dynamic player he's been during his career with the Celtics in his "final" year, and he reportedly wasn't in the best shape during his tryout with New York. There has been no reports of injuries thus far in the preseason, yet it took him three weeks to take part in his first practice as he wasn't even fit for that. Now that his conditioning has improved, the big man seems close to game action, but it still doesn't appear like he'll play Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

Speaking of which, what should the Knicks expect from Wallace once he steps on the court? It's reassuring (or maybe not) that coach Mike Woodson has set very low expectations since Day 1.

"It's not like we're looking at a player who's going to play a lot of minutes," Woodson said as reported by ESPNNY. "He's an insurance policy and (a) what-if. "If he gets in and plays 5-10 minutes, we've got to hope it's the best 5-10 minutes to help us win basketball games. We've got enough guys on this team that we don't have to play guys a lot of minutes."

In most situations, Wallace would've probably received his pink slip by now. One day of practice. No games played. Two years off. Those aren't the words you want to hear, even if it's about the last man on the roster. Wallace's "stay" may be prolonged because Woodson says Wallace is closer to making an impact than Camby, who has dealt with a calf injury all preseason. Amare Stoudemire also is battling a knee injury and the team is "cautiously optimistic" that he'll return in two-to-three weeks. The season starts Nov. 1 and because of these injuries, the power forward has time to prove that he can be effective in short spurts.

For a few minutes a night, Wallace may be an effective post defender as someone who can clog the lane, and he still has at least the threat of the long-range shot that has always made him very tough to guard. But does he have anything else to offer? Is he over-the-hill? The Knicks may not have any other choice but to find that out -- but luckily, they've got another few months to see what's left in the tank.

NHL lockout 2012: Time running out on preserving full season

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:52:42 -0000

Six days ago, the NHL owners proposed what commissioner Gary Bettman said was their 'best shot' at saving the season. It brought newfound optimism into the collective bargaining negotiations if only because it was the first offer from either the owners or Players' Association in over a month.

Two days later, though, the union came back with a menu that consisted of three offers, all of which reached the 50-50 split the owners sought, even if it was a gradual fade to that amount. That Oct. 19 meeting lasted one hour, an especially ominous sign that Bettman confirmed, saying the two sides "weren't speaking the same language." Ever since, the talks have reached a staring contest. The two sides have "talked" -- they did so Sunday -- but they have not negotiated. While Katie Strang of ESPN.com reports discussions are expected to resume this week, there have been none scheduled as of Monday night.

In the meantime, the NHL on Oct. 20 canceled all games through Nov. 1. In its most recent proposal, the league said Oct. 25 would be the date that a new CBA had to be ironed out for the full season to be salvaged. Unless there's a serious change of heart in the next few days from one side to cave to the other's demands, that is is looking remote at this point. And that means a big chunk of games will likely be called off by the end of the week (as that also puts the fear factor into the players, too). In total, there have been 135 games "nixed," and that'll likely be official very soon. With the lockout 37 days old, and neither side willing to stray from its current offers, American League Hockey may be the best you can get for a while in the United States.

If you want to find the positives in all of this, as Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com alluded to, it's that at least common ground -- 50-50 revenue split -- has been established. Both sides have at least acknowledged through their offers that they are willing to work toward that. Haggerty likened this lockout to the NBA's because it had a very similar feel: a lax beginning, followed by some offers and a feel-good vibe and then not much of anything. It took the NBA another month to reach an agreement, and though the full season wasn't preserved, there was at least basketball eventually. Losing a month or so of games isn't necessarily a bad thing. The big loss would come from a scrapped season.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun tweeted Monday that he spoke to a team executive who said if there wasn't a deal this week or next week, there wouldn't be a season. While we might not see the full 82-game slate, there's no way anybody involved wants to miss the year -- at least at this point. That's just gamesmanship, which is something each side has become experts at during this frustrating time for hockey fans.

Player profile: Knicks' Marcus Camby still a defensive force

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:34:40 -0000

The drama surrounding fan favorite Jeremy Lin and his departure from New York may have taken most of the New York Knicks' offseason headlines, but it's the "smaller" moves -- including the addition of an old friend -- that could prove to be just as crucial.

The Knicks in early July dealt Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan in a sign-and-trade -- in addition to cash, second-rounders in 2014 and 15 -- for center Marcus Camby, who received a three-year, $13.2 million contract, with the third year only partially guaranteed. It was a move that symbolized the offseason for the Knicks: add depth and gain experience at relatively low costs.

Camby, a 17-year veteran who has competed for six teams, played for the Knicks early in his career, from 1998 to 2002, before being dealt to the Denver Nuggets for Antonio McDyess. Camby was a member of the last Knicks team to reach the NBA Finals, in 1999. That team lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.

New York is not bringing Camby back to add offense. The Camby Man averages only 9.7 points per game in his career and is pretty much entirely a rebounder and defensive specialist, averaging 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in 23 minutes last season, one that was spent with the Portland Trailblazers and Houston Rockets. Camby, who was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, will spell the 2012 winner and a guy whose game is very similar to his in Tyson Chandler at center. Chandler averaged 33.2 minutes last year, and he's also coming off the Summer Olympics, so a few more minutes resting on the bench will help him stay fresh and healthy as the year progresses, and that's where Camby fits in. The two figure to be one of the best one-two center defensive punches in the league.

Though he's not as spry as he once was, the 38-year-old is still athletic enough to get down the court, he is still an excellent rebounder and a plus shot blocker. Camby grabbed 22.8 percent of available misses last year, a mark that was the highest in the NBA, and he corralled the second-highest percentage of defensive rebounds in the league to Dwight Howard. He was fifth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage as well. He'll clog up the lane and and be the focal point of the team's second-unit defense. New York allowed 97.8 points per game last year (11th in the league) and adding someone like Camby, who only creates more opportunities with his ability to rack up boards, can only help to keep that number in the league's top half.

Of course the risk of having a player at the tail-end of his career is durability, and Camby has dealt with his fair share of injuries lately. Though he played in 59 of 66 games last year, he hasn't exactly been the staple of good health throughout his career, and that's not likely to change with age. In 2012, he's already dealing with a calf strain, and he hasn't practiced since early October. Camby has missed the Knicks' first two preseason games, with more absences likely. He's a guy at this stage of his career who probably doesn't need a whole lot of game time to get ready, but it's also a reminder of the frustrations that may persist throughout the season with an older player, especially one with as many mileage as Camby.

Marcus Camby

#23 / Center / New York Knicks

Height: 6-11

Weight: 235

Born: Mar 22, 1974

College: Massachusetts

NHL lockout 2012: Owners make proposal to save 82-game season

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:26:52 -0000

Just when it appeared the curtains were closing on a 2012-13 NHL campaign, commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners stepped up to the plate Tuesday afternoon with a proposal to save the season in its 82-game entirety. It was the first offer from either the owners or Players' Association in over a month.

The league's proposal includes a 50-50 split in hockey-related revenue and "includes a deferred salary plan" whereby ensuring that players receive money they're due in existing contracts. Under this plan, the regular season would start Nov. 2, and there would be a week-long training camp. Extra games would fit in once every five weeks.

Bettman called it the owners' 'best shot' to preserve the season, acknowledging that the deal would have to be completed in full within nine or 10 days to accomplish that.

According to Sportsnet's John Shannon, beyond the schedule and revenue aspects, the new proposal says unrestricted free agency would hit for players at age 28 or eight years of service, which is one year longer than it is now, and the longest contract lengths that players can sign is five years. Shannon says the length on existing contracts would remain "intact" and that entry-level deals will stay at three years.

The NHLPA and NHL have yet to set up a new meeting date, but it's expected to come in a day or two, after the union has reviewed and discussed the proposal. With the amount of shots thrown at each side over the past month -- plus a whole lot of going-through-the-motions negotiating -- this offer is a very promising sign that the owners are serious about playing hockey this year.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr alluded to as much:

"What our hope is is that after we review this that there will be a feeling on the players' side that this is a proposal from which we can negotiate and try and reach a conclusion," Fehr said, according to The Washington Times. "I would like to believe that after were done with this that it will be an excellent starting point and we can go forward and see if there's a deal to be made."

Shannon's source believes that the biggest hang-up in this offer could be capping free-agent contracts at five years, though, if what Bettman says is to be believed, this is a "long-term" collective-bargaining agreement that the players (and fans) have sought, thus they may be willing to take concessions on this component.

Regardless, the lack of backlash from Fehr and the players who have spoken out so far (whether that's in reports or on their personal Twitter accounts) is promising. There's finally legitimate movement, and, dare we say a breath of fresh air in these labor negotiations?

NHL lockout 2012: Tuesday labor talks important with more cancellations imminent

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:37:47 -0000

A puck hasn't been dropped in the NHL since June 11, 2012, and that's likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future. The NHL lockout is now a month old. Training camps have been canceled, the preseason is long gone and two weeks of the regular season (up to Oct. 24) have been called off. Many players have bolted to Europe to earn a paycheck, while some of the younger ones have been sent to the American Hockey League to stay sharp.

The owners and the NHL Players' Association have not met since Oct. 11 and the core economic issues haven't been discussed since the lockout began. But for those eternal optimists, the two sides will convene Tuesday in Toronto. Though they won't jump into the big issues per se, the negotiations are supposed to be about "ideas for moving the process forward on the main issues, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly. We're talking about baby steps here, but at least the two sides acknowledge (instead of just their empty words that say so) a new collective bargaining agreement won't be reached without these topics -- percentage of revenue, contract length, arbitration, entry level contracts, age of free agency and revenue sharing -- at least being touched on in some level.

As summarized by The Sporting News: The owners want the players to take a cut in the percent of revenue they earn in salary, and their first offer centered on the players taking a 43 percent share (compared to their 57 percent currently). The union's proposal netted them more than 50 percent and centered their share to projected growth of the NHL, which the league disagrees with. A 50-50 split seems like the inevitable solution, but neither side has been willing to compromise to that level.

Make no mistake about it: Tuesday's meetings will be very important for the season's hopes. SportsBusiness Journal's Chris Botta says, "NHL went easy with soft first cancellation of games. Had no impact. League will go big this week." Some headway on the major issues could be the determining factor to how quickly -- and how many games -- the NHL knocks off the regular season slate. A "meeting" -- also known as just going through the motions as the sides act like they care -- like the many others that have occurred since the work stoppage commenced likely means you can cross off November hockey.

Let's take a look at what Rangers, Devils and Islanders are up to during the NHL lockout.

RANGERS: Ryan McDonagh recently signed in the KHL. The defenseman is averaging 23:21 ice time in two games and has two assists. ... Rick Nash is owning the Swiss League like you'd expect a superstar NHL player to do. He has six goals and an assist in seven games. ... Carl Hagelin has signed to play with Sodertalje SK in Sweden, and he has two assists in his only game. ... Henrik Lundqvist recently went home to Sweden. He has acknowledged interest in playing for his hometown team, but hasn't started playing just yet. It seems inevitable, though. ... Chris Kreider has two assists in two AHL games.

DEVILS: Ilya Kovalchuk is owning the KHL right now for St. Petersburg SKA. He has five goals and nine assists in seven games, and he's also a plus-eight. ... Anton Volchenkov is also in the KHL. In two games, he's averaged 19:30 in ice time and is pointless. ... Marek Zidlicky, in the Czech League, has played in ten games, has six assists and 16 penalty minutes. ... The AHL season is still very young, so none among this group -- Jacob Josefson, Adam Henrique, Mattias Tedenby or Adam Larsson -- have points yet. Big numbers should be expected for Henrique, while Larsson gets an elevated role and North American experience.

ISLANDERS: John Tavares has done just fine in the Swiss League, accumulating seven points (three goals, four assists) in five games. ... He's teammates on Bern with Islanders captain Mark Streit. In nine games, the blueliner has three goals and four assists. ... Lubomir Visnovsky has two goals and a helper with Bratislava of the KHL. ... The young Islanders who were eligible to be sent to the AHL have gotten off to a fast start. Physical defenseman Travis Hamonic has three assists in two games, to go with 12 penalty minutes. ... Twenty-year-old Nino Niederreiter has two goals and two assists. He has the talent to be a great player in the NHL, but he has been overwhelmed so far, so he should benefit greatly from AHL action.

New York Mets 2012 season in review: Another depressing year in Queens

Jimmy Hascup — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:27:53 -0000

When you boil down the 2012 season, the New York Mets fulfilled expectations. Granted, they weren't all that big to begin with.

For the first half of the season, the Mets, in some regards, were one of the feel-good stories in the league: at the All-Star break, they were 46-40, were being carried at the plate by David Wright and on the mound by some excellent starting pitching. This was a spunky team, one that had a lot of fight for the most part. But as the second half wore on, their true colors showed. New York finished with a 74-88 record, fourth in the National League East, 10th-worst in the major leagues. To break it down even more, the Mets went 28-48 after the break. For the most part, the starting pitching stayed stable, the bullpen continued to struggle and the bats dried up with Wright fading.

The losing season was the Mets' fourth in a row ... but just because it wasn't the best year doesn't mean there weren't some good things to come from it. As we put a bow on the 2012 season, let's take a look at the good and the bad (along with my grade) and what the future could have in store. Let me also make this clear: It's very hard for me to analyze every player and every aspect of every player in a season-review post, so I chose many of the "bigger" names.

Starting Pitching - B+

It's a shame we're starting here, because the starting pitching on a whole was one of the rare bright spots on this team and the rest of the other areas will be riddled with depressing realities. Their starters' ERA was 3.83, 11th in the majors (the Rays had the best, a 3.34 mark), headlined by R.A. Dickey's Cy Young-caliber season (2.73 ERA, 8.86 K/9 in 233 2/3 innings). All the superlatives you want to use about a starter -- ace, stopper, unhittable, someone worth paying to see -- can be applied to Dickey, who also won 20 games, though I'm not factoring that in here. Dickey's 4.6 Wins Above Replacement (per Fangraphs) ranked 13th in the majors, sixth in the NL. After Dickey, the Mets' most valuable starter based on WAR was Jon Niese, who was worth 2.4. Niese's BABIP regressed this season, he continued to generate a lot of ground balls and cut down his walks, helping him work to a career-best 3.40 ERA and establish himself as a solid mid-rotation starter. Johan Santana pitched the franchise's first no-hitter, then saw his season detonate, giving up six earned runs or more in six of his final 10 starts. He was shut down in mid-August and finished with a 4.85 ERA. Dillon Gee had a 4.10 ERA in 109 2/3 innings before his year ended with a blood clot. Even so, he was the team's third-highest-valued starter, as he saw his K rate increase to near-8, his walks dip and generated 50 percent groundballs. Chris Young made 20 starts, tossing 115 innings, and pitched to the tune of a 4.15 ERA. With injuries in the rotation, Jeremy Heffner also got a chance, seeing mixed results with a 5.32 ERA; he's likely no more than a long-man in the bullpen or a spot starter. Through a season that spiraled downward, Matt Harvey gave the franchise a breath of fresh air, throwing 59 1/3 innings, striking out 10.62 per nine innings and giving up 42 hits to finish with a 2.73 ERA. There's a lot to like about his power arm: he allowed more than two runs twice in 10 starts, finished with a 1.1 WAR and showed the makings of a staff ace with a mid-90s fastball, power slider and plus change up.

Future: Promising. The bedrock on which every succesful team is built on is starting pitching. Even with Dickey probably due for some regression and Santana an unknown, the rotation has enough pieces to be very good. Plus, top prospect Zach Wheeler is also waiting in the wings, meaning the Mets have two "homegrown" young starters with the frontline ability.

Bullpen - F

This was a total disaster, pretty much from top to bottom. The group finished with a 4.65 ERA, 0.01 shy of the Brewers' league-worst mark. Altogether, the Mets blew 24 saves and many more games were sent out of reach because of shoddy bullpen work. What makes this even more noteworthy is that Alderson allocated most of his limited budget last offseason to this area. And the results were terrible. "Closer" Frank Francisco finished with a 5.53 ERA, battling injuries and ineffectiveness. Ramon Ramirez, who was supposed to be used in a set-up role, also wasn't all the great, ending the year with a 4.24 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Jon Rauch was up and down, ending the year with a 3.59 ERA, but was Alderson's best offseason bullpen addition. Manny Acosta had a bullpen-worst (those with substantial innings) 6.46 ERA, while youngster Elvin Ramirez had a 5.48 mark. Tim Byrdak's season ended after an injury and a 4.40 ERA in 30 2/3 inning, so even he was disappointing. Robert Carson and Josh Edgin showed flashes of dominance, but also reminded us of their youth. In the end, the team's bullpen "MVP" was Bobby Parnell. The flamethrower finished the year with a 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and an 8.00 K/9 mark, also picking up a handful of stress-free saves as the season wound down.

Future: Can't be much worse. The bullpen is likely to be re-worked, again, this winter. Young players like Carson and Edgin could get their chances. Does Jenrry Mejia stick in the pen? Will Jeurys Familia be in the rotation or bullpen? It's really tough to pin down what the 'pen will look like in 2013, but it clearly needs to be revamped.

Infield - C+

All you have to do to understand the position players' seasons is see the drop off in WAR. David Wright finished with a 7.8 mark ... and second-place Ruben Tejada came in at 2.0 (Scott Hairston finished with 2.0). To put it simply, Wright had an MVP-caliber season. Even though he tailed off in the second half, he was worth the fifth-most wins in the major leagues, smacking 21 home runs, driving in 93, scoring 91 times and stealing 15 bases. His splits -- ..306 average, .391 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage -- tell only half the story as he also had his best season with the glove, per Fangraphs' fielding metrics. Tejada played a decent shortstop and showed he can hold his own with the bat -- .289/.333/.351 -- but also not hit for any power (one home run in 464 at-bats). In fact, this team finished 22nd in home runs with 139. Davis had one of the ugliest first-halfs I could ever remember -- .201/.271/.388 -- but he still ended the year with great power numbers (32 HR, 90 RBI), albeit an abysmal .227 average (that should normalize next year as his .246 BABIP ticks up). Daniel Murphy did his thing at the plate (.291/.332/.403) and in the field, which wasn't a whole lot. And catcher (Josh Thole, Mike Nickeas Kelly Shoppach) remained a black hole.

Future: Mixed. The biggest question is whether Wright gets locked up long-term. Without him, an OK unit grows much weaker. There aren't a lot of secure spots on this team. Tejada is assured a spot, but Davis and Murphy could be elsewhere at the start of the season. Understand, though, that Alderson realizes this team needs power, meaning Davis likely doesn't go unless power is brought in somewhere else. It's clear this team needs a better solution at catcher, too.

Outfield - D

This was probably one of the worst groups in the major leagues. Hairston's surface stats in just 377 at-bats are nice. Yeah, he hit 20 home runs, drove in 57 and had a .504 SLG. But he also finished the year with a .299 OBP and remained nothing more than a platoon player against lefties. Andres Torres manned centerfield for most of the year, and did it adequately, but it certainly didn't make up for his .230/.327/.337 showing at the plate. Jason Bay got 194 chances at the plate and his numbers were so terrible they might make you stop reading: .165/.237/237 with eight home runs and 20 RBI. Lucas Duda was mired in such a deep slump, he spent time in Triple-A to get him back on track. He ended the year with 401 at-bats and a .239/.329/.389 line. Sure, he finished with 15 home runs, but he hasn't shown the consistency over a full year to be relied upon. And he's also a statue in the outfield. Kirk Nieuwenhuis amassed 282 at-bats and had some beginner's luck, then was exposed, ultimately getting sent down. His season concluded with seven home runs, and a .252/.315/.376 line. While Jordany Valdespin showed some power, with eight home runs in 191 at-bats, he also had a .241 average. He's also very unproven and is a man without a position. Mike Baxter had a nice season, but is also no more than a depth outfielder.

Future: A mess. Way too many "buts" and not enough everyday-caliber players to make me a believer. Duda will have the best chance to stake a starting job, but after that, this outfield could also be very new next season. I think a center fielder addition is Priority No. 1. Could someone like Denard Span or Peter Bourjos work? It's hard to believe the outfield could be any worse next year, but that doesn't mean it'll be all that good, either.

Front Office/Coaching - B-

I'm not here to dissect manager Terry Collins' every move. The fact is this is a team without a lot of talent. There were a lot of moments to be proud off -- this team showed heart, but that doesn't overcome the lack of quality ballplayers. Collins worked with what he had, gave some young players chances, as he tried to stay competitive while also evaluating. Alderson's moves of improving the bullpen didn't pan out. It's hard to judge him on a whole because he hasn't done all that much nor been here all that long but this offseason should present a clearer picture. The farm system is a work in progress, but it's improving.

Future: Trades/growing the minor league system. The Mets aren't the free-spending franchise of yesteryear. Until the books are cleared of Santana's and Bay's contracts, we won't really get a chance to see how the general manager will target free agents and what kind of contracts he doles out. That leaves him with really one option this offseason (one he's acknowledged he'll be active in) and that's the trade market. I'm skeptical as to the value he'll receive but there's always the chance other general managers will value someone high enough to net a beneficial return. It's clear, especially on the position-player front, that there needs to be some shuffling. For now, though, the best way to build this team is through the draft/farm system ... and that means patience will be needed.

NHL lockout 2012: Games called off through Oct. 24

Jimmy Hascup — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 03:05:01 -0000

With each passing day, a 2012-13 NHL season is becoming more like a dream scenario. The owners and Players' Association last met Tuesday and do not have another negotiating session on tap. Thus, Thursday's news that the league has canceled the the first two weeks of the regular season through Oct. 24 comes as no surprise.

Eighty-two games across the NHL are now wiped out, with neither side showing any signs that they are eager to present a new collective-bargaining proposal. Owners continue to stand pat on their demands to cut the players' share of hockey-related revenue, while players continue stand united, unwilling to cave to the demands. Day by day, more players are bolting to Europe, with more considering that option as the likelihood of a season in North America grows bleaker.

Sixteen of the games belong to the New York-area teams. With renovations to Madison Square Garden again taking place with what figured to be early this season, the New York Rangers were due to begin with eight straight games on the road. Five games are now off the board, with the big ones being the season opener against the Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 12 and a date with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 17. There's nothing like starting the year off against the defending champs, and that would've been a good immediate test for this Rangers group. Of course, there's nothing better in these parts than a tilt between the Devils and Rangers, either.

The Devils also had five games scheduled to open the year, one away, followed by three straight at home and one more on the road. The highlights include a battle to open the year (Oct. 12) against the Washington Capitals, whom New Jersey was 3-1 against last year with two wins being decided in the shootout. The Bruins were also on the slate, during the Devils' home opener, which would've been the next day.

The New York Islanders were due to begin the season against the high-flying Pittsburgh Penguins on the road Oct. 12, a difficult challenge but a way to gauge this team's maturity/experience progression from the get-go. A day later, they were supposed to host the Philadelphia Flyers in their home opener.

The "good" news is that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that if an agreement was reached relatively soon, the league would "reconfigure schedule in a way that would maximize season consistent with health and safety concerns for the players," as reported by ESPN's Scott Burnside.

But a day like this one is never complete without comments from each side. The NHLPA, in essence, blamed the owners, while the league expressed optimism that a deal would get done, saying it was "extremely disappointed" and that everyone involved deserves "better."

Click here for their full comments.

NHL Lockout 2012: Where are Rangers, Devils, Islanders playing during work stoppage?

Jimmy Hascup — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 04:24:18 -0000

The NHL lockout is just over two weeks old. Training camps have been cancelled, the preseason nixed. If the owners and Players' Association can't come to an agreement very soon, the regular season will begin to lose games as well.

Because of all this uncertainty, many players already have jumped ship to go play in Europe. Many young players with the ability to play in the American Hockey League have been sent to minor league training camp, as the NHL lockout won't affect this league. That means competition could be stronger than ever there, as the AHL becomes NHL lite.

That being said, which players from New York-area teams have gone to play overseas and which younger players (with the most recognizable names) are heading to the AHL? All players who have gone to Europe have opt-out clauses to return to the NHL, if/when there is a deal.

Let's break it down so you know what some of your favorites are up to.

New York Rangers

Rick Nash: The decision to bolt the States for Europe was met with some scorn from fans because most of the Rangers have decided to stay in New York for now to work out together. Nash made his move for HC Davos in Switzerland very early. In three games, he has three goals, which shouldn't be all that surprising in a weaker league. He dodged a bullet in the last game he played, though, being removed early for what was a shoulder bruise. Some feared much worse.

Carl Hagelin: The speedster was born in Sweden, so it's not surprising that within the past few days he's decided to head to Sodertalje SK, his hometown team. He will depart for Sweden next week. He had 24 goals and 31 assists in 40 games there in 2006-07, the last season before he headed to the University of Michigan.

Chris Kreider: Kreider is still a very green NHL player, despite his great showing in 18 games of the playoffs. Because he's still eligible to play in the AHL, he'll bide his time there until an agreement is reached. It can't necessarily be a bad thing for his development, especially because the level of talent in the league has increased so much.

New Jersey Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk: It's no surprise at all that the Devils' sniper went to play in Russia for SKA St. Petersburg right away. So many Russian players departed as soon as the lockout was beginning. This was the same team that tried to lure him when he was a restricted free agent in 2010. He played for AK Bars Kazan during the 2004-05 lockout, recording 19 goals and 41 points.

Adam Henrique: One of the NHL's top rookies last year, Henrique was sent the the AHL. It's another team using their ability to assign a young player to the AHL to keep him playing, instead of sitting at home.

Adam Larsson: The defenseman played in 65 games (plus only once in the playoffs) last year, but he's still just 19 and often seemed overwhelmed. The AHL time should be beneficial for the Swede as he continues to adjust to the North American game.

New York Islanders

John Tavares: The 22-year-old just enjoyed an 81-point campaign, and it's clear that for many, life is boring without action. He's heading to Bern in Switzerland, joining his teammate Mark Streit. He has yet to play a game, but Tavares should light it up there.

Mark Streit: Bern is Streit's hometown team, so it's not a shocker he decided to play here during the work stoppage. He's played in two games, notching an assist and four penalty minutes.

Lubomir Visnovsky: The defenseman has yet to play a shift for the Islanders since being acquired in the offseason, and that'll be delayed even more now. He inked a deal in the Kontinental Hockey League with HC Slovan Bratisalava. In three games, he already has two points.

Travis Hamonic: The 2008 second-round pick had 24 points and a team-high plus-6 rating in his first full season. He also had 175 hits and 157 blocked shots. The promising shutdown blueliner will be able to hone his game in the AHL.

Nino Niederreiter: This seems like a case where, if Niederreiter wasn't eligible to be assigned to the AHL, he'd perhaps entertain playing in his native Switzerland. At least now he can stick with the organization in the AHL. He had a tough time last season, scoring just once in 55 games, so this AHL time (where he spent six games last year) could be very valuable for him.

NHL Lockout 2012: Owners, union continue to meet, but only discussing secondary issues

Jimmy Hascup — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 01:50:57 -0000

The good news is that for the first time since Sept. 12 -- three days before the NHL lockout became official -- the owners and the Players' Association have met. And when Sunday concludes, they will have done so for three straight days. The bad news is that the two sides have not discussed the component -- how to split hockey-related revenue -- that in essence has spurred the work stoppage.

Make no mistake about it: the sheer fact that the owners and players continue to meet is a great sign. However, until the core economic issues are hammered out, this lockout is still very much far from over.

Over the past two days, the sides have convened to discuss the secondary components that will still go to the creation of a new collective bargaining agreement. On Friday, topics such as medical care, drug testing, training camp and the schedule were touched on and meetings lasted for seven hours. On Saturday, the two sides went over the definitions of what comprises hockey-related revenue and that lasted about four hours. In theory, a mutual agreement of what its "definition" is should help the basis of the next proposal, whether that's by the owners or players. One would think that when the grey areas are cleared up, the next CBA offer should be a little more "acceptable."

Of course, when the next proposal will be made remains the big question. Time is ticking down to where the new CBA has to be agreed upon or regular season games will start to be crossed off. Some have said that a new deal will have to be reached by the middle of the coming week as the season starts Oct. 11 and it will take time for the players, coaches and other personnel to get ready. It's not like a deal gets done Sunday, teams will begin training camps the next day, especially with many players already overseas or still at home, away from their team's city.

Sunday, the agenda likely will include health and safety issues and other legal topics, according to the Sporting News. More talk on the definition of hockey-related revenue could also be revisited because a mutual agreement was not found just yet.

Even though commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Donald Fehr did not attend these meetings with the group, they had their own, private talks.

Leave it to Fehr to describe the nature of these:

"I spent a few minutes with Gary talking about the overall situation, and we agreed to keep in touch," Fehr said Saturday, as reported by the Sporting News. "I am sure we will talk again (Sunday). I don't know whether will meet again (Sunday). That remains to be seen.

"I am not going to talk about the specifics, but in general we're trying to discuss how do we find a way to make an agreement. How do we bridge the gap on the major issues that are between us."

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Friday said that the owners needed to hear from the players that they would compromise on the hockey-related revenue split in order to for the "meaningful issues" to be discussed. As such, Daly even acknowledged Saturday that topics talked about this weekend have been considered the " underbrush." That means nothing is likely to get done without the players budging. If the general feelings of players that the union is stronger than ever is correct, we could still be in for a long work stoppage and even a lost season. The silver lining remains that the two sides will be meeting for the third straight day Sunday and nothing can ever get done without that happening.

NHL Lockout 2012: No Movement, NHL Says NHLPA Needs To Budge

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:18:35 -0000

When we last convened about a week ago, the NHL lockout was a few days old and there was very little in the way of optimism that a new collective bargaining agreement was in the works and would save the season. So where do we stand Sept. 24? Exactly the same spot we were in then, except with a little less hockey.

Over the past week, the NHL has canceled training camps and it has called off preseason games for the month of September. Rumblings have even surfaced that the Winter Classic would be canceled in November, if there was no CBA in place, according to the Toronto Star. Many players have started heading to Europe, many of the younger ones have been sent to the minors (American Hockey League is not locked out) and others are mulling their options: the longer the lockout lasts, the more likely they play abroad.

There has been no formal meetings between the league and the NHL Players' Association; in fact, there's been more bashing from each sides than there has been rumors of another meeting in the works. Players talk of how the league is greedy, while the owners say the players need to make concessions. Detroit Red Wings vice president Jim Devellano likened the players to "cattle," with the owners considered the "ranch," saying the "owners simply aren't going to let a union push them around," according to the Detroit Free Press.

The owners want to pay the players much less than the 57 percent of hockey-related revenues they currently earn, while the players want to hold onto 52 percent of the pie by fusing their shares with projected growth.

But as the shots -- which have, sadly, not occurred on the ice -- are being taken, Monday night offered a "promising" sign in that the league hopes to meet with the NHLPA in Toronto this week ... for the first time since Sept. 12. Still, there's no date announced, though both sides' main figures will be in Toronto. The way negotiations have gone up to this point, optimism should be dulled, but there's never going to be a new CBA if the two sides never meet. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Monday met with some of the union -- commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Donald Fehr were not in attendance -- to go over accounting for last season, but there were no CBA talks.

However, Fehr, in his session with reporters, did acknowledge that the NHL does not want to lose any games.

"We're 100 percent focused on not missing any regular-season games," Daly said, according to the Sporting News. "And hopefully we can achieve that objective."

Still, even though Daly talks the talk to in order to look like the "good guy," his other statements signify that in order for a deal to get done, the players really are going to have to give in, which they've said wouldn't happen because the union is stronger than ever.

"I think it's fair to say we feel like we need to hear from the players' association in a meaningful way, because I don't think they've really moved off of their initial proposal, which was made more than a month ago," Daly said, a ccording to the National Post.

The regular season is set to start Oct. 11. Teams don't really need that many preseason games to get ready, but it's clear a significant amount of progress is going to have to be made at this forthcoming meeting for there to even be some hope for an 82-game season.

NHL Lockout 2012: The Sad Reality Is Here

Jimmy Hascup — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 02:57:09 -0000

Well, the moment we've all been dreading has come to fruition. The NHL has officially entered its third work stoppage since 1994, and when you count the stoppage for the players' strike in 1992, it makes four in 20 years. The league has locked out its players and there doesn't seem to be much hope that a deal will be finalized in the near future.

Teams haven't canceled training camps, but that's imminent, as they were set to begin Sept. 21. The next step would be knocking out the preseason, which was due to start Sept. 23. And the real dagger comes when regular season games are erased; the season is supposed to start Oct. 11. For now, there remains limited hope that a deal could get done before that date -- after all, teams don't necessarily need six games to get ready for the for the "real thing."

Sure, the hope is there that the season won't be lost, but the reality is it seems like a certainty at this point because the league's owners and its players remain far apart in negotiations. They didn't even speak on deadline day, that's how much of an impasse remains. What's the big sticking point? While the collective bargaining agreement is very convoluded, the biggest hurdle remains as to how the two sides will split hockey-related revenue. The NHL made a record $3.3 billion last year.

The last lockout was solved when the players agreed to a salary cap and 24 percent rollback of existing contracts in exchange for 57 percent of that revenue. Now, though, commissioner Gary Bettman says that owners think the percentage the plaeyrs receive is too high, while the NHLPA has no intentions to make further concessions. To understand these negotiations, see that the NHL first proposed a 14-percent cut to the players. That has increased increased to 46 percent now, though. Still, it's a significant cut and the players still aren't biting, and they want at least $1.8 billion in salaries paid out in the 2011-12 season annually. The players have proposed a deal in which they'd receive about 52 percent of the revenue.

So how long could this work stoppage last? Agent Scott Norton suggested the lockout could last for a year and half. That doesn't seem very likely because the league nor its players would want to further damage the game in that regard. Some believe the earliest time the season could begin is Thanksgiving and some believe it could be the Winter Classic on New Year's.

The first sign that something could be cooking will be when the NHL Players' Association and NHL owners convene to have some serious discussions, and not just go through the motions of a meeting without either side willing to be creative or make some concessions. When it comes down to it, though, it's a cruel situation for the players. They are the product. They are, in essence, what makes the owners and the league money. But the owners pay their checks and it's more than likely that the players will have to bend, despite a strong and unified union with Donald Fehr at the helm, in order to get the 2012-13 season underway.

New York Mets: Who Should Stay And Who Should Go?

Jimmy Hascup — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:03:14 -0000

The New York Mets are headed for their fourth straight season in which they will have lost at least 83; in fact, they could eclipse the 90-mark for the second time in four years. With the team's continued struggles, spurs questions about its future, from the coaches through the roster. General manager Sandy Alderson on Friday gave the coaching staff a vote of confidence, signifying that manager Terry Collins won't be the culprit for another losing season.

I am not a fan of pointing the blame solely on a manager for a team's struggles. In addition, when you look at the Mets, they're so talent stricken that it wouldn't be fair for Collins to be scapegoat. Making a move to get rid of the manager, again after two years, is misguided and a sign that the front office doesn't fully recognize the flaws in the organization. Alderson has always seemed to have a wide feel of this team and he's an intelligent person so it's not shocking he's going to give Collins a little more time. Ultimately, though, the tell-tale sign would be if the Mets were more equipped and had the horses to truly contend. Some could point to Orioles manager Buck Showalter and say look what he's done. Yes, the O's play in a difficult division. Yes, he's done wonders with a patchwork rotation. But you could make the rotation that Baltimore has more talent than the Mets and Showalter pushed the right buttons and said the right things (with a little luck involved) to push them into contention. I'm not saying Collins isn't to blame, but I think it's an organization-wide thing, and it's not just on the manager.

With all of that being said, it's only fitting to discuss some of the bigger names on the roster and whether they deserve to be in the team's long-term plans. A few caveats apply: The Mets are a team thin on big-league hitters (even those close to the minors) and they seem well-positioned with their pitching. It's also a franchise that isn't about to spend like it used to and the payroll will probably sit between $90-100 million next season. Finally, this team is likely more than one move away from contending and has a few impossible-to-move contracts. New York, as much as fans don't like to hear it, should really be in rebuild mode.

Who should stay:
Let's be honest here, there aren't a lot of candidates for this portion. Nearly every player here is a pitcher. R.A. Dickey should be locked up until his career ends. He's been a total steal for the Mets and won't command a very long contract to keep in New York. Matt Harvey is probably the most untouchable piece on this team right now. He impressed in the minors, but his stuff (velocity and pitch quality) has ticked up a notch since his recall to the majors, and he now has bonafide No. 1 ability. He's someone you build around, and even though he's still got a lot to prove, he's affordable and that's also an important factor on this team. Zack Wheeler hasn't even pitched at the major league level but he's not someone who is going to be moved, and he has ace ceiling. Young guys like Jeurys Familia and Collin McHugh the Mets shouldn't be in a rush to move. Either should 22-year-old Jenrry Mejia; this team needs potential.

A 1-2-3 of R.A. Dickey, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler in the near future is impressive. In fact, the Mets' rotation -- because Johan Santana won't be moving -- with it including Jon Niese and Dillon Gee is a major asset. I would not move the latter two players unless the Mets could get young hitters back. There are a few factors that play into the idea of moving Niese: he's 25, signed to a manageable contract, continues to improve and he's a lefty. Combine those things and you get someone who could be coveted. Still, without acquiring position-player help, I don't see how moving him helps.

Ruben Tejada is the one slam-dunk keeper for me. Shortstop has a very low offensive threshold and Tejada has shown he has the makings to be one. Solid in the field, he's also grown at the plate. He's still just 22 years old is batting .292/.340/.359. Jordany Valdespin, 24, is raw, but I say you give him a longer look

On the fence:
David Wright has a team option that will likely be picked up this offseason, but then he'll be a free agent. By the time his new contract kicks in -- and it'll be long-term -- he'll almost be 31. He's the face of the franchise, so losing him would be catastrophic. And he's a legitimate MVP candidate this season. WIthout the public relations nightmare that could ensue if he left, I'd say he should be dealt. This team isn't championship-caliber with him, so spinning him off for a few high-end prospects would continue to fertalize a thin prospect pool. He's my favorite Met, but I also see the long-term implications here ... it might end up being in their best interest to send him packing.

Who should go:
This triggers the question: Who is legitimately a major league player you could see on a World Series-winning team? Much of this is a projection question. Daniel Murphy is a good hitter and has been OK at second base, but he's really a utility guy on a good team. He's someone who could be parted with. Ike Davis has had a very poor year average wise, but he has shown very nice power. This is more of a question of, What does his future value hold? I don't think he's a cornerstone first-base type, but a complementary guy on a good team. I'm not saying you do whatever it takes to move him, but if the right package comes along he isn't someone whose a dealbreaker for me. Lucas Duda has plus power but won't ever be a big average guy or monster hitter in an outfield corner. Which also brings up the other problem, he's not much of a fielder at any position ... and more of a DH type. Andres Torres isn't a building block. Kirk Nieuwenhuis was overwhelmed the longer he faced major league pitching and is probably a fourth outfielder. Players like Jason Bay and Santana should be traded immediately, but we have to be realistic: the chances of that is probably in the negatives. Players like Justin Turner, Ronny Cedeno, Josh Thole and even everyone in the bullpen is expendable. The bullpen was a major weakness this season and nobody's job should be safe.

Moral of the story: Ultimately, there are a lot of variables involved with which players should be kept and which should be moved. At this point, though, I think the Mets would benefit from a full rebuild and a continued philosophical shift at building from within. We've seen across the majors that a stocked farm system goes a long way to building a consistent contender.

New York Mets Prospect Rankings: Zack Wheeler Among The Game's Best

Jimmy Hascup — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 02:11:57 -0000

When the season started, the New York Mets' prospect list was headlined by a man added at the 2011 trade deadline. As this campaign comes to an end, that same pitcher, Zack Wheeler, still takes the cake in the MLB Prospect Watch rankings, which has been updated this month.

Even though they play in New York, the Mets are a team in rebuild mode. A payroll that continues to decline -- which still includes some crippling contracts -- and a team with limited depth that has fizzled since it's fluky-good early start, Sandy Alderson and his staff are in it for the long haul when it comes to infusing young talent into the organization. Many teams have turned to developing their own own players rather than spending -- almost always foolishly -- year after year on big-ticket free agents. The Mets are now in that mode. The Mets' system still leaves a lot to be desired, as MLB.com ranks it 17th overall, though it did stand 20th at the start of the season.

Let's take a look at the team's top-five prospects:

1) Zack Wheeler
2) Matt Harvey
3) Jeurys Familia
4) Wilmer Flores
5) Brandon Nimmo

Perhaps the most exciting news for the Mets is that Wheeler, who was involved in the Carlos Beltran swap, is a thought of as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. MLB.com slots him in at seventh among all prospects. Not only has he enjoyed a sensational year -- 149 innings, 3.26 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 115 hits, 148 strikeouts -- he is on the brink of reaching the major leagues and could conceivably crack the opening day rotation.

To include Harvey in this list seems a bit cheap, as he's already thrown 47 1/3 innings at the majors. He was considered the 25th-best prospect, but that could be an underestmation of his talent. His stuff at the majors has ticked up a notch (in velocity, now easy mid-90s, and sharpness), his command has been serviceable and the results have shown it: 3.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 36 hits allowed, 53 strikeouts. He appears to have the makings to be a front-of-the-rotation horse.

Familia has an excellent arm and the Mets have kept him in the rotation in the minors because his stuff is that good ... however, his command and control are below average. In the minors, he threw 137 innnings, walked 73, gave up 145 hits and fanned 128. His ERA was 4.73 and WHIP 1.59. He's up for a cup of coffee in the majors now, and it really seems like he'll end up as a power arm in the bullpen.

Still just 21, Flores has always been young for his league but appeared to stall (numbers dipped across the board) last season when played a full year at Class A after already being there for about a half a season the year before. This season, though, the third baseman has taken off. He began the year in Class A, earned a promotion to Double-A at mid-season and has continued to rake at the higher level. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage also increased. Altogether, he has 18 home runs, 75 RBI, .300 average, .349 OBP and .479 SLG.

Nimmo, 19, is still a ways away. Selected in the first round of the 2011 draft out of Whyoming, the outfielder possessed the raw ability but not a lot of high-end competition to back it up. In short-season A-Ball, (69 games) Nimmo had a .248 average, six home runs, 40 RBI, and a .406 slugging percentage. His approach also seems pretty advanced as he also had a .372 OBP.

BONUS: Wheeler may be the most exciting, but the best news for the organization may be the leap 2012 first-round pick Gavin Cecchini made from his early-season ranks. He jumped 15 spots to sixth on the Mets' list. The shortstop hit .246/.311/.330 with one home run, and 22 RBI in Rookie Ball. The numbers don't look too amazing, but he's only 18 years old and obviously impressed MLB.com's scouts enough for him to merit such an ascension.