SBNation.com User Blog: METSMETSMETS

What you have received

METSMETSMETS — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 01:58:26 -0000

What you have received

In R.A. Dickey

Does Jake Arrieta Make Sense?

METSMETSMETS — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:11:12 -0000

After trading R.A. Dickey, the Mets seem to be scouring the market for a viable replacement, mainly looking through what some might call "#3s" or "Back end starters" to put the finishing touches on what one can generously call an interesting rotation.

Shaun Marcum, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang, Chris Young and Carl Pavano all seem to be targets for the Mets to fill the spot once held by a Cy Young winner. None of these options seem particularly terrible, and while some are clearly better than others, getting any one of these guys at a bargain price would be a good signing/trade.

Still, though, I believe that the Mets can do better, and by better, I mean Jake Arrieta. The Mets have yet to be linked to Arrieta, but if we have learned anything from Alderson & Co. that really doesn't seem to make much of a difference. The Orioles, who will begin next season with Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Jason Hammel and Miguel Gonzalez certainly in the rotation, and are courting mid-2012 acquisiton Joe Saunders to round out the end of their rotation. If they sign Saunders, they will have a set 5-man rotation, 6 bullpen slots already filled, and Brian Matusz, Steve Johnson, Jake Arrieta, and Zach Britton all fighting to remain relevant with Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman likely on the fast track to the bigs. Matusz had success in limited time in the bullpen toward the end of last season for the Orioles, and would be the second lefty to accompany Troy Patton, so I'd imagine he would be the likely one to fill out the last bullpen spot. With Britton and Johnson likely to start in AAA and Tommy Hunter in the bigs in a swing-man role, Arrieta and his 6+ ERA in 2012 may have become a bit superfluous to the Orioles pitching staff, despite posting a 4.05 FIP and 3.65 xFIP in over 100 innings last season. Toward the end of the year the Orioles tried him in a bullpen role, but it showed no significant progress.

So why should the Mets take him on? For one, as I mentioned above, his peripherals indicate that Arrieta was probably very unlucky in his poor season with the Orioles, who aren't known for being very friendly towards pitchers with their defense or park. As one delves deeper into the numbers, it actually becomes quite apparent that a change of scenery to Citifeld may be just what he needs. To scratch the surface, Arrieta's home ERA in the notoriously hitter-friendly Camden Yards was 7.12 last year, compared to a much less abysmal 5.17 road ERA. The difference is even more apparent in his peripherals, which show a 1.78 HR/9 at home, vs. a 0.67 mark at home. This is the cause of his 5.04 FIP at home, while he boasts a strong 2.95 FIP on the road (3.94 and 3.32 xFIPs, respectively).

Also, Arrieta's stuff can be just filthy. Last year his average fastball velocity was 93.4 MPH, and he has been lauded for getting some solid sink on the pitch. His walk rate last year was a very respectable 2.75 BB/9, indicating a welcome improvement in control over past seasons, and his K/9 was a robust 8.56. Arrieta also boasts a nasty power-curve that can definitely be a plus secondary as he hones its command, and a promising hard slider that can act as a sort of cutter. His changeup is a bit of a throwaway, but it definitely exists.

A mini-highlight video of his stuff: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25065017&c_id=mlb

In addition to the goodness I think Arrieta has, he isn't arbitration eligible until after next year. So he's going to cost us like $500,000 this year, opening us up to signing Scott Hairston, and maybe even Ronny Cedeño and some relief help as well.

Who would we trade? The Orioles have a logjam of shitty second baseman, and perhaps we could entice them with Jordany Valdespin. He has 20 HR power in Camden and 20 SB ability, he's a contact hitter, and he is not by any means a bad second baseman, and he can get some good playing time out in Baltimore. I think that's a pretty fair deal for both sides.

A mini-highlight video of his stuff: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25065017&c_id=mlb

Poll

Would you trade Jordany Valdespin for Jake Arrieta?

Yes

23 votes

No

14 votes

I would, but the Orioles wouldn't

8 votes

45 votes | Poll has closed

Red Sox DFA Beato

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:35:46 -0000

Red Sox DFA Beato

I don't know about you guys, but I've always like Beato's potential. If we could get him back it'd be awesome.

Hairston #LovesTheMets

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:59:32 -0000

Scott Hairston is apparently "the front-runner" amongst the right-handed hitting outfielders the Yankees are targeting, Matthews reports, though Hairston would prefer to return to the Mets in 2013. - Per MLBTR

How often do you get a guy spurning the Yankees to go the Mets? Speaks volumes to his Metsiness to me. It would be a Mischtake not to sign the guy to a nice, 2-year Jonny Gomes-esque deal. He was clutch and was able to handle the limitations of Citifield beautifully, plus he's no butcher in the outfield.

AAOP: TRAID

METSMETSMETS — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:05:40 -0000

EDIT: A bit late on this one, but please comment, even if its just for funzies.

Following Sandy Alderson's proposed theme of TRAIDing for the off-season, my plan consists mainly of TRAIDS with only one somewhat major free agent signing, and I think does a great job of shoring up our outfield situation with a few added bonuses, allowing us to compete in 2013 and beyond.

Primero:

Extend Wright. 6 Extra years and $120 million extra after option

Extend Dickey. 3 years $40 million after option year.

Tender Andres Torres a contract

Non-Tender Mike Pelfrey

Segundo:

Three way TRAID!

Mets get Andy Dirks, OF, Nolan Reimold, OF, Andy Oliver, LHP

Orioles get: Daniel Murphy, 2B

Tigers get: Jake Arrieta, RHP, Elvin Ramirez, RHP

While the Mets lose Murph, they gain two outfielders who are offensively capable of being above-average left fielders, and who have limited service time so they can be affordable in the long-run. Oliver provides a nice gamble in the deal, as perhaps a change of scenery would allow him to be a productive pitcher. The Tigers immediately gain some bullpen depth to make up for the loss of Valverde, with two talented righties who in the bullpen could make a big impact in years to come, and still have 5 MLB caliber outfielders on their roster. The Orioles lose Reimold, who they plan to replace with a free agent this off-season, and Arrieta, one of 4 young starters competing for the final spot in their rotation, but gain a potential solution to their 2B hole, and a player that can also fill in at 3B or 1B if necessary.

Tercero:

TRAID Jon Niese, Wilmer Flores, Kirk Nieuwenhuis & Wilfredo Tovar to the D'Backs for Justin Upton

As it turns out, this deal is quite similar to Bobby Baseball's. It gives the D'Backs some security in a good pitcher like Niese, potential replacements in RF in Nieuwenhuis and Flores (who could also potentially step in for a struggling Chris Johnson) and Tovar, who could add some nice MI depth in the near future.

Fourth:

TRAID Lucas Duda to the Rays for Ryan Roberts and Cesar Ramos

Roberts would immediately become a favorite to start at 2B for the Mets, and Duda at 1B for the Rays. Roberts' defense at 2B is above average and if his bat come around he could be quite the good buy-low acquisition. Because Duda is younger and the Rays need for offense is stronger, I think the Mets have leverage to ask for Ramos in a deal as well.

Fifth:

Sign Joel Peralta to one-year deal worth $2 million.

Sign Shaun Marcum to 2 year $16 million deal with third year team option of $10 million with $1.5 million buyout.

Sign Kelly Shoppach to one-year deal worth $3 million.

Roster:

Rotation:

R.A. Dickey $5 million

Matt Harvey $500,000

Shaun Marcum $8 million

Dillon Gee $500,000

Johan Santana $25.5 million

Bullpen:

Frank Francisco $5.5 million

Joel Peralta $2 million

Josh Edgin $500,000

Bobby Parnell $1.5 million

Jeremy Hefner $500,000

Cesar Ramos $500,000

Collin McHugh $500,000

Catchers:

Josh Thole $500,000

Kelly Shoppach $3 million

Infielders:

Ike Davis ~$3 million.

Ryan Roberts ~$3 million

David Wright $16 million

Ruben Tejada $500,000

Justin Turner $500,000

Jordany Valdespin $500,000

Outfield:

Justin Upton $9.75 million

Nolan Reimold $500,000

Andy Dirks $500,000

Andres Torres ~$3 million

Mike Baxter $500,000

If my math is correct, including obligations this would bring the payroll to ~$107 million. Our team's defense will be much stronger, our outfield more productive, and every man on the roster will be compete to be more than just a bench piece. Roberts, Valdespin and Turner will fight for reps at 2B. In left, Baxter, Dirks and Reimold, and in center, Valdespin and Torres will all prove to be useful in the long run.

LGM.

EDIT: A bit late on this one, but please comment, even if its just for funzies.

Primero:

Extend Wright. 6 Extra years and $120 million extra after option

Extend Dickey. 3 years $40 million after option year.

Tender Andres Torres a contract

Non-Tender Mike Pelfrey

Segundo:

Three way TRAID!

Mets get Andy Dirks, OF, Nolan Reimold, OF, Andy Oliver, LHP

Orioles get: Daniel Murphy, 2B

Tigers get: Jake Arrieta, RHP, Elvin Ramirez, RHP

Tercero:

TRAID Jon Niese, Wilmer Flores, Kirk Nieuwenhuis & Wilfredo Tovar to the D'Backs for Justin Upton

Fourth:

TRAID Lucas Duda to the Rays for Ryan Roberts and Cesar Ramos

Fifth:

Sign Joel Peralta to one-year deal worth $2 million.

Sign Shaun Marcum to 2 year $16 million deal with third year team option of $10 million with $1.5 million buyout.

Sign Kelly Shoppach to one-year deal worth $3 million.

Roster:

Rotation:

R.A. Dickey $5 million

Matt Harvey $500,000

Shaun Marcum $8 million

Dillon Gee $500,000

Johan Santana $25.5 million

Bullpen:

Frank Francisco $5.5 million

Joel Peralta $2 million

Josh Edgin $500,000

Bobby Parnell $1.5 million

Jeremy Hefner $500,000

Cesar Ramos $500,000

Collin McHugh $500,000

Catchers:

Josh Thole $500,000

Kelly Shoppach $3 million

Infielders:

Ike Davis ~$3 million.

Ryan Roberts ~$3 million

David Wright $16 million

Ruben Tejada $500,000

Justin Turner $500,000

Jordany Valdespin $500,000

Outfield:

Justin Upton $9.75 million

Nolan Reimold $500,000

Andy Dirks $500,000

Andres Torres ~$3 million

Mike Baxter $500,000

LGM.

Which Outfielder would you acquire at the deadline?

METSMETSMETS — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 02:09:00 -0000

And what would you give up? Below is a list of OTB outfielders, as well as OFs I could see teams as willing to part with.

OFs:

Carlos Gomez
Cody Ross
Peter Bourjos
Nate Schierholtz
Allen Craig
Casper Wells
Denard Span
Andruw Jones

And what would you give up? Below is a list of OTB outfielders, as well as OFs I could see teams as willing to part with. OFs: Carlos Gomez Cody Ross Peter Bourjos Nate Schierholtz Allen Craig Casper Wells Denard Span Andruw Jones

In the Spirit of This Season

METSMETSMETS — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 20:31:31 -0000

In the Spirit of This Season

On Throwing A Goddamn Fastball Inside

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:53:02 -0000

Bobby Parnell has undoubtedly developed into a very good pitcher. He acks up a 100 MPH sinker with a superb knucklecurve, and often keeps hitters off-balance, and rarely walks batters anymore. He has shut down stuff. The kind of stuff for a premier 8th or 9th inning guy on any team.

So why the hell can't he, or Josh Thole, remember the most basic tenets of pitching and hitting?

As early as 5th grade, I was taught one very basic rule of hitting that rings true throughout baseball at any level: Hit the ball where it is pitched. Inside pitches should be turned on to left field for a righty (right field for me), and the bat head should be a little out in front of the plate. More patience is necessary for outside pitches, which you are supposed to hit a bit later than you would a pitch down the middle or inside, so as to go to the opposite field with hit, and get the barrel of the bat on the ball without changing your swing.

Everybody has heard the same shpiel growing up, and I am sure you all have as well. However, this seems to elude both Josh Thole and Bobby Parnell. Parnell's fastball is filthy fast, with nice sink, so naturally, it's probably one of the hardest pitches in baseball to turn on to the pull side. Of course, every damn fastball he has thrown in his past two appearances has been OUTSIDE. 100 MPH is hard to any caliber hitter, but it becomes much easier when you are SUPPOSED to be late on it. Martin Prado took note of this, hitting a solid line drive to right field after the third straight outside fastball thrown to him. Last night, Michael Morse followed suit, and finally, Danny Espinosa took advantage of the same idiocy of pitch calling. It is idiocy.

With the quality of Bobby Parnell's curveball, he can easily assert himself now as one of the Top 10 closers in Major League Baseball, and perhaps even Top 5 setup men, but he and Thole need to learn to attack hitters. I will admit that the 12 straight curveballs or whatever was a very nice change of pace and very creative, but even then after all those curveballs, Parnell laid a 99 MPH sinker on the outside corner only to see it be knocked as a game-tying hit. It's time for Parnell to pitch like his namesake R.A. Dickey, and have the bulldog mentality, or he will not survive as a pitcher. It's time for Parnell to throw a Goddamn Fastball Inside (TM)

On an added note, Thole was also idiotic to call a 3-2 slider to Chipper Jones, one of the most disciplined players in the Majors who is also 40 years old and therefore would clearly have trouble turning on Josh Edgin's 95 MPH fastball.

So why the hell can't he, or Josh Thole, remember the most basic tenets of pitching and hitting?

Just a Trade Thought

METSMETSMETS — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:50:20 -0000

Would the denizens of Amazin Avenue find acceptable a trade that sent Daniel Murphy to the Mariners for Charlie Furbush?

Obviously, Furbush is having a much better season than Murphy, but Justin Smoak is floundering at first, and Ackley and Montero are also struggling, so Murph, after maybe another hot week to boost his numbers, could be very welcome in the eyes of #6org.

Would the denizens of Amazin Avenue find acceptable a trade that sent Daniel Murphy to the Mariners for Charlie Furbush? Obviously, Furbush is having a much better season than Murphy, but Justin Smoak is floundering at first, and Ackley and Montero are also struggling, so Murph, after maybe another hot week to boost his numbers, could be very welcome in the eyes of #6org.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

METSMETSMETS — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:21:10 -0000

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAThat is all.

Musing on Expansion

METSMETSMETS — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:22:30 -0000

Dan Lewis's post about protecting our players for an expansion draft got me thinking in general about expansion, which is probably due as there are now an odd number of teams in each league going into 2013 with the Astros' move to the AL West.

Posing a question to the community: What is your plan of expansion? Do you have a 40-man draft? Where do you put new teams? Do we move the NFL System of four divisions per conference? Are the playoffs further expanded?

Quick Synopsis on what I would do: Add teams in Las Vegas (or Greater Nevada) and Baton Rouge to key in to oft-neglected fanbases such as those in Vegas, birthplace of the Great Bryce Harper and in general a thriving local sports area, as well as the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana gulf area which has a lot of potential for income. Then do NFL Style Everything. 12 team playoffs with 2 Wild Card teams per league and a 4-team first round (although there should be a three game series for the first round), 5 game series second round, 7 game for pennant and WS. Divisions would be as follows:

NL East:

NL South

Baton Rouge

St. Louis

NL North:

NL West:

AL East:

AL North:

AL West:

Las Vegas

AL South:

Astros

NL East:

NL South

Baton Rouge

St. Louis

NL North:

NL West:

AL East:

AL North:

AL West:

Las Vegas

AL South:

Astros

Rangers

Rays

Royals

Beltran not paying for New Schnozz?

METSMETSMETS — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:42:31 -0000

Beltran not paying for New Schnozz?

Was it all some weird joke or is Beltran just a douche?

Mets + CJ Nitkowski

METSMETSMETS — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:04:37 -0000

Mets + CJ Nitkowski

= pathetic

Andres Torres, next center fielder for the New York Mets, is the fucking man.

METSMETSMETS — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:40:34 -0000

Andres Torres, next center fielder for the New York Mets, is the fucking man.

Davis/Duda Discussion

METSMETSMETS — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:19:37 -0000

Why do we prefer Ike Davis at first and Duda in the outfield?

Why do we prefer Ike Davis at first and Duda in the outfield?I understand that Davis is a better first baseman, but he'd likely be a MUCH better outfielder. Knowing Davis played relief pitcher in college he likely has a much better arm, it's clear he has more mobility and I believe he played a great deal of outfield in college. Would just rather put the worse defender at first and maximize our outfield defense.

Top 50 Free Agents and Predictions - MLBTR

METSMETSMETS — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:51:44 -0000

Top 50 Free Agents and Predictions - MLBTR

If you weren't depressed already, prepare for this bombshell: The Mets' big free agent acquisition this season? Jason Marquis.

AAOP: LIVE! SEXY!

METSMETSMETS — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:20:52 -0000

via www.startworldnews.com

Now that I've gotten your attention...

Going to try to be very dry with this one, because there are two manifestations of what I'd do depending on Reyes.

1. Reyes and stuff. I'd offer Reyes 5 years at $100 million with some options at the end of it for a bit less annually (say $14 million mutual with $3 million buyout followed by $10 million mutual with $2 million buyout). If he decides the Tigers, Brewers and Angels are better fits, then to hell with him.

IF REYES SIGNS:

Then we have a pretty interesting squad next year. Two first basemen (Davis, Duda), two second basemen (Tejada, Murphy), and Reyes and Wright, making two big all-star caliber question marks. With Pagan technically not a guarantee, we have an outfield crop of Bay and.... that's about it. Thole would be back, Paulino not necessarily, Santana, Niese, Dickey and Gee back, Pelfrey not necessarily. Anyways, enough rambling, here's what I would do:

1. Send Ike Davis to the outfield. Davis spent time on the mound and in the outfield at college, and he has the strength and athleticism to move back and handle the position with significantly more ability and grace than Lucas Duda, who is also an ample first baseman and possibly the first baseman of our future. Davis' arm would be a great fit for the Mets' 2012 left field.

2. Trade Jason Bay to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett. They have essentially equal contracts for the next two seasons, and just as Bay could use an easy park to mash in and the Yankees need a 4th outfielder, the Mets could use a talented pitcher like Burnett in a pitcher's park and in the NL East, where Burnett thrived (When healthy). At the start of the season I'd like to relegate Burnett to a bullpen role, and either work him as a closer or starter if he shows he can handle either.

3. Sign Chris Capuano to a 2 year, $6 million deal. Whether as a swingman, lefty specialist or starter, Capuano is a very useful pitcher who likely won't be seeing a large sum of cash from any other team, considering he showed trouble with the long ball even at Citi.

4. Tender Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Buchholz, Manny Acosta and Mike Pelfrey contracts. In aggregate that should cost around $14 million.

5. Sign Coco Crisp to a 2 year, $14 million deal.

6. Sign Jonathan Broxton to a 2 year, $11 million deal with a third year team option

7. Sign Kyle Davies to a minor league deal

8. Sign Andy LaRoche to a minor league deal

9. Trade Daniel Murphy and Zach Lutz to the Angels for Maicer Izturis and Garrett Richards

10. Trade Justin Turner to the Diamondbacks for Collin Cowgill

Bullpen: Parnell, Herrera, Byrdak, Capuano, Acosta, Burnett, Broxton (CL)

Rotation: Santana, Dickey, Niese, Pelfrey, Gee

Lineup: Reyes SS, Crisp CF, Wright 3B, Davis LF, Duda 1B, Pagan RF, Thole/Paulino C, Tejada 2B

Bench: Izturis, Evans, Pridie, Paulino/Thole, Cowgill

AAA: Schwinden, Richards, Davies, Mejia, Familia, Beato, Carrasco, Buchholz, Nickeas, Pascucci, Satin, Valdespin, LaRoche, Martinez, Nieuwenhuis, Lagares, Baxter

IF REYES DOES NOT SIGN

1. Send Ike Davis to the outfield

2. Trade Jason Bay to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett.

3. Sign Chris Capuano to a 2 year, $6 million deal

4. Tender Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Buchholz, Manny Acosta and Mike Pelfrey contracts.

5. Trade David Wright to the Reds for Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso and Todd Frazier OR trade to the Rockies for Nolan Arenado and Drew Pomeranz.

6. Move Daniel Murphy to 3B, Ruben Tejada to SS

7. Sign Brandon Phillips to a 4 year, $44 million deal if he is available, or sign Kelly Johnson toa 2 year, $16 million deal with a third year team option for the same amount.

8. Get Yu Darvish. Post whatever you need to post him, and sign him. Post $50 million and get him for 6 years $70 million if you have to.

9. Sign David DeJesus to 1-year, $3.7 million deal.

10. Sign Jonathan Broxton to 2 year, $11 million deal with third year team option.

11. Sign Wei-Yin Chen to 3 years, $36 million

Bullpen: Parnell, Herrera, Byrdak, Capuano, Acosta, Burnett, Broxton (CL)

Rotation: Santana, Dickey, Niese, Pelfrey, Chen

Lineup: Pagan CF, Phillips 2B, Murphy 3B, Davis LF, Duda 1B, DeJesus RF, Thole/Paulino C, Tejada SS

Bench: Frazier or Evans if we don't get him, Turner, Pridie, Paulino/Thole, Cowgill

AAA: Schwinden, Gee, Mejia, Familia, Beato, Carrasco, Buchholz, Nickeas, Pascucci, Satin, Valdespin, Lutz, Martinez, Nieuwenhuis, Lagares, Baxter...either Grandal and Alonso or Pomeranz

and Yu Darvish.

via www.startworldnews.com

Now that I've gotten your attention...

Going to try to be very dry with this one, because there are two manifestations of what I'd do depending on Reyes.

IF REYES SIGNS:

4. Tender Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Buchholz, Manny Acosta and Mike Pelfrey contracts. In aggregate that should cost around $14 million.

5. Sign Coco Crisp to a 2 year, $14 million deal.

6. Sign Jonathan Broxton to a 2 year, $11 million deal with a third year team option

7. Sign Kyle Davies to a minor league deal

8. Sign Andy LaRoche to a minor league deal

9. Trade Daniel Murphy and Zach Lutz to the Angels for Maicer Izturis and Garrett Richards

10. Trade Justin Turner to the Diamondbacks for Collin Cowgill

Bullpen: Parnell, Herrera, Byrdak, Capuano, Acosta, Burnett, Broxton (CL)

Rotation: Santana, Dickey, Niese, Pelfrey, Gee

Lineup: Reyes SS, Crisp CF, Wright 3B, Davis LF, Duda 1B, Pagan RF, Thole/Paulino C, Tejada 2B

Bench: Izturis, Evans, Pridie, Paulino/Thole, Cowgill

AAA: Schwinden, Richards, Davies, Mejia, Familia, Beato, Carrasco, Buchholz, Nickeas, Pascucci, Satin, Valdespin, LaRoche, Martinez, Nieuwenhuis, Lagares, Baxter

IF REYES DOES NOT SIGN

1. Send Ike Davis to the outfield

2. Trade Jason Bay to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett.

3. Sign Chris Capuano to a 2 year, $6 million deal

4. Tender Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Buchholz, Manny Acosta and Mike Pelfrey contracts.

5. Trade David Wright to the Reds for Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso and Todd Frazier OR trade to the Rockies for Nolan Arenado and Drew Pomeranz.

6. Move Daniel Murphy to 3B, Ruben Tejada to SS

7. Sign Brandon Phillips to a 4 year, $44 million deal if he is available, or sign Kelly Johnson toa 2 year, $16 million deal with a third year team option for the same amount.

8. Get Yu Darvish. Post whatever you need to post him, and sign him. Post $50 million and get him for 6 years $70 million if you have to.

9. Sign David DeJesus to 1-year, $3.7 million deal.

10. Sign Jonathan Broxton to 2 year, $11 million deal with third year team option.

11. Sign Wei-Yin Chen to 3 years, $36 million

Bullpen: Parnell, Herrera, Byrdak, Capuano, Acosta, Burnett, Broxton (CL)

Rotation: Santana, Dickey, Niese, Pelfrey, Chen

Lineup: Pagan CF, Phillips 2B, Murphy 3B, Davis LF, Duda 1B, DeJesus RF, Thole/Paulino C, Tejada SS

Bench: Frazier or Evans if we don't get him, Turner, Pridie, Paulino/Thole, Cowgill

AAA: Schwinden, Gee, Mejia, Familia, Beato, Carrasco, Buchholz, Nickeas, Pascucci, Satin, Valdespin, Lutz, Martinez, Nieuwenhuis, Lagares, Baxter...either Grandal and Alonso or Pomeranz

and Yu Darvish.

Ike David, superstar 3rd and 6th hitter on the 2012 New York Mets. Hits right behind Derek Jeter.

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:59:29 -0000

Ike David, superstar 3rd and 6th hitter on the 2012 New York Mets. Hits right behind Derek Jeter.

What in G-d's name is a Billo?

METSMETSMETS — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:27:58 -0000

Leading the minor leagues in ERA at the moment is one Greg Billo, a man who only recently became legal to drink alcohol and was born just after De La Soul released their debut album. He has a healthy lead too, with his 1.40 ERA leading second place Boone Whiting by 0.49 points. He's been completely overlooked by prospectors because he belongs to the Royals' organization, of which he wasn't even a Top 50 prospect last year in the eyes of many, and because of this I know nothing about him, which includes his favorite foods, velocity, command and repertoire. Can anybody fill me in?

Pretending It's Over: 20 Potential Targets for the 2012 Mets

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:14:54 -0000

After two dreadful late inning losses to the Marlins, I went into Hot Stove mode and began looking to what the 2012 Mets will look like.

First off, let's see who's under a full blown contract heading into next yea and what they're makingr:

1. Johan Santana, LHP, $24 million

2. R.A. Dickey, RHP, $4.25 million

3. D.J. Carrasco, $1.2 million

4. David Wright, 3B, $15 million

5. Jason Bay, OF, $16 million

Next, guys who are headed to or are in the middle of their arbitration years:

1. Jonathon Niese, LHP, likely to make around league minimum

2. Mike Pelfrey, RHP, likely to earn ~$5 million

3. Dillon Gee, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

4. Pedro Beato, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

5. Bobby Parnell, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

6. Manny Acosta, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

7. Ronny Paulino, C, likely to earn ~$2 million

8. Josh Thole, C, likely to make around league minimum

9. Ike Davis, 1B, likely to make around league minimum

10. Daniel Murphy, 2B, likely to make around league minimum

11. Justin Turner, 2B, likely to make around league minimum

12. Angel Pagan, OF, likely to earn ~$5 million

13. Lucas Duda, 1B/OF, likely to make around league minimum

FInally, notable minor leaguers:

1. Ruben Tejada, MI

2. Fernando Martinez, OF

3. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF

4. Jenrry Mejia, RHP

5. Mike O'Connor, LHP

6. Pat Misch, LHP

Looking over the roster of controlled/controllable players, it would appear that we have 3 bullpen spots wide open, a rotation made with sticks and chewing gum, no shortstop, and an outfield of underachievers. We have $61 million tied down already to players going into next season, and our payroll this year pushed $150 million, the additions of Paulino and Pagan will push it to $68 million, and the rest is fair game, and with the addition of Dave Einhorn, I'd say it's safe to assume the Mets can add $50 million or so to next year's payroll. With that in mind let's look at the crop of guys we can acquire for our squad, and the guys that I think will find themselves in blue and orange come 2012:

1. Jose Reyes, SS - Right now, everyone and their mothers know that Reyes is the best shortstop on the free agent market and will command the money he rightfully feels he deserves. Whether it be Alderson or Mets fans, just about everyone in the Flushing community will agree that we need this guy back. He didn't switch to Scott Boras, a promising sign that money won't be the only factor in where he goes, but he still may end up with a 6 or 7 year deal from a team with big pockets. Competitors for his services include but aren't limited to the Yankees, Giants, Cardinals, Red Sox, Reds and Brewers. Yikes.

2. C.J. Wilson, LHP - Wilson, a reliever-turned-starter, has a deep repertoire of out pitches and has transformed from a failed closer to a successful starter due to the Rangers' coaching prowess and his own abilities. Wilson posted a 4.4 WAR in 2010, his first year starting for the Rangers, and proving the haters wrong he is repeating that performance (except so far a little better) this year, already at a 3.7 mark and beating out his 3.56 FIP from 2010 with a 3.25 mark this season. At 31 years of age and relatively little experience starting, he likely won't command a whole bunch of years from the free agency, but he may ask for a pretty healthy salary. Think 3 years with a club option and around $12-15 million per. What makes Wilson cool is that if his go as a starter fails he can move back to the bullpen.

3. Josh Willingham, OF - A rock of consistency, Josh Willingham has managed to be around league average or slightly above for the past 5 years or so. Josh has showed good pop and solid discipline to go along with mediocre fielding in the best and worst of ballparks, and seems like Alderson's type for a good, cheap find who could add depth to the outfield and provide us with a righty power bat. Should only demand a year or two from us, considering he'll be 33.

4. Chris Capuano, LHP - Having a solid year for us so far and may find himself back on the squad as our #5 or as a lefty swingman out of the bullpen. Does everything right except allow a buttload of home runs, should only demand a year and we may even chose to give him two. Capuano was a great addition by Sandrew this year and it would make sense to bring him back.

5. Joel Peralta, RHP - A successful reliever who signed for a pittance last year and now has two successful consecutive seasons under his belt. Peralta is worth a 1 or 2 year deal at $1-2 million per. He's got good command of his fastball and he couples it with deadly splitter. He doesn't have overpowering velocity or anything, just a very good bullpen piece for any contender. Not much more to say.

6. Carlos Beltran, OF - Probably one of the best Mets ever and one of the best center fielders of all time, it'd make me pretty damn happy to bring Carlos back. He was our best hitter before being traded to the Giants and despite his knee issues he was still productive defensively in right field. Right now Boras is saying Beltran will command 5 years and $70 million, which is clearly ridiculous, but teams may go to 3 years to get the 35 year old's services, and could pay a pretty penny, while I doubt Salderson would go above two years. It's more likely that Beltran ends up a Brave or Giant, on teams with more capital available to spend on outfielders. However, if we lose out on Jose, Beltran may be our top target in the end.

7. Vicente Padilla, RHP - struggling with injury and mediocrity in the past, Padilla will finally start accepting bullpen assignments, and now would be a perfect time to capitalize on his low value and turn him into a reliever with a mid-90s fastball and a couple solid secondaries. He could be a good righty swingman or potentially a setup man, and considering his lack of good performance he may not cost all that much. Of course, considering his past contracts, it still may be too much for Alderson and the Mets to pay for a reliever.

8. Tim Byrdak, LHP - Lefty specialist who may return to the club. Does well at getting lefties out.

9. Javier Vazquez, RHP - Getting creative here, Javy seems to fit the bill of what Sandy may pursue. He's a few years removed from his prime, succeeds despite high fly-ball tendencies, and seems to be on his road to recovery after a down year (he's throwing his fastball harder this year and walking fewer batters than he did in 2010). He may come pretty cheap, so if the Mets non-tender Pelfrey I wouldn't be surprised if they added on Vazquez.

10. Michael Cuddyer, OF - A good righty hitter who can hit for pop in Minnesota, Cuddyer's a vet who, no matter the position, can just plain old hit. At first glance, he looks like a perfect fit for our squad, so why don't we just sign him? The answer lies in his defense, which is known for being horrid basically everywhere, and the fact that he is making $8.5 million in 2011 and may ask for 2-3 years and just as much salary per if not more. He's good to keep an eye on, but I don't expect him to be in Queens.

11. B.J. Upton, OF - The first trade target to appear on this list, Upton would only be a one-year rental, but would add some power to the lineup from the right side, as well as help out the defense in our outfield, and lastly will fit right into our superior running game. He'd only cost around $5 million, but the reason he's so low is I'm not sure how we'd match up with the Rays in a trade. Either way, I think he's an interesting fit for our team.

12. Edwin Jackson, RHP - This guy's good. While inconsistent on a start-by-start basis, he's been consistently very good over the past 3 seasons, combining top notch velocity, a fantastic slider, and a good ability to keep the ball over the plate and induce grounders and Ks. Jackson will be 28 come the off-season, and despite playing for 5 teams over the past 4 years, he's gotten better each season and his performance and age may warrant a big deal. Think 5-6 years and a whole bunch of cash. He'd be a risky signing and be worth quite the price tag, so he may not be the type of guy Sandy would want.

13. Kyle Davies, RHP - Just a wild thought, Kyle Davies has always been a pretty mediocre pitcher, but since he's thrown the cutter he's done pretty solid. His peripherals have looked fine over the past couple of seasons, and while he still struggles with command he should allow fewer HRs in Citifield and is still young (exactly as old as Jackson). His bloated ERA may lower his cost, and he could be a good bullpen addition who could spot start or an interesting guy to keep in AAA if he accepts a minor league assignment.

14. Jimmy Rollins, SS - What if we don't get Reyes? It's a thought that would make any Met fan shudder, but it definitely is a possibility. Should the unspeakable occur, odds are we may simply turn to another free agent shortstop, and Rollins is the next best thing out there. He hasn't had a great season at the dish for a while, so I can't imagine he'll demand an All-Star level salary, but his defense has been phenomenal, he steals a good amount of bases and his bat is enough to keep him afloat. While J.J. Hardy is also available, he's a relatively low OBP player who saw a big dip in defensive performance this year and has power that is largely affected by the park he plays in. Because of this, Rollins is the safer bet.

15. Scott Hairston, OF - A talented player who Sandy loves, and it paid the Mets dividends in 2011 so far. It would not at all be surprising to see Scott return to the squad.

16. Taylor Buchholz, RHP - He performed fantastically this year before coming down with an injury and depression. Hopefully, his depression isn't New York related so we can get our guy back and get back a cheap, good hurler.

17. George Sherrill, LHP - Having a comeback year with the Braves, may be a bit too costly for Alderson to acquire simply as a lefty specialist, but otherwise would be a great fit in the New York 'pen.

18. Brandon Webb, RHP - After basically being out for 3 years, Webb may return for 2012, and if we can get him for cheap he could be more than worth every penny we spend on him.

19. Micah Owings, RHP - A possible long man as well as a possible late-in-game pinch hitter. Could be another D.J. Carrasco.

20. Cody Ross, OF - Could be a good buy-low righty power bat to throw into the outfield mix and give the Mets some versatility in the lineup. Shouldn't be too expensive and may end up getting quite a few at-bats if things work well enough for him.

After two dreadful late inning losses to the Marlins, I went into Hot Stove mode and began looking to what the 2012 Mets will look like.

First off, let's see who's under a full blown contract heading into next yea and what they're makingr:

1. Johan Santana, LHP, $24 million

2. R.A. Dickey, RHP, $4.25 million

3. D.J. Carrasco, $1.2 million

4. David Wright, 3B, $15 million

5. Jason Bay, OF, $16 million

Next, guys who are headed to or are in the middle of their arbitration years:

1. Jonathon Niese, LHP, likely to make around league minimum

2. Mike Pelfrey, RHP, likely to earn ~$5 million

3. Dillon Gee, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

4. Pedro Beato, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

5. Bobby Parnell, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

6. Manny Acosta, RHP, likely to make around league minimum

7. Ronny Paulino, C, likely to earn ~$2 million

8. Josh Thole, C, likely to make around league minimum

9. Ike Davis, 1B, likely to make around league minimum

10. Daniel Murphy, 2B, likely to make around league minimum

11. Justin Turner, 2B, likely to make around league minimum

12. Angel Pagan, OF, likely to earn ~$5 million

13. Lucas Duda, 1B/OF, likely to make around league minimum

FInally, notable minor leaguers:

1. Ruben Tejada, MI

2. Fernando Martinez, OF

3. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF

4. Jenrry Mejia, RHP

5. Mike O'Connor, LHP

6. Pat Misch, LHP

8. Tim Byrdak, LHP - Lefty specialist who may return to the club. Does well at getting lefties out.

15. Scott Hairston, OF - A talented player who Sandy loves, and it paid the Mets dividends in 2011 so far. It would not at all be surprising to see Scott return to the squad.

18. Brandon Webb, RHP - After basically being out for 3 years, Webb may return for 2012, and if we can get him for cheap he could be more than worth every penny we spend on him.

19. Micah Owings, RHP - A possible long man as well as a possible late-in-game pinch hitter. Could be another D.J. Carrasco.

Mets could have had Raburn for Socks.

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:09:38 -0000

Mets could have had Raburn for Socks.

"The Tigers offered outfielder Ryan Raburn to the Mets for reliever Brian Stokes a couple of years ago, according to ESPNNewYork’s Adam Rubin (on Twitter). The Mets eventually acquired Gary Matthews Jr. for Stokes." Palms to the face.

Just a thought

METSMETSMETS — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:29:41 -0000

If the Mets simply rename the "bullpen" the "Shit Festival," at least we'll remember what to expect.

Hey. I struck out your fourth rounder.

METSMETSMETS — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:41:07 -0000

Matthew Duran is an animal. Playing for the New Rochelle Huguenots, Duran manned third base and shortstop throughout his high schools career, bashing the ball to all fields off of just about any pitcher. For the 2011 season, Duran finished with a .625 batting average, hitting 10 home runs in just over 20 games, an especially incredible feat considering the fact that he's been walked intentionally in at least 20% of his plate appearances. He is a presence at the plate who simply bashes.

I would know, I pitched to him. Late in a game this season I had the opportunity to strike Matt Duran out. As far as my stuff goes, I'm really nothing special. My fastball tops out at 82 from the left side, and while I do mix it well with plenty of good secondaries, I am no All-American, and the strikeout was probably more dumb luck than anything else. Earlier in the game, Duran faced our ace, a 6-foot-2 Princeton bound left-hander who boasts a 87-90 MPH fastball backed by a plus power curve. After taking a fastball and curveball out of the zone, Duran smacked a ground ball down the right field line off of an 88 MPH two seam fastball in on his hands for a double.

In part of my well wishes to Matt for the Yankees organization and my own pride, I'd love to give you guys a little scouting report on Matt Duran:

Duran has played varsity baseball since his Freshman year, and as a frosh hit .470 with 4 home runs, and since then evolved into a 10 HR, .625 hitting senior who instills fear into any pitcher who faces him. He has a full ride to Fordham University right now (and was offered half scholarships to Boston College and Notre Dame), a good attitude about baseball and a fantastic work ethic. In terms of his tools:

Hitting: Duran has a quick, level bat that explodes through the zone quickly, keeping the barrel in the strike zone for an extremely long time. He gets the barrel on any pitch, no matter where it is, and keeps his swing short and compact. He has impeccable timing, able to tee off on 60 MPH curveballs in addition to 90 MPH fastballs, a true testament to his contact and timing ability. Throw the ball away and he takes it to right center, throw one in and he's bound to take it over the left field fence. At the very least, his maturity, hands and pop at the dish indicate that he should hit .270 at the least at an appriopriate professional level, with a very high ceiling in this regard.

Power: Despite the fact that he is not a hulking figure, Duran has plus power by anyone's standards He is solidly built and has enough power to take one out of a Major League ballpark in any direction. One youtube search of Duran shows a plethora of long balls to all fields. That being said, he isn't likely to add much more than 20 pounds of muscle from where he is already, and he's not one to hit 500 foot bombs a la Bryce Harper. His level swing also precludes a more long-ball oriented approach at the dish. His ceiling is a 30 homer player still, which is nothing to scoff at.

Speed: Duran isn't slow. Anyone who's seen him run the bases or play the field will attest to that. He is agile on his feet and capable of manning the infield without embarassing himself. He may even beat out an infield hit or two. That being said, at higher levels speed is not likely to be a huge asset for Duran, who may even come to be below average for an infielder if he gains a few more pounds. While listed at 3B, he has spent time at 1B, corner OF and SS in high school, and his speed will determine which of these positions he'll end up at in the pros.

Glove: Duran is sure handed, able to pick balls at first as well as in the holes at third. In the infield and outfield he covers ample ground, although middle infield may elude his abilities at higher levels due to his lack of blazing speed. He makes a quick transfer from glove to hand. Duran's biggest downfall in the infield to date is his footwork. Playing at short, turning double plays seemed laborious when he attempted them, and while he was successful he was not graceful by any means, and at third his footwork was mediocre at best as well. With time and practice at higher levels, Duran should get the hang of it.

Arm: Duran has an above average arm with good throwing mechanics that is good enough to stick at any position.

Overall, Duran's offensive potential is enough to have him stick at any position, and he has the athleticism to learn t position well. The only question (besides performance, obviously) is how his speed develops as he gets bigger.

Be excited about this kid.

In part of my well wishes to Matt for the Yankees organization and my own pride, I'd love to give you guys a little scouting report on Matt Duran:

Arm: Duran has an above average arm with good throwing mechanics that is good enough to stick at any position.

Be excited about this kid.

RAWR

METSMETSMETS — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:46:31 -0000

Watching the Mets lose yet again after winning for the first 6 innings really pissed me the fuck off, and immediately after the game I flipped a shit and headed right to my computer to rant and rave about how much the Mets frustrate me and how every player on the team needs to go to hell. By the time i was up 3 steps from my mother's basement en route to her computer (for I spend my entire life in my mother's basement, how can I afford my own??) I decided I'd rather rant about trading or DFAing or benching various Mets that piss me off. So here it goes 1. DFA Willie Harris. Even on our damn team he's a Met Killer. 2. Promote Lucas Duda, for he is Duda-ing, and start him in left. Let Jason Bay-ass eat pine until he learns how to play baseball again. 3. Skip Pelfrey's start v. the Brewers in Milwaukee. Start him against Pirates away then A's and Angels at home. By that point, he should put in 3 good performances and regress a bit back to a more Pelfrey-esque ERA. Proceed to flip him to the Blue Jays for Aaron Sanchez and Carlos Perez, as the Blue Jays need a pitcher who knows what a strike zone is, I'm sick of Pelfrey sucking on the road, and I don't think he deserves $6 million next year. 4. Trade K-Rod to the Tigers for Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells, and either Andy Oliver (if Turner is ready for a promotion by the deadline) or Chance Ruffin by the deadline. 5. Send down Jason Pridie 6. Trade Fernando Martinez for Brian Duensing (when Liriano and/or Slowey come back)

Would you take Pelfrey?

METSMETSMETS — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:10:16 -0000

Over at Amazin' Avenue I wrote this post summarizing why the Mets trading Jose Reyes is just downright stupid and promoted the Mets dealing Mike Pelfrey. The top target I could find for the big right-hander was the New York Yankees - A team with a pretty crappy back-end of the rotation who will be fighting for a Wild Card spot this season (and can't necessarily rule out a run for the Division). Ivan Nova is a borderline replacement level pitcher who has little strike out ability, average-at-best command and is susceptilbe to the long ball, and Freddy Garcia is also a mediocre-at-best pitcher who very much runs the risk of allowing 30 HR in less than 100 IP with the Yankees and also has a very bad injury history. Pelfrey could very well be a welcome addition to a questionable Yankees rotation.

A proposal I made for around July included Mike Pelfrey going to the Yankees in exchange for either Andrew Brackman or Hector Noesi, Slade Heathcott, and Eduardo Nunez. If you're the Yankees, are you taking that deal? I'm interested in your thoughts. No, really, I am.

Trading Reyes is stupid, but trading Pelfrey....

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:04:10 -0000

Sportswriters around the interwebz have been having plenty of fun poking at the Mets for no other reason besides the fact that they can. Every negative molehill is a mountain and any positive aspect of the team is almost immediately dismissed. For this reason, many "respected" publications have the Mets finishing in last or something of that effect in the National League. Why the Mets are often ranked below a Marlins team that is filled with sloppy defenders and iffy starters, as well as the Nationals, a squad of free swingers and contact pitchers is beyond me, but that's a whole different story. Most believe that Sandy Alderson will be forced to move into a rebuilding phase, and they believe that phase essentially starts and ends with trading Jose Reyes. They look at Alderson's propensity to trade away big name players such as Rickey Henderson (twice, no less), his indifference toward the stolen base, his previous history of not dishing out big contracts, and the Giants', Reds' and Angels' big needs at shortstop as they all attempt to contend for their respective divison titles. In essence, they have put 2 and 2 together and got "trade Reyes" as the answer.

I say horseshit. Reyes is a great ballplayer, and in all odds Alderson sees him for the Top SS that he is, despite the fact that he doesn't love Stolen Bases and Reyes doesn't have a .400 OBP every year. At shortstop, Reyes is still consistently among the best with the bat and is always among the middle of the pack (or better) overall with his glove. There are very few players that could even come close to replacing him, considering Reyes at his worst is still a 3 WAR player, while most prospects will probably fail to perform that well in the best of their seasons. Alderson most certainly knows this, and Alderson won't take dreck in return for Reyes just because he traded Henderson, or because Sports Illustrated has a vendetta against in-depth analysis. No, he didn't dish out big contracts in Oakland, nor did he keep Henderson...but that's because he was in Oakland! His payroll was likely around $20 million, if that, and trading Henderson was the only effective way of accruing any meaningful talent for a team on a shoestring budget. Even Alderson acknowledged that Henderson was one of the best players of all time and if the A's had the means they would've simply kept him.

Recently, Joel Sherman made a bold prediction that the Mets would deal Jose Reyes at the deadline for RHP Homer Bailey and SS Zack Cozart. While I do believe both Bailey and Cozart could be useful pieces (for the Reds), the trade is ridiculously lopsided. Homer Bailey, an ex-top prospect, has come around nicely from busthood by recovering from failed prospect status. He has an upper-80s, lower 90s fastball and a few solid breaking pitches and a changeup to back it up. His command is far from pinpoint and none of his pitches flash any real potential, but on the Mets he'd serve to be a decent 4 starter while Matt Harvey and Jenrry Mejia breathe down his neck. Cozart has pop and speed but strikes enough to make Austin Jackson blush, and is no cherub-faced youngster as he's turning 26 this year without a lick of MLB experience. Sherman also pushed the notion that the Mets want a "power arm." Why? Is Cap'n Fastball not enough for us? What about Harvey and Mejia? Or even Pelfrey? Furthermore, if we want a power arm, what the hell would we do with Homer Bailey? The Mets could get significantly better talent by simply letting Reyes go to free agency and collecting the 2 first round draft picks he'll almost certainly net. The same policy applies to any trade involving the Mets. The team is already set at catcher, first, and third for years to come, and have plenty of OF talent in the minor and major leagues. Even with pitching, the Mets have a pretty decent crop of "power arms" to complement their solid big league pitching staff. Teams like the Giants will most likely need to part with studs like Madison Bumgarner or Brandon Belt (who would move to corner outfield) in order to get Reyes, and it's pretty counterproductive if you're trading away key MLB pieces in the midst of a playoff run. The Mets won't see any worthy offers for Reyes in the middle of the season unless the Angels cough up Mike Trout and another piece or two. Even then, it's still a tough call.

ON THE OTHER HAND, the Mets do have a trade piece set and ready to go, and it's Big Pelf. Pelf has had a solid tenure with the Mets. Over the past 3 seasons he's been a rock of consistency, repetitively inducing grounders and strutting his stuff as a solid workhorse, with xFIPs usually hovering around 4.40, and a relatively injury-free career so far. However, with new talent coming up in Harvey and Mejia, the possibility of a returning Johan, and potential stopgap talent in Dillon Gee and Mark Cohoon, it makes sense to dangle Pelfrey to the public to see what we could get. Not to mention, Pelfrey has a couple season before free agency, and while his rising cost may be pesky to us it gives us more leverage in a trade. Many mid-season contenders with downed pitchers or a lack of back-end talent in the rotation could seek out Pelfrey and could possibly offer up pretty large returns in exchange for the young, controllable, consistent Mike Pelfrey. Some teams that come to mind...

The Yankees - Sure, we may have "abused Pedro Feliciano," but when they're in mid-season still starting Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia, they're going to be looking for help wherever they can get it. In a perfect world, the Mets could somehow leverage Gary Sanchez into the deal, but realistically getting an Andrew Brackman or Hector Noesi plus Slade Heathcott and Eduardo Nunez would be a very good return for Pelfrey, and even if Cash turns it down the Steinbrenners could accept it.

The Angels - We all know Scott Kazmir and Ervin Santana are machines that pump out results year in and year out without trouble, but let's just SAY that one--or both--of them struggle this season. Pelfrey may be the team's saving grace, but what would the exchange rate be? The Angels have little of interest at the MLB level and their prospects aren't top notch outside of Trout, Segura and Conger, but between Tyler Chatwood, Garrett Richards, Fabio Martinez and Cam Bedrosian, they have plenty of pitchers to include in a deal for Pelf. Brandon Wood and Alex Amarista could also be very nice throw ins. Any of those pitchers plus Wood and Amarista and I'm sold. If we get Jean Segura, though, I'd be ecstatic.

The Blue Jays - The Jays have a rotation of question marks. Ricky Romero is a great Opening Day starter, and Drabek and Cecil make interesting supporting pieces, but Litsch and Jo-Jo are more likely to fail than not. If they find themselves in the Wild Card fight, they might enjoy a nice ground ball pitcher in the hitter-oriented AL East. Hopefully the Mets could coax Dickie Thon (TEAM DICKEY) and another piece such as Moises Sierra or optimistically Aaron Sanchez out of the Jays.

The Tigers and Cardinals also come to mind, but I have trouble finding a fit between them and the Mets.

Anyway, thoughts on trading Pelfrey? It hasn't been too talked about around here, so I'm curious to see the AA opinion.

The Yankees - Sure, we may have "abused Pedro Feliciano," but when they're in mid-season still starting Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia, they're going to be looking for help wherever they can get it. In a perfect world, the Mets could somehow leverage Gary Sanchez into the deal, but realistically getting an Andrew Brackman or Hector Noesi plus Slade Heathcott and Eduardo Nunez would be a very good return for Pelfrey, and even if Cash turns it down the Steinbrenners could accept it.

The Angels - We all know Scott Kazmir and Ervin Santana are machines that pump out results year in and year out without trouble, but let's just SAY that one--or both--of them struggle this season. Pelfrey may be the team's saving grace, but what would the exchange rate be? The Angels have little of interest at the MLB level and their prospects aren't top notch outside of Trout, Segura and Conger, but between Tyler Chatwood, Garrett Richards, Fabio Martinez and Cam Bedrosian, they have plenty of pitchers to include in a deal for Pelf. Brandon Wood and Alex Amarista could also be very nice throw ins. Any of those pitchers plus Wood and Amarista and I'm sold. If we get Jean Segura, though, I'd be ecstatic.

The Blue Jays - The Jays have a rotation of question marks. Ricky Romero is a great Opening Day starter, and Drabek and Cecil make interesting supporting pieces, but Litsch and Jo-Jo are more likely to fail than not. If they find themselves in the Wild Card fight, they might enjoy a nice ground ball pitcher in the hitter-oriented AL East. Hopefully the Mets could coax Dickie Thon (TEAM DICKEY) and another piece such as Moises Sierra or optimistically Aaron Sanchez out of the Jays.

The Tigers and Cardinals also come to mind, but I have trouble finding a fit between them and the Mets.

Anyway, thoughts on trading Pelfrey? It hasn't been too talked about around here, so I'm curious to see the AA opinion.

Brad Emaus Nickname Poll

METSMETSMETS — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:53:23 -0000

It is possible that Brad Emaus becomes our starting second baseman. Becaues of this, we may be referring to him all year. This is a poll of proposed nicknames, taken from Eno's nickname thread, for Emaus. All voting will be done in the comments section, and please feel free to add your own!

A Mets Fan's Perspective on the Yankees.

METSMETSMETS — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:36:07 -0000

You're Brian Cashman. You have a receding hairline, a disappointed fanbase, and the weight of the world on your shoulders, not to mention, you have two empty rotation spots with one filled by a headcase, A.J. Burnett. What do you do? Well, you have near unlimited money. That always helps, but in the case of Cliff Lee money wasn't the answer. You now may need to make some sacrifices to improve your already star-studded club.

But still, money helps a lot.

If I'm Brian Cashman, I'm on a madman's hunt for pitching, and here's my criteria:

- He needs to keep lefties on the ground. Here are some interesting numbers:

Pitcher/Lefty Batter Fly Ball Rate/Earned Run Average

CC Sabathia in 2010/ 24%/ 3.18

A.J. Burnett career / 31% / 3.99

Javier Vazquez 2010/ 43% / 5.32

For Vazquez: Yikes. Not a fit for Yankee Stadium or competition against the lefty-heavy BoSox

- He needs to strike lefties out. CC Sabathia has been pretty unaffected by Yankee Stadium's hitter-friendly dimension because lefties, who Yankee Stadium favors the most, cannot make contact off him. His K/9 mark for his career is a thrillingly good 9.51 A.J. Burnett was also successful before 2010 for the same reason, striking out 8.98 lefties per 9. Burnett's relatively bad 2010 may lie in his abnormally low 6.53 K/9 vs. lefthanders.

- He needs to be good at baseball playing.

So the most obvious fit here is Andy Pettitte. He can strike lefties out, get em out on the ground, and all with solid command. I'd try and throw 1 year and $13 million in his direction, with an $8 million mutual option which becomes nullified if the player doesn't want it and halved and turned into a $4 million player option if Pettitte wants it and the team doesn't.

To fill the last spot, take flyers on Fausto Carmona. Carmona is a very good option for the Yanks, as he's a great groundball pitcher who has refined his ability to command the baseball. Here's the deal:

Trade Joba Chamberlain, Hector Noesi, and Slade Heathcott to the Indians for Fausto Carmona.

It's a pretty mutually good deal. Chamberlain could instantly become an incredible long-term bullpen piece on the Indians, Noesi is a great pitching prospect with incredible command and very good velocity, and Heathcott is both pretty extraneous prospects to the Yankees. They get a deal done without giving up Montero, Sanchez, Betances or Banuelos. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

But what if Pettitte doesn't sign or the Camona deal falls through? Who is there to get? Let me present to you Jason Hammel.

Trade Andrew Brackman and Austin Romine to the Rockies for Jason Hammel.

Lefties hit fly balls off of Hammel just 33% of the time on batted balls and he struck them out to an incredible 8.81 K/9 rate. He's freaking good. The Rockies get a good prospect in Brackman and a good complement to Chris Iannetta in Romine.The Yankees already have saturated catching depth between Martin, Posada, Cervelli, Montero, Sanchez and Murphy, and can afford to part with Romine. Hammel has had experience in the AL East, a former product of the Rays. He was in a position similar to what Jeff Niemann currently is for Tampa, and could fill the role of Andy Pettitte for the Yankees, keeping lefties honest. Additionally, pay no attention to his less-than-optimal ERAs, his past two seasons have consisted of groundballs, strikeouts and no walks. He should flourish with the Yankees.

If all else fails:

Trade Curtis Granderson and Ivan Nova to the Angels for Joel Pineiro, Peter Bourjos and Scott Kazmir.

It's a big risk trading Granderson for Pineiro, as Grandy is one of the better centerfielders in the game. However, it's very much worth it. Pineiro only struck out lefties at a 5.74 K per 9 rate in 2010, but lefties cannot lift the ball against him, with a 28% fly ball rate on batted balls, and a ground ball rate over 50%. Kazmir also presents an interesting option for the Yankees. His inclusion in the deal would be more to give incentive to the Angels to accept for payroll reasons, but he also presents some value to the Yankees. He has good strikeout numbers against lefties for his career, but also eerily good ability to keep them on the ground. At worst, he could be a good lefty specialist and a means of getting a deal done. At best, if he returns to form with acceptable command, he would be a fantastic pitcher with the Yankees, perhaps as good as Phil Hughes. Bourjos is an interesting CF prospect who could be a useful 4th outfielder, and because Gardner is the quientessential CF he can start over him there, while the Yankees weigh their options between the various corner outfielders available. Options include Andruw Jones and Vladimir Guerrero, who regardless of this trade I feel the Yankees should sign and can both also serve as DH should Posada be ineffective and/or Bourjos proves capable of handling an everyday role. This would be the method of replacing Granderson. The need for pitching trumps the need for Granderson specifically, especially with Gardner on the roster.

The rotation would consist of Sabathia, Hughes and Burnett, and two of Pettitte, Carmona, Hammel and Pineiro.

The bullpen would definitely consist of Rivera, Marte, Feliciano and Mitre. Possibilities range from Chamberlain, Brackman, Kazmir, and Ivan Nova. Ideally I would have fought for Bobby Jenks over the Sox, or Kerry Wood over the Cubs. I'd also look into Chad Qualls, Taylor Buchholz, JC Romrea and Brian Fuentes.

The infield remain the same, with Nunez as the backup MI and 3B and Posada, the DH or Martin filling in for Teixeira on his off days. DH Will be either Jones or Guerrero backed by Posada, who is also the third string catcher. The outfield will consist of Gardner, Granderson and Swisher with Guerrero or Jones able to fill in in case someone's out and Greg Golson as the fifth outfielder unless they trade Granderson and have Gardner, Swisher, Guerrero/Jones as well as Bourjos.

Russell Martin will start at catcher backed by Cervelli and Posada.

But still, money helps a lot.

If I'm Brian Cashman, I'm on a madman's hunt for pitching, and here's my criteria:

- He needs to keep lefties on the ground. Here are some interesting numbers:

Pitcher/Lefty Batter Fly Ball Rate/Earned Run Average

CC Sabathia in 2010/ 24%/ 3.18

A.J. Burnett career / 31% / 3.99

Javier Vazquez 2010/ 43% / 5.32

For Vazquez: Yikes. Not a fit for Yankee Stadium or competition against the lefty-heavy BoSox

- He needs to be good at baseball playing.

Trade Joba Chamberlain, Hector Noesi, and Slade Heathcott to the Indians for Fausto Carmona.

But what if Pettitte doesn't sign or the Camona deal falls through? Who is there to get? Let me present to you Jason Hammel.

Trade Andrew Brackman and Austin Romine to the Rockies for Jason Hammel.

If all else fails:

Trade Curtis Granderson and Ivan Nova to the Angels for Joel Pineiro, Peter Bourjos and Scott Kazmir.

The rotation would consist of Sabathia, Hughes and Burnett, and two of Pettitte, Carmona, Hammel and Pineiro.

Russell Martin will start at catcher backed by Cervelli and Posada.

AAOP: WWJD?

METSMETSMETS — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:10:32 -0000

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

The title explains it all: What Would Jeff Do? And by Jeff, I mean "THE DUDE," Jeff Lebowski, pictured above (left, right, top, bottom, and center).

I have made many attempts to channel The Dude's wisdom. I climbed various mountains, adopted various religions (many of which I didn't know existed), killed many men, women and children, and even made forays into Nihilism (too exhausting for my taste). Nothing has worked thus far, and I may not try for a long time. It seems as though The Dude can only be found in the cinema of the late-90s, with some traces left in Obadiah Staine, former business partner of the great Tony Stark.

That being said, I can always find refuge and peace of mind in trying to hypothetically fix my favorite baseball team, the New York 'Ropolitans. I'm not going to make lengthy explanations, just gonna say some transactions. No worries, I'll make my case in the comments section as you all question my brilliance.

1. Tender Angel Pagan a contract, I'd imagine it will end up at around 1-year, $5 million. After next year they can work on signing him to a 2-3 year contract. Tender Pelfrey a contract also, at 1-year, $4.25 million. After this, make R.A. Dickey a new contract offer: 2 years, $3 million in the first and $5 million in the second, with a club option for $7 million in the third with a $500,000 buyout. Tender Sean Green a countract at 1 year and $1 million. Nontender John Maine.

2. Trade Luis Castillo and $4 million to the White Sox for Alejandro De Aza.

3. Trade Oliver Perez, Zach Lutz and $10 million to the Cardinals for Mitch Boggs and Peter Kozma

4. Defer $5.5 million of Carlos Beltran's 2010 to 2011 and 2012, paying the interest.

5. Trade Lucas Duda, Jefry Marte and Eric Niesen for David Aardsma and Dan Cortes, tender Aardsma a contract for 1 year, $3.8 million.

6. Sign Kevin Millwood to 1-year deal with a base salary of $5 million, with easily-attainable incentives worth $1.0 million and more difficult ones worth an additional $2.0 million in total. Club option worth $8 million as well

7. Sign Aaron Harang to deal identical to that of Millwood.

8. Sign Koji Uehara to 1-year, $4 million deal

9. Sign Jason Varitek to 1-year $1 million deal

10. Sign Tony Gwynn to 1-year, $1 million deal

11. Sign Jose Lopez to 1-year, $3.5 million deal with club option for $5 million in 2012

25-man roster:

Starting Rotation:

RHP R.A. Dickey ($3 million)

RHP Mike Pelfrey ($4.25 million)

LHP Jonathon Niese (~$0.44 million)

RHP Kevin Millwood ($5-8 million)

RHP Aaron Harang ($5-8 million)

Other Pitching:

RHP Francisco Rodriguez ($11.5 million)

RHP David Aardsma ($3.8 million)

RHP Bobby Parnell (~$0.44 million)

RHP Mitch Boggs (~$0.44 million)

RHP Sean Green ($1 million)

LHP Mike O'Connor (~$0.44 million)

RHP Koji Uehara ($4 million)

Catchers:

C Josh Thole (~$0.44 million)

C Jason Varitek ($1 million)

Infielders:

1B Ike Davis (~$0.44 million)

IF Daniel Murphy (~$0.44 million)

IF Justin Turner (~$0.44 million)

IF Jose Lopez ($3 million)

SS Jose Reyes ($11 million)

3B David Wright ($14 million)

Outfielders:

OF Angel Pagan ($5 million)

OF Carlos Beltan ($13 million)

OF Jason Bay ($16 million)

IF/OF Nick Evans (~$0.44 million)

OF Tony Gwynn ($1.0 million)

Other notables:

LHP Johan Santana ($22.5 million) (Disabled List)

RHP Ryota Igarashi ($1.75 million) (AAA)

LHP Dan Cortes (AAA)

MI Ruben Tejada (AAA)

RHP Dillon Gee (AAA)

LHP Pat Misch (AAA)

OF Jesus Feliciano (AAA)

RHP Jenrry Mejia (AAA)

OF Jesus Feliciano (AAA)

Now I did the crude math and I believe that adds to around $135 million, but I'm not completely sure. Second base would be an open competition between Daniel Murphy, Jose Lopez and Justin Turner, with Ruben Tejada and Reese Havens as darkhorses.

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

The title explains it all: What Would Jeff Do? And by Jeff, I mean "THE DUDE," Jeff Lebowski, pictured above (left, right, top, bottom, and center).

2. Trade Luis Castillo and $4 million to the White Sox for Alejandro De Aza.

3. Trade Oliver Perez, Zach Lutz and $10 million to the Cardinals for Mitch Boggs and Peter Kozma

4. Defer $5.5 million of Carlos Beltran's 2010 to 2011 and 2012, paying the interest.

5. Trade Lucas Duda, Jefry Marte and Eric Niesen for David Aardsma and Dan Cortes, tender Aardsma a contract for 1 year, $3.8 million.

7. Sign Aaron Harang to deal identical to that of Millwood.

8. Sign Koji Uehara to 1-year, $4 million deal

9. Sign Jason Varitek to 1-year $1 million deal

10. Sign Tony Gwynn to 1-year, $1 million deal

11. Sign Jose Lopez to 1-year, $3.5 million deal with club option for $5 million in 2012

25-man roster:

Starting Rotation:

RHP R.A. Dickey ($3 million)

RHP Mike Pelfrey ($4.25 million)

LHP Jonathon Niese (~$0.44 million)

RHP Kevin Millwood ($5-8 million)

RHP Aaron Harang ($5-8 million)

Other Pitching:

RHP Francisco Rodriguez ($11.5 million)

RHP David Aardsma ($3.8 million)

RHP Bobby Parnell (~$0.44 million)

RHP Mitch Boggs (~$0.44 million)

RHP Sean Green ($1 million)

LHP Mike O'Connor (~$0.44 million)

RHP Koji Uehara ($4 million)

Catchers:

C Josh Thole (~$0.44 million)

C Jason Varitek ($1 million)

Infielders:

1B Ike Davis (~$0.44 million)

IF Daniel Murphy (~$0.44 million)

IF Justin Turner (~$0.44 million)

IF Jose Lopez ($3 million)

SS Jose Reyes ($11 million)

3B David Wright ($14 million)

Outfielders:

OF Angel Pagan ($5 million)

OF Carlos Beltan ($13 million)

OF Jason Bay ($16 million)

IF/OF Nick Evans (~$0.44 million)

OF Tony Gwynn ($1.0 million)

Other notables:

LHP Johan Santana ($22.5 million) (Disabled List)

RHP Ryota Igarashi ($1.75 million) (AAA)

LHP Dan Cortes (AAA)

MI Ruben Tejada (AAA)

RHP Dillon Gee (AAA)

LHP Pat Misch (AAA)

OF Jesus Feliciano (AAA)

RHP Jenrry Mejia (AAA)

OF Jesus Feliciano (AAA)

Ridiculous Trade Proposal Part 3

METSMETSMETS — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:51:48 -0000

Mets Receive:

RHP Ricky Nolasco and UT Emilio Bonifacio

Marlins Receive:

1B/2B/3B Daniel Murphy, 3B Zach Lutz, OF Matt den Dekker, RHP Kyle Allen

Mets Receive:

RHP Ricky Nolasco and UT Emilio Bonifacio

Marlins Receive:

1B/2B/3B Daniel Murphy, 3B Zach Lutz, OF Matt den Dekker, RHP Kyle Allen

Some reasoning for the madness:

For the Mets: They get Ricky Nolasco, a high strikeout, low walk pitcher who has big fly ball tendencies and has two more controllable years left. Pretty much the model target for the Mets. Bonfacio would also help as a defensive replacement/ fourth outfielder as well as provide some MI depth, and a halfway decent backup for David Wright at third to give the guy some rest.

For the Marlins: The MO for the Marlins is never usually to try and acquire high-octane prospects, as their player development system is stellar and always filled with talent (recent examples of home-grown awesome are Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton, others include Josh Johnson and Dan Uggla). They usually head after players near the big-leagues or in them already, examples including trading Dan Uggla for Mike Dunn and Omar Infante, Carlos Delgado for Mike Jacobs, Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez (there were many others but that was the main idea), D-Train and Miguel Cabrera for Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, etc. etc.

Daniel Murphy and Zach Lutz bring them immediate candidates to play third or second for them at the big league level. The Marlins have never been too intent on finding nimble fielders, and seem to like guys who can rake rather than play the field gracefully (such as Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, Logan Morrison, Miguel Cabrera). Murphy has the ability to hit pretty well in their lineup plus possibly fill the void at third base for the Marlins, and his defense at third is decent, and at second should be better than Uggla. Lutz also seems to fit with their mantra on acquiring players. He already has some raps at AAA and seems to rake at every level, and could be a possibility to fill the void at third (or even second, but I wouldn't think he'd do too well there). Den Dekker also fits into a Marlins-y scheme. The Marlins, no matter how poor their defense is, always seem to have a good defensive center fielder, with their history including Juan Pierre, Cameron Maybin, even Emilio Bonifacio at times, as well as many other pure defensive rovers. Lastly, Kyle Allen appears to fit in with their pitching philosophy. He relies mostly on his fastball, gets some Ks but keeps the ball on the ground. More of a throw-in really, but I can't imagine it'd hurt.