K-Rod hasn’t been a “bad” free agent but at 36-54 M over 3-4 years to pitch a total of 180-240 innings compared to a guy who could drop an avg WAR of 4.0 on the NL East for 6 (or more) years is just a killer. K-Rod might not get 4.0 if he stays four years.

Free agency should be in our plans but you can help yourself now AND later too. Cost yourself a pick this year and get two back in a few years like Wagner should have left behind.

I’ll bet you anything that Philly will offer Rollins arb, get turned down, go after Reyes and if they get him they’ll have gotten younger, spent what they had to anyway, give up their #30 pick but pick up someone else’s 18-30 or 50-65 AND a supplementary round pick around #45 or so.

Big difference from us giving up a #1 for 100 games over two years for a 40 year old LFer.

K-Rod cost us the chance to draft the #2 prospect Mike Trout 19 year old CFer who sped through A- and A+ last year.

Kyle Drabek (23) ML ready starting pitcher taken with our pick handed over to Philly for Wagner who spent 2 of his 4 years with us on the DL.

Anthony Ranaudo (21) RHP yet to play pro ball and still rated as the 67th best prospect one of two draft picks traded away for Chris Carter, the other being Kolbrin Vitek at 2B.

For a team that seemingly has no other avenue of player acquisition other than buying the worst years of multiple players on their last legs, one well rounded prospect every five years, a handful of half developed rookies making the minimum and a couple rejects from other teams, throwing it all together in the hopes that one day it will stick. This is inexcusable. If the Wilpon refuses to draft quality, develop it with patience and a plan they should just move on.

That makes 6 for ATL, 4 for WAS (plus Strassburg), 4 for PHIL, 3 for us and 1 for FL.

Among the notable names on the list are:
#1 Bryce Harper WASH RF (18) 1st round 1st pick – HS/

#2 Mike Tout LAA CF (19) 1st rnd #25 A+ HS (drafted 1 spot after comp pick for K-Rod)

#4 Dominick Brown PHIL RF (23) 20th round MLB HS/

#5 Julio Teheran ATL RHP (20) IFA Colombia AA/

#17 Freddie Freeman ATL 1B (21) 2nd rnd MLB HS/

#29 Kyle Drabek TOR RHP (23) 1st round #18 MLB HS (pick we gave up for Wagner)/

#35 Randall Delgado ATL RHP (21) IFA 2006 AA Panama/

#37 Mike Minor ATL LHP (23) 1st rnd #7 2009 AAA college/

#44 Jenrry Mejia METS RHP (21) IFA 2007 MLB DR/

#56 Brody Colvin PHIL RHP (20) 7th round 2009 A- HS/

#59 Wimer Flores METS SS (19) IFA 2007 A+ Venezuela/

#66 Danny Espinosa WASH 2B/SS (23) 3rd rnd #87 2008 MLB college/

#67 Anthony Ranaudo BOSTON RHP (21) 1st rnd #39 2010 – College (one of 2 picks traded for Chris Carter)/

#70 Jarred Cosart PHIL RHP (20) 38th rnd 2008 A- HS/

#72 Derrick Norris WASH C (22) 4th rnd 2007 A+ HS/

#77 Cesar Puello METS CF (19) IFA 2006 A- DR/

#81 Matt Dominguez FLA 3B (21) 1st rnd #12 2007 AA HS/

#86 Craig Kimbrell ATL RHP (22) 3rd rnd #96 2008 MLB 2 yr college/

#93 Arodys Vizcaino ATL RHP (20) IFA 2007 A+ DR (trade for Javier Vazquez)/

One thing is clear to me. There are quite a few players on this list that were drated AND signed from High School. We have avoided drafting those players because you have to go over slot to get them or they will accept the schlorship and wait 3 years to get a higher bonus. You have to PAY them to come out early and give up the free ride. You cannot do this if your overriding concern is adhearing to slotting “guidelines” like the Wilpon’s do even though no one else does.

not sure how many bonus picks there are, but Mets will have 3 picks in the top 60-70, so hopefully they make good choices!

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