9
2011
2011 Player Review: Angel Pagan
An article by 
John Delcos of Newyorkmetsreport.com and Joe DeCaro of Metsmerizedonline.com will be doing more and more projects together with the goal of merging two successful blogs in the hope of giving our readers everything they’ll need in covering the Mets. Continuing our review of the 2011 Mets, today we take a look at Angel Pagan.
ANGEL PAGAN
THE SKINNY: You look at this guy and wonder why he’s not better with his physical tools. Pagan appeared to have a breakout year in 2010 when he hit .290 with 11 homers, 69 RBI and 32 steals. In 101 less at-bats last season Pagan hit four fewer homers with 13 less RBI. Not only were his numbers off, but he regressed in his defense and decisions on the bases. This is not a fundamentally sound player.
REASONS TO KEEP HIM: The Mets are thin in the outfield, don’t have many options on the minor league level and don’t figure to get any help in the free-agent or trade markets. … Should Jose Reyes leave, the Mets don’t have any leadoff options.
REASONS TO LET HIM GO: He could get up to $5 million in arbitration, which is a lot considering his production. … After last summer, it appears 2010 was a fluke. … Is there any reason to believe he’ll be better?
JOHN’S TAKE: The word is the Mets will tender Pagan so this might all be a moot point. I would still rather them take the gamble with Grady Sizemore, or if nothing else, see what somebody else can do. The Mets aren’t loaded with outfield options, but if Pagan produces as he did last year, he’s not offering much.
For a team wanting to get better defensively and fundamentally, Pagan doesn’t bring much to the table. Defensively, he doesn’t judge balls well and has a below average arm. In 2010 it appeared he was ready to take over centerfield, but I don’t see that anymore. For all his speed, his .322 on-base percentage is poor and his strikeouts-walks ratio is roughly 2-to-1. Let him go and move on.
JOE’S TAKE: The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or so it would seem where Angel Pagan is concerned. A year ago fans were clamoring for Pagan to replace Carlos Beltran in center field for his defensive exploits and some even mentioned him in the same breath as David Wright for his offensive showing in 2010. Gulp.
Pagan was a big letdown in 2011. He got off to an atrocious start at the plate to start the season batting .159 in April before hitting the DL with an oblique injury and missing nearly a month. His bat looked great when he returned, but that was offset by big declines on defense and base-running.
Pagan is proving himself to be wildly inconsistent and that’s usually the sign of a platoon player or even worse – a fourth outfielder. Is it smart for this front office to pay $5 million for such a player when the utilities at Citi Field are in danger of being turned off? Probably not, but they will anyway. It’s not like they have any better options.
One year at the helm and the new Mets caretakers now have less center field depth than last November. That means they will have to keep Pagan, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. These are strange times in Flushing.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.0 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 6.5 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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good bye pagan, unless you’re cost the mets $1.5 million you are out of here.. plus you are nothing but a 4th OF with very poor baseball instints, and by poor i mean none… wish 2010 wasn’t a fluke, but i had a feeling it was going to be.. good bye pagan..
$10 million for Pelfrey and Pagan is okay, but apparently $17 million is too much for Reyes. Yuck!
I’d take my chances and say NO to Pagan and Pelfrey deal with that later. These guys are supposed to be smart right? So they can find a Centerfield and/or another pitcher to replace pelf later.
but in the meantime you just put some new found money aside for Reyes.
Funny how we heard how smart and remarkable Sandy was when he was hired. But now the built-in excuse for leaving is already in place. He’s here to shed payroll and not win…and in New York.
yeah right
If only there was something on the FA market or in the minors….
If Niewenhuis didn’t have season ending shoulder surgery last season they may have given him a shot at winning the job in spring training and probably would non-tender Pagan.Niewenhuis will probably not be ready by opening day so it’s either Pagan or another version of Pagan with better instincts like Coco crisp who put up very similar numbers to those of Pagan.
Maybe Pagan takes his head out of his ass and plays more like the 2010 version and not the 2011 verson.I’d even take a cross between 2009 and 2010.
For the Met fans that despised Beltran over a strikeout,say hello to life without a big time centerfielder. That old saying “You dont know what you have until you don’t have it anymore” comes to mind when thinking about all those fools that called Beltran a bum.
Now that the news of Pridie being outrighted… There is absolutely no one but Pagan at this point to play CF… not that anyone would take Pridie, but you get my point.
Sad to see Pridie go. No, I didn’t think much of him as a player, but have you seen pictures of is girlfriend?
I actually spoke to someone who works in another department on the Mets about this. They believe he will go unclaimed as many teams wrestle to protect their own from Rule 5. Once he clears waivers he is still Mets property at least until 2014 when he becomes arbitration eligible and would have to be tendered. Anyway, that’s what I was told.
Isn’t the Rule V after the arbitration deadline?
Yes, Rule 5 is usually held one of the last days of the Winter Meetings in December. Teams must offer arby to players by some date in late November, don’t remember exact date off the top of my head.
The thing about Pagan’s offense is he had a bellow average BABIP (.285) and a career high line drive rate (24% which is also really good). His K% was also a career low. That says most of his offensive woes were mainly bad luck.
the problem is, it appeared he let it get to him. His already not great fielding got worse.
Offensively, if he has his head together, we can probably expect something a little closer to 2010 than 2011. Possibly with the added benefit of fewer Ks.
Of course this assumes that A) He’ll get his head on straight B) We can accept his defense in CF.
Most importantly, what are the other options?
Grady Sizemore: Ya, he’s got a ton of talent, but what is he looking for contract wise? Also, what happens if he does get injured? We presently have no plan B, unless we are comfortable with Martinez there.
Coco Crisp: Good defense, which we need with Duda still learning right field, but he’s a black hole offensively. Considering how much support our pitching staff will need, I don’t think we can afford putting another automatic out in the line up everyday.
BJ Upton: Supposedly, the Rays are looking to trade him. Good, young, talented, team controlled…and full of attitude. If the Mets officials soured on Pagan’s grousing, what are they going to do with Upton and his baggage?
As much as I understand and sympathize with everyone dissatisfaction of Pagan, I don’t think the clear answer is “dump him”. It’s an option, but it’s not so simple.
I think the best of a bad lot is to keep Pagan, hope he finds something close to his 2010 form, and either trade him for prospects and promote Kirk or release him and take the picks and gun for Matt Kemp in the off season.