Comments on: Should The Mets Bring Back Kelly Shoppach?

By: Even Flow

Even Flow — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:59:29 +0000

What other choice do you have? Thole? Please.

By: TRS86

TRS86 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:29:38 +0000

I already addressed the trade part:
“Add to that a few guys that would be available in trade, getting someone good enough to be a starter through trade is going to cost you a decent prospect or group of prospects in return.”

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:26:36 +0000

I won’t complain if they do bring Shoppach back.
He’s not the long term answer but I don’t see one available in FA either and it’s not important to fix Catcher as it is to fix the OF with a Power RH bat.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:25:10 +0000

Which is why we wanted him to do something at the Trade Deadline to get a head start on the hole filling.

By: Alex68

Alex68 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:54:15 +0000

Right, canyou also make a list of all the catchers we can acquire via trade please???? Or is it only via FA that we can make a move? And of course, since the SA failed at acquiring undervalue players to help the team, the excuse is we don’t have any money, and since we don’t have any money, we can only afford crap. which is what SA is bringing to NY.. Amazing..

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:50:57 +0000

Thanks Mike

By: LA Mets Fan

LA Mets Fan — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:25:52 +0000

I agree with this article. Shoppach seems to have fit in nicely with this group and he’ll eventually get better at handling Dickey’s knuckler. You cant hold that against him and Dickey struggle too at first. I like that Shoppach can pop one out of the park every now and then which we dont get from Thole.

By: Steve S.

Steve S. — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:53:13 +0000

Think they’ll go with Thole + Shoppach to save the Wilponzi $$.

By: owlnut

owlnut — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:34:48 +0000

The pitchers like throwing to him. He seems to call a better game than Thole.

By: srt

srt — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:11:07 +0000

This list is definitely meh, for the most part.
Unless we’re trading for someone’s almost-ML-ready, or ML-ready-blocked-in-minors type catcher, not sure what choices we have.

That and we’re all assuming that if they do offer Shoppach a contract, he’ll come back. Meh or not, something tells me we might not be his only offer. They’ll be several teams looking for a back-up type catcher.

By: TRS86

TRS86 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:06:54 +0000

Now really you can take out most of those guys with options as they will be picked up.

How many full-time catchers are there on that list?

By: TRS86

TRS86 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:05:50 +0000

Rod Barajas (37) – $3.5MM club option, no buyout
Henry Blanco (41) – $1.24MM mutual option
Chris Iannetta (30) – $5MM club option with a $250K buyout; player can void
Gerald Laird (33)
Russell Martin (30)
Brian McCann (29) – $12MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jose Molina (37) – $1.5MM club option with a $300K buyout
Mike Napoli (31)
Wil Nieves (35)
Miguel Olivo (34) – $3MM club option with a $750K buyout
Ronny Paulino (32)
A.J. Pierzynski (36)
Humberto Quintero (33)
David Ross (36)
Carlos Ruiz (34) – $5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Brian Schneider (36)
Kelly Shoppach (33)
Chris Snyder (32) – $4MM mutual option for 2013 with a $500K buyout
Yorvit Torrealba (34)
Matt Treanor (37)

Add to that a few guys that would be available in trade, getting someone good enough to be a starter through trade is going to cost you a decent prospect or group of prospects in return.

By: TRS86

TRS86 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:04:05 +0000

2 comments,
1) The GM does not set the payroll, no matter what you think. Omar didn’t set the payroll and neither does Sandy.
2) There really is a void of catching so as much as I would like to create someone better than Shoppach out of thin air, I already used up all my magic powers long ago.

By: SaltyGary

SaltyGary — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:03:18 +0000

No fan should be reserved to sit one more year out. Yes there are still 2 big contracts clogging the teams finances but moves can and should be made. The first year of the contract can be reduced to overcome this. The longer they sit on their hands the more time they waste on Harvey and others. The time for excuses is over.

By: jerseymet

jerseymet — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:00:27 +0000

I don’t expect Kelly Stop Gap to be resigned quickley. I’ve heard that he will be testing the free agent market. The Mets and Kelly are an odd couple. Neither seems to be smitten with the other but may settle as it is the best each can do.

Historically, importing a premier catcher has been key to Met championship drives. Kelly is not that catcher. We have the makings of a great staff. We need the receiver. I thought it was smart to give Kelly a trial run. Unless Sandy can make a block buster trade; Thole and Kelly may be the best that we can do.

Mauer is the only catcher that could walk in and turn this franchise around. If he came to New York it would be the Bronx.

By: srt

srt — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:59:24 +0000

My thinking as well on this.

By: Alex68

Alex68 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:56:20 +0000

Guess you realize how low we have to aim in terms of free agents huh… Yet, somehow, you wanna give this FO another year .. Got it…

By: Mike Lloyd

Mike Lloyd — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:52:15 +0000

Good read Mitch, excellent question too. Shoppach is better than ANY in-house options. But we can’t know who will be available this offseason via trade, anyway, failing a trade, you could do worse than Shoppach. We saw that all year. I’m just not a Thole believer. If Shopp gives you what you said above, i’d sign him.

By: TRS86

TRS86 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:44:39 +0000

Not only would I not be surprised, at this point that is what I expect.

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:44:11 +0000

As a backup, no problem but again the starter might remain the problem. While I don’t believe we can fix every problem in one offseason fixing a few would be nice. The theme that has been cited is “Build around pitching”. Thing is for pitching to be effective there need to be solid up the middle defense. SS & 2B are ok C & CF are woefully lacking. Let’s see if they address either. I suspect if not the park will remain as empty as it has been in the second half.