22
2012
Is Chone Figgins A Good Fit For The Mets?
An article by Craig Lerner
I was reading MetsBlog’s take by Matt Cerrone on why he feels the Mets should jump on the recently released Chone Figgins.
Figgins was pretty terrible last season. I’m talking Jason Bay-level terrible. He was no better in 2011.
To be an upgrade for the Mets, he wouldn’t even have to be close to what he did 2009. I mean, his 2007, 2008 would be a significant upgrade, frankly. So, I expect teams to be interested in him and it’s hardly a given he ends up signing a minor-league deal or for the league minimum. I expect a small, niche market to develop for Figgins, which could result in him getting a one-year deal. I’d like to see the Mets make a run at him, but they should by no means go crazy to get him.
I’m sorry, but Figgins is exactly what we don’t need right now. The Mets need a sure thing, especially in an outfield that is already filled with too many questions and uncertainty. To add more uncertainty to the situation sounds like an awful idea.
For a team as bad as the low-market Seattle Mariners to simply release him with $8 million still left on his contract, says everything you need to know about Figgins.
Figgins, 35, parlayed one good season in 2009 (.298/.395/.393) into a free-agent contract worth $36 million with the Mariners.
After losing 143 points on his OPS in 2010, Figgins batted a combined .185 in 507 plate appearances the past two seasons. Overall for the Mariners, he hit .227 with an on-base percentage of .302. His strikeouts have been way up, his walks are down, and he doesn’t steal bases anymore.
Figgins has absolutely no redeeming qualities left in him and offers no upside 0 not at his age. This is not a player the Mets should be looking at.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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is Matt high? This is the stupidest thing I’ve heard all week.
Who is the bigger fool, the fool or the ones that follow the fool? Who really cares what Matt Cerrone thinks? Chone Figgins is washed up.
No thanks!
I would do it provided his decline isn’t health-related.
I don’t think talent disappears this quickly. A change of scenery, including new coaches with different set of eyes can make a difference in a healthy player. A recent example is Ichiro who found his stroke with Yankees after much decline in Seattle.
“I don’t think talent disappears this quickly”.
Are you kidding? We just lived it with Jason Bay. And how about Carlos Baerga…..he lost it all suddenly at the ripe old age of 30. Figgins is done!
Funny how things come back around….
Figgins was one of those second level players people turned thier noses up at the time we were in pursuit of Bay.
He was under consideration if they could not sign Bay but many people said no he’s not a big enough move Bay is the answer….
And now his name is back in our rumor mill….
Truth is he can’t be any worse than Torres!
“Truth is he can’t be any worse than Torres!”
147 Games, 507PA 84Hits, 3HR, 26RBI, 15SB, .185 Average, .249 On Base, .502 OPS for $18 million (over the last TWO years!!!)
132 Games, 434PA 86Hits, 3HR, 35RBI, 13SB, .230 Average, .327 On Base, .664 OPS for $2.7million
Care to revise your statement?
Jessie……you know as well as I that every Metsie comment has to be about putting down any, and every move this front office has made even if it means he’s talking through the a’hole. He can’t help himself.
YEah while every comment from you is some made up facts you refuse to show a link for after nagging and insisting everyone else provide one for the truth you won’t accept without one….
We are still waiting for your link that says the Mets made an offer to top the Marlins therefore they increased thier bid…
Tick Tock Tick Tock
Just for the record, that wasn’t me.
Nope not at all considering he is likely to get paid half as much as Torres is now….
And I don’t see why you keep insiting on bringing up what someone made in the past unless you expect your boy to sign him for that amount.
Do You?
Can we expect a dissertation on what a GREAT DAY it will be when we sign Figgins too?
Figgins played nearly a full season, torres was hurt a lot, Wasnt that a problem for you when it was reyes only playing 130 games?
So nope no revision…the only thing you did there was bring money into it like you do in every baseball discussion because your good at accounting and suck at baseball Scouting.
uh torres played in 132 games, figgins played in 66
I went by the stats Jessup posted….
I presume they are all one year or did Jessup do his usual and try to mash up different matches of stats to try to make a comparison?
“147 Games, 507PA 84Hits, 3HR, 26RBI, 15SB, .185 Average, .249 On Base, .502 OPS for $18 million (over the last TWO years!!!)”
Right for 16 Mil over the last two years….
Why didn’t he just post last year’s stats?
Why must we constantly have to go figure out the LIE and the underhanded nature of twisting stats and double check everything you guys say?
Becuase whenever we do we find out it’s mostly bull and we are tired of checking so we just take it as your typical crap and move on….
You guys have been twisting facts for so long you can’t even stop when the facts MIGHT actually favor your statement you still twist even further…
Get a clue folks!
Because I tried to show you over roughly the same amount of games how much better Torres has been than Torres.
BTW I like how you didn’t admit you were wrong when you said “I presume they are all one year or did Jessup do his usual and try to mash up different matches of stats to try to make a comparison?”
When I clearly said Figgins’ #s were over 2 years.
And all this in response to saying he couldn’t be much worse than Torres…and he’s NOT much worse with the same sample just played less…..
Whatever dude….
And no I wasn’t wrong you DID mash up two years on one player and compared it to one year of the other…..
No you said 18 Mil (Over two years)
There should have been no parenths there dummy!
You should have just said over two years, stated the fact at a cost of 18 MIl….
So remember this the next time you decide to act as a professional writer talking about a good day the day Sandy signs Fig ok?
You’re calling me a dummy because you don’t know how to read something in parenthesis?
That’s wonderful. (Happy Thanksgiving)
I’m calling you a dummy because you don’t know how to USE them which is Why I read it the way I did because I KNOW what they meant where you put them…
happy Sandy Day!
Oh Sorry Turkey, I get them both confused too!
I don’t even want to sign him for a minor league deal. He was that bad when he was in Seattle after leaving Anaheim.
C’mon another bum…no way! …. This must mean we can put him in ink in RF, leading off. (Read: undervalued) LOL….Platoon him with Hoffman…. LOL ….What a joke!
There are times where I believe Matt Cerrone is on crack. This is one of those times.
Ok guys. Who should the Mets go after? What are your suggestions for Sandy and his 10M budget to address a multitude of needs? Figgins on a minor league deal is better then Burke or the other no name bums Sandy has been signing this offseason.
If all they have to spend is 10M, then no one to be totally honest. To hell with it.
Keep the money.
Cerrone is an odd guy when it comes to how he envisions the team. He flip-flops on positions all the time. Tomorrow, he’s just as likely to post that he thinks Figgins is awful and that the Mets should avoid him.
Jack Zduriencik highly touted GM of Mariners who many wanted back here as GM made a bad signing. As a rule be wary of over 30 FA especially with only one very good year.