11
2013
Is Grady Sizemore A Risk The Mets Have To Take?
An article by 
Update
Paging the New York Mets Front Office…Grady Sizemore is still available.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has reported that Grady Sizemore could be ready as soon as opening day (most likely mid-season), but he is likely to hold off signing until whenever he is fully recovered.
This could be bad news for the Mets fans who hope that Sizemore will once again regain his All-Star form in a New York Mets uniform.
If Sizemore is waiting until he is fully recovered to sign, it is telling the baseball clubs that he is not interested in being low-balled by teams looking to take advantage of his unfortunate situation. He’s trying to tell teams that he is still the player he once was, aside from all the injury issues.
This all but eliminates the Mets, since it sounds as if there is no chance that Sizemore agrees to a minor league deal, and it seems like that is all the Mets are willing to offer players these days.
All kidding aside, the Mets should definitely be keeping a very close eye on Sizemore’s recovery.
Sizemore may be holding off signing to try and build his market price, but the fact is he will still have to sign a team friendly deal and then prove he is still the player he once was. After a full season off, he should come back fully rested and recovered. That makes him a very tantalizing option for the Mets.
Original Post – 10/16/12
This is not breaking news – the Mets are in need of a lead off hitter and outfielders as we move towards the 2013 season. Some people may be ready to close the door on Grady Sizemore’s career, but there is still value there. We are still talking about a player that was on his way to super stardom before some injuries side tracked his career.
After missing the entire 2012 season, Sizemore should be fully healed, rested, and ready to finish what he started a few seasons ago. There isn’t a team in a better position to take a risk on Sizemore than the New York Mets.
Many people will scoff at my last statement and argue that the reward isn’t worth the risk in Sizemore’s case. They will argue he’s too injury prone. Seriously…who cares at this point? Beggars can’t be choosers. With the outlook of the Mets outfield in 2013, adding Sizemore would bring Mets fans a glimmer of hope, and add another player with superstar potential to help David Wright out (pending him re-upping with the team).
The bottom line is the Mets are going to have to take some risks if they want to be able to get competitive again, and fast. The Mets are a Moneyball team now, right? Well, if my memory serves me correctly, one of the main story lines in Moneyball was that they went after a player in Scott Hatteberg, who other teams were avoiding due to injury risk, because they saw value there. Even Billy Beane, lord Moneyball himself, understood that there has to be some sort of risk involved if you are ever going to achieve greatness.
Signing Sizemore on the cheap screams Moneyball.
When you think about it, how much risk is really involved with Sizemore anyway? Sign him to a one year deal for $1.5MM or $2.0MM, and there isn’t much risk involved. Get creative with incentives and bring him to Flushing. We aren’t talking a long-term investment here until he proves that he is worth a long-term investment. But at this point, it seems logical that the Mets would take a flier on Sizemore. If healthy, he solves two problems for the Mets – a lead off hitter, and a centerfielder. If not healthy, they cut ties with him at a minimal cost to the team.
Signing Sizemore is a no-brainer at this point.
It’s time for the Mets to start taking a some calculated risks. Sizemore may be a risk, but oh the reward the Mets would receive for taking that risk if Sizemore is even 2/3 the player he was in 2008. Cleveland seems ready to finally part ways with Sizemore who is a free-agent this off-season. MLBTradeRumors.com reported in August that two scouts said that Sizemore is worth signing if there isn’t much guaranteed money at stake. Hopefully one of those scouts was from the New York Mets.
Let’s Go Mets…sign Sizemore…play some Moneyball.
You can Follow Mitch Petanick on Twitter clicking here.
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.
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For 2 million + incentives, absolutely sign him. Problem is he’ll get more than that.
He might not, the Indians signed him for 5.5 million last season on a 1-year deal and he missed the whole season. A 2-3 million dollar a year deal may be a real possibility,
I just would stay away simply because he is always hurt and if we sign him to be our starter we will just end up with Kirk as the starter once Grady inevitably goes down
We could always go with Kirk in center, and have Grady play in left field which is a less demanding position…similar to what the Rangers did with Hamilton.
That’s right, keeping thinking small, keep thinking cheap, keep thinking rehabbed players, keep thinking losing seasons.
Dave, thanks for commenting, well, that’s what sandy and depo want.. The mets to be a losing team year in and out to be in the top 10 in the draft so they can pick the bets prospects.. So expect 2013 to be more of the same unfortunately
If the Mets do not win 70 games no matter what TDA and Wheeler do will shorten the noose on SA for guys like me who want to give him one more year 2013 , that is this year. They supposedly have financial flexibility of 25 M for this year;s roster that is not being reinvested. The survival period is over. They refinanced and got more flexibility on Wright and Bay’s contracts. The Mets in effect were lucky to get off to a 46-40 start. If by the ASG right at Citi Field with media national stage they are 35-50 going neck and neck with the Marlins, Citi Field will be a ghost town and casual and even die heart Met fans will boycott them and demand change. SNY ratings will be nil. Who is available as the first pick in the 2014 draft that they will intentionally want to lose. If the extra 25M is being used for other purposes instead of reinvestment then the fans will NOT forgive that. Even fans like me who keep saying the Picard law suit was only a year ago and priorities has to focus on that. The team is woth over 1 billion dollars. Its like the miserly heiress living in poverty. SA has a responsibility BOTH short and long term. The media here will hang them figuratively. The fans will hang them, Wilpons and FO in effigy. Even Gary Cohen and Keith and Darling will give honest analysis what has happened. NO more excuses. A 78 win team with the development of prospects will not be fatal but a 66-69 win team or worse no matter the prospects do with our present OF will indeed be fatal.
Well, we have to wait and see how much $ is really available, don’t wanna make the same mistake we did last year.. Have about $18 million and spend 75% on 3 POS relievers then fill out the rest of the roster with bums that even the pirates and baltimore didn’t even want.. While i like Sizemore on our team, if he’ll cost more than $3 million and we have $5 million to spend on FA then no, pass…
If we were willing to take risks on leadoff hitters with injury history we should have re-signed Reyes!
Too expensive
I’m not ready to think that Sizemore’s best days are behind him. The Indians won’t resign him,and nobody will touch a price tag over $3 million,because he’s anything over that.
Interesting proposal, I would rather see The Mets take a gamble on a trade for a player that is just proving himself rather than Grady. However, I would not be against the idea. Choo would also be a good pick for us right now. I do not remember what all injuries Grady incured but if memory serves they were of the breaking down ilk. He didn’t have freak accident injuries they were more serious and nagging. I haven’t taken a look at other teams yet for a CF trade but I am fairly sure there is another player out there that will give us better long term investment than Grady at this point in his career.
the mets have little depth in the outfield of any kind. Signing an injury prone guy seems counterproductive
Be bad=get good prospects in draft. That’s sandy’s plan? I don’t think the 2012 draft the Mets just had supports that theory.
And it isn’t too early to make An assumption about a bad draft.
If they wanted the best players, they would have picked the best ones available
Great idea. I don’t see why not. They could probably get him for no more than $1M guaranteed. Besides the Indians, I don’t think many teams were ready to bid for him last year, they overpaid. Now after another lost season, he’s almost in “spring training invitee” territory. When he has played, it hasn’t gone well. He needs new scenery as they say, I’ll take a chance on him.
Always loved Sizemore. I’d sign him to a minor league with a incentive laden $2 million deal if he plays in the majors next season. No harm, no foul.
The Twins have 2 centerfielders the Mets should look into in Denard Span & Ben Revere. In particular Span who can play CF and be the leadoff hitter. Twins are said to be looking to bolster their pen and add a starter.
Yeh, let’s give them Fracisco and McHugh!
Maybe if he becomes desperate to sign. Who is his agent (Boras?) If it’s Boras, you know he will ask for more than he is worth at this time.
I just checked and his agent is CAA Sports (Joe Urbon) so he might be affordable. He made 5mm this past year. Another Lefthanded hitter and hurt all the time..
what are you signing him for? A hope/pray he somehow gets healthy, and they compete in 2013, or as a guy to build around for the future (part of the nucleus)?
with his history, and likely going on a 1 year “hey I am cured” contract, hard to see him as any more than a 1 year filler. Who would be taking the spot of a young guy developing (assuming they actually have one!) for CF
He’s only 30…take a flier and if he does kick butt, the Mets are in a very good position to keep him after 2013 with bay and Santana’s contracts off the books. After sitting out an entire year, it’s safe to say he’s healthy. Peyton Manning is looking pretty good thee days after sitting out a full year to get healthy. Maybe a year off is exactly what Sizemore needed. Take a shot…nothing to lose really.
no, nothing to lose. But the deal with these guys that have been hurt and are trying show they still go it is, they hook up with a team on the 1 year deal, and tend to either break down and give nothing, or have a big year and suddenly are hot stuff again, and just go back out on the FA market to the highest bidder.
Potentially a great deal for a team that is looking for a 1 year guy, but not so logical for a LT relationship.
You can also argue that when he does play great at CF you have yourself another tradechip in July. There might be teams in need of a Grady type player like the Giants did with Beltran. Not saying he will net another Wheeler but another arm out of the pen type of prospect will be fine.
I’d prefer Parra from the D-Backs. He’s available. Great defender who has shown he can get on base. He can play any of the outfield positions.
If we sign Sizemore, that’s fine. If we don’t, that’s fine too. We still have a core of good young talent but will not work ourselves above the position of sustained mediocrity in lieu of the current reality. That’s what R.A. meant when he said a team can be competitive and build for the future at the same time. And that’s why Tom Seaver wanted out about 35 years ago as well.
At this point, getting a Sizemore really doesn’t matter. We’re not going anywhere for a long time and that is based on a hope on raw talent we really don’t know about yet, not any planned vision.
I would love to have Grady at a reduced rate rather than trading Davis for Ellsbury who has only had 1 Good year and every other year he is injured.
Great choice Mitch. Sizemore is young enough to have a few good years left, why not- low risk, high reward.
Only problem is he like everyone on the planet is LH.
That aside, I see no danger in bringing him in for either CF or RF. Sticks point that he would be taking time from someone, last I checked we have CF and RF open and only Kirk as a legitimate in house contender.
The only problem with this idea is if the rumors swirling around Cleveland are true.
Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer wrote on Oct. 4-5 that “Sizemore could reportedly miss next year as well” (http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/10/chris_perez_needs_a_better_fil.html) and rumors on Cleveland sports radio the morning of 10/5 were that he recently had microfracture surgery on his right knee, which would explain the missing 2013 part as recovery is 10-12 months.
If so, no one is getting him next season and those career-is-over people are probably right.
“Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has reported that Grady Sizemore could be ready as soon as opening day (most likely mid-season),”
this certainly is vague. And one hell of a difference between opening day and maybe mid season, which can very easily turn into a September cameo.
If he was signing a MiL deal, wonderful. But if he is still looking for a prime time ML deal, meaning they would be expecing him to actually be playing, he almost needs to wait until he can show he is able to play to sign.
And frankly, hasn’t it been at least 4 years since he has shown any kind of “all star talent”?
Lol I said same thing. He might be ready, might not.well thanks for that.
I don’t see how holding out to sign helps him. If he goes to teams in July and says “I’m healthy now”, he still hasn’t played in close to a year. He’s still going to need time to get his rhythm back. that is a few weeks in the minors.
There is more risk involved for a team that signs him now because there is still no guarantee that he does fully recover…if he’s fully recovered he has more negotiating power…not much more but it may be the difference in getting a minor league deal versus a major league deal.
Big difference in being ready by open day and mid season.
And he’s LH. Not that I wouldn’t prefer his bat to Kirks, but you get my point, hopefully.
Micro-fracture surgery? Remember Beltran that first season he came back?
It’s hard to believe that at his age Sizemore was already suffering from an arthritic knee (although it does happen occasionally see: F-Mart). More likely there was some trauma there that triggered a progressive degeneration of the cartilage. Micro-fracture surgery does work, especially with younger patients, but following through appropriately during rehab is critical. It could add 3 – 4 years to a career, but I’m not sure it would be a good idea to try him in center again. You never really recover from this sort of thing.
http://lowerextremityreview.com/article/rehabilitation-following-microfracture-surgery
I just don’t see how he fits in what it is we need….
We already have enough LHH Ofers to fill a Stadium with….
Do we really need another?
No Mitch, The Mets should not and will not sign a Grady Sizemore under the current situation.of his health. The facts are as follows……. The Mets because of past experiences will not take risks in signing or trading for veteran players with repeated injury history. We have seen this all too often even before Sandy A arrived. With him in charge, we saw some drastic changes to our roster. Jose wanted the big bucks and Sandy was not going to play the game by being a part of a bidding war. Yes, we got nothing for him in terms of a player but it cleared a huge amount of payroll off the books when we had Ruben Tejada able to play shortstop. The Beltran trade with the Giants will most likely bring Zack Wheeler to the starting rotation this season. His pedigree offers us big time for the next 5 years or so. Carlos like Jose was a stud player, a thoroughbred athlete but injury prone and neither was going to be part of a championship team here simply because there was no money to fill in the missing pieces.
We can blame the Wilpon’s for their errors and the bad years we have seen but they were not going to lose ownership of this team and were forced to bring in Sandy A to do what he has been doing.
Whether he ends up being able to accomplish rebuilding this team or not, he has chosen a path that he feels will get the job done in what will still take another year when the Mets finances and their willingness to spend money will hopefully be better!
I hope they will resign Scott Hairston because at least they know what we have with him. Trading for an Upton or a Bourne sounds good but at what price?