Jayce Boyd, First Base

Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 185 lb.
Position: First Base
Age: 22
ETA: 2015
2103 MMO Top Prospect Rank: NR

Boyd was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Florida State University. He played both third and first base while attending FSU, and put up very impressive college numbers. He ended his career at FSU with a .349 average, 20 home runs, and 160 RBI. He was a second team All-American in 2012, and after deciding to forego his senior season at FSU, he signed with a Mets and received a $150,000 signing bonus.

Let’s face it, every baseball fan loves opening day, not just because it’s a prelude to summer, but because every team is on a level playing field in the standings and anything can happen.  Well, anything can happen within reason. As Mets fans, we’ve seen bad baseball over the years.  Remember when the team was so bad that they needed to fabricate a slogan, “The Magic is Back?”  It was laughable, but at one point that team (I think it was in 1980?) reeled off like 10 or 12 wins in a row, and the players started to believe that slogan even though they were woefully over-matched on the field.

The 2010 team is very much like the 2009 team, but hopefully without all the injuries.  Still, there are a few holes—most of the starting rotation, parts of the bullpen, second base, catcher and first base are question marks.  But really, if someone offered you Jason Bay, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana and K-Rod to start a team, you’d do that in a heartbeat, right?  We have to hope everyone stays healthy and plays to their potential–big ifs, but there could be big payoffs too.

Stranger things have surely happened, and I’m just glad spring is here and we’re talking real baseball again.  Now let’s do our best to strike some fear in the Phillies and the rest of the division.

This past week Carlos Delgado played baseball for the first time in months in Puerto Rico.  The Mets as we know are down on that beautful Island right now scouting him, deciding whether or not to offer him a contract for the 2010 season.  Reports coming out of Puerto Rico is Delgado doesn’t move well.  It seems that hip is still a problem and that is exactly why the Mets need to avoid bringing Carlos Delgado back. Delgado so far has only played 5 innings in the field and the rest of the time he was the DH for his team.

I understand that when healthy Carlos Delgado brings a lot of power to a lineup.  We were told that Delgado’s hip injury was similar to Alex Rodriguez’s injury but A-Rod returned in less than 2 months, Delgado had the surgery, supposedly suffered a setback and never returned to play again.  If the Mets are going to spend the money on a veteran 1st basemen to platoon with Daniel Murphy there are others out there instead.

If the Mets do sign Delgado and he gets hurt that’s it, there is no backup plan, Daniel Murphy is the everyday first baseman.  Now this is not an attack on Murphy, he was put in 2 positions that he never played before and was expected to deliver the goods. Having said that Murphy does not have any real power at the plate.  The Mets with the addition of Jason Bay need one more power bat in the lineup.

Signing Delgado would also be going backwards.  The team has stated on more than one occasion that they want to get younger and faster.  Delgado is only getting older and if the reports are true slower.  I think at this point in his career Delgado is better suited for the American League when he can be the designated hitter.  I would rather go out and sign a younger guy like Adam LaRoche, he can hit and field a bit and brings some power.

Before you read any further I would like to issue a disclaimer of sorts. Despite all the buzz around the internet suggesting that Adrian Gonzalez and/or Miguel Cabrera, I don’t believe that either will be traded this off-season.

Furthermore, I would like to go out on a limb and say that even if they were to be traded, I don’t see the Mets on the receiving end of either of the potential deals.

Think about it, either of these moves would essentially go against the two fundamental principles that the Mets seem to be working under lately.

One of which is the fact that a trade for either of these guys would pretty much wipe out the farm system in its entirety. As of late there seems to be a desire in Mets camp to build from within.

Also, regardless of what has been said, management has clearly been acting as if they were in cost cutting mode.

Similarly to what has been stated here on Mets Merized over the past week, ‘actions speak louder than words,’ and the team’s actions have given off the aroma of slashing expenses.

However, given that the past few days have been relatively slow in terms of Hot Stove news, let’s take a closer look at these two superstar first baseman and see which one would be a better fit in Flushing.

Miguel Cabrera -

The Mets are very familiar with Cabrera from his days with the Florida Marlins. Despite being only 26 years of age he has racked up an impressive resume over his six year career in the big leagues.

During his tenure in Miami, Cabrera was elected to the National League All-Star team four times in four consecutive years spanning 2004 to 2007.

When looking at Cabrera’s stats from both Detroit and Florida, the thing that impresses me the most is his consistency. Year in and year out you know what you’re going to get with this guy.

Injuries have never been a large concern for Cabrera, as he has missed no more than five games in the past five seasons.

Obviously, having a player that can stay healthy, like Cabrera would be important in helping the Mets bounce back from a year in which the team was riddled with injuries.

Not only has he stayed consistently healthy  following his rookie season in 2003, Cabrera has driven in at least 100 runs in every season since.

It also goes without saying that the first baseman is a legitimate power threat in any lineup. Last season alone he hit 34 home runs and the year prior he hit 37.

However, like anything else you have to take the good with the bad.

Cabrera’s character has been questioned on numerous occasions. The most recent incident in which his character came into question was during the final days of the Detroit Tigers’ playoff run.

In the midst of a pivotal match up to win the division against the Chicago White Sox, Cabrera partied and became intoxicated with members of the opposition. To make matters worse, he got into a physical altercation with his wife, which lead to him being detained in prison for a few hours.

Needless to say, the Tigers were not able to capture the division crown and thus did not make the playoffs. While the blame certainly does not lay solely on Cabrera, his incredibly poor judgment did not help his team.

On top of that he has nearly $130 million left on his contract, which could potentially pose a problem to the Mets, especially if the team is as strapped for cash as they claim to be.

Still though, despite his personal flaws and high salary, it is hard to argue against the fact that Cabrera would bring an enormous amount of power that the Mets were missing in 2009.

Adrian Gonzalez -

Like Cabrera, Adrian Gonzalez is another one of the most powerful and most consistent hitters in the game today. Since 2007, he has posted at least 30 home runs per season.

Gonzalez, who is one year Cabrera’s senior, hit six more home runs last season than Cabrera for a total of 40 dingers. The 99 runs batted in by Gonzalez were also comparable to Cabrera’s 103.

Like Cabrera, Gonzalez is a very durable player and rarely misses any playing time. As a matter of fact he did not miss a single game in 2008 and only sat out two in 2009.

Once again, if the Mets are serious about contending next year they are going to need durable players that can produce game in and game out. Clearly, both of these two players fit the bill.

One category in which Gonzalez lags behind is in batting average. Last season he hit .277, which is by no means poor, but it fails in comparison to the .324 average that Cabrera hit.

As a matter of fact, Gonzalez has hit over the .300 mark only once in his career and that was in 2006 when he hit .304.

While he may not hit for as good of average, Gonzalez makes up for it with a great clubhouse demeanor. Unlike some stars in the game today, Gonzalez acts as if he is just one of the twenty five guys on the roster and brings to the table a team-first mentality.

This is exactly the kind of player that the Mets need, as he would fit right in with the mindset that current leaders, like David Wright and Johan Santana have.

Most importantly, if the Mets truly are tight on finances, it is important to note that next season Gonzalez will make under five million dollars, which is more than four times less than Cabrera’s salary of $20 million.

Conclusion -

While I maintain my belief that the Mets will not acquire either of these sluggers due to the lack of room for substantial salary growth and willingness to give up prospects, in my opinion Adrian Gonzalez would be the better fit in New York.

While he may not hit for as good of average, his offensive stats are still very good and last year he showed that despite playing half of his games in Petco Park, a ballpark favorable to pitchers, he could still put up a very impressive home run total.

To me, the thing that seals the deal is not a statistic but rather an intangible characteristic. In the past Miguel Cabrera has shown to me that his attitude is not the best. This dates back to when he was on the Marlins and got into a physical altercation with fellow teammate, Scott Olsen, during a game and has continued to his most recent drunken episode.

While these kinds of things may be able to happen in Detroit and Florida, in New York these incidents would turn into a media circus that would distract the team.

On the other hand Gonzalez has shown himself to be a good player, who leads by example and doesn’t draw unnecessary attention to himself.

Who knows maybe Omar will surprise us all with an early Christmas gift by acquiring one of these stars or someone else of comparable talent, but until then I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Its no secret that first base has been mostly a power position. Not only at the plate but also on defense, as first baseman touches the ball the most other than the pitcher and catcher in a game. The Mets have had a large collection of great first baseman over their franchise history including, Ed Kranepool, Keith Hernandez, John Olerud, Carlos Delgado, and upcoming first basemen Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans. During the ’09 season, five Mets players have maned first base and when you have outfielders such as Tatis, and Reed playing first along with players like Evans and Murphy who are still learning the position you gotta think the Mets need a more stable first baseman. So the question remains; who’s the first baseman for the Mets in 2010?

Carlos Delgado, age 37
2010 contract: no contract
2009 stats: .298 avg, 4 hr, 23 rbi, .521 slg
Career stats: .280 avg, 472 hr, 1512 rbi, .546 slg

Delgado has been out of action for a long time now and now the Mets are saying he might be done for the season. Delgado has had quite a career and could be a season away from his 500th homerun. With being 37 his career is on the down slope but don’t forget he did hit 38 homeruns just last season and was on a nice pace this season before his injury. Delgado is one of the guys who just loves to play and is not all about the money. It has been said that he is willing to take a pay cut to return to the team and try to get his 500th homerun and become the second player, as a Met, to do so. Not only is his offense great but his defense is above-par as well. he makes all around him better with his suburb glove.

Verdict
Yes,the Mets should give Delgado a one year contract so he can get his 500th homerun and he could help the Mets as well. Despite his age and being a double-digit-million-dollar player he is worth bringing back and if he does get injured the Mets won’t be in trouble like they were this year with Evans, Murphy and others to play first.

Daniel Murphy, age 24
2010 contract: no contract
2009 stats: .262 avg, 10 hr, 56 rbi, .412 slg
Career stats: .273 avg, 12 hr, 73 rbi, .425 slg

Daniel Murphy, since changing to first base, has been a back-and-forth first baseman. He does not have a whole lot of power and will likely be a dozen homerun a season player. His glove could be spectacular one game with starting double players, to terrible the next and not diving for a ball he could easily get. He is still developing as a hitter and as a first baseman.He could be one of the Mets better left handed hitters in a few years but do the Mets have the patience with him?

Verdict
No, the Mets should give him another contract for a few years but not spend too much money on him. Daniel Murphy at this point would be better suited as a bench and platoon player until he develops in a few years. I don’t think the Mets should deal Murphy if the do resign him unless it’s for someone more valuable. His young age is his best beneficial factor for him as he has plenty of time to develop but the Mets may not have the time.

Nick Evans, age 23
2010 contract: no contract
2009 stats: .222 avg, 1 hr, 7 rbi, .349 slg
Career stats: .244 avg, 3 hr, 16 rbi, .384 slg

Nick Evans is someone who I think could have a great career but the Mets never seem to give him much of a chance. He came up earlier this season and was doing great until the Mets decide to send him down to Buffalo. When Evans returned he had a couple of good games and is hardly used anymore. The Mets expect this guy to be the future first baseman or possible left fielder and yet he gets no play time, even Josh Thole is getting more play time and Evans is more ready for the bigs than Thole. Evans has been named a “doubles machine” when his first career game he had three doubles and has impressed since but like I said is not getting much play time.

Verdict
No, give Evans either a long term contract so he can develop and be a starting Met in a few years or give him a short term contract and if the Mets can’t use him, then trade him. The Mets are not likely going to be keeping all of the outfielders they have this year-Reed, Sullivan, Pagan, Sheffield-and Evans could be getting a better chance next year in left, but as first base the Mets will not be giving Evans much play time there and will be used as a platoon player.

Ike Davis, age 22
2010 contract: $1.575M signing bonus

Ike Davis is someone the fans are keeping their eye on, hoping he makes it to the big leagues in a few years from now. David obviously needs some more development over the next few years, but what I’ve seen this kid is going to be a great player. He has some untapped raw power that will be reveled as a pro. Being a former pitcher, and having a dad as a pitcher, he has a powerful arm that will be helpful if the Mets use him in the outfield. His swing seems to be his biggest weakness as he doesn’t repeat his swings that could lead to inconsistency. He may not be stealing bases but he can get into second for a double without any issues.

Verdict
No, Davis will be the Mets future first baseman I’m sure but not for next year. The best option the Mets have for him is to give him a chance in spring and see if they want to bring him up for September.

Adam Dunn, age 29
2010 contract: $12MM with Nationals
2009 stats: .278 avg, 37 hr, 99 rbi, .554 slg
Career stats: .250 avg, 315 hr, 771 rbi, .522 slg

Adam Dunn’s power will not be challenged by the walls of CitiField, as we’ve seen. Adam Dunn is right up there with Ryan Howard, and Mark Reynolds when it comes to homeruns but also strikeouts. Dunn’s not a player that will give you a high average, he’s more like a 1-4 a game player. That one hit will either be a single or a homerun and some people will take that risk with him. The only worse than his glove is his speed, and we’ve seen Mets infielders make great stops and crazy throws but if Dunn misplays the catch it’s all for none.

Verdict
No, despite Adam’s power he really doesn’t have any other aspect that would want me to have him on the Mets. We can get his power from someone else and still have a good average and glove. Adam is right where he should be with the Nats and Mets don’t need to trade their prospects for him.

Derrek Lee, age 34
2010 contract: $13M with Cubs
2009 stats: .304 avg, 33 hr, 103 rbi, .577 slg
Career stats: .284 avg, .291 hr, 931 rbi, .504 slg

Derrek Lee is a great first baseman, he has power, great golden glove, and can keep his average above 300. The recent father again would dominate in Citi and could take the Mets to the playoffs. The only problems with getting him is his no-trade clause, and lets face it the Cubs have been closer to the playoffs than the Mets. Plus the Mets would need to trade a lot of their prospects to get him

Verdict
Yes, the Mets would be a better team with Lee at first. So the Mets need to trade their prospects, so what? Half of them are playing a position that is already taken care of. Lee and the Mets are as much of match as Yankees and steriods…which we know is a common pairing.

Other possibilities…

Prince Fielder - No, Fielder may be the homerun derby winner but for trading the farm, the Mets could get better.

Adrian Gonzalez – No, Adrian is a great hitter and fielder but Gonzo is another player the Mets would have to trade for, and I think if the Padres were going to trade him they would trade him for something better than what the Mets would offer?

Carlos Pena - No, I would love to have Pena in a Mets uniform but he’s not leaving Tampa.

Abrey Huff – Yes, Huff has the power and defensive skills to help the Mets.

Nick Johnson – No, I still don’t see the facination with this guy. He’s got as much power as Murphy and is always injuried.

Jorge Cantu - Yes, he’s a great power for both offense and defense, and is costs less than most possibilities.

So as a round up…

Yes - Derrek Lee, Carlos Delgado, Jorge Cantu, Abrey Huff

Yes, if Mets could magically make the deal happen – Carlos Pena, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols.

Yes, in the future - Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Josh Thole, Ike Davis.

No - Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Nick Johnson.