The Chicago White Sox haven’t exactly been quiet about the fact that they are “listening to offers” for their ace starting pitcher Dylan Cease. At 28 years old, Cease would look pretty good alongside Kodai Senga atop the Mets’ starting rotation on opening day. 

There have even been multiple reports that the Mets are interested in Cease and that the team is still looking at potential trades to bolster the pitching staff. He will not be eligible for free agency until 2026, and his 2024 salary has been projected to be about $8.8 million.

For his career, Cease has logged five seasons with the White Sox. He has started 123 games and hurled 658 Innings with 565 hits and a K/BB ratio of 792/294. His W-L record stands at 43-35, his ERA is 3.83, and his WHIP is 1.305. What would it take for the Mets to acquire a pitcher of Cease’s caliber?

The price for a pitcher with this profile will be very steep. The Atlanta Braves have been reportedly trying to swing a trade for Cease all winter, and they strongly covet the right-hander, but they have yet to meet Chicago’s asking price. Other teams have also been linked to the pitcher with varying degrees of interest.

Let’s explore a potential trade and think about whether the price for the Mets to acquire Dylan Cease would be worth it. 

Assuming the Mets would offer four premium prospects for Cease, I believe a deal could be achieved for the right package. The question is, what is the right package? 

Here’s what the Mets’ Top 75 Prospects look like, courtesy of MMO’s Michael Mayer: 

https://metsmerizedonline.com/top-75-mets-prospects/

The first slot. Which player are you going to part with in order to get Chicago’s attention?

Steven Wojtowicz-MMO

Luisangel Acuna? Drew Gilbert? Jett Williams? 

I think you have to offer at least one of these players to get Chicago’s interest. Obviously, I would not want to part with any of these guys, but it would be a necessary starting point for any Cease trade to happen. With that in mind, I’m going to offer them Acuña in the first prospect slot. Now, it’s a serious offer. Acuña is a wonderful prospect, but he’s a shortstop, and obviously, the Mets already have one of those. Also, although he’s at the upper end of the minor league ladder, he’s still possibly the furthest away from the big leagues in his development.

Jett Williams has been rocketing through the minors and can play infield or outfield. I think Williams has a good chance to win a batting title before his career is over. And Drew Gilbert, the Mets’ top prospect, according to Mayer, could come on very fast and will be in position down the road to take over for Starling Marte in right field. After that, you are trying to mix and match three more prospects from out of the Mets’ Top 50.

A good pool of players might be: 

Kevin Parada, Ryan Clifford, Colin Houck, Marco Vargas, Mike Vasil, Blade Tidwell, Christian Scott, Tyler Stuart, Jeremiah Jackson, Nick Morabito, Jeremy Rodriguez.

Assuming the Mets would have to include at least one of their best pitching prospects, we could narrow down a potential pool to Vasil, Tidwell, Scott, and Stuart. So, for the second prospect slot, let’s pair Acuña with arguably the top Mets pitching prospect, Christian Scott. Of course, the Mets might substitute Vasil or Tidwell at this point as well, or Chicago might have a preference. Then, dealing from an organizational position of strength, the Mets could include a blue-chip catching prospect like Kevin Parada in the third slot.

So here’s what our package looks like so far:                                                                                            

• Luisangel Acuña SS
• Christian Scott RHP
• Kevin Parada C 

What do you think? Could this package get a deal done for an ace pitcher? 

It’s a fine offer, but I think the Mets would have to sweeten the pot to get this deal done. After all, the Mets could get two seasons out of Cease before he even reaches his 30th birthday.

So we throw in another quality pitching prospect and/or a hitter. I prefer to offer a hitter because the Mets are so painfully thin on organizational pitching. Jeremiah Jackson or Nick Morabito could get the deal done. Depending on what the White Sox are looking for, we could reasonably substitute any of our pool players in slot 4 or even add a 5th player. As long as we don’t include Jett Williams or Drew Gilbert, I think it’s a competitive offer, and the Mets aren’t giving away the farm.

Let’s say the White Sox are okay with Jeremiah Jackson because of his power potential, plus a low-level RHP prospect. Now, the Mets offer for Dylan Cease is: 

 White Sox Get

• Luisangel Acuña SS
• Christian Scott RHP
• Kevin Parada – C
• Jeremiah Jackson UT
• RHP prospect

Mets Get

• Dylan Cease RHP

What do you think, or more importantly, what would the Southsiders think? Would you make this deal? How would you change it? Or would you even bother?

Asking for a friend.

* * * * * * *

This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Petey Pete. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post Fan Shot: Should The Mets Trade For An Ace? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This caused me to start thinking of the best Mets back-up catchers in their history and many fabulous players began to scroll across my memory. A lot of these guys are fading from the collective Mets fan memory database so I thought I would throw together this piece on The Top 10 Best Mets Backup Catchers. These players are listed in roughly chronological order and although many of them went on to have long major league careers, this list is for their contributions made during their years as Mets players.

First up: A homegrown Mets World Series winner from 1969.

Duffy Dyer

Duffy Dyer – Important homegrown bench player.

The Mets drafted Dyer out of Arizona State University in the 1st Round (9th overall) of the June second phase of the second-ever MLB Amateur Draft of 1966. After spending his first season of professional ball in the minors he got a call-up in 1967 and even played in 43 games for the Mets that year. But the presence of veteran back-up catcher J.C. Martin who joined the Mets in 1968, kept Dyer in the minors until 1969 when he, Martin, and starter Jerry Grote helped the Miracle Mets win their first World Series Championship. Although he only got 79 plate appearances that season, it started a run for Dyer as backup catcher for the Mets through the 1974 season, mostly as a caddie for Jerry Grote.

His best season with the Amazins came in 1972 when he amassed 363 plate appearances, batting .231 with 8 dingers and 36 RBIs. Always an excellent fielder during his 14-year major league career, Dyer had a lifetime .993 fielding percentage and a 36% lifetime caught-stealing percentage. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 1974 season for outfielder Gene Clines and retired from baseball after the 1980 season.

Ron Hodges

Ron Hodges- One of the two longest-tenured catchers in Mets history.

If I asked you what catcher played for the Mets for the most seasons during his career, you would be right if you said Jerry Grote (12 seasons). But you would be right if you said Ron Hodges who also played for the Mets for 12 seasons. If you got that one right you are truly a Mets expert!

Hodges was a coveted player coming out of college and was first drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 6th round of the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft from Appalachian State University. He didn’t sign. He was then drafted in the 1st round (15th overall) of the 1971 MLB January Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Again, he didn’t sign. Then the Atlanta Braves chose him in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 1971 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase. And again, yup you guessed it, he didn’t sign. Enter the New York Mets, who snarfed him up in the 2nd round of the 1972 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase, and what do they say? Fourth time’s the charm? He signed.

Did the Mets know they were getting themselves a catcher who would spend one season in the minors before locking down the number two catching duties for the next 12 seasons? Who wouldn’t sign up for that? Hodges remained a Met for his entire career and played in 666 games for them. In 1683 plate appearances Hodges slashed .240/.342/.322. He had 342 hits, 56 2B’s, 2 3B’s, 19 homers and 147 RBIs. Defensively he appeared in 445 games and finished his career with a .978 fielding percentage and threw out 31% of would-be base stealers.

Charlie O’Brien

Charlie O’Brien – Valuable defensive backstop.

Charlie O’Brien is arguably one of the best, if not the best defensive catcher the Mets have ever had. He was a game-changer behind the plate which was the reason he enjoyed a 15-year catching career at the big league level despite a .221 lifetime batting average. The Mets had him for four seasons in the prime of his career, ages 30 through 33 and he was absolutely loved and appreciated by the pitchers, the coaching staff and the fans.

He had a quick cup of coffee with Oakland in 1985 at the age of 25 but didn’t break into the ‘bigs’ until 1987 after being traded to Milwaukee. He served as the backup catcher for the Brewers for three and a half seasons before being traded to the Mets during the 1990 season. The Mets acquired O’Brien from the Brew Crew for two players to be named later who turned into righty reliever Julio Machado and a left-hander named Kevin Brown….no, not that Kevin Brown.

Okay, so before I give you his stats remember the part about him being a great defensive player? Know what I’m saying? When I referred to him as a ‘game changer’ I wasn’t talking about his hitting. That said, in 659 plate appearances over his four Met seasons Charlie slashed .212/.289/.309, with 52 Runs, 8 HR’s and 59 RBI’s. But the flip side is what he did defensively during that span. In 232 games as a Met, O’Brien had an average fielding percentage of .989 and a caught-stealing percentage of 38.5.

After the 1993 season, O’Brien became a free agent and signed a two-year contract with Atlanta where he became future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux’s personal catcher. He moved on to Toronto for two seasons and then after that the Chisox, Anaheim and Montreal before calling it quits in 2000.

Todd Pratt

Todd Pratt – AKA:  “Tank”

Todd Pratt, affectionately referred to as “Tank” by his teammates and the fans was one of the most popular Mets of all time, that is until he left New York to become a fan favorite in Philadelphia. At that point, Mets fans kind of felt betrayed. After all, Tank seemed to be having entirely too much fun as a Phillie. But considering he hit one of the biggest and most important, clutch home runs in Mets history, I guess we can let that slide.

Tank’s journey to the major leagues was anything but typical. It was more like a never-ending marathon as Pratt toiled in the minor leagues for over a decade from 1985 to 1995, during which time he was part of six different organizations and granted his free agency four different times. He was able to spend parts of four of those seasons in the big leagues, with the Phillies and Cubs earning him 226 major league plate appearances. But things hit rock bottom for our hero during the 1995 season in the Cubs organization and it was so bad that after the season he quit baseball. In 1996 he did not play baseball at all, on any level, and instead taught baseball at a kid’s camp. But in December that year, he was signed to a minor league contract by the Mets as a soon-to-be 30-year-old free-agent journeyman. He then spent the next four and a half seasons (1997 to 2001) as the Mets’ backup catcher to Mike Piazza.

Pratt was a wildly popular player with both his teammates and the fans. He was loose, funny and unpredictable but having languished in the minor leagues for so many years, his appreciation for the game shined through whenever he was in the ballpark. He loved playing baseball. In his five seasons as a Met, he had 640 plate appearances with a slash line of .265/.354/.414 with 78 runs scored, 147 Hits, 30 2B’s, 1 3B, 17 HRs and 87 RBIs. Defensively, Pratt was an excellent fielder with a lifetime fielding percentage of .991 and a caught-stealing rate of 36%.

But there was one swing of the bat he will always be remembered for. On October 9th, 1999, in the Divisional Playoff Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Todd Pratt became a Mets hero. With the Mets ahead in the best-of-five series two games to one, Game 4 was crucial for the Mets to win in order to avoid going back to Arizona for a deciding game. Unfortunately, the Mets best player, Mike Piazza, was suffering from a badly swollen thumb and was unable to play. So with Tank starting in place of Piazza the game was tied 3-3 and went into extra innings. With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Pratt came to the plate to face Diamondback closer Matt Mantei.

So far in the game, Pratt had gone 0-3 with three ground balls, leaving runners stranded in scoring position each time, but this time would be different. After a curveball in the dirt, Mantei tried to sneak a 1-0 fastball by Pratt but caught too much of the plate and Tank launched a bomb to centerfield. Centerfielder Steve Finley raced to the wall but couldn’t get off a good jump and the ball just alluded his glove and squeaked over the top of the fence. Pratt’s walk-off homer sent the Mets to the National League Championship Series, and although they stalled before getting to the World Series, Pratt’s clutch home run became an iconic highlight in Mets history.

Footnote: I would be remiss if I didn’t include another Todd Pratt highlight which he achieved about a week after his historic homerun. I’m referring of course, to Pratt turning a Robin Ventura walk-off grand slam homerun into a walk-off grand slam single.

Barry Lyons

Barry Lyons – Fan Favorite

Lyons was drafted by the Mets in the 15th round of the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft from Delta State University. He played a total of seven seasons in the ‘bigs’ and spent five of those seasons with the Mets. He first broke in with the 1986 Mets and served as one of the backup catchers to future Hall of Fame backstop Gary Carter, a role he would fill during the time he spent in New York.

In 586 Mets plate appearances, Lyons slashed .240/.277/.341 with 44 Runs, 131 Hits, 24 2B’s, 2 3B’s, 9 HR’s, and 71 RBI’s. Lyons was a decent fielder as a catcher but didn’t exactly strike fear into would-be base stealers. As a Met Barry was only able to throw out a pedestrian 22.4% of base stealers, but his catching fundies were solid as is evidenced by a .980 Met fielding percentage.

Lyons never hit a huge homer for the Mets or dazzled us with his heroics. But not everyone can be Todd Pratt. But hey, like the title of this article says: his role was backup catcher which is normally not a star-studded job. Despite that Barry was well-liked by the fans, and we Mets fans appreciated the calm, professional way Lyons went about his business. The years he spent with the club were years we had a catching back-up who could be relied on to do the job and get you an occasional hit when you needed one. He was released by New York towards the end of the 1990 season.

Alex Trevino

Alex Trevino – Defensive Wiz

Trevino had his contract purchased by the Mets from Cuidad Victoria of the Mexican League in May of 1974, as a 16-year-old International free agent. He spent the next four seasons progressing through the Mets minor league system before breaking into the majors with New York in 1978 as a 20-year-old. He would spend the first four seasons of his 13-year big league career with the Mets before being traded as a 23-year-old as part of the package that brought slugging outfielder George Foster to New York in 1982.

Trevino wasn’t really big for a catcher at 5’10” and 165 lbs, but his athleticism and smooth, fluid control behind the plate made him an awesome defensive backstop. He was a line-drive hitter, and never homered for the Mets but power wasn’t his game, playing the catching position was. In 798 plate appearances for the Mets, Alex slashed .262/.307/.304 with 70 runs, 192 hits, 25 2Bs, 3 3Bs, and 69 RBIs. Watching a catcher with talent like Trevino’s will always be fun for the fans though. As a Met, he threw out 35% of those trying to steal off him while locking down the defensive side with a .979 fielding percentage. Since his playing career ended in 1990, Trevino has enjoyed a long and successful career as a broadcaster for Spanish-speaking television.

Mackey Sasser

Mackey Sasser – The star that never was.

Now if you like a good mystery, you might want to enjoy a snack or a beverage while reading about this next player. A backup catcher who is one of the more significant enigmas in Mets history. Whether it be a fan or a player, or coach or manager, Sasser would always leave you scratching your head and wondering. You probably have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about right now so let me endeavor to explain.

Mackey Sasser isn’t just the only player in MLB history to have the first name “Mackey” but he could flat-out hit. Sasser was a slasher. A lefty contact hitter with a weird hunched-over batting stance, Sasser was always in motion while in the batter’s box. He’d be swaying back and forth from one foot to the other constantly shifting his weight, and his arms were undulating all over the place. While this was going on he kept doing a bizarre motion with his right hand, taking the middle and index fingers and dragging them across his lips like he was smoking an invisible cigarette. And of course, there was the ‘chaw’. Mackey had so much nervous energy that he was a prime candidate for using chewing tobacco, and he didn’t disappoint, cramming enough of the vile stuff into his mouth to supply an entire village.

But as far as the act of hitting goes, Mackey was the best and baddest of the bad-ball-hitters. Sasser never saw a pitch he didn’t like. For one thing, in 1002 Mets plate appearances over five seasons, Sasser walked just 40 times for a 4.0 BB%, that’s four walks for every 100 plate appearances. At the same time, his strikeout percentage was 7.6%. So you can see he almost always put the ball in play. As a Met, he slashed an impressive .283/.309/.403 with 82 runs, 267 hits, 58 2B’s, 5 3Bs, 15 HRs and 133 RBIs. So then what’s the problem? Why was his big league baseball career only nine seasons when he was a lefty-hitting catcher who raked and avoided injury? Well, catchers gotta catch, right?

Now Sasser could catch the ball, it was throwing it back to the pitcher that gave him trouble. A lot of trouble, as it pretty much eventually ended his career. He had a mental block where instead of throwing the ball back to the pitcher with efficiency, he would double, and sometimes triple pump before throwing it. And the more he tried not to, the worse it got. Opponents caught on rather quickly and speedier players started to steal bases against the Mets on throws back to the pitcher. It was an untenable situation and made using Sasser behind the plate increasingly problematic. Eventually, the Mets had seen enough and he was granted free agency after the 1992 season.

Jason Phillips

Jason Phillips – The Masked Avenger

The Mets took Phillips in the 24th round of the 1997 MLB Draft out of San Diego State. He played the first four seasons of his seven-year career as a Met either backing up Mike Piazza behind the dish, or sometimes filling in at first base to get his potent bat into the line-up. Phillips was a good hitter slashing .262/.337/.389 in 894 plate appearances for the Mets with 85 runs, 207 hits, 44 2B, 19 HRs and 95 RBIs. A good fielding backstop with a fairly weak arm, Phillips excelled with a .993 fielding percentage but struggled with opposing baserunners, throwing out only 21% of base stealers.

Although his contributions are not eye-popping he was a homegrown, quality role player and was well-liked by the fanbase. We especially loved the way he could rock a pair of sports goggles. One obstacle he faced was losing playing time to some other very good catchers the Mets had at the time like Todd Pratt and Vance Wilson. His most important contribution as a Met was one that cannot be measured with statistics. He was a very important player when they were trying to figure out how to best utilize an aging Mike Piazza.

Vance Wilson

Vance Wilson – Total Package

Now before we continue I want to ask you something. These days the MLB Draft is like 20 rounds or something like that, the exact number of rounds doesn’t matter for what I am about to state. When Vance Wilson was drafted in 1993, the MLB Draft was 45 ROUNDS long. Can you imagine? Well, what do you think about Mike Piazza being drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft? But I digress… I’m sure you won’t be shocked now when I tell you that Wilson was drafted in the 44th round. That tells something about his perseverance and drive as the odds are not very good for a 44th-round draft pick to ever even sniff the big leagues.

At this point, to get a good look at his career trajectory we need to do some math. He was drafted at age 20 and then spent the next eight seasons in the minors. So when the Mets brought him up for the 2001 season he was already 28 years old. But for the next four seasons, he was a very solid contributor providing backup for Mike Piazza. In 713 plate appearances for the Mets Wilson slashed .254/.308/.354 with 68 Runs, 165 Hits, 29 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 17 HRs and 92 RBIs. Wilson showed true leadership on the field and was an excellent defender. His career fielding percentage was .990 and he tossed out a staggering 40% of base stealers. In 2005 the Mets shipped Wilson to Detroit for weak-hitting infielder Anderson Hernandez .

Ramon Castro

Marlin’s loss, Mets gain.

Ramon Castro was a beloved Mets player to be sure. It was hard to watch his style of play and not smile and as a fan, you loved what he brought to the field. The best part for me is that he was originally drafted by the Astros in 1997 in the 1st round (17th overall) before being traded to the Marlins the next year. The Marlins brought him up as an all-field, no-hit rookie catcher for the 1999 season and he served in that capacity for the next five seasons. But his hitting for the Fish was awful with him posting a .212/.296/.365 slash line and after a dreadful 2004 where he batted only .135, he was granted free agency after the season.

Enter the Mets who signed him as a free-agent for the 2005 season. In his five seasons with New York he was a consummate back-up catcher and his slash line didn’t in any way resemble what it had for the Marlins. His Mets slash reads .252/.321/.452. Over 785 plate appearances, he scored 83 runs with 177 hits, 41 2Bs, 33 HRs and 121 RBIs. Defensively Castro had a .990 fielding percentage while throwing out 30% of attempted steals.

By the 2009 season, he had fallen to third on the Mets catching depth chart and when a need for bullpen help arose in May, Castro was shipped to the White Sox in the ill-fated Lance Broadway deal. He played the last three seasons of his 13-year career with Chicago before retiring after the 2011 season.

Honorable Mention

J.C. Martin

J.C. Martin – Off the bench and into World Series History.

J.C. Martin from Ridgeway, Virginia became a major league baseball player for the Chicago White Sox in 1959. Those were the days when major league scouting had no rules, no regulations and no structure to work within. They would look for players wherever they might be found. And if a young player like Martin is signed by the White Sox he was enslaved to them, with no prospects of a draft (which wouldn’t begin until 1965), free agency (a decade after the draft began), or even arbitration (a couple more decades still). So Martin played for the Sox organization from high school until past his 30th birthday. He had spent nearly a decade in the majors with Chicago and was 31 when he joined the Mets before the 1968 season. It was the culmination of a trade made during July of the ’67 season when the Mets sent Ken Boyer to the Chisox for a player-to-be-named who turned into Martin.

He would be a backup catcher in New York for two seasons until the Mets traded him back to Chicago (the Cubbies this time) just before the start of the 1970 season, for a catcher named Randy Bobb.  Martin remained a Cub for the final three years of his 14-year major league career.

But it was during his two-year tenure with the Amazins that he appeared in his only World Series in 1969. And that’s where the magic happened. It was the 10th inning of Game 4 and the score was tied 1-1. With runners on first and second for the Mets and slugger Tommie Agee on deck, manager Gil Hodges sent J.C. Martin up to bat for the pitcher with instructions to bunt the runners over. Martin, who later cried, “Nobody wants to bunt in the World Series!” did his duty and laid down a sacrifice bunt which was quickly fielded by pitcher Pete Richert.

Richert pounced on the ball, whirled and fired to first. But Martin was running inside the baseline and the ball hit him in the back and deflected into shallow right field enabling pinch-runner Rod Gaspar to score from second with the winning run. If it happened today, the play would have been reviewed and the runner called out, but it was 1969. We went to the moon in 1969.

The post The Top 10 Best Mets Backup Catchers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This year, the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies have been employing a prospect-laden starting pitching staff that has been the envy of the Eastern League. How many minor league teams can run out five talented pitching prospects in their rotation? Unfortunately for Binghamton, the bubble burst a couple months ago when, after 10 starts with the Rumble Ponies Mike Vasil was the first to be promoted to Triple-A Syracuse.

Mike Vasil – Tip of the Spear?

For several seasons now we have heard a lot about the Mets position player prospects, while the pitching prospect front has been pretty quiet. Well, all of that is changing as we speak. With the recent promotion of Vasil to Triple-A and Blade Tidwell from high-A Brooklyn to Binghamton, Rumble Pony manager Reid Brignac has had the luxury of sending forth a very talented starting rotation this season. These players represent the five best Mets pitching prospects in the latest rankings according to MLB.com.

After the trade deadline passed and MLB.com released it’s revised player rankings and the Rumble Ponies rotation graded out very high. Mike Vasil (who was by then at Triple-A) came in ranked as the Mets 9th-best prospect while Tidwell and Christian Scott placed 10th and 12th. Rounding out the rotation is Dominic Hamel and Tyler Stuart,who slot in at 16th and 17th on the Mets prospect rankings. Here are some of the basics on these players:

Developing a front-line big-league starting pitcher. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Mike Vasil

The Mets drafted the 23 year-old, 6-foot-5 225 lb. right-hander out of college in the 8th round of the 2021 MLB draft. His four-pitch arsenal features a four-seam fastball, slider, curve and change-up. The fastball has been sitting in the 93-95 mph range, while his upper 80’s slider and lower 80’s curveball show some decent downward bite. The changeup is undergoing a bit of a transformation this season, and in his most recent outing it was exhibiting good sink.

At the time of this writing, Vasil had made 10 starts this season at Double-A and then 10 starts at Triple-A. He saved his best for his most recent turn through the Syracuse rotation. On Tuesday August 8th, Vasil took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, having to settle for eight hitless innings when the lead-off hitter in the ninth struck a sharp single up the middle. However but he still got the win in a 3-0 victory over Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Vasil is not the oldest player here, or the tallest. He wasn’t the highest draft pick here and he doesn’t throw harder than everyone on this list. However, he will probably be the first one to make it to Citi Field, and that could be as soon as sometime next season.

ETA: 2024

Blade Tidwell – Highest ceiling amongst Mets Pitching Prospects? Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Blade Tidwell

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was strongly coveted by the Mets during the 2022 MLB Draft. When he was still available in the 2nd round,  the Amazins’ grabbed him out of the University of Tennessee, and they even went above slot to sign him for $1.85 million. After signing last year, he finished off the season with Brooklyn, even making two postseason starts and helping lead the Cyclones to a League Championship.

His fastball has been clocked at 94-96, but has topped out at 98. His frame is still filling out, and the feeling is there maybe another level to his development. But, even right now, his heater is a plus pitch. He also throws a second plus pitch, a hard slider which breaks across two planes, as well as a high 70’s curve and a mid-80’s change-up.

Only 22 years-old, he pitched very well this year at high-A Brooklyn, earning himself a mid-season call-up to Double-A. Since the promotion, he has shown some growing pains with his first few starts, but has started to look more comfortable of late. His overall stats through 20 total starts this year are pretty slick though:

In 97 innings he’s 9-5 with a 3.62 ERA, 126/54 K/BB, 71 hits given up for a .205 average against, and a WHIP of 1.29.

The youngest player here, but perhaps the highest ceiling? Only time will tell.

ETA: 2025

Christian Scott – Coming on like a Bat-out-of-Hell. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Christian Scott

The 6-foot-4 24 year-old right-hander, was taken by the Mets in the 5th round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Florida. He got his feet wet last year starting and relieving at both the low-A and high-A levels, and there wasn’t a lot to see as the numbers were fairly pedestrian. But this season is a completely different story. To say he’s having a good season would be an understatement. Scott has really rewarded the Mets confidence in him with his development at Double-A.

So far this season his stats look like this:

In 83 innings pitched across 17 game starts, his record is 5-4 with a 2.71 ERA, 99/12 K/BB, 59 hits surrendered for a batting average against of .197 and an 0.86 WHIP.

Don’t let the W-L record fool ya, the peripherals tell the story here. He’s hard to hit, he’s hard to score on, heck, it’s hard to even get on base against him. But best of all is that strikeout to walk ratio. Scott’s a strike thrower, so he should have no problem with the damn pitching clock.

If not the first player here to make it to Citi, then I’ll guess Scott is the second one to do it.

ETA: 2024

Dominic Hamel – Another solid season. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Dominic Hamel

The 24 year-old 6-foot-2 right-hander was drafted out of college by the Mets when they grabbed him with their 3rd round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Last season, Hamel was the minor league leader in strikeouts in the entire Mets system with 145 in 119 innings, and no one else was even close. His sparkling 3.25 ERA was second lowest in the system. His 2022 season was so good it propelled him up the prospect ladder.

Through 21 game starts this season for the Rumble Ponies, and 105 innings pitched, the going has been slightly tougher this year, but Hamel still shows that he has the propensity for strikeouts. Hamel’s peripherals are also fine. He’s got a record of 7-6 with a 4.29 ERA, 130 K’s so far against 41 walks. Opponents are only hitting .243 against him and he’s got a 1.31 WHIP.

His stuff is good. Around 91-94 on the fastball and sometimes touching mid-nineties. But what makes it hard to Hamel is his spin rate. It’s apparently pretty good, which enables it to not drop so much on it’s way through the zone and thereby giving the illusion of rise. What the old-timers used to refer to as a “high-riding fastball.”

Here’s a good question for ya, what do you call a low-80’s slider with a spin rate of 2,800-3,000 rpms? No, it’s not a flying saucer, it’s Hamel’s freakish slider. He’ll also utilize a mid-70’s curveball which, like his mid-80’s changeup, are works in progress, although the changeup has begun to show some late fade the opposite direction of his slider.

ETA: 2025

Tyler Stuart – 2023 ERA at 2.32 after 20 game starts. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Tyler Stuart

The Mets took the 23 year-old right-hander in the 6th round of the 2022 draft out of Southern Mississippi. Before I go any further, I think you should sit down because the shock might bowl you over when I tell you this right-hander is 6-foot-9 and weighs in at 250 lbs.

Yup, he’s a big fella alright. He was dazzling them through 14 starts at Brooklyn the first half of this season, so the Mets moved him on up to Double-A where he could pick on somebody his own size. His overall stats for 2023 are:

104.2 IP over 20 starts, a 6-2 record with a scintillating 2.32 ERA, 106/32 K/BB, 88 hits for an average against of .228 and a 1.15 WHIP.

His stuff is not what you might think considering his size. He’s more of a sinker/slider guy than a fireballer. Think Rick Reuschel for all of you that go that far back. Stuart’s fastball is a two-seam sinker in the low-90’s, but he pitches backwards, which means means he relies on his number two, his low-80’s slider as his primary pitch, throwing it 50 percent of the time.

Stuart was a reliever in college and right up until this season, so he never had the need to refine his third pitch, a changeup. Up until now, his slider with it’s two-plane break has been his bread and butter pitch, but he’ll need that changeup if he’s going to stay in the starting rotation going forward.

ETA: 2025

Now, I go way back. I’ve been a Mets fan my whole life and I’m pretty old. My first game at Shea Stadium was 1967, I was ten, and I kept score. I know this because I still have that scorecard.

I remember when Tom Seaver was a puppy, and Jerry Koosman too. I remember when Nolan Ryan was a rookie Met, and Tug McGraw, and Gary Gentry and 1972 National League Rookie of the Year: Jon Matlack.

And, of course: Craig Swan and Generation K, and Doctor K.

I also remember a parade of expensive free-agent pitchers come along too. And there were some greats, players who contributed mightily to Metdom. But the home grown kids are always something special.

There’s something special about this group, too. Talents coming together like with these five kids is a true testament to hard work, great scouting and great player development. Let’s Go Mets.

The post 2024 Triple-A Rotation Might Be Glimpse Into Mets’ Future appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On October 16th, 1969 at Shea Stadium, in front of 57,367 hysterical fans the New York Mets wrote the final chapter of what is still today one of the most compelling “rags-to-riches” stories in Major League Baseball history. A team that for the first seven seasons of their existence had been a laughingstock and the brunt of countless jokes, was suddenly and inexplicably sitting on top of the baseball world. And no one except the Mets and their fans were laughing anymore.

Was it a fluke though? A happy accident? The fact that the Mets made it back to the World Series four years later in 1973, with the same basic core of players proved that ’69 was no accident. No, the 1969 Mets were the beginning of a new kind of Mets team. A playoff challenger. A team that barring extensive injuries could compete for a playoff spot every year. A team that was built with experience and know-how, and great pitching.

Eventually, a power struggle in the inner circles of the Mets hierarchy following the death of GM Johnny Murphy, would result in the ousting of Whitey Herzog, and the emergence of M. Donald Grant as the “top dog” in the baseball structure of the organization. This was the end of the Mets as a contending team.

As M. Donald Grant, who in Whitey Herzog’s own words: “knew nothing about baseball,” went on to destroy the Mets franchise for the next decade, Herzog went to St. Louis to lick his wounds. Of course Herzog, who knew “plenty about baseball,” went on to build a perennial contender and championship team while the Mets were entering their darkest period as a franchise. Those “White Rat” led Cardinals teams ate the Mets lunch practically every season for the next twelve years.

But this piece is intended to illustrate where that first core of championship players emerged from, and who was actually responsible for what? Perhaps by reviewing the history of our own beloved Amazins, we can ourselves relearn what it takes to build a winner. There were three Mets GM’s from the team’s inception in 1961 until the end of that miracle ’69 season. They were each in their own right, very important in building that world champion team.

The first Mets GM was George Weiss, who was tabbed by Mrs. Joan Payson in 1961 as the perfect man for the job of getting this fledgling franchise off the ground. Weiss, who along with Casey Stengel had been forced by the Yankees to retire the previous year, had built the Yankee teams that won all those championships in the 40’s and 50’s. He is also credited for developing the modern-day farm system after he began working for the Yankees in 1932. Weiss built the foundation, the talent, and farm system for the Mets that would produce about two-thirds of that ’69 team.

Weiss was directly responsible for acquiring four out of the six starting pitchers the Mets used in 1969, including Tom Seaver who was drafted in a special lottery in 1966, and Jerry Koosman who was signed as an amateur free-agent in 1964. Weiss also made use of the first year of the MLB Amateur Draft in 1965, to take a couple of young hurlers in the 11th and 12th rounds by the names of: Jim McAndrew, and Nolan Ryan. Weiss’ sole contribution to the 1969 bullpen was a young left-hander by the name of Tug McGraw.

As for position players, Weiss had an even more noticeable imprint. Starting of course with the oldest Met, in terms of tender, even in 1969 and still to this day, “Steady” Eddy Kranepool. Krane was signed as an amateur free-agent in 1962, a 17-year-old from the Bronx, and made his big league debut at the end of the ’62 season. He would play the next 18 seasons as a Met.

Kranepool and Koosman were joined by other huge free-agent acquisitions in the years before the Draft was implemented in 1965. Bud Harrelson, Cleon Jones, and Ron Swoboda were all netted as free-agents by Weiss in 1963. Koosman, McGraw and Kevin Collins would follow in ’64. In 1965, not only did Weiss land Ryan, McAndrew, Ken Boswell, and Steve Renko in the draft, he also made a very shrewd trade with Houston to pry a young catcher away from them by the name of Jerry Grote.

The second MLB Draft in 1966 enabled Weiss to land the Mets a promising catcher named Duffy Dyer in the 1st round. In all, twelve players from the World Championship 1969 team were acquired directly by George Weiss, and five more were acquired indirectly, through moves previously made by him. Weiss would eventually be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Bing Devine, was scooped up by Joan Payson after he was fired by the Cardinals, and brought in to replace Weiss as GM. He was only in the position for one year, 1967, but during that time he made some very important moves that would end up helping the Mets win a world championship two years later. Devine was caught up in the tug-of-war between Herzog and Grant and decided after just one year he had to get the hell out of there. St. Louis realized they had made a mistake in firing him, so off he went back to the Cardinals where Herzog would join him a short time later.

But during the one short year he served as Met GM Devine left an indelible mark on the franchise. In his one draft with the Mets, Devine made a huge selection in the 3rd round when he tabbed a young, fire-balling right-hander, by the name of Gary Gentry. Gentry would break into the bigs in 1969 and pitch so well for the Mets, that he nailed down the number three spot in the rotation. The other notable player from Devine’s ’67 draft was reserve outfielder Rod Gaspar, in the 2nd round.

Devine understood that this team was close to being very, very good, and he was able to add important complimentary pieces without disrupting the team’s nucleus. He either purchased the contracts or traded for, several older but useful role players to fill out the rotation, bullpen, and bench. Players like catcher J.C. Martin, who he traded an aging Ken Boyer to acquire, and would later play a key role in the ’69 Series. Devine picked up third baseman Ed Charles, “The Glider,” from K.C., and important relievers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor.

He also made two very significant trades. The lesser of the two, which was still crucial to the Mets fortunes in the 1969 season, was the December 1966 trade of RHP Dennis Ribant to the Pittsburgh Pirates for veteran left-hander Don Cardwell. Cardwell came over to the Mets and did an excellent job of rounding out the rotation. Furthermore he provided a veteran influence on a very young rotation whose senior member up to that point was 26-year-old Jerry Koosman, and he clearly took pressure off the youngsters Ryan and Gentry.

The biggest contribution that Devine made was not the player he acquired in the trade where he sent Jim Hickman and Ron Hunt to the L.A. Dodgers. That was outfielder/third-baseman Tommy Davis, and Davis, like Devine, would only work as a Met for the 1967 season. However, Davis would eventually become a key component in a trade for two other players who would be huge for the Mets in 1969. More on that in a little bit.

With Devine now gone, enter Johnny Murphy as the franchise’s third GM. Murphy, a former relief ace for the Yankees in the 30’s and 40’s, had been a Red Sox executive for 13 seasons mostly involved in scouting, and started working in the Mets front office in 1961. He was a solid, knowledgeable baseball man who could stand up to the meddling Grant.

Murphy guided the team through 1968 and 1969, and like Devine, knew enough to see that he had the makings of a winning team that only required a little leadership, and a little fine-tuning to really make some noise. It was to this end that Murphy acquired outfielder Art Shamsky from Cincinnati, third baseman Bobby Pfeil from St. Louis, and lefty reliever Jack DiLauro from Detroit.

It was Murphy who pulled off a blockbuster for the Mets when he traded Tommy Davis and unloaded RHP Jack Fisher, and two prospects in 1968, to the White Sox for Tommie Agee and Al Weis. He also selected infielder Wayne Garrett from the Braves in the 1968 Rule 5 Draft. Garrett went on to have a very solid Mets career including playing a big part in the 1969 season. Murphy identified a major power shortage at the infield corners, and brought in slugging first baseman Donn Clendenon during the season in ’69. Big Donn put the finishing touches on the line-up and provided the everyday on-the-field leadership the team so sorely needed.

Although the biggest contribution Johnny Murphy made to the Mets ultimately winning the World Series was a trade he made, it was not a trade for a player. On November 27th, 1967, Murphy traded right-hander Bill Denehy and $100,000 to the Washington Senators for their manager, Gil Hodges. Hodges’ leadership and guidance was perhaps the single most important factor in stabilizing that very young 1969 Mets team and enabling them to bring home the World Championship. Unfortunately that sweet success would be short-lived for Murphy who passed away the following January, just three months after his team had won it all.

The post The 1969 Mets: Engineering A Miracle appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Latest Cuban Phenom Lazaro Armenteros Declared A Free Agent

Last week the question was posed here on MMO as to whether or not the Mets should trade LHP Steven Matz and another player to the Red Sox for shortstop prospect Yoan Moncada. The trade was proposed by Baseball America and I have a huge problem with this, let me tell you why.

Since 2010, the Mets ownership and front office have been negligent and unresponsive among other things, when it comes to taking advantage of international free agency.

Of course after the wonderful Kaz Matsui experience I can almost understand why they always seem to show absolutely no interest in the best international free agents every year. But smart teams utilize it as a means to infuse blue chip talent into their farm systems, just ask the Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers.

Over a year ago during the 2014 Winter Meetings, Sandy Alderson acknowledged that the Mets haven’t engaged in premium international players during his tenure, but vowed that would soon be a thing of the past.

“We haven’t been in that category, but I expect we will be in that category, soon. We don’t know when “soon” is, but there are encouraging signs that “soon” might be as close as the next few weeks.”

The next few weeks? Needless to say, Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang, Japanese shortstop Takashi Toritani, and Cuban second baseman Yoan Moncada ended up on the Mets. Promises, promises.

Now I wonder will Sandy sit on his hands and do nothing again while more newly minted Cuban free agents are hitting the market?

And believe me, I am fully aware that it’s the Wilpons who may be holding Sandy back. But whatever the truth is, our team suffers because they are denied an opportunity to take advantage of this emerging pipeline of premium players.

There’s a Cuban outfielder who is a free agent right now by the name of Lazaro Armenteros, better known as “Lazarito” and recognized as one of the most intriguing and exciting Cuban prospects in international scouting circles.

Armenteros, who is only 16 years-old was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball and is subject to the international signing guidelines because of his age and experience. He will be eligible to sign with a major league team starting February 10.

The Mets as we all know have a serious situation in center field and Lazarito is the real deal. Consider him this years’ Yoan Moncada. Lazarito hits and hits with power, he runs and is an excellent base-stealer and should have no trouble becoming a plus defender in center field.

Did I forget to mention his cannon for an arm? And at only 16 the sky is literally the limit with this kid. He is just what the Mets need, and don’t already have in their farm system.

Do you honestly think the Mets will be serious players for Lazarito? Guess again. They don’t have the stomach or the fortitude to sign this guy. I’m so sure of this that I’m willing to pledge:

“If the Mets sign Lazarito: I Petey Pete will sing the national anthem at Citi Field in the buff. That’s right, in the raw, buck naked, bare-assed, au naturel, unclad, without a stitch, sans leaf, in my birthday suit!” Now, how’s that for certainty?

Exactly a year ago this excerpt was part of a piece on Cuban free agents published on MLB.com:

“Moncada has yet to receive a formal offer, Sanchez writes, but he’s worked out privately for the Cubs, D-backs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rangers, Rays, Tigers and Brewers.”

Now correct me if I’m wrong but weren’t the Mets in need of a shortstop this time last year? Yet they are one of the only teams that didn’t even work him out. They were so busy conducting their biz that they couldn’t even be bothered to kick the tires on Moncada a year ago.

And now we should wonder if it’s a good idea to trade a talented and controllable left-handed pitcher like Matz for someone we could have simply signed a year ago and gave up nothing for except cash? Now you are beginning to see why this whole trade idea seems so ludicrous to me.

Despite the Mets current need for a lead-off hitter and a real center fielder, I think we can safely assume that the Mets owners and their lackeys are too busy focusing on looking good, saying the right things and putting spin on everything, than they are of making the team better.

If it costs any money they simply aren’t interested. That’s the one constant with the Wilpons, they’re unwilling to invest in the team even after a banner year and record revenue and profits. This is why I am certain I will not have to do any singing naked on national television, aren’t you relieved?

The post Lazaro Armenteros: Will Mets Continue To Ignore Premium International Free Agents appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Here’s an interview we did with recently promoted pitching prospect Akeel Morris. This was conducted this past Winter right after the Mets decided to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. As you’ll see, the St. Thomas, Virgin Islands  native spoke extensively about his success and what drives him. Enjoy…

* * * * * * * *

Petey: Hi Akeel, thanks for taking the time to do this interview for all of us at MMO, all the readers will really enjoy hearing from you.

After your amazing season this year in Savannah, there is a great deal of buzz about you in and around the organization not to mention the rest of baseball. How do you feel about the year you just had now that you have had a little time to decompress?

Akeel: The year I had personally was for me a great accomplishment. To see what I could do in a full season, the competition level and just moving up and being successful at every level for me is an accomplishment. I’m happy about that and excited to keep moving up and challenges, and challenging better hitters. So that really was an accomplishment for me personally. About the baseball world, it was a really great year, for me to make the All-Star team and post-season All-Star team, and the Sterling Award. On top of a great season that was even more than I could have asked for.

Petey: Well all those awards and accolades were well deserved my man. It is great to see your hard work and dedication paying off like that. Are you going to play any winter ball?

Akeel: No I’m not going to play any winter ball.

Petey: I went back in the MMO archives to find the interview you and I did before and I was shocked to see that it was just over three years ago, October 2011! A lot has gone down since then. It seems things really started to roll when you were switched to relief, that was the beginning of 2012 I think?

Akeel: Yeah I was put in a piggy-back role in 2012 so I was coming out of the bullpen. Yeah so you could say I started relief in 2012. And 2013 I was with the Brooklyn Cyclones. I wasn’t on a full relief schedule there, the appearances were just as much but I was out of the bullpen. I was on a starter’s schedule but I was piggy-backing as well. But yeah this year in Savannah was the first full year in the bullpen. Doing back-to-back outings, that was a big difference. You’re on a throwing program everyday, and you got to pitch that night. You have to learn how to pace yourself and how your arm is feeling going into the game and stuff. It was also a learning experience for me coming out of the bullpen.

Petey: Yeah and if you’re facing the same team two nights in a row you have to be able to show them something different right?

Akeel: Exactly. So it was definitely a learning experience.

Petey: Was there a moment when things really started to ‘click’ for you, and did that help your confidence?

Akeel: Confidence-wise, when I’ve got my good stuff, on most nights consistently like that I kinda got a feel for. I know what I gotta do to have this and this, and you’re not going to have it every night. But when you can have it on most nights that’s all you can really ask for, and you have to battle it the other nights. I got a feel for how I need to be, what I need to be, and what I need to do, to have my stuff be effective most nights, you know? I guess that’s what really ‘clicked’, learning about myself.

Petey: That’s really cool man. So how would you describe your mindset when you are entering a game as a closer? How is it different from starting a ball game?

Akeel: Yeah, it’s definitely different, I mean as a closer or even late in a ball game, you’re going to come in when the game is tied or most likely when your team is up and your like okay, they play nine innings, you’ve got to shut it down. No free passes, no anything. You don’t want to give them any momentum, you know? It’s really just like shut it down, shut it down, that’s all you’re really thinking.

Petey: Being aggressive.

Akeel: Yeah. Basically that’s a simple message in my head, I got to shut it down, go right after these guys. Don’t give them any free passes.

Petey: Is there any ritual or mental prep you do in the bullpen before coming in with the game on the line?

Akeel: Mental preparation, I mean that’s gradual throughout the game. As the later innings come buy I start to get a little more locked in. I start to move around in the bullpen, even as the the game is close in the eighth inning sometimes I just sit around and it’s about mentally locking in. When the whole process really starts for me is before I get on the mound to warm up. Sometimes you don’t have as much time but it doesn’t feel like that once you mentally prepared yourself. So that’s what works for me.

Petey: When we did our last interview for MMO we discussed your pitches at the time. I would imagine they have come a long way since then. Back in 2011 this what you said on the subject:

“As of now I’m throwing a fastball, curveball and a change up. My fastball is usually low to mid 90′s, it peaked at 96 this season. My curve is mid to upper 70′s, and change up is upper 70′s to low 80′s.”

What kind of speeds and movement is your fastball exhibiting these days?

Akeel: My fastball has been sitting at 93-95 mph this season, topped out at 97. Most people tell me it has like a downhill plane, most times it has life to it. Sometimes my catcher will tell me it looks like it’s coming down and looks like it’s going to hit the ground, but it just rides out and it reaches the catcher. So it kinda looks like it’s downhill, downhill, downhill, but it somehow rides out to the plate. So I don’t know how to explain it, that’s what he told me.

Petey: Wow, it sounds like the pitch has natural rise or carry but you’re keeping the ball down in the zone as well.

Akeel: I guess so yeah something like that.

Petey: That’s a four-seam fastball?

Akeel: Yeah I throw a four-seam fastball.

Petey: How bout your change-up? The last time I talked to you it was something you wanted to focus on.

Akeel: The change-up has been really great. Sometimes I keep it down and there’s not as much movement, but it’s so much slower than my fastball and it looks so much like my fastball too, it’s hard for hitters to pick it up. And sometimes it’s even better when it has that drop-off to it. Sometimes it just drops off the table and they swing over it. And sometimes it doesn’t even have that much movement but it’s so slow they don’t see it and can’t put a good swing on it.

Petey: And your arm-speed? It’s the same as with the fastball?

Akeel: Yeah my arm speed is the same.

Petey: That’s awesome. Now what about your breaking pitches?

Akeel: I throw a slider. The slider has really come along a lot more this year. I started throwing it last off-season and at the beginning of this season I didn’t throw it as much. But when the second half came I started to bring it out and throw it, and it really started to develop a lot more. I even got a feel for it where I was throwing the slider even more than my change-up at times. And I love that feeling because I didn’t even have to depend on the fastball/change-up combination. I could go fastball/slider combination and when I mixed it in with the change-up too, it was even a lot better.

Petey: Yeah and the results from this last season certainly attest to that. Say Akeel, what are some of the things you hope to accomplish in your development this upcoming season? Do you set any goals for yourself?

Akeel: This upcoming season I would really like to get better control of my slider. Like be able to throw it for a strike more often. I would throw it for a strike at times but most times I’d throw them a slider it would break outside the zone and they would swing over it or they would take it. But it was more for them to see the pitch. So if I can throw it for strikes more often that’s what I really want to do.  So basically just develop the slider some more.

Petey: Are you able to throw the slider when you are behind in the count?

Akeel: Yes I’ve thrown it in various different counts and I feel that’s a big thing about pitching too. I feel whatever pitches you have you need to be able to throw it in any count. So yeah I have been working on that and I have thrown it in different counts.

Petey: Is there any one coach, or coaches that have helped you significantly since joining the Mets organization, in regards to your development?

Akeel: Coaching-wise, I’ve been with Jonathan Hurst for two years in Kingsport, he helped me a lot, and different coaches in extended spring training. But one of the coaches who really took a lot of time out with me and worked on mechanics while I was in extended spring training day-to-day was Miguel Valdez. He was the pitching coach for short season and I mean he’d really break down my mechanics  for me to understand it and I worked on it. It took a little time but it definitely paid off to where I understand my mechanics and I can see what I’m doing wrong. And as soon as I figured that stuff out it’s been going a lot better, a lot better. So Miguel Valdez has really helped me out a lot.

Petey: You were on a very talented Savannah ball club this past season, lot’s of excellent position players and pitchers. And of course you guys made the SAL playoffs. But let’s focus on the pitching staff for a moment. As someone who watched your starting pitcher’s performances in every game, are there any that stand out for what they bring to the table?

Akeel: That’s really hard, I mean we got so much talent. Actually the starting pitching, I mean for the full year I would say, John Gant for sure. He impressed me. I mean anytime he’s going into the game your guaranteed he’s gonna go at least six innings. He usually goes deep into the ball games and he’s  keeping the score close, giving your team a chance to win. So John Gant really impressed me with his consistency and being able to do that. Other pitchers, I like Robert Gsellman a lot too but he got hurt a little bit into the season. But I mean he really pitched good, he had a good year as well.

Petey: Yeah a lot of Mets fans that follow the Mets Minor League teams are very high on those two guys.

Akeel: And also Kevin McGowan too because he had a game, he went deep into the ninth and I like when your starting pitcher is out there. His pitch count was up and he couldn’t pitch anymore in the ninth inning if he wanted to. And I had to come in and close the game, and he didn’t even want to get off the mound, he wanted to finish the game. So when you have your starters out there with that sort of fire, it pumps you up more to come in and save their game.

Petey: One more question. Now that you are a professional ‘closer’ Akeel, do you ever imagine yourself on the mound in the 9th inning of the World Series trying to preserve a one-run lead? How does it work out? Ha ha!

Akeel: Definitely, as a kid people have those fantasies, whatever scenario it is. Fortunately for me I was always pitching, since I became a pitcher that’s always been the fantasy. The World Series, last inning, game on the line and they call on you. I mean how that turns out is I’m just ready to pitch. Like I said, always in the minors to shut it down, and it goes well for me in my mind.

Petey: That’s is awesome man. Seriously Akeel, I want to thank you again for being so accommodating and taking the time to do this interview. You have always taken time out to talk to me and my colleagues at MetsMerized Online and we all really appreciate it.

Akeel: Alright man sounds good, anytime. I’m already psyched.

The post Getting To Know Mets Pitching Prospect Akeel Morris appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“See the man with the stage fright,
Just standin’ up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.”

 – Robbie Robertson

What exactly do the Mets still need to do to have a legit chance at winning this season. Yes that’s right I said, this season, as in 2015. There has been much speculation lately that the Mets organization is about to fold up their tent on the 2015 season. This despite the fact that we haven’t even reached the half-way point in 2015 yet, and we are only like a half-game out of first place. For the life of me, I cannot understand this malaise that the front office is exhibiting, and why Alderson is incapable of improving what has been a woefully inept offense.

And it’s not like this just happened. The offense has been totally worthless since Alderson took the job as Mets savior five long years ago. C’mon Sandy! It’s great that you restocked the minor league system with lot’s of fresh faces and talented players. Thing is only a very small percentage of minor league players will ever sniff the major leagues. Most of the players in the bottom half of the minors will never even get to AAA.

So my question is this. Why aren’t we trading from our surplus of minor league talent in order to acquire a couple of bats that will turn our big league line-up from a joke to a contender. When a team is as close as the Mets are to taking a quantum leap, it is not the time to sit on your hands and do nothing, right?

Wrong. It has been said by insiders like Kevin Kernan that 2016 will be the window that the Mets front office is targeting to make a push for the playoffs. You know what I say to that? Bullshit! There is no reason to piss away the 2015 season when our team has almost as good a chance as any to bring home a pennant. Why does this Mets front office seem so quick to flush an entire year down the toilet with their lethargy?

I believe there’s three main reasons for this, and of course this is nothing that hasn’t been said before. The first reason is simple. The ownership simply doesn’t care. The owners obviously are okay with putting out a lousy product.

Reason number two, money, and the Wilpon’s desire not to part with any. You can’t bring in Major League talent for minor league money. They can say all they want about their financial problems being in the rear-view mirror, but their actions scream otherwise.

The third reason is one that is still developing, but I thought I would throw it out there anyway. I was talking to our fearless leader Joe D today and he said something that struck me as very insightful. We were talking about this inability of the front office to make a deal to help the major league roster. It was then that the word “fear” came up.

Fear of doing something that might make you look bad. Might tarnish one’s legacy. Fear of pulling the trigger. Fear of trading the wrong prospect. Fear of making a bad trade. Fear of failure. Swapping stars for prospects is one thing. The tough part is trading for stars when the team is ready.

Alderson had made his reputation long before he came to New York. He will most likely be retiring after this stint as Mets savior, and the last thing he wants to do is put himself in a position of ridicule. He is so frightened of making a bad trade that he has frozen, and can’t make any move at all. It’s like he’s in sleep paralysis only he’s wide awake. This my friends is a classic example of “stage fright.”

I can’t help but sing the chorus of that great song by The Band, “Stage Fright” whenever I think of Sandy with his hand too frozen to even reach for the trigger. Just like Theo Epstein right? Or Jeff Luhnow of the Houston Astros, A.J. Preller of San Diego, or Ben Cherington of the Red Sox. These are the new breed of General Manager in baseball. The new mavericks. These are the types of front office executives that are forward thinking, aggressive, and not afraid to make moves and take chances. And that is the type of leadership the Mets front office lacks and sorely needs.

Unfortunately the people who care about the state of things, namely us the fans, are powerless to do anything except a full-scale boycott, and that is nearly impossible to mobilize. The idea of smoking out the Wilpons by shutting down their cash flow until they are forced to sell, is more or less a pipe dream. And Alderson’s position as a figurehead means that the front office paralysis will undoubtedly continue ad nauseum.

And who are the victims? You, me and all other Mets fans. There are the older Mets fans who wonder if they will ever see a Mets World Champion team again in their lifetimes. And then there are the young fans, who have only known losing. It’s very sad and makes it so agonizing to root for this team.

Just when you think you might be going somewhere you realize you aren’t, because your feet are glued to the stage. See the man with the stage fright…

The post Do Baseball Mavericks Get Stage Fright? This One Does… appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

I think we can all agree that the Mets are heading in the right direction. The farm system has begun to feed the team with young, promising, top level talent such as we haven’t seen in over a decade. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Juan Lagares, Jenrry Mejia, and Travis d’Arnaud are just a few of the names driving this new Mets resurgence.

But despite all the positive vibes and a rejuvenated hope for the future, for many of us there still remains this bad taste in our mouths. There’s a smudge that as much as we try to ignore it, it’s always their blurring our focus. Why are so many Mets fans still so bitter or unwilling to completely buy into what could be a new and exciting era of Mets baseball?

I have been a dyed-in-the-wool Mets fan for the last 48 seasons. I have witnessed a lot of Mets history taking place as it happened. Yet my misery runs deep as well. When your franchise deprives you of joy for 39 out of 48 years one becomes jaded. As a result I (and perhaps you too) am skeptical to the extreme about anything relating to our beloved Mets. They have to prove it to me through actions, not words or rhetoric, and not just on paper.

Speaking for myself, I am not satisfied to make it to a .500 record. I am not patient enough to wait until next year, year after year. I am too old to believe the BS and the false promises. I don’t have time to wait for a rebuild that goes on forever and is akin to watching paint dry.  I just want to root for a team that contends for the playoffs every year, and wins another World Series for us. Is that too much to ask?

For me to become a Giants fan is simply out of the question despite the fact that I lived in San Francisco for two years of my life and went to Candlestick Park several times a week. And maybe the Yankee fans, as Pedro Martinez so adroitly pointed out the other day, don’t “settle”, but I still can’t stand them, their arrogance, or their stupid team anyway.

So what do I make of this sudden upwelling of forgiveness and compassion that a number of Mets fans see fit to lavish on Mets ownership all of a sudden? This credit that is now being given to the Wilpons for a job-well-done in getting our Metsies back to being a credible baseball team again? I am amazed, and appalled at the gullibility and shortsightedness of some Mets fans.

For one thing this team hasn’t won anything yet. Maybe we should play some games before we anoint the 2015 Mets as a team-to-beat. For another thing, why are we designed to be a small market team when we are smack in the middle of the largest market in all of sports?

Why are we so lackadaisical about improving the major league roster? Because it costs money? The idea that you can simply get what you need from your minor league system instead of making trades and still be a contending team every year is ludicrous.

When the Mets were champions in 1969, it wasn’t just the home grown talent that got them the trophy. Sure the contributions of Seaver-Koosman-Gentry-Ryan were phenomenal. As well as the position players like Bud Harrelson, Ron Swoboda and Cleon Jones. But there would have been no world series victory if not for everyday players who were acquired through trades like Jerry Grote, Donn Clendenon, Tommie Agee, Al Weis, and Art Shamsky. And key pitching acquisitions like Ron Taylor, Cal Koonce, and Don Cardwell.

In 1986, that other magical year, there were contributions by home grown talents like Dwight Gooden, Roger McDowell, Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman, Lenny Dykstra, and of course Darryl Strawberry. But the team was held together by the players that GM Frank Cashen acquired via trade. It is mind-boggling when you consider that in order to win that title, Cashen traded for Ron Darling, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Sid Fernandez, Jesse Orosco, Ray Knight, Bob Ojeda, Tim Teufel and Howard Johnson.

Does the current regime honestly believe they can be as competitive with a roster comprised predominantly of home grown talent? Of course not, but it costs less money. Do you wonder why Terry Collins was so quick to give the closer role back to Bobby Parnell? I mean the guy hasn’t completed his initial rehab from the TJS yet. And Mejia grew into the role very nicely last year. So why so quick to force Parnell back into the role? Finances.

If Mejia continues to rack up saves his value when he hits years two and three of arbitration will increase drastically. By limiting the number of saves he gets over the next couple of seasons they can keep his price tag down.

And why are the Mets so blase’ about the International Free Agent market? Every year the best International prospects get signed by teams like the Marlins, Indians, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Nationals, and Braves (to name a few). Meanwhile the Mets are left as bottom feeders to fight for the scraps. Can’t we make a splash in this market like when we signed Jose Reyes?

Vlad Guerrero Jr. just signed with a Canadian team for $3.5 million. Are you kidding me? Where were we when that was going down? On the outside looking in, just like we always are.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate the way Sandy Alderson has rebuilt the farm system. He has done a very nice job of adding talent through the draft and that is significant and crucial in developing a perennial contender. But it is not enough to get a team over the hump and on their way to becoming an elite team.

There will always be holes that need to be filled, no team is perfect, no team is without needs. As Mets fans we know this all too well. But to add quality major league talent costs money, and lots of it and this team is not willing to part with it. They have patterned themselves as a small-market team which means not only won’t they pay to bring in premium talent, but they won’t pay to keep it either.

When the Mets up-and-coming young stars reach their respective paydays they will find themselves being extended by other teams not ours. Look how things are playing out with Daniel Murphy? If the Mets intended to keep him don’t you think they would have extended him by now? The fact that they haven’t speaks volumes. They are simply unwilling to pay for premium talent and will therefore be in a permanent rebuilding mode.

One more thing. The Michael Cuddyer signing makes no baseball sense whatsoever. For one, he will be 36 next season. During the last four seasons (age 32-35 for him) he has only averaged slightly over 100 games played per year, including 49 games played last year. Is this a player you spend over $20 million on, and bestow a two-year contract to? Let me just say that I would have never thought to offer him anything more than an incentive laden one-year contract with a $5 million base. But what do I know? And we sacrificed a first round draft pick for this?

Why did they make this ill-advised offer? Desperation. The Mets are mired in a public relations nightmare with their fans and have been for the last seven years. And signing Cuddyer was not the first player they bought merely to quiet an unruly fan base. They’ve been doing it for decades. Remember Kevin Appier? They gave him a ridiculous contract for over $50 million just to shut up the fans. That turned into Mo Vaughn, another fiasco.

More recently, you remember the signings of Jason Bay? Moises Alou? Or more recently still, Curtis Granderson and Chris Young? They were all done so the team could avoid criticism that they were standing pat. This is a despicable practice for the Mets to employ as it is insulting to the fans and detrimental to building a winning team.

Unfortunately, like all teams the Mets have their share of fans that see things through rose-colored glasses. Or schmears of Vaseline. Or simply refuse to believe that their team’s owners have better things to do with the National MLB TV money and bloated SNY revenues than putting out a superior product. Whatever the reason for this glass-half-full belief system, it is not as they believe it is, evidence of being a Polly Perfect fan. It is simply enabling the team’s ownership to continue giving us an inferior product and maintaining the status quo. Organizations like this are always waiting for next year. Demand better.

The post Mets Hope Is On The Rise, So Why All The Glum Faces? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The beginning of last week I had just finished reading an email from Mets pitching prospect Akeel Morris. He had kindly consented to doing an interview with me for MMO. I then went into the MMO Interview Archives, and way back on page 16 or 17, I found the first interview I did with Akeel when he was toiling as an 18-year-old in the rookie league and I was surprised to see it was over three years ago… Wow, time sure flies when you’re young, and a Met, and are living the baseball life.

In those three years Morris has come a long way. He utterly dominated the South Atlantic League this past season, was selected to the  All-Star team, pitched in the play-offs, and led the SAL in Saves, strikeout rate, WHIP, ERA, total and strikeouts for a reliever. In recognition of his achievements, Morris received the prestigious Sterling Award, given by the Mets Organization to the best player at each minor league level.

Last week, the Mets even made the decision to add Morris to their 40-man Major League roster. That speaks volumes about what the Mets think of this talented right-hander.

When drafted by the Mets in the 10th round in 2010 out of Amalie High School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Akeel was just a raw, untested young pitcher with a very live arm. In our previous interview he explained that he was working on repeating his delivery and his overall command.

It seems to have worked out pretty well so far because in 2014 , while closing games for Single-A Savannah, Akeel led the league in Saves (16), ERA (0.63), WHIP (0.72), and K/9 (14.1). Yes that last stat is a real eye-opener, 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. His 89 K’s in 57 innings was so far out of the ordinary that the closer with the next highest strikeout total in the league had 66 K’s in 58.2 innings.

So here we go… Let’s check in with this exciting young man and see what he has to say about his truly incredible season  Enjoy…

Petey: Hi Akeel, thanks for taking the time to do this interview for all of us at MMO, all the readers will really enjoy hearing from you.

After your amazing season this year in Savannah, there is a great deal of buzz about you in and around the organization not to mention the rest of baseball. How do you feel about the year you just had now that you have had a little time to decompress?

Akeel: The year I had personally was for me a great accomplishment. To see what I could do in a full season, the competition level and just moving up and being successful at every level for me is an accomplishment. I’m happy about that and excited to keep moving up and challenges, and challenging better hitters. So that really was an accomplishment for me personally. About the baseball world, it was a really great year, for me to make the All-Star team and post-season All-Star team, and the Sterling Award. On top of a great season that was even more than I could have asked for.

Petey: Well all those awards and accolades were well deserved my man. It is great to see your hard work and dedication paying off like that. Are you going to play any winter ball?

Akeel: No I’m not going to play any winter ball.

Petey: I went back in the MMO archives to find the interview you and I did before and I was shocked to see that it was just over three years ago, October 2011! A lot has gone down since then. It seems things really started to roll when you were switched to relief, that was the beginning of 2012 I think?

Akeel: Yeah I was put in a piggy-back role in 2012 so I was coming out of the bullpen. Yeah so you could say I started relief in 2012. And 2013 I was with the Brooklyn Cyclones. I wasn’t on a full relief schedule there, the appearances were just as much but I was out of the bullpen. I was on a starter’s schedule but I was piggy-backing as well. But yeah this year in Savannah was the first full year in the bullpen. Doing back-to-back outings, that was a big difference. You’re on a throwing program everyday, and you got to pitch that night. You have to learn how to pace yourself and how your arm is feeling going into the game and stuff. It was also a learning experience for me coming out of the bullpen.

Petey: Yeah and if you’re facing the same team two nights in a row you have to be able to show them something different right?

Akeel: Exactly. So it was definitely a learning experience.

Petey: Was there a moment when things really started to ‘click’ for you, and did that help your confidence?

Akeel: Confidence-wise, when I’ve got my good stuff, on most nights consistently like that I kinda got a feel for. I know what I gotta do to have this and this, and you’re not going to have it every night. But when you can have it on most nights that’s all you can really ask for, and you have to battle it the other nights. I got a feel for how I need to be, what I need to be, and what I need to do, to have my stuff be effective most nights, you know? I guess that’s what really ‘clicked’, learning about myself.

Petey: That’s really cool man. So how would you describe your mindset when you are entering a game as a closer? How is it different from starting a ball game?

Akeel: Yeah, it’s definitely different, I mean as a closer or even late in a ball game, you’re going to come in when the game is tied or most likely when your team is up and your like okay, they play nine innings, you’ve got to shut it down. No free passes, no anything. You don’t want to give them any momentum, you know? It’s really just like shut it down, shut it down, that’s all you’re really thinking.

Petey: Being aggressive.

Akeel: Yeah. Basically that’s a simple message in my head, I got to shut it down, go right after these guys. Don’t give them any free passes.

Petey: Is there any ritual or mental prep you do in the bullpen before coming in with the game on the line?

Akeel: Mental preparation, I mean that’s gradual throughout the game. As the later innings come buy I start to get a little more locked in. I start to move around in the bullpen, even as the the game is close in the eighth inning sometimes I just sit around and it’s about mentally locking in. When the whole process really starts for me is before I get on the mound to warm up. Sometimes you don’t have as much time but it doesn’t feel like that once you mentally prepared yourself. So that’s what works for me.

Petey: When we did our last interview for MMO we discussed your pitches at the time. I would imagine they have come a long way since then. Back in 2011 this what you said on the subject:

“As of now I’m throwing a fastball, curveball and a change up. My fastball is usually low to mid 90′s, it peaked at 96 this season. My curve is mid to upper 70′s, and change up is upper 70′s to low 80′s.”

What kind of speeds and movement is your fastball exhibiting these days?

Akeel: My fastball has been sitting at 93-95 mph this season, topped out at 97. Most people tell me it has like a downhill plane, most times it has life to it. Sometimes my catcher will tell me it looks like it’s coming down and looks like it’s going to hit the ground, but it just rides out and it reaches the catcher. So it kinda looks like it’s downhill, downhill, downhill, but it somehow rides out to the plate. So I don’t know how to explain it, that’s what he told me.

Petey: Wow, it sounds like the pitch has natural rise or carry but you’re keeping the ball down in the zone as well.

Akeel: I guess so yeah something like that.

Petey: That’s a four-seam fastball?

Akeel: Yeah I throw a four-seam fastball.

Petey: How bout your change-up? The last time I talked to you it was something you wanted to focus on.

Akeel: The change-up has been really great. Sometimes I keep it down and there’s not as much movement, but it’s so much slower than my fastball and it looks so much like my fastball too, it’s hard for hitters to pick it up. And sometimes it’s even better when it has that drop-off to it. Sometimes it just drops off the table and they swing over it. And sometimes it doesn’t even have that much movement but it’s so slow they don’t see it and can’t put a good swing on it.

Petey: And your arm-speed? It’s the same as with the fastball?

Akeel: Yeah my arm speed is the same.

Petey: That’s awesome. Now what about your breaking pitches?

Akeel: I throw a slider. The slider has really come along a lot more this year. I started throwing it last off-season and at the beginning of this season I didn’t throw it as much. But when the second half came I started to bring it out and throw it, and it really started to develop a lot more. I even got a feel for it where I was throwing the slider even more than my change-up at times. And I love that feeling because I didn’t even have to depend on the fastball/change-up combination. I could go fastball/slider combination and when I mixed it in with the change-up too, it was even a lot better.

Petey: Yeah and the results from this last season certainly attest to that. Say Akeel, what are some of the things you hope to accomplish in your development this upcoming season? Do you set any goals for yourself?

Akeel: This upcoming season I would really like to get better control of my slider. Like be able to throw it for a strike more often. I would throw it for a strike at times but most times I’d throw them a slider it would break outside the zone and they would swing over it or they would take it. But it was more for them to see the pitch. So if I can throw it for strikes more often that’s what I really want to do.  So basically just develop the slider some more.

Petey: Are you able to throw the slider when you are behind in the count?

Akeel: Yes I’ve thrown it in various different counts and I feel that’s a big thing about pitching too. I feel whatever pitches you have you need to be able to throw it in any count. So yeah I have been working on that and I have thrown it in different counts.

Petey: Is there any one coach, or coaches that have helped you significantly since joining the Mets organization, in regards to your development?

Akeel: Coaching-wise, I’ve been with Jonathan Hurst for two years in Kingsport, he helped me a lot, and different coaches in extended spring training. But one of the coaches who really took a lot of time out with me and worked on mechanics while I was in extended spring training day-to-day was Miguel Valdez. He was the pitching coach for short season and I mean he’d really break down my mechanics  for me to understand it and I worked on it. It took a little time but it definitely paid off to where I understand my mechanics and I can see what I’m doing wrong. And as soon as I figured that stuff out it’s been going a lot better, a lot better. So Miguel Valdez has really helped me out a lot.

Petey: You were on a very talented Savannah ball club this past season, lot’s of excellent position players and pitchers. And of course you guys made the SAL playoffs. But let’s focus on the pitching staff for a moment. As someone who watched your starting pitcher’s performances in every game, are there any that stand out for what they bring to the table?

Akeel: That’s really hard, I mean we got so much talent. Actually the starting pitching, I mean for the full year I would say, John Gant for sure. He impressed me. I mean anytime he’s going into the game your guaranteed he’s gonna go at least six innings. He usually goes deep into the ball games and he’s  keeping the score close, giving your team a chance to win. So John Gant really impressed me with his consistency and being able to do that. Other pitchers, I like Robert Gsellman a lot too but he got hurt a little bit into the season. But I mean he really pitched good, he had a good year as well.

Petey: Yeah a lot of Mets fans that follow the Mets Minor League teams are very high on those two guys.

Akeel: And also Kevin McGowan too because he had a game, he went deep into the ninth and I like when your starting pitcher is out there. His pitch count was up and he couldn’t pitch anymore in the ninth inning if he wanted to. And I had to come in and close the game, and he didn’t even want to get off the mound, he wanted to finish the game. So when you have your starters out there with that sort of fire, it pumps you up more to come in and save their game.

Petey: One more question. Now that you are a professional ‘closer’ Akeel, do you ever imagine yourself on the mound in the 9th inning of the World Series trying to preserve a one-run lead? How does it work out? Ha ha!

Akeel: Definitely, as a kid people have those fantasies, whatever scenario it is. Fortunately for me I was always pitching, since I became a pitcher that’s always been the fantasy. The World Series, last inning, game on the line and they call on you. I mean how that turns out is I’m just ready to pitch. Like I said, always in the minors to shut it down, and it goes well for me in my mind.

Petey: That’s is awesome man. Seriously Akeel, I want to thank you again for being so accommodating and taking the time to do this interview. You have always taken time out to talk to me and my colleagues at MetsMerized Online and we all really appreciate it.

Akeel: Alright man sounds good, anytime. I’m already psyched.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I hope you enjoyed our interview. Although Morris is still a year or two away from the big leagues, the fact that the Mets found it necessary to protect him from the draft this winter by adding him to the 40 man roster shows how highly regarded a prospect he truly is. I look for him to be fast-tracked all the way to AA this year. He’ll surely have a chance to get his feet wet in the Florida State League coming out of spring training, but I would be very surprised if he doesn’t wind up at Binghamton by mid-season at the latest.

The post MMO Exclusive: Mets Prospect Akeel Morris Reflects On Breakthrough Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Could The Mets Pursue Asdrubal Cabrera To Play Shortstop?

What was the best free agent deal the Mets ever pulled off? Unquestionably, it was Carlos Beltran. The uber-talented thoroughbred outfielder that the Mets used to have patrolling center field during much of the last decade….when he was healthy enough to play. Those Mets clubs of the 2000’s will go down in history as a monumentally under-achieving baseball franchise.

After all, they had the talent: Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Delgado, Alou, Pedro, Wagner. They spent money and lured many big names to come and play alongside Jose and David. But they always fell short, there were never enough complimentary players to help the stars carry the team. Corner outfield has been an absolute joke for a long time now. The Shawn Greens and Chris Youngs seem to keep on coming in a never ending conga-line of futility. Until this past season, the bullpen never had anyone beyond the closer and sometimes not even a viable one of those.

In the recent past, if any of their key players ever went down with an injury there was rarely anyone to replace them. Mets fans would agonize over those seemingly constant and lengthy DL stays by Beltran, Reyes, Pedro, Alou and Delgado. Having the big names is not always the answer.

Winning a World Series is more often done by the little guys, the complimentary players. They may not be big name stars that make the fan base salivate, but if you have enough productive players on a given roster, you can win a championship anyway. Just ask Al Weis. Don’t remember the “Mighty Might”? How about “Sugar” Ray Knight? Too long ago? Todd Pratt…surely you remember “Tank”? (I know, they didn’t win a W.S. while he was coming off the bench for the Amazins, but it wasn’t his fault that they fell short.)

Let me bring up an example of the most recent Mets excursion into the world of free agency. Let’s step into the Wayback Machine, and join me as we travel all the way back to a year ago. Remember when they signed a power-hitting outfielder with upside, who is in the prime of his career? Yes I’m referring to Curtis Granderson….who sure doesn’t seem so grand to me.

Now they have an elephant in the corner (of the outfield). A pig-in-a-poke, a $15 million dollar a year non-contributor to the everyday lineup through the 2017 season. We were so happy to be rid of Jason Bay‘s contract, but then go right out and replace it with a similar 4-year deal for the Grandy-Man as soon as we have some money to spend.

I know many of the glass-half-full fans out there are burning at those last few remarks. You are thinking to yourself that Granderson may very well have a renaissance season in 2015, and he may. You are hoping he is poised to have a huge year just like in his Bronx heyday. So let me put it a different way because in respects to this guy I am a glass-half-empty type, even if they are moving in the fences mostly for his sake.

I think back to the free agents that were signed by past Met teams to be the ‘savior’, guys like: George Foster, Pedro Martinez and the aforementioned Beltran. It didn’t work, it rarely does.

But it’s too late for that. With the Mets now stuck in a Granderson gamble, the question is: do they have a reliable starting outfielder who will produce at  level commensurate with his huge annual outlay? It’s anyone’s guess but as a Mets fan I hate to be in that situation.

How many more times are the Mets going to go down the same path that got them to where they were the last few seasons?

I know it’s not the most popular sentiment among Mets fans who have suffered mightily, and who long to have a team they can take pride in. But patience right now will pay dividends. Within two years the Mets will have a wealth of young and talented players competing for major league opportunities.

Players like Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki, Michael Conforto, and Steven Matz, just to name a few. High-round draft picks, players with immense upside and talent, players who will make a difference.

Sure the Mets can afford to trade young talent to acquire some more advanced young talent, but there is no need to make a huge splash, or overpay. This is where “smarts” will prevail, and a conservative approach will serve Met interests better.

Shortstop and corner outfield remain the key right now. But with their obvious desire to explore trades for Daniel Murphy and their ability to move an established starting pitcher this winter, the Mets can upgrade one or both spots without necessarily trading any prospects, or signing a big time free agent.

When can you remember the Mets having a solid big league starting pitcher and an All-Star second-baseman that they head into the hot-stove season looking to trade for help elsewhere? I believe this is a first in that regard. So we need to sit back, relax, and see how this thing plays out.

As far as free agents are concerned, I like the complementary types right now. The lunch-box guys, the grinders, the over-achievers. Experienced players, but the type that are aiming to prove that they have something left in the tank. Low risk, high reward players. This may not be sexy, but it is smart. And where building a World Series winner is concerned, smart couldn’t hurt.

The post What Kind Of Free Agent Should Mets Sign? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.