According to multiple sources including Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets don’t appear to have any interest in Hanley Ramirez.

The Boston Red Sox designating Ramirez for assignment on Friday afternoon. It’s highly unlikely that the Red Sox find a trade partner for Ramirez and ultimately end up releasing him.

Ramirez, 34, is hitting .254/.313/.395 this season and was only 302 plate appearances away from activating a vesting option that would’ve payed him $22 million for the 2019 season.

If a team traded for the former shortstop they would have to worry about his plate appearance vesting option but once he’s released the option goes way.

The Mets recently signed former All-Star Jose Bautista as a right-handed bat needed to offset an abunndance of lefty hitters with Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier on the disabled list.

Original Post – May 25, 12:00 p.m.

According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, sources have indicated that the Boston Red Sox will designate veteran Hanley Ramirez for assignment.

It’s the corresponding move for the Red Sox activating second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) from the disabled list.

Some had speculated that utility man Blake Swihart would be the most likely casualty, but apparently, the team has decided to go in a different direction.

Ramirez, 34, is a 14-year MLB veteran with a career slash line of .290/.361/.487, 269 home runs, 909 runs batted in, and 374 doubles.

Since joining the Red Sox in 2015, the Dominican native has hit .260/.326/.450 in 431 games.

This season Ramirez is slashing .254/.313/.395 with a would-be career-low 7.2 percent walk rate but has a respectable 17.9 percent strikeout rate.

He’s played 25 games at first base this season and has appeared as the designated hitter in nineteen games. He has 1 DRS at first this season after -5 DRS last season at the position.

On May 17, Ramirez was hitting .287 with a .791 OPS, six home runs and 29 runs batted in. Since then, he’s been mired in a 0-for-20 slump with four strikeouts and a walk.

He has still hit lefties well this season to a tune of .333/.378/.476 in 45 plate appearances and has a career .895 OPS vs left-handed pitching.

The key point to Ramirez being designated was his possible $22 million vesting option for the 2019 season that would’ve kicked in with 497 plate appearances this season. He was currently at 195 plate appearances and if/when he is released by the Red Sox that option goes away. If he’s traded, the acquiring team will have to worry about the option.

The Red Sox have seven days to try and trade Ramirez. After that point he will be released and any MLB team could sign him to the veteran’s minimum with the Red Sox picking up the remainder of Ramirez’ contract (about $15 million this season).

The post Mets Not Interested in Hanley Ramirez appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Boston Red Sox finished the 2017 season last in the American League with only 168 home runs and their .149 ISO was 28th in baseball. They hope to rectify that situation by going after outfielder J.D. Martinez and Eric Hosmer.

According to a report by Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that the Red Sox don’t just want Hosmer or Martinez, that ideally they would get both to fix a team had a 92 wRC+ last season.

Silverman also reports that in order to be able to afford both they would likely have to deal first base/DH Hanley Ramirez who will earn $22 million each of the next two seasons.

The rival Yankees have been anything but quiet this offseason already acquiring the National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton and have now shifted to improving their rotation. In doing so, they’ve shown serious interest in Pittsburgh Pirates starter Gerrit Cole.

Cole, 27, is coming off arguably the worst season of his career in which he posted a 4.26 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.25 WHIP and had a 1.4 HR/9. Though he did prove his health while making 33 starts and throwing 203 innings.

Cole is arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason and is under team control for three seasons.

George King of the New York Post reports that both teams have had discussions that would include the Yankees trading outfield prospect Clint Frazier as part of the package for Cole.

Other MLB News and Notes

The Cleveland Indians have signed outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to a minor deal according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic.

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Brandon Drury is drawing trade interest from multiple clubs. Drury hit .267/.317/.447, 92 wRC+ while playing strong defense at second (5 DRS) and poor at third (-1 DRS).

The Texas Rangers have interest in Japanese right-handed submariner Kazuhisa Makita according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Makita will be posted by the Seibu Lions before January 1. Makita had a 2.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 7.00 SO/W last season in Japan.

Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports that the Washington Nationals could be a dark horse contender for JD Martinez given the relationship between the team, Scott Boras being the agent and the possibility of Bryce Harper leaving via free agency after 2018.

The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the teams that have spoken to the White Sox about Avisail Garcia according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Giants have also checked in on Garcia.

Former Phillie Cody Asche has signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Jonny Venters is again on the comeback trail after signing a minor league deal with the Rays. The former Brave has undergone four Tommy John surgeries.

The Miami Marlins designated lefty Hunter Cervenka for assignment.

Zack Cozart is being considered by the Angels as an option for third base.

The post MLB Roundup: Red Sox Aiming High, Yanks Want Cole appeared first on Metsmerized.

 

The Mets’ need for a shortstop, alleged search for a shortstop, inability to actually acquire a shortstop, and (naturally) continued lack of production from the shortstop position has been a most frustrating combination for Mets fans ever since Jose Reyes was allowed to walk away in free agency (excluding a couple decent stretches from Ruben Tejada, who has otherwise regressed since he was given a starting job).

Each of the last few seasons has been portrayed by the team as “The Year” —  “Matt Harvey is ready! No, wait, Zack Wheeler is ready! Hey, look! Travis d’Arnaud is here!!!” — but the early signing of Michael Cuddyer this winter (at the expense of a first-round pick), the 2014 2nd-place finish in what is shaping up to be a not-too-intimidating NL East, promising performances in ’14 from some of our younger guys, the return of Matt Harvey, and the fact that David Wright has to be better than the injured shell of himself he was last season— all of these things encouraged Mets fans into believing that 2015 just might be the year the Mets are serious about “This Year.”

And then the Mets did nothing. Some non-moves were justified— a team with a strong rotation shouldn’t be expected to splurge on an ace pitcher. In fact, the Mets don’t really have too many positional holes. They have a 30 homer guy at first base, a very solid hitter at second base, a franchise player at third, one of the game’s most promising young catchers, a Gold Glove winner with a nice bat in center, and, after their early splash, a recent batting champion in left field. In right field, Curtis Granderson is a guy with 40-HR power who managed 20 HR in a down season (and a big ballpark). The bullpen ranked eighth in ERA last season, and we’ve all heard about the starting rotation.

Now— and this is mostly a topic for another article— the Mets could have upgraded at positions where they were already “fine.” “Fine” doesn’t make you a contender, so the Mets shouldn’t be content at all positions where they don’t have a gaping hole. That’s not enough. Teams need to be creative, and Sandy Alderson hasn’t shown much creativity. But the main gripe is– and should be–at the shortstop position.

The Mets stood pat in free agency when it came to the shortstop market, barely considering any of the main guys who were available (such as Hanley Ramirez). They spent their free agency dollars to fill their outfield spot when the trade market was more appealing for outfielders, and looked to use their trade chips to get a shortstop even though the price of a shortstop in trades appears to be astronomically high these days. You could argue their problems began here— they should have gone for a slugger in the outfield, so they could have gotten a contact-and-defense guy to play short.

But hey, nothing wrong with a nice trade. So why didn’t the Mets make any? Sure, teams were overreaching at first. Starlin Castro might not actually be worth two or three top prospects, for example. Didi Gregorius is decent and didn’t cost the Yankees too much, but the Mets were being asked to pay far more than the Diamondbacks ended up getting for him, and at this point, the Mets should probably be in the market for a more offensive-minded shortstop anyway. Jimmy Rollins could have been a nice fit, but reports (some of which have been disputed) suggested that he didn’t want to be a Met.

So when the two best offensive shortstops in the game hit the market, you pounce, right? It’s what the Yankees would do if they had the prospects to trade. But the Mets aren’t the Yankees. So despite being towards the tail-end of an offseason when Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Desmond both became available, the Mets appear poised to begin the 2015 campaign with Wilmer Flores, a good offensive shortstop who isn’t a shortstop and has only been good offensively in the minor leagues.

We know all about the risk factors with Tulowitzki. He would cost a lot in terms of trade chips, and he comes with a serious financial commitment. All of which would be fine (one would think; nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the Mets and their finances), because Tulo is a superstar. But he’s only a superstar when he’s on the field, and far too often in recent years, that has not been the case. If the Mets were to put so many eggs in such an injury-prone basket, the move could end up being disastrous.

Desmond is also a terrific player, and the Washington shortstop has managed to stay on the field far more often than his Colorado counterpart. He would probably cost a bit less, too, and taking him away from a division rival would certainly be a nice bonus. But Desmond has only one year left on his contract, and has been completely unwilling to sign an extension with the Nationals thus far. Like Tulowitzki, Desmond comes with risk, in his because of the fact he could flee after the season.

The Mets apparently have not been involved in advanced talks for Tulowitzki, despite the fact that both teams know they match up well for a deal. It seems that a trade for Tulo might be more feasible closer to the trade deadline, when it will be more clear where the Mets stand in the National League (which might increase their interest) as well as how healthy Tulowitzki is after hip surgery (which might increase the cost).

A Tulo package might cost at least one top pitching prospect (Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz), another pitcher (Jon Niese? Dillon Gee?), maybe a hitting prospect or two (Kevin Plawecki? Flores?) and/or maybe a more established hitter (Daniel Murphy?). The Mets would also have to take on Tulo’s contract, which might reduce the amount they have to give to the Rockies in terms of assets. What’s for certain is that it would be a costly deal, but the Mets would be getting a superstar for their trouble albeit one with a very concerning injury history.

The Mets did have some more specific discussions about Desmond, reportedly getting involved in (and then pulling out of) discussions about a trade which would have landed Desmond in New York at the expense of Syndergaard, another top prospect, and possibly Dillon Gee. With Desmond only having one year left on his contract and the Mets not wanting to give up so much for a guy who might walk after one season, it was a reasonable decision for Alderson to walk away.

But what on earth is Alderson waiting for? Tulo and Desmond have their flaws, but if they didn’t these two studs wouldn’t be available. No team is going to be able to trade for the perfect player, because no team is going to be willing to trade away the perfect player. You can try to draft somebody, but it will take years for that player to arrive, and the Mets don’t have a first-rounder this year (it’s worth noting that losing Desmond in free agency would probably net them an compensatory first-rounder in the 2016 draft). Gavin Cecchini didn’t exactly blaze through the system. We could try tapping into the international market (Yoan Moncada looks appealing), but the Mets probably can’t go to battle with the top dogs when it comes to signing players. So taking a risk, trading for an expiring contract like Desmond, and then trying to sign the guy (you’re allowed to re-sign your own players, Sandy) in the winter might be the best—or only—move.

If Desmond helps make the Mets a contender, nobody will complain. If they struggle even after adding him, they could move him at the deadline. But being content to play it safe and keep waiting won’t work forever. When Syndergaard, Matz, and whichever other prospects the Mets want to horde are ready next year, Wright, Cuddyer, and Granderson will be a year older, Murphy might be gone, Bartolo Colon will be gone, and the Mets could very well end up trying to sell us on waiting four more years for a kid who is currently in tenth grade.

Maybe two top prospects is too much. Ken Rosenthal suggested the Mets try to deal Murphy and one top prospect for Desmond, and that is a deal I would probably do— re-signing Murphy and Desmond might be tough, but the Mets could certainly splurge to keep a great shortstop if they found themselves able to slot a cheap youngster like Flores or Dilson Herrera at second base. But would the Nationals be willing to take a deal like that? Who knows? (Well, Alderson could certainly find out by picking up the phone.)

So what’s going on? Why is Wilmer Flores going to be our shortstop, and why have we only made one relevant acquisition this winter? It all comes down to money. In free agency, that’s obvious. But the Mets’ financial woes plague them in trades as well. Let’s not waste time discussing whether the Mets can spend money, whether they should spend money, and the like. The Mets AREN’T spending money right now and certainly can’t be counted upon to do so in the near future.

Teams with low budgets can’t afford to take risks in a trade. They can’t trade for a guy who might be eating up what little payroll room they have while sitting on the disabled list. They can’t trade cheap, controllable prospects for guys who are expensive and might leave after one year, leaving the team with the original problem and now less surplus in trade chips.

A rich team can lose a trade, waste a top prospect, and fill the hole by signing a 30 year-old free agent (or these days, a young star from Cuba). But a “poor” team, and the Mets are sadly operating like one of those right now, can’t take these risks. Well, they can, and sometimes they might need to, but it’s certainly far less appealing to the guys who make the decisions, and for good reason.

So while it’s frustrating to see a big-market team not spending enough money to produce a winning product, fans also have to watch a general manager working under a set of constraints that discourage him from making trades that under normal circumstances would be no-brainers.

So, for many reasons, Wilmer Flores is our shortstop. And it’s frustrating, because we’ve been promised an upgrade at that position seemingly every offseason since Reyes left. Maybe Flores will be a solid contributor at the plate. He has potential, he has shown flashes, and he’s still young. But we can’t count on it, and we certainly can’t count on him to be good enough with the bat to compensate for his poor defense, which we can only hope will become average with practice.

On the bright side, the Mets, for the first time in a long time, should be buyers at the deadline rather than sellers, so we could see them trade for at least one impact bat mid-season. If the rest of the team plays well enough to warrant seriously “going for it” in 2015, Desmond, Tulo, or another legitimate shortstop could be a Met before too long. But there are no guarantees with this team. They have shown a lack of creativity, a lack of aggressiveness, and in some cases, an apparent lack of awareness when it comes to the nature of the market and the opportunities which can suddenly arise in any market.

The Mets won in 1986 without a star shortstop. Shortstop quality isn’t the lone factor in a team’s success. But the Mets don’t have many areas where they desperately need improvement (this is a good thing), and they appear to be on the cusp of relevance (also a good thing). So to see them stand pat while there is at least one obvious spot at which an upgrade can be made, and precious wins can be added, it’s certainly frustrating, and hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer.

*Note: This article was written in response to several mailbag questions centered around the Mets’ continuing shortstop search.

The post Why Have The Mets Struggled So Mightily To Address Shortstop? appeared first on Metsmerized.

According to a report in the New York Post, the Mets were waiting to see if the Red Sox would dangle shortstop prospect Xander Bogaerts and were monitoring the situation closely.

“It’s not like we’re knocking down their door to see if Bogaerts is available,” the source said. “But we’ll wait and see how things shake out.”

However, Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that a few teams that have checked in with the Red Sox were told there’s no interest in dealing Bogaerts.

The Red Sox plan to shift newly signed Hanley Ramirez to left field, and with Pablo Sandoval at third, Bogaerts will remain at short.

Bogaerts, now 22, batted .240 last season for the Red Sox with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 538 at-bats. However, he is considered baseball’s top shortstop prospect and Baseball America, MLB, and Baseball Prospectus all ranked him as the No. 2 overall prospect in the game in 2014.

Joel Sherman sais that Bogaerts would have likely cost the Mets either Jacob deGrom or Zack Wheeler at minimum.

Honestly, there’s no way I’d trade deGrom or even Wheeler for what is essentially an unproven prospect, I don’t care how high he’s ranked.

(Updated 12/5)

The post Red Sox Have No Interest In Trading Xander Bogaerts appeared first on Metsmerized.

As reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, free agent Hanley Ramirez will travel to Boston on Monday to finalize a contract with the Boston Red Sox. Rosenthal also noted that the deal is for five years and in the $90 million range.

Over the past week or so, signs have pointed to the Red Sox actively pursuing third basemen Pablo Sandoval. However, this may take them out of that bidding war because Hanley Ramirez could make the move from shortstop to the hot corner, given his age and injury history.

However, some insiders have pointed to the Red Sox trying to sign both free agent stars. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Red Sox have an offer out for Sandoval and he is expected to make his decision sometime this week between the Sox, Giants, and Padres.

ESPN’s Buster Olney adds a different twist and hears that if Ramirez and Sandoval both go to Boston, Ramirez will play left field, while Sandoval will play third base. That would mean top prospect Xander Bogaerts will remain at shortstop.

The post Hanley Ramirez Finalizing Five-Year Deal With Red Sox appeared first on Metsmerized.

As each day passes, Ruben Tejada becomes more and more likely to be the man at shortstop come Opening Day.

Sandy Alderson finally put the kibosh on the idea of the Mets signing Stephen Drew earlier this week, calling the potential move ‘unlikely’.

Reports indicated a willingness by New York to negotiate a one-year deal with Drew, but had little interest in any greater of a commitment.

Despite being somewhat of an unappealing option, one year of Tejada could be well worth it if it means the Mets go out and spend on one of the many shortstops that will potentially be available come next winter.

Obviously a lot can happen in a year, plenty of extensions can and likely will be reached between now and October. When you throw names such as Hanley Ramirez, Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, and Jed Lowrie into the mix, however, locking up Drew to multiple years becomes a less attractive option.

This is also the same reason why Scott Boras wants to lock up his client to at least a two-year deal, otherwise the demand for Drew could be even less than this offseason due to the greater supply.

In terms of career WAR, Drew ranks fourth, only above Lowrie, who has two fewer seasons than the 30-year old under his belt. Lowrie however, had the highest OPS out of any of the group not named Ramirez, who posted a 1.040 OPS in just 86 games last season.

The Mets have shown interest in Lowrie this past winter, so they may be interested in pursuing him for their true playoff push in 2015 rather than committing to Drew.

Personally, if the Mets feel that one of the free agent shortstops next winter are more valuable than Drew, then it could be worth the risk to better their chances beyond 2014.

In this case, it may behoove the Mets to go for the two birds in the bush rather than the one in the hand.

The post Potential 2015 Free Agent Class Littered With Shortstop Talent appeared first on Metsmerized.

Nats Get Doug Fister From Tigers

The Washington Nationals have acquired starting pitcher Doug Fister in a trade with the Detroit Tigers for infielder Steve Lombardozzi, left-hander Ian Krol and minor league lefty Robbie Ray.

Fister, 29, went 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA in 33 games last year in his third season with the Tigers. Fister was tied for the American League lead in getting batters to ground into double plays. He allowed 0.6 home runs per nine innings, second best in the AL.

“This is an exciting day for the Washington Nationals,” said Washington GM Mike Rizzo in a statement. “We feel we’ve added a talented, young veteran to our starting pitching corps. Doug is battle-tested through playoff experiences, and the depth he brings to our staff is exceptional. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard.”

Great deal for the Nats and what a way to bolster the rotation as he promised fans after the season. The Tigers will replace go with Drew Smyly in the rotation in place of Fister.

Beane Signs Former Mets Top Prospect

The A’s and Scott Kazmir have reached an agreement on a two-year, $22 million contract, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.

Kazmir, 29, pitched for the Indians last year, going 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA. He was particularly impressive in the second half with Cleveland, going 5-5 while lowering his ERA from its first-half level of 4.60 to 3.38. Along the way, Kazmir brought his strikeouts up while lowering his walks. Kazmir won’t require the A’s to sacrifice their first-round pick.

The $22 million deal is $1 million shy of Tim Hudson‘s two-year, $23 million deal with the Giants. Beane set out to add a starter to the rotation and he completed his mission before the start of the Winter Meetings.

Twins Sign Hughes To Three-Year Deal

The Twins have agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with Phil Hughes according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune who cites an anonymous source. A source with knowledge of the talks tells Neal that the Twins are expected to announce the deal after Hughes passes his physical.

When the free-agent meat market opened, Phil Hughes was a pitcher the Mets were very interested in, however, a month into the Hot Stove season and they bowed out on the former Yankees starter. The 27-year old was young and his flyball rate made him a perfect fit for Citi Field. Poor Metsies, those big 2013 spenders, they’re on the outside looking in again… Predictably… Well… Predictably for some… (11/30)

Cano and Yankees Still $100 Million Apart

According to a report by Ken Davidoff of the NY Post, during last week’s meeting with the Yankees, free agent Robinson Cano was seeking a nine-year contract for between $250 and $260 million. The source told the Post the Yankees countered with a seven-year deal for between $160 million and $175 million, putting the two sides nearly $100 million apart. The two sides are scheduled to speak again on Monday.

Davidoff says that the Yankees have been adamant they won’t sit and wait for Cano to fully navigate free agency, with so many other holes to fill. The Yankees have already held discussions with free-agent outfielders Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury and infielder Stephen Drew. (11/30)

Hanley Ramirez” src=”https://metsmerizedonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/hanley-ramirez-350×218.jpg” width=”350″ height=”218″ />

Hanley Dodging Free Agency?

The Dodgers are discussing an extension with Hanley Ramirez reports Dionisio Soldevila of ESPN Deportes. Ramirez, 29, is under contract for next year, but he has had ongoing extension talks with the Dodgers,

“We are negotiating something, but we are going step by step,” Ramirez said while declining to discuss the salary and length of a potential deal. The shortstop/third baseman is currently completing a six-year, $70 million deal he signed while with the Marlins.

Last season, Ramirez slashed at .345/.402/.638 with twenty home runs and ten stolen bases in 336 plate appearances. Despite missing time with injuries he posted an incredible 5.1 WAR ranking 25th among field players according to MLBTR. (11/30)

O’s To Deal Johnson?

The Orioles are willing to listen to trade offers for closer Jim Johnson, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. One of the top closers in the league, Johnson is expected to earn as much as $10.8 million in arbitration. That’s more than the entire Mets bullpen combined.

The Baltimore Sun reports that after talking to people within the organization, the trade talk for Johnson definitely has more legs than previous reports that the Orioles were open to dealing shortstop J.J. Hardy or catcher Matt Wieters this offseason.

Johnson, 30, led the American League in saves with 50, and tied Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel for the Major League lead. In 2012, Johnson had 51 saves giving him 101 over the last two years – the best mark in the Majors. (11/29)

Way To Go Joe

The Angels made it official and announced that they have signed free-agent reliever Joe Smith to a three-year deal worth $15.75 million.

Smith, 29, had a 2.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 63 innings last season. Over the past three seasons, the former Met sidewinder has compiled a 2.42 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 197 innings in the 2011-13 seasons. He’s also been very good at stranding inherited baserunners the past two seasons, allowing only 15 of his 70 inherited runners to score. (11/29)

Oh Ricky You’re So Fine

According to Chris Cotillo of the MLB Daily Dish, the Minnesota Twins have reached an agreement with free agent right-hander Ricky Nolasco. The deal is for four years and $48 million, with a 5th year option for $13 million with a $1 million buyout.

While pitching for the Marlins and Dodgers, Nolasco posted a solid 3.70 ERA, 1.21 WHIP in 199.1 innings with 165 strikeouts and 45 walks allowed.

The Twins have been on the hunt for two pitchers and in the 30-year old Nolasco they get one with a solid track record. That said, he could be very pricey and some project a four-year deal in excess of $50 million dollars.

When this offseason started, Sandy said he had about 25 pitchers on his wish list. I would have to think that list is down to 17-18 now. (11/28)

Morneau To The Rockies?

Troy Renck of the Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Rockies are ever so close to landing first baseman Justin Morneau. Morneau, a former MVP, had a disappointing season after slashing at .259/.323/.411 in 635 plate appearances. But the new trend is to target players like him who are coming off a bad season. That was why the Mets went hard after Chris Young. Morneau has missed a lot of time to injuries over the last three seasons.

The Mets lose a potential trading partner in Colorado who may have been a good landing spot for Ike Davis. There’s not that many teams in search of a first baseman this season, so this one may sting a little bit for Sandy. But I’m sure there’s at least 3-4 teams who will be intrigued by his power potential. (11/28)

The post Hot Stove News: Nationals Acquire RHP Doug Fister From Tigers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Omar Per asks MMO…

Why are so many fans panicking over the shortstop position this offseason when next winter Hanley Ramirez, Jed Lowrie, J.J. Hardy, Yunel Escobar, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins will all be entering free agency?

Joe D. replies…

Great question and the short answer is that Met fans, including myself, are clearly frustrated with the team’s performance over the last three years and are ready for some change. Losing lowers morale and creates a disconnect which has already manifested itself in declining attendance, listernership and viewership on a massive scale.

As to the point of your question however, you are right. There certainly appears to be a bumper crop at shortstop and even if one or two are resigned by there teams, there should still be more than the two quality shortstops that were available this offseason.

I suspect that the pick of the litter, Hanley Ramirez, will most likely never make it to free agency unless his demands are in the Robinson Cano range. If the Dodgers don’t have an extension in place by the trade deadline, I suspect he’ll be traded for an incredible haul of talent and the new team will get a negotiating window to get a deal done.

I think Cabrera, Lowrie and Hardy could be good fits for the Mets, and who knows any of them may also become available at the trade deadline if their teams become sellers.

Thanks for the question…

Email your questions to GetMetsmerized@aol.com or tweet them to @Metsmerized.

The post Why Panic Over Shortstop With Hanley, Lowrie, Hardy, Escobar Available Next Winter? appeared first on Metsmerized.

An MMO Fan Shot By Andrew Doris

The two-year plan

The past two seasons, the Mets have finished 74-88. Over that time, they’ve dumped all their albatross contracts (except Bobby Bonilla…) and resolved the Bernie Madoff lawsuit, such that management finally appears capable of investing in the team. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but Sandy Alderson has said the team has about $30 million to spend this off-season if he chooses. This post assumes they are serious, and aims to shed light on the wisest way to invest that money.

It’s reasonable to assume that without any major off-season additions, the Mets might finish 74-88 again in 2014. That might even be optimistic, because they’ve lost two key producers from last season already: Matt Harvey and Marlon Byrd. Perhaps young players will develop and improve enough to replace those losses, but even if that’s the case, they would still just be treading water to match last year’s output. It’s safe to say the current roster is no better than a 74 win team.

With that in mind, it is highly unlikely the Mets will win the World Series next season – there are just too many holes to fill in one off-season with the money and trade chips at Alderson’s disposal. A more realistic approach is to view the next two off-seasons as stepping stones to serious contention – a sort of “two-year plan” to get this team among the league’s elite.

Phase one of this plan should be to improve the team by enough that the fans take notice and tune in for 2014. The piqued interest would increase ticket sales and TV revenue, and ideally enable additional payroll expansions (read: player acquisitions) in phase two – next off-season and beyond.

However, doing this will require a team that, as Fred Wilpon famously put it back in 2004, is “playing meaningful games in September”, and a 74 win team does not match that criteria. How much does Alderson need to improve the roster to make that team a reality?

In a division with the Braves and Nationals, I suspect the Mets will need to win at least 85 games to even compete for the playoffs. Last year the Nationals won 86 and still finished 4 games out of the wildcard race. To actually make the playoffs, they may need to win 90, but I think Mets fans would be satisfied with 85 if it meant they stayed in the hunt until late in the season.

The question Alderson must answer, therefore, is this: how can he improve the team by 10 wins or more this off-season, without impeding his flexibility to make even more acquisitions next year? If the Mets are to navigate this question successfully, it behooves them to consider what options might be at their disposal next off-season. This foresight is particularly necessary at their positions of need, because those are the spots at which the greatest improvement can be made.

As I see it, the Mets’ greatest positions of need are OF, SS, 1B and SP, in that order. I put SP last because it is the only one of those holes that exists only in the short term. With the return of Harvey and the ascent of Syndergaard, Mejia, Montero, DeGrom and even Robles all expected by 2015, pitching shouldn’t be a problem over the long term (unless some of those names get traded filling one of the other three holes). By the time we’re seriously contending for a world series, that hole will ideally have filled itself. Neither OF, SS, nor 1B, however, have any promising minor leaguers nearing an MLB arrival date, so it makes the most sense to target external additions at those positions.

The options at shortstop:

Let’s start at SS. As Mets fans know, this was one of our biggest areas of need last year, with Ruben Tejada and Omar Quintanilla combining for a woeful -1.7 WAR on the season. The 2014 free agent class has two primary options at SS: Stephen Drew, and Jhonny Peralta. Although these are good players, both are on the wrong side of 30 with health concerns, and both may cost around $12 million a year on a multi-year contract. The 2015 class, by contrast, features a whole host of interesting names: Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, Hanley Ramirez, and Jed Lowrie. Furthermore, each of those players play on teams that are often open to trading players in contract years, such that Sandy might be able to land them in a deadline deal this upcoming summer depending on where everyone is in the standings.

For this reason, I recommend the Mets hold off on signing a big-name SS this winter, when the market is thin and prices are high. This has the added benefit of giving Ruben Tejada a few more months to turn things around. Even if the Mets don’t view Tejada as their SS of the future, it is unwise to sell low, and Tejada’s value has never been lower. A solid start to 2014 might improve his trade value and net them something better in return than they could get right now.

The options in the outfield:

Next up is OF. Even if we assume that light-hitting Juan Lagares is the answer in CF, the Mets have only one MLB caliber starting outfielder on their roster, with no help from the minors in sight (short of Cesar Puello, who has some questions to answer). If they are to get away with Lagares in CF, they desperately need some offense from the corner OF spots. Thankfully, the 2014 free agent class has several big name outfielders that could serve as the power-hitting cleanup hitter Terry Collins needs. Shin-Soo Choo, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Beltran, and Nelson Cruz could all fit that mold, while Jacoby Ellsbury could busy our competition on the market and make those other names more affordable (higher supply of marquee OF’s = lower price for each one). Additionally, there are several big name outfielders rumored to be on the trading block this winter, from Jose Bautista to Giancarlo Stanton to Matt Kemp to Andre Ethier. 2015, by contrast, has very few exciting names under 35 years old. Colby Rasmus is pretty good, but after that it goes downhill fast: Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Jonny Gomes, Emilio Bonifacio, Nate Schierholtz, Norichika Aoki, Chris Denorfia…you get the picture.

For these reasons, it’s imperative that the Mets land at least one marquee, power-hitting outfielder this offseason, even if they have to sign him to a long term deal. Ellsbury and Choo may be outside our price range, but I think Curtis Granderson could be an excellent fit. He’s certainly comfortable in New York; in his first three years with the Yankees, Granderson was a superstar, averaging 36 homers per season with an 11% walk rate. Before you argue that was inflated by Yankee stadium, realize that Granderson averaged 18.5 road home runs from 2011-2012, which is more than any current Mets OF could provide in an entire season.

The 2013 season was lost to fluke injuries stemming from two stray fastballs, but before that Granderson was extremely durable, averaging 153 games a season from 2010-2012. His speed and defense will decline with age, but keep in mind what it’s declining from: a speedy, gold-glove caliber centerfielder. If the Mets shift him to LF to accommodate Lagares, he’d still offer plus defense and base-running in the short term, without being anything close to a liability in the long run. Granderson also has a reputation for being one of the most amiable players in the game, making him a fan favorite and a great locker room presence. He does strike out a lot, but that’s nitpicking, especially when you consider the much larger flaws of any 2015 option. In a deep market, Granderson could probably be had on a 3-4 year deal at $14-15 million per year, which still leaves Alderson enough flexibility to sign a SP and some role players for 2014. If they miss out on Granderson, I’d suggest Carlos Beltran or Nelson Cruz as high-ceiling fallbacks. If we felt like signing two outfielders, Nate McLouth might warrant consideration.

The options at first base:

Finally, we have 1B. With Jose Abreu gone to the White Sox, this year’s free agent class features interesting options like Mike Napoli, Kendrys Morales, and Corey Hart. 2015, by contrast, has very few good options under the age of 35 (assuming the Royals use their club option to pick up Billy Butler’s contract). Using the above logic, this would seem to imply that if the Mets are to get an external option to man 1B, this is the offseason to do it. If Sandy chooses to go that route, I’d support the decision.

However, I don’t think first base is such a dire necessity as is the outfield, for the simple reason that the Mets have better in-house options to man the former than they do the latter. Between Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Josh Satin, Wilmer Flores and Daniel Murphy, the Mets have five candidates for one position. With the exception of Flores, none of those candidates have a career OPS below .746. Even if only one or two of those options work out, Terry Collins could probably cobble together moderate levels of production by riding the hot hand. The options in the OF, by contrast, inspire much less confidence: Eric Young Jr., Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin, and Matt den Dekker. None of those guys have a career OPS over .672 – none have a track record to prove they are major league caliber hitters. Until Cesar Puello (who has his own question marks) gets called up, these four AAAA guys would be competing for two vacancies, and the result would be woeful even if nobody got hurt.

TL;DR:

The bottom line is this: if the Mets are serious on improving the team in 2014 while maintaining the flexibility to make additional improvements next winter, they should devote this off-season to acquiring at least one marquee OF, either via a trade or via free agency. Then, they should sign a high-upside veteran starting pitcher to a short, cheap, incentive laden deal, as well as a backup catcher and some affordable bullpen arms. However, they should hold off on acquiring a SS upgrade until the market thickens, and if money’s tight, they should also hold off on committing to an external 1B until they have more information on the viability of their internal options.

By following this blueprint and getting a little lucky, the Mets should be able to plug all their holes with capable and exciting players in a cost efficient way before the 2015 season, while still improving enough in the short term to make 2014 exciting. Only time will tell if Sandy Alderson agrees.

The post Does 2015 Free Agent Market Influence Mets 2014 Offseason Strategy? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Christina and I were on opposite ends of the spectrum, as she ranked her level of interest in the players as Reddick > Gregorius > Gordon. It was the opposite for me, however, because I was always a big fan of Dee Gordon.

The window of opportunity to acquire Gordon exists right now since the Dodgers have Hanley Ramirez at SS and Juan Uribe at 3B (Ramirez’s alternate position) so the infield is filled up. Gordon spent most of the 2013 season in Triple-A, where he looked like he was returning to form with a .297/.385/.390 line in 374 at-bats.

Gordon possesses four tools that can be marked off with a “plus” rating — falling short only in the power department. He’s very talented defensively and handles the shortstop position with ease. Offensively, he has a career average of .301 in 2047 Minor League at-bats — including a .311 average in 692 Triple-A at-bats.

He’s a demon on the base paths as well, stealing 49 bases in just 374 at-bats this season. And for those of you interested in Baseball America rankings, he was ranked #26 in 2011 before his eventual call-up to the Dodgers. He has struggled at the MLB level, but he might be a guy worth taking a flier on. The Dodgers might have come down on their original high price last winter since they’re somewhat set at the shortstop position going forward and Corey Seager on the way after that — so should the Mets look into him?

The issue here is that the Dodgers have a ton of arms in their system, so we’d have to get creative in trading for Gordon or involve a third team. It’s an unlikely route, but it’s certainly interesting to consider anyway.

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