Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Buck Showalter talked to reporters on Monday before the Mets took on the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter with David Peterson on the mound. Here are the important notes from the Mets’ second-year manager:

Escobar in The Outfield?

Showalter said that third baseman Eduardo Escobar could play in a game on Tuesday in left field, though he’s not sure if it will be a Grapefruit League game or on the backfields in Port St. Lucie. The Mets say they’re putting Escobar in left field because Team Venezuela said they might use the veteran infielder out there during the World Baseball Classic.

Escobar has 43 games of experience in left field with the most recent time being in 2017 for the Twins.

Mets’ third base prospect Brett Baty is off to a strong in camp after two hits in the intrasquad game last week and then a home run on the first pitch he saw in a spring training game.

Verlander Making Debut

Mets co-ace Justin Verlander will make his debut on Saturday when the team travels to Jupiter to play the Marlins. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. and can be seen on MLB TV. Max Scherzer will start the game on Friday, giving Mets fans their first chance to see the future Hall of Famers pitch back-to-back.

Verlander says he plans to use his changeup more this season after the pitch had been kind of hidden in his repertoire in recent seasons. The veteran threw the pitch only 2.4% of the time in 2022 and hasn’t thrown it more than 10% since 2014 when he was with the Tigers.

Scherzer Embracing Rules, Technology 

Max Scherzer held out from using PitchCom until late July of the 2022 season and after the game said the technology that sends the pitch call and location from the catcher to the pitcher should be “illegal.”

Now, in his first start this spring, Scherzer was seen with PitchCom on his glove so he could send the pitch call to the catcher. Scherzer told reporters that he would use the device to call pitches at certain times when he had a pitch he knew fit into the gameplan and that the catcher will still continue to make a majority of the calls.

As you can see from the picture, Max Scherzer was wearing a PitchCom device on his glove Sunday. This allows Scherzer to call the pitch in situations when he knows what he wants to throw. pic.twitter.com/cn36LDzKmY

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) February 27, 2023

Scherzer told The Athletic that the new pitch clock rule would be something he would actually use to his advantage to control the pace of the at-bat. “I can’t pitch until ‘8’ (seconds left), but as soon as his eyes are up, I can go,” Scherzer said.“I already had the pitch call and we already know it, so I can come set. Now, I can’t fire until his eyes are up on me. But if his eyes are up on me with 12 seconds left, I can fire. So, just another play I can use.”

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Jurickson Profar

Position: OF

Bats/Throws: S/R

Age: 29 (2/20/1993)

2022 Traditional Stats: 152 G, 658 PA, .243/.331/.391/.723, 15 HR, 36 2B, 58 RBI, 140 H

2022 Advanced Stats: 111 OPS+, 110 wRC+, 3.1 bWAR, 2.5 fWAR, 11.1 BB%, 15.7 K%, .272 BABIP, .315 xwOBA, 2 DRS, -5 OAA

Rundown

Jurickson Profar had arguably the best season of his career in 2022. In his third season in San Diego, he was able to provide a spark as the leadoff hitter and everyday left fielder for the Padres. With his help, San Diego was able to make the postseason an advance all the way to the NLCS last season. 

Despite making his major league debut at 19 years old with the Rangers in 2012, Profar didn’t play his first full season until 2018 at age 25. This was partly due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, as well as him simply being unable to maintain a starting role when healthy.

Profar seemed to come into his own from 2018-2020, as he finally received regular playing time. After playing 146 games with the Rangers  in 2018, Profar was dealt to the Oakland A’s where he played in 2019 before being traded again to the Padres where he played the past three seasons. From the three-year stretch between 2018-20, (including the shortened 2020 season) Profar tallied 47 home runs and 169 RBIs with a .757 OPS and a 102 OPS+. While these numbers don’t exactly stand out, Profar proved that he could be a serviceable bat when healthy.

Profar took a step back and struggled in 2021, hitting just .227 with four home runs. However, he had a huge bounce back season in 2022, posting the best OPS+ of his career over a full season. He also improved defensively from the year before, showing more comfort staying in left field than moving around in a utility role. Profar went from a  negative-4 DRS in 2021 to plus-2 DRS 2022 and negative-7 OAA to negative-5 OAA.

Profar’s advanced metrics from the 2022 season show that despite having good strikeout and walk percentages, his whiff rate and chase rate were well above league average. Additionally, Profar was well below league average in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel percentage. He had one of his best seasons to date, but these metrics suggest that there are areas in which Profar needs to improve.

Contract

Spotrac.com estimates Profar to receive a contract of six-years, $89.4 million, which would be just under $15 million per year. Entering his age-30 season and not exactly a premier player, it’s hard to imagine Profar receiving this type of deal. Willson Contreras and Andrew Benintendi received similar deals and both players were unanimously regarded as being in a class above Profar this free agent cycle.

Players more on the level of Profar such as Cody Bellinger, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, and A.J. Pollock all signed shorter-term deals this offseason, and it would make sense if Profar received a deal like that. One-to-three years at $10-15 million per year seems reasonable.

Recommendation

The Mets’ everyday outfield seems to be set with Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte. At best, Profar would be a platoon option with Canha, and, at worst, would simply be a fourth outfielder. He doesn’t provide a ton of power, which is perhaps the Mets most pressing need, but he would be a bat that could be relied upon in a limited role.

If Profar is going to receive contract offers from teams similar to his Spotrac.com projection, the Mets should sit this one out. However, if he can be had for a more reasonable price, it would be worth the Mets’ time to at least look into how signing Profar could benefit the team.

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Ben Zobrist

Position: INF/LF/RF
Bats/Throws: S/R
Age: May 26, 1981 (37)

Traditional Stats: .305/.378/.440, 28 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 3 SB, 4 CS
Advanced Stats: 3.3 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR, 115 OPS+, 123 wRC+

Defensive Stats: 1B (0 DRS, -0.2 UZR), 2B (2 DRS, 3.0 UZR), LF (4 DRS, 2.5 UZR), RF (2 DRS, 1.3 UZR)

Back in 2015, the Chicago Cubs signed Zobrist as the missing piece of what the team hoped would be their first World Series in 108 years. Zobrist would actually prove to be that piece as he would hit the go-ahead RBI double in the tenth inning of Game 7 of the World Series en route to his winning the World Series MVP.

While the investment has proved worth it, Zobrist has come at a cost. The soon to be 38 year old is due $12.5 million in 2019. That’s a huge issue for the Cubs who are not only in position to pay the luxury tax, but they are also a team who his looking to upgrade their roster after failing to reach the World Series in each of the past two seasons. That has put generational talents like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper far out of reach. It’s also put real and moderately priced upgrades out of reach as well. That’s a huge problem for a win-now team like the Cubs.

While Zobrist had a poor 2017, he rebounded nicely in 2018. Part of the reason was as unlucky as he was in 2017 (.251 BABIP), he was that much luckier in 2018 (.331 BABIP). Really, when breaking it down, his advanced and peripheral numbers are not substantively different than they were in 2017. It should also be pointed out Zobrist’s numbers were substantively similar in 2016 when he was a 3.7 bWAR player.

In his career, Zobrist has always been the same player. He is a defensively versatile player you can trust at second and both corner outfield positions. He gets on base at least 35 percent of the time. He will have 40+ extra base hits. He’s able to fill-in wherever needed, and he is going to be an above league average hitter at any position he plays.

That said, he’s going to be 38 years old and with his 2017 season, there is a legitimate debate if he can be as productive as he has been in the vast majority of his career.

Why The Mets Should Obtain Him

Fact is, the Mets are one player short on their bench. Looking at their 40 man roster, it would appear J.D. Davis fills that last man on the bench role. Davis is a slow footed player who has struggled at the Major League level. Even if you are hopeful, it is unwise for an all-in team to put that much trust in a player who will be turning 26 years who has not done anything in the majors.

Surveying the free agent market, there isn’t anyone available who can do what Zobrist can do. No one is the hitter he is. Moreover, he is what the Mets hope they have in Jeff McNeil. Adding Zobrist to McNeil and Jed Lowrie would make this as versatile and deep a team as there is in baseball. It would be the type of team the Dodgers have built over the past few seasons, and it was one which brought the Dodgers to consecutive World Series.

Why The Mets Should Not Obtain Him

Simply put, Zobrist is old and not cheap. He would also complicate playing time for Lowrie, McNeil, and possibly Todd Frazier. Sometimes, those create problems for teams which could have an affect on how the team plays on the field. That’s not to say players aren’t professional and will be taking their frustrations onto the field. Rather, it’s possible there’s not enough playing time to keep everyone sharp and productive.

There’s also a matter of what you will have to give up to get Zobrist. While the Cubs are interested in dumping his salary, it is not likely they are interested in getting rid of a 3.0+ win player for nothing. Certainly, a win-now Cubs team is going to want to get something which is going to help them win in 2019. That could also harm the Mets chances to winning in 2019. You have to at least hesitate when the return is a 38 year old who had a disastrous 2017 season.

Verdict

The Mets are a win-now team, and they need players to help them win-now. They’re also an older team in certain spots, and bringing in more players will likely help keep players fresher and more productive. Adding Zobrist would allow the team to bring on a good outfielder to the mix. It also helps having a second switch hitter on the bench to help mitigate against right or left-handed reliever.

So long as the Mets can fit it into the budget, and that’s a real concern, the team is not going to be able to get a player of Zobrist’s talent level. If the price is right in terms of players and cost, the Mets should absolutely be in on Zobrist.

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Jon Jay

Position: OF
Bats/Throws:L/L
Age: March 15, 1985 (33)

Statistics: .268/.330/.347, 19 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 4 SB, 3 CS
Advanced Stats: 0.8 bWAR,0.8 fWAR, 83 OPS+, 86 wRC+
Defensive Stats: LF (-1 DRS, 1.9 UZR), CF (2 DRS, 3.3 UZR), RF (6 DRS, 1.5 UZR)

A second round pick in the 2006 draft, Jay has carved out an interesting career for himself. Everywhere he goes he has been a solid contributor, and he has been quite beneficial in the clubhouse.

Back in 2017, Ben Zobrist said of Jay, “Jon Jay, to me, the 2017 Cubbies don’t go without him.” He picked us up on the field and off the field in a lot of ways when we struggled.” (Patrick Mooney, NBC Sports). Last offseason, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch noted how respected Jay was among Cardinals players, “It is worth noting that the past few years, players have mentioned how he’s been missed as a presence.”

While Jay’s clubhouse influence is noted, how players are ultimately judged is their on the field production. Over the course, of his career, Jay has been a productive but not great player.

Over his nine year career, Jay is the epitome of a league average hitter with a career 100 OPS+ and a 103 wRC+. As an outfielder, he has a 2 DRS with his best numbers coming in right field. Keep in mind those, numbers are a bit skewed towards the negative as back in 2013, he was a -10 DRS in center. Since that time, Jay has been a -1 in center.

Aside from a stretch is 2015 – 2016 when Jay dealt with a pair of fractures, he has generally stayed on the field. He has been a good pinch hitter hitting .282/.363/.376 in 177 plate appearances. He is a player you can trust on your bench, and he is a player who is a more than capable fill-in in the event one of your starters go down with injury on either a long or short-term basis.

Contract

Last year, Jay was signed by the Diamondbacks to a one year $3 million deal. After struggling over the course of 84 games, he was traded to the Royals where he rebounded. Steamer projects Jay to hit .262/.324/.354 with a 0.3 fWAR. Baseball Reference projects him to hit .267/.333/.360. All told, this is indicative of Jay receiving another one year deal with approximately $3 million.

Recommendation

With the Mets having lost Curtis Granderson and even recently respected veteran Jay Bruce, the Mets could use players like Jay. Along with Robinson Cano, you would have a pair of position players who have won a World Series, and you have players who can help younger Mets players navigate their way through a season and hopefully a postseason.

More than that, Jay serves as outfield depth. Should one of their outfielders go down with an injury, you can play Jay everyday in center. Depending on how the offseason shakes out, you can have him share time or platoon with Juan Lagares in center, which could help an injury prone Lagares make it through a full season.

Mostly, the Mets need Jay because they need depth. While much of the focus on the Mets has been their under .500 finishes and scrutiny being directed at their everyday players, the real issue has been depth. Jay provides you with depth, needed depth. If the Mets don’t sign him, they need to sign someone with a similar skill-set. At $3 million, there is no excuses.

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BOSTON RED SOX (2-1) at NEW YORK YANKEES (1-2)
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 • 8:07 p.m. ET • Yankee Stadium • Bronx, NY
RHP Rick Porcello (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (0-0, -.–)
ALDS Game 4 • TV: TBS • Radio: WEEI 93.7 FM, ESPN Radio, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish)

After a 16-1 drubbing of the Yankees last night, the Red Sox will look to advance to the ALCS to face the Astros with a win tonight. First pitch is at 8:07 p.m. and can be viewed on TBS.

Red Sox Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Steve Pearce, 1B
4. J.D. Martinez, DH
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Ian Kinsler, 2B
7. Eduardo Nunez, 3B
8: Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
9. Christian Vazquez, C

Yankees Lineup

1. Aaron Hicks, CF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Didi Gregorius, SS
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Luke Voit, 1B
6. Neil Walker, 3B
7. Gary Sanchez, C
8. Gleyber Torres, 2B
9. Brett Gardner, LF

The post ALDS Game Thread: Red Sox vs. Yankees, 8:07 PM — Boston For the Win! appeared first on Metsmerized.

Well, it’s that time of the year! The Mid-Summer Classic will take place tonight at 8 p.m. in Washington, D.C., with the National League squaring off against the American League.

Since the “This Time It Counts” initiative put forth in 2004, 10 of 13 teams with home field advantage went on to win the World Series.

For the second time in as many years, however, the game will be played for nothing but league bragging rights.

Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals (12-5, 2.41 ERA) will face off against Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox (10-4, 2.23 ERA). Mets ace Jacob deGrom will pitch after Scherzer, who will likely go the first two innings.

National League Lineup

1. Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs, 2B
2. Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies, 3B
3. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks, DH
4. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves, 1B
5. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, LF
6. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals, CF
7. Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves, RF
8. Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants, SS
9. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs, C

American League Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox, RF
2. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros, 2B
3. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, CF
4. J.D. Martinez,Boston Red Sox, DH
5. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians, 3B
6. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, LF
7. Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles, SS
8. Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, 1B
9. Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals, C

Let’s go National League!

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The New York Mets take on the Miami Marlins today at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie with a 1:10 p.m. start. Jason Vargas gets the start for the Mets against right-hander Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins. The game will be televised on SNY.

Mets Lineup

1. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
2. Yoenis Cespedes, DH
3. Jay Bruce, RF
4. Todd Frazier, 3B
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
6. Jose Reyes, SS
7. Kevin Plawecki, C
8. Kevin Kaczmarski, CF
9. Matt den Dekker, LF

Marlins Lineup

1. Braxton Lee, CF
2. J.T. Realmuto, C
3. Starlin Castro, 2B
4. Justin Bour, 1B
5. Garrett Cooper, LF
6. Tomas Telis, C
7. Cameron Maybin, RF
8. Brian Anderson, 3B
9. Miguel Rojas, SS

Game Notes

Vargas Signed a two-year contract with a club option for 2020 on February 18. Vargas was tied for the American League in wins (18) and was named to his first All-Star team last year with Kansas City. He went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA (83 earned runs/179.2 innings) in 32 starts with the Royals. His 32 starts last season was tied for the most in the majors by a left-hander.

New York ranks third among NL teams with a .291 batting average this spring. The Mets .388 on-base percentage is the second-highest this spring among NL squads.

Juan Lagares says he will play tomorrow according to Kristie Ackert of New York Daily News.

Seth Lugo, Jeurys Familia, Jerry Blevins, AJ Ramos and Corey Taylor are scheduled to follow Vargas today.

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Ed Delany, MMO

The New York Mets begin their Grapefruit League season today as they host National League East foes the Atlanta Braves at First Data Field. The game begins at 1:10 p.m, it will be televised on SNY and can be heard on WOR.

Right-hander Zack Wheeler gets the start for the Mets and he is opposed by Braves right-hander Matt Wisler.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo, CF
2. Adrian Gonzalez, DH
3. Todd Frazier, 3B
4. Peter Alonso, 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud, C
6. Jose Reyes, 2B
7. Amed Rosario, SS
8. Kevin Kaczmarski, RF
9. Matt den Dekker, LF

Braves Lineup

1. Ozzie Albies, 2B
2. Dansby Swanson, SS
3. Johan Camargo, 3B
4. Rio Ruiz, 1B
5. Lane Adams, CF
6. Rob Brantly, C
7. Danny Santana, LF
8. Dustin Peterson, RF
9. Alex Jackson, DH

Game Notes

Hansel Robles, Chris Flexen, Paul Sewald, Corey Oswalt, Jacob Rhame, Tyler Bashlor, Jamie Callahan and Drew Smith are all tentatively scheduled to pitch for the Mets today after Wheeler.

Dominic Smith was in the original lineup but was replaced by Peter Alonso to get the slugger more at-bats, or at least that’s what is being said right now.

Major League Baseball will honor the victims of last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by having teams wear caps with the logo of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during Friday’s spring openers.

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The New York Mets will play their final game of 2017 at First Data Field against their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s.

Jacob deGrom will be on the mound for his fifth and final start this spring. He has a 2.93 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and only two walks in 15.1 spring innings.

Right-handed pitching prospect Harol Gonzalez is getting the start for the Mets opposing deGrom on the mound for the 51s.

Jacob will start the second game of the regular season against the Atlanta Braves on April 5 opposed by Bartolo Colon.

The game starts at 11:00 AM with no TV or radio available.

New York Mets

1. Dave Racaniello, DH
2. Jose Reyes, 3B
3. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
4. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
5. Curtis Granderson, RF
6. Neil Walker, 2B
7. Jay Bruce, 1B
8. Michael Conforto, CF
9. Rene Rivera, C

Las Vegas 51s

1. Eric Langill, DH
2. Ty Kelly, 3B
3. T.J. Rivera, 2B
4. Wilmer Flores, 1B
5. Travis d’Arnaud, C
6. Luis Guillorme, SS
7. Matt Reynolds, LF
8. Victor Cruzado, CF
9. Travis Taijeron, RF

Yes, you see that right, that both bullpen catchers are hitting today.

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The Mets send lefty Sean Gilmartin to the hill to face off against the Braves and Josh Collmenter at Champion Stadium today. The 1:05 PM game will not be broadcasted by the Mets on either radio or TV, however the Braves will broadcast it on the radio on WIFN 1340 AM/103.7 FM.

Michael Conforto will see more time in center field today as the Mets continue to test him out at the position. While he will never win a Gold Glove in center field, he has shown that he can supply adequate defense out there going forward. Today’s outfield will also feature Tim Tebow in left field who should face a significantly easier task today than facing Max Scherzer (who struck him out twice with 7 total pitches).

Mets Lineup

1. T.J. Rivera, 1B
2. Ty Kelly, 3B
3. Michael Conforto, CF
4. Wilmer Flores, 2B
5. Travis d’Arnaud, C
6. Travis Taijeron, RF
7. Tim Tebow, LF
8. Luis Guillorme, SS
9. Sean Gilmartin, P

Braves Lineup

1. Ender Inciarte, CF
2. Dansby Swanson, SS
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Matt Kemp, LF
5. Nick Markakis, RF
6. Brandon Phillips, 2B
7. Adonis Garcia, 3B
8. Tyler Flowers, C
9. Josh Collementer, P

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