On this day in Mets history, 45 years ago, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver tossed his 19-strikeout gem against the San Diego Padres and set the major league record with 10 straight strikeouts to end the game.

It happened on April 22, 1970 and our own Stephen Hanks was there. Here is an article he wrote back in 2010 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of one of the greatest moments in Mets history. Please enjoy…

There is a mantle above an unused fireplace in my home office that I’ve turned into a little shrine to my sports idol Tom Seaver. It’s nothing crazy, just a bunch of old action photos, vintage baseball cards, magazine covers, bobble head dolls, figurines depicting that classic Seaver right-knee scraping the mound motion, even an empty bottle of Tom Seaver recent vintage wine. But among all these treasures, there is one that bears special significance today: the scorecard I recorded at Shea Stadium on April 22, 1970, the day the man I consider the greatest right-handed pitcher of all time (Roger Clemens forfeited that title the day he picked up a syringe) struck out 19 San Diego Padres, including the LAST 10 IN A ROW.

Here are both pages of my original scorecard.
(click to enlarge them)

It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since that glorious afternoon, but not hard to believe how I ended up being an eyewitness to baseball history. Tom Seaver had been my baseball hero from the day he started his first game for the Mets in 1967, although I became aware of him during his one season pitching for the Jacksonville Suns in 1966. At that point, I was a 10 1/2-year old Mets fanatic desperate for a young star and baseball role model to cling to.

I attended my first Mets’ game at the Polo Grounds in 1963, watched the entire 10-hour epic double-header, including the 23-inning second game, against the Giants in 1964, and spent my early childhood thinking my favorite team would never get out of last place. By mid-1966, my burgeoning adolescent hormones were contributing to take my Mets obsession to a fever pitch. And like all Mets fans who didn’t think the losing was cute anymore, I was hoping for a savior to finally change our fortunes.

So I started checking The Sporting News, which in those days was considered the “Bible of Baseball” and printed every major league and Triple A box score from the proceeding week, in addition to all the league stats. I started noticing there was a 21-year-old named Tom Seaver on the Jacksonville pitching staff who was actually winning as many games as he lost.

Even more impressively, he was striking out an average of eight per game, wasn’t walking a lot of guys, and had a great hits-to-innings pitched ratio. At that point, very few Mets fans knew about the bizarre circumstances that made Seaver a Met–the voiding of his contract with the Braves while he was still at USC, and the Mets subsequently being selected out of a hat in a lottery staged by Commissioner William Eckert. All I cared about was that we might finally be developing some semblance of a major league pitcher and I followed Seaver’s minor-league starts religiously throughout the summer.

Although it was clear that Seaver was the Mets’ best pitcher going into the 1967 season, he started Game 2 against the Pirates, struck out 8 in 5.1 innings and got a no-decision. By his next start, a 6-1 win over the Cubs, this hard-throwing righthander with the picture-perfect delivery was my favorite player and probably the favorite of every other Mets fan.

For me, Tom cemented his hero status on May 17, 1967. That year and until 1971, the Mets games on radio were carried on WJRZ-AM with a pre- and post-game show hosted by an intelligent and very congenial man named Bob Brown, who staged various fan contests. I sent in a bunch of postcards hoping to get selected for a call and before the game against the Braves that May night, my phone rang. It was Bob Brown offering me a chance to win a baseball glove if I could pick three Mets to get a total of four hits in the game at Fulton County Stadium. So naturally I picked the Mets’ three hottest hitters at that point–Tommy Davis, Ed Kranepool and Jerry Buchek.

Going into the ninth inning, Davis and Kranepool had combined for three hits (Buchek was shutout) but Davis came through for me with a single and I won a Bobby Shantz glove. You may think this whole story has been a digression, but the kicker is this: Tom Seaver went three for three that night, with two RBI, a walk and a stolen base. The best athlete on the team was a rookie pitcher.

Anyway, you know what happened over the next couple of years. Seaver wins 16 games in both ’67 and ’68 (with 32 complete games combined) and then leads the Mets to the promised land in 1969 with 25 victories, including the near-perfect game against the Cubs. After celebrating my team’s improbable World Championship, which I watched from my home in the South Bronx not far from Yankee Stadium, my family moved that December to the spanking new Co-Op City middle class housing project in the Northeast Bronx. Now 14, I was old enough to get a job delivering the Daily News in my 33-story building and the gig earned me about $30 to $40 a week, a fortune for a kid that age at that time. My plan for spending my new-found wealth? Go to as many games of the defending champs as possible, especially considering you could sit in the upper deck behind home plate for a buck and a half.

But I didn’t want to attend just any games. I wanted to see EVERY game Tom Seaver pitched at Shea Stadium (that wasn’t on a school night, of course) and the Mets’ five-man rotation made it pretty easy to figure out when Tom Terrific was going to be on the hill. Seaver was on a five-day cycle even when there were off days. So I knew that after opening day on April 7, Tom would pitch on the 12th, 17th and 22nd, the latter a Wednesday afternoon game I could attend because it would be the second day of Passover and public schools would be closed. I really splurged for that one and for six bucks got tickets for me and my brother in the first row of the loge (second deck) behind home plate.

After settling into our seats on a beautiful spring day (I don’t recall it being chilly), Tom proceeded to strike out two in the first inning. The way the sound of the Seaver fastball was reverberating after hitting Jerry Grote‘s mitt only confirmed it was going to a long day for the Padres. Ken Boswell‘s double off some guy named Mike Corkins drove in Bud Harrelson (who had singled), giving the Mets a first-inning lead. But the Pods’ cleanup hitter and leftfielder Al Ferrara led off the second inning with a home run to tie it (I think it scraped the back of the fence on the way down) until we got the lead back in the third on a Bud Harrelson triple that just missed going out. Given the Mets’ offense, which could disappear for innings or days at a time, I figured that run would have to hold up if Tom was to get a W. (I can’t tell you how many times during Seaver’s Mets career I sweated out a game because of lack of run support. My mother once threatened to start giving me sedatives whenever Tom pitched because I’d pace around the TV room and scream at the set imploring the Mets to score a freaking run.)

By the top of the 6th inning, Tom had yielded just one other hit and had nine strikeouts. Of course the score was still 2-1 so the ace would really have to bear down. After a popup and a fly out, Tom struck out Ferrara for his 10th K of the game. I don’t think I was aware of it at the time–and I could be corrected if I’m wrong–but by the top of the 7th, afternoon shadows were starting to creep over home plate while the sun was still shining over the rest of Shea. This would not be good for a Padres lineup that was already flailing at Seaver’s fastball, which that day looked and sounded like it was in the upper 90s–and we didn’t need a radar gun to tell us that.

At this point in the game, I was totally transfixed on the man on the hill, picking up every nuance of that motion on the mound. As a Babe Ruth League pitcher, I was already mimicking Seaver’s delivery, which was never better described than by Roger Angell in The New Yorker after Tom was traded on June 15, 1977 (still one of the worst days of my life):

“One of the images I have before me now is that of Tom Seaver pitching; the motionless assessing pause on the hill while the signal is delivered, the easy, rocking shift of weight onto the back leg, the upraised arms, and then the left shoulder coming forward as the whole body drives forward and drops suddenly downward–down so low that the right knee scrapes the sloping dirt of the mound–in an immense thrusting stride, and the right arm coming over blurrily and still flailing, even as the ball, the famous fastball, flashes across the pate, chest-high on the batter and already past his low, late swing.”

In the top of the 7th, Seaver struck out Nate Colbert, Dave Campbell and Jerry Morales, the latter two looking. While that was impressive, none of the 14,000 of us cheering madly at every strike thought it out of the ordinary for our Tom and when he led off the bottom of the 7th, he got the obligatory polite ovation.

Of course if this game had been played in 2010 instead of 1970, Gary Matthews, Jr. would have been pinch-hitting because, hey, you need to get another run and our ace might be hitting his pitch count to boot. Thankfully, Gil Hodges wouldn’t think of pulling his best arm and when Bob Barton, and pinch hitters Ramon Webster and Ivan Murrell all K’d in the 8th (the latter two swinging), there wasn’t a soul in Shea who thought we weren’t watching history, let alone believe the Padres would actually hit another pitch.

As Tom took the mound for the top of the 9th, the buzz in the park was palpable and my heart was palpitating. Van Kelly led off the ninth and when he struck out swinging for the 8th strikeout in a row, the crowd sounded more like 40,000.

With every strike that whizzed by a Padre hitter I felt as if I was being levitated out of my seat. I don’t have a pitch chart of the game (don’t know if there is one available), but it seemed as if every pitch in those last two innings were strikes and the crowd roared louder with every one. Cito Gaston struck out looking for nine in a row and 18 for the game. One more strikeout and Tom Seaver would set a new record of 10 Ks in a row and match Steve Carlton‘s 19-strikeout game (which he lost thanks to those two Ron Swoboda home runs) against us the year before.

With the entire park on it’s feet and screaming itself hoarse, Tom fittingly blew away Ferrara for the record-breaking K. By this point I was jumping up and down so wildly I almost fell over the loge railing. I carried that emotional high all the way to 7 train and for the entire trip back to the Bronx. It is still the greatest pitching performance I’ve ever seen live (and I saw a couple of Seaver one-hitters and his 300th win at Yankee Stadium). Again, the Terrific One didn’t just strike out 10 in a row, he mowed down the LAST 10 IN A ROW.

As you can see above, I dutifully saved my scorecard of that game (and I wasn’t a kid who kept score much, so I must have had a premonition) and all of my handwritten annotations (including the note about Jerry Grote setting a new putout record-20) were added that day. There is one additional scribbling on the Mets side of the scorecard.

In early 1983 I was about to launch my own magazine called NEW YORK SPORTS and the Mets gave me the best launch present I could imagine by bringing Seaver back from the Cincinnati Reds that winter. Putting my idol on the cover of my magazine’s premiere issue was a no-brainer and before spring training I hiked out to Shea with a camera crew to shoot Tom Terrific. As I was leaving my house that morning, I thought, “Damn, I’ve got to ask Tom to sign the 19K-game scorecard” and found it in a huge pile of Seaver memorabilia I had been collecting for years. After assuming my best professional editor’s air during the photo session (even pressuring my hero to smile once in a while), I reverted to sheepish fan mode and asked Tom to autograph the scorecard. As he turned my prized possession into even more of a collector’s item, he looked down at the card and said, “Hmmm, that was a pretty good outing.” Indeed.

There’s one more postscript. In 1996-97, I was editing a elementary school classroom newspaper and decided to do a feature on the Baseball Hall of Fame. The executives at the Hall took me to lunch at a quaint Cooperstown bistro and we spent a pleasant hour or so talking baseball history. Naturally, Tom Seaver came up in the conversation and I told my story of attending the 1970 pitching masterpiece, mentioning that I still had the scorecard. The Hall curator perked up. “Wow, would you be willing to donate that to the Hall of Fame?” he asked wide-eyed. “Well, what would I get for it,” I responded. “Well, we could give you a lifetime pass to the Hall of Fame.”

I’ve been to the Baseball Hall of Fame a few times since that lunch meeting. The scorecard still resides in my own personal Tom Seaver Museum. Happy Anniversary, Tom!

The post MMO Feature: Tom Seaver’s 19 Strikeout Classic Turns 45 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

I have been listening to sports radio, reading Mets Twitter, and reading articles for the past couple days as the trade deadline gets closer and closer. I keep hearing the same notion expressed by Mets fans– if the Mets trade Murphy, it indicates an unwillingness to pay good players money to keep them in New York. ‘Cheap’, ‘small-market-team’ and ‘hopeless’ are some of the words and phrases I have heard to describe the Wilpons and their goals as an ownership.

I have thought a lot about what I would want the Mets to do with Murphy. My initial thought correlates to the strong opinion of Mets fans that seems to be that they should re-sign him. Murphy is a great pure hitter. He seems to hit around .300 every year and is a great clubhouse guy. His fielding leaves a bit to be desired, but he has improved some since his earlier days.

The Mets have a couple young players that are possibilities for filling the void at second if the Mets do trade Murphy. Dilson Herrera, a pure second basemen with some pop who came over in the Marlon Byrd trade, was just recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton where he is hitting .313 with two home runs in his brief stint there thus far. Herrera is strong defensively and has some pop at the plate to go along with his ability to hit for a high average so far in his minor league career. It is also important to note that Herrera is producing at such a high level in the Eastern League while being almost five-years younger than the league average. Sure, he has only played 15 games there so far, but it’s definitely worth noting.

The next guy who could fill the void is Matt Reynolds, a 2012 draft pick who was recently promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. The 23-year old batted .355 in Double-A before his promotion, and is off to a .373/.415/.542 clip through 17 games in the PCL. Reynolds is another pure middle infielder who has split time since 2012 between shortstop and second base. Reynolds seems to project as a similar player to Murphy, someone who won’t hit for much power but can hit for a consistent average. I would imagine he is a better defender then Murphy at second base as well. Reynolds will probably earn a call-up this September and is a legitimate contender to be the Mets’ second basemen in 2015 and beyond.

The last guy I will mention is Wilmer Flores because I’m not convinced we’ve seen all that he can do. Flores has produced at every level of the minor leagues, hitting for average and power. He has been in the Mets organization since signing at the age of 16 out of Venezuela. Yeah, yeah I know about Flores’ defensive woes. From what I hear (not seen), Flores is lucky to be as good defensively as Murphy is right now. As I said, I haven’t seen this absolutely horrendous defense yet but people smarter than me have made that hypothesis. I believe that a player cannot develop fully (in most cases) unless they are given a steady role in the starting lineup.

I think everyone knows that Tejada is not the future and I agree. Tejada is what he is and I don’t dislike him at all. He has filled a void since Jose Reyes left for Miami. I believe Flores should have been given a steady and consistent role in the lineup. A player can’t concentrate on his offensive production when he is to busy worrying whether his name will make the lineup card each day. Flores is another candidate for playing second if Murphy is traded.

Although we haven’t seen it yet in the majors, Flores is definitely a talented hitter nonetheless. At just 22-years old, I am not writing him off offensively. Flores would be less of a liability defensively playing second as opposed to shortstop. I think he is a guy to consider handing the reigns to, especially if Murphy is traded this season before Reynolds or Herrera are truly ready for big-league duty.

After considering the homegrown replacements the Mets have for Murphy, I have concluded that I wouldn’t mind if Murphy is traded. I love the guy and everything he has done for the Mets, but I do believe that $11-$13 million a year could be better spent elsewhere and on someone who will plate more runs.

I’m sure there are plenty of people here that disagree with me, but that’s what makes the world turn.

Kirk’s thoughts:

I agree with you, Avery, on many of the points you’ve made. I think we have the internal talent to step in and hold down the fort at second base in what appears to be a lost season anyway. Flores could get the first crack, as I think he’s earned an extended look in the lineup without having to look over his shoulder. Further down the pike are players like Reynolds and Herrera who could prove to be at least solid-average regulars at the keystone spot.

I don’t think trading Murphy would be the organization’s way of indicating that they aren’t willing to spend, I think it would be a smart baseball move for the future. Murphy has arguably been our best offensive player over the past two seasons, and I think we need to capitalize on that by selling him off in the right deal. He’s nearing 30 and is about to command a long term deal. A team like the Orioles could really use his bat, and I think they make a good trading partner. Alderson could obviously shoot for the moon and ask for a Dylan Bundy or Hunter Harvey and see what kind of response he gets. He could also ask about Kevin Gausman— a guy I like who the Orioles don’t seem to value based on the way they’ve yo-yo’ed him between the majors and Triple-A this season. Obviously it has to be the right deal. I’m not looking to give Murph away. I’m simply trying to find a way to continue to stockpile assets that could eventually lead to trading for the big power bat(s) we really need.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

The post Should The Mets Move Daniel Murphy? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York speculates that righthanded reliever Ryan Reid could be an option when the Mets look to add a fresh arm to their fatigued bullpen on Monday when they begin a three game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Mets bullpen was leaned on for eight innings of relief on Sunday after starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was forced to leave the game after one inning with a serious stomach ailment,.

The 29-year old Reid has had a remarkable stretch at Triple-A Las Vegas and improved his scoreless streak to 22.2 innings on Saturday.

If Reid does get the call, the Mets would have to add him to the 40-man roster.

June 12

Ryan Reid has emerged in Las Vegas as a potential major league ready reliever. Adam Rubin noted on Twitter that Reid has thrown 17.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run and has pitched to a 3.64 ERA over 29.2 innings during his 2014 campaign.

Reid’s only appearances in the majors came in 2013 with Pittsburgh, where he posted a 1.64 ERA over 11 innings, with seven strikeouts against three walks. On December 23, 2013, he was selected off waivers by the Mets from the Pirates.

The Mets bullpen has been solid recently. It seems that Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia have solidified the 8th and 9th innings, helping to give members of the bullpen an identity which was lacking during the early weeks of the season. Gonzalez Germen, the Mets most consistent arm out of the pen earlier in the year, was activated from DL the Tuesday.

Playoff caliber teams have strong bullpens and don’t blow games for their starting pitchers, simple as that. I believe the Mets could be on their way to having a very solid bullpen and strong arms in Triple-A give them some wiggle room in case of injuries.

The post Ryan Reid Could Join Mets Overworked Bullpen On Monday appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Guaranteed playing time or not, the Mets commitment to Chris Young should not last too much longer given his recent struggles. At some point the Mets will have to pull the plug on Young and start giving his playing time to more worthy and productive players.

For some odd reason manager Terry Collins decided to put the slumping CY in the cleanup spot during Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to the Dodgers. Young went 0-for-3 with a rally killing double-play in one of those at-bats and a runner stranded in scoring position in another.

Many people, including myself, were unhappy with the Chris Young signing and would of preferred the Mets go after a more proven power bat, such as a Nelson Cruz, who ended up signing a nearly identical contract with the Orioles very late in free agency. Or the money could have been better utilized to fill another need like shortstop.

The Mets came into the season with a logjam of four starting outfielders in CY, Eric Young Jr., Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares, three of whom could play center field. It appeared that the organization had no trust in the up-and-coming Lagares despite his breakthrough defensive season in 2013 and a phenomenal offensive showing in Winter Ball.

However, an early stint on the disabled list for Chris Young changed everything. Lagares stepped in, got a chance to play everyday, and wowed everyone with an electrifying start to the season both in the field and more importantly at the plate as well.

By the time Chris Young returned from the DL, Terry Collins was unwilling to keep Lagares as the everyday center fielder and announced a 4-man outfield rotation that would give everyone equal playing time. However that almost led to a revolt when at one point Collins benched Lagares for three straight games and four of five, prompting outrage from the ticket-buying fans and harsh criticism from writers and analysts.

The situation is still unresolved to this day and Collins is under the microscope before each game as to which three outfielders gets to be in the starting lineup. It’s a tenuous situation.

Granderson is almost a given to be starting everyday because of the Mets’ $60 million dollar commitment to him for the next four years. Lagares continues be the team’s best hitter and with three more hits on Tuesday is now slashing at a .315/.361/.472 for the season. Obviously, his glove has shined and only adds to his value as an everyday centerfielder. Terry Collins has taken a liking to Eric Young Jr., who he says gives the Mets a pure leadoff hitter who can wreak havoc on the base paths. EY has a low .202 batting average and his .311 on-base is hardly leadoff-worthy, however his ability to reach base in the first inning makes him additionally attractive to Collins. EY has a .394 OBP in the first inning of games this year has it proved helpful to get the Mets on the scoreboard early.

Chris Young should be the odd man out at this point. He is producing at a .206/.272/.360 clip this season with only three home runs and 11 RBI.

Sandy Alderson brought in Young this winter in the hopes of him revitalizing his career and bringing some power to Citi Field. Sandy believed that Young’s struggles were attributed to being platooned while in Oakland where he batted .200/.280/.379.

So he gambled $7.5 million that with regular playing time Young would flourish. Sandy was wrong. Perhaps he should have looked at Young’s career righthanded splits, then he would have seen why Billy Beane eventually placed him in a platoon role.

Alderson knew this was a risky signing this winter. If he produced, Alderson looks like a genius but this hasn’t been the case. The Mets preach that they want to win now, and if that’s true Chris Young should be heading to the bench no matter how much playing time he was promised.

The Mets need to stop this four-way outfielder rotation. For now, Granderson and Lagares need to play everyday. If Collins wants to maintain his fixation on EY, then it should be at the expense of Chris Young and not the other two.

The post Time To Pull Plug On Chris Young Experiment appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Update (5/3/2014):

MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Athletics are likely to either deal for starting pitching or move Drew Pomeranz to the rotation. With both Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the Athletics have had to rely on youngster Sonny Gray and veteran Scott Kazmir to lead the rotation. So far those two, along with Jesse Chavez, have delivered but Dan Straily, Tommy Milone and Josh Lindblom have all struggled.

The Athletics are currently leading the American League West with an 18-11 record; good enough for two games in front of the Texas Rangers. The fact that the Athletics appear interested in dealing for starting pitching tells you that they believe they can compete in that division.

Top prospect Addison Russell is currently down with a hamstring tear, which might make the A’s hesitant to deal current shortstop Jed Lowrie. Regardless, the Athletics appear to want starting pitching and the Mets have it so it will be interesting to see if they engage in any kind of trade talks.

Original Post:

With ulnar collateral ligament tears occurring at higher rates than the common cold, it seems like every team is holding their breath, hoping their projected rotation stays intact as opening day approaches. The Oakland Athletics’ Jarrod Parker is the most recent pitcher to eventually have to succumb to the knife of Dr. James Andrews.

With Jarrod Parker down for at least the 2014 regular season and A.J. Griffin slated to begin the season on the disabled list, the A’s seem to be in a bit of a pickle. Scott Kazmir is also shelved, albeit only for a few days, with tricep stiffness but you just never know with arm maladies anymore.

If you include Kazmir, the A’s are expected to go into the season with a starting rotation that could include names such as Sonny Gray, Dan Straily, Tommy Milone, Jesse Chavez, Drew Pomeranz, as well as Kazmir himself. Although Sonny Gray is a promising youngster with a seemingly bright future and the A’s can somewhat rely on Kazmir and Milone to put up respectable numbers, it seems they lack a go-to pitcher that can round out the rotation; a necessary asset for a borderline playoff caliber team to have.

With the Oakland Athletics only coming in at number 26 on Keith Law’s organizational farm system rankings, it does not seem like they have the ability to address that need within the organization. This is where the Mets come in. With Jon Niese recently receiving the good news that his elbow is [apparently] fine and Ruben Tejada being Ruben Tejada, the Mets still seem to be in a position to deal some pitching to address the ever so obvious shortstop dilemma.

The news of Parker’s second Tommy John surgery may have added another potential trade partner to the mix. The A’s currently have Jed Lowrie as their opening day shortstop on the big club and Addison Russell polishing up his extraordinary tools in AAA, supposedly waiting to take over the reigns.

While it would be incredibly sweet for the Mets to swing a deal for MLB.com’s number 12 ranked prospect, Addison Russell, the A’s would most likely demand a hefty package for their future All Star and shortstop heir. It would undoubtedly take at least Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler to acquire him and, although I think Russell is worth it for an even swap of either of those two, it might take even more.

Lowrie is probably a more realistic option as he is in his last year of arbitration and set to hit free agency in 2015. With the A’s increased need for pitching, it may cause them to attempt to deal Lowrie earlier than they planned and rush Russell to the majors. If that is the case, the Mets should certainly be in contact with Billy Beane for a potential deal. The plethora of young, inexpensive arms the mets boast as well as a proven pitcher like Dillon Gee could appear very attractive to him at the moment.

I profiled Lowrie way back in December in a post that addressed potential trade routes the Mets could take to address their need at shortstop. He’s nothing spectacular on defense and he’s had significant trouble staying healthy in the past but he put up very impressive numbers last season, slashing .290/.344/.446 with 15 home runs in 154 games, which would automatically be an upgrade over anything the Mets would put out there this season. He’s also relatively inexpensive, if only for this season as he’s only making $5.25 million. If the Mets should make a deal,  they could try to extend him for a few seasons until they feel prospects such as Gavin Cecchini or Amed Rosario are ready.

Addison Russell is certainly the more attractive option here and I think the Mets should go all in for him if the opportunity arises and his price isn’t outrageous. However, in all likelihood, it will be  – due to his status as a potential All Star at a premium position. If Lowrie does become a realistic target before opening day or shortly after the season begins, the Mets have one more option to alleviate not only the shortstop dilemma, but answer the leadoff question as well. Regardless, it will certainly be interesting to see if the Athletics do, in fact, look to the trade market for a starting pitcher to replace Jarrod Parker.

The post Oakland A’s Could Emerge as Potential Trade Partner for Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Back in November, I wrote a piece here on MMO entitled Montero is Better Than People Think. You can read that post in its entirety below, but it’s nice to see that Montero is starting to get the kind of recognition he deserves.

Montero was recently ranked on MLB’s Top 100 prospect list at No. 85. This ranking is still too low according to MILB.com’s Sam Dykstra. Dykstra states on his blog, MILB Perspective, that Montero was his most underrated prospect in the top 100 list:

Rafael Montero, RHP, Mets – The 23-year-old right-hander moved up from No. 98 to 85 with the new rankings, but I think he could have gone higher. Any talk about Montero, who owns a plus fastball with an improving breaking ball and changeup, starts with his control after he allowed just two walks per nine innings between Double-A Binghamton (66 2/3 innings) and Triple-A Las Vegas (88 2/3 innings) in 2013 to go with an 8.7 K/9. His FIPs (1.88 and 2.87) were equally  impressive, especially considering his work in the Vegas and the PCL which are notoriously tough on pitchers.

I’m not saying Montero deserves a top-50 spot, but I’d take him over Nelson and Trevor Bauer (73) at this point. He could very well be a part of a Mets rotation by year’s end that already features hopeful youths Zack Wheeler and Jenrry Mejia as well as the Tommy-John’d Matt Harvey.

I would have to agree with Dykstra. Players like Montero sometimes get lost in the shuffle of these top prospect lists due to things like projecatbility, body types, and tools. While all of these things are important when evaluating players, good old-fashioned baseball playing ability sometimes takes a back seat to the flashy tools—especially on these lists.

Montero may not be able to throw a 99 mph fastball, and while things like Montero’s size and his velocity keep him buried towards the bottom half of the top 100 list, his pitching ability ranks him among some of the top pitching prospects in the game (see below).

Original Post 11/24 – Montero Is Better than People Think

Rafael Montero is good. This isn’t breaking news. But with how quickly his name comes up in trade talks makes me wonder if people truly understand how good he really is.

Let’s be honest—unless you subscribe to MilbTv, or live in one of the areas where Montero has played the past couple of years, it’s safe to say that most people have never seen him pitch. What they know about Montero comes from the limited footage that can be found on YouTube, or from reading their favorite baseball sites.

I’m here to tell everyone that Montero should not be looked at as a trade chip (unless it’s an offer that the Mets can’t refuse). He’s a keeper.

I’m not going to give an in-depth breakdown of why Montero is so good. Mets fans know what he brings to the table. But what I will do is add some reasons for you to take into consideration that will make you realize that Montero is, in fact, better than we think.

Not wasting any time, let’s look at what Montero did for Las Vegas, last season. As you probably already know, Las Vegas plays their games in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which is generally known as a “hitter’s league.” When pitchers are assigned to the PCL, they know in advance that their sexy stat lines won’t be so sexy anymore.

Pitching in the PCL can alter the way pitchers pitch. Knowing that it’s a hitter’s paradise, pitchers try to stay away from pitching over the fat parts of the plate. By doing this, they tend to walk more batters. As they walk more batters, they are forced to keep their pitches in the hitter’s red zones, and hitters begin to tee-off. It’s sort of a lose-lose situation. This is something to keep in mind when looking at Zack Wheeler‘s roller coaster performance in Vegas last season.

Speaking of Wheeler, let’s look at what he did last season in Las Vegas. He pitched 68.2 innings, compiling a 9.57 K/9, 3.54 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9, 71.1% LOB, 2.89 BABIP, and 4.04 FIP. The average FIP for a pitcher in Triple-A was 4.31 back in 2012 (2013 number was not available). This average takes into account the International League and the PCL. While the average FIP changes every season, you can see that Wheeler is pretty close to average with regards to his FIP.

Now let’s look at Montero’s numbers from Las Vegas. He pitched in 88.2 innings, compiling a 7.92 K/9, 2.54 BB/9, 0.41 HR/9, 71.8% LOB, .316 BABIP, and 2.87 FIP. According to Fangraphs, 2.9 is an excellent FIP—Montero is slightly below that.  That’s probably based on the major leagues, and Montero put up an excellent FIP in a hitter-happy league. In fact, among pitchers who pitched a minimum of 80 innings in the PCL last season, Montero had the third-best FIP in the league. His FIP was better than prominent pitching prospects Tyler Skaggs, Michael Wacha, and of course, Zack Wheeler.

Here is a look at how Montero stacked up statistically against the other prominent pitching prospects mentioned in the previous paragraph:

Table created on Fangraphs.com.

After looking at these numbers, why would you want to trade Montero? Among the top prospects listed above (all in the PCL in 2013), he has the best FIP, second-best ERA, second-lowest BB/9, the lowest HR/9, second-best BB%, and his LOB% was second-best as well.

While other pitchers’ numbers tend to hit a downward trajectory in the PCL, Montero didn’t skip a beat. While other pitchers try to pitch around hitters in the PCL, Montero kept coming at them, and won the majority of the battles. Heck, his numbers stack up against some of the top pitching prospects in the game.

The results can only mean one thing: Montero is better than we all think.

You can make a strong case that the Mets should save their money with regard to pitching this off-season, and give Montero a spot in the rotation in 2014. The team can then use that money they would have spent on a stop-gap pitcher, and focus on attaining bats, which they so desperately need.

Unfortunately that won’t happen. I would hope a trade involving Montero is unlikely as well.

The team will probably start Montero in Las Vegas once again in 2014. But one thing is for sure, Mets fans will see Montero at Citi Field this coming season.

The post Rated MLB’s No. 85 Prospect, Rafael Montero Is Still Underrated appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Disputing what Jon Heyman reported on Friday, the Mets are talking to free agent closer Fernando Rodney according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.

However, Dan Martin of the NY Post says that one team official called the chances of landing him a long shot.

“I’m not sure there’s a fit there,” the official said.

Another team official echoed that.

“We’ve talked about him, but I don’t think we’re ready to take any action on it yet,” the source said. “He’s been on our radar as someone we’re interested in.”

So the search for a veteran reliever pushes on for Sandy and the Mets…

I wonder if they are second guessing the move to pass on LaTroy Hawkins for $2.5 million? You have to admit, that looks like a steal right now…

Original Post 1/24

While the Mets reportedly made a run at Grant Balfour only to be turned down because the former A’s closer wanted to stay near his home in Florida, it doesn’t necessarily mean that reliever Fernando Rodney is next on their list.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the early word is that the Mets front office is not likely to pursue Rodney. Of course, with Sandy, that’s code for “we’re gonna get that guy.”

Rodney, who Balfour replaces for the Rays, has saved 85 games over the past two seasons and has had phenomenal success as a closer, especially in 2012 when he saved 48 games with a dazzling 0.60 ERA.

Last season saw Rodney post a 3.38 ERA while racking up 37 saves. He features a high 90s fastball with great late movement that misses a lot of bats and has led to an impressive 10.1 strikeout rate over the last two years in Tampa.

One reliever who has been connected to the Mets is right-hander Mitchell Boggs. He’s had moderate success as a middle reliever but has always been plagued by command and control issues. After walking an appalling 7.7 batters per nine innings last season, which saw his ERA skyrocket to 8.10 for the Cardinals and Rockies, Boggs was non-tendered this offseason.

However, the real storyline from yesterday’s near miss on nabbing Balfour was whether it signaled that something was amiss with current closer Bobby Parnell. So far mum’s the word on him and the last we heard was that he was feeling great and throwing in St. Lucie with no apparent setbacks in his rehab from neck surgery. Hopefully, that is still the case, but these are the New York Mets and you, my friend, are in the Twilight Zone.

The post Mets Officials Call Fernando Rodney A Long Shot appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

3:45 PM Update:

Adam Rubin writes on Twitter, “I’m told point blank from ultra-reliable Mets source: Mets had same offer to Balfour as Rays, but he preferred living in Florida.”

3:00 PM Original Post:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, reports that the Mets offered RHP  Grant Balfour a larger deal than the two-year, $12 million contract he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The former Oakland A’s closer chose the Rays because of its proximity to his Clearwater, Florida home, says Rosenthal. Balfour also pitched for the Rays from 2007-10, so I’m sure that was a consideration as well.

Balfour, 36, had an All Star season in 2013, saving 38 games and posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 62.2 innings for the A’s.

Obviously, this would have been a nice grab by the Mets, but I’m a little surprised that they were willing to add a reliever with this pedigree and at these prices to be quite honest. I wonder if something is up with Bobby Parnell…

The post Balfour Turns Down Mets Offer, Signs For $12 Million With Rays appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Assistant GM John Ricco said the team could still sign additional starting pitchers, despite the recent signing of lefthander John Lannan to a minor league contract.

It’s probably a good idea to bring in another arm or two and have them compete this Spring and then provide the team with some depth at Triple-A in case we need it.

The good thing is that they do consider Mejia as the favorite for the fifth spot in the rotation and that deGrom and Montero are also options.

I can’t wait for Spring Training to start already…

(Joe D.)

Original Post 1/19

The Mets signed former Washington Nationals lefthander John Lannan to a minor league deal on Saturday, but where does he fit in with the Mets staff?

He is certainly at a crossroads in his career. He’s appeared in just twenty games over the course of the last two seasons and has been released by two different teams.

But he’s just a couple of seasons removed from his 33 start, 182.2 inning season with the Nationals when he finished with a 3.70 ERA.

Still, I can’t see him realistically competing for the number five spot in the rotation this spring.

As long as one of the young studs are ready to go – with Jenrry Mejia being the frontrunner – I don’t see Lannan leapfrogging Mejia, Jake deGrom or possibly even Rafael Montero. The only pitcher really being challenged is Carlos Torres.

Torres is projected to be the long man/spot starter. He pitched well for the Mets in 2013 after being called up and earned himself the spot. It’s Torres’ to lose.

If Lannan’s minor league contract includes an opt out if he’s not called up by a certain date (like the one Torres had last year), he may possibly get a call-up by that date if he’s pitching well in Vegas and the Mets need a fresh arm.

As far as making the Opening Day roster, unless he’s the second coming of David Price, Lannan is likely competing for a job as the long reliever and hoping he’ll get the nod because he’s a lefty.

The post Mets Could Still Add More Starting Pitching appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jeurys Familia hasn’t thrown a lot this winter, but when he has, he’s been lights out, missing a ton of bats and flashing the mid-to-upper-90s velocity that has scouts raving, writes Baseball Prospectus. You can’t put a lot of stock in winter league performances, but you can put a ton of stock in young pitchers returning from injury and regaining velocity and missing bats.

I alluded to that in a recent mailbag I posted, based on what one scout told me last week. Yesterday, our own Pete Anselmo ranked Familia as his top Mets closing prospect.

You shouldn’t look too much into winter league stats, but last night, Familia was hitting triple digits on the radar gun.

#Mets prospects Jeurys Familia has been clocked at 100mph numerous times during #Dominican winter league game tonight!

— DPL (@DPLBaseball) December 31, 2013

Original Post 12/28

Jonathan asks…

What is the deal with Jeurys Familia? He seems to have fallen through the cracks which is odd being he was one of our top pitching prospects two years ago. Is he still in the Mets’ plans?

Joe D. replies….

That’s an interesting question. While Familia may have lost some of his luster he is still highly regarded by the Mets.

2013 was a lost year for the big righthander and he’s only pitched a grand total of 23 innings in the majors in the last two years. But it looks like the Dominican Republic native is just now starting to regain his full strength since a non-structural elbow injury wiped out his season this year.

In six relief appearances for Los Gigantes in the DWL, Familia has a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings pitched, allowing three walks and striking out twelve.

But it’s what some scouts noted about Familia during his play in the Arizona Fall League that should have us intrigued about this once highly regarded prospect. The hard-throwing righty was clocking in regularly at 95 mph and exhibiting the same velocity prior to his injury. That’s very significant for Familia who needs that plus-fastball to be effective.

Familia, 24,  was ranked No. 5 among Mets prospects by MLB.com entering the 2013 season and was ranked No. 90 by Baseball America in their Top 100 entering the 2012 campaign. While you won’t see Familia appearing on any top prospects lists for the 2014 season, there is still reason to be excited about this young arm.

Don’t count Familia out this Spring, as he could very well break camp with the Mets and secure a key role in what should be a much improved bullpen this season.

The Mets have always had a severe lack of power arms in their pen over the last 3-4 seasons, but that should all change in 2014. Good things are coming our way.

The post Scouts Are Raving About Jeurys Familia appeared first on Metsmerized Online.