On this past Wednesday’s edition of the “Shouts From Shea” podcast featuring Stephen Keane from “The Kranepool Society” and myself we had Mets prospect expert, Joe DeMayo of PSL To Flushing, on to discuss everything from the Yankees signing of Masahiro Tanaka, the prospect of Stephen Drew wearing a Mets cap come Opening Day, as well as his opinions on many of the Mets minor league prospects and how he feels they will pan out.

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And with that said…. HERE COMES THE INFAMY!!!!!

Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today include:

Mets pitching coach from the ’03 season, Vern Ruhle would have been 67  (1951).

Other notables include:

Sadly on this date in 2010, Jane Jarvis, the longtime Shea Stadium organist passed away.  I remember as a child in the ’70’s sitting in my seat before every first pitch just to listen to Ms. Jarvis serenading myself along with the rest of the crowd to her rendition of Meet The Mets.

The New York Mets traded reserve outfielder, Damon Buford to the Texas Rangers for minor league outfielder, Terrell Lowery on January 25, 1996.

The New York Mets sold Angel Pagan to the Chicago Cubs on January 25, 2006. The Mets would reacquire him just before the start of the ’08 season. He would prove to be a decent hitter and defender when he was focused – which wasn’t all the time.

The New York Mets signed free agent middle reliever, Aaron Sele of the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 25, 2007. Sele went 3-2 with an ERA of 5.37 in his lone season with the Mets.

Mo Vaughn will be rooting for the Seattle Seahawks for next Sundays Super Bowl because he prefers a good craft beer to Rocky Mountain Oysters!!!

The post This Day In Mets Infamy: Shouts From Shea Interview With Joe DeMayo appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Enter Sandman:

When he filled the shoes once worn by good ol’ M. Donald Grant, Alderson told us he needed to rebuild the team. He advised us it would take several years. Personally, if you’re going to rebuild something, Beltran, Reyes, Pagan and Dickey would be a pretty decent foundation to build upon, definitely better than what we have now—basically David Wright, plus a 24-year old ace who will miss a year with elbow surgery, and unproven rookies who are always a crapshoot. Especially with the Mets.

Since Sandman entered, our fanbase has been divided into warring factions. Some urge patience, though those numbers are dwindling after suffering many casualties. Others, like myself, want to win quickly. (Granted, I’ve never had patience.) My question is this: Alderson has asked us to wait several years for his magical mystery plan to take hold. My question is WHY?

Baseball is a different game now than it was in 1962. When the Mets came into existence along with the Houston Colt 45’s, expansion teams were filled with the worst of the worst. Has-been’s and never will-be’s. When Jerry Koosman induced Davey Johnson to fly out to Cleon Jones in LF on October 16, 1969, that sealed what has become known as a ‘Miracle.’ The Mets had been a laughing stock for seven seasons. Now in their eighth year, they shocked the baseball establishment. It was partially considered a miracle due to the fact that an expansion team had risen from the depths of futility to the summit of the mountaintop in just 8 years. No team had ever accomplished so much in so little time.

Those were the days, my friends…

Baseball was also different in 1980. Frank Cashen took the GM reins and promised within five seasons the Mets would be winners. It took seven, but by that fifth year, the Mets were in a pennant race for the first time in a decade. And although there was no immediate improvement in our won-loss record, one could sense the darkness lifting. The optimism in 1982 was far greater than it was in 1978, though our win total was similar. Free Agency was in its infancy when Cashen took over. Yet, in his third season, he signed one of the premier hitters in the league, George Foster, and teamed him with the return of Dave Kingman. Suddenly, two of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball were in Flushing. In Cashen’s fourth year, 1983, he brought back Tom Seaver, mostly for publicity and to boost attendance every fifth day. He acquired a proven winner in Keith Hernandez. And Darryl Strawberry, Cashen’s first pick in the 1980 draft, made his debut.

Can you picture Alderson acquiring an impact player like Keith in 2014, his fourth year? Do we have someone equal to Darryl coming up next year, followed by another Dwight Gooden the year after?

In 1962, it took a while because the nature of the game dictated that. Same goes for 1980. In today’s environment it does NOT take several years to win. If a team wants to win—and win quickly—it is attainable. Yet, Sandman is applying 1980 rules to the 21^st century.

In 2012, Boston won 69 games and finished 26 GB. The following year their win total increased by 40% and they became World Champions.

Cleveland won only 68 times in 2012. In 2013, they were victorious 92 times and found themselves in the post-season.

2010 saw the Dodgers, whose front office was a dysfunctional mess, finish below 500, 12 games back. In just three years, the Dodgers had the defending World Champion Giants buried by the All-Star Break on their way to the post-season.

The 2010 Pirates lost over 100 games. In three years, after hiring a new manager with a proven track record of success, the Pirates increased their win total–57 to 72 to 79 to then 94, good enough to play in October. In three short seasons, the Pirates have transformed their team from a joke to where they are now poised to challenge STL for many years to come.

These teams can turn things around quickly. But the Mets cant?

The Marlins, in just their fifth season, became Champions. They’ve won the same number of championships in 21 years as we’ve won in 52 years.

Tampa Bay made their debut in 1998 and floundered for their first decade. Yet, in Baseball’s toughest division—with no fan support and playing in a small market–they’ve made it to the post-season four times in the last six years. The Rays have appeared in as many post-seasons in six years as the Mets have appeared in the last 28.

The Diamondbacks came into existence in 1998. The very next year they were division champions. And two years after that, in just their fourth season, they captured the World Series. The D-backs have won five division titles in 16 years while the Mets have won the same amount of division titles in 52 years. The D-backs started with NOTHING and won it all in four years. Alderson started with Reyes, Beltran, Dickey, K-Rod and Pagan. Yet, three years later, we are worse off.

“Don’t worry, son. Sandy has a plan that will ensure you’ll keep the Mets.”

Enter Sandman in 2011. The Mets needed to only fill a two maybe three holes. Three years into the Alderson regime, we don’t have a closer, are still trying to find a shortstop, still searching for two starters (they have no plans to replace Harvey, any two rags will do), have an unsettled situation at first base, and our outfield is a bigger mess than my bedroom when I was seven years old.

Could any of you have imagined that after three years, that Chris Young, Ruben Tejada and Eric Young will all be everyday players?

So again I ask, “Why? Why do we need to wait for ‘the plan’ whereas fans in Boston, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Phoenix do not?

Unlike Pittsburgh, where things improved dramatically in three seasons, in Flushing things have gotten worse over that same time. In 2010, the Mets won 79 games. Since Alderson’s arrival, our wins have dropped to 77, 74 and 74. And lets face facts. If it wasn’t for Matt Harvey in 2013, we would have lost close to 100 games. With three seasons in the books, Alderson’s Mets have averaged 75 wins, 24 games out of first, and own the longest string  of consecutive losing seasons in baseball.

For five straight seasons, of which the three most recent Sandy (AKA The Fixer) has been at the helm, the Mets have finished under 500. The last time the Mets have had such a dubious stretch was 1962-1968. We did post six consecutive sub-500 seasons from ’91 to ’96 and seven from ’77 to ’83. However, those stretches included strike-shortened seasons and no one can guarantee the Mets would have finished below 500 in 1981 and 1994 for a full 162 games. (The Mets concluded the abbreviated 94 campaign just 3 games under.)

And honestly, does anyone think 2014 will end our streak of irrelevancy?

Where did all the Mets fans go? Where’s Mets Twitter?

Another telling sign of the Alderson regime is not only the decreased TV ratings but also the declining attendance. In five seasons, Mets attendance has shrunk by 33%, dropping from nearly 3.2 million in 2009 to just over 2.1 million this past season. This is the first time in team history attendance has decreased five straight seasons. But that’s what happens when you get rid of ‘The most exciting player in baseball’, Jose Reyes, and expect to pack in the fans with the human windmill, Ike Davis and the King of Grittiness, Justin Turner.

If Alderson wants to save money AND get fans back to Flushing, why not bring Ron and Keith down from the booth? Sure, Ron may be 53 but since only Dillon Gee won more than 9 games, I’m sure Darling would be a good #3 at least. Ronnie—put down the microphone and start loosening up! And after you walk through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda to your seat, who would you be more excited to see playing 1B: A 60 year old Keith or a 27 year old Ike Davis? 60 or not, I guarantee Mex would strike out less than Ike Davis. (Just joking…kinda.)

Frank Cashen had a “plan” also. And when his plan was put in place, he was the architect behind the most successful decade in team history. Sandy Alderson has a plan…though I’m not sure what it is. He wants to rebuild the team. I guess the way things are looking we should be ecstatic if the Mets finish 500. That may very well end up being Alderson’s claim to fame. If the Mets are lucky, Alderson’s legacy will be getting the Mets back to complete mediocrity. Even as of now, that seems like a major accomplishment.

The post Enter Sandman: The Mets’ Three Year Journey to Irrelevance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When the Mets renewed Terry Collins‘ contract at the end of September once the season had concluded, it was also announced that the entire coaching staff would return as well. This announcement didn’t come as a huge shock, but it was conceivable due to the fact that the crew has been the same since the start of the 2012 campaign. There has been criticism, praise, doubt, hopefulness, hopelessness, and devotion to the staff, but it still raises the question, Does the Coaching Staff Deserve to be Here? Let’s find out.

Bob Geren, Bench Coach

Bench coach Bob Geren was hired back in October in 2011, coming off a five year tenure as manager of the Oakland Athletics and replacing Ken Oberkfell. Although not completely favored among his players, Geren finished with a winning percentage just under .500 in over 700 games managed. As bench coach, he is responsible for assisting the manager in making late game decisions and serving as his right-hand-man, if you will. In my opinion, I don’t see anyone more certified than a former manager to fill that position. So I say Geren is fine in that role going forward. Another plus to his resume is Geren’s 289 games played at catcher in his major league career, coming up with a fielding percentage of .992 for the Yankees and Padres. I believe that is an extreme upside for Travis d’Arnaud and others going forward. And also, before every game this past year (home and away, including Spring Training), Geren and that day’s starting catcher, whether it be John Buck, Anthony Recker or others, would go out to the bullpen and practice blocking balls in the dirt and other catching tactics. I think that relationship between player and coach is absolutely invaluable.

Dan Warthen, Pitching Coach

Longtime pitching coach Dan Warthen was hired in 2008 when the managerial position changed hands from Willie Randolph to Jerry Manuel, replacing Rick Peterson. Warthen is well liked around the clubhouse and in the front office, always a plus. Pitchers say that he prepares them well for starts and he is one of the best coaches they have worked with. Obviously something has to be going well if Warthen is about to begin his sixth full season on the job, and the numbers don’t tell much different. From 2007 to 2008, the Mets pitching staff improved in ERA, strikeouts, complete games, SO/BB ratio, and H/9. Although Peterson was well liked by players and fans, Warthen was a nice improvement. I say Dan Warthen deserves to be here, and possibly for the long term, as his contract runs through the 2015 season.

Dave Hudgens, Hitting Coach

The 2011 signing of Dave Hudgens as hitting coach was, to say the least, surprising, considering he played in just six major league games, connecting on one base hit in seven at bats. It is obvious that the Mets offensive production has been down over the past few years, but is Hudgens really to blame? Although Marlon Byrd says that he deserves credit for reconstructing his swing, David Wright‘s production went down from 2010 to 2011, as did Angel Pagan and (although there may have been other reasons) Jason Bay. Hudgens is well liked by players, and he is the lone Mets staff member that participates on social media (@dmhudgens), but I think the Mets could do better when it comes to their hitting coach; there has even been talk of the Mets adding an assistant hitting coach.

Tim Teufel, Third Base Coach

Longtime fan favorite Tim Teufel rejoined the Mets in 2012, when he replaced Chip Hale as the third base coach. Teufel had been around the organization since 2001, but had not been with the big league club since his playing days from 1986 to 1991. Teufel brings with him eight years of minor league managing experience, compiling a 464-562 record in that span. His best year came in 2003 with the Brooklyn Cyclones, when they finished with a 47-28 record, winning the New York-Penn League. Personally, I love how aggressive Teufel is in the third base coaching box. He is never reluctant to send runners, and even when you think he made a bad decision, the runner is usually safe at home plate. Like I said before, Teufel is well liked by the fans, so I don’t believe his position will be in jeopardy any time soon. I’m looking forward to seeing Teufel in the coaching box on March 31st.

Tom Goodwin, First Base Coach

Tom Goodwin was only six years removed from his professional playing career when the Mets signed him in 2012 as the first base coach. Goodwin played 13 years in the major leagues with the Dodgers, Royals, Rangers, Rockies, Giants, and Cubs. His duties as a coach include “handling the outfielders and baserunning instruction,” according to the Mets media guide. Goodwin committed only 22 errors in 1,288 career games and went 369 for 487 on stolen base attempts, so he passes that test. Goodwin also frequently communicates with runners at first base (unlike Ricky Henderson, who I once saw talk to only a single runner during a nine inning game — that runner was Ramon Castro), so he passes that test too. So Tom Goodwin can stay for now. Any objections? Okay, let’s move on.

Ricky Bones, Bullpen Coach

What are the duties of the bullpen coach? To chart pitches and pick up the phone in the ‘pen? Who couldn’t do that? All kidding aside, Bones brings with him 11 years of big league experience split between seven teams. During this time, he posted an ERA just south of 5 and finished with 19 more losses than wins. Can we bring Guy Conti back?

Who doesn’t love a ‘stache like that? And a name like Ricardo Bones? Priceless.

The post Upon Further Review: The Mets Coaching Staff appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Giants (70-81) at Mets (67-83)

RHP Matt Cain (8-9, 4.24) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (0-1, 4.50)

Starting Lineup

1. Eric Young, Jr. – LF
2. Josh Satin – 3B
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. Andrew Brown – RF
5. Lucas Duda – 1B
6. Juan Lagares – CF
7. Ruben Tejada – SS
8. Juan Centeno – C
9. Aaron Harang – RHP

On Wednesday night at Citi Field, Cain faces the Mets, looking for just his ninth win of the season after finishing the 2012 campaign sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting. The right-hander is in jeopardy of not reaching double-digit wins for the first time since 2008.

Aaron Harang is making his second start for the club. He pitched well over six innings in his last outing, giving up three runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts. But he couldn’t avoid the long ball, surrendering three of them in an eventual Mets loss to Washington.

Game Preview

The Mets dropped the series opener to the Giants last night as both starters struggled. Matt Cain will get the start tonight for the Giants as he goes up against Aaron Harang making his second Mets start. On the whole, Harang is 5-12 over 126.1 innings with a 5.70 ERA over 23 games. As a Met, he pitched 6.0 innings allowing 4 hits with 3 ER. He has made 18 starts and pitched 115.0 innings in his career against the Giants with a 3.13 ERA. The Giants have the following numbers against Harang:

Pence 10-33, 2B
Sandoval 4-23
Scutaro 2-14, 2B
Pagan 3-11
Posey 4-8, 2B, HR
Crawford 1-6
Belt 0-5

Matt Cain is 8-9 over 28 starts this season logging 169.2 innings with a 4.24 ERA. He has pitched 37.2 innings in his last 6 games with a 3.13 ERA. He had a poor start against the Mets in July where he was pulled in the first inning after allowing 3 ER over 0.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Cain:

Young 2-14
Murphy 3-10, 2B
Tejada 3-8, HR
Baxter 0-3
Duda 1-3, 2B

Lets Go Mets!

The post Giants vs Mets: Harang Goes Up Against Cain, Centeno Starts At Catcher appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets (67-83) lost 8-5 to the Giants (70-81) on Tuesday Night

Zack Wheeler took the ball for the Mets, but struggled with his command against the team that traded him back in 2011. Wheeler managed to work around a leadoff walk in the 1st, but 4 walks in the 2nd (including one to the pitcher with the bases loaded) allowed the Giants to put up 3 runs in the 2nd inning.

New York fought back against former Met Yusmeiro Petit, getting a run in the 3rd before taking the lead in the 4th behind RBI hits from rookies Wilmer Flores and Matt den Dekker. MdD ran himself off of the basepaths by taking a reckless turn around 1st after his single, but the ensuing rundown ultimately allowed the go-ahead run to score.

The next inning, Wheeler’s 6th walk of the game helped Buster Posey drive in the tying run with a grounder to Murphy. In the 7th, Angel Pagan  gave the Giants a lead they would never relinquish with a long homer to left. San Francisco tacked on 2 more in the 8th and 1 in the 9th.

The Mets tried to put together a rally in the bottom of the 9th, but after Daniel Murphy‘s RBI single made it a 3-run game, Lucas Duda and Andrew Brown both flied out to end it, giving the Mets yet another loss.

Wheeler was very disappointing today. He ended up going 5 innings and throwing 107 pitches, giving up 4 runs on only 3 hits thanks to a whopping 6 walks.

In case you’re wondering why Yusmeiro Petit left the Mets, we traded him for Carlos Delgado during the 2005 offseason. Remember when we used to make moves for impact players? According to our front office, “significant steps to improve the roster” are on the way, but given the track record of the Wilpons and Sandy Alderson when it comes to being honest, I am quite skeptical.

Speaking of Sandy, Angel Pagan really killed us tonight, driving in three, walking twice, and leaving the yard in the 5th. I guess the Andres Torres experiment didn’t work out. And whatever happened to Ramon Ramirez?

Travis d’Arnaud left the game early with a sore shoulder after being hit by a foul ball. His propensity for injuries is quite frustrating given that he is seen as our teams “future”, but hopefully he’ll be back tomorrow or Thursday. We have to hope that these injuries truly are all freak injuries— injuries that are not an indicator of an injury-riddled future for the young catcher.

Wilmer Flores also left the game early. Terry Collins said that it was mostly a lineup move, but Flores did seem to be having trouble with his ankle again. On the bright side, he swung the bat well today, as did his fellow rookie Matt den Dekker.

How great was Jerry Seinfeld tonight? The handful of innings he spent in the booth with Gary, Keith, and Ron were gold… the Mets might want to try to get him on the air a bit more often.

The year is winding down, and it’s really getting pretty ugly. Again, each loss helps us in terms of our draft pick, and it looks like we will be able to sign a top free agent without losing that pick this offseason… if Sandy is so inclined. Let’s see what “The Plan” has in store for us. Sandy has been talking about 2014 for so long that he must improve the team this winter… or else.

The biggest Mets news of the day? Matt Harvey might be able to avoid Tommy John, which is great, assuming that they are responsible and don’t let him pitch if it will put his long-term health at risk.

The Mets will try to even their series against the defending champions tomorrow. Aaron Harang (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will take the mound against Matt Cain (8-9, 4.24 ERA) at 7:10 PM in Flushing.

The post Wheeler Struggles Against Former Team, Pagan Has Big Night In 8-5 Giants Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The deal was supposed to deal one of the Mets many outfielders, for a need which was middle relief and also bring in a veteran outfielder to fill the gap. Ramirez never lived up to the expectation of being a quality reliever, but was the trade really a whiff when you look back on it?

Pagan was set to be a free agent and he was coming off of his worst season as a big leaguer. The deal is what it is right? We all saw Pagan celebrate a World Series championship, and of course that created short term memory loss for many. As though having Angel Pagan on the 2012 Mets would have made that much of a difference.

Fast forward to the winter, and Pagan cashes in on a 4 year deal with the Giants worth $45 million while the Mets cut ties with both Ramirez and Torres. The contract was reminiscent of the Aubrey Huff contract the Giants signed after their 2010 championship. Why the Giants didn’t offer Pagan a qualifying offer first, I have no idea.

After Pagan signed his deal, many Mets fans thought of what could have been. Maybe they should have brought Pagan back in after the terrible year Torres had?

In case you had not noticed, Angel Pagan just had surgery on his hamstring following a tear and is out for at least 12 weeks following an injury he sustained during a rehab game. Pagan played his last big league game on May 25^th when he strained his hamstring.

What’s interesting to note here is that Pagan earned himself a 4 year deal worth millions of dollars, meanwhile Andres Torres was brought back to San Francisco on a 1 year deal worth $2million and Torres is not only on the field, but he’s performing equally as poor as Pagan did prior to his injury.

In Pagan’s 46 games with 204 plate appearances he is shockingly similar to Torres’ 67 games with 207 appearances at the plate.

I’m glad we get to see players like Juan Lagares patrolling the outfield rather than Torres, but the truth of the matter is – if Pagan had his same 2012 season in New York, there would have been a public outcry to offer him an extension similar to what the Giants offered.

At the end of the day, it looks like Pagan had a career year at the right time.

Since they appear to be awfully similar players both offensively and defensively, I can comfortably say I’d rather suffer through Andres Torres in 2012, than Angel Pagan from 2013-2016.

The post Emotional Trade: Torres 2012 for Pagan 2013-2016 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

 Fielding a team that can win enough to hold back the onset of apathy in the fan base is a standard goal for a front office engaged in rebuild mode. Failing that, constructing a roster that features young, exciting players that provide the promise of greatness to come can compensate to a degree, an approach that has been used before during the “Bring Your Kids to See Our Kids” campaign of 1979 and again in 1983 when the slogan “Catch Our Rising Stars” was employed to communicate the same enticement.  It is possible that the law of averages alone will dictate a better level of performance by certain key players (guess who) and the team overall as the season progresses, but it will likely coincide with the arrival of Messrs. Wheeler and D’Arnaud. At that point, we may be looking at a roster that has undergone some significant changes.

In the last piece in which I speculated about Met trade possibilities, I concentrated on potential targets for the team to pursue by leveraging their apparent surplus of pitching prospects. Today I intend to look more closely at trade chips on the major league roster, probable suitors for their services, and some possible acquisition candidates. Some of this may represent examples of wishful thinking, but I have striven to keep things realistic.

BULLPEN: Seriously? Other than Bobby Parnell is anyone really going to want these guys? Well, contending teams are typically looking to shore up their relief corps with veteran arms, and capable left-handers are always a desirable commodity, so yes, I expect some interest to be shown in the Met Fire Brigade by at least a few teams. With “veteran” being a key word here, one should assume that the more senior members of the bullpen staff will be shopped and will generate a goodly amount of interest as long as they remain reasonably effective. LaTroy Hawkins, Brandon Lyon, Greg Burke, Scott Rice and the rehabbing Tim Byrdak all fit the bill of future marketable trade fodder, Rice’s “older rookie” status notwithstanding. Just about any contending team qualifies as a possible destination for these players, but those with the most obvious need at this point include Tampa Bay, whose bullpen is ranked one notch from the bottom in all of MLB despite their being only 4 games out of first at the time of this writing, and St. Louis, currently in first place in the NL Central but with a bullpen ranked fourth from last and only one tick higher than that of the Mets.

Relievers  are among the more transient assets in baseball (as Met fans can attest), so the payoff in trade is generally a prospect or two of less than stellar quality, with quantity often compensating for the relative lack of star potential. These players often come from AA and below, so I don’t foresee much in the way of quick fix material arriving in any hypothetical deal that could materialize. However, with the philosophy and track record of the Alderson team being what it is, we can expect that any return package obtained by New York will include at least one prospect that merits a flyer.

STARTING ROTATION: Not that the Mets have any to spare, but as starters  are at a premium at all times, you can’t rule out the possibility of someone making a good enough offer to pique the Sandman’s interest. The only candidates I can truly envision going in a deal of this nature would be Shaun Marcum, who would probably have at least a couple wins by now on a team with a decent offense, and  Jon Niese, whose youth, left-handedness, experience, highly affordable contract, and relatively successful track record make him a highly marketable chip. Clearly the team will not be looking to deal Harvey, and Gee’s inconsistency and injury history are not likely to interest many looking to arm up for a stretch drive.

Teams with the greatest need in this area include Baltimore, Oakland, San Francisco, and Colorado, all of which are either leading their divisions or in contention despite having starting staffs that rank lower than that of the Mets (thanks largely to Mr. Harvey), and other than the Rockies (who barely escape this distinction) are firmly in the lower 33% of MLB rotations. Trades of this type usually involve pitching going in both directions, where one team swaps inexperienced, often erratic arms full of promise for the hoped-for consistency and veteran mound presence that can help carry them to glory. Of course, teams also deal from strength, so, recognizing the Mets’ shortage of viable outfield options, it is probable that trade partners with a surplus in this area will come calling.

Baltimore’s highest rated prospect is pitcher Dylan Bundy, but both his injury status and outrageous potential pretty much exclude him from the picture. Their best AA pitcher, Kevin Gausman has already been promoted to the big club due to their desperation for starters. He’s a big hard-throwing righthander with a terrific K/BB ratio and any deal involving Niese would have to include him in my opinion. After the whole Wheeler/Beltran thing, Brian Sabean might not be as anxious to do a deal with the Mets so soon after, but outfielder Gary Brown is pretty well blocked by in their system by Angel Pagan so there appears to be a fit. Oakland’s top outfield prospect is Michael Choice, a corner outfielder with the kind of power bat the Mets crave. Colorado has Kyle Parker at AA, an outfielder who profiles similarly to Choice, but is probably at least two years away.

POSITION PLAYERS: Before you start, even if there were any takers on Ike now, which is questionable, I’m not inclined to sell low on anyone. Anyway, I’m still looking for him to snap out of it. No, the real potential trade chips here are the veteran outfield bats of Marlon Byrd and the surprising Rick Ankiel (provided he keeps it up), along with the soon-to-be superfluous John Buck and the versatile Daniel Murphy. Of this group, Murph is probably the most valuable, being able to adequately man three infield positions and going through the occasional unconscious period at the plate where line drives materialize out of his bat seemingly at will. Speculation has already arisen that the Nationals could look to acquire him to replace the ineffective Danny Espinosa.  Knowing the Alderson approach, he would likely ask for Washington’s top outfield prospect Brian Goodwin, a five-tool CF currently at AA Harrisburg, but trades between division rivals are tricky and I’m not sure even Sandy could pry him away. A more realistic target would be AAA CF Eury Perez, a speedy leadoff type whose slot in the big club is held down by recent acquisition Denard Span.

Buck is attractive to teams for his veteran presence, defensive prowess, and occasional power, but I wouldn’t expect him to command a big return. Byrd and Ankiel profile as the type of players teams acquire to strengthen their benches for the stretch run, but again, the return on trades of this type are not likely to include anything of top-tier value. We will have to put our faith in the scouting ability of Alderson, DePodesta, et al to help insure that something useful comes back on this end of any deal.

The Mets are clearly in transition mode and changes are to be expected. Hopefully we can all glean some excitement from those shifts even if we have to wait longer for the eventual payoff. I just hope the wait isn’t too much longer.

The post Summer Clearance: Possible Trade Strategies For The Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It was announced yesterday that the Mets signed 40-year old LaTroy Hawkins to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league Spring Training. He joins a plethora of veteran relievers to receive the same deal including Tim Byrdak, Aaron Laffey, Pedro Feliciano and most recently Scott Atchison. In recent years, the Amazin’s have tried to fill the gaping hole in the bullpen by signing big-name arms that haven’t gone as expected or making trades that have backfired.

Unlike building other factors of a team, the bullpen is not necessarily something that can be solved by going on a spending spree, because short of Mariano Rivera or Jonathon Papelbon, there aren’t many bonafide elite arms in relief. This is mostly because relievers are such a crapshoot and fluctuate so greatly from year to year in performance.

Just look at Ramon Ramirez for the Mets last season. Prior to 2012, Ramirez had at least 65 innings pitched and an ERA south of three each of the four previous seasons. His less effective years in 2006 and 2007 came at Coors Field with the Rockies, so take his career 4.45 ERA in Denver with a grain of salt. What seemed to be a solid effective reliever from 2008-2011, was anything but with the Mets in 2012. He seemed like such a steady arm for the Mets, so consistent that the front office was willing to part with Angel Pagan in return for a reliable go-to arm out of the ‘pen, and it blew up in Sandy Alderson’s face.

In addition to Ramirez, K-Rod, J.J. Putz, Sean Green, Hisanori Takahashi, Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco, D.J Carrasco, and Ryota Igarashi represent some of the Mets major relief acquisitions in recent years. Short of a solid season out of Takahashi and an up-and-down year from Rauch, the Amazin’s haven’t fared all too well with the large-scale relief deals.

This is not to say that signing big-name relievers are a mistake, but in my opinion carry a higher risk; not in the sense that they are at a higher risk for failure, but require a higher commitment to acquire them. That could be in the form of a 3-year $37 million deal or by trading someone like Angel Pagan or Mike Carp. The aforementioned arms that Alderson has signed have just as much of a chance for success or failure as the more well-known relievers, only they come with little to lose if things don’t pan out.

The 2012 Oakland A’s came into the year without Andrew Bailey, Brad Ziegler or Craig Breslow. With the exception of Grant Balfour, the bullpen was entirely comprised of no-names and cast offs, primarily acquired via a minor league deal, as prospects via trade, or from the farm system. This collection of misfit toys took a bullpen that last year had a 15-25 record, and ranking 18th in baseball in ERA, to a squad that produced 30 wins compared to just 14 losses and ranking second in the AL only to the Rays with a 2.94 collective ERA.

The fact of the matter is, relievers are like a box of chocolates; and not the kind you send to Jose Reyes. You never know what you’re going to get. Who is to say Jeremy Affeldt or Sean Burnett will have better seasons than LaTroy Hawkins or Pedro Feliciano?

Last winter, Alderson tried to go the conventional route, and it produced the worst bullpen in baseball. Now trying a different, more selective and educated approach, this bullpen could be something that doesn’t draw adjectives such as “atrocious” and “appalling”. Or at the very least, in the words of Sandy:

“I’m not sure how we can end up with a not-improved bullpen.”

The post This Is How The Mets Bullpen Should Be Made appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets are on a mission to upgrade their catching position and somehow figure out their outfield configuration before the ump cries “Play Ball” on Opening Day. Offensively, the Mets ranked the worst in MLB at both positions. Defensively, I’m not sure, but suffice it to say it was pretty awful. On that note, scratch Torii Hunter and Melky Cabrera off the available outfielders list, and Gerald Laird and David Ross off your catchers list. Those were a few of the less expensive options some saw the Mets targeting, but the market is developing faster than the Mets are.

From the “Outfielders The Mets Will Never Sign” department, Angel Pagan could sign a new deal before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Phillies, Braves and Nationals are all very interested in the former Met and are talking. Rosenthal adds that the Giants are not totally out of the picture yet on Pagan. All three teams are also talking to free agent B.J. Upton. The former Rays center fielder has already been wined and dined by the Braves and Phillies, and he could be meeting with the Nats before the holiday weekend.

Sandy Alderson talks a lot about building the Mets brand. I guess the goal is to ensure we don’t wind up like Wonder Bread and Twinkies.  He said the following on Friday night to a group of aspiring lawyers at the Ivy Sports Symposium at Columbia University.

“You have to divorce the interest of the institution from your personal interest, and sometimes it’s difficult to do that,” Alderson said. “It can be extraordinarily difficult sometimes. From my standpoint, it’s about the long-term interest of the franchise. That doesn’t mean that everything is decided in terms of the longer view. What may be in the best long-term interest of the franchise is to go out today and do something dramatic and make every attempt to win today, to build the brand, to re-establish the brand, to sort of re-establish the legitimacy of a franchise.”

When Alderson says “sometimes you have to do something dramatic and make every attempt to win today”, is he talking about the Mets? Because it certainly doesn’t look like he’s doing or has done anything dramatic with the Mets to win today. That’s something only the other 29 teams are trying to do. Oh well, lawyers talking to lawyers, who can believe anything that comes out of that… 🙂

For all of you believe we are moving in the right direction, good news… Single game tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Do your duty and support the tremendous effort it has taken to get this team where it is today. Keep your hopes alive for a bright future and make sure to support the cause and let Sandy know you’re proud of him. Put your money where your mouth is my friends and go enjoy some exciting Mets baseball in the process. And on that positive note, I wish you all a wonderful Sunday. Only 12 weeks until pitchers and catchers report. 🙂

THE 2013 METS: THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED! 

The post Sunday Morning Grind: The Future Has Arrived appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Here’s an interesting take on why the Mets are off to a 4-0 start as written by our friends at SprungOnSports. Read on and then tell us whether you agree or disagree.

On December 6, 2011, Mets GM Sandy Alderson signed relievers Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch and acquired Ramon Ramirez along with CF Andres Torres from the Giants for Angel Pagan. Alderson is one of the smartest men in baseball. He knew he would not be able to have an advantage over other teams with a juggernaut offense or a dominant rotation. But with so many relievers available last season, Alderson realized he could assemble a quality bullpen for a bargain basement price.

What difference has the new bullpen made so far? In games decided by two runs or fewer last season, the Mets went 34-40. When over 45 percent of your games are that close, a couple of key bullpen acquisitions could go a long way. New York went 4-7 in those tightly contested games last April. They’ve won the first four thus far. An immense amount of credit should be given to Alderson for big time moves that were considered an afterthought at the time.

So how is the trio of Francisco, Rauch and Ramirez doing so far? In 9 1/3 innings, they are 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, three saves, two holds, four hits and two walks allowed to go with six strikeouts. They have been crucial components of all four wins thus far, all close wins. – Read the entire post at SprungOnSports.com.

I was one of those who was very critical of the Jon Rauch signing for $3.5 million. He looked excellent last night – dominating actually. Francisco has already racked up three saves in three opportunities.

Of course there’s two sides to every story…

December 6th was also the day the Mets lost Jose Reyes for good. In fact the timing of these other moves for relievers came less than two hours after Jose Reyes officially became a Marlin. To the second. Both the Rauch and Francisco signings, as well as the Angel Pagan trade, all happened within a 15 minute window and seemed concocted and orchestrated to deflect the incoming fire from the Reyes aftermath. So were these signings just a happy coincidence? A pleasurable little side effect nobody was really counting on?

The post MMO Fair or Foul: December 6, 2011 – A Day That Will Live In Mets Infamy? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.