Fernando Tatis Jr.

Position: Shortstop, Outfield
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 24 (January 2, 1999)
2021 Batting (Missed 2022)
Traditional: 546 PA, .282/.364/.611/, 135 H, 42 HR, 97 RBI, 68 BB (intentional walks included), 153 K
Advanced: .403 wOBA, 157 wRC+, 28.0 K%, 11.4 BB%, .324 BABIP, .407 xwOBA, 7.3 fWAR, 6.6 bWAR

Rundown

I know what everyone is thinking but let us get it out of the way: Fernando Tatis Jr. is without a doubt one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball. Well that statement is probably contingent on believing that his PED suspension is more a result of him using them to recover from left wrist surgery, and that his 2019-2021 seasons are not the result of him using PEDs. Of course, that aforementioned surgery would not have been required if not for a slew of motorcycle accidents.

Probably not a great thing, when Fernando Tatis was asked when his motorcycle accident happened, he responded, 'which one.'

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 14, 2022

I am usually one to dismiss off-field extracurriculars but in the case of Tatis, I think there are some things to think about. I am less concerned about the PED usage as I was with say Robinson Cano. In Cano’s case, it was pretty clear that he was a player looking to stay relevant and not fall off the proverbial cliff.

On the field, Tatis has been a star since day one. In 2019, he posted a 3.1 fWAR in 84 games while slashing .317/.379/.590 as a 20-year old rookie. He also hit 22 homers and stole 16 out-of 22 bases. He likely would have challenged a 40-40 season had he played a full season. He followed that up with an equally great 2020 season and in 2021, he was an MVP finalist behind Juan Soto and Bryce Harper. In 2021, he posted a 7.3 fWAR and he hit .282/.364/.611 (!). He also had 42 homers and stole 25 out-of 29 bases. His power output is historic for a shortstop and his offensive skillset would likely play anywhere on the diamond.

Nothing on his offensive profile suggests that he would slow down. In 2021, his expected slugging was .617 and his expected weighted-on-base-average was .407, both higher than his actual figures. In 2021, Tatis excelled at hitting the ball hard, only putting it on the ground 40% of the time, and pulled the ball almost 50% of the time. When Tatis hit the ball in the air, he made hard contact close to 60% of the time as well, meaning he made full use of hitting the ball in the air.

Defensively, Tatis grades out as a passable shortstop depending on the statistic you prefer. DRS and UZR thinks he is below average, but outs above average likes him more than those two stats do. The Padres have pretty much moved on from him at shortstop going forward. Xander Bogaerts will be their shortstop in 2023 after they failed at landing Trea Turner. Manny Machado is their third baseman and Juan Soto is in right field. So Tatis will probably be in various spots this season such as the outfield and first base. Feels like a weird position to be in with your $340 million star but he did himself and the Padres no favors in the process.

Package

I think my answer here is: depends on how much the Mets would send back to San Diego. They have been pretty hesitant to trade their more high value prospects in trades in order to rebuild the system. I bet the Mets would use their financial power to minimize the prospect cost of landing Tatis. The Padres might hate selling low on a player who has shown the flashes of greatness like Tatis has, but they have a lot of money tied up to that roster already and have to extend Soto and Machado in the coming offseasons.

My Thoughts

There are a lot of concerns but the upside is also enormous. Tatis can be a perennial 30-30 player and flirting with 40-40 in some seasons, while manning third base for the next 10 years in Queens next to Francisco Lindor. The downsides as evidenced by 2022 also exist.

I think the upside in the case of Tatis is too high to ignore, especially since Steve Cohen does not care about money. The offensive upside in the case of Carlos Correa pales in comparison to what Tatis can provide. Tatis has a career slash line of .292/.369/.596 with a .399 wOBA and 153 wRC+ for his career. The closest Correa has come to reaching that wRC+ was in 2017.

If Fernando’s medicals look good (big if), I think the Mets should do it. Maybe this is just my amygdala talking because I wanted Correa, but I do think this could cement the Mets as a World Series favorite for the next 5 plus years.

The post MMO Trade Profile: Fernando Tatis Jr., SS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning Mets fans!

On Friday, new Met Kodai Senga admitted feelings of frustration that he felt with his former club in an Instagram Live. Senga, who spent a decade with the SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, explained that he asked to be posted to Major League Baseball by the club “for the past five or six years.” What frustrated Senga wasn’t that the team wouldn’t post him, it was that they refused to explain why: “The top brass found it inconvenient to meet with me, citing their busy schedules.” He called this “a bitter feeling I never experienced in baseball.”

After the 2022 season Senga was able to opt out of his contract and exercise his international free agent rights, ultimately leading to his signing a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers announced that they are designating Trevor Bauer for assignment. The team can attempt to trade him, but it is expected they will will eat the $22.5 million owed to Bauer and release him.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been cleared to resume baseball activities after undergoing shoulder and wrist surgeries in September and October.

The Giants officially announced that they have signed Michael Conforto to a contract.

The Red Sox officially announced that they have signed Justin Turner to a contract. Additionally, during the team’s efforts to sign Turner, Alex Cora reportedly had Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick send Turner a recruitment text.

The Padres signed outfielder Adam Engel to a one-year contract. The team also signed pitcher Brent Honeywell to a one-year contract.

Latest on MMO

Patrick Glynn details the newest updates from the Carlos Correa-Mets saga, including reports that the Mets are frustrated with Correa’s camp.

Rich Sparago lists some of the more unique moments around baseball from the 2022 season.

Mathew Brownstein interviewed Mets’ outfielder Mark Canha in the latest MMO Exclusive.

On This Date in Mets History

1992: New York Met legend Tom Seaver was officially elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He received votes from 425 of 430 writers (98.84%), the closest a player had ever come to being unanimously elected at that time.

2019: The Mets released David Wright, effectively ending his playing career after injuries derailed his final few seasons.

2021: The Mets pulled off a massive trade, acquiring Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the then-Indians in exchange for Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene.

Birthdays: Francisco Rodriguez (41), Jorge Toca (52), Craig Shipley (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Kodai Senga Frustrated With Former Club appeared first on Metsmerized Online.