Is Anyone Alive Out There: Ongoing Mets Thread

[Nasty_Magician]

Hopefully we have an eventful offseason and this board can gain some traction.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Hopefully we have an eventful offseason and this board can gain some traction.

I hope so, think Sandy is going to make a big splash in a trade. Hopefully land a SP like Arroyo to eat innings with Harvey out all of next year.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I think we need to grab a legitimate outfielder (Choo or Ellsbury would be nice), a vet to help out the rotation (which is already good but having a vet to add depth would be nice), and bring in 2 or 3 guys that can contribute out of the pen. I would also like to add a big bat in RF but I think we could manage with a platoon in right for the time being.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

I still think he will strongly pursue CarGo from Colorado, I think with the pitching depth we have, we can afford to move one of or even two of Montero/Mejia/Familia. Sydergaard may get a chance in the rotation around June unless he makes it out of camp, but I doubt it.

Also think he will dangle names like Muprhy and Parnell together, Black I think can take over the closer role if Parnell is moved.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I like Parnell and would rather we didn't move him but if the price is right then you pull the trigger, same with Murph. An outfield of Eric Young, Free Agent (Ellsbury/Choo?) and CarGo is very solid.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

I like Parnell also, but I think the Dodgers like Parnell and Murphy, they were scouting them last year. If we can somehow flip those two and another player for Kemp and then add one of Choo/Ellsbury with a SP and we can compete next year or definitely in 2015.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Are you sold on Kemp? I feel like he could be Reyes 2.0 in the sense that he's an amazing talent but is always hurt. I think Dodgers fans are all but done with him. Is he capable of moving to right? Would that improve his durability?

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

I know it's a lot to take on with his contract, but prefer his to Ethier's terrible one. He can still play CF and Lagares can move to RF/LF IMO. But that's all a pipe dream, not going to happen.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

The Mets are not expected to sign any of their arbitration eligible players to long-term deals this off season, a source told ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin.

Matthew Cerrone, Lead Writer

There was discussion last winter about whether to ink Ike Davis to a longer-term extension, buying into his free agent years. Boy, how things can change in a year… Yikes.
Daniel Murphy, Dillon Gee and Bobby Parnell would seem like candidates, but Parnell’s injury leaves him a mystery and Gee and Murphy will no doubt be talked about in trades. Murphy and Parnell are under team control through the 2015, while Gee is under control through 2016. I’m sure there would have been talks about locking in Matt Harvey, but his elbow surgery will force both sides to punt on that contract (plus, his agent is Scott Boras).
That said, despite Rubin’s report, I’d like to see the Mets talk with Zack Wheeler about a contract extension. Seriously… Think Matt Moore, and the five-year, $14 million deal he signed with the Rays after just a handful of major league starts. Moore’s deal also included three club options that could extend the deal to eight years and $40 million, buying into his free agency. It was a opportunistic deal for both sides, trading money for security.

www.metsblog.com

This just has trade written all over it. They want and need a big OF bat.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

There was plenty of talk during the year about rumored trades for an outfield bat, CarGo was a big one, Rios out of Chicago was another, Stanton from the Marlins was the blockbuster name mentioned that probably didn't have much substance to it but I would be shocked if they don't make a move this winter.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

You and me both, I feel a big move coming. Also Phillips is being shopped by the Reds, he would be a great cleanup hitter in this lineup and a good 2B for us, hopefully Sandy makes a call to the Reds.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Phillips would be an interesting candidate although we currently have Murphy and Flores seems like he could be legit. I suppose we could move Murphy or Flores to first, Phillips to 2nd and the odd man out between Murphy/Flores either goes the other way in the trade or they can be used in a subsequent trade.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Phillips would be an interesting candidate although we currently have Murphy and Flores seems like he could be legit. I suppose we could move Murphy or Flores to first, Phillips to 2nd and the odd man out between Murphy/Flores either goes the other way in the trade or they can be used in a subsequent trade.

Adding a bat like Phillips would help the lineup and provide some protection for Wright as well. If we were to move one of them, honestly wouldn't mind either of them being dealt. Just keep 1 and have that player move to 1B.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Mets scout Cuban RHP Odrisamer Despaigne

The Mets, Yankees and Phillies attended a showcase in Spain for Cuban RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (El Nuevo Herald).

Despaigne, 26, will hold another showcase in Mexico later this month, when he is expected to sign a big-league contract.

He had a 3.27 ERA in 23 starts this past year in Cuba, while striking out 98 batters in 143 innings.

“Since word got out about his escape, teams from the Majors began to get interested in the young man, and this interest has continued growing,” Despaigne’s agent said.

According to a recent report from Diario De Cuba, Despaigne has yet to be cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to sign with an MLB team.

Metsblog | Latest News, Rumors and Opinion about the Mets

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Of the Cuban players that have been talked about of late I like this guy the best. At worst he could come out of the pen for us. I think it's worth the gamble.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

It could be, we could sure use some help in the bullpen. Can't bare to watch Atchinson pitch anymore, and Hawkins will test free agency he said.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Make the call, Sandy: Jose Bautista

This offseason will be a pivotal one for the New York Mets as the team has both money to spend and needs to fill. But not all will be solved by shopping for free agents. Sandy Alderson may have to make a trade or two to net the kind of player the Mets want and need.

Among those they would have interest in are Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki from the Rockies, and Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins. But those players are not on the market.

Who might be available from a “pie in the sky” perspective for you to pine for this winter? We take a look at a few possibilities and allow you to weigh in on whether Alderson should make the call to pursue a deal.

Today’s candidate: Jose Bautista
Position: Outfielder
Age: 33
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
2013 Numbers: .259 BA, .358 OBP, .498 slug pct, 28 HRs in 118 games for Blue Jays

Why he would be available: Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has noted that the Blue Jays have indicated a willingness to listen to offers for their premier offensive players -- Bautista and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Bautista has a friendly contract in that his team is on the hook for two years and $28 million, with a $14 million club option in 2016.

Pros: Bautista is exactly the type of hitter that manager Terry Collins was describing when he made an end-of-season wish for someone who could hit behind David Wright.

Jose Bautista- Last 2 Seasons
BA .251
OBP .358
Slug pct .510
HR 55
Games 210

Bautista has the best home run rate in the majors over the past four seasons, averaging one every dozen at-bats, and he’s equally adept at hitting them on the road as he was in hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. Bautista doesn’t hit many cheap home runs.

Via Hittrackeronline.com, all but one of his homers this season would have gone out of at least half the major league ballparks.

Bautista is also a hitter who is careful not to chase bad pitches. His strikeout total is reasonable and his 13 percent walk rate in 2013 ranked among the top dozen hitters in the game.

Though Bautista doesn’t cover a lot of ground in right field, he makes up for it because his throwing arm is a deterrent to baserunners. Despite the time missed due to injuries, Bautista’s arm rated second-best among right fielders per defensive runs saved (which looks at how often baserunners advanced an extra base when an outfielder fielded a ball).

We’re not the first to point out Bautista’s appeal. He’s a popular choice among fans and other blogs. Expect to hear his name on talk shows and other venues this winter.

Cons: There is some risk involved in dealing for Bautista. He has played in 210 of 324 games the past two seasons due to injuries and missed the end of 2013 due to a hip injury. At 33, he may have reached the age of decline/breakdown, and the Blue Jays may want to cash in while they still can.

Though Bautista is a great power hitter, he doesn’t hit for a high average. He has hit .241 and .259 the past two seasons and has a lifetime batting average of .254 in more than 3,600 at-bats.

The cost: We asked ESPN Insider Jim Bowden, the former general manager of the Reds and Nationals, what the potential cost would be to land Bautista. He came up with the idea of a package that included Jonathon Niese and two prospects, one being Cesar Puello (the idea being to return a power-hitting prospect to the Blue Jays). We imagine the other prospect would have to be one of the Mets' higher-end youngsters, though that’s just a guess.

Should Sandy “make the call”? If you were going to describe the skill sets of what the Mets were looking to obtain this offseason, a player of Bautista’s caliber would be near the top of the list. This is one we would encourage the Mets to be aggressive in pursuing, if for no other reason than to show that they are serious about bringing in a couple of legit hitters.

Blogs - Sports Blogs - ESPN

If we can pony off Gee on them instead of Niese, I say go for it.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Player Profile: Free-agent OF-1B Corey Hart

Brewers 1B-OF Corey Hart missed all of 2013 with two different knee injuries. He is eligible to be a free agent after this season, having spent his entire career in Milwaukee.
Hart, 31, has hit .276 for his career with a .334 OBP, 154 home runs and 211 doubles in nine seasons, including All-Star selections in 2008 and 2010.

Metsblog | Latest News, Rumors and Opinion about the Mets

I expect us to be linked to him all Winter and I don't mind it.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

At first I don't mind it, OF, I'd rather go with somebody who isn't coming off of knee injuries.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okXhAC78d4Q]Family Guy - Mets Fan Joke - YouTube[/ame]