At the press conference today re-introducing Yoenis Cespedes, the issue of what Alejandro De Aza‘s role will be. Naturally, he’s expected to be on the bench ready, willing, and able to play all three outfield positions. Perhaps, that is jumping the gun a bit:
https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/694964819003359232
This really just confirms what every Mets fan thought when De Aza came aboard. De Aza signed with the Mets to share centerfield duties with Juan Lagares. The move was made because the Mets never thought they were going to be able to sign Cespedes. Yet, somehow, Cespedes returned to the Mets leaving behind Lagares and De Aza platooning on the bench.
Now, we are not privy to what, if any, promises were made to De Aza. We do know at the time De Aza was signed, the Mets were fairly steadfast they were not re-signing Cespedes. With that said, it’s fair to say, De Aza came to the Mets to be at worst their fourth outfielder. At a minimum, it appeared he was going to have a legitimate shot to get the bulk of the at bats in centerfield. Now, he’s the team’s fifth outfielder. I’m sure he’s not happy with being pushed down the depth chart without even playing one game, especially when he could’ve signed anywhere.
Now, De Aza can’t be traded until June 15th unless he consents to a deal, which he very well might. While every player wants to win, every player also wants to play. Right now, De Aza’s at bats will be few and far between as he’s the left-handed option off the bench, and the corner outfielders hit left-handed as well. He could be buried on the bench for a while. It’s not exactly an exciting proposition for a 31 year old utility outfielder.
So yes, we understand why De Aza would want to be traded, but why would the Mets want to trade him? With the Brandon Nimmo injury and the Darrell Ceciliani trade, De Aza is it when it comes to organizational centerfield depth. Well, there are a few good reasons.
First, De Aza may not be happy on the bench for long stretches, especially after he thought he could be a starter with the Mets. Having a disgruntled player is never good for your clubhouse. While Terry Collins was quite adept at handling the clubhouse last year, it doesn’t mean you should introduce a potential problem from the start. No, I’m not suggesting De Aza is a bad guy. Rather, I’m saying any player not getting sufficient playing time is an issue that will eventually come to a head.
Another reason you trade De Aza now is this might be the time when he has his most value. As teams look to fill out their rosters as Spring Training and/or the regular season approaches, De Aza may become a more attractive option. The Mets aren’t likely to get much in return, but whatever they do get is most likely to be better than what they get around the trade deadline.
Whether or not the Mets trade De Aza, we should be able to agree on one thing. De Aza is here because the Mets never expected Cespedes to be here. Now the Mets need to find playing time for FIVE major league caliber outfielders. This really is a nice problem to have after the problems we saw with the Mets last year.
Sometimes, it’s great when the plan doesn’t come together.
When is a story not a story? I found myself asking that question when I read Deadspin‘s account on the current state of the Wilpon’s real estate business.
For the relatively uninformed Fred Wilpon made his money in the New York City real estate market. He is seen as a shrewd investor and a respected member of the industry. Say what you will about Fred Wilpon and his running of the Mets, but up until this article, his real estate acumen has not come into question.
Normally, I think Deadspin’s article would have been very important and enlightening. As we’ve seen from Howard Megdal’s reporting, the Mets other business interests have affected their ability/willingness to put the most competitive Mets team on the field as possible. However, with the Yoenis Cespedes signing, and the payroll hovering around $140 million, I’m not sure the Mets payroll is a story anymore, at least not with respect to the 2016 season.
While we can quibble with any particular move, it’s hard to attack the Mets for this roster as a whole. They have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. Of the eight everyday position players, five are former All Stars while the other three could reasonably be All Stars within the next year or so. The bullpen has many pitchers who can handle both righties and lefties well, and it is headlined by a dominant closer.
So yes, the Deadspin report is very newsworthy. However, at least with respect to the 2016 season it’s not really a baseball story. It’s not a reason for any snarky comments. The Mets have spent the money, and they have a complete roster to make another run towards winning the World Series.
In my life, I’ve actually purchased very few Mets players jerseys. The first was Mike Piazza. After that it was David Wright and then Matt Harvey. I’ve received others as gifts (some requested), but those are at that I’ve purchased.
The one player jersey I always wanted was Daniel Murphy. I never purchased it. It seems that each and every year Murphy was a Met, he was rumored to be out the door. For various reasons a trade never materialized. I didn’t want to buy the jersey only for him to be traded the next day. Well, a funny thing happened. Murphy lasted seven years. He had a signature postseason game. He had the greatest postseason run for any Mets hitter ever. None of that should surprise us because Murphy was always incredibly clutch.
The time to purchase his jersey has passed because he’s gone. Sure, I could purchase one hoping I’ll see him again one day to get that autograph. I could wear it for the day he comes back to Citi Field. The thing is it wouldn’t make sense. Thinking about it, the Wright jersey, albeit outdated, is still good 11 years later. I could purchase another like a Yoenis Cespedes‘ jersey. However, he presents the same problems:
Cespedes is signed, but will he be around long enough to buy his jersey? KP has a flat in NYC for what? Hahn & Humpty next on @ESPNNY98_7FM
— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) January 28, 2016
So right now, I have two Mets jerseys that’ll serve well for the 2016 season. The aforementioned Harvey jersey and the Lucas Duda jersey my son got me. If I’m going to purchase another, I’ll make sure it’s a player who will likely be around for more than one year.
Hopefully, that player will be with the Mets for at least seven years.
Am I the only one that finds it incredibly fitting that Yoenis Cespedes is being introduced during a rainy day? Remember, it might’ve been a rainy day that brought him here in the first place.
Roughly half a year ago, there was some hope in the Mets season. The team had just acquired Tyler Clippard, Kelly Johnson, and Juan Uribe. Michael Conforto was up with the team and producing well ahead of schedule. Travis d’Arnaud was soon to return. While Mets fans had seen some bad baseball for far too long, things were seemingly getting much better. Then disaster struck.
There was the inexplicable drama surrounding the failed Carlos Gomez trade. Wilmer Flores was left standing on the field crying. Then we discover the trade didn’t happen. The Mets say Gomez failed a physical. The Brewers said the Mets wanted money in the deal. With all that hovering, the Mets took the field for a rainy day game. They had a 7-1 lead going into the seventh, and a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth. The Padres had two outs and Jeurys Familia had an 0-2 count on Derek Norris.
The heavens opened causing the umps to call a rain delay for a game that could’ve ended with one more pitch. The delay nearly lasted an hour. When they game resumed Familia allowed a single to Norris, another single to Matt Kemp, and then a three run homer to one-time trade target Justin Upton. After another rain delay of around two and a half hours, the game resumed seeing the Mets go down meekly 1-2-3 in the ninth. Whatever good feelings and momentum in the season was there, it was seemingly washed away. The fans were angry.
The rains eventually cleared. There would be a new day both literally and metaphorically when the Mets pulled the trigger on the trade for Yoenis Cespedes. Sure the Mets win the NL East without him, but man, the 2015 season had a different feel to it when he came on board. It was a fun run, and now he’s back. We’re ready for another ride.
But first, he’s going to be re-introduced to the fans on a rainy day. Seeing how it was a rainy day that brought him here, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Welcome back Cespedes.
I still remember the first Mets prospect I followed though the minors. It was Jae Weong Seo, or Jae Seo as he liked to be called.
Unlike recent big leaguers from South Korea, Seo signed a free agent deal right out of high school before he played in the Korean Leagues. He was a big time prospect with a big time repertoire. They thought so highly of him, they gave him $1 million right out of high school. He was a well regarded prospect. He was good he was tabbed to start the 2001 Future’s Game. While he had some injury issues, few questioned if he was going to be a big leaguer.
Seo made his debut in a relief appearance on July 21, 2002. He pitched a the next year he would join the rotation where he would have two disappointing seasons. Then in 2005, Seo appeared to turn his career around at the age of 27.
I thought the seminal moment of his career was going to be the night Rick Peterson challenged Jae Seo to pitch better, to throw harder. Seo seemed to take it to heart. In 2005, Seo went 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.107 WHIP in 14 starts. He seemed ticketed for a spot in the rotation on a young and emerging Mets team. Omar Minaya had other ideas. He traded Seo at his peak value for Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll.
Sanchez was a huge part of the Mets bullpen in 2006 until his ill-fated cab ride. Seo, on the other hand, never reached the heights he reached in 2005. He was out of the league two years later, and he returned to his native South Korea. He got to be a part of a championship team with the 2009 Kia Tigers. He set a record with 44 consecutive scoreless innings in 2012. Now, he’s retiring. Apparently, he’s so well-regarded that the team wants him to remain on as a pitching coach.
So no, Seo might not have had the career we all envisioned he might. However, he did have a good career. He won a title. He set records. He earned the respect of his peers along the way. In the end, that’s a great career. One that anyone would admire.
Congratulations on a good career Jae Weong Seo.
If there’s anything that has been a hallmark of these recent Mets teams it’s that these players get it. Win or lose they acknowledged the fans. They even did it in a moment of heartbreak after losing the World Series. I was again reminded of this when I saw Vic Black‘s recent Tweet:
Thank You New York
Read: https://t.co/AS32hnPqBu
— Victor Black II (@Vic_Black_2) February 2, 2016
In the TwitLonger link, Vic Black acknowledged his New York Mets career was over even if he hasn’t signed with anyone else. He then went on to thank Mets fans for cheering him during his all too short stay with the Mets:
You were kind in welcoming me to YOUR family and I’ll always have blue and orange running in my blood. New York captured my heart and nothing can ever take that away. You gave me a gift, experiences and moments I’ll cherish forever. I’m counting the days till my next visit in whatever capacity that may be. I love you New York!
At first glance, this made me smile. Black was something of a fan favorite. Poor Adam Rubin was inundated with requests for updates on his status. It’s great Mets fans had an impact upon him. It’s even better that he acknowledged our love and returned the love.
It’s funny that it didn’t always start out that way. Black was acquired in the Marlon Byrd trade. At that time, Byrd was something of a fan favorite himself, and he was being traded for a second base prospect, Dilson Herrera, and a live bullpen arm in Black. A lot of the qualms with that trade went away when Black began pitching with the Mets.
In his two years with the Mets, Black was a good and improving reliever. In his 56 appearances, he had a 2.83 ERA, 125 ERA+, 3.65 FIP, 1.259 WHIP, and an 8.3 K/9. He had a blazing 97 MPH fastball. Unfortunately, he would have a neck injury in 2015, suffer a setback in April, and he would never be recalled to the majors. He was unceremoniously removed from the 40 man roster and made a minor league free agent. It didn’t matter that Black regained his fastball. It didn’t matter that he has been a good reliever who is still just 27.
Apparently, Black wants to be back, and Mets fans want him back. Personally, I want him to return, even if it appears he won’t. Whenever he lands, that team is getting a good reliever and an even better person. When he comes back to New York and he comes running out of the bullpen, I’ll be cheering for him.
Good luck Vic Black.
Today is the eighth anniversary of the Johan Santana trade. Over his tenure with the Mets, Santana pitched well to brilliantly when he was able to pitch.
Santana tried to will the Mets into the postseason in 2008. He pitched on three days rest on a bum knee and gave the Mets a brilliant outing, a complete game, three hit, nine strikeout, shut out. It would be the Mets last win at Shea Stadium. It would be his last great season, but not his last great moment. On June 1, 2012, he threw a 134 pitch no-hitter on a surgically repaired shoulder. The first in Mets history. It was effectively the end of his career.
The cost for all of this? Basically, it was Carlos Gomez. Yes, the same one. It’s interesting that it was Gomez because he wasn’t what the Twins initially wanted. They wanted Lastings Milledge.
At that time everyone wanted Milledge. The A’s wanted Milledge in exchange for Barry Zito. The Mets balked in 2006. They balked despite Pedro Martinez‘s injury problems. The Mets thought that highly of Milledge that they were willing to let him possibly stand in the way of a World Series title. He was considered that good. Except, unfortunately, he really wasn’t that good. His stock would go down to the point where he could only fetch Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. That’s a far cry from Barry Zito and Johan Santana.
The lesson here isn’t necessarily that you should always trade prospects. If that’s the case, the Mets wouldn’t have David Wright. No, the lesson is to make sure you are right before trading prospects.
The Mets were wrong about Gomez and Milledge. Most were. Now, Milledge is playing in Japan. Gomez is a two-time All Star. He’s a Gold Glove centerfielder. There are different times the Mets could’ve used him either as an outfielder (possibly avoiding the disastrous Jason Bay signing), or used him as a trade chip. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there because the Mets held onto the wrong prospect.
There are many lessons to learn with Santana, namely about abusing pitcher’s arms. The other lesson is that teams have to be right about their own prospects. By holding onto Milledge, the Mets might’ve lost out on a World Series in 2006. By being wrong about Milledge, the Mets lost out on Gomez’s career.
So whenever the Mets trade a prospect, we should look not just at the return, but also who they didn’t trade. As we saw with the Santana deal, you can still win a trade while still losing out on something else.
Groundhog Day pretty well sums up what it’s been like being a Mets fan since the Madoff scandal a/k/a the Wilponzi Scandal. It was nothing but a series of cost-cutting measures and insulting fans intelligence telling them they would spend if fans came to the park to watch what was a pretty terrible product.
Sandy Alderson was running around like Ned Ryerson . . . BING! . . . telling us about the D.J. Carrascos and Shaun Marcums of the baseball world inviting us to come down to Citi Field. Mets fans ran away tripping into a puddle while everyone seemed to laugh at us. We went about every offseason saying, “Well, the Mets won’t spend money . . . Again.”
Seriously, nothing could go right. Even when something good happened, like Matt Harvey‘s 2013 season, we closed our eyes and *poof* it was all over. The next season rolled around with no Harvey. No hope. Just the same old song with the same old stinging cold shower trying to wash the pain away of another lost season.
BING! We’re all wet and embarrassed again. We took off from Citi Field being told, “Don’t drive angry. Don’t drive angry!”
Yet, everyday things got better. The Mets made shrewd trades for the future. In 2015, they made in-season trades to improve the team. Jacob deGrom won the Rookie of the Year. Harvey was coming back from Tommy John Surgery. Noah Syndergaard fulfilled his promise. The Mets actually made in-season trades to get better. Like Phil Connors wielding a chainsaw, things were taking shape.
After the Mets lost the World Series, it seemed like the Mets fans were going to go to sleep and all the good will gone the way of Alejandro De Aza. Then Jeff Wilpon crawled out of his hole with enough money to re-sign Yoenis Cespedes.
It’s a new day for the Mets. They’re going to go and give it their all to win the World Series. It’s a new feeling in the – BING! – Sandy Alderson Era. Why it’s almost like being in love.
Last year, when the Mets had delusions of grandeur that the worst offense in Mets history could go to the World Series, the Mets traded for Tyler Clippard. In exchange for two months of Clippard, the Mets have up Casey Meisner, who was a well regarded prospect.
Initially, Clippard delivered for the Mets. Up until his back injury, Clippard pitched very well. From July 28th to September 16th, Clippard made 26 appearances pitching 26.1 innings. In those innings, he had a 2.73 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP limiting hitters to a .182/.257/.364 batting line. In short, he combined with Jeurys Familia to make it a seven inning game, which is all the more frightening for opponents when you consider the Mets pitching staff.
Apparently, despite the Mets adding a couple of relievers, they are still interested in Clippard, but only on a one year deal. I don’t get it. Yes, Clippard had the worst year of his career last year. However, in the midst of that year, the Mets traded away a promising young starter. Now, the Mets don’t have to give up any young players. Instead, they only have to give Clippard an extra year. They’re balking at that second year. It doesn’t make sense.
Keep in mind, the Mets just handed Antonio Bastardo a two year $12 million contract. Bastardo turns 31 in September. For his career, Bastardo has a 3.58 ERA, 109 ERA+, 1.198 WHIP, and an 11.0 K/9. Last year, Bastardo pitched 57.1 innings in 66 appearances. He had a 2.98 ERA, 129 ERA+, 1.134 WHIP, and a 10.0 K/9.
Clippard turns 31 in two weeks. For his career, he has a 2.88 ERA, 138 ERA+, 1.089 WHIP, and a 9.8 K/9. Last year, Clippard pitched 71.0 innings in 69 appearances. He had a 2.92 ERA, 134 ERA+, 1.127 WHIP, and an 8.1 K/9.
Looking at the numbers, Clippard is a better reliever than Bastardo. Furthermore, Clippard established he could not only pitch well in New York, but he could also pitch well as the main set-up guy in a pennant race in New York. With that said, the Mets should offer Clippard the extra year, like they did with Bastardo, and get the deal done.
Do you remember when the Mets got Rickrolled?
In the last season at Shea, the Mets had a vote for the 8th Inning Sing-a-long. There were the obvious choices, but Rick Astley’s 80’s anthem “Never Gonna Give You Up” won by a landslide as a write-in vote. The Mets played it on Opening Day, and the fans booed. I was there, and I never figured out why. In my opinion, it was better than ripping off the Red Sox with “Sweet Caroline.” In any event, the Mets stopped playing it after Opening Day. The people spoke, and the Mets refused to be a party to it.
It’s what the NHL tried to do with John Scott. Scott was voted a starter in the NHL All Star Game due to a fan movement. Scott is an enforcer that doesn’t get much ice time. These guys rarely receive votes let alone get voted to the All Star Game, and yet he was. He then saw himself as the “centerpiece” of a trade sending him from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Montreal Canadians, who sent him to the AHL (minors). He was not only out of the division and conference, he was out of the league.
As Scott said is his The Players’ Tribune piece, they did everything they could do to keep him out of this game. It was his only shot, a shot he realized he didn’t earn, and they were trying to take it away from him. When sticking him in the minors didn’t work, they invoked his family by asking:
Do you think this is something your kids would be proud of?
There is nothing so small, petty, and classless than to invoke someone’s family. It’s even lower to bring up someone’s children. John Scott then did the only thing he could do . . . he played.
Scott dominated the headlines, and then he dominated the headlines. He would again win the vote. This time no one would question whether or not he deserved it.
There’s no doubt John Scott’s children were proud of him today. They’re probably proud of him each and every day as they know him as their father. John Scott acquitted himself well as a man and hockey player this weekend. That’s how you respond when you get Rickrolled.
Congratulations to John Scott!