Time and again this offseason, the Mets have informed everyone they have sufficient payroll to make more moves even if they land Ben Zobrist. The team has identified the bullpen as a position of need. Well, while the Mets are negotiating with Zobrist relievers are coming off the board:
- Darren O’Day for 4 years $31 million
- Joakim Soria for 3 years $25 million
- Jason Motte for 2 years $10 million
- Chad Qualls for 2 years $12 million
- Shawn Kelley (terms not yet disclosed)
- Ryan Madson for 3 years $22 million
- Mark Lowe for 2 years $13 million
- Trevor Cahill for 1 year $4.25 million
- Oliver Perez for 2 years $7 million
Now, I think the bullpen is fine. However, the Mets don’t, and that’s what is important. They’re letting free agent relievers sign reasonable contracts elsewhere while they’re stuck on Zobrist. It makes you question if they really do have the money to address all their needs.
There are still free agent relievers out there, but the high end guys are gone. How many more will come off the board until the Mets address what they’ve identified as a position of need?
Like everyone else, I’ve gone on and on about Ben Zobrist, Daniel Murphy, and the whole second base situation. Now, Zobrist seems to be close to making a decision, and many have speculated he may just become a Met. Honestly, why would he do that?
First and foremost, the obvious reason is the Mets may be offering the most money, which frankly, is a rarity in these situations. Other than that, I can only think of five other reasons Zobrist would want to be a Met:
Sure, the Mets are an NL East team closer to Zobrist’s Tennessee home than an NL West team, and they intend to put him at second where he prefers. The Mets did win the pennant establishing they are ready to win now. There are other nice pieces on the team, but they carry question marks: Curtis Granderson (age), David Wright (back), Travis d’Arnaud (injury history), and Juan Lagares (right handed pitching).
Zobrist would be joining a team losing its #3 and #4 hitters and replacing them both with just him. The Mets also have a bottom third payroll with apparently not much room to increase it despite the additional playoff revenue. Sure, every team has problems, but the other two teams interested in Zobrist will go out and spend. The other options may be more attractive than the Mets.
Washington Nationals
Keep in mind, the Nationals remain a dangerous team. They still have Max Scherzer (who no-hit the Mets) and Stephen Strasburg headlining the rotation. Bryce Harper took his game to the next level and won the MVP award. Anthony Rendon is a very good young player, who may very well be a Top 5 Third Baseman. There are exciting young players like Michael Taylor and Trea Turner.
The Nationals also had the third highest payroll in the sport last year (no one was going higher than the Dodgers and Yankees). They already addressed their biggest problem from last year by firing Matt Williams and hiring Dusty Baker. Dusty has his flaws, but he always seems to get the most out of his players. Lastly, the Nationals have already stated they want Zobrist to play second base.
Overall, the Nationals are still poised to win a lot of games next year, have a lot of terrific pieces, and have the ability to spend the money necessary to be a contender to win the World Series.
San Fransicso Giants
Speaking of contenders to win the World Series, next year is an even numbered year, which means the Giants are due to win the World Series. The Giants were the other team that no-hit the Mets this year.
Overall, there is a lot to like with the Giants. Madison Bumgarner is the best money pitcher in the sport. Buster Posey might just be the best position player in the NL (if it’s not Harper). Bruce Bochy is the best manager in all of baseball as well. There’s also the matter of the Giants hitting coach, who has been doing wonders with some of their younger players.
Gold Glover Brandon Crawford has increasingly hit for more power. Joe Panik has become an underestimated high OBP second baseman (sound familiar?). Matt Duffy showed increased power while finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting.
Seriously, so what if the Giants want Zobrist to play LF? This is a team built to contend for the long and short team. They also have the sixth highest payroll in baseball. This team has an eye for young talent and is willing to spend to either keep their players or bring in new ones to fill their holes. The Giants have truly created a wonderful organization.
The Decision
If you’re being honest with yourself, and the money is even, why would you pick the Mets? They don’t have the wherewithal to spend the other teams do. The other teams have been addressing needs this offseason, while the Mets have yet to bring someone in to improve their team. It’s still debatable if the Mets have enough money to make another significant move if Zobrist becomes a Met.
If it was me, I’d always pick the Mets because I’m a die hard fan. However, if we’re looking at these teams on paper, I’m not sure the Mets are the most attractive option for any free agent. You have to know that going to the Mets may mean you’re going to be the only major league signing. That’s been pretty much true of ever offseason for the Sandy Alderson regime.
Given the fact that Zobrist wants to win, play second, and stay closer to home, why shouldn’t he pick the Nationals? They have pitching and an arguably better lineup then the Mets. They also have the ability to spend more money than the Mets.
While I would always choose to be a Met, if I’m being honest, a sure with no such loyalty could/should choose differently.
The other day I mentioned how Breakfast with Santa is a better opportunity to get photos with Santa than waiting for the Mall Santa. This is one of many opportunities to save money the holiday season.
For example, local Fire Departments, businesses, and the like usually offer an opportunity to meet Santa and do fun activities with your kids. Usually, the cost of admission to these events is a non-perishable food item, gently used winter coats, or a donatio of a toy for charities like Toys for Tots. Essentially, you get to have a fun day and help someone in need. As a child I still remember my Dad taking my brother and I shopping for gifts for underprivileged kids. It stuck with me, and I look forward to doing that with my son when he’s old enough to understand.
If you want to know who offers what, there are a few places you can look:
- Flyers at your kid’s school
- Your town’s website
- Mommy Poopins
- Kidgits Mall Program
- Word of mouth
And let’s face it. This time of year everything can get expensive. It’s nice to find cheap activities to do with your kids.
There’s a moment that will forever live in Mets infamy:
(Seriously, how is there no video of this moment available?)
After all the garbage with Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza, the Mets finally had a chance to get revenge. Clemens came to Shea and finally had to stand in the batter’s box to answer for all his sins. Then Shawn Estes, who wasn’t a Met when everything happened, just missed. Missed!
There were discussions on whether it was fair to put Estes in that spot. I always disregarded them. Estes was Piazza’s teammate. You stand up for your teammates. The Mets will have that opportunity again with that coward re-signing with the Dodgers. After the World Series, the hope is it’s Noah Syndergaard standing 60’6″ away from Chase Utley.
After Utley’s dirty slide, the Mets have an opportunity to exact revenge. It will be all the more important if Ruben Tejada remains on the team. Assuming the rotation is the same set-up as in the World Series, the Mets re-set the rotation after the first two games of the season, and the Mets having a full five man rotation from that point forward the job will fall to Steven Matz. If the Mets don’t reset the rotation, the job will fall to Jacob deGrom.
In some ways, the task will be easier for whoever the pitcher is because they were on the team when it happened. On the other hand, the situation is more difficult because the pitcher will have to do it in Los Angeles.
Whomever it is, they need to actually plunk Utley. For the psyche of the team and the fan base, that pitcher can’t miss.
Put Eric O’Flaherty aside. The last free agent the Mets should be interested in bringing back is Bartolo Colon, and yet here we are:
Mets and Blevins still have mutual interest in reunion; same with Bartolo in swing man role. interest in bringing him back.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) December 6, 2015
Yoenis Cespedes may not be a true CF, but he’s got power, and he’s shown he can thrive in New York. Daniel Murphy may not be the best defender, but he’s versatile. He also comes up big in the big moments. There are roles for these players even if they are not perfect players. What’s Colon’s role?
He’s not the fifth starter. That spot is being presumably held by Jon Niese until Zack Wheeler‘s rehab is complete. Why would the Mets make him the long man? Carlos Torres and Sean Gilmartin are much cheaper alternatives who have succeeded in that role. What’s his role?
Do we really want to see him back with the Mets? Do we trust Terry Collins having him in the bullpen? Collins has already showed an over reliance on him over younger and better relievers. Put that all aside, do we even know if Colon at the age of 43 can manage being a reliever? Is this really the best use of the Mets resources?
It’s time to move away from Colon and sign a player that can fulfill an actual need.
This isn’t a criticism of Sandy Alderson and his staff. This isn’t an issue of this front office being stingy or refusing to go the extra mile to get the player. It’s just that historically the Mets typically do not outbid teams when it comes to the big free agent.
That’s not to say the Mets don’t sign free agents. Obviously, they do. They’ve also overspent and spent big money on some free agents. It’s just that they don’t typically win bidding wars. They especially don’t do so when a big market team is also bidding on the same player. My personal feelings aside, I just don’t see how the Mets outbid everyone for Ben Zobrist. Here are the instances where the Wilpon led Mets outbid everyone for a high priced player:
Jason Bay
In 2009, the Mets signed Jason Bay. In some ways it could be interpreted as the Mets won a bidding war and in others it could be seen as the Red Sox moved on to other players.
Fact is the Red Sox essentially had a four year $60 million contract offer, which may or may not have been pulled due to medical concerns. You can never fully trust Boston’s statements when a player leaves. The fact is the Mets had to offer $6 million extra to bring Bay to New York. The fact also remains the Mets went after Bay instead of going after the much better and much more expensive Matt Holliday.
This isn’t about how Bay fared with the Mets as no one could have reasonable predicted what happened next. This is about the Mets outbidding the Red Sox for a player only after deciding to not even get involved in the bidding for the more expensive, better player.
Carlos Beltran
The Carlos Beltran story is an interesting one. Like Bay, it was also a move made under the Omar Minaya regime.
What’s most interesting about this was the Yankees never got involved in the bidding despite Beltran all but begging them to offer him a contract. Furthermore, the Astros had a limited window to negotiate with Beltran. Under the old free agency rules, the Astros only had until January 7th to re-sign him. If they didn’t, they were barred from re-signing him until May 1st.
The Mets went above and beyond then in Minaya’s first year as GM. The Mets signed Beltran to a then whopping seven year $119 million contract. It was a real power move that the Mets haven’t typically been the Mets strength. There was one other move in 2005 that was uncharacteristic.
Pedro Martinez
Like Bay, the Mets were able to outbid the Red Sox for Pedro Martinez because the Red Sox drew a line in the sand in a player they knew/suspected had questionable medicals. Unlike Bay, the Mets clearly outbid the Red Sox.
The Red Sox thought they had Pedro re-signed giving him the extra year he wanted. The Mets just gave that extra year and money no one thought Pedro could/should get. Like Beltran, this was part of Minaya’s reshaping of the Mets. It’s truly interesting the major deals happened in 2005 when Minaya took over the team. In some ways, it makes you question how much the Madoff Ponzi fallout affected the Mets.
Yes, it clearly limited payroll. However, after 2005, the Mets never truly went the extra mile in seeking to acquire the top free agent on the market. They were initially rebuffed by Carlos Delgado (until he was later obtained via trade). They did give a huge contract to Johan Santana in the wake of the 2007 collapse. However, that was part of a trade and not part of a free agent bidding process.
So while the Mets have at times spent money pre-Madoff, it appears the team does not usually win these free agent bidding contests. Additionally, after 2005, the team has typicall backed off the top free agent on the market that would/could fulfill a need like Jason Heyward.
In any event, it appears if history repeats itself here, the Mets will not get Zobrist. This may or may not be due to the budget. It may due more to an organizational philosophy that was in place before Sandy Alderson ever became the GM.
There’s always that player. Despite all evidence to the contrary, you’re convinced they’re going to be good. You can explain away anything that happens.
That’s how I always felt about Aaron Heilman. I thought the Mets never gave him a fair chance to start. They messed around with his arm angles and bounced him between starting and relieving. Sure, I ignored his career 5.93 ERA as a starter (small sample size) and focused upon his good work out of the bullpen in 2006 (regular season). While I believed in Heilman, it just never happened for him. I thought about this when I saw this:
Also, it's pretty clear Jon Niese can be had given where the Mets stand with their rotation. They like Montero as potential fifth starter.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 7, 2015
Seriously? When will the Mets irrational over confidence in Rafael Montero end? They may trade Jon Niese because Montero has the potential to be the fifth starter. This is the same team that thought Montero should start in 2014 while eventual Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom should be in the bullpen.
Montero wasn’t good in his initial call-up. He was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.600 WHIP in four starts. He was sent down and injured his oblique. He did come back up and pitched fairly well as a starter. Last year, Montero started in the bullpen. The Mets then sought to move him into the rotation to create a six man rotation to keep everyone fresh. Montero only lasted one start.
He went on the DL with right rotator cuff inflammation. He was transferred from the 15 day to the 60 day DL to make room for Michael Conforto. His rehab was rumored to be progressing slowly. He then had a set-back. His year was effectively over.
It’s not fair to call Montero a bust. It’s still too early in his career for that. It’s also too early to consider him injury prone even if he’s lost big chunks of time over the past two years. With that said, there is no way the Mets should have Montero as a definitive part of their 2015 plans.
It’s widely assumed the fifth starter spot is eventually going to Zack Wheeler. It’s also assumed Niese will hold the spot for at least the first half of the season. After that, he could become trade bait, continue his excellent work in the bullpen, or both. Niese could also be insurance against a starting pitcher getting injured or create a six man rotation to get the other starters some rest.
Montero could do the same, but why would you rely upon him doing that? He hasn’t proven that he can be relied upon. You can trade Niese for a good return. However, you don’t do that because you think Montero could fulfill his spot. He’s been too unreliable to justify that thought process. This front office has a blind spot for him that could’ve meant deGrom in the bullpen. The Mets should learn from this.
Instead, why don’t the Mets go and see how Aaron Heilman’s arm is?
With the Holiday season now officially upon us with the first night of Hannukah, it’s also the season for holiday parties. Whether it’s family or work, you’re going to be going to a party.
At times, you’re going to go to a fancy or black tie party. It’s at that point, you have a decision to make. For many, that means either renting a tux or finding their tux in the back of the closet and hoping it fits. There’s another decision that needs to be made at this time. Are you man enough to tie the bow tie yourself or are you like this:
Admittedly, tying a bow tie yourself the first time can be daunting and annoying. Really annoying. I first had to do it for a Kentucky Derby party for work. First time you’re going to do it, it’s not going to look good. However, like with anything else, the more you do it, the better you get. If you’ve never done it before, I think this is a good primer:
Trust me, there are many benefits to tying your own tie. First, you look like an adult. This is always a good thing. It’s doubly so at a work party when many people are embarrassing themselves getting drunk. Second, people are usually impressed with someone who can tie a bow tie. People equate the skill with Mr. Miyagi‘s abolity to catch flies with chopsticks. Lastly, you can actually untie it and take off your tie.
Oh, and one other thing. You can do a great Frank Cashen impersonation. If you’re a Mets fan that is always a good thing.
For the second straight year, my wife and I opted to take our son to Breakfast with Santa. It’s a much better option than waiting in line for the Mall Santa.
There is nothing enjoyable about the Mall Santa. You wait on a line while your child is going stir crazy and just wants to run around. While it seemingly takes everyone else forever, you feel it’s like Red Light-Green Light-123 when it’s your child’s turn. You throw your kid on a stranger’s lap and expect them to be happy and smile. You have a photo of a nervous or upset kid for $30-$40, and that’s if you go to the cheap mall without the Peanuts Ice Palace (it was Frozen).
Instead, the Breakfast with Santa is an event, a cheap one at that. Depending on where you are, it’s anywhere from $7 – $15 per person. That gets you crafts, coloring books, crayons, Santa hats, and a whole bunch of other swag. This year it included one of those Wendy’s Junior Frosty ticket pack. Last year, there was a DJ. This year was a magician. Both years had ballon animals.
You get to feast on French toast sticks (extremely underrated) or some other form of quick breakfast like pancakes or runny scrambled eggs. Kids can usually get chocolate milk or juice. Adults get coffee that makes K-cups seem strong. Doesn’t matter because it’s all worth it to see your child get excited when Santa enters the room.
For them it’s like a wrestler’s music coming on expectedly as the wrestler sprints to the ring. They go berserk. They love it. For kids, Santa is the biggest celebrity in the world. And he’s there to hang out with them. He’s there after they’ve had breakfast. He’s there after they were running around for a bit. There’s no rush to get to the next person.
Santa takes a little more time with each kid and one of his elves snaps a picture with your phone or camera if you want a family photo. Otherwise, you can take the picture yourself without rushing. Best part of it this year was the fact that my wife and I realized we’re better off buying one meal ticket and getting coffee for ourselves. This year our son’s picture with Santa cost $7.
I’m never visiting a Mall Santa again.
To me Hall of Fame voting gets frustrating because seemingly everyone has a different standard. Worse yet, they believe everyone should adopt that standard.
The first group are the “I know a Hall of Famer when I see him.” I simply don’t get this one because what you see isn’t what everyone else sees. Seriously, we live in a world where Aaron Sele received a vote for the Hall of Fame. When someone tells me Aaron Sele is a Hall of Famer due to the eye test I’m out.
The next is to compare players to the lowest common denominator. For example, there is a Hall of Fame catcher by the name of Rick Ferrell, who as far as I can tell, basically made the Hall of Fane because he caught a lot of games. Long story short, if he and his 29.8 career WAR is your standard, we’re not debating if Mike Piazza belongs in the Hall of Fame. Instead, we’re debating if Tim McCarver belongs in the Hall of Fame.
My favorite is the person who tries to compare players at different positions. Personally, I call this the Don Mattingly defense because that’s where I’ve heard it most often. I’ll hear something like Mattingly had 222 homers while Kirby Puckett only had 207. If Puckett gets in, why can’t Mattingly? The answer is simple having a Gold Glove CF who averages 19 homers is a lot more valuable than a Gold Glove first baseman that averages 20.
Personally, I have no hard set rule. I will say that when analyzing a player’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, I like to look towards what does the average Hall of Famer look like at that position. It’s not the end all and be all, but it’s a nice place to start. If after looking at that you’re short of that average threshold, there are other things I like to consider.
First is postseason success. If you’ve had real success in the postseason, you should get a bump. Every year, the goal is to win a World Series. If you consistently did something to help your team’s chances, you deserve credit for that.
The next is whether there was something truly great about you. Ozzie Smith wasn’t a great hitter, but he was amazing with the glove. On the flip side, Ryne Sandberg wasn’t a great fielder, but he hit the most ever homeruns by a second baseman when he retired. Being truly great at something and/or being the best ever at something should improve your Hall of Fame chances.
Lastly, I do look at stuff like steroids. I won’t play a guessing game on who did and who didn’t. However, if there’s concrete, actual evidence, I’m not voting for that person. No, I don’t mean a Murray Chase accusation, I’m talking about something that could be substantiated.
Overall, I get to cast my first IBWAA ballot this year, and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure over time I will learn some things and adapt. I will do a small write-up on whoever is on my ballot.