The two most versatile infield options are Ben Zobrist and Daniel Murphy. The Mets are rumored to be interested in Zobrist despite his declining production and his age. What’s surprising is the Mets aren’t even remotely linked to Howie Kendrick.
Like the other two players, Howie Kendrick is a former All Star second baseman. While he doesn’t have their versatility, he has played some outfield and firstbase. Unlike Murphy and Zobrist, he bats right handed. He’s expected to receive a similar contract to Murphy and Zobrist. He’s slated for a four year deal worth $52 million or $13 million per year. He also rejected a qualifying offer.
However, it is possible that Kendrick is the best secondbase option of the three players. Here’s how he compares to the other free agent second baseman:
Howie Kendrick
- 31 years old
- 10 year career
- Career .293/.333/.423
- 2015 .295/.336/.407
- UZR Average 3.13
- 2015 UZR -4.5
- Career WAR 28.6
- 2015 WAR 1.1
Daniel Murphy
- 30 years old
- 7 year career
- Career .288/.331/.424
- 2015 .281/.322/.449
- UZR Average -4.0
- 2015 UZR -1.3
- Career WAR 12.5
- 2015 WAR 1.4
Ben Zobrist
- 34 years old
- 10 year career
- Career .265/.355/.431 hitter
- 2015 .276/.359/.450
- UZR Average 3.3
- 2015 UZR -6.7
- Caree WAR 38.5
- 2015 WAR 1.2
From all of this, we can glean that Zobrist has had the best career, but he’s also the oldest. Murphy’s only real edge is that he’s done it in New York, which is a market where we’ve seen many good players faulter.
Like Murphy, Kendrick is in the prime of his career. Like Zobrist, Kendrick has shown himself to traditionally be a good second baseman. In 2014, his UZR was 6.7, and he hit .294/.347/.397. If that’s the player the Mets would be getting, he would clearly be the best option. However, after last year, you don’t know if Kendrick can still be that player.
There’s a case to be made for all three. Kendrick would be an interesting addition considering the Mets point go defense as a big reason why they lost the World Series. Unfortunately, it seems the Mets are only interested in Zobrist.
Whatever happens tonight, it’s been a good ride for Terry Collins. He’s shown his humanity. He kept the Mets together when all hope seemed lost around the All Star Break. He was the manager of a team that went to the World Series.
For all of this, he was rewarded with the two year contract extension he wanted. Also, he was named as a Manager of the Year finalist. After managing a rebuilding Mets team since 2011, he finally got a chance to manage a winner, and they won the National League.
He’s spent his life in baseball. He had some issues with the Astros and Angels teams. He had trouble adapting to the culture in Japan. However, he returned to what he did best – developing young talent as a minor league coordinator. Regardless of the GM you credit, Collins has a role in the development of most of this team first as the minor league coordinator and then as manager.
Given the run to the World Series, I’d say Collins was successful. He’s being recognized for that today, win or lose. Today’s not the day to point out his faults, it’s time to celebrate a man who has given his life to baseball. Baseball is a better sport for having people like Terry Collins in it.
Congratulations Terry Collins for receiving recognition for all you’ve accomplished and the positive imprint you have left on the game.
Sadly, Victor Cruz’s attempts to comeback from last season’s patella tendon injury has ended as he needs to have season ending calf surgery. Cruz sustained the latter injury while rehabbing his prior injury. It’s a cruel twist of fate.
Cruz has overcome so much. In high school, his father committed suicide. He has been dismissed from the UMass football team due to his grades. He was an undrafted rookie free agent. He made the Giants, but he had a season ending hamstring injury in his first season meaning he’d have to prove himself all over again.
He did. In 2011, he lead the Giants in receptions. He caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl. The next year he became a Pro Bowler. He’s been there for fans during times of tragedy. He’s always there when in need. He started the Victor Cruz Foundation to help children with education. He’s a role model. So what happens when he breaks down announcing he can’t return this year after working so hard to return:
At least Victor Cruz never missed a fashion show, talk show appearance or awards event in NYC.
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) November 16, 2015
Don't get me wrong, Cruz was a fine player, but he never missed a chance for attention. Neither does Matt Harvey.
— Chris Carlin (@ChrisCarlin) November 16, 2015
What does it have to do with anything?
Who said that it did? https://t.co/9klHwCrRXO
— Chris Carlin (@ChrisCarlin) November 16, 2015
Exactly. It’s just people kicking Cruz while he’s down. Also, is it a surprise to anyone that Matt Harvey‘s name was invoked? Not to me. He’s been the subject of gratuitous shots himself. Their crime? Being visible. They’re not at clubs. They’re not beating women. They’re just visible. Apparently, it gives people the right to negate all of their hard work and effort.
You know who’s been visible a lot lately? Noah Syndergaard.
If we’ve learned anything from Harvey, you’re not allowed to go to sporting events, especially Rangers games.
Seriously, one day Harvey and Cruz were Kings of New York. Then they got hurt, and everybody had something to say about them. If Thor gets hurt or sees a dip in performance, the wolves will come out. His comments during the World Series about being 60′ 6″ away will go from being tough to being a clown. Just watch.
I’m going to thank Cruz for his play with the Giants. I’m going to thank Harvey for his play with the Mets. I’m going to thank Syndergaard for his play with the Mets. I’m not going to change the narrative during a low point in their careers and/or lives.
I hope the Syndergaard backlash never happens. If it does, just remember what they had to say about a good guy like Victor Cruz.
Let me start off by saying, I’m not in favor of trading the Mets starting pitching. They’re still cheap, and they’re the main reason the Mets won the NL East and went to the World Series.
With that said, everyone wants at least one of the Mets young starters. It at least appears the Mets are shopping Zack Wheeler. There’s a lot of smoke surrounding the Mets moving Matt Harvey. It’s probably due to the double standards applied to him. It’s more likely that it involves him being arbitration eligible with the Mets having limited resources.
In any event, the Harvey rumors and trade suggestions are abound. At my cousin’s wedding on Saturday (congratulations Brian and Alison), my brother and I discussed the Mark Simon article regarding the proposed Harvey for Mookie Betts trade. My brother’s main objection to the idea of trading Harvey was his value will only increase next year. If we’ve seen anything with pitcher’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, it’s they are better in Year 2.
My brother is right in principle. You want to trade players at their peak value. Right now, that pitcher is Jacob deGrom. For much of the season, he was a Cy Young candidate. He was the story at the All Star Game. He had a terrific postseason. He’s not arbitration eligible until 2018, and he can’t be a free agent until 2021. His value may be at its absolute peak.
He will also be 28 years old next year making him the oldest Mets starting pitcher, at least the oldest amongst those who the Mets have control over past 2016. In some ways, he emerged as the staff ace rendering him untradeable. In other ways, it makes it the right time to trade him.
You don’t trade someone like Harvey who is still building up his trade value. You trade the player who you believe is at peak value. Again, while I don’t advocate trading a starting pitcher, we should at least identify the one who will bring back the most value and be at the most risk for regression.
That player is deGrom.
Last summer, the Mets understandably almost traded Zack Wheeler. They thought they were getting Carlos Gomez, an All Star Gold Glove CF with another year of control. They were trying to make a playoff run by trading an injured pitcher. Ironically, the deal fell apart due to Gomez’s, not Wheeler’s, medical records.
Once the trade was undone, it seemed like the Mets were primed to create an even deeper super rotation. The only thing that stands in that way is the amount of holes this Mets team has coupled with the financial constraints. The Mets have roughly $18 million in the budget to get a second baseman and a shortstop. Depending on your point of view, the Mets also need a centerfielder and a reliever. Good luck filling all of those needs with that little money.
If you want to do it, you’re going to have to make a trade or two. With the Mets unloading their best trade chips, they’re going to have to trade from their major league talent pool to improve their roster. Everyone wants the Mets young pitching. Perhaps the best way to do that would be to trade Wheeler. He’s still highly regarded, but he also wasn’t there for the run to the World Series. Only the Mets say they’re not shopping him.
That’s what they say. In actuality, they are shopping Wheeler around to teams. Here was Assistant GM John Ricco’s quote about the prospect of trading Wheeler:
We’re not actively shopping Zack by any stretch. But as with the other starters, if something came up that we thought would make us better, we’re going to talk about it.
***
If there’s a deal that we think really makes us better, I can’t say we would [trade Wheeler again].
Here’s the thing about these quotes: there have been no Wheeler trade rumors. None! This is a salvo from the Mets to let people know they Wheeler is there for the taking . . . again.
It’s a smart move. He’s probably at his peak value. People remember his terrific stuff. They just saw the Mets young pitching go to the World Series. Wheeler was good enough to fetch an All Star CF with a reasonable contract last year, and that was when Wheeler was at least a year away.
Wheeler hasn’t had a set back during his rehab. He hasn’t come back and faltered. Neither of these may happen, but they are certainly possibilities. It’s also important to remember that Wheeler has a wealth of talent, but he has only been an average pitcher.
With that said, it’s a good time to shop Wheeler to see if you can get even more than the All Star CF they were set to obtain. This was the first time Wheeler’s name has been mentioned by anyone as a trade candidate. You’ll probably start to hear it a lot more. The Mets put his name out there to field offers.
They should start coming in. That’s what happens when you shop a player around. That’s what the Mets started doing by saying they’d consider trading him.
No, no he didn’t. There’s absolutely zero proof in my or anyone else’s possession that Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson used steroids. To make such a claim would require pure speculation of specious or non-existent evidence. That’s the point. I can use the same arguments used against other players to construct a narrative that Henderson used steroids.
In 1980, Henderson has his first full season in the big leagues. From day one, he had the look of a Hall of Famer. He was an All Star and finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting. Keep in mind, as a young player in the early 80’s , Henderson looked like this:
Look at how slender he was. Of course he was. He was a leadoff hitter who started his career with single digit homers and tremendous stolen base numbers. He had a 130 stolen bases in 1982 while hitting just 10 homeruns. At that point, both were career highs.
Henderson would go to the Yankees and eventually return to the Athletics again. This time, however, he would be teammates with two of the most notorious steroid users in major league history: Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. He had a manager in Tony La Russa who actively looked the other way. It’s no wonder that in 1990, at the age of 31, he had a career high in homers at 28. He went from a 10 homerun guy to a 28 homerun guy. Because we didn’t know then what we know now, he won the MVP award that year.
Henderson would continue to be an effective everyday player until he was 40 years old. In his age 40 season, he played in 121 games hitting .315/.423/.466 with 12 homeruns and 37 stolen bases. Keep in mind, we know 40 year olds can never, ever be effective baseball players. Of course that season, Henderson looked like this:
Look at the increased muscle definition. He went from a guy who hit 9 homers to a guy who hit 28 homers. He is a guy that was an everyday player until he was 42. He played until he was 44. There is no other possible explanation for this other than he used steroids.
Why didn’t that prevent the voters from keeping him out of the Hall of Fame? Probably because this isn’t evidence. It’s pure speculation. Unfair speculation at that. Personally, I don’t think Henderson used steroids. I have no proof that he did. Any “proof” I have here is satire instead of evidence. The reason is because none of this prevented voters from electing him to the Hall of Fame.
However, this is what voters have been using to keep Jeff Bagwell and Mike Piazza out of the Hall of Fame. Both were contemporaries of Henderson with muscle definition, and yet they reserved the judgment for Piazza and Bagwell. It’s as inconsistent as it is unfair.
I’m in the school of keeping steroid players out of the Hall of Fame. However, I require proof that someone cheated. I’m not going to play a guessing game because if I did, I just as easily have used the same criteria to keep Rickey Henderson out of the Hall of Fame. Keep mind Henderson received 94.8% of the vote. That’s a very large percentage of people applying different standards.
For Hall of Fame voting, all I ask is you have a standard and apply it universally. There may be reasons to keep Bagwell and Piazza out of the Hall of Fame, but perceived steroids use isn’t one of them. It wasn’t sufficient to keep Henderson out of the Hall of Fame.
When discussing the 2016 Mets, I see many people referring to their Big 4. Now, I knew there was a Big 3, who were referred to as stud muffins by Tom Seaver. My question is who is the fourth member of this proverbial Big 4.
Let’s start with the obvious. It’s not Jon Niese. He’s the definition of an average pitcher. Also, even if he’s the fourth best pitcher, I’m assuming it’s not Jeurys Familia. I doubt a closer would be thrown in with a Big 4 starting pitching group.
No, the fourth member would be either Steven Matz or Zack Wheeler. I like both Matz and Wheeler, but they haven’t earned this distinction yet.
In his career, Wheeler is 18-16 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.339 WHIP, and an 8.5 K/9. His ERA+ is 100, which means he’s just an average pitcher. That should be no surprise given his other statistics. While this is nothing to sneeze at, it does not merit putting him in the same conversation as Harvey, Thor, and deGrom. This is before taking his return from Tommy John into account. Wheeler is a tremendous talent, but he’s not a part of a Big 4 yet.
The more obvious choice for the Big 4 is Matz because he was in the postseason rotation. The only thing I can say about Matz right now is we had no idea what he is. He was incredible in his first two starts before being shut down with a lat injury. He was average when he came back only to hurt his back sleeping on the sofa. When he returned he was only good through five innings in the postseason.
This isn’t a knock on him. He sat for long stretches which would challenge anyone’s effectiveness. The overall point is we don’t know what he is yet. He could very well reach the level of the stud muffins. He could also be nothing more than an average pitcher.
Long story, short, there’s no Big 4. There could be one. There could be a Big 5. There’s a number of possibilities. However, right now it’s just a Big 3.
You know who used to be awesome? Tim Lincecum. In 2008 and 2009, he won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. In 2010, he helped pitch the Giants to their first Workd Series title since they moved to San Francisco.
After 2010, things have not gone well for Lincecum. His ERAs have been over 4.00, he’s had injuries, and he hasn’t been able to stay in the rotation. He was in the bullpen for the 2012 title run. He had only one relief appearance in the entire 2014 postseason. Last year, his year ended early because he needed hip surgery. He’s now a free agent.
There’s a number of red flags. I look at that, and I see discount signs. It’s where you need to go if you truly have limited resources to improve in the offseason. You need to take what will hopefully be low cost, high reward signings. Ultimately, what the Mets would be looking for is the 2012 postseason version of Big Time Timmy Jim.
Somewhat surprisingly, Lincecum was in the bullpen making six appearances (one NLCS start). He had a 2.55 ERA, 0.792 WHIP, and a 10.2 K/9. He showed a glimpse of having the ability to be great in the bullpen. What he hasn’t shown is the ability to be durable or good enough to make 32 starts per year.
Long lost in baseball is the true long man. The player who could make a few appearances one week and make a start the next week. It’s something the Mets needed last year, and if they’re honest, they will want one next year with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard throwing more innings last year than they’ve thrown before in their careers.
With all the troubles he’s had recently, it might be good to convince Lincecum he needs a new start. Convince him he could use a one year contract to re-establish his value so he may become the next Dennis Eckersley or John Smoltz. With two Cy Youngs and three World Series rings, you’re selling him on his Hall of Fame chances. His best chance would be moving to the bullpen.
There’s one spot left in the bullpen. Why not offer it to Lincecum? It may seem Freaky, but it may be equally beneficial to all involved.
After we found out Daniel Murphy rejected the qualifying offer, there were many people saying good bye to Murphy. Others celebrated his departure. These were all premeditated even if Murphy’s return is unlikely:
For those wondering, was told contract extension talks with Murphy never became serious. Again, all signs point to him going elsewhere.
— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) November 14, 2015
Yes, it’s likely Murphy leaves, but it’s not definitive. Murphy could still sign with the Mets. This is one of many misconceptions out there:
Mets Are Better Without Murphy
I really don’t understand this one. I’m well aware of his faults. He’s not a good baserunner. He’s not good defensively at second. He doesn’t walk a lot, and he doesn’t have a lot of power.
Well he is a second baseman, and he is one of the top hitters at that position. He hit .281/.322/.449 last year. Amongst second basemen:
- Batting average ranked ninth in the majors and fourth in the NL.
- OBP ranked twelfth in the majors and fifth in the NL. He was
- Slugging ranked fourth in the majors and first in the NL.
He had the lowest strikeout rate in the majors. He’s making more and better contact. He’s clutch. Very clutch! Losing Murphy would be a big blow to the 2016 Mets, and that’s before you take into account if Dilson Herrera is ready or if David Wright can play everyday over 162 games.
The Money Can Be Better Allocated
This one is just wrong. With Murphy presumably gone, the Mets at least have issues to address in the middle infield. Some believe the Mets need another CF. Others want to get some more relievers. There’s also a group that wants to get an insurance option for Wright at third.
That’s a lot to add, especially for a team that only has about $18 million in their budget to resolve all of these problems. If you re-sign Murphy, you have at least address second base and the Wright insurance plan. With Murphy pegged to receive around $12 million annually, there is sufficient funds to add another reliever and/or a backup CF.
The only other free agent who can check these boxes is Ben Zobrist, who is a mistake signing waiting to happen. He’s 35 and in the midst of a three year decline. Last year, he was actually WORSE than Murphy defensively. I can’t believe the Mets will walk down this path again after signing a 35 year old Michael Cuddyer last year.
The Mets Have Better Internal Options
This is just ponderous. If you go the Wilmer Flores route, you’ve eliminated the Mets best possible shortstop option. Also, if you’re beating up Murphy for low OBP and the like, here’s Flores’ stats from last year: .263/.295/.408. He’s right handed and not even in the same league as Murphy as a hitter.
The other option is Dilson Herrera, who I think has a promising future. However, he’s still only 21. In limited major league duty over the past two years, he’s hit .215/.308/.383. Are we really confident he’s going to be handle the job next year? He will eventually, but this is a team that was just in the World Series. You should go with players who you know you can trust, not ones you hope can.
He’s a Net Negative
This is actually an oldie, but it is a good place for summation. Overall, for all of Murphy’s faults, he’s been a good guy that has performed well in New York. He was bounced all over the place, and he never complained. That’s important to have on any team, especially when it comes from a veteran.
More importantly, we should look at how he responded to the comment. He went on a homerun tear in the playoffs like we’ve never seen. Most people wilt under the bright lights of New York. He rose to the occasion.
Can you win a World Series with Murphy being the best player on your team? Probably not. However, as he showed this postseason, you’re probably not getting to the World Series without at least one Murphy in your team. Whoever signs Murphy is going to get a very good baseball player. A player who is versatile, hits well, and does not complain.
Until such a time as Murphy signs with another team, I’m not writing an obituary on his Mets career. I’m not saying good-bye yet. Instead, I’m holding out hope the Mets can push the misconceptions aside and re-sign Murphy.
I’ve always been a Francophile. Even though I’m Irish through and through, there is a very small, but important, piece of me that is French.
My great-grandfather was actually born in Paris. He would come to America and marry a woman who emigrated to America from Ireland. Their daughter, my Nana, would marry my grandfather. My grandfather was stationed in France during World War II. His uncle, nicknamed Fog, a member of the Fighting Irish 69th, was killed in action in World War I, and he was buried in France. He shares the same name as my grandfather, my father, my son, and I.
It’s the reason I took French in High School and won the French Award. It’s the reason I always wanted to travel to France. I wanted to visit Paris and Normandy and Giverny and Côte d’Azur. It’s why I’m so despondent today.
Terrorist attacks are designed to shake you to your core no matter where you are. I know I’m not the only person today that paused for a moment and remembered 9/11. I remembered that phone call from my Mom. I remember waiting to hear if my relatives in the NYPD, Con Ed, and who worked in lower Manhattan were alright. I got lucky because they were.
This is what people in France and around the world are feeling right now. They’re in my thoughts and prayers. They make me think of the people who lost their loved ones on 9/11 or other terrorist attacks. They make me think of Fog, who went to France never to return home again.
There are many men and women who will not be coming home agar due to the acts of terrorists. It’s important to remember they’ve won nothing. Tomorrow the people of France will awake free men and women. People like Fog fought and died to make sure of that.
However, tonight, well tonight is about grief, confusion, and anger. Those raw, powerful emotions I remember feeling fourteen years ago. Tomorrow begins the healing. I’m sure France will have their version of the Piazza homerun; an event that lets everyone escape and know it’s all going to be alright. Before all of that, we all mourn with France tonight.
Viva la France.