The running joke with Jeff Wilpon was what Nelson Doubleday had to say about him as he was selling away his ownership interest. For those who forgot, Doubleday said, “Jeff Wilpon said he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year. Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail.” (Bergen Record).
Well, the joke has officially stopped being funny.
Wilpon was worse than anyone could’ve imagined. Really, who would’ve thought forcing an injured Pedro Martinez to pitch against doctor and manager advice wasn’t the worst thing he’s done. Imagine firing Willie Randolph in the middle of the night after the first game of a West coast trip wasn’t the most embarrassing.
No, Jeff Wilpon has done far worse. He was nothing short of a monster who was enabled by his father, Bud Selig, and Rob Manfred.
Jeff Wilpon was alleged to have tied the ability of a pregnant woman to receive a bonus with her ability to get married. He was also alleged to have said, “I am as morally opposed to putting an e-cigarette sign in my ballpark as I am to Leigh having this baby without being married.”
When she complained to Human Resources, she was advised to quit. Those HR complaints eventually led to a firing and a lawsuit.
When Jose Reyes was cut by the Colorado Rockies after his assaulting his wife leading to his arrest and her going to the hospital, the Mets brought him back. Not just that, Reyes’ family was put on display as Reyes played in a game with the Brooklyn Cyclones as he got himself into game shape.
Even with Reyes performing poorly, he wasn’t cut. In fact, Reyes would get a raise when he hit free agency. In his final year, Reyes was nominated for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award.
Jeff Wilpon could attempt to explain these away. He can’t explain away or defend what happened with Mickey Callaway. That one is directly on him, and it exhibits who he is as a human being.
As reported by Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, at the time he was hired by the Mets, Callaway’s harassment of female reporters was “the worst kept secret in baseball.”
Now, this is the Wilpon run Mets, and they weren’t exactly known for their thoroughness or even competence. Really, you can believe the Mets had no idea about Callaway’s behavior as they rushed through the process of hiring him after one interview.
From what we learned about the Jared Porter incident, it at least appeared there was a cover-up by the Chicago Cubs organization. However, by his own admission, Sandy Alderson didn’t reach out to speak to any women before hiring Porter.
Now, we have a second issue with a person Alderson hired. As reported by Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, former Mets manager Mickey Callaway was a serial and unrepentant sexual harasser of reporters.
Unlike with Porter, Callaway’s disturbing behavior was “the worst kept secret in baseball.” That’s an important point here.
Yes, it needs to be noted Callaway’s first year with the Mets coincided with Alderson’s last. It must also be noted Callaway’s abuse of female reporters while he was acting as the Mets manager was reported to the Mets after Alderson officially left the organization.
Still, it would at least seem as if this should have been something which could’ve been discovered. It’s very possible, like with Porter, the background checks were quite lacking. It’s also possible the Mets simply didn’t care.
Really, it’s clear baseball didn’t care. The Cleveland Indians didn’t care as they kept him on as pitching coach and recommended him for managerial jobs. The Philadelphia Phillies didn’t care as they aggressively pursued him. Apparently, the Mets didn’t care either.
The same can be said for Joe Maddon and the Los Angeles Angels who rushed to hire him as pitching coach.
Right now, at least as the Mets are currently concerned, this is about Sandy Alderson. Alderson has now twice missed egregious behavior.
Now, as we saw with Porter, it’s at least feasible to believe he could have missed that as it was a cover-up. However, on that note, Alderson revealed the country of origin of the reporter despite the great lengths taken by all to conceal it to protect the victim.
We also know who Alderson’s boss was. Jeff Wilpon fired an unwed pregnant woman. He held out Jose Reyes as a role model. He was also aware of what Callaway did in his capacity as Mets manager, and not only did he retain Callaway, but he also was Callaway’s biggest supporter.
It’s eminently possible the Mets found this out at the interview stage and didn’t care. It’s also possible when Callaway “lit up the room,” the Mets jumped the gun before they could do a full vetting.
There’s a lot of things which are plausible explanations which fully exonerate Alderson missing sexual harassment from two of his highest profile hires. However, you look at it, Alderson missed it both times.
Keep in mind, that’s what we know. There may be more in the past, and for all we know, there may be people currently in the organization with similar transgressions. We don’t know, and based on what we’ve seen from the vetting process under Alderson, he may not have known either.
Whatever the case, this happened twice, and that’s twice too many. It’s unfair to call for Alderson’s job right now. However, it is not only fair, but it is absolutely necessary Alderson answer internally and publicly for how he missed this twice.
He also needs to answer for how he’s going to review the current front office as well as how he can ensure this never happens under his watch again.
For some reason, the Miami Marlins made the decision to designate Jordan Yamamoto for assignment. That created the avenue for a New York Mets team looking to build organizational pitching depth to make a trade to acquire the promising pitcher.
Yamamoto doesn’t throw hard at all, but his topping out in the very low 90s hasn’t stopped him from racking up big strikeout numbers. In his brief MLB career, he has a 9.5 K/9, and in Double-A, he has the same number.
Statcast had Jordan Yamamoto throwing 6 different pitches last year. So that's something. pic.twitter.com/mYnq43KAch
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) February 1, 2021
Yamamoto accomplishes this in a number of ways. First, he uses an array of pitches he mixes up to keep batters off balance. Next, he had good spin on his pitches. Finally, he hides the ball well.
Jordan Yamamoto is still only 24, but is coming off a year where results were bad (18.26 ERA) and velocity was down.
He was much better in 2019 with a 4.23 xERA.
Slider was a good pitch for him in 2019 (.167 SLG), and here's a nasty one with 3036 spin rate. pic.twitter.com/DZ5fblNgAy
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) February 1, 2021
As noted, Yamamoto’s biggest weapon is his slider. The spin is off the charts, and he gets a swing and miss over 25% of the time.
Thats the bright side. The downside is at the Major League level, Yamamoto has had some control issues walking 4.3 per nine. That makes him a project.
Fortunately, he’s still young at 24, and he has an option remaining. That gives him development time.
If he’s ironed out the walks in the offseason, he could compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation or bullpen. If he doesn’t, he can work down in Syracuse. That leaves him at the ready in case of injury or ineffectiveness.
If Yamamoto doesn’t figure it out, no harm, no foul. If he does, he could be a modern day Rick Reed. He certainly has the array of pitches and deception. The question is whether he can develop the control and moxy Reed had.
Time will tell. Fortunately, the Mets have the time and suddenly the depth to see what Yamamoto can be. In the end, that’s what makes him a great pick up.
After Felix Hernandez ended his storied Seattle Mariners career, he signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves with the hopes of extending his career. Based on what we saw in Spring Training, coupled with injuries, it appeared King Felix was going to pitch one more season.
And then the pandemic hit.
Hernandez then opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns. Instead of retiring, the 34 year old one time ace is looking to pitch in 2021. At one point, it seemed teams were interested, but so far, nothing has materialized.
There is some good reason for that. After all, Hernandez hasn’t been an at least league average pitcher since 2016. Looking at his ERA+, he’s in the midst of a six year decline, and he didn’t even pitch last year.
It should also be noted Hernandez’s 2019 was not good. In 15 starts, he was 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA, 1.535 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, and a 7.2 K/9. Arguably, after that season, Hernandez should’ve retired.
It could be argued his struggles were related to a right shoulder strain. It could be age. Likely, it’s a combination of the two.
That said, as noted above, Hernandez was throwing well and making a case to make the Braves Opening Day roster. As seen on Baseball Savant, his change always had excellent movement. He could also benefit somewhat from getting away from a poor defensive Mariners team whose -112 DRS since 2016 is the fourth worst in the American League.
A year away from the rigors of pitching every fifth day may also help. If he was dealing with shoulder and arm issues, he’s had rest. He’s as fresh as he’s been, and he’s again looking for an opportunity to pitch.
Now, the high side of what Hernandez could be is what Bartolo Colon gave the Mets. That’s a guy who can take the ball every fifth day and give you at least five innings. He could provide veteran leadership. There’s value in that.
The obvious counter-argument is Hernandez may not be able to be that. The years and injuries might’ve just taken their toll.
When Hernandez was willing to accept a minor league deal with $1 million if he makes the MLB roster, it’s worthwhile to find out what he could be. If he’s got nothing, cut him, and congratulate him on his career. If he has something, you got a risk free pitcher who you can ride for as long as he can handle it.
After the Steven Matz trade, that should be enticing to the Mets. They need to find a way to bridge the gap until Noah Syndergaard returns from Tommy John.
Joey Lucchesi is effectively a two pitch pitcher who probably belongs in the bullpen. David Peterson is coming off a year with a 1.67 K/BB and poor velocity and spin rates. Relying on both is making a plan to fail.
The Mets should be bringing in competition for these two. Hernandez on a minor league deal makes sense. Really, any player on a minor league deal makes sense.
Overall, Hernandez may have something left in the tank as he looks to pitch for the postseason for the first time in his career. It may behoove the Mets to take a flyer just to see what he still has.
Imagine this situation.
Your seven year old doesn’t just love hockey. He lives and breathes it. He practices and practices, and he gets so good, he gets an incredible opportunity.
Despite being a younger seven year old, he gets called up to play a Squirt game. There’s this little boy on the ice with 10 year olds. They just tower over him.
Undaunted, he steals the puck, goes the length of the ice. Despite getting knocked down by a larger kid, he gets the shot off, and he scores. He’s beyond excited, and just like he’s done since his first ever game, he looks to the crowd to look for his family cheering and giving him a thumbs up.
Except, they’re not there. Instead, it’s 19 degrees outside, and dad is sitting in a car desperately trying to get WiFi so he can watch this game.
Now, imagine finding out in another part of the state, parents were huddled together getting to watch their children on the ice. They got to see their children skating, but your child didn’t get to see his smiling and cheering family because of what now appears to be a completely arbitrary and capricious decision.
Well, that was my Sunday.
How is this allowed, but parents can’t watch their kids play hockey? This is the American Dream mall in NJ. Logic please? @GovMurphy @GunaRockYa @NJDeptofHealth @AlyanaAlfaro @kurtsiegelin @dracioppi @AAHAGlenn @NJYHL @MurryGunty @AtlanticDistr @NewsFallon @ActualAlexZ @mbzhad pic.twitter.com/WG4lKySXfR
— Ogie Ogelthorpe (@NopeyaDope) January 30, 2021
In that boondoggle that is the American Dream mall, parents were permitted to stand and watch their children skate. However, if that was a hockey game, they would’ve been cleared out because no spectators are permitted for youth hockey games.
Those people are masked, and the groups appear six feet apart. According to every COVID protocol we know, there’s nothing wrong with that. As hockey parents, that’s all we want.
But, we can’t. Believe it or not, we’re not even permitted to attend outdoor games. For some reason, that’s also not allowed.
Over the course of this season, kids have scored goals or made great saves. They’ve fallen and gotten hurt. They’ve had big wins and tough losses.
When those kids needed a reassuring face or a hug, there’s no one there. They just need to hope the WiFi was working so you could see the moment, and/or know they have to now try to convince someone at the arena they need to be allowed to enter.
Again, if this was an open skate or a skating lesson in a mall, this wouldn’t be an issue.
All hockey parents want is to see their children play. They’re happy and willing to do the temperature checks, fill out the waivers, wear as many masks as required, and stay as far away from everyone else as is required.
If it’s alright for a mall, it should be alright for a rink who has far less traffic and is better able to sanitize between games and events.
This isn’t pretending there isn’t a pandemic. It’s also not pretending there isn’t a need for safety measures. Making those counter-arguments purposefully misses the point.
Rather, this is about fairness. It’s about families and children.
So long as social distancing measures can be accomplished in an arena, and it can by marking off seats six feet apart like they do in restaurants where people eat unmasked, at least one parent per child should be permitted inside to watch their child play a game.
Really, this isn’t too much to ask.
We want to be there to celebrate. We don’t want to miss seeing them do what they love more than anything. Mostly, we want to be there to give them a hug to celebrate or to let them know it’s going to be alright.
Sadly, we can’t do that. Instead, we sit in idling cars in freezing temperatures hoping to get a glimpse. We hope not to miss anything, and we hope some day, someone will not punish our children and families because our kids are playing hockey.
Until then, we will all do what we need to do to permit our children to be able to play just like we’ve done all year. We’ll wait until we’re treated the same as that person eating in a restaurant, shopping in a crowded mall, or watching their child participate in a non-hockey ice event.
Entering this offseason, the New York Mets have discussed building depth, but to date, they haven’t quite accomplished it. Surveying the remaining free agents, Asdrubal Cabrera stands out.
As we remember, Cabrera and his family loved being part of the Mets. There was an opportunity for him to return, but Brodie Van Wagenen botched it. Fortunately, Van Wagenen is gone and can no longer screw things up for the Mets.
Since leaving the Mets, Cabrera has been a 98 OPS+ hitter. While below average, he was still the clutch hitter we remember. Case-in-point, Cabrera hit .323/.404/.565 in 38 games with the Washington Nationals helping them claim a Wild Card spot.
While we saw he wasn’t a shortstop anymore, he did provide a capable glove elsewhere, and he’s been quite versatile.
Since 2018, Cabrera has been a 5 OAA at second, 8 OAA at third, and a 0 OAA at first. It should be noted DRS paints a significantly different picture. Melding the two and taking other defensive metrics into account, Cabrera can capably fill-in across the infield.
Remember, at this point in his career, Cabrera is a utility player. As such, on a game-in and game-out basis, he just needs to establish he can give the other infielders a rest of be able to enter on a double switch.
With respect to Cabrera being a depth option, he’s been a good pinch hitter in his career. As compiled by Baseball Reference:
Looking at Cabrera’s ability to come off the bench, you see he could be a very useful player. He can certainly give you a full game at first, second, and third, and in a pinch, he can be thrown in at short.
He’s an effective pinch hitter who is also a switch hitter. That’s important for this Mets team. While we see most of the starting lineup is left-handed, much of the bench is right-handed. Cabrera offsets both.
Now, at 35, he’s not likely going to get a Major League deal from anyone. That actually inures to the Mets benefit as their roster is full with the team still needing at least a third baseman and center fielder.
On a smaller note, signing Cabrera would free up Luis Guillorme to start at second. At the moment, Guillorme is partially relegated to the bench because of his ability to play across the infield. Adding Cabrera could allow Guillorme to slot in just at second.
Overall, Cabrera was a popular and clutch Met. He has the ability to play multiple positions. Cabrera can still hit. For a Mets team looking to upgrade their depth, Cabrera certainly checks all the boxes, which is why the team should push to bring him back.
There are reasons to not obtain Nolan Arenado. There’s the contract and maybe some concern about the shoulder. Mostly, it was a no trade clause allowing Arenado to pick his next destination.
Taking all that into account, you can understand why Arenado wasn’t going to become a New York Met. However, seeing the trade, you do have to question where exactly the Mets were in the trade discussions.
Really, not only did the Rockies kick in $50 million for the future Hall of Famer, but they also got an extremely underwhelming prospect return:
lol good one Ken! but seriously what are the actual names https://t.co/sNf0K7udUO
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) January 30, 2021
Even with Brodie Van Wagenen doing all he can to destroy the farm system through his sheer incompetence, the Mets easily could’ve beaten that package. That goes double when you consider the Mets had some Major League pieces which they could’ve included.
It’s very possible Arenado didn’t want to play in New York. He certainly wouldn’t be the first, and he won’t be the last. However, on that note, there have been others to think that only to come to New York and absolutely love it.
You would at least hope if the Mets had the opportunity to speak to Arenado, they could’ve sold him on the idea. Maybe they did, and he wasn’t persuaded.
However, unlike Ken Griffey, Jr., this doesn’t quite seem to be the case as the Mets weren’t among the purported final teams pushing to obtain Arenado. It does seem like whatever the reason, the Mets were not pushing for the superstar.
Whatever the reason, the Mets need a third baseman. If the Mets get Kris Bryant or sign Justin Turner, then the Mets missing out on Arenado isn’t a big deal. That said, if the Mets don’t eventually fill this massive hole at third base, they will have to answer questions how they couldn’t beat that dreadful package from the Cardinals.
For now, the Mets, who have so far had an incredible offseason, deserve the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully, we won’t have to revisit this at any point before, during, or after the 2021 season.
Former New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy has announced his retirement after 12 years. For seven of those years, he established himself as a Mets great.
When talking about Murphy’s career, first and foremost is the 2015 postseason. That postseason was not only the highlight of his career, it was also the greatest postseason performance we’ve ever seen from a Mets player with him becoming the first ever player to homer in six straight postseason games:
Part of that run was arguably the greatest game a Mets player has ever had. In Game 5 of the NLDS, Murphy went from first to third on a walk allowing him to score on a sacrifice fly, and he’d hit what proved to be a series winning homer off Zack Greinke.
Lost in that great run was the pitchers Murphy homered against. He wasn’t beating relievers or fifth starters. No, he was dominating Cy Young and postseason greats winners like Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, and Jon Lester.
That was the start of Murphy raising his game to become an All-Star MVP caliber player. Of course, that would come against the Mets in a decision Sandy Alderson admitted was a mistake.
You know Daniel Murphy homered in a record six straight postseason games, but did you know Murphy reached base safely in nearly every postseason game he played (24 of 25, 96%)? That's the highest percentage among the nearly 800 #MLB players that batted in 15 or more PS games.
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) January 29, 2021
While we focus on those years, Murphy was more than that. He was a 2014 All-Star. He was a rookie who helped keep the 2008 Mets alive. He was the first LF in Citi Field history, and he’d be the first Mets player to lead the team in homers in a season at Citi Field.
He’s third all-time in Mets history in doubles. He’s one of only three Mets second basemen to be an All-Star. He’s the only homegrown Mets second baseman to make multiple All-Star teams.
By WAR, he’s the second best Mets second baseman in team history. He’s the fourth best middle infielder. By what we saw in 2008 and 2015, he’s arguably the most clutch player in Mets history.
Now, he’s not just a former Met, he’s a former MLB player. He can now take time to spend with his family. As we found out in 2014, that was his priority as he missed the early part of the season to be with his wife who just gave birth to their first child.
On a personal note, I not only appreciated Murphy for his play on the field, but his kindness to me. When he found out my wife was pregnant, both he and Justin Turner helped get a Mets onsie autographed for my son. He also gave me a ball from Citi Field to teach my son how to post baseball.
In the end, congratulations on a remarkable career, Daniel Murphy. You gave us a great ride in 2015, and you gave us Mets fans plenty of moments we’ll never forget.
The New York Mets had one opening in their bullpen, and they were ideally looking for a left-handed reliever. When their pursuit of Brad Hand failed, the Mets moved towards more of a LOOGY in Aaron Loup.
The good is Loup is good against left-handed hitters. For his career, Loup has limited them to a .232/.301/.319 batting line. That was partially fueled by an outstanding 2020 where Loup limited them to .212/.278/.303.
Really, 2020 was an outstanding season for Loup. In 24 appearances, he was 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.840 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9, and a 7.9 K/9. In many ways, including ERA+, it was the best year of Loup’s career.
When you have a 33 year old starter having a career year, you do have to question the ability to repeat that year. That goes double when it happened in a shortened season. When looking at the numbers, it appears very dubious Loup can be as good in 2021 as he was in 2020.
First and foremost, his .219 BABIP is likely due for a significant regression. That goes double when you consider he has a .304 career mark, and he’s leaving the Tampa Bay Rays, who are the best at aligning defenses.
There’s also his Baseball Savant data. He pitched to contact with very low velocity and spin. Looking at it, you may question just how he got away with it all year. The answer is deception.
With the addition of left-handed reliever Aaron Loup, the Mets 40-man roster is now at 39. pic.twitter.com/W5Ka9oMoiW
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) January 27, 2021
Now, deception like that will always play. However, it usually plays one way. That’s the way it’s proved out in MOST of Loup’s career.
While he’s kept left-handed hitters at bay, right-handed hitters have teed off on him to the tune of a .264/.332/.424 batting line. That was completely different in 2020 with Loup getting the better of right-handed hitters.
In fact, Loup dominated them and was better against them than lefties. Right-handed batters only mustered a .192/.246/.423 batting line off of him.
This was a complete outlier. Over the Sox years previous to 2020, right-handed batters OPS against Loup ranged from .721 to .925. If Loup returns to those levels, and given his BABIP, he very well might, that’s problematic.
Remember, the days of the LOOGY are gone. All relievers must pitch to at least three batters. There are some exceptions like retiring the last batter of an inning. That said, most often Loup will be called upon to face at least three batters.
For Loup to be a useful and effective reliever, he needs to be able to repeat his 2020. That’s highly debatable. You are also left to wonder if Steven Matz could’ve better fit this role before the trade. On that note, Joey Lucchesi, who is now a starter, or another free agent reliever could’ve better fit this role.
There’s also the matter of why do you even need a LOOGY. Again, the rules are set to make a LOOGY a thing of the past. You do have to wonder if Trevor Rosenthal, a pitcher with good splits against left-handed hitters, would’ve been a better investment.
On that note, we should take into account, Loup was a backup option, and it’s just a one year deal. Maybe he repeats his 2020 breakout, and maybe he regresses to career norms. For a one year deal, it’s worth a shot even if there were better ways to address this spot in the bullpen.
So, in the end, this wasn’t a great move by the Mets. By the same token, it’d be a stretch to call it a bad one. The Mets probably should’ve done better here, but if Loup is good again, then the Mets did extremely well.
One of the things the New York Mets said they were prioritizing depth. That included starting pitching depth. When the Mets traded Steven Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays, they undid some of that.
Yes, we all know Matz had a maddening Mets career. While many expected a breakout in 2020 following a very good second half in 2019, it didn’t materialize. Honestly, we’ll never quite know how much of that was related to the truly bizarre nature of that season.
Regardless, Matz was needed depth. He also has shown himself to be better than the Mets other SP options.
As noted, Joey Lucchesi is really a two pitch pitcher who may belong in the bullpen. Also, David Peterson had extremely suspect peripherals indicating he needs more development time before he can truly be counted on as a fifth starter.
This shouldn’t be read to mean Matz was absolutely reliable or a sure thing. We know that’s not true. However, that’s double true for Lucchesi and Peterson. In these instances, there’s strength in numbers. It’s better to look for 1-2 of three to emerge than need two questionable pieces to pitch well.
That also moves pitchers like Franklyn Kilome, Corey Oswalt, and Jerad Eickhoff up the depth chart and much closer to pitching games for the Mets. The Mets didn’t want them starting games for the Mets in 2021, and now, they’re closer to doing so.
Obviously, the Mets could sign someone to ameliorate this. The problem on that front is it’s difficult to imagine getting a better pitcher with more upside for less than Matz’s $5.2 million. This is also contingent on the Mets actually getting that pitcher or pitchers.
If this was a move to clear payroll for a Trevor Bauer, you should question why Matz’s contract NEEDED to be moved. You also have to question if Bauer is really worth losing at least one of Michael Conforto, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Stroman, or Noah Syndergaard.
If this was about depth, it makes less sense as the Mets acquired what are really three right-handed relief prospects. Drawing your attention back to the summer of 2017, identifying right-handed relief prospects really isn’t Sandy Alderson’s strong suit.
Love or hate Matz, he was real depth. His work with Phil Regan could’ve paid off, and he could’ve been good. He might’ve emerged as a left-handed reliever in the bullpen.
Instead, the Mets opted to eschew starting pitching depth, put more reliance on unproven pitchers, and rely on Alderson to do what he does worst (trading for RHP relief prospects). Maybe this works out, but looking at the complete picture, this trade was a mistake.