You should join with me in contemplating Andrew McCutcheon

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

RH hitter, spare outfielder. Injury insurance, DH, probably better than Ruf

[Benjamin Grimm]

36 years old. Free agent. .237/.316/.384 with the Brewers last year. Played 134 games. 580 plate appearances. 25 doubles, 17 homers, 66 runs, 69 RBI, 8 steals.



Very likely to be better than Ruf!

[kcmets]

Feels like we were gonna get Andrew the last decade or so so might

as well get it done. Better late than never?



There was another guy with an 'A' first name whose name escapes me.

Went on for seemingly fifteen off-seasons and never happened...

[Edgy MD]

I'm not sure I'm going to put my ducats on "very likely" to be better than Ruf. But likely? I'll take that.



Ruf probably ain't the guy we saw last season. But he probably ain't that much better. He could hit five homers in a week and then disappear into the same hole he fell into in August.



He's the same age as McCutcheon, though he probably has less mileage. I think McCutcheon's an upgrade, but I kind of like the Ruf fighting for his last bit of baseball and being pressed from behind. That's certainly not ideal, but I like it better than Ruf being bigfooted out of the picture by somebody who isn't much better but is more likely to last the full year.



A lot depends on the Mets' disposition toward Francisco Álvarez and his readiness, and they ain't talking.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I imagine that Alvarez will play somehow or other. Because he has to. I cant see Alvarez making the team just to play once or twice a week.

[Fman99]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: RH hitter, spare outfielder. Injury insurance, DH, probably better than Ruf

I scooped Wilmer + Cookie's litterbox this morning. Its contents were better than Darin Ruf.

[metsmarathon]

cutch... better than ruf was with the mets last year. worse than ruf was with the giants last year. better defender but still not good. brings veteran presence. is somehow two months younger.

[Edgy MD]

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=116614 time=1673537296 user_id=68]
I imagine that Alvarez will play somehow or other. Because he has to. I cant see Alvarez making the team just to play once or twice a week.

[roger_that]

Cutch is one of those guys like Strawberry or Mattingly who seemed HoF-bound in his 20s, and definitely not in his 30s. I play a little game sometimes, sorta crude game that really doesn't work (because artificial parameters), where I take a guy's stats in his 20s and double them, to see the sort of career I projected for him through his age-29 season. Cutch rates, by that metric, through 2016 doubled, with just over 2600 hits, 350 HR, a 138 OPS+, a GG, a MVP (and two close finishes)--not quite HoF-worthy, but not too far.



Since 2016, of course, he's OPS+ed 113 for five teams in six years, so it's completely OOTFQ now, but once upon a time....

[whippoorwill]

Been saying for years….pirates fans loved him. I loved him



If he can't be a Pirate, let him be a met

[whippoorwill]

I scooped Wilmer + Cookie's litterbox this morning. Its contents were better than Darin Ruf.

And lol!

[kcmets]

=kcmets post_id=116611 time=1673535572 user_id=53]
There was another guy with an 'A' first name whose name escapes me.

Went on for seemingly fifteen off-seasons and never happened...

[Benjamin Grimm]

Anthony Rendon?

Andruw Jones?

Al Oliver?

Alan Alda?

[metsmarathon]

Adam jones?

[MFS62]

=kcmets post_id=116611 time=1673535572 user_id=53]
Feels like we were gonna get Andrew the last decade or so so might

as well get it done. Better late than never?

Edited January 12, 2023 by Guest

[batmagadanleadoff]

Still can't figure out why they got rid of JD Davis. I remember reading all season long right up until they traded him how his batted balls were among the hardest hit in the majors. And that's about as good an indicator as anything out there.

[Edgy MD]

And they paid a premium for the honor.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=116662 time=1673569224 user_id=68]
Still can't figure out why they got rid of JD Davis. I remember reading all season long right up until they traded him how his batted balls were among the hardest hit in the majors. And that's about as good an indicator as anything out there.

[Lefty Specialist]

Cutch isn't nearly the player he once was but he'd slot in nicely to that RH DH/4th OF role.



I think they might want to let Alvarez sharpen up in AAA by playing every day for a little bit which is why they got Narvaez.

[Edgy MD]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: =batmagadanleadoff post_id=116662 time=1673569224 user_id=68] Still can't figure out why they got rid of JD Davis. I remember reading all season long right up until they traded him how his batted balls were among the hardest hit in the majors. And that's about as good an indicator as anything out there.

Billy got soaked in that trade. Davis didn't produce reliably enough for a team with the Mets' ambition but to throw in Szapucki and NICK ZWACK was a crime. Giants with those guys and Conforto now. That will be a series

[batmagadanleadoff]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Still can't figure out why they got rid of JD Davis. I remember reading all season long right up until they traded him how his batted balls were among the hardest hit in the majors. And that's about as good an indicator as anything out there. Billy got soaked in that trade. Davis didn't produce reliably enough for a team with the Mets' ambition....

That's a good way of putting it. One could forget that the Mets aren't fucking around anymore after 10+ seasons of being baseball's laughingstock. There's an entire generation of Mets fans who are young enough that, until about a year ago, knew no other Mets team firsthand besides the Madoff plagued one.

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, it seemed soaky enough at the time. By the end of the season, J.D. had produced 0.9 bWAR for the Giants....

That's 0.9 bWAR in just 158 PA's. That's pretty damn good. Davis's 140 OPS+ with the Giants last year was the best of Davis's career, though granted, it represents just a partial season. But still.

[G-Fafif]

I was on a Zoom call earlier this evening with Will Clark (which, admittedly, sounds a little Mad Libs-ish) in which he was asked, in his official special assistant capacity, to predict a breakout season for a 2023 Giant. His choice was J.D. Davis.



I also learned that whenever he was in New York on a road trip, Will made a point of dropping by the restaurant of his fellow Jesuit High School of New Orleans alumnus, Rusty Staub.

[Edgy MD]

That's good stuff. And when the Rusty Staub Foundation gets relaunched, as it ought, Clark should be on the board.

[G-Fafif]

Cutch a Buc again.



https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059

[kcmets]

I'm beginning to think he doesn't like us.

[Lefty Specialist]

i really don't want Darin Ruf to the the 4th OF on this team.

[Edgy MD]

If last year is any guide, the fourth outfielder may be Jeff McNeil, floating out there while a fifth infielder covers for him at second.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's too bad, but it's nice when a player returns to the team where he had his former glory.

[whippoorwill]

Cutch a Buc again. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059

Awesome!!

[MFS62]

Cutch a Buc again. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/01/13/pittsburgh-pirates-andrew-mccutchen-mlb-offseason-free-agency/stories/202301130059

So near, and yet so far.

sigh



Later