Go Get Abreu

[Centerfield]

If you're not going to get Manny.

They say he is willing to take a one-year deal. He could probably be had for under $10 million (well under depending on what you read) and still posts an OPS in the mid-800's. He's left-handed, but hits lefties well.

[Fman99]

ESPN saying the Angels are trying to get him on a one year deal.

[Benjamin Grimm]

According to reports I've seen, the Mets say they'll only sign him if he can be had for $4 million or less.

I don't like hearing that kind of stuff, and hope it's not true.

[metirish]

Rosenthal says a deal is "close" with the Angels.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Freddie Coupon's back.

[HahnSolo]

A couple questions for the group:

1. If the Mets signed him, how does that affect the rest of the lineup? He's the everyday RF, do Tatis and Church platoon in LF, or is Church the everyday LF? Can Church play LF? Does this send Murph back to the minors, or do we give him a shot at 2B? This is one of those situations that I would like, giving us a lot of options at different spots, but it seems the Mets are hesitant to do it.

2. This might come across as simplistic, and generate a lot of "it's not his fault" responses, but is there anything to make of the fact that the first two full seasons after he is traded the Phillies make the playoffs for the first time in forever, and in his second full year in NY, the Yanks don't make the playoffs for the first time in forever? Is he a great numbers, bad chemistry guy? I don't know many Phillie or Yankee fans who is totally broken up over him leaving their team.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think they'd be more upset about his leaving if he had been part of a championship team, but he wasn't. I don't suspect it's his fault at all. The Phillies are a better team than they were a few years ago, but I don't think it's because of Abreu's absence.

If the Mets signed Abreu I'd expect a five-man outfield of Church, Beltran, Abreu, Tatis, and either Reed or Murphy. You'd be able to mix and match depending on the opposing pitcher and who's hot and/or healthy at any given time.

The one drawback to that that I see would be if Murphy ends up not getting much playing time. At this stage of his career I'd like to see him get his at-bats in so he can continue to develop. Ideally he'd get at least 300 to 400 plate appearances in 2009. Better to have them in New York, but if necessary some of them can be in Buffalo.

[nymr83]

]Freddie Coupon's back.

Must be a real shitty coupon to still have one of the top payrolls in the sport, does he get $1 off every million spent?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Not for nothing, but Bobby Abreu can bite my nutbag.

Yeah, I know it goes against what I oughta be thinking, and that stats tell me otherwise, but this guy is a total loser. I hate watching him play the outfield, he's old and getting fat, the yankees and the Phillies have both let him walk for peanuts and don't seem to be appreciably worse off, and the Mets don't need any more guys who make them look bad.

(edit-- I hadn't even seen Hahn Solo's questions when I wrote this -- no, I don't think he'd fit into our lineup and yes, I think he's a loser)

Edited February 11, 2009 by Guest

[Guest Edgy DC]

1a) He bats in the middle of the lineup, somewhere between four and six, and maybe bumps Beltran to second, satisfying the Beltran-to-second lobby.

1b) Yes, Church is the everyday LF.

1c) Yes.

1d) Yes, and hopefully he sees time at second there to make it worth his while.

2a) There's something to make of that, but I wouldn't drive yourself crazy. Playoff appearances happen and don't happen for all kinds of complex and interweaving reasons.

2b) Maybe, more so that Sheffield?

2c) Are Yankee fans ever broken up about who leaves their team? They whined retroactively about Wells when Clemens didn't pitch any no-hitters in his first six weeks, but that's the best I've got.

[Guest sharpie]

Yankee fans whined about Andy Pettitte going to the 'Stros.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, you may have me there.

[batmagadanleadoff]

="Nymr83"] ]Freddie Coupon's back. Must be a real shitty coupon to still have one of the top payrolls in the sport, does he get $1 off every million spent?

I'm not sure I understand your post so I'll clarify mine. I believe that it's unlikely that Abreu won't do better than one year at $4M. Of course, this is only opinion and as such, the possibility does exist that Abreu can be had for $4M. (And at $4M, Abreu really would get had).

But on the basis that a $4M deal is all fantasy and no reality, why doesn't Wilpon simply announce that he's not interested in Abreu?

[nymr83]

I don't love Abreu but he's fine, yeah he's getting fat, yeah he's getting old, but with the $$$ the Mets have i don't think you can ever really go wrong with a 1-year deal. getting stuck with Castillo for 4 years sucks, getting a repeat of Alou '08 with Abreu '09 would be a worst case scenario and not too big a problem going forward.

also, i'd bat him 2nd with that OBP, Wright 3rd, Beltran 4th, Church/Delgado 5th/6th depending on which Delgado shows up.

he's not at all ideal because the Mets could use a Righty not a lefty, but you'd face the same problem with Dunn, Griffey, or pretty much every other outfield bat that is still available except for Manny Ramirez

[smg58]

Orlando Hudson had a 108 OPS+ relative to Abreu's 120, but the difference in defense between Hudson at second + Murphy in left relative to Abreu in the outfield + Murphy or Castillo at second would more than make up for it. Abreu's defensive metrics are as ugly as Dunn's, and between the two I'd rather have Dunn in the lineup.

[nymr83]

]But on the basis that a $4M deal is all fantasy and no reality, why doesn't Wilpon simply announce that he's not interested in Abreu?

Why should Wilpon (or any other gm/owner) announce his intentions with regard to personnel moves?

[batmagadanleadoff]

="Nymr83"] ]But on the basis that a $4M deal is all fantasy and no reality, why doesn't Wilpon simply announce that he's not interested in Abreu? Why should Wilpon (or any other gm/owner) announce his intentions with regard to personnel moves?

I didn't literally expect Fred to telegraph his super duper secret war plans to the public. That's why I wrote my original post flippantly. (Freddie Coupon's back). I thought we were all smug Met elitists smart enough to see through all the bullshit.

Is this any diffeent than criticizing Castillo even though Met management's public stance is that the team is fine at second base?

[nymr83]

Met Management's official position should be that they're fine at 2nd and everywhere else, but that shouldnt stop the fans from saying otherwise.

Your post seemed like a serious (and in my opinion, unwarranted) jab at Wilpon's payroll

[batmagadanleadoff]

="Nymr83":3ag6hx9v]Met Management's official position should be that they're fine at 2nd and everywhere else, but that shouldnt stop the fans from saying otherwise.[/quote:3ag6hx9v] Didn't I just say the same thing? ="Nymr83":3ag6hx9v]Your post seemed like a serious (and in my opinion, unwarranted) jab at Wilpon's payroll[/quote:3ag6hx9v] Oooooooooooooh! A serious jab. Even after I clarified? metsmarathon Feb 11 2009 08:57 AM abreu reportedly signs[/url:3esa5z9t] with the angels, $5M + incentives, per mlb. Nymr83 Feb 11 2009 09:11 AM ]Even after I clarified? No, but by then I had already commented HahnSolo Feb 11 2009 09:14 AM So who is your DH, Vlad or Abreu? smg58 Feb 11 2009 12:41 PM And Milton Bradley got three and 30? What a strange offseason. As long as Vlad's knee is OK, Abreu shouldn't see the outfield. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 11 2009 02:12 PM So does that mean that Anaheim's going four-wide and playing a beer league OF? Does Abreu play short center? After last year's injury travails in the OF, 2B and C, it would be nice to have solidified or improved, you know, ONE of those everyday positions. (The truly weird thing? We're hoping for no/minimized regression-to-the-mean to cover one of those cases-- Tatis/Murph-- and banking on DEFINITE regression-to-the-mean-- at least-- with Ol' Man Castillo.) MFS62 Feb 11 2009 02:16 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStronge":1xa7r3li]So does that mean that Anaheim's going four-wide and playing a beer league OF? Does Abreu play short center? After last year's injury travails in the OF, 2B and C, it would be nice to have solidified or improved, you know, ONE of those everyday positions. (The truly weird thing? We're hoping for no/minimized regression-to-the-mean to cover one of those cases-- Tatis/Murph-- and banking on DEFINITE regression-to-the-mean-- at least-- with Ol' Man Castillo.)[/quote:1xa7r3li] Haven't seen you around here before. Welcome aBordick. Later LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 11 2009 02:26 PM First-time, long-time. Glad to meet'cha.

[metsmarathon]

abreu reportedly signs[/url:3esa5z9t] with the angels, $5M + incentives, per mlb.

[nymr83]

]Even after I clarified?

No, but by then I had already commented

[HahnSolo]

So who is your DH, Vlad or Abreu?

[smg58]

And Milton Bradley got three and 30? What a strange offseason.

As long as Vlad's knee is OK, Abreu shouldn't see the outfield.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So does that mean that Anaheim's going four-wide and playing a beer league OF? Does Abreu play short center?

After last year's injury travails in the OF, 2B and C, it would be nice to have solidified or improved, you know, ONE of those everyday positions. (The truly weird thing? We're hoping for no/minimized regression-to-the-mean to cover one of those cases-- Tatis/Murph-- and banking on DEFINITE regression-to-the-mean-- at least-- with Ol' Man Castillo.)

[MFS62]

="LeiterWagnerFasterStronge":1xa7r3li]So does that mean that Anaheim's going four-wide and playing a beer league OF? Does Abreu play short center? After last year's injury travails in the OF, 2B and C, it would be nice to have solidified or improved, you know, ONE of those everyday positions. (The truly weird thing? We're hoping for no/minimized regression-to-the-mean to cover one of those cases-- Tatis/Murph-- and banking on DEFINITE regression-to-the-mean-- at least-- with Ol' Man Castillo.)[/quote:1xa7r3li] Haven't seen you around here before. Welcome aBordick. Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 11 2009 02:26 PM

First-time, long-time. Glad to meet'cha.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

First-time, long-time. Glad to meet'cha.