Left Field 2010

[MFS62]

OK, you need a leftfielder, but two leftifielders are commanding a disproprotionate amount of attention because they are the best of weark market.

The challenge should be to focus on Bay and Holliday, but commit yourself to not overextending yourself for either of them, and be ready to pursue plan B quickly. Despite Steve J.'s derision, the year they went for David Segui instead of going large at first was a good exercise in realistic restraint.

I'll throw some darts. How about Rick Ankiel? Rocco Baldelli?[/quote:2dcxe6xv]
Ankiel is a good idea. Baldelli seems to be as snakebit as F-Mart.
Ankiel was hurt last year when he ran into the outfield wall and got a concussion that kept him out of the lineup for a few weeks.
But otherwise, has remained relatively healthy since his re-emergence in the majors as an outfielder. The only problem I see would be that he's a lefty batter and the Mets need a righty power bat, IMO.

Later

[Guest attgig]

Ankiel is another Boras client. I'd be weary of the kind of money that he would want, and if that would really be an upgrade over Pagan based on the money.

Pagan isn't a horrible option. hopefully, the constant presence of some of the other veteran guys will keep his head on straight, so that he won't make stupid baserunning mistakes. But otherwise, he's been pretty productive, and a pretty good glove in LF.

of the other FA outfielders, who could come cheap, I'd be interested in what johnny gomes could do, as well as Nady and if omar HAS to sign an old guy like he does every season, maybe vlad...

I'm also interested as to why there's been absolutely no mention of dye. he had a not so good '09, but could still be somewhat productive at the right price.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Guest

[Guest Edgy DC]

But otherwise, has remained relatively healthy since his re-emergence in the majors as an outfielder. The only problem I see would be that he's a lefty batter and the Mets need a righty power bat, IMO.

I don't see any particular imbalance.

As it stands now:

C -- Blanco, Coste, Santos all R (Thole L)
1b -- Murphy L
2B -- Castillo S
SS -- Reyes S
3b -- Wright R
LF -- ?
CF -- Beltran S
RF -- Francoeur R

Got a lot of potential lefties on the bench in Carter, Martinez, and Cora, but, if anything, the lineup is overbalanced to the right.

As far as Boras and the money he asks for, it can't hurt to inquire.

[Frayed Knot]

Jermaine Dye?

A fading star to be sure, but a possible one-year stopgap.

[metirish]

Nothing tingling in my pants looking at the lineup.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nothing tingling in my pants looking at the lineup.

[TransMonk]

At least nothing's tinkling in your pants.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

OK, you need a leftfielder, but two leftifielders are commanding a disproprotionate amount of attention because they are the best of weak market.

The challenge should be to focus on Bay and Holliday, but commit yourself to not overextending yourself for either of them, and be ready to pursue plan B quickly. Despite Steve J.'s derision, the year they went for David Segui instead of going large at first was a good exercise in realistic restraint.

I'll throw some darts. How about Rick Ankiel? Rocco Baldelli?[/quote:2o4d3tz6]

Byrd (2.5-3.5 WAR the last three seasons, solid defense, nice legs, winning smile) is the word?

[MFS62]

Ankiel is another Boras client. I'd be weary of the kind of money that he would want, and if that would really be an upgrade over Pagan based on the money.

[/quote:bxx275wm]

Ankiel would be more costly that we might think. Boras will demand that any team signing him will have to paint the outfield wall to look like home plate to ensure that Ankiel won't hit it.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

edit, wrong thread, I think

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

would you want the Mets to go 5 years/$100 million for Holliday if that got it done?....or the 5 years/$80 million for Bay?[/quote:3ae9tdl9]

I'd much rather take the Holiday deal if I had to choose between these two.

[Centerfield]

Bay's taking too long. Make an offer to Holliday.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Really, I think anylong is too long. If Bay didn't jump at the first offer, I think they should have gone right to Holliday.

It's clear now that the Mets are the top buyers in the leftfield market. One team with two guys to choose from, they have a chance to sieze control and turn it into a buyer's field.

[Guest Kong76]

Doesn't this happen every year?
The Mets are closed the Friday before Xmas and won't be
re-opening until the Monday after New Years.
Unfortunately, the papers will still be selling papers.

[metirish]

Doesn't this happen every year?
The Mets are closed the Friday before Xmas and won't be
re-opening until the Monday after New Years.
Unfortunately, the papers will still be selling papers.[/quote:27auwucn]



thanks for the laugh

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm wondering if Jermaine Dye might be willing to sign a one-year deal?

[smg58]

I'd give six years to Holliday before I'd give five to Bay. But it's not clear that either is priced beyond a reasonable range just yet.

Much like Teixeira last year, I'm not sure I'd trust the Yankees when they say they aren't interested.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I too go six years for Holliday before five for Bay, I think. What has teams a little more shy about Holliday, I think, seems to be his less impressive two thirds of a season in Oakland, but it was two thirds of a season, and it wasn't that disappointing. His net OPS+ over his full (including St. Louis) season (139) was right where it was the year before (138).

I bet if his fractions of seasons weren't broken up like that on his stat charts, they would be looked at as normal statistical variance.

[smg58]

Holliday's month-by-month OPS breakdown (not counting October):

April .648
May .872
June .814
July (18 games with Oakland) 1.026
July (8 games with St. Louis) 1.490
August .963
September .901

Obviously he had a bad April, for which there could be any number of explanations beyond switching to a more difficult league (playing with a minor injury, adjusting to unfamiliar pitchers, adjusting to not playing his home games at 5000 feet, simply being off form for a month, even a statistical fluke). But he hit fine in Oakland afterward, and was already starting to sizzle when he got traded. Regardless, the initial impressions he made with both clubs couldn't have been more different, and that has clearly affected people's perceptions of him.

[ashie62]

I would be very surprised if the Mets got Bay or Holliday...

The Mets are being perceived as a team and situation that agents don't want to send their clients too.

Mets will be fortunate to land Pineiro and hope Pelfrey can keep his E.R.A. under 5 and Ollie & Maine can be durable and effective

Screw big dollars for an LF, the starting pitching is a more pressing issue

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets are being perceived as a team and situation that agents don't want to send their clients too.

[Mex17]

The Mets are being perceived as a team and situation that agents don't want to send their clients too.

[Guest Edgy DC]

"Malfecant"?

Anybody?

[Mex17]

"Malfecant"?

Anybody?[/quote:132xi44f]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malfeasance

Maybe I spelled it wrong.

Anyway, it was one of the things that Mr. Potter was accusing George Bailey of near the end of that movie.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That's very funny.

[Frayed Knot]

The Mets are being perceived as a team and situation that agents don't want to send their clients too.

[Benjamin Grimm]

"Malfecant"?

Anybody?

[Mex17]

The Mets are being perceived as a team and situation that agents don't want to send their clients too.

[Frayed Knot]

You saw what you saw and by that have concluded that players all over MLB are of a collective mindset to refuse to come here for fear of their health based on ... ummm, Bay not signing yet?

[smg58]

Like I said a while ago, people seem to have already forgotten that CC Sabathia sat on an enormous offer for more than a month last offseason. A few people questioned his desire to play for the Yankees and whether he was worth the trouble, but it was simply a business decision that ultimately paid off in the form of a bigger deal. There was really no reason to think he was motivated by anything other than the desire for an even bigger contract, and there's no reason to think differently about Bay. Hell, Matt Holliday has been sitting on an offer from St. Louis, after many people reported that he loved playing there.