Jaff Decker

[Edgy MD]

Righthanded hitting leftfielder that had an inauspicious debut with the Pads, that's who. He just got DFA'd and Rubin speculates that the Mets are sniffing.

High walk rate, and like Alan Dykstra, was a high draft pick with the Pads back in Alderson's day. Plus, his name is Jaff. (According to Wikipedia: "Decker's first name is pronounced 'Jeff'. He was named in honor of his uncle, who died in military service. Decker's grandfather intended to name his son 'Jeff', but the hospital nurse recorded it as 'Jaff', and the spelling was passed on to his nephew.") Also a former Arizona state high school baller of the year.

Chunky monkey, too. Reminds me of the fat obnoxious prospect from Trouble with the Curve.

[metirish]

Another player I have never heard of but that's on me ......

[Edgy MD]

Well, the DFA wire isn't where you run into a lot of household names. The guy's got 13 uninspiring career games to his name, but... well, four were against the Mets last August, where he had the grace to go 1-8 against them, as the Mets took two of four in the midst of that brutal road trip where they finished by playing three games in three days in three cities in three time zones.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Walks so much, you'd expect him to have entirely different body dimensions.

He IS just 23. Hey, man, it's that kind of outfield party, right?

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: Well, the DFA wire isn't where you run into a lot of household names. The guy's got 13 uninspiring career games to his name, but... well, four were against the Mets last August, where he had the grace to go 1-8 against them, as the Mets took two of four in the midst of that brutal road trip where they finished by playing three games in three days in three cities in three time zones.

This thread is disheartening as a fan of this team.

I can't wait for this conversation to be in late January again discussing "talent" to fill out the AAA roster, rather than before Thanksgiving/Winter Meetings for filling in major holes on the team.

Will this franchise be back as one of the big spenders at some point this decade?

[Edgy MD]

Sorry, man, but I never promised you a rose garden. There are plenty of big names to discuss. Dacker's name came up in a story. I don't know if the notion is to potentially trade for him or to hope for him to clear waivers and grab him. And then the issue is whether he's worth exposing, say, Juan Centeno.

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: Sorry, man, but I never promised you a rose garden. There are plenty of big names to discuss. Dacker's name came up in a story. I don't know if the notion is to potentially trade for him or to hope for him to clear waivers and grab him. And then the issue is whether he's worth exposing, say, Juan Centeno.

Considering the Mets don't have a chance in hell to be in the big name discussions and probably won't be for the rest of the decade, what else is there to do besides point out how a team that should be a perennial jewel of the league is reduced to a perennial dumpster diving joke every offseason.

[Benjamin Grimm]

SteveJRogers wrote: ...and probably won't be for the rest of the decade

I'm not so quick to write off the next six years.

[stevejrogers]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: SteveJRogers wrote: ...and probably won't be for the rest of the decade I'm not so quick to write off the next six years.

You see new primary ownership coming in soon?

Perhaps the new commissioner will realize Bud's folly here and step in and do something about the Mets plight the way Bud did with the Dodgers (assuming the next commish isn't Plandy Alderson himself)?

[Frayed Knot]

I remember Decker's name -- and, really, how can you forget the name Jaff? -- from high on the prospect lists a few years back.
Sometimes that kind of hype is the result of draft status although in his case he wasn't that high (42nd overall) so looking at his minor league career he probably shot up as a result of his monster season in Low-A ball in 2009 [.299/.442/.515 w/43 of his 107 hits going for XBs]. Walk rates haven't gone down any since then but his BA started slipping (bringing the OBA & SLG with it) as he advanced despite moving to the normally good hitting environments of the High-A California Lg and then AA San Antonio (Tex Lg).
Must have been hurt much of 2012 as he got <200 ABs and wasn't very good when he did play.
Bounced back somewhat in 2013 at AAA Tuscon [.286/.381/.443] although the HR totals (10 in 350 ABs) are nothing to write home about and maybe that's what the Padres were looking for from him.
That he played at least some CF recently suggests maybe he's quicker than that body type indicates.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I know a guy named Jaff who also pronounces it Jeff. He's a big Mets fan.

This is like, destiny, maybe.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Rogers. You've been on fan message boards for what 15 years? Have you not tired yet of the annual idiot's lament when a minor league free agent or journeyman is acquired? Some of these guys turn out to be RA Dickey, many more become Ben Johnson. It hasn't ever said a meaningful thing except that fans are reactionary know-nothings. Trust me if you owned this team you'd be signing Jaff Deckers up the ass every year or they'd burn you at the stake. For the love of god, Rogers, act like you've been around the block before.

[stevejrogers]

Right, but there is a difference when chances are the Chris Youngs and Jaff Deckers of the world turn out to be the "biggest" off season pickups in following the latest craptacular year in a row, and its not even Thanksgiving yet.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

oh stfu. So inentionally being the most ignorant guy on in the room is justified by how many signings a team makes before thanksgiving? Cut the act, Rogers. You'll never be as dumb as your heroes on the mofo.

[stevejrogers]

Take it easy Bucket. I wasn't saying the Mets should be signing everyone in sight. But there is a difference between reports saying the Mets are in play for the various "big ticket" items each year, and early winter reports for dumpster diving transactions.

The latter of which should be reglated to "in other news" sections of articles, not the main focus of the "plan" or "direction" of the season.

We are talking about players that you should be reminded of how they were obtained, not considered the biggest acquisitions of the off season.

[ashie62]

If he makes the team I see a market for Turkish Jaffy...

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

SteveJRogers wrote: Take it easy Bucket. .

You take it easy!!! (/head explodes)

[Edgy MD]

SteveJRogers wrote: Sorry, man, but I never promised you a rose garden. There are plenty of big names to discuss. Dacker's name came up in a story. I don't know if the notion is to potentially trade for him or to hope for him to clear waivers and grab him. And then the issue is whether he's worth exposing, say, Juan Centeno. Considering the Mets don't have a chance in hell to be in the big name discussions and probably won't be for the rest of the decade, what else is there to do besides point out how a team that should be a perennial jewel of the league is reduced to a perennial dumpster diving joke every offseason.

Maybe painting, I think. Music. Juggling. Dog training.

The competition to see who can quit fastest seems to have elevated to seeing who can quit the biggest.

SteveJRogers wrote: Take it easy Bucket. I wasn't saying the Mets should be signing everyone in sight. But there is a difference between reports saying the Mets are in play for the various "big ticket" items each year, and early winter reports for dumpster diving transactions. The latter of which should be reglated to "in other news" sections of articles, not the main focus of the "plan" or "direction" of the season. We are talking about players that you should be reminded of how they were obtained, not considered the biggest acquisitions of the off season.

There's almost nothing here that isn't nonsense. Come on, Steve. Try harder.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be a fan of a perennial jewel of the league, and we're talking about Jaff. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about Jaff, not a Robinson, not a Shin Soo, not even a damn Jhonny, but we're talking about Jaff. Not the names that I go out there and die for and get you through a winter, help you last but we're talking about Jaff, man. How silly is that?

[Ceetar]

SteveJRogers wrote: I can't wait for this conversation to be in late January again discussing "talent" to fill out the AAA roster, rather than before Thanksgiving/Winter Meetings for filling in major holes on the team.

you choose the conversations you participate in. Sure, it's easy to spin it as filling a major hole and they're broke and this is all they'll do, or you can choose to see it as a depth signing.

Or simply how Alderson probably sees it, a guy who's available and might be useful in some capacity. The toolbox of players to fill rosters can never be too full.

All 30 teams make meaningless acquisitions and signings of these types of guys all offseason long.

[Edgy MD]

We all know that there's no indication that Alderson has looked at this guy at all, right?

We know that this is only here because I posted in response to a late night weekend report in which Rubin quotes a neutral party saying this guy might be somebody the Mets would be interested in, right?

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: We all know that there's no indication that Alderson has looked at this guy at all, right? We know that this is only here because I posted in response to a late night weekend report in which Rubin quotes a neutral party saying this guy might be somebody the Mets would be interested in, right?

Rubin's infallible. I'm pretty sure Decker's already scored an invite to Alderson's Thanksgiving dinner.

[seawolf17]

Well, SHIT. There goes our whole outfield plan for '14. Cancel the season.

http://metsblog.com/metsblog/jaff-decker-will-not-be-on-the-mets/

[Edgy MD]

Steve put "plan" and "direction" in quotes. If this guy is neither the plan or direction, I'm not sure what to believe now.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Steve put "plan" and "direction" in quotes. If this guy is neither the plan or direction, I'm not sure what to believe now.

stupid Mets should've given up Noah for him.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, that was fun while it lasted!

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: We all know that there's no indication that Alderson has looked at this guy at all, right? We know that this is only here because I posted in response to a late night weekend report in which Rubin quotes a neutral party saying this guy might be somebody the Mets would be interested in, right? Rubin's infallible. I'm pretty sure Decker's already scored an invite to Alderson's Thanksgiving dinner.

The only way this reflects on Rubin is positively.

[G-Fafif]

How soon was the Jaff Era over?

[seawolf17]

IT'S NOT TOO LATE. We can get him from the Pirates. Offer them Ike, Syndergaard and the Knicks' first-round pick next year.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LET'S BE CERTAIN WE JUDGE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PIRATES OFFSEASON BY MAKING CERTAIN THIS NEWS ITEM IS PLACED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE 'IN OTHER NEWS' SECTION OF OUR LOCAL PAPERS AND/OR WEBSITES.

THANK YOU

STEVE J. ROGERS