Ike to Pittsburgh!!

[MFS62]

That Thornton was eligible for the Rule V draft, and nobody drafted him (when many teams are looking for lefty relievers with good K/BB ratios) doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy. But the old baseball adage is that lefties take longer to develop. So maybe he can be good. Time will tell.
The PTBNL seems to be the key return. Let's find out who that is.

Anyhow, Duda has to step up his game, or Sandy will get roasted until at least one of these guys develop.

Later

[Mex17]

I think the PTBNL candidates are:

-Jordy Mercer
-Nick Kingham
-Josh Bell
-Alen Hanson

Discuss. . .

[Mex17]

. . .or Glasnow, who is currently on the 7-day DL. Maybe that is the reason why he cannot be named yet.

[Frayed Knot]

Kingham is the guy the Mets were supposedly after during ST but were rebuffed by Pitt - so it's probably not him.

Jordy Mercer we've seen in the big leagues playing all four IF positions including SS. The drawback here is that he'll turn 28 before this year is out and he's yet to even play a full season in the majors so the ceiling probably isn't too high and there's a decent chance he's already reached it. Not sure how glove-tastic he is.


Quickie notes on the other three via John Sickels

- Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Grade B+ (#3 prospect Pitt org):
Ridiculously good K/IP and H/IP marks in Low-A stand out as big positive and confirm reports of outstanding movement/velocity combination. Walk rate was too high to get an A-grade at this time, but he�s come a long way from being a high school kid throwing 86 MPH to throwing 95 and higher in three years. Further mechanical refinements with 6-7 body will push him into truly elite prospect range and he�s not far off right now.

- Josh Bell, OF, Grade B: Borderline B+ (#6)
Hit "just" 12 homers in Low-A, but 37 doubles and strong relative rate of production (wRC+132) are reasons for optimism. I think more home run power will come. Upside: Chili Davis after he lost his speed, a switch-hitting slugger with good plate discipline.

- Alen Hanson, SS, Grade B: Borderline B+ (#7)
Had some plate discipline issues after moving up to Double-A and questions persist about his defense and use of his speed on the bases, but even at second base his combination of youth and offensive ability should give him a good shot at being a productive regular.


My guess is that it would be optimistic to plan on any of those three guys being our PtbNL

[Frayed Knot]

Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog chimes in with "the buzz from Citi Field is that the player coming from the Pirates is likely a player they drafted with a top pick last June" -- Go nuts folks -- which does make sense in that it would prevent the choice from being named (at least officially) until early June.

If true that would likely mean a higher ceiling player than most if not all of the above, but also a longer lag time (first three picks were all from HS) and a bigger swing-and-miss potential.

[Vic Sage]

MFS62 wrote: That Thornton was eligible for the Rule V draft, and nobody drafted him (when many teams are looking for lefty relievers with good K/BB ratios) doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy. But the old baseball adage is that lefties take longer to develop. So maybe he can be good. Time will tell. The PTBNL seems to be the key return. Let's find out who that is. Anyhow, Duda has to step up his game, or Sandy will get roasted until at least one of these guys develop. Later

thornton is a rightie

[Edgy MD]

Stop with the details. I'm sure he could throw with his left arm if he wanted to.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I think it can be when it's a player selected in the prior draft before a year has passed. Another scenario is giving the Mets time to select among several guys etc etc. Really thought we'd have worked a 3-way for a shortstop.

One of the scenarios I'm juggling is that the PtBNL is a possible shortstop still to come to the Pirates from another deal.

Meanwhile, Didi Gregorius hit a walkoff homer last night to give the Reno Aces a 10-7 win over your Las Vegas 51s.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Do you think this move frees up some money to finally sign Stephen Drew? The Mets can't be thrilled with Tejada.

[Frayed Knot]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Do you think this move frees up some money to finally sign Stephen Drew?

No.
First of all Ike's money wasn't all that much ($3 and change?) to the point where it's going to make or break something like this.
Plus I don't believe Drew's non-signing was about not having the money as much as it was about Sandy's feeling that Drew simply isn't worth what he's asking for ($20 mil over 2 at minimum and a draft pick to boot). That every other team seems to feel the same way only strengthens that view.

[Frayed Knot]

Gotta like the subtlety of the front page headline in the Snooze:
TAKE A HIKE IKE: Mets Dump 1st Base Bust

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog chimes in with "the buzz from Citi Field is that the player coming from the Pirates is likely a player they drafted with a top pick last June" -- Go nuts folks -- which does make sense in that it would prevent the choice from being named (at least officially) until early June. If true that would likely mean a higher ceiling player than most if not all of the above, but also a longer lag time (first three picks were all from HS) and a bigger swing-and-miss potential.

I do not think that "significant player" or "top pick" would describe someone who was picked outside of the first round or who is outside of mlb.com's top 100 prospect list. And, with d'Arnaud and Plawecki already in the fold, I also do not think that Alderson is looking for another catching prospect such as Reese McGuire. I do however think that he would be looking for another outfield prospect, especially one with line drive type power and enough speed to cover a lot of ground in the CitiField outfield (two qualities that seem to describe this Austin Meadows kid based on what I am reading).

I think that we have identified our man.

[Edgy MD]

Wait, where are we getting "significant player"?

The only reference to "significant" I've seen is that he's expected by one or more parties to be "more significant" than Thornton.

This could describe any member of a --- sorry, Thorny --- rather vast field of players. Let's not set the Mets up to fail, here.

[Mex17]

Edgy MD wrote: Wait, where are we getting "significant player"? The only reference to "significant" I've seen is that he's expected by one or more parties to be "more significant" than Thornton. This could describe any member of a --- sorry, Thorny --- rather vast field of players. Let's not set the Mets up to fail, here.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I think we're in danger of grasping here.
Sandy can ask for whatever he wants but, even if this is a "top pick" (say first three rounds) from 2013, all were HS players which makes them each several years away (like, say, four, and that's only if everything goes right) which pretty much negates any reason to pick for immediate positional need. And even if this 'top pick' thing is true (remember that it's based on nothing more than "Buzz" at the moment -- is that more or less than "rumor"?) it assumes that Pitt is in such a panic over their less than stellar start 20 games in that they've not only upped whatever offer Sandy deemed not good enough from the spring but are now allowing him his specific pick of prospects.

Ike may have hit 32 HRs in a season once but that represents nearly half his career total and he's likely to be no better than a platoon player w/the Pirates and essentially was in a position here where he Had to be dealt. Somehow, to me anyway, all that doesn't add up to: relief help PLUS last year's overall #9 pick who's off to a very nice start to his pro career [.294/.399/.524 last year and 9 for his first 17 this season w/2 HRs]

Be nice if it did, but don't start hunting for his jersey in Mets shops quite yet.

[MFS62]

Vic Sage wrote: thornton is a rightie

Then I'm not as optimistic.
Thanks.
Later

[ashie62]

Austin Meadows is toolsy....

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: ) which pretty much negates any reason to pick for immediate positional need.

We can quibble over what a "top pick" means and over what a fair return for Ike will be, but, given the stadium that the Mets play in, I would argue that the need for line drive hitters and outfielders who can cover ground will be pretty persistent going forward.

[ashie62]

Austin Meadows and hottie girlfriend...

[Frayed Knot]

Mex17 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: ) which pretty much negates any reason to pick for immediate positional need. We can quibble over what a "top pick" means and over what a fair return for Ike will be, but, given the stadium that the Mets play in, I would argue that the need for line drive hitters and outfielders who can cover ground will be pretty persistent going forward.

Line drive hitters who can cover ground will ALWAYS be a need. So are catchers.
What I'm saying is that your conclusion that it's Meadows based on the idea that Sandy would go after an outfield prospect but not a catcher is flawed on account of it being based on the current roster while ignoring the fact that a HS draft pick from 2013 is unlikely to even see the majors until at least 2017 and who knows what the roster will look like then.
It also kind of assumes that Pittsburgh gave Sandy an either/or choice.

[Frayed Knot]

Ike, btw, 2-for-3 plus a walk and 2 runs scored tonight in Steeltown.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ike may have hit 32 HRs in a season once but that represents nearly half his career total and he's likely to be no better than a platoon player w/the Pirates and essentially was in a position here where he Had to be dealt. Somehow, to me anyway, all that doesn't add up to: relief help PLUS last year's overall #9 pick who's off to a very nice start to his pro career [.294/.399/.524 last year and 9 for his first 17 this season w/2 HRs]

It's certainly not Meadows. But it could be someone like Jacoby Jones (good baseball name, no?) or Barrett Barnes (good '40s reporter name, no?) or someone else with some potential who's a little ways away. I mean, the best counterpoint is... well, look what they gave up last year for a quarter-season of Byrd and Buck, right?

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Ikeman Goeth

[fimg=622:31z7wrdw]http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2014/04/19/ca0,0,2210,1473/20140419IkeDavisSports1.jpg[/fimg:31z7wrdw]

[batmagadanleadoff]

41% of respondents in this poll taken after Ike's rookie 2010 season thought that Ike's career would mostly resemble Keith Hernandez's among the choices given:

[fimg=444:2uug0bz4]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/476086/ike_mex_medium.gif[/fimg:2uug0bz4]

http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/11/2/1787217/ike-davis-ceiling

[fimg=544:2uug0bz4]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ApGpJ-2CIAAHr6V.jpg:large[/fimg:2uug0bz4]

[Frayed Knot]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: 41% of respondents in this poll taken after Ike's rookie 2010 season thought that Ike's career would mostly resemble Keith Hernandez's among the choices given

99 percent* of respondents to polls like this one have a tendency to link players based on largely superficial traits (the more similarities the better: in this case white, LHB, 1B, Mets) and therefore reach the conclusion that B is destined to be the next A, whereas a more logical exam wouldn't see all that many similarities between Ike and Mex.
It's like in the NBA where white players can only be compared to other white ones and black to black. Or where Domincan short stops are rarely said to resemble a white American one. Which isn't to say that I'm claiming to have foreseen how Ike's career arc would develop, it's just that I wouldn't for a minute have compared him to Hernandez.



* unofficial statistic

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: [fimg=444]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/476086/ike_mex_medium.gif[/fimg]

Look at that 'lil extra hitch. The bring-back would be the same if not for that 'lil extra hitch which many claim to be Ike main problem.

[Frayed Knot]

Ike Davis: Grand Slams in April 2014 = 2
Derek Jeter: Grand Slams in Career = 1

[Frayed Knot]

It just occurred to me that Ike got dealt from a team wearing a Ralph Kiner patch to a team wearing a Ralph Kiner patch.

[metirish]

Frayed Knot wrote: It just occurred to me that Ike got dealt from a team wearing a Ralph Kiner patch to a team wearing a Ralph Kiner patch.

fuck wow...

[Edgy MD]

I'd like to build my house in a Kiner patch.

[Guest vtmet]

I realize that Ike underachieved...but as a Mets fan, I think that they traded the wrong first baseman...

but for Ike, he just got traded into a nice situation with a very good young team that had a glaring hole at first base (Gaby Sanchez is a good RH'd platoon partner, but not really a good choice for every day 1B)...