DFAQ

[G-Fafif]

Quintanilla designated for assignment. Speculation centers on new SS Wilmer Flores.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Interesting...

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Writers say its an internal move. So that narrows it down to Flores or maybe Tovar again, I guess.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

That, or Stephen Drew?

Actually, Drew would probably require a couple weeks in quasi-rehab games in the minors before being added to the active roster.

[nymr83]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: That, or Stephen Drew? Actually, Drew would probably require a couple weeks in quasi-rehab games in the minors before being added to the active roster.

Plus If you didn't want him in April why would you want him now only a month shy of the draft pick compensation expiring?

[Edgy MD]

Well, I feel confident in saying that it's not him, but the reason you would want him now would be a change in price.

Other potential callups could be Campbell and Seratelli. The 51s are so awesome right now (22-10), that anybody is a candidate.

Probably they're holding off on announcing a corresponding move to let whoever get one more game in. Maybe it'll be announced after the Vegans are done tonight and he'll use the day off for a travel day.

[Guest d'Kong76]

It's Flores

[Frayed Knot]

Two reactions

1) WOW!!

2) You wouldn't think Flores is being brought up to compete with Satin for PH ABs, so while Tejada ultimately winds up on top in the battle between him and Q it's not like this move is very good news for him either.

[Zvon]

Both Q & T have been next to useless. I don't think Flores is the answer for SS but lets take a look see.

[Frayed Knot]

Zvon wrote: I don't think Flores is the answer for SS but lets take a look see.

If the question is: 'Who can hit better than Tejada?' then I think Flores may very well be the answer at SS.
Not the long term answer maybe, but I'm willing to try and find out how long.

[smg58]

I agree. The Fielding Bible has Tejada costing us two runs with the glove in addition to not hitting at all, so unless Flores at short is like Duda in center I don't really see what we have to lose.

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: I don't think Flores is the answer for SS but lets take a look see. If the question is: 'Who can hit better than Tejada?' then I think Flores may very well be the answer at SS. Not the long term answer maybe, but I'm willing to try and find out how long.

If that's the question then they should play Bartolo Colon at short.

[Centerfield]

"Our infield defense is awful! We have to do something about this! Go get me Flores!"

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Like it. I think we should bat him leadoff while we're at it.

[Edgy MD]

How oft do you think he's going to start?

I'm thinking he'll initially get one game in four at short and one in six at second, clocking him in at 42.5%. Maybe if he hits, he'll get the odd start at first and/or third, getting him up to 50%.

It'd be really interesting if they went all-in. Fans would roast them to no end, of course, if it failed.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The Post reported that Tejada was seen sulking after the game yesterday; I would think he may have gotten the news that he's the new Quintanilla.

Personally, if Tejada is destined to be a reserve shortstop, I'd advocate trading him for another team's reserve just to wipe the slate clean. Or I guess, wait till another team loses a SS to injury and pounce like Mike Puma.

His value is that he's still quite young and cheap, and has demonstrated at least some ability with the bat in the past.

[Vic Sage]

Yea! Should have brought him north out of ST, but better late than never. The upside of a 3-game sweep (where we scored 3 total runs) is that it sometimes yields change.
And what's next... Satin dumped for Campbell? or Lutz?
And EY better watch his ass, too, cuz my boy Saratelli is playing LF on a semi-regular basis and hitting .300.
And while we're on the subject, if d'Arnaud continues his offensive futility, do they send him back down to straighten himself out? Teagarden is slugging down there now.

And some turnover in the pen should be considered, sooner rather than later. We don't even have to give some of our studly young starters (like deGrom and Montero) some major league bullpen time, if that is of concern (it's not a concern to me; i think its a good way to limit their innings and give them experience getting major league hitters out, but lets assume they're not going to do that). But I hate that we are continuing to run broken down has-beens like Farnsworth, Valverde, and DiceK, out there regularly when minor-league "never-was"es like Socolovich (who looked good in ST), Carlyle and Carreno are pitching well in a hitter's park and league. Even Black is getting guys out, despite his continuing wildness.

[Vic Sage]

Edgy MD wrote: How oft do you think he's going to start? I'm thinking he'll initially get one game in four at short and one in six at second, clocking him in at 42.5%. Maybe if he hits, he'll get the odd start at first and/or third, getting him up to 50%. It'd be really interesting if they went all-in. Fans would roast them to no end, of course, if it failed.

I don't think fans (generally) would be upset by trying Flores over Tejada, no matter HOW it turned out. Even a-holes on sportsradio would probably give them points for trying something, and it would give them a new story to bullshit about.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets aren't getting a lot of points for "trying something" these days. I think the sweepstakes letter shows that.

As for the understanding that they'll get if they try and plug a bat-first player regularly in at short and it fails, I think Melvin Mora might have liked a little of that understanding. It took weeks of drama to get Jerry to bat Jose Reyes third. It was done for a few days (and strangely, with Reyes returning from injury and not having his timing down at all) and abandoned swiftly amid mass derision.

Fans are fickle folks, and they don't tend to reward you for daring failures.

But GO METS!! That's what I say.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Me, I'd put Wilmer out there just about every day, until he proves that he's an overall worse choice than Tejada. (This means, of course, factoring in both his bat and his glove.)

Placating the fans has to be a secondary concern. They're pissed off and cranky anyway. Find the best way to make the team win and fans will grow more happy and more numerous.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: How oft do you think he's going to start? I'm thinking he'll initially get one game in four at short ...

I think he'll get a lot more than that, more like three in four.
Of course he won't finish all of those games, at least not at SS, but that's OK.

[Ceetar]

I think he'll get one start over the next week or so (At SS. Maybe he spells Murphy a day and gets one of the DH spots?)

But is frequently used late in games for some reason since Terry seems determined to PH for Tejada. If he comes through and Tejada continues to have all his Line Drives be at people (because he IS due for a double here and there) he'll start getting more and more time.

But it could just as easily go the other way. Pinch hits and blunders in the field late.

[ashie62]

I'm guessing it may be Flores' job to lose...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I'd imagine it's something that's been under consideration for weeks; the last series just illustrates the argument for the move more... Miami-vividly, let's say.

That neither Q's nor Tejada's glove is something that will consistently save you runs AND that their bats are a significant, everyday part of the team's offensive struggles (and unlikely to change in a big, impactful way)... well, even before you consider Flores' potential, those two things in and of themselves make the case for a change, doesn't it?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Loneliest words in baseball -- Skip wants to see you in his office.

[Edgy MD]

So, on a scale of 1 to 20 (as they rate 'em in OotP) how do you frame the relative defensive value?

I think it looks something like this.

	Current Defensive Value (1-20)	Potential Defensive Value (1-20)
Tejada	9	12
Quintanilla	10	10
Flores	4	8

One can easily quibble with that. (We're all guessing with Flores at this point anyhow.) But it gives a good notion of what Flores will have to make up with his bat.

[G-Fafif]

Fans would roast them to no end, of course, if it failed.

Fans are fickle folks, and they don't tend to reward you for daring failures.

If Flores -- given a fair audition -- proves an adequate-fielding, good-hitting SS and a net-positive over what they'd been getting from Rumar Tejntanilla (and wins result), huzzah!

If Flores in that same circumstance instead proves a sieve in the field and a letdown at the plate (and losses result), thumbs down and move on.

If it works, it will be greeted with provisional approval. If it doesn't, it won't be. Points for acting on creative thinking and the response that might result if the experiment goes awry are fine to bandy about on a gloomy off day, but they're not the end product of attempting to create a productive lineup and/or maintain an adequate defense.

Gather more wins than losses over a representative period of time. That makes everybody embraceable. The goal is not pats on the head or pecks on the cheek for the general manager. I think the general manager would be the first to acknowledge that.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: So, on a scale of 1 to 20 (as they rate 'em in OotP) how do you frame the relative defensive value? I think it looks something like this.

	Current Defensive Value (1-20)	Potential Defensive Value (1-20)
Tejada	9	11
Quintanilla	7	8
Flores	3	8

I see it more like this.

I give them minor kudos for trying something, but I'm extremely skeptical and have been since they floated it in Spring Training. And either way, it's not a no-brainer good idea and that there aren't any other better ideas is on the Mets which does mitigate any praise for this promotion.

I mean, it's assumed Flores can probably hit in the majors, but it's hardly a given. Tejada has a .302 OBP with a low BABIP and a high LD%, but even if you don't think he's due for slight improvement there, not making an out three out of 10 times, even factoring in the 5 IBB, might be the best option of the bunch AND he's also the safest and probably best defensive option.

This is why I don't just hand Flores the job here. Work him in so he's getting his swings, and if it's becoming clear he can hit (even if you just ride a hot streak) play him more and more.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I'll go:

	Current Defensive Value (1-20)	Potential Defensive Value (1-20)
Tejada	9	12
Quintanilla	9	12
Flores	4	8

Ru-mar's no great shakes, but they can be of some value with the glove. I don't think even the most optimistic Flores guy will admit that to expecting more than "passable." The feet just aren't quick enough for anyone to realistically expect more.

Count me in the points-for-trying camp... if only just because a few weeks' worth of information about what Flores can be is worth something (and well more than a few more data points about Ru-mar), all the moreso because it'll come in the month before the draft/remaining free-agents' cost dropping.

[Frayed Knot]

If Flores fails the complaints are most likely to be of the variety where fans will claim they were "promised" a perennial All-Star bat and what was delivered was a guy who either can't hit enough to claim a full-time position and can't field well enough to hold onto the one position he was handed and where he was needed. I tend to doubt the team will get pilloried simply for trying him SS. I think if anything, fans, particularly those partially-informed or ill-informed ones, have a tendency to think players can be morphed into anything so long as they're given enough time & reps to learn whatever skill is needed, and by 'enough' they often mean within a span of around six weeks.