Den dekker for Blevins

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Wow. I'm uh, gosh.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Blevins has a good run of sex-sess as a Loogy, but the last time I thought of him the Mets were kicking his ass in a spring training game.

Lefty who wears No. 13 is a little Wagnerian for my tastes.

I liked den dekker but figured he was about as tradable a thing we had. He was also having a great spring and if this gives him some more opportunity, great. Just not at our expense thanks.

[TransMonk]

So now we have a bevy of lefties? I never thought Blevins was anything more than average...but have never really watched him all that closely.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Blevins is 31, turns 32 in September. Eligible for free agency after this season.

[Edgy MD]

Even in a down year, he pilloried lefties to the tune of .160 / .202 / .217 // .419.

I'd hate to lose intra-divisional doubles in the gap to the glove of dD, but that is one magic LOOGy.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

TransMonk wrote: So now we have a bevy of lefties? I never thought Blevins was anything more than average...but have never really watched him all that closely.

His splits vs. LHBs are fantastic.

I suspect the Alex Torres trade was more for generic relief with Black looking iffy for opening day healthwise. Also, I think they're probably a little concerned with Mejia, results-wise and need the depth where they can get it.

[seawolf17]

Whoa.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: TransMonk wrote: So now we have a bevy of lefties? I never thought Blevins was anything more than average...but have never really watched him all that closely. His splits vs. LHBs are fantastic. I suspect the Alex Torres trade was more for generic relief with Black looking iffy for opening day healthwise. Also, I think they're probably a little concerned with Mejia, results-wise and need the depth where they can get it.

I just looked up the splits and I agree. Torres provides depth in the bullpen (and may just happen to be a lefty) while Blevins is the LHB killer.

I guess the dream ends for Gilmartin. What happens when Black and Parnell return? Does Carlyle go away?

[Frayed Knot]

I think I've been thinking of him as Jeremy Blevins all this time - but it's Jerry.
Nothing says LOOGY like more game appearances than innings pitched as Blevins has done for the last two seasons.

MdD might even see some semi-regular playing time w/the Nats early on as Denard Span is due to be down for at least the first month, nor is Nate McLouth totally healthy.
At worst he'll be a LH-hitting platoon to their youngster Michael Taylor and the loss of a roster spot for Tony Gwynn Jr.




I'm thinking that maybe a Cesar Puello deal might be the next shoe to drop - although the fact that teams know he's out of options might not bring much in return.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Guest

[Ceetar]

hard to project bullpens a lot of times, but I really like ours.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: hard to project bullpens a lot of times, but I really like ours.

I wish I were more confident about Mejia.


Blevins had some nice spots during the Nats (brief) post-season last year -- 10 outs over 3 separate outings with no hits or walks allowed including coming in during a couple of high pressure spots w/men-on.

[TransMonk]

Ceetar wrote: hard to project bullpens a lot of times, but I really like ours.

Agreed. If Parnell can come back 100% healthy, the pen can be a definite strength on this team. Especially with 5+ starters that I have confidence in giving 5+ innings most every time they take the mound.

[smg58]

Blevins is an interesting case of somebody who ought to have been used as a LOOGY but wasn't. He's much more naturally inclined for that role than Torres, even though I think Torres is the superior pitcher overall.

TransMonk wrote: I guess the dream ends for Gilmartin. What happens when Black and Parnell return? Does Carlyle go away?

Assuming Black is out on Opening Day, we still have Mejia, Familia, Torres, Torres, Carlyle, Blevins, and one spot open (possibly Montero or Gee, but not certain). Carlyle looks like the most likely to lose his spot, but a lot can happen in a month (as we've already seen). It didn't look like we had room for Carlyle to begin with, and now he looks like a good bet to head north. Don't assume we won't see a lot of him.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Anybody know how the Nats are going to try and retire Duda or Grandy in LIPSes?

[Edgy MD]

So Sandy goes a year and a half without trading for a big league player, and then he can't wait two hours to do it again.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: hard to project bullpens a lot of times, but I really like ours. I wish I were more confident about Mejia.

And, as if on cue, 3 more baserunners (one run) in one inning today for Mejia - giving him a WHiP this spring of over 1.8
And, yeah, I know it's just ST, but this is on top of his nearly 1.5 WHiP over all of last season. Those aren't closer numbers.

As I remember saying as last year drew to a close, except for his horrid final half-season in Queens, Armando never had a stretch as shaky as what Mejia was doing late last year (.327 BAA in August) yet Jenrry was being given a pass on it by almost everyone. I don't think fans, reporters, or Terry are going to be as forgiving this year if this trend continues, particularly as there'll be other options.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is the year that the Jeurys Familia era begins.

[G-Fafif]

Somebody better shoot a WPIX-TV promo in which Jerry declares we're watching Blevins Alive.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Anybody know how the Nats are going to try and retire Duda or Grandy in LIPSes?

Things must be pretty bad for the Nats when they're giving up a guy who can do this to a momentum-seeking division opponent. They are going to need to retire Freddie Freeman late in games too.

Now comes word that Cassey Jannsen has shoulder trouble and Storen out with a blister. And they're weak enough in the outfield to give den Dekker a job. WTF Nationals?

[MFS62]

Matt is a veteran?
Apparently somebody in Florida thinks so.
http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/talk/nats-trade-lefty-reliever-mets-veteran-outfielder-new-york-mets-jerry-blevins-matt-den-dekker?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo

Later

[Edgy MD]

Strange in that what made Blevins expendable, among all the Nats' lefty relief options, was that he got hit hard his last two times out. But those last two times out were both against the Mets.

Somehow, someone in the Mets organization filed a convincing scouting report that read, "I'm convinced he still has the stuff to get big outs in a tight game, just not, heh-heh, against us."

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Anybody know how the Nats are going to try and retire Duda or Grandy in LIPSes?

Matt Thornton is going to be their go-to guy for LHBs. He's a tall, hard-throwing lefty who spent most of his career w/the ChiSox before the Nats claimed him off waivers from the MFYs last August. Pretty much a career-long LOOGY (more apps than IPs) and has been better in recent years despite the fact that he'll turn 39 before this season is done.
They also have an arm they like in Xavier Cedeno -- although he's already 28 and has a lot more minor league time than ML -- who pretty much made Blevins excess baggage just like MdD was here.

[Guest sharpie]

Blevins makes his Mets ST debut striking out Bryce Harper (in a game the good guys are leading 2-0 in the 8th).

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The pronounced sense of whimsy makes for a nice trade throw-in.

[MFS62]

Wasn't Blevins the guy who ordered the pizza in Eraser?

Later