Stop Fucking Around. Call Up Conforto

[Centerfield]

If Ben Zobrist and Aramis Ramirez are Sandy's best out-of-club options, I say just call up Conforto. He's raking at AAA. Cuddyer has an OPS of .661. Let's call up the kid and see what he can do.

Couple it with the debut of Matt Reynolds. So if we have decided that Flores cannot handle SS, let's see what Reynolds can do. Tejada cooled off and reverted back to normal Ruben Tejada. And since we know normal Ruben Tejada sucks, let's call up Reynolds to see if he doesn't suck.

I think this should be an overall theme for the second half. Replace people who suck with people who might not suck.

[seawolf17]

Centerfield wrote: I think this should be an overall theme for the second half. Replace people who suck with people who might not suck.

"I'm sorry, son. That's not the Mets Way."
/trades Noah Syndergaard for a third-string catcher

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: He's raking at AAA.

He's not even at AAA.

He's barely had more than a month at AA.

[Centerfield]

Sorry. AA. Yes. But he's killing it there. Let's call him up. Even if his OPS drops by 100 points he will still be a significant improvement over Cuddyer.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: Sorry. AA. Yes. But he's killing it there. Let's call him up. Even if his OPS drops by 100 points he will still be a significant improvement over Cuddyer.

the chances of him being better than Cuddyer are probably like 1% if we're being generous. And that's if the bum knee bothers Cuddyer all year. These 4 days of rest might be extremely helpful.

[Edgy MD]

Maybe, but the history of folks who've made that jump successfully is unsettlingly small.

It's not something satisfying to think about, but if that game by Nieuwenhuis demonstrates anything, the list of guys who suck now and the list of guys who might not suck going forward are not as mutually exclusive as all that.

We'll see Conforto soon, I imagine.

[Edgy MD]

seawolf17 wrote: Centerfield wrote: I think this should be an overall theme for the second half. Replace people who suck with people who might not suck. "I'm sorry, son. That's not the Mets Way." /trades Noah Syndergaard for a third-string catcher

Nitz on that. Sandy endured an offseason with Met fans demanding Syndergaard be traded for a (now gloriously failing) shortstop in his walk year.

If there's anything that characterizes Sandy's tenure, it's not being bullied and frightened into reckless trades.

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: Maybe, but the history of folks who've made that jump successfully is unsettlingly small. It's not something satisfying to think about, but if that game by Nieuwenhuis demonstrates anything, the list of guys who suck now and the list of guys who might not suck going forward are not as mutually exclusive as all that. We'll see Conforto soon, I imagine.

Hey, I'm happy for Kirk and all, but let's not pretend that he has demonstrated anything. Kirk has nearly 600 AB's in the big leagues at a .690 OPS. He may not suck as much as he did earlier, but he still does kinda suck.

We are weighing odds here. Yes, it is a tall task to jump from AA (or even AAA in Reynolds' case) but who is more likely to give you better production for the next 2.5 months? Cuddyer/Tejada or Conforto/Reynolds? My money is on the latter. Your opinion may be otherwise.

I was even weighing the idea of Nimmo in place of Lagares and letting Juan go get whatever he needs to get done to fix his arm. Our CF'er who is locked up for multiple years is not hitting for shit and can't throw anymore. But I think we give up too much in terms of range there.

[nymr83]

but who is more likely to give you better production for the next 2.5 months? Cuddyer/Tejada or Conforto/Reynolds? My money is on the latter

Those are separate questiions, but i'd stick with Cuddyer at least for now. I've never been a Tejada fan but what has Reynolds shown really?

[Ceetar]

Nieuwenhuis hit well last year.

This is arbitrary end points, but in his most recent 263 PA going back to 7/1/2013 he's got 108 wRC+ at .221/.308/.433 8 HR, 7 SB, and a 11.4 BB%.

And he plays a solid CF/OF. If anything, Collins should be making a point to pinch hit him against righties late in the game and use him as a defensive replacement for Cuddyer, who's knee hurts more and more as the game goes on.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: It's not something satisfying to think about, but if that game by Nieuwenhuis demonstrates anything, the list of guys who suck now and the list of guys who might not suck going forward are not as mutually exclusive as all that.

This is what I've been thinking about lately. Specifically wrt Campbell. By any objective measure he has had an exceedingly stinky season, but I guess if you're Terry you can't afford to weigh 3 months of sucking over a few days of looking good in BP, especially when you're trying to dig a guy out.

If the worm is turning for him, and for Niuewy, you may as well throw out the past. That anyone blasts 3 HRs in a game is a bit of a shocker but if you asked me which Mets are capable of it he has to be on the list given his tools & hotness tendencies, especially if a RH pitcher on the mound.

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: Hey, I'm happy for Kirk and all, but let's not pretend that he has demonstrated anything.

I think he's demonstrated plenty. Good and bad. But .690, I imagine, ain't so bad for a center fielder in this era in this ballpark.

It was gutsy as hell for the team to promote Nieuwenhuis, as fans were ripping them to shreds for even re-claiming him and parking him in Vegas. Not a lot of those folks are eating the shit they should be eating.

[Centerfield]

No, .690 is not horrendous (which is why I said "kinda sucks"). In fact it's better than what Lagares is giving us. So if you recommended Kirk replace Juan, I can't criticize that.

A .690 OPS would put him 14th of the 19 CF'ers who qualify this year. Which is not great, but better than we currently have. (Lagares at .623 is 17 of 19).

Are you saying we should replace guys who suck with guys who kinda suck? I think I'd agree with that.

[Edgy MD]

No, but I'd certainly be OK with giving Nieuwenhuis some of Lagares playing time, as well as some of Cuddyer's playing time, and seeing what comes of it.

Mixing and matching is hard. So you try and position guys to assert themselves and demonstrate that they unquestionably belong in the lineup every day. One less headache for the manager. But the main guy who has seemingly pulled of that trick is d'Arnaud, and he's been hurt twice.

[batmagadanleadoff]

[fimg=444:2od4q3rq]http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2015/02/10/images/mlbf_20052753_th_13.jpg[/fimg:2od4q3rq]

[fimg=355:2od4q3rq]http://assets.sbnation.com.s3.amazonaws.com/features/tuffy/two.jpg[/fimg:2od4q3rq]

[fimg=444:2od4q3rq]http://tribwgntv.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/tumblr_m6n96z5gwe1rzcr6no1_400.jpg[/fimg:2od4q3rq]

[seawolf17]

And Tuffy Rhodes was never heard from again.

[Gwreck]

seawolf17 wrote: And Tuffy Rhodes was never heard from again.

He hit about 500 home runs in Japan while also breaking the single-season home run record. I recall there were some incidents of very poor sportsmanship (or worse) when he got close to the record and was intentionally walked repeatedly.

[nymr83]

Gwreck wrote: seawolf17 wrote: And Tuffy Rhodes was never heard from again. He hit about 500 home runs in Japan while also breaking the single-season home run record. I recall there were some incidents of very poor sportsmanship (or worse) when he got close to the record and was intentionally walked repeatedly.

At least according to Baseball Reference, Rhodes was intentionally walked only 77 times in 7319 plate appearences in Japan, including only 2 times the year he hit 55 HRs and 11 times the year he hit 51.
Barry Bonds, by contrast, was intentionally walked 688 times including 120 times in a season (35 times the year he set the record)
Mark McGwire was intentionaly walked 28 times the year he set the record.

Sadaharu Oh was intentionally walked far more often than Rhodes - 427 times over 11K PAs. 20 times the year he hit 55.

So I'm not sure where this legend of "poor sportsmanship" comes from. he was walked much less than other prominent homerun hitters in either country including during the season in question.

[seawolf17]

Sandy Alderson: /signs 46-year-old Tuffy Rhodes to a minor league contract

[Centerfield]

There is a connection between the point of this thread and Tuffy Rhodes that I am supposed to be making.

I am not currently making it.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Centerfield wrote: There is a connection between the point of this thread and Tuffy Rhodes that I am supposed to be making. I am not currently making it.

I think bml is suggesting that Kirkules might not be the lasting solution to our outfield situation that he seems to think some people think he is.

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Centerfield wrote: There is a connection between the point of this thread and Tuffy Rhodes that I am supposed to be making. I am not currently making it. I think bml is suggesting that Kirkules might not be the lasting solution to our outfield situation that he seems to think some people think he is.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Centerfield wrote: There is a connection between the point of this thread and Tuffy Rhodes that I am supposed to be making. I am not currently making it. I think bml is suggesting that Kirkules might not be the lasting solution to our outfield situation that he seems to think some people think he is.

It's really really hard to see how Kirk's NOT better than Darrell Ceciliani, so while not the ultimate answer, he's certainly an upgrade.(or Eric Campbell)

[Edgy MD]

Well, I ain't asking about anything that goes much beyond next weekend. The team's best bet for anything approaching a lasting solution that's in hand remains in Binghamton.

[Gwreck]

Nymr83 wrote: So I'm not sure where this legend of "poor sportsmanship" comes from. he was walked much less than other prominent homerun hitters in either country including during the season in question.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/03/sports/baseball-american-still-seeks-pitch-to-hit.html

[Edgy MD]

I think the disparity is that a lot of what amounted to intentional walks didn't go down in the record book as such. The catcher didn't stand up and signal as such, but the game accounts indicated that the pitcher appeared to be deliberately throwing junk away from the plate no matter the count or game situation.

The irony was that Oh himself was treated as an unworthy foreigner in his day. The fans came around, and NPB did eventually too.

[ashie62]

Going to need more offense to get the wild card.

Cuddyer sucks.

I wouldn't get all gooey on Nieuwie. It was one epic game in what has been til now a low end career.

I want Zobrist. He has Maddon genes.

[Edgy MD]

I haven't detected any gooeyness.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I read an online article today (I think it was from the Post) that speculated that, with the young pitchers and Conforto being pretty much untouchable, it might be Nimmo that gets traded as part of the "overpayment" for a veteran bat.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

How about that great Matt Reynolds?! Let's use him in a deal instead!

I think the Mets would have to consider letting Zimmo go if he brought back a guy like Jay Bruce? Maybe?

I dunno though. I see a deal for a corner OF unless they somehow give up Cuddy to get the guy, then I'd be worried they'd be getting the deal.

More I think on it, more we need to get Carlos Gomez or another CF-playing hitter.