Transaction Poll: Cabrera for 2 years/$18.5 Million

[Edgy MD]

We haven't taken the official temperature on deals this offseason. We ought.

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[TransMonk]

Dislike. A marginal upgrade over Wilmer, so a waste of money in my mind.

If nothing else, it improves the offensive depth on the infield, but does little to help the D.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Dislike, too much money.

[Fman99]

He's not an outfielder. So, BOOOO

[Centerfield]

Dislike. Resources could have and should have been allocated toward much bigger needs.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That's a lot for insurance.

[Edgy MD]

Well, he's first string. He bumps the others down to insurance.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

In essence, since he's not a significant upgrade, he's kindasorta a guarantor for the Tejada/Flores recoveries, though, isn't he?

[nymr83]

dislike. a lesser Flores

[Lefty Specialist]

I'm this way and that way.

He's an improvement in that it pushes Tejada to backup and Flores to supersub. It doesn't really block middle infield talent bubbling up from below unless you're a Matt Reynolds fanboy.

It moves the chess pieces around a little. I'm not crazy about it, but I can live with it. Now if, as it looks right now anyway, this is the big move of the offseason, then that's a problem. In the abstract, it's a good move, but there are other things that need to be done as well.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think, in a vacuum, each of the moves that the Mets made were fair to good. (This one is on the lower end, as is De Aza.) The problem is really that the sum of these moves doesn't seem to be adding up to much.

If I could magically undo one of the transactions the Mets made this winter, this would probably be the one I'd choose.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think, in a vacuum, each of the moves that the Mets made were fair to good. (This one is on the lower end, as is De Aza.) The problem is really that the sum of these moves doesn't seem to be adding up to much.

Well I think the Mets would disagree with that, or they wouldn't be doing this.

It might be sad or distasteful to acknowledge this, but there's a clear parallel between our current offseason and the famous "Moneyball" offseason of 2001-02 in Oakland.

Like us, they lost the biggest impact bat in the league that year because they couldn't afford it, but attempted to make up for the loss by spreading it across a range of several cheaper guys and banking on young pitching. Jonah Hill, man.

[TransMonk]

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

METS' OFFSEASON PLANNING MAKES LWFS FEEL:

[nymr83]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think, in a vacuum, each of the moves that the Mets made were fair to good. (This one is on the lower end, as is De Aza.) The problem is really that the sum of these moves doesn't seem to be adding up to much. Well I think the Mets would disagree with that, or they wouldn't be doing this. It might be sad or distasteful to acknowledge this, but there's a clear parallel between our current offseason and the famous "Moneyball" offseason of 2001-02 in Oakland. Like us, they lost the biggest impact bat in the league that year because they couldn't afford it, but attempted to make up for the loss by spreading it across a range of several cheaper guys and banking on young pitching. Jonah Hill, man.

of course Jason Giambi was that more player for more than 2 months, the A's refused to pay Giambi at age 30 for the next 7 years to be the player he had been for the past 3-4 years. The Mets are refusing to pay Cespedes for the next ~5-8 years based on who he was for a couple of months. we'll ultimately see what deal he gets and with who, but i'm betting it will be an overpay.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was one of the 13 who voted Dislike on this deal. I was wrong.

[Frayed Knot]

I think one of the things that soured folks on this deal (turns out I never voted on it so I can't quite remember how I thought) was that it was written and henceforth repeated and re-repeated and therefore accepted as fact, that Asdrubal couldn't play SS anymore.
Not that I'm nominating him for a Gold Glove this year but his defense has been a very steadying factor in a year when the rest of the infield has been a revolving cast of often not very good fielders and/or out of place ones.



IIRC, we were also told that De Aza couldn't play CF either.

[Lefty Specialist]

I was indifferent. I'm happy to say I'm now less indifferent.

[TransMonk]

TransMonk wrote: Dislike. A marginal upgrade over Wilmer, so a waste of money in my mind. If nothing else, it improves the offensive depth on the infield, but does little to help the D.

I also voted dislike, but still feel like this a rare one I called correctly. My folly in thinking on Cabrera was guessing that Wright would be healthier in 2016...and I have had no problem with Asdrubal's D.

In the end, I very much like that he is around.

[ashie62]

I voted love. I was pretty familiar with him in the AL.

I see 13 were thoroughly unenthused.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I was thoroughly against the money, we'll see how that works out after the second
year. I'm never wrong some times and should stick to amortization and depreciation
instead of professional sports trades and signings but what fun is that.

[Chad ochoseis]

Looks like I didn't vote in the poll, but I hated this deal. I thought we were getting Old Wilmer Flores. This goes a long way towards explaining why Sandy is the Mets' GM and I'm not.

[Guest themetfairy]

I disliked the deal. I was very wrong.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Add me to the long list of those that failed to appreciate the Asdrubal Cabrera signing. He has been one of the teams best players this season.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: IIRC, we were also told that De Aza couldn't play CF either.

And that his speed had 'dried up' or something. I love our broadcast, but every once in a while I get a strong whiff of pushing the narrative, and it seemed like early this season Gary took every opportunity to imply De Aza was suddenly slow as molasses.

I voted 'like' for this one. I'd probably bump it up to love now that he's thrived and been decent defensively too. Swapped some walks for some power, and he's under team control for 2 more years (1 and an option) at a ridiculously reasonable for an above average SS at $8.5ish per.