Outfield Options

[Centerfield]

More encouraging news on Juan. Gaining strength in his hand, hopes to swing a bat in a few days.

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/juan-lagares-is-gaining-strength-hopes-to-swing-a-bat-soon/183048162

This is good. Hopefully he gets there soon.

There should be some sort of list where a team can put players that are hurt on the side and call up someone to take their place so that they don't have to play a man down.

Maybe they can propose something like this at the next CBA.

[Lefty Specialist]

Centerfield wrote: There should be some sort of list where a team can put players that are hurt on the side and call up someone to take their place so that they don't have to play a man down.

That would sure be helpful. Sandy should look into it.

[Frayed Knot]

The move to DL or not probably comes tomorrow when they have to do something to slide Kelly Johnson onto the roster (and onto the 40-man although that could be a different move).
If Juan and his thumb get sent to Florida rehab then I guess Ty gets a reprieve and our roster will have multiple Kellys for the near future.
If Juan stays then Ty could get floated on waivers so as to create 40 man space as well as 25.

[Edgy MD]

They don't need 40-guy roster space this time, I think, as the trade opened up Akeel's spot.

[Frayed Knot]

Oh yeah, forgot about Akeel.
So now that Lagares played last night -- and fielded, and hit, and OMG SLID HEAD-FIRST INTO 2nd BASE!!!! -- I guess today's transaction is just a straight Kelly for Kelly swap-a-relly

[Edgy MD]

Unless it's Kelly-for-Campy or Kelly-for-Reyny. Or unless Neil Walker gets DL'd. I wonder if it's something like what Uribe absorbed last year, when a blow to the sternum impinges breathing.

But probably Kelly-4-Kelly, yeah.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Oh yeah, forgot about Akeel. So now that Lagares played last night -- and fielded, and hit, and OMG SLID HEAD-FIRST INTO 2nd BASE!!!! -- I guess today's transaction is just a straight Kelly for Kelly swap-a-relly

Everyone assumes Kelly, but could also be Reynolds, though. Kelly's stock had to rise a little with that HR-and-throw-out-and-home game. Reynolds fought for a spot with a key pinch single last night.

Kelly also more versatile than Reynolds: Switchy, OF/IF.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, forgot about Reynolds too.

But, if nothing else, this revives the argument about whether you'd prefer to be a man short for 2-4 days or be without a starter (or semi-starter in Juan's case) for 15 days even though healthy for 10-12 of them while a lesser man takes his place.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Matt Reynolds, you are the sole Survivor.

Ty Kelly loses his job and his uni number.

[ashie62]

Maybe Sandy can think a bit bigger soon.

[ashie62]

Michael Conforto is having his wrist examined. NEXT

Otter, this is ridiculous.

[Edgy MD]

I tend to think that Michael Conforto being treated for tendonitis > Michael Conforto having lost his swing.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I tend to think that Michael Conforto being treated for tendonitis > Michael Conforto having lost his swing.

I think one might be cover for the other.

[Edgy MD]

Possible. We'll see which.

He's not the sort of bad and hopelessly getting worse that you need to make up a false injury to hide him, though. At his age, you can just demote him for a week.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Possible. We'll see which. He's not the sort of bad and hopelessly getting worse that you need to make up a false injury to hide him, though. At his age, you can just demote him for a week.

Might be for his benefit? Give him a week off , a week of rehab games, and he's back.

I find it interesting that everyone seems/seemed so ready to roll with him to begin with.

[ashie62]

Newsday says the Mets have not considered sending Conforto down.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Well it says they have not "seriously" considered it even though remarks from Ricco would indicate they have. The Mets' position is that they're intent on having him fight through it and that's true until it isn't. Everything is considerable.

I get the sense that Sandy has a cadence in mind for these kinds of things and they sometimes drive decisions more so than is understood. I mean, obviously replacing Conforto with Nimmo was not one of those steps he'd necessarily draw up, but I do believe there's a blueprint, a rhythm, to his moves. It was very evident in the pace at which he brought up the pitchers and at some point it will be that way with Zimmo, et al.

[Edgy MD]

I switched minor league team updates from weekly to bi-weekly based on interest, and in doing so, I've missed Nimmo thundering to a 10-game hitting streak, not counting the one game he appeared as a defensive replacement. If you take out a single 0-1 game, he's reached in 25 straight games in which he's come to the plate.

He's homered three times this week, and it's pretty safe to say that he's achieved star status at this point, if only at the AAA level.

.330 / .409 / .527 // .937

They may be enjoying his encroaching power, and perhaps want to see him get comfortable with his home run swing, but I'd be flummoxed if we don't see him by the All Star Break.

[Frayed Knot]

[reprinted from Adopt-a-Prospect forum]

Those footsteps Michael Conforto is hearing just may be from some Wyoming-made cowboy boots.

Now at .330/.405/.530 for the season, which means that since my May 23rd post he's had 23 hits in his last 61 PAs (not ABs, but PAs) including 4 HRs and 11 XBHs in those 23 hits.
And, yeah it's Vegas, but 38% of his hits on the season (25 of 66) are for XBs. Compare all that to Conforto being 4 for 36 in June and 18 for 119 since the end of April.

Gary brought up the idea of farming out Conforto the other day (not specifically mentioning Nimmo but just in general). Keith brushed it aside but at the same time didn't rule it out completely and added that he didn't think such a move would be a soul-destroying maneuver from which a player never recovers. And sooner or later something's got to change somewhere, so when you figure in same position, LH batter, ...

If nothing else, the season for Nimmo thus far continues his pattern of taking some time to adjust to a new level but then adjusting to it quite nicely.
After almost double the number of PAs at Vegas 2016 compared to the partial season there after his 2015 promotion, his current 935 OPS is a sizable jump over last year's 810

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yabbut, he had a total of 37 extra base hits in a full-major-league-season's worth of ABs (.122 IsoP) in AA. At lower levels, too, his isolated-power numbers never got above .120 or so. Which is okay, but not the sort of power that makes up fully for his massive K-rate. Honestly, he could be useful, but the power stuff certainly has more than a whiff of Vegas mirage to it.

He can't replace Conforto. Conforto has a bat that, when right, can carry a team during hot streaks. Nimmo seems-- SEEMS, granted-- to be an interesting part-timer, at best.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He can't replace Conforto. Conforto has a bat that, when right, can carry a team during hot streaks. .

and when AGAINST right.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Yabbut, he had a total of 37 extra base hits in a full-major-league-season's worth of ABs (.122 IsoP) in AA. At lower levels, too, his isolated-power numbers never got above .120 or so. Which is okay, but not the sort of power that makes up fully for his massive K-rate. Honestly, he could be useful, but the power stuff certainly has more than a whiff of Vegas mirage to it. He can't replace Conforto. Conforto has a bat that, when right, can carry a team during hot streaks. Nimmo seems-- SEEMS, granted-- to be an interesting part-timer, at best.

My suggestion was only to get Zimmo a taste while he's going good and while Conforto takes a 2 week break to stop killing our lineup every night. His good on-base skills could slot in nicely at leadoff allowing Grandyman to take those home runs further down the lineup. If they both wind up hitting well and I think they both could -- then that's a much better problem to have.

Further down the road -- next year for sure -- Zimmo could succeed Grandy on a more regular basis, split time in CF with Lagares, try and make up for departing Cespedes, free up the team to trade someone etc etc

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I'm not suggesting Nimmo as a permanent replacement for Conforto.
But, while dealing with a short slump is one thing, we're approaching like seven weeks worth of nothingness at this point.

[Centerfield]

He's only 23. Was hurt last year. Maybe he's just coming into his own?

I'd be down with giving him a shot. Like FK says. Seven weeks.

Mike, go down to LV. Get some strippers and some blow and come back refreshed.

[ashie62]

Lagares aggravated his thumb. Stagetime Brandon Nimmo.

[Edgy MD]

So, Conforto to the minors? Off the table?

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: So, Conforto to the minors? Off the table?

Off my table. I thought maybe he needed to work it out somewhere else. But I'm going to say I think he's figured it out.

[nymr83]

Zvon wrote: Edgy MD wrote: So, Conforto to the minors? Off the table? Off my table. I thought maybe he needed to work it out somewhere else. But I'm going to say I think he's figured it out.

he is hitting .108 in June, how has he "figured it out"?

I'd send him down for a breather

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Nymr83 wrote: Zvon wrote: Edgy MD wrote: So, Conforto to the minors? Off the table? Off my table. I thought maybe he needed to work it out somewhere else. But I'm going to say I think he's figured it out. he is hitting .108 in June, how has he "figured it out"? I'd send him down for a breather

2 HRs in the last 7 games. 2/4 last night.

Anyway, let's go, Nim-mo.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Nymr83 wrote: Zvon wrote: Edgy MD wrote: So, Conforto to the minors? Off the table? Off my table. I thought maybe he needed to work it out somewhere else. But I'm going to say I think he's figured it out. he is hitting .108 in June, how has he "figured it out"? I'd send him down for a breather

Till very recent results change I'm pretending his slump had to do with a wrist problem that's now cured, and that the 4 days off he had were enough.

No arguing what a diff it makes to us when Conforto hits.