Centerfield

Zvon wrote: I guess if I didn't vote for either I'd be akin to one of those assholes who don't use all their HoF votes. Meh, gotta go with Big Ditto.

Edgy MD wrote: The Mets didn't just lose the game, their season died that day, way earlier than it should have... Agreed. The only thing I don't like about the cover is the stupid red font. Same problem as the Trespedes cover. I hate it hate it hate it. Leave the block letters alone.

Just voted. Things are tightening up! (As an aside is it legal for the TCD Administrator to campaign for a cover? I think this is a direct conflict of interest. Stockholm has been put on notice.)

Ceetar wrote: I'd rather give Nimmo a 2B glove. Ha. Really. Or even Obi-Juan. Didn't he used to play infield?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Like McCutchen. Loved him, but still kinda like him. Are you sure he's definitively the better player at this point than the guy who still gives you decent offense, plays 4-5 positions (including 2 need positions for our squad) and gives you speed/defense at all of them? I don't know that for a fact. Primarily because I have no idea how to really gauge defense, or figure out the relative value of defense like they do with WAR. I do tend to think WAR overvalues defense, but I don't have any science behind that. I also don't watch these guys play so I have no idea of gauging who is still likely to perform and who is losing their skills. I do know the following: *McCutchen is the much better hitter. It's not even close. Career .866 OPS versus career .735. McCutchen's 2016 was evidence that he was "shot". His OPS that year was .766. In Harrison's good year (2017) his OPS was .771. 2015 and 2016 are so ugly you don't even want to look. Neil Walker, who would cost no prospects, has a .778 OPS. Harrison would even represent an offensive downgrade even from our in house options. Flores, Rivera, maybe even Phil Evans or Cheech could give you a low .700's OPS easily, and are just as likely (if not more) to give you a high 700's OPS. Sure, Harrison brings defense and versatility, but at what cost? *McCutchen also brings speed. 11 stolen bases versus 12 for Harrison. *Harrison is also "old". Not really. But for everyone who says McCutchen is risky because you don't get speed guys when they're old, Harrison is 9 months younger than McCutchen. *Harrison is not cheap. The option years are nice because they give flexibility, but $10 million+ for his production? I like Nimmo a lot. I would have given him up for a guy with upside like McCutchen. I wouldn't touch him for a guy like Harrison.

Which is why there is the “if true” qualifier.

Imagine if Lagares combines that bulk with a better launch angle. Wow.

And now they’re saying that the Mets think Nimmo can be the centerpiece of a Harrison trade. Makes all the sense in the world. Refuse to include him for McCutchen. Trade him for the worse player. Beyond stupid if true.

Nimmo? I like what I see too but I think you have to make that trade.

smg58 wrote: A plus fielder at second base. Hoping for a repeat of 2014 might be too much to ask for, but last year was pretty good. Not sure I'm for trading while there are guys available who wouldn't cost players, but he'd be acceptable to me. Agreed that last year was "pretty good". .771 OPS. But the two years prior were awful. And yes, 2014 was terrific, but all of this comes out to a career OPS of .735. He's expensive and costs players going back. He is fast though, so there's that.

With Reed off the market, is our pen done? Greg Holland is left, but I’ve never been big on him. Plus he faded badly last year. No lefties out there that I know of. I guess that’s it. Maybe we sign a starter and move one of the current guys into the pen. Still think maybe Gsellman can be good in short stints. I dunno. I got nothing else.

As I mentioned in the other thread, pass.

Edgy MD wrote: MLB.com has Crick has Reynolds as their #4 and Crick as their #16. The Mets equivalent would be something like Thomas Szapucki and Anthony Kay. As Mets #4 Szapucki is currently recovering from TJ surgery, I'm tempted to reach up to #3 or down to #5 for an analog, but #3 for the Mets is Andres Gimenez and #5 is Desmond Lindsay, and their in two very different places. MLB.com stuck Sza at #4 despite his surgery so I think that's the imaginary trade that would be comparalbe, but feel free to stick Lindsay in there instead and both are outfielder/pitcher packages. Szapucki is tough because his value is down because of TJ. The Giants guy seems like someone whose star has faded a bit. More like Montero. I don’t know Anthony Kay. Would have gladly shipped him out and anyone lower than Szapucki. Even Gsellman. I figured taking Harrison was doing the Pirates a favor.

I also don’t get the clamor over Josh Harrison. Career OPS of .735. No power. Expensive. Why are we looking at this guy?

I guess I have a hard time believing that his defense has fallen off that badly. McCutchen is a much better overall player. Better OBP. His career OPS is about 70 points higher. Much better athlete. I heard the return was middling prospects. We have tons of those! If it’s anything worthwhile then it’s a different story, but it doesn’t sound like much.

It feels like a bad swing and miss here. Reed and McCutchen on the same weekend. Not a good few days.

Trying to pin down what’s going the other way. Would have preferred McCutchen to Bruce.

Edgy MD wrote: The Mets already have spine doctors on retainer because of Wright. It's an efficiency move! So here, physical is more than just a formality right? Do you bring in the spine guys now? Anyway if he’s healthy and bounces back he could be our #3 hitter.

I think I’m on board with “blunder” too. The whole “cover that best represents the season” is an angle I hadn’t thought of. 2017 was painful. No joy. A joyful cover really doesn’t tell the story.

I guess this really means no Duda. Or Hosmer or Adam Lind or anyone else. I know JCL still has feeling for his ex Granderson. Duda was the one I had to fight the urge to text after knocking a few back.

And something that doesn’t really get discussed is that we really need a quality lefty in this pen. Blevins can’t pitch every day. And the fact that we tried that makes him a great candidate to break down this year.

Agreed. And that salary was why Ramos was available. Would much rather have Mike Minor or Addison Reed even with the extra years of commitment. Ramos walks way too many guys.

Just read up. Back issues. Herniated disk. That usually doesn’t get better on old guys. Yikes. Anyway, low risk move. I doubt they will trade Dom smith because of this.

Sounds like a no lose type of move. What exactly were his injuries last year anyway? Chronic things or something expected to heal?

Sounds like good, but not great, prospects going back the other way. Pirates seem to be embracing a rebuild. I wonder this means for McCutchen. Maybe we get him and trade Jay Bruce again when Conforto returns.