Mex17

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: The trade that brought Syndergaard to the Mets was unpopular at the time that it was made. I wanna visit the archives and challenge this. I remember being thrilled, though mainly because I had bigger dreams for dArnaud than turned true, but also because we were able to unload both Thole and Nickeas for anything. We are not the wider Mets fanbase though. I knew people at the time who were crying over trading Dickey because he had just won a Cy Young and because he was a fan favorite. It happened. I also know people who are saying now that they had better not trade Syndergaard for "just prospects".

Another advantage to potentially having Senzel is that he is also a second baseman. So, if McNeil falters over a longer sample size, just put Senzel at second. He would still be pre-arb after 2019 so you can then still potentially go after Arenado next winter.

smg58 wrote: There was an old line attributed, I believe, to Bill Veeck, that if you listen to the fans you wind up sitting with them. That's a great line. Ironically, Veeck was the same guy who did this. . . https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/grandstand-managers-night

smg58 wrote: there are two free agent third basemen who could help us win now Here is a fair question. . . With age and injury history taken into consideration but nothing else (such as "trade vs. free agent") being considered, why choose Donaldson specifically over Tatis, Senzel, or Bryant?

One Syndergaard rumor -- and by rumor I mean someone (Anthony Castrovince at mlb.com in this case) making stuff up because it might be the type of trade that could work for both sides -- is to Cincy for Raisel Iglesias and Nick Senzel Iglesias was Cincy's Opening Day starter back in 2016 though has pretty much been a reliever since and the Reds primary closer over the last two-plus seasons (58 saves in 2017 + 18) A Cuban signed in 2015 and who'll turn 29 just after New Year's, the Reds just this week signed him to an arbitration-years contract which will take him/them through 2021 at about $8 mil/per. Whether that means they're more likely to deal him or less likely is anyone's guess. Senzel is their top prospect and one of the best in all of baseball -- MLB, BA, & BP all had him at #7 last winter A 23 y/o out of Knoxville, TN and the 2nd overall pick in 2016 out of U-Tenn, the 3Bman (and sometimes 2B) was doing nothing to dim his rep this season [hitting .310/.378/.509 at AAA Louisville] until a busted thumb curtailed his 2018 season at just under 200 ABs and possibly delayed his ML debut as well. From John Sickels (on 11/21): Grade A/A-: hit .310/.378/.509 with six homers, 19 walks, 38 strikeouts, eight steals in 171 at-bats in Triple-A until season ended early due to broken finger; also missed time with vertigo; bat looks MLB-ready, hits for power, hits for average, controls the strike zone, no clear weaknesses; can steal some bases, too; also adapted well to playing second base, shifting over from third; only thing that worries me is the vertigo issue; ETA 2019. Be a nice bookend on either side of Rosario Make of all that what you want. Again, there's nothing to indicate that this is even under discussion but it's the type of trade that could work and I think probably a reasonable haul to expect. It's then just a question of whether either side might want it to work. Reds, due to their ballpark, have a tough time luring pitching to them and their more promising drafted guys either haven't worked out (Homer Bailey) or have yet to work out (Robert Stephenson) For the Mets it (hopefully) fills two holes at the expense of creating one. That sort of thing may be an even swap and it may even turn out to be a great trade in the end, but I'm not certain that the fanbase will accept it at the onset. You would be moving Syndergaard for a closer from a 2nd division team who no one knows the name of along with a prospect. It might be a tough sell to folks who, if they are accepting of a Syndergaard trade at all, want to see a real headline grabbing blockbuster. "Syndergaard for Springer!!" "Syndergaard for Bryant!!" It might also cause some ire from folks who may perceive that the "cheap-ass Coupons" are getting a lesser closer who makes less money instead of just going out there and getting Kimbrel or Britton. I am assuming that, if Senzel is coming back, then the plan would be for him to start in Syracuse while Frazier finished out his contract as the starting third baseman at least at the onset of the season?

smg58 wrote: I'd see if Todd Frazier could get us Sonny Gray Where would Frazier even fit on the Yankees right now? Andujar is entrenched at third and Voit needs a lefthanded platoon partner. This also assumes that a third baseman is coming back in any sort of Syndergaard trade.

If they do this (trading Syndergaard, that is), they are going to get a huge haul back. They are also going to take a factored in hit in the rotation. But "hit to the rotation" does not have to be the same thing as "gigantic gaping hole where Noah Syndergaard once was", so let's go over the options. . . https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2019-top-50-free-agents/ I used this link for reference. Based on what I saw there, realistically I do not see them as being in on Corbin or Keuchel. I do see them shopping in the two to three year term, $12 million to $16 million AAV range. That puts Eovaldi, Morton, Happ, Lynn, and Gonzalez on the list. Whoever they end up with slides in not as the ace or co-ace but as a solid 3 or 4 behind deGrom, Wheeler, and possibly Matz but ahead of Vargas (with the actual day to day rotation probably determined upon righty/lefty separation). Who do you want and why?

Try this out for size. . . Sign Harper. Sign Grandal. Syndergaard for Springer. Nimmo and Conforto for Kluber.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. This is the stretch of all stretches. Not expecting it to happen but can you imagine the waves that it would cause? https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/mets-reportedly-havent-ruled-out-run-at-free-agent-bryce-harper/301038086

The Indians are looking for young outfielders. Could the Mets bring in a Brandon Nimmo and make a bigger deal for a Cleveland starting pitcher, then move Noah Syndergaard? Cleveland has made Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer available. I'm not sure what Martino is saying here. That if the Mets include Nimmo they can possibly get Gomes and a starting pitcher? Or a starting pitcher instead of Gomes? There is no way that the Mets have the chips for any of those starters. Nimmo for Gomes, sign a FA starting picher, then Syndergaard for Springer. That makes some sort of sense, but then who is the leadoff hitter? On edit: McNeil-2b Conforto-lf Springer-rf Bruce-1b Frazier-3b Gomes-c Lagares-cf pitcher Rosario-ss eventually. . . McNeil-2b Springer-cf Conforto-rf Cespedes-lf Bruce-1b Frazier-3b Gomes-c pitcher Rosario-ss

Thanks! Maybe I'll get both.

What are the odds that the Yanks pick up Cron in order to platoon with Voit? I don't have much confidence of Bird staying healthy.

I need to up my analytical game. I probably need a book. This book was published in 2007. Is that way too old now? What else can I do? https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Sabermetrics-Introduction-Baseball-Statistics/dp/0786433884/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542802075&sr=1-1&keywords=sabermetrics

C.J. Cron, him of 30 HR, 74 RBI, an .816 OPS, and 2.00 WAR (along with 145 Ks), DFAed by Tampa Bay. There is a method to their madness, and I know it works, but sometimes it really makes me scratch my head.

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/mets-release-jenrry-mejia-who-had-been-reinstated-after-lifetime-ban/300966176 Not sure if he is really out or if this was just housekeeping to prevent having to put him on the 40-man. Either way, it is still perplexing to me how someone can receive a "lifetime ban" only to be reinstated after three years. It's like when SMU football got the "death penalty" back in the 80s only not really since they play football now and have been for many years.

Halladay. Mariano. Schilling. On edit: Should have voted Vizquel too. 11 Gold Gloves should get you in if you can hit even decently. My bad. Next year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You've got to be well thought of to be hired as a MLB manager 5 different times, though I associate losing clubs as Jim Riggleman's main employers. And there was that weird sudden departure from the Nationals that's never really been explained I don't think If he was up for the manager's job I would take all of that into consideration. None of it bothers me for the bench coach job.

DeFrancesco has to be a courtesy interview, right? I thought that BVW wanted a guy who has actually managed in the National League specifically.

Bregman vs. Bryant. It's pretty close when you click onto the projections. https://www.fantasypros.com/mlb/compare/kris-bryant-alex-bregman.php

Sources: As they consider Noah Syndergaard trade, Mets exploring free agent pitching options to replace him Andy Martino wrote: Trading Syndergaard -- which is no sure thing to happen, even though the Mets are exploring it -- would only be one piece in a larger strategy. The Mets could obtain a package of prospects and major leaguers for Syndergaard, then replace him with a free agent such as Patrick Corbin, J.A. Happ, Dallas Keuchel, or Nathan Eovaldi. Andy Martino wrote: The Mets are not close to signing any of these pitchers, and would likely have to make a trade before doing so. But GM Brodie Van Wagenen has been in touch with the agents for many free agent starters, keeping a dialogue open in case of a vacancy. It's cute how Andy Martino still writes like he's a reporter, and not on the payroll of the Wilpons. That tells me that this has teeth. That the Mets want this info out there.

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/heres-what-mets-want-in-noah-syndergaard-trade-and-five-teams-that-have-it/300903758 I don't want Simmons. I probably don't want Andujar because of his defense. I don't think that the Braves are a good fit because of the intra-division thing and because the Braves players are totally pre arbitration. (It's also debatable in my mind if the Mets would have to be the ones to kick more into the package because of that. . .you can just as well argue that the Braves would have to put in more since Syndergaard has more of a track record in the majors) I don't see why Bregman would not be an option if Correa and Springer are (and if Bryant also is from the Cubs side).

You missed this one. The Rays continue to be interesting. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/2018/11/08/what-getting-mike-zunino-dealing-mallex-smith-deal-means-to-rays/

Frayed Knot wrote: Maybe the closest parallel I can come up with was the Pirates trading Gerrit Cole to Houston 11 months ago. - The 2017 Pirates (74 wins) and the 2018 Mets (77) were coming off similar seasons. Pirates improved by 7 games this past year minus their ace pitcher - Syndergaard currently has one extra year of club control (three) as compared to Cole at the time he was dealt (two) - Cole had 127 ML starts to his name when dealt with 59 Wins, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP; Syndergaard currently sitting at 86 / 37 / 3.03 / 1.21 The Pirates received four players in the deal: Jason Martin, OF, 21 y/o (at the time of the trade) -- a former 8th round draft pick who at the time was a A+/AA player w/Houston. Played well this year in a half season of AA [913 OPS] not so much after AAA promotion [589] Michael Feliz, RHP -- 24 y/o Dominican reliever with two (now three) seasons of ML ball under his belt, none particularly successful Colin Moran, 3B, 24 -- Former 6th overall draft pick by the Marlins, was a back half of the top-100 type of prospect in '17 with a handful of ML ABs. 2018 was his first full year of ML ball where he put up a so-so .277/.340/.407 Joe Musgrave, RHP, 24 -- Another former 1st round pick (46th overall). Mix of starting and relief in two partial seasons w/HOU. 19 starts; 4.06 ERA; 1.18 WHIP for Pitt in '18 From the way all this is being reported, that's not going to happen. Either we are getting a controllable, established, All-Star level righthanded bat or Syndergaard is staying right where he is.

Andy Martino wrote: The Mets are not close to signing any of these pitchers, and would likely have to make a trade before doing so. But GM Brodie Van Wagenen has been in touch with the agents for many free agent starters, keeping a dialogue open in case of a vacancy. This seems backwards to me. You probably should sign the replacement first, then you are free to make the trade. In reality, you really should make sure that both are in place before you move ahead with either one.

This is not a rumor, just an example of what I would accept as a situation where they would move Syndergaard. . . Sign Keuchel, Eovaldi, or Morton first. Then offer Syndergaard and Frazier to Houston in exchange for Bregman and a mid-tier pitching prospect. I doubt that the Astros would do it, but that is the type of thing that I would be alright with in theory.