Frayed Knot

Johan inks a minor league deal w/Toronto

[fimg=400]http://mlb.mlb.com/assets/images/0/2/4/110499024/cuts/realhelmet_n5rkiel3_vpbejh4t.jpg[/fimg] Giancarlo Stanton's new protective helmet puts the G in faceGuard.

Francisco Rodriguez back to the Brewers - 2 years plus an option. Seems like he's been around forever but just turned 33 y/o

Personally I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

Kind of funny how much he resembles Eric Young Jr. in the field.

Wasn't it last off-season that Big Luc broke something or other while moving furniture? It's Feb 24th, I'm declaring this to be a non-issue.

Baseball was much better before players had obliques.

But if you can only see one Norwegian movie this year ...

Considering that, at age 25 and with < 100 ML ABs under his belt, he hit 13 HRs in <400 ABs and hit .265 after his call-back during his first full-(ish) season, BP's best case projection from a couple years ago -- [[u:ew8rtq91]Could develop[/u:ew8rtq91] into top-shelf bat at position, with .275-plus batting average and 17-25 HR power potential] -- certainly isn't out of reach.

Vic Sage wrote: i don't care what position he plays. If he really has 5-tool all-star potential then we should have tried to acquire him. And if all he costs is money, not players or prospects, then a NY team should be able to outbid their Bostonian brethren. But nooooooooooo, not our Won'tPons. I'm not suggesting the Mets shouldn't at least have had their noses in on the bidding (in fact I specifically said otherwise) only that, in the context of being the answer as to who would play SS on the big club this season, he wasn't going to be in the mix.

The thing about the Cuban Moncada is that, as much as we'd like to see the Mets insert themselves into some of these foreign FA hunts at some point, he was never going to be a SS solution for this season anyway. He's going to be a star!! is the majority opinion on him, but it probably won't be as a SS and, unlike say Puig and Abreu recently, as a 19 y/o "amateur" he's unlikely to make a mark on the big league level at all this year no matter where on the field he winds up.

We're talking about two players who look pretty dis-similar at the outset even if both are, at the moment anyway, NL East shortstops. Desmond's averaged 58 XBHs/Yr over the last three seasons and my first thought is that if Wilmer could pull off 2/3 of that I'd be pretty happy. But (with all small sample warning applying here) the XBH output is already closer than I would have thought. Project Wilmer's 2014 XBH rate to 600 PAs and you get 43.7, already more than 3/4 of the way to Desmond's 56.4/yr rate over the last three seasons (and closer still if just 2014 is counted). Add in that those stats are for Flores's age 22 season (he turned 23 in August) where at the same age Desmond had yet to take his first big league AB. Both are also aggressive swing guys who don't walk a lot. Pretty different defensively with neither likely to win a Gold Glove anytime in the near future. Desmond is more athletic and will make the spectacular play more often while tending to be more erratic on the easier ones (early in his career particularly - less so now). Wilmer (again the briefer glimpse thing) seems steadier and less likely to be the type to fumble the routine plays. Desmond has the stronger arm, not sure about accuracy at this point. Clear edge to Desmond on the running game as he's been a 20+ steal/yr man with a success rate of 77%.

From the Q&A session following BA's Top-100 Q: Amed Rosario was a pleasant surprise at #98. Are scouts completely sold that he'll be able to stick at SS? A: (John Manuel - BA): We do believe he profiles as a strong defensive shortstop; range, agility and arm strength are all there. Now he needs to add polish to the package. But right now, he�s a glove-first guy, kind of an Alcides Escobar type, but with the potential for more offensive upside. There�s a lot to like with the Mets� prospects and with Rosario.

To increase his chances of sticking around, Campbell is working out with the pitchers and catchers this week (as a catcher obviously). With just two catchers on a roster being too few and three generally being too many, this is a smart move, particularly with no other backstops even on the 40-man roster right now. If either d'Arnaud or Recker need a DL stint then you wouldn't want to depend on Campbell as the only backup. But if he can show himself to be even marginally competent it'll at least allow the backup catcher to PH with less worry about being caught short.

I predict that Keith, despite his Spanish heritage, will only get the opportunity to mispronounce this guy's name during ST games.

After and in the midst of all the shitty weather the east coast has had lately, what this weekend could have used is a ballgame on TV. It didn't even have to be one that mattered for anything, but just seeing an inning or two would have made my day.

TheOldMole wrote: Why, if a guy can pitch in the 8th inning, is he incapable of pitching in the 9th inning? No good reason that I know of except that, judging by what one hears anyway, it seems that the majority of those within baseball believe that the track record of a successful 8th inning pitcher hasn't the slightest bearing on how said pitcher will fare if one were to take the rash and radical step of allowing him to pitch in the 9th. Or, for that matter, vice-versa.

Couple of managers get some pre-season votes of confidence from their clubs. Funny how things work in Boston sometimes: Bobby V finishes last - gets fired. Terry Francona finishes last - Gets fired. John Farrell finishes last - gets his contract extended. TEAMMANAGERSIGNED THRUSTATUSHiredMETSTerry Collins2015 + option for '1611/23/2010BRAVESFredi Gonzalez201510/13/2010PHILLIESRyne Sandberg2016 + option for '178/16/2013NATIONALSMatt Williams2015 + options for �16 + �17Option for 2016 picked up10/13/2013MARLINSMike Redmond2015Extended through 201711/1/2012CARDINALSMike Matheny201711/20/2013PIRATESClint Hurdle2017 + option for �1811/15/2010CUBS[crossout]Rick Renteria[/crossout]Fired Oct 31Hired Joe Maddon for 2015 - 201910/31/2014REDSBryan Price201610/22/2013BREWERSRon Roenicke2015 + option for �1611/4/2010DODGERSDon Mattingly20169/17/2010GIANTSBruce Bochy2016Oct 2006PADRESBud Black2015Nov 2006DBACKS[crossout]Kirk Gibson[/crossout]2014 -- Fired, Sept 2014Chip Hale hired for 2015-1610/13/2014ROCKIESWalt Weiss201611/7/2012RED SOXJohn Farrell2016Extended thru 201710/20/2012YANKEESJoe Girardi201710/30/2007ORIOLESBuck Showalter20187/28/2010BLUE JAYSJohn Gibbons2015 + option for �1611/20/2012RAYS[crossout]Joe Maddon[/crossout]Mgr Opted out of contract's final yearDec 2014 - Hired Kevin Cash12/04/2014TIGERSBrad Ausmus2016 + option for �1711/4/2013INDIANSTerry Francona2016Extended thru 2018 w/options for '19 + �2010/8/2012ROYALSNed Yost20155/13/2010TWINS[crossout]Ron Gardenhire[/crossout]Fired - Sept '14Hired Paul Molitor - 2015-201711/4/2014WHITE SOXRobin Ventura201410/6/2011ANGELSMike Scioscia201811/17/1999RANGERS[crossout]Ron Washington[/crossout]Resigned Sept 2014Hired Jeff Banister - 2015-17 + '18 option10/17/2014MARINERSLloyd McClendon201?11/7/2013ASTROS[crossout]Bo Porter[/crossout]Fired Sept 2014AJ Hinch - Hired Sept 20149/29/2014ATHLETICSBob Melvin20166/9/2011

IOW, no quicker, just different.

Plus umpire Tim McClellan has retired, so not having to wait for his delayed strikes alone will save 15 or 20 minutes per game.

My mash-up of four* prospect lists: BA, BP, MLB (Mayo) and ESPN (Law), finds NYM prospects at -- #10 - Syndergaard #50 - Matz #70 - Conforto #71 - Nimmo #72 - Plawecki #77 - Herrera League wide list: 1 - Byron Buxton - OF, Twins (21) 2nd overall pick in 2012 draft missed most of last season with injuries (only 124 ABs) but it hasn't soured the touts on his potential 2 - Kris Bryant - 3B, Cubs (24) 2nd overall pick in 2013 draft has monster power and will be up early this season, maybe even for OD 3 - Carlos Correa - SS, Astros (20) 1st overall pick in 2012 draft out of Puerto Rico, also missed a large chunk of 2014 with injuries 4 - Addison Russell - SS, Cubs (21) The big trade bait in the Samardzija deal at mid-season, Oakland's 1st round pick (11th overall) in 2012 is probably at least a 1/2 year away still 5 - Francisco Lindor - SS, Indians (21) Still more glove than bat, but with 600+ ABs at AA+AAA he should be just about ready to come out of the oven 6 - Corey Seager - SS, Dodgers (20) 18th overall pick in 2012 mashed at high-A & AA in 2014 [.349/.402/.602]. Brother Kyle was All-Star with Seattle last year and other brother Justin is in Seattle system 7 - Lucas Giolito - RHP, Nationals (20) Nationals pretty much knew he'd need TJ surgery when they drafted him 16th overall in 2012 (and he did after just 2 professional IP) but the strategy is looking good so far after he sat out most of 2013 8 - Julio Urias - LHP, Dodgers (18) Mexican signee dominated low-A ball in 2014 [2.25 ERA, 1.1 WHiP] yet won't even turn 19 until this coming August 9 - Joey Gallo - 3B, Rangers (21) 39th overall pick in 2012 draft shows Crazy power (see what I did there?) with 42 HRs across 2 levels last season. Lots of Ks to go with it but an improving all-around game 10 - Syndergaard * I usually include John Sickels report as well but he's been ill and is behind the 8-ball this winter

MLB.com -- Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar's year-long attempt to heal a strained muscle in his right shoulder without surgery has come to an end. Profar, once one of the top prospects in baseball, will undergo surgery on Monday in Arlington and there is a possibility that for the second straight year he could be out for an entire season.

Willingly and often.

Never mind that, get to the REAL important question concerning MdD (not that it'll matter in most cases): Does he get filed alphabetically under den or Dekker?

Dress made out of used Mets baseballs. [snarky comment] Hardy used[/snarky] one might say. Let's see someone turn up with THAT on the Oscar night runway! Q: "So, who are you wearing?" A: "Lucas Duda"