Frayed Knot

That they won't report the type of cancer and say in advance that they'll not be any updates as the treatment goes on certainly doesn't calm any nerves.

And when you've got a chance to be bench coach to Yasiel Puig, I mean who wouldn't jump on it!

Lefty Specialist wrote: 6 years, $206 million. That's just nuts. Largest AAV (average annual value) contract in MLB history. ZG turned 33 y/o in October (six days after being the LOSING pitcher in Game 5 vs NYM) so he'll pitch this contract at his age 33-38 seasons.

The Zack Greinke decision, which has been said all week to come to the Dodgers & Giants has been settled in favor of ... the Diamondbacks. Terms not yet disclosed. Bet it was the new unis.

RHP John Lackey jumps from StL to the Cubs. The 37 y/o FA agrees to a two-year deal.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: I can't imagine the people running the BBWAA are going to change their rules because one writer posts a "Look at me protesting" column. I didn't say it was a good strategy, only that it was the reason he was choosing to not cast a ballot rather than going with his best ten. His message is to the folks in Cooperstown, not to the players. If no one is on his side then, yeah, it's probably futile. But don't knock the idea of a protest gesture. People should do more of it not less including at times voting for obscure presidential (or other office) candidates in those cases where the mainstream two don't meet your expectations. Elected officials who win with low-40s percent pluralities don't always act the same as they might have had they won with an upper-50s majority because the population felt compelled to pick only choice A or B. And there's nothing wrong (and a lot good) about elected officials looking over their shoulder.

Not sure if it's related to the fainting episode during the Terry press conference, but the NY Post is reporting that [u:14oux8d2]Sandy is about to undergo 8-to-12 weeks of chemotherapy for a "treatable" form of cancer[/u:14oux8d2] according to a club announcement this morning. Alderson will continue in his duties as GM, though he will miss next week’s Winter Meetings. This comes on the heels of him skipping last month's GM meeting after briefly collapsing following a Citi Field press conference.

Nymr83 wrote: obviously he just loves publicity AND is still a dipshit.. why not vote for the best ten? if a bunch get in, you'll be clearing the backlog for next year! Because the aim of his protest is to get the poo-bahs in Cooperstown to change their regulations. Until that happens, he's willing to skew the vote in order to combat what he sees as their stubbornness.

Add Jim Henderson to the mix of bullpenners sure to get the WS ticket printers busy. The 6' 5", RH, 33 y/o native of Calgary, Canada had 28 saves for the 2013 Brewers but has pitched only 11 ML innings since while recovering from shoulder surgery. Any remembrances, Monk? That resume gets him a minor league contract and an invite to ST in what seems like a no down-side move.

Also non-tendered: SF P Yusmeiro Petit; Miami RHP Aaron Crow; Angels LHR Cesar Ramos; SD 3B Will Middlebrooks; Detroit RHPs Neftali Feliz & Al Alburquerque; ChiSox C Tyler Flowers & RHP Jacob Turner

Ike or Alvarez have ZERO versatility as compared to Uribe. Can't see how either one is a sub for him or the point of bringing in either/or in unless you're planning on jettisoning Duda for some reason (and wasn't that Lucas vs Ike battle decided already?).

Notable players NOT offered contracts by their existing clubs, thereby making them FAs Pedro Alvarez - 1B, Pirates. Former 2nd overall (2008) draft pick's high K-rates and defensive shortcomings detract from his 25-30 HR/yr pace. Chris Carter - 1B/DH, Astros. Lotsa powah, lotsa K's [24 & 151 in just 391 ABs] Henderson Alvarez - RHP, Marlins. Was 12-7/2.65 in 2014 and Opening Day starter in '15, but then started just 3 more games before mid-season shoulder surgery. Not expected to be ready by OD '16 Greg Holland - RP, Royals. Former closer recently underwent TJ surgery, not expected to pitch at all in 2016 Mike Minor, RHP, Braves. Multiple injury problems. Last game was when he walked off the mound after one inning vs Mets in Aug 2014 Ike Davis - 1B, A's. Looking for 3rd team in two years. Josh Thole - C, Blue Jays. Even RA Dickey's presence couldn't save him. There will likely be others as last night's moves/non-moves trickle in.

AP: The Mets have tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players, the team announced on Wednesday. That list consists of Matt Harvey, Ruben Tejada, Jenrry Mejia, Lucas Duda, Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed, Carlos Torres and Josh Edgin. The non-tender deadline for all arbitration eligible players is/was midnight tonight (Wednesday)

Billy Beane continues to deal, even if his final vision isn't always easy to discern. While SD continues to undo what they spent all of last off-season doing. SD >>> OAK: 1B Yonder Alonso + LHP Mark Rzepczynski OAK >>> SD: LHP Drew Pomeranz + (minor league) LHP Jose Torres

I heard that Wally will be the bench coach on the days when the Mets face RH starters and Teufel when they see a left-hander.

So in the last 18 months, Dave Dombrowski has now traded for David Price 1, traded away David Price 2, and now signed David Price 3 as a FA. 1 - July 31, 2014. Price dealt to Detroit from Tampa in a three-way deal while sending away Austin Jackson, Willy Adames, Drew Smyly 2 - July 30, 2015. From Detroit to Toronto in exchange for Jairo Lebourt, Matt Boyd, Daniel Norris 3 - December 1, 2015. Signed by Dombrowski after he moved from the Tigers to the Red Sox in August 2015

Those papers suck, but apparently I can get a REALLY good deal on a Chevy if I lived there.

d'Kong76 wrote: I feel old, is coke still cool? The NHL has recently stepped up testing for it in response to a reported rapid in usage.

It would be the same as trying to pay a rookie less than the mandated minimum; Mejia's minimum is just at a different level from a rookie's because of his service time earned to date. So whatever minimum threshold is in a particular case and regardless of whether it's pre-arb, post-arb, or with a potential FA, if the club fails to make a minimum qualifying offer then it's treated as if they made no offer at all meaning that said player is no longer bound to that team.

For a BIG Price the BoSox land David Price - 7 years, $217, topping the Scherzer deal w/Washington from last season. Price just turned 30 y/o in August so he'll turn 37 just before this contract is ready to expire. Just when you think these deals have reached their ceiling, we find that they haven't.

Ceetar wrote: I wonder if they could incentive it differently too. "Hey, sign this 1 million dollar contract with a 2 million "if you make 10 appearances" clause. No, because the team must offer him at least 80% of what he was due to make this past year: 80% of $2.595 = $2.076 Now that'll get cut essentially in half due to him missing half the season but the rate at which they pay him can't go any lower. To offer anything less than that in base pay they'd have to let him become a FA and then re-sign him, but then of course he'd be open to other teams' deals as well.

Minor league home run king and former Met Mike Hessman packs it in. 1st career HR comes vs the NYM, Aug 26, 2003 off Mike Stanton as a PH in the 9th inning -- http://www.leaptoad.com/mets/gamedetail.php?gameno=6705&tabno=D -- fortunately it was a game in which the Mets were up by 2 at the time and Stanton went on to preserve the save. He retired Vinny Castilla, Raffy Furcal & Gary Sheffield in that inning, just not Mike Hessman. And his final career HR came as a NYM, Aug 6, 2010. This one also came as a PH (not surprising) also in the 9th inning and also left his team one run short. In this case he connected off the Phils' J.C. Romero with 2-on/2-out and the Mets down by 4 (thanks to a 6-run Philly 8th) -- http://www.leaptoad.com/mets/gamedetail.php?gameno=7827&tabno=D In between those two he hit 12 other ML HRs in 223 ABs across pieces of 5 ML seasons. On the final game of the 2010 season he was subbed in hit in the 9th slot and play 3rd following the 9th inning of a tie game in which the 83-loss Mets would lose 2-1 to the 93-loss Nats in the 14th (Ollie Perez walked in the winning run). Hessman wound up getting ABs in the 10th & 12th innings K-ing in both (the 2nd time w/the winning run on 2nd) and was on deck when Ruben Tejada flew out to end the game. It was the 109th and final ML game of his career. -- http://www.leaptoad.com/mets/gamedetail.php?gameno=7880&tabno=D

I'm not sure that I know any Marc Anthony songs. Or if I do know some I don't know that I know them.

RealityChuck wrote: I wonder if Mejia got a WS share. Teams are usually generous about shares and Mejia was on the active roster. I don't no how that might work with his suspension. Players' shares are strictly up to the players themselves to dole out from their share of the pool of money* that the post-season generates. I could see them cutting Mejia something for his two weeks of active service this season but nothing resembling a full share. Every dollar given out, after all, is one less dollar for the rest of them. By coincidence, the news was out today that the Mets awarded 44 full shares along with 11.05 partial shares and 25 cash awards out of a record $16 million for a WS losing team (maybe Jenrry was the .05) 49 players appeared in at least one game this season. A full share was worth just over $300K/per * The postseason player's pool comes from 50% of the gate receipts from the Wild Card Games; 60% of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series; 60% of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship Series and 60% of the gate receipts from the first four games of the World Series. That pool is divided between the 10 teams appearing in the postseason.

Thoughts (!!!!) 1st) Surprising 2nd) Maybe not so much. After serving out the remainder of his suspension, Mejia would essentially be like a mid-season trade (and when haven't we needed mid-season bullpen help?) that you wouldn't have to give up anyone for at a salary of "only" one million or so. Plus he knows that if he fucks up again that it's the last ML paycheck he'll EVER see. Coming off a year where he took home, what was it?, ONE paycheck, that's pretty good incentive to keep clean. On the flip side I'm betting that he hasn't been spending his enforced off time polishing up his MENSA application. I guess the post-season ban is applicable for the year in which the player receives the suspension.