Presented without further comment, the current version of your 2009 New York Mets:
STARTING PITCHERS
Mike Pelfrey
Bobby Parnell
Pat Misch
Tim Redding
Nelson Figueroa
Johan Santana - DL
Oliver Perez - DL
John Maine - DL
Jon Niese - DL
Fernando Nieve - DL
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Sean Green
Ken Takahashi
Elmer Dessens
Lance Broadway
JJ Putz - DL
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Luis Castillo
Fernando Tatis
Anderson Hernandez
Wilson Valdez
Carlos Delgado - DL
David Wright - DL
Jose Reyes - DL
Alex Cora - DL
Ramon Martinez - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Gary Sheffield
Angel Pagan
Jeff Francouer
Nick Evans
Cory Sullivan
Jeremy Reed
Carlos Beltran - DL
Fernando Martinez - DL
Showing posts with label Roster Move. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roster Move. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Roster Moves: Catching Up
The roster has been turned over quite a bit since I threw my hissy fit - let's go back and briefly recap how we've gotten to this point.
* John Maine and JJ Putz went on the disabled list. I'm worried about Maine; I get the feeling that his shoulder is just never going to fully rebound from last year's injury. Nieve replaced Maine initially and got off to a great start, but has faltered in his last three outings. Putz had elbow surgery and is supposed to come back in September, but I think it's far more likely that he's pitched his final game in a Mets uniform. His onerous 2010 option simply cannot be picked up.
* Oliver Perez has returned to the big club after his early-season exile, but doesn't look that much different. He is nominally the #3 starter and the runaway leader for the Mets' version of the Worst Contract on the Team award. Two more years of this guy?
* Tim Redding has been moved to the bullpen, while Pat Misch and Elmer Dessens have taken bullpen jobs as well. Ken Takahashi was sent to Buffalo. I can't imagine Misch or Dessens will be on the team much longer, but modern baseball has given advent to the 13-man pitching staff, God help us all.
* Ramon Castro was given away for nothing, but he wasn't worth much more than that anyway. Omir Santos has been getting regular time behind the plate - nobody seems to mind that he has a .301 OBP and is having trouble throwing out base-stealers.
* Alex Cora has come off the DL and gone into a huge slump. Is Jose Reyes ever coming back? Ramon Martinez and Wilson Valdez are down in Buffalo.
* Angel Berroa. It never ends.
* What else can I say about the Francouer deal? If the Mets non-tender him after the season, or convince some other patsy to take him on before non-tendering him, then I guess the deal won't be so bad. Carlos Beltran and Fernando Martinez are both on the DL - Beltran because of chronic organizational mismanagement and Martinez because he is injury-prone. Is there a worse outfield in the National League right now?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
Livan Hernandez
Fernando Nieve
John Maine - DL
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Elmer Dessens
Pat Misch
Tim Redding
JJ Putz - DL
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
Angel Berroa
Carlos Delgado - DL
Jose Reyes - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Gary Sheffield
Jeff Francouer
Jeremy Reed
Angel Pagan
Carlos Beltran - DL
Fernando Martinez - DL
* John Maine and JJ Putz went on the disabled list. I'm worried about Maine; I get the feeling that his shoulder is just never going to fully rebound from last year's injury. Nieve replaced Maine initially and got off to a great start, but has faltered in his last three outings. Putz had elbow surgery and is supposed to come back in September, but I think it's far more likely that he's pitched his final game in a Mets uniform. His onerous 2010 option simply cannot be picked up.
* Oliver Perez has returned to the big club after his early-season exile, but doesn't look that much different. He is nominally the #3 starter and the runaway leader for the Mets' version of the Worst Contract on the Team award. Two more years of this guy?
* Tim Redding has been moved to the bullpen, while Pat Misch and Elmer Dessens have taken bullpen jobs as well. Ken Takahashi was sent to Buffalo. I can't imagine Misch or Dessens will be on the team much longer, but modern baseball has given advent to the 13-man pitching staff, God help us all.
* Ramon Castro was given away for nothing, but he wasn't worth much more than that anyway. Omir Santos has been getting regular time behind the plate - nobody seems to mind that he has a .301 OBP and is having trouble throwing out base-stealers.
* Alex Cora has come off the DL and gone into a huge slump. Is Jose Reyes ever coming back? Ramon Martinez and Wilson Valdez are down in Buffalo.
* Angel Berroa. It never ends.
* What else can I say about the Francouer deal? If the Mets non-tender him after the season, or convince some other patsy to take him on before non-tendering him, then I guess the deal won't be so bad. Carlos Beltran and Fernando Martinez are both on the DL - Beltran because of chronic organizational mismanagement and Martinez because he is injury-prone. Is there a worse outfield in the National League right now?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
Livan Hernandez
Fernando Nieve
John Maine - DL
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Elmer Dessens
Pat Misch
Tim Redding
JJ Putz - DL
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
Angel Berroa
Carlos Delgado - DL
Jose Reyes - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Gary Sheffield
Jeff Francouer
Jeremy Reed
Angel Pagan
Carlos Beltran - DL
Fernando Martinez - DL
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Roster Moves: Finally!
What the hell has Omar Minaya been waiting for?
The MSM finally jumped all over this in the last day or so, but the Mets have been pathetically slow to admit that a player is injured and to put him on the disabled list. Jerry Manuel has been playing short-handed in some form or fashion for the better part of three weeks now, and these roster moves still won't give him a full team. Carlos Beltran is out until at least Friday with a bone bruise; I expect that he will pinch-hit once over the weekend, not play for another three or four days and finally go on the DL late next week.
Reyes is the key to the 2009 season. If he is hobbled or even limited for a long period of time, the Mets will struggle to reach the 85-win mark when all is said and done. (Yes, I still think they're only an 87 to 89 win team anyway.) There is simply no competent replacement for him offensively or defensively, which Minaya tacitly admitted to when he purchased someone named Wilson Valdez from the Indians instead of looking for a temporary internal solution.
Church is a prime candidate to be non-tendered in the off-season anyway, so his loss isn't nearly as damaging to the Mets' fortunes. With Daniel Murphy playing first base and Gary Sheffield in left field, the Mets can use Angel Pagan, Jeremy Reed and super-prospect Fernando Martinez is center field and right field. Pagan and Reed are better cast as fourth and fifth outfielders, so Martinez has a chance to permanantly wrest the starting job away from Church.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Tim Redding
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Ken Takahashi
CATCHERS
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
Brian Schneider - DL
INFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Ramon Martinez
Fernando Tatis
Wilson Valdez
Carlos Delgado - DL
Alex Cora - DL
Jose Reyes - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Gary Sheffield
Carlos Beltran
Fernando Martinez
Jeremy Reed
Angel Pagan
Ryan Church - DL
The MSM finally jumped all over this in the last day or so, but the Mets have been pathetically slow to admit that a player is injured and to put him on the disabled list. Jerry Manuel has been playing short-handed in some form or fashion for the better part of three weeks now, and these roster moves still won't give him a full team. Carlos Beltran is out until at least Friday with a bone bruise; I expect that he will pinch-hit once over the weekend, not play for another three or four days and finally go on the DL late next week.
Reyes is the key to the 2009 season. If he is hobbled or even limited for a long period of time, the Mets will struggle to reach the 85-win mark when all is said and done. (Yes, I still think they're only an 87 to 89 win team anyway.) There is simply no competent replacement for him offensively or defensively, which Minaya tacitly admitted to when he purchased someone named Wilson Valdez from the Indians instead of looking for a temporary internal solution.
Church is a prime candidate to be non-tendered in the off-season anyway, so his loss isn't nearly as damaging to the Mets' fortunes. With Daniel Murphy playing first base and Gary Sheffield in left field, the Mets can use Angel Pagan, Jeremy Reed and super-prospect Fernando Martinez is center field and right field. Pagan and Reed are better cast as fourth and fifth outfielders, so Martinez has a chance to permanantly wrest the starting job away from Church.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Tim Redding
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Ken Takahashi
CATCHERS
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
Brian Schneider - DL
INFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Ramon Martinez
Fernando Tatis
Wilson Valdez
Carlos Delgado - DL
Alex Cora - DL
Jose Reyes - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Gary Sheffield
Carlos Beltran
Fernando Martinez
Jeremy Reed
Angel Pagan
Ryan Church - DL
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Roster Moves: Delgado Out Indefintiely
The Mets are dealing with their first major injury of the 2009 season, as Carlos Delgado is undergoing hip surgery because of a torn labrum and a bone spur. There's no definitive time-table for his return, but there is some concern that Delgado may be out for the rest of the season.
Losing your cleanup hitter is never a good thing, but the timing is actually advantageous for the Mets. Daniel Murphy's future in New York may be at first base, so the Mets have a golden opportunity to give him a month or so of relatively low-pressure exposure to the position to see how well he takes to it. With Gary Sheffield and Jeremy Reed both hitting well and Angel Pagan now looking for at-bats (he was recalled to replace Delgado on the active roster), there would be no shortage of candidates to play left field while Murphy works out at first.
Of course, Fernando Tatis has been tearing the cover off the ball lately and Murphy has been slumping, so there's no reason to hand the job over just yet. What has bothered me the last few days has been how Jerry Manuel has been spelling Tatis when he's not playing first base. The Mets have an excellent defensive outfielder in Reed, who has virtually no experience at first base. The Mets have a comically bad defensive outfielder in Murphy, with no experience at first base. Guess who has been seeing more time there?
Alex Cora is also going to be out for awhile, but unlike Delgado he has no one to blame but himself for his injury. An unnecessary head-first slide into second base on Sunday resulted in a torn ligament in Cora's thumb, which will lead to an extended stay on the shelf. It also led to the frightening specter of Fernando Tatis playing shortstop for a few innings as Cora's replacement on Sunday.
Ramon Martinez will take over the utility infielder's role for the Mets while Cora is on the disables list. Too bad, because Cora had been hitting well in Jose Reyes's temporary absence and was building a case for replacing Luis Castillo at second base when Reyes returns.
(By the way, Castillo is hitting .205/.302/.250 since being moved back up the top of the order on May 7. Hey Jerry, some of us still think that Castillo should be batting eighth!)
As for Cora's injury: too many baseball players today insist on the head-first slide, which does not get you to the base any quicker and does not make you any more difficult to to tag. Did anyone happen to catch Pagan's foot-first slide into home last night to tie the game at 2-2? He might be the only player on the Mets with enough baseball acumen not to slide head-first in that situation.
Finally, some housekeeping. Tim Redding is back and in the starting rotation, pitching out of the slot that initially belonged to Oliver Perez and was being filled by Jon Niese. He's better than Livan Hernandez, but that's not saying much. Nelson Figueroa came and went again, and to be honest I can't even figure out what part on the pitching staff he was on.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Tim Redding
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Ken Takahashi
CATCHERS
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
Brian Schneider - DL
INFIELDERS
Fernando Tatis
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Ramon Martinez
Carlos Delgado - DL
Alex Cora - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Angel Pagan
Losing your cleanup hitter is never a good thing, but the timing is actually advantageous for the Mets. Daniel Murphy's future in New York may be at first base, so the Mets have a golden opportunity to give him a month or so of relatively low-pressure exposure to the position to see how well he takes to it. With Gary Sheffield and Jeremy Reed both hitting well and Angel Pagan now looking for at-bats (he was recalled to replace Delgado on the active roster), there would be no shortage of candidates to play left field while Murphy works out at first.
Of course, Fernando Tatis has been tearing the cover off the ball lately and Murphy has been slumping, so there's no reason to hand the job over just yet. What has bothered me the last few days has been how Jerry Manuel has been spelling Tatis when he's not playing first base. The Mets have an excellent defensive outfielder in Reed, who has virtually no experience at first base. The Mets have a comically bad defensive outfielder in Murphy, with no experience at first base. Guess who has been seeing more time there?
Alex Cora is also going to be out for awhile, but unlike Delgado he has no one to blame but himself for his injury. An unnecessary head-first slide into second base on Sunday resulted in a torn ligament in Cora's thumb, which will lead to an extended stay on the shelf. It also led to the frightening specter of Fernando Tatis playing shortstop for a few innings as Cora's replacement on Sunday.
Ramon Martinez will take over the utility infielder's role for the Mets while Cora is on the disables list. Too bad, because Cora had been hitting well in Jose Reyes's temporary absence and was building a case for replacing Luis Castillo at second base when Reyes returns.
(By the way, Castillo is hitting .205/.302/.250 since being moved back up the top of the order on May 7. Hey Jerry, some of us still think that Castillo should be batting eighth!)
As for Cora's injury: too many baseball players today insist on the head-first slide, which does not get you to the base any quicker and does not make you any more difficult to to tag. Did anyone happen to catch Pagan's foot-first slide into home last night to tie the game at 2-2? He might be the only player on the Mets with enough baseball acumen not to slide head-first in that situation.
Finally, some housekeeping. Tim Redding is back and in the starting rotation, pitching out of the slot that initially belonged to Oliver Perez and was being filled by Jon Niese. He's better than Livan Hernandez, but that's not saying much. Nelson Figueroa came and went again, and to be honest I can't even figure out what part on the pitching staff he was on.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Tim Redding
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Brian Stokes
Bobby Parnell
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Ken Takahashi
CATCHERS
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
Brian Schneider - DL
INFIELDERS
Fernando Tatis
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Ramon Martinez
Carlos Delgado - DL
Alex Cora - DL
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Angel Pagan
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Roster Moves: Why Am I Bothering?
Ken Takahashi in, Casey Fossum out. Don't tell me you're asking for more analysis than that!?
Fine.
Ken Takahashi is a 40-year-old rookie who has finally made his way here after many years playing professionally in Japan. When Jerry Manuel hands him the ball for the first time, probably as soon as tonight, he will make history as the oldest Japanese baseball player to make his MLB debut. Yet another easily forgotten answer to a dubious trivia question involving the New York Mets.
Casey Fossum once had some promise, but that train left the station quite some time ago. Now, Casey Fosuum is only employed as a professional baseball player by virtue of throwing with his left arm. He'll land on his feet somewhere - probably right back in Buffalo.
This entire post should've been a Twitter update.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Ken Takahashi
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider - DL
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Fine.
Ken Takahashi is a 40-year-old rookie who has finally made his way here after many years playing professionally in Japan. When Jerry Manuel hands him the ball for the first time, probably as soon as tonight, he will make history as the oldest Japanese baseball player to make his MLB debut. Yet another easily forgotten answer to a dubious trivia question involving the New York Mets.
Casey Fossum once had some promise, but that train left the station quite some time ago. Now, Casey Fosuum is only employed as a professional baseball player by virtue of throwing with his left arm. He'll land on his feet somewhere - probably right back in Buffalo.
This entire post should've been a Twitter update.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Ken Takahashi
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider - DL
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Roster Moves: O'Day Released, Schneider on DL
I got married on Saturday, so I haven't had time to write anything for the better part of a week. I'm going to try to put something original together today or tomorrow, but for now I just want to catch up on the roster changes.
Late last week, Brian Schneider was put on the disabled list with a sore back and the Mets brought up Omir Santos to back up Ramon Castro. I know very little about Santos, other than to say he's not considered the catcher of the future in Flushing. He'll be here until Schneider returns, which probably won't be long now.
Then it was time to say good-bye to Darren O'Day, who was offered back to the Angels to make room for Nelson Figueroa's spot start on Sunday. When California declined, the Mets put him on waivers and the Texas Rangers snatched him up. The Mets really should have sent Bobby Parnell down instead to make room for Figueroa (who was getting the start so that the Mets could skip Mike Pelfrey's start), but they must not have liked something they saw in O'Day. Too small of a sample size to make an informed judgment, says I.
Figueroa spent one day with the big club - much to his wife's chagrin - and the Mets brought up Casey Fossum to take O'Day's spot in the bullpen. Don't get too attached - Fossum is not a major-league pitcher.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Casey Fossum
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider - DL
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Late last week, Brian Schneider was put on the disabled list with a sore back and the Mets brought up Omir Santos to back up Ramon Castro. I know very little about Santos, other than to say he's not considered the catcher of the future in Flushing. He'll be here until Schneider returns, which probably won't be long now.
Then it was time to say good-bye to Darren O'Day, who was offered back to the Angels to make room for Nelson Figueroa's spot start on Sunday. When California declined, the Mets put him on waivers and the Texas Rangers snatched him up. The Mets really should have sent Bobby Parnell down instead to make room for Figueroa (who was getting the start so that the Mets could skip Mike Pelfrey's start), but they must not have liked something they saw in O'Day. Too small of a sample size to make an informed judgment, says I.
Figueroa spent one day with the big club - much to his wife's chagrin - and the Mets brought up Casey Fossum to take O'Day's spot in the bullpen. Don't get too attached - Fossum is not a major-league pitcher.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Casey Fossum
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider - DL
Ramon Castro
Omir Santos
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Monday, April 13, 2009
Roster Move: Marlon Anderson Released
Thank God.
It was absolutely the right move to make, but you always wonder when it comes to the Mets making the right move. Anderson had no specific role on this team and will probably end up in Buffalo - I can't see why any major league team would want to add him to their squad.
These days, with the over-specialization of bullpens, major league teams simply do not have room on the roster to carry a designated pinch hitter. That's what Anderson is at this point in his career - he can't play the field and he can't run, so he doesn't belong on the bench. Anderson simply does not hit enough to regularly play a corner outfield position, so he is basically out of places to play. At this point, the only fit I see for him is with a bad American League team that could use a DH.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Darren O'Day
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
It was absolutely the right move to make, but you always wonder when it comes to the Mets making the right move. Anderson had no specific role on this team and will probably end up in Buffalo - I can't see why any major league team would want to add him to their squad.
These days, with the over-specialization of bullpens, major league teams simply do not have room on the roster to carry a designated pinch hitter. That's what Anderson is at this point in his career - he can't play the field and he can't run, so he doesn't belong on the bench. Anderson simply does not hit enough to regularly play a corner outfield position, so he is basically out of places to play. At this point, the only fit I see for him is with a bad American League team that could use a DH.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez (closer)
JJ Putz
Sean Green
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Darren O'Day
Bobby Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Gary Sheffield
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Roster Move: Duaner Sanchez Released
This is still a bit of a surprise, but the signs have been there all winter. Duaner looked very good until about the All-Star Break, but had a terrible second half and wasn't exactly inspiring confidence this spring. Releasing Sanchez also gives the Mets a chance to balance their bullpen a bit, clearing the way for a second left-hander (Ron Villone?) or perhaps Bobby Parnell. The Mets seem to be the only organization in professional baseball that believes Parnell is a major league pitcher; I think that the other 29 teams may be on to something.
Sanchez's release saves the Mets some money too, which may play a bigger part in this decision than people realize. I think the Wilpons, especially after getting burnt by Bernie Madoff, are being very fiscally conservative right now and will be for the foreseeable future. If they release Marlon Anderson in the next 72 hours to save a few more bucks, it will be a clear indication that money is indeed very tight in Queens.
For now, here's a look at my early prediction for will make the Opening Day roster. Remember, I'm not ranking these players in terms of who I think should be there (otherwise Livan Hernandez would be nowhere near this list) - I'm ranking them in terms of who I think will break camp and head north.
I think the Mets are desperate to hand the job to Hernandez or Garcia and stash Niese at Buffalo; it's actually not a bad idea to send the kid to AAA, but I have no confidence in the alternatives. Villone and Parnell are the only two serious candidates for the last bullpen spot, unless Sanchez's release allows Omar Minaya to pursue someone like Will Ohman.
I don't see any serious contests for one of the 13 position player spots, except maybe for the right to be a backup outfielder. The Mets should release Anderson and break camp with Kielty and Reed (unless Pagan is healthy), but I think the front office's man-crush on Marlon still runs too deep for that.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Oliver Perez
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Freddy Garcia
Jon Niese
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Sean Green
Ron Villone
Tim Redding
Robert Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Jeremy Reed
Bobby Kielty
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Sanchez's release saves the Mets some money too, which may play a bigger part in this decision than people realize. I think the Wilpons, especially after getting burnt by Bernie Madoff, are being very fiscally conservative right now and will be for the foreseeable future. If they release Marlon Anderson in the next 72 hours to save a few more bucks, it will be a clear indication that money is indeed very tight in Queens.
For now, here's a look at my early prediction for will make the Opening Day roster. Remember, I'm not ranking these players in terms of who I think should be there (otherwise Livan Hernandez would be nowhere near this list) - I'm ranking them in terms of who I think will break camp and head north.
I think the Mets are desperate to hand the job to Hernandez or Garcia and stash Niese at Buffalo; it's actually not a bad idea to send the kid to AAA, but I have no confidence in the alternatives. Villone and Parnell are the only two serious candidates for the last bullpen spot, unless Sanchez's release allows Omar Minaya to pursue someone like Will Ohman.
I don't see any serious contests for one of the 13 position player spots, except maybe for the right to be a backup outfielder. The Mets should release Anderson and break camp with Kielty and Reed (unless Pagan is healthy), but I think the front office's man-crush on Marlon still runs too deep for that.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Oliver Perez
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Livan Hernandez
Freddy Garcia
Jon Niese
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Sean Green
Ron Villone
Tim Redding
Robert Parnell
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
Fernando Tatis
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Murphy
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Jeremy Reed
Bobby Kielty
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Roster Move: Perez Signs Three-Year Deal
This isn't exactly breaking news, but I'm trying to keep things steady here. I've been threatening to start writing again all winter, but with Spring Training nearly upon us I know I have to get back in gear. I'll be writing columns for Flushing University again this year; I'm told that an impressive stable of writers is being collected and that big plans are in store for the site. If you haven't visited the message boards lately, get over there and start posting.
As for Ollie - he's not worth $12 million a year. That much should be obvious. The Mets stuck to their guns and only made a three-year commitment here, which I guess is a moral victory, although I don't understand why they wouldn't want a club option for the fourth year just in case Perez finally puts it all together.
I still enjoy watching him pitch, because you get the feeling he can be magnificent every time he takes the mound. It's not a matter of stuff with Perez; it's a matter of getting that stuff over the plate often enough to get batters out consistently. I've never once seen a player who suddenly found consistency after being handed three years of job security and guaranteed fat paychecks, but Perez will be no worse than a fourth starter throughout the length of his contract.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Oliver Perez
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
As for Ollie - he's not worth $12 million a year. That much should be obvious. The Mets stuck to their guns and only made a three-year commitment here, which I guess is a moral victory, although I don't understand why they wouldn't want a club option for the fourth year just in case Perez finally puts it all together.
I still enjoy watching him pitch, because you get the feeling he can be magnificent every time he takes the mound. It's not a matter of stuff with Perez; it's a matter of getting that stuff over the plate often enough to get batters out consistently. I've never once seen a player who suddenly found consistency after being handed three years of job security and guaranteed fat paychecks, but Perez will be no worse than a fourth starter throughout the length of his contract.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Oliver Perez
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Roster Moves: Mets Sign Sullivan, Church, Pagan and A. Reyes
Well, this is interesting.
The Mets just signed a left-handed hitting defensive outfielder known more for his glove than his bat - and it wasn't Jeremy Reed. On the surface, I don't see anything resembling a fit - Sullivan, Reed and the newly-signed Angel Pagan are all basically the same player, except that Pagan is a switch-hitter. It would be foolish to have two good glove, no-hit outfielders on the roster, especially since none of the players previously mentioned can steal a base. I just can't see why the Mets would carry more than one of them on the 25-man roster, especially considering that left-handed hitting Marlon Anderson is still in the mix for an outfield backup spot as well.
That leads to an obvious question - is a trade in the works? Sullivan just signed for $300K less than Reed, although with incentives they culd end up roughly making the same amount. Reed is two youngers younger and although the label of "failed prospect" has been attached, there's always someone willing to take a chance on a lightning in a bottle.
As for Church, he will be starting in right field next season and, if he stays healthy, will be given 150 games to prove, once and for all, if he can be an above-average player at the major league level. Pagan will fight for a backup job in the Mets' outfield, but I'm betting that his remaining minor-league options will work against him.
Also, Aregenis Reyes is back in the system, signing a minor-league deal. He'll play for Buffalo next season and is not included below, because he hasn't been added to the 40-man roster.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
The Mets just signed a left-handed hitting defensive outfielder known more for his glove than his bat - and it wasn't Jeremy Reed. On the surface, I don't see anything resembling a fit - Sullivan, Reed and the newly-signed Angel Pagan are all basically the same player, except that Pagan is a switch-hitter. It would be foolish to have two good glove, no-hit outfielders on the roster, especially since none of the players previously mentioned can steal a base. I just can't see why the Mets would carry more than one of them on the 25-man roster, especially considering that left-handed hitting Marlon Anderson is still in the mix for an outfield backup spot as well.
That leads to an obvious question - is a trade in the works? Sullivan just signed for $300K less than Reed, although with incentives they culd end up roughly making the same amount. Reed is two youngers younger and although the label of "failed prospect" has been attached, there's always someone willing to take a chance on a lightning in a bottle.
As for Church, he will be starting in right field next season and, if he stays healthy, will be given 150 games to prove, once and for all, if he can be an above-average player at the major league level. Pagan will fight for a backup job in the Mets' outfield, but I'm betting that his remaining minor-league options will work against him.
Also, Aregenis Reyes is back in the system, signing a minor-league deal. He'll play for Buffalo next season and is not included below, because he hasn't been added to the 40-man roster.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Cory Sullivan
Angel Pagan
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Roster Moves: Mets Sign Cora, Sanchez, Reed
Alex Cora will be the backup middle infielder, Duaner Sanchez slots into a bullpen role somewhere and Jeremy Reed will hopefully be taking the Endy Chavez role as the first defensive replacement in the outfield. These are all minor moves, but important to consider when you look at how the roster is taking shape.
I continue to say that there is no room to add a free agent outfielder - even if our general manager wasn't running around with blinders on - unless Marlon Anderson is traded or released. Even if you get cute and consider Tatis the corner infield backup and Cora the middle infield backup, there's still only room for five outfielders on the roster. Daniel Murphy, Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church are the likely starters and I can't imagine Jeremy Reed was just given over $900,000 to start in center field for Buffalo.
That still leaves Anderson, Angel Pagan and Nick Evans as outfielders on the 40-man roster fighting for the fifth spot. Evans is almost certainly ticketed for Buffalo and it wouldn't be surprising if Pagan was asked to join him, although I suppose it would be equally unsurprising if Pagan beat out Reed for the defensive backup job with a hot Spring Training. The Mets still can't add Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu or any other free agent outfielder unless they deal with the Anderson issue.
As always, I have the answer:
1) Release Marlon Anderson
2) Sign/trade for a corner outfielder who can hit, preferably right-handed
3) Success!!
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
I continue to say that there is no room to add a free agent outfielder - even if our general manager wasn't running around with blinders on - unless Marlon Anderson is traded or released. Even if you get cute and consider Tatis the corner infield backup and Cora the middle infield backup, there's still only room for five outfielders on the roster. Daniel Murphy, Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church are the likely starters and I can't imagine Jeremy Reed was just given over $900,000 to start in center field for Buffalo.
That still leaves Anderson, Angel Pagan and Nick Evans as outfielders on the 40-man roster fighting for the fifth spot. Evans is almost certainly ticketed for Buffalo and it wouldn't be surprising if Pagan was asked to join him, although I suppose it would be equally unsurprising if Pagan beat out Reed for the defensive backup job with a hot Spring Training. The Mets still can't add Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu or any other free agent outfielder unless they deal with the Anderson issue.
As always, I have the answer:
1) Release Marlon Anderson
2) Sign/trade for a corner outfielder who can hit, preferably right-handed
3) Success!!
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Alex Cora
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Roster Move: Mets Sign Redding
Yuck.
I hope you weren't expecting some sober, looking-on-the-bright-side analysis here. In a market where Derek Lowe has only one real suitor, and Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets can't even get a multi-year offer on the table, why would a major league general manager waste even $2 million on the likes of Tim Redding?
Redding has spent his 20s proving that he doesn't belong in the major leagues. He's been tattooed by batters in two different leagues, while pitching for four different teams. A two-year layaway ended in 2007 with two thoroughly mediocre seasons as the nominal staff ace in Washington.
His 2008 season is being trumpeted as some type of career year, as though a 4.95 ERA and a 1.429 WHIP is something to get excited about. Yes, he had seven wins and a decent ERA at the All-Star Break, but Redding quickly reverted back to form after July 15, clocking in with a 1.590 WHIP and an earned run average approaching 7.00. The Nationals were so impressed with Redding's overall performance that they non-tendered him in December.
Now he is a Met, presumably taking the fifth starter's job away from Jon Niese, Pedro Martinez or some other similarly deserving reclamation project. This should also end any dreams of a Santana-Lowe-Pelfrey-Perez-Maine rotation, although if Tim Redding ends up serving as the #4 starter, the Mets won't have to worry about a third straight September collapse. They won't be playing any meaningful games in the final month of the season anyway.
The only good thing I can think of about this deal is that it's only for one year, and at a price that probably isn't high enough to keep the Mets from shifting Redding into middle relief or outright releasing him by mid-summer. Jon Niese, don't go buying any real estate in Buffalo just yet.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
I hope you weren't expecting some sober, looking-on-the-bright-side analysis here. In a market where Derek Lowe has only one real suitor, and Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets can't even get a multi-year offer on the table, why would a major league general manager waste even $2 million on the likes of Tim Redding?
Redding has spent his 20s proving that he doesn't belong in the major leagues. He's been tattooed by batters in two different leagues, while pitching for four different teams. A two-year layaway ended in 2007 with two thoroughly mediocre seasons as the nominal staff ace in Washington.
His 2008 season is being trumpeted as some type of career year, as though a 4.95 ERA and a 1.429 WHIP is something to get excited about. Yes, he had seven wins and a decent ERA at the All-Star Break, but Redding quickly reverted back to form after July 15, clocking in with a 1.590 WHIP and an earned run average approaching 7.00. The Nationals were so impressed with Redding's overall performance that they non-tendered him in December.
Now he is a Met, presumably taking the fifth starter's job away from Jon Niese, Pedro Martinez or some other similarly deserving reclamation project. This should also end any dreams of a Santana-Lowe-Pelfrey-Perez-Maine rotation, although if Tim Redding ends up serving as the #4 starter, the Mets won't have to worry about a third straight September collapse. They won't be playing any meaningful games in the final month of the season anyway.
The only good thing I can think of about this deal is that it's only for one year, and at a price that probably isn't high enough to keep the Mets from shifting Redding into middle relief or outright releasing him by mid-summer. Jon Niese, don't go buying any real estate in Buffalo just yet.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Tim Redding
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Roster Move: Burgos and Argenis Reyes Non-Tendered
Ambiorix Burgos has bigger issues in his life, but now he can add unemployment to his list of problems. The Mets non-tendered him this week, effectively cutting all ties with the beleaguered right-hander facing charges in the Dominican Republic for allegedly killing two women in a hit-and-run attack. He was already on thin ice with the organization after getting arrested in September for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. It might be too kind to tab Burgos with the classic label of "million dollar arm, ten cent head," since it appears that the head is coming up about nine pennies too short.
The Burgos for Brian Bannister trade after the 2006 offseason has been widely criticized, but it's hard to blame Omar Minaya for swapping a soft-tosser for a flamethrower, all things being equal. Bannister had a very good season two years ago and despite his disastrous 2008 campaign, he remains a player that I like to follow for his ideas about pitching. Still, Burgos was one decent breaking ball away from being a dominant reliever before Tommy John surgery. If he is acquitted, he will surely end up in a major league camp before long.
I've been under the impression that Argenis Reyes was not arbitration-eligible, but I must have been wrong. He has a decent glove, but Reyes can't hit major league pitching and he never will. Reyes's release keeps Damion Easley's hopes for a utility job with the Mets alive, but Alex Cora is also a possibility for backup middle infield role. I can't figure out the deal with Easley - Cot's Contracts says he's a free agent, but the Mets continue to include him on the 40-man roster. When in doubt, go with Cot's.
Meanwhile, the Mets offered arbitration to John Maine, Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Ryan Church and Jeremy Reed, increasing the chances that they'll be playing for the Mets in 2009. Actually, everyone but Reed will have a major league job, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sanchez or Feliciano are traded before Opening Day. Maine will be in the starting rotation for the Mets and Church will have a corner outfield spot, most likely in right field.
If it's true that Easley is a free agent, the Mets only have 15 position players on the 40-man roster right now. I know Omar Minaya has insisted that he's focusing on pitching at the moment, but at what point does he turn his attention to the other eight spots on the diamond?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league contract)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league contract)
Gustavo Molina (minor league contract)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
The Burgos for Brian Bannister trade after the 2006 offseason has been widely criticized, but it's hard to blame Omar Minaya for swapping a soft-tosser for a flamethrower, all things being equal. Bannister had a very good season two years ago and despite his disastrous 2008 campaign, he remains a player that I like to follow for his ideas about pitching. Still, Burgos was one decent breaking ball away from being a dominant reliever before Tommy John surgery. If he is acquitted, he will surely end up in a major league camp before long.
I've been under the impression that Argenis Reyes was not arbitration-eligible, but I must have been wrong. He has a decent glove, but Reyes can't hit major league pitching and he never will. Reyes's release keeps Damion Easley's hopes for a utility job with the Mets alive, but Alex Cora is also a possibility for backup middle infield role. I can't figure out the deal with Easley - Cot's Contracts says he's a free agent, but the Mets continue to include him on the 40-man roster. When in doubt, go with Cot's.
Meanwhile, the Mets offered arbitration to John Maine, Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Ryan Church and Jeremy Reed, increasing the chances that they'll be playing for the Mets in 2009. Actually, everyone but Reed will have a major league job, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sanchez or Feliciano are traded before Opening Day. Maine will be in the starting rotation for the Mets and Church will have a corner outfield spot, most likely in right field.
If it's true that Easley is a free agent, the Mets only have 15 position players on the 40-man roster right now. I know Omar Minaya has insisted that he's focusing on pitching at the moment, but at what point does he turn his attention to the other eight spots on the diamond?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Duaner Sanchez
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league contract)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league contract)
Gustavo Molina (minor league contract)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Friday, December 12, 2008
Roster Move: Schoeneweis Exiled
The worst free-agent signing of Omar Minaya's career is heading west to Arizona, as the Mets continued the joyful process of breaking up The Arson Squad today. The Diamondbacks are sending someone named Conor Roberston to New York, but Minaya could've traded Scott Schoeneweis for Pat Robertson and Mets fans still would've been happy.
The truth is that Schoeneweis, when deployed properly, actually wasn't that bad during his two seasons with the Mets. He was generally able to get left-handed batters out, but most of us understood that Schoeneweis was Bantha fodder against right-handed batters. Willie Randolph, of course, couldn't properly deploy a vacuum cleaner, so Schoeneweis ended up failing in a ton of situations he had no business being in. Hey, if you ask me to cut sheetrock, I'm probably going to screw it up. The key is putting people in positions to succeed.
Pedro Feliciano now slides into the lefty specialist role, where I think he will have a fine bounce-back season in 2009. I would be surprised to see the Mets go with only one left-hander in the bullpen, so I expect to see another transaction to address that need. Please, Omar, no more three-year contracts for middle relievers!
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (renewable)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (arbitration eligible)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
The truth is that Schoeneweis, when deployed properly, actually wasn't that bad during his two seasons with the Mets. He was generally able to get left-handed batters out, but most of us understood that Schoeneweis was Bantha fodder against right-handed batters. Willie Randolph, of course, couldn't properly deploy a vacuum cleaner, so Schoeneweis ended up failing in a ton of situations he had no business being in. Hey, if you ask me to cut sheetrock, I'm probably going to screw it up. The key is putting people in positions to succeed.
Pedro Feliciano now slides into the lefty specialist role, where I think he will have a fine bounce-back season in 2009. I would be surprised to see the Mets go with only one left-hander in the bullpen, so I expect to see another transaction to address that need. Please, Omar, no more three-year contracts for middle relievers!
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (renewable)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Conor Robertson (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (arbitration eligible)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Roster Move: Mets Add Two Relievers in Rule V Draft
I love the Rule V draft. If I were a GM, it wouldn't matter if I was running the Yankees or the Marlins - I would have a Rule V pick on my roster every year. No team should have its 25-man roster packed so tight that it can't afford to carry a seventh reliever or a defensive replacement plucked from this draft. It's a cheap and easy way to round out your team - and once in a while you get lucky and choose a player that ends up becoming a star.
The Mets picked up two right-handed relievers in the Rule V draft today. Neither of them will become a star, but it shows that Omar Minaya is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to filling out the bullpen. Darren O'Day (Angels) and Rocky Cherry (Orioles) were added to the 40-man roster and each will be given a chance to earn a bullpen spot in Spring Training.
Each has major league experience, but O'Day has a better chance to stick with the big club than Cherry. A side-arming right-hander, O'Day has been successful throughout his minor-league career and did not embarrass himself with California in 2008. Unfortunately, he also tore his labrum toward the end of the season and the Angels released him to make room on the 40-man roster. O'Day signed a minor-league deal with the club as was going to rehab with the Angels in the hopes he could avoid surgery. Instead, he'll be rehabbing with the Mets.
Rule V players, in addition to spending the entire subsequent season on their new club's major-league roster, must be an active player for at least 90 days. This prevents clubs from stashing Rule V picks on the disabled list for an entire season. So if the Mets play their cards right, they can basically let O'Day rest or rehab until July 1 and see if he can pitch himself into their bullpen by then. If he doesn't, they release him and that's it. Labrums are generally career-killers, but a sidearmer who doesn't light up the radar gun may be able to survive.
Cherry has a decent fastball and a decent breaking ball, but that's about it. He probably won't make the club, but there is no harm in taking aim, even if the target is a dream. It's interesting that Minaya chose two pitchers with big league experience - O'Day and Cherry's upside is more limited than some other Rule V picks, but they are among the most likely to actually contribute next season.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Scott Schoeneweis
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
The Mets picked up two right-handed relievers in the Rule V draft today. Neither of them will become a star, but it shows that Omar Minaya is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to filling out the bullpen. Darren O'Day (Angels) and Rocky Cherry (Orioles) were added to the 40-man roster and each will be given a chance to earn a bullpen spot in Spring Training.
Each has major league experience, but O'Day has a better chance to stick with the big club than Cherry. A side-arming right-hander, O'Day has been successful throughout his minor-league career and did not embarrass himself with California in 2008. Unfortunately, he also tore his labrum toward the end of the season and the Angels released him to make room on the 40-man roster. O'Day signed a minor-league deal with the club as was going to rehab with the Angels in the hopes he could avoid surgery. Instead, he'll be rehabbing with the Mets.
Rule V players, in addition to spending the entire subsequent season on their new club's major-league roster, must be an active player for at least 90 days. This prevents clubs from stashing Rule V picks on the disabled list for an entire season. So if the Mets play their cards right, they can basically let O'Day rest or rehab until July 1 and see if he can pitch himself into their bullpen by then. If he doesn't, they release him and that's it. Labrums are generally career-killers, but a sidearmer who doesn't light up the radar gun may be able to survive.
Cherry has a decent fastball and a decent breaking ball, but that's about it. He probably won't make the club, but there is no harm in taking aim, even if the target is a dream. It's interesting that Minaya chose two pitchers with big league experience - O'Day and Cherry's upside is more limited than some other Rule V picks, but they are among the most likely to actually contribute next season.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez*
JJ Putz
Scott Schoeneweis
Darren O'Day (Rule V)
Rocky Cherry (Rule V)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Roster Move: Mets Trade for Putz
I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, but it's being reported everywhere and I'm still awake, so I'll take my chances.
Just a quick and dirty analysis here: from a Mets perspective, turning Smith into Green and Chavez into Reed doesn't mean that much, although Smith would seem to have more upside and Chavez would seem to be better defensively. Turning Heilman into Putz is a neat trick - if Putz is healthy and his terrible 2008 was merely the result of injuries. Of course, if Heilman's 2008 was an aberration as well, this deal has the potential to go bad for the Mets.
Me, I would've down Heilman/Feliciano for Street two weeks ago. This deserves a closer look though, so I'll break down the trade a little more closely soon.
EDIT: Maybe I should've waited. Now ESPN is saying that Jason Vargas and two other minor leaguers are part of the deal on the Mets' side, making the ledger look more like this:
Mets get JJ Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed from Mariners
Mariners get Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Endy Chavez, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto and Ezequiel Carrera from Mets (also get Franklin Gutierrez-plus from Indians)
Indians get Smith and Luis Valbuena from Mariners
Oh, and how about this quote: "An All-Star in 2007 when he saved 40 games, Putz was 6-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 15 saves in 23 chances last season, when he missed long stretches with ribcage and elbow injuries. His agent, Craig Landis, said Putz wants to remain a closer.
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
JJ Putz
Scott Schoeneweis
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Just a quick and dirty analysis here: from a Mets perspective, turning Smith into Green and Chavez into Reed doesn't mean that much, although Smith would seem to have more upside and Chavez would seem to be better defensively. Turning Heilman into Putz is a neat trick - if Putz is healthy and his terrible 2008 was merely the result of injuries. Of course, if Heilman's 2008 was an aberration as well, this deal has the potential to go bad for the Mets.
Me, I would've down Heilman/Feliciano for Street two weeks ago. This deserves a closer look though, so I'll break down the trade a little more closely soon.
EDIT: Maybe I should've waited. Now ESPN is saying that Jason Vargas and two other minor leaguers are part of the deal on the Mets' side, making the ledger look more like this:
Mets get JJ Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed from Mariners
Mariners get Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Endy Chavez, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto and Ezequiel Carrera from Mets (also get Franklin Gutierrez-plus from Indians)
Indians get Smith and Luis Valbuena from Mariners
Oh, and how about this quote: "An All-Star in 2007 when he saved 40 games, Putz was 6-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 15 saves in 23 chances last season, when he missed long stretches with ribcage and elbow injuries. His agent, Craig Landis, said Putz wants to remain a closer.
"He's one of the top five or 10 closers in the game," Landis said. "No, he would not want to be a set-up man."
STARTING PITCHERSJohan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
JJ Putz
Scott Schoeneweis
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Sean Green (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Jeremy Reed (renewable)
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Roster Move: Mets Sign K-Rod
I'll cast judgment on Francisco Rodriguez tomorrow, but I will say this - getting K-Rod at Brad Lidge money is good work by Omar Minaya. This is where Minaya excels - he picks out the elite free agents on the market and pays them just enough to play for the Mets. It sounds simple, but large-market GMs often make the mistake of spending money because they can, not because they properly leverage resources to bring in the best players. The Mets will pay K-Rod the same amount of money that the Mariners will pay Carlos Silva over the next three years - and that's all you need to know about that.
I'll probably expand on this at a later date, but what Minaya lacks as a general manager is creativity. He seems almost formulaic when it comes to roster construction - identify needs, make list of the best players available through trades or free agency and go after the highest player on the list. If Player A can't be had, move to Player B and repeat until you get someone. Minaya never seems to identify market inefficiencies if they don't correlate directly with his plans at the moment. He doesn't sneak up on GMs who are looking to move good players who aren't immediately obvious fits for the Mets as constructed at that very moment.
Even now, there is a glut of good-hit, no-field corner outfielders on the market. The Mets are planning to platoon Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis in left field, while hoping that Ryan Church's bell hasn't been permanently rung from the concussions of last season. Minaya, however, continues to publicly say that his focus is on pitching and that he has no interest in upgrading the corner outfield spots.
I hope it's just silly posturing - because otherwise it's one more indication that Minaya follows a script when it comes to roster construction and lacks the ability to make changes to the script when opportunity presents itself.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
Mike Carp (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
I'll probably expand on this at a later date, but what Minaya lacks as a general manager is creativity. He seems almost formulaic when it comes to roster construction - identify needs, make list of the best players available through trades or free agency and go after the highest player on the list. If Player A can't be had, move to Player B and repeat until you get someone. Minaya never seems to identify market inefficiencies if they don't correlate directly with his plans at the moment. He doesn't sneak up on GMs who are looking to move good players who aren't immediately obvious fits for the Mets as constructed at that very moment.
Even now, there is a glut of good-hit, no-field corner outfielders on the market. The Mets are planning to platoon Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis in left field, while hoping that Ryan Church's bell hasn't been permanently rung from the concussions of last season. Minaya, however, continues to publicly say that his focus is on pitching and that he has no interest in upgrading the corner outfield spots.
I hope it's just silly posturing - because otherwise it's one more indication that Minaya follows a script when it comes to roster construction and lacks the ability to make changes to the script when opportunity presents itself.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Francisco Rodriguez
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
Mike Carp (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Friday, November 28, 2008
Roster Move: Carp Added to 40-Man Roster
Mike Carp was the only minor-leaguer added to the Mets' 40-man roster last week, which will leave the club plenty of flexibility throughout the off-season for free agents or multi-player trades. I don't think Carp has the talent to be a major league player - and neither do the Mets, apparently, who left him in Double-A Binghamton while promoting Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans from there last season. Still, he hit pretty well in the lower levels of the minors before fashioning a very good 2008 campaign at the plate for the B-Mets, so he still qualifies as a prospect.
There are now six open spots on the 40-man roster, which also leaves room for a Rule V pick next month. For most teams, this can be a under-utilized way of completing a roster. If you're not one of the huge-market teams like the Mets, it makes perfect sense to take a flyer on a seventh reliever or a defensive backup for one season to see if he can develop into a legitimate player down the road.
Too many teams - even those with no hope of winning in 2009 - still insist on giving bloated one-year deals to "proven veterans" to round out the major-league club. It's a poor use of financial resources, at the expense of taking a risk that may lead to a handsome reward. Josh Hamilton, Dan Uggla, Joakim Soria and Johan Santana are just a few of the Rule V players who have made it good in the last 10 years - why wouldn't a small-market team look at that and try to catch lightning in a bottle?
That said, this is one of the rare seasons where I think the Mets may legitimately be in a position to not even bother making a Rule V pick. After last year's bullpen woes, they cannot publicly afford to give a bullpen role to an untested minor leager unless he is absolutely dominant in Spring Training. Endy Chavez serves as the good-field, no-hit outfield backup and Argenis Reyes probably did enough last summer to have an inside track on the infield version of that role. I guess if an older live arm is sitting there when the team's selection comes around, it may be worth making a pick, but I seriously doubt he'll make the team. When was the last time the Mets featured a Rule V player on the roster for a full season anyway?
I checked with the Mets' official website and made a few other additions to the 40-man roster that I had apparently forgotten about. Since Ambiorix Burgos, Brandon Knight and Jason Vargas have actually appeared in a Mets uniform, it stands to reason that they are on the 40-man until officially released. I imagine Burgos's legal troubles could get him dumped sooner rather then later.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
Mike Carp (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
There are now six open spots on the 40-man roster, which also leaves room for a Rule V pick next month. For most teams, this can be a under-utilized way of completing a roster. If you're not one of the huge-market teams like the Mets, it makes perfect sense to take a flyer on a seventh reliever or a defensive backup for one season to see if he can develop into a legitimate player down the road.
Too many teams - even those with no hope of winning in 2009 - still insist on giving bloated one-year deals to "proven veterans" to round out the major-league club. It's a poor use of financial resources, at the expense of taking a risk that may lead to a handsome reward. Josh Hamilton, Dan Uggla, Joakim Soria and Johan Santana are just a few of the Rule V players who have made it good in the last 10 years - why wouldn't a small-market team look at that and try to catch lightning in a bottle?
That said, this is one of the rare seasons where I think the Mets may legitimately be in a position to not even bother making a Rule V pick. After last year's bullpen woes, they cannot publicly afford to give a bullpen role to an untested minor leager unless he is absolutely dominant in Spring Training. Endy Chavez serves as the good-field, no-hit outfield backup and Argenis Reyes probably did enough last summer to have an inside track on the infield version of that role. I guess if an older live arm is sitting there when the team's selection comes around, it may be worth making a pick, but I seriously doubt he'll make the team. When was the last time the Mets featured a Rule V player on the roster for a full season anyway?
I checked with the Mets' official website and made a few other additions to the 40-man roster that I had apparently forgotten about. Since Ambiorix Burgos, Brandon Knight and Jason Vargas have actually appeared in a Mets uniform, it stands to reason that they are on the 40-man until officially released. I imagine Burgos's legal troubles could get him dumped sooner rather then later.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
Mike Carp (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Monday, November 10, 2008
Roster Move: Delgado's Option Picked Up
And to what do we owe this burst of creativity this morning? The boss in on the Jersey shore for a conference meeting and I am not sitting in meetings with him all day. Thank God the baseball season is played mostly in the summer, when there aren't any students here, or else this blog would truly die a slow and mostly unnoticed death.
No surprises here - I mean, why make changes to a team that's won nearly 90 games in each of the last two seasons?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
No surprises here - I mean, why make changes to a team that's won nearly 90 games in each of the last two seasons?
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana*
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Carlos Delgado*
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis*
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
* - "I'll Be the Judge" recap completed
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Roster Move: Tatis Signs One-Year Deal
I already gave my opinion on Fernando Tatis's new one-year deal in the previous post. Throughout the off-season, I'm going to update a projected 40-man roster based on whatever moves the Mets make between now and Spring Training. So far, this will simply be a list of players already under contract for 2009, with free agents who were on the 40-man roster in 2008 listed below. I'm not 100 percent sure who is arbitration eigible and who is simply renewable; let me know if I make a mistake.
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Carlos Delgado
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
STARTING PITCHERS
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine (arbitration eligible)
Jon Niese (renewable)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Scott Schoeneweis
Aaron Heilman (arbitration eligible)
Pedro Feliciano (arbitration eligible)
Duaner Sanchez (arbitration eligible)
Brian Stokes (renewable)
Joe Smith (renewable)
Eddie Kunz (renewable)
Carlos Muniz (renewable)
Robert Parnell (renewable)
CATCHERS
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro
Robinson Cancel (renewable)
INFIELDERS
Luis Castillo
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Daniel Murphy (renewable)
Argenis Reyes (renewable)
OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Church (arbitration eligible)
Endy Chavez
Marlon Anderson
Fernando Tatis
Angel Pagan (renewable)
Nick Evans (renewable)
FREE AGENTS
Carlos Delgado
Pedro Martinez
Moises Alou
Orlando Hernandez
Oliver Perez
Luis Ayala
Matt Wise
Tony Armas, Jr.
Damion Easley
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Trot Nixon
Abraham Nunez
Ricardo Rincon
Ambiorix Burgos (arbitration eligible)
Jason Vargas (renewable)
Adam Bostick (minor league free agent)
Nelson Figueroa (minor league free agent)
Brandon Knight (renewable)
Gustavo Molina (minor league free agent)
Billy Wagner (out for 2009 season)
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