The Mets are looking for an upgrade behind the plate and they're rumored to have interest in Ramon Hernandez of the Rockies. According to MLB.com's Peter Gammons (on Twitter), they have considered Kelly Shoppach as an alternative if the price to land Hernandez is too high, however.
New York's backstops have produced a .244/.303/.298 batting line this season, the third worst catcher OPS in the NL. Shoppach has put up a .269/.358/.527 line while backing up Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and he's historically done most of his damage against left-handers. As Gammons notes, a trade would allow the Red Sox to bring Ryan Lavarnway up from Triple-A, where he's hitting .306/.395/.455.
I think that a decent, but not elite by any means, pitcher would be fair return for Shoppach, who is on a pretty cheap contract.
I still don’t think they need any pitching, unless they can somehow swing a deal for someone under control of top caliber beyond this season.
They have 3 decent top guys (Lester,Beckett,Bucholz) and Doubront/Morales/Cook to fill out the rotation and then just go ahead and DFA Matsuzaka. See no reason for the team to be always looking for more rotational filler, unless they have MiLB options, or are better than the ones they have.
Edit:
Package Shoppach off with one of the relievers maybe they are over burdened with and get back a decent prospect. The roster crunch is going to hit harder when CC comes back.
Fair enough. I was thinking about it primarily from an organizational depth perspective. As it stands now, the only starters aside from the six you mention that could make an impact in the event of injury are Drake Britton (doing alright in AA), Zach Stewart (pitching decently in AAA), and maybe Clay Mortensen. I’d be horrified if they had to call on Billy Buckner or Brandon Duckworth if two of those guys got hurt.
Sure enough on the lack of depth and I go over the MiLB teams daily also, just like you and want to.. HAHA.. You get the point.. Especially the PawSox and Portland rotations, filled up with entirely retreads and non talents, exceptions being Britton and the injured Ranaudo at Portland. neither of any help at the MLB level for at least a year and a half.
Still think the 6, Matsuzaka (if they don’t DFA him) Stewart and the other “bodies” can make a start now and then if they had to.
They made a mistake in giving out all those opt out dates it looks like. Cook, Ohlendorf, Germano, Padilla had one also. Put themselves in a bind.
Also could let Mortenson, even Atch make one of those 3-4IP starts in emergency. Mortenson has started, Atch did for francona like that before.
The team has got to move some relievers anyway and just think that since they generally don’t bring that much in a trade, bundling one in with Shop might get a decent prospect back. Just a theory anyway.
Would rather the team move Padilla anyway once they do. Understand Bobby V ha this likeness for him, but am growing tired of his ephus pitch myself.. Albers is looking better this year not being thrown out back to back days, something mentioned before the season started. Give him a couple days between starts and he generally looks like a different pitcher than when he throws with just 1 day, or back to back days.
one again there pitching is fine, as you said they have 3 really talented pitchers in the rotation, heck they have one of the most talented rosters in baseball, it is just they won’t play like it….
Yup, they either get injured or are very ineffective.
Don’t need any pitching? They have one of the worst starting ERA’s in baseball, that, far more than injuries is the reason they’re fighting for their lives. Even if they did somehow make a wild card spot, who in this rotation is dominant enough to stack up against other teams at the moment? Beckett’s pitching better of late, but with him & Bucholz you never know if they’re going to have the right attitude, or barely show up at all, and Lester has struggled all season.
They have 2 should be aces that are inconsistent, an overestimated guy in Bucholz who never lived up to his potential & scraps.
I wonder if the Padres would have any intterest in dealing Hundley with his stock so low right now and on the Mets side, I wonder if Alderson and DePodesta would have any interest in bringing him over. Hundley is not as bad as he has played this year and he has a reasonable contract for the next 2 years as well, but with the way Grandal has come onto the scene the Padres would probably like to deal him.
hundley is awful.. he would be a downgrade from nickeas
Shoppach’s still a backup catcher, right? I see a cash considerations or player to be named later trade coming up. Mets won’t give up anything of value for a backup catcher, especially knowing he is totally expendable to the Red Sox.
Thing is? he is better than what some teams have starting and it’s a shame.
Catching around the league is just awful. proof in point when the Shoppach’s of the league have trade value..
Still, he’s right. Cash or a longshot prospect.
I think the Sox would take some cash with them being $10MM over the luxury tax.
1m value vs 10m. Marlins for instance Shoppach is better than what they are paying Buck 6m this year and 6m next year for.
Sure they may just clear the space so they can call up Lavarnway sooner and settle for cash, low level guy, but many potential PO teams also need BP help and seems like they could send him together with 1 of those and get something better.
Shoppach is better than anyone the Mets have. If all they’ll offer is cash or a PTBNL, they can keep looking. Someone’s going to actually need a solid catcher before the end of the month.
What exactly do you think someone’s going to offer for a 32 year old platoon catcher who’s a FA at the end of the year?
Oh you mean the catcher who is ranked 15th in total WAR for catchers this season and only needing a third of the plate appearances. Yeah cash should be enough.
Look no one is saying he is going to get alot but there is alot of demand for him because he is the best catching trade bait available and alot of teams need pitching.
It is the same reason that some team will overpay for Dempster
Think they could get better value by trading Salty, keeping Shoppach as the backup and moving Lavarnway to the starter’s role? I can’t see the Mets giving up anything of value for Shoppach, nor would he be THAT much of an upgrade (aside from power).
Shoppach and Andrew Miller for Tapia and Hampson or Batista or anyone else we don’t need
I don’t know much about the Mets farm system but I know of Tapia and that I would think would get it done.
bottom line is : the Mets are in desperate need of help at this position, so they better get something done fast.
Boston’s Shoppach for Mets bullpen. Any interest?
you’re funny
The underlying problem with trading Shoppach right now is Salty. Salty’s stamina is questionable, in fact, comments about his “tiredness” are beginning to show up in the press in recent days. If I were Cherington, I would be seriously thinking about bringing up Lavarnway, to share the primary catching duties with Shoppach so as to limit Salty to DH’ing and/ or pinch hitting until late August or early September. Salty’s bat down the stretch is more important than his being behind the plate during these dog days of middle and late summer.
What a BS post this is: “New York’s backstops have produced a .244/.303/.298 batting line this season, the third worst catcher OPS in the NL.”
He’s combining Thole, who’s batting .269, with backup backstop Nickeas, who’s batting .172 and has half the AB’s. Talk about fuzzy math.
Nothing against Thole, but you do expect some power and RBI’s from the catcher. Thole calls a good game, and better than average defensively. The Mets have no Catching Prospects in the Minor’s. Ever Pena son isn’t hitting or stating. They need to trade a Prospect for someone else’s Right handed hiting Catching Prospect. The Met’s are loaded with infield Prospects. Note I wouldn’t trade Flores! But I would move Haven’s.
Agreed. Lava will hit, but can he be a majors level catcher is going to be questionable.