Ruben Tejada is penciled in as the Mets' Opening Day shortstop, yet rumors continue to persist that the Mets are looking to upgrade the position. The latest…
- The Mets are keeping an eye on the Diamondbacks' shortstop competition and a source tells John Harper of the New York Daily News that the Mets "could jump in" to obtain Didi Gregorius or Chris Owings before Opening Day. When last we heard of the Mets/D'Backs shortstop talks, New York catching prospect Kevin Plawecki wasn't considered enough for either Gregorius or Owings, and Harper believes the Mets would have to move Plawecki and a minor league pitcher to make a deal work.
- Also from Harper, the Mets are still scouting Nick Franklin, and trying to decide if he can handle the shortstop job on a regular basis. Ninety of Franklin's 92 starts for the Mariners last season came as a second baseman, and while Franklin played more short than second in the minors, Seattle considered Brad Miller to be a better option than Franklin at shortstop.
- Stephen Drew, of course, remains available as a free agent, though GM Sandy Alderson again told reporters (including ESPN New York's Adam Rubin) that Drew's continued availability and the Braves' signing of Ervin Santana hasn't changed his club's stance. “I’m not interpreting it in terms of ‘our situation,’” Alderson said. “I don’t know that we have a situation here.” Alderson doesn't think Drew will hold out until June to escape the draft pick compensation hanging over his head, though the Mets GM believes Drew could wait to sign after Opening Day to ensure he wouldn't receive another qualifying offer next winter.
- Though Tejada hasn't gotten off to a good start in Grapefruit League action, Alderson said “it won’t be a judgment based on one game or two games or three games. We’ve got a lot of spring training left. In the meantime, we’ll continue to look at our other options.”
I’m confused the piece talks about the Mets packaging Plawecki with possibly a minor league pitcher to make a deal work for one of the Diamondbacks SS. The Diamondbacks were/are quoted as saying they want a catcher that could be a backup for their starter for the big league team. How does trading for Plawecki who has never played above High A for the Mets satisfy that requirement.
Because Plawecki is a borderline top 100 prospect with a safe “above average” catcher ceiling according Baseball America. He’ll start the year in AA and could be ready by 2015. He doesn’t have the ceiling D’Arnaud has but he could end up being the better player.
Don’t misunderstand I like his numbers in the minors but can’t some of that success be attributed to him being just a little older for the class he’s in? At 22 years old in High A it does make him a little bit older then many of his fellow minor leaguers in that class.
No it actually makes him the average age for that level.
fangraphs.com/blogs/minor-league-leaderboard-conte…
I appreciate the link but the information in that link is dated January 2012. That’s over 2 years old. Is it still accurate, I’m not sure?
I appreciate the information but it is a bit dated January 2012 to be exact. That’s over 2 years old. Is it still accurate, I’m not sure?
No it makes him average age for that level. Average High A players are 22.4 years old. If you need proof, check Fangraphs.
You also have to take into consideration the fact that he is a catcher. Catchers usually decline quicker due to wear and tear.
The Dbacks want a young catcher so decline apparently doesn’t matter to them at this point. They overpaid Miguel Montero and he regressed last year.
To Opti-Mets and Joe Chicck, I don’t see how a player who is scheduled to start the season in Double A helps the Diamondbacks now. When as one of the previous posters (Seamaholic) already mentioned the Diamondbacks are looking for a back up NOW.
What if he is the catcher with the highest ceiling available? When you are talking about cost controllable assets, teams usually want the specs with the best talent.
The second word in your comment tells me everything I need to know “if”. What if he isn’t.
Odds are he is as we speak currently. No one else’s name has come up besides D’Arnaud that has a higher ceiling.
I think the fact that he’s in AA this year, is why the report says they would have to include a Pitching Prospect as well.
Actually the median age for high A is about 23 though to your point, you would expect a high-end prospect to at least have reached AA by that age.
They want a backup now, not 2 years from now. Plawecki isn’t the kind of guy they’re after, I don’t think.
It’s not like d’Arnaud and Plawecki are the only catchers in their organization. Juan Centeno or Anthony Recker with Fulmer, Cory Mazzoni, or Ynoa. If they want a pitcher that would reach the big leagues the quickest they’d go with Mazzoni. He was already in AA after his first pro ball season. Give one of those catchers with one of those pitching prospects for Gregorius or Owings and it could work.
Feel like Montero + Plawecki is a bit much for a single shortstop prospect…buuuuut then again Tejada is supposed to play shortstop for the Mets…
It’s way too much. Plawecki and a guy like Ynoa or a similar pitching spec makes more sense.
Signing Drew makes the most sense but no one can force him to sign a 1 year deal.
If Drew doesn’t join the Mets, I don’t see him playing this year.
Just waiting for an injury or reality to set in as GM’s see their projected SS really stinks as the rose tinted spectacles in sunny Florida/Arizona come off. Not being hamstrung with a draft pick in June should help too.
Look at Santana. The Braves have a couple of injuries and give up a 1st round pick and 14.1 million for less WAR than Drew produced last year. Taking into account the value of the pick, the Braves spent about 20 million for 2.7 WAR, which is what the free market value of a win is (about 6-7 million).
Drew would probably take 3/30. Depending on how you project Drew that’s about 4-5 million per win for teams not giving up a 1st round pick and about 5-6 if a 1st round pick is given up. For a 31 yo SS who only had 1 serious injury in his career that seems like a bargain.
3 years, 30MM for Drew? Thank god you’re not the Mets GM.
Mets should take advantage of not having to give up a first round pick and get Drew.They have a laughable team and a hard division.Tejada should stay at second where he belongs.
I disagree with the Mets having a ‘laughable team’ (I think they have a solid core and are primed to seriously contend in 2015 and beyond), but it’s a matter of opinion. However, your last sentence doesn’t make much sense. Tejada barely ever played 2B in the minors and has spent by far the majority of his major league time at SS. Aside from that, the Mets already have Murphy at 2B, who is far superior to Tejada.
Juan Centeno and Akeel Morris for Gregorious or Owings
What other player would the Mets need with Franklin for a Lagares/Montero package?
Not a whole lot. Franklin is a legit MLB TM ballplayer. If you have watched him play, you wouldn’t ask that question. Big arm, big bat, big swagger. He would be an instant favorite in NY. Me personally? I wonder if Zduriencik would see Legares/Montero as enough.
And, I’m wondering why if the Mets were gonna pay that much for Franklin, why they wouldn’t just go with Palwecki/Montero and get Didi Gregorious or Chris Owings from the Dbacks. (someone who is actually projected to be a SS)
Power. Franklin has plenty.
Yeah, I’m sure… As a 2nd baseman.
Franklin hit 12 homers in 102 games. What most on the east coast don’t realize Franklin fouled a bunt off his knee cap and then a few weeks later too a cleat to the knee cap sliding into home. The catcher’s cleat gashed pretty darn deep. Go to his MLB page and watch the videos of his homers. They aren’t cheap.
Look dude, I have absolutely zero doubt that he’s very very good. I don’t need to go watch his videos, I’ve seen the games he plays in. I only doubt that he’s a MLB caliber shortstop, He’s certainly a better shortstop than the Mets have, but the way I see it is like this. Would I rather have Stephen Drew, and Lagares and Montero, or no Lagares and no Montero and Franklin.
The Mets are trying to build around pitching. That means defense is important. So, while Franklin is awesome, he’s never going to be an awesome SHORTSTOP defensively. If the Mets get him, it can’t be without some type of plan to go out and actually get that real live shortstop, and put Franklin at 2nd. We have Murphy, so also, included in that plan, is to move Murphy for value. Which they tried to do, and couldn’t this offseason.
The Mets don’t need a second baseman that can “get by” at short for one season. It’s not worth paying “emergency” prices, to get one. They need a shortstop, and they may as well sign Drew or trade for a real shortstop, if the prices are that high.
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Excellent post. Fair enough.
I have to say at this point it looks like Drew has 3 options they are in no particular order:
1) Accept a Cruz like deal, 1 year about $8 to $10MM
2) Hold out until the Amateur Draft when the teams will no longer lose a draft pick
3) Hope that some teams SS gets injured in ST and that team turns to him for a contract.
Boy, did Drew and Boras misplay their hand this winter.
Why is Drew so eager to avoid another QO? Had he accepted this season’s, he could have netted $14.1MM. Next season’s will be even higher, so back-to-back QOs would have gotten him essentially a 2 year, $30MM deal. That’s great money for a guy who had a tough time even getting a one year, $9.5MM deal last season and who can’t find any deal at all this offseason. This guy is getting bad advice.
It actually makes a lot of sense because if he has a big year, he is most likely the best FA SS not to receive a QO because Hanley Ramirez, Lowrie, Hardy, and possibly Cabrera might. It’s a calculated gamble but you see how the non QO helped Peralta.