After going through a number of difficult times with MLB, Rob Manfred is more than ready to take over as commissioner, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Manfred started working for MLB as an outside counsel in 1994, so he definitely knows what a crisis situation is all about. More from around baseball..
- In a radio interview last week, Matt Harvey reiterated that he is eager to get back to action for the Mets and said he is throwing in the mid-90s in his sessions. Later, manager Terry Collins got in touch with the star hurler. “And I explained to him, I understand that,” Collins said of Harvey’s desire to get back to pitching, according to Newsday’s Marc Carig. “But the process is right now, you’ve got to understand it’s the big picture, and the big picture is 2015. So back off.”
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post explores why the Mets and Cubs, who seem perfectly suited to swing a trade (pitching for a shortstop), have yet to take the leap. A NL executive tells Sherman the Mets “don’t make a lot of trades and that is because they really don’t like to give up what they perceive as their big talent, unless they can convince you to give them $2 for their 35 cents.“
- White Sox manager Robin Ventura told reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, he will consider promoting Carlos Rodon (the third overall selection in this year’s draft) when the rosters expand in September. “If he’s doing well enough to come up here, yeah,” Ventura said. “If he’s available and he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go. I would like to see it but he’s got to be ready to go.” Rodon, who is not on the White Sox’s 40-man roster, was promoted to Triple-A yesterday.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) if the club can “find a reliever that can help us late in the games we will consider it.”
- The Astros have decisions to make on a pair of injured right-handed relievers, reports MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Matt Albers (out since April with shoulder tendinitis) has a 2015 club option and Jesse Crain (who has been sidelined since undergoing surgery for biceps tendinitis last October) signed a one-year deal in January and Astros GM Jeff Luhnow would like to see them pitch this season before deciding their fates. “It would be nice to have those two guys in the bullpen in September to help us win some games.” said Luhnow. “I’m sure they want to do that as well so they can establish something going into next year.”
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
New York Media is losing Derrek Jeter……so they need a new shortstop for their city…..the problem is Castro is NOT on the trade table……and If he was, the Mets cannot give to Theo what he wants in return……..or I should say, the Mets do not have the players to trade for Castro.
So the Mets need to bid for Hanley Ramirez this off season and get ready to spend $200 million.
The Meta have plenty to offer the Cubs for Castro. The questions are whether they are willing to trade those pieces and if the Cubs have Castro on the table.
Name the Mets prospects……will wait.
Syndergaard, Dykstra, Plawecki, Reynolds, Herrera, Montero, Nimmo, Rosario, Fulmer, Matz, Dom Smith, Conforto. A few of those are in the top 100 even.
The Mets #2 Prospect, would not make the Cubs top ten prospect list…….and Syndergaard has a 4.70 ERA at AAA……sorry New York, you don’t have the Prospects the Cubs need.
oof, ERA
*in the PCL
yeah exactly. Evaluating pitching prospects on ERA enough of an issue to start with. Sounds like when he asked for the names of the Mets’ prospects it’s because he’s never heard of any of them before.
Three of those listed above made the BA Midseason top 50. That indeed would make ALL 3 of them within the cubs’ top 10 list….
Dude Syndergaard is playing in Vegas, balls fly out of that park alot….still it would take Syndergaard Niese n maybe 2 other prospects to nab Baez or Castro.
if AAA players are hitting off Syndergaard, it will only get worse in the majors.
First off, he’s 21. He can get better, or worse.
Second, he plays the majority of his games in high air ballparks, including his home park. Not every pitcher adapts as well as others. Experience seems to be key. Harvey was 24 when he came up, Wheeler 23, and deGrom 25, so the more he gains the better. However, the Cubs have hardly ever been a team based around pitching, so signing a few guys and going with a heap load of youth in the lineup instead of trading some pieces away for young piching seems more likely, yes.
Jacob Turner was ranked at the top a few years ago, and the Cubs got him in a waiver deal last week.
Theo can always wait.
right, and the Cubs are use to waiting. it’s been
10,20,30,40,50……. you get the point.
Part of Vegas is the dry air and ground as well. It makes it tough to grasp the ball and the balls in play are different because of the ground. All documented.
That’s far from true.
Syndergarrd pitches at triple a which is in Las Vegas where the air is really thin and the balls flies. It’s one of the most hitter friendly parks. Do your research next time
lol you have no idea.
Syndergaard has allowed 3 or less earned runs in his last 5 starts. Plus he pitches in the PCL which all era’s are bolsted up, and all BAAs are inflated.
Syndergaard is still a top 5 pitching prospect in baseball.
Bradley
Walker
Giloto
Syndergaard
Gray
Go home and study if you think Era means everything. Too add in Harvey had a high era when he pitched there also, but that’s right he stunk. He was just the next best pitcher to Kershaw
The Mets will have potentially 8 in the top 100 when spring begins
Matz,Herrera(can make case for both),Syndergaard,Conforto,Smith,Montero,Plawecki,and Nimmo.
The Mets have the 2nd best farm system in the NL behind the Cubs.
I guess you weren’t aware of the SS situation in NY before Jeter came along.
You can keep trying to convince yourself that the Mets don’t have the prospects to swing a trade for Castro/Baez but they do.
Odd that the media keeps talking about the Mets and Cubs being a perfect fit for a trade. Personally, I’d be shocked if they made a trade. They’re both moving along at pretty much the same stage of the rebuilding process and they’re both pretty shrewd when it comes to making deals. Both teams have some payroll flexibility and could sign FAs to fill their gaps. I feel like prospect-for-prospect trades are pretty uncommon as well.
While I agree that the Mets should have payroll flexibility, the Wilpons may not be willing to spend.
I agree. I also don’t think either team has blocked prospects. The Cubs can put most of their SS at other positions. Castro at SS, Alcantara in CF, Baez at 2B, and Russell at 3B (or something like that) and pitchers are pretty much never blocked
There is no evidence suggesting Harvey is over doing it. Look at Medlen. His next pitch could pop it again, whether this or next year or in 10 years. If i were him i would put the screws to the Mets, tell them personally, either you respect my rehab and if i am ready you pitch me, or you have a zero percent chance to resign me. This is exactly what Strasburg should have done a few seasons ago.
That’s just silly
and WHY exactly should he do that when this season is already shot for the Mets anyway? All that would do is dramatically increase the chance of re-injury.
why not? all you have as a pitcher is time. eventually that time runs out. there are zero people that know the correct way to deal with this injury long term. it is his career, his future earnings. if he feels this is the way to go, he should do it. The mets are going to look out for the mets, not harvey
You’ve made an incorrect basis upon which to start your argument. The pitcher has more than one thing as an asset, or I could be a pitcher. He has his body, and it’s his job, as well as the team’s job, to protect it and use it as well as they can.
If they use him in September and he reinjures it and needs TJ again, you would throw them to the wolves for doing it, because those games will be as meaningless as a flag football game in my backyard. It will do nothing to his value to come back and pitch early, but it CAN hurt it a lot. Everything to lose, nothing to gain. Let’s roll the dice baby!
Why not? Why do it? All you are doing is taking an unnecessary risk that has absolutely no benefit
Starlin Castro hitting that game winning HR shows how much value he has at his position.
Castro definitely HAS value at SS, but it won’t be for the Mets. They could have pulled the trigger on that trade already and passed on it, as they should have. His attitude and work ethic are not up to par, his power will take a nosedive in our park (when playing there on a regular basis), he doesn’t take enough walks, and if the Mets wanted an overhyped SS with a bad attitude, they could just buy Hanley on the FA market in a few months and keep our prospects.
The Mets ARE interested in Russell or Baez, but the Cubs aren’t selling, or haven’t been interested up to this point, and thus no deal has been made.
That said, ONE HR does not prove any value. By that thinking, Benny Agbayani, Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada are also just as valuable, and we both know that’s just not true. Very cute.
There is literally not one iota of evidence anywhere that Castro has a bad attitude or work ethic. No scouting reports, no rumors out of the Cubs organization, nothing. You also have no evidence that there was some sort of deal on the table that the Mets declined.
You are right, that there is no evidence that there was any deal on the table with the Mets. But you are incorrect that there are no rumors regarding Castros’ work ethic. I’m not saying they are valid, but there are rumors out there, mainly having to do with Dale Sveum benching him for various things. Now is that years ago? Sure. But that speculation is out there.
False. He was benched for a couple of on-field mental lapses that were overblown by Sveum to make an example, so to speak, out of Castro. Also to set Castro up as a scapegoat for the awful season that the Cubs had. But even Sveum never once indicated that Castro had an attitude or work ethic problem.
Again, I’m not saying it’s correct. I’m not from Chicago, so it’s very possible that he was made a scapegoat. I don’t know. But all of the on field lapse stuff did give him a bit of a bad rep and make him seem like he had some maturity issues. I’m not going to nitpick the phrasing. I’m just saying that as someone who doesn’t see him play every day and only reads things in passing about him or hears my home team talk about him, there are usually comments like that about him. So to say that there is no speculation is false.
There’s a huge gap between “bad attitude and work ethic” and “prone to mental lapses.” One is a character flaw, the other is a correctable focus issue. This isn’t semantics- it’s a severe difference in terms of evaluating a player.
I guess you’re not getting my point. There is a reason why Chico posted what he did above. It’s because that speculation is out there. He’s heard, I’ve heard it, I’m sure others have. I am not saying it’s the correct assessment. But you are not correct in saying that there are no rumors about it. My guess is that in Chicago where he is better known his work ethic isn’t questioned, but beyond his home area comments have been made.
I’m not saying it’s right or fair or anything. I’m just saying that whether it’s right or wrong I have read it.
yup that 1 at bat convinced Sandy to give up all his best prospects for a mediocre player. He’s probably on the phone with Jed Hoyer right now.
Big prospect for prospect deals don’t happen very often for a reason. Trades almost always need some sort of overpay and prospects are overvalued currency to begin with. There’s no demand for two rebuilding teams to try to work something out when there’s no barometer for fairness.
Mets FO should realize there are 28 other teams who can offer more for Castro or Baez then what the Mets can offer………Castro is a on a real good contract…..and Hanley Ramirez, who is older than Castro, will be looking for something over $200 million this winter.
really name me 10
I find it funny that the article says the mets want $2 deals for their $.35 when the phillies seems to be asking for $4 deals on their $.25
I hope Colleti stays away from Papelbon after seeing what they gave up for Roberto Hernandez.
Valentin is a second baseman, and with Gordon and Guerrero among others ahead of him (well ahead of him), I’ll take Hernandez and not look back.
I agree that Hernandez has more value to the Dodgers right now than Valentin but the deal included another yet to be named player, likely a pitcher. And it doesn’t look good when the rival GM comes out says they feel like they did really well and would have taken half of the accepted offer. It’s not good business to give away value for 2 month rentals. We’re not talking about a front of the rotation rental either. What does this mean the Mets were asking for Bartolo Colon at the Deadline? Because I would expect he could have gotten him with a similar offer value wise.
Id just like to see White sox and Hahn do anything at this point. aside from bringing up Garcia (no brainer), and some minor moves, I have seen NO action to shake this team up, and that is what it needs desperately, unless he has given up and is afraid that the fans may catch on and stop showing up altogether. Robin should be gone at the end of the year. I think 3 years is enough to see he is more like Sveum and less like a guy like Matheny at this point. Same mistakes made for the past 3 years: Cannot manage a bullpen, cannot get his fielders into position in later innings, cannot figure out when to take his starter out. Constantly rewards lackadaisical play by giving playing time, etc…