Japanese right-hander Chihiro Kaneko is visiting the United States to get a first-hand look at the atmosphere of Major League Baseball by visiting the World Series, according to Yahoo Sports Japan (Japanese link). The 31-year-old Kaneko is the ace of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes and is eligible to be posted this offseason, if his team agrees to post him (and, if he expresses a desire to jump to MLB). Kaneko has been scouted personally by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. in September as well as the Red Sox and Padres, according to the Yahoo report. In 184 innings this season, Kaneko posted a sparkling 1.91 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9, allowing a minuscule seven homers in an excellent season. In parts of nine pro seasons, Kaneko has a 2.69 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 in 1279 1/3 innings.
Here’s more pertaining to the National League East…
- Some familiar with the Mets’ thinking believe that the team would be interested in adding Michael Cuddyer on a two-year deal, reports Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mets are known to be hesitant to deal from their crop of high-upside young arms, and Cuddyer would provide them with a fairly versatile piece that can add some punch to the lineup. Martino also notes that the Mets are monitoring Yoenis Cespedes and consider Rafael Montero more tradeable than Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom. For what it’s worth, Cuddyer grew up in the same town as David Wright and the two have long been friends and offseason workout partners. MLBTR’s Zach Links recently profiled Cuddyer and projected a two-year, $22MM contract.
- More from Martino, who wrote yesterday that the Mets could be nearing an extension with assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi. The former Blue Jays GM has been with the Mets since 2010 and currently oversees the club’s pro scouting operations while also serving as an adviser to GM Sandy Alderson.
- There’s been a great deal of speculation that Evan Gattis could be trade bait this winter, but MLB.com’s Mark Bowman takes a long look at whether or not the Braves should entertain offers for Justin Upton and/or Jason Heyward as well. Each corner outfielder is set to become a free agent next winter. Moving one would allow the team to keep Gattis and play him in the outfield, although as Bowman notes, that would significantly weaken the club’s defense. Still, with each dangerously close to the open market, the front office could move one for a group of prospects that would further position the team for success as it heads into a new stadium in 2017, Bowman writes.
Just throwing this out there, but would it make sense for the Braves and Yankees to do a Gardner + Pieces for Justin Upton? While Gardner is one of my favorite players on the Yankees as he’s the last farm system position player on the team, what the Yankees really need is a young, power hitting outfielder which Upton is. The Braves need a CF, and Gardner is almost too perfect of a fit, a speedy lead off bat with some power and on a friendly contract. Both teams fill a need.
Gardner is signed to a very affordable extension and had the best year of his career last year. I don’t feel or think the Yankees should trade him.. Upton fits in New York however.
He’d easily bring back the best package if the Yankees wanted to re-build, but I don’t see him being traded though (nor do I see the Yankees re-building by getting rid of key players in a trade).
I don’t know why the Yankees would do that, Gardner is every bit as good as Upton and is on a great deal. Upton might have a great year next year but then what would the Yankees have to pay to lock him up and who trusts Upton on a long term big money deal.
Gardner is 30 and struggled down the stretch this was a career year ,doubt he will ever duplicate it
Define career year. If by slugging percentage and HR, yeah.
However his other numbers were almost identical to what his career numbers are, some even worse
2014/Career
BA- .256/.265
OBP – .327/.346
wOBA – .331/.329
wRC+ – 110/103
WAR – 3.2. In 4 full seasons, he’s never had lower than 3.2 WAR. In 2013 his WAR was 3.2. His highest ever was 6.0 (2010) & 4.9 (2011)
By the way, from 2010-2014
Upton WAR – 17.8 (745 games)
Gardner WAR – 17.7 (618 games)
Braves could trade Gattis and one of Heyward and Upton if they got a young OF in one of the packages. Really help them refill their farm system that way.
What kind of young outfielder are you looking for? Do yo want one that steps right in and performs such as Mookie Betts? What would Gattis and Heyward cost the Sox in your eyes? Remember Mookie looks more like a big leaguer than a prospect at this point.
Red Sox aren’t trading Mookie Betts.
I’m a Sox fan and you won’t find a bigger supporter of Mookie. I agree whole heartedly. His minor league numbers and short Major League career suggest 6 years of a cost controlled high production leadoff hitter which is just as valuable as an ace.
Many many guys with fabulous career minor league numbers amount to little or nothing in MLB. He’s still just a prospect.
A prospect who triple slashed .291/.368/.444 with a 128 OPS+ in 52 games at the ML level last season. He’s more than a prospect. He’s shown he can hit in the majors.
Gotta keep it up the second time around though. Seen a lot of young players lately not look so hot after a good half-season premiere.
I get that no one wants to jump the gun here and it’s a small sample size, but the point is he’s more than just a prospect. He’s had enough time in the majors to earn a starting job next season, and he’ll be fine then too. To call him just a prospect is silly. It’s not like he’s never seen a ML pitch. I’m not advocating for the Hall of Fame. It’s enough experience to be beyond prospect status.
52 games isn’t anything. Promising but not enough to really bank on.
No one said bank, he’s past prospect status. He’s shown enough. Unless there’s a magic number we should all be waiting for. 80, 90, 100 games? When is it enough? Does it have to be the full 162? because he played 151 games last season and hit .355, .335, and .291 in the three stops. Yes I know, the minors mean nothing, and there have been plenty of top prospects who have failed. You have everything but an engraved letter from Teddy Ballgame saying the kid is the real deal. It’s good enough for me.
Khris Davis played in 56 games in 2013 and ended with a 155 OPS+. This year he had a 107 OPS+ which would be a difference of 48. Not only that but his splits were flipped in some categories between the two years.
But hypothetically speaking if I take 48 OPS+ points away from Mookie he is at 80…well below average. So there is still very much a chance he declines off those numbers and becomes an average player at best.
I am not comparing the two only to say that yes players can decline dramatically off of 52 games. Nor am I saying they should trade him for anything, but to go around thinking he is the next great thing is a little too far.
Khris Davis and Mookie aren’t very similar players. Davis had around a .215 ISO in the minors that skyrocketed to .315 in 2013. That was in large part due to a 30% HR/FB rate which was completely unsustainable.
No numbers for Mookie immediately say fluke like Davis ISO and HR/FB.
Sure maybe so but the whole point was to show plays can decline pretty easily. Some players breakout in the MLB so saying just because his minor league stats weren’t as good doesn’t totally disregard the numbers he put up.
One of the biggest points Victoria is making is the fact he put up those stats in the MLB so why shouldn’t he be able to continue. So why couldn’t those 56 games Davis had prove he could be that kind of player? After all he did it against real MLB pitchers.
Every year there is a handful of players(sometimes rookies) that are really hot for 2 months(about 50 games or so) and then fall off the planet.
It’s just normally when you look at those handful of players that start out hot for 2 months there are usually advanced stats that point to it being unsustainable. For Mookie there isn’t an advanced stat point to that as his BABIP was around league average and his predicted level, walk rate was above average, strikeout rate was below average, and power stayed consistent with minor league performance.
Guys like Mookie that have high walk rates, low K rates, and consistently make good contact are much more likely to continue MLB success. Steamer has him putting up a 120 OPS+ next year.
Is he “just” a prospect? I mean he has I’ve 200 successful MLB plate appearances. How did a similar number of PA judge Polanco, Tavarez, Baez ? You won’t find him on any prospect lists this winter nor will he be eligible for ROY next year. And ad impressive as his speed, defense and OPS have been its his K/BB ratio that is the most predictive going forward. Guys with his OPS and K/BB ratio rarely fail. He could flop but I see no reason to expect that; he’s put up consistently excellent numbers all around at every level he has been at since May 2013. That’s 5 different levels where he was young at each one and he always exceeded expectations. He’s more than “just a prospect.”
I don’t think the Red Sox would take Montero for Cespedes. They would be after Syndergaard, deGrom, Wheeler, then Montero in that order I would assume.
Add in Plawecki or Black at a minimum
For one year of Cespedes? There’s no way the Mets would trade either Wheeler or deGrom, whom they control for 6 more years and are proven, for a one-year rental. Syndergaard is not yet proven but he’s a top-50 level prospect. Cespedes is worth Montero plus a toss-in. Or Plawecki plus a toss-in. That’s it. And he’s just switched his agency to Jay-Z. So he’s going to test the open market or demand a huge overpay for any extension. Cross that possibility off.
Too be fair wouldn’t anyone look to acquire them in that order…they won’t get the first 3…but hey, I would at least try.
Of course Montero is more tradeable. He isn’t as highly touted as Syndergaard and doesn’t have the track record of deGrom. I’m not a huge fan of Cespedes and I like Montero but if you can get Cespedes for Montero, from a Mets perspective, I’d say do it.
Not being a jerk, but is there really any chance that the Sox would trade Cespedes for Montero? Furthermore, why would we want Cespedes for 1 year?
I have no idea on the former, just going with what the article is talking about up there. But for the second part, I’m of the mind that the Mets could very easily contend for a Wild Card next season. They were nearly .500 this season without their ace and with David Wright having his worst season in years (maybe ever). If you had Cespedes for 2015, they could potentially be in the mix for a WC, and once you’re in the playoffs anything goes.
I’m really hoping the Cards go after Cuddyer, I’m sure they could outbid the Mets, it’s just a matter of would he rather be a starter or get 300 to 400 at bats on a world series contender.
Where would he fit on the Cards? Grichuk is pretty good.
He would be a super sub taking at bats against left handed pitching at first base, and right field. He could also give holliday and carpenter breaks as well at LF and 3b. Despite Grichuk’s couple of homeruns in the playoffs, I’m not overly excited about Grichuk going forward. I think he’s a complimentary player or a starter on a bad team. Grichuk though best hope might be if he can sub at centerfield.
Michael cuddyer playing third base? I would love to see that…
That’s how he got hurt this year.
he did on occasion for the Rockies
How does Kaneko compare to Kenta Maeda?
As an option in LF or 1B, a RHH like Cuddyer makes sense for the Mets.
1) He currently would make sense as a starter in LF.
2) Given his age, he may face a decline soon. I wonder if, even in this case, he would still be serviceable in a platoon for the life of a likely 2-year deal. The Mets current LF options (Nieuwenhuis and Den Dekker) are both LHH.
3) He could also fill in at 1B, but his opportunities would be much more constrained, filling in only when Duda would otherwise face a LHP who is particularly tough on lefties.
4) Even if he declines, he might have value off the bench.
The Mets could use whatever chips they have on SS.
Heyward to Sox for Montas/Danish, Johnson/Semien, Hawkins
Cuddyer would be very nice, actually. He’d get most of the time in LF with den Dekker/Kirk platooning. By 2016 Nimmo & Conforto should be ready.
Cuddyer does not play left. He can’t (deaf in his left ear).