Some news from around the NL East…
- Phillies GM Matt Klentak said his team is looking at adding another hitter or reliever, though neither move is a necessity, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. The hitter is likely to be a reserve outfielder, as the Phillies want to see what they have in their young outfielders as they continue their rebuilding process. “We continue to prioritize roster flexibility and payroll flexibility so players that are in position to sign shorter term contracts are going to be more appealing to us,” Klentak said.
- The Marlins have assembled their bullpen based on talent, fit and availability, without any specific regard to balance between left-handers and right-handers. As a result, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro notes, Miami could head into 2017 with an entirely right-handed relief corps. Hunter Cervenka and Elvis Araujo are the only southpaw relievers on the Marlins’ 40-man roster and either could potentially win a job in Spring Training, though both pitchers are way down depth chart at this point.
- Dansby Swanson is “as close to untouchable as any Brave right now,” David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, as John Hart and John Coppolella are both very impressed by the young shortstop’s on-field talents and off-the-field intangibles. “I don’t think you can put any playables or comparisons on him, I just know we’re better with him, and the whole is greater than the parts. This is a special guy that makes people around him better,” Coppolella said. The White Sox reportedly wanted Swanson as part of a Chris Sale trade package earlier this offseason but the Braves refused to part with the former first overall draft pick.
- The Mets are known to be shopping outfielders, though MLB.com’s Mike Petriello notes that even if New York deals one of Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson or Michael Conforto, it still creates an issue since neither Granderson or Conforto project as a good defensive center fielder. Petriello instead proposes that the Mets could move two outfielders (either the two veterans, or Conforto with one of Granderson or Bruce to garner a bigger trade return) and then acquire an actual center fielder to properly fill the job.
The Marlins have the most underrated bullpen in the league. Ramos, Ziegler, barraclough at the back end is going to be good.
Well they just got Ziegler and most of their bullpen so they can’t be underrated without playing yet
Being rated does not necessarily mean you’ve had to play yet. People are looking at the pen and saying it’s weak. That in some people’s eyes is underated.
Are they? I guess this depends on how one rates miami. I think they are at least middle pack. Miami has done a good job (better than just getting jansen) in addressing their pen, at least imo They are still worse than many teams, but better than they were.
Another case of #headacheramos
I just hate how dramatic Ramos makes the end of the games. Maybe barraclough will get a chance to close
That’s exactly what “ratings” are. Once they start playing it becomes statistics.
The mets should trade two Outfielders. I’ll be pretty curious if the Reds and mets can swap Conforto for Billy Hamilton
Mets: Billy Hamilton and Tony Cingarni
Reds: Michael Conforto and Seth Lugo
Also possibly Jay Bruce to the Rangers for the Jefferes guy.
Rangers: Jay Bruce and Gabe Ynoa
Mets Jemery Jeffres
Those trades solve all the mets problems
I actually like the framework of a Hamilton for Conforto swap for both sides, good idea
Conforto needs to show that he’s not a platoon bat (this is as much on the mets fo/manager as it is on him)
I think the Mets need to give him a longer leash. He was clearly hurt last year and they sent him down to AAA in what should have been a DL stint. And even when he was up, they platooned him anyways. This could potentially be a future 3-hitter, so put him in the lineup and let him develop.
Your point is accurate CFFL, except the Mets’ history precludes proper development of young players. They will play him into the ground-send him back to destroy his confidence–and the question him.
He’s lucky that he is not a pitcher…as they lead the MLB in DL stays and TJ surgeries.
No way the Reds turn Billy Hamilton over that easily . The Reds goal isn’t to address other teams problems . But I will admit it has looked that way often . No reason to move Billy Hamilton right now unless the offer is astounding .
Hamilton has no good tools besides speed, he is terrible
The trade of Conforto for Hamilton is interesting.
i dont see the mets ownership signing on to bring jeffress at this point, given his DWI and rehab at end of last season.
What? They brought in Reyes and I assume will continue to employ Familia.
Why is nobody looking at Christian Yelich? Division trades are usually a turnoff but i think both teams could benefit. Im not sure how much his value is but id have no problem sending Bruce, Conforto, plawecki and maybe a B level prospect. I dont know what more they could want. TJ Rivera could also be swapped in/out of a deal if necessary. I love the guy but we have way too many infielders. Reyes and Flores as backups/platoons is more than enough.
You are severely underestimating Yelich’s value.
I would not consider Amed Rosario a B level prospect.
mets fans tend to overrate their players
you think so? Only if the Marlins are banking on him blossoming into a 30-35+ homer .300 type of guy. perhaps he can but i see 25 homer 40+ doubles. i guess we’ll find out. Would def be great to watch him patrol Center in Citi Field
And as a “biased” Mets fan, I don’t like that trade. Conforto had a bad year, but he’ll only be 24 at the start of 2017 and I still think he will be a solid player, perhaps a star. Last year his value did take a bit of a hit. But I’d rather hold onto him and gamble on what he showed from the minors up through the beginning of last season than trade him for a guy who may never hit (even if Hamilton is a phenomenal base stealer and an excellent fielder).
you do understand that there is more to baseball, especially for a cf than their ability to “hit” (whatever you mean by that), right?
Yes, I do understand that. Hence my comments about his defense and base stealing. I would still rather hold onto Conforto.
I’m not sure why you put hit in quotes, unless you think I was referring just to his batting average. I was not.
because you said hit, without a definition of that. For example, dexter fowler may not be the best at “hitting” but he’s a good hitter due to his obp skills.
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&…
(Lagares had same WAR in 2015 in 450+ abs)
If you’re expecting some massive rebound and health, ok then, i guess. They seem pretty close to each other as far as hitting goes, unless you expect lagres to rebound or hamilton to regress.
where’d you mention defense or base stealing?
And as a “biased” Mets fan, I don’t like that trade. Conforto had a bad year, but he’ll only be 24 at the start of 2017 and I still think he will be a solid player, perhaps a star. Last year his value did take a bit of a hit. But I’d rather hold onto him and gamble on what he showed from the minors up through the beginning of last season than trade him for a guy who may never hit (even if Hamilton is a phenomenal base stealer and an excellent fielder).
I was referring more to hitting for power and advanced stats. I guess I took issue because I interpreted your tone to be a bit condescending. My bad if I misread that,
I think your link is wrong. That is Lagares’/Hamilton’s 2016 comps, with Hamilton obviously coming out ahead in a lot more plate appearances.
I understand that Hamilton provides some value to be sure. Still, I’d rather hold onto Conforto and ride out his cost controlled years out in the hope that he lives up to his potential. Granderson/Lagares in CF is obviously not ideal though.
“where’d you mention defense or base stealing?”
Ok, really? Read the end of the comment where I wrote”(even if Hamilton is a phenomenal base stealer and an excellent fielder).”
is this a joke? Id play Lagares over Hamilton, and Lugo is a solid starter and can def do better than cingarni out of the bullpen.. I wouldnt do lugo for those two and you want to throw out one of the more promising young left handed bats. We already got robbed of Dilson Herrera. your not allowed to comment here for another week
Wait, you wouldn’t do Seth Lugo for Billy Hamilton and Tony Cingrani? That’s crazy. Hamilton’s much better than Lagares too, by the way. His base running alone makes him an average or better offensive player, which Lagares is not
i wouldnt do anybody for billy hamilton. we dont need second tier outfielders we already have a bunch of those types and better. we need impact players, not a 1 trick pony. i seriously think syndergaard is more dangerous at the plate than billy hamilton. And I think your underestimating Lagares a bit. This is a guy who wont a gold glove the last time he was an everyday centerfielder and also has a .030 higher career OPS. Hamiltons got him beat in nothing expect speed and dont forget about that lollipop arm. as for Lugo A solid 6th man in our rotation is a must have considering nobody can stay healthy for a complete season
You’ve not watched Hamilton much, I assume. He is one of the very best defensive players in baseball, and he has a good arm. Remember – he came up as a shortstop, and teams don’t put guys at shortstop with weak arms. By any metric or stat you can measure – assists, stopping runners from taking the extra base, etc, Hamilton rates much higher than Lagares.
Hamilton is one of the best defenders in the game…
And Lagares is his equal defensively. He put up half as much defensive WAR in less than half as many innings in the field as Hamilton.
“The mets should…..”
Get a new owner.
No team is going to trade good players for the Metsie’s overpaid, under producing outfielders. Each has limitations that are irreparable and the gaping holes in their games make them unattractive unless they are packaged with someone young that has good upside.
Almost every player in baseball has “gaping holes in their games.” I assume the Mets aren’t asking for Mike Trout in exchange for Curtis Granderson.
“..under producing”?
Every MLB player not named Trout and his ilk have holes in their games. Granderson and Bruce are both streaky hitters and below average defenders. I’m sure there are a plethora of teams out there who couldn’t benefit from adding a potential 30HR guy to their roster.
Granderson ’16: (MLB Outfielder Ranking):
30HR (T-10th…with Braun)
59RBI (T-39th…but was leading off)
.799OPS (23rd…ahead of Adam Eaton & Ian Desmond)
111OPS+
Bruce ’16 stats (MLB Outfielder Ranking):
33HR (T-4th..ahead of Betts, Braun, Trout, CarGo, etc)
99RBI (8th…1 behind Trout & ahead of Braun, Harper, etc)
.815 OPS (16th..tied w. G. Springer)
112 OPS+
Both are on 1yr deals and are FAAAR less expensive that any potential 30HR bat out there right now.
We’re using RBI as a valuable statistic again?
Nice stats, but how did that Bruce fellow do with the Mets? I would think that his sorrowful end to the season has punctured any decent trade value he might have had.
Alderson made a lousy trade to get him in the first place. Now he’s stuck with Loss Leader merchandise.
Fair critique. Unfortunately Bruce’s streakiness came out at the wrong time and in the wrong direction. It’d be a mistake to view his season only during his Mets’ tenure…which was admittedly ugly w. one hot streak towards the end.
CIN: 370AB: .265BAA, .875OPS
NYM: 169AB: .219BAA, .685OPS
Yes cause 30 homeruns hitters are under producers. Get your head out of your ass
I’d actually consider all of these moves. Hamilton would solve a lot of speed issues and Jeffries would be great with Reed/Familia/Wheeler in the bullpen.
Also Wheeler should totally move to the bullpen.
That’s an absolutely terrible trade. Conforto is going to be a star and Lugo is necessary out of the pen this year. Hamilton can steal
Bases and that’s it
Hmm, thinking way outside the box here, but, a trade with Toronto that would include Granderson and Bruce to the Jays for a package that would include all world defensive center fielder Kevin Pillar and a couple of prospects to the Mets would be interesting. The Jays could promote Pompey to replace Pillar with Granderson in right field and Bruce in left field.
Mets have a great defensive OF in Lagares
If you think Lagares is the hold up in a trade like this then you either need to stop being a baseball “fan” or learn.
umm but he would be 100 times out of 100? Mets obviously believed in Lagaras potential when they gave him that contract and just that.. theyre paying him so no funds can be wasted on a hamilton while lagaras is getting that paycheck
The Jays get older and more expensive, the Mets get younger and more athletic. Sweet.
how in the world does that help the jays? they take on 25 mil in payroll, give up prospects and manage to go get worse. the trifecta.
Pillar is > granderson + bruce
Mts are a joke, they’ve done absolutely nothing. No CF, no bullpen arms, no catcher. At least go get hamilton from cinci, do something.
myrican, rushing for the sake of making a deal when the fit isn’t right, usually leads to mistakes.
Unfortunately, Hamilton cannot steal first base.
Although in 2016 he had the best OBP of his major league career, it’s still too low at .321 not knowing whether it will improve or decline in 2017. I love his speed, defense and base stealing, but Mets would be taking huge risk and giving up valuable player (s) to get him.
The Mets might as well wait on minor leaguer Champ Stuart who has similar speed, is excellent base stealer, plays good defense but needs more time in the minors to learn how to make consistent contact and get on base. He’s another year or two away although if he plays well in AA Binghampton, and is promoted to AAA in August, I wouldn’t rule out a Mets September call up at least for pinch running.
For immediate help, I think the Mets should look elsewhere and try to make that happen through trade of Granderson, Bruce or even Conforto.
And Juan Lagares needs to step up.
Billy Hamilton would be a major upgrade on this team. If Lagares could hit consistently and stay on the field, that would be one thing. Hamilton is younger, similar defensively, healthier, and much, much faster. Between the two, I’d obviously want Hamilton on the field.
” Unfortunately, hamilton cannot steal first base.”
I love this. Amazing.
You’ve never heard that before?
It was either Cap Anson or John McGraw who said it first.
It’s like you’re living in your own reality. The Mets won the pennant in 2015 and made the playoffs in 2016 despite several injuries to key players. They resigned their best position player (Céspedes) to a shorter and cheaper deal than anyone expected and have only really “lost” a LOOGY in Blevins. In 2016, the Mets led all of baseball in reliever WAR, which means they had arguably the strongest bullpen in the entire Majors. They’re still near the top, especially considering the presence of guys like Ynoa, Smoker, and Wheeler.
…but…but…They didn’t get Jansen/Chapman/Mel!! lol.
I trust Sandy, even though he has to work with the worst owners in all of sports. Yes they resigned their best player, but they are typically diving in the bargain bin. They are winning despite a pathetic ownership group. Their young talent is keeping them afloat. If they can keep a healthy SP (I know…it’s far from certain)…they could win 100. God forbid they actually sign a new FA or trade for a proven veteran, then they may not have to rely on all of their young guys to produce.
If the Mets are trading 2 OFs, McCutcheon is the only guy I see them going after then
But the Pirates are moving McCutchen to LF – doesn’t solve Mets need for a CF.
And the Pirates would want Pitching, not OFs in return.
nah, blackmon is much more likely.
Because you know it all!
sweet retort.
Im amazed that swanson is deemed untouchable. Andrelton simmons being traded stunned me and if he could be traded swanson can also be had.
Simmons was mainly traded bc he’d be leaving team control by the time the FO rebuilt. The Braves were able to rebuild quicker than expected bc of poor trades by the DBacks (Shelby Miller deal, & Toussaint trade), & the Padres (Kimbriel & Upton). Swanson is the kind of guy that’s a great 1st prospect to have bc of his leadership.
yeah, 22 year olds are great for leader ship…Swanson is a good player because he is good (not great) at pretty much all facets of playing ss in MLB.
Simmons was traded because the braves are bad, are going to be bad, and defense declines first. Trading him was a fantastic idea. Doing it for Sean Newcomb, was not.
Jury is still out on Newcomb. ATL received LAA’s top 2 prospects and Erick Aybar in the deal, who had a great career leading up to the season prior to the trade. Yes, Simmons and his defense was and is hard to lose, but his offense isn’t getting much better, and we needed that desperately. With a higher contract kicking in, though still affordable, we needed to pad the farm. What better way than shedding future salary and getting a proven veteran at SS along with a team’s top-2 rated prospects (Newcomb, Ellis). Ellis is gone, but Newcomb still has some time and looked good 2nd half of last season. Not sure why you’re so down on him. He reminds me a lot of a young Jon Lester, though his breaking stuff isn’t nearly there.
The Braves were definitely less fun to watch without Simmons being a wizard out there at short, though.
I was also very surprised to see him go. He is controllable through 2020, so the rebuild really better be done by that point. And although I don’t agree with chester that defense declines first (I think this applies more to OFers where speed is more of a factor), the annually escalating salary and lack of offense are good points.
I still don’t think they got enough for him, though
Lol cause Peterson and Wisler have really hastened the rebuild process.
Yeah both of underperformed since they came to Atlanta. Wisler needs to grow a pair when he pitches
Simmons is great defensively, but his offense is lacking. At the time of the trade the Braves offense was struggling, so they capitalized on his value and opened up SS for a younger cheaper player. I believe there was a quote from one of the Braves GMs that basically said that when the Swanson deal came about, it made trading Simmons an option.
I doubt that, since Simmons was traded first, and I don’t think they could have predicted that they’d get Swanson for Miller. Maybe it was Albies, or maybe they just liked Newcomb for whatever reason.
Swanson is the type of player you build around, he has been characterized as a Derek Jeter, I know that is a lot to live up to, but I see similarities between the two. Look, I hate the Yankees, but I loved watching Jeter, people said in his latter years that he was not worth the money, I say bull, Jeter was the type of player every winning team needs. The type of player that will sacrifice for the team. I only watched Swanson at the end of 16, but if he is anything like Jeter, he would be untouchable for me also.
Andrelton Simmons also couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag. Swanson’s got a much, much better bat and is solid enough at SS.
Phillies need a Lefty hitting Corner OF to bat 5th.
Jay Bruce for J. Gomez
I would do that if the Mets kicked in money.
Good thing the Mets wouldnt… Gomez isnt good
Neither is Jay Bruce
Check out the stats I posted above…..
hojostache: Stats that are misleading in that they gloss over Bruce’s atrocious second half.
Jeanmar Gomez would make the Mets’ bullpen worse. Why would they want him?
dump the Bruce contract
“The White Sox reportedly wanted Swanson as part of a Chris Sale trade package earlier this offseason but the Braves refused to part with the former first overall draft pick.”.
Good. They are not close to 1 chris sale – 1 dansby swanson from competing. I don’t agree with their rebuild that focuses on young pitching, but it is really nice to see a front office that realizes that they are not 1 player away
Agreed. This was the point I kept trying to make when Braves fasn were complaining about the Bartolo and RA signings, but were all in on cashing in prospects for Sale. Sale was not going to help Atlanta take that jump to the next level by himself. If anything, it would just frustrate everybody involved when Sale leaves the game in the 8th tied 1-1, just to see the bullpen blow it and offense not step up.
You build a team (and a franchise) with depth, not around one guy who plays at best 20% of the time for you team
Granderson or Bruce to the Yankees for Gardner. Mets get their CF with 3 more years of control, and the Yanks add much needed power to their lineup in a contract that comes off the books in one year -freeing up space for Frazier to take over in 2018.
I like this trade idea.
Top Jimmy, I just don’t see that happening. No way Mets commit 3 years to a 33 y.o. on decline and rescue the Yankees in the process. Your trade proposal makes no sense for the Mets who could get similar production from Lagares.
Agreed. No way the Mets take back an expensive aging player for a 1yr rental capable of 30HR. Grandy or Bruce could provide plenty of power….which some teams still need.
Where was Bruce’s power in the Mets’ stretch run?
With one exception, the Mets need a CF and have too many corner guys. If they can’t find someone else, there’s always cashman and the NYY
Can a bullpen be effective with no lefties?
““We continue to prioritize roster flexibility and payroll flexibility” – Matt “The Intern” Klentak
This guy doesn’t even sound human. It’s like listening to an announcement from “Anonymous”
Matz and Bruce for Cutch.
Absolutely not
Haha
It doesn’t have to be a corner OFer for a CF. they should trade Grandy and Bruce for the best possible package of prospects. They can use other orosoects not named smith or Rosario to get a CFer like Dunn or Molina or Cecchini or some combo
I feel like if they could have, they would have. Realistically, it looks Lagares is their best bet right now, and if he stays healthy, he still looks like a 2.5-3.0 WAR player, which isn’t bad.
This is the play. RP is too inflated right now to get any value. They need to trade Bruce for a couple lotto tickets. Grandy…I’d like him to stick around because he is a great clubhouse guy and puts up decent numbers, but I wouldn’t be averse to giving Nimmo more time if the Mets could get a mid-level prospect and lotto ticket for him (assuming they kick in $ to offset his contract).
the truth that most people especially mets fan cant admit is that they should have traded harvey right after the WS loss, when his value was still high…
Trade Conforto to the Royals for Dyson and you have a great defensive centerfield