The Mets will interview former Rangers and Brewers GM Doug Melvin about their open general manager’s position sometime in the next week or two, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Melvin, who has been a senior advisor for Milwaukee since being moved out of the GM role in August 2015, was first linked to the Mets by Fancred’s Jon Heyman back in August. With Mets owner Fred Wilpon reportedly looking to hire a seasoned executive with a scouting background, Melvin’s 30 years of front office experience would certainly seem to make him a solid candidate, though COO Jeff Wilpon is seemingly more keen on a more analytical mind in New York’s baseball ops department. Up to a dozen “serious candidates” are reportedly under consideration for the Mets’ GM job, however, so Melvin still faces tough competition.
Some more from around the baseball world as we prepare for the AL Wild Card game….
- The Nationals are parting ways with assistant GM Bob Miller, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) reports that the Nats didn’t renew Miller’s contract. Miller has worked in Washington for the last four seasons, and has longstanding ties with Nats GM Mike Rizzo when the two worked together with in Diamondbacks organization. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (Twitter link) describes Miller as Rizzo’s “right-hand man” in the front office and the team’s “rules guru,” also crediting Miller with the trade that brought Trea Turner and Joe Ross to the Nationals.
- Jonathan Lucroy didn’t contribute much at the plate for the Athletics this season, but the signing of the veteran catcher has become a major move in Oakland’s run to the AL wild card game, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Thanks to an up-and-down 2017 season, a dropoff in his framing numbers, and perhaps just the overall chilled free agent market, Lucroy had to settle for a one-year, $6.5MM deal from the A’s in March. Catcher became a need for the A’s once Bruce Maxwell fell out of favor with the team, and Lucroy’s veteran knowledge became particularly important given the number of young arms that ended up on the roster due to injuries and a focus on the bullpen. “I don’t even know the numbers of starters that we’ve gone through with unfortunate injuries,” closer Blake Treinen said. “And then the amount of arms that we had in the bullpen through September, trying to keep hitters off balance, knowing what everybody has, trying to read their stuff on that day. [Lucroy has] been pretty solid, to say the least, for us back there, and it’s a good luxury to have.” Lucroy’s mediocre offensive numbers will limit his free agent market and keep him in Oakland’s price range, so it will be interesting to see if the A’s could pursue a reunion with the catcher in free agency this winter.
- White Sox pitching prospect Dane Dunning’s season was cut short by an elbow sprain, but after rehabbing the injury, Dunning tells The Athletic’s James Fegan (subscription required) that he is hopeful of avoiding surgery altogether. Dunning may even get a few instruction league innings under his belt just to test his arm before the offseason. The 29th overall pick of the 2016 draft, Dunning came to Chicago as part of the trade that sent Adam Eaton to the Nationals, and his prospect stock has since been on the rise. He cracked the preseason top-100 prospect lists from Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and MLB.com prior to 2018, and then posted a 2.71 ERA, 3.85 K/BB rate, and 10.4 K/9 over 86 1/3 combined innings at A-ball and Double-A this season.
jayfaraday
As a brewer fan, you do NOT want Doug Melvin as a GM. He still operates like it’s the 80’s
its_happening
Sal Bando or Dean Taylor better hires?
Mets probably need 80’s Melvin to counter the analytical penny=pinching Met mentality with Alderson and his ex-Oakland crew.
gomerhodge71
But the 80’s were cool. Remember the big hair?
Out of place Met fan
Big hair and hair metal
Marytown1
As a fellow Brewers fan— Please! Take him away from us!!!
batty
I get the allure of hiring someone with past GM experience, but the Mets, whether they want to admit it or not, are rebuilding. Now is the time to hire new blood for important positions, such as GM. Old school and new school can co-exist within an organization. Not all old school tactics are worthless and not all new school tactics are worthy. Finding that new GM that can delegate both sides of the aisle will get them on track faster than just one side or the other.
Take a chance, Mets. What have you got to lose at this point?
phenomenalajs
I’m not sure what mean by rebuilding. I see some potential moves, but the core is there. The key is locking up extensions for the top 3 in their starting rotation. Matz is just becoming arbitration eligible and Vargas is signed for one more year. They’ll probably go outside the organization for catcher and bullpen, but they’re on the hook with Bruce, Cespedes, Frazier, and Jackson for 1-2 years each. McNeil, Rosario, Conforto, and Nimmo have all claimed their spots and aren’t going anywhere. Alonso should be on board next season, so Dom may be the odd man out. Three other position players that finished the season on the DL – d’Arnaud, Flores, and Lagares – may be non-tendered. Flores has been a mainstay but with arthritis and $9M figure to keep him, it’s going to be hard to justify. TJ Rivera will be the wildcard and may take Flores’ utility role if he’s healthy.
For the bullpen, I can see them going after a closer, but Gsellmann and Lugo are under team control and Swarzak and Ramos each have another year on their contracts. The other question mark is the recently reinstated Jennry Mejia. If he’s anywhere near what was originally expected from him, he could be the closer. Gerson Bautista has closer speed if he can learn control.
batty
By rebuilding, i mean though they have core pitching, outside of the OF they don’t have much to bank on. Surely Mets fans aren’t counting on Bruce, Cespedes, Frazier and Jackson to lead this team to success. The catching has had turmoil for years and the roster is littered with utility/bench players and odd fits.
Though i have my doubts it will happen, the Mets should trade on of Syndergaard or deGrom for a ransom and fill needs.
andremets
When you Jackson, do you mean Austin Jackson? Mets aren’t stuck with him. I think he’s making the minimum and would be a free agent.
andremets
I think AJ Ramos is a free agent and not sure he can even pitch in 2019.
bobtillman
I’m not sure Melvin fits as a GM, but fans might want to consider him in the FO, somewhere. Pretty smart guy, Melvin….fits in somewhere……a lot better than some of the dolts they have there now…..
johnsilver
Eaton’s “flaw” is that he only plays the game at 100% all the time that only 1 in a few hundred ever do. The Freddie Lynn’s, Dustin Pedroia types. it’s easy to tell. The ones who crash into the wall with no regard to health, dive, stretching out all the way for balls. Run as fast as they can when it’s not required.. These guys spend time on the disabled list.. Too much time, but how does one temper the style without disrupting the player’s mentality towards the game too much?
Cam
Lucroy’s fall at the plate is astonishing. Considering until recently (2016) he was a premier hitter, to see what he’s become today is a shock. He’s had years where he wasn’t just arguably the best hitting catcher in the game, but one of the premier hitters full stop.
Looking into the batted ball numbers, nothing majorly stands out. His hard hit % is right around what it was at his best, and there’s no real deviation in his ground, line drive and fly ball rates.
Although, he’s hitting twice as many pop ups as he did during his “prime”, and his fly balls aren’t leaving the yard like they used to.
Is there an injury there? Shoulder or wrist perhaps?
barnard
Could be an injury, I don’t know his history well enough to say. But to me I see his ISO is way way down from his prime year, as well as his BABIP being somewhat lower. Could just be the strain of catching has finally caught up with him and he’s not as fast or as strong as he used to be
steelerbravenation
I am a Brave fan and out of all the teams in the division the Mets scare me the most. They by far have the most upside starting rotation in the NL East & Conforto obviously got brought back to soon. He really turned it on in the 2nd half. Bruce & Frazier can’t be as bad as they were this year. The kid in AAA looks like their future 1B. Rosario looks like a player after the 2nd half.
Flores is a great utility option. And the 2nd baseman that came up has looked good too. Gsellman & Lugo are very good arms in the bullpen.
They get a CF, a starting catcher & a couple bullpen arms and they can be right in it next year riding DeGrom & Syndagaard. I think this GM is going to be a huge decision. And again as a Brave fan I hope they make the wrong one.
andremets
I love this guy!!!
andremets
I agree. Only 13 games back of braves. If they AJ Pollack and Wilson Ramos, that’s big. Bruce/dom Smith/Alphonso for 1b. Should be some closers available. Can always bring Familia back and find a better lefty than Blevins. Nimmo and McNeil are older, but are they really that different than Acuna and Ozzie?
tonysdog01
Is this that thinking outside the box that Jeffy has been talking about? Imagine that!!!!!! Doug Melvin!!!!!!
Priggs89
Dunning not throwing at all during instructionals would be a huge issue IMO. I’m still not convinced he’ll avoid surgery, and I’d MUCH rather have them figure it out this year instead of next.
Screamer
Way to not mention that Lucroy threw out more runners at 2nd than anyone else
And with the hitters the A’s have, does it matter if he hits? Answer: no
He was a godsend for the broken pitching staff we had and his signing is why we made the playoffs. A’s need to make his re-signing priority #1
minoso9
Good luck with the rehabbing Dunning, particularly since the Kopech injury and the flat performance by Rodon at season’s end. Maybe the oft-injured Rodon has done it again. I’m actually glad to have the veteran Shields on such a shaky young staff. The Sox need all the good young arms they can get during their rebuild.
padam
It’s rough being a Mets fan. Melvin? Really? That’s what they are coming up with…? Ugh…
steelerbravenation
Maybe Buck to the Mets as a GM
andremets
Showalter?