Daily Archives: November 3, 2009
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes the Yankees have interest in re-signing soon-to-be free-agent OF Johnny Damon.
According to Heyman, the Yankees might be willing to offer Damon a two-year, $16 million deal, with the 
Giants and White Sox among teams who will also be interested.
…in reading heyman’s report, for SI.com in late October, it sounded to me like if the Yankees bring back damon, and if Manny Ramirez executes his option to stay with the Dodgers, which it sounds like he will, then the Mets and Angels could essentially end up competing for holliday, who i have to think will end up with whomever gives him the most years and money…
Last month, in a post to his blog for Newsday, Ken Davidoff said Matt Holliday’s first choice is to sign with the Yankees, followed by the Mets.
Davidoff doesn’t believe the Yankees will be willing to take on another long-term commitment, such as Holliday.
According to Heyman’s October report, “Holliday is said to be preferred by Mets people to Jason Bay as a gung-ho clubhouse presence and a little better bat.”
Tagged News |Update, 5:11 pm:
The Rays have traded 2B-3B Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates, according to Topkin, at his blog for the St. Petersburg Times.
Original Post:
Mark Topkin of the St. Petersburgh Times believes the Rays are on the verge of trading Iwamura.
According to Topkin, “The source indicated the deal wasn’t with the Cubs or the Dodgers, as has been speculated on, but to an unexpected team.”
The 30–year-old Iwamura hit .290 with a .355 OBP, one home run, 16 doubles and nine stolen bases in 69 games for the Rays in 2009, while playing second base.
He played in 130 games at third base during 2007.
…i had him on my fantasy team, and watched him a lot… he’s an interesting player… but, he seems best fit for a bench role… a utility-infielder type, since he’s a good all-around hitter, he is very good on defense… he has a big swing, though… you know, that looping, golf-swing on off-speed pitches thrown inside…
Tagged News |In a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish looks in to Jose Reyes’s 2009 season, and the players who filled in for him, either at shortstop, in the leadoff spot, or both.
In the end, Janish concludes:
“Contrary to popular opinion, Jose Reyes at 75-80% is NOT still better than most NL shortstops. The position is brimming with All-Stars around the league, including three from NL East Rivals. Reyes rises above only when he has his legs - 100% of his legs. Without them, he’s still very good, and keeps the Mets at a championship level for the position, but is not necessarily a difference-maker.”
…i just miss watching him play, regardless of wins and losses… i like watching him from an entertainment point of view, and the games were just not as fun to watch without him… it just so happens that the team is better, a lot better, when he’s in the lineup, and especially when he’s hot…
…he’s going to be the big story in spring training, regardless of who the Mets do or do not acquire… the Mets go where jose goes, which is even more evident this season… remember this… and so, the attention will be on jose, his health, how is his leg, will he be ready, etc., once the weather gets warm and all eyes turn to St. Lucie…
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In an e-mail, Toby Hyde from Mets Minor League Blog had the following to say, regarding my earlier post about the Mets and drafting over slot:
“I think the system is more fair than most people give it credit for. The draft, and the current amateur signing structure rewards teams who plan ahead and allocate resources to the process. The Mets don’t allocate as many resources as other teams, including the Phillies, Red Sox, Rays or Yankees, just to name the last four World Series participants. The Mets then can’t complain that it’s unfair… Just to be fair here, the Mets did pay their first pick, Steven Matz an above slot bonus, and went over slot with 13th rounder LHP Zach Dotson and 16th rounder OF Chase Greene.”
Additionally, I had the following exchange with MiLB.com’s minor-league guru Jonathan Mayo, also in response to my earlier post:
Mayo: I think your second point about lower-market teams is a good one. The Pirates are perfect example for the past two drafts.
In 2008, they spent $10 million on the draft, $6 million on Pedro Alvarez, but were still aggressive above-slot later. In 2009, they went “on the cheap” in the first round with Tony Sanchez, then signed several high-ceiling high school arms for above-slot later in the draft.
Cerrone: I guess I just never realized how significant this is, until I listened to a few agents talk about its importance in building a farm system.
Mayo: The thing that’s been so strange about the Mets is how they’ve been willing to be so aggressive and tilt the market on the free-agent front, but so risk-averse on the draft front.
Teams like the Mets should be super aggressive and take chances with high upside guys in the draft because they can afford to do it.
To follow Mayo on Twitter, click here, and to read his minor-league blog for MLB.com, Big, Bald and Beautiful, during which he is going a lot of writing about the Arizona Fall League, click here.
Lastly, Matt Meyers, who used to cover the Mets farm system for Baseball America, and now is a contributing editor at ESPN The Magazine, said this to me in an e-mail:
“I mean, some top players do ‘slip to them,’ but they don’t bother picking them because they have no intention of signing them. For example, the Mets could’ve had Tim Melville last year in any of the first three rounds, but they didn’t bother taking him because he wanted seven figures. And it ended up being the Royals who took him in the fourth round, I believe, and signing him for over $1 million… You’ll notice the Royals and Pirates have been two of the biggest spenders in the last couple of years, giving seven-figure bonuses to kids in rounds three through 10. Instead, the Mets will stick to slot in those rounds and spend $2 million on Alex Cora. It’s a joke, and shows a complete lack of understanding of value on the part of the Mets.”
To follow Meyers on Twitter, click here.
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Yesterday, in a report for Baseball Prospectus, minor-league guru Kevin Goldstein explains why he is confused about the current hype surrounding 20–year-old pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia, who is representing the Mets in the Arizona Fall League.
According to Goldstein, ‘Mejia is much more of a thrower than a pitcher, even for his age group.’
Goldstein says Mejia’s arm is ‘special,’ but, “It’s also a bit of a spectacular mess.”
In four starts during the AFL, Mejia has let up 11 runs and 14 hits in 7.2 innings, while striking out nine batters and walking nine.
In October, Adam Rubin of the Daily News said Jerry Manuel watched Mejia’s first start in the AFL, “to gauge whether he may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010.”
Last week, Keith Law of ESPN.com said he sees Mejia as a starting pitcher some day, but he’s still two, full years from pitching in the Major Leagues.
… he has really, really struggled with runners on base… and has not shown an ability to work out of a jam… which, i would think, at 20, is totally fine… the point is, i think it’s a lot to ask that he step in and dominate in the bullpen next season, at least at the start of the season… i bet he just needs more work in the minor leagues, so he can, like goldstein said, work more on ‘pitching,’ not throwing… also, don’t forgot, he was injured this season, missed time, and yet still pitched in more innings that at any point in his life…
For more, check out Mets Minor League Blog, where Toby Hyde writes about Nick Evans, who has been DH’ing in the AFL, and Mets 23–year-old prospect Reese Havens, who has finally made his inevitable move to second base.
Interestingly, Havens hit .247 in 85 at bats for Brooklyn in 2008, and then again hit .247 in 430 at bats for St. Lucie in 2009.
Tagged News |Will Hernandez of Mets Fans Forever mulls over what the team should do with J.J. Putz, and what to do without him.
Mack, from Mack’s Mets, wonders if 16–year-old high-school prodigy Bryce Harper could slip to the Mets in next year’s draft, because of his asking price.
Harper was recently referred to by Sports Illustrated as, ‘Baseball’s LeBron James.’
In a post to Mets Fever, Ed Ryan looks in to Rob Barajas, Benjie Molina and Yorvit Torrealba, three catchers who have been linked in rumor to the Mets.
Speaking of catcher, Eric of Mets Merized Online asks, “Is Josh Thole the Mets catching savior?”
In a post to his blog, Ted Quarters, SNY’s Ted Berg catches up with Tsuyoshi Shinjo, while posting a hilarious YouTube video.
Lastly, for a non-sports, but still web-related, link, check out Webdesigner Depot, which deconstructs the new layout on CNN.com.
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In a mailbag Q&A for MLB.com, Mets reporter Marty Noble believes the Mets would need to trade players like John Maine and Fernando Martinez, ‘in a deal to get a No. 2 pitcher or a power hitter.’
Maine was 2–2 with a 4.12 ERA in his final four starts after returning from the disabled list in 2009.
…there has been a lot of online talk about whether the Mets will tender maine a contract next season… i believe he’ll be back… and i hope he is… i don’t know how the contract will shake out, but, from what i can gather, the Mets have no interest in cutting him loose – and they have every intention of keeping him around through at least spring training… they still love his arm, and talk about his effortless delivery… if he can adjust his workouts and stay healthy, they still think he can be a major factor in the rotation… as do i… he’s eligible for arbitration, and will likely get around $2.5 million… he is not able to be a free agent until after the 2011 season… and so, he does make for an interesting trade candidate, so long as it means upgrading the rotation… the thing is, are those four starts in 2009 enough to entice another team…
In a separate response, Noble says, “The Mets have identified their primary need as power and run production, followed by starting pitching and a catcher.”
To read Noble’s take on Dan Warthen, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez, as well as the future of Josh Thole, silly trade requests and the vital need for better grammar in Internet mailbags, click here.
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