As we head into the 2014 baseball season, the main question facing NY
Met's GM Sandy Alderson is how are they going to upgrade the offense?
Their first "major" move was the signing of former All Star Outfielder
Chris Young to a one year
$7.25 Million dollar contract. The 30 year old Young is coming off a sub par year with the Oakland A's. Although he seems
to have plateaued as a player, Young does bring power, speed,and a good
glove to the outfield. He is good for 20-25 HR's, 20 SB's and 30 plus
doubles if playing full time. I think that the fact that it is only a one year deal makes it worth the risk. Along with Juan Lagares and Curtis Granderson, the Mets would have an excellent defensive outfield. With the price
for established starting position players exceeding 10 mil a year, Young may prove to be a bargain. Let us hold judgment to see
what else the Mets do to improve their lineup. As you can see by the numbers below The Mets need some more sticks. Based on career numbers, one can assume that
Young will help improve the outfield power production while contributing on the base-paths and defense. However, I don't think this was the type of signing
that most Met's fans were hoping for. With outfielders like Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz, and Jacoby Ellsbury still available, Met fans were hoping
to land a proven performer and not one of the usual suspects that we have become accustomed to the last 4 years.
What makes things especially frustrating is when the crosstown Yankees go out and sign a Brian McCann, or The Cardinal address their weakness at SS by signing Jhonny Peralta for four years.
While I don't want the team to spend money frivolously on free agents, the teams hierarchy has to realized the market for these players, and that there is no such thing as a risk free signing.
We must take chances on players that have a proven track record preferably under the age of 32. When you look at the 2013 tables below, you see a real deficiency at a number of positions and places in the lineup. Lets look at each position/place and figure out what
we need to do.
Anthony Recker can expect a slight increase of plate appearances, and may be able to crack double digit HR's after hitting 6 in only 135 AB's. The Mets need to add a veteran starter to compete with Recker in Spring Training.
The .219/.288/.366 slash line just wasn't good enough.
OBP was the lone bright spot for the team last year. Ike Davis regressed to the point of now being thought as needing a change of scenery. A sub .400 Slugging percentage from a corner infield spot is not acceptable at the Major League level. What do The Mets do? This is probably Sandy's toughest challenge. Do they give Ike one more year? Remember Mike Jacobs? What about Lucas Duda? He has a very similar skill set as Davis. Power, walks, and a low BA. If money were no object, could the Mets sign a guy like Nelson Cruz to play First Base? I am willing to give Ike Davis one more year.
To trade or not to trade? That is the question. Daniel Murphy had a very solid 2013. He is solid in the clubhouse and is a "gamer" who cares about the game. He is a very streaky hitter who winds up with adequate numbers offensively. He has above average power (40 doubles and 10-15 hr's), has improved tremendously in the field while working hard at turning the double play but he lacks instinct. His aggressiveness on the basepaths will occasionally have him run into outs. He has actually become very adept at stealing bases where he had a surprising total of 23. Eric Young could be an option if they decide to trade Murphy.
This is an area that must be addressed. If The Mets don't go out and trade for a SS, then Ruben Tejada must have a bounce back year. The numbers .215/.285/.276 are ugly.
David Wright had a solid season but needs help in the lineup and has to stay healthy. He is now 31 and has missed at least 50 games in two of the last three years. Injuries may start to be a concern.Top hitting prospect Wilmer Flores played thru injuries during his call up while Wright was on the DL and The Mets must find a way to get him some at bats
Curtis Granderson signing for 4/60M, essentially replaces the production that Marlon Byrd gave the Mets in 2013. He has a solid glove, runs well and offers a decent walk rate. High K's are a concern so I think The teams next big bat acquisition should be an under 125 strikeout a year guy . Eric Young (NL SB leader) was a pleasant surprise with the glove in left field. His speed gave the Mets an added dimension. Granderson, Young, Lagares and Chris Young would give the Mets a very good defensive outfield. My choice would be to call the Dodgers and see what they would want for a guy like Matt Kemp.
Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee, and Zach Wheeler are a solid threesome. The farm may offer help with either top pitching prospects Rafael Montero (Who has pitched with success at AAA) or Noah Syndergaard (Considered the better prospect but with only 11 AA starts). Last years back end of the rotation signing of Shaun Marcum was a bust and they need to find someone to log 200 innings. Let's hope they go after an established (think Bronson Arroyo or Bartolo Colon) healthy starter and not the crap shoot of a pitcher coming off injury.
Before his season ended with neck surgery, Bobby Parnell showed some maturity as a closer and the hopes are that he return in 2014 as a legitimate end of game option. The loss of veteran LaTroy Hawkins must be filled. Vic Black, acquired in the Marlon Byrd trade may be a late inning option. Former prospects Jeurys Familia, and Jenry Mejia are recovering from surgeries and may be ready to help in either the bullpen or as a fifth starter. The Mets would do well to find another established veteran closer to join forces with Parnell. How about opening the wallets for a guy like Grant Balfour or Fernando Rodney?
With the non tender of Justin Turner and Omar Quintanilla, you could expect Josh Satin and Wilmer Flores to step into utility roles. Zach Lutz is also a candidate to make the team as a back up infielder. Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt Den Dekker are very good defensive outfielders who may stick depending on if the Mets deal a Lagares.
Met's GM Sandy Alderson is how are they going to upgrade the offense?
Their first "major" move was the signing of former All Star Outfielder
Chris Young to a one year
$7.25 Million dollar contract. The 30 year old Young is coming off a sub par year with the Oakland A's. Although he seems
to have plateaued as a player, Young does bring power, speed,and a good
glove to the outfield. He is good for 20-25 HR's, 20 SB's and 30 plus
doubles if playing full time. I think that the fact that it is only a one year deal makes it worth the risk. Along with Juan Lagares and Curtis Granderson, the Mets would have an excellent defensive outfield. With the price
for established starting position players exceeding 10 mil a year, Young may prove to be a bargain. Let us hold judgment to see
what else the Mets do to improve their lineup. As you can see by the numbers below The Mets need some more sticks. Based on career numbers, one can assume that
Young will help improve the outfield power production while contributing on the base-paths and defense. However, I don't think this was the type of signing
that most Met's fans were hoping for. With outfielders like Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz, and Jacoby Ellsbury still available, Met fans were hoping
to land a proven performer and not one of the usual suspects that we have become accustomed to the last 4 years.
What makes things especially frustrating is when the crosstown Yankees go out and sign a Brian McCann, or The Cardinal address their weakness at SS by signing Jhonny Peralta for four years.
While I don't want the team to spend money frivolously on free agents, the teams hierarchy has to realized the market for these players, and that there is no such thing as a risk free signing.
We must take chances on players that have a proven track record preferably under the age of 32. When you look at the 2013 tables below, you see a real deficiency at a number of positions and places in the lineup. Lets look at each position/place and figure out what
we need to do.
Update Alert: Mets Sign Curtis Granderson to 4 year 60 Million dollar deal....
Well this helps to add more power to the middle of the lineup. While Curtis strikes out a ton, he also can get on via the walk and he brings a well rounded athletic package to spacious CitiField. He should be able to take advantage of the power alleys to hit some doubles and triples while still hitting 25+ Hr's. A much needed addition.Catcher
I think a realistic forecast would have Met's catchers improving in both Avg., OBP., with slugging a big question mark. With the loss of John Buck via trade, the team can only hope that Travis d'Arnaud hit .260-.275 with some extra base power.Anthony Recker can expect a slight increase of plate appearances, and may be able to crack double digit HR's after hitting 6 in only 135 AB's. The Mets need to add a veteran starter to compete with Recker in Spring Training.
The .219/.288/.366 slash line just wasn't good enough.
First Base
OBP was the lone bright spot for the team last year. Ike Davis regressed to the point of now being thought as needing a change of scenery. A sub .400 Slugging percentage from a corner infield spot is not acceptable at the Major League level. What do The Mets do? This is probably Sandy's toughest challenge. Do they give Ike one more year? Remember Mike Jacobs? What about Lucas Duda? He has a very similar skill set as Davis. Power, walks, and a low BA. If money were no object, could the Mets sign a guy like Nelson Cruz to play First Base? I am willing to give Ike Davis one more year.
Second Base
To trade or not to trade? That is the question. Daniel Murphy had a very solid 2013. He is solid in the clubhouse and is a "gamer" who cares about the game. He is a very streaky hitter who winds up with adequate numbers offensively. He has above average power (40 doubles and 10-15 hr's), has improved tremendously in the field while working hard at turning the double play but he lacks instinct. His aggressiveness on the basepaths will occasionally have him run into outs. He has actually become very adept at stealing bases where he had a surprising total of 23. Eric Young could be an option if they decide to trade Murphy.
Short Stop
This is an area that must be addressed. If The Mets don't go out and trade for a SS, then Ruben Tejada must have a bounce back year. The numbers .215/.285/.276 are ugly.
Third Base
David Wright had a solid season but needs help in the lineup and has to stay healthy. He is now 31 and has missed at least 50 games in two of the last three years. Injuries may start to be a concern.Top hitting prospect Wilmer Flores played thru injuries during his call up while Wright was on the DL and The Mets must find a way to get him some at bats
Outfield
Curtis Granderson signing for 4/60M, essentially replaces the production that Marlon Byrd gave the Mets in 2013. He has a solid glove, runs well and offers a decent walk rate. High K's are a concern so I think The teams next big bat acquisition should be an under 125 strikeout a year guy . Eric Young (NL SB leader) was a pleasant surprise with the glove in left field. His speed gave the Mets an added dimension. Granderson, Young, Lagares and Chris Young would give the Mets a very good defensive outfield. My choice would be to call the Dodgers and see what they would want for a guy like Matt Kemp.
Starting Staff
Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee, and Zach Wheeler are a solid threesome. The farm may offer help with either top pitching prospects Rafael Montero (Who has pitched with success at AAA) or Noah Syndergaard (Considered the better prospect but with only 11 AA starts). Last years back end of the rotation signing of Shaun Marcum was a bust and they need to find someone to log 200 innings. Let's hope they go after an established (think Bronson Arroyo or Bartolo Colon) healthy starter and not the crap shoot of a pitcher coming off injury.
Update....Mets sign Bartolo Colon to a two year/20 Million dollar deal!
Well the Mets just changed the perception of the team with this move. Adding a pitcher that finished 6th in the Cy Young voting makes the team relevant again. While they still have two huge holes to fill (Shortstop and the bullpen) at least they didn't stop with the Granderson signing. They have a acquired a pitcher that pounds the plate with his fastball and can give you a chance to win every time out. Switching leagues and not having to face the DH should help Colon continue to have success. Now of course he doesn't come without risks. A 2012 PED suspension and the fact that he is overweight and 41 years old will scare some fans. All we need is for him to stay healthy.Bullpen
Before his season ended with neck surgery, Bobby Parnell showed some maturity as a closer and the hopes are that he return in 2014 as a legitimate end of game option. The loss of veteran LaTroy Hawkins must be filled. Vic Black, acquired in the Marlon Byrd trade may be a late inning option. Former prospects Jeurys Familia, and Jenry Mejia are recovering from surgeries and may be ready to help in either the bullpen or as a fifth starter. The Mets would do well to find another established veteran closer to join forces with Parnell. How about opening the wallets for a guy like Grant Balfour or Fernando Rodney?
Bench
With the non tender of Justin Turner and Omar Quintanilla, you could expect Josh Satin and Wilmer Flores to step into utility roles. Zach Lutz is also a candidate to make the team as a back up infielder. Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt Den Dekker are very good defensive outfielders who may stick depending on if the Mets deal a Lagares.
2013 New York Mets Hitting Stats by Position
Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS as C 162 658 593 60 130 21 0 22 84 1 2 51 160 .219 .288 .366 .654 as 1B 162 694 582 77 136 33 0 15 59 8 3 102 171 .234 .353 .368 .721 as 2B 162 729 689 91 195 40 5 15 81 18 3 33 100 .283 .316 .421 .736 as 3B 162 716 634 81 184 35 6 20 80 17 4 71 130 .290 .365 .459 .824 as SS 162 653 586 49 126 23 2 3 40 5 1 55 105 .215 .285 .276 .561 as LF 162 730 639 83 155 32 5 14 51 37 8 75 137 .243 .327 .374 .701 as CF 162 680 632 58 140 29 6 13 66 12 6 35 165 .222 .267 .348 .615 as RF 162 705 640 78 160 31 7 23 92 9 6 49 182 .250 .308 .428 .736 as DH 10 43 41 4 11 2 0 1 5 1 0 2 13 .268 .302 .390 .693 as P 152 337 296 11 34 6 1 0 15 3 0 12 140 .115 .155 .142 .297 as PH 137 263 228 27 47 11 0 4 20 1 1 27 82 .206 .300 .307 .607
2013 New York Mets Hitting Stats by Place in Batting Order
Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS Batting 1st 186 18 754 686 81 160 34 5 4 46 43 8 54 132 .233 .293 .315 .608 Batting 2nd 204 18 735 681 86 190 43 6 13 76 15 4 44 114 .279 .324 .417 .741 Batting 3rd 182 18 719 650 83 183 35 6 24 77 22 3 62 130 .282 .348 .465 .812 Batting 4th 191 18 705 621 83 156 32 3 22 80 8 4 69 180 .251 .332 .419 .751 Batting 5th 219 18 692 600 79 139 27 4 19 80 7 5 80 163 .232 .327 .385 .712 Batting 6th 234 18 681 605 64 124 19 1 22 72 5 6 61 177 .205 .286 .349 .634 Batting 7th 210 18 660 590 55 168 35 3 18 84 6 5 54 146 .285 .347 .446 .792 Batting 8th 214 18 644 577 51 109 20 2 4 45 4 0 55 127 .189 .262 .251 .513 Batting 9th 705 18 617 549 37 89 18 2 4 33 4 0 33 215 .162 .216 .224 .440
Bat1-2non-P 352 36 1489 1367 167 350 77 11 17 122 58 12 98 246 .256 .308 .366 .674 Bat3-6non-P 714 72 2793 2473 309 602 113 14 87 309 42 18 272 649 .243 .324 .406 .730 Bat7-9non-P 608 37 1588 1423 130 332 67 6 26 147 14 5 130 349 .233 .301 .344 .645
