Mack’s 25-man: - LF Jason Bay

We’ve spent a bunch of time earlier talking about the field dimensions and the fact that they are going to make David Wright a better hitter. Let’s not forget about Bay here. The Mets aren’t turning CitiField into Fenway, but the new wall will make Bay look like he’s finally coming out of his slump.

Look, I was excited that the Mets signed Bay, but after two years, I believe I was wrong. The fact is here there is a contract in place and the Mets are light in organizational outfield talent. We are supposed to be watching Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, ad F-Mart.

I’m sure someone out there has done the research and proved that most of Bay’s pre-2010 home runs were hit in small fields. At this point, I don’t care. He had a few spurts last season that made us feel he was on the way back, but they fizzled as fast as they arrived. This was a bad signing. Period.

Bay will play left field in 2012 and, pending any FA developments, he will bat 6^th behind Lucas Duda, David Wright and Ike Davis. It’s not Murderer’s Row, but it is your 2012 Mets.

Cutnpaste: - Jason Bay, Brian Bannister, Taylor Buchhotz, Juan Carlos Gamboa, Juan Lagares

Jason Bay: You must be joking. People are saying all the time that the Mets should trade Bay. What planet are they on? Bay has not played well since signing as a Met; he’s been injured and has a hefty contract. Can you see the line forming now? The Mets have two hopes for him: 1) he stays healthy and meets expectations to salvage the final two years, or 2) if that doesn’t happen, then he doesn’t get the necessary at-bats and games for his option to kick in. Two more years. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/10/25/mets-have-precious-few-pieces-to-trade

11) Brian Bannister -  His fastball hovered in the upper-80s and he lacked a killer out pitch, but Brian Bannister parlayed an arsenal of average stuff into an eight-year pro career which paid him nearly $5 million. He not only understood advanced statistical metrics, but he applied them on the field, developing a cutter, revamping his curveball, and generally using numbers to try to stay one step ahead of his competition. But ultimately, a propensity to give up the long ball and an inability to get strikeouts brought Bannister’s feel-good story to an end. —Jeff Euston  http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15364

found it interesting that the Mets activated Taylor Buchholz from the 60 day disabled list.  After losing almost the entire season to depression the team could have easily justified out-righting him and hoping to resign  on a minor league deal or even moving on altogether.  The 29 y/o right hander will cost the team under 1M to keep and maybe showing him the support they have, will help him on his road to recovery.  Not only is it decent move, morally but it may also turn out to be beneficial to the club.  In 2009 Buchholz was a dominant set-up man for the Rockies posting a 2.17 ERA in 63 games  ( 2010 mostly lost to injuries) and last year he posted a 3.12 ERA with 8 game finishes in 32 appearances.  I've linked this article before but I wanted to again, to remind us all of Taylor's struggles and the rapport he has with the Mets... http://www.metsfever.com/2011/10/more-on-buchholz-and-mets.html

10-26-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/7132/mets-minors/a-look-into-the-future-top-shortstop-prospects   -  Juan Carlos Gamboa DOB: 4/18/1991  Birthplace: Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico  Height: 5’7”  Weight: 152  L/R - Gamboa was not on anyone’s radar prior to this season and he is still not on anyone’s radar. He’s your “little engine that could” story. The first thing that jumps out is his height: 5’7”. Right away, you might think of Jose Altuve, the dynamic second basemen for the Houston Astros who proved everyone wrong this season. But this is Gamboa’s first real season. He’s got a ways ahead of him. With his height, you cannot project power. He jumped between 4 leagues this season, starting out in Mexico (no idea there was a team there), to Gulf Coast, to Kingsport, to Savannah. In a combined 61 games, Gamboa hit .293 with 5 homeruns, while driving in 25 runs. He struck out 41 times in 191 at-bats, which is worrisome, but he’s only 20 years old.

 10-26-11: - http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/26/colemans-corner-mets-position-players-shining-in-arizona-sun   - We’ll start with Juan Lagares, a gap hitter and likely corner outfielder. Lagares split time between Single A St. Lucie and Double AA Binghamton this past season. At St. Lucie he hit .338 – which led the Florida State League when he was promoted – with 7 HR and 49 RBI in 82 games, but at Binghamton he performed even better – in 38 games, Lagares batted .370 with 2 HR and 22 RBI while also stealing 10 bases. His combined average of .349 was the 4th best overall in the entire minor leagues. And Lagares has not disappointed thus far in Arizona. He’s hitting .393 with 2 HR and 9 RBI and an OPS of 1.128. Last Saturday, he went 3-5 with a HR, triple and 4 RBI. That extended his hitting streak to 6 games and his RBI streak to 4 games. Lagares also has 4 multi-hit games out of 6 games and ironically, a righty hitter, he’s batting .500 (11-22) vs. righthanders and is 0-6 vs. lefties.

Cutnpaste: - John Olerud, Pedro Beato, Juan Lagares, 2012 Bullpen, Jason Bay

To call John Olerud’s baseball life charmed is no first baseman’s stretch.  Let’s see – two World Series rings, possibly the greatest college season in history, an American League batting title, membership in the exclusive straight-to-the-majors club and a shotgun seat on the Seattle Mariners’ magic-carpet-ride 116-victory season. And mixed in there somewhere: a brain aneurysm. OK, so sometimes charm takes a holiday. Or a U-turn toward the scary/tragic. This, of course, occurred during his junior year at Washington State University, after he’d Roy Hobbsed his way into the national baseball consciousness. First there were the headaches and then the collapse during practice, then the swift diagnosis and surgery, Olerud the whole time cocooned in the youthful ignorance that “there couldn’t be anything wrong with me,” while his father, John, a doctor, sweated out the reality. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/25/oleruds-baseball-career-nothing-short-of-amazing

There was talk from Collins that Beato might be better suited to a starting role, and I have to agree. While I was impressed with Beato’s bullpen work, I don’t see him as a closer, but more importantly, he looks to have the potential to throw three “plus” pitches — a hard sinker, overhand curve with good 12-6 bite, and fading change-up. As a reliever, the max-effort approach may not be suited to him; partially because I’m not sure he can be effective through 60-75 games a season doing that, but also because his four-seamer is fairly straight. Though it’s a slightly slower pitch, his sinker is effective, and if he can gain consistent command of either the curve or the change-up, he’ll have enough to be at least a back-end starter at the big-league level. The best and fastest way to gain that command is through repetition, and he can do that more effectively logging 120-150 innings as a starter than he can 50-60 as a reliever. Even if he doesn’t pan out as a starter, his sinker, four-seam fastball, and one more secondary pitch will make him a valuable asset in any bullpen — he could turn out to be an effective tweener like Ramiro Mendoza was for the Yankees in the late 1990s / early 2000s. The big decision for the Mets will be whether to let Beato develop his repertoire as a starter in AAA in 2012, or to use him again in the big club’s bullpen. It might seem like a no-brainer to have him work on his stuff in the minors, but we don’t know how badly the Mets will need relievers next spring — and often, the “now” takes precedence over the “later”. http://www.metstoday.com/7123/2011-mets-evaluations/2011-analysis-pedro-beato

10-25-11: - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15358 - Juan Lagares, OF, Mets - Lagares quietly had a breakout season for the Mets in 2011, splitting time between High- and Double-A and hitting a combined .349/.383/.500. A 22-year-old Dominican who began his career as a shortstop, Lagares never found a defensive home in the infield, and his time chasing fly balls has only proved that he's stuck in a corner for the long term. What he can do is hit, but it doesn't come with much else; Lagares has below-average power and isn't a big fan of working the count. He's 11-for-28 in Arizona, and he'll need to keep hitting to improve his prospect stock. The hit tools trumps all, but there has to be at least something to go with it.

Bullpen: This is an area that we can all expect some major changes/additions to. The bullpen was exposed this season because the starters rarely went deep into games, but nonetheless it was an extreme weak point. The No. 1 question is who will be the closer? Bobby Parnell showed flashes, but was inconsistent; he had six saves and six blown saves, yet still possesses the best stuff of anyone in the 'pen. In relief, New York sported an unimpressive 4.33 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Their best reliever was Taylor Buchholz, who had his season cut short after 26 innings because of depression. Francisco Rodriguez -- traded to Milwaukee midseason -- was their second-best, and even Manny Acosta was better than expected, finishing with a 3.45 ERA in 47 innings. This will be an area will Alderson will prioritize, yet he will not be pigeon-holed into taking the ill-fated long-term deal. http://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/10/25/2512284/new-york-mets-offseason-jose-reyes-sandy-alderson

No one thought it would be this bad. Sure, everyone everyone hated the Jason Bay contract for various reasons but a 100 OPS+ and 18 home runs in his first two seasons as a Met? Only the most pessimistic anti-Canadians among us could have predicted it. Whenever Bay is in the batter's box, all I see is a giant Publisher's Clearing House-type check for $16 million. And this is what a trip to Bay's Baseball-Reference page feels like. Bay's season had a "one step forward, three steps back" feel to it. Every time he strung together a few good games after weeks of suckage, the fanbase always seemed to respond with hopeful "maybe he's figuring it out?" sentiments. And without fail, he would immediately slide into a 4-for-30 funk. Bay finished with a strong September (.313/.392/.563) so maybe he's figuring it out? Doubtful, but he's still not completely ancient at 33 years-old so perhaps he can rebound. More time removed from the concussion he sustained in 2009 is also reason for modest optimism. Even an OPS of .800 would be welcome at this point. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/10/25/2494933/2011-postmortem-left-field

The Top 25: Jason Bay

It's really sad that I have to go to Bay as the 4th player in my most likely 25 player list. He's too expensive to drop and too bad to trade and he's GOING to start the year in left field for the Mets no matter what. That does NOT mean he's going to END the year in Flushing or... at least STARTING in Flushing.

What's To Like:

How He Handles The Press - If a baseball player's worth was decided by how well he talked to the media, Jason Bay would be worth a ton. He's good at saying the "right" thing when he's asked questions that, left to some players, might trap might trap a player into saying something negative about the team, coaching staff or his fellow players. Maybe he should coach the Wilpons.

What's Not To Like:

His Resume in New York - Since coming to New York he's not exactly done... ANYTHING. He's nowhere NEAR that 30 HR hitter he was in Pittsburgh and Boston. He's nowhere near 80+ RBIs that Omar Minaya wrongfully assumed he'd be guaranteed.

Mentality - I hate to say it, but I think Jason Bay has even given up on Jason Bay. When I look at him I don't see a player who expects to be the player he once was ever again. I remember seeing Luis Castillo give me glimmers of what he once was. Is Jason Bay going to make me yearn for Luis Castillo?

Random And Awesome:

Those Who Hail From Trail - Jason Bay hails from Trail in British Columbia. The following people ALSO hail from there: Shawn Horcoff, current NHL player and captain of the Edmonton Oilers. Thomas d'Aquino, Chief executive and president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives CCCE, and one of the private-sector architects of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Lauren Bay, Canadian National Softball Team and National Pro Fastpitch pitcher (Jason's sister ). Adam Deadmarsh, former NHL player, won Stanley cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche. Dallas Drake, former NHL player, won Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Red Wings. Ray Ferraro, former NHL player for the Islanders, Rangers, Whalers, Thrashers, Kings, Blues. Bruno Freschi, architect for Expo 86. Ken Georgetti, current President of the Canadian Labour Congress. Robert Hampton Gray, one of the last Canadians to die in WWII and the last Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross. Tom Harrison, former MLB pitcher for the Kansas City A's, now the Oakland Athletics. Barret Jackman, current NHL player for the St. Louis Blues. Mike Kobluk, of The Chad Mitchell Trio. Richard Kromm, former NHL player. Kerrin Lee-Gartner, Canadian Olympic Women's Ski Team, Downhill Olympic Gold Medal 1992. Cesare Maniago, former NHL player for the Leafs, Canadiens, Rangers, North Stars, Canucks. Mike Matteucci, former NHL player for the Wild. Steve McCarthy, current NHL player for the Blackhawks, Canucks, Thrashers. Bill McEwan, President and CEO of Sobeys. Faron Moller, President of the BCTCS. Martin Popoff, heavy metal music journalist. Steve Tambellini, former NHL player & current GM of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Top 25:

1. Ike Davis, 1B
2. Jon Niese, SP
3. Tim Byrdak, RP
4. Jason Bay, LF
   

Cutnpaste: Brad Holt, Jason Bay, DePodesta on Moneyball, Wright on Losing, Pedro Feliciano

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - - RP: Brad Holt - The enigmatic 6’4″ right-hander with the “perfect pitchers body” and the power fastball, has been a real head-scratcher so far. After breaking out of the box like a runaway train for Brooklyn, as a starter, making his professional debut in 2008, Holt ran into a brick wall the following season. For 9 games in 2009 he did fine for St Lucie, but then when called up to Bingo, all-hell-broke-loose. He suddenly couldn’t get anybody out. The remainder of ’09 he pitched to a record of 3-6 with a 6.21 ERA. In 2010, after starting out in AA going 1-5 with an alarming 10.20 ERA, he was demoted to St Lucie where he didn’t do much better, going 2-9, 7.48 ERA. 2011 hasn’t been eye-popping, but he is definitely making progress. His overall numbers this year are average, 8-7 with a 4.67 ERA, but most of the runs he gave up were in the first half when he was being utilized as a starter. Since being converted to a relief pitcher full-time, he has been quietly doing a superb job in one and two inning stints. In his last ten games out of the pen Holt is: 4-0 with a 3.07 ERA, and opponents are hitting .179 off him. The biggest improvement Holt has made is in his increased command, which has resulted in fewer walks, and that was crucial for him. If he can keep moving forward, and make the necessary adjustments to the higher caliber of play at AAA, he could emerge as a “relief ace” for Buffalo, a real lock down, 8th inning guy, which is exactly what the Mets see him as in the bigs. Will he be a help to the Mets at sometime in 2012 as a bullpen option? Why the heck not? He’s got the talent, hopefully his mechanics will fall into line.

(Jason) Bay's recent revival could be the worst thing that could happen to the Mets, because it might actually give the front office enough reason to talk itself into keeping Bay around for the life of the contract. Why is this a bad thing? Because as good as his past 140 plate appearances have been -- and let's be honest, they're still not that good -- we have another 700 PAs as a Met that suggest he is toast. Not to mention the fact much of the recent damage he is doing is against pitchers who were called up when rosters expanded on Sept. 1, and are of Triple-A caliber. Having lived through the Roberto Alomar experience, Mets fans are quite familiar with the idea that good players can suddenly lose it in their early 30s, which is what appears to have happened with Bay. And even if he somehow can manage an .800 OPS in 2012, the Mets are still better off without him. - http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story?id=6968872&_slug_=new-york-mets-release-jason-bay&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2fstory%3fid%3d6968872%26_slug_%3dnew-york-mets-release-jason-bay  

“I figured this might get asked at some point [laughing]. I imagine I’ll see it at some point. To be honest, it’s a little surreal and a little awkward. As you noted, Jonah’s not actually playing me, he’s playing a fictionalized character. It’s loosely based on the idea of me, or the idea of a dozen different younger executives with particular backgrounds. Hopefully it’ll be fun and an enjoyable movie. The last time I spoke with Jonah, right before they started filming, the last thing I said to Jonah was to have a lot of fun. We had an awful lot of fun when we were in Oakland. Hopefully that comes through in the movie and nobody takes it too seriously.” - http://www.ontheblack.com/2011/09/15/paul-depodesta-thoughts-on-moneyball

"It's obviously disappointing," David Wright said. "It's another year we're not going to the playoffs. You would've thought with the resources we have and the players we've had that we would've had the opportunity to go to the playoffs more than once (in 2006) and that hasn't happened. But there's only one thing to do and that's play better. We have to try to finish strong and next year figure out a way to get it done. - http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2011/09/14/2011-09-14_new_york_mets_officially_eliminated_from_playoff_contention_then_fall_to_washing.html#ixzz1Y1fiWEUd  

Pedro Feliciano may not throw a single pitch for the New York Yankees, yet still be paid $8 million over his two-year stay with the franchise. In 2010, Pedro Feliciano became just the fifth pitcher in major league history to make 90 or more appearances in a season. The left-handed reliever, who signed a two-year contract with the Yankees over the winter, missed the entire 2011 season trying to recover from a shoulder injury. On Sept. 8, he had left rotator cuff surgery which will threaten his 2012 season, if not his career. - http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/09/new-york-yankees-reliever-pedro-feliciano-surgery-career/1