Cutnpaste: - Bobby Parnell, Frank Cashen, Duda/Davis Status, Jeff Wilpon, Sandy and Jose

Bobby Parnell: Young and a power arm is always attractive. Not so much is his command and thought process on the mound. There are no assurances the Mets will make him their closer as there are numerous reports saying that is their greatest need. If Parnell can’t convince the Mets he’s closer worthy, then what must other teams be thinking? Right, he’s a bullpen piece who needs a lot of work. Not a long line here. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/10/25/mets-have-precious-few-pieces-to-trade

Frank Cashen took over as general managerin 1980. At that time, the Mets were consistently scoring below the NL average per game and were a dismal 40% below the league average in terms of home runs. Through the draft, trades, and free agent acquisitions, Cashen built an offense that was better than any in Mets' history at clearing the bases. You can also see the impact of the home run on the Mets ability to score runs. Only three times have the Mets have finished above the league average in runs per game without also finishing above league average in home runs, last year being one of them with by far the largest gap between the two statistics. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/10/31/2523345/visualizing-the-mets-offense-through-time?ref=fangraphs

The concussion symptoms that sidelined Lucas Duda for the season's final seven games, after a collision with the right-field wall in St. Louis, have cleared and Duda is no longer experiencing headaches or other troubles, assistant GM John Ricco said. Ike Davis, who opted not to have surgery on his troublesome left ankle, similarly is doing OK, according to GM Sandy Alderson. Davis is at home in Arizona and just doing conditioning work at this point, according to Alderson. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36290/mets-confident-in-duda-ike-health

Chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said Monday that the sale of small blocks of the team to minority investors is “going very well,” but he declined to offer any specifics about the progress. The Wilpons are seeking multiple small shareholders to offset the loss of the planned $200 million minority investment from David Einhorn, which fell through Sept. 1. Team sources previously told ESPNNewYork.com the Mets were looking to sell shares in varying amounts in the neighborhood of $15 million to $20 million apiece with the hope of raising in the vicinity of what Einhorn planned to invest. Wilpon declined to identify anybody who has followed through and invested at that level. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36292/jeff-wilpon-sale-not-fans-business?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Sandy Alderson and Co. are doing things their way. This ballpark was built big. That’s the way ownership wanted it, but that has changed, and to Jeff Wilpon’s credit, he has blessed the new dimensions. If Alderson thinks the financially-troubled Mets can survive without a $100 million shortstop, he will make that move as well: Fences in, Reyes out. Hello, Ruben Tejada. Alderson is not going to cancel the 2012 season if Reyes is not a Met. Reyes seems destined to land with a team like the Nationals or Tigers. The Giants or Angels would be an interesting fit, too.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/there_no_place_like_homer_2GG2MluoVhPWI85rXJg65I#ixzz1cS9iFcje

Cutnpaste: - R.A. Dickey, Damien Magnifico, Lucas Duda, Dae-Sung Koo, David’s Pad

R.A. Dickey: Teams don’t trade for journeyman knuckleball pitchers in the off-season. They wait for the trade deadline. He’s been arguably the Mets most consistent starter, but he’s a No. 4 according to most scouts, maybe a No. 5. He’s somebody a contender might covet in July, but he’s not going to bring back a lot of talent.  http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/10/25/mets-have-precious-few-pieces-to-trade

10-28-11: - http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/102611aaa.html  - Damien Magnifico, a 2009 fifth rounder of the New York Mets, and Gray, a 2011 10th rounder by the New York Yankees, were both clocked in the mid-to-high 90s in the intrasquad. Magnifico tripped triple digits on the MPH display on the scoreboard, topping out at 102.  "It's pretty amazing," added Golloway on the two pitchers' performance. "We've had that display for a number of years and I have never seen it hit 100. And you have Magnifico hitting 100, 101, 102 today, then you have someone like Jon Gray pitching against him, and he's sitting there rocking the gun at 97-98. It's pretty amazing but those guys also understand its about throwing strikes."

Purely as a hitter, Duda put up numbers over 324 plate appearances last year that stack up on a percentage basis with what Mike Stanton did in 2011 and what Ryan Howard did in 2005. And that’s why I think Duda is a star with the bat in his hands. There are certainly reasons to be skeptical. Duda has neither the pedigree nor track record that Stanton and Howard possess. He’s not come close to matching the over the fence power of either of those two players. And his outfield defense is atrocious. But when he steps into the batter’s box, Duda has put up some eye-opening numbers. Now we have to see if Duda can overcome the adjustments that pitchers make against him this year. We have to see if he can produce over a full season. And we have to see if he can cut it in the outfield. But there are definitely reasons to be excited, too. And the proposed new outfield dimensions at Citi Field could help improve his power numbers. Duda could be the best hitter on the 2012 Mets. That is if they don’t trade him for help in other areas.  http://mets360.com/?p=8305

TO THE untrained eye, Dae-Sung Koo looks like any other weekend warrior at Petersham Oval. But this 42-year-old baseballer is not your garden variety pitcher. After all, we're pretty sure most of his teammates haven't won an Olympic medal, starred for the New York Mets, don't possess a 150km/h fast ball or have an estimated $50 million in career earnings.  But while he can't walk down the streets of his homeland, South Korea, without getting mobbed, Koo has been preparing for the Australian Baseball League in the relative anonymity of a Sydney winter league. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/korea-opportunities--mets-unlikely-hero-finds-a-home-in-harbour-city-20111029-1mpek.html#ixzz1cBfUbUGf

New York Mets star David Wright has been trying to sell his swank penthouse in NYC’s Flatiron District for quite some time… He paid $6.1M for it back in 2006, tried originally selling it for $7,850,000, and has continued to lower the price to unload…Here’s what my real estate expert says about the property, ” I hear rumblings that it’s gonna come down another $200k to $6,750,000. No buyers are stepping up to the plate…In the meantime, Wright is living in a $12,000 pad on the Upper East Side.” http://www.terezowens.com/david-wright-trying-to-sell-swank-penthouse-in-nycs-flatiron-district

Reasons To Smile

This may not be shaping up as the offseason of your dreams, but that doesn't mean it's time to use that cyanide capsule you've been saving for the day the Mets lose Wright and Reyes. There are plenty of reasons to still look at 2012 with an air of optimism and hope... maybe even a manic tinge of glee.

Generation 2K: Now... the caveat here is to not start placing all your eggs in this basket but the bright side of a down year is that players like Harvey, Familia, Mejia, McHugh, CoHoon and Schwinden can all get their shots. HECK, if he makes Harvey-esque strides, we could see Zack Wheeler in 2012.

Lucas Duda: For some reason, as I watched Plaxico Burress turn back the clock with 3 TD catches I found myself thinking of Lucas Duda. Okay, so Plax is not a top WR anymore. HOWEVER once he's in the endzone, he's great at scoring runs. Similarly I think Duda will be a great source for RBI's. He's got a good approach to at bats and I think he will be good for 80+ and maybe even 90+ RBIs.

Happy Surprises: Remember when the Mets were THE team to beat in the NL East and they got some surprises? Injuries upon injuries and a couple collapses that left the team realing? Well this season could start with the Mets expected to finish 4th or 5th in the NL East and that means that surprises... are probably only going to be the good kind.

Don't Find The Best 25, Find The RIGHT 25

Apparently a ninja attacked me with a throwing star and I chose to defend myself by swallowing it. So I'm gritting through immense throat discomfort as I'm writing about the first thing I thought of that I could tie into the Mets.

"Miracle" was on this morning. First, it's a great sports movie (Good Sports Movie = You Care About the Team ... GREAT Sports Movie = After It's Over You Want To Go Out And Play That Sport). I could only stay through the beginning but something Herb Brook's (Kurt Russell) said stuck with me.

"I'm not looking for the best players, Craig. I'm looking for the right ones."

THAT made me think of the Mets...

Question: Is Lucas Duda a Top 20 RF?

Answer: No.

Question: Is he a premier choice to hit third for a team?

Answer: No.

Question: Might he be the best fit for the Mets right now?

Answer: Yes.

My Point:

Maybe instead of trying to build a team of great players who should succeed based on their raw skill (Like the Yankees), the Mets should build a team based on dynamics. Where one player's skills makes up for his compatriots deficiency. It's just a thought but... maybe Josh Satin, Ruben Tejada, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans are the players we should be focusing on this offseason. Maybe THEY are simply the RIGHT players to make the Mets winners again.

Cutnpaste: Juan Lagares, Gnats Baseball Cards, John Franco, Lucas Duda, David Einhorn

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html   - Juan Lagares - 2011 has been a breakout season for Lagares in the truest sense of the word. After totally demolishing the Florida State League in the first half, with a .338/.380/.494 slash line, he went to Bingo and started hitting even better, to the tune of .376/.397/.523. He is off to the Arizona Fall League after the regular season, and barring a total meltdown, should be starting in LF for the Herd next year. This guy is coming very fast now and has a well-rounded game. It may sound like a broken record, but there is no reason why he can’t break-in at Citi sometime next year too.

The Savannah Sand Gnats are the Mets’ Single-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. They made the playoffs, though they will be trying to stave off elimination after their defeat last night. Multi Ad Sports produced their 36-card team set, which also includes 35 regular cards as well as a blank-back logo card. The fronts are glossy; the backs are printed in black and white with green highlights. They include a cropped version of the photo from the front, stats and biographical information. The photography in this set is among the best I’ve seen on minor league baseball cards. If you were collecting in the early 1990s, think of Topps Stadium Club vs. everyone else. It’s that good. - http://randombaseballstuff.com/2011/09/08/minor-league-baseball-card-review-2011-savannah-sand-gnats

John Franco wouldn't mind trying to pick up another save for the Mets. The franchise's all-time saves leader yesterday said he would love an opportunity to tutor Bobby Parnell for the remainder of this season and beyond, if the Mets ask Franco to help. The right-handed Parnell has struggled in his audition for the 2012 closer's job. "He's a young kid and he's still figuring things out," Franco told The Post before the Mets beat the Cubs 5-4 last night at Citi Field. "It's like on-the-job training for him. If you go into a season with the mindset 'This is my job,' and you have the right tutoring -- someone like myself can come along and maybe help him out and talk to him day in and day out." - http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/franco_says_he_volunteer_to_tutor_e76txaZOlQy1YRfu9IGXVM?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=  

Lucas Duda: I'll come right out and say it: I really like Duda. All of a sudden, the last three weeks of a season are meaningful for a team that will be going nowhere because the Mets have become very cost conscious. Thus, young players can stake a claim for a spot next year. The No. 1 young player performing his way into a starting role next season is right fielder Lucas Duda. The 25-year-old has been given a shot and has been doing what he did in the minor leagues: hit, and hit both lefties and righties. Duda has a .279 average, nine home runs and 46 RBI on the season. Since the All-Star break, he has really found comfort in constant playing time: with a .307/.385/.548 line and all nine of his homers. This is the type of guy the Mets need to excel with their lower-than-normal payroll. His defense may be subpar, but he's got an advanced hitting approach and will come at a cheap price next season. Plus, he's settled in nicely at the No. 3 spot in the order in front of David Wright. - http://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/9/2415542/five-reasons-to-watch-the-new-york-mets-jose-reyes-lucas-duda-johan-santana  

(David) Einhorn won’t invest if he doesn’t believe that the future will benefit him. (He has a good track record, famously shorting Lehman Brothers before the firm went bankrupt in 2008.) What stuck in his craw was an apparent attempt by the Wilpons to get language removed from the agreement which would provide an automatic road for Einhorn to get approval from other major league owners, to allow him to take over the Mets. (Automatic approval itself is prohibited by baseball’s rules.) He explained: “It wouldn’t make sense to invest $200 million into a team and then be denied the ability to exercise a negotiated option [to buy the team] down the road due to the inability to obtain the required vote of other major league owners at that time.” - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/why-einhorn-jilted-the-mets  

Q and A: - Lucas Duda

Greetings Mack,

 My name is Mike Scannell. I'm a big Mets fan and really love your site. I was hoping to get your feedback/thoughts on where the Mets are with Lucas Duda at this point. The kid can obviously hit and seemingly gets better with each week. Unfortunately, he doesn't offer much to hope for as far as OF defense goes. Ideally he'd be playing 1B but I don't think that he will supplant Ike Davis. In a perfect world, the team would be able to have both Davis and Duda in the middle of their lineup as homegrown hitting stars for the next 10 years. I hope Duda can somehow turn into solid OF. I just don't think it's possible and I don't think Ike will be the one to go.



So, what I'm wondering is what do you think Duda's value in a trade would be at this point and do you think the team will entertain moving him this offseason? My thinking is that if a team out there sees Duda as a 1B and feels that the hitter he has been over the last 150 ABs (.970 OPS) is who he truly is, they might be willing to trade premium talent for him. I'd target the teams that are looking for a 1B but lose out on Pujols and Fielder.

Thanks for your input!  All the best, Mike

Thank you Mike for your email and question.

The first time I heard the name Lucas Duda was from an old Mets minor league pitcher named Greg Mullens. Greg just arrived in Savannah after a short stint in Brooklyn and he told me that Duda had the best swing he had ever seen. I wrote the name down.

That being said, let's look first at the reality of the situation.

My high school basketball coach was John Glading. We had a white kid in school that was the tallest person in school but did not have the natural ability to excel in sports. Every time Coach Glading walked by him in the hall he'd lower his head, and muttering some curse words. You can teach someone how to hit and even catch, but you can't make them run any faster, or with any more grace than they naturally have.

There would be no Lucas Duda if there was no Bernie Madoff. You and I wouldn't be wondering if Duda has what it takes to make it in the starting lineup of a national league team if the Mets had guys like Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado in their lineup.

Beltran and Delgado are complete balplayers. Duda isn't.

The Madoff scandal has set the tone for the future operation of this team. The current team is a $90mil version in a division led by a team that spends $170mil. As long as there is no completion of this financial mess, there will be players like Duda, Nick Evans, and Dillon Gee getting a chance to play regularly on a team that always dipped into the FA market to solve their hitting woes.

To answer your question, no, Lucas Duda is not a major league right fielder. At best, he's a defensivly flawed first baseman. He is the Mets version of Adam Dunn. He has had a wonderful season with his bat and has gained the confidence needed to survive at this level (remember...  this is a very shy person that barely talked to his teammates when he first came up).

The $90-110mil 2012 version of the Mets will include Duda in RF and Ike Davis at 1B for one reason. These two are the $100mil 2012 version of Beltran  and Delgado. The Mets hope is they can create a 3-4-5-6 lineup of David Wright, Davis, Duda, and  Jason Bay, which is a pretty good lineup... for a $90-110mil club.

I don't see Lucas being trade bait in 2012. The team is going to have to financially operate without any chance of going after a big FA bat until 2013 and, frankly, there's no one in the pipeline that has this pop potential until 2-3 years from now.