Photo by Flickr.com

When Ike Davis rolled his ankle in Colorado, nothing was made of it.

The Mets thought he was day-to-day. Davis himself thought he would not miss much time. Then a day became a week, a week became a month, and eventually, Davis was lost for the entire season.

It was a terrible injury for the franchise because in his rookie season in 2010 and the beginning of 2011, Davis had shown a lot of promise.

With 19 home runs, 73 runs batted in and an ISO of .176, his future at the plate was looking very bright. Add to that his defensive abilities, his 10.1 UZR was good for the second best rating for first basemen in all of baseball, and we can safely say the Mets were happy with their 3.5 WAR first baseman.

The best part was, Davis had shown marked improvement in the second half of 2010.

After the all-star break, Ike trimmed his strike outs while increasing his walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He even saved his best for last in September, with a slash line of .330/.427/.524, a BB:SO ratio of 19:21.

It was like a cliffhanger at the end of a great book, he left every Mets fan on the edge of their seat, wanting more. » Continue reading “2012 Ike Davis Player Profile – The Next Joey Votto?”

Photo by Flickr.com

The 2011 season represented something new for Josh Thole. For the first time in his major league career, the starting job was his to lose.

In the beginning of the season, it did not look like he could handle that responsibility.

For the first two months of the season, Thole struggled in just about every facet of the game. At the plate, Thole hit .227 with a paltry .301 on base percentage, and a SO / BB ratio of 23/15. Expectations were never that high for Thole, but coming off a second half of 2010 where he hit .254 with a .333 OBP and SO / BB ratio a lot closer to 1:1, the Mets their catcher of the future would be improving, not taking steps backwards.

However, when June rolled around, Thole found himself and became the catcher the Mets were looking for.

From June 1^st until the end of the regular season, Thole put up a .292/.372/.387 slugging to go along with a SO / BB ratio of 24:23.

Incredible numbers that would make Thole an all-star candidate every season.

Keep in mind that only one full time catcher posted a higher batting average on the season higher than Thole’s four month average of .292, and that was Yadier Molina’s .305. Also consider that only one full-time catcher in all of baseball had a higher on base percentage than Thole’s four month .372, and that was Alex Avila’s .389, in the American League! » Continue reading “New York Mets 2012 Projections: Catcher Josh Thole”

Over the past few days the Phillies signed Juan Pierre to a minor league deal, traded Wilson Valdez (former Met) to the Reds, and the Nationals added Brad Lidge to their already formidable bullpen on a one year deal.

In Juan Pierre, the Phillies added a “name” more than anything valuable. With Laynce Nix, Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and John Mayberry already in the fold, Pierre provides them with outfield depth if one or more of them were to go down with an injury, but not much more than that.

There were some people out there who wanted to see Pierre in a Mets uniform, but I was not one of them. As FanGraphs points out, while Pierre can still run, he is not the asset on the base-paths he once was and he has gotten worse defensively with a -9.2 UZR last season.  Signing him to a minor league deal can do nothing but help the Phillies, but with a WAR of -0.4 last season in 711 at bats, there is very little that he brings to the table.

Brad Lidge on the other hand is a name I hoped the Mets would go after.

Outside of 2009, Lidge has always been an excellent pitcher, never having a FIP above four in nine out of his ten seasons. The reason he was available this late into the offseason is that he has struggled with injuries recently, with only 123 innings over the last three seasons. Despite the injuries, his stuff never left, and with a 10.0 K/9 and an ERA of 2.49 over the last two seasons, he has proven he can still be a valuable piece to a major league bullpen. No matter what he ends up producing, signing a pitcher of this caliber to a one year deal worth only $1million plus incentives is a great deal; one in which I hope the Mets can find over the next couple of weeks.

While there are still plenty of upside free agents available, for now it seems that the Mets first priority is going to be filling out the last spot on their bench. Some of the names that the Mets are reportedly interested in are Johnny Damon, Rick Ankiel, Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez and the aforementioned Juan Pierre.

One name that jumps out from this list is Johnny Damon.

Damon’s skills have declined over the past couple of seasons, but I think his leadership would be his most undeniable asset to the Mets. He has proven himself in two of the biggest baseball markets of Boston and New York, and his presence in the locker room, would not only give David Wright a break and let him focus on baseball, but also give the Mets some veteran leadership they have not had since Carlos Delgado in 2006.

Damon posted a 1.5 WAR with the Rays last season, with 16 home runs and 19 steals, hitting .261. With the question marks that surround Jason Bay’s performance, Damon would provide some insurance as a guy who can step in and play every day, or at the very least, platoon with Bay, given his struggles against right handed pitching these last two seasons.

I think he would be a great fit, and an even better answer to the moves made by the Mets rivals within the division.

For more news and stats on the Mets, follow Zach on Twitter @MetsVibe!

In the Omar Minaya era, where every player was seemingly available in trade discussions, Fernando Martinez was the only untouchable.

Manny Ramirez? Nope. Dan Haren, C.C. Sabathia? Double nope. How about Johan Santana? Well you get the picture.

In Minaya’s defense, Martinez was one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

After signing out of the Dominican Republic as a 16 year old for $1.4 million, Baseball America ranked him #22, #20, #30 from 2007 to 2009 respectively. In 2009, at the tender age of 20, he put together a .290/.337/.540 slash line at AAA.

Flat out incredible.

Not only was he competing against former Major Leaguers, he was also competing against the best minor league prospects in a league where the average age was 26.7. Think about it, most 20 year players are in High-A or AA. The other 20 year olds are still in college playing with metal bats, against competition 99% of whom will never even be drafted.

All over baseball, scouts were gushing about his talent and ability to hit. He was being held in the same regard as former top prospects Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin, as well as a young Jose Reyes and Juan Gonzalez. One scout even compared him to Ted Williams! Obviously, comparing any prospect to Ted Williams is a stretch, but the point is, his upside was limitless.

Furthermore, take a look at the current Mets top prospects and their current ages: Matt Harvey (22), Zack Wheeler (21), Jeurys Familia (22), Juan Lagares (22), Reese Havens (25).

Even though none of these players have reached AAA yet, none of these players were being considered to be released. Moreover, they are all older than F-Mart was when he received 281 at bats in AAA and the MLB combined, at the age of 20 in 2009. It shows just how talented he was.

However, the main reason he was officially released today has nothing to do with his talent, but rather his injury riddled past.

Not once in his six minor league seasons has he ever played more than 90 games. To further complicate things, in the 2010 offseason, it was discovered that Martinez has arthritis in his knee.

Arthritis at 22!

I understand his stock is nowhere close to where it was in 2009. I also realize that arthritis is a condition that does not go away with training or rehab. However, when you consider he has a career Iso (isolated slugging percentage) of .200 in AAA, while the AAA-International League average is .140, I have to believe he still has some value.

I have the utmost amount of faith in Sandy Alderson and his staff, but I cannot say I was surprised when Jayson Stark reported that at least five teams put a claim on him.

This type of talent, regardless of the injury history, does not grow on trees. After rooting for him to be successful for so long, I guess I just wished for more in return than let’s say, Scott Hairston.

For all of your Mets updates, be sure to follow Zach @MetsVibe and check out his website, metsvibe.wordpress.com!

Much like with the free agent hitters, the Mets do not have the financial wherewithal to bring in the top free agent pitchers.

What will happen, much akin to last year’s process with Chris Capuano and Chris Young, is that Sandy Alderson will look for the high upside guys, no matter their risk. With questions surrounding everyone in the Mets starting rotation outside of R.A Dickey, the Mets will try to add as much depth as possible.

Here are some guys I think they Mets could and should go after:

-          Erik Bedard

• While Bedard’s price will most likely place him outside of the Mets range, on a one year, incentive laden contract, the Mets may have the money he is looking for. The reason Bedard is not cashing in like the C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrles of the world is not lack of success, but rather lack of durability. In 951 innings in the American League, he has a 3.70 ERA and 3.65 FIP, while Buehrle has a career 3.88 ERA and 4.13 FIP. The difference is Buehrle is a lock for 200+ innings and 10+ wins and Bedard is a lock for the DL and that is why Buehrle will fetch around $45 million and Bedard will be lucky to get $5 million. If the Mets could sign Bedard to the type of deal Capuano signed last year, with low guarantees starting around two or three million with incentives up to seven million, this could be a match. After all, this off-season Capuano turned a one year deal for $1.5M guaranteed into a two year deal for $10 million guaranteed, so Sandy can always use that as a reference point.

As much as I would love to see Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and C. J. Wilson in a Mets uniform next season, I am going to take a more realistic approach. With a limited budget, the Mets’ top targets are not going to be the players who set the market, but rather those players who have upside. I believe that Sandy and his crew will be looking into incentive laden contracts, much like the Chris Capuano and Chris Young deals they signed last season, just hoping for more results like Capuano, and less like Young.

After scanning the free agent list, these are some guys I would target that will be within the Mets budget.

-          Pudge Rodriguez

• The Mets need a back-up catcher. I know many of you would have preferred Ramon Hernandez, but I think Pudge is better for the Mets in both the short term, and long term. Seems confusing right? He is 40 years old and in an obvious decline as a ballplayer. However, despite those two seemingly very important things, Pudge might be the best leader of any free agent available. He would be a great mentor for Josh Thole, and an even better leader, and teacher for the Mets young pitching staff. Maybe Pudge is the cure that Mike Pelfrey has always needed. With Niese, Gee in the rotation and Wheeler, Harvey, Familia and Mejia all so young and on the way, Rodriguez would be a tremendous source of experience and knowledge, to aid in their development. While I don’t know how much money he is looking for, he may not find a better situation to find some playing time, sitting only 156 hits away from 3,000. He hit only .218 last year, but he still generated 0.4 WAR in only 137 at-bats. Current Mets backup Mike Nickeas hit .189, and Thole hit a solid .268 but only generated 1.0 WAR in 386 at bats, so Pudge adds value here. In addition, with the Mets looking for a catcher who hits lefties well, throughout his career, Pudge has been more productive hitting against left handed pitchers, hitting .289 against them over the past five seasons. On a one year deal, there is very limited downside, with great long term upside potential.

Think about the great closers over the past ten or twenty years.

Now, think about how many years they were great.

What you will find is that outside of a select few, even the best closers were not able to maintain a high level of success for a long period of time.

Take a look at this list:

*To qualify for a “great” year, you had to  have one of 20+ saves, a sub three ERA or a K/9 greater than nine in a particular season.

» Continue reading “Why Jonathan Papelbon Signing With The Phillies Is Good News For Mets Fans”

For months now, I have been going back and forth.

Is it a good investment for the Mets to sign Reyes? Or should they let him go, and invest the money elsewhere.

From a fan’s perspective, it is an easy answer. Sign him, no matter the cost. I mean, why not right? They technically don’t have to pay for it (except for higher ticket prices).

From a business perspective however, things get a lot more complicated.

Say what you want about David Wright, good or bad, Jose Reyes has become the face of the franchise, and people pay a lot of money just to Jose play.

Think about it, every aspect of his game is exciting, even when he is not on the field.

» Continue reading “To Jose, Or Not To Jose: For The Mets, That Is The Question”

This was the year for the Phillies.

Adding Cliff Lee to a team that had won six straight division titles, made three straight NLCS appearances and won a World Series title in 2008 had to be unstoppable right?

Wrong.

The Phillies rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt was heralded as the greatest rotation ever assembled. They were being compared to the Braves of the 90’s, the Orioles of the early 70’s, even the Mets of the mid 80’s (that was a stretch). To stick to the point, to say they were hyped, would be an understatement.

» Continue reading “Scouting Out The New York Mets Competition Moving Forward: Philadelphia Phillies”

• Dillon Gee was the first Mets starter to give up one run or less since early July. Thanks to an early three run home run by David Wright, Gee was able to pitch to contact, striking out five along the way. He became the first Mets rookie since Doc and Darling in 1984 to win 11 games.
• Gee earned this win, but Manny Acosta really saved it for him. In the seventh inning, it was a 4 – 1 game and the Padres had loaded the bases. Acosta came in and struck out Jason Bartlett and promptly ended the threat.
• In the fourth inning, Wright made a spectacular defensive play. Not only did he make a diving stop to save a double, but he faked a throw to first, and caught Cameron Maybin rounding third base trying to score and tagged him out. It really was an incredible, heads up play by the veteran Wright.
• Jason Bay has reverted back to form from earlier in the season. He finished up the trip on hit-less in his last 20 at bats, dropping his average to .239

The Mets have an off day tomorrow. Friday they return to Citi Field to face the Central Leading Milwaukee Brewers for a three game series.