In short: “Woohoo!’
Recapping Jets-Colts with Brian Bassett
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Mets’ offseason priorities
To summarize, we’re looking for starting pitching, we’re looking for left-handed relief and fourth and fifth outfielder possibilities — I’d say in that order of priority.
Well, good. I’d probably say a fourth outfielder should be a higher priority than a left-handed reliever, but I’m willing to grant that Alderson might know more about the potential effectiveness of in-house candidates like Mike O’Connor and Eric Niesen than I do.
Though the Mets’ GM doesn’t say anything groundbreaking, all of Adam Rubin’s interview with Alderson is worth reading, if only because it’s refreshing to hear a GM speak logically and without nonsense. The big takeaways: Luis Castillo will probably only be around if he wins the starting second-base job in Spring Training, the Mets will very much look at Daniel Murphy at second base, and Chin-Lung Hu will probably be on the roster as a utility infielder.
J, E, T, S.
The Jets won Saturday. Not sure if you heard. Their defense stepped up and held Peyton Manning in check. Rex Ryan avoided the obvious temptation to over-blitz the quarterbacking machine and Darrelle Revis rendered Reggie Wayne a non-factor.
Antonio Cromartie made up for getting burnt on a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon with a pair of clutch kick returns. And the Jets’ offense moved the ball methodically, keeping the ball out of Manning’s hands, eating up clock with a consistent run game.
It was an amazing, exhilarating game. And it would all bode well for the Jets’ matchup with the Patriots next week were it not for Mark Sanchez’s struggles throwing the ball throughout the game. Sanchez was high or long on just about every pass — even the completions.
I don’t know the extent of Sanchez’s shoulder injury and if the throwing problems were a function of the injury, overcompensating for it, or a lack of practice due to it. But in any case, he’s going to need to throw better at New England if the Jets are going to have any chance at advancing. The Patriots defense is just a bit better than the Colts’ defense.
I wouldn’t get too worked up over the Patriots’ shellacking of the Jets the last time they played. It’s one game. All it shows is that the Patriots are extremely good at football, which we know already.
Braylon Edwards’ harrowing elevator experience
From Edwards’ Twitter, via Mike Rudner.
Whoops
To herald the coming of Matt Garza, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a backpage photo of Joaquin Benoit, who looks nothing like Matt Garza.
Because our studio guys are testing out Skype
Cerrone and I talk offseason stuff:
Prehistoric bird will punch you in the face
“An extinct bird from Jamaica used its wings as a powerful clublike weapon, according to a new study.”
Jets-Colts preview with Brian Bassett
As for Mike Salfino’s article that I mention: It’s here, based on research from here.
Pretty interesting stuff. I’ll say, though, that I’d also like to see the Jets’ per-attempt yards yielded when blitzing, since sacks don’t factor in to QB rating. But I buy the data that suggests Manning is less susceptible to the blitz than others. Dude’s like a quarterbacking robot; there’s only so long you’re going to be able to confuse him.
There is a Wikipedia page for “United States Presidents with facial hair”
But I will quibble with it. Whatever Martin Van Buren had has to count as more than just sideburns. Those were mutton chops at the very least. I have always considered him the pioneer among facial-haired presidents.
Clearly the Golden Era for presidential facial hair started with U.S. Grant’s inauguration in 1869 and ended when Grover Cleveland and his mustache left office for the second time in 1897.
Also, all of the presidents with mustaches had awesome mustaches. Lastly, Chester A. Arthur.
The cost of Garza
Rumors are swirling that the Rays and Cubs are finishing a deal to send starter Matt Garza to Chicago. In return, the Rays will supposedly get prospects Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos.
Last month, about 70% of Tedquarters readers said they would not trade Wilmer Flores and Jenrry Mejia to get Garza. I countered that I might, since both players appear so far off from contributing to the Major League team and Garza is a durable if unspectacular starter under team control though arbitration for several years.
Obviously we have no way of knowing how the Rays value the Mets’ and Cubs’ prospects, but as a point of comparison: John Sickels gave Archer a B+ and Lee a B in his most recent overview of the Cubs’ system. He gave Flores a B+ and Mejia a B.
Archer, like Mejia, is a hard-throwing right-hander who has had success up to — but not beyond — Double-A. Archer is a year older than Mejia, but his status as a prospect benefits from the fact that he was never in the hands of Jerry Manuel. Unrushed, he was able to stay in Minor League rotations for 142 1/3 innings in High A and Double-A. Mejia threw 81 1/3 across five levels (including rehab stints).
For what it’s worth, Mejia had a much better reputation as a prospect than Archer did coming into the 2010 season, before the ill-fated eighth-inning-guy experiment. But Archer’s stature grew thanks to an excellent season.
Lee, like Flores, is a young shortstop who played in A-ball this season. Other than that, they don’t have a ton in common. Scouting reports say Lee is a plus (or even “special”) defender, while few experts believe Flores has any shot of sticking at shortstop. Flores projects to hit for a lot more power, but Lee has shown a lot more discipline in the low Minors.
Still, by Sickels’ admittedly shorthand rating system, Archer/Lee and Flores/Mejia is basically a wash. But since both Flores and Mejia have spent time on both Baseball America‘s and Keith Law’s Top 100 prospects lists in the past, let’s say the Mets pair would have slightly more trade value, if only based on their reputations.
But then on top of Archer and Lee, the Cubs traded Guyer and Chirinos, two players that likely enticed the Rays. Sickels had them at B- and C+ grades, respectively, but both enjoyed success in the high Minors in 2010. Chirinos, a 26-year-old righty-hitting infielder-turned-catcher, appears ready to at least backup to John Jaso behind the plate after a .999 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A in 2010.
I’m not sure there are great comps for either in the Mets’ system. But using sweeping strokes at players of similar caliber, let’s say the Mets could have landed Garza for Mejia, Flores, Sean Ratliff and Dillon Gee (not that the Rays need starting pitching, but whatever). Would you make that deal?
I’d say no. Not because I’m convinced any of those guys will ever produce as much in the Majors as Garza will in the next few seasons, but because it’s simply too much bulk to give up from an already thin system. The Mets, as I’ve been saying for years now, need dudes. Cost-controlled, contributing, non-star dudes. And the best way to get those is to develop them, and the best way to successfully develop players is to hang on to as many as possible, knowing that most won’t pan out.
What am I doing wrong? Is there more comparable package of Mets’ prospects than the one I created? Would you trade that package for Garza?
Tedquarters 