Spring Training | This One's For Nick

February 23, 2013

Alfonso Soriano should be traded to the Mets

Note: This idea comes from a Twitter conversation between two Mets bloggers, which can be found here.

The Mets currently have an outfield full of questions pertaining to production, defense, health, etc… The only lock at this point, Lucas Duda, who has to prove himself just as much as Collin Cowgill, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, etc… Marlon Byrd had a nice debut today but he’s fought injuries throughout his career, and the Mets cannot rely on a washed-up outfielder to seriously give them 162 games, even if he is added to the 40-man roster. Is he even worth a 40-man roster spot?

There’s a simple solution to all of this: trade for the Chicago Cubs leftfielder Alfonso Soriano. An aging veteran with a terrible contract, the Cubs have seemed desperate to unload him and move on with their new plans. If the Mets would be willing to give up a C+ level prospect the deal could possibly get done, though the Mets would most likely have to eat some of his contract. This all depends on if the Cubs are willing to eat up his most of the contract, since the Mets are continuing to pay Jason Bay and other outfielder until eternity.

Soriano brings an obvious attraction: power. He tapped into the fountain of youth last season, belting 32 homeruns. He also played almost a full season, missing just 11 games. Injuries are something he’s dealt with most of his Cubs career, but at this point, it’s worth a gamble. The only downside with this move would be the terrible defense, but for 27-30 homeruns a year, the Mets wouldn’t mind giving up a few runs for a much needed power infusion. This also gives the Mets more balance, adding a right-handed bat.

So what kind of prospect would it take? You could see the Mets possibly unloading second-basemen Reese Havens, who’s battled back injuries since forever. Theo Epstein took a chance on Adrian Cardenas last season, which didn’t work out, but Havens have significant upside over Cardenas. The move makes sense since it would free up a 40-man roster spot. The Mets could also look into trading Collin McHugh. He’s loved by Mets prospectors, for some think he’s 2.0 version of Dillon Gee. In a realistic future, he has no place in the Mets rotation with Niese locked up, Harvey and Gee locked, Wheeler on the horizon, and the lower minors pitchers.

One downside to if this happens, Duda would need to move back to right-field. Oh well.

Interesting idea which probably won’t happen but it could be an interesting move that, in my opinion, could possibly get some fans in the seats and give this outfield a little more personality.

March 12, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 12, 2012

Pointed Magazine

I’ve been enjoying my week off by watching unhealthy amounts of Spring Training baseball. Along with MLB Network, I purchased MLB 12: The Show. I created a “Road to the Show” character, but gave up into my third season. A .216 batting average wasn’t worthy of a promotion, I guess. So I started playing online today. I won my first game 6-1 in 13 innings. The Detroit Tigers were my team of choice. My opponent: the Miami Marlins. The graphics in the game are crazy, but everything else is pretty hard. I did, however, have 20 K’s with Justin Verlander.

– Staying with the Tigers, left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver continues to impress. Pitching in extended relief, Oliver tossed 4 scoreless innings against the New York Mets today, striking out 2, while only surrendering 1 hit. He’s pitched 7 innings total this Spring Training and deserves, in my opinion, a long look at the 5th starting job in the Tigers rotation. He’s proven he can pitch in the minors, however, he needs a chance to stick in the majors, rather than being used as a spot starter for Detroit. He’s an interesting piece for fantasy as well because he racks up K’s and can eat innings.

– Colorado Rockies catching prospect Wilin Rosario had a huge day at the plate today. The Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres, 11-2. Rosario went 2-4 with a homerun and 4 RBI. I’ve been a fan of Rosario for a while now. He’s currently battling for the backup job behind Ramon Hernandez, but he can easily steal the role from Hernandez due to Ramon’s health concerns. I have Rosario on my fantasy keeper league and he’s staying put for the time being. He can potentially become a fantasy monster at the catcher position.

– Finally, the Washington Nationals squared off against the St. Louis Cardinals today. Washington won 8-4. There’s a few things that should be noticed. With Albert Pujols leaving St. Louis, manager Mike Matheny is looking for someone to replace both Pujols fielding, and his bat. One option is Matt Adams. the 23-year-old slugged 32 homeruns in Double-A Springfield, while driving in 101 runs. His bat makes him valuable and looks to certainly fill the void left by Pujols. He’s been having a nice spring, but depending on what the Cardinals decide to do with Lance Berkman, he may not start out in the majors.

One of my favorite utility men is Matt Carpenter. He’s got a great story too, if you ever want to look into it. Carpenter went 3-4 today and is now batting over .300 in ST. He deserves a spot on the roster, mainly because he can play everywhere. Who knows, maybe he can become the next David Freese.

Moving to the ‘Nats, TCU alum Matt Purke picked up the win in relief. The 2011 draft pick is considered one of the Nationals top prospects, pending if he can prove he’s healthy. He was once drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers, but did not sign. After batting injuries in his junior campaign at TCU, Purke’s stock crashed faster than Enron. He’s 1-0 this spring with a 2.70 ERA. I expect him to start at High-A, but he will be closely monitored.

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March 7, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 7, 2012

USA Today

It’s the best time of the year. Prospects are all over the place. So far, I’ve watched the first two New York Mets broadcasts. Here are some notes on the prospects and players that caught my eye.

– Bryce Harper, OF WAS : Everyone knows him. You may hate him, you may love him. Either way, get used to seeing him because he’ll be here for a long time. Harper debuted in right field against the Mets on Monday night. I’ve never been a huge fan in his swing. It’s not as smooth as I envisioned it however, it is effective. He has trouble with the off speed pitches usually, but if you’re going to challenge him, make sure you beat him. Every ball he hit was hit with aggression and bounced off the bat with fiery. He had a matchup against Mets right-handed prospect Matt Harvey. It wasn’t much of an at-bat. Harvey walked Harper, which was pretty disappointing.

Getting back to Harper, he may be ready now to hit in the big leagues but, he still needs some seasoning in the minors. Triple-A should suit him until an injury at the parent club allows him to break into the majors.

– Matt Harvey, he was erratic. 3 walks, a hit batter, and 0 strikeouts. He touched 94 mph at one point. That’s about it. Call it nerves, but he wasn’t what I expected. Players say he’s ready however, but he’s going to need more time. I wrote a piece on Mets Today, talking about Harvey’s transition to Double-A. Anytime you jump up a level, you’re going to face difficulties. However, the Nationals line up on Monday was a Triple-A lineup, something that Harvey will be facing this season. Call it nerves, but he was being pretty conservative and wasn’t attacking hitters. His fastball didn’t have the life it usually has but this is because it’s the start of the season. I would not get so scared about this but it’s a good growing experience for Harvey, who is in the plans for the Mets future.

– Johan Santana pitched Tuesday. With every pitch, I was holding my breath. Its scary watching Santana pitch, not because of how good he is, but because you don’t know what he’s going to be like after the injury. He pitched conservatively today, but it was a huge step forward. He didn’t have much life on the fastball. I believe he hit 90 mph once, while he sat around 87-88 the same time. If this is going to be he new velocity, he’ll need to have more deception on the change up to be successful. The first four batters he versed all hit hard balls, including a bomb Matt Holliday hit. But as the Spring rolls on, I’ll continue to monitor him.

The best part about the whole Johan Santana start was the intensity. For the mere 20 minutes he pitched, a Mets fan could escape everything that this team has been through. The Wilpons financial troubles were not in my head. Neither was the loss of Jose Reyes. Santana pitching reminded me of the old days. Days Mets fans have not seen. While the team gets made a mockery of, I had my moment this spring.

There’s really nothing like Spring Training.

This One's For Nick

Category: Spring Training