Signing(s): Daniel Murphy next contract

[DougieSmash]

Please, just please, stay away, Orioles.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

It needs works no doubt. Let's assume that Cespedes, Murphy, Duda are out.

1- RF - Granderson (35 y/o)
2- 3B - Wright (33 y/o and always injured)
3- ???
4- ???
5- ???
6- C - Travis D'arneau (probably moves up into the 4 or 5 spot)
7- SS - Tejada (sub .700 OPS)
8- 2B - Flores (probably doesn't stick here every day but there is no better option)
9- P - Auto out

That's a train wreck with a ton of holes. You have DeGrom, Syn, Matz, as a really good 1-2-3. You trade Harvey, you trade Wheeler, and then you have to fill the holes with other signings.

Conforto will be the regular LF, you forgot him.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Conforto will be the regular LF, you forgot him.

My bad. I'm actually expecting a good year out of him too. Not sure where he will slot into the line up though.

 

[BMOK33]

It needs works no doubt. Let's assume that Cespedes, Murphy, Duda are out.

1- RF - Granderson (35 y/o)
2- 3B - Wright (33 y/o and always injured)
3- ???
4- ???
5- ???
6- C - Travis D'arneau (probably moves up into the 4 or 5 spot)
7- SS - Tejada (sub .700 OPS)
8- 2B - Flores (probably doesn't stick here every day but there is no better option)
9- P - Auto out

That's a train wreck with a ton of holes. You have DeGrom, Syn, Matz, as a really good 1-2-3. You trade Harvey, you trade Wheeler, and then you have to fill the holes with other signings.

Duda isn't a UFA til next year I believe so I can't imagine he's going anywhere

 

[Fighter of Foo]

My bad. I'm actually expecting a good year out of him too. Not sure where he will slot into the line up though.

Mets project him to be the #3 hitter. Not sure if he steps into that role next year, but I was very impressed w/ his postseason performance, even if the #'s don't show it. Hanging in that last at-bat and getting the opposite field single is not something you'd expect from a rookie against the closer in that high-pressure situation.

Duda will be back at 1B and bat cleanup. Expect Dilson Herrera or Flores to be at 2B, Tejada or a FA (Desmond the likely target) at SS. OF of Lagares/Granderson/Conforto, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nimmo gets some time w/ the big club this year (but he's more of a top-of-the-lineup guy).

 

[NYRFAN218]

Yeah, Duda needs to be in there too. They're lacking a huge righty bat in the middle of the lineup. If they make no moves to address any of the positions, I think they'd have to bat Lagares leadoff just to add some depth to the middle of the lineup.

1. Lagares - CF
2. Granderson - RF
3. Wright - 3B
4. Duda - 1B
5. d'Arnaud - C
6. Conforto - LF
7. Flores/Herrera - 2B
8. Flores/Tejada - SS
9. Pitcher

If you keep Granderson at leadoff, the lineup goes downhill quickly after number 5. Lineup above keeps the lefty/righty split going through the lineup until they hit the 7 hole. Lineup will change depending on if it's a righty or lefty pitching again daily anyway.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Somebody will vastly overpay for a 6 game lucky streak. He's a defensive liability.

 

[DougieSmash]

Lagares it terrible choice for leadoff.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Lagares it terrible choice for leadoff.

If Juan Lagares is getting regular at bats for your team, that's a bad thing. Basically the Mets lineup is the opposite of their pitching. They need to meet somewhere in the middle.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Lagares it terrible choice for leadoff.

Well unless they go out and get a 2nd baseman/center fielder/short stop, they have to stretch out the lineup somehow. I guess you could just move everyone up a spot and slot Lagares somewhere 6-8 if you want.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Csepedes won't be back I'm sure. I don't know if that pitching can carry them if they can't score.

 

[BMOK33]

Csepedes won't be back I'm sure. I don't know if that pitching can carry them if they can't score.

The Mets were several games over .500 and like 30-4 when they scored 4 or more runs through mid July with no Wright, d'arnaud, Murphy for 3 or so weeks, and no Conforto. You have to figure even if they acquire nobody they are going to be better off than that next year.

 

[robert terwilliger]

plus cespedes basically stopped hitting in the middle of september.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

The Mets were several games over .500 and like 30-4 when they scored 4 or more runs through mid July with no Wright, d'arnaud, Murphy for 3 or so weeks, and no Conforto. You have to figure even if they acquire nobody they are going to be better off than that next year.

Speaking of better next year...you have to assume that the other teams in the division improve their rosters and maybe get better. There's always gunna be stuff going into next year that will obviously change. Too lazy to look up individual games but based on schedule I would guess a lot of those games were against East teams who were mostly bad outside of Washington who only finished a couple above .500

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

He still changed that team. No way they get there without him. Washington would have hung around long enough. Washington quit in the middle of September.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Yeah, Duda needs to be in there too. They're lacking a huge righty bat in the middle of the lineup. If they make no moves to address any of the positions, I think they'd have to bat Lagares leadoff just to add some depth to the middle of the lineup.

1. Lagares - CF
2. Granderson - RF
3. Wright - 3B
4. Duda - 1B
5. d'Arnaud - C
6. Conforto - LF
7. Flores/Herrera - 2B
8. Flores/Tejada - SS
9. Pitcher

If you keep Granderson at leadoff, the lineup goes downhill quickly after number 5. Lineup above keeps the lefty/righty split going through the lineup until they hit the 7 hole. Lineup will change depending on if it's a righty or lefty pitching again daily anyway.

they need to find a way to add speed to that lineup. with that lineup they have no one that can create things on the base paths. I am not sure who goes out of that lineup but I don't know if you can get away with being last in the NL again and be successful offensively like they were from July on.

 

[robert terwilliger]

He still changed that team. No way they get there without him. Washington would have hung around long enough. Washington quit in the middle of September.

sure but he was still a non-factor for a month and a half when the mets were doing just fine.

 

[John Price]

The Mets don't make the playoffs without cespedes.

 

[BMOK33]

The Mets don't make the playoffs without cespedes.

They were beating up on most of those teams during his hot stretch aside from him. The only question is do they not sweep Washington without him? I think Washington effectively shot themselves in the foot this year that even without Cespedes the Mets would have won the division

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Cespedes was the kick start for the Mets though. Nats curled up and died so I think the Mets pass them anyway but Cespedes got the ball rolling for sure.

 

[robert terwilliger]

from the time cespedes was traded to the mets through 9/15 they played washington (2 games), @miami (3), @tampa (3), colorado (4), pittsburgh (3), @baltimore (2), @colorado (3), @philly (4), boston (3), philly (3), @miami (3), @washington (3), @atlanta (4) and miami (2)

that's a whopping three games against playoff teams, 18 games against three of the four worst pitching staffs in baseball (colorado, philly and atlanta) and just generally an easy schedule for the mets. cespedes went off for 17 homers and an ops over 1. in these games, prompting some to bring up his name for the nl mvp lol.

after 9/15 the mets played many of those same teams but cespedes hit 0 homers and had a .639 ops. this was a problem in boston where the red sox were disappointed at how tired he seemed to be and how he was completely worn down by the end of the season. he hit .222/.232/.352 this postseason.

tl;dr: he came out gangbusters against ****** teams but hit a wall in the middle of september and never recovered.

 

[DougieSmash]

Cespedes is lock for the worst contract this winter. He has great arm and good power (not elite) but not .obp threat, his range will continue to decline, not good as runner.

 

[robert terwilliger]

personally, i think chris davis will end up being the worst. cespedes is fine in left field for a team that can hit him sixth or something. he's not a middle of the order bat.

 

[DougieSmash]

personally, i think chris davis will end up being the worst. cespedes is fine in left field for a team that can hit him sixth or something. he's not a middle of the order bat.

Most likely landing spot for Davis, what do you think? I'm bet on Angels or Giants.

 

[robert terwilliger]

if it's not the cardinals i bet he waits it out and ends up with the mariners or something.