Make Way for Team UnSexy

The Busiest Mets Offseason Without Any Sex Appeal Ever continued Tuesday when the Mets reportedly reached a 1-year contract agreement with free agent outfielder Alejandro De Aza.

30The lefty swinging De Aza, already a veteran of 5 other organizations, is expected to platoon with incumbent center fielder Juan Lagares and was chosen above other prospective jobbers like Will Venable. I’m not even going to guess what number De Aza is issued but will note that 19 is newly available upon Johnny Monell‘s release from the 40. He previously wore 7, 11, 30, 12, 31 and 45. Actually I’ll guess he takes 30 while Michael Conforto, as discussed below, takes 15.

Being one of those fans who tries hard to understand, if not rationalize, what the Mets tend to do and think we can say that De Aza is a cost-effective solution providing the same general “skill-set” of a Denard Span at a fraction of the cost or commitment and is less likely to miss half a season with a hip injury, and continues an overarching strategy to build on last year’s pennant winning club by minimizing the chances they are as debilitated by injury — rather, by overcoming those injuries — as they were a year ago. That said you have to wonder whether the best strategy might have been instead to trade Curtis Granderson and take your chances re-upping Yoenis Cespedes, entering the Jason Heyward fray or otherwise competing for the top talent.

Those ships however have sailed. Ready or not, these are our guys.

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Glad Tidings from New York

20Neil Walker on Tuesday crashed the Mets’ annual holiday party at Citi Field, showing off what appears to be his new uni number, 20. Walker would be the first second baseman to wear 20 since 2000 Mets legend Kurt Abbott. Uh, yeah. Anthony Recker wore 20 last but as you may have heard the handsome backup catcher signed a deal with the Indians following the season.

Walker by the way said he wore 20 to honor his dad, Tom Walker, who as you can see here wore the same for the Montreal Expos. Neil reached the big leagues with the Pirates only to learn 20 had been retired for Pie Traynor.

13Later on Tuesday, the Mets and erstwhile lefty stopper Jerry Blevins agreed on a new deal for 2016. Blevins you may recall arrived at the eve of the ’15 season and did an all-around super job getting the Bryce Harpers and Freddie Freemans of the league out before fracturing an arm the same day that Travis d’Arnaud went down with an injury. Only Blevins never made it back to the team by suspiciously re-breaking the same arm shortly before his expected return.

If that’s not enough reason by itself to surrendered No. 13 the rule requiring all Venezuelan shortstops wear No. 13 trumped it.

What will Blevins return in? Only a guess but 15 is available now that Bob Geren is going.

43In other news the Mets have invited Buddy Carlyle to go after a third assignment with the team and possibly, a third uni number. He’s been 44 then 43 so far.

 

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Abra-Cabrera

Interesting day out in Nashville, no?

18No sooner had Ben Zobrist left the Mets at the altar they turn around and score with a lookalike in Pittsburgh’s Neil Walker, then go out and buy another infielder, Asdrubal Cabrera.

Interestingly enough, Walker, like Zobrist, is a longtime wearer of the No. 18 jersey so little changes with regard to the prediction that coach Tim Teufel needs to find another number. The Cabrera signing in the meantime would seem to portend an end to Ruben Tejada‘s Mets career — a moment I mentally prepared for at least two years ago — which would free up Teufel’s playing-career No. 11 should he want it.

49Walker as you know cost the Mets their all-time No. 49, Jon Niese, in a deal that also essentially ends the Mets lifetime for their all-time No. 28, Daniel Murphy. I strongly associate the two of them (and Bobby Parnell, also a likely goner) as the best remainders of the Omar Minaya Era, all three adequate major league players jettisoned before they got too expensive.

13In their defense, that also describes Walker and Cabrera, a new middle infield combination likely to outhit their predecessors, and maybe out-field them too. I say “maybe” because I haven’t found much supporting Cabrera’s D even though I can’t recall ever having watched him closely myself, while there’s been rumblings from Pirates fans over Walker’s limited range at second base. If so, the Mets are giving me something less than I’d hoped while patching up the team: that is, give themselves a better chance through better fundamental play at key spots. At least they’ll hit more.

Cabrera you won’t be surprised to learn is a Venezuelan shortstop who favors No. 13: That jersey is technically available while Jerry “I broke my arm twice” Blevins tests the free agent market.

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Coach Creep, and How to Stop It

18Great points turning up in the comments in the below post from my furry alien friend Alf Tanner regarding potential numerical maneuverings in light of the Mets’ pursuit of Ben Zobrist, and the departure of bench coach Bob Geren, who announced last week he was taking a similar role with the Dodgers.

In both instances, it raises the issue of the increasing incidence in Metland of what I’m calling Coach Creep — the occupation of uni numbers that ought to belong to players among non-players.

15Geren, you may recall, wore No. 7 during his first season on Terry Collins’ staff in 2014 – a decision that we learned inadvertently blocked the preferred jersey of young catcher Travis d’Arnaud upon his promotion later that year. d’Arnaud, as we know, was issued 15 instead until arranging a swap with Geren before the 2015 season.

30Only that, as Alf correctly points out, may only have kicked the can. Michael Conforto was wearing 15 at Class AA Binghamton when he was recalled in July only to find the same coach squatting on that number so Conforto took the awkward 30 instead. Conforto, as we know, is no Josh Thole and is on Switch Watch as we approach Spring Training.

6It’s not just Geren, neither. Darrell Ceciliani and Eric Young Jr. were each assigned No. 1 last year — despite being obvious No. 6’s — in part because assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler took that number. Come on, Pat. Leave the single digits for the guys on the field. Why is Dario Alvarez wearing 68 and Germen Gonzalez taking 71? In part, it’s because Ricky Bones and Tom Goodwin occupy 25 and 26, respectively.

And now that the Mets are in pursuit of a noted No. 18 in Ben Zobrist, another coach, Tim Teufel, is blocking the way.

As Alf says, let’s allow the manager to choose his own outfit: Terry Collins for the record selected 10 as a tribute to Jim Leland, doncha know, and get the coaches back where they belong, dutifully occupying the 50s.

 

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Without 28

28I’m not going to lie and say Daniel Murphy was ever my favorite Met, but there’s no denying his Met-ness.

Now that it looks like his career with the Mets has come to an end Murphy departs having accounted for more than one-fourth of all games ever played by a guy wearing No. 28 — nearly 40% among position players. His lead over the next most active 28, John Milner, is exactly 162 games and almost 1,000 at-bats.

No Met 28 had any more hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, RBI and stolen bases than Murphy (Milner had more home runs); none were a bigger force in the postseason; no player made you crazier behind brilliant and brilliantly awful plays than Murphy.

52Now that Murphy has officially declined a “qualifying offer,” and it appears as though Yoenis Cespedes is going away too (thanks, and, uh, see ya around, Yo), remaking the interior of the Mets is a priority for the offseason. I don’t think it’s a radical of me to suggest the Mets look to do so with an eye on preventing the kind of up-the-middle sloppiness that doomed them to a deserving humiliation in the World Series (a friend described the Mets’ play against Kansas City as a “dog’s breakfast.”)

My opinion on the best way of going about things could change still but how about we move Wilmer Flores to second base, sign free agent Denard Span, and trade with the Red Sox for shortstop Xander Bogaerts? If and when Dilson Hererra forces his way up, Flores becomes the New Muprhy: Filling in at second, third and (if necessary) short.

Span — at least when healthy — is a nice player who can complement Lagares (he bats left, reaches base exceptionally well, steals bases).

2The Bogaerts part of my plan I admit is a bit of a reach, and might mean parting with Matt Harvey, but 22 year old shortstops like him don’t grow on trees. And it might be more realistic than the Matt-Harvey-for-Mookie-Betts talk out there, as much sense as that makes if only to acquire a Mookie.

Conflict in the making: Both Bogaerts and Span wear No. 2.

Ian Desmond, who could replace Murphy’s offense easily and improve the defense at short, is another possibility if you can’t part with the cost of acquiring a guy by trade.

46I warned you guys about Tyler Clippard, who wound up pretty much like all 46s do, but all the same bullpen upgrades should hardly ever be a priority. I suppose there’s an opportunity to add a few arms to the mix, but there almost always is.

10Congrats to Terry Collins on the new deal, I’m shocked he ever made it this far but he’s grown on me: Complaints about bullpen management come with every guy, but in general I haven’t felt like Terry gives up anything strategically to the other team’s manager, and in the case of the Nationals he beat them badly. As noted above I’d like to see his teams get a little better at the little things, and hope he’ll be held accountable when they don’t.

Your thoughts on the offseason?

 

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The Better Team Won

broom

Look, any way a Mets team gets to a World Series is just fine with me, but wanted to remark for posterity how convincing an expression of “may the better team win” this club has demonstrated in these playoffs. We withstood doubleshots of Kershaw and Greinke and a cheapshot from Utley and marched on ahead; and have now beaten the Cubs so thoroughly, in every aspect of the game, there’s just no ambiguity about it: The Mets are the best team in the National League in 2015.

Soak that in.

28Readers will surely know I’ve never been Daniel Murphy’s biggest Met supporter, but would never deny his overwhelming Met-ness, and couldn’t be any happier for him or more in awe of his performance. He’s outsmarting the other guys now? Keep it up! And what of David Wright? The play I’m going to remember from Game 4 was that fantastic catch with the bases loaded that had to have all but killed whatever feint beat remained in the hearts of Wrigleyville. From a guy who missed nearly the entire year with a back injury and is the only remaining member of the last Mets team to play an NLCS. Jon Niese with a big strikeout in Game 2. Duda and d’Arnaud. 48Flores driving it into the gaps. Granderson leading off. Nieuwenhuis and Lagares. Syndergaard, Familia and Harvey blowing guys away, and deGrom — counting the postseason, now the Mets’ winningest 48 ever — destroying them without his best stuff.

Fifteen years ago I rooted with everything I had but was never convinced we had the best team in the tournament, much less the Series. The ’06 juggernaut for all its potential played its way out. We need to go back 29 years, until… Yup.

So congrats Mets, and congrats to all of us who’ve hung in there. Especially us geeks who visit this site, this incredibly will be the second Mets World Series in the MBTN Era. More news on that soon, btw. Let’s Go Mets!

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This changes things

56So it looks like Matt Reynolds will wear No. 56 and not No. 60, as passed along here last night.

Our evident goof came by way of what I took to be an eyewitness account of the actual stitching of Reynolds’ jersey, as reported last night by MLB.com’s Joe Trezza:

Screen Shot 2015-10-12 at 12.30.07 PM

However this official release this afternoon says Reynolds will be wearing No. 56, so insead of joining the exclusive if unattractive fraternity of Jon Rauch and Scott Schoeneweis, Reynolds inherits the tradition of Brian McRae, Scott Rice, Andres Torres, Dyar Miller and a bunch of coaches and brief visitors in No. 56.

Screen Shot 2015-10-12 at 12.53.57 PM

I’ll be at Citifield recycling batteries tonight and will get the dope with my own two eyes.

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And Justice for All

60I’m just as shocked and saddened by the twin tragedies of Game 2 as anyone, and even hearing that Chase Utley is to be suspended for being such an asshole isn’t real justice and calls to mind the way another embarrassment to sportsmanship, Roger Clemens, was disciplined way too long after the crime was committed and in part to obscure how irresponsible and incompetent game and league officials were to let them get away with it in the first place.

That’s the part that really bothers me, and of course it’s imparted a dark edge to this series that needn’t have been there. I’m a little leery of getting into a jock-revenge scenario — you may recall such shenanigans basically cost the Mets home field advantage in this series — but if I’m Corey Seager I wouldn’t get too comfortable in there.

The upshot is the Mets will be without Ruben Tejada for the rest of the postseason and apparently are taking the unusual step of promoting Matt Reynolds to the big leagues for the first time, and making the just-as-weird decision to issue him uniform No. 60, according to reports. Reynolds would only the 3rd Met to wear 60 and the first position player to do so: Flop relief imports Scott Schoeneweis and Jon Rauch were the first two.

Reynolds would provide the Mets with a legit shortstop glove, but a potentially explosive double-play combo with No. 55, Kelly Johnson. That’s a far cry from previous playoff keystone combos of say, Santana (3) and Backman (6), Harrelson (3) and Millan (16), or Reyes (7) and Valentin (18).

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Meet the Most

16I’m only trying to stay out of the way and let the Mets do what they will, but ought to note two new additions to the roster, our old friend Dilson Herrera and pitcher Tim Stauffer. As discussed in comments below, Herrera was issued No. 16, which technically became available upon Danny Muno’s removal from the 40-man roster when Addison Reed climbed aboard.

54Stauffer is a former 1st round pick of the Padres whose journeyman career most recently saw him released by Minnesota this summer and signed to a minor league deal with the Mets. Stauffer, presumably up in case the Mets need a Carlos Torres-type relief appearance while Carlos Torres rests a sore calf, was issued No. 54, last seen on the back of another un-40ed Met, Alex Torres.

These additions are notable in that they’ve brought the Mets active roster to include 38 men, tying the all-time record (with 1967) for Most Guys in the Clubhouse at Once. Amazin’!

 

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Two for 2

2Well the moment is upon us and someone’s going to pay the price for the Mets having played fast and loose with uni number assignments.

Dilson Herrera, along with Logan Verrett and Johnny Monell, were recalled following this afternoon’s smashing victory at Washington. While we can expect Verrett to wear 35 and Monell 19 as they had earlier this year, Hererra will be wearing something. That’s because the Mets rather inelegantly issued Juan Uribe Herrera’s No. 2 while Herrera was away rehabbing and playing for AAA Las Vegas.

The Mets roster as of late last Monday night, still lists the two of them wearing No. 2.

As noted previously, I’ve given this matter some thought and suggested
0 could be a solution. Other swipes from the uncalled-for, like Vic Black’s 38 or Danny Muno’s 16, are also possibilities. Then I realized poor Dilson also wore 2 in Las Vegas this season and wondered if he wouldn’t pull a Benito Santiago and alight in 02. Santiago, for you youngins, was a catcher with San Diego who famously rocked No. 09 — he wanted space between the digits for the strap holding his chest protector.

Great win today!

 

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