The Mets polished off a three-game sweep of the Brewers today and now head into a big three-game series with the NL East-leading Nationals. New York goes into the series 1.5 games behind Washington. Here’s the latest from the Amazins…
- Lucas Duda underwent tests on his bad back this morning and he’ll be re-evaluated by team doctors on Monday, manager Terry Collins told reporters (including Peter Botte of the New York Daily News). Collins admitted that he’s “really concerned” about his first baseman’s status, with David Wright also seemingly implying that Duda could miss some time. Duda is off to a slow start, hitting .231/.297/.431 with seven homers through his first 145 PA.
- Asdrubal Cabrera wasn’t considered a marquee signing during the Mets’ offseason but the veteran infielder has thus far delivered a very solid performance, the New York Post’s Zach Braziller writes. Cabrera is hitting .278/.333/.373 through 171 plate appearances and despite some subpar defensive metrics, he’s been a valuable fill-in at shortstop with Wilmer Flores injured.
- Does Stephen Strasburg’s extension with the Nationals offer any lessons for the Mets and Matt Harvey? Newsday’s David Lennon notes that at the moment, the Mets are simply trying to get Harvey on track after a very rough start to his season. The two aces invite comparison in many ways (i.e. both Scott Boras clients, both early-career Tommy John patients), though perhaps the most interesting point of divergence is how the Nats famously shut down Strasburg in the season following his TJ surgery rather than use him down the stretch and into the postseason, whereas the Mets used Harvey throughout their run to the World Series last year.
The Mets shut down Harvey the year after his surgery also he was used a year and a half following Tj surgery
It was made pretty clear Strasburg wanted to get a deal done with the Nationals. If Harvey is the same with the Mets, Bora’s will make it happen. Everyone likes to make him out to he the bad guy, but he does as his client wishes.
Yes he does what his client wishes, but with a LOT of advice on ‘what the player and his family should consider.’ There is no doubting that the perception is that a smaller % of boras clients choose extensions vs choose free agency.
*** If someone has actual #’s of ‘free agency eligible’ clients and those who chose ‘extensions’ … And see the data of boras vs other baseball sports agents over past 3-5 years, it would be great to see.
What I don’t know is the extremely high mix of ‘stars’ that boras represents and how this affects our ‘perception’ that Boras’ clients choose free agency at a higher rate)
Actually the evaluation is trickier, it would have to include players who got bought out of arb years … (Heck somebody give names of Boras clients who signed multi year contracts with 1 years of arbitration left)
Sometimes the player can and will dicate signing after reaching with the original team for less years and salary. See Varitek 1st time after hitting FA.
Players can force him to do their wishes of course, tho reason players choose him is mainly to extract last dime. Varitek had him as adviser out of HIS and college, can see that and had him still at the end.
Others who have maintained wishes to stay put have agreed, Strasburg of course.. Weaver in Anaheim.
Bogaerts in Boston has stressed numerous times his strong desire to remain in Boston. Think might have gotten done sooner with Cherrington, tho believe it will still get done in a year or 2.
having watched the mets all year i can tell you cabrera has been an average to above average defender all year and has made some clutch plays in the field. just shows how unreliable d-metrics are
Got it. Throwing defensive metrics out the window as I hit “Publish”.
I like a guy and any statics pointing another direction are absurd. Sabermetrics are useless there have been a lot of guys I’ve been high on that sabermetrics haven’t been kind too. Flawed
Sabermetrics tend to be useless when they don’t prove someone’s point and tend to be be great when they do. It’s just another example of how stats can be cherry picked.
He has a penchant to make plays look more difficult or aestically pleasing than need be. Players like this tend to get overrated by the eye test.
He has penchant for making plays. The eyeball test does just fine as witness.
He’s smart player with excellent instincts and know-how which offsets a lack of upper echelon tools. If you’ve seen enough baseball and know what to look for, the eyeball test works rather well and bodes understanding of the game on the field, real time, real life, played by real people, rather than paper. and data streams. .
I can assure you I have played baseball at a higher level than you but thanks for telling me what it’s about, I’m sure your little league coach is proud. Anyway, he lacks range therefore making routine grounders look tougher than need be, other balls that would be outs he doesn’t get to all together.
Don’t think pony ball is considered a “higher level”
And some of those clutch diving plays that he made, a normal shortstop wouldnt need to dive for. His range isnt good. There are guys who make great plays but the range just isnt there. Look at Jeter
I don’t think he’s talking about “clutch diving plays.” It’s more about the “clutch plays,” like throwing out the go-ahead runner at 3rd in the 9th yesterday. He makes smart decisions. You can’t really qualify that.
You all forget i never said he was a gold glove defender, just that the d metrics make him out to be terrible. Also Bill James has said the d metrics are unreliable and that you have to actually see a player play to get a full grasp of what he is capable of, but i have noticed the sabrmetrics community has turned their backs on him the last few years. Metrics people blindly follow any statistic put in front of them without questioning any of it. a large portion of these people have stopped watching games and have resulted to looking at statistics at a screen. Not saying stats are meaningless but it is a mathematic representation of something that isnt entirely mathematic
To Mark Polishuk:
Asdrubal Cabrera is the 2016 starter – is not fill in for Flores.
Flores started a lot last season and just wasn’t good enough. Cabrera is definite upgrade.
Flores is utility player this season and recently went on DL
What You Wrote Is Wrong.
“Cabrera is hitting .278/.333/.373 through 171 plate appearances and despite some subpar defensive metrics, he’s been a valuable fill-in at shortstop with Wilmer Flores injured.”
The Harvey situation is different because it is (now) well known that Strausburg wanted to stay in WAS because it was comfortable and he felt a connection w. the club. MLBTR posted an article about it awhile back.
Wrapping up Syn should be the Met’s top priority (in regard to re-signing their arms), though if Harvey wants to do a team friendly deal like Strausburg…I’m sure the front office would listen.