The Mets have signed 11 minor league free agents, including outfielder Mallex Smith, infielder/outfielder Jose Peraza and reliever Arodys Vizcaino, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic.
The speedy Smith was a 3.5-fWAR and 40-steal player with the Rays as recently as 2018, but his production has gone downhill since then. While Smith did steal 46 bases with the Mariners the next season, he didn’t hit much then, and his offensive issues continued this year. He’s the owner of a terrible .220/.290/.323 line across 613 plate appearances in the past two seasons. Nevertheless, Smith could now succeed free agent Jake Marisnick as the Mets’ backup for Brandon Nimmo in center field.
The Red Sox signed Peraza, previously a Red, to a $3MM guarantee last offseason. That deal didn’t work out for Boston, as Peraza recorded a meek .225/.275/.342 line over 120 PA. It was the latest below-average season at the plate for Peraza, who has historically been an underwhelming option at the plate.
Vizcaino, 29, has had some enormously successful seasons with the Braves in the past, but injuries have destroyed his career of late. Vizcaino hasn’t pitched since April 7, 2019, after which he underwent shoulder surgery. He hasn’t taken the mound in the majors since then, but perhaps he’ll recover and emerge as a buy-low steal for the Mets next season.
Hey at least Brodie didn’t trade prospects for fifth OFers this time.
This must be the big spending Cohen was talking about. This should get the Mets 4th place in division next year.
You have to fill out your roster with solid minor league invitees. The major moves are coming as well, but not everyone on the 40-man roster is gonna be HOF quality. Calm down
This sounds like an Omar Minaya move. Brodie may very well be lame-duck. More to come on that. And no lame duck is going to be signing anybody or spending any large amount of the owners money just to saddle him with oigations moving forward.
Obligations moving forward. Mets next order of business will be to put their front office in place. Seems like there will be lots of talent available as FA’s this year.
Calm down dude. It’s only the beginning. He’s far from done
Oscar De La Cruz is a notable one as well, as is Bruce Maxwell
I hope Vizcaino can come back and succeed. It sucks to see a pitcher with the arm and results he had get stalled by injuries.
Jose Peraza could improve a lot of minor league teams.
So could Mike Foltynewicz. Imagine the confidence he’d instill in hitters.
lol nice
Peraza is on his way to being regarded as the next swihart or refsnyder.
Doesnt do jack on the field, yet somehow keep on getting signed???
just because he had a bad year in BOS doesnt mean he’s never done anything in the Majors
hyped in the minors, shown flashes of talent that couldn’t reliably translate into durable big league performance.
Non-tendered by multiple teams for lack of performance. Still keeps getting a deal to ‘try again’
Boxes checked.
“I think you heard me say, I’d like some former Braves. What I said was Give. Me. All. The. Former. Braves..”
Hey! The Mets found the garbage that used to be in the Astros’ cans.
The Braves’ sloppy seconds.
that or bitter taste of reality of how much the Braves always over value all their prospects…
2 of those 3 were highly regarded at one point…remember the ‘Big 3’ of Teheran Vizcaino and Delgado in the farm system? smh
several outlets had them “highly rated”.
and numerous projected top prospects fail to live up to hype
Cubs almost acquired Delgado for Dempster back in the day, but to Dempster banging the babysitter behind the wife back he prefered not go to Atlanta and Cubs were stuck with Kyle Hendricks instead. Bummer!
how many W/S win do the Braves have.. 12 NL east wins in a row and 1 w/s with 3 HOF and 3 more could be HOF. Ya the braves are the blue print for coming in 3ed
I’d ask when was the last time the Mets were relevant but you mess folk seem to love history so that’s probably not all that long ago to you. The hell is 3ed?
2015. went to w/s so we finished 2ed, better than 3ed. Braves have had 3 new ball parks since 1997. so no fans coming out or did the people in the neighborhood tell you to get out. At least we don’t need 3 HOF and 3 Almost HOF to win 1 time. The Marlins finished 20 games behind and still beat 3 HOF and 3 almost HOF. Braves are choke kings that have a racist name and do a racist chop. Maybe that’s why they got chased out of the other neighborhoods.
How did the Mets do last year? How long has it been since they DIDN’T underperform? Talk about choke masters. You’re right, you don’t need HOFers to do what YOU guys do. =D
Now that Cohen is here you will be asking less. Dw
Let’s just see what your great, big, bad savior does.
When the Mets actually get to the playoffs they do better than the Braves. But your right is Mets/fans shouldn’t be talking bc you guys consistently get there. But the Mets do do better when they go. And with Cohen here(not just about the money) we might make it as much as you. But Braves do have a really good future. But it could be worst. The Mets and Braves could be the marlins who have never even been in first place in the division past July lol. Leading to never winning a division lol.
I’m not saying Mets will be better than Braves. Rn the Braves roster is better than Mets. But I was responding to him saying they weren’t relevant. With the wilpons your going to lose even if your the dodgers. It’s just the way it is. (Dodger roster is better than Mets I’m not saying anything like that) let’s see the Cohen era
Smith hits .287 with a 2.5 WAR per season while playing above average defense in Tampa and then goes to Seattle and his game falls apart. Was it all on Smith or was it mostly on the Mariners? I am putting my money on the latter.
Billy Hamilton had a good season too…
In centerfield, Seattle replaced Mallex Smith with Kyle Lewis, the likely 2020 AL Rookie of the Year.
Was the developent of Lewis (or fellow rookie Justus Sheffield) “mostly on the Mariners”?
If you will notice, virtually NONE of Tampa’s positional players succeed elsewhere(is that you Carl Crawford?), because in Tampa they are often platooned and only play in favorable matchups and when they get EXPOSED to everyday play on other teams, their weakness show up.
Ben Zobrist, Carlos Pena, Wil Myers come to mind
I wouldn’t say any of them got better, Myers didn’t come close to living up to the hype.
Getting better has nothing to do with mlb fans theory. Though Myers best season of his career was this past one
His July and August of 2018 were wildly, flukily great. Huge BABIP spikes, nothing in line with the rest of his career. That’s it. He had two outlier months. It happens. He’s not even a great defensive player so much as he’s fast–just a spare outfielder.
Turf in Tampa and Grass in Seattle. Look at the splits, even when in Tampa, for Smith on the two surfaces
His absolutely terrible play is the Mariners fault?Odd when his replacement is likely ROY.
“What would like off the menu tonight Mr. Van wagenen?”
Braves, with a side of former Braves.
Welcome to the New York Mariners, Mallex!
Vizciano is a name I haven’t heard in a long time. I think this is a really good set of moves from the Mets. Speed, a really good reliever (when healthy), and a backup infielder for depth. Good day for the Mets despite being a minor one.
I like the Mallex signing…. they get a speedy CFr without the bother of delusions that he’s actually gonna start. Fills a bench need.
The Braves’ scraps
Cohen going in big at the dumpster!
Why is Brodie allowed to make ANY moves at this point, even minor ones? Maybe Sandy is behind these?
These are fine move. Former top prospects hoping to find a spark. Relax. Viz was legit for a while. And the other two can provide some value without question, albeit limited
Because the purchase contract probably said that (a) the Mets could sign up to X number of MILB contracts, or up to $___ on MLB players, without Cohen, or (b) they agreed to “consult” Cohen on player signings after he was approved but before closing.
There is little chance Brodie made these moves on his own. The sale contract probably specified what moves needed approval by Cohen (Alderson) and how that approval took place (either from Alderson or from someone he plans to retain or hire). I’m sure that Stroman wasn’t given a qualifying offer without Sandy’s direction.
Well, if you can’t beat ’em.
#formerbravestopprospects #iskellyjohnsoninvolved?
That’s funny
only if the braves sign him and the mets trade a pitching prospect for him mid season .. i believe thats the rules.
Cohen going big!
ya and the cheep ass marlins staying lil.
As long as we keep winning championships every once in awhile. And as long as I’m able to spell the word “cheap”.
Breaking out the big bucks met fans were hoping for!!
Joking aside, this is what you do when you have really crappy depth. Good on the Mets for realizing you need more than starting 8 to win
If one of these guys has a bounce back, the whole lot is a W
Honestly, I wouldn’t doubt Viz (Nobody Beats the Wiz better make an appearance in telecasts) rebounds. He won’t be 30 with limited mileage because of 2019 shoulder surgery (not playing 2020) and while he overperformed his FiP with a lifetime 3.01 ERA, he could have a nice return to form in case (– err — when) Diaz has a meltdown.
Diaz would be your best reliever lol. 2019 was obviously a fluke. He was back to dominating in 2020
Really?
But but but…I thought you said that 60 games doesn’t mean anything. That things wouldn’t be the same in a 162-game season.
Lol Mets are back!
Trying to get fill ins without spending anything really, isn’t such a bad move. Now go sign Springer and a couple of SP’s.
Glad to see Smith sign. There was talk among the locals that KC would be a good place for him. Was not a fan of that idea. We have too many no-hit outfielders as it is.
Marisnek > Smith
Not in 2018.
Marisnick sucks
Agreed. Marisnick does suck. For all the people that wanted to bash the Marlins for letting Mike Hill go, they don’t realize that Marisnick was another one of Hill’s failures in two ways as follows:
1), When the Marlins were negotiating the trade to send Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, Jose Reyes to the Blue Jays, the Jays already agreed to trade Henderson Alvarez, and Adeiny Hechevarria to the Marlins along with a couple of prospects. Hill insisted on Marisnick, Travis d’Arnaud, and LHP Justin Nicolino. The Blue Jays returned with that the Marlins could have one of Marisnick or d’Arnaud and then a choice of one pitcher between Nicolino and Syndergaard. However, they said that if the Marlins wanted Nicolino, they could only have Marisnick. If they wanted d’Arnaud, they’d only get Syndergaard. Despite the Marlins already having Stanton established, and two prospect OFs in Christian Yelich and Marcel Ozuna in the Minors, Hill decided that he couldn’t pass up on Nicolino and Marisnick.
2) After making that trade, when the Marlins brought up Yelich, Ozuna and Marisnick, despite Ozuna showing in the Minors his potential, and showing his tools when he entered MLB, Hill and Beinfest insisted that Marisnick was going to play over Ozuna until Marishnick failed and Ozuna won the job.
They’re going to need players to fill in at the minor league level after they trade some prospects for cash strapped teams superstars.