Mets

[Amazin69]

Correct! Lucas had a good training camp, and Terry has given him a piece of the LF job.

Unfortunately, Josh Johnson, a fellow lefty, is on the mound for the Fish, so Lucas's piece of the job has to wait until Game #2. But good try!

1. Jose Reyes, ss
2.
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Carlos Beltran, rf
5. Angel Pagan, cf
6. Ike Davis, 1b
7.
8. Josh Thole, c
9. Mike Pelfrey, p

NOT: Jason Bay (injured), R.A. Dickey (later in rotation), Lucas Duda (bench-platoon), Nick Evans (AAA), Daniel Murphy (bench), Johan Santana (injured), Ruben Tejada (AAA), Justin Turner (AAA).

[Westheim]

There was one year, before I started watching (so 2011 or earlier) where the Mets came out of spring training with a total flash in the pan at second base, who was gone by the end of April. That's where Nick Evans came from. But I can't come up with the actual guy's name. I have to defer to smarter people.

[Amazin69]

Why yes, our mystery 2B is indeed a Rule V pick (selected when we had a hunch it was time to ditch Luis Castillo), who played 10 games for us and never again. (Although I find we did sign him back to Buffalo in '15.)

Last name not dissimilar to "Evans", either. Sooooo close…

In contrast, mystery LF both has a resume and gets into notably more than 10 games this season.

[Cod]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Why yes, our mystery 2B is indeed a Rule V pick (selected when we had a hunch it was time to ditch Luis Castillo), who played 10 games for us and never again. (Although I find we did sign him back to Buffalo in '15.)

Last name not dissimilar to "Evans", either. Sooooo close…

OMG, it's a guy that went to my high school! His last name was Emus (or something like the bird). His picture in a Mets uniform is up in my high school's "Wall of Fame". I went to East Coweta HS in Georgia btw and I'm pretty positive it's the same guy. The only other MLB player from my high school is Cam Bedrosian, who wasn't in the league until around 2014.

Give me credit Amazin!

[Westheim]

Argh, Brad Emaus ...!! (slaps his forehead)

[Amazin69]

That's amazing, pardon the (semi-self) pun. I went to high school with the NFL's Richie Erenberg, but no Mets!

Brad Emaus (see, a five-letter name with 3 letters in the same position as "Evans") FTW!

1. Jose Reyes, ss
2.
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Carlos Beltran, rf
5. Angel Pagan, cf
6. Ike Davis, 1b
7. Brad Emaus, 2b
8. Josh Thole, c
9. Mike Pelfrey, p

NOT: Jason Bay (injured), R.A. Dickey (later in rotation), Lucas Duda (bench-platoon), Nick Evans (AAA), Daniel Murphy (bench), Johan Santana (injured), Ruben Tejada (AAA), Justin Turner (AAA).

And now for the guy in left…a versatile veteran who played for more than a decade, the Mets were one of seven teams he played for. And, IIRC, with Bay on the DL, he's the only Met on the opening day roster who sported a World Championship ring.

(Discussions of Beltran and 2017 are for other threads, methinks…)

[Cod]

Cliff Floyd?

I'm out of ideas on Mets outfielders during that period. Yeonis came along later and he's the only other LF I can think of from the Mets that played 2000s (outside the current crop).

[Amazin69]

I love Cliff, but he'd hung them up after 2009. (Did not know/remember he finished up with the Friars.)

1. Jose Reyes, ss
2.
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Carlos Beltran, rf
5. Angel Pagan, cf
6. Ike Davis, 1b
7. Brad Emaus, 2b
8. Josh Thole, c
9. Mike Pelfrey, p

NOT: Jason Bay (injured), R.A. Dickey (later in rotation), Lucas Duda (bench-platoon), Nick Evans (AAA), Cliff Floyd (retired), Daniel Murphy (bench), Johan Santana (injured), Ruben Tejada (AAA), Justin Turner (AAA).

Our mystery LF played numerous other positions this season; everywhere except pitcher, catcher and one other. He debuted in the AL, but he'd been with at least one of our divisional rivals before joining us.

(No, not Yoenis, either. Obviously.)

[Westheim]

Gary Sheffield was done by then, wasn't he? And Marlon Byrd was 2013. Nor Bobby Abreu. Gotta have been an older player (but not necessarily a good one; journeyman hangers-on?)...

[Westheim]

Ugh. It pains me.

There's a Phillies "legend"(?), he did occasional color commentary for the Phillies at least a few years ago. Black guy, also an outfielder, 1980s. Can't come up with the name. That guy's kid, with a "jr." attached?

I may or may not be out in the sticks now

[Amazin69]

Hmm, there is a member of a multi-generational family on this team (not saying if he's the LF), but his dad never played for the Phillies; he was almost entirely an American League player.

(Dad had a brother who got into 3 games for the 1969 Cubs, but that's not what you want, either.)

Years later, we got John Mayberry Jr, who played for the Phils, but Big John didn't. (Astros, Royals, Jays, Yankees, IIRC.) Not aware of any broadcast connection there, either.

So I can't rate any guesses until I can at least guess whom you're guessing. Sorry.

1. Jose Reyes, ss
2.
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Carlos Beltran, rf
5. Angel Pagan, cf
6. Ike Davis, 1b
7. Brad Emaus, 2b
8. Josh Thole, c
9. Mike Pelfrey, p

ETA: wait, I've got it. You're thinking of Gary Matthews, Jr., who wasn't a patch on Ol' Sarge, even with the HGH. We cut him in mid-2010. (And he was strictly an OF; our guy played multiple IF spots as well.)

NOT: Jason Bay (injured), R.A. Dickey (later in rotation), Lucas Duda (bench-platoon), Nick Evans (AAA), Cliff Floyd (retired), Gary Matthews Jr. (out of baseball), Daniel Murphy (bench), Johan Santana (injured), Gary Sheffield (retired), Ruben Tejada (AAA), Justin Turner (AAA).

Our Mystery Met got into 126 games in 2011, performing reasonably well. Then in 2012, he couldn't even hit .126 for the Reds, and was finished.

[Cod]

Can one of you Mets diehards tell me the thinking behind picking up the option on Daniel Vogelbach?

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by Cod

Can one of you Mets diehards tell me the thinking behind picking up the option on Daniel Vogelbach?

They know I'm quitting the team and want me to be glad of it?

Seriously, I got nothing. At least Vogelfat can enjoy all of the Metro area's fine dining options.

(A pity Rusty Staub's restaurants are as gone as the man himself. Vogie looks as though he might enjoy a plate of ribs. Or two. Or three. Or…)

[Westheim]

Did some research on that black Phillie son I was waffling on about yesterday. Gary Matthews jr. is who I meant - and he last played in 2010, so he's not it either.

Still no clue on that veteran leftfielder.

[Cod]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

They know I'm quitting the team and want me to be glad of it?

Seriously, I got nothing. At least Vogelfat can enjoy all of the Metro area's fine dining options.

Okay, I thought I was missing something. I read this on CBS Sports today: Vogelbach will unsurprisingly remain in New York after a strong showing with the Mets in the second half of the 2022 campaign. After being traded from the Pirates to the Mets on July 22, the slugger slashed .255/.393/.436 with six homers, 25 RBI and 18 runs scored over 55 contests.

Since when is that kind of slash line and associated numbers "strong"? A power guy who is only averaging 2.5 HRs a month doesn't seem very good in my opinion. The only thing I can find to make the option worth it is that it is only costing them $1.5M.

[Déjà Bru]

I would say that the process of redemption for Edwin Diaz is complete. It's the largest deal ever for a relief pitcher.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Cod

Can one of you Mets diehards tell me the thinking behind picking up the option on Daniel Vogelbach?

Here's the thinking, according to one reporter:

The Mets reportedly exercised their $1.5 million team option for designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach on Sunday. That did not register as a surprise. Part of their attraction to him as a trade acquisition in July was that he was under team control beyond the 2022 season, and at that price, he would be of use even as only a lefthanded-hitting bench bat. They also could trade or cut him at a minimal sunk cost if they deem him expendable.

Originally Posted by Cod

Okay, I thought I was missing something. I read this on CBS Sports today: Vogelbach will unsurprisingly remain in New York after a strong showing with the Mets in the second half of the 2022 campaign. After being traded from the Pirates to the Mets on July 22, the slugger slashed .255/.393/.436 with six homers, 25 RBI and 18 runs scored over 55 contests.

Since when is that kind of slash line and associated numbers "strong"? A power guy who is only averaging 2.5 HRs a month doesn't seem very good in my opinion. The only thing I can find to make the option worth it is that it is only costing them $1.5M.

Since, oh, about a few years ago when offense across all of baseball took a nosedive.

[Amazin69]

Vogie's .829 OPS isn't horrific, and I wouldn't mind the price, except for three things:

• It's not as if he puts up a steady .829. Serious peaks and valleys. I haven't gone through the game logs but I know there are times when it's not pretty.

• It would make for nice numbers if he were contributing in the field. A basher (especially a PLATOON basher) might want to put up more-impressive splits if all he's going to do is DH.

• A large amount of that OPS is the OPB (almost the same as the SLG). Now I like guys who get on base, but it helps if the manager hits them in front of the RBI guys (Vogie is planted in 5th/6th) or if, once they're on-base, they can scamper home on close plays at the plate. Vogie allegedly runs well considering his gut, but his scampering days have to be largely theoretical, I'd think.

In contrast, Brandon Nimmo is a career .385/.441 for a .827 (rounding up) OPS. (Nimmo actually had an off-year, this season.). But Nimmo plays CF, doesn't need to be platooned, Buck hits him leadoff and he can scoot around the bases when Frankie or Pete smokes one. To be fair, Nimmo will sign for notably more than $1.5m. But still.

[Cod]

What y'all are saying makes sense, so I'm interested to see how it plays out. However, that news being followed by the Diaz contract has me more baffled. At that price, if he appears 60-times (his average during good to great seasons), he'll make ~$33k per appearance. Also, has any deal that long and that much for a relief pitcher ever "worked out"? The only one I can find recently is Raisel Iglesias, who was traded less than a year into his 4-yr/$58M deal. Emmanuel Clase signed a 5-yr/$20M deal which is probably going to be a steal for the Guardians.

All that is a long winded way of saying, "Is Steve just throwing money at the team and assuming they'll win for years to come?"

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Cod

All that is a long winded way of saying, "Is Steve just throwing money at the team and assuming they'll win for years to come?"

It sure looks like it. Soon to follow will be resentful Mets-haters.