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Catcher 2017

Centerfield Oct 12 2016 02:49 PM

What do you do with d'Arnaud? Had an .825 OPS in 2015, but regressed badly in 2016. The Julio Franco stance has made his swing impossibly long. He's starting earlier, but constantly behind on the ball anyway. You'd think that the benefit of the longer swing would be increased power, but his SLG saw the biggest dropoff (down 162 points) and his HR's dropped from 12 to 4. Remember, TdA was one of the guys we thought could hit 20 this year. I don't know what to make of him. Can't stay healthy, can't throw out runners. Is now 27 years of age and has been wildly inconsistent. Seriously, I don't know why he wouldn't go back to the earlier stance that had him short and quick through the zone. Matt Wieters is a free agent but he kinda sucks. Wilson Ramos is available and good, but he's not only hurt, but has a history of bad knees.

smg58 Oct 12 2016 02:52 PM Re: Catcher 2017

He played hurt most (if not all) of the year. I'm for giving him another chance.

Ceetar Oct 12 2016 02:57 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I kinda suspected he was still hurt and expect him to be fine in 2017. Also the "can't throw out runners" thing is overstated and he's a very good framer.

Edgy MD Oct 12 2016 03:02 PM Re: Catcher 2017

If they return him (and I suspect they are inclined to) they probably want a thumpier backup plan than René Rivera, though.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 12 2016 03:02 PM Re: Catcher 2017

It's a big area of need. I think it's already "out there" that he's not strong enough defensively and maybe even isn't thought of well as a receiver, so unless he really steps up with the lumber he's an absolute lost cause. It bothered me how frequently he changed his batting stance, and I was absolutely shocked when I heard him saying how committed he was to his new one as it hadn't followed or preceeded any improvement in his hitting. It's like we're reliving Josh Thole all over again: Promising offensive dish prospect becomes a unreliable singles hitter whose defense disappoints all around. Plus, the friggin injuries. I think this is one case where moving on is absolutely the right thing to do, the question is what next. I guess my short-term solution is trade d"Arnaud for something (relief help? A RH-hitting reserve outfielder?) bet on Plawecki's bat moving forward, augment him with a veteran backup (Rivera or the like), and wait patiently for Tomas Nido. Catcher and first base are hard places to break in rookies, and that's where we need to.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 12 2016 03:39 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I'm not sure what to do about Travis. It would be a shame to trade him now, mainly because his value is pretty low and he may bounce back to be the player that he was in 2015. Ideally, the Mets would bring in a 30-year-old veteran catcher with a solid bat and let Travis be the backup and whatever playing time he gets will provide more information about whether 2016 was a fluke or if it's time to give up on him, as may very well be the case.

Centerfield Oct 12 2016 03:42 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm not sure what to do about Travis. It would be a shame to trade him now, mainly because his value is pretty low and he may bounce back to be the player that he was in 2015. Ideally, the Mets would bring in a 30-year-old veteran catcher with a solid bat and let Travis be the backup and whatever playing time he gets will provide more information about whether 2016 was a fluke or if it's time to give up on him, as may very well be the case. I'm here too. I was thinking to bring in like a Nick Hundley or Geovany Soto and see what happens. I think this is the wrong time to cut bait on Travis. Ditto what JCL was saying. It's crazy how committed he is to that stance even though he sucks with it. I wonder what the coaches have to say about it.

Centerfield Oct 12 2016 03:43 PM Re: Catcher 2017

smg58 wrote: He played hurt most (if not all) of the year. I'm for giving him another chance. Is this true? I hadn't heard that.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 12 2016 04:26 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Nobody's on Team Kevin with me? I'm not saying he's exactly Mr. Reliable either, but keep in mind that unlike d'Arnaud his spotty MLB record can be explained away in part because he was rushed there thanks to d"Arnaud's unreliability and that he's now finally got the AAA season he so badly needed. It wasn't a bad one, neither. My theory: If Plawecki hadn't been promoted over his head in 2015 I think the chorus would be pretty darn loud for him right now.

Edgy MD Oct 12 2016 04:47 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Becoming a full-time catcher suxx. You have to learn to hit major league pitching at the same time you have to learn your staff and what they can do — a staff that is now perhaps 13 dudes — as well as learn the vulnerabilities of every hitter in the league. And you have do that while bearing the daily wounds and fatigue while coming to play four times in five. This adjustment is known to take several years. Or several years and bucket of roids if your name is Hundley. Yeah, the Yankees had a wunderkind come up and hit a massive amount of homers, and good for him. But a lot of guys have come up and made a splash before the realities of the grind drew them back to the pack. Devin Mesoraco, what's doing? J.P. Arencibia, long time no see. None of that is necessarily to say that d'Arnaud is the way the team should go. Only that I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed to find out they were still invested in him. But how about getting a catching instructor back on the staff this year?

Zvon Oct 12 2016 04:54 PM Re: Catcher 2017

d'Arnaud could frame my testicles in gold and it means jack shit if he can't block pitches properly or throw guys out. I've said it before. He has a stamina issue where he wears down way to soon. In individual games and over the long haul as well. Also that wrist cock thing. I wouldn't call it giving him a second chance. Come spring he gets to show if he has worked on and improved on where he lacks. If he hasn't he'll have to move aside for good, as far as being a first string catcher goes. He's pretty much already been relegated to 2nd string behind Rivera, IMO.

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2016 05:27 PM Re: Catcher 2017

- not ready to give up on TdA. Maybe that's wishful thinking but his 2015 counts as much as the 2016 and I don't want to sell low on him - also not sold on Plawecki Maybe he was rushed (although at age 24 couldn't have been that rushed) but it's not like his minor league numbers are out of sight either (esp in Vegas). Plus I'd rather have d'Arnaud defensively, at least based on what I've seen. I don't know that Plawecki has the arm for full-time behind the plate work.

Edgy MD Oct 12 2016 05:55 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Zvon wrote: d'Arnaud could frame my testicles in gold and it means jack shit if he can't block pitches properly or throw guys out. I've said it before. He has a stamina issue where he wears down way to soon. In individual games and over the long haul as well. Also that wrist cock thing. I wouldn't call it giving him a second chance. Come spring he gets to show if he has worked on and improved on where he lacks. If he hasn't he'll have to move aside for good, as far as being a first string catcher goes. He's pretty much already been relegated to 2nd string behind Rivera, IMO. Sure, but that was 2016, and now we are looking forward. Does the evidence really demonstrate that d'Arnaud distinctly or consistently allows passed balls or fails the throw out throw-out-able runners below the mean? Because I have my doubts that it does, especially considering he has worked with one or two pitchers who just don't keep an eye on the runners at all at all.

d'Kong76 Oct 12 2016 06:14 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Once or twice a year I have to point out that balls and strikes are where the ball crosses or doesn't cross the plate. If an ump is calling pitches based on good framing or bad framing they are doing their job properly. I know my stance on this drives some crazy, but I have to vent it once and awhile. I've said a couple of times now I'm d'un with d'Travis but there's no way he's not going to get every shot to be d'man in 2017. He's not trade-able for d'much.

Ceetar Oct 12 2016 06:22 PM Re: Catcher 2017

d'Kong76 wrote: Once or twice a year I have to point out that balls and strikes are where the ball crosses or doesn't cross the plate. If an ump is calling pitches based on good framing or bad framing they are doing their job properly. I know my stance on this drives some crazy, but I have to vent it once and awhile. I feel compelled to point out again that it's demonstrably true that umpires are influenced by framing.

d'Kong76 Oct 12 2016 06:25 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I figured you might be compelled haha.

Fman99 Oct 12 2016 06:54 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Zvon wrote: Also that wrist cock thing.

d'Kong76 Oct 12 2016 07:11 PM Re: Catcher 2017

If an ump is calling pitches based on good framing or bad framing they are doing their job properly. Of course I meant NOT doing...

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2016 07:50 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Ceetar wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: If an ump is calling pitches based on good framing or bad framing they are [not] doing their job properly. I feel compelled to point out again that it's demonstrably true that umpires are influenced by framing. This is why we need RoboUmp

Edgy MD Oct 12 2016 08:02 PM Re: Catcher 2017

The name is Murphy.

themetfairy Oct 12 2016 08:32 PM Re: Catcher 2017

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Nobody's on Team Kevin with me? I'm always on Team Kevin. Or team Kelvin....

Lefty Specialist Oct 12 2016 08:32 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I'm for moving on from Travis. Even before the injury he wasn't that good at throwing out runners. And in typical Met fashion, we don't really know how bad that rotator cuff injury is. His saving grace may be that his value is rock-bottom right now so he's not tradeable. But I'd prefer someone else behind the dish.

TransMonk Oct 12 2016 08:53 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I'm not a d'A fan and am ready to move on...though, I'm not sure what the best answer is, yet. Like most things this season, we may not a have a clear answer on how they fill the catcher's role until they know more about the Cespedes sitch.

bmfc1 Oct 12 2016 09:20 PM Re: Catcher 2017

We saw Wilson Ramos cause the Mets a lot of damage this year but 2016 may have been an aberration. Look at his WAR vs. other seasons: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?pl ... position=C Plus, he's coming off an ACL injury. I think that they are going to give d'Arnaud every chance to win the job back.

Zvon Oct 13 2016 12:17 AM Re: Catcher 2017 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 13 2016 03:24 AM

Edgy MD wrote: Zvon wrote: d'Arnaud could frame my testicles in gold and it means jack shit if he can't block pitches properly or throw guys out. I've said it before. He has a stamina issue where he wears down way to soon. In individual games and over the long haul as well. Also that wrist cock thing. I wouldn't call it giving him a second chance. Come spring he gets to show if he has worked on and improved on where he lacks. If he hasn't he'll have to move aside for good, as far as being a first string catcher goes. He's pretty much already been relegated to 2nd string behind Rivera, IMO. Sure, but that was 2016, and now we are looking forward. Does the evidence really demonstrate that d'Arnaud distinctly or consistently allows passed balls or fails the throw out throw-out-able runners below the mean? Because I have my doubts that it does, especially considering he has worked with one or two pitchers who just don't keep an eye on the runners at all at all. Commenting as to Travis having a chance to prove himself in spring is me looking forward. To me, he does demonstrate that he is not the best choice we have for the position. I'm not concerned with "the mean". Just with what we have. He's been pretty weak behind the plate on things that he definitely can improve on. Simple things as far as I'm concerned. When was the last time Trav caught Thor? And who is the other pitcher? Now if d'Arnaud continued to hit the way we hoped he would hit, and consistently, I might feel different. He may come around someday but I'd rather not see him struggle through whatever he has to on the MLB level. I'd like to see him excel as a Metropolitan, but until he shows some improvements he goes behind Rene on my depth chart. Is Rivera the answer? For a full season? I'd think offensively we would suffer but behind the plate we'd be okay. I gotta say his bat, as bad as it was, surprised me this season. I think because a number of his hits were clutch hits. Ideally Trav or Kevin step up, or I think we need more from behind the plate than Rene. But if the team does certain things this off season to make for a better 2017, and Sandy goes with Rivera as our guy behind the plate, I'll accept it and root my ass off for him.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 13 2016 02:18 AM Re: Catcher 2017

Rivera is not realistic for a whole season, at least not Plan A. I suppose I could be convinced of an all-out battle between TdA and Plawecki, loser goes to Vegas, or the Twins or something.

Zvon Oct 13 2016 03:23 AM Re: Catcher 2017

All three up on the big club does not make sense as things stand. Flip flop em both, up & down to the farm to get at bats (until one hopefully breaks out)? I don't like that but if nothing is done about the situation I can see the Mets doing it.

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2016 01:07 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Y'know, I'm tempted to just throw all in on Plawecki & d'Arnaud again to start the season. Yeah you'll want a backup handy but you always do with catching so that's nothing new here. But absent getting a good offer for one or the other over the winter, I'd be willing to try last year's duo again this season with the idea that it's almost certain to work out better than it did.

Edgy MD Oct 13 2016 01:45 PM Re: Catcher 2017

There's certainly a handful of good catchers out there to pursue. Wilson Ramos would have been one of the most appealing, but unfortunately, he's going in for knee surgery, and will likely miss most of the first half of 2017.

Centerfield Oct 13 2016 01:52 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I think this will depend on Travis's willingness to be coached. I wonder how the Mets brass feels about that stupid stance. You'd have to think Kevin Long is advising against it no? It's crazy to me that somebody would be so pigheaded about something that is clearly so wrong.

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2016 02:01 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I have to occasionally remind myself that Ramos won't turn 30 until the second half of next season as I tend to think of him as several years older than that. At the same time you tend to worry about big, heavy bodies like his (listed at 6' 1'' - [u:2ali4if5]255[/u:2ali4if5]) once they hit 30, especially one who squats for a living and now has now major knee surgery under his belt. He's also missed significant time in other seasons as well and the one other season in which he topped 400 ABs (2015) his OPS was just 616 as opposed to this year's 850 so you wonder which is real. But it's all kind of moot right now as there's no way he's ready for April and it might be several months after that. He picked a great time to have a career year but then had terrible timing on his injury, both for the Nats and for himself.

Centerfield Oct 13 2016 02:18 PM Re: Catcher 2017

You'd have to think he makes sense for an American League team, as he might be ready to contribute with the bat earlier than he can squat behind the plate. It was a given that he was going to get a multi-year deal and probably bolt from Washington, but now I wonder if he takes the QO, gets healthy, then tries again next year. It goes without saying, but I'd be wary of giving a guy a multi-year deal who is coming off a year that looks like it might be an aberration, big, on the wrong side of 30, and coming off multiple knee operations.

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2016 02:27 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Do the Nats even extend a QO at this point? They obviously would have before the injury. But while it's one thing to pay $14-15 million for a catcher for one season, it's quite another to cough up that kind of cash hoping that you'll get even a half season out of him. And they'd have to pay that on top of the plans they'd have to make to cover the catching position for the first two?, three?, four? months of the season while Ramos is still recovering.

Zvon Oct 13 2016 06:48 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I've really liked Ramos, what I've seen of him vs. the Mets anyways. But from what I read here we might have just seen his peak. Lets make Tebow a catcher.

Ceetar Oct 13 2016 06:51 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Zvon wrote: I've really liked Ramos, what I've seen of him vs. the Mets anyways. But from what I read here we might have just seen his peak. Lets make Tebow a catcher. against his religion.

Nymr83 Oct 13 2016 07:47 PM Re: Catcher 2017

d'Kong76 wrote: If an ump is calling pitches based on good framing or bad framing they are doing their job properly. Of course I meant NOT doing... This is definitely true, but until such time as they institute a non-human strike-caller, framing is a good (and pretty measurable) skill. much like a basketball player who is good at pretending to have been fouled.

Vic Sage Oct 13 2016 07:58 PM Re: Catcher 2017

i don't really get the desire to dump Travis for Plawecki. d'Arnaud has actually shown that, when healthy, he can be a productive player in the majors over the course of a season; Plawecki has not. Plawecki didn't even dominate in the minors; but d'Arnaud did. Nor does Plawecki have any kind of significant defensive edge (if any) over d'Arnaud. Travis is going into his prime, age 27 turning 28 next year. Yes, injuries are an ongoing concern, and availability is one of the most important abilities a player needs. But replacing d'Arnaud with Ramos doesn't really solve the injury/availability issue; plus, he's older (turning 30) and coming off a career year, so he'll cost alot. I think investing in age 30+ catchers coming off career years, whose career stats aren't much better than d'Arnaud, is a bad idea, and expecting Plawecki to outperform d'Arnaud, given what they have each accomplished in their careers to date, isn't a good bet either. Yes, a quality backup is important, particularly one that can shut down the running game for those of our starters who suck at holding runners. That's not Plawecki either.

Vic Sage Oct 13 2016 08:17 PM Re: Catcher 2017

if we want to try and trade for Zunino, or Swihart, or another strong young catcher, then fine. Even Rupp. The Phillies have a hot prospect, so Rupp might be available. But overpaying for Ramos, or dumping Travis for Plawecki, don't sound like great options.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 14 2016 08:04 AM Re: Catcher 2017

With all due respect, anyone saying d'Arnaud is behind Rene Fucking Rivera on their personal depth chart is kinda fucking loony and/or kidding themselves. I'm open to non-TdA options behind the plate. I'm not necessarily craving 'em, but I'm open.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 14 2016 08:06 AM Re: Catcher 2017

Edgy MD wrote: There's certainly a handful of good catchers out there to pursue. Wilson Ramos would have been one of the most appealing, but unfortunately, he's going in for knee surgery, and will likely miss most of the first half of 2017. Might complement TdA's annual injury stint nicely, no?

Edgy MD Oct 14 2016 01:27 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Well, I was certainly thinking he'd be a possible hedge against d'Arnaud not taking a step forward. Since he's out of action for (let's say) the first third of the season, you can give a one-year deal with a healthy option. Say, $6.5 million for the first year and $11.5 million for the option year. If d'Arnaud isn't prospering, he arrives in June, becomes the starter, and hopefully earns that option. (You can even put a vest on the option to guarantee it if he gets into 100 games, or perhaps 90). If d'Arnaud is prospering, he becomes the backup. If d'Arnaud and Plawecki are both prospering and healthy and he arrives healthy in June, they have a lovely problem on their hands. But there's no reason to get too fixated on Ramos. There's Jonathan Lucroy, who a lot of Met fans were clamoring for and offering up shiny pieces in pursuit of a few months back. There's Govany Soto, Nick Hundley, and Matt Wieters. And of course, there's the trade market.

Centerfield Oct 14 2016 02:03 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I think Lucroy has an option that will be picked up.

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2016 10:24 PM Re: Catcher 2017

The official word on Ramos became public in the last 24 hours: - had his surgery (the exact date apparently still a state secret) - reconstructed his anterior cruciate ligament, repaired the medial and lateral meniscus - six to eight months rehabilitation time

Edgy MD Oct 16 2016 12:37 AM Re: Catcher 2017

Soccer surgery.

Nymr83 Oct 16 2016 12:42 AM Re: Catcher 2017

I would keep d'Arnaud as the starter with a Rivera-type as the backup on opening day and hope for the best. He still has a higher upside, and at lower cost in dollars or trade chips, than anyone they could get from the outside. Plawecki plays every day in AAA so you can see what you have there too. The pecking order remains fluid if one guy hits and the other doesn't.

Ceetar Oct 17 2016 04:17 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Outside zone called strikes this postseason

Mets Guy in Michigan Oct 17 2016 05:45 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Nymr83 wrote: I would keep d'Arnaud as the starter with a Rivera-type as the backup on opening day and hope for the best. He still has a higher upside, and at lower cost in dollars or trade chips, than anyone they could get from the outside. Plawecki plays every day in AAA so you can see what you have there too. The pecking order remains fluid if one guy hits and the other doesn't. I think Travis needs to show his pitchers that he can throw out someone trying to steal second base. Isn't that how Rivera got his foot in the playing time door in the first place, because people were running wild on the Thor/Travis combo?

Edgy MD Oct 17 2016 06:00 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I think the notion that d'Arnaud can't throw somebody out is distinctly overstated. It's not like having Rivera catch Syndergaard in 23 of his 33 starts stopped Syndergaard from allowing the most stolen bases against in decades. If anything, I'd like to see Travis prove that he can sing as well as his brother. [youtube:3awpil23]_xnG1Bs4k18[/youtube:3awpil23]

MFS62 Oct 18 2016 01:09 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Frayed Knot wrote: They obviously would have before the injury. But while it's one thing to pay $14-15 million for a catcher for one season, it's quite another to cough up that kind of cash hoping that you'll get even a half season out of him. And they'd have to pay that on top of the plans they'd have to make to cover the catching position for the first two?, three?, four? months of the season while Ramos is still recovering. Similar issues can be raised in the Walker QO thread. Is he worth it for half a season? Later

Frayed Knot Oct 18 2016 01:29 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I don't think there's anything suggesting that Neil Walker's late season injury will cause him to miss any of 2017 and certainly not half of it. It's a far different situation with Ramos who is guaranteed to miss a sizable chunk of the season at best at which point he'll be a 255 pound catcher with a reconstructed knee. Plus, if/when Ramos does come back will his team be getting the 850 OPS of 2016 or the approx 710 that he averaged prior to last season or even the 616 that he put up in 2015? Betting on Walker -- whose 2016 season was good but not that much over his career norms -- is a far less iffy proposition. Back to the catching scene: Brian McCann is probably available from the Yanx for the right price.

MFS62 Oct 18 2016 01:43 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Back to the catching scene: Brian McCann is probably available from the Yanx for the right price. I can see your point on Walker. As for McCann, he has both MFY and Braves stench on him. More importantly, he has a lot of catching miles on his tires. I don't think he can still be a regular catcher and will probably demand too much money to be a platoon player. That said, he's better than any catcher the Mets now have under contract. Later

Centerfield Oct 18 2016 01:45 PM Re: Catcher 2017

That right price might just be taking on the remainder of his salary, which is significant. $17 million a year for 2017 and 2018, plus a vesting option at $15 million for 2019. Going into his age 33 year. Has largely been considered an adequate defender throughout his career. Career .799 OPS, and has averaged .742 over his last three seasons, in MFYIII. I don't know him well enough to know how many of those 20 HR's would be F9's in CitiField. I don't know. Doesn't seem like a Sandy type of move. Aging catcher, signed long-term, coming from a little league park. I think I'd rather keep Travis than take the risk.

Frayed Knot Oct 18 2016 03:15 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I'm not advocating for McCann -- just throwing it out there really -- in fact if I got the word that the Mets were interested I'd pretty strongly UNadvocate him. The biggest problem may be that he, probably more than any other hitter in baseball, has been hurt by the era of defensive shifts. The tumble his OPS has taken in recent years -- 850 during his peak ATL seasons vs 731 as an MFY -- is almost totally BA-related. So while his walk rate and Isolated Power numbers have stayed more or less constant throughout his career, the .290-ish BAs he was putting up with the Braves from 2006-2011 have plummeted to the .230's in the Bronx. His doubles totals have gone into hiding as well (35-40 per/year has become ~15) as it's tough to hit two-baggers when you only hit to RF, and RF is small, and there are four fielders out there, and if you're not the slowest guy in the league you're at least in the class picture. I suppose one could argue that without the short YSIII RF porch that he'd have incentive to get less pull-happy, but that's a helluva gamble to take for that kind of money for a guy who's nearly as big and slow as Ramos plus is a full four years older.

Edgy MD Oct 20 2016 03:03 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Catcher fever ... Catch It! In-House Options Player Age Level G (G@C) PA BA OBP SLG OPS HR RBI SB 2017 Salary Travis d'Arnaud 27 MLB 75 (73) 276 .247 .307 .323 .629 4 15 0 $542,604 AAA 8 (3) 38 .333 .429 .500 .929 0 2 0 A+ 3 (2) 14 .310 .474 .379 .853 0 5 1 René Rivera 32 MLB 65 (59) 207 .222 .291 .341 .632 6 26 0 $1,700,000 AAA 8 (8) 29 .280 .357 .320 .677 0 5 0 Kevin Plawecki 25 MLB 48 (45) 151 .197 .298 .265 .563 1 11 0 $511,360 AAA 55 (41) 207 .300 .348 .484 .832 8 40 0 In-House Minor Leaguers Player Age Stats G (G@C) PA BA OBP SLG OPS HR RBI SB Xorge Carillo 27 AAA 5 (4) 16 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 1 0 AA 80 (79) 311 .269 .347 .364 .711 4 24 0 In-House Minor League Free Agents Player Age Level G (G@C) PA BA OBP SLG OPS HR RBI SB Jeff Glenn 24 AAA 6 (1) 5 .400 .400 1.000 1.400 1 3 0 Raywilly Gomez 26 AA 13 (7) 37 .182 .250 .242 .492 0 4 0 Johnny Monell 30 AAA 113 (62) 461 .276 .336 .470 .806 19 75 2 MLB Free Agents Player Age Level G (G@C) PA BA OBP SLG OPS HR RBI SB 2017 Salary Matt Wieters 30 MLB (BAL) 124 (117) 464 .243 .302 .409 .711 17 66 1 $15,800,000 Wilson Ramos* 28 MLB (WSH) 131 (128) 523 .307 .354 .496 .850 22 80 0 $5,350,000 Jason Castro 29 MLB (HOU) 113 (111) 376 .210 .307 .377 .684 11 32 2 $5,000,000 Chris Iannetta 33 MLB (SEA) 94 (93) 338 .210 .303 .329 .631 7 24 0 $4,550,000 A.J. Ellis 35 MLB (PHI) 64 (57) 196 .216 .301 .298 .599 2 22 2 $4,500,000 Jonathan Lucroy 30 MLB (TEX) 142 (126) 544 .292 .355 .500 .855 24 81 5 $4,375,000 Dioner Navarro 32 MLB (TOR) 101 (90) 334 .207 .265 .322 .587 6 35 1 $4,000,000 Nick Hundley 33 MLB (COL) 83 (79) 317 .260 .320 .439 .759 10 48 0 $3,150,000 4 (3) 13 .182 .308 .273 .580 0 3 0 A.J. Pierzynski 39 MLB (ATL) 81 (64) 259 .219 .243 .304 .547 2 23 1 $3,050,000 Rook 3 (1) 11 .444 .545 .556 1.101 0 1 0 Geovany Soto 33 MLB (LAA) 26 (23) 86 .269 .321 .487 .809 4 9 0 $2,800,000 AAA 10 (7) 38 .194 .216 .389 .605 1 8 0 Alex Avila 29 MLB (CHW) 57 (54) 209 .213 .359 .373 .732 7 11 0 $2,500,000 AAA 9 (5) 30 .333 .467 .500 .967 1 3 0 David Ross 39 MLB (CHC) 67 (58) 182 .229 .338 .446 .784 10 32 0 $2,500,000 Jeff Mathis 33 MLB (MIA) 41 (38) 132 .238 .267 .333 .601 2 15 0 $1,500,000 Drew Butera 33 MLB (KC) 56 (51) 133 .285 .328 .480 .808 4 16 0 $1,175,000 Josh Thole 29 MLB (TOR) 50 (50) 136 .169 .254 .220 .474 1 7 0 $507,500 Jarrod Saltalamacchia 31 MLB (DET) 92 (68) 292 .171 .284 .346 .630 12 38 0 $507,500 Miguel Olivo 38 AAA 81 (65) 313 .246 .289 .419 .708 10 34 1

Centerfield Oct 20 2016 03:29 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I don't see a lot of viable options there. I think any upgrade would have to come via trade or pray that Travis gets his act together.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 20 2016 03:36 PM Re: Catcher 2017

We know the Mets liked Lucroy, but he won't be a free agent unless (according to Baseball Reference) the Rangers decline his 2017 option, which would pay him $5,250,000.

Edgy MD Oct 20 2016 03:37 PM Re: Catcher 2017

That's what they call an oversight.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 20 2016 04:24 PM Re: Catcher 2017

That list is pretty distressing on the one hand but good to see there's plenty of guys to invite to Spring Training. It might be fun to reunite with original Met draftee Drew Butera who went in the Santana trade iirc.

Gwreck Oct 20 2016 05:30 PM Re: Catcher 2017

I'd like to see them take a flier on Alex Avila. Change of scenery out of the AL central could be good for him. Still a very good defensive catcher even with the offense is inconsistent.

Edgy MD Oct 20 2016 06:24 PM Re: Catcher 2017

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: That list is pretty distressing on the one hand but good to see there's plenty of guys to invite to Spring Training. It might be fun to reunite with original Met draftee Drew Butera who went in the Santana trade iirc. Butera is puzzler. He's failed to live up to any lofty hopes prospect watchers once had for him, spending his sporadic career consistently below the Mendoza Line, but getting frequently recalled (and into over 300 MLB games) for love of his glove. Then came this season, when he hit the ball all over the place for the Royals. At 32, he finally found his stroke, going .285 / .328 / .480 // .808 in 56 games. It really tells you how much of a departure that was, when you see his career line is still only .198 / .253 / .295 // .548 with his breakthrough year factored in. So yeah, make him a minor league offer and see what comes of it? Why not?

Benjamin Grimm Oct 20 2016 06:26 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Edgy MD wrote: So yeah, make him a minor league offer and see what comes of it? Why not? Maybe it would be a "distraction."

Frayed Knot Nov 01 2016 03:15 AM Re: Catcher 2017

Wilson Ramos's agent tells the Washington Post that his client wants a five-year deal. And I would too if I were a power-hitting 29 y/o catcher, but this is a guy who missed significant chunks of 2012, 2013, & 2014 and any five-year deal beginning in 2017 starts right off with a missed half-season or more built into it. I think Sandy will opt to spend his allowance elsewhere.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2016 03:40 AM Re: Catcher 2017

I continue to be skeptical of d'Arnaud hanging in there as a Met when it's obvious the pitchers preferred not throwing to him and the manager preferred the offense of Rene Rivera when we really needed right-handed hitting. Rivera btw is not he answer unless the question is "Who wouldn't necesarily suck as a backup but you takes your chances?" I'm not saying d'Arnaud can't be better, I am just beginning to wonder whether here is the place.

Mets Guy in Michigan Nov 01 2016 12:31 PM Re: Catcher 2017

It sure does seem like they're running out of patience with Travis. I think Terry called him "a project" for the winter. I bet he gets 2017, or at least the first half off 2017, before they start looking to move on.

Centerfield Nov 01 2016 04:58 PM Re: Catcher 2017

Watching the WS, it's so apparent how lacking Travis is defensively. These guys are so quick they look like cats back there. Even Ross at age 36.

Vic Sage Nov 03 2016 02:31 PM Re: Catcher 2017

but if Td'A hits .290 with 15 HRs and .825+ OPS (his minor league averages, and close to his numbers for 1/2 2015 season in NY), his defense will seem SO much better!