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Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 01:09 AM

I'm having a hard time remembering a year when the Mets have gone from the World Series all the way to John Lennon Day without adding any new players, via trade, via free agency, via minor league free agency, or via the rule five draft. They've had quite a few walking off via free agency, and re-signed a pair of (very big) free agents, but as far as I can tell, their last new player was Tim Tebow back in September. That's probably not true, but you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I like what they've got and all, but I'd like to meet some new Mets just 'cuz. Minor league outfielders. Rehabbing pitchers with shredded shoulders. Steroid abusing retreads. Bring 'em on!

d'Kong76 Dec 10 2016 02:24 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Edgy MD wrote: I'm having a hard time remembering a year when the Mets have gone from the World Series all the way to John Lennon Day without adding any new players, via trade, via free agency, via minor league free agency, or via the rule five draft. Post 1986 and 2000 WS appearance transactions are available online. It's not like the Mets are in the WS often, more like every decade and a half?

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 02:53 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

November 12, 1986: New York Mets traded Ron Gardenhire to the Minnesota Twins for Donnie Iasparro. Still hoping we get something out of Donnie. OE: They did something strange in 2000-2001, claiming Desi Relaford on waivers on October 12, thus starting the building of their 2001 team while they were still battling in the 2000 National League Championship Series.

batmagadanleadoff Dec 10 2016 05:17 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

I know this one. 1973. The Mets made few additions to the Ya Gotta Believe squad. In fact, the first new Met to debut for the 1974 squad, Jerry Cram, didn't do so until June.

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 05:55 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Good call. The first acquisition the UMDB records following the 1973 season is Steve Simpson, sent by the Padres on December 20 for Jim McAndrew. Simpson pitched one season in the Mets system, for the AA Victoria (TX) Toros (the one season, interestingly enough) the Toros were a Mets affiliate). But again, I'm not giving up on that deal and still hoping to get some value there. The problem is that the UMDB, I think, only records deals featuring players who were big league Mets or would ultimately become big league Mets, so while the presence of McAndrew guarantees this deal is logged in, it'll take some further digging to find out if some Nixon-era Duane Below analog wasn't signed or drafted or something in the interim.

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 06:05 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Some digging shows that the Mets neither drafted anybody nor had anybody drafted off of their rosters in the 1973 Rule V Draft. The steal of that draft looks like Larry Milbourn. Amazing that the draft occured on December 3. With all the changes and changes and changes in baseball since then, the Rule V Draft is still the first week of December during the winter meetings.

Centerfield Dec 10 2016 02:12 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Great observation. It's funny because I bet most Met fans would say that they are pretty happy with the offseason so far. Have our expectations been lowered so much that we just fear getting worse without a thought to actually get better? All the jubilation around the Cespedes return is really just a celebration of status quo. The way I see it, teams can improve in basically 3 ways: 1. Get better players. 2. Existing young players mature and improve. 3. Get luckier. Fewer injuries, good years from question mark players, be on the right side of Pythagoras. And hope for just the opposite for your opponents. And the aggregate of these three have to offset lost personnel, regression, and bad luck. The Mets are coming off an 87 win season. They have not yet done option 1. There is time, but so far there are no serious discussions about adding anyone of impact. In fact, I'm not sure anyone they are linked to is enough to even offset the guys that left. I would say Conforto still qualifies for option 2. And we will be anxious to see who will be this year's unexpected hero. But right now it looks like the Mets are putting most of their eggs in Option 3. And there may be good reason to think we actually will be luckier. Healthy Duda, maybe Travis reverts to form, maybe we will not be historically bad with RISP. I don't know. I think at the very least I would feel much better if we could add a lockdown LOOGY.

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 02:30 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

I don't mean to say I'm particularly unhappy with the state of the team. It's just notable that they haven't added names—people with qualities and flaws and stories and baseball cards and wives and girlfriends and stuff. I'm certain they will. It's just curious considering they had added several last year by this point, despite their GM being more or less on sick leave, or back in 2010, say, when they began the offseason with no GM at all. Some teams have even sent out spring training invites to their minor leaguers. Not the Mets.

d'Kong76 Dec 10 2016 03:05 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Sorry, as worded didn't realize this was a kwiz of sorts.

d'Kong76 Dec 10 2016 03:07 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

How does 1973 work with the WS Appearance and JL Day?

Edgy MD Dec 10 2016 04:10 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

JLD was an arbitrary description of the day of the post. Feel free to substitute The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, or Tim Foli's Birthday for pre-1980 seasons. The end of the World Series is, of course, a moveable feast from year to year, but still traditionally the beginning of the off-season.

bmfc1 Dec 10 2016 07:59 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

I read this from the bottom up and wondered when Julia-Louis Dreyfus Day became real.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 10 2016 08:13 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Every day is Julia-Louis Dreyfus Day!

Fman99 Dec 11 2016 01:13 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Lots of ladies want to be loved. I found videos of them on the Internet.

Centerfield Jan 04 2017 02:43 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Past the baseball equinox now and the Mets still have yet to add anyone to the big league roster. Not many rumors floating around about the Mets now, but it seems that all they are looking to do now is to trade Bruce, and add a reliever or two. The Bruce trade is looking more and more like it won't return much, maybe a low end prospect or two. Blevins remains on the market as a LOOGY, and if the Mets really want to splurge, Fernando Salas still sits out there. In fact, I think you could make a case that these two are pretty good, if not the best, options available. It's entirely possible that this offseason will end up with no additions to the 40 man. It's 1973 again!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 04 2017 03:09 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Rumor has it the Phillies would like Jay Bruce, and Jay Bruce would probably like Philly. The question would be how much we could soak them for while Bautista and Brandon Moss remain alternatives for them. Gotta be patient.

Edgy MD Jan 06 2017 03:01 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Amazin' to be near a month past the launch date of this thread and no. new. Mets. It's hard to remember, but I think this thread title was a misquoted reference to The Partridge Family song "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted," which is relevant because David Cassidy hated that song, and refused to record it. Production of both the album and the series had to be halted, while executives from both Bell Records and Screen Gems tried to reason with Cassidy. I think that's what's going on. Somebody in the Mets hierarchy is having a snit fit, and the whole production is being held up while everybody tries to smooth his feathers. I think, by law, we would have to assume it's Jeff.

Centerfield Jan 06 2017 07:21 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Cespedes re-signed January 22 last year. Maybe shit just doesn't happen in early January. I think the holdup here is Bruce. Sandy's on record saying he wants to move him first. Also, aren't we out of room on the 40?

MFS62 Jan 06 2017 07:34 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved

Fman99 wrote: Lots of ladies want to be loved. I found videos of them on the Internet. Its amazing how you did that with only one hand on the keyboard. Later

Benjamin Grimm Jan 12 2017 09:10 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Lefthanded pitcher Adam Wilk, formerly of the Tampa Bay organization, and who's pitched in the majors for the Tigers and Angels, has signed a minor league deal with the Mets. Is he worthy of our love?

sharpie Jan 12 2017 09:18 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Wilkommen to the Mets, Adam.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 12 2017 09:36 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Wilk. He does a body good.

Edgy MD Jan 12 2017 10:14 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

A Wilk is as good as a Blevins to a blind horse. Adam is a former Dirtbag. Maybe A Boy Named Seo can fill us in a bit.

Frayed Knot Jan 13 2017 01:04 AM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

[finalpun]So I guess Sandy's answer now to the question, 'Got Wilk?' would have to be, "Yes".[/finalpun] He's 29, he's left-handed, has limited ML time but has seen a bunch of minor league stops plus spent a season in the Korean League. http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... ad01.shtml

Edgy MD Jan 13 2017 06:06 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

Hard working finding out much about Wilkie, but he does have a foundation, which is pretty cool because most guys don't do that sort of thing until they've reached free agency and signed a contract for more than they can spend.

Centerfield Jan 23 2017 02:45 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

A year ago today we signed Antonio Bastardo to a two year contract. Four days later, we re-signed some guy named Cespedes. That pretty much wrapped up our off-season. I realize this year might follow a different schedule, but we are at the point in the off-season that I'm starting to worry that this is it. I think we are really going to regret it if we don't add an effective lefty to the pen. Right now we have Josh Smoker, who isn't really good against lefties. I guess there is also Edgin, but I don't see us getting much from him. I know that Sandy is probably thinking to wait out a guy like Blevins, but if he bolts, we are kinda out of options here. Also disappointed that Sandy would not try to upgrade the offense at all. I guess here we just hope that Duda stays healthy, Conforto bounces back to form, and that guys like Cabrera, Reyes and Ces duplicate last year. Maybe full years from Walker and Flores will help too.

Ceetar Jan 23 2017 02:49 PM Re: Doesn't Anybody Want to Be Loved?

meh. You sometimes sign relievers on March 28th (or April 28th, or later) that end up being big parts of the team. I don't worry much, especially about 25 inning guys.