First article with H4TV

I recently became a partner with H4TV, and I will be writing articles for them as well as on here. I will focus on strictly the Mets here, whereas on H4TV I am going to be writing about all 32 MLB teams. I am going to still publish my other articles on here in case you want to check them out, so here is my first article. (By the way I am going to organize these in a folder to make it easier to access.) 

Was signing Lance Berkman the right move for the Rangers?

When Josh Hamilton signed with the Angels, many knew that the Rangers would attempt to bring in one (or several) players to replace his production. Hamilton was an icon in Texas, and the Rangers’ front office knew letting him leave, especially to the division rival Angels, was not going to be taken well by the fans. Texas also traded away franchise icon Michael Young to the Phillies, a move that was questioned by many including myself. The Rangers went from arguably the most dominant team in the American League to a possible 2nd place team in the American League West. They have actually made a few low risk signings this off-season, like picking up Joakim Soria, A.J. Pierzynski, and others. Well, today, they signed another free agent whose value is dead at the moment. That player is Lance Berkman, and they gave him quite a bit of money to play in Arlington next season. They signed him to a one year deal worth $10 million with a vesting option for the 2014 season. It is a risky signing, considering the injury issues from the past, and Berkman’s desire to play the game right now, or lack thereof.

I’m not saying that Berkman isn’t motivated at this stage of his career, but he has contemplated retirement for many months now, and I am wondering how many more years he has left in him. That is why I believe the Rangers completely overpaid for Berkman here, and that this move may not pan out. A move like this just seems like a desperate one from my view, and I believe that plenty of Rangers fans out there would agree with me. Now, if it was a one year deal worth let’s say, $3-4 million, I’d say that the risk is worth it, but at $10 million I just feel like the Rangers are wasting their money.

I know that we all said Berkman was done after the 2010 season, but he then went on to have an incredible season with the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals, so perhaps it is not time to write him off just yet. I think that it is a great move from Berkman’s standpoint, because like I mentioned before hitting in Texas will definitely boost your numbers, and value for that matter.

I wonder what this means for Mike Olt, the highly coveted corner infielder/outfielder prospect who is borderline major league ready. He has put up respectable minor league numbers, and the organization thinks very highly of him, and I would imagine that Berkman would block him on the depth chart if he ends up at first base. From what I hear, Olt is a below-average defender out in the outfielder, and with Nelson Cruz in right and David Murphy in left, perhaps the outfield is not the right career choice right now. The whole reason as to why I bring up Olt here really is because I think this will hold back his development by another year at least, and for a team who just lost a huge piece of their lineup, I don’t know if that is the right thing to do.

To conclude all of this, I hope that Berkman has success with the Rangers in 2013, but the reality is he is breaking down physically and got drastically overpaid here. Could he still have a rebound season? Of-course, that is why there is the Comeback Player of the Year award. However, at this stage in his career, it is likely that he does not live up to the money he is making.

Mets sign Andrew Brown to a minor league deal

The Mets have signed outfielder Andrew Brown to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Brown, a 28 year old corner outfielder, had a cup of coffee with the Rockies in 2012, hitting .232 in 126 plate appearances. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, hitting .308 with 24 home runs and 33 doubles.

Brown is a guy who really hasn't gotten the chance to play everyday at the big league level, despite his solid minor league numbers. At age 28, I don't know how much of an impact he has on this franchise long-term if he does indeed pan out, but is definitely a low-risk option that could prove to be a solid move.

I wouldn't mind seeing Brown platooning with either Baxter or Duda next season. The guy should get the chance to play, and we'll see how he is in Spring Training. The minor league power numbers are there, and he will definitely get the opportunity to prove himself with the Mets.

I really hope Alderson is planning on making more moves, because it is unbelievable that the Mets are the ONLY team to not sign a major league free agent thus far this off-season. I understand that he has little wiggle room with his payroll, but he definitely has enough money to get at least one major league caliber player. I'm talking about a Grady Sizemore, Brian Wilson, or Shaun Marcum. 

How can Alderson fix the bullpen?

In 2012, the Mets' bullpen was easily the weakest area of the team, and Sandy Alderson has stated his intention on improving it. Last winter, he signed Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to become mainstays at the back end of the bullpen, but both of those signings did not go as well as planned. Rauch was inconsistent for the majority of the season, and Francisco was a mess both on and off the field. 

The Mets are going to have trouble winning games in 2013, and blown saves can be something that can devastate a team. That raises the question: How can Alderson fix the bullpen? Luckily for him, there are several pitchers out there who would fit perfectly in New York. I'm talking about Brian Wilson, Matt Capps, Brett Myers, and even Jose Valverde. Wilson is coming off Tommy John surgery, and his value is extremely low. That makes him a great player to buy-low on, and possibly ship off at the deadline if he finds success. Capps and Myers both have experience as a closer, and may demand a two year deal, but if the price is right I see no reason not to give it to them. Finally, Valverde would be a clear upgrade over anyone in the current bullpen, but I am quite aware of his off-the-field issues. Like Wilson, his value is low at the moment, so perhaps he would take a slight pay cut.

The Mets obviously need more options, because they simply cannot go after the bigger named free agents given their financial problems. It is up to Alderson and Co. to find those lower-tiered players, buy them for cheap, and utilize them at the major league level. 

If the season started today, the club would have Francisco as it's closer, and Bobby Parnell as it's setup man. I, as well as many other Met fans, am not a fan of Francisco, but I do like Parnell quite a bit. He hasn't been able to handle the spotlight of being a closer, but I am confident that he and his 100 mph fastball can become a dominant setup man in the not-so-near future. Besides Parnell, the rest of the bullpen is basically filled with rookies. Josh Edgin will most likely make the team out of Spring Training, but Robert Carson, Jeurys Familia, and Elvin Ramirez need to have more time at the big league level before I make a more accurate judgement about them. 

In conclusion, Alderson still has a whole lot of work to do this off-season. He addressed the catching situation by acquiring Travis d'Arnaud from the Blue Jays a few weeks ago, but he still needs to upgrade his outfielders and his bullpen arms. The bullpen is more important then people realize, and if he doesn't make any improvements, you can expect to see an ugly 2013 season.