Psych! Matt Holliday Still A Free Agent

by Eric Simon on Nov 20, 2009 9:14 AM EST Comment 24 comments

Matt Holliday is clearly the cream of the free agent crop, but there are a lot of other candidates for the Mets' supposed left field vacancy. Here they are, in the same format as the starting pitchers from yesterday.

Player	2010 Age	WAR 2009	WAR 2008	WAR 2007	5-3-1	WAR $
Matt Holliday*	30	5.7	6.2	7.9	6.1	27.5
Mike Cameron	37	4.3	4	2.2	4.0	17.9
Johnny Damon*	36	3	3.6	2.3	3.1	14.1
Jason Bay*	31	3.5	2.9	0.1	2.9	13.2
Marlon Byrd	32	2.4	3.5	2.5	2.8	12.5
Randy Winn	36	1.7	4.5	2.7	2.7	12.4
Hideki Matsui	36	2.4	0.8	2.4	1.9	8.4
Vladimir Guerrero	35	0.8	2.4	3.5	1.6	7.4
Rick Ankiel	31	0.1	2	1.4	0.9	4.0
Andruw Jones	33	0.8	-0.9	3.6	0.5	2.5

Mike Cameron is the bargain on this list, as he will surely sign for far less than he is worth. Of course, if the Mets did sign him and move him to a corner (again) he'd lose some (possibly considerable) value due to the negative relative positional adjustment from center to left or right.

Johnny Damon and Jason Bay are fine players, but both are Type-A free agents and even though the Mets' first round pick is protected I don't think they want to give up a top-forty selection for the 36-year-old Damon. They might be inclined to do so for Bay, but he's likely make just a few million less than Holliday despite being the clearly inferior player, all-around.

Marlon Byrd is an interesting option, as he won't cost nearly as much as anyone above him, but he too loses some value by switching to a corner.

Fernando Tatis is also looking for work, so there's that.

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While moving to a corner

would hurt Cameron’s positional adjustment, his UZR at the corner could be higher than in CF considering it’s an easier position to play, kind of like how Endy rocks the corners while still playing very well in CF. Not a given of course, but a possibility.

the number one issue facing the Mets is finding that one guy who’s going to say "get on my shoulders and ride me to the championship."

by Sokojoe on Nov 20, 2009 9:23 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

It could be offset somewhat by a lack of familiarity with left field/right field. That’s not a given, either, but it’s not unreasonable to think that he might be less proficient at a position he is less familiar with.

by Eric Simon on Nov 20, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Damon...That'd be a crap signing. How far do you think he'd be able to throw the ball in from the wall?

The outfield crop really isn’t as good as I thought it was this season. Then again, though, that’s just available left fielders, yes?

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 20, 2009 10:21 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

All those guys aren't left fielders

So I’d assume it’s just possible candidates, regardless of position, for left field?

by Gina on Nov 20, 2009 10:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hideki Matsui

to me is the dark-horse in this.

If we miss out on Holiday, then a 1 or 2 year deal for Matsui may be a nice idea.

by gbaked on Nov 20, 2009 10:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

If the Mets move to the AL

Then yes

by James Kannengieser on Nov 20, 2009 10:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Or played in a league

only featuring people without functioning lower legs. Such as Hank Hill’s father, Cotton. And Luis Castillo.

by deadspy3 on Nov 20, 2009 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dare I say, we'd have a "leg up" there?

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 20, 2009 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

checkin his d stats

I didnt realize he only played DH last season.

kinda strange a DH was put into a chart of LF options for the mets…

by gbaked on Nov 21, 2009 3:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How does

being a DH effect WAR?

by gbaked on Nov 21, 2009 3:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You get docked the most of any position in the positional adjustment component

But this actually aids the value of guys like Matsui, Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn, whose defense at non-premium positions makes them less valuable than as a DH.

by James Kannengieser on Nov 21, 2009 7:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If Adam Dunn moved to the AL

He’d be a 4 WAR player. Instead he’s like 1-2 WAR in the NL because his D is so bad. Matsui’s discrepancy wouldn’t be as large but asking him to play defense at this point would be tough.

by James Kannengieser on Nov 21, 2009 7:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

god no

just… no.

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 20, 2009 11:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

wow

like… yea….

couldn’t have said it better myself.

by HotChipWillBreakYourLegs on Nov 20, 2009 12:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If we don't sign Holliday, then a trade for a LF is the way we should go.

by Syler on Nov 20, 2009 12:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

sign Ankiel!

for the rotation! (just don’t tell him til spring)

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Nov 20, 2009 12:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I see somebody has been reading my alternate offseason plan

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 20, 2009 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Guaranteed 35 wins.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 20, 2009 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i thought we had decided 36

but i’ll take either

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 20, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Marlon Byrd

would be mildly intriguing if Holliday and Bay signed elsewhere. He had 65 extra base hits last year. I’d be shocked if he got more that 6-8 million per year from anyone.

by Mackey Sasser on Nov 20, 2009 6:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Marlon's walk rate is in the toilet, the Ks are up,

the OPS is down, and he’s played more than 122 games in a season once since 2004. That said, if the Mets decided to go for Lackey, and Bay and Holly and Cameron signed elsewhere, I could see Marlon on the Mets if they were really thinking they need someone to regularly spell Beltran in CF. I’d really rather have Cameron, though, especially since there’s not much difference in price between him and the Byrdman.

by SeanSchirmer on Nov 21, 2009 5:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs