Long Overdue Applesauce - Mets may play in Puerto Rico, Sheets and Guillen rumors, Marlins may trade Johnson

by Joe Budd on Nov 23, 2009 10:45 AM EST in Applesauce

Meet the Mets

MLB is hoping to get the Mets to agree to play some of their road games against the Marlins in Puerto Rico. As Craig Calcaterra points out, this is good news for David Wright's fantasy overlords.

The Mets are hoping to land John Lackey, but if he falls through they will look long and hard at Ben Sheets. Other names mentioned include Pineiro, Marquis, and Wolf. News that the Mets might not make an all out push to throw money around drove some blogs to despair.

Here is the annual Jose Guillen to the Mets rumor.

Time to give Bleacher Report some credit for this one. They try to use WAR to add up a playoff team.

Around the NL East

The Marlins talks with ace Josh Johnson have denigrated significantly. Don't worry Marlins fans, Ross Gload will make it all better.

Matthew Pouliot gives the Phillies scary good odds to land Roy Halladay.

Around MLB

The old school is griping about the lack of wins among this year's Cy Young winners. Well, if they want wins so badly, they should be pushing for these guys.

Joe Mauer's future contract talks should be amazing.

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huhuh

you said “long and hard”.

regarding Mauer, I don’t want to register for Twinkie Town to post this, but I wouldn’t sign Mauer to a contract at 6 years/225M (market value based on his 2009 Fangraphs WAR) because I just can’t imagine he’ll have anything like six more years as good as this one. (I mean, can he? per baseballprojection.com WAR, Piazza and Bench each have one season with greater than 8.2 WAR, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Roy Campanella and the Pudges Fisk and Rodriguez don’t have any; that’s basically all of the HoF and likely HoF catchers from 1950 and on. so it’s absurdly unlikely that Mauer would have seven such seasons, isn’t it?)

by JoshNY on Nov 23, 2009 12:57 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Mauers had back problems too hasnt he?

Plus like has been said before fangraphs $$ amounts are based on the cost at the peak of the market right? I love Mauer to death but yeah I couldn’t give a catcher, let alone one who’s had those back problems already, that kind of contract. The breakdown just happens to fast.

by Gina on Nov 23, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions

in reguards to wins for a pitcher

i agree that they are a very overrated stat… but they should not be compleatly ignored.

There are certain truths to the win-loss record…

someone who wins 20 games in all provability had a very good season. Someone with 20 loses probably had a very bad season.

Its not a stat that should base the Cy Young award winner (see the article that the one you linked is mocking here: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/3C87D5BC1B0134E8862576740017024D?OpenDocument) but they are a good way to quickly determine an estimation of a pitchers worth.

I remember I was having a discussion online once about IQ tests and the blog was saying they are not relevant and should not be used… I said IQ tests were like wins for a pitcher… not a score that you should base anything on, but a nice way to quickly judge an issue.

by gbaked on Nov 23, 2009 1:44 PM EST reply actions

Eh...When a guy like Traschel can net 15 wins with an ERA of just about 5, you need to take it with a grain of salt.

Likewise, in ’66, Koufax lost nine games even though he averaged less than 2 runs per game pitched. In those nine losses, he gave up more than three runs six times. His team got more than three runs in those games, and that six less losses. Win-Loss record is too much of a reflection of the entire team, and not just the pitcher.

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

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 23, 2009 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

I agree it shouldn't be ignored

because awareness needs to be raised so the win-loss record can be completely removed as a stat.

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Nov 23, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions

Murray Chass is an idiot

clearly, he thinks it’s the 50s and everyone pitches the complete game.
I wish FJM.

"We're investigating the investigative procedure of the investigation of Tony Bernazard"---Omar Minaya (he really didn't say it but he would"

by firejerrynow on Nov 23, 2009 3:44 PM EST reply actions

yes, I also wish FJM.

by JoshNY on Nov 23, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

Will the Phillies actually have to give somebody good up for Halladay?

Or will the Jays just fold up and trade away their ace without getting a good prospect in return like the Indians did?

by JoshNY on Nov 23, 2009 4:08 PM EST reply actions

Great quote:

“What was my greatest fear in the past is now upon us. Armed with their “advanced metrics” and clutching their spread sheets, the new-age baseball voters have officially taken over the sport both in the front offices and behind the scenes." From Bryan Burwell

by EtSuKe on Nov 23, 2009 6:06 PM EST reply actions

I like "spread sheets" as two words

Boy, it’s just terrible that the voters gave the MVP to the guy who led the league in batting, and on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Such “advanced metrics” they used.

And LINCECUM! He led the league in “STRIKE OUTS”. In my day we used wins and that was it.

by JoshNY on Nov 24, 2009 9:36 AM EST up reply actions

I also enjoy excessive hyphenation

Those basement egg-heads with their spread-sheets, why they could not hit a curve-ball from with the derring-do of Mr. Ty Cobb, that is for certain. No doubt they would find themselves on the wrong end of a strike-out!

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Nov 24, 2009 9:53 AM EST up reply actions