AAOP: First Place

by Eric Simon on Dec 9, 2009 12:00 PM EST

It's the moment that literally dozens of you have been waiting almost four weeks for. On Monday we announced the third-place winner. Yesterday we found out the second-place winner. And now, the grand prize announcement. The best all-around AAOP entry we received -- with an average score of 8.25 -- was AAOP: QRSTUVWXY and Z by Evan_S. The highlights.

Signed Gregg Zaun for one year, $1.5 million.
Signed Nick Johnson for one year, $5 million.
Traded Luis Castillo (and a mid-level prospect or two) to the Dodgers for Casey Blake.
Signed Felipe Lopez for two years, $10 million.
Signed Matt Holliday for six years, $106 million.
Moved Jeff Francoeur to the bench; installed Angel Pagan as the everyday rightfielder.
Signed Rich Harden for one year, $8 million, with a 2011 option worth $11 million.
Signed Ben Sheets for one year, $6 million, with a 2011 option worth $10 million.
Signed Kiko Calero for two years, $5 million.
Signed Mike Gonzalez for two years, $6 million. The money is a bit low here; Gonzalez might get $6 million per year.
Signed Adam Everett and Endy Chavez to fill out the bench.

This plan is pretty similar to our second-place winner's, though this one has Johnson and Lopez (instead of Delgado and Polanco) and goes with Sheets instead of Bedard. Quality-wise, this plan did a better job on the bullpen, which is really what put it over the top. Evan_S also earned some bonus points for asthetics, as he featured a sharp banner and photos at the top and wrapped it all up with some snazzy WAR charts. None of that would have mattered much if the plan was dreck, but fortunately his substance was a fine match for his style.

So congratulations to Evan_S, who takes home a chunk of Shea Stadium courtesy of Uncommon Goods. A hearty thanks again to everyone who participated in the AAOP contest this year; I think we all consider it a huge success and we're looking forward to doing it again next year.

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good work evan

by KeithsMoustache on Dec 9, 2009 12:03 PM EST reply actions

Congrats man

I could get behind any of these top three plans, but this one is excellent.

by deadspy3 on Dec 9, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions

Congrats to all the winners!

If there's ever a riot at Citi Field and Oliver Perez was the starter, I started the riot.

by meigs1414 on Dec 9, 2009 12:07 PM EST reply actions

Congratulations, Evan.

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

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 9, 2009 12:10 PM EST reply actions

and now the hard part begins

good luck, evan. we’re counting on you to get this done.

by Pack Bringley on Dec 9, 2009 12:10 PM EST reply actions

Recount!

Just kidding. Well done.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Dec 9, 2009 12:14 PM EST reply actions

Thank you!

I knew I could fool everyone with pretty pictures and charts! This was a lot of fun, but I think what we really learned is that most of us could put together a better team than Omar Minaya.

And yeah, I think I underestimated how much some players will cost based on how the off season has gone thus far.

"I see the job in bigger terms. Paperwork, that’s false hustle... Know what I’m sayin’?"

by Evan_S on Dec 9, 2009 12:25 PM EST reply actions

Evan has lobby for job in FO.

Congrats.

you know what I'm sayin' ?

by fxcarden on Dec 9, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Congrats!

I love it when a plan comes together.

by MangoMetsFan on Dec 9, 2009 12:27 PM EST reply actions

Well done...

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Dec 9, 2009 12:28 PM EST reply actions

Great Job!

if only we could get the Wilpons to read your plan.

by Endys Game on Dec 9, 2009 12:28 PM EST reply actions

Congrats

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Dec 9, 2009 1:03 PM EST reply actions

congrats

you know us Mets fans would be calling for your head after two weeks and two starters being injured for the season though

by astromets on Dec 9, 2009 1:05 PM EST reply actions

It's scary, I agree

but I’d rather risk having Harden and Sheets for one year than Garland, Marquis, or Pineiro or three or four. For 2010 it is a risk, absolutely, but I think it is safer in the long run.

"I see the job in bigger terms. Paperwork, that’s false hustle... Know what I’m sayin’?"

by Evan_S on Dec 9, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions

too bad reality isn't fantasy

This is SO pathetic, talking about this bullcrap when we SHOULD be talking about the Mets new left fielder, the Mets new catcher and the Mets new starting pitcher. Yeah the hot stove sure is heating up, there goes Edwin Jackson to Arizona. Adios Eddie, we hardly new ye, thanks to that dumb shlt Omar. He keeps telling us you have to be patient, you can’t force these things, you have to wait until the market comes to you. BULLSHiT. Your an idiot Omar. We need to be aggressive! Does the term “rebuilding” mean anything to you? Cause THAT’S what we’re doing here.

by TomSeaver on Dec 9, 2009 1:53 PM EST reply actions

You're not the real Tom Seaver, are you?

by Sam Page on Dec 9, 2009 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

If it is, he's been into his wine a little too much

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Dec 9, 2009 8:36 PM EST up reply actions

True. It's the wrong market to sit back in.

Plenty of decent deals have already been made, and the market’s definitely thinning out.

by SeanSchirmer on Dec 9, 2009 9:21 PM EST up reply actions

Omar was patient and waited out the market, we ended up with Beltran and Johan

Omar was aggressive in addressing the teams needs, we end up with K-rod and Putz. Patient teams will do well this offseason, as is usually the case.

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Dec 9, 2009 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

um what?

"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 Dec 10, 2009 6:45 AM EST up reply actions

The contest was a good idea to help pass the time until the offseason got started...I hope we see it again next year.

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Dec 9, 2009 2:00 PM EST reply actions

I think it would be funny

if at the end of the offseason you posted the lowest rated AAOP and compared it to Omar’s actual offseason. I have a bad feeling even the worst AAOP might end up being better

"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09

by cjmulrain on Dec 9, 2009 2:20 PM EST reply actions

congrats

Where is Blake playing in this scenario? 1B platoon with Murph?

I gotta quick question. Minorleagueball had a thread where some ranger beat guys said they offered Neftali feliz and Smoak to Marlins for Josh Johnson. Apparently that was BS. I was floored. People then started talking about the players you would NOT trade for Feliz and Smoak. Pujols, etc.

Someone tossed out a lot of guys he wouldn’t trade for Feliz and Smoak. He included Adam Wainwright, Kershaw, Longoria, Wright, Tulowitzki, Jimenez, Felix Hernandez, Greinke.

I thought I’d be tempted to deal some of those guys for those 2. OK. maybe I am too high on Feliz. Maybe he will end up in the pen, but I think he could be a starter and a good one. And Smoak is just a 1B prospect, if a good one.

Wainwright? I’d deal him for them (although Cards have a 1B-maybe if they knew they could deal Smoak for equivalent value elsewhere). I love Jimenez, but I’d do that too. Kershaw, yup. Tulo, yeah, a ss, but I’d do that too.

I would definitely do Johnson for those 2, and Johnson is really good.

I would probably do King felix for those 2 as well, good as he is.

by wobatus on Dec 9, 2009 2:23 PM EST reply actions