Spooky Stories Applesauce: Josh Satin goes MIA, Juan Lagares still doesn't walk, No baseball until March

by Jeffrey Paternostro on Oct 31, 2011 9:11 AM EDT in Applesauce

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: For low BABIP (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

Your author spent the weekend huddled in blankets, reading Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 by candlelight, but I assume some baseball stuff happened as well.

Josh Satin has been deported in the midst of a slump for Caracas. This is not uncommon as the Winter League teams prioritize winning over player development. That said, I will be putting together a commando team to invade Venezuela. I am just waiting for some back channel CIA approval. Hail Satin!

The Arizona Fall League is still full of Mets, and Toby Hyde has some video of Jefry Marte and Juan Lagares for you. I still just can't get excited about Lagares, sorry. I am a terrible person. A terrible person who likes his corner players to have some secondary skills.

Here's a list of every single eligible free agent. Hey, if we need a closer, Luis Ayala is available. /stabs self in eyes. /repeatedly. For actual pitching, I would like to see the Mets make a run at Javier Vazquez, assuming he doesn't go through with his plan to retire.

The Yankees have tendered a new offer to CC Sabathia, who is expected to opt out of his current deal. Now they just have to wait by the phones for a response. Otherwise, Ivan Nova is your 2012 Opening Day starter. Or they post like 75 million for Darvish or something. Either way, I will chuckle grimly.

The season is over, but that doesn't mean you have to watch football or something. Wendy Thurm of Baseball Nation has your offeseason activities all planned out for you. It's like baseball camp!

Today is Tedquarters greatest hits day. So expect lots of Taco Bell and sandwich posts from the wayback machine.

Shockingly, the Brewers opted not to pick up the 17.5 million dollar option on K-Rod. I am shocked. As you will recall, this became a mutual option rather than a vesting option when the Brewers and K-Rod negotiated a larger buyout of the deal after his trade from the Mets. Rodriguez is now a free agent.

Meanwhile, Aramis Ramirez turned down his 16 million dollar option and will become a Type B free agent. Ramirez had a bounce back year in 2011, posting a .306/.361/.510 line, good for 3.6 fWAR. He will turn 34 next June, though, and is a bit of a liability defensively.

One of the greatest traditions in sports, the victory parade! The Cardinals fans passed around the hat, but couldn't quite come up with 300 million to resign Pujols, so we will see how free agency goes for him as well.

Dillon Gee has landed in Taiwan with the rest of the MLB All-Stars for their exhibition series. I am a fan of any kind of barnstorming (and baseball in November), so I approve.

Assuming you have power (or warm weather) and will be attending Halloween festivities tonight, Baseball Nation has some last minute costume suggestions.

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Comments

On the subject of commando teams being sent into foreign countries...

does anyone know if that guy has continued writing MetsBlooded?

by Shevshevy on Oct 31, 2011 10:14 AM EDT reply actions

Tony La Russa has retired

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111031&content_id=25849368&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

__________________________________________________
"He who gets the best players usually wins" - Bobby Bowden

by Russ on Oct 31, 2011 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

I wonder how that affects the Pujols negotiations, if at all

by Stephen Schmidt on Oct 31, 2011 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Hmm, interesting.

Wonder if this means he will hit the market and look for mega-bucks.

__________________________________________________________________
Really good kid.A very good player.Not a superstar. #BlameWilponz. Never Forget

by ScottfromPeekskill on Oct 31, 2011 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions

in search of mega-bucks

One must be mindful of the Whammy

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Oct 31, 2011 11:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

shame

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Oct 31, 2011 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I didn't see that coming.

Wonder too how that affects the Pujols signing. Saw a tweet just prior to this announcement from Heyman saying although Pujols loves LaRussa, he doesn’t recall any FA signing with a team solely b/c of the particular manager.

by MetsFan4Decades on Oct 31, 2011 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions

larry bowa

Has a gut feeling he won’t be back in stl. This exciting news brought to you by colin cowherd interview I suffered through

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Oct 31, 2011 11:22 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

Good

he fucked the game up enough.

by lstorie1971 on Oct 31, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Aramis

I do not get it. Does he really expect to get a 3 year, $50MM contract?

Learn something new every day: http://dlewis.net/nik

by Dan Lewis on Oct 31, 2011 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

I could see him getting

2/24, which is more guarenteed money than he has now.

the artist formerly known as TeufelCat
@jeffpaternostro

by Jeffrey Paternostro on Oct 31, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

I could easily see a few more $$ than that

especially if he should sign with an AL club so he can DH every now and then. 3B is not chock full of good hitters and he plays a passable, if not spectacular d.

That said, it becomes interesting for the Cubs. So many directions they could go in: Full rebuilding, partial rebuilding, whole hog sign pujols/fielder and wilson/sabathia/darvish and make a push in a fairly wide open division.

Love this offseason. This is gonna be wild and wooly.

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Oct 31, 2011 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Aramis Ramirez really is rolling the dice!

He has a guaranteed $16m for next season but throws that away for a stab at more over longer…seems greedy to me. Hope it bites him and his agent in the ass.

__________________________________________________________________
Really good kid.A very good player.Not a superstar. #BlameWilponz. Never Forget

by ScottfromPeekskill on Oct 31, 2011 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

maybe he is also sick of playing for the cubs and feels he

can get close to same money with more years somewhere else.

I think it was Bobby V who said: "You are never as good as you are when you are at your best, and you are not as bad as when you are at your worst."

Like the really funny uncle with a healthy bourbon habit who matches every brilliant Thanksgiving story with one or two ill-advised racist jokes or boob grabs, we’re stuck with Melo. So we might as well learn to love him — quirks and all. http://knickerblogger.net/2011-report-card-carmelo-anthony/

by gbaked on Oct 31, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

uh...

they are loaded dice if anything. He was easily one of the best hitting 3b in the league last year – #1 in hits, #4 HR, #2 in Slugging and OPS, good WRC, OPS+, etc. He will easily get a 2-3 year deal with a lot more guaranteed $ than the 16 mil he has on the table now.

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Oct 31, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think so, he's 33 and had two so-so seasons before this

and really is a third basemen in name early. I can’t imagine any teams giving him 2-3 with well more than 16 million total. Unless you mean like 3 years 20 million or something, with the idea of him playing 3rd base.

one does not simply walk into mordor...unless winter is coming

by Gina on Oct 31, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think you are vastly underestimating

what some GMs are willing to pay. Jason Werth. Carl Crawford. Beltre is going to average 16.5mil per year through 2015 when he’s 36 with another 16mil vesting option. Ramirez should easily get 3/32, 2/27 or something similar. Strike while the iron is hot and all. Who else are you going to get? Wright next year? When Ramirez had a MUCH better year? Zimmerman 2 years from now?

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Oct 31, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

When Ramirez had a MUCH better year?

He’s also 33 and put up a 95 OPS+ in 2010. He’s a huge collapse risk and you’ll have to give him three/four years.

Oh pissing blimey there's jam coming out of the walls!

by TWilliAM on Oct 31, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

yes

and no, you might not – it is entirely possible he signs for 2/27 or something similar.

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Oct 31, 2011 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I doubt it.

With the paucity of third baseman, he’ll get three years. Other than Wright as a trade option, there is nothing available in the market in terms of above-average players at the position.

Oh pissing blimey there's jam coming out of the walls!

by TWilliAM on Oct 31, 2011 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions