'Twas The Morning Of The Night Before Christmas Applesauce: Mets Finances Continue to Look Terrible-er, Alex Ochoa Is Back In the Majors

by Steve Schreiber on Dec 24, 2011 9:00 AM EST in Applesauce

Meet the Mets

How's the Mets financial situation looking? If you guessed "grim", congratulations! You win the once in a lifetime opportunity to donate $20 million to the "Save The Wilpons" fund! Hey, the package is basically the equivalent of being a glorified season ticket holder but at least you get business cards and access to Mr. Met, right?

Rich Coutinho provides his version of the Mets' Christmas Wish List. I know what I'm wishing for: a supportive ownership group that wants to win and has deep enough pockets to help make things happen.

Around the Majors

One trade went down on Friday, as the Cubs dealt lefty setup man Sean Marshall to the Reds in exchange for lefty starter Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and prospect Ronald Torreyes. Looks like the Reds are really gunning for the playoffs in 2012. Meanwhile, it looks like the Cubs will continue to dismantle and rebuild under the watchful eyes of Theo Epstein and Co.

Bobby Valentine and the Red Sox announced the rest of the team's 2012 coaching staff and the most familiar name to Mets fans is Alex Ochoa, who was named Boston's first base coach. Ochoa, an outfielder and former five tool prospect with the Mets organization during the late '90's, never really translated his tools into skills in the majors but had a solid career as a reserve before retiring and becoming a coach in Boston's minor league system.

The Yankees and Red Sox were the only two teams who received bills for going over MLB's luxury tax threshold.

Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba pulled a Jose Offerman during a Venezuelan Winter League game, as he struck an umpire after he flailed away at strike three.

The Cardinals made a nice move bringing in Carlos Beltran to help replace Albert Pujols in their lineup and this article further points out how big a bargain Carlos could be for St. Louis. As much as I don't like the Cardinals, I'll be rooting for him to win a ring considering all he did for the Mets in his tenure. He's a true class act and he deserves it.

Finally, just how good is Gio Gonzalez and did the Nationals overpay to acquire the lefty? I agree that the walk issues are something to watch but between his strikeout rate and his durability, he's still very valuable and he's going to help the Nats a lot in the near term, as well as the long term.

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

sneaky

Alex Ochoa Is Back In the Majors

very sneaky.

I just hope that Gio is indeed an overpay and doesn’t perform up to expectations.

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 Dec 24, 2011 10:25 AM EST reply actions

If I had $20 million lying around....

I wouldn’t be “Greenpoint Ian”. I’d be “Brooklyn Heights Brownstone Ian”.

Also, can I donate money to the “make the Wilpons sell the team” fund? That’s a better idea.

Mark Cuban for owner! Save us from the Wilpons!

by Greenpoint Ian on Dec 24, 2011 11:29 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Mets have only produced one five tool player in their history.

by Putnan Prince on Dec 24, 2011 12:22 PM EST reply actions

Dubs was one as well for a good chunk of his career.

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Dec 24, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Cleon Jones, David Wright, Jose Reyes

Edgardo Alfonzo wasn’t bad on the basepaths either, and Amos Otis came from the Mets system as well.

"Let them be stud muffins"
-Tom Seaver
Proud Mets, Jets, Knicks, Islanders fan.

by piazza62 on Dec 24, 2011 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

Being that one of the tools is "power"

I would disagree on Reyes and Dykstra.

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on Dec 24, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

And Amos Otis.

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Dec 24, 2011 3:27 PM EST up reply actions

Reyes hit a ton of extra base hits in his career

by graves9 on Dec 24, 2011 3:40 PM EST up reply actions

Dykstra might have been a stretch

But Reyes would hit 15-20 HRs a year with a ton of doubles and triples. Power doesn’t necessarily refer to home run power, same with Otis who could hit 20-25 with a ton of doubles.

"Let them be stud muffins"
-Tom Seaver
Proud Mets, Jets, Knicks, Islanders fan.

by piazza62 on Dec 24, 2011 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

Reyes has a career ISO of .149.

For comparisons sake, Marlon Byrd has a .139 career ISO. Would you consider him possessing the “power tool”?
Jeter has a .136 ISO. Does he have the “power tool”?
Mauer has a career .148 ISO. Does he?

Doubles are great, but to me having enough power to say a guy has that tool is the ability to turn what for most players would be 20-30 doubles into 10-15 HR’s.

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Dec 24, 2011 5:39 PM EST up reply actions

And Amos Otis' career ISO is .149 as well coincidently enough.

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Dec 24, 2011 5:41 PM EST up reply actions

And Dykstra had a career .134 ISO.

Only .015 lower than Reyes.

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Dec 24, 2011 7:18 PM EST up reply actions

And Amos And Cleon

by Putnan Prince on Dec 24, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions

David doesn't posess the arm or the speed and now power and glove are a ?.

by Putnan Prince on Dec 25, 2011 12:15 AM EST up reply actions

He was a good defensive player with a good enough arm

He was a 30/30 guy who consistently hit well over .300.

"Let them be stud muffins"
-Tom Seaver
Proud Mets, Jets, Knicks, Islanders fan.

by piazza62 on Dec 25, 2011 12:25 AM EST up reply actions

Blastings Thrilledge!!!

by Stephen Schmidt on Dec 24, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions

Mark Sanchez

is a joke. Congrats on having a QB with talent Giants fans.

by graves9 on Dec 24, 2011 3:42 PM EST reply actions

Who?

Your not talking about the kid that the Mannings kept in the attic until colege age are you?

Describe Eli in one word; overhyped

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

by ScottfromPeekskill on Dec 24, 2011 11:21 PM EST up reply actions

champion

by Jimm Bmore on Dec 26, 2011 12:01 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

How about: Awesome

Look, I root for both teams so I can view both qbs fairly objectively. It’s not even close. Manning is one of the top 5 qbs in the game, and Sanchez, well, he’s not.

by dcmetsfan on Dec 26, 2011 7:38 AM EST up reply actions

Sanchez after 3 years

is where Eli was after 3 years. Doesn’t mean Sanchez will be where Eli is now five years from now. But it’s not the fairest of comparisons.

Ralph Kiner: You've gotta change the script, I don't like the script.
Gary Cohen: What's wrong with the script?
Ralph Kiner: Well the script should be the Mets win every day.

by StorkFan on Dec 26, 2011 6:20 PM EST up reply actions

top 5 qbs in the game?

i think that’s hard to argue

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

by Gina on Dec 26, 2011 8:36 PM EST up reply actions

Overhyped?

Come on…the man’s got over 4500 passing yards this year, he’s completed 60% of his passes and as flawed as QB Rating is as a stat, he sits at a 90.3 passer rating.

He’s not 2011 Aaron Rodgers but he’s a damn fine QB.

Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!
You might know me as mistermet.

by Steve Schreiber on Dec 26, 2011 4:28 PM EST up reply actions