Batistapalooza & The $100 Million Investment Applesauce: Mets Closing In On Investors, Re-Sign Miguel Batista, One Of These Is Way More Important Than the Other

by Steve Schreiber on Jan 11, 2012 9:01 AM EST in Applesauce

Meet the Mets

Leading off this morning, it sounds as if the Mets minority sales sell-a-thon is going swimmingly, at least according to the Daily News who says that the team is close to raising $100 million through the sale of five $20 million shares. The deals, which would help pay off $350 million of team debt, are expected to close within the next month. Further, the Daily News states that the investors have already been vetted and approved by Major League Baseball and that there could be more interested parties soon thereafter. Would it be hyperbolic to call this a nightmare come true? Because to me, this just seems like the can is only being kicked further down the road.

Hey, here's some good news: the Mets brought back Miguel Batista on a minor league deal! What, that doesn't get you excited? Well, then this has just been a gigantic swing and a miss. In all seriousness, Batista will serve as decent AAA depth. Meanwhile, the team also brought in reliever Fernando Cabrera and shortstop Sean Kazmar on minor league deals.

Ike Davis says that he's healthy and ready to go for spring training. Really. Let's hope he's ready. A full, healthy season of Ike at first base would be a gigantic lift for the team.

There was lots of Fernando Martinez talk on Tuesday. Over at Rising Apple, they took a look at his timeline with the Mets organization, while Toby Hyde put a masochistic spin on that by looking at his lengthy injury history. And Chris Cwik at FanGraphs wonders whether Fernando is worth a waiver claim.

Finally, FanGraphs put out its Mets top 15 prospects list.

Around the Majors

Remember when Bud Selig was going to retire after 2012? Well, it looks like the kibosh has been put on that idea, as his contract will likely be extended through 2014.

Ryan Madson will be wearing red again in 2012 but he'll be wearing a "C" on his hat instead of that horrible "P". The former Phillies closer agreed to a one year, $10 million deal with the Reds. That team's going to be scary good in 2012.

The Dodgers and FOX settled their lawsuit over the team's tv rights on Tuesday, which will allow the sale of the club to move along.

The Orioles agreed to terms with Taiwanese lefty Wei-yin Chen on a three year deal worth $11.3 million. The 26-year old pitched with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League the last four years.

Over at FanGraphs, they took a look at the Hall of Fame cases for Larry Walker and Lee Smith.

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Comments

Help me Irving Picard

You’re our only hope.

by TheBigStapler on Jan 11, 2012 9:16 AM EST reply actions 7 recs

Unfortunately, Fred Wilpon's response to that is...

“Kid, I’ve borrowed money from one side of this galaxy to the other, and I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe that there’s one all-powerful lawsuit controlling everything. There’s no fiscal responsibility or balanced budget controlling my destiny. It’s all a lot of simple math and nonsense……hey, can you lend me some change for the subway?”

by JJJ on Jan 11, 2012 3:06 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

Depodesta chimes in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWQgktBR6-w

"RBI’s does measure something – Wins."
-Bayonne Mets Fan on MMO

by Dandy Salderson on Jan 11, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

Yea seriously

ESPN, Mike Francesa, NY Post, NY Daily News, Fox Sports = Propaganda

Feel free to add me on Twitter;
https://twitter.com/#!/BlueChill1123

by BlueChill on Jan 11, 2012 7:48 PM EST up reply actions

Reds signing Madson

I hope that’s enough to put the Reds over the top in the NL Central. They had a lot of bad luck (underplayed their pythagorean record by 6 games) and injuries last year, so a return to form by some players, plus a massive bullpen upgrade, and Latos at the top of the rotation might be enough to top a Pujols-less Cardinals and a Brewers team with only 2/3 of a season from Braun.

Mark Cuban for owner! Save us from the Wilpons!

by Greenpoint Ian on Jan 11, 2012 10:08 AM EST reply actions

Prospect List

I thought Familia projected as a starter? Am I missing something?

by CCE718 on Jan 11, 2012 10:13 AM EST reply actions

Not really

It depends on who you ask. Hulet, Project Prospect and BA have him pegged as a reliever. Mike Diaz scouted him this year and said he wouldn’t rule him out as a starter, but thinks he’s a good reliever in the end. Sickels sounds like he is about 50/50 on whether he starts or relieves. Goldstein thinks that you have to at least consider that he ends up a pen arm, but seems to think he will stay a starter for now. So it’s a wide range of opinions.

I’m 50/50 on it, but there’s no need to move him to the pen now, since there is reasonable depth there at the moment.

Amazin Avenue News Guru
http://metropolitantales.com
@jeffpaternostro

by Jeffrey Paternostro on Jan 11, 2012 10:36 AM EST up reply actions

I wonder how many of these shares

Are being bought by Sterling Equities.

What Would Matt Szczur Do?
Fact on Villanova Sports

by Hoyadestroya85 on Jan 11, 2012 10:34 AM EST reply actions

Hmm, good question.

Does the Picard lawsuit touch Sterling?

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

by ScottfromPeekskill on Jan 11, 2012 10:48 AM EST up reply actions

"Ike Davis says that he's healthy and ready to go for spring training."

Yes, But is he ITBSOHL??

We need to know!

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

by ScottfromPeekskill on Jan 11, 2012 10:46 AM EST reply actions

Anna Benson

looks better these days.

by Kepler on Jan 11, 2012 12:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

What the fuck?

There is no hope.... there is no future....there is only BLUE WALLS.

The 2012 Mets: Fortune cookie says come back in 2015

by Syler on Jan 11, 2012 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

The chestburster is stuck

this man is saving us all

"..."

by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Jan 11, 2012 10:16 PM EST up reply actions

I'm curious as to who

took a flyer on Martinez.

by MetsFan4Decades on Jan 11, 2012 11:16 AM EST reply actions

I read Sean Kazmar

as Scott Kazmir and got irrationally excited

by JaySchu on Jan 11, 2012 11:25 AM EST reply actions 3 recs

I always find it distasteful

to read what some pundit thinks is the “ceiling” for an 18 year-old kid, but it’s a welcome reality check for the folks who act like we need to clear the system to make way for Ceciliani and the like. But do remember the implied asterisk. There’s always a chance these guys hit the skinny part of the projection’s bell curve — in either direction.

by tmu on Jan 11, 2012 11:33 AM EST reply actions

I imagine the skinny part of the projection curve is just to one direction.

Like 90%~95% of the prospects bust. Even among the top prospects, the fail rate is still quite high.

In lobby for: Jaime Cevallos, Zack Lutz, orange unis and Rickroll as the 7th inning song.
The Unwritten Rules of AA

by Michkin on Jan 11, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions

Mike Newman on Gorski

Q:Have you see Darin Gorski pitch at all? He’s old for High-A but had good numbers there last season.
A: I have… a few times actually… I’m stunned he such a successful season. When I saw him in 2010, he was at 85-87 with a nifty-ish little changeup. I’m not a big fan.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/mike-newman-prospects-chat-11012/

Q:What do you look for in a low level arm? I guess, let me phrase it another way. Is the ability to a young arm to succeed at a lower level off his fastball, by command/controlling it, more important than seeing development in the secondary pitches (if we had to weigh one or the other).
A:Fastball movement. I’ve seen 96 MPH get peppered at the lower levels when it’s straight. The elite fastball movement is what really excites me about a pitching prospect. 94 with sink is so much more valuable than 97 and straight as an arrow.

Q: What pitch would you recommend teaching a kid from 12-up and which pitch do you stay away from?
A: Teach the changeup…. Teach the heck out of it. Avoid sliders/cutters. I do worry that the ease of throwing a cutter will be an opportunity for coaches at the HS level to take a shortcut and teach that pitch.

In lobby for: Jaime Cevallos, Zack Lutz, orange unis and Rickroll as the 7th inning song.
The Unwritten Rules of AA

by Michkin on Jan 11, 2012 11:59 AM EST reply actions