:sigh:

 

God.. What did I ever do to deserve all this torture? Why Why?

well I guess now we can ask for Robinson Cano for Pierre and a pitching prospect?

Seriously, can someone please explain the Marlins rational in making this move?

 

THIS move? Well, LoDuca's not worth his contract nor is a core player. Even if he was, he's not going to be here in two years or whenever the Miggy, Dontrelle and friends party kicks off its dynasty. The Mets offer was good. Hernandez has talent, which while a few more years away from being realized than some other prospective trade targets, atleast has the best talent. So Beinfest took it and will look elsewhere for help in 2006.

One question I want to know is what are we going to do with all these pitchers?

Awesome!

 

Yeah he's another pitcher, but damn we got a hell of a deal from the Mets. Gosh they're stupid, no forward planning for the future at all. They'll be screwed in 3-5 years time when all the players they've just bought retire.

 

For those complaining about positional players: Would you have rather got a great pitcher or an average positional player just because we need positional players? We should go for the best player available, and since Milledge couldn't be touched, it was Hernandez.

 

You have to hand it to our GM, he is creative. I'm sure we'll turn some of these pitchers around for positional players.

One question I want to know is what are we going to do with all these pitchers?

Gaby Hernandez plays second when not starting, Volstad is in center until he's ready, Tankersly is catching while he's not hurt, and Vargas has volunteered to be the entire bullpen.

Hernandez is not at the moment, nor does he profile to be, a "great" pitcher. There's only one person we got who could fit into that "great" territory and that's Sanchez.

 

I would have rather seen LoDuca be moved for a position player.

I think the plan is flawed.

 

 

I don't think we know what the "plan" is yet.

 

And it may be that in fact as has been suggested in various threads, Beinfest is shopping for others.

 

 

I think you guys are kidding yourselves if you think these moves are the first step in some larger series of moves that will end with us trading these young guys for players we can start next year. the plan here is: trade anyone who is making any money in exchange for the best cheap players you can get for them, and bring the payroll down to the lowest in the majors, and then start a AAA team + Dontrelle and Miggy.

Wilis also said that he would catch himself if Tank gets ready faster than they predict.

New York Mets

 

19 And Life To Go

 

NEW YORK--Whenever the Mets look at Gaby Hernandez, they do so through a prism that reminds them of his age. He already has pitched in the high Class A Florida State League, and he's months short his 20th birthday. So it's understandable that the 2004 third-rounder out of a Miami high school still has some rough edges that need smoothing out.

 

His delivery was split in two and in need of repair during his 2005 season. But those sorts of things can happen to a pitcher born more that two years after Dwight Gooden made his major league debut.

 

When he was 19, Gooden was embarrassing the best hitters in the National League. Every 19-year-old pitcher, Felix Hernandez included, pales in comparison to the Gooden of 1984. Not that the Mets' Hernandez is an ordinary 19-year old.

 

"For me, he's got all it takes," said Tim Teufel, who played 4 1/2 seasons with Gooden and managed him at St. Lucie. "Powerful legs. And there's a thickness to him. He doesn't look like the kind of kid who'll break down.

 

"He's got a lot to learn." But then the qualifier: "But he's 19."

 

Hernandez pitched the first month and a half of his second professional season as an 18-year old and distinguished himself, earning a promotion to the high Class A. Before the promotion, Hernandez outgrew the low Class A South Atlantic League. The 6-1, 2.43 record he produced at Hagerstown included a no-hitter. He struck out 99 batters and allowed only 89 base runners in 93 innings.

 

But when Hernandez joined St. Lucie, pitching coach Randy Niemann detected flaws. So he smoothed out Hernandez' delivery, which allowed him to improve his command and the break on his curveball. "The pitcher he was when he got there was nothing like the pitcher we saw the last three or four starts," Teufel said.

 

Hernandez' 2-5, 5.74 record under Teufel doesn't illustrate the progress he made in those 42 innings, but his improvement was as striking his 6-3 frame. And, he still was 19.

 

 

 

nice read

One question I want to know is what are we going to do with all these pitchers?

 

throw them all against the wall and see what sticks... thats what you need to do with young arms -- remember the Mets had the Paul Wilson/Jason Isringhausen/Bill Pulsipher trio on the way? None of them really developed, and it took Izzy years to find his role as a closer and Wilson took years to emerge as a journeyman decent starter..

 

inevitably, attrition will happen with our young pitchers, due to injuries, trades, and non-development. Pitching is the most sought after commodity, so if you don't love their positional players being offered, take the best pitcher available. It's not a dumb strategy, despite what a lot of people think.

i think we got a good deal

 

i like gaby and think he will be good

 

now just need to fill some holes by dealing some of these pitchers

Just a thought, does this mean Willingham is the catcher by default now?

 

I'd like to have Willingham, Jacobs and Treanor or a veteran catcher split time at the position. Hopefully that would lead to us getting a .800+ OPS from the position and only one roster spot dedicated to a player who can play no position but catcher. Although I suspect Girardi would like one guy to start, and to mentor him.

 

That or try Willingham at 2B and hand Conine the LF job, but that doesn't make much sense with Psomas coming up through the system.

 

Why would anyone expect Conine to be signed? It is becoming increasingly clear the FO intends to collect as much cash as possible this upcoming year with little regard for the W-L record.

Because he's cheap (some suggest $1M/year) and would probably want to come back as we'd be in position to give him playing time (his only request as of yet). If for some reason they can not come to terms on a contract, the club is interested in building for the future and will likely offer him arbitration for the purposes of collecting an extra set of draft picks. Conine will likely accept arbitration as he would stand to gain more financially from the process than negotiating and would realize his potential for playing time is greater here than elsewhere.

Minnesota Twins

 

Bowyer's Breakout

 

MINNEAPOLIS--As the 2004 season began Travis Bowyer was languishing in Class A, not a comfortable spot for a sixth-year minor leaguer.

 

What a difference a year makes.

 

Now, Bowyer is pitching in the Arizona Fall League and his future is bright. That's a big change from early in 2004. At that time, he had not yet gotten out of low Class A.

 

He began the 2004 season at high Class A Fort Myers, where he was 3-0, 0.30 in 30 innings before being promoted to Double-A New Britain. He was 6-3, 1.76 with 65 strikeouts and 38 walks in 62 innings for the Rock Cats.

 

The biggest difference was that Bowyer, a 20th-round pick in the 1999 June draft, gained confidence in his fastball. That led to more strikes. In addition, he gained some maturity and his focus became a stronger part of his game.

 

In spring training this year, he earned a spot in the bullpen at Triple-A Rochester, where he was 4-2, 2.78 with 23 saves and one 26 innings scoreless streak.

 

"When I come out of the bullpen, my adrenaline's pumping and I go right at them," he said.

 

The 24-year-old from Big Island, Va., was also selected for the Futures Game and the Triple-A all-star game in 2005. His season culminated with a September callup to the Twins, where he had a 5.98 ERA in 10 innings.

 

Bowyer's power stuff helped him become a closer. He tops out at 98 mph with his fastball, complementing the pitch with a hard slider and mixing it up with a changeup. His stuff has never been a question, but he needs to refine the slider so hitters don't sit on his fastball. He also could use better fastball command, as he walked 40 in 74 innings.

 

In the minors he could more easily get away with throwing heat and little else. But that won't work in the major leagues.

 

"I've been working on a breaking ball pretty much the whole year," he said. "It's been inconsistent but it's coming."

 

 

 

also found this on Bowyer from BaseballAmerica site

and Vargas has volunteered to be the entire bullpen.

 

Are you kidding? We need his bat in the lineup!

Because he's cheap (some suggest $1M/year) and would probably want to come back as we'd be in position to give him playing time (his only request as of yet). If for some reason they can not come to terms on a contract, the club is interested in building for the future and will likely offer him arbitration for the purposes of collecting an extra set of draft picks. Conine will likely accept arbitration as he would stand to gain more financially from the process than negotiating and would realize his potential for playing time is greater here than elsewhere.

 

 

But would Conine feel completely out of place on a team whose average age will be 23 or 24?

To those that don't like getting the Mets' #3 prospect, plus one other player, for a 33 year-old catcher with 6 bombs and who hit .283, while being paid $6 mill... what did you want in return???

Hernandez is not at the moment, nor does he profile to be, a "great" pitcher. There's only one person we got who could fit into that "great" territory and that's Sanchez.

 

I would have rather seen LoDuca be moved for a position player.

 

 

 

He profiles as a #3 but that is still pretty good.

To those that don't like getting the Mets' #3 prospect, plus one other player, for a 33 year-old catcher with 6 bombs and who hit .283, while being paid $6 mill... what did you want in return???

 

Penn, these people who are crying and complaining are all experts on the minor league farms systems of all MLB teams -- despite the fact Duke had the #s you post and his age, etc, we should have done better, dont you know that? Oh yeah, Beinfest is an idiot, who is sabotaging the team.

Duh!!

I dare to say with the plethora of "talented pitchers" our bullpen will be fairly good.

 

The sad part is that we might see Jorgensen playing backup player X.

 

JP for Cano or Pie or Bust.

Because he's cheap (some suggest $1M/year) and would probably want to come back as we'd be in position to give him playing time (his only request as of yet). If for some reason they can not come to terms on a contract, the club is interested in building for the future and will likely offer him arbitration for the purposes of collecting an extra set of draft picks. Conine will likely accept arbitration as he would stand to gain more financially from the process than negotiating and would realize his potential for playing time is greater here than elsewhere.

 

 

But would Conine feel completely out of place on a team whose average age will be 23 or 24?

Maybe. I suspect you would. I probably would too.

 

However would he be happy with sitting on the bench or playing away from home though? I don't know about the latter, but he has been quoted that he prefers to start next year. What team will allow that? Would they also be willing to give him more money than he'd make through the arbitration process? Would they be willing to give up draft picks to sign him?

More pitching????

 

I'm getting more pissed off each day

Wow...this sucks...

 

I know there is a whole "market correction" - aka "Firesale" going on here, but this cannot be the team the Marlins are fielding next season. I have to think that Beinfest will do some dealing during this week's Winter Meetings to pick up some cheap veterans. No way do we field a team of:

 

C- Treanor

1b - Jacobs

2b - Amazega (or however it's spelled)

3b - Cabrera

SS - Ramirez

LF - Conine/Willingham

CF - Aguila (assuming Pierre is next)

RF - Hermida

 

I just don't see the front office allowing that to happen.... Of the young guys, I'm fine with Hermida, Jacobs, and maybe even Ramirez.. But we need a 2b, CF, and C badly....

 

Beinfest - I'm trusting you, man !!!

 

I'm seriously getting tired of this so-called "Market Correction". If this does turn out to be our opening day roster, I'm going to personally go to Dolphins Stadium and yell at somebody. There is no way that we're going to win even 70 games with this roster.

 

Treanor is a joke of a hitter, his only skill is defense. Jacobs is going to be alright, but he's a far cry from Delgado. Amazaga doesn't even deserve to be on our AAA roster. Willingham's hitting ability is overrated. He played in the Pacific Coast League, which is a hitters' league, for God's sake. He's not going to do anything. Aguila thankfully has speed, but his hitting is below-average.

 

Without a doubt we're going to be last in the NL East with this roster, mark my words. Don't get me started on the bullpen or the rotation, either.

We are not getting Pie

When the Marlins payroll is completely gutted and Loria makes huge a profit I say put on a happy face