The always-industrious Matthew Eddy posted some minor league transactions over at Baseball America. There are some names that could potentially help the Mets, and I’ve broken down a few of my favorites here.
Just to get ahead of the reaction from some quarters every time I bring up minor moves like this- no, none of these players are likely to turn the franchise around by themselves. But that’s not how turning a franchise around works. Even if the Mets were operating under normal financial conditions, the way to win is by squeezing talent out of every avenue it is available. Minor league free agents are one such avenue, particularly for a franchise lacking in depth at the upper minor league levels.
So, with that in mind, let’s get to a few of my favorites on Eddy’s newest list:
Matt Liuzza, C: Just released by the Toronto Blue Jays, Liuzza had a down year, posting a .224/.325/.373 line at mostly Double-A. He only posted 154 plate appearances, thanks to a back injury that kept him out from May until August. But he returned near the end of the season, and is just a year removed from posting a .251/.389/.456 line in High-A ball. He’s 27, so time is running short for him, but with catchers often developing later offensively, and the Mets with a real depth problem at the position organization-wide, I’d love to see Liuzza picked up and given the chance to catch regularly in Binghamton or Buffalo. His position and control of the strike zone make him worth a shot.
Brandon Boggs, OF: A minor league free agent most recently with Milwaukee, Boggs is a wise pickup for the Mets for similar reasons to Liuzza. He’s got terrific control of the strike zone, and he plays center field, a position of need for New York. Boggs put up a .241/.381/.419 line for Triple-A Nashville in 2011, and is a year removed from hitting .290/.406/.470 in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Yes, offensive stats in the Pacific Coast League should be taken skeptically (though Jeff Sackmann/Dan Szymborski had the team’s home park playing as a slight pitcher-friendly environment), but Boggs, who will be 29, seems to possess skills that Jason Pridie clearly doesn’t.
Anthony Slama, P: Most recently with Minnesota, I can’t begin to understand why Slama, who has a career minor league ERA of 2.08 and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings, didn’t get a chance to pitch with the Twins. He’ll be 28 next year, and for a team in need of bullpen help, this is how you do it- grabbing a bunch of Slama-types, and see what sticks. Hope he is in camp most of all.
9 Comments
Slama’s stuff is average, despite the gaudy K rate; he relies mostly on location and a mildly deceptive delivery. Middle relief seems to be his calling.
Boggs strikes out a lot, and he’s hit for power exactly once in his career (at Frisco). 4th outfielder at best.
I suspect that Liuzza was released because he’s not healthy.
Picking up minor league filler because they are better than what you have in your system is a recipe for staying on the treadmill.
Mike, I disagree. Anything you can do to help the overall talent in the system is a useful thing. It shouldn’t be in place of developing real talent through the draft/int’l signings. But it is useful.
With Slama, I assumed stuff was the issue. What would be the reason not to see if he fools nearly as many MLB hitters? Even if that K-rate is only 8-9 per 9, it is still tremendously useful. And they can’t draft/develop a middle reliever by next April, after all.
Regarding Boggs- well, the Mets need a fourth outfielder who can play center field, draw some walks, possibly hit for power. So this isn’t a reason not to sign him.
And you may be right on Liuzza- I’d try to sign him and find out with a physical.
Howard,
I love your site and find you to be one of the most important writers, let alone bloggers, on the subject of the Mets. But does it become depressing to you that we are talking about never mind scraping the bottom of the barrel, but that we are picking at the sludge that’s underneath the same barrel?
I’ve read and listened to you discuss the team and owners’ finances and I for one favor a fan imposed death penalty. A collective “no more” toward the Wilpons and attending Citi Field. Heck, we are facing “possibly competitive” come 2015-16.
When it’s time to discuss what’s happening on the field and more than the gristle and the fat, it will be fun again. Instead, I find myself rooting for Irving Picard and hoping that any settlement will cause the creditors to call in their loans and that’s not healthy for any of us.
I have been a Mets fan since 1978 when my Yankee-hating dad took me to my first game at Shea against the Astros. Lee Mazzilli was my first favorite Met, but even in those dark days I had more faith than I do now and feel like we are headed into an Oriole-like abyss.
Hi Brian,
Thank you for the kind words. Leaving aside the case of the trustee for a moment, I will say this about discussing minor league free agents and other low-end acquisitions: in a world where the Mets had ready access to Yankees money, they still should look for low-budget solutions to all problems. Every time a reliever is found for league minimum instead of $3 million a year, or a catcher, or a fourth outfielder, the remaining money can be allocated toward other payroll, or more international signings, or some additional over-slot draft picks. So it makes sense for every team to get these details right.
But yes, the idea that the Mets are doing so by necessity, while having far less money to spend in areas where they could use the normal financial advantage New York enjoys to maximize Sandy Alderson’s expertise- that is demoralizing. I certainly get what you are saying.
There are just Mets fans who enjoy complaining and doing so with something as ridiculous as minor league free agent pickups at this time in the offseason as if the 29 other teams are doing something major right now when clearly that just doesn’t happen this time of year.
Those who like to bitch and complain about this team and ownership even to the point of supporting the greedy Picard who, along with his law firm, stands to make a billion dollars off the backs of others – those who feel this way should find another team to root for. Try the Cubs and Indians, plus the 8 franchises who’ve have zero World Series rings, and some, zero appearances.
BORING. Boring, boring, boring. NY Debts. Meet the Debts, Greet the Debts. Maybe you can find a catcher, a center fielder and a pitching staff for $150,000 total and hope for the best.
Oy- LongTimeFan, Picard doesn’t stand to make a billion dollars. He stands to make 10 percent less than his firm normally would (public interest discount), and he is paid by SIPC (funded by Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs), not the Madoff victims. As trustee, he is obligated to make those who lost money in the Ponzi scheme whole from those who made money. You may disagree with his decisions, but it is ludicrous to ascribe sinister motives to them, or to pretend he’s doing anything for his own financial gain here.
Boring- do you know where the Mets can find a catcher, center fielder and pitching staff for $150K? If so, you really ought to tell them. Would be a huge help going into 2012.
Rockland Boulders. You can get the entire roster of 25 for a million two. They’ll finish last, just like the current roster, but at least you could root for them throughout their hapless but energetic endeavors.. BTW, I had a lot of stock in Washington Mutual and Countrywide, similar scams, and no one bailed me out. At least Madoff is in jail. The execs from the aforementioned are swigging Dom Perignon on their yachts.