Bruan to be traded?

[Outlaw]

Lots of speculation that the Brew Crew want Bruan gone and are willing to eat significant salary to do so. One rumor has him going to the Metzies for Ike Davis. Can't blame the Brewers, they owe him 112 milllion over 7 years and he's 30 now. Will be interesting to see how he performs this year no matter where he is.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Let's be perfectly clear here: It's Braun, not Bruan.

The Brewers are not a big market team that can eat salary on a player contract. It makes no sense for the Brewers to trade Braun at his lowest trade value AND eat part of the remaining 7 years on his contract. While Braun deserves to be reviled around the league this year, he remains the face of the franchise and the Brewers are going to stick with him and build around him. They won't dive into free agency and their farm system has no Top 10 prospects, so they have to swallow hard and move forward with Braun.

Here's what GM Doug Melvin said about the trade rumors yesterday:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/232832861.html

[DOUGHBOYS]

I've been less than impressed with the Mets approach this year. So far, it seems their largest interest is to have their name in the front pages of the Hot Stove. The well publicized meeting with Robinson Cano. The non-denials when stories are dreamed up about Braun and other stars. They are courting publicity, more than free agents.
If there is a polar opposite to those teams that come out of nowhere to sign a player, that team is the Mets.
Rumors from their front office had fans excited at spending more money with Santana and Bay off their books.
There deportment so far has been that of somebody owning a ten gallon hat without owning any beef.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I've been less than impressed with the Mets approach this year. So far, it seems their largest interest is to have their name in the front pages of the Hot Stove. The well publicized meeting with Robinson Cano. The non-denials when stories are dreamed up about Braun and other stars. They are courting publicity, more than free agents.
If there is a polar opposite to those teams that come out of nowhere to sign a player, that team is the Mets.
Rumors from their front office had fans excited at spending more money with Santana and Bay off their books.
There deportment so far has been that of somebody owning a ten gallon hat without owning any beef.

The beef is called Chris Young = 1 year for $7 million. That should sell tickets, right?

As for Ryan Braun, in our first three NFBC DC leagues he went 11th, 13th and 13th. It sure looks like he's remaining in the first round to start the season. It should be interesting to see if this trend continues throughout the off-season.

[BK METS]

I've been less than impressed with the Mets approach this year. So far, it seems their largest interest is to have their name in the front pages of the Hot Stove. The well publicized meeting with Robinson Cano. The non-denials when stories are dreamed up about Braun and other stars. They are courting publicity, more than free agents.
If there is a polar opposite to those teams that come out of nowhere to sign a player, that team is the Mets.
Rumors from their front office had fans excited at spending more money with Santana and Bay off their books.
There deportment so far has been that of somebody owning a ten gallon hat without owning any beef.

Its not even Thanksgiving yet. They will spend money, but not the extremes that maybe us Mets fans want. And that's fine. I think you will see that the big players the Mets get, if any, will be from trades and not free agency. They have an abundance of pitching prospects and they will use those, plus Ike Davis/Daniel Murphy, to get a big outfield bat. I don't mind the Chris Young signing. He is not a bad risk for 1 year.

As far as Cano and Braun, those rumors were not initiated by the Mets. Many teams will be meeting with Cano. The Mets had to do their due diligence and see what he was looking for. He is the top free agent in the market. I would have been very disappointed if they didn't. Sandy Alderson was very candid, in an interview with Mike Francesca last week and I expect they will be very active in the off season. Will they sign Cano or trade for Braun, not likely. Will the press report everything they do, because they are in New York, likely.

My hope is they do similar to what the Red Sox did and get some good character guys to surround Wright in the lineup and compliment their pitching staff. They will likely get another starting pitcher as well.

Dough is always killing the Mets, so this comment isn't surprising. How many free agents have been signed so far in the off season by ALL MLB teams? 4 or 5?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Sorry Alan. It probably does seem like I'm anti-Mets. I'm not really, I just don't think they are an organization that has their fans best interests at heart. You're a fan and feel the need to defend them and I get that.
Last year, their fans were saying, 'Wait till those pitchers bloom'.
Harvey has bloomed and nobody knows what he'll look like after Tommy John. I do know that Strasburg looked electric before surgery, human after.
Wheeler showed good things, but I don't believe he'll be an ace.
Their best hope is probably still in the minors.

So now, their fans are relying on trading their best player from last year, Murphy, and their worst player from last year in Davis to get better.
They're trying to lasso rainbows. And selling their fans that those rainbows can be lasso'd.
The Mets are far away from being even a good team. Let alone a contender.
Farther than last year. That's not the right direction to be headed.

I don't 'kill' the Mets for sport. I truly believe that they are an organization in name only.
They have no idea how they want to build their team. But, by golly, they're going to find as many cameras as possible to show their fans they're trying.

[BEF]

I think the Mets situation really comes down to Sandy & Co having their hands tied by ownership due to money. I honestly believe the Madoff thing crippled them much worse than they've been willing to admit in public (which is to be expected, what else can they do? "Sorry fans, can't spend any money for the next three years because Fred and Jeff were stupid and got Ponzied"). I cannot think of another reason why they didn't do SOMETHING about their horrendous outfield situation in 2013.

I do think they're mostly on the right track about building around their kids and that teams with multiple $100m players have a terrible track record (right, Angels?). The problem is that the majority of New York fans don't understand or agree with that philosophy. Not to mention that most of the free agents are asking for ridiculous contracts; I'm hoping that some bargains will come their way a little later in the process.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I think the Mets situation really comes down to Sandy & Co having their hands tied by ownership due to money. I honestly believe the Madoff thing crippled them much worse than they've been willing to admit in public (which is to be expected, what else can they do? "Sorry fans, can't spend any money for the next three years because Fred and Jeff were stupid and got Ponzied"). I cannot think of another reason why they didn't do SOMETHING about their horrendous outfield situation in 2013.

I do think they're mostly on the right track about building around their kids and that teams with multiple $100m players have a terrible track record (right, Angels?). The problem is that the majority of New York fans don't understand or agree with that philosophy. Not to mention that most of the free agents are asking for ridiculous contracts; I'm hoping that some bargains will come their way a little later in the process.

It's a sure thing that the Mets have been hamstrung. The best thing for the organization as a whole and for its fans is to be sold. Wilpon is still denying he was hurt badly in the Madoff deal. Deaf ears.
I don't think they are on a right track.
Signing a guy like Young is an indicator. He is a shoulder shrug. A seven million dollar rent a player. The Mets will not be good next year, why waste the money on a rental?
Chris Young, at best, will be Marlon Byrd of last year.
At worst, he'll be Chris Young of last year. Either way, he'll be an afterthought after the season, like Byrd
Taking Wright out of the equation, simply so Management can tell fans they have somebody to build on, and the Mets two best players last year were Marlon Byrd and Daniel Murphy. Byrd is gone and for some reason, they've made it public that they want to trade Murphy.
Dickey was their best pitcher two years ago, he was traded.
Reyes was their best player before that, they got nothing for him.
The Mets have become churners. A successful season in a Mets uniform means that a player will be somewhere else next season.
Keep Murphy. Keep Davis. The Mets play at Citi, not Grand Central Station. Have some offensive continuity, not a soup d' year.
Whether the Mets keep or trade Ike Davis, I will bet a bag of Doritos that Davis has a better year than Young.
Mets fans are just getting plain bamboozled.
They have the direction of a broken compass.
Fire away, Alan.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

Hey Doughboys --- sometimes your writing reminds me of the great Bill James.

[poopytooth]

As for Ryan Braun, in our first three NFBC DC leagues he went 11th, 13th and 13th. It sure looks like he's remaining in the first round to start the season. It should be interesting to see if this trend continues throughout the off-season.

yes, but 2 of those 3 were on a dare

[BEF]

It's a sure thing that the Mets have been hamstrung. The best thing for the organization as a whole and for its fans is to be sold. Wilpon is still denying he was hurt badly in the Madoff deal. Deaf ears.
I don't think they are on a right track.
Signing a guy like Young is an indicator. He is a shoulder shrug. A seven million dollar rent a player. The Mets will not be good next year, why waste the money on a rental?
Chris Young, at best, will be Marlon Byrd of last year.
At worst, he'll be Chris Young of last year. Either way, he'll be an afterthought after the season, like Byrd

I wrote about them being on the right track, and then an hour later I heard about the Young contract. "Oh, that's not a horrible move, he'll make a nice cheap 4th outfielder". Then I found out the terms of the contract and nearly did a spit-take (the guy eating his pancakes next to me never knew how close he came to getting showered with orange juice...).

Every time I think the Mets Brain Trust is starting to get it together, I realize that phrase is just an oxymoron. Unbelievable. I wouldn't pay $7 million combined for both Chris Youngs, Delmon and Dmitri Young, and the Younger Brothers gang. Jeesh. What a nightmare, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Hey Doughboys --- sometimes your writing reminds me of the great Bill James.

Thank you. He is one of my favs!

[Edwards Kings]

It's a sure thing that the Mets have been hamstrung. The best thing for the organization as a whole and for its fans is to be sold. Wilpon is still denying he was hurt badly in the Madoff deal. Deaf ears.
I don't think they are on a right track.
Signing a guy like Young is an indicator. He is a shoulder shrug. A seven million dollar rent a player. The Mets will not be good next year, why waste the money on a rental?
Chris Young, at best, will be Marlon Byrd of last year.
At worst, he'll be Chris Young of last year. Either way, he'll be an afterthought after the season, like Byrd

I wrote about them being on the right track, and then an hour later I heard about the Young contract. "Oh, that's not a horrible move, he'll make a nice cheap 4th outfielder". Then I found out the terms of the contract and nearly did a spit-take (the guy eating his pancakes next to me never knew how close he came to getting showered with orange juice...).

Every time I think the Mets Brain Trust is starting to get it together, I realize that phrase is just an oxymoron. Unbelievable. I wouldn't pay $7 million combined for both Chris Youngs, Delmon and Dmitri Young, and the Younger Brothers gang. Jeesh. What a nightmare, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

Silver lining? The Mets are not paying BJ Upton and Dan Uggla a total of $25.45 million next year!