NEW YORK METS
| Benny Agbayani (OF, 29, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 90 322 91 20 5 11 43 53 50 58 283 381 478 16 6 1999 AAA 28 101 36 8 1 8 21 32 16 19 356 446 693 5 3 |
| Agbayani's second year with the Mets was another success. He's put a lot of runs on the board the past two years, and has established himself as a good hitter. He still has a chance to get regular playing duries; I don't think he will be an All-Star, but at the very least he should be better than Derek Bell. |
| Edgardo Alfonzo (2B, 27, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 NYM 144 557 155 28 2 17 94 78 65 77 278 355 427 8 3 1999 NYM 158 628 191 41 1 27 123 108 85 85 304 385 502 9 2 2000 NYM 150 544 176 40 2 25 109 94 95 70 324 425 542 3 2 |
| He followed up a wonderful 1999 season by playing even better. He's a durable second baseman who hits for average, hits for power, gets on base and is very consistent. Oh, and he's probably heading for his best season in 2001; he could win the MVP Award. |
| Kevin Appier (33, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 KC 1 2 3 3 0 0 0 15 21 5 9 780 1999 KC-OAK 16 14 34 34 1 0 0 209 230 84 131 517 2000 OAK 15 11 31 31 1 1 0 195 200 102 129 452 |
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He had another winning season, and was rewarded by the Mets with a fat contract. The Mets have made a lot of good moves lately, but I'm skeptical. Appier was a great pitcher in his prime, and has been a tough competitor since recovering from surgery. But last year he walked almost as many batters as he struck out; he also made a trip to the DL with a strained forearm, evidence that he's still not sound. Last year, I thought Appier might get stronger, and start to resemble his old self. I can't see that happening now. The Mets are getting a .500 pitcher, and the clock is ticking on his career. |
| Armando Benitez (28, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 BAL 5 6 71 0 0 0 22 68 48 39 87 382 1999 NYM 4 3 77 0 0 0 22 78 40 41 128 185 2000 NYM 4 4 76 0 0 0 41 76 39 38 106 261 |
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An awesome pitcher who has a rubber arm and piles on the strikeouts, Benitez finally established himself as one of the best closers in baseball. He should remain one of the best pitchers in the league for several years; sure, he doesn't have a great record in the postseason, but we can't all be Mariano Rivera, can we? Curiously, Benitez' only major flaw is his habit of giving up home runs. He gave up 10 dingers last season, despite giving up only 39 hits the whole year! Those 10 home runs accounted for almost half of the offense against him (he gave up only 22 earned runs in total). It's not a major weakness; if he stopped giving up home runs, he'd win the Cy Young Award. |
| Eric Cammack (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 A 7 2 54 0 0 0 19 68 39 27 102 239 1999 AA-AAA 4 2 54 0 0 0 19 65 35 39 100 248 2000 AAA 6 2 47 0 0 0 9 64 38 31 67 170 |
| Cammack was called up three times by the Mets during the season, but couldn't convince Bobby Valentine to let him stay. He'll make it, and soon; his minor league record is quite stunning. He piles on strikeouts and doesn't give up many hits, though his control wobbles occasionally. |
| John Franco (41, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 NYM 0 8 61 0 0 0 38 64 66 29 59 362 1999 NYM 0 2 46 0 0 0 19 41 40 19 41 288 2000 NYM 5 4 62 0 0 0 4 56 46 26 56 340 |
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Did you know that John Franco has the lowest career ERA of any active pitcher? His career ERA is 2.68, the same as Pedro Martinez. He also has 420 career saves; Lee Smith is the only other pitcher with more than 400. He's given up only 62 homers in over 1000 innings pitched, and he's also averaged more than 7 strikeouts per 9 innings. Personally, I have never, ever thought of Franco as a Hall Of Famer, for various reasons. But I'm sure he will be inducted. Maybe he deserves it; I don't really know. He's the Tommy John of relievers, just keeps going and going, and once again he was pretty good last year. |
| Matt Franco (IF, 32, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 NYM 103 161 44 7 2 1 20 13 23 26 273 366 360 0 1 1999 NYM 122 132 31 5 0 4 18 21 28 21 235 366 364 0 0 2000 NYM 101 134 32 4 0 2 9 14 21 22 239 340 313 0 0 |
| Franco was a good utility player from 1997-98, but the past two seasons has been unable to keep his average over .250. The Mets demoted him in August, a sign that they may be looking for other options. Franco's only assets are his versatility and his ability to draw a walk; he doesn't run, doesn't hit for average, and has no power. |
| Darryl Hamilton (OF, 36, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 SF-COL 148 561 173 28 3 6 95 51 82 73 308 398 401 13 9 1999 COL-NYM 146 505 159 19 4 9 82 45 57 39 315 386 422 6 8 2000 NYM 43 105 29 4 1 1 20 6 14 20 276 358 362 2 0 |
| Hamilton strained his foot in April, and the injury cost him most of the season. He's 36 years old, and just an average outfielder. The Mets also discovered Timoniel Perez, who does all of the things they got Hamilton to do. Hamilton will be a spare outfielder for someone, but I doubt he will ever bat 500 times again. |
| Lenny Harris (OF/IF, 36, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 CIN-NYM 132 290 75 15 0 6 30 27 17 21 259 300 372 6 5 1999 ARI 110 187 58 13 0 1 17 20 6 7 310 330 396 2 1 2000 ARI-NYM 112 223 58 7 4 4 31 26 20 22 260 317 381 13 1 |
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He was batting just .188 in June, when the Diamondbacks decided to deal him to the Mets. The trade turned out to be a good one for New York; Lenny hit .304 with the Mets while adding speed and versatility and a few big hits to the bench. Harris is a decent veteran utility man, but his value is limited. He swings at everything; sometimes he steals a few bases, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he hits a few homers, sometimes he doesn't. Last year he made eleven errors at third base in only 36 games. He needs to be used carefully. |
| Brett Hinchliffe (27, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AAA 10 8 25 25 2 1 0 160 132 88 100 400 1999 AAA 9 7 21 21 3 0 0 131 141 44 107 515 2000 AAA 4 3 34 7 1 1 2 96 95 32 52 347 |
| A mediocre pitcher, Hinchliffe has begun to bounce around to several different teams, none of whom have shown much confidence in him. Last year, he appeared he a couple of games with the Angels, then was dealt to the Cubs, who never put him out on the mound (and it's not like the Cubs have more good pitchers than they can use). He might get a chance if he can land with a team with a weak bullpen. |
| Bobby M. Jones (29, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 2000 AAA 10 8 22 21 4 1 0 133 122 58 100 432 |
| Jones' never had a chance while he was with Colorado; last year he joined the Mets, and they sent him to Norfolk to try to get his career back on track. He was okay, not impressive enough to start with the Mets, but another team might take an interest. |
| David Lamb (IF, 26, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 TAM 55 124 28 5 1 1 18 13 10 18 226 284 306 0 1 |
| Ooops. After spending most of 1999 with the Devil Rays, Lamb was hoping to prove that he could be a solid player, but instead he went and had a rotten season at Norfolk. He's young, and has some ability, but rotten seasons at Norfolk are difficult to overcome. |
| Al Leiter (35, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 NYM 17 6 28 28 4 2 0 193 151 71 174 247 1999 NYM 13 12 32 32 1 1 0 213 209 93 162 423 2000 NYM 16 8 31 31 2 1 0 208 176 76 200 320 |
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Leiter had another wonderful year. After wasting most of his youth with blister problems, he has now put together five straight winning seasons in his 30's. Leiter also posted one of the most amazing stats of the year: he held left-handed batters to a .119 batting average (in 118 at bats). No one else is that effective against lefties. Oh, Leiter also led the league in pickoffs, with 10. He had the best control of his career, and also the best strikeout rate. He's 35, but I like him as much now as I ever have. |
| Jim Mann (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 A 0 2 51 0 0 0 25 50 31 24 59 304 1999 AA-AAA 7 7 53 0 0 0 5 76 59 40 84 416 2000 AAA 3 4 49 0 0 0 3 82 61 33 74 298 |
| Mann made his major league debut with the Mets, appearing in a couple of games during the summer. He is a big guy who throws strikes, and he appears to have a future in the bullpen. |
| Joe McEwing (IF/OF, 28, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA-AAA 138 552 189 51 11 15 97 92 42 57 342 389 556 15 12 2000 AAA 43 171 44 10 2 5 28 18 16 34 257 319 427 7 3 |
| File under "irrelevant trades": Joe McEwing for Jesse Orosco. McEwing can play almost any position in the field, and that's good, but he doesn't have many skills at the plate. If everything went right for McEwing, he could be Chris Stynes. |
| Ryan McGuire (OF, 29, L/L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 MON 130 210 39 9 0 1 17 10 32 55 186 292 243 0 0 1999 MON 88 140 31 7 2 2 17 18 27 33 221 347 343 1 1 |
| It took the Expos three years to figure that McGuire wasn't going to develop into a player. Last year he spent most of the season at Norfolk, and wasn't bad. That's not to say I think he has big things ahead of him... but many teams covet a left-handed pinch-hitter, and McGuire may get yet another shot at that role. |
| Jon Nunnally (OF, 29, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 CIN 74 174 36 9 0 7 29 20 34 38 207 335 379 3 4 |
| I think Nunnally was sold to Japan sometime during the summer, and I in retrospect I guess I should have predicted that, because Nunnally was one of those players who you just knew was going to be sold to Japan sometime during his career. |
| Rey Ordonez (SS, 28, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 NYM 153 505 124 20 2 1 46 42 23 60 246 278 299 3 6 1999 NYM 154 520 134 24 2 1 49 60 49 59 258 319 317 8 4 2000 NYM 45 133 25 5 0 0 10 9 17 16 188 278 226 0 0 |
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Ordonez broke his arm in May, and missed the rest of the season. He will be back with the Mets in 2001, though to be honest he's not one of my favourite players. He's an awful hitter... and really, there's not much hope of him every getting better. He's a fine defensive player, but not in the same class as an Ozzie Smith. And then there's some personal stuff... hey, this isn't a gossip column, and what Ordonez does on his own time is his business. But let's just say that he is not exactly an endearing fellow. And he isn't half the player that Mike Bordick is. |
| Jay Payton (CF, 28, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 82 322 84 14 4 8 45 30 26 50 261 318 404 12 7 1999 AAA 38 144 56 13 2 8 27 35 12 13 389 437 674 2 2 |
| Talk about good timing. Payton's career had been drifting along aimlessly, plagued by injuries and inconsistencies. He hit well for one month at Norfolk in 1999, and turned that into a regular job playing centre field for the Mets. He was decent, and he hit a big home run in the playoffs, so the for the first time his position seems established. He's about average, might get a little better, has to prove he can stay healthy. |
| Timoniel Perez (OF, 24, L/L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 AAA 72 291 104 17 5 6 45 37 16 25 357 392 512 13 7 |
| If you paid any attention to the playoffs and World Series, then you know about this guy. Perez is a young man who cut his teeth playing in Japan, then last year blew into New York and was very good. What he will do in the future is anyone's guess... though his performance last year with both Norfolk and the Mets suggests that he might be really good. |
| Mike Piazza (CA, 33, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 3TEAMS 151 561 184 38 1 32 88 111 58 80 328 390 570 1 0 1999 NYM 141 534 162 25 0 40 100 124 51 70 303 361 575 2 2 2000 NYM 136 482 156 26 0 38 90 113 58 69 324 398 614 4 2 |
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After nine years, Piazza has a career .580 slugging percentage, to go along with a .328 batting average. When I was much younger than I am now, no one could even have dreamed that a catcher would put up those numbers. And if he did, he not only would be the greatest catcher ever, he would be the only candidate. Piazza once again struggled at home, hitting .377 on the road but only .269 at Shea. The three worst hitters' parks in the National League are Dodger Stadium, Shea Stadium and Pro Player Stadium - the only parks that Piazza has played in. He has hit 148 lifetime homers on the road, 130 at home. |
| Todd Pratt (CA, 34, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 NYM 41 69 19 9 1 2 9 18 2 20 275 296 522 0 0 1999 NYM 71 140 41 4 0 3 18 21 15 32 293 369 386 2 0 2000 NYM 80 160 44 6 0 8 33 25 22 31 275 378 463 0 0 |
| Pratt is Piazza's backup in New York, usually comes into the game as a defensive replacement, and occasionally gets a start. He was very good last season; he is one of the few backup catchers in baseball who makes a real difference to his team. |
| Rick Reed (36, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 NYM 16 11 31 31 2 1 0 212 208 29 153 348 1999 NYM 11 5 26 26 1 1 0 149 163 47 104 458 2000 NYM 11 5 30 30 0 0 0 184 192 34 121 411 |
| Reed had a great start to the season, was inconsistent afterwards (and fractured his left wrist during the summer), but on the whole had another good year. He's a reliable veteran pitcher, has outstanding control, and is probably good for another winning season. |
| Desi Relaford (SS, 28, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 PHI 142 494 121 25 3 5 45 41 33 87 245 293 338 9 5 1999 PHI 65 211 51 11 2 1 31 26 19 34 242 322 327 4 3 2000 PHI 128 410 88 14 3 5 55 46 75 71 215 351 300 13 0 |
| Relaford had a bad, bad season, and I'm not sure there is any Force in Nature that can keep his career alive. He had an awful year at the plate, despite drawing more walks than usual. His defense was supposed to be an asset... but he made 31 errors in the field. He was signed by the Mets after the season, but if Ordonez is healthy he won't play. |
| Jerrod Riggan (27, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 A 4 1 14 0 0 0 1 41 38 14 40 370 1999 A 5 5 44 0 0 0 12 73 69 24 66 333 2000 AA 2 0 52 0 0 0 28 65 43 18 79 111 |
| Mr. Riggan put on quite a show at Binghamton last year; I don't think he had any flaws in his season. Entering 2001, he's got some obstacles to overcome; he's not young, he has never pitched above Double-A, and he is with a team (the Mets) that has lots of good relievers. Still, I can think of some teams out there who desperately need help in their bullpen, and who should be interested in Riggan. |
| Grant Roberts (24, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 A 4 5 17 17 0 0 0 72 72 37 70 423 1999 AA-AAA 9 7 28 28 0 0 0 159 167 60 124 480 2000 AAA 7 8 25 25 5 0 0 157 154 63 115 338 |
| A young pitcher with the Mets who did a good job at Norfolk last year. Roberts is at the point in his career where sending him back to Norfolk won't do him much good, but he's probably not ready to jump into the Mets' starting rotation; best to throw him in long relief. |
| Rich Rodriguez (38, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 SF 4 0 68 0 0 0 2 65 69 20 44 370 1999 SF 3 0 62 0 0 0 0 57 60 28 44 524 2000 NYM 0 1 32 0 0 0 0 37 59 15 18 778 |
| Rodriguez is 38 years old, and his ERA is moving in the wrong direction at an alarming rate. |
| Glendon Rusch (26, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 AAA 4 7 20 20 1 0 0 114 143 33 102 442 |
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The Mets have apparently spent much of the winter shopping Rusch around, looking for another starter; one rumour that never materialized was Rusch going to Toronto for David Wells. I have great respect for the Mets' organization, but in this case they must be out of their minds. Rusch is a young pitcher who looked fantastic last season. He has made some stunning improvements the past two seasons, and is in a position to emerge as one of the best young pitchers in the game. Surely history has taught the Mets that dealing your best young pitcher is not a good strategy. |
| Dennis Springer (36, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 2000 AAA 5 5 25 17 1 1 0 117 120 35 35 438 |
| Springer throws a knuckleball, and has good command of it about once a month. The rest of the time... well, I think the record speaks for itself. |
| Jorge Toca (1B, 26, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 AA-AAA 124 455 145 27 2 25 85 96 38 66 319 374 552 5 8 2000 AAA 120 453 123 25 3 11 58 70 17 72 272 302 413 9 8 |
| Toca's second season at Norfolk was a big disappointment. He's had a good season and a bad one, and I'm not really sure what to expect in 2001, except that he will be back at Norfolk again. |
| Steve Trachsel (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 CHC 15 8 33 33 1 0 0 208 204 84 149 446 1999 CHC 8 18 34 34 4 0 0 206 226 64 149 556 2000 TAM-TOR 8 15 34 34 3 1 0 201 232 74 110 480 |
| He had another ugly losing season, and he also stopped throwing strikes; nevertheless, Trachsel was signed by the Mets after the season, and got paid a pretty penny. A few years ago he was one of the better young pitchers in baseball, but there is almost nothing in his record that suggests he is going to improve. The best I can say is that he is joining a very good team that plays in a great park for pitchers... and that might help him win as many as he loses. |
| Robin Ventura (3B, 34, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 CHW 161 590 155 31 4 21 84 91 79 111 263 349 436 1 1 1999 NYM 161 588 177 38 0 32 88 120 74 109 301 379 529 1 1 2000 NYM 141 469 109 23 1 24 61 84 75 91 232 338 439 3 5 |
| Ken Boyer won an MVP Award in 1964, at age 33; the next year his numbers tumbled, and never recovered. I have always considered Ventura to be the Ken Boyer of his generation, and I think that last year's numbers may represent a real decline. He might recover a little bit, hit in the .250-.260 range, but I doubt that he will ever be a top-flight third baseman again. |
| Donne Wall (34, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 SD 5 4 45 1 0 0 1 70 50 32 56 243 1999 SD 7 4 55 0 0 0 0 70 58 23 53 307 2000 SD 5 2 44 0 0 0 1 54 36 21 29 335 |
| Wall had his third straight outstanding season, though he missed some time during the summer due to a bout of tendinitis in his shoulder. He's a terrific pitcher, and he's been acquired by the Mets (as if they need another good reliever); my only concerns are his age, and the shoulder problems. |
| Turk Wendell (34, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 NYM 5 1 66 0 0 0 4 76 62 33 58 293 1999 NYM 5 4 80 0 0 0 3 86 80 37 77 305 2000 NYM 8 6 77 0 0 0 1 83 60 41 73 359 |
| Wendell has now had five straight good seasons, and has to be considered one of the best setup men in the game. And that's a bit of an upset; how many flakes have been both good and consistent over the course of their careers? Wendell, I guess, is a relatively harmless flake; he brushes his teeth during innings and hops over baselines and stuff, and doesn't do anything that's really distracting. |
| Rick White (32, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 TAM 2 6 35 3 0 0 0 68 66 23 39 380 1999 TAM 5 3 63 1 0 0 0 108 132 38 81 408 2000 TAM-NYM 5 9 66 0 0 0 3 100 83 38 67 352 |
| White had another very good season in middle relief, the best of his career. He was a guy who got a second chance thanks to expansion, and he has made the most of it; the past three years he has been one of the most durable, consistent and hard-working relievers in the league. |
| Vance Wilson (CA, 28, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 46 154 40 3 0 4 18 16 9 29 260 305 357 0 3 1999 AAA 15 53 14 3 0 3 10 5 4 8 264 328 491 1 0 2000 AAA 111 400 104 23 1 16 47 62 24 65 260 319 443 11 6 |
| Wilson was a good prospect in 1997, but his career was derailed, presumably by injuries, during the 1998-99 seasons. Last year he got back on track, was the regular catcher at Norfolk, and wasn't bad. Wilson isn't young anymore, and he isn't going to be a regular catcher, but he might be a good backup if he gets the chance (which he likely won't in New York). |
| Todd Zeile (1B, 36, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 3TEAMS 158 572 155 32 3 19 85 94 69 90 261 358 450 4 4 1999 TEX 156 588 172 41 1 24 80 98 56 94 293 354 488 1 2 2000 NYM 153 544 146 36 3 22 67 79 74 85 268 356 467 3 4 |
| Zeile is very consistent. That's not to say he is good; in fact, he's probably mediocre. 79 RBI, from a regular first baseman? That's not very much. But at least he's consistently mediocre. |