Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Mets ink Scott Atchison to a minor-league deal

The writing was on the wall, but it's now official, as Scott Atchison has signed on with a team other than the Red Sox (and not actually in Japan!), as the Mets agreed to a minor-league deal with the reliever (via MLBTR).

I'll miss Atch. We paid him next to nothing (less than $1.4 million per B-R) and got three solid years out of him. The first two years he appeared in low-leverage situations, but last year he was used in a variety of ways and was at his most effective, giving us 1.7 WAR for a half-million bucks.

Additionally, he provided a lot of roster flexibility, as the Red Sox were able to pass him through waivers numerous times since nobody else wanted him. 

He might not turn out to be anything for the Mets, of course. He's coming off an elbow injury, is turning 37 in March, and has roughly zero pedigree/reputation (see the aforementioned roster flexibility point).

Your Morning Dump...where the Sox could capitalize on their catching surplus

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Mariners (who wanted to sign Napoli as a catcher), Mets, Yankees, White Sox and Dodgers, according to major league sources, are expected to be in the market for catchers. With Napoli and Ross now added to a roster that already featured Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway (as well as minor leaguers Dan Butler and Christian Vazquez on the 40-man), the Sox are positioned like virtually no other team to strike deals involving catching.

In all likelihood, the trade market for catchers will develop once free agent A.J. Pierzynski signs. He’s the top remaining catcher on the market. Behind him, the market features mostly backup types (Kelly Shoppach, Miguel Olivo, etc.). That being the case, once Pierzynski signs, the Sox expect that they’ll be able to see where the market stands for their catchers — most likely, Saltalamacchia or Lavarnway.

WEEI | How Mike Napoli impacts Red Sox catching market

It's never a bad thing to have organizational strength in an important position, and that's exactly what the Red Sox have. Near-term, the Sox have the newly signed Napoli, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and David Ross. Napoli is of course mostly a first baseman for Boston, but should catch a bit. David Ross has been told to expect to play more than a backup, but less than a starter, and is a defensive specialist. Salty is Salty -- a stand-up guy, hard worker, home-run hitter, and possessor of many holes in his swing. Should all three remain with the team, you could envision a scenario where Salty plays 90 games, Ross 50, Napoli 22 (or thereabouts).

Long-term, they have Lavarnway -- still an option to return to Pawtucket, if you believe Cherington -- Butler, Vazquez, and Blake Swihart, the team's 8th-ranked prospects by SoxProspects, and a 2011 1st round pick. They're prepared for a day when Napoli is done behind the plate (probably sooner rather than later), Ross is gone, and Salty has cashed in elsewhere.

So they could afford to make a deal or two. The question is, of course, what players' values are.

Unless they can find a team with a catching need who is also a contender -- and it's too bad they play in the same division as the Yankees and Rays, because both would be good trade partners -- I think it's starting to look like Lavarnway would net a larger return than Salty. He's near-major-league-ready, has improved on the defensive end, and has produced reliably on offense in the minors. Plus, he's under control for six years. Of course, the Sox should feel no pressure to move him unless they can get a significant piece either to help the team this year, or to be part of the team's long-term plan. Since he can just go back to Pawtucket, it doesn't affect the organization that much to carry the glut of catchers, so if the return doesn't look good, there's no reason to panic.

Salty could be dealt, as I said, but to me it's harder to find a clear match. Many speculated the White Sox yesterday when a Chicago Tribune writer tweeted a Salty-for-Gavin Floyd rumor (which was hard to tell whether it was conjecture or actual reporting), and that could make some sense for both teams. Floyd's a consistent but underwhelming pitcher; Salty's a consistent but flawed catcher. With AJ Pierzynski likely leaving Chicago, such a deal makes some sense. I wouldn't be surprised for the Red Sox to aim a bit higher in their search for starting pitching, though. Salty also could be used to add more lower-level prospects and thus remove some pressure from the 40-man roster, enabling Boston to go after more free agents.

On page 2, the Mets and Red Sox talked about RA Dickey.

Jose Reyes allows us to fondly remember Teddy Ballgame

This here site is named after Ted Williams, you may have noticed, and for good reason: He's one of the all-time greats. Baseball-Reference's EloRater (constantly adjusting for what people think of ballplayers based on head-to-head votes) has him as the 2nd greatest of all-time behind Babe Ruth. His numbers are gaudy. My grandpa, a huge Yankees fan who saw Ruth, Gehrig, and Dimaggio in person, even admits that Ted was the best he's ever seen.

And here's another reason Ted is the man: He didn't beg out of games to preserve personal records like Jose Reyes did today.

Reyes, in the lead for the National League batting crown, delivered a bunt single to lead off the bottom of the first inning of the Mets' 3-0 win over the Reds. He then was pulled asNew York Mets manager Terry Collins adhered to the shortstop's request to be removed if he singled. Some fans booed after realizing Collins had sent Justin Turner to pinch-run for Reyes.

Reyes, bidding to become the first player in franchise history to win a batting title, finishes the season with 181 hits in 537 at-bats (.3371 average).

[...]

"I said, 'If I go 1-for-1, take me out of the game,'" Reyes said. "And I did that. If I went 0-for-1, maybe I'm still in the game until I get a hit."

If you're not familiar with the story about Williams, in his .406 season he entered the final day on .400 on the nose. I'll let that same ESPN story take it from there:

The decision to pull Reyes comes on the 70th anniversary of Ted Williams deciding to play in a doubleheader on the final day of the regular season in 1941 even though his .39955 average would have been rounded up to .400.

"If I'm going to be a .400 hitter, I'm going to be a .400 hitter all the way," Williams was quoted as saying at the time.

Williams went 6-for-8 in the twin bill to up his average to .406.

Atta boy, Teddy.

The sad thing is, this will probably end up helping Reyes make even more money this offseason. Unless Ryan Braun has a huge night and overtakes him, Reyes' agent will be able to use "batting title winner" in negotiations, and you just know some dumb GM will fall for it and fork over Crawford money. 

Let's just hope it's not Theo.

Rosenthal: Red Sox and Phillies lead race for Beltran

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that World Series favorites Boston and Philadelphia are the leading suitors for Mets OF Carlos Beltran. But it doesn't stop there:

The interest for Beltran is so high, sources say, that the Mets might trade him several days or more before the July 31 non-waiver deadline — and include less money in the deal than they initially expected would be necessary.

Beltran, 34, will be owed approximately $6 million on July 31. The Mets’ priority in trading him is to obtain high-quality prospects, not save money. But they may be in position to achieve both goals to a significant extent.

The Phillies and Red Sox are in similar positions — both face luxury-tax concerns, and likely would want the Mets to cover a substantial part of Beltran’s remaining salary. But both clubs also have demonstrated a past willingness to spend for the right players.

The luxury-tax piece confuses me: I was under the impression that the payroll number that you pay the luxury tax on is calculated at the beginning of the season. This has been floated as reasoning for the Sox' recent splurging on contracts at the beginning of seasons (Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, and Adrian Gonzalez all signed lucrative extensions in the month of April).

In any case, unless Rosenthal is being duped by a manipulative Mets source (or agent), it sounds like the price for Beltran is rising. Theo mentioned in an interview with Tony Massarotti that the ownership has displayed a willingness to provide the resources necessary to win in the past -- code for, "yes, we will add payroll if deemed necessary." 

Rosenthal doesn't mention prospect names, but you'd have to guess it would take a top prospect to land Beltran, who has made a significant impact on a team at the deadline before. When Kansas City traded him to Houston, he put up an OPS over 1.500 with 8 home runs in the playoffs. Not to mention that he made one of the best diving catches I've ever seen in the outfield. He was on fire that year.

I still think a deal for Beltran (as I mentioned for Ubaldo Jimenez) is unlikely; I just think our minor-league system is too depleted. And Theo is a big fan of sustainability. I just don't see him dealing big chips for a short-term player.

Get ready for the Reyes rumors

If you don't pay much attention to baseball, but still read our blog (Hi Mom!), you might not realize that there's a shortstop that goes by the name of Jose Reyes having an MVP-caliber season for the Mets.  He's batting a Gonzalez-esque .354 with 30 stolen bases, 65 runs scored, 35 RBI's with a career-high .927 OPS. 

The Mets should be thrilled to have a 28-year old short stop putting up those kinds of numbers.  Except, their organization is in shambles. It's sad really.  Despite the fact that they would prefer to keep Reyes (who's a free agent after this season) they'll surely let him go for the right offer.  Here's a decent story on why the Mets will trade him, from SI.com. 

Since we have a world-class shortstop who's available and in line for a gigantic contract, the Reyes-to-Boston rumors are about to run rampant.  The Globe's Nick Cafardo is onboard:

You don’t go out and obtain Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to finish second to the Yankees. You get those guys because you’ve committed to winning it all. And to not finish things off would be foolish.

From this perspective, they should load up the truck of prospects and send them to the Mets for shortstop Jose Reyes.

“I know that everyone seems to think the Red Sox are going to bring in Carlos Beltran, or that they need a pitcher, but today proved to me that their biggest need is to get Reyes and solidify that shortstop position,’’ said an American League scout who watched the Sox beat the Rays, 9-5, yesterday at Tropicana Field. “They don’t need much here. And if their pitchers all come back in due time, they probably don’t need to go there. What they need is an impact player at that very crucial position on the field. And there’s nobody better than Reyes right now.’’

To make this move, you can say goodbye to Jose Iglesias.  I imagine he'd be the centerpiece of the trade, and even if not, with Reyes in place, Iglesias has no future in Boston. This saddens me.  I can't recall being more excited for a young player than I am for Iglesias.  I just think he's the bees knees.

And the last time I checked, sans Reyes, the Sox are still leading the Yankees (despite all the troubles with the rotation).  So we can knock off the "finish second to Yankees" talk right now.  Top-to-bottom, we're a better team.  And more importantly, the Yankees are aging quickly.  If either of us needs to make some moves, it's New York.

But the bigger issue is that, with this move, we'd essentially be selling our souls.  Last week Scott wrote about how we don't need All-Stars at every single position like the Yankees demand, and it's a great point.  We'll never have the payroll cap of the Pirates, but we (and others) have already proved several times that you don't need to match the Yankees spending to beat them.  You just need a front office that knows when and where to spend those dollars, and groom your in-house talent.  You don't just open your wallet anytime someone becomes available.

This isn't to say that, were Theo to trade for Reyes, that I wouldn't welcome him.  Sure I would.  Not only is he a fantastic player, but he's exciting as hell to watch.  He'd take our lineup from ridiculous to ludicrous.  And, at the end of the day, I don't really care how much of John Henry's personal savings account he unloads unto the Sox. If he wants to pay for another $100 million deal, who am I to tell him no?

But when your farm system turns into nothing more than a holding cell for trade chips, some of the life is sucked from the organization.  It wouldn't take me long to learn to love Reyes.  But I'll never have the same emotional attachment to him as I do that other Jose -- Iglesias.  It's the same reason I was unsure about the KG trade, and still watch Utah Jazz games to check in on Al Jefferson.

If the Sox do make this hypothetical trade, maybe it'll get us another World Series trophy.  But unlike the Celtics pre-KG, the Sox are well equiped to get that trophy without Reyes.

Flipgate: Really Yankees Fans?

We knew Girardi's comments weren't going to be the end of the Ortiz Flipgate.  Those self-righteous
Yankees fans, who make excuses when A-Rod does things like this and this, are outraged -- OUTRAGED!! -- that Big Papi had the audacity to flip his bat after hitting a home run off of young, precious, innocent little Hector Noesi.

One such fan?  RebelYankeeChick, who not only thinks Ortiz is juvenile, but he must be punished. 

She writes:

David Ortiz is an old man by baseball standards, which makes his antics after hitting a home run against Hector Noesi all the more juvenile and offensive.

Really?  Yankee fans are now going to start calling out the Sox for their age?  If Ortiz is an "old man", what does that make Posada?  A forefather of the game?  And for the record: our 35 year old DH is batting .324 with 14 HR and 32 RBIs.  Your 39 year old DH?  .195 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. 

Even Yankees manager Joe Girardi was upset about the antics

No.  You must be joking.  Not Joe Girardi, the most even-keeled, calm man in the majors today?  Really?  Him outraged?  Ozzie Guillen, maybe, but not Girardi.

I wouldn’t have expected the young Noesi, having only four appearances in the big leagues, to understand that he had to retaliate against the Red Sox after the Ortiz at-bat.

So the common Yankees fan knows how to handle this situation, but "the young Noesi", who has devoted his entire life to pitching a baseball, shouldn't know what to do?  Under Girardi a Yankee has lead the league in hit batters the past two seasons.  You don't think they have a way to convey that to the mound?  Or was it that they just didn't want to sully poor innocent Noesi?

AJ Burnett and Ivan Nova have become over the last year and how the veteran Burnett has mentored the young pitcher. Now it’s time for Burnett to teach Nova and Noesi a lesson about how to deal with batters who show up pitchers after hitting home runs.

Yikes!  When did the Yankees turn into the Natives from Gangs of New York?  "That's a wound.  That's a wound.  That's a kill!"

If Burnett doesn't make things right, CC Sabathia will do it on Thursday. CC has made it clear that he will not allow opposing pitchers to throw at his batters at will and I can’t imagine that he’s pleased by Ortiz showing up one of his guys. The Yankees ace has retaliated against the Red Sox before and I expect him to do it again, if the umpires don't get in his way.

Let's revisit what Ortiz did.  A pitcher (young and delicate he may be) came inside on him to brush him off the plate and to "make him uncomfortable".  He then threw an inside pitch again, which Ortiz walloped, flipped his bat, spun around and jogged around the bases.  He did not -- I repeat: DID NOT (can't emphasize that enough) -- murder anybody.  No one was harmed in the hitting of the ball, nor the subsequent flipping of the bat, nor the spinning of the Ortiz (except maybe his groin.  Big men shouldn't spin).

I understand that you're pissed because the Sox are seemingly the better team.  We're setup to dominate the division for the next several years, while you'll simply try to keep your head above water while your aging, gigantic contracts try to sink your franchise.  There's definite envy there.  It's not a comfortable spot to be in, from the outside looking in.

But to act like Ortiz committed some atrocity, or somehow smited the Baseball Gods with his antics is ridiculous.  Grow a pair, Yankee fans, and take your beating like men and women.

Crappy Mets catcher too much of a pussy for Twitter

Ever heard of Josh Thole? 

No, me neither.  But earlier this year he started a Twitter account.  Then he proceeded to start the season batting .234, with a .292 OBP, and a .277 slugging %.  That made his followers quite unhappy.

“I thought this was supposed to be fun,” Thole said before today’s game against Colorado. He added, “They’re ruthless on there.”

It was enough to make him shake his head. The comments ranged from name-calling to the unsolicited delivery of hitting advice, Thole explained. One person noted that pitchers were pounding Thole inside, so he needed to pull the ball. Most offered colorful displeasure with Thole’s slow start this season.

So... he deleted the account.  

I want to know what planet this guy lives on.  You play for the Mets.  You work in the middle of Queens.  Have you been to Queens?  They boo priests who give iffy sermons.  You play for the freakin' Mets.  

If you're going to create a conduit through which fans can directly contact you whenever you want... you'd better be a perennial All Star and have an ego big enough to withstand all the bitterness Mets fans have built up over the past few years.  I know baseball is full of big egos... and I'm not there's one big enough to for Mets fans. 

So congrats, Josh Thole.  You thrust yourself into the blogosphere by announcing you're too big of a pussy to handle a Twitter account.  Good luck handling the pressure of pro sports in New York.

via NESN

Non-Sox Fans Rejoice: Lackey's Not Theirs

Know how I know John Lackey sucks (other than his 7.16 ERA, 18 K's and 44 hits surrendered in 32 innings)?

Fans from other teams are writing blog posts fondly remembering two offseasons ago when their teams DIDN'T sign Lackey.

Via the Daily Stache

You know, as fans we always blast our teams for making bad decisions but never give them credit for NOT making a bad decision.  Today’s case study is the Mets decision to pass on signing John Lackey.  Lackey as many of you probably remember went into 2009 as a free agent.  The Mariners, the Red Sox, his Angels and our Mets were all showing heavy interest.

If you remember 2009 you remember the Mets were terrible. And they needed pitching. They wanted a third wheel to the Santana/Pelfry punch and Lackey was a serious candidate. Ultimately they passed when the Red Sox ponied up 82.5MM over 5 years. Since then he’s lost velocity, went 16-15 and has a ERA with Boston of 4.76. Does that sound worth 80MM?

Aren’t you glad they didn’t sign Lackey?

Um, no, I'm not glad that the Mets didn't sign Lackey.

I promise that this is my last bit of Lackey hate for the day.  Sometimes, when you're angry, and you get it out there, the pain dissipates. Not so much when it comes to Lackey.  The more I think about him, the more upset I become.

If something doesn't give quickly, it's not a stretch to see me, 40 years from now, in a run down shack in Idaho, surrounded by candles, stroking my John Lackey hair doll, muttering incoherent words of hate.

That, my friends, sums up the John Lackey era thus far.  Other fans celebrate the fact that he's not theirs.  We have a lifetime of decrepit lunacy to look forward to.  Awesome.

Your Morning Dump...where Jenks may have figured his problem out

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

It has been a brutal stretch for Jenks. In his last seven appearances, he has pitched just 4 2/3 innings while allowing 13 hits and nine earned runs, which would equate to a 17.36 ERA. On the year, he has a 9.35 ERA. His location has been a problem throughout the young season; though he entered the year having issued just 2.9 free passes per nine innings, he has permitted 9.3 walks per nine innings thus far in 2011.

“I’ve always a guy who’s known for throwing strikes, and my walks have always been low,” said Jenks. “So this is very uncharacteristic.”

But, while it would typically be difficult to find a silver lining on a day when he threw just 12 of 28 pitches for strikes, Jenks discovered reason for some optimism once he returned to the clubhouse.

“If there is a good note, I was looking at video and I am mechanically off,” said Jenks. “With this, hopefully it’s a quick fix. Everything’s there. I mean, we’re talking a few inches here. Obviously, that could make a big difference out on the field.”

Jenks explained that his head is pulling off towards the first base line on his follow through. He said that he hasn’t felt the issue while on the mound, but that “it’s completely clear” from the video. Since he believes that he has the source of the problem identified, Jenks now believes that he can address it.

WEEI: Jenks suggests he's identified the problem

Well hey that's great Bobby, now let's see you actually go out there and do fix it right away. He's none too happy with his ability right now and at least he is fessing up to something better then... oh I don't know someone tipping his pitches to opposing hitters.

It is early to be labeling these players, especially with the one that I'm about to drop on Bobby Jenks, but in the past month he has been nothing short of being the second coming of Eric Gagne.  So far, he has the inability to pitch in any inning except the 9th and he did no favors for himself blowing a game in which Mr. Red Sox, Tim Wakefield, is lined up for a win.

He needs to head focused (literally) and start racking up some holds and consider them as vaulable as saves or whatever he has to do in order to show some consistency as quick as possible otherwise the Gagne comparisons will only increase exponentially.

(Side note: At least he gave us a classic "that's what she said" quote: "I mean, we’re talking a few inches here. Obviously, that could make a big difference." Hey oh!)

Related Links:Jenks isn't given a free pass|Jenks diagnosis: Mechanical flaw|Jenks looking for answers after another bad performance|

On Page 2, chants of "USA" during Mets/Phillies an instant classic moment

Sorry Carlos Beltran Fans

Yikes!  I guess it's a good thing that all of those Carlos Beltran-to-Red Sox rumors this summer never came to fruition.

Via The Onion:

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL—Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, whose past several seasons have been hampered by nagging injuries, had a successful outing Monday, managing to get through a spring training workout without crumbling into a pile of dust and dying. "It was one of his best days in years, because he was still breathing and alive by the end," Mets manager Terry Collins said during a press conference, adding that he was amazed with Beltran's ability to pump blood from his heart to other parts of his body for a whole session of batting practice. "If he's able to take this into the regular season and maybe live for 100 games, that's a big win for this organization." At press time, Mets trainers had confirmed that Beltran had indeed just died.

I should probably state, for the 6 people left in the country that are unfamiliar with The Onion, that this is purely satirical.  Carlos Beltran is perfectly healthy, er, breathing at least.