Linkage: Upton, Montero, Rivera
ByDon’t worry, these links won’t be sent to the minors to start the season…
Justin Upton close to a long-term deal
I was one of many Yankee fans patiently waiting for The Justin Upton to hit free agency, however just like Felix Hernandez and Seattle, Upton is signing long-term to stay in Arizona. The 22-year-old is set to receive a six year deal worth $50M, which will still allow him to hit free agency at age-28. After hitting .300-.366-.532 with 26 homers and 20 steals last season, Upton was probably going to build on those numbers in 2010 and set himself up for a pretty nice payday in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Too bad.
Could Austin Romine end up being more valuable than Jesus Montero?
Well of course he could. But for it to happen, Montero would need to become a full-time DH and produce like Paul Konerko (another big righty bat who was too big to stick at catcher), while Romine becomes a slightly better than league average backstop. Bryan Smith at FanGraphs ran through the numbers and the comparison, but the moral of the story is that even just faking it as a catcher will make Montero so much more valuable than he would be anywhere else. That’s why the Yankees won’t move him from behind the plate until it’s absolutely necessary.
Strawberry: Jenrry Mejia is the next Mariano Rivera
I love Darryl Strawberry, I really do. He was my favorite player as a kid in the 80′s, but come on dude. You can’t just look at the velocity and movement that Mets’ prospect Jenrry Mejia gets on his fastball and compare him to the greatest reliever of all time. The 19-year-old Mejia was ranked as the 56th best prospect in the game by Baseball America, but he’s walked 92 batters in 210 career minor league innings. Mo? Try 98 walks in 432.1 minor league innings. Command > movement > velocity, folks. Learn it, love it.
And finally, here’s a new site to check out called Sabometrics. Make sure you check it out, there’s some pretty interesting stuff in there.
Google+
99 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editor
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Technical Manager
Jay Gordon
Beloved Alumni
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Eric Schultz (Archives)
Subscribe to RAB by RSS
Follow @RiverAveBlues
Search RAB
Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
- Face-painted Beltran takes in Busch Gardens
- Kuroda to start as Yankees take on Tigers
- Sabathia struggles in loss to Nationals
- Tanaka strikes out nine in simulated game
- Warren, Sabathia set to start in Panama
- Yankees make first spring roster cuts
- Yankees, Rays play to a 3-3 tie in Tampa
- Yankees top Tigers on walk-off balk
- Yankees mourn the passing of Carmen Berra
- Baseball reacts to the passing of Dr. Frank Jobe
Countdown to Opening Day
Just 20 days 'til Opening day! Click here for the Spring Training broadcast schedule.Banner Design By
The 22-year-old [Upton] is set to receive a six year deal worth $50M, which will still allow him to hit free agency at age-28.
(pushes back date on alarm clock two years; does not stop licking lips and rubbing palms together in anticipation)
Man, did he make the leap last year. I am in an NL-only fantasy league and he was the steal of the draft. IIRC, he still went in the fifth round but put up top-10 numbers. Plus, I enjoy the moment when the production catches up with the hyperbole surrounding young players.
I really thought Sabometrics was gonna be a site full of SGBL quotes.
(Melky got a hit in the Mets/Braves ST game, OMG we never should have gotten rid of him!!!)
+ a lot
look on the bright side, if he really breaks out we’ll enjoy watching him screwing the Mets 60 games a year.
it’s a win win situation.
Command > movement > velocity, folks. Learn it, love it.
So… you’re saying I don’t totally suck and there’s still hope for me yet? Sweet.
Sincerely,
Ian Patrick Kennedy
bust
Command > movement > velocity, folks. Learn it, love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4KR1zVqizo at 10 second mark (safe)
Sincerely,
Josh Bard
I think you mean Daniel Bard, but… well played.
Right. He should really just change his name for ease.
but he throws the easiest 100 MPH that I’ve ever seen!
For Diamond Cutters, I’m Peter Gammons.
And no Gm in their right mind would think about taking Kennedy over Bard.
D-Back’s GM Josh Byrnes would (I’d assume), since he traded Dan Schlereth, a lefthander relief prospect that throws around 98 with (IIRC) a better secondary pitch than Bard, (and Max Scherzer) for Kennedy (and Edwin Jackson).
FACT: Brian Cashman took Ian Kennedy over Daniel Bard. After that, Jim Bowden and Ned Colletti also took non-Daniel-Bard RHPs instead of Daniel Bard.
FACT: The Arizona Diamondbacks parted ways with several prized prospects in the Curtis Granderson deal; one of their targets that allowed them to make the deal was the goal of getting Ian Kennedy and putting him in the rotation. It’s not a stretch to say that they probably wouldn’t have done the deal if it was Daniel Bard instead of Ian Kennedy. They needed and wanted a starter, not a reliever; Kennedy had more trade value to them than Bard would have.
—————
You’ve tried this argument before, Bo, and it failed last time as well.
IPK >>>> Bard, even still, today, at this very moment.
I agree here. Kennedy in the NL has more value than a still young, developing reliever. A guy that can eat up some quality innings, much like the guys we shipped to Pitt (and Kennedy might be better than both of those guys) have more value than a one inning guy, especially one that has not even proven he can do it.
In the AL, it might be a different story, but not even necessarily so for every team.
So you’re saying trade for the mets prospect, stick joba in the bullpen, than have this prospect be the bridge to joba until joba is ready to give up that role….baseball is easy.
Mejia for Mitre. Yankees get their future bridge to Joba and the Mets get their 4th starter.
We could probably get Omar to throw in Ike Davis while we’re at it.
Mets get their
4th2nd starter.Heh.
No problema, we can just sign BJ for 2013 then Justin for 2016.
“Command > movement > velocity, folks.”
More on this, please. My initial reaction is push-back; seems like saying “sugary” > “creamy” > “crunchy” if someone asks you, “What makes AmeriCone Dream the best Ben and Jerry’s flavor?”
What do you mean by C > M > V, Mike?
Command is the most important thing for a pitcher, then it’s movement. Velocity, while important, lags behind the other two.
What do you mean by C > M > V, Mike?
In a nutshell:
Trevor Hoffmann >>>>>>>>>>>>> Kyle Farnsworth and Armando Benitez
Or, if you prefer:
Al Aceves >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jose Veras
What do you mean by C > M > V
100 > 1000 > 5
This guy is nuts.
N-V-T-S, nuts.
/MQBB’d
Yes, no no no no no no Yes, no no no no no no, Yes, no no Yes, no no no no no no no no no no Yes, no no no no no no Yes, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no noooooo wait a minute YES!!!!
So command, movement are most important?
The two things Bust Brackman lacks. Yea, hes gonna make it.
You are so annoying. You have no idea.
+a million trillion bajillion
TCWA. Also, it almost looks like the guy is grabbing his crotch while he beats his horse.
Calling what SBGL does “beating a dead horse” is insulting to beatings and dead horses. It’s much more brainless and insipid than that act, which seems noble and valuable in comparison
Are you trying to say SBGL doesn’t beat a dead horse???
/SBGL’d
Heh. Well played.
(pours a refreshing glass of Lanny’s Patented Lemonless Lemonade™)
mmm sweet lemonade
Weird Italians cover the Amazing Horse song (safe but strange)
I actually burst out laughing and spit Snapple on my computer screen because of this, by the way.
IETC
I created a Facebook group called “Society to Prevent the Abuse of Dead Equine,” or SPADE. No Bo’s allowed.
Have you ever seen him pitch? I’m not even going to get into the general horrendousness of the command part. But how do you know he lacks movement?
(waits in anticipation for SBGL’s reply to that wonderfully crafted, deliciously, incisively pointed and extremely important question)
Have you ever seen him pitch? I’m not even going to get into the general horrendousness of the command part. But how do you know he lacks movement?
Re-questioned for emphasis.
…. waits patiently for response…
You’re gonna be waiting for awhile, pull up a chair and have a Pinstriped craft beer…
why don’t you just call him… BUSTMAN!%!!!1!! LOLOLOLOLOL
Oh, he does. No need to parody him, he already parodies himself.
http://showstalker.net/wp-cont.....ions-4.jpg (safe)
/obligatory’d
i. she……but……yeah
Cornbread…
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!
Damn – just catching up on all the morning threads. Seems like Bo is hell-bent on infuriating the crap out of everyone today, huh? Thankfully, Eric’s movie quotes will continue to push Bo’s buttons, providing us all with endless entertainment.
Cashman (to Joba and Phil): These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you, they’re gold, and you, don’t get them. Why?
Because to give them to you… would be like throwing them away. They’re for closers.
/MQBB’d
Yeah, it’s not like a pitcher has ever improved his control or movement.
Too bad Randy Johnson never figured out how to improve his control. He might have made something out of his career.
And remember that Mariano Rivera guy? The skinny dude with that straight as an arrow fastball? If only he learned how to put some movement on that thing.
Should have traded him to the Mariners for Felix Fermin when we had the chance. Fermin would have bolstered the 1996 roster and the only thing that matters is winning this title in this calendar year that we’re in right now.
Do you really think Brackman is as good as those two guys???
/ah, this is too easy
Not enough interrobangs!!!!1!1!1!!!!!
Also, too much capitalization. And don’t spell out “you”, that takes way too much effort.
http://verydemotivational.com/.....ch-please/
(SFW)
If you’re a Mets fan you hope Mejia sticks as a starter, and thus comes nowhere near being the next Mo.
I really don’t get the obsession with various ex players, scout x, media being enamored with finding the teams “next closer” instead of next great starter.
I blame John Kruk.
You can do that for pretty much anything. I blame John Kruk for the fact that I’m sick, for example. He probably had something to do with it.
http://media.avclub.com/assets.....le_q85.jpg (safe)
You can do that for pretty much anything.
Bexie, you read my mind. I was thinking the exact same thing!
Its probably a combo of Brantley and Eckersley
Well having a ‘lights out’ closer does shorten the game. I mean, they don’t even play the ninth inning when the Yankees are leading and Mo is ready to come in. Opponents just pack their bags and head to the showers early, while managers send the bat boy/beer guy/grounds crew into an obviously futile situation. How could you ignore an advantage like that? The guy literally shortens that game. Sounds good to me.
And as fans, we get an 11% of the ticket price back, since we only watch 88.88% of an actual baseball game. Best of both worlds.
Shut up with your fancy advanced math, you nerd.
Spreadsheets are your friend.
Games aren’t played on paper, Steve. They’re played only in New York City on the big stage, where you have to always have your best 25 guys and you never leave anyone in the minor leagues, ever. All those bums at Scranton aren’t developing shit or contributing squat; they should be traded for bench upgrades immediately.
Ramiro Peña can’t hit a lick; let’s trade Jesus Montero for Mike Lowell so we can bolster our bench and improve our 2010 odds of winning it all.
You forgot that only REAL MEN can make it in NYC. REAL MEN not like that pussy Javier Vazquez who is a failure at everything he has ever done (though not as big a failure as Brackman).
Major leaguers belong in the majors and minor leaguers belong in the minors. It is as simple as that.
Even the blind can see it.
Thanks for the link and the feedback! Hope you guys enjoy the site.
Melky got his first spring training hit with the braves
good luck to the melk man
Louie Kritski: Why do they call you Milkman?
Milkman: Because I killed the milkman.
/MQBB’d
Just FYI, this probably belongs here: http://riveraveblues.com/off-topic/
if he provided a link he could have gone with the “linkage” theme, people gotta get inventive with how they’re on topic.
Eh… Probably best to just actually keep it on-topic.
Yeah, I agree.
We better listen to Mondesi, he might tell Mike on us and we will never be able to comment again!
I love how serious some people take this stuff
Rules are needed to create order. If RAB just let us post willy nilly, we would be like MLBTR.
Dude, your feelings were so hurt by my comment that you felt the need to post two separate comments bitching about it? Grow up. I didn’t say anything rude to you, there’s really no need to react like that.
check the time stamp home boy
Irrelevant. I said you posted 2 comments about it, I said nothing about when those comments were posted.
You are such an obedient blog reader
I didn’t say it in a rude way, there’s really no need to be a dick in response.
This will end badly.
Nah, I’m over it. Too busy cleaning my pants, apparently. Not worth it.
Not gonna lie – you are obviously in the right in this exchange, and Sean took your comment way too seriously, but I did chuckle at that post.
Oh poop jokes are always funny, I have no problem with that. I just wish he wasn’t so sensitive that one little comment which was more helpful than rude could anger him so much. That’s no fun.
I found it VERY rude. VERY.
“FYI” stands for “Fuck You Idiot”, right?
Ha. I’ve been busted.
Hopefully with this:
http://i2.sqi.sh/s_1/_old/0714.....hammer.jpg
Why would I receive the banhammer?
If you don’t stop impersonating other people, you’re gone. One warning.
That’s why.
That’s generous. I’d say this should be a zero tolerance policy.
The Mets top prospect is a reliever? Wow.
Ha. Forget about Mejia, what about this guy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Mbil3g-cQ sfw
What is that, a lame movie quote Eric???
/SBGL’d
On-topic please.