Back in September I ran this post. Today, I feel that it is even more appropriate for the Mets future. Tatis is indeed a Type B FA and looking at the FA pool you would be hard pressed to find his production and versatility from someone who cost less than 1.5 million.
Yes I said it. No I have not, after watching almost an entire year of bad Mets baseball, lost my mind. As it stands, based on the latest Elias RankingsTatis is still a Type B FA. OK so best case Tatis and his 1.7M salary move on and we get a compensation pick which to me is incredibly valuable. Worst case we get Tatis back for the 2M range. As you all shriek in fear, let me remind you that sometimes the grass is greener on the other side. If the Mets do not bring back Tatis and go with Murphy at 1B, they will need: A RH that can play 1B to rest Murphy; a backup 3B, a back up RH OF. Tatis has seemingly hit into 302 DP’s (Only 13 but everyone of them cost us the game) while posting a .267, .328, .415, .743 line. While certainly not impressive it will be hard-pressed to find a utility player that will cost 2M or less that can play all of those positions and hit even that well. What we do know of Tatis is that the players seem to love him and he has yet to gripe about changing positions or lack of playing time. Also, it appears as though Tatis is just an all around good guy as we remember why he even came back to play baseball. There were a lot of things to go wrong with 2009 and everyone needs a scapegoat, however, Tatis should not be it.
26 comments
udontmesswthejohan
11/16/2009-9:17am at 9:17 am (UTC -4)
I don’t disagree.
Yes, Tatis came back to earth last year after being a very big part of the late season surge in 2008 before being injured, but as you say, you could still do a lot worse. At this point in his career he shouldn’t be playing everyday obviously, but for $2 mill I think he is still more than servicable as a RH bat off the bencha nd the occasional spot start.
trs86
11/16/2009-9:22am at 9:22 am (UTC -4)
From what I have been reading he won’t even get 2 million. He made 1.7 million last year. The Mets could easily justify offering 1.35 (20% less) and then settle at 1.5 million. It will be very hard to find that type of versatility from anyone at that price.
Kingman 26
11/16/2009-9:37am at 9:37 am (UTC -4)
Tatis is a versatile, hustling, valuable bench player, and just as is probably the case with Alex Cora, Tatis will be MUCH more valuable if he is allowed to just be a bench player.
Tatis should have a spot on the 2010 bench for sure.
trs86
11/16/2009-9:42am at 9:42 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, I don’t think we give him enough credit at all. The guy has been in and out of the lineup at many positions and has never complained at all, always hustling. It to me is refreshing to see a guy like him play for a different reason than most.
udontmesswthejohan
11/16/2009-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
Cora, Tatis, etc. by themselves, are clearly not the solutions to this teams issues, but they are also clearly not part of the problem. As you said, both guys play hard and appear to be good clubhouse guys. If either were to part ways with the Mets I’m not sure anyone would lose any sleep, but I also have no problem with them being on this team.
metsfan4decades
11/16/2009-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
I agree with this as well.
Tatis, off the bench, is much better than Tatis as a starter. And with that versatility to play all those positions, he might be a bargain.
wannybackstra
11/16/2009-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
Tatis saved his season with a strong finish, when not coincidentally he was returned to a semi-regular job. However, all of us were rightfully bemoaning his double play tendencies for the first three quarters of the season.
trs86
11/16/2009-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
That he does have. My challenge though is to find someone who plays 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF and RF (granted some of them he does not play well) that can hit as well as he does and cost less than 2 million.
CaseStreet
11/16/2009-9:42am at 9:42 am (UTC -4)
I like Tatis alot and you can’t dispel the job he did in 08 both offensively and defenively. Still, I wonder if Evans or Carter could do that job. Though, they’d only play 1B and OF, so someone else would have to backup the infield.
trs86
11/16/2009-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
We know that Tatis’s defense is solid. One knock on Carter is that his is rumored to be terrible. Also Carter is LH and I think Tatis being RH is more beneficial. There may still be room for Carter though.
Catcher, Tatis, Cora, Pagan, Carter? Do you really need a pure defensive OF with Pagan on the bench?
prismo
11/16/2009-9:49am at 9:49 am (UTC -4)
Read it and weep:
http://www.baseballprojection.com/2010/NYN2010.htm
This projection site brutalizes the potential Mets 2010 offense. (R150 is runs per 150 games – I don’t really get it, but you want it to be positive)
Basically, Wright/Beltran/Reyes are all positive, and EVERYONE ELSE is negative. That includes Murphy, Frenchy, and Luis who may all start in 2010, as well as all the catchers on the team. If you want a comparison, look at..oh..just about ANY other team in the majors, and you’ll cry and cry and cry.
Projections are projections, but dayum is this one unfavorable.
prismo
11/16/2009-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
I should mention that I didn’t make a post about this, because I’ve never heard of the site and there are players listed for teams that aren’t even on them anymore. Doesn’t do much for this guy’s credibility, even if he’s just using a computer program to make the projections.
trs86
11/16/2009-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
It’s the old CHONE predictions and the system is terrible. Take a look back at last years and see how it compared.
prismo
11/16/2009-9:54am at 9:54 am (UTC -4)
So I’ve heard. But I still wish the Mets weren’t one of the worst teams on there!
trs86
11/16/2009-9:55am at 9:55 am (UTC -4)
That’s because everyone is down on them AND the system is weighted very heavy on last year’s results.
stickguy
11/16/2009-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
I’m up for offering him arbitration. He is still better than the Bruntletts of th eworld.
ALso, can’t they cut him in ST and only pay like 20% of the arb award?
Having a guy with this positional flexibility does let you carry someone like carter as a power bat off the bench, even if you dont want him in the field much!
GravediggerHebner
11/16/2009-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
Tatis is a credible, serviceable, versatile player that I would welcome on the club. But not at a cent over market value!
CaseStreet
11/16/2009-11:12am at 11:12 am (UTC -4)
lol
trs86
11/16/2009-11:32am at 11:32 am (UTC -4)
Hmmm. LOL. I would think his market value might be MORE than we actually could sign him for.
GravediggerHebner
11/16/2009-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
You are correct, I was just bustin’ chops. According to fangraphs his market value is $6.9 mil.
If re-signed for $1.5 mil he allows a team to go $5.4 mil over budget on a horse pitcher and still stay on budget. Just sayin’.
trs86
11/16/2009-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Hmm, I did not know Halladay was available this year. LOL.
GravediggerHebner
11/16/2009-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
You didn’t? I thought you were the one who told me about it!
Loosely related, I’m doing research but I fear it’s going to take a loooong time, and it will of course be somewhat subjective, but…
I’m looking at fangraphs Dollar Values and trying to find a team that made the post season that did NOT pay over value for a single player as per your stated philosophy. I’ll let you all know what I find.
trs86
11/16/2009-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
Problem is we are already?
How many are we already overpaying for?
How many of those teams have holes at 1B, LF, C, #2 SP, #3 SP, Setup and possibly 2B and RF?
GravediggerHebner
11/16/2009-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
I want to be very clear (because it may save me a lot of time).
Are you saying that your philosophy is “the Mets specifically are in no position to overpay any more players” or that your philosophy is “no organization should ever overpay a player ever.”
I inferred the latter from our discussion the other day.
trs86
11/16/2009-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
Not at all. I think there are some players you should overpay for. However, I do not feel that Holliday or Lackey are guys that you overpay for. CC and Tex you overpay for.
GravediggerHebner
11/16/2009-12:13pm at 12:13 pm (UTC -4)
OK, phew!
You’ve just added a lot of free time to my day, thank you!