The Metropolitan: Mickey Callaway accused of misconduct
And breaking down a crazy starting pitcher market
Good Morning,
Today we will talk about the starting pitching market, but we start with the news.
⏰ Catch me up on the latest news…
BREAKING: Five women who work in sports media accuse former Mets manager and current Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway of “unrelenting” advances, including sending three of them nude pictures and asking for one to send a nude photo back, per a story released by The Athletic on Monday night.
The report includes screenshots of texts and selfies, and Callaway did not deny their authenticity.
WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN: According to the report, this was the “worst kept secrets in sports” and spanned at least five years, and three teams, including Callaway’s time with the Mets.
WHAT DID THE METS KNOW:
The Mets, when contacted by The Athletic, said that in August 2018 – about 10 months after Callaway joined the organization – the team learned of an incident that took place before it hired him. The team investigated that matter, a spokesperson said, but declined to reveal the nature of the incident, the outcome of that probe or whether Callaway was disciplined. Callaway continued managing the rest of the season.
A COMMON THEME: Two weeks after an ESPN report revealed former GM Jared Porter had sent inappropriate text messages to a female reporter, Sandy Alderson is once again responsible for having hired someone with a reputation for making unsolicited advances toward women.
Callaway was hired by Alderson after the 2017 season to replace Terry Collins as manager of the Mets. He led the team through two disappointing seasons, and at one point was fined for a verbal altercation with a reporter.
In the press conference following Porter’s firing, Alderson admitted he hadn’t consulted any women in vetting Porter as GM. Apparently, he didn’t ask around about Callaway either.
While Alderson was no longer with the Mets in late 2018 when they investigated the incident involving Callaway, one of the New York-based reporters cited in The Athletic story says it would have been impossible for anyone doing their homework not to know about the former manager’s reputation.
“How would that be possible? At this point, it’s his reputation,” she said. “If they are vetting him, even an ounce of his personal life should reveal this.”
CULTURE CHANGE: When Steve Cohen purchased the Mets, fans were hoping their favorite team that has too often found itself on the wrong side of headlines would hit the reset button and build a new foundation of respect. Instead, they have been met with two stories about gross misconduct toward women, an investment foray engulfing their owner, and the team appears to be chasing a free agent pitcher who has his own history of attacking women on social media, albeit of a different nature.
METS RESPOND: Just as the clock struck midnight, the club released statements from Cohen, calling the behavior “unacceptable,” and Alderson saying he was “appalled” and “unaware” of the conduct, and that he has initiated a review of Mets’ hiring practices to ensure better vetting.
MORE: We try to give you a summary of the news, but please read the entire Athletic report by Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang, who are best positioned to explain what happened and provide relevant context. And Deesha Thosar’s excellent Daily News column from a few weeks ago in the wake of the Porter debacle, is worth a second read.
When will the season begin?
🗓 ON TIME: While the league office announced plans to investigate Callaway’s conduct, it also had another major announcement late last night, declaring it plans to move forward with an on-time start to the season after the player’s union rejected their latest offer. Barring a new deal, this means spring training will start in two weeks (Feb. 17) and Opening Day on April 1, as originally scheduled.
⚾️ NO DH: It also means there probably won’t be a designated hitter in the National League. While it’s possible MLB could come back to the players with a new offer that includes the DH, without a counterproposal from the MLBPA, it seems unlikely the owners would relent on something without receiving anything in return (i.e. expanded playoffs).
We will explore this story (particularly the DH angle) in much more detail as it develops.
TRADE: The Mets acquired right-hander Jordan Yamamoto from the Marlins yesterday in exchange for minor league infielder Federico Polanco. To make room for Yamamoto on the 40-man roster, the team designated infielder Robel Garcia for assignment.
🌺 HAWAIIAN CONNECTION: Yamamoto will become the fifth Hawaiian born player to pitch for the Mets, which is the most of any major league team. The Mets have a great history of Hawaiian pitchers from Sid Fernandez, Ron Darling, Carlos Diaz, Tyler Yates to now, Yamamoto.
WHY YAMAMOTO: New York continues an offseason trend of acquiring young pitchers (Yamamoto is 24) who have upside and provide roster flexibility. Yamamoto has one minor league option remaining and six years of team control.
PITCH MIX: What Yamamoto doesn’t have in pitch velocity (his 4-seamer sits around 91 MPH), he makes up for in a deep repertoire of offerings. He throws a cutter, slider, and occasionally a sinker and change-up, as well as a devastating curveball.
COMMAND: While the 24-year-old wasn’t known for control issues coming up through the minors, he has struggled to find the plate in the big leagues. He needs to improve his ability to get his breaking pitches (particularly his curveball) over the plate for a strike when he’s not trying to get batters to chase it out of the zone.
STARTER DEPTH: Yamamoto gives the Mets another depth option in the rotation beyond Joey Lucchesi as the team still monitors the starting pitcher market (more on that below). According to a recent report by Jon Morosi, the Mets remain interested in free agent Jake Odorizzi, if they do not sign Trevor Bauer.
A Crazy Starting Pitching Market
🧑🦱 by Blake Zeff
If you haven't had it before, the dish "garbage bread" probably doesn't sound very appetizing -- look, with a name like that, you may as well call it feces pie -- but if done right, it can be a delicious game-day snack. For those unacquainted, imagine a calzone packed with random stuff left over in your home (anything from pepperoni to mushrooms and onions). The key is you basically grab a bunch of small things of little use otherwise, and stuff them in there. On their own, these ingredients are pretty inconsequential -- but throw 'em together, and you've got something.
What the hell does this have to do with starting pitching? Very little. However, I want to make a point about the current SP market that basically relies on the "garbage bread" formula: a bunch of random, small nuggets of little consequence on their own. But piece them together and it starts to make sense.
The key point: the starting pitching market in this current off-season is sneakily on fire — with clubs showing surprising generosity (foolishness?) in their pursuit of it — and this has ramifications for the Mets, which we will unpack below. There is no single data point so enormous on its own to blow you away with this point about the starters market (in fact, there's only one premium free agent starting pitcher this offseason, Trevor Bauer, and he still hasn't even signed yet).
But make no mistake, this is a crazy market where clubs have revealed themselves to be extremely desperate for major league arms to start their games. They can be old. They can be rusty. They can be recovering from major surgery. If you have an arm that can start a major league game, you are going to get millions of dollars this offseason. Let's take a look.
Most relevant to Mets fans this week, there's Steven Matz. Remember the 2nd round pick with tons of promise who pitched deep into the playoffs in his rookie season? Yeah, that was 5-plus years ago. The truth is, he's still a serviceable major league lefty, but one who was a borderline non-tender candidate this month, without a clear role on the team, and making $5.2 million. And despite all that, a Toronto club with playoff aspirations just traded for him, sending three (admittedly non-elite) pitching prospects, for the privilege of paying him his full $5.2 million salary.
In case you don't recall, Mr. Matz pitched last year to an 0-5, 9.68 clip with a 1.70 WHIP, and teed up 14 HR in 30.2 IP. I could throw in some advanced metrics if you want, but do you really need them in this case?
Then there was fresh news yesterday of the Angels, another ambitious club, closing in on a trade for righty Alex Cobb. We're still waiting on the full details, but Los Angeles will reportedly send its # 7 ranked prospect, 2b Jahmai Jones, for a pitcher who missed all of 2019 with injuries, and delivered a 2-5, 4.30 back of the baseball card in 2020, along with a mediocre 1.3338 WHIP and 38 K/18 BB over 52.2IP for Baltimore.
And the kicker? He's owed $15 million in 2021. Even if the Orioles assume a chunk of that (as they are rumored to be doing), it's another data point to back up our garbage bread of a thesis about the starting pitching market.
And Cobb isn't the only pitcher long separated from his prime who's being scooped up by contenders at inflated prices. The Yankees handed Corey Kluber a bag of cash worth $11 million after he threw just 36.2 innings post-2018. Garrett Richards got $10 million from the Red Sox (and the Mets were reportedly interested, as well), after throwing 60 unremarkable innings over the same period. And earlier in the offseason, reclamation projects like Robbie Ray (6.62 ERA in 51 2/3 innings in 2020), Anthony DeSclafani (7.22 ERA in 33 2/3 IP) and Mike Minor (2 years, $18 million, after a 5.56 over 56 2/3) also got solid MLB deals.
The latest example: Now there's news that the Mets were in on Trevor Williams (2-8 with a 6.18 ERA) before the Cubs reportedly signed him this week, and are interested in Mike Foltynewicz, who's had exactly one good year in a 686-inning career spanning seven seasons.
What does all this mean? Even as the “opener” concept has gotten plenty of attention and helped propel the Tampa Rays to the AL pennant, starting pitchers — even mediocre ones — are winning the offseason.
What does it mean for the Mets? A few things. Most immediately, trading Matz means the Amazins need more SP depth of their own. With David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi and the aforementioned Jordan Yamamoto suddenly the best options to fill out the back of the rotation before Noah Syndergaard returns and pushes everyone else back a spot, the Matz move only makes sense if there's a plan to use the savings from his contract to bolster the pitching corps some other way (more on this in a minute). Yamamoto is a nice pickup, as we explained above, but doesn’t entirely solve the need.
The hot market for starters also underscores how valuable the inclusion of Carlos Carrasco was in the deal for Francisco Lindor. The Mets got a legit #2 starter at a salary just a hair above what aging veterans are getting in this market. And it didn't cost a ton in player talent.
Perhaps most interesting, the market illuminates (and boosts) how useful Seth Lugo’s versatility is for the club. Because the righty can slot into the rotation or the bullpen, the Mets can now complete their pitching puzzle in two different ways. If they sign a free agent starter like Bauer or Odorizzi (or trade for another), the rotation is solid and Lugo goes to the pen, where most agree would be ideal.
But if the free agent or trade markets for starters become so inflated to the point that it prevents the club from addressing other needs (CF, etc), Lugo gives you another option: What if you can sign two quality relievers (maybe, Mark Melancon and Alex Colome) for the price of one mediocre starter (say, a combined $10-12 million for the two for 2021)? Then you may have the reinforcements you need in the pen to withstand the loss of Lugo there, and you slot him in the back end of the rotation, and focus on other areas to improve.
In other words, Lugo offers versatility and the ability to maximize assets.
Just like garbage bread.
⚾️ The Nolan Arenado trade is official: the star third baseman will head to the Cardinals with approximately $50 million in cash in exchange for LHP Austin Gomber, INF Elehuris Montero, RHP Tony Locey, INF Mateo Gil, and RHP Jake Sommers.
⚾️ Dustin Pedroia announced his retirement from baseball after a 14-year career.
⚾️ Baltimore traded starter RHP Alex Cobb to the Angels, as noted above.
⚾️ Chipper “Larry” Jones has been hired as a major league consultant for the Braves.
🔗 Mickey Callaway accusations troubling for Sandy Alderson as MLB faces reckoning, by Mike Vaccaro, NY Post: “The Mets, of course, are one of the teams that will have to answer not so much for Callaway’s alleged misbehavior — if it’s true, that stain falls entirely on him — as to how it is that such a character was ever hired in the first place to actually manage the baseball team. The Indians and Angels have to answer the same questions about Callaway — same as the Cubs and Diamondbacks share responsibility for Porter’s unchecked rise.”
🔗 MLB Network Ranks Jeff McNeil No. 2 Second Baseman, by Rob Piersall, MetsMerized Online: “MLB Network continued their Top 10 Right Now series on Sunday with the second base installment, and Jeff McNeil took home No. 2 honors, behind only DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees.”
🔗 Stark: The Strange but True free-agent winter of 2020-21: “Out of 240 big leaguers who either filed for free agency 13 weeks ago or were non-tendered in December, only six have worked out a contract of more than two years. There were 17 contracts of three years or longer handed out to last winter’s class.”
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As much as i cant stand Alderson becuase he does not know how to build a championship team, it isnt right to blame him for "not doing his homework" on hires. Two different people lied about their backgrounds - you can check all you want and bad people still get hired. Doesnt matter one bit if you check with females or males on background and i dont know what that is even a talking point !