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December 20, 2011 11-12 Offseason Joe Janish

Mets Outbid On Darvish

Looks like Mets fans will not get a Japanese superstar pitcher under their Christmas tree this year, as the Texas Rangers narrowly outbid the Mets for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish.

According to a person close to The Situation, the Mets’ bid of $17.38 — most of which consisted of loose change collected from between the cushions of Saul Katz’s living room sofa — was not enough to fend off the Rangers. Additionally, the owners of Nippon Ham were insulted by the “gift” of a can of Spam sent to them “for the holidays” by an unnamed member of the Wilpon family.

The good news, however, is that Frankie Francisco passed his physical and had the strength to sign his two-year contract with the Mets. Funny, the time between the initial announcement of the Mets’ agreement with Francisco and the official signing was so far apart, I had actually thought this was news. (Seriously … I called my friend and said “hey the Mets signed another reliever from Toronto, can you believe it?” and he was like, “dude, that happened weeks ago.” Oh, right, duh …)

But I digress …

What is your reaction to the Mets missing out on Yu Darvish? Do you think he would have been a pitcher for the Mets to build around? Do you have concerns about his ability to replicate success in the US? Should the Mets have checked a few more sofas for loose change in an effort to post a stronger bid? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. JoeBourgeois December 20, 2011 at 9:56 am
    Well, Iggy never seemed to quite figure it out.
    Do you know anything about the “size of the ball” problem? What pitchers have said about it?
  2. Tommy2cat December 20, 2011 at 10:52 am
    I am shocked and dismayed. And I am also dismayed and shocked. In fact, I am in shock and awe.

    Eh-hem – back to reality. Happy Birthday to David Wright, our flawed hero.

    My birthday advice to David is to trim down to your more athletic self of 2005-06 with plus power gap-to-gap. Hit the ball where it’s pitched and remember, hitters don’t hit home runs if pitchers throw them. In other words, don’t try to do too much.
    _________________________________________

    Pitching-wise, we should remain humble, lower our immediate expectations and stay the course Sandy has set for long-term success.

    A really big key this year is Johan Santana. If he’s healthy, most everyone else can fall into a more comfortable slot. The second key is for Big Pelf to take a step forward.

    Here’s the thing…if Mike could develop a cutter and somehow raise his release point to a high 3/4 in the Steve Carlton mold, he would create a greater downward plane and induce more ground balls & swings & misses. It’s a tall order, but he’s a tall guy & I think he could pull it off.

    Here’s the second thing with Pelf – he needs better hip rotation and torque in his leg lift. Not a lot, just a little to generate a little more velocity and a little more deception to his delivery. Warthen dumbed-down his wind-up to give him better control, but now it’s too predictable, which is why he gets hit harder & cannot put hitters away.

    Rotation: Santana, Pelfrey, Dickey, Niese & Gee – not spectacular, not horrible, either.

    Bullpen: Francisco, Rausch, Ramirez, Acosta, Parnell, Byrdak & one other. Not too shabby, either.

    Too bad Sandy didn’t offer Takahashi a contract when he had the chance.

  3. DaveSchneck December 20, 2011 at 12:03 pm
    Our high stakes gambling days are over for now, as Yu is way to risky for Uncle Saul. He can now give that $17.38 to Sandy to add to the 2012 “competitive and fun” team they are building. I do think Texas winning the Yu rights is good for the Mets as Toronto may be more inclined to pay a high price for Jon Niese. I like Niese and he is poised for a good season, but the Mets can really use being on the plus side of one of these trades – say the C prospect and Rasmus. That may allow for dealing the Dude to Tampa for a SP.
  4. Joe December 20, 2011 at 12:35 pm
    Stretching for posts, are we?
  5. Steve S. December 20, 2011 at 4:54 pm
    Yu? Who needs you?! We have an injured Santana, a screwed-up Pelfrey, a mediocre Gee, an overrated Niese, and one good, maybe #2 guy in Dickey. And we have the Wilponzis. Yay!
    • Steve S. December 20, 2011 at 4:56 pm
      And, in a related development, Mike Puma of the NY Post reports that the “Mets will likely eliminate their Rookie team in Kingsport, Tenn., in a cost cutting move.”
  6. Rob December 21, 2011 at 5:21 pm
    Joe: I think that there is no way in hell that the Mets would spend the money that they don’t have on an unproven product, particular where the price is inflated by that outrageous posting fee.

    But just for fun, if they had the money, would it be worth it? Do you think Darvish has what it takes to be a success in this league? His mechanics appear to be closer to MLB pitchers than that stop/go motion that is indicative of the Nipon league.

    And while we’re on the subject, why is there such a lack of success? Is it ball size? Mechanics? Days rest? Overall hitting talent? What makes it so different?

    Thanks and Merry Christmas!

    Rob