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December 16, 2013 13-14 Offseason Joe Janish

Marcum Signed, McHugh Released

No, it’s not another flashback post. Shaun Marcum has been signed, and Collin McHugh, released.

But not by the Mets.

The Cleveland Indians signed Shaun Marcum to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training, as well as an opt-out if he doesn’t make the big club. If he does go north in April, he gets $1M guaranteed and another $3M possible in incentives. He’ll compete for a spot at the back end of Cleveland’s rotation.

In a completely unrelated move, the Colorado Rockies have designated Collin McHugh for assignment. The former Met has put up good numbers in the minors, but failed miserably in the big leagues. I’ve always thought of him as a poor man’s Jeremy Hefner, for whatever that’s worth. Perhaps the Mets will consider bringing him back for AAA depth.

Also, veteran righthanded reliever Matt Albers signed a one-year, $2.45M contract with the Astros. Albers joins Chad Qualls in the Houston bullpen. Maybe LaTroy Hawkins wasn’t overpaid by the Rockies after all.

In yesterday’s post, I somehow missed the Braves’ signing of Gavin Floyd on a one-year, $4M deal, with another $4.5M possible in incentives. Supposedly, Floyd turned down a 2-year, $20M deal (that figure includes incentives) with the Orioles, who sought to pay for the rest of his rehab and then reap the benefits for another year. Nice roll of the dice by big-market Atlanta, who will expect Floyd to return by May or June from Tommy John surgery. Prior to the elbow injury, Floyd was a solid if unspectacular innings-eater for the White Sox; he should be a very good #5 or #4 starter in the NL. As if the Braves need more pitching …

Speaking of the White Sox and pitching, the ChiSox dealt reliever Addison Reed to the Diamondbacks in return for third-base prospect Matt Davidson. A fascinating trade — Reed is only 24 and has saved 69 games in the past two years, while the 22-year-old Davidson is a former first-rounder who appears to be the real deal, but has yet to prove himself in MLB.

Finally, the Orioles signed Chris Marrero, which ticks me off because I was about to write a post arguing that the Mets should consider signing the former Nationals hot prospect. Maybe my eyes aren’t as good as I’d like them to be, but I really like the way Marrero swings the bat and his plate discipline (not to be confused with OBP; he seems to wait for his pitch, and swing at it when it comes). Marrero may never live up to the stardom once predicted, but I think he could turn out to be an above-average player if given the opportunity — which, to me, made him a good fit for the Mets. He could have, for example, been a RH option off the bench, platooned with Lucas Duda at 1B and filled in at LF here and there. Essentially, be another Josh Satin — the difference being that Marrero is 25, and may still have upside, while the 29-year-old Satin pretty much is what he is.

Mets Item of the Day

How about a Mets Christmas Stocking?

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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. argonbunnies December 17, 2013 at 2:20 am
    Props to the White Sox for understanding that the save statistic is silly and over-rated. Reed’s an above average but unspectacular reliever — I’ve gotta think the D’backs only gave up a top prospect for him because Reed was given the chance to prove he’s not allergic to the 9th inning.

    …or maybe the D’backs simply decided that Davidson isn’t all that good. An .830 OPS in the PCL isn’t particularly impressive for a corner guy.

    • Dan42 December 17, 2013 at 7:13 am
      Davidson was blocked by Prado, and may have been trying too hard to impress his way out of that box. He’s only 22, and didn’t do poorly when promoted in August. I think he will turn into a solid player, given the opportunity.
  2. jerseymet December 17, 2013 at 7:43 pm
    I like the idea of bringing McHugh back for minor league depth. The Mets figure to tap their farm pretty hard this year. I would hate to see a young player rushed into service in Las Vegas.
  3. Joe December 19, 2013 at 1:05 am
    McHugh seems to be a good AAA pitcher and a smart guy — if his writings aren’t ghostwritten or anything. Guess he would be a decent signing for the minors. He deserves kudos for getting a good return either way.
  4. Fred Jones December 20, 2013 at 10:56 am
    Marrero is a big dick. We used to watch him at ball games and he would never throw balls to the kids in the stands, the only one. He would give me a reason to root against the Mets.