4/21/15 GDT: Markakis in the 2 spot / Gosselin tries to burn the Mets again

[jsebe10]

BTW, I doubt Teheran's cousin lasts long in the Majors.

Shhhh

Dude, you will get stoned for saying that. They think hes good for some reason.

[jsebe10]

God help us when we have to face Harvey

[Braves1976]

Shhhh

Dude, you will get stoned for saying that. They think hes good for some reason.

I was hoping they just called him up to make Teheran happy. :)

[Braves1976]

So do y'all think the Mets are for real or pretenders?

[UNCBlue012]

So do y'all think the Mets are for real or pretenders?

Both. I think they're a good team, but I don't know how they hold up over the course of a season, especially with injuries to the rotation and bullpen.

Also, I don't trust Colon, at all.

[Julio3000]

So do y'all think the Mets are for real or pretenders?

Pretty good little team for a WC run if healthy. Probably on the outside looking in, but games in April count just as much as games in September.

[Braves1976]

Pretty good little team for a WC run if healthy. Probably on the outside looking in, but games in April count just as much as games in September.

Pretty much my take too, if healthy I like them better mainly due to their starting pitching.

[Millwood1Hitter]

Cahill is hot garbage? To me Rogers a top 3 pitching coach in the game, but I just don't see anything here that screams he can turn it around like so many have before. Am I missing something here, or is this just a bad judgement call on our organization and scouting departments? I just don't see any upside here, and you'd think we would have learned our lesson on acquiring pitchers from the Dbacks after the Albie Lopez experiment failed miserably.

[GovClintonTyree]

Cahill is hot garbage? To me Rogers a top 3 pitching coach in the game, but I just don't see anything here that screams he can turn it around like so many have before. Am I missing something here, or is this just a bad judgement call on our organization and scouting departments? I just don't see any upside here, and you'd think we would have learned our lesson on acquiring pitchers from the Dbacks after the Albie Lopez experiment failed miserably.

I think it's more like Rachel Phelps is running Liberty and trying to squeeze the team until she can move it to Smyrna. He fixed Avilan, Carpenter. Made Jorge Campillo, Buddy Carlyle and David Carpenter serviceable. Let's see if he can fix the sorriest swinging dick in the majors. $5.5m? No worries, we've got that in the cushions. It's not the money, we just want to **** with our non-core asset 'cause we can.

[Dalyn]

Cahill started to fall apart AFTER Young (best pitching coach in baseball) left Oakland in 2010/11. By the time Young returned to Oakland in 2012, Cahill was gone.

[CJ9]

Also, I don't trust Colon, at all.

I think we've all been there.

[thethe]

What an ugly ass game. I just don't get the point in playing Goselin. We know he isn't a major leaguer.

[50PoundHead]

His momma call him Sugar Ray, his daddy call him Sugar Ray, Ima call him Sugar Ray.

I'm torn. I want to call him Artificial Sweetener Ray because he's not the real thing, but on the other hand, the opposing hitters are getting fat off him, so I suppose Sugar Ray is appropriate.

[clvclv]

What an ugly ass game. I just don't get the point in playing Goselin. We know he isn't a major leaguer.

Afraid I have to agree at this point. I understand Fredi taking a few ABs away from Peterson to give to Callaspo in the "soft platoon" deal, so I don't scream about it. We'd love to get Callaspo's value up a bit and be able to get some kind of useful piece for him, even if it's only a potential pen arm. I won't say a word to anyone who screams about those ABs going to Gosselin however.

I understand that we're going to see a lot of players given time over the next couple seasons as Hart & Company try to find out what they've got, but I think there ought to be an almost consensus opinion about Phil at this point - his positional flexibility could make him a decent bench piece for someone, but on a team where you've got Peterson (who can handle 2B, SS, and 3B), Callaspo (who can handle 2B and 3B), KJ (who can handle 1B, 2B, 3B, and both corner OF spots), and EY (who can handle CF, LF, and 2B in a pinch) and you've got much better flex guys biding time in AAA and AA there's not much reason for Gosselin to be taking up space on this roster.

I'd almost argue that we'd be better off carrying an extra Pitcher in the pen over Gosselin to give some of those guys a look with the current maneuverability Fredi's got with position players.

[Enscheff]

Goss is the utility IFer on the roster and hasn't been in a game since the 15th. I have no problem with him getting a start against a LHed pitcher. Having both Goss and Simmons on the IF "should" have helped a groundball pitcher like Cahill.

Yes, his error likely led to Cahill's implosion (who looked pretty good before that inning), but this was exactly the right time to get Goss some ABs.

[Julio3000]

Shhhh

Dude, you will get stoned for saying that. They think hes good for some reason.

Necktied, maybe. Get your regional barbarities straight.

[Julio3000]

Shhhh

Dude, you will get stoned for saying that. They think hes good for some reason.

Indeed I will.

/Jordan Schafer

[jpx7]

Goss is the utility IFer on the roster

The essential argument is that this, in fact, is the problem.

[Julio3000]

Ed Giovanola thinks Gosselin is fringe-y.

[clvclv]

Goss is the utility IFer on the roster and hasn't been in a game since the 15th. I have no problem with him getting a start against a LHed pitcher. Having both Goss and Simmons on the IF "should" have helped a groundball pitcher like Cahill.

Yes, his error likely led to Cahill's implosion (who looked pretty good before that inning), but this was exactly the right time to get Goss some ABs.

This is where I think jpx7 and others are right in their criticism personally. Gosselin is absolute overkill at this juncture. If the goal is to load up with RH hitters against the lefty, Callaspo should've been playing 2B and Johnson should've been playing 3B since they're both better hitters. If the goal was to put the best defensive team on the field since we were running a sinkerballer like Cahill out there, Callaspo should've been at 3B and Peterson should've been at 2B.

For me, it really has nothing to do with the error he made last night. Gosselin is simply getting in the way of giving ABs to someone we need to find out more about (was Peterson's spring really just a flash in the pan, or is he going to hit well enough to potentially hold down 2B everyday until Albies is ready so Peraza could be dangled in another big deal perhaps?) or guys we're trying to build value for in the hope of getting something back for (can we get Johnson and Callaspo hot enough to potentially get useful returns for either or both?).

I'd think that if the EY experiment is coming to a close in favor of trying to find out more about Maybin (and even Perez or Cunningham at some point), it also makes sense to close the book on Gosselin to find out more about Peterson, Ciriaco, and eventually even Elmer Reyes. What we do already know is that all 3 CFs are likely better long-term options than EY and that all 3 utility guys are likely better long-term options than Gosselin.