The New York Mets are in the market to fill a few holes at the winter meetings. The most talked about has been a short stop, however, just slightly less discussed is a left-handed reliever to compliment Josh Edgin. While there are options out there via the trade route, this isn’t a good option.
The problem is that option would have the team giving up far too much to acquire a lefty specialist as they are at a premium around the league. That type of move doesn’t make sense for a team that is only willing to give up their youth for a major player and a specialist is not major enough.
While other teams have made major trades in the last few days, the Mets have remained steadfast to their plan not to overspend or give up too much. It is in this mindset that the news last night that the team has re-signed lefty Scott Rice Rice (5.93 ERA, 13.2 Innings pitched in 32 games in 2014) would make the most sense.
They signed him to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. This may not be the splash that many fans would like to see, but it’s a good move overall for three reasons: team finances, familiarity and serves as a possible stop gap.
First is the obvious financial reason. Among the long list of available lefties in free agency, there are veterans like Joe Beimel, Scott Downs and Joe Thatcher. While these pitchers would all be effective, they will also be costly. Each would cost $2.5M for one season at the very least. As for Rice, his last contract was $542K. Even a slight raise would keep him under $1M.
With the team hovering around the $100M mark, the Mets are not looking to sign expensive contracts for players that will only be around for a year or two or have such a limited role. These current Mets are not the old Yankees. They will not buy just for the sake of buying. They try to buy contracts that have value or serve a purpose to fit in with the team payroll. This is a further example of that.
Secondly is familiarity. Scott Rice knows the coaches, the team, the stadium and the fans. This is a major plus in his favor. He understands how manager Terry Collins will utilize him. He knows the personalities in the dugout and how to interact well with them. He knows the stadium and even stadiums in the NL East. He even knows the fans and what is expected of him from them.
This eliminates the question of making a transition that another free agent would have to endure. He can use these past experiences and familiarity to make a stronger adjustment for the 2015 season as he looks to bounce back from an unhealthy 2014.
As he completes his healing process from the surgery last July that forced the team to shut him down, he can use the facilities that are so familiar to him for the past two years to bounce back into a comfortable place where he is effective.
Finally, he could prove as a transition piece for a younger player that will fill that spot for years to come. The team has a plethora of young pitching close to ready for prime time. One possible option for this is Darin Gorski.He may not see his chance in the rotation with the big club, but Gorski has proven he can fill the lefty specialist role at the lower levels.
If Rice fails to make the team or is once again injured, it would only speed up the process for someone else. On the other hand, if Rice is successful, even mildly, it would give someone like Gorski one more year for seasoning at the AAA level. Either option is acceptable.
In closing, the Mets may not be done signing free agents for the bullpen or to fill out the roster. They may not even be finished seeking trades with other teams. The big splash that many are anticipating could still be a possibility, however, don’t discredit this small move of re-signing Scott Rice.
It has its purposes. He comes cheap, he brings an unmatched familiarity and he can serve as a stop gap. These are all good things.
Oh dear God, lets give Farnsworth and Valverde spring invites too while we’re at it too!
It’s been said that the devil’s greatest accomplishment is convincing the world he doesn’t exist.
The greatest accomplishment of lefty relievers is convincing the world that somehow you need ***two*** of them to have a successful pen.
This is not about Scott Rice. The Rice story itself is great — career minor leaguer who perseveres and finally makes the majors. I’m a sucker for that narrative.
What I’m not a sucker for is the idea that the best bullpen is your five best guys and two guys who throw with their left hand. And that you micro manage those two guys to maximize their success at the detriment of everyone else in the pen.
Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. Scott Schoeneweis, Mike O’Connor, Tim Byrdak, Robert Carson, Garrett Olson and yes, Scott Rice.
I’ve seen this movie before. It’s terrible and if this was an Amazon review, I’d say, “I give it one star only because you won’t let me give it zero stars.”
You don’t give an alcoholic a bottle of vodka and you don’t give Terry Collins multiple lefty relievers. It boggles my mind how anyone who’s watched the Mets the last four years could advocate for this strategy.
Personally, I hate the specialist strategy. But thanks to TC, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Am I advocating for it? No. But since it’s already in place, we might as well sign someone like Rice that can succeed and help or fail and make room for an internal option. Either way, it’s not wasting money.
I’m sorry Frank but the notion that the Mets “need” a lefty specialist is ridiculous. Important to sign Scott Rice? Really? Why? Because TC values his 14 innings for which he accounted to a 6 ERA? Sounds like a bargain to you? Wouldn’t it be refreshing if the Mets just took the top 7 relievers period and forget this stupidity of LOOGY? Wouldn’t the bullpen have more depth if Collins uses a pitcher for more than 1 batter? On a scale of 1 to 10 this signing ranks below zero. Waste of time. Here we go again.
I was being sarcastic. As far as the Rice story goes, I love it but I, in no way, want him on the team this year or ever again. I didn’t think he was that good even when they said he was. A 3.72 ERA or whatever he had on his great comeback year is not that great of an ERA in this offense depleted game. Without all the ‘roids, we are essentially back in the 80’s. Teams only have one 30 HR guy and ERA’s are lower.
Pete, I agree with you that they don’t need a specialist. The problem is that TC handles pitchers on a batter by batter basis. In his method, you need two lefties. Rice underperformed last season and then was injured. If he returns productive, great. If he doesn’t and the team is forced to find an answer internally, even better. Either way, they didn’t waste money on a free agent that will be underused by TC. That is my initial point. That makes this an important move.
Frank you wrote a blog on October 9th for Least Valuable Pitchers. You listed Scott Rice as one of three least valuable bullpen pitchers. What happened? Got your response about being sarcastic in regards to Rice
Pete, that wasn’t me. “Frank from Jersey” is my old handle and I very rarely post so sorry for that confusion.
I never liked Rice though. I like him as much as all these crazy new stats they have these days like UZR, fWAR etc etc. lol
My initial comment was meant for the author Frank Gray. And my follow up was also intended for the author of this aricle.
I still believe he was a least valuable pitcher for 2014. Does that mean he can’t rebound? As I stated in the article, if he does, great. If not he opens the door for someone else. I’m not saying he’s a great player, just that the move is a good one.
Let’s please stop pretending that having worthless, broke owners is some kind of badge of honor — a noble choice to not “overspend.”
It’s baloney. All of baseball is going in one direction, and the Mets are treading water, desperate for salary relief.
Given their situation, fine, whatever. Dive into the Dumpster and see what you can get. But Brian Joura is absolutely right, TC will only bungle it. That said, I think that it is far, far from a sure thing that Josh Edgin gives the Mets a full season of quality relief.
The Mets have only so many Matt Harvey seasons left before he walks, or, better, we trade him. I hate to see them squander it by shooting for 85 wins and an interesting last two weeks of the season.
Off-topic: It’s insane that the Mets are paying Bartolo $11 million this season. Inept, actually.
Love Mets360, you guys are great. Please don’t let a little disagreement obscure that fact.
dead on James. As Ive said, the candle is burning form both ends now. None of what we see says anything about seriously playing baseball.
Hiring of Rice is sure fire evidence 2015 is not the year.
Braves are done. Phillies are done. Marlins are still simmering (but I expect Dee Gordon to be a fly in the Met ointment). And so what about the fierce urgency of now for Alderson and the Mets.
I mean really, Gee for some no-body. Cuddyer. Rice. This doesnt have the “air” of making a run for it. We’re getting the band back together!!! We just need Martha Quinn and some old MTV vee-jays!!
Ike…..where are you……………..we miss you……we need you………….
That’s why I’ve been clamoring for the Mets to move Colon Now and apply the 11 million to either an upgrade at SS or LF. Scott Rice is a waste of time and energy for any topic of conversation for a pitcher who threw 14 innings in 2014, In the same manner Alderson was finally forced to admit and resolve the bullpen problems internally and stop with the bargain basement relievers. Gee and Niese could and should be packaged for SS or LF if Colon can’t be moved.
Our pitching depth is real. I have no issue moving Wheeler and Montero (on top of the pitchers no one seems to want) to get something real…something game changer.
Sh!t in one minute the Dodgers rebuild the middle infield with Rollins and Kendrick….and really, we need to be discussing Murph and Tejad/Flores?
I need a tums, followed by a xanax. Theres little chance this team can fight for more than .500 ball, if that…again.
Baseball is absolutely hemorrhaging money, and the Mets look like complete imbeciles.
At least Sandy Alderson keeps cashing checks. He’s got to be making at least $4 million a year, right? A guy coasting in the swan song of his career, front man for fraudulent ownership. Next: a cushy retirement.
They have a lot of nerve talking about “sustained success” when the highest thing they shoot for is a shot at fleeting playoff glory. All they’ve done so far is lose and talk big.
The business model is broke. So when I read an article that analyzes and praises the wisdom of signing Scott Rice, as if it was some kind of astute move — as wise as a squirrel picking up a piece of pizza crust off the curb — I just feel like a lot of fans are still slow to pick up on what’s really been going on with this organization.
These are not choices. This is not wisdom. It’s trying to operate and sustain a low-level business model when you don’t actually have enough money to run it properly. Yuck.
All of that said, hey, they could get lucky this year. Everything could break right. GAME 163 or BUST!
Wow. a lot of discussion for basically a nothing move.
Now, I hate Scott Rice, but there’s nothing wrong with signing him to a minor league deal… as long you have no thought of bringing him up.
I don’t see how signing someone to a minor league deal is a sign of financial distress or non-competitiveness lol. Calm down folks.
I am forced to agree. This signing is not worth the aggravation. He most likely will not be on the NY roster, and if he is it will likely be because of injury I would imagine. If he’s up and playing all the time, chances are that the season is not looking so rosy anyway, so we can’t use Rice as a scapegoat for our problems.
Here are three good reasons from Sandy’s perspective.
1. It put to rest the nasty rumors that he had passed away.
2. If Rice is on the team Collins will screw up his usage, deflecting some heat from both ownership and Alderson (weirdly, since they keep employing TC, but go figure.)
3.He already knows who Rice is and didn’t have to exert any effort into scouting him.
But honestly, I couldn’t care less about this. Unless Rice blocks Gilmartin, the Brad Emaus of the bullpen. Then I’m going to be angry.
Chris the fred and jeff show is the 21 century version of the Keystone Kops. They’re still as arrogant as ever. Hasn’t the Madoff fiasco taught them anything?. I can’t wait to see how much money they’re going to “hemorhage” from jeffy’s latest asinine behavior. Maybe the former executive “settles” for 10 million? How’s that for putting a cringe on their frugal budget! I refuse to capitalize their names. Can the new commissioner just ask them to go away? One last point. This year the new national television contracts went into effect. And yet the Mets found a way to Lower their payroll from the previous year! After trading Ike to the Pirates the Mets payroll for 2014 was 80 million dollars! Putting them only ahead of the Marlins, Astros and Rays. Geez what a joke.. What an embarrassment.