Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a terrific start.
Stoke up the hot stove. Baseball’s winter league meetings are in full swing and the New York Mets mean business. After losing pitcher Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers, the Amazins’ went out and recruited AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander for two years at $86M. As I wrote on one of my websites, losing deGrom was not the worst thing for the franchise.
For the Mets, life begins at 40 with the top of their rotation now consisting of Verlander, who will turn 40 on Feb. 20 and Max Scherzer, who will turn 39 on July 27. Much is being made of the superb conditon of both hurlers, but only time will tell if billionaire owner Jeff Cohen, a collector of art, has made the right call on these two Picasos of baseball.
The problem with nearing or turning 40, when you are a baseball pitcher (or any profession), is things tend to break down, regardless of your condition. The physical exertion placed on a pitcher’s body adds to the risk. But the Mets are desperate for a World Series title (They have not won the Series since 1986) and their owner is willing to spend part of his fortune in a New York minute for that victory parade down Broadway.
Judge still the focus
While the Mets are making news, the crosstown rival Yankees are in a holding pattern. Any move they or other clubs make is dependent on where Yankees free agent outfielder Aaron Judge choses to hang his uniform. Reports indicate the Yankees offered Judge an 8-year, $300M deal, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic keeps reporting Judge will get a nine-year deal.
With the San Francisco Giants reportedly top suitors for Judge, after the Yankees, it would seem they will be the club to offer him a nine-year deal. If they do, will the Yankees top it? I hope they do not.
Salute Judge for gambling on turning down the Yankees’ offer before the season started and then going out and having a monster year. However, Judge has a history of being injury prone and the odds will only increase, as the soon-to-be 31-year-old outfielder ages.
The Yankees would be better off, plowing the money they have earmarked for Judge into more pitching, starters and relievers. And I still say they should package their shortstop prospects in a trade, while signing one of the high profile free agent shortstops on the market. Xander Bogaerts comes to mind. That the Red Sox have not made him a big time offer is an insult to their fanbase. Meanwhile, Boston, which has some of the highest ticket prices in baseball, is again raising the cost of attending a game.
Happy for McGriff
Congratulations to Fred McGriff, elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. I got to know Fred, when I was the bus driver/announcer for the Kinston Blue Jays and McGriff was the first baseman. (Yes, I wanted to broadcast pro baseball so badly, I had to agree to drive the team bus in order to land the gig. ) “Mac” would sit opposite me in the first row on the passenger side, as I drove late into the night to our next destination. Believe me, he was a Hall of Fame person back then, long before he made baseball’s hallowed ground.
I am sure, somewhere in my vast collection of cassette tapes, I have some interviews with McGriff and maybe a home run call or two. I will have to do some digging through my archives. Meanwhile, a class act has been duly recognized for an illustrious baseball career.
Well that is it for this editon of the newsletter. As always, thank you for your support and have a terrific week.
SPORTSCASTER DAN