Phillies Cash In With TV Deal

Source: Phillies' 25-year TV rights deal with Comcast SportsNet is worth $2.5 billion in addition to an equity stake and some ad revenue.
— Matt Gelb (@magelb) January 3, 2014

It stands to reason the Philadelphia Phillies won't be racing any economic issues for the foreseeable future, as its been reported that the team has inked a 25 year deal worth more than $2.5 BILLION dollars.  Yikes...

The only reason its so demoralizing is that the Mets went an alternate route and established their own cable network.  As a result, they're reportedly on the hook for $450 million of the $750 million in total debt owned by SNY.  Life just isn't fair... 

The debt owed by the team with regards to both SNY and Citi Field, combined with the bond payments its responsible to make puts the overall debt of the franchise at approaching $900 million overall as of early 2013.  It is believed the be the major contributing factor for the limited payroll spending in recent years.  So, while the Mets continue to dig themselves out of the financial hole they've created, their rivals down the turnpike are now rolling in money.  Perfect.

No Rebuild In Philly

There is something going on down the turnpike in Philadelphia and its probably not what you were expecting.  Despite their first sub-.500 finish since 2002 and first finish lower than third since 2000, the Phillies organization is still going for it.  Their midday signing of the revitalized Marlon Byrd may have actually been trumped by the late night rumors that they are in talks to acquire Jose Bautista from the Toronto Blue Jays.

While I'd like to poke fun at the franchise and their ill mannered fan base, the Phillies have little to lose.  Over the next two seasons, the Phillies have no less than $170MM tied up in the contracts of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.  That is a ton of money to spend on a team with no conceivable chance of making a World Series run, so why not attempt to reload where you can.

Eventually Mets fans will get to see the franchise in Philadelphia fade away for a period of time because these contracts will catch up to Ruben Amaro Jr., but it doesn't look like that day has arrived just yet.  With the Mets looking to upgrade their outfield offense this winter, it would certainly be frustrating to see the Phillies do the same while we sit idle.  Time will tell, as the Mets are yet to strike, but the Phillies are certainly off and running.

Granderson's Price Is Rising

Yesterday's news that the Philadelphia Phillies signed former Met, Marlon Byrd, to a deal that could be worth as much as 3yrs/$24MM is both good news and bad news for Mets fans. The good news is that the Mets won't have the opportunity to see if lightning can strike twice, bringing the 35 year old back to Queens, coming off a career year poised to make more than ten times his 2013 salary. However, the bad news is that the Phillies just sent free agent prices soaring!

Marlon Byrd had a pretty good year in 2013, but he doesn't have the history to back up his offensive production like the Mets reported top outfield target, Curtis Granderson. If a 35 year old Byrd can earn $24MM over the next three seasons, you best believe Granderson will fetch more than the early estimates of $40MM to $45MM over a similar time frame predicted by baseball insiders. You can also kiss the notion of just a three year deal goodbye as well. 

With reports of fellow early thirties free agent outfielder, Nelson Cruz, seeking 5yrs/$75MM (a number he won't get), Granderson's price may reach an iffy area for the Mets front office.  Will they make a four or even five year commitment to an aging power hitter? Can they commit $15MM annuallyto the cause for that long?  They'll say he's over valued (which may be true), but his value will be determined by the market...a market that too a definite swing upwards yesterday.

Mets Put Protected Pick At Risk

Last night the Mets completed a three game sweep of the hated Philadelphia Phillies and in the process tied the team from the City of Brotherly Love for third Place in the NL East. The Mets have finished in fourth place in the division each of the previous four seasons, so if they can squeak out third that would have to be a moral victory at a minimum. We should be excited, right? Wrong.

The sweep of the Phillies now places the Mets on the bubble for a protected draft pick next year. They currently sit tied with the Phillies there as well, with the tenth worst record in baseball. If they rise even one position higher in the overall MLB standings, they will have to forfeit their first overall pick in next summer's amateur draft. 

As we've discussed here on Effing Mets several times, an unprotected pick was reason enough for the Mets to shy away from Michael Bourne last winter. It would be a shame to see them do the same again this year, when so many replacement parts look as if they'll be available. Such a scenario would put the acquisition of players like Shin-Soo Choo, Hunter Pence and/or Jacoby Ellsbury in question. 

With Just seven games to go this will all work itself out soon, but their recent stretch of good play may actually be bad for the franchise in the long run. And that my friends... Is sooo Mets!

CoLOLe HameLOLs

Just in case you missed it last night, not only did the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies..they also beat this clown:

The loss dropped perennial pretty boy and wanna be hard ass, Cole Hamels, to a comical 8-14 on the season.  Bear in mind he's making a fat $19.5 million this season for all his semi-hard work.

The guy who once call the Mets "choke artists" hasn't faired too well against them over the years.  With twelve career defeats at the hands of the Mets, Hamels has fallen victim to no other team more frequently.  The Mets have posted a 4.29 ERA against him over the years, well above his career average of just 3.36 and nearly a run worst than any other teams he's thrown more than 100 innings against.  Last but not least, it was nice to deny Hamels is 100th win last night.

Wright Returns With A Bang

I wasn't exactly behind the return of David Wright this week.  I wasn't alone.  Many Mets fans thought it was a bad idea to see Wright risk further injury to his ailing hamstring with just a weeks worth of meaningless games remaining.  David Wright..doesn't care what we think.  He made that quite clear when in his first at-bat since August 2nd he did this:

Sure, this would only be a long fly ball at Citi Field. However, this ballgame was being played at the little league bandbox that is Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia against the hated Phillies and pretty boy Cole Hamels.  All of that made this a lot more fun than it probably should've been.

This isn't the first time Wright has done something like this.  You'll recall that last season, after returning to the lineup after breaking his pinky finger Wright promptly launched a solo home run in his first at back.  In a fun twist of fate, that also came at the expense of the Phillies.

So far so good for Wright.  He should get credit for returning when he doesn't have to, and he will provided he doesn't suffer a set back between now and the onset of the offseason.  A quick side note: With nine games to go, Wright needs three more home runs to make it to twenty.

The lineup is always better when it has a little captain in it!

We Wait On Wright

There has been much debate as to whether or not the Mets' captain and all-star third baseman, David Wright, should return to the lineup this season following the strained hamstring.  Wright was on pace for a 20/20 season with an average over .300 before the injury, which has held him out since August 2nd.

There was some belief that Wright would return to the lineup as early as last night for the start of the San Francisco series, however Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal would put those rumors to bed prior to last night's game.  As per Diamond, Wright will not play in the series versus the Giants and his status is unknown for the team's weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

As I've said before, I realize that David Wright provide a reason for some to come to the ballpark, but I see no sense in even moderately rushing him back to play meaningless games in the last week of the season.  I fear he injures the hamstring yet again, causing concern about a reoccurring issue going into next year.  I just don't think its worth the risk.  Wright disagrees...