Lagares Has Hit All Spring

The ongoing gripe about the future or Juan Lagares with the Mets has been his bat.  There has been no question that Lagares is amongst the best defensive center-fielders in baseball, but criticism of his offense is what has landed his roster spot in jeopardy. 

The Mets have given Lagares every opportunity to put his offense on display this spring.  Today, he is tied with Chris Young for the team lead in at-bats, with twenty-five.  He has made the most of them.  Lagares is also tied for the team lead in hits (due in part to his elevated number of at-bats), with eight.  In fact, Lagares has reached safely in six of the eight games his played in, posting a .320 average in the process.  Still..questions linger.

Lagares has managed just one extra base hit thus far this spring.  He has also continued to strike out at a rate north of 20%.  That too, paired with the fact that he's drawn only one walk and the same criticisms that landed his role in jeopardy still remain.  However, Lagares has shined in the field.  He's made several acrobatic plays in center-field and has a could outfield assists to his credit already.

If the Mets are going to sit the youngster in an effort to insert Eric Young Jr. into the leadoff spot, Lagares is not making the decision easy for them.  Perhaps that in and of itself is a good sign for the young defensive wizard.  He has risen to the challenge, and while there is really not reason to think he will hit .320 all year, Lagares is hitting and that can't be taken away from him.

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I know I've said this before, but Lagares has hit for a high average at every level coming up through the minor leagues.  Obviously that doesn't mean he's going to replicate that at baseball's highest level, but I'm inclined to believe he's better than the .242 average he put up in 2013.  Its impossible to ignore what he brings to the game defensively.  He plays center-field effortlessly and has an arm the match.  Still he will have to prove his offensive worth going forward.  Lagares is still my Opening Day center-fielder and in my opinion should be an everyday player for the Mets this season.  Should the Mets make an addition at shortstop, his cause could be aided.  However for now, his fate remains in the hands of the Mets brass who appear enamored with the idea of Eric Young Jr. batting lead off, and that remains his biggest hurdle.

Mets Morning Highlights

Josh Satin got the Mets started early with this solo shot.


Juan Lagares doing Juan Lagares things!


Kirk Nieuwenhuis rocks a three-run homer to dead center field.


Zach Lutz puts the Mets up for good.

Mets Want EYJ to Bunt More?

Attention all major league pitchers: Terry Collins would like Eric Young Jr. to bunt more. Nothing like letting the cat out of the bag, huh? He bunted all of six times last year and Collins feels that with more bunts he can get that OBP up to .350

"Ideally, gosh, you'd wish he'd have a .350 on-base," Collins said about Young. "I don't know if he's going to, but you hope he does. All I know is what an impact this guy made on our team when we got him. He got some big hits, made some great plays defensively in the outfield. And when he got on, exciting things happened and we scored runs. So we're certainly going to focus a lot on trying to get Eric to bunt a little bit more, maybe be a little more selective at the plate.”

So this quote has me concerned. For Juan Lagares that is. Sounds like Terry could be banking on EYJ at the top of the order already and with what Chris Young and Grandy are getting paid they figure to be in the lineup everyday. Young was a nice surprise last season and a decent ball player but not sure he is an everyday player. With a lot of reps last season he exposed some flaws. But I can see where Terry is coming from. More bunts get him on base more, which allows him to steal bases and get into scoring position which is what the Mets are going to need to win games. Either way, the season hasn't even begun and TC is already alerting teams to his strategies. As if these effing Mets need to given anyone an advantage.

Photo Courtesy of: doublegsports.com

Follow me: @jwil25

The Biggest Questions Of Mets Camp

As the players continue to file into Port St. Lucie, FL, the 2014 New York Mets don't appear set to challenge in the NL East.  They seem to be well removed from the likes of the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, yet don't really have many questions to answer as the spring plays out.

First base is without a doubt the biggest question mark of camp, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure its much of a question at all.  The Mets appear set to offer Ike Davis 80-100 at-bats this spring in an effort to "win" the job.  It begs the question, when will Lucas Duda get his reps?  If this is truly a competition, I would expect each player to get his equal share.  There certainly haven't been any references to Davis playing some other position he's fair from suited to play.  I'll let you in on a pretty poorly kept secret...  If Ike Davis is still with the team come March 31st, unless he has just a simply awful spring, he will be the team's first baseman on opening day.  He provides the higher upside, has the higher salary and still remains the distant front runner to assume the role.

Next up would have to be the role that Juan Lagares plays when camp breaks.  For all the hype about his surprise play in center field last season, the Mets have been very non-committal on where he fits in this year.  It seems the biggest threat to his playing time in 2014 is the team's lack of a leadoff hitter.  In an effort to have Eric Young Jr. assume that role, Lagares would likely be the odd man out under the guise that the lineup cannot afford to have two outfielders with little to no home run pop at one time.  As a result, we've heard there will be an open competition between Lagares and Chris Young for the center field spot.  This may be a question as we go through camp, but it shouldn't be.  Juan Lagares was amongst the best defensive center fielders in baseball last season.  Posting him in centerfield, with Chris Young and Curtis Granderson on either side should provide the Mets pitching staff with what would likely be the best outfield defense in baseball.  That's well worth the offensive gamble he presents, in my opinion.

Finally, there is the team's bullpen.  To date, the Mets haven't added the veteran reliever with closing experience they coveted all winter.  That means, despite reportedly being two weeks from throwing off a mound, the closer role remains with Bobby Parnell.  As a result, any competition will be for the spots behind him.  Can Jeurys Familia make the bullpen out of camp?  Is Vic Black ready to be a setup man after only a handful of major league appearances?  Will Jack Leathersich surprise the masses, cut down on his walks, and threaten to steal a spot in the bullpen?  These are all valid questions, but few if any are season shifting ones.

Yes, the Mets are preparing to enter camp with questions about whether they're good enough to compete in 2014, but there are precious few questions about who will make the trip north next month.  Our spring will be spent watching to see if Ike Davis can show progress, whether or not Juan Lagares has learned to take a walk, whether or not Bobby Parnell can still throw gas, and most importantly if they can all stay healthy.  The Mets roster is basically set, so for now we can simply enjoy the fact that baseball is back because there aren't many other reason to watch closely this spring.

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The Lagares vs. Young Debate: A View From the Devil's Advocate.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I like playing devil's advocate often when I choose to write about something.  I am pretty open minded about things, and like to look at different alternatives for the sake of debate.  So I'll put it out there and say like most of you, I would rather have Juan Lagares starting in centerfield in 2014. However, Terry Collins came out and said recently that Eric Young may be his lead off hitter in 2014. As expected, there was plenty of backlash on this on Twitter.  Honestly though, if Eric Young was playing everyday and batting lead off, would the Mets be that much worse off?

Photo: BloggingMets.com

Eric Young is a borderline starter, but projects more like a lead off hitter at this point than Lagares.  Young is more patient at the plate, so despite lacking the power it takes to constantly hit the ball solidly, he does draw walks and has an OBP almost 70 points higher than his batting average for his career. Lagares had a small sample size, so it's impossible to judge what kind of player he will be based on 392 at bats.  But he was a very aggressive swinger who didn't take many pitches and struck out more than you'd want in a lead off man. He didn't show much more patience in the minors either, despite not striking out at the same rate.  But this is common in young players.

What Lagares has that Young doesn't though, is the ability to make solid contact and drive the ball.  He can hit the occasional home run, and can go gap to gap with line drives.  So it's not all that bad, and you hope at 24 years old, there is room for improvement.  He hit well in a recent stint in the Dominican Winter League, winning the award for being the top rookie.  His lack of patience didn't take the winter off though, while down there.

I'm not going to compare the two defensively.  It'd be just silly. Lagares can be a gold glove center fielder with his tools.  He's electric out there, and has a great arm.  Eric Young, despite being nominated for a gold glove, isn't the outfielder that Lagares is. Young isn't a slouch out there though. So despite Lagares being superior in the field, I don't think this necessarily warrants an automatic slot into the starting line up.  It's not like the Mets will be trotting out Lucas Duda and an older Carlos Beltran in the outfield opening day.  The Mets have Curtis Granderson and Chris Young on the roster, both who have been very good center fielders through their careers.  With the ground they can cover, you can live with Eric Young playing out there as well, and it's still a solid defensive outfield.

Like I said earlier, I'd prefer Lagares to be the every day center fielder.  I think that at 24 years old, he can improve at the plate, and hope that he can develop into the lead off hitter that the Mets desperately need.  But if Terry Collins decides that he wants Eric Young to be the regular lead off hitter, I'm not going to be upset about it.  If this comes to fruition, I just hope it doesn't come at the expense of at bats for Lagares.  I hope the Mets are smart enough to start Lagares in AAA to get his work in.

@ me tho - @GetsThruBuckner

The Case Against Free Agents as the Way to Make the Mets a Winner

Baseball has always been about three things: scouting, coaching and management. A franchise that does these things well wins.  The amount of money a franchise spends means only so much. The Yankees have outspent every team in baseball for the last dozen years and have only one championship to show for it.  Granted, they have been contenders nearly every year, but the Cardinals and Red Sox have had far greater success and spent a King's ransom less in the same time span. Many have argued that the Mets should follow the Yankees' example and buy every available player as a means to achieving post season success. Anticipating upgrades from the free agent marketplace, however, ignores the limitations of the Mets' owners willingness to spend.  More importantly, it overvalues the pool of available talent that might be purchased to help the franchise succeed.

A recent example shows why acquiring free agents is not all it is cracked up to be.  Michael Bourne was a free agent target of the Mets last winter.  Fans and media alike dubbed him "the Answer" in Centerfield. He was a proven glove and his offensive production was unquestionably far better than any option the Mets had in house.  He wanted a five year, $60M contract.  Sandy Alderson, perhaps knowing that four years wouldn't seal the deal, would not budge.  The Mets lost out on Bourn, who signed with the Indians.

Here were the results: Bourn played 130 games for Cleveland. He had 525 at-bats, scored 75 runs, had a batting average of .263 with an on base percentage of .316. He stole 12 bases and struck out 132 times. Juan Lagares, who was on exactly nobody's radar last winter, played centerfield for the Mets in 2013.  He had 392 at-bats, scored 35 runs, had a batting average of .242 with an on base percentage of .281. He stole 6 bases and struck out 96 times.  Bourn admittedly had marginally better offensive statistics than Lagares in 2013 - some of which can be attributed to batting order placement and more consistent playing time. No one who watched Lagares play day in and day out can say that Bourn was a better defensive outfielder. Lagares has a much higher ceiling and Bourn gets closer to being Cleveland's Jason Bay as each day passes.  Alderson saved the Mets $11.6M in 2013 and for the next four years, close to $40M.  In addition, the Mets selected Dominick Smith with the draft pick they saved by not signing Bourn. Smith played in the Gulf Coast League (and a cup of coffee in Kingston) where he hit a combined .301 with an on base percentage of .398.  He is very young (he turns 19 this coming June), but if he progresses as he started, he is sharing an infield with David Wright in 2016.  Had Alderson signed Bourn, no one ever sees Lagares in a Mets uniform and Dominick Smith plays for a different franchise.  Put differently, assume the roles were reversed and Michael Bourn were on the 2013 Mets with a four year $48M contract ahead of him.  The Indians come knocking on the Mets' door looking for a trade of Lagares and Smith for Bourn. Would the Mets take the deal?  Well, of course they would.

The Class of 2014 Free Agents have been a group led by Robinson Cano ($240M), Jacoby Ellsbury ($153M) and Shin-Soo Choo ($130M).  A talented trio - but unless their individual performances improve substantially, only Cano has Hall of Fame potential.  None of the other free agents this year can turn a club around on his own.  Even the pitching is weak - so much so that a man who has thrown not one pitch to a Major League hitter is the most sought after player.  A look at next year's projected free agents shows a group not as talented and likely to be even more expensive.  Also, because of the rules for becoming a free agent, most players available are over 30 - with many in their mid to late 30's. Hardly the stuff of Cornerstone franchise players. The free agent market can be a valuable source of complementary players, but teams seeking to buy their way to a pennant will find themselves poorer and with a farm system that is devoid of talent as the result of the compensation picks they have to surrender.

The Mets have drafted wisely over the past several years (Matt Harvey, for example), traded players at their peak value for young talent (Beltran and Dickey for Wheeler and d'Arnaud and Syndergaard are two prime examples) and have avoided signing players to contracts that they will regret in years to come (like Jose Reyes). Gone are the days of Bay, Santana, Castillo and Oliver Perez.  They have amassed an abundance of young pitching that they can keep or use as trade bait when the time is right.  In the category of young pitching the Mets could deal are Raphael Montero, Jacob deGrom, Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, Bobby Parnell, Vic Black, Darin Gorski, Steven Matz, Jeff Walters and Cori Mazzoni.  The road map to consistently good performance starts on the mound. The Mets have accumulated a wealth of high ceiling pitching talent that they could never have acquired via free agency.

The post-Minaya era Mets have demonstrated that they are good talent evaluators.  By not mistaking wishes for facts, the front office has resisted the temptation to sacrifice what they are building long term for short term satisfaction. They have shown remarkable fiscal and emotional discipline (trading R.A. Dickey was a gut-wrenching decision, but clearly the smart move.)  The Mets are obviously a few players away from contending in the tough National League East.  Still, they are far better poised today, without breaking the bank on overpriced free agents, than they were in 2010 when they signed Jason Bay, who was supposed to deliver a World Series to Flushing.

This is a guest post by Denis Engel.

Citi Field No-Fly Zone

The Mets appear poised to field an impressive outfield this spring, manned by not one, not two, but three natural center fielders.  Juan Larares, when combined with newly acquired Curtis Granderson and Chris Young will feature in what figures to be one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.  And it couldn't happen in a better ballpark.

The Mets may have moved the fences in since Citi Field opened in 2009, but the outfield remains the place were long fly balls go to die.  Just ask David Wright, who acknowledged  earlier this winter that the stadium has impacted his home run total.  It probably had a profound effect on Jason Bay too, whose line drive swing just couldn't get the job done on the rare occasions he made contact.

For the first time since Citi Field opened, the Mets stand to field a team built for their ballpark.  That is impressively important, when you figure the team boasts just a .473 winning percentage at home since the park opened.

Its amazing to think how quickly things can change.  When the season opens, we'll be just one year removed from the atrocity that was Lucas Duda in left field.  Those days should be behind us, as the 2015 outfield should be a proverbial dragnet for any ball that leaves the infield.  That figures to help the young pitchers (minus Bartolo Colon of course) who will make up the team's rotation and could be a big part of an improved Mets team in 2014.

The Mets Are A Shortstop Away

Photo Courtesy of @Lets86It

Before you prepare to jump down my throat, I'm not about to tell you that the Mets are a shortstop away from being a World Series contenders.  They are however a shortstop away from a few different things.

First and foremost, with the additions the front office has made to date the lone remaining hole on the roster is at shortstop. While that's not to say improvements can't be made upon the players elsewhere on the roster, there seems to be a plan in place for every position but shortstop.  Is it possible that the Mets could enter the 2014 season without so much as one obvious glaring void in the lineup?

Next, its refreshing to say that should the Mets upgrade the shortstop position, they'll have accomplished all of the major goals they set forth for this winter.  In a free agent market that most agree went through the roof, Sandy Alderson was able to address both outfield corners and obtain a quality starting pitcher.  Addressing the team's needs at shortstop would effectively complete the roster renovation fans had been craving.

In the long term the Mets still have work to do.  In addition to Matt Harvey getting healthy, the team awaits the likes of Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero.  There are still questions to be answered with it comes to Juan Lagares and Lucas Duda.  The Mets aren't prepared to contend in 2014, but they will be a whole lot closer than last year if Alderson can finalized the offseason in dramatic fashion.

Its a process.  It didn't take a year or two to create the mess that is the New York Mets, and it'll likely take more than a year or two to rectify it.  However for the first time in a long time, the progress is apparent.  The Mets appear able to spend in the free agent market and have a farm system that is producing major league caliber players.  For the first time in a long time, things are looking up in Queens.  Sandy Alderson is one shortstop away from taking that next step.

Like what you've read?  Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

Granderson Talks Intensify

Per ESPN's Adam Rubin, talks between the New York Mets and Curtis Granderson intensified Tuesday night.  This following a face-to-face meeting between the two sides on Sunday which was Granderson called more of a Q&A than anything else.

Granderson would likely fill in in left field for the Mets.  He possessed forty home run potential with the Yankees, but would likely be more of a thirty home run guy playing most of his games at Citi Field, where its believed his power would translate nicely.  If he is brought in the Mets would have three "natural center fielders" in their opening day outfield, to include Chris Young and Juan Largares.

Per Rubin, the Met hope to land the slugger on a three year deal, but may be forced to include a guaranteed fourth. This sounds about right, amidst rumors that 37 year old Carlos Beltran has a three year offer on the table.

Things have progressed quickly, as the Mets look to fill another hole in their outfield prior to the MLB Winter Meetings next week.  Doing so will allow Sandy Alderson to know what trade he theoretically has to make while in Orlando.

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@Mets & Granderson see eye-to-eye on a 3-yr deal, but he's still looking to find a team willing to give to go to four.
— Matthew Cerrone (@matthewcerrone) December 4, 2013

The above tweet from Matt Cerrone seems to indicate things are indeed progressing. Granderson on only a three year deal would be quite a steal, in my opinion. It would limit the risk over the long term and allow the Mets to reinvest in a younger player when that time comes. Its still far from a done deal, as there are rumblings that the Red Sox could enter the market for Granderson, at which point a fourth year would be inevitable.

Effing Round Table: What Is The Mets Most Pressing Offseason Need?

With the offseason upon us, it remains clear that the New York Mets have plenty of needs to address this winter.  Outfield, Shortstop, First Base, Pitching... Which is most important..and why?

Tim O'Brien:
The Mets most pressing offseason need is to not do anything stupid.  The Wilpon's have a history of caving to public pressure and the fans are certainly laying it on thick to make a big signing this offseason.  I say stay the course, don't overpay, let the kids develop one more year...then try to strike while the iron is hot (we aren't winning the World Series in 2014).  Unless of course you can get Stanton.

Craig Petraglia:
The Mets have a lot of holes to fill heading into the 2014 season but Sandy Alderson and the front office have a lot of money coming off the books that they can spend on free agents.  The most pressing need for the Mets to fulfill heading into 2014 Opening Day is protection behind David Wright in the lineup.  With the Captain hitting third, if Sandy can bring in a dangerous hitter, no matter the position, whether that be an outfielder or first basemen, Wright will see better pitches to hit and can be even more of an asset offensively.  it will be interesting to see how Sandy spends his money, as the Mets need an upgrade at the shortstop position, the corner outfield, as well as first base, but Mets fans are getting restless and it's time this front office spends money and rolls the dice in order to make a pennant run in the upcoming season.

Rob Patterson:
The Mets have a lot of problems, but none more pressing than the team's outfield.  The departure of Marlon Byrd left an unexpected hole that must be filled..especially if there is an intention to see Juan Lagares as the everyday center fielder.  The Mets need bats..power bats.  Bats that can round out the middle of the lineup and make up for the light hitting players like Lagares, Murphy and d'Arnaud.  Those players are available, via both free agency and trade, and the team's front office needs to find a way to make it happen!

Jason Wilson:
Corner outfielder who can bring the wood to the yard. Why? Because they need it and the run production was noticeable when Marlon Byrd left.

Kieran Flemming:
The Mets' most pressing offseason issue is adding a bat or two that can hit for power. I know how much the organization values on base percentage, but the lineup desperately needs more pop. Be it at first or in the outfield, that is where the team needs the most help.

Bryan Damis:
We are beating a dead horse here but the Mets need power. Plain and simple. David Wright has power to the deepest part of the park and that's not going to work. With such a poor home record comparably to a respectable road record, the Mets need a power hitter who can pull the ball to the shorter parts of the park.

Seth Shapiro:

Power.  Power.  Power.  Particularly a left handed power bat to hit either in front of or behind David Wright.  The two names that come to mind are either Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies or Jose Abreu, the free agent slugging first baseman from Cuba.  While I prefer Gonzalez because he is the proven commodity, the thought of acquiring power in Abreu without giving up any prospects or players from the major league club is quite enticing.

Wow! That was pretty much unanimous... Do you agree? Is acquiring a power bat the order of the day, or do the Mets have other areas to address first? Let us know in the comment section.

T-Shirt Tuesday: Juan Bad Joke At A Time

The below image is a look at the t-shirt the Mets will give away tomorrow night when the San Francisco Giants come to town.  As the Mets count down the remainder of the season Juan game at a time, rookie outfielder Juan Lagares has earned himself a t-shirt night.  This is of course if the front office doesn't trade him the morning of, as they did with Marlon Bryd about a month ago.

Photo Courtesy of Mets.com

I know I poke fun at the Mets pretty much every opportunity I'm presented with (it helps my maintain my sanity), but its nice to see the organization reward a kid like Lagares with a promotion like this, no matter how cheesy it might be.

Lagares has been the lone remaining bright spot for the Mets in a second half full of disappointment.  He has emerged as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball and has the inside line on the centerfield spot next season.  His ability to get on base will need to improve next year, as the team could likely live with a .260ish batting average, but a .295 on-base percentage simply won't get it done.  Time will tell if he is able to stick, but in the meantime its cool to see he and the Mets have some fun with his success this season.

If your brave enough to join the ten thousand or so faithful who are still venturing to Citi on a nightly basis and would like to grab one of these shirts, you can buy your tickets HERE.

Juan Lagares vs. Matt den Dekker

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com

In the top of the 8^th inning of last Friday’s Mets-Nationals game, Matt den Dekker pinch ran for Andrew Brown.  In the bottom half of the inning den Dekker was put in center field and Juan Lagares was moved from the position he’s been playing since April, center field, to a position he had not seen once this year, right field.  When the cameras panned to him out in right field, prior to the start of the inning, it seemed he was disappointed and perhaps a little dejected, shaking his head.  Now, I have no way of knowing if he was upset about being moved to right field, upset about his dog being sick, or possibly one of a million other things.  However, it got me thinking about how I would handle the situation of having two truly gifted defensive center fielders in one outfield.

For the purposes of this argument, let’s set aside for the moment the fact that the winner of this competition would likely be whoever produced more at the plate.  Championship teams have boppers in the outfield.  Neither den Dekker nor Lagares are boppers.  There is room for only one of them in a championship outfield.  This argument applies to right now, in the Mets current configuration, where they are not yet ready to present a championship team and thus, both can play.  Who should play center?  Lagares or den Dekker?

Let’s start with Lagares since we have major league playing time to evaluate.  Juan has been the starting center fielder since late April and has excelled defensively.  According to Fangraphs, he has the 10^th best Ultimate Zone Rating (“UZR” – meant to measure overall defensive production) of any major league player with 300+ innings played and the 3^rd best amongst center fielders (behind Carlos Gomez and A.J. Pollock).  However, the 91 games Juan has played this year is a very small sample size and UZR, in particular, is a stat that should be viewed over several years to be considered reliable.  Lagares is also 2^nd in the league in assists, second only to Alex Gordon of the Royals, a two-time Gold Glove award winner.  We have all seen the spectacular plays he has made this year and there is plenty of chatter about him winning the Gold Glove if not for his lack of name recognition and offense.  He was known as a plus defender in the minors and has more than impressed at the major league level.

den Dekker is a more difficult analysis.  We have virtually no Major League experience to work with.  What we have are scouting reports and highlights.  He was named the best defensive outfielder in the Mets system in 2010, 2011 and 2012 by Baseball America.  Before he even played a major league game he was a regular on Sportscenter’s top ten plays list.  His defense has been bandied about for years in the Mets organization.  We have seen he has plus speed and a great first step that enables him to cover a good deal of ground and that his athleticism allows him to make awe-inspiring catches.  He has an above average arm, not great, and is decently accurate.  The fact is, den Dekker is a great athlete with the ability to do amazing things in center and could contend for a Gold Glove himself one day.

If you were to base the decision on who the organization was expecting to be the better center fielder all along, you’d put den Dekker in center.  If you are basing the decision on performance and contributions at the major league level, you’d put Lagares in center.  In the end, you have to do what is best for the team.  While I would understand if Lagares feels he has earned the position and the prestige that comes with it, I would put den Dekker in center field in the Mets current outfield configuration.  Lagares has logged 180+ games in right field in his minor league career (not including 190 in left field) while den Dekker has played exactly 2 games in right field and 6 games in left field throughout his minor league career.  To me, Lagares is a victim of his own versatility.  You can’t lose with either player in center, but you can lose with den Dekker in right.  Sorry Juan.

You can follow me and pester me on twitter at @joshuetree.