Rangers make two moves before the deadline

On February 28th, the New York Rangers acquired center Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of 2nd round picks, and Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela. Eric, brother of current Rangers player Marc Staal, waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal. 

Staal will be taking his talents to the Big Apple

Staal had spent his entire career, 12 seasons, with the Hurricanes, and is eligible for free agency after the 2015-2016 season. He is in the final season of a seven year, $55.75 million deal he signed with Carolina in 2008. Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that Carolina retained some of Staal's salary for the current season, so New York has enough financial flexibility to add "a small salary player," in addition to Staal, if they chose to. 

Shortly after the deal was announced, Gorton spoke to reporters and explained the thought process behind acquiring Eric Staal. He said "We felt like he was one of the best, if not the best, player available on the market to give us what we're looking for in our top nine."

Eric (left) and Marc (right) at the NHL Skills Challenge in 2011

Eric will be leaving one Staal brother, Jordan, and joining another, Marc, who has been a defense man on the Rangers since 2007. 

Gorton also spoke of the idea of having Eric and Marc play on the same team together. He said "I think it'll help. He probably knows a lot of players on our team because of Marc. But at the end of the day, it wasn't really that I or anybody here felt like if we bring him here he's going to be more comfortable because of what Marc's doing. It's all about Eric."

Eric Staal has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season, and has been named an All-Star four times in his career. He is the Hurricanes career leader in almost every category, including 909 games played, 332 goals and 775 points. 

As for the prospect that Carolina is receiving, Saarela was the Rangers' third round pick from the 2015 NHL Draft. The 19 year old has played for Assat Pori of the Finnish elite league, leading the team with 18 goals and has a total of 31 points in 46 games.

It's been five seasons since Staal last put up his 30+ goal year, so it's fair to say that he is on the decline of his career at the age of 31. However, the Rangers did very well in this deal because they did not forfeit much to acquire him. Also, as said before, he is a free agent at the end of this current season, and according to reports, the Rangers are not looking to bring him back on a new contract.

In addition to the Staal deal, the team announced a few hours later that it had also acquired forward Chris Brown from the Washington Capitals in exchange for fellow forward Ryan Bourque. 

Ryan will be reunited with his brother, Chris Bourque, on the Bears

Brown, 25, has had a few stints in the NHL since being drafted as a 2nd rounder in 2012-2013. This season, he has stuck with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games. 

Bourque, 25, has been with the Rangers since 2011, but never truly panned out. He played one game for the NHL squad this season, but has primarily been with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. In that league, he has put up 10 goals and 14 assists in 55 games. 

The Rangers are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference behind the Washington Capitals. The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it is February 29th at 3 pm ET. 

My thoughts on Jimmer Fredette

Over the weekend, Knick officials reported that the team plans on signing guard Jimmer Fredette to a 10 day contract. Fredette, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, has had trouble finding a stable home in his 6 years in the league. Most recently, he played for the New Orleans Pelicans, where he averaged 4.4 minutes per game. 

The Knicks are finally giving Fredette a chance

In the 2015-2016 season, Fredette has played with the Knicks D-League squad, the Westchester Knicks, averaging 22.3 PPG and 4.8 assists in 28 games. His name was in the headlines last Saturday after scoring 35 points in the D-League All-Star game, while being named the MVP in the process. 

Coach Kurt Rambis said that the organization has kept it's eye on Fredette for some time now. 

"He obviously can shoot the basketball; that's what he's known for," said the interim coach. "We've got to see if he can actually handle the basketball and be able to create shots for himself and create shots for others within the team concept, so it will be an adjustment for him."

The team, which currently sits at 24-33, does not need to make a corresponding move as they had an open roster spot. 

Fredette was extremely popular a few years back for his lights-out shooting for BYU. In 2011, he won the National Player of the Year for collegiate basketball, but as said before, his numbers have not translated well to the NBA. When the Kings acquired him on draft night in 2011, "Jimmermania" in Sacramento was in full-effect. His jersey was quickly sold out at all the local stores and online stores, but after two mediocre seasons off the bench, the Kings bought out his contract in 2014. 

Jimmer would like to forget his days with Sacramento 

When asked about Fredette's lack of stability in the league, Rambis said "Sometimes it takes players a few years to figure out how to adjust to the game and the NBA level, so we'll see if he made those adjustments."

Personally, I have always liked what Jimmer brought to the table, and was surprised when Sacramento cut ties with him a few years back. He has the ability to light up the score-board, but some say that his size (6-2) has held him back tremendously in the NBA. Other's add to that by saying that he is not athletic enough (a la Isaiah Thomas, who is 5-9) to resist opponent defenders. 

As for his role on the team, I honestly couldn't tell you what to expect. While it won't happen, I believe that the organization should sent Jerian Grant down to the D-League to properly develop, and have Jimmer take his minutes in the short-term. Realistically, however, we're probably looking at a few minutes every now and then, and if he seizes the opportunity we could see him earning spot in the rotation. 

Hey, he can't be any worse than Sasha Vujacic, right?

Five Things to watch for entering Spring Training (NYM and NYY)

Spring Training serves many purposes, the main being the ability to ease yourself back into the game before engaging in a 162-game season. For others, however, it allows them to showcase their talent in front of the eyes of the General Manager, and coaches of the big league club. This year there are several anticipated position battles for every club, as well as questions that need to be answered before Opening Day in April.

With the New York Mets, 

1. Will he stay or will he go?

- When the Mets signed OF Yoenis Cespedes, fellow OF Alejandro de Aza was considered the odd-man out on the roster and the Mets were expected to field trade offers for him. The thought process was that de Aza's $5.75 million salary could be better allocated to a field of need, such as the bullpen, and the club could promote top prospect Brandon Nimmo to take his spot on the bench.

As of now, I will be shocked if the team trades away de Aza. He is a proven major league hitter that gives Terry Collins another solid option off the bench, and with P Antonio Bastardo now signed to a contract, the team's bullpen is looking as an area of strength.

2. How will Michael Conforto fare against left-handed pitching?

Is Conforto ready to step up and handle a 162 game workload?

- 15 Plate Appearances. Out of 179 (In 2015), only 15 came against southpaws for young Michael Conforto. Manager Terry Collins clearly tried to morph him into a platoon-type player with OF Michael Cuddyer down the stretch last year, but that will change this season. In 2016, Conforto's training wheels are coming off, as he will serve as the team's everyday left-fielder.


3. Can Kevin Plawecki develop his offensive game?

- When Plawecki took over the catching duties last year, many were impressed by his defensive metrics. In fact, he only made 1 error in 602.2 innings last season, translating to a .998 fielding percentage. What we weren't impressed by was his bat, or lack thereof, as he hit a minuscule .219/.280/.576 in 258 plate appearances.

We know he can catch, but can he hit?

Out of the two, it is obvious that Travis d'Arnaud is the better hitter, but Plawecki is only 24 and could develop himself into a fine young player. This is a big year for him because with a strong offensive showing and continued above-average defense, he could play into the Mets' future plans.


4. How will the bullpen shake out?

- As said earlier, the Mets bullpen is currently in a strong situation. Closer Jeurys Familia will assume his role as the team's closer, and the club can pick two out of three from the Addison Reed/Antonio Bastardo/Hansel Robles trio as the primary setup men.

In terms of lefty relievers, the current options include Jerry Blevins, Josh Edgin Sean Gilmartin, and the aforementioned Antonio Bastardo. Edgin is slated to start the year on the disabled list, and Gilmartin may begin with the Las Vegas 51s, so my prediction is to have Blevins and Bastardo break camp with the team.



5. What will Wilmer Flores' role be?

Flores has a bright future ahead of him

-  After last year's trade debacle with the Milwaukee Brewers, Wilmer Flores showed his willingness to remain with the organization that signed him out of Venezuela as a 16 year old. To say that Flores' career has been unpredictable so far would be putting it mildly. We are talking about a player who has bounced around from every position in the minor leagues in hopes of finding a permanent spot on the major league roster. In 2015, he found himself as the starting shortstop, and despite some early defensive struggles, really came on to win the hearts of Met fans in the tail-end of the season.

When the Mets signed Asdrubal Cabrera a few months ago, there were rumors that Flores would remain the starting shortstop, but those were quickly debunked when beat writers and those more thoroughly connected to the organization claimed that Cabrera would take the majority of the at-bats. So, going under that assumption, it is expected that Flores will begin the year as the team's super-utility man, occasionally spelling Lucas Duda at first base and playing the hot corner when David Wright has his routine days off. I still have high expectations for the 24 year old Flores, and fully expect him to make a strong showing in 2016 in hopes to re-acquire an every day job. 


With the New York Yankees,

1. Can C.C. Sabathia give quality innings ever again?

What can the Yankees reasonably expect from C.C.?

- One thing that has made Sabathia so valuable in his career is not only his low ERA, but the heavy dose of innings that he could absorb in one season. In 2016, he is giant question mark for the Yankees, as the 35 year old is recovering from alcoholism and even a short rehab stint in the off-season to fix this issue.

It is also worth mentioning that Sabathia has not been his old self since 2012, making the $25 million ($50 million if 2017 option is vested), that he is scheduled to earn this season almost dead weight. Personally, I think Sabathia can be a decent bounce-back candidate when you think about it, because the Yankees desperately need arms that can eat up innings, and even if Sabathia is 75% of what he used to be 4-5 years ago, it would be a big improvement over the rest of the rotation is giving.

2. Will the real Jacoby Ellsbury step up?

- Many heavily criticized the Yankees for handing such a lucrative deal (7 years, $153 million) to oft-injured OF Jacoby Ellsbury after the 2013 season, and so far the deal has looked like a bust. While his 2014 season was far from awful (.271/.328/.747 with 16 HR and 39 SB), it was a big drop off from his production with the Red Sox.

The way I see it is, Ellsbury is very similar to Carl Crawford. Both players use the element of speed as a large part of their respective games, and both were handed large contracts that would take them through their mid-30's. I would like to see more consistency in Jacoby's game this season, as there were times where he would be incredibly streaky. If he gets hurt or continues to struggle, the Yankees may have another devastating contract on their hands, as he will make roughly $21 million per season from 2016-2020. 

3. Will Chase Headley improve his defensive game?

Headley needs to step up in 2016

- Chase Headley is just another Yankee that under-achieved last season, but this time it was in the field. Headley, a former Gold Glove winner with San Diego, took a huge step back last year, putting up a -6 DRS (defensive runs saved, "0" being the average), and a -3.0 UZR rating as a third baseman.

To compare, in 2010, arguably his best defensive season, he had 14 DRS with a 16.5 UZR rating. As someone who is set to begin the year as the starting third baseman, Headley will need to make strong improvements in his defensive game to make up for his declining bat.




4. Just how exciting will Aroldis Chapman be?

- The Aroldis Chapman deal is a solid one for the Yankees because the level of intensity and firepower that he brings to the back-end of an already above-average Yankees bullpen. While the 27 year old is still amidst a domestic violence scandal, it is assumed that he will begin the year on the active roster without any suspensions lingering.

With that said, the Yankees should expect nothing less than excellence from the Cuban flame-thrower. He has been an All-Star every season from 2012-2016, and has averaged over 15 K/9 in each season. Also, he is a free agent after the 2016 season, so it is expected that he will bring his best game in hopes to land a lucrative deal next winter.

5. Who is the backup catcher?

Sanchez is ready for the show.

- John Ryan Murphy was dealt to the Minnesota Twins last fall in exchange for OF Aaron Hicks, leaving a large void on the bench. The Yankees, who were thin on catching depth as it is, will now look to former top prospect Gary Sanchez, or 4 year veteran Austin Romine to fufill the back-up catching gig.

Keep an eye on Sanchez this Spring, because there is a legitimate chance that he breaks camp with the team. I have liked him for a while, and while it is unlikely that he takes over Brian McCann as the primary backstop, he is still an exciting, youthful player that the Yankees have been so desperately lacking.

The NBA Trade Deadline is almost here

Now that the NBA All-Star festivities have come to a close, there have been a heavy dose of trade rumors coming to the surface. The official trade deadline is this Thursday, February 18th, at 3 p.m. ET, and it is expected that we see a wide range of moves before that time. At the time of writing this, there have been no major trades to announce, but both New York teams have been heavily connected to a variety of moves. 

In all likelihood, the Nets and Knicks will NOT be pursuing bigger names such as Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, and Al Horford, all of whom are expected to be dangled this week, so for the purpose of this article, the rumors surrounding them will be excluded. 

Starting with the Brooklyn Nets, there are rumblings that franchise player, center Brook Lopez, could be dealt to help expedite the rebuilding process. Lopez, who is in the first year of a 3 year, $63.5 million contract, has averaged 20.2 PPG along with 8.2 boards this year. As someone who has had an extensive history of injury issues, he has played (and started) every single game this season for the Nets, so this would be the ideal time for Brooklyn to sell high on his value. 

Another name that has popped up is PF Thaddeus Young, who the Nets acquired last year in exchange for aging forward Kevin Garnett. Young has enjoyed a very fine season, putting up 15.1 PPG with 9.1 rebounds. The only red flag with his game is his poor three point shooting percentage, which currently sits at a well-below league average 21%. It is important to note that he was never a high quality shooter, even during his prime with Philadelphia from 2007-2014, but it is still a cause for concern. 

Both Lopez and Young may be traded before tomorrow's deadline

According to several reports, the Raptors have shown extensive interest in both players. Point Guard Delon Wright has popped up in trade talks, as well as the 20th pick in this upcoming NBA draft, PF Patrick Patterson, and the 2016 1st round pick that Toronto had acquired in the Andrea Bargnani deal a few years back. 

As for my take on this, I'll keep it short and sweet. The Nets fired their head coach Lionel Hollins last month, and GM Billy King stepped down from his position. The franchise is currently crumbling as it does not have any first round picks for the foreseeable future, and little-to-no youth on the squad. Dealing a player like Lopez would be a big blow to the fan-base as he has been an icon to that team for several years now, but it is a move that needs to be done. Not only does it clear up cap space for this year's free agent class, but it should net them a first round pick or two that will give Brooklyn the opportunity to bring in young spark plugs from the 2016 draft class.

Now, moving on to the New York Knicks, 

If you talked to me six weeks ago, I would have told you the Knicks should be in "Buy" mode during trading season, but after dropping 9 of their last 10 games, and firing their head coach Derek Fisher, the team seems to have hit a stalemate. There is a decent pool of talent that they could ship off to acquire future assets, but the most notable name that they seem willing to part with is guard Jose Calderon.

Calderon, who was acquired in the Tyson Chandler deal a few years back, is owed $7.7 million next season, but could suit a decent amount of teams as a backup floor general. This season, he is averaging 8.2 PPG, 4.4 assists, while shooting 41% from downtown, and 87.9 percent from the charity stripe. Historically, his defensive metrics have fallen well below average, which has negated his positive offensive output.

Could we see Jose Calderon in a new uniform next week?

The team has talked to the Atlanta Hawks about All-Star guard Jeff Teague, as the team made him very available in the recent weeks. The Knicks have reportedly tried to add Kyle O'Quinn in a potential deal as a sweetener (similar to the Shumpert/Smith trade in 2014), but O'Quinn's value has fallen substantially in the past few months due to lack of playing time.

The only trade that I can see the Knicks doing is shipping out Jose Calderon, but an outside of the box idea would be to trade SG Arron Afflalo, who currently has a $8 million player option for 2016-2017 that will likely be declined. Afflalo has had his ups and downs with New York this year, but at a glance his numbers do not look half bad. As of the All-Star Break, he is averaging 14.2 PPG while shooting 37% percent from the 3 point line. The 30 year old could be dangled in the next 24 hours or so in hopes to acquire a draft pick or two.

Should the Knicks trade away Arron Afflalo?

The only other names I can see the Knicks pursuing in the future are: Ricky Rubio (T-Wolves), Brandon Jennings (acquired by Magic on 2/16/16), and Mike Conley (Unrestricted Free Agent after the 2015-2016 season). GM Phil Jackson will soon decide what direction he wants to take his franchise, whether that be shedding salary from Calderon/Afflalo, trading away star SF Carmelo Anthony for future assets, or acquiring a star in this upcoming free agent class.

Intro/Summing up the last 8 years

The Mets are coming off a season where they overachieved in a huge way, putting up a 90-72 campaign while dealing with off-field issues such as innings limits, injuries, and questions about the payroll. As a Met fan for as long as I can remember, watching the entire season unfold with the mixed bag of emotions it gave off was such a unique experience, and looking back it truly was a turning point in the team's history. 

Let's start off with the basics that everyone already seems to know:

For simplicity sake, the last 8 years will be summed up in a some short bullet points. 

2009-2014: The average Mets fan would look like this

• December 2008: Fred Wilpon, owner of the Mets, loses an estimated $700 million in a Ponzi scheme led by Bernie Madoff. 
• 2009: The Mets have their first losing season since 2004, going 70-92 with a payroll of around $135 million (2nd in the MLB)
• 2010: Major League Baseball gives ownership a $25 million loan.
• 2011: Wilpon receives a $40 million loan from the Bank of America.
• 2013: After five straight seasons of finishing in 4th place in the NL East, the Mets payroll sits at a minuscule $73 million, which ranks 23rd in the MLB (on Opening Day). 
• July 31, 2015: After getting off to a 52-50 start, the Mets acquire OF Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for two minor league pitchers. Other additions include: Tyler Clippard, Addison Reed, Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, and others. 
• August-September: Cespedes captures the hearts of Met fans, hitting an outstanding 17 HR in 57 games, carrying the squad to it's first postseason berth since 2006. 
• The Mets sneak past the Dodgers in the NLDS, and sweep the Cubs to earn it's first National League Pennant since 2000. 

In 2015, the attendance rose, and the fan base was back again. 

• After losing the World Series 4 games to one to the Kansas City Royals, the Mets entered the off-season with more questions than answers. 

Now, what did the Mets do this off-season?

Excluding the minor moves they made, these are the one's that I will will greatly impact the team moving forward. 

• 12/9/15: The Mets acquire 2B Neil Walker from Pittsburgh in exchange for P Jon Niese. 
• 12/10/15: NYM signs SS Asdrubal Cabrera to a two year, $18.5 million contract. 
• 12/11/15: OF Michael Cuddyer announces his retirement, freeing up around $10.5 million in extra salary.
• 12/15/15-12/23/15: The Mets sign LP Jerry Blevins, P Bartolo Colon, and OF Alejandra De Aza.
• 1/22/16: Reliever Antonio Bastardo is signed to a two year contract worth $12 million, and DFA pitcher Carlos Torres. 
• 1/26/16: The Mets announce that they have re-signed Yoenis Cespedes on a three year deal worth $75 million. 

Obviously the big one here is bringing back Cespedes, but that topic alone requires a few articles in itself. In fact, each move deserves it's own spotlight, so that will give me ideas for the future. 

As for the present time, the Mets currently stand to kick off their Spring Training season on March 4th against the Miami Marlins. To say that I am excited for this game would be a huge understatement, even though it is only an exhibition game. 

Let the games begin....Okay in a few weeks. 

About the Author

Dan is currently a Senior at Farmingdale State College, studying sport management with a minor in business management. He is an aspiring sports analyst/writer that has knowledge in all four major sports.A Met fan since the age of nine in 2004, Dan is the creator of Empire Sports Zone, and has written on several websites since then. (Links will be below)

Thank you for reading.

First Website: http://truemetsfansunite.blogspot.com/

Second Website: http://underthestache.blogspot.com/

Third Website: https://punchoutpost.wordpress.com/