Jets release four, including Mangold and Revis

Recently, the New York Jets made an array of transactions to create salary cap flexibility for the 2017-2018 season. They started off by releasing kicker Nick Folk and right tackle Breno Giacomini, and continued by cutting bait with center Nick Mangold and cornerback Darrelle Revis. As former integral players to the Jets franchise, it appears that the team is finally ready to turn the page and enter the next chapter in its history. 

After an 11-year Jets career, Mangold (pictured) has been let go 

Folk, now 32, originally signed with New York in 2010 after a small stint with the Dallas Cowboys. He had emerged as their top kicking option almost right away, and has finished his Jets tenure with 729 points scored. Folk's 1,052 career points tie him with Mike Nugent for 10th among active leaders. 

This past season, the Arizona product went 27-of-31 (87.1 percent) on field goal attempts and 24-of-26 (92.3 percent) on extra points. He was due $3 million in the one season remaining on his contract. 

Folk made 175 field goals with NYJ

Unlike Folk, the release of Giacomini was expected by many of the Gang Green faithful, as he was derailed with injuries. He began the 2016-2017 year on the Injury Reserve list due to a back injury, and made his debut in Week 8. After just 266 total snaps, Giacomini re-injured his back and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. 

Giacomini was due $5.1 million next year, and the Jets will save roughly $4.5 million by letting him go. 

Nick Mangold was the next person to receive his walking papers, but his departure was more emotional than the others. As a first-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, Mangold emerged as an elite center for the Jets for several seasons, but injuries had significantly devalued his stock. He played a career-low eight games in 2016-2017, and will enter his age-33 season in a few months. 

As a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Mangold started 164 games for the Jets and has indicated that he would like to continue playing in the NFL. New York will save about $9.075 million by letting go with the popular center. 

Finally, the biggest departure on this list will be Darrelle Revis, who was in his second stint with the Jets. Once the move was made official, owner Woody Johnson issued a statement on Revis and his contributions to the Jets franchise. 

"Darrelle Revis is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Jets uniform. His combination of talent, preparation, and instincts is rare and helped him become one of the most dominant players of his generation," Johnson said. 

He added by appreciating Revis' efforts to the organization and claiming that "his home will always be here with the Jets."

Originally a first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Revis quickly made a name for himself in the league, as he developed into an elite cornerback with the Jets. However, in 2013, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also saw time with the New England Patriots before coming back to New York in March 2015. 

The 31-year old is currently facing four felony charges coming from an alleged incident in Pittsburgh earlier this month, and could receive punishment from the legal system and NFL sometime in the near future. By cutting Revis, the Jets will save $9.3 million in cap space, but still owe the veteran $6 million in guaranteed salary for the upcoming campaign. 

The odds of a third Jets stint for Revis are slim-to-none

In total, the Jets have freed an estimate of $37 million in cap space this off-season, but Mangold and Revis in particular were tough players to send packing. Both have been iconic pieces to the franchise's history, but their time was up, whether it was due to injuries or off-the-field trouble. As the Jets begin to shift into a full-rebuild, look for them to continue to cut salary and become financially flexible as the upcoming season creeps around the corner. 

Knicks cut ties with Jennings, sign Randle

On Monday, the New York Knicks announced that they had waived guard Brandon Jennings and signed fellow guard Chasson Randle to fill his roster spot. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Jennings will likely latch on to a new team very soon, and the Wizards and Warriors have emerged as legitimate options for the 27-year old. 

One team, league sources tell ESPN, with interest in newly released backup point guard Brandon Jennings: Washington.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 27, 2017

Jennings inked a one-year, $5 million pact with New York this past summer and averaged 8.6 PPG and 4.9 AST in 58 games this year. Right now, there is roughly $1.2 million remaining on his salary, thus making Jennings a nice pickup for a contending team.

According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, Jennings told the Knicks front office that he wanted out in order to pave a path toward joining a playoff team. Despite this, fans are torn on the transaction, as some claim that Jennings was one of the few players that actually hustled while others have grown tired of his erratic shooting. Nevertheless, once the move was made official, the eight-year veteran went on Twitter and thanked the New York faithful for their support.

Thank you to all the Knicks fans for the love all year long, and thanks to my teammates and the organization.

— Brandon Jennings (@brandonjennings) February 27, 2017

 Regarding the other move, Knicks fans have seen plenty of Chasson Randle in recent time, as the 24-year old was once very close to breaking camp with the team this season. The Knicks ultimately chose Ron Baker to fill out the bench as Randle was sidelined with an orbital bone fracture. Randle's solid 2015-2016 season in Westchester allowed him to join the Sixers a few months ago, but his stint with the team ended after just eight games. Philadelphia recently cut the Stanford product to clear a spot to complete its Nerlens Noel trade with the Mavericks. 

Randle (left) made headlines with his strong performance this past summer

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Randle's deal with the Knicks will be partially guaranteed through the 2017-2018 season. Additionally, he is expected to join the team tonight when they square off against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. 

These moves certainly came out of nowhere, especially Jennings, but I am glad that the Knicks are granting the veteran's wishes and cutting bait before things potentially get ugly. Jennings provided a major spark for the team early in the season, but fizzled out by the All-Star break and was likely moving onto greener pastures in the summer when he hits free agency. Now he will be able to join a contender and chase his first NBA ring. 

Personally, Jennings' erratic shooting and overall inconsistent performance was mind-boggling to watch for me. You could see that he had the "it" factor to be a serviceable guard in the Knicks system, but more often times than not he simply did not mesh with the team philosophy. As a one-year gamble, bringing in Jennings was a worthy risk at the time but it clearly did not work out the way the Knicks envisioned. 

With Randle, I am happy that the Knicks are giving him another chance. The youngster looked fantastic in summer camp and was probably going to make the team in October if he had not suffered the injury. Hopefully Randle provides a bolt of energy and shows Phil Jackson and Co. that they should have never let him leave last year. 

Nets trade Bogdanovic to Washington

On Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets kicked off their trading season by dealing shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic to the Washington Wizards. Brooklyn will also give up guard Chris McCullough for a package consisting of Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton, and a 2017 first-round pick. 

Bogdanovic (left) and John Wall (middle) will now be teammates

The Nets signed Bogdanovic out of Bosnia back in 2014, and he has emerged as a legitimate scoring option in the NBA. Across 212 career games, the 27-year old has averaged 11.2 PPG and a 36% three-point percentage. In 2016-2017, he has racked up a career high 14.2 PPG and 87% free throw percentage in almost 27 minutes per game. 

Although this is the last year of his contract, Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent this summer, and his matching rights will now be held by Washington. For the remainder of this season, Bogdanovic will serve on the Wizards' bench behind Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. on the depth chart. As a team that is looking to make a deep playoff run this year, Washington will certainly receive a boost in production in their second unit with the addition of Bogdanovic. 

While merely seen as a throw-in piece, Chris McCullough is a former first round pick and still carries a fair amount of value. At just 22-years old, he has seen the bulk of his playing time come from the NBA Developmental League, but could form into a rotation player if the injury issues fade away. 

McCullough (pictured) has dealt with injuries all season

Brooklyn already has a first round pick in 2017, but the Celtics retain the right to swap. If that were to happen, the Nets will likely own a draft pick toward the end of the first round, in addition to the selection that was acquired in this deal with the Wizards. Washington's pick is lottery-protected, meaning that if they fall into the lottery on draft night, the Wizards keep the draft selection. However, with the team soaring high in the Eastern Conference right now, it would seem probable that Brooklyn holds onto the pick. 

The Nets will also be getting themselves forward Andrew Nicholson, who has played sparingly with the Wizards. In 28 games, the 27-year old has put up 2.5 PPG and 1.2 REB in just 8.3 minutes of action. Nicholson has about $20 million remaining on his deal that spans over the following three seasons, but Brooklyn has the necessary cap room to absorb such a lucrative contract. 

Nicholson (pictured) was due for yet another change of scenery

With Marcus Thornton, the team has themselves a veteran shooting guard whose contract is expiring at season's end. In his eight-year career, the 29-year old has put up 11.9 PPG with a 35% three point shot. He had played with Brooklyn during part of the 2013-2014 season, but was shipped off in a three-team deal that brought in Jarrett Jack from Cleveland. As you can see below, the Nets will likely waive Thornton once the trade is made official by both teams. 

The Brooklyn Nets plan to waive Marcus Thornton, league sources tell @TheVertical. Thornton was part of trade with Washington today.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 23, 2017

Overall, the Nets did very well in this trade. GM Sean Marks realized that the team was going in a downward spiral and cashed in on one of the few assets that he possessed. While Bogdanovic is a nice player, he likely did not project into the long-term plans for the franchise due to his age, so it is easy to understand their willingness to send him off.

Brooklyn is probably not done just yet. Their final trade chip is their best player, Brook Lopez, who has been highly coveted by a variety of NBA teams. It would be in the best interest of the Nets if they take the best offer by tomorrow's 3 p.m. ET deadline and truly commit to their rebuild.  

Grading Each Knicks Center at the All-Star Break

The 2016-2017 season has moved along at a rapid pace, and the Knicks have been a massive disappointment in the Eastern Conference. As a team that bulked up in the off-season, all eyes were on New York to see if they could compete for a playoff spot for the first time since 2012-2013. Since that time, the franchise has hit a major snag and will enter the All-Star Break with more questions than answers. 

Wily Hernangomez (pictured) has been an incredible find by the Knicks

In this article, we will grade each center on the Knicks and provide a quick recap for what they have done this year. 

Grades for Guards: HERE

Grades for Forwards: HERE

Grading Each Knicks Forward at the All-Star Break

The 2016-2017 season has moved along at a rapid pace, and the Knicks have been a massive disappointment in the Eastern Conference. As a team that bulked up in the off-season, all eyes were on New York to see if they could compete for a playoff spot for the first time since 2012-2013. Since that time, the franchise has hit a major snag and will enter the All-Star Break with more questions than answers. 

Carmelo Anthony (left) and Kristaps Porzingis (right)

In this article, we will grade each forward on the Knicks and provide a quick recap for what they have done this year. Please make sure to keep an eye out for the other positions, which will be released within the coming days. 

Grades for Guards: HERE

Grades for Centers: HERE

Grading Each Knicks Guard at the All-Star Break

The 2016-2017 season has moved along at a rapid pace, and the Knicks have been a massive disappointment in the Eastern Conference. As a team that bulked up in the off-season, all eyes were on New York to see if they could compete for a playoff spot for the first time since 2012-2013. Since that time, the franchise has hit a major snag and will enter the All-Star Break with more questions than answers. 

Ron Baker (left) speaks to Courtney Lee (right)

In this article, we will grade each guard on the Knicks and provide a quick recap for what they have done this year. Please make sure to keep an eye out for the other positions, which will be released within the coming days.

Grades for Forwards: HERE

Grades for Centers: HERE

Giants part ways with Cruz and Jennings

On Monday, the New York Giants announced that they released wide receiver Victor Cruz and running back Rashad Jennings, thus clearing up a significant amount of salary-cap space. 

It appears that Victor Cruz's time in NY is over

Cruz, now 30 years old, had made his NFL debut in 2010 and quickly transformed into an elite receiver by the 2012 campaign. That year, the New Jersey native racked up 1092 receiving yards with 10 touchdown catches. However, his career began to diminish in 2014, as a torn patella tendon kept him out of action for two seasons. Cruz made his return to the gridiron in 2016, but had just 39 catches for 586 yards as he was stuck behind both Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard on the team's depth chart. 

Cruz took a major pay cut to remain with the Giants last year, and it would not be unreasonable to hope that he is brought back at a reduced rate. Despite the injuries, Cruz still believes he has plenty to offer, saying "I think I have a lot of good football left ahead of me. I think there is still a lot of miles left on this body." 

By releasing Cruz, the Giants are saving roughly $10 million against the salary cap, and that money is expected to be used to replenish areas of weakness, such as running back or defensive end. 

New York has saved over $12 million by cutting Cruz (left) and Jennings (right)

For Rashad Jennings, the 31 year old averaged a mere 3.3 yards per carry in 2016, which was a far cry from his 4.4 ratio in 2015. The veteran, who had been in the third season of a four year, $14 million pact, was let go particularly due to his lackluster performance, as well as the emergence of Paul Perkins. 

Cutting Jennings will save New York about $2.5 million in cap space, and his return to Big Blue is certainly less likely than Victor Cruz. The team already has the aforementioned Perkins, in addition to Shane Vereen and Orleans Darkwa. It is also possible that the Giants aim higher and target Adrian Peterson, who has shown interest in joining New York. 

Overall, the Giants absolutely had to make both of these moves. While the loss of Cruz is a tough pill to swallow for the die-hard fans, the team is far better off with the young duo of Beckham Jr. and Shepard, and could use the money elsewhere on the roster. While the Giants could bring back the oft-injured veteran, his status seems up in the air after he posted this on Instagram following his transaction. 

With Jennings, he had looked off all season in 2016, and Perkins simply passed him on the pecking order. The Giants clearly had issues with their running game last year, and GM Jerry Reese will be actively surveying the market once free agency officially opens on March 9th. 

Yankees ink Chris Carter to one year deal

The New York Yankees have agreed to a one year, $3 million contract with first baseman Chris Carter. The 30-year old will receive a $500K signing bonus and is eligible for $100K in incentives each time he reaches 250, 300, 350, 400, and 450 plate appearances. 

Carter spent the 2016 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing with 94 RBI and a league-leading 41 home runs. With supreme power like that on the open market, some were surprised that he was not scooped up faster by a power-starved team. However, the one way to justify Carter's market, or lack thereof, was the fact that he struck out 206 times (in 644 plate appearances) and hit a mere .222/.321/.499 in 160 games.

Carter led the NL in HR (41) in 2016

Carter has always been a "high-strikeout, high-power" type of player, and the Yankees have every reason to expect that to continue. It will be very interesting to see how they handle the five-team veteran, as they already have youngster Greg Bird and 37-year old Matt Holliday slated to man first base. Of-course, the Yankees will need a designated hitter, so it is safe to say that we will see Carter in that role at some point. 

At first glance, one may see Carter as a player that smashes lefties, but that is not actually the case with the seven-year veteran. In his career, Carter has hit .221/.337/.459 against southpaws, and .217/.303/.466 with 105 of his 150 career home runs coming off of right-handed pitching. 

So, what can we make of this? It appears that Carter is much more patient at the plate when squaring up against left-handers, as his on-base percentage is over 30 points higher than the other side. Also, his 13.1% walk ratio against left-handers is slightly better than the 11.4% ratio against right-handers, but this statistic has fluctuated quite a bit in Carter's MLB career. For some reason, Carter's power dramatically spikes when he faces right-handed pitching, and 2016 was no different, as 29 of his home runs came against right handers. 

Overall, I think that this is an excellent signing by GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees. The team is getting themselves an elite power threat for under $4 million, and as we have seen, Yankee Stadium has proved to treat it's hitters very well. While his role remains unknown, I believe he will be the full-time designated hitter since his splits do not necessarily make him the ideal candidate to platoon with Greg Bird. 

It is always interesting to see what kind of deals players get around this time of the year since desperation begins to set in with Spring Training right around the corner. The Yankees did a great job in waiting out the market for Carter, and should continue to use the same tactic to build their rotation depth. 

Mets re-sign Jerry Blevins to one year deal

On Friday afternoon, the Mets reportedly came to an agreement with pitcher Jerry Blevins on a one year contract. The deal will be worth $6 million and includes a 2018 club option. New York had been connected to the veteran southpaw all off-season, and were at one point willing to give him a two year deal. Upon signing Blevins, the team had made two prior moves that day: bringing in left-hander Tom Gorzelanny and reuniting with Fernando Salas.

Blevins will suit up for his third season in the Big Apple

Blevins was acquired by the Mets back in March 2015 in exchange for outfielder Matt den Dekker. He managed to appear in just seven games during the 2015 year as a result of two major shoulder injuries, but redeemed himself in 2016. This past season, Blevins pitched to a 2.79 ERA in 72 outings while sporting a 3.2 BB/9 and 11.1 SO/9 ratio. 

Serving as the Mets' left-handed specialist, the 33-year old surprisingly fared much better against right-handed batters, as they hit a minuscule .182/.266/.345 in 65 plate appearances. Left-handed hitters went .255/.313/.324 in 113 plate appearances, and that certainly does raise some cause for concern. Nevertheless, Blevins proved that he was capable of handling situational outings as well as full inning workloads.

In a recent article, we took a look at Blevins' numbers in comparison to the other left-handed relievers on the roster. In his career, he has held lefties to a .214 average, so the Mets will hope that 2016 was a fluke for Blevins. 

While the Mets did not absolutely need to make this move, it shows the fan-base that the team is determined to beef up the bullpen as much as possible. Blevins should get the first crack at the left-handed specialist position, but he does have Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker, and Tom Gorzelany behind him on the depth chart if needed. 

As someone who has made a maximum of $4 million in a single season, Blevins is receiving a considerable salary boost here. However, I applaud Sandy Alderson for waiting the market out and talking the veteran down as much as possible.  

Mets bring back Fernando Salas

Salas received a $600K increase in salary from 2016

The Mets have agreed to re-sign pitcher Fernando Salas on a one-year, $3 million deal. According to Steve Adams of MLBTR, the hurler can earn an extra $350K in incentives. Salas started the 2016 year with the Los Angeles Angels, but was traded to the Mets on August 31 in exchange for prospect Eric Manoah. With New York, the reliever posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 appearances out of the bullpen. Additionally, he sported a 9.9 SO/9 ratio and, amazingly, did not walk a single batter in his entire Mets tenure. 

Once regarded as the St. Louis Cardinals' closer of the foreseeable future, Salas has been inconsistent over the past five seasons. However, since 2014, his career had begun to discover some stability. During that time period, he put up a combined 3.86 ERA in 204 appearances while posting a 2.1 BB/9 and 9.1 SO/9 ratio. 

Interestingly enough, Salas has had a decent amount of success against left-handed hitters in his career, holding them to a .239/.294/.383 clip. Conversely, right-handed batters have hit .225/.284/.393 in almost 900 total plate appearances. 

Right now, with the expected suspension of closer Jeurys Familia looming, the Mets will need Salas to play a key role in holding the bullpen together. Addison Reed will take over and be the team's temporary closer, leaving room for Salas to step in and and serve as New York's setup man. 

Let's take a closer look to see how Salas stacks up against his fellow relievers on the Mets. 

Career #’s	Salas	Reed	Robles	Goeddel	Lugo*	Wheeler*
v. RHP	.225	.242	.250	.212	.240	.225
v. LHP	.239	.235	.174	.216	.196	.259
BB/9	2.6	2.5	3.7	3.2	3.0	3.9
SO/9	8.9	9.6	10.0	9.0	6.3	8.5
H/9	7.8	8.2	7.2	7.1	6.9	8.1

 * Expected to begin the year in the bullpen

The one advantage that Salas has over players like Robles, Goeddel and Lugo is his experience in the bullpen. Robles remains a work-in-progress as he still needs to improve his control and develop a secondary pitch, while Goeddel has had issues with his health and being a consistent performer. 

For Lugo, it is expected that he will serve as the long-man out of the bullpen since he doesn't possess the "strikeout pitch" that teams often look for in their setup men. There lies Wheeler, who has been out of MLB action for two years now. The 26-year old will likely begin the 2017 season out of the bullpen as he looks to revamp his arm strength and return to throwing on a regular basis. Although it is unlikely, Wheeler could see an important role in the bullpen if he stays healthy and possesses the ability to command his pitches. 

Overall, the Salas signing was good work by Sandy Alderson. At $3 million, the price tag isn't too steep and still allows the club to take a hard look at other relievers who remain on the market. With the upcoming suspension of Jeurys Familia, Salas will have a good chance to serve as the team's setup man and reestablish his value in the process. 

Mets sign Tom Gorzelanny to minors deal

Gorzelanny has done well against lefties in his career

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Mets have signed veteran Tom Gorzelanny to a minor league contract. The 34-year old will receive an invitation to spring training and could earn $1 million if he makes the Opening Day roster. Also, he can receive an additional $1.8 million with incentives, and has a March 24 opt-out clause in his contract. 

Gorzelanny saw time with Baltimore and Cleveland in 2016, posting a combined 3.65 ERA in 24.2 Triple-A innings. The veteran had a cup of coffee with the varsity squad in Cleveland, but was shelled and ultimately let up seven runs in just three innings of work. 

As a 12-year MLB veteran, Gorzelanny has seen the majority of his work come from the bullpen. From 2012-2014, he was looked at as a solid bullpen piece, pitching to a combined 3.13 ERA in 111 appearances with the Nationals and Brewers. 

The Mets have been in the market for left-handed relief help and it seemed like their top target was Jerry Blevins. Since Gorzelanny is merely a minor league signing, there is still a good possibility that Blevins returns to Queens for the 2017 campaign. However, let's take a closer look at Gorzelanny's statistics in comparison to the other left-handed options for the Mets. 

Career #’s	Gorzelanny	Blevins	Edgin	Smoker
v. RHB	.274	.243	.248	.200
v. LHB	.229	.214	.201	.360
BB/9	3.9	3.2	3.3	2.3
SO/9	7.3	8.7	8.7	14.7
H/9	9.1	7.6	7.2	9.4

As you can see, each pitcher brings an interesting set of skills to the table. For Smoker, he has struggled against left-handed hitting in his brief MLB career, but his incredible SO/9 ratio makes him a good player to keep an eye on next year. With Edgin, he has not seen success for a few seasons now, but should have a chip on his shoulder as he continues to fully recover from Tommy John surgery. 

The two to take a closer look at are Gorzelanny and Blevins, who have appeared in 314 and 425 career games, respectively. Across the board, Blevins has outperformed Gorzelanny in his career but the latter is not too far behind, What separates Blevins is his ability to get right-handed hitters out, and pitch full innings at a time to avoid taxing the rest of the bullpen. 

In Gorzelanny's case, lefties have hit .229/.302/.356 against him in his career. As someone who is only a few years removed from solid play, this is a very nice gamble by Sandy Alderson and rest the Mets front office. I still expect the team to pursue Blevins, but Gorzelanny provides a low risk, moderate reward option that could serve as a fallback piece if Blevins fails to return to the Big Apple.