Spring has sprung, and a happy Valentín’s Day
Spring Training is in full swing for the Mets. Plus, remembering José Valentín on this Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine’s Day from your friends here at Just Mets!
What’s up with the Mets? ❤️
INF/DH Mark Vientos spoke about the opportunity he has to breakthrough at the DH position this season (MLB.com)
Carlos Mendoza is settling in for his first spring as Mets manager (Newsday)
Mendoza is the fifth manager the Mets have had since Terry Collins departed the club in 2017
Happy Valentín’s Day ✍️
They say that February 14th is a day for lovers; a day for romance and spending time with the person you adore most. For us here at Just Mets, however, it’s a day for us to go back and remember the accolades of José Valentín.
That’s right, folks, it’s once again time to celebrate Valentín’s Day.
Back in the 2005-06 offseason the Mets signed the 35-year-old veteran to a minor league contract, though that seemed to have been a technicality as GM Omar Minaya said that Valentín would be assured to make the Opening Day roster in 2006.
“Veteran guy, he wanted to come here,” Minaya told reporters at the time. “He can
play anywhere in the field.”
Valentín’s deal wound up being worth $912,500 for the season once he was added to the 40-man roster, which would roughly be equivalent to a one-year, $1.4 million contract in today’s game. One could argue that this wound up being one of the most successful minor league deals the Mets have ever given out.
After an injury plagued 2005 campaign with the Dodgers where he hit just .170/.326/.265 with two home runs, 14 RBI and a 60 OPS+, Valentín bounced back in a major way in his first season with the Mets. On a roster full of young stars with David Wright, Carlos Beltrán, José Reyes and Carlos Delgado, Valentín proved to be an invaluable piece of the first Mets lineup in 18 years to win a division title.
In 137 games with the club, Valentín batted .271/.330/.490 with 18 home runs, 24 doubles, 62 RBI, 56 runs scored, an .820 OPS, 109 OPS+ and a 3.0 fWAR. Valentín was the team’s primary second baseman that season with 94 starts at the position, along with seven starts in the outfield, one start at third, one start at first and 40 pinch-hit appearances.
Some of Valentín’s biggest highlights that season include his 7 RBI performance against the Marlins and a two-home run performance in the club’s division-clinching game on September 18th.
Valentín’s successful season did not carry over into the postseason, however, as the switch hitter went hitless in three games in the NLDS vs the Dodgers and had a .667 OPS in seven games in the NLCS vs the Cardinals.
The veteran Valentín’s 2006 campaign was so successful that New York re-signed the infielder to a one-year, $3 million contract for the 2007 season with a vesting option for 2008.
Unfortunately for himself and the Mets, Valentín was never able to recapture his magic in 2007 as it ultimately became the infielder’s final season in the major leagues. Over only 51 games, Valentín hit .241/.302/.373 with three home runs, 18 RBI, a .676 OPS and a 75 OPS+ before fracturing his leg in July.
All-in-all, Valentín’s Mets career lasted just 188 games over the course of two seasons – one highly successful, the other the stuff of nightmares – and yet the man known as “Stache” is still fondly remembered to this day by this fanbase. Look no further than me, as I’m now over a decade into my “Happy Valentín’s Day” schtick and decided to highlight the man in today’s newsletter.
Maybe it’s because I was a teenager at the time, maybe it’s because a lot of us still have warm-and-fuzzy feelings for the 2006 regular season, but thinking back to Valentín just brings a smile to the faces of a lot of us Mets fans. So if you don’t have big plans tonight, pour yourself a glass of wine, grab yourself a box of chocolates and throw on a 2006 Mets Classic.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Padres are reportedly actively seeking roster improvements in free agency and via trade as Spring Training kicks off (MLB.com)
The Twins signed former Mets RHP Jeff Brigham and C Brian O’Keefe to minor league contracts
The Angels reportedly signed LHP Drew Pomeranz to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training (Heyman)
The White Sox signed RHPs Corey Knebel and Dominic Leone to minor league contracts