This One's For Nick

Tag: new york mets

March 26, 2013

The Grinders: National League East

0629%20Scott%20Podsednik

Every fan knows what a grinder is. It’s a player that doesn’t necessarily have all the skills to excel at their position, but with extreme heart, will, and #want, they somehow win the hearts of the fans for walking off the field with a dirty uniform. Whether the player performs well or not, fans always seem to have a special place inside their hearts, despite the ups and downs. For myself, it’s Endy Chavez, the grind-dela-grinder. I wonder why the New York Mets will not bring him back on a minor-league contract. The Mets always have a few grinders, this years being Collin Cowgill, with lasts Kirk Nieuwenhuis, etc…

This new series is called Grinders, where I dig within the farm systems of each team to find the next fan-favorite. The players that won’t always have a guarantee at starting the next day, but every time they come up to the plate, your heart flourishes with what they can do with their hustle. Without further ado  let’s start with the National League East.

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February 23, 2013

Alfonso Soriano should be traded to the Mets

 

 

 

alfonso-soriano-ap2

Note: This idea comes from a Twitter conversation between two Mets bloggers, which can be found here.

The Mets currently have an outfield full of questions pertaining to production, defense, health, etc… The only lock at this point, Lucas Duda, who has to prove himself just as much as Collin Cowgill, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, etc… Marlon Byrd had a nice debut today but he’s fought injuries throughout his career, and the Mets cannot rely on a washed-up outfielder to seriously give them 162 games, even if he is added to the 40-man roster. Is he even worth a 40-man roster spot?

There’s a simple solution to all of this: trade for the Chicago Cubs leftfielder Alfonso Soriano. An aging veteran with a terrible contract, the Cubs have seemed desperate to unload him and move on with their new plans. If the Mets would be willing to give up a C+ level prospect the deal could possibly get done, though the Mets would most likely have to eat some of his contract. This all depends on if the Cubs are willing to eat up his most of the contract, since the Mets are continuing to pay Jason Bay and other outfielder until eternity.

Soriano brings an obvious attraction: power. He tapped into the fountain of youth last season, belting 32 homeruns. He also played almost a full season, missing just 11 games. Injuries are something he’s dealt with most of his Cubs career, but at this point, it’s worth a gamble. The only downside with this move would be the terrible defense, but for 27-30 homeruns a year, the Mets wouldn’t mind giving up a few runs for a much needed power infusion. This also gives the Mets more balance, adding a right-handed bat.

So what kind of prospect would it take? You could see the Mets possibly unloading second-basemen Reese Havens, who’s battled back injuries since forever. Theo Epstein took a chance on Adrian Cardenas last season, which didn’t work out, but Havens have significant upside over Cardenas. The move makes sense since it would free up a 40-man roster spot. The Mets could also look into trading Collin McHugh. He’s loved by Mets prospectors, for some think he’s 2.0 version of Dillon Gee. In a realistic future, he has no place in the Mets rotation with Niese locked up, Harvey and Gee locked, Wheeler on the horizon, and the lower minors pitchers.

One downside to if this happens, Duda would need to move back to right-field. Oh well.

Interesting idea which probably won’t happen but it could be an interesting move that, in my opinion, could possibly get some fans in the seats and give this outfield a little more personality.

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January 13, 2013

Justin Upton to the Mets? It could happen…maybe?

US PRESSWIRE Sports

No secret: the Mets are looking for outfield help. While the team pulled off one blockbuster deal this off-season, could the Mets afford to execute another one? However, this time, the Mets would be the ones vying with a win-now point-of-view. Justin Upton, anyone?

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January 4, 2013

Who’s in left, right? I don’t know who’s in Center?

grady-sizemore1

Who the hell is playing outfield for the Mets in 2013?

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November 9, 2012

What Will the Mets do?

The New York Mets need some pieces –well a lot of pieces.

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September 3, 2012

Right-handers of Savannah, with Baseball America’s Jim Callis

(From left to right) Fulmer, Montero, Tapia, Verrett, Pill (milb.com)

The Savannah Sand Gnats are a perfect example of old versus new. Some of prospects are thanks to former New York Mets GM Omar Minaya’s, such as right-handed pitcher Domingo Tapia, who excelled at low-A Savannah. even Montero finding much success at High-A St. Lucie. On the other hand, the new regime came in and asserted their new players. Now general manager Sandy Alderson included pitchers like Tyler Pill and Logan Verrett, two 2011 draftees who both excelled at the level. Alderson upped the international market by signing Rafael Montero, who showed maturity beyond his years. And you can’t forget about first-round supplemental pick  Michael Fulmer; he’s the youngest out of the bunch and looks promising as well.

Each pitcher brings something different to the table. One can fall in love with the fastball; your man would be Domingo Tapia. Just 20-years-old, Tapia possesses a mid-90s fastball that has touched 99mph. Some might prefer the guy with the plus slider, somebody like Logan Verrett, who if not for a sub-par junior campaign could have found himself in the 1st round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Then there’s the pitcher that has the perfect arm, contains a deadly slider, fastball, and barely walks anybody. His name is Rafael Montero. And finally, there’s the player that has had the most success, yet questions still linger to whether he can pitcher at the higher levels. That’s the story with 2011 5th-rounder Tyler Pill.

There’s also the guy who lurked in the shadows of Oklahoma prep stars Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley. The Mets first-round supplemental selection Michael Fulmer is continuing to slip under-the-radar, but is he the best out of the core?

Each pitcher brings something different yet all of them have one thing in common: they have all had immense success in Savannah. The only question left is, who’s the best? Every analyst has their preference. Here’s where I’d rank them.

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August 3, 2012

Mets lower minors pitching talent

Luis Mateo, Brooklyn

I think that the New York Mets, as an organization, have gone in the right direction with many decisions made at the MLB level. The past two drafts have shown promise, as Sandy Alderson and crew have directed their attention in a different direction. But for the success that the Mets have had, especially this season, is due in-fact because of former-GM Omar Minaya, who basically had a angry mob of fans with lighted pitchforks after him. The talents of Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Ike Davis, Matt Harvey,  and Josh Edgin are some of the pieces that Minaya found in the draft.

Most impressively, Minaya found the diamonds in the rough in the Latin countries. Baseball America’s Ben Badler tweeted about former Mets scout Ismael Cruz, who signed Jenrry Mejia, Ruben Tejada, and Valdespin for all under $50k. Out of those players, Tejada has blossomed into a potential cornerstone. Mejia continues to battle his way back after Tommy John surgery, and Valdespin, well he’s the man right now. Most importantly, they all reached the majors.

In the lower minors, the Mets have a stack of intriguing young arms. Some of them are college arms, such as Tyler Pill and Logan Verrett. Others are from the wave of Latin Americans that were integrated into the system many years ago. And its those arms that look like success in New York, all thanks to Omar Minaya.

Here’s a quick ranking of the top Latin arms in the Mets system. Later in the week, I’ll be breaking down each arm.

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March 12, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 12, 2012

Pointed Magazine

I’ve been enjoying my week off by watching unhealthy amounts of Spring Training baseball. Along with MLB Network, I purchased MLB 12: The Show. I created a “Road to the Show” character, but gave up into my third season. A .216 batting average wasn’t worthy of a promotion, I guess. So I started playing online today. I won my first game 6-1 in 13 innings. The Detroit Tigers were my team of choice. My opponent: the Miami Marlins. The graphics in the game are crazy, but everything else is pretty hard. I did, however, have 20 K’s with Justin Verlander.

– Staying with the Tigers, left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver continues to impress. Pitching in extended relief, Oliver tossed 4 scoreless innings against the New York Mets today, striking out 2, while only surrendering 1 hit. He’s pitched 7 innings total this Spring Training and deserves, in my opinion, a long look at the 5th starting job in the Tigers rotation. He’s proven he can pitch in the minors, however, he needs a chance to stick in the majors, rather than being used as a spot starter for Detroit. He’s an interesting piece for fantasy as well because he racks up K’s and can eat innings.

– Colorado Rockies catching prospect Wilin Rosario had a huge day at the plate today. The Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres, 11-2. Rosario went 2-4 with a homerun and 4 RBI. I’ve been a fan of Rosario for a while now. He’s currently battling for the backup job behind Ramon Hernandez, but he can easily steal the role from Hernandez due to Ramon’s health concerns. I have Rosario on my fantasy keeper league and he’s staying put for the time being. He can potentially become a fantasy monster at the catcher position.

– Finally, the Washington Nationals squared off against the St. Louis Cardinals today. Washington won 8-4. There’s a few things that should be noticed. With Albert Pujols leaving St. Louis, manager Mike Matheny is looking for someone to replace both Pujols fielding, and his bat. One option is Matt Adams. the 23-year-old slugged 32 homeruns in Double-A Springfield, while driving in 101 runs. His bat makes him valuable and looks to certainly fill the void left by Pujols. He’s been having a nice spring, but depending on what the Cardinals decide to do with Lance Berkman, he may not start out in the majors.

One of my favorite utility men is Matt Carpenter. He’s got a great story too, if you ever want to look into it. Carpenter went 3-4 today and is now batting over .300 in ST. He deserves a spot on the roster, mainly because he can play everywhere. Who knows, maybe he can become the next David Freese.

Moving to the ‘Nats, TCU alum Matt Purke picked up the win in relief. The 2011 draft pick is considered one of the Nationals top prospects, pending if he can prove he’s healthy. He was once drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers, but did not sign. After batting injuries in his junior campaign at TCU, Purke’s stock crashed faster than Enron. He’s 1-0 this spring with a 2.70 ERA. I expect him to start at High-A, but he will be closely monitored.

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March 7, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 7, 2012


USA Today

It’s the best time of the year. Prospects are all over the place. So far, I’ve watched the first two New York Mets broadcasts. Here are some notes on the prospects and players that caught my eye.

– Bryce Harper, OF WAS : Everyone knows him. You may hate him, you may love him. Either way, get used to seeing him because he’ll be here for a long time. Harper debuted in right field against the Mets on Monday night. I’ve never been a huge fan in his swing. It’s not as smooth as I envisioned it however, it is effective. He has trouble with the off speed pitches usually, but if you’re going to challenge him, make sure you beat him. Every ball he hit was hit with aggression and bounced off the bat with fiery. He had a matchup against Mets right-handed prospect Matt Harvey. It wasn’t much of an at-bat. Harvey walked Harper, which was pretty disappointing.

Getting back to Harper, he may be ready now to hit in the big leagues but, he still needs some seasoning in the minors. Triple-A should suit him until an injury at the parent club allows him to break into the majors.

– Matt Harvey, he was erratic. 3 walks, a hit batter, and 0 strikeouts. He touched 94 mph at one point. That’s about it. Call it nerves, but he wasn’t what I expected. Players say he’s ready however, but he’s going to need more time. I wrote a piece on Mets Today, talking about Harvey’s transition to Double-A. Anytime you jump up a level, you’re going to face difficulties. However, the Nationals line up on Monday was a Triple-A lineup, something that Harvey will be facing this season. Call it nerves, but he was being pretty conservative and wasn’t attacking hitters. His fastball didn’t have the life it usually has but this is because it’s the start of the season. I would not get so scared about this but it’s a good growing experience for Harvey, who is in the plans for the Mets future.

– Johan Santana pitched Tuesday. With every pitch, I was holding my breath. Its scary watching Santana pitch, not because of how good he is, but because you don’t know what he’s going to be like after the injury. He pitched conservatively today, but it was a huge step forward. He didn’t have much life on the fastball. I believe he hit 90 mph once, while he sat around 87-88 the same time. If this is going to be he new velocity, he’ll need to have more deception on the change up to be successful. The first four batters he versed all hit hard balls, including a bomb Matt Holliday hit. But as the Spring rolls on, I’ll continue to monitor him.

The best part about the whole Johan Santana start was the intensity. For the mere 20 minutes he pitched, a Mets fan could escape everything that this team has been through. The Wilpons financial troubles were not in my head. Neither was the loss of Jose Reyes. Santana pitching reminded me of the old days. Days Mets fans have not seen. While the team gets made a mockery of, I had my moment this spring.

There’s really nothing like Spring Training.

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January 13, 2012

More about Fernando Martinez


Over at Mets Today, I wrote a small piece about Fernando Martinez. The main point of the entry was to focus all my frustration with what Fernando Martinez has become. A once highly touted prospect, Martinez has now become rust, or as I said it, “an old Christmas gift”. There are a few comments about how the Mets are not the only organization that has overhyped prospects that mount to anything. Sure, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are an example. You can look at two “future third-basemen” in Dallas McPherson and most recently Brandon Wood.

But the problem as I see it is that it happens too frequently with the Mets. I listed in the piece the names of Alex Escobar, Alex Ochoa, and Lastings Milledge. Escobar and Ochoa are a little before my time (I was in elementary school back then), but Lastings Milledge was my first real letdown, when it comes to prospects. And now, I followed the rise and fall of the 5-tool that become an empty toolbox. I really wish Fernando Martinez finds himself and haunts the Mets for years to come. I really do. But it probably won’t happen. Do I think it’s worth knocking him off the 40-man for the likes of Scott Hairston? No. But was it necessary? Yes.

Part of the reason is that Martinez is an old name in New York that just about every Mets fan is sick of, including myself. This now brings to light a light to what I really want to rant about. The Mets organization in general. First of all, I believe in GM Sandy Alderson and I believe in manager Terry Collins. I really feel that Alderson can field a team in a 2-3 years that can be highly competitive. I’ve faced the fact that the Mets are not the Yankees; they will never be able to be the Yankees. I believe in Alderson’s approach with growing the minors from the ground up. His 2011 draft was a breath of fresh air. Brandon Nimmo could be another 5-tool player. But this will be the first real “5-tool player” under Alderson’s eye.

But there’s the case of shortstop/soon to be outfielder Wilmer Flores. He was once compared to Miguel Cabrera. Now he’s quickly losing his prospect status, despite being just 21 years-old. And another personal favorite of mine, Cesar Puello, might fall into the same category. Call it mismanagement, but in the eyes of ‘prospectors’, it’s a laughable case of the Mets organization. And quite frankly, it’s becoming tiring.

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