Minors Stuff

New Met:

Wily Mo Pena, Bobby Kielty, and Javier Valentin released. Kielty barely played, but both Valentin and Pena were among the better hitters on the team (the team's hitting 239/299/343). One way to depress a minor league fanbase is to randomly release veteran players, so there's probably some additional reason for the releases that haven't been made public or the Mets just hate Buffalo. Maybe Pena killed David Carradine or something.

Connor Robertson and Wilson Valdez were both designated for assignment. Robertson was meh in mopup duty for the Bisons and Wilson Valdez played as he typically does, naturally leading to him being sent off the 40-man roster.

Elmer Dessens to the Mets. Dessens hasn't contributed in the majors for a few years, but he really pitched quite well in Buffalo and the Mets will pull the trigger quickly if it doesn't work out. 4.31 translation. Given that all the white relievers but Stokes have stunk while all the minority relievers have been good, perhaps Dessens will work out.

Pat Misch to the Mets. The Mets quietly picking up Misch is one of my favorite moves of the season so far. For years, Misch pitched excellently in the minors as a reliever and indifferently as a starter. In the majors, he has a 6.95 ERA as a starter and a 2.83 ERA as a reliever. So naturally, the Giants decided to give Misch some starts every year and act surprised when it doesn't work out. Misch has a little too much Josh Towers in him to be a really good pitcher in the majors (disaster strikes when his control is off at all), but if left as a useful reliever that can go more than an inning, he can really help a team like the Mets that has a lot of uncertainty in the starting rotation.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/oracle/discussion/mets_turn_over_entire_roster_in_single_day


The Herd:

The Buffalo Bisons lost more than a baseball game on Monday afternoon. The roster took a hit as well.

On the field, a late Buffalo rally fell short in a 7-6 defeat in the series finale against Charlotte. The Herd salvaged a four-game split.

Off the field there were plenty of player moves.

Fernando Martinez was called back up to the New York Mets after just two days when Carlos Beltran went on the disabled list.

Bison closer Elmer Dessens (team-high 11 saves) and reliever Pat Misch were also called up.

Reliever Ken Takahashi and infielder Wilson Valdez were sent down from New York. Reliever Arturo Lopez, who was claimed off waivers last week, was activated.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons/story/711880.html


B-Mets:

B-Mets diamond notes: Despite ranking second in the Eastern League in hitting (.273), the B-Mets have lost their last six games and are in last place in the Eastern League North Division, 12 1/2 games out of first place and 10 games out of a playoff spot. A big reason is the fact that the B-Mets have a team ERA of 5.03, by far the worst in the league. Josh Thole continues to lead the league in hitting with a .345 batting average. Who's hot: Ruben Tejada is 8-for-19 over his last five games with four RBIs. Who's not: Eric Niesen, who will have to be activated from Rookie League Kingsport's roster before his scheduled start on Thursday, has allowed 11 runs in his first two Double-A starts.

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090623/SPORTS02/906230315/1118/sports/B-Mets+scouting+report+vs.+Bowie


Lucy:

John Maine pitched four innings and allowed a run on two hits, while walking three and striking out one for Port St. Lucie today in his first rehab appearance.

Maine said after the outing, he feels like “he’s ready to go.” He is eligible to come off the disabled list when the Mets give him the green light.

Maine, who is suffering from a pinched never in his right arm, threw 60 pitches last week in Port St. Lucie. He said he felt a “pinch” in his shoulder.

http://flushing9.com/2009/06/22/maine-pitches-four-strong-innings-in-rehab


Clones:

After injuring his hand last season and missing the rest of his rookie campaign in Brooklyn, Cyclones outfielder John Servidio is ready to have the best season of his career. A fan favorite due to his hard-nosed work ethic and mega-watt smile, the 23-year-old is looking forward to getting an opportunity to show what he can do in a starting role, something he lost last season after the Cyclones brought in Sean Ratliff and Seth Williams to add depth to the outfield. “I’m looking to set personal highs, be consistent and injury free,” he said. “I’ve never got a ring before either, so that’s another goal.” Getting plenty of ABs in Extended Spring Training this season, Cyclones manager Pedro Lopez has liked what he’s seen so far from the Barry University-alumnus as well and plans to use him in a variety of roles.

http://www.dembrooklynbums.com/2009/06/22/servidio-looking-for-big-season


Queens:

Jose Reyes (50 DXL)Carlos Beltran (0 DXL)

The Mets have had injury problems all year, but this is just a problem. After Omar Minaya said that Reyes was making progress and running, Reyes contradicted him. I wasn't there, so I'm unsure of the exact quotes, but Minaya doesn't just say things without information. Was he merely mistaken, or was he told that Reyes' progress is further along? Worse, is Reyes dragging his feet, or giving out his own misinformation? My sources say that Minaya was right, and that for whatever reason, Reyes was incorrect. Was Reyes working with a different definition of "running," where the treadmill doesn't count, even the underwater variety? What we do know is that baseball activities are still a ways off, and that there are some issues beyond the injuries with this Mets team.

The other big factor now is the continued problem with Beltran and his chronically sore knees. He's is headed for an MRI on Monday, but he played through the weekend... and played well! Beltran's knees have lost a lot of cushion, so much so that he's occasionally had bruising where the femur hits the tibial plateau. That's very bad long term, and not a good sign in the short term either. There has been discussion of possible fixes like Synvisc, or even a more radical procedure (video link). Beltran has two more years to go on his Mets contract, but it includes a lot of deferred money. He could be a good fit for a deal to an AL club this offseason.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9099


Free Agents:

As of this writing, Ray Durham is still a free agent. Yes, the same Ray Durham who posted an .812 OPS last season, including an outstanding .380 OBP, and played league-average defense at second base.

By OPS+, Durham’s offensive performance last season was better than that of the current second baseman of 22 of the 30 teams in the majors, and his .380 OBP would be better than all but 3 other major league second sackers. Obviously, Durham was a casualty of the crazy economics of this past offseason, when his contract demands may have been a bit high for a 38-year old, but I can think of several teams just off the top of my head – the Giants, White Sox, Braves, and Mariners spring to mind – who could instantly upgrade their team by installing Durham at 2B instead of the guy they are currently playing.

http://umpbump.com/press/2009/06/18/whatever-happened-to-ray-durham