More Stuff

Extended Camp:

We know the Mets have holes in the rotation, infield and outfield since many of their stars are on the DL. So what kind of resources do they have in the minor leagues? Yahoo's Gordon Edes takes a closer look at the Mets' minor league system to see which players might be appealing trade chips:

The bottom line: the Mets don't have much to deal

Washington asked about Bobby Parnell in a deal for Nick Johnson, but the Mets are reluctant to deal their young reliever.

One scout said Jonathon Niese and Eddie Kunz are the most interesting pieces in Triple A Buffalo, but even they need seasoning.

Fernando Martinez is a top prospect, but they want to hold onto him.

Deals for J.J. Putz and Johan Santana weakened the Mets' system, but they have a few promising players, like shortstop Wilmer Flores, in the lower minors.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com




Clones:

Cyclones switch-hitting backup catcher Ralph Henriquez is best known for his appearance at the plate last season against switch-pitcher Pat Vinditte, which produced national headlines when both of them couldn’t decide which side of the plate they wanted to stay on. Hitting .210 last season in 20 games in Brooklyn, the 22-year-old is focused on making sure that that’s not all the fans in Keyspan remember him for.

Above all else however, he’s focused on becoming a leader.

Called down to Brooklyn before the season started after starting the season in Savannah, Henriquez knows exactly what the organization is looking for in him.

“They told me when they sent me here that it wasn’t a demotion, that it was a promotion,” Henriquez said. “I love it here and I’m happy to be back. I learned a lot from last season and I’ll do whatever I have to do to help the team.

http://www.dembrooklynbums.com/2009/07/01/healthier-henriquez-ready-to-lead


International:


While tradition would say that it’s technically ridiculous to post July 2nd signing-related notes and predictions until after the signing period has opened, this year is playing out uniquely. It appears that many players will be waiting a day or two later to agree to contracts, with some waiting a week or two, for various reasons I’ll cover below. If anything, July 2nd appears to be the day that all the done deals that have been reported for weeks will be official, along with a couple of surprises, but it will not be the cavalcade of information you might expect. On top of that, it’s notoriously difficult to even get lists of who signed with each club on July 2nd; a few teams will have press releases, a few don’t mind leaking a list, but the vast majority don’t want the information out there for some reason.

I say all this to temper your enthusiasm for July 2nd day-of coverage. There will be lists and names and bonuses and some breaking news, but not quite as much as you may be expecting. The market was slow to develop this year, and a number of clubs and agents are unsure of how money will be spent and just need a few days to hammer things out, along with some ongoing age-related investigations that need to conclude (including that of Miguel Sano). What’s the reason for the later decisions by clubs and agents? This is the biggest market of active teams July 2nd has ever seen, along with a recession that has messed with club’s budgets and changed expectations on the fly. You also can’t ignore the heightened awareness of age falsification, with many players being suspended even recently. One insider described the situation by noting, "A few guys from last year’s class were outed as being older in the last few weeks and now these teams are thinking twice about walking down the aisle with this year’s crop unless they’re absolutely certain of the age."

From back when I was posting scouting reports and video, I admitted that the lists were always fluid. Rather than giving updates every time a new name or shift in my rankings came up, I kept it to myself, so I could unveil an update just before the signing flurry would commence. So, without further adieu, here’s a rundown of what to expect from my edited top players list, ranked by expected bonus.

1. Miguel Sano, SS, Dominican Republic: Sano is still in a tough situation to figure out, but it does seem to be generally agreed within the industry that he won’t sign for at least a few days after July 2nd, likely about a week or so. It's also agreed that the final three suitors are Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Baltimore. The wait is for clubs to see the final results of MLB’s ongoing investigation of Sano's birth date, and while a few teams are happy with the outcomes of their own investigations, it can’t hurt to be a little extra-extra sure. Industry predictions about his price still run anywhere from $3.5 million to $4.5 million, though most seem to guess the final bonus will be about $3.75 million. That seems a little low given all the hype about Sano breaking Michael Ynoa’s record $4.25 million bonus, but very few people think record-breaking money is out there. Agent Rob Plummer probably likes it this way, as he’s consistently beat expectations in situations like this, such as last year, when he got $2.55 million for outfielder Rafael Rodriguez from the Giants, higher than anyone expected.

2. Wagner Mateo, OF, Dominican Republic: In previous weeks Mateo was said to be a strong lean to the Cardinals (with the Giants and Cubs also in play) and was mentioned here last week to be dancing around a $3 million bonus with St. Louis. Sources have confirmed since then that a deal for $3.1 million was struck and will be signed today.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9162



As expected, the Yankees have signed Dominican catcher Gary Sanchez, according to Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus. Sanchez will receive a bonus of "basically $3MM," though the details aren't yet clear.

McDaniel hears that the Yankees will spend an additional $1MM on a shortstop and a pitcher. Damian Arredondo is expected to be the shortstop and some expect the pitcher to be Jose Osuna. If he signs, Arredondo would likely receive about $850k of the $1MM the Yankees are expected to spend on the pair of players.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com


Baseball America's Top International Prospects:

1. Miguel Sano, SS, Dominican Republic
2. Wagner Mateo, CF, Dominican Republic
3. Gary Sanchez, C, Dominican Republic
4. Guillermo Pimentel, CF, Dominican Republic
5. Jose Vincio, SS, Dominican Republic
6. Luis Sardinas, SS, Venezuela
7. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, Nicaragua
8. Juan Urbina, LHP, Venezuela – (signed by the Mets)
9. Daniel Sanchez, RHP, Venezuela
10. Jose Pena, RF, Dominican Republic
11. Edgar Ferreira, LHP, Dominican Republic
12. Jochi Ogando, RHP, Dominican Republic
13. Jacob Beltre, C, Dominican Republic
14. Victor Payano, LHP, Dominican Republic
15. Jurickson Profar, RHP/SS, Curacao
16. Luis Jolly, CF, Dominican Republic
17. Johendi Jiminian, RHP, Dominican Republic
18. Santo Aybar, SS, Dominican Republic
19. Leonardo Perdomo, RHP, Dominican Republic
20. Rosel Herrera, SS, Dominican Republic
21. Wilfredo Solano, SS, Venezuela
22. Santiago Nesi, C, Venezuela
23. Jorge Polanco, SS, Dominican Republic
24. Jairo Kelly, SS, Dominican Republic
25. Humberto Valor, SS, Venezuela


Mets Alumni:


As it turns out, the old feuds continue to simmer. Jack Clark, the cleanup hitter on those St. Louis teams, called those Mets a bunch of cheats and showboats Tuesday in an interview on KTRS-AM radio, which broadcasts Cardinals games.

Clark told McGraw Milhaven, the morning host at the station, that the mutual hatred ran so deep that he purposely snubbed the Mets when they played together in All-Star Games.
“I wanted to let them know I wasn’t glad to be there with them and their teammate, didn’t want to be on any team or be a teammate with them, and we were going to battle,” said Clark, who provides commentary on some Cardinals games and manages the Springfield Sliders, a summer collegiate league team in Illinois.

Clark took particular aim at Gary Carter, the Mets’ catcher in those years, saying that he “talked his way more into the Hall of Fame than deserving it.” Carter, he said, craved the spotlight, which was “pretty sickening and disgusting to everybody else.”

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/nyt_jack_clark_takes_jabs_at_mets_of_mid_80s_rr