Joannie asked: “Hey Mack, I am a Cyclone fan. I think the Cyclones have a pretty good closer in Mike Powers. Steady Eddy I call him. What are your thoughts?
Mack: I think you picked a good one also. I first started following the 23-year old when he played last year for both Savannah and Kingsport. He combined for a 2-2, 2.88, 8 save record, in 18 appearances and should have been on his was to Lucy. Instead, he fell in behind closer Rhiner Cruz (Savannah) and is being groomed in that specific position.
This season, he’s a combined 2-1, 2.82 in 28 appearances for Savannah and Brooklyn. He also has ten saves, all for Brooklyn, which leads the league.
He is a college boy, used to big crowds (Michigan) and should be ready for Queens by 2011.
Peter asked: Sam Honeck has showed very little power thus far, should Mets fans be concerned, or after seeing Ike Davis' breakout this year, can we expect Honeck's power to show up in the future?
Mack: Mets fans should always be concerned about minor league first basemen that don't hit for power. The Mets define a first baseman as someone that consistently can give you 30/85, and, a perfect barometer on what it takes to get and stay in Queens would be Mike Jacobs. He had 100 major league at bats for the Mets in his last year with them and produced a .600 slugging percentage... which still got him traded.
Right now, all signs show that Ike Davis is projected as the Mets first baseman starting in 2011. It will be his to lose.
I had Honeck as only the 26th top first baseman available in the 2009 draft, though I do like what I see so far this year. He was only ranked third on his college team, in 2008, in home runs, with only seven, so the Mets knew he didn't have major pop when they drafted him.
GReelhappy asked: After a player fulfills his 3-yr. commitment, what happens?
Mack: Let me answer this in a different way:
The actual length of a standard minor league contract is one year; however, teams control the rights of their drafted players for six years. The last time I checked, a first year minor leaguer is paid $1,100 a month in A-ball, $1,500/mo in AA, and $2,100/mo. In AAA. A player with less than 6 years of major league service time who is not signed to a multi-year contract is defined as a "protected player". If a player has less than 3 full years of service (One year of service time is defined as 172 days on the active 25 man roster, or the 15-60 DL) he'll earn at least the MLB minimum of $327,000 , or $54.400 if he has spent at least 1 day of service or 2 years on the 40 man roster. A lot of prospects have split contracts which will pay them different salaries in the minors and the majors. After 3 years of service, or if a player is ruled a "super-two", the player can file for salary arbitration.
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