2/22/10

Jason Pridie, Omir & Rangers, More Ollie & Johan, Ollie's Mental Game... and Brian Bannister

Jason Pridie:

Pridie Was a decent prospect for the Minnesota Twins through last season. He has some speed and extra-base hit potential, however, his plate discipline is rather poor, especially for a minor league player. He struck out at an alarming rate his last few years in the minors, and did not offset that with the ability to draw a walk often enough. He also appears destined to play Triple A ball and serve as organizational depth for the Mets. - link

Omir and Rangers:

According to a source, the Rangers might interested in Omir Santos if the Mets decide to either trade or release him.

The Rangers are still looking for a backup catcher after losing out on signing of Rod Barajas to the Mets and Jose Molina, who signed with the Blue Jays - link

More Ollie and Johan:

If Oliver Perez physical condition is better, the Mets are focused just as much on his mental side. The Mets paired him with Johan Santana, the most cerebral pitcher on the staff, in the bullpen session Saturday. Part of the plan is to create accountability among pitchers. Perez must try to emulate Santana - his polar opposite. “We have worked in the past together,” Santana said. “It’s just that this year we’ve gotten more into being consistent and approaching the game more seriously. That’s what we’re doing right now. “[Saturday] we were throwing bullpens and the whole thing was we were trying to challenge each other in a nice way. I went first, so for him I had to lead the way, set the table. You have to step up and be better if you want to beat me. “It’s kind of a challenge in a nice way. We don’t try to do anything crazy, but at the same time trying to get serious because he’s a big part of what we want to accomplish, what we want to do. We need him  -  link

Ollie’s Mental Game:

Perez is in far better shape than he was last spring, when he treated his stay in the World Baseball Classic with Mexico like a college student on spring break might treat a trip to Cancun. After being used sparingly, he returned out of shape.

That snowballed into knee problems and an even more inconsistent delivery than usual which is saying something for a player who has cost pitching coaches their jobs with his inability to come close to his potential. He went to the minors to rehab, then finally underwent season-ending surgery Sept. 1.

He went to Arizona to work at the Athletes Performance Institute, spending all but two weeks of the off-season there. While he isn't exactly cut, he's in better shape than last year and has turned the conditioning into immediate pitching dividends. He arrived in camp more than a week ahead of schedule and has been throwing regularly. - link

Brian Bannister:

Brian Bannister, who was shut down last September with a fatigued shoulder, is feeling good after an offseason conditioning program. "This offseason, I had personal trainers for my arm and my body," said Bannister. "I was busy this offseason. I don’t want to spout a bunch of clichés about working hard. But I put my time in, and I’m encouraged." Bannister was 7-12 with a 4.73 ERA in 26 starts last season, and while he isn't much of a fantasy asset in Kansas City, the Saber-friendly Bannister made a point of noting significant progress with his groundball rate. We'll see if he can sustain it. - link

No comments: