It was announced yesterday that Shawn Riggans agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Mets with a non-roster invitation to spring training thus ending the Riggans era with the Rays. Riggans came to the Devil Rays organization in 2000 when they selected him in the 24th round of the amateur draft out of Indian River Community College. He spent 9 years in the Rays system and spent the entire 2008 American League Pennant winning season in Tampa Bay. Although he didn’t see any action, he was on the postseason roster for the duration of the playoffs in ’08. Riggans should have a legitimate shot to make the Mets roster as a backup (or starting) catcher, corner outfielder, first baseman and pinch hitter. Riggans rose on the prospect charts when he hit .310 for the AA Montgomery Biscuits in 2005. He has long been regarded the Rays’ catcher of the future and would have had a chance in 2009 had a shoulder injury not derailed his season.The health of his throwing arm has been the one thing to hold him back. He is above average defensively behind the plate and has the athletism to play other positions. A career .287 batter, he has shown flair at the plate in the minor leagues. He was a solid player for the Rays system, a class act on the field and in the clubhouse and a great ray of hope for the future. I wish him the best of luck in New York and in the future. Mets fans, you can look forward to a hard-working, fan friendly, hard hustling player. Go Riggans! Go Rays! Troll out.
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According to David Waldstein of the NY Times , the Mets appear ready to sign left-hander Hisanori Takahashi to a Minor League contract, citing a source in baseball with knowledge of the situation. Takahashi, who was 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA in 2009, has apparently chosen the Mets over similar Minor League offers from the Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles and Padres. The offer is reportedly worth about $1 million if he makes the big league team, with an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.- link
In 2003 Jacobs received the Sterling award as the top prospect in the Mets farm system, he originally was a catcher but tore his labrum in 2004 which caused his move to first base. He made his major league debut in 2005 with the Mets and spent his entire major league career as a first baseman. Jon Heyman tweeted today that Jacobs will have a chance to steal a roster spot from Tatis or Murphy. There was some speculation today that maybe Jacobs could spend sometime at catcher but Ted Berg relays that Mike was not that good at the position... link
Free agent pitcher John Smoltz says “Nothing is in the works right now" regarding a team for 2010, and he has not ruled out returning to the Braves. Smoltz, rumored to have some interest from the Mets, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he is not concerned about finding a team for the upcoming season with spring training about to start. “Nothing is closed for me,” the 42-year-old said. “That’s why I’m talking about taking my time, letting things play out. A lot of things will go into this decision. ... “Nothing is in the works right now that I can speak of,” he said. “It’s one of those things where I’m not going to make a quick decision or do something that just doesn’t make sense.” - link
RHP (2009 – Dominance 48; Stamina 68; HRrate 48; Control 38) - The Mets are higher on Allen, who held his own as a 19yo in the SAL in 2009, than we are. Allen possesses as low-90s fastball that he compliments with an average Slider and average Change. Another plus in his favor is his extremely high ability to pitch down and induce ground balls. We weren’t nearly as enamored with his 8Ks per 9IP, as his K/BFP rate ranked only 49th among SAL starters. More disconcerting was his occasional Command issues, as he walked 3.7 batters per 9IP, which ranked 40th among SAL starters. While Allen has solid skills, his upside isn’t as high as other pitchers in the organization. Expect him to begin 2010 in Hi-A. - link
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