The Mack Report – November 28, 2010

The Mack Report – November 28, 2010



Top 10 Mets Prospects: - 11-25-10 from: - http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/2010/11 -

1. Fernando Martinez OF - There are 29 other teams that would like a player with his tools that is 22 years old. The problem many Met fans have is they had hoped he would be on their major league roster a couple years ago, even though he was only 20 years old. He is the youngest player to appear on an AFL roster and he was always the youngest prospect at each level he has played. Injuries have prevented him from developing into the player the Mets hoped he would be. Now at 22 he is at the age where many top level AAA prospects should be. Average wise the 2010 season may have been his worst, with a .254 average. He still hasn’t cracked .200 yet in the majors, hitting .176 in 2009 and .167 in 2010. Many players would like to have his tools, but those tools don’t shine if they are not on the field. In his five years of professional ball, Fernando has yet to go through a season without a significant injury derailing his season.

"I really thought I won them over," Backman said by phone Friday from his home in Oregon. "I came out of each interview thinking it had gone better than the one with the Diamondbacks when I got the job there (in 2004). I knew what was being said (in the media), that the other guys were the favorites, but I kept looking at it, thinking I could make them see that I was the best guy for the job. I guess I didn't convince them." He’s doing it again. Wally Backman just can’t help being Wally Backman. By now, he should know that reporters will ask basic questions and twist your words so they come up with a headline that will make you turn the page. In this case, the headline said that Backman said he should have been picked over Terry Collins. Backman never said that, but that’s not how John Harper heard or spun it. These guys get paid six figures for writing this stuff and I get paid nothing to clean it up.
 

Danny McDevitt died on Friday. I’ve made reference to him many time here at Mack’s. I grew up a Brooklyn Dodger fan and remember Danny as someone much faster than Sandy Koufax. He also burned out early and we never got to know his true ability as a baseball player. McDevitt’s last job was managing a Christmas tree farm in Georgia, but he will always be known as the pitcher that won the last home game at Ebbets Field. Rest in peace, Danny. There are so few of my heroes left.

Andy Green posts that he is returning to baseball as a coach for Arizona: “My girls never got to see me play in rookie ball, so I decided to start all over. Next year, I'll be a coach with the Diamondbacks and will head back to where it all began for us...beautiful Missoula, Montana.”

I see that RP Pedro Feliciano will most probably accept arbitration from the Mets, thus eliminating any additional draft picks going the Mets' way. I would have rather had the draft pick. The Mets are going nowhere in 2011 and Feliciano won't be part of the plans for 2012.


Continuing our prospect slotting…



76. SP Hansel Robles – 20/yrs. old - Robles is one of the many talented kids that played for the DSL Mets last year. It was his 2nd year with the DSL team and the 5-11 righty went 3-3, 3.09, in 14-games, 12-starts. 51K/13/BB in 67.0-IP will definitely earn him a trip stateside in the spring of 2011. My guess, the GCL squad.

2011: GCL Mets rotation

2012: St. Lucie rotation



77. RP Lenny Rosario – 19/yrs old – another pup in the organization, 2010 was Lenny’s first season with the DSL. The 6-1 lefty went 3-2, 2.50, in 15-games, 50-starts. 53-Ks in 39.2-IP… but 38-BB as well… still, let me repeat that… 53-Ks in 39.2-IP… that’s 119 opportunities… 53-Ks…15-Ks in last 11-IP… any questions?

2011: GCL Mets rotation
2012:  Kingsport

78. RP Nelson Pereira – 21/yrs. old – pitched in the 2010 Brooklyn pen, going 1-0, 3.28, in 16-G, 2-starts. 38-K in 35.2-IP, only 12-BB. Big time lefty. Spent four years in the Pirates organization who, for some stupid ass reason, dropped in the Mets laps last year. Definitely one of the most talented relief pitchers in the system. Friends of mine in the Pirates organization were totally pissed about losing this kid. All sorts of velo and sickness.

2011: Savannah bullpen
2012:  Binghmaton


79. RP Issac Monroe – 20/yrs. old – I know a lot of these names seem Greek to you, but that’s how the prospect ranking goes sometimes. The younger kids always look better at the lower levels than the older guys in AA/AAA/ It’s those upper levels that separate the major leaguers from the minor s prospects. Monroe is a lefty out of the Dominican who went 4-2, 1.08, 0.96, 13-G, 3-starts, in his second year with the DSL-Mets. I have no idea why he didn’t pitch more, especially after striking out 41 in 41.2-IP. Had three saves, but only finished five ganes so his lack of innings wasn’t because he was the season closer. Still, after two seasons, he should come stateside:

2011: GCL Mets bullpen

2012: Savannah

80. 1B Stefan Welsh – 22/yrs. old – This was Welsh’s fourth year with the Mets, two of which were spent with St. Lucie. I originally thought he had a chance to someday make it to Queens, but that was before Ike Davis came along. Welsh is a good hitter, with a little pop, but Davis is the Mets 1Bman for the next 5-7 years and all the Mets will need is a backup here that can play multiple positions. So far, Welsh can’t. I really don’t know what to do with him. On “my teams”, I’ve got Eric Campbell splitting first base duties with Josh Satin, and Michael Turner slotted for Binghamton. That leaves Welsh to return to Lucy for a 3rd season (he would kill me dead), splitting time with Travis Ozga.

2011: St. Lucie
2012: AAAA



So… here’s what our rosters look like so far for the 2011 season, based on 2012 need:


Buffalo (15):

Rotation: (2) - SP Jenrry Mejia, Josh Stinson

Relievers: (4) – Manny Alvarez, Jose De La Torre, Roy Merritt, Michael O’Connor

Catchers: (1) – Mike Nickeas

Infielders: (5) – 1B/3B Eric Campbell, 1B/2B Josh Satin, 2B/SS Reese Havens, 2B/SS Jordany Valdespin, 3B Zach Lutz
Outfielders: (3) – Fernando Martinez, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda

Binghamton (19):

Rotation: (6) – Jeurys Familia, Robert Carson, Eric Beaulac, Mark Cohoon, Brandon Moore, Chris Schwinden

Relievers: (5) – Nick Carr, Brant Rustich, Brad Holt, Scott Moviel, Eric Turgeon

Catchers: (2) – Kai Gronauer, Francesco Pena

Infielders (2) – SS Rylan Sandoval, 3B Wilmer Flores

Outfielders (4) – Sean Ratliff, Pedro Zapata, Rafael Fernandez, Carlos Guzman



St. Lucie (14):

Rotation (5) – Matt Harvey, Kyle Allen, Yohan Almonte, Collin McHugh, Jimmy Fuller

Relievers (3) – Eric Goeddel, Ryan Fraser, Michael Powers

Catchers (0) –

Infielders (2) – 1B Stefan Welsh, SS Robbie Shields, 3B Joe Bonfe

Outfielders (3) – Cesar Puello, Corey Vaughn, Matt den Dekker



Savannah (13):

Rotation: (2) – Greg Peavey, Chris Hilliard

Closer: (1) – Ryan Fraser

Relievers: (3) – T.J. Chism, Samuel Tavares, Nelson Pereira

Catchers: (1) – Albert Cordero

Infielders: (3) – 2B J.B. Brown, SS Wilfredo Tovar, 3B Aderlin Rodriquez

Outfielders: (3) – Darrell Ceciliani, Javier Rodriguez, Jenry Marte