Cutnpaste: Mark Cohoon, Chris Schwinden, Manny Acosta, Bobby Parnell, Juan Lagares

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - SP5: Mark Cohoon - What can you say about the season that the Mets’ 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, has had to endure? He has really, really struggled. Just when it seems like he is on the verge of finding his old form, he gets his brains beat out by International League hitting. Since joining the Herd rotation, in mid-May, the south-paw has been remarkably ineffective. In 17 AAA GS over 88 IP, he has a dismal record of 4-10, with an ERA of 6.01. He has been raked for 110 hits, 59 ER’s, 9 HR’s, 38 walks and only 49 K’s, and opponents are hitting .316 against him. Now some would say, “this guy is awful just get rid of him!” But what are we actually talking about here? The 5th rotation spot on the Buffalo Bisons? If you don’t live in Buffalo, then who cares? After all, he was pitcher of the year last year, he is left-handed, and he is breathing. Cohoon has shown himself to be a resourceful pitcher before. Last year when he first joined Bingo, he got his lunch eaten a few times, but he managed to make the necessary adjustments to succeed there. With luck he can possibly do the same thing again next year, but he needs the opportunity first, so lets give him a couple months worth of starts, and see if he can do more than just hold down the fort until Mejia returns around mid-season. As for helping the Mets next season? It ain’t gonna happen, but if he does pitch well for the Herd in 2012, he could be in this conversation for real, this time next year.

9-14-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/9/14/2423353/prospect-of-the-day-chris-schwinden-rhp-new-york-mets  - (Chris) Schwinden was undeterred however, and ended up having a fine season this year for Triple-A Buffalo, with a 3.95 ERA and a 134/48 K/BB in 146 innings, allowing 138 hits. He was promoted to the majors for this month and gave up eight hits and five runs in five innings in his first start, though he walked just one and fanned four. There is nothing special about his velocity, his fastball is just in the 86-90 range. He mixes in a cutter, curveball, and changeup, relying on sharp command of his secondary pitches to succeed. He has little margin for error and needs a strong defense behind him, but there are pitchers with worse stuff who have made careers for themselves due to superior command, and he's shown the ability to make adjustments to higher level competition. Schwinden really snuck up on us this year, but I don't see him as a total fluke. I think he projects as a fifth starter or long relief type as long as his command remains strong.

As for underappreciated players, there are a few who come to mind on the 2011 Mets. The circumstances surrouding the players and the Mets certainly differ from those of the A's at the turn of the century, but acquiring or retaining underappreciated players can only be a good thing for any organization. If a player can be had at a price below the value he'll provide, he will benefit the team. (Manny) Acosta was a Braves castaway when the Mets picked him up on waivers early in the 2010 season, but he's been nothing short of a very good reliever in his time with the Mets. Although the "Acostalypse" nickname created in his Braves days has stuck with him, Acosta has struck out 84 in 79.2 innings of work, a rate of 9.5 per nine innings, while posting a 3.05 ERA. Control has never been Acosta's speciality, but over the same span he's walked 3.4 per nine innings. Both numbers are a marked improvement from his time with the Braves. His splits show an ability to handle left-handed hitters without issue, and his salary is quite low by major league standards. Acosta rarely gets credit, but he's a great fit for medium-to-high leverage situations out of the bullpen. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/14/2423158/the-moneyball-mets-underappreciated-players-on-the-2011-team  

The question never is, should (Bobby) Parnell be closer or not. It isn’t a binary choice. If not Parnell, someone has to close. And clearly, there are plenty of relievers who wouldn’t be likely to perform as well as Parnell next season, closer or otherwise. But there’s a decent chance the Mets can find someone better, too. Meanwhile, as he struggles late in the season, let’s not pretend it says anything other than that Parnell sometimes struggles. Look no further than Ryan Madson in Philadelphia, a pitcher talked about as effective but not, somehow, closer material. He’s saved 30 games this year. And unfortunately for the Mets, he’s a much better pitcher than Parnell. And that has nothing to do with role. If the Mets can get a pitcher like Madson, he should close. If not, Parnell is a good bet to be a middling, Leo Nunez-type closer. And when the Mets are ready to contend again, Parnell should be a mid-level bullpen contributor. - http://mets.lohudblogs.com/2011/09/14/who-is-bobby-parnell  

9-14-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/juan-lagares  - Defensively, (Juan) Lagares can play both left and right field, and also is a good enough athlete to play some center-field in a pinch. While Lagares would not be a liability in centerfield, he is not an everyday centerfield type mainly due to lack of foot speed. Lagares shows good instincts in the outfield to go along with smooth clean actions. Lagares does not fit the mold of a starting corner outfielder in the big leagues (on a championship type team). His lack of power is the biggest reason for this. Lagares would need to hit a ton in order to make up for the lack of power to be an everyday corner outfielder. The closest comparison I can see Lagares becoming is perhaps a Jose Tabata type. Lagares looks the part of a solid fourth outfield type. His ability to play all three outfield positions to go with his ability to hit, gives Lagares a chance to be a future solid bench contributor to the Mets organization