11/30/11

Draft Prospect: - RHP Jake Barrett

RHP       Jake Barrett

6-11-10: -

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb  Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona State: He and Brady Rogers may form the best college rotation in the game in 2012, ASU's version of Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.



10-11-10 – Top 10 2012 Prospects from Jim Callis/Baseball America - #8. Jake Barrett, rhp, Arizona State



Ranked #10 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012 - Mock Draft - 10  LA Angels Jake Barrett RHP   Arizona State 6' 3" 220

6-12-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/5  - Another guy who was a relatively high draft pick back in 2009, Jake Barrett should have no problem achieving higher than his third-round status from three years ago (when Toronto scooped him up, but failed to get a deal in place due to the right-hander's strong commitment to ASU). Barrett will undoubtedly be one of the top arms to watch for in the 2012 season, but unfortunately the season will likely be a wash for the Sun Devils, who face the possibility of being suspended from postseason play for some off-the-field transgressions committed by the previous coaching staff. That might make it hard for Barrett to channel all of his ability, but if he can string together some nice starts, he could be right in line for a top five selection. Toronto was so high on him back in 2009 because he had a big-league body (6'3", 225 lbs), a good fastball (90-94 mph) and two pitches (curveball and splitter) with above-average potential. He showed great poise stepping into a very talented bullpen during his freshman year, pitching to a 3.41 ERA in 28 outings and striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings. This year, Barrett made the jump to the rotation and found instant success. His first start of the season saw him toss six-innings of shutout ball, giving up only three hits while striking out six. He finished the season with a 7-4 record, a 4.14 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 76 innings. He tossed one complete-game shutout against Cal late in the season. The Royals have made a habit of taking some pretty high-ceiling high schoolers over the past few seasons, but they have made an effort to take some pretty seasoned college players too—ones they know will be able to contribute as early as 2013, when the crux of their farm system will be big-league ready. Barrett is going to be one of the most big-league ready of any of the college pitchers in the 2012 class, making him a perfect fit.

7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com - 9. Minnesota Twins Jake Barrett P Arizona State Jake Barrett is the best player available.  Barrett could go anywhere between picks 4 and 10. Barrett has the size to be a starting pitcher at 6 foot 3 225 pounds.  There are some off the field concerns with Barrett’s character.  Barrett posted a winning record, but had a bad ERA.  The mechanics and pitching control are two areas he needs to work on. Barrett recorded 72 strike outs in 76 innings during the 2011 season.  Barrett has a 4 seamer that is 94 miles per hour along with a 90 mile per hour 2 seamer.  Barrett also has the curveball and splitter that could develop into complimentary pitches.

FLASH: - Jose to be in Miami... Tomorrow

David Lennon
Hmm RT : I'm hearing rumblings that Jose Reyes will be in Miami on Thursday. Trying to confirm

Press Release: - OF Adam Loewen


Mets Sign OF Adam Loewen to Minor League Contract


November 29, 2011 – The New York Mets today announced the club has signed OFADAM LOEWEN to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league Spring Training camp.

Loewen, 27, appeared in 14 games with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, hitting .188 (6-32) with four runs scored, one double, one home run and four RBI.  The 6-6, 235-pounder also played in 134 games for Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League in 2011, where he batted .306 (159-520) with 83 runs scored, 46 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 85RBI.

The Surrey, British Columbia native was the fourth overall selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.  Loewen began his professional career as a lefthanded pitcher and was 8-8 with a 5.38 ERA (164.0IP, 98ER) in 35 games, 29 starts with the Orioles from 2006-2008.  He was converted to an outfielder in 2009.

Loewen hit .246 (113-459) with 70 runs scored, 31 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 70 RBI with Double-A New Hampshire of the Eastern League in 2010.

Stephen Guilbert/Yahoo Sports on... R.A. Dickey, Mack

There is a reason the Mets chose him to give an American flag to that remarkable U.S. soldier on September 11th, 2011.

But look beyond all of R.A. Dickey's fun, quirky, philanthropic, touching, or humorous off-field activities, and past everything that has made him one of the game's most lovable personalities and you find a good starting pitcher. A darn good one. It's about time people started to notice.

Sources:

Fan Graphs. 2011. "R.A. Dickey." Fangraphs. Retrieved 10/27/2011 < http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1245&position=P>.

R.A. Dickey. 2011. "R.A. Dickey (@radickey43)". Twitter. Retrieved on multiple occasions, last 10/27/2011 < https://twitter.com/#!/radickey43>.

Schwarz, Alan. "New Twist Keeps Dickey's Career Afloat." The New York Times. February 27, 2008. Retrieved 10/26/2011 < http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/sports/baseball/27dickey.html>.

Pitchers' IP and ERA data courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Mack Ade's "Mack's Mets", SNY broadcasts and post-game interviews, The New York Mets, and the in-game commentary and play-by-play team of "Gary, Keith and Ron" (Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling) all contributed to the information reported in this article.

Entire story:  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-10397245

STUFF: First Base, Andy Martino,Herman Cain, Pat Misch, Mets Off Season

-Follow this logic. Everybody but their fourth cousin plays first base for Mets in the minor leagues. Now, there are no catchers in the system that have hit enough to get excited about. So, Frankie Pena goes to Fall Ball and is hitting around .400. He’s basically been a disappointment since signing for an $800,000 bonus a million years ago when he was 16, but insiders have told me that he has developed defensive. So now what? He’s playing first base. I know that the Mets have no control where their players play down below the border, but I can’t think of a position this team needs less additional depth than first base. Davis, Evans, Satin, Duda, Dykstra… come on.

-Flames out last night at beat reporter Andy Martino. He was belittling blog writers and trying to be a comedian. What has happened to the brick and mortar industry? Do editors actually want their writers trying to compete with the Comedy Channel. What I did was wrong. I need to stay away from Twitter. My skin is thin and I can't seem to ignore this crap.

-Do people actually still believe that Herman Cain is running for the President of the United States?

-Jason Stark was first to report that LHP Pat Misch signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies. Good for him. He was a trooper for the Mets, but had hit the ceiling in the system. The least he will be for the Phillies is an instant scout on what the Mets currently have in Buffalo.

-Lastly, I thought I'd bring everyone up to date with the deals done so far this off-season by Sandy and Company:

Signed Vinny Rottino  - 36 total major league at bats... 7 hits
Signed Adam Loewen - 5.38 career major league ERA -35 games... oh yeah, he now plays oF
Re-signed Valentino Pascucci - 73 major league at bats - .192





FLASH: - IF - Adam Kennedy

Dodgers Reach Agreement With Adam Kennedy

The Dodgers have, "for all practical purposes," reached an agreement with infielder Adam Kennedy, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. Brown says the one-year deal will be worth about $800K, once Kennedy passes his physical. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith first reported Kennedy's discussions with the Dodgers yesterday, with Tony Jackson and Ken Rosenthal adding details.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/dodgers-reach-agreement-with-adam-kennedy.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

FLASH: 2-year deal for David DeJesus


Jane Lee
David DeJesus has agreed to a two-year deal with the .

Q and A With Mack and Company - Wilpon

Okay…
Let’s put the question out there that everyone is beginning to hint about.
We all have a pretty good idea about the massive amount of money the Mets owe ($600mil+) legally. We also know the stadium isn’t big enough to turn this trend around, no less pay the interest.
In your opinion:
1. Did the baseball Gods influence the hiring of Sandy Alderson?
2. Will Alderson replace Bud Selig when he retires?
3. And, will baseball step in within the next three years and force a sale of this team?
Michael Freire of Mack’s Mets:
Hey, Mack. Hope your Thanksgiving went well. As far as your question(s) are concerned, I think the Sandy Alderson move was most definitely "suggested" by Bud Selig.   I mean, he was just getting comfortable in his previous job (cleaning up the mess in the DR) and all of a sudden, he is the Mets new GM.   What's more telling is that Sandy hired DePo and JP, as well.   At first, it seemed like a great team, but the more I think about the move, it seems like it was orchestrated.   More specifically, Sandy (who can handle the GM thing by himself) stabilizes the ship financially (cuts a bunch of salary) and has a big enough name/reputation to withstand the backlash.   Once Sandy's initial work is done (a year or two), he moves on (to become the next Commissioner) and one of the underlings takes the reins (DePo is my first guess). Having Sandy as the new Commissioner will be beneficial after being our GM for a few years.     With that said, I also see a "forced" sale being executed behind the scenes (not publicly messy like the Dodgers deal), once the Madoff situation resolves itself.    MLB cannot afford to have a big market club, (in a new stadium, with a large fan base and a lucrative cable television deal) continue to crash and burn like it has over the past five years.
Jack Flynn – Mack’s Mets:
Did the baseball Gods influence the hiring of Sandy Alderson? That depends - what is Bud Selig calling himself these days?
The three flagship franchises in the National League are a mess. Chicago has tried righting the ship by hiring Theo Epstein, but the former Boy Wonder is currently in the unenviable position of still trying to figure out who to trade from his 40-man roster to compensate the Red Sox for ... well, himself. Selig has blood on his hands for taking out Frank McCourt in L.A., but any jury could easily be convinced that it was a mercy killing. Think Farrah Fawcett in The Burning Bed.
And then there are the Mets. The Wilpon name is so disgraced these days that it's easy to forget that franchise's downhill slide began over a decade ago, when Fred began turning over the reins to his son Jeff. To call Jeff Wilpon a buffoon is to insult perfectly good buffoons everywhere else in the world.
(Jack always pulls his punches…)
Bernie Madoff simply delivered the death blow to a franchise that had slowly been dying from the poison administered by Young Master Jeff. (And don't start with me about 2006 - if there's one thing the former GM understood when he first got here, it was that you pay premium prices for premium free agents and try to get lucky with anyone else who isn't already in your farm system.)
Selig, to quote a great Tammany Hall man, simply seen his opportunities and he took him. Fred is too stubborn to realize how stupid his son is, and under normal circumstances would have never hired anything more than a company man that would never seriously challenge Jeff's authority. A looming debt of half a billion dollars has a way of changing minds, however, and Wilpon was in no position to argue with Selig's "recommendation" that Alderson become the GM with true autonomy - certainly not with his hand out for a $25 million loan.
Commissioner, though? I don't see it. Why would the owners want to select an intelligent, well-respected baseball man who won't let them do whatever they want? No, better to pull someone from their ranks, who will understand the golden rule - the owners may do unto others that which they would not want done to them.
No, Sandy will be in charge in New York right up until the moment that the Wilpons get out from under financially - if that sad day ever comes. If the old man pulls off the miracle and gets his franchise back in the black, Alderson will quickly be ushered out the Carl Furillo Side Door at New Ebbets Field and some new puppet will be brought in to dance on Jeffy's strings.
The Wilpons are safe for as long as Selig is in charge - under no circumstances will Selig run Fred off into the night, even if payroll drops to $60 million and attendance caps out at 18K per night. But if the used car salesman retires or unexpectedly ascends to that Great Used Car Lot in the Sky, don't be surprised if Wilpon is given six months to right the ship or get lost.
(God, I miss him…)
Michael Scannell 0f Mack’s Mets:
1.  I think it's more likely than not that Sandy was 'placed' with the Mets.
2.  I would put it at 50/50.  Sandy is likely a leading candidate for the job if not the favorite.
3.  One can only hope so.  I think it's likely as the hole seems to get deeper all the time.  Every day that goes by the Wilpons look like sore losers who are desperately trying to hold onto a team that they have proven they are incapable of running.  MLB is not going to allow them to run the team for multiple years while they vainly attempt to pull themselves out of this.
Charles Thompson of Mack’s Mets:
Listen, it’s obvious that Alderson's hiring was totally masterminded by Selig.  It was known at the time that Selig wanted Sandy interviewed for the job and logic states that a man like Alderson who has held higher positions in other organizations, wouldn't jump into a lesser role with the Mets unless persuaded by Bud.  Sandy was definitely selected by and placed into the General Manager role for the Mets by the Commissioner.  The Mets are, in my mind, the biggest mystery in baseball.  It’s obvious that they're broke, yet won't tell the public.  It’s obvious they're trying to keep payroll down despite having fifty million plus freed up, yet won't tell the public why.  It sure seems that once Selig retires, Sandy will indeed jump into his role as the head cheese, and then one of Sandy's deputies will get promoted into his vacated position; either Depodesta or Riccardi, and yet, for some reason, they WON'T TELL THE PUBLIC!!! WHY NOT?  Are they that self centered and arrogant that they believe this whole entire situation calls for Pentagon type secrecy?  I mean, really, who gives a shit who the Commissioner is?  Who cares if the Wilpons are broke?  If they're all out of money, just say it and save the fans from the false hope you're trying to dish out.  I personally, do not believe they are going to sell the franchise unless forced to.  Otherwise, why would you go through the trouble of selling off fractions of it now, when you could just sell off completely and actually walk away with something?  They love the power and stature of being the owners too much to walk away.  Face it, they don't love the team enough to walk away, despite knowing it is what is best for the team.    
Frank Gray of Mack’s Mets:
Mack, my initial reaction to these questions is "yes" on all three fronts. However, when I truly ponder it, I believe the answer to question #1 is "yes", but the next two questions go hand-in-hand. I don't believe Alderson will take over as Commish, but that will hurt the Mets in the long run. If Alderson did take over the league, he surely would be more merciful on the lowly Mets than a new Commish would be. Alderson, due to age and the stress level the position entails will either not be in the running or turn it down. The new guy (or woman) would then have no partiality toward the Mets or Bud's buddy Fred Wilpon
Erik Hudson of Mack’s Mets:
I think there is no doubt Bud Selig "influenced" the Mets choice of GM.  The Wilpons have supported Selig and he is bending the rules to keep them in place. Alderson seems a logical successor.  He's well respected and held a number of different positions- GM, Padres CEO, MLB exec, and now "big market" GM (without the budget).  The Mets experience rounds out the resume. I would hope baseball forces the Wilpons to sell.  They just need to enforce existing team debt limit rules.  I don't see Selig doing it.  I could see Alderson being more pragmatic and doing it.  Invoke the best interests of baseball clause.  It's better for baseball to have a Mets team that actually has money to spend.  I would think the players union and Scott Boras would love to see that too. There is no way they can get out from under all that debt, unless the real estate market comes roaring back soon.  Will selling the team even be enough to cover it?  I hope it doesn't take three years.

(editor's note: I sent this out to 41 various Mets writers, including other bloggers and beat writers... it was interesting that only my staff would tackle this subject...)

NBA CBA Makes Me Wonder

I was pondering some of the points of the NBA's recent (tentative) CBA and thinking of how they would affect the MLB. There were a couple provisions that really interested me in terms of benefiting the current league structure. Now... whenever you compare the CBA of one league to another you are going to have the issue of comparing apples to oranges. The NBA salary cap is still soft but it's a whole lot more restrictive than the MLB salary cap. With that said one specific point made me ponder.

85% of the Salary Cap MUST Be Spent on the Payroll
(90% After 2013)


Now... this would be hard to execute in the MLB. You have some teams spending $200 Mil and some spending $30 Mil. You can't arbitrarily force the bottom paying teams to up their payroll's to $80 Mil... Or can you?

Imagine if you will that all the money from the luxury tax didn't JUST go to the bottom salaried teams. I mean we know that Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Florida have simply seen OWNER profit from the luxury tax. So what if we put a caveat that there was a MINIMUM payroll that had to be maintained to QUALIFY for luxury tax funding? Say... $60 Mil. If you are below that level the assumption is that you are making enough money of the shared TV revenue and tickets to cover your team EVEN IF you are a small market. This means the Yankees aren't paying for rich white guys to buy their wives fur coats, but that they'd ACTUALLY be paying for parity... which was the point of the luxury tax in the first place.

Thoughts?

The Keepers: - #45 - OF Vincente Lupo


45.     OF      Vincente Lupo  - OF

7-8-10: - The Mets signed Vincente Lupo as a non-drafted international free agent. He supposedly has a strong bat and hits for average.

8-9-11 from Paul DePodesta: - And there’s an outfielder named Vicente Lupo -- the kid who got really sick last fall. Really, really sick. He’s an outfielder from Venezuela. He was the one who had malignant hypothermia. He’s back and playing

8-22-11: - #19 – OF Vincente Lupo – You will start hearing more of this name next year. Lupo was signed by the Mets with an estimated $500-600K bonus and was the 25th best ranked prospect form Latin America. He is also considered to have plus to plus-plus raw power, but became very sick after the draft. He’s fine now and the 17-yr. old is getting his feet wet, and his strength back, for the DSL1 team. I have him a little high in 2012, starting off for K-Port. His illness may push him back to the GCL team, but, believe me, he’s coming stateside.

Wade LeBlanc, Ryan Madson, Hiroyuki Nakajima, Jose Reyes, David DeJesus

Wade LeBlanc succeeded in PETCO Park, where he had a 2.97 career ERA, but had a 6.16 ERA in his road appearances since debuting in 2008. The 3.19 difference between road and home is the largest for any pitcher who pitched at least 100 innings in the last four seasons, and is largely due to LeBlanc’s rate of home runs allowed (one every 5.4 innings on road, every 8.7 innings at home). Leblanc, a lefty, has two issues that the Marlins staff will look to fix. One is a cutter that got 48 outs and allowed only 14 hits against right-handed hitters, but got just 10 outs and yielded 11 hits to lefties. The other is that his stuff is simply too hittable. Left-handed hitters were 29-for-61 when making contact against LeBlanc last season. Of the 60 balls that lefties hit that stayed in the ballpark, nearly half (28 of them) were classified as line drives. LeBlanc’s 47 percent line drive rate versus lefties last season was the worst in the majors http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/32863/a-closer-look-at-nathan-barmes-leblanc

Ryan Madson – $7 - It’s funny how quickly a narrative can change. At this time last year, there were a lot of people wondering if Madson had what it takes to close (not necessarily FanGraphers, but the sentiment was certainly out there), and now he’s the best free agent closer on the market after the Phillies decided to let him walk in favor of Papelbon. Madson went 32-for-34 in save chances and ended the season with dynamite peripherals — 9.20 K/9 (25.2 K%) and 2.37 BB/9 (6.5 BB%) with a 48.8% ground ball rate — that were right in line with his 2009-2010 performance. At 31 years old and with no significant injury history, there’s little reason to expect a significant drop-off from Madson next season. Now, if we only knew what uniform he was going to be wearing… http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/2012-closer-keeper-rankings-tier-two

The posting period for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima has begun. The Seibu Lions posted Nakajima and MLB teams now have until 4pm CDT this Friday to submit bids, according to a Sponichi report relayed by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The MLB team that places the highest bid won't necessarily obtain Nakajima, however. The team would obtain an exclusive 30-day negotiating period during which the sides can work toward a deal and would only pay the posting fee if they come to terms on a contract http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/seibu-lions-post-hiroyuki-nakajima.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Jose Reyes is when his stupid hamstrings don’t grab at him and remind everyone that for the excitement, the talent, the pure aesthetic of his brand of baseball, there is the ever-present injury factor he just cannot shake. Healthy, Reyes gets Crawford money: $140 million or thereabouts. As he is, Reyes should crack nine figures but not much higher. Granted, Reyes really has missed only one year because of injury: his brutal 2009 season. He was the National League’s best player for the first three months of last season until his hamstrings tightened up and tethered him to a bench. That was enough to affect his market such that the Marlins actually believe they can get him, while Milwaukee continues to target him, St. Louis has him as part of the sans-Pujols backup plan and the Mets hold out hope that he loves New York as much as New York loves him.Reyes is lucky he’s a free agent now. Another year of injuries and he could be Grady Sizemore. www.yahoo.com

One of those players could be Manalapan, NJ native and former Rutgers star David DeJesus.  A source close to the 31-year-old free agent outfielder said the Mets and DeJesus' agent have spoken on multiple occasions, setting the stage for a possible return to the East Coast. After playing the first eight years of his career with the Kansas City Royals, DeJesus spent 2011 with the Oakland Athletics.  A career .284 hitter, DeJesus batted .240 with 10 home runs, 48 RBI and 60 runs scored in 131 games during his only season with the A's. http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/11/29/2595692/new-york-mets-free-agency-rumors-news-2011

Draft 2012: - Duane Underwood, Freddy Avis, Carson Kelly, Connor Harrell, Max Fried


11-15-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6369  - Duane Underwood (2012 RHP, East Cobb Baseball)- The live armed righty made the leap to high level prospect status this summer when he ran his fastball up to 97 mph during the 17u WWBA National Championship. He cemented his lofty reputation by touching 98 at East Coast Pro and 96 at the PG All-American Game. Given the ball on possibly the biggest stage in amateur baseball, Underwood started the Opening Night matchup between East Cobb and Palm Beach PAL in Roger Dean Stadium. Underwood did not disappoint, limiting PAL's talented lineup to one (unearned) run on four hits, while striking out nine without issuing a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Underwood topped out at 95 with his fastball in the victory, using his secondary stuff sparingly. Underwood flashed a quality curveball at 75 with sharp biting action, but had little need to mix his pitches much given how dominant his fastball is, even against good competition.

11-22-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/814/lucas-giolito-leads-loaded-cali-senior-class  - Here’s a look at the Top 10 California high school prospects in the Class of 2012. 3. Freddy Avis, RHP, Menlo School (Atherton, Calif.)  Despite lacking the physical frame of some of his in-state rivals at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Avis has good arm speed and a fluid delivery, producing easy velocity in the 90 to 93 mph range and also holstering a curveball. He's believed to be a strong commit to Stanford, but is also likely to be considered in Round 1.

11-24-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1  - The top 2012 prospect from Oregon in the 2012 class, Carson Kelly has high upside at the plate and on the mound.  He is an athletic player who has who has been a member of the 18U National Team in 2010 and 2011. Kelly has a line drive swing with power to all fields.  He has above average bat speed.  His recorded 60 time is 7.12. Kelly should be at least average defensively at third.  He has good quickness and a plus arm. On the mound, Kelly has an easy delivery with a high 3/4 release.  He throws a fastball from 88-92.  He has a change with sink that shows good potential.  Kelly’s 74-77 curve is also a quality pitch. While Kelly has the ability to pitch at the next level, most see his future at third base due to his offensive potential.

11-26-11: - http://ht.ly/1fPzwd  - We continue the countdown today at number 58 with Vanderbilt junior Connor Harrell. The Houston, Texas native spent his high school career at Kinkaid High School where he was a four year letterwinner in baseball while picking up two in football. He was named a three-time first-team all-conference and first-team All-South zone selection. He decided to continue his baseball career at Vanderbilt under head coach Tim Corbin. He ended up appearing in 58 games .300 with 15 doubles, 3 home runs and 39 RBI as a freshman. He played the summer of 2010 in the NECBL with the Newport Gulls. Harrell hit .265 with three homers and 10 RBI in 31 games. Harrell ended up sliding back a little as a sophomore with a .289 batting average with nine homers and 36 RBI. He spent the summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He ended up hitting .244 with two RBI in 20 games totaling 45 at bats

11-26-11: - Tweet: - eric sondheimer - Just saw lefty Max Fried throw a 95 mph fastball in his first winter outing. Pretty impressive. Could be top 10 pick in June

11/29/11

Draft 2012: - RHP Lucas Giolito

      RHP       Lucas Giolito
6-11-10: -
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb  Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Calif.: Giolito is big and strong and can crank his fastball into the mid-90s with a low-effort delivery.
10-11-10 – Top 10 2012 Prospects from Jim Callis/Baseball America - #10. Lucas Giolito, rhp, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood, Calif.

6-28 -10 from: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/high-school/?p=204&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  – With the conclusion of the Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C., USA Baseball has now announced the trials rosters for the 16U national teams. - Lucas Giolito RHP R/R 6-6 210 Harvard-Westlake HS, Los Angeles 2012


8-11-10 from: -
http://baseballanalysts.com/  - Lucas Giolito (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood, CA), class of 2012, just turned 16 in July, yet matched the best fastball of the tournament by consistently hitting 91-93 and touching 94 on at least one occasion according to the scoreboard display facing the press box. (Note: TrackMan registered his average fastball velocity at 95.8, or 3-4 mph faster than the consensus of the dozens of handheld Stalker Sport radar guns employed by scouts. TrackMan may measure the velocity at the pitcher's release point whereas radar guns and PITCHf/x estimate velocity at about 50 feet from home plate. There may be an additional explanation as well, which I would enjoy receiving from any expert in this area. In the meantime, the TrackMan leaders can be viewed here.) Giolito was wild with his entire repetoire of pitches (which included a 76-80 mph slurve and what appeared to be either a hard change or a two-seamer with more than decent arm-side run. With additional experience, the 6-5, 215-pound righthander may be able to improve upon his command, which was lacking on Saturday as evidenced by the 24 balls against 23 strikes and four free passes in only two innings. If so, he projects to go early in the 2012 draft.


8-11-10 from: -
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2704  - Lucas Giolito, rhp, Harvard Westlake HS, Los Angeles - The hardest thrower in Long Beach, Giolito topped out near 96 and tossed 8 pitches that registered 94 or higher. Only 16 years old and a member of the 2012 class, Giolito is a physical beast at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. Saberhagen was duly impressed. “He has tons of upside, he is lanky and has a great body. He will only get more velocity as he gets older. . . I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually reaches 97.” Giolito struggled through command problems in his first outing. Saberhagen said, from a mechanical standpoint, that Giolito “needs to be cleaned up a little bit. . . he needs to do a better job of using his lower body." The June 2012 draft is two long years away, however Giolito is an early favorite to be chosen with one of the top 10 selections in that draft.

Ranked #6 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012  - Mock Draft - 8  LA Dodgers Lucas Giolito  RHP   Harvard-Westlake School (CA) 6' 6" 220

6-11-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/9   If anyone is going to give Lance McCullers a run for his money as the top high school pitcher in the 2012 class, it's likely going to be Giolito. With a perfect pitcher's frame (6'6"), Giolito has exploded onto the draft scene, bringing along a wealth of mid-90s fastballs with him. He's also got a few impressive videos circulating out there, which have helped to increase the awareness about him nationally. Giolito has a commitment to UCLA and, for the most part, commitments there are pretty solid, so he's going to be one of the classes toughest signs.

7-5-11: - http://diamondscapescouting.com/articles_2011_summercircuit_prospectclassic_07042011.html   -  Lucas Giolito (rhp, Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, Calif.) broke out last summer with a high velo showing at the Area Code Games and has maintained momentum through the start of this summer scouting season. The physical righty followed two strong Tournament of Stars showings with a scoreless inning against the USA Collegiate Team, sitting 93-95 mph with life and dropping a hard 80-82 mph 12-to-6 curve into the mix. Giolito is still working to repeat his mechanics, keeping things slow and deliberate while ticking off his checkpoints. While he will still hit patches where he struggles to command, he is generally keeping a consistent arm slot and release point. Giolito profiles as one of the top follows for next year's draft, and possesses the frame and stuff to draw top five overall interest. 

7-11-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com - At 6'7" Lucas Giolito has projectability written all over him. When you see that he already reaches 96 MPH with his fastball and has room to add on 25-30 pounds to his frame, you understand why he is considered one of the top prep prospects for the 2012 Draft. Giolito has a smooth delivery and has taken great strides in repeating it. He also features a power 12-6 curveball that has plus potential and an improving change that features depth and could also be a plus pitch. His command could use some work and he could incorporate his lower half more to help maintain his mechanics. He threw a no-hitter in the spring and it will be interesting to see how he fares with Team USA 18U squad in the fall. No 2012 prep pitcher has more upside than Lucas Giolito and he is definitely one of the top follows over the next year.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Lucas Giolito, Harvard-Westlake HS, Santa Monica CA, 6’6 220, tall righty with definite arm strength, was up to 95 with FB, most fb were straight and at times would get arm side run in on RHH, front side opens early, some similarities to Mark Prior in delivery, also makings of a hard slider, slurvy action at present, should tighten up to be a plus pitch and makings of change up which he changes his delivery on, so lacks deception on breaking/off-speed pitches. Definitely worth early look next spring, potential top 40 selection.

7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com  - 4. Baltimore Orioles Lucas Giolito P Harvard Westlake High School California Trey Williams is a top 10 prospect in the 2012 MLB Draft who may go in the top 5. Lucas Giolito managed to strike out Trey Williams in a contest between Harvard Westlake ace Lucas Giolito and Valencia third baseman Trey Williams. Lucas Giolito is bound to go to UCLA unless he goes to the MLB. The Orioles need more pitchers to boost their team ERA and Baltimore is thin on pitching prospects. I’m not sold on Dylan Bundy and I really believe Lucas Giolito could become the ace of the Orioles rotation with the proper development.

8-8-11: - http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=mlb_draft&id=6843405&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2fblog%3fname%3dmlb_draft%26id%3d6843405 - The best high school pitcher in this draft class is Luc Giolito of Harvard-Westlake HS. The right-hander is committed to UCLA but would likely be the first prep arm off the board if the draft was held right now with his combination of stuff and size. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder's fastball was up to 96 mph on Sunday, sitting at 93, and he showed a solid changeup at 83-84 as well as two speeds on his breaking ball. The velocity is easy to him and his delivery is built for starting; his command isn't there and he needs more consistency on each of his secondary pitches. But I don't think there's a better overall package among prep arms in the 2012 class yet.

8-15-11: - http://www.draftsite.com/article/High-School-Names-to-Know/94  -  Lucas Giolito – RHP HT – 6’6’’  WT – 230  Harvard Westlake (CA)  -Coming into the summer it was Lance McCullers in the top spot and everyone else. However, Giolito wasn’t listening and has taken over. He broke out at the end of 2010 during the Area Code games but this summer he ruled everything. At the Tournament of Stars he dominated, pitching in the mid- 90’s with a mid-80’s change and a curveball with sharp bite. His combination of size and stuff has made several scouts push Giolito ahead of McCullers as the top prep arm in the 2012 class and Lucas is now in the running for the number one overall pick.

9-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/08/31/2012-mlb-draft-top-prospects  - Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard Westlake HS, CA - Giolito has an uncommonly smooth motion for a pitcher with his youth, size, and arm strength. There aren’t many high school pitchers we look at and see teaching points in, but Lucas Giolito has virtually ideal timing in his delivery – a huge, huge deal. You think of pitchers with big arm circles pulling their elbows up high, bending and contorting their bodies in all sorts of silly directions. Everything a pitcher does with his mechanics, good or bad, is for naught if ball isn’t in the driveline as the shoulders start to rotate. There’s only one place a pitcher needs to bring the ball to, which is in a position to be accelerated towards home-plate. A bullet doesn’t do any good until it’s in the barrel. Giolito does this very, very well. He makes throwing hard look easy. 

8-25-11: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com - This summer I went to the National Showcase, Prospect Classic, and the Under Armour All-American Game. Here is my updated top 50 HS prospects.  - 1. Lucas Giolito-RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS

9-13-11: - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2011/09/baseball-lucas-giolito-tabbed-top-pitcher-in-nation.html - Perfect Game has come out with its rankings of top pitchers, and No. 1 in the nation is Lucas Giolito, the senior at Studio City Harvard-Westlake. Giolito, a UCLA commit, is going to get plenty of attention this fall. Mark down Jan. 28 on your calendar. That's the day JSerra and Bishop Amat are scheduled to come to Harvard-Westlake's O'Malley Field to play as part of a three-game set that should draw pro scouts en masse.

10-25-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/637/giolito-compares-well-to-past-prep-prospects - Lucas Giolito stands out in many ways. He's 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, and is also the top prep pitcher in the draft class of 2012. There's a chance he's the No. 1 overall pick next June, and is certain to be taken off the board in the top 10. I've seen him up to 97 mph with his fastball, which sets up an above-average power curveball and a changeup drenched in promise. ESPN Insider's Keith Law wrote from the Area Code Games in August that Giolito's velocity "is easy to him and his delivery is built for starting; his command isn't there and he needs more consistency on each of his secondary pitches. But I don't think there's a better overall package among prep arms in the 2012 class yet." The industry agrees. One scouting supervisor called Giolito "a contender for a top-10 spot in any draft. He's very, very good, and he's only going to get better. There is a lot to like."

10-28-11: - http://students.hw.com/chronicle/Sports/SportsArticles/tabid/1292/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7668/Pitcher-Giolito-has-shot-at-first-overall-pick.aspx - Pitcher Lucas Giolito '12 could be the first overall selection in the MLB draft in June 2012, according to ESPN Rise scouting insider Jason A. Churchill. "It's cool to see your name up there with some of the best players in the country," Giolito said. "What I'm really focused on now is putting in work and getting better so I can make those kinds of things a reality. Mock drafts this early can always be inaccurate. If I put in a lot of work now and have a good season, I'll be in the best position for my future."

BA: Top 10 Arizona Diamondback Prospects

1. Trevor Bauer, rhp
2. Archie Bradley, rhp
3. Tyler Skaggs, lhp
4. Jarrod Parker, rhp
5. Matt Davidson, 3b/1b
6. A.J. Pollock, of
7. David Holmberg, lhp
8. Chris Owings, ss
9. Wade Miley, lhp
10. Patrick Corbin, rhp

for details... http://ht.ly/7Hd9s 

Allan Dykstra, Robert Carson, Wilmer Flores, Holiday Blues, J.J. Putz


11-23-11: -  http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.js p?ymd=20111110&content_id=25949502&fext=.j sp&vkey=news_milb&partnerId=rss_nym -   First base -- Allan Dykstra, Binghamton (121 games): Sharing the surname of a famous ex-Met, this unrelated Dykstra batted .267 and established career highs in home runs (19) and RBIs (77). That success came after he batted .241 in the hitter-happy Cal League as a member of the Padres organization in 2010. He was San Diego's first-round pick in 2008. "Considering the difference playing in the Cal League and the Eastern League, he performed especially well," DePodesta noted.

About two weeks ago Sand Alderson was discussing his options for the bullpen and one of the names that came up was Robert Carson. I was curious to find out more about a 22 y/o lefty, drafted in the 14th round of the 2007 draft, who hasn't been above AA and is now in the major league bullpen discussion. Last year Carson was a starter for Binghamton AA, in 24 starts he produced a 5.05 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP, while SO 6.4 per 9 / BB 3.6 per 9 and a 1.65 SO/BB ratio.



It appears that Carson is a fastball/slider (occasionally uses a change-up) power pitching lefty who projects to be a reliever 
http://networkedblogs.com/qFhcd

11-28-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/mmo-top-20-mets-prospects-8-wilmer-flores-inf.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29  - Flores is certainly still young and raw, but with 4 minor league seasons, and 1838 minor league at-bats, he has laid the foundation for what should be a very solid big league career someday. As he matures physically, his best position on the field will become clear, along with an emerging ability to drive the ball out of the yard. In the meantime, look for Flores to hit for a much higher average next season as he catches up in age to the other players around him, and adjusts to more advanced pitching. Hopefully he will transition well to a new defensive position that is better suited to his skill-set, which would move him a step or two closer to The Show. Next year will be crucial for Flores’ development, and with luck, I look for him to be a viable candidate to bring up to the Mets by September of 2013.

Reyes has one foot out the door. Management is preparing itself for a midseason fire sale. And after 4 straight seasons of utter depravity, there appears to be no end in sight. The highlight of the Mets off season this year, I guarantee will be the fact that they are moving the walls in at Citi Field. That's it. I'm not saying the Mets need to go out and sign pricey free agents or make trades to be contenders this year. I realize this is a rebuilding process, but the Mets need a new marketing team because there is absolutely nothing coming out to make Mets fans even feel like there's something good to come out of the 2012 season. http://metslifers.blogspot.com/2011/11/holiday-blues-for-mets-fans.html

J.J. Putz – $11 - Three years removed from utter dominance during the 2006-2007 seasons, Putz returned to the closer’s role full-time in 2011 and very quietly had one of the best seasons of any reliever in the game. His strikeout (9.47 K/9 and 26.6 K%) and walk (1.86 BB/9 and 5.2 BB%) numbers were as good as it gets, and all four of his blown saves came in June, just before he hit the disabled list with elbow inflammation. That’s the big concern with Putz, his spotty health track record. He was day-to-day with back spasms a few times in addition to the elbow problem this year, and he’s been on the DL five times since the start of 2008. There’s a lot of risk here, but also a lot of upside. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/2012-closer-keeper-rankings-tier-two

FLASH: - Albert Pujois

The Chicago Cubs have reached out to the agent for Albert Pujols to express their interest in the three-time Most Valuable Player, a baseball source told ESPN.com Tuesday.

Although discussions between team officials and agent Dan Lozano are in the early stages, the Cubs appear poised to join the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins in an active pursuit of Pujols, a nine-time All-Star who hit the free-agent market in October.

The Cubs' overtures to Pujols come amid speculation that they also have interest in former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. The speculation was ratcheted up a notch last week when the team hired former Brewers coach Dale Sveum as its new manager.

for more...  http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7294424/source-chicago-cubs-call-albert-pujols-reps-express-interest