Winter Ball Update: - Pena, Martinez, Carson, Marte, Almador

C Francisco Pena – Aguilas Cibaenas – DFL  -  We’ve written much about Pena over the years  and frankly, he simply hasn’t earned the $800,000 bonus he got when he signed as a 16-year old in 2007. His 5-year batting stats are: .234/.281/.328/.608, with only 24-HR and 161-RBI in 423-G, 1544-AB. That being said, he has been tearing up the Dominican League all fall. Frankie has always had the genes (father: Tony; brother: Tony Jr.) but should have played a couple of years in the Dominican Republic rather than highlighting him in Savannah as the second coming of Roy Campanella. The media, me included, spent too much time writing about him and he was obviously shaken from his lack of production. It’s nice to see his name in the list of top hitters in any league, even if it happens to be a fall one.

LF Fernando Martinez - Leones del Escogido – DFL – Can it possibly get any worse for this guy? Martinez returned this fall to the league that he had previously been named MVP, but the results have been completely different this season. As of Friday, he was hitting .077 as a part-time player. You’re not going to read any more official Mets press on hi. Those days are over. What will be interesting is whether or not he is invited to the Mets clubhouse for spring training. My guess is no and I look for him to be either a throw-in a future trade, or a quiet release a la Shawn Bowman a few years ago.

RP Robert Carson – Peoria – AFL – Carson is another of the highly touted starters that simply couldn’t develop three decent pitches, a staple for all future starters in baseball.  He went to the fall league for one reason and that was to begin the conversion to relief. In ten appearances, he had 11-Ks and 12-BBs, not the kind of stats one would be proud of. Moreover, a 1.90 WHIP is nothing to write home about either, but this is a start… err… I mean, a relief… whatever. My guess is Carson comes out of the Binghamton pen come April, since the acquisition of three relief pitchers at the winter meetings have slowed up the need to push people out of the system. If I’m wrong, he’ll pitch Buffalo.

3B/1B Jefry Marte – Peoria – AFL – The good news this fall was the fact that Marte was hitting .333/.436/.538 in fall ball. The bad news is he broke his wrist in a collision on November 10^th that required surgery. But, the good news was the injury prevented him from being chosen last week in the Rule 5 Draft. Jefry was also beginning the conversion from third base to first and he continues to show the improved plate discipline he demonstrated the entire 2011 season. All reports are he will be ready for spring training and should wind up with a promotion to Binghamton. First base is wide open there and he could split time at third with Richard Lucas.

OF Japhet Almador - Algodoneros de Guasave – MFL – I’m not sure what the status of this kid is. He’s been on a met team twice in the past couple of years, but keeps getting “loaned” out to teams in the Mexican League. Call him the second coming of Brahiam Maldonado, with a decent batting average. The 6-4, 220 pound outfielder just kills the ball, going .376, 25-HR, 84-RBI in 2011, and .303, 12-HR, 31-RBI so far this fall. Better than that, he knows how to walk and had a .440 OBP in 2011. What’s wrong with this picture and why do the Mets keep discarding him to a team in another league?