1/5/12

Mets – Juan Lagares, David Wright, Omar Quintanilla, Darin Gorski, Jose Reyes


1-3-12 - Mets360   - 9. Juan Lagares, OF, Hi-A/Double-A, .338/.380/.494 in 335 PA - This is Lagares’ line in Hi-A. He hit even better in Double-A, with a .903 OPS in 170 PA. But there are two red flags surrounding him in that he doesn’t have much power and his walk rate collapsed when he was promoted. Lagares has a lower ceiling than Vaughn, but his floor is much higher. At this point it would be a surprise if Lagares did not make the majors. He seems like a 4th OF, a guy who could be useful against LHP (.914 OPS overall versus lefties last year) and he could even fake it in CF for brief stretches.

photo by Mack Ade
The fan in me expects a complete turnaround by David Wright next year, helped by being 100% healthy and the drawn-in fences. The realist in me wonders if Wright will go back to the swing mechanics that made him a star from 2004-2008, and if he’ll go back to the relentless defensive drills that turned him into an elite third baseman.  And then there’s the dark, ugly consequence of Wright returning to form: he’ll likely be traded as a result. Quite a conundrum, no? Root for Wright to do well, and I might be rooting for his exit. Yet, wishing him to perform poorly isn’t satisfying, either. http://www.metstoday.com/7334/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-david-wright/



Omar Quintanilla played baseball in the last twelve months. By extension, this means the Mets have stepped up from signing players who are coming off Tommy John surgery, torn ACL's, amputated limbs, or anything else that would have kept them from playing baseball in 2011. This, ladies and gentlemen, is progress ... and it makes me happy. New Year, new attitude ... right? Listen, those numbers might not seem great to you, but when you look at it sabermetrically, his VOCLH is through the roof. (Value Over Chin Lung Hu ... pronounced "VOLCH". It's kinda like spelling F-A-V-R-E and saying FARVE. Go with it.)  http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2012-articles/january/blockbuster.html

1-4-12 - His (Darin Gorski) stuff still has to give us pause as it’s far from overwhelming but his changeup and control – both rated as the best in the Mets system by Baseball America this offseason – as well as his mentality on the mound lead me to believe that he will be able to hold his own in Double-A. He’s got a good frame, figures to be durable and has a good idea of what he’s doing on the mound. Those are all additional feathers in his cap and let’s not forget that he was blessed with the ability to throw a baseball left-handed. The complete package leads me to believe that he’s got a decent chance to wind up as a back of the rotation starter at the major league level. If he doesn’t reach that projection, he should, at the very least, be able to carve out a solid career as a Triple-A starter who gets a look or spot start in the majors every now and then. Of course that is all based on my assumption that he will get through Double-A = http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/01/03/2011-s2s-fsl-all-star-team-lhp-darin-gorski/

Photo by Mack Ade
Jose Reyes, SS  FLA –  The last three seasons have been a nightmare for Reyes’ owners, not just because of the injuries and downturn in production, but because of where he had been drafted in each of those three seasons.  He was a top 5 pick in most drafts in 2009 and somehow remained a late first-rounder in the following two seasons, all the while, posting mid-round results.  Some will say that last season was one of his best given his .337/.384/.493 slash line, but the fact  remains that he still missed 36 games last year with the same issues that plagued him in the previous two.  So can he be trusted this year?  Forget about the new team, the new contract and the new stadium.  It all comes down to his conditioning.  We know he has tremendous skills; that he’s a great contact hitter, that he doesn’t strike out very often, that there is 15-20 HR power that comes with that speed potential.  But if his conditioning isn’t first-rate, then he’s a liability because he’s going to cost you a high draft choice if you want him.  Track the offseason workouts and hopefully you’ll get the opportunity to watch him in camp before you make such a strong investment. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/top-10-high-risk-veterans-part-1/

No comments: