6/13/12

Some Mets Observations – Mack Ade


I try to stick to the minors, but most of my writers aren’t putting much up right now, so I thought I’d jot down what’s going on inside my head. I guess we used to call this “I May Be Wrong, But…” 

1.     OF Jason Bay is simply swinging at anything. He has simply lost the ability to perform daily at a major league level; however, the Mets can’t put him on the bench and set the example of embarrassing a big contract. Decisions like this effect everyone on the team and Bay is a well-liked and respected member of the clubhouse. Simply put, this is your 2012 left fielder and the only chance of him becoming effective is to play him every day.


2.     SP Chris Young may be the temporary answer to the SP4/5 slot (depending where the Mets place Dillon Gee). There’s nothing exciting about him, but he seems to have the ability to give the Mets six good inning with three or less runs given up. Most teams would be thrilled with an SP5 with a 4.50 ERA.


3.     Props for Dillon Gee. He continues to prove you don’t need a blazing fastball to survive on the back end of the rotation. A Mack hat is tipped once again.


4.     The Mets need one good arm in the pen. It needs to be someone that could give the team a two-inning stint in the 6-7th innings. This would allow a rotational 8th inning staff followed by Frank2. Pedro Beato doesn’t seem to have advanced this far and Bobby Parnell just doesn’t command enough pitches for that role. Elvin Ramirez was not mentally ready and there is no one in AAA or AA ready for that pressure.


5.     Speaking of Bobby Parnell, it just isn’t there. The reason pitchers like Johan Santana are successful is the fact that they command at least three pitches with similar mechanics. Bobby doesn’t and, when things go bad, he goes back to his non-sink fastball. Have you ever hit in a batting cage? They’re all coming at you at the same speed and, by the 5th or 6th pitch, your brain has figured out the correct timing. That’s basically all you have to do with Parnell and his fastball doesn’t move enough to make it effective.


6.     I don’t think we’re going to see the Mets let Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit against many lefties this year. Their usage of him so far this season has created a viable Rookie of the Year candidate and I’ve changed my mind on this (as long as the team is competing for a wild card slot). Play him and Happy Hairston the same way you’re playing them now. Combined, they are one all-star.


7.     Speaking of Happy, this is the contract that’s needed to extend now. He is not going to play for $1.1mil next year. I can’t find a better utility outfielder than he would be for the 2013-2014 season. Give him $3.5mil over two years…now.


8.     There has been too much written about Ike Davis. Someone needs to sit him down, tell him he’s going to play every day, ask him to concentrate on the next pitch being thrown rather than worry about the one the ump just called, and get back to doing what he’s paid to do.


9.     I miss Omir Santos. I think the Mike Nickeas experiment has come to an end. Rob Johnson offers a better bat and Vinnie Rotino is your emergency third cather. I love the guy, he’s been kind to me, and I think he’s make a great minor league catching coach, but the Mets are going to need a better 25th man on the roster.


10.              Don’t make an all-star trade to bring in someone in the Andres Torres level of ability. We know the Mets can’t compete right now money wise in the market. Fine. Play what you have and work on defensive skills during practice.

7 comments:

Reese Kaplan said...

In the absence of Mike Baxter I would nominate Jordanny Valdespin to be the left handed hitting platoon partner for Bay in left field. Obviously the guy can't hack SS and with Murphy at 2B there's no room there. OF seems to be the only place to get him into the lineup on a semi--regular basis until Baxter returns.

Also, if the Mets had a viable outfielder in the minors right now I think Torres would be on the unemployment line -- or is it another case of being too embarrassed by a contract to admit you were wrong?

Mack Ade said...

Reese, Valdespin is best described as "out there". A very sef-centered immature kid that only cares about creating his own highlight films.

The Mets recognize his talent but he is unmanagable. Wally has tried, Teufel has tried a number of times. Even Carlos Beltran sat him down before he left town.

He was placed in CF in Buffalo for emergency reasons. He's very talented and did well there, but that doesn't make him a pro outfielder.

The Mets don't have anyone right now to help them in the outfield. They have to live with what they have or trade for someone and give up a couple of secondary prospects.

I just don''t see them doing that.

Brian Joura said...

You might be the only non-Santos relative to miss Omir!

I disagree on Bay. While I appreciate how hard he tries and have no doubt how others on the team may feel about him, the sad truth is that it's hard to play baseball with a giant fork sticking out of your back.

I expect Bay to do what he did last year -- have brief stretches where he tears the cover off the ball and prolonged stints where he can't get the ball out of the infield.

The sooner he's on the bench (or DFAd) the better.

Mack Ade said...

a little insight into Santos...

I was a spring training and left the clubhouse and went outside the gate to have a smoke...

a girl was there, in a wheelchair, with a picture of Santos in her hand. I asked and found out she was hoping (10,000 to 1 chance) he would come out that gate and she could get his autograph.

I went back into the clubhouse and told this to Omir. He immediately stopped what he was doing and asked me to take him to the girl, where he spent the next 5 minutes with him. He also grabbed a bat and signed it for her.

THAT's Omir Santos

The Closer said...

Ironically the Rockies just Signed Omir Santos today!

Rockies Sign Omir Santos


The Rockies signed catcher Omir Santos, according to their team website. The 31-year-old elected free agency last week after the Tigers designated him for assignment.

Santos appeared in three games with Detroit this month after the Tigers promoted him from Triple-A Toledo, where he had a .310/.315/.417 batting line in 89 plate appearances. Santos also appeared in 11 games with last year's Tigers team and has MLB experience in four seasons. He is a Praver/Shapiro client.

Willis said...

Parnell is closer than you think. He's pitched into some bad luck and has been seriously let down by his defense. With just a bit more control and command he will be a solid reliever in leverage spots - with obvious upside. I would continue to use him more or less as he's been used so far this year.

I also think Edwin Ramirez can be a valuable piece this year. It was bad luck that he had to pitch in situations for which he wasn't mentally ready. But that's not a good reason to give up on him, even in the short term. He has very good stuff - his heater has hop and his change work off it very nicely. I'd keep him around at the back of the pen until he gets more comfortable.

Bay is just horrible. He is waving at pitches rather than swinging. In terms of his contract and the embarrassment connected to it - I'd say that ship has sailed. The Mets would be better off benching or jettisoning him so that he can sooner be forgotten.

I think neither Ramon Ramirez nor Rauch have anything near the stuff they once did - Ramirez sinker doesn't bite and Rauch throws a deliciously straight and hopless (ie, without hop) heater - being tall cannot be a reliever's sole credential. The return of Mejia can't come soon enough for me. But its these guys that should bite the dust rather than Edwin and/or Parnell.

Mack Ade said...

Bobby has been "close" since his name was Robert.

I'm pretty sick of "Close Bobby"