11-20-12 – Rule V, Ticket Prices, Clarity, Ahmed Rosario, Jeurys Familia

Today is the deadline to protect Rule 5-eligible players on the 40-man roster.

AAA --- Buffalo Bisons
Daniel Herrera
Dylan Owen
Josh Satin
Chris Schwinden
Zack Wheeler

AA --- Binghamton Mets
Eric Campbell
Juan Centeno
Mark Cohoon
Allan Dykstra
Gonzalez Germen
Darin Gorski
Brad Holt
Jeff Kaplan
Jefry Marte
Brandon Moore
Travis Ozga
Francisco Pena
Armando Rodriguez
Wilfredo Tovar
Pedro Zapata

A+ --- St. Lucie Mets
Kyle Allen
Joe Bonfe
John Church
Angel Cuan
Kai Gronauer
Alonzo Harris
Richard Lucas
Aderlin Rodriguez
Adrian Rosario
Robbie Shields
Taylor Whitenton

A --- Savannah Sand Gnats
Yohan Almonte
Marcos Camarena
TJ Chism
Albert Cordero
Jim Fuller
Craig Hansen
Brandon Sage
Ismael Tijerina
Jhonathan Torres
Carlos Vazquez

A- --- Brooklyn Cyclones
Luis Cessa
Julio Concepcion
Dawrin Frias
John Mincone
Eudy Pina
Dimas Ponce

R --- Kingsport Mets
Martires Arias
Jeyckol De Leon
Edioglas Villasmil

Other
Matt Bouchard
Lachlan Hodge
Michael Johnson
Jake Kuebler -----------------   me?  I protect Eric Campbell and Armondo Rodriguez.

Campbell would be one of my UT players starting in 2014 and Rodriguez is on target to make the pen sometime this season. 

Michael Baron‏ - @michaelgbaron -  $63 for Opening Day tickets at Citi Field, for a not so good seat. That's quite a lot of coin

          In case you haven’t noticed, there is a holiday promotional plan out there for fans to purchase tickets to the 2013 New York Mets season. Michael’s comments above echo what the team is asking you to commit to before they seem to be committing to anything more in 2013. No David Wright extension. No RA Dickey extension or trade. And, no new outfielders. I don’t know how you are living your lives, but $63 is Thanksgiving dinner on my table this year. I no longer live in the city I love, but your nuts if you think I’m going to wait on line for gas, then park at the stadium for how much, and chuck down $63 for a bad seat to watch an incomplete team? I love the Mets, but you have to give me more to support them this extensively.

This is a moot point. I couldn’t afford to live in New York anymore so why dream about going to a game I can’t afford. Still, $63 for a bad seat? Simply amazing.

Howard Megdal Capital New York writes about clarity coming to the Mets regarding the contract negotiations for both David Wright and RA Dickey:

Oh, and while they resolve their long-term relationships with their two best and most popular players, the Mets still need to figure out how to pay upcoming expenses. As of Monday, the loans against the team, due in 2014, and against SNY, due in 2015, remain unamended. The team got some good news when YES, the New York Yankees' version of SNY, was recently valued at $3 billion. One thing, and essentially only one thing, is certain right now. Each day that passes between now and December 3 reduces the chances that the Mets will keep R.A. Dickey and David Wright. A trade will bring clarity. An extension will bring clarity. And if Alderson's understandable timetable is to be trusted, we'll all have it soon, for better or worse.

Megdal continues to equate the financial status of the team (one business venture)to the future result on the field. ‘On paper’, the vaue of the franchise and the SNY Network easily are valued in the $3.5-4BIL range. The Wilpons may treat the Mets like a low-rent lower east side apartment house, but they are far from broke.

Ben Badler‏ - @BenBadler -  GCL most likely RT  - Q:  Any idea if Ahmed Rosario opens in the GCL for the Mets or in the DSL?

          -agree…  expect players like Rosario, SS Leon Canelon, 3B Pedro Perez, and C Adrian Abreu, C Manuel Hilario, and OF Vincente Lupo to all make it to the GCL team.

Ben Badler ‏- @BenBadler - Wouldn't shock me, but he could use more Triple-A time RT Q – Jeurys Familia in pen to start year?

          -also agree…  he’s simply not ready and has failed to show the proper amount of command needed to make it in the pros. Familia needs to string together 6-8 good outings before being considered for Queens.

Rob Castellano has a wonderful breakout on the 2012 Binghamton Mets, which includes these thoughts on Wilmer Flores:

The re-emergence of Flores' outstanding bat couldn't have come at a better time as it helped to counteract the continued decline of his defensive value. Finally moving off of shortstop for good, Flores shifted all over the Binghamton infield getting reps at first, second and third. However, his extreme lack of foot speed minimized his range and consequently his value at second base and to a lesser extent third, where he proved serviceable. The good news is that his bat looks like the real deal no matter where he plays. What he lacks in athletic ability and defensive upside, he makes up for with one of the most advanced bats in all of minor league baseball and it's not a stretch to imagine him as one of the club's best offensive threats by this time next year. It's unclear where he'll fit with the Mets as they are currently constructed, yet if he replicates his success early next season they'll be forced to find a place for him. 

                              This one's pretty simple... Flores will play 3B in 2014 if Wright departs. If not, he will find himself on an American League team as part of a future trade...

                                      Hot Stove

Cubs sign P Shawn Camp - $1.35mil + $200K incentive – 2012 Cubs: 80-G, 3.59

Toronto DFA P Joel Carreno – 25-yrs old – 11-G, 6.14-ERA