Francisco Pena, Pedro Feliciano, Jordany Valdespin, Coco Crisp, Relief Pitchers

Mack Stuff –  Francisco Pena, Pedro Feliciano, Jordany Valdespin, Coco Crisp, Relief Pitchers

C Francisco Pena – Aguilas Cibaenas - 1-4, .250 – there’s always someone in baseball that thinks they can turn around an ex-prospect like Pena. The Mets signed the undrafted free agent Pena, the son of Yankees first-base coach Tony Peña, to a $750,000 signing bonus, in July 2006. He was first sent to the Mets Florida Instruction camp, where he remained for the remainder of the 2006 season. Baseball America had one international scouting director (in 2007) termed Pena's body as "heavy and thick." Willie Randolph was quoted in January 2007 to say: "he's a little different than I remember. He's a big boy. I saw Ken Griffey and all those kids come through . . . Jessie Barfield's kid (Indians second baseman Josh). It's amazing to see how they've grown and to see the resemblance in some ways. You can see the evolution, and it's weird to look at that." Pena, was considered to be one of the best catching prospects in the Dominican Republic's baseball history. His initial claim to fame so far in his career is he caught the controversial pitcher Danny Almonte on that infamous Little League World Series team. It just hasn’t happened. Right now, his 6-year stat line is: .233/.284/.335/.619. The good news is he’s still only 22-years old which easily could be the same age he would have come out of college if he stayed playing in NYC instead of the DR. He would a wonderful throw in as part of a package for an outfielder. I expect Blake Forsythe will get the lion share of time in Binghamton and he’s simply not ready for Las Vegas.

RP Pedro Feliciano - Leones de Ponce – 1.1-IP, 1-K, 0-H, 0-BB, 1.23. That’s now seven games thrown with 7.1 innings… 2-R, 6-K, 1-BB. Yeah, I know how old he is, but an invitation to camp would kill you? This guy was the heart and soul of the Mets bullpen for seven years (22-19, 459-G, 371-IP, 341-K, 159-BB, 3.32, 1.38) and I can’t see why an invite wouldn’t be proper. Even his limited 2012 numbers in the Yankees system were good: 10-G, 9.1-IP, 3-ER, 10-K, 3-BB, 2.89. He’s only going to be 36-years old. Aaron Lafey? Come on.

Playoffs – RF – Jordany Valdespin - Leones del Escogido – 3-4, 2-R, 2-2B, 2-RBI, 1-BB, .667 – No one has ever said that Valdespin wasn’t talented. Let me take that another step: no one has ever said that Valdespin doesn’t rise to the occasion. Normal baseball games put this guy asleep, but ask him to step up and win you an important game, and you have a good chance that it will be accomplished. Is this because he’s such a great guy and team player? Hell no. This is our Manny. This is our Melky. But, you might want to go to Baseball Cube and check the stats on the two guys I just mentioned before you throw him out of the 2013 outfield. Whether we like it or not, ‘Spin’ is going to play a very important role next season, probably in LF or possibly in center. Get used to it and the baggage that comes along with it.

Ken Davidoff of The New York Post reported that the New York Mets have expressed interest in Oakland Athletics outfielder Coco Crisp.

                We just covered Oakland and these were my thoughts:

we now move on to the Oakland Athletics who currently have eight (8) outfielders on their 40-man squad:

                                   Yoenis Cespedes – righty – $10.5mil thru 2015 – MLB, 487-AB, .292, 23-82

                                  Coco Crisp – switch – $7mil for 2013 – FA-2014 – MLB:  455-AB, .259

                                   Grant Green – righty –   AAA: 524-AB, .296, 15-HR, 75-RBI

                                    Shane Peterson – lefty – pre-ARB  -   AAA:  .389

                             Josh Reddick – lefty –   ARB-1/2014 -  MLB:  611-AB, 32-HR, 85-RBI, .242, RF

                                  Seth Smith – lefty –  ARB-2 -  MLB:  383-AB, .240, 14-HR, 52-RBI

                            Michael Taylor – righty –   pre-ARB -  MLB: 21-AB, AAA:  12-HR, 67-RBI, .287

                                    Chris Young – righty - $8.7mil through 2013 – FA-2014 – CF –

Free agent losses this off-season include Jonny Gomes Boston) and Collin Cowgill (Mets). Obviously, if someone was available who was more talented than Cowgill, he probably would have already been traded, but this is a team in transition.

2013 looks set with Cespedes, Reddick, Young, and Crisp. Their problem is Crisp  is in the last year of his contract and Young’s deal is just for 2013.

Green, Peterson, and Taylor seem all ready to make the next step.

Mets target:  Grant Green -  Green has made the conversion from SS to CF… right behind him in the system is top prospect Michael Choice. Taylor projects out as either a DH or 1Bman. If I can’t get Green, I pass on both Crisp and Young.

                I’m dreaming when it comes to Green and, at this point, I’d be thrilled to have Crisp for even only one year.

Jon Heyman of CBS said that the Mets were “scouring” the relief market with “plenty of good option still out there”. Here’s a reprint of who is “still out there”:

                RHP Jeremy Accardo -    31-yrs old  -  .350 BABIP, 3.92 FIP, 18.4% K/PA, 10.5% BB/PA

RHP Scott Atchison  -  36-yrs old  -  .272 BABIP, 2.67 FIP, 18.0% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA

RHP Miguel Batista – 42-yrs old  -  .222 BABIP, 5.63 FIP, 8.3% K/PA, 8.3% BB/PA, 1.16 WHIP

RHP Matt Capps – 29-yrs old  -  .250 BABIP, 4.44 FIP, 15.0% K/PA, 3.3% BB/PA, 1.09 WHIP

RHP Todd Coffey – 32-yrs old -  .314 BABIP, 3.64 FIP, 21.7% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.34 WHIP

RHP Jose Contreras – 40-yrs old - .343 BABIP, 2.76 FIP, 26.8% K/PA, 5.4% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP

RHP Francisco Cordero – 37-yrs old - .579 BABIP, 9.33 FIP, 15.6% K/PA, 12.5% BB/PA, 1.80 WHIP

RHP Juan Cruz – 34-yrs old -  .364 BABIP, 4.22 FIP, 20.4% K/PA, 11.7% BB/PA, 1.62

RHP Chad Durbin – 35-yrs old - .262 BABIP, 4.82 FIP, 19.1% K/PA, 10.9% BB/PA, 1.31 WHIP

RHP Kyle Farnsworth – 36-yrs old - .284 BABIP, 3.34 FIP, 20.8% K/PA, 11.7% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP

LHP Pedro Feliciano -  - did not pitch MLB in 2011 and 2012

RHP Jason Frasor – 35-yrs old - .346 BABIP, 4.05 FIP, 27.7% K/PA, 11.5% BB/PA, 1.46

LHP Mike Gonzalez – 34-yr old - .322 BABIP, 3.02 FIP, 25.8% K/PA, 10.6% BB/PA, 1.31

RHP Kevin Gregg  - 34-yrs old - .339 BABIP, 4.99 FIP, 18.5% K/PA, 12.0% BB/PA, 1.67 WHIP

RHP LaTroy Hawkins – 39-yrs old - .301 BABIP, 4.42 FIP, 12.9% K/PA, 7.3% BB/PA, 1.38 WHIP

RHP Livan Hernandez – 37-yrs old - .324 BABIP, 5.85 FIP, 18.6% K/PA, 5.1% BB/PA, 1.43 WHIP

RHP J.P. Howell – 29-yrs old - .258 BABIP, 4.73 FIP, 20.7% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.21 WHIP

RHPP Jason Isringhausen – 39-yrs old - .276 BABIP, 4.93 FIP, 15.7% K/PA, 9.6% BB/PA, 1.37 WHIP

RHP Matt Lindstrom – 32-yrs old - .312 BABIP, 2.10 FIP, 22.2% K/PA, 4.4% BB/PA, 1.12 WHIP

RHP Mark Lowe – 29-yrs old - .265 BABIP, 4.26 FIP, 17.3% K/PA, 8.0% BB/PA, 1.22 WHIP

RHP Brandon Lyon – 33-yrs old - .337 BABIP, 3.35 FIP, 22.7% K/PA, 7.1% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP

RHP Kyle McClellan – 28-yrs old - .237 BABIP, 5.11 FIP, 13.3% K/PA, 10.8% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP

RHP Guillermo Mota – 39-yrs old - .396 BABIP, 4.14 FIP, 26.4% K/PA, 8.8% BB/PA, 1.54 WHIP

RHP Peter Moylan – 34-yrs old - .133 BABIP, 6.13 FIP, 9.5% K/PA, 9.5% BB/PA, 1.00 WHIP

RHP Brett Myers – 32-yrs old - .316 BABIP,, 4.30 FIP, 14.9% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP

LHP Will Ohman – 35-yrs old - .207 BABIP, 6.23 FIP, 11.6% K/PA, 4.5% BB/PA, 1.04 WHIP

RHP Vicente Padilla  - 35-yrs old - .372 BABIP, 3.90 FIP, 23.4% K/PA, 6.9% BB/PA, 1.46 WHIP

LHP Manny Parra – 30-yrs old - .351 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 22.3% K/PA, 12.8% BB/PA, 1.65 WHIP

RHP Brad Penny – 34-yrs old - .358 BABIP, 5.34 FIP, 7.5% K/PA, 6.8% BB/PA, 1.82 WHIP

LHP Rafael Perez – 30-yrs old - .190 BABIP, 5.26 FIP, 12.9% K/PA, 12.9% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP

RHP Chad Qualls – 34-yrs old - .292 BABIP, 2.69 FIP, 10.3% K/PA, 3.4% BB/PA, 1.17 WHIP

RHP Ramon Ramirez – 31-yrs old - .305 BABIP, 3.96 FIP, 18.8% K/PA, 12.6% BB/PA, 1.46 WHIP

RHP Jon Rauch – 34-yrs old - .232 BABIP, 3.93 FIP, 18.0% K/PA,  5.2% BB/PA, 0.98 WHIP

RHP Francisco Rodriguez – 29-yrs old - .302 BABIP, 3.86 FIP, 23.6% K/PA, 10.2% BB/PA, 1.33 WHIP

LHP J.C. Romero – 36-yrs old - .353 BABIP, 6.54 FIP, 4.8% K/PA, 4.8% BB/PA, 2.00 WHIP

RHP Takashi Saito- 42-yrs old - .351 BABIP, 7.13 FIP, 18.3% K/PA, 8.3% BB/PA, 1.83 WHIP

RHP Rafael Soriano – 33-yrs old - .282 BABIP, 3.27 FIP, 24.7% K/PA, 8.6$ BB/PA, 1.16 WHIP

RHP Hisanori Takahashi – 37-yrs old - .292 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 23.7% K/PA, 5.8% BB/PA, 1.68 WHIP

RHP Jose Valverde – 33-yrs old - .276 BABIP, 3.57 FIP, 16.3% K/PA, 9.2% BB/PA, 1.24 WHIP

RHP Kyle Waldrop – 27-yrs old - .333 BABIP, 4.87 FIP, 7.4% K/PA, 6.4% BB/PA, 1.54 WHIP

RHP Brian Wilson – 30-yrs old – only 2 games in 2012 – TJS surgery

RHP Jamey Wright – 37-yrs old - .340 BABIP, 3.42 FIP, 17.6% K/PA, 9.8% BB/PA, 1.50 WHIP