2/27/13

2-27-13 – Wilmer Flores, Some Projected Player Placements, Brandon Nimmo, Tuesday High/Low lights




Hey Mack, how you been feeling? I've been thinking about this since Wilmer Flores has started off so well! With so much inter-league a DH will be needed plus giving David-Ike-Murph time off, there will be plenty of at-bats for him. Maybe he can be on the same plane as Wheeler and D'Arnaud? – Steve Wilson

Hey Steve. Other than feeling old every morning, I’m doing well lately (where’s your son going to play our favorite sport once it heats up?).

The thing everyone has to remember about spring training… most the hits made by minor leaguers after the 5th inning are off of minor league pitchers from other organizations.

Regarding Flores, the first thing he has to do this year is find himself a position. His execution on two double plays Monday night is a good start. He will never qualify as a good utility candidate because he was marginal at third and really sucked at short. No, it’s his bat that will get him to the majors and it would have to be at second base.

I think he will eat up the lack of air in Las Vegas. Look for a minimum of 15-HRs by the halfway point of the season and I wouldn’t be surprised he isn’t part of a package to an American League team for an outfielder.



I did some snooping around and there are some names that I’m pretty confident of leaking out at this point. It looks like Las Vegas will be a very talented team. Some names already assigned are: SPs Zack Wheeler and Jenrry Mejia (Mejia could stay north if Santana isn’t ready), RPs Brad Holt, Craig Hansen, Ryan Fraser, and Armando Rodriguez, 1B Josh Satin, 2B Wilmer Flores, 3B Zach Lutz, C Travis d’Arnaud, and OF Matt den Dekker. Look for SPs Rafael Montero and Cory Mazzoni and CF Cory Vaughn in Binghamton… four members of the St. Lucie rotation will be Noah Syndergaard, Michael Fulmer, Domingo Tapia, and Hansel Robles… and OF Brandon Nimmo will head to Savannah.





"It turned out well. I trimmed fat, got rid of some body fat. I'm around the same weight as last year, around 185, but I'm a lot stronger. I was working on mobility. It was a really productive off-season. I went there and worked with a great group of guys in professional baseball. We pushed each other. It was all about getting more flexible and stronger. I can't have my back and legs getting tired. I worked a lot on my legs. We did dead lifts and one leg split squats. I wanted to train this year with that mindset. And my legs are a lot stronger. The Mets told me after instructional league that they were happy with my progress. My focus this spring is to be healthy and to just make sure I'm ready. I trust the Mets. I feel good about everything. And I'm going to have fun and let it play out."

It sounds like Nimmo is ready to play for a full season club. I can’t get anyone to confirm it; however, five or six people I know feel Nimmo will come here to Savannah. We’re just going to have to wait and see.

I'm very excited to possibly have the opportunity to watch him this season.



Tuesday high/low lights –

                       This is not much of a team out on the field for this game.

P Jenrry Mejia did a lot Tuesday to prove he needs to spend some more time in Las Vegas. In his defense, I’m not sure it was a wise decision to pitch him almost right off the plane. Please… Dads and coaches out there… if you want to completely ruin a great arm do what Jerry Manuel did to this loyal kid.

There aren’t many times that minor league players come out of nowhere and win a major league job, and we might be witnessing this with P Cory Mazzoni. There doesn’t seem to be any hesitation in using him this spring and, so far, he’s close to perfect. We all know he’s a starter, but are we witnessing a member of the 2013 Queens pen in the making?

P Hansel Robles is another one that’s getting an awful lot of mound time early this ST. I understand he will jump from Brooklyn to St. Lucie this season, but it almost seems like he’s in a major league pen groove right now. Weird. Then, things started to unravel when he gave up a home run to Giancarlo Stanton. Two batters later, Matt Downs went yard. I don’t have Robles on my possible pen list and I’m keeping him off it. He’s just not ready.

Nice eighth inning, featuring key singles by Josh Satin and Wilfredo Tovar and a sacrifice fly by Travis d’Arnaud, his first Met RBI. 

8 comments:

Charles said...

From the way the Mets speak about Flores, I really think they want him to be part if this team's renaissance moving forward. If he just plays adequately at second, I think he's the future second baseman.

Mack Ade said...

I hope you are right. I've not seen this kind of potential power from a Mets 2Bman since Jeff Kent

Justin M. said...

Hopefully Murph can put together a good first half and be good trade bait. Flores slides into the 2B slot. He's looked really good this spring.

Mack Ade said...

the more you read about Flores, the more you will see Murphy hit

Charles said...

Either way, Sandy loves power bats and cost controlled players. That's Flores and Murphy has started arbitration already. With Flores' upside, there's little doubt his bat might prove superior to Murphy.

So Murphy, who isn't a slouch with the bat himself, might easily find himself as one of the best bench players in the league by July or traded for yet another prospect that'll add to the Mets' growing stable of young players. Either way, the emergence of Wilmer Flores only makes this team better.

Michael S. said...

Too bad Wilmer can't play the OF.

I see Mazzoni as a future member of this bullpen, if he starts pin 2013 and he's ready, then so be it. Parnell, Edgin, Mazzoni, and Gorski all look like the future of the pen. Everyone else can fight for the last couple of slots or get moved in trades.

Mack Ade said...

watching today, too bad Marlon Byrd can't play the outfield :)

Mazzoni is one of the few pitchers that have impressed so far this spring... I think you're right about the pen, or maybe trade bait

miss your posting, Michael

Michael S. said...

I'll put something together on the state of the pitching in the organization since that seems to be the focus.

I'll also work on fixing the OF, although it will be a bit more pie-in-the-sky.