Mack Ade – Sunday Organizational Review – Positional

Mack Ade – Sunday Organizational Review – Positional

I like to look around the organization and try and predict what the next steps will be in the Mets organization. It’s Sunday, my coffee is hot, Fareed Zakaria is on CNN, so here goes.

1B    -               First up, let’s get first base straightened out.  We need to get Ike Davis back in Queens and working out his hitting problems while on the major league team. Hitting home runs in Las Vegas is something my granddaughter can do. Marketing him as a first baseman and Lucas Duda as someone that can play two positions can only create offers for one, or both of them down the road. Eric Campbell will hold down the fort until Josh Satin comes back and Alan Dykstra is long overdue to be promoted from AA. Jayce Boyd is quickly making us all forget about Aderlin Rodriguez, but the prospect plum is Dominic Smith who is currently playing GCL and ETA’s around OD 2017. First base is in wonderful shape long term, but frankly, way up in the air for tomorrow night. I know Duda iis on the DL right now and Zach Lutz has been called up to hold down the fort (interesting choice), but this is Davis' position to lose, only to Duda.

2B    -               Everybody in the organization is thrilled with the progress that Daniel Murphy has made at this position, but more important, he has become a core member of the inner circle of this team. Murphy represents everything this team currently means and to deal him off would be tragic. Now, we have to get a return for Wilmer Flores. He’ll never be the perfect second baseman but there will be some team out there that wants his 21-year old bat. If not, he’s young enough to keep around in Vegas for another year as insurance in case Murphy went down with an injury. Danny Muno, TJ Rivera, Chad Zurcher, and LJ Mazzilli offer nice filler, but your next true prospect here would be 17-yr. old German Rosario, who remains in extended camp. The former $1.75mil bonus baby ETA’s around 2018.

SS     -               Here’s a problem. Omar Quintanilla is filling in nicely while Ruben Tejada is on the mend; however, Tejada isn’t working out. Worse than this, the closest thing the organization has to a prospect here is Gavin Cecchini, who is at least three years away (if he starts to show why he was drafted this high). Next up would be 17-year old Amed Rosario, currently playing at Kingsport.

3B    -               First up is David Wright for the rest of this decade. The insurance policy is Daniel Murphy, and Zach Lutz down in Vegas. Past that, Kingsport’s 19-year old Pedro Perez is your next ‘blue’ prospect, with a 2017-2018 ETA. We’re more than fine here.

C      -               We continue to await Travis d-Arnaud, who is turning 25-years old next year. I’m going to continue to assume this was a good deal, but we do need a back-up plan here once John Buck is gone. My guess right now is d’Arnaud and Frankie Pena will be the 2014 backstop, with Juan Centeno and Blake Forsythe in Las Vegas. Kevin Plawecki was just moved to St. Lucie and does have an outside chance of finishing this year at AA. He’s very mature both on and off the field and hs a true ETA of OD 2015. Lastly, Kingsport’s Adrian Abreu and GCL’s Jose Garcia are true ‘blue’ prospects. This position is looking very deep organizationally.

OF – Lots of ‘almosts’ here. There are a bunch of guys who have a lot of talent here, but they also have holes in their game that may never be fixed. Everybody has been waiting for Matt den Dekker to return so he can be projected again as Flushing’s future defensive star that will hit .225. Well, we already have that now in Juan Lagares. I think we have a few shots here for every day stardom. Cesar Puello may be for real and we will find out, probably next year. Brandon Nimmo is probably for real, but we have to wait until 2016 to find out. Highest ‘ceiling’ projections go out to two Latin kids currently playing for Kingsport, 19-yr.old Wuilmer Becerra (part of d’Arnaud deal) and 20-yr. old Vincente Lupo (2012, DSL: .343). I’d also keep an eye on Broooklyn’ Jared King, K-Port’s Ivan Wilson, and St. Lucie’s Dustin Lawley (14-HRs).