Sure must be nice for the St. Louis Cardinals to see some immediate benefits being paid back from a recent draft pick. Way back in....... 2012, Michael Wacha was drafted number 19 overall. That's 7 spots AFTER the Mets drafted High School Shortstop Gavin Cecchini. How's that working out?
Ok, I certainly can't play Monday Morning Quarterback with baseball draft picks, but I will attempt to make a point here.
If my calculations are correct (I was always pretty good at Math), there were 6 high school players drafted before the Mets took Cecchini. Of those 6, well, all 6 played 2013 in at Least the A ball Full Season Level. Including one (Addison Russell of the Oakland A's) who got 13 at bats at AAA level. Yup, 19 years old, and he found himself playing in the PCL. You know, PCL, that league full of Mets ages 25 and over out there in Vegas.
Meanwhile, (way)down on the farm for the Mets, Gavin Cecchini was somewhere in Brooklin, playing out a 50 game season. (Yeah, guys had PED suspensions that lasted that long).
I guess I'm just wondering (out loud) just how much time the Wilpons are giving Sandy Alderson to build what he is supposed to be building here.
Us fans have all been told about the "plan". And all fans have been trying to patiently wait until 2014-2015 to see the plan come together. Because we all "love it when a plan comes together" (yes, an A-Team reference).
Not for nothin, but last time I checked, the 3 first round picks drafted in the Sander Alderson Era haven't even made it out of the Low A minors.
Maybe there is a 10 year plan that we all don't know about. Maybe the plan is for the Mets to SLOWLY accumlate (hopefully) higher ranking prospects to spread around the minor league system.
Maybe the plan is to continue to sign low cost veterans to 1-2 year contracts, and hope that some of the prospects pan out and take their place long term.
But, I guess, at this point, I'm just wondering why all the Mets prospects seem to take so long to get there. History has already proven, and continues to prove, that keeping young pitchers in the minors doesn't protect their arms when they get to the SHOW.
And as for the hitters, the Mets seem to have a development plan in which all players have to absolutely dominate every level before moving on to the next. This leaves players (not really 'prospects') like Allan Dykstra to be in AA ball at 26 years old, and Josh Satin to MAKE IT at age 28.
Maybe it's just me, but I'm kinda thinkin that teams around the league want the Mets young arms, mainly because they see more potential and a faster track to the majors then the team that currently has them.
Oh well, what do I know. I'm just a guy with a working laptop and WIFI connection.
I'm also a guy watching TV, and seeing kids named Wacha, Gray, and a 20 year old Jose Fernandez play in the majors. (Congrats to 2011 pick Brandon Nimmo for being the one Sandy Alderson first rounder in a full season A Ball league, even though he was drafted ahead of Jose Fernandez).
Mack’s Mets – the premier site for information on the New York Mets talent pipeline and dialogue on Mets prospects, Mets news, and Mets opinions.
Amen, brother! After players like Strawberry, Gooden, Reyes and Wright flourished at a young age, they they had ONE young pitcher -- Mejia -- who developed arm trouble when Jerry Manuel jerked him around and all of the sudden "prospects" must reach age 24 before they're deemed ready...
ReplyDeleteOf course, if they're offensive prospects, they'll at best bat 8th and get benched after their first 0-4 game under Professor Collins' watch.
The real reason, of course, is the Super Two status and the fact it might cost them more in arbitration a few years down the road. Memo to the Wilpons and Alderson -- if they are any good, they will help the team win and that means revenue. If they are not, then they won't get big increases anyway!
Great post. The pace at which we are moving players is beyond deliberate.
ReplyDeleteTotally on point with your analysis. Why do the Mets have so many players drafted out of college playing in A ball? At some point yo have to challenge players to show they are ML worthy, and why can't Noah Syndargarrd challenge for a spot in the rotation this spring? After watching Joe Kelly and Michale Wacca this post season Mets will have tough time justifying keeping Syndargarrd in LV
ReplyDeleteI never understood why the Mets operate this way. There is an occasional exception, but look at the 2013 Brooklyn outfield. Two of them should have at least played Savannah
ReplyDeleteKnowing the mets front office he would probably be in savanna most of the yr.
ReplyDeleteFor example 2014 i would put lj mazzilli st.lucie at 2nd base because he'll be 24 and put Herrea the player we got frm pit at ss at st.lucie just so he can get at bats. But knowing the mets they might put them at savannah.Also hopefully they put D Smith at savannha to start the season
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