2/19/14

Mack’s Morning Report – 2-19-14 – Luis Tirado Jr., Marcos Molina, Dana Eveland, Noah Syndergaard, Shortstop




A reminder… Friday is the last day we will accept comments using the name ‘anonymous’. Please plan on registering under your name or handle. We hope you remain a part of the Mack’s Mets family.


Coming later today on Mack’s Mets –

            10am – Christopher Soto – Mack’s Mets Prospect #14 – 2B Dilson Herrera

            12 noon -  Reese Kaplan - Know When To Fold 'Em

            2 pm -  D Whit – Ryan To Fregosi Revisted

            5 pm – Mack’s  Jan-Feb 2014 Compilation Mock Draft

            8 pm - Luis Ortiz, Justus Sheffield, Marcus Wilson, Tim Susnara

           11 pm - A Quick Look - RHP - Mitch Hart - Granite Bay (CA) HS


I’m thrilled to announce that one of Mack’s Mets writers, Luis Tirado Jr., has been signed by Rant and GiantGab.com to write New York Jets and Giants stories. He also redesigned his own site (http://thenyexpress.com/ ) which, up until yesterday, linked Mets posts in a exclusive agreement with Mack’s Mets. 

 Luis has now decided to branch out and test the waters on his own and we wish him well as we did all other graduates of MM’s. His plans are to continue writing his Mets posts for Mack's Mets, which makes us very happy.



Baseball Prospectus has issued their top 10 Mets prospects and at #10 is RHP Marcos Molina… 2013: GCL Mets – 4-3, 4.39, 53.1-IP, 43-K, 25-years old… before that, Baseball cube has him pitching in the Cincy chain in 2009, but that must be wrong… this ‘kid’ signed with the Mets in 2013 for a $100K bonus as part of the International signing program (2-18-13). Someone help me out here - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22838



The addition of Dana Eveland brings my list of relief pitchers that potentially will be assigned to Las Vegas at 16… Jeff Walters, Adam Kolarek, Chason Bradford, John Church, Jack Leathersich, Chase Huchington, Daniel Herrera,  Joel Carreno, Daryl Thompson, Miquel Socolovich, Ryan Fraser, Jon Velasquez, Ryan Reid, Kyle Farnsworth, Jose Valverde, and  Eveland        



Evert Spring Training camp has their surprises. We’ve talked many times of that first visit by R.A. Dickey. Well, this week it was Noah Syndergaard that turned the compound upside down. Every member of the brass was taken back by the sheer talent of this kid and you can just hear the wheels turning in Sandy Alderson’s head regarding just what to do with him. These were obviously the most important 40 pitches Thor has ever thrown.

There are people in baseball that feel he does need a little more time to develop a third effective pitch (curve), while others feel what he has now is enough (electric fastball, changeup) to make him dominant. My vote would be on the conservative side in a questionable year at best.

2014 is not going to a perfect season. There are still holes on this team, the biggest being the eventual power rotation they should have in 2015. Let him work on that third  pitch, while, at the same time, being held to five innings a game. We’re not going to see more than 150-155 inning out of him this year anyway and, frankly, this year’s version of the Mets is really not going anywhere, are they?

No, start him off in Vegas with Rafael Montero, Jacob deGrom, and probably, Jenrry Mejia. Let TC have another one of his ‘old fart moments’ before even he realizes that it’s time for this team to progress on the mound to what has the potential of being one of the top five rotations in the game… err… business.



Well, let the shortstop battle begin. Someone put a microphone in front of Wilmer Flores and he said he has no problem playing short. Of course, you may get another opinion from the thousands of people in Savannah that watched him try to play that position for the Sand Gnats. I will tell you this… you are going to love the ‘new look’ Flores. This is the slimmed down, no baby fat version and, if his ankles have been properly healed… and he keeps that arm strength he is famous for… the Mets may have a tough time keeping him out of the lineup. One thing he isn’t is a candidate for the leadoff spot, which Ruben Tejada could be in a pinch.

My opinion on this is I don’t think there are many people in the Tejada camp right now and, if Flores starts out blazing in spring training (and doesn’t kick the ball around), you might see him playing there on opening day.

18 comments:

Craig Brown said...

Morning Mack

From what i've read Molina is 18, the 25 year old must be a different Marcos Molina.

In the BP write up on Molina it stated that a rival scout said he would be a first round pick in the June draft...

Crazy to put him in the top ten though, No other list i've read even mentioned him.

tommyb said...

Regarding Flores' increased ability to play SS, I may have left this comment once - the value of higher level training in performance. I used to run until the knees strongly disagreed with that use of time.

When I trained 15-20 miles a week, I was able to run a 40:15 10K. Then I upped training, and trained 30 miles per week (running fast - did not have time for 50 miles per week) for my one and only NY Marathon, and ran a 10K a month later at 37:28, a far better time than my previous best. So more intense training can lead to real tangible improvement.

Hopefully, we will see similar improvement from Flores, in his case in his quickness and range, allowing him (and his excellent bat) to be an everyday SS for the NY Mets - if of course Drew does not show up.

TP said...

Mack,
If Wilmer could even competently field the SS position that would dramatically change this team.

Mack Ade said...

TP - Well, the first game is a week from Friday...

Mack Ade said...

Craig -

I think the Molina listing is just a mistake... we'll see i there is a change in a couple of weeks.

Michi L. said...

Iam so excited about seeing Flores play at ss

Mack Ade said...

Tommy -

I understand your lesson about speed, but Flores' main problem was executing the par when he catches the ball and two steps while throwing to first. He simply couldn't pull it off fast enough to throw the runner out. All of that process is because of lack of foot speed and grace which I'm not sure can be taught.

If you're a bad dancer, you're a bad dancer.

Mack Ade said...

Michi -

Don't get too excited yet... just be happy he will get a chance to crack the starting lineup by playing somewhere

Mack Ade said...

Michi -

And thank you for "joining" the site and elliminating your posting under the 'anonymous' handle

Michi L. said...

Mack I think you right I shouldnt get to excited. But Iam sick with Quint. and Tejada at SS because we just need his bat!!

Reese Kaplan said...

Maybe the whole Tejada vs. Flores issue should be treated as a math problem:

Runs produced minus runs allowed

Methinks Tejada loses in that competition.

David L. Whitman said...

You almost think if TC had his way both Dice K and Lannan would be in the starting rotation, with that young whippasnappa Wheeler getting more seasoning down on the farm. Thank god Baxter is gone or TC would find some way of tossing him into the OF mix. I'd rather lose with youth than be mediocre with experience.

Reese Kaplan said...

Amen to that, Brother!

Unfortunately not only did they extend the contract of the losing manager, they seem to give him free reign to play his veteran mediocrities ad nauseum. Anyone remember Rick Ankiel, for example? Hell, I'd have even taken more Cowgill.

Anonymous said...

Mack,

Did some looking and there are 2 Marcos Molina's in baseball at the moment.

One who is 25 and pitched in the Cincy organization. He is now retired.

The other Molina, who is our international signing, is 19. Not sure what BP saw in him, but his output so far in the DSL and the GCL are unexciting

Mack Ade said...

Chris -

Yeah, Baseball Cube has the stats all screwed up -

Toby Hyde did a good analysis on him today

Craig Brown said...

@ Mack and Chris

Jason Parks really puts alot of stock into "upside"

Apparently he had 6 or 7 scouts give him strong reports on Molina, and it was enough for him to include him in his top ten.

This is a good thing, The "prospect gurus" that weren't paying attention to Molina will be now--and he will begin to shoot up the rankings, just like Rosario did when BA named him the best player in the APPY league last year.

Unknown said...

Thank you for all your incredible words Mack, I truly appreciate them! I'll never forget the opportunity you've given to me when I first broke onto the scene and it's because of you it guided me into my future career! :-)

Mack Ade said...

as I said on Facebook, Luis...

we'll all be working for you someday...