Mark Mokris - Q and A - Projected AAA/AA Rosters

Mark Mokris asked -

Hello Mack,   I hope is all is well with you and your family.  With Adam Rubin reporting that it's possible that all three of Andrew Brown, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Matt den Dekker may be ticketed to AAA that leads to my question. Exactly how is that going to work?  There also has been rumblings that Lagares will be shipped to Las Vegas if he is not starting so he can get steady at bats.  So let's look at potential outfielders for Vegas:

1.  Juan Lagares (CF but can play all positions)

2.  Matt den Dekker (CF)

3.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis (CF)

4. Cesar Puello (CF and RF)

5.  Dustin Lawley (LF, 3b)

6.  Eric Campbell (LF, corner infielder)

7.  Cory Vaughn (RF)

8.  Andrew Brown (RF or LF)

9.  Darrell Cecilliani (LF, CF)

10. Travis Taijeron (LF, RF)

Whoever doesn't make it here gets potentially bumped to AA which just causes issues there.

Mack – Hey Mark. It’s good to hear from you. I hope the new project you talked about last time ‘we talked’ is progressing better than figuring out the 25-man squads of these teams.

Let’s first talk outfield and, all we can do, is discuss the players in the organization now. I don’t expect any additional outfielders added to the mix, but you never know.

Queens – We know that Curtis Granderson, Eric Young Jr. and Chris Young will be three of the outfielders in Flushing. Juan Lagares will survive all this media-drama and could wind up starting more games than either of the Youngs. And Rubin may be reporting that ‘it is possible’ that Brown, Kirk, and DC will play AAA, but, in my world, ‘possible’ is far off from ‘probable. I see the Mets going early with the hottest bats, which will create a late inning need for a defensive specialist like den Dekker.

(minor league teams usually operate with five outfielders, one of which tends to be a multi-positional guy like Eric Campbell, who plays in both the infield and outfield. They also float in and out of the 7-day DL)

I pick the AAA and AA outfielders on sheet talent, tools and major league projection.

Las Vegas – Cesar Puello is a no-brainer here.

                Eric Campbell will once again be the AAAA IF/1B/OF utility player

Inviting Cory Vaughn and Dustin Lawley to the Big Boy camp tells me their days in Binghamton are over.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Andrew Brown will be the 4^th outfielder coming off the bench.     The other will play for Binghamton.

 Binghamton -

Travis Taijerson and Darrell Cecilliani are going to have to wait their turn and play the B-Mets again in 2014.

                                Kyle Johnson and Gilbert Gomez will move up from St. Lucie.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Andrew Brown will be the 4th outfielder coming off the bench.    The other will play for Las Vegas.

Released Prior To Opening Day –

              Alonzo Harris

              Joe Bonfe

First base with all of the minor league free agent signings is no better:

1. Lucas Duda (assuming Mets stash him in AAA)

2. Allen Dykstra (the kid has nothing left to prove at AA)

3. Zach Lutz

3. Eric Campbell

4. Brandon Allen

5. Matt Clark

6. Chris Garcia

                Mack -  As of today:

                                Queens –

                                                Ike Davis is the left handed platooned first baseman

                                                Josh Satin is the right hand hitting platooned first baseman

                                Las Vegas –

                                                Lucas Duda is the left hand hitting first baseman

                                                Alan Dykstra is the right hand hitting first baseman

                                                Eric Campbell is the overall IF/OF/1B utility player

                                Binghamton –

                                                Jayce Boyd and Aderlin Rodriquez will split time at first base

                                                Chris Garcia will split time with Cole Frenzel in St. Lucie.

                                Released before Opening Day –

                                                Brandon Allen,  Matt Clark

Add to that the congestion at third base:

1. Zach Lutz

2. Anthony Seratelli

3. Brian Burgamy

4. Jairo Perez

5. Eric Campbell

6. Dustin Lawley

                Mack – As of today:

                                Queens –

                                                David Wright is your starter.

It looks like Anthony Seratelli will be one of the infield utility players. He specializes in third base.

                                                Josh Satin started as both a second and third baseman.

                                Las Vegas –

Zach Lutz is the current starting third baseman; however, he could be pushed out the door this spring by Jairo Perez. It’s too close to call right now. Lutz is AAAA at best… Perez has tools.

Eric Campbell fills in as the backup third baseman.

Dustin Lawley would be the emergency third baseman. He’s a full time outfielder now.

                                Binghamton –

                                                Robbie Shields will be the starter for the B-Mets

Right now, Binghamton doesn’t have a utility infielder on their roster, so Brian Burgamy could fit in nice here.

                               

With Danny Muno the presumptive starter at second and Wilfredo Tovar at shortstop all of a sudden it makes one wonder where Wilmer Flores will be getting his playing time.  I am sure he would start at either second or third over the other options but when you then look at the huge logjam of starting pitchers in AAA I think something needs to give at Las Vegas.  What's your best guess at how things shake out in Vegas? 

                Mack – Well, I broke out the outfield, 3B, and 1B above.

I have Wilmer Flores… right now… and I change on this daily… making the Queens job as the 4^th infielder/DH. I think the Mets can showcase him for a future trade best in that role (I see David Wright slowing down a little amd there is a good chance that Flores starts the season at short).

My Vegas middle infielders would then be Muno at second, Tovar at short, Rylan Sandoval as utility and probably Quintanilla cut because Perez is around.

There should be some interesting calls.  Do you stash more major league ready players at AAA like Brown, Lutz or challenge players like Puello and Lawley?  To me there are too many players for too few positions.  The legitimate prospects need their at bats and as presently constituted I don't see it happening.  If Lagares ends up at AAA then don't the majority of at bats have to go to Lagares in center, Lawley in left, and Puello in right?  I don't see how you can take necessary at bats away from them to further develop Captain Kirk or Matt D.  I just don't see any rhyme or reason to the over flow of players potentially ticketed for Las Vegas. 

Mack – I don’t want to get into individual players that I think have reached their peak. A lot of these guys read MMs and those out there that know they are running out of options have to turn up their game or suffer the consequences.

For me, it’s time for the Mets to stop respecting the age and longevity of the players in the system and go with the projected talent. A perfect example of this would be the Vegas outfield of Lawley, Vaughn, and Puello. These, IMO, are the guys that have the potential to play this game full time at the major league level.

Thanks.