Morning Report – 4-21-14 – 8.0-IP/0-R, Cesar Puello, Shortstop

1964 Astrodome

Coming Up –

        12 noon - Craig Mitchell -- Shea Stadium, 50 years of Memories.....

         2 pm –   Baseball America - College Top 100 Pitchers

           5pm -  Michael Cederoth, Kyle Schwarber, Chris Ellis, Cobi Johnson, Matt Imhof

          8pm –  OF - Luke Bonfield - Immaculata (NJ) HS



The game was won yesterday out of the pen. Six pitchers combined for eight scoreless innings that also included eight strikeouts. You can't ask for more than that and the right guys pitched at the right time. Carlos Torres was first used as your two-inning long man and he was followed by the new closer, Kyle Farnsworth. The absolute bonus was three gem innings (5-K) from the Dice man. 

If there is a down side here it would be the continued lack of pizzazz by Zack Wheeler, who isn't showing anything close to what Matt Harvey gave this team last year. Is he another Mike Pelfrey? It's too early to tell, but he's way overdue for a gem




Oh, one more thing, this one about Las Vegas...


It's nice to see that Bobby Abreu is producing so well out west. He's actually playing right field now rather than only holding down the DH spot. And I know that Cesar Puello hasn't put up the best numbers so far this season, but isn't the job of a minor league team to play and work with the future of your team, the prospects, rather than an old war horse at the end of his career?


Put Puello back in the day-to-day lineup and let him work his way to where he belongs, Queens.

We move on to shortstop in our organizational analysis. Below are the ‘early returns’ from April throughout the organization:

Queens wise, it looked early like Ruben Tejada (.184) was going to prove all the critics wrong, but he has now fell down to the Mendoza level he seems to be comfortable playing at. His backup, Omar Quintanilla (.308), is no long term solution here. This is a problem that seems to only be able to be solved by someone new.

First of all, the only chance you have of finding someone right now that can take over the job in Queens would be Wilmer Flores (.250), who is not learning how to play the position in Vegas, but learning how to play it better. His bat is coming around, which will just put more pressure on management to make the decision whether or not Flores will replace Tejada. I can’t seem to come up with a reason not to try it until the all-star break. That would give the Mets ample time to try and find someone long term. The worst thing that could happen here would be that Flores wins that long term job my the usage of his bat.

Anyway, Anthony Seratelli (.231) serves as Flores’ backup, as he does on other infield positions.

In Binghamton, Matt Reynolds (.383) goes back and forth with second base, though Wilfredo Tovar (.317) is considered the ‘starting’ shortstop on the team.

One of the biggest positive surprises this season was the return of Phillip Evans (.280). He’s finally producing the kind of numbers the Mets thought he was capable of doing when they paid him a sizable over slot bonus on draft day. Robbie Shields (.333) who currently is starting third baseman, doubles as the backup shortstop for St. Lucie.

Lastly, in Savannah, the prospect is Gavin Cecchini (.236), but Jeff McNeil (.320) who backs up here and plays more third base, is putting up the better numbers.

Summary:  Frankly, I don’t see anyone pushing anyone here. There probably will be a day that Flores is sent to Queens and the Mets will have to decide if Reynolds should be promoted to the shortstop position in Las Vegas. Both these guys are now being targeted at short, but I don’t see anybody in this breakout piece being a future long term Mets shortstop.

Long term, the best fielding shortstop in the system is Luis Guillorme, and the highest ceiling is Amed Rosario. Both these guys were left back in extended camp and are years away.

It’s no big secret, but let me say it again… the Mets are going to have to find their long term shortstop outside this organization, but, if you don’t mind, I’m going to rant a little about this again here.

Ruben Tejada is not being paid the same amount of money as Curtis Granderson so there’s no reason to keep this failed experiment going any longer. I’m not sure how Wilmer Flores would handle being given the job of the Mets shortstop, but they have nothing to lose right now to try it. The Mets are playing around .500 ball and that was without Chris Young in the lineup. The team needs bats and relief pitchers and the only way to find them is to start inserting who you have in the system that could help you.

I love the Ike Davis move. It was decisive and bold and speaks to the future, but this team needs players now. Bring up Flores, make Tejada your utility middle infielder, and send Omar Quintanilla to Las Vegas. It’s a better team. Don’t you want to have a better team?