Morning Report – September 6th – Rule 5, LA Dodgers, Dom Smith, Bobby Parnell

Rule 5 –

            Here are the 2014 Brooklyn Cyclones that are eligible for the Rule 5:

    Adrian Abreu, Alberto Baldonado, Shane Bay, Michael Bernal, Anthony Chavez, A.J. Pinera, Luis Rengel, Eddie Rohan, Juan Urbina, Edioglis Villasmil



We know that I have been blowing some rose colored smoke up everyone's arse lately, but take a look at the batting averages of both Wilmer Flores and Travis d'Arnaud after last night's game. Do we remember where these guys started from this year?

Also, the last time I looked, Flores was playing some pretty decent infield. Not Golden Glove material, but a level I'm sure he is proud of.

What I'm saying is we have here two potential .300+ hitters, both capable of producing 20+ home runs and 75+ RBIs over the length of the entire season.

I'm telling you... this team isn't far off.


On the flip side... I can't tell you how disappointed I have been in the starters down in the minor league playoffs. First Montero, then Matz and now Syndergaard. There is no excuse for untimely pitching under these playoff conditions. Stars reach down and find what it takes to separate them from the rest.

On the surface, I can't see how any of these three could start Queens next spring. Sure, promote Matz to Vegas, but keep Montero and Syndergaard there at least another half season to work on their game.

In the case of Montero, he just needs to learn how to mix up his four effective pitchers and 1) keep pounding while confusing the batter... Syndergaard's game simply needs more confidence with the changeup and accuracy with the fastball.

This is a horrible end to a great minor league season.

We have spent a considerable amount of time discussing the possibility of the Mets trading with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the services of their budding prospects, SS Corey Seager and CF Joc Pederson.

What we’ve spent very little time is on the desire of the Dodgers to trade with anyone, in general, and the Mets, in particular.

I will say this… the Dodgers seem to trying to play this game with an entire new set of rules. First, they sign up three established outfielders (Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford) to $387mil worth of contracts. Then, they sign one of the more exciting international prospects to come out of Cuba (Yasiel Puig) for $42mil more.

You now have $429mil spent on four baseball player to play three positions.

So who’s safe here?

Well, probably Kemp, who would be only one of two right hand hitting power bats (Puig) in the lineup if, as rumored, SS Hanley Ramirez, left via free agency (so much for trying to get Seager now).

Ethier looks to be the easiest one to be moved via a trade since he will only be owed $56mil (‘only’) following the 2014 season (that could rise by $175mil more if his 2017 PA’s rose above 550). My guess is the Dodgers would wind up paying at least half of this figure in any deal

The least attractive seems to be the 33-year old Crawford and is owed $62.5mil beyond the 2014 season. Crawford also can’t seem to stay healthy anymore and speaks volumes to why people by Sandy Alderson hates long term contracts.

As I said earlier, we have discussed the Dodgers outfield here many times, and no one seems to be unanimously wanted by the comment makes of Mack’s Mets. Even Pederson has his critics.

I think I’m going to move on here with the general feeling that the Dodgers will not be trade partners with the Mets in the off-season. Both prospects mentioned here today seem to have futures with this team on other positions. Seager is projected to eventually wind up on third base while Puig will force Pederson to one of the corner positons.

The Curtis Granderson fiasco reminds Alderson every day that the future of this team does not lie in lengthy, overpriced contracts. That is not how the Mets are going to operate in this decade (sorry, Reese).

Regarding the Dodgers… we need to move on.



Savannah Sand Gnats hitting coach Val Pascucci on first baseman Dominic Smith - 

    "I think he did well enough in spring training to show the front office, everybody, that he would be capable of playing here and having success. You always want to set up your younger guys for success. There was a little bit of a question mark when he first came (hitting .212 in April). We're going to have a big discrepancy in numbers and I think it's shown that over the course of the years when the Mets have been here. They're still young guys. They want to get the hits. They want to see the big numbers.

    He's learning to become an all-around hitter. The power stuff will come. Defensive-wise, he's great at first base. He catches everything and he makes the guys in the infield better."

     Mack - Smith played far past his lack of age and he looks like a damn good draft pick at this point in his career. I'm impressed. And, I don't look for any rush job here. As we have learned with guys like Juan Lagares, Jacob deGrom,  and Colin McHugh, not very success in the majors comes overnight.

There's a guy named Jayce Boyd between Smith and Lucas Duda. Boyd should take over first base in Las Vegas next year. He's already known for his bat so imagine how that is going to translate in the PCL

Mike Puma wrote a nice article about Mets closer Bobby Parnell - http://nypost.com/2014/09/04/remember-bobby-parnell-hes-fixing-to-get-his-job-back/  -

People forget Parnell’s stats before he went down with a herniated disc in his neck (been there): 5-5, 2.16-ERA, 22-saves in 26 chances.

I covered the Mets when Parnell was a starter and he still insisted to be called ‘Robert’ (see how well that worked with the beat reporters). He fought the conversion to the pen with all his power, but, once he gave up, he took the same energy to become the best he could be as a reliever.

He just spent some time working out with his old teammates for three days while they played the Marlins in Miami. I really think it’s cool that he spent the entire time sitting in the bullpen rather than in the dugout with old friends like David Wright.

No, the pen is now ‘his people’ and I’m sure he will do everything he can to win back the closer role as soon as the doctors clear him to pitch.

Will he be ready by opening day? My guess is he won’t be, but knowing how Terry Collins’ mind works, he will be returned to the closer role, as soon as he’s ready, regardless of what others do in his absents.

There is no right or wrong here. It’s just the Mets way.