10/28/14

The Morning Report – October 28 – Lucas Duda, Yusmeiro Petit, Winter Stats, First Mets Trade



Good morning.

There’s not much to write about this time of the year so you may see that The Morning Report thins out a little. We’ll do the best we can to find additional interesting baseball stuff to link to throughout the Hot Stove season.

Please consider sending me questions to: macksmets@gmail.com. 

The Mets did say that 1B Lucas Duda is thinking about traveling to Japan and joining the annual MLB all-star team that goes there in the off-season. This means one of two things… one, he’s starting to get some of that star recognition in the league, or two, they couldn’t find anyone else with a first baseman’s mitt.



The Mets feel-good story from this year’s World Series continues to be relief pitcher and ex-Met Yusmeiro Petit. We’ve got multiple stories on him to check out:


The importance here is how valuable he has been to the Giants. Joel Sherman said he was the second most valuable next to Madison Bumgarner. That’s pretty valuable.

Don’t get me wrong… I loved the deal that got the Mets Carlos Delgado and middle-prospects like Petit was at the time was supposed to produce trades like this, but all this strengthens my point on the value of your bullpen, regardless how talented your rotation is.

Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia, the return of Bobby Parnell, and yes… Rafael Montero

These four would head up my power 2015 bullpen.



I checked out the winter stats through Sunday morning and noticed that OF Cesar Puello only has three at bats so far Toros del Ester in the Dominican Winter League. Why can’t this guy find anyone that will put him back in a starting lineup?

Both 1B Brandon Allen (Caribes de Anzoategui, VWL, 4-HR, 1.134-OPS) and SS Matt Reynolds (Scottsdale – AWL – 3-HR, 1.053-OBP) continue to impress at the plate. Allen, who is only 28, might be the guy the Mets should consider keeping on in Las Vegas as an emergency replacement in case Duda went down next season with some kind of injury.

Remember… the Mets still have a few options for 1B at Las Vegas next season… Allen, Allan Dykstra, and Jayce Boyd. My guess is Allen and Boyd will split time.



One thing else about the minor league rosters. Usually by this time of the off-season the Mets have purged around 10-15 under-producing players. That hasn’t happened so far this season.

The rosters are bloated. Take relief pitching alone where there are 51 players ‘on the board’ projected for full season teams come April.

Here… play a game:

Pick team (Vegas, B-Mets, St. Lucie, Savannah) these pitchers start the season off with, which ones stay back in camp, and which ones are cut before the season starts:

Adam Kolarek, Seth Lugo, Akeel Morris, Juan Urbina, Ryne Reid,           Jake Kuebler , Gaither Bumgardner, Gabriel Feliz, Randy Fontanez , Julian Hilario, Mike Hepple, Josh Prevost, Paul Seward, , Beck Wheeler, Cameron Griffin, Derreck Benard, Chase Huchingson, Robert Coles, Jose Celas, Brad Wieck, Cody Satterwhite, TJ Chism, Brent McGinn, Edioglis Villasmil, Jon Velazquez, Tim Peterson, Ruben Reyes, Bryce Beeler, Hansel Robles, Ryan Fraser, Ramon Estevez, David Roseboom, Zack Thornton, Angel Cuan, Alex Panteliotis, Matt Blackham, Chase Bradford, Shane Bay, John Mincon, Craig Missigman, Jack Leathersich, Paul Paez, Kelly Secrest, John Church, Brett Mitchell, Alex Palsha, Miquel Socolovich, Flabio Ortega, Gonzalez Germen, Joel Carreno, Jeff Walters        

                           

Jason asked –
Hey Mack. Hope things are well. I’m curious who you think will be the first Mets traded once the season ends. I’ll hang up and listen… lol.

            Mack – Hey Jason… good question.

You know this is guest work since there is no way of knowing who is on the phone when…

I’d first whittle the teams down to Boston, the Dodgers, Arizona, and Colorado.

My assumption is the trade will be for a ‘major piece’ so the Mets are going to have to give up one as well.

If it was Bartolo Colon, he would have gone during the 2014 season.

Hernia operations take Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia off the table.

And past injuries mean that Dillon Gee and Jon Niese have lost some of their sizzle.

My guess…

P Rafael Montero.


9 comments:

Ernest Dove said...

I saw that matt reynolds I guess made the AFL version of an allstar game.......thoughts? (I assume one particular macks mets guy is EXTREMELY excited about it lol)

Mack Ade said...

So did Nimmo but Mazzilli was left off

Tom Brennan said...

I am so excited about Reynolds, I may celebrate with an extra donut this AM!

Hey, Mack - here's my bullpens for 2015, and the guys to go.

Out: Ryne Reid, TJ Chism, Alex Panteliotis, Angel Cuan, Brett Mitchell, Ryan Fraser, Flabio Ortega, Paul Paez, Jon Velazquez, John Mincon, Edioglis Villasmil, Craig Missigman, Ramon Estevez, Jose Celas, Derreck Benard, Brent McGinn

VEGAS: Joel Carreno, Miquel Socolovich, Jack Leathersich, Cody Satterwhite, Hansel Robles, Zack Thornton, Gonzalez Germen, Chase Bradford – My assumption, though, is Leathersich on Mets opening day.

BINGHAMTON: Adam Kolarek, Akeel Morris, Chase Huchingson, Paul Seward, John Church, Randy Fontanez , Jeff Walters

ST LUCIE: Tim Peterson, Brad Wieck, Robert Coles, Julian Hilario, Beck Wheeler, Seth Lugo, Jake Kuebler

SAVANNAH:, Shane Bay, Cameron Griffin, Josh Prevost, Mike Hepple, David Roseboom, Matt Blackham, Kelly Secrest

BROOKLYN: Alex Palsha, Juan Urbina, Ruben Reyes, Bryce Beeler, Gaither Bumgardner, Gabriel Feliz

Tom Brennan said...

Hey Ernest, who, in their last 187 at bats, has hit .352 with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, 38 runs scored and driven in, 11 of 12 steals, and .412 on base % and .525 slug %?

Why, none other than slugging, streaking Matt Reynolds in AAA and AFL since late July.

Mack Ade said...

Thomas -

thanks for taking the exercise

Tom Brennan said...

You're welcome, Mack. With all due respect to Allan and Allen, I would hate to see Boyd having to split time, as the more at bats he gets, the sooner he'll be truly major league ready (of course, his then getting an opportunity to play in the bigs will then be another story).

Mack Ade said...

Thomas -

I agree with you regarding Boyd, but the Mets just don't consistently operate that way. Future talent doesn't always trump experience, especially at the AAA level.

Reese Kaplan said...

So what you're saying is that the stamp of the former roving minor league instructor who's ruining players on a daily basis in Queens has been left to place mediocre veterans ahead of prospective youngsters in the lower levels, too?

Geez, I'm almost hoping they start off o-28 in April and they will finally fire Collins.

Mack Ade said...

Reese -

EVERY decision in the minor leagues passes through Queens first for its approval stamp, but I'm not sure if TC has anything to do with who plays first base in Las Vegas.

I'm sure Sandy and his VPs do, but I think Collins has enough on his plate.

All I'm saying is the Mets have no clear pattern when it comes to young talent. It's getting better. Herrera moved quick but Akeel Morris didn't... Alvarez finally got moving this past year... it's hit or miss.

(MOrris may be a bad example... he might have been held back in Savannah to develop as a closer)