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:

            http://nypost.com/2014/10/26/former-mets-farmhand-petit-unsung-hero-for-giants/

            https://sports.yahoo.com/news/hero-of-the-day--yusmeiro-petit-pitches-the-giants-back-into-the-world-series-061741264.html

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.