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12/13/14

The Morning Report – December 13 – Thursday’s Transactions



John Mayberry Jr. stats as Pinch Hitter: 112 AB, .302/.355/.545/.900, 7-HR, 21-RBI



LHRP Scott Rice returned to the Mets and signed a minor league designed to compete for the second out of the Mets pen in 2015.For now, that competition included recently signed Sean Gilmartin and AA pitcher Darin Gorski.

The Mets left town without signing a lefty reliever so there really is nothing wrong with giving Rice a minor league contract at this point, but he’s not going to win a slot by repeating his 2014, 32-outing, 5.93-ERA performance in 2015. The Mets need more than this.

Gilmartin came to the Mets in Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft, which I always liked. It’s a way of channeling some of your players that have no chance of ever making it on your 25-man, to another team and giving them a second chance in this game.



John Sickles[i] comments on the Gilmartin pick -

12. New York Mets, Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Twins: Age 24, former Braves first round pick in 2011 out of Florida State who was traded to Minnesota last spring. Posted 3.71 ERA with 133/44 K/BB in 146 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this year. A classic finesse lefty, his heater is usually in the 80s and he survives by changing speeds and throwing strikes. He could stick as a fifth starter or relief option.

I’m pretty sure you’re going to see Gilmartin in the SP5 role, but he does give the Mets an option to add him to the pen as the second left: Verses left handed hitting in AAA - .201/.219./.235, 0 HR, 4 BB, 49 K (156 PA).

I remember Gilmartin vividly as part of the 2011 draft.

Draft notes from 7-23-10 –

USA CNT Roster Breakdown, Spring Stat Links and Trials Notes: - Sean Gilmartin RF/LF/LHP So. Florida St. Univ. - Trials Notes: Gilmartin's future is most likely on the mound, but he is listed as one of two utility players on the CNT roster and could see some time in an outfield corner or even at first base depending on what is needed during tournament play. He has some raw strength and loft and can put a charge into the ball when he barrels it, but he can get long in his load and can fall into the trap of dropping the bat into the hit zone, limiting its contact time. Quite simply, he needs to see more in-game reps to continue to grow at the plate -- there's some room for growth but he needs the at bats. Gilmartin is adequate at both the outfield corner and first, and shows some arms strength and carry out of right.  (interesting)

I wrote in December 2013 -

Sean Gilmartin – I bring up this guy to remind us how this game works sometimes.

Gilmartin was a flat out left hand pitching stud out of Florida State, that was drafted 28th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2011 draft. He had five starts that year at the full-A level and went 2-1, 2.53. He also had 30-Ks in 21.1-IP and the world was an oyster.

2012 brought 27 starts at AA and AAA which results in a record of 6-10, 3.84. Higher levels meant more plate patience by the batters and Gilmartin’s K/IP ratio fell to 111/157.0.

2013 was supposed to be the year that Gilmartin impressed at the AAA level and tested the MLB level in Atlanta. Instead, he started out going 1-5, 9.09, and wound up on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis.

He did finish the season a little stronger (3-8, 5.74) but any dreams of pitching in Atlanta were doused today when he was traded to Minnesota for a very mediocre catcher/outfielder, Ryan Doumit.

This was the guy that was going to challenge Julio Teheran for a rotation shot and now he’s looking at climbing up the latter again in a new organization. 

Tough game.



The Mets lost five players in the Rule 5 Players… pitchers Logan Verrett, Greg Peavey, Randy Fontanez, SS Juan Carlos Gamboa, and C Cam Maron.
None are considered major league potential players, though I will miss Maron for the stability he has given behind the plate in the system

The system still is overstocked with both starters and relievers.  Take Vegas alone…. On paper, there still are: 8 STARTERS (Noah Syndergard, Rafael Montero, Tyler Pill, Gabriel Ynoa, Rainy Lara, Darin Gorski, Matt Bowman, Corey Mazzoni) and 17 relievers (Jack Leathersich, Paul Seward, Hansel Robles, Jeff Walters, Chase Huchingson, Cody Satterwhite, Jon Velazquez, Kyle Regnault, Zack Thornton, Chase Bradford, Adam Kolarek, John Church, Gonzalez Germen, Dario Alvarez, Erik Goeddel, Jeff Walters, Scott Rice)

It’s frankly not much better in AA…7 starters (Steven Matz, Kevin McGowan, Domingo Tapia, Luis Cessa, Michael Fulmer, Luis Mateo, Michael Koch) and 9 relievers (Seth Lugo, Jake Kuebler, Julian Hilario, Beck Wheeler, Robert Coles, Shane Bay, Tim Peterson, Ryan Fraser (is he still with the team?), Angel Cuan)


Some previously lost players in Rule 5 Draft -   Rhiner Cruz (2011), Elvin Ramirez (2010 - returned), Jesus Flores (2006), David Mattox (2003), Lenny DiNardo (2003), Enrique Cruz (2002), Endy Chavez (2000, JOse Nunez (2000).



I do want to remind us Mets fans that, if the Mets had signed Michael Cuddyer 24-hours ago, both Sandy Alderson and TC would be all over the MLB-TV stage like the other suits that just put together a blockbuster deal. Sure, Sandy didn’t go crazy here, but he did get Cuddyer and a pretty decent outfield/first base back up in John Mayberry. Add that to the Gilmartin reclamation project and we may wind up quite happy with the whole thing in the long run.

20 comments:

  1. Ha.... I beat Thomas this morning ;)

    More people keep talking about Gilmartin as an SP5 option as well. I wonder with Sandy and company might quitely view this young man as a backup plan in case some team makes an offer they can't refuse for Niese.............he can be the SP5 until Matz is ready.

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  2. Way to go, Ernest. Just dont try to beat me to breakfast!

    I dunno, i am not displeased with the team or its offseason progress so far. Have a great day, everyone

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  3. I fail to see the SP5 possibilities for this guy, on this team. He needs to stick for the entire season for the Mets to retain him, and his huge splits sure indicate LOOGY to me.

    I think he's LOOGY insurance with a shot to make the team in Spring Training. Sending him down to AAA is not an option.

    JP

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  4. Ernest and Thomas -

    Good morning commuters.

    I too find myself more happy with the Gilmartin reclamation project each time I think about it.

    The worst thing that can come of this is for him to kick start Rice in camp,

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  5. JP -

    I agree with you also.

    I see no SP5 options here unless 2/3 pitchers go down

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  6. A few questions come to mind:

    1) After a nice season last year, why does Dana Eveland get so little respect? He did have a sore arm late in the season, but nothing that required surgery. Why not sign him to a MnL deal and let him compete?

    2) After losing so many players in the MnL phase of the Rule V, why didn't the Mets draft even one? Did Sandy feel the system is so well stocked that there was no one out there worth picking up?

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  7. Want another lefty to compete for a spot in the pen? The Diamnondbacks just dropped tiny Eury De La Rosa to make room for Rubby De La Rosa who they acquired from Boston. Lefty Eury has pitched to a 2.90 ERA in the minors with a 3:1 K to BB ration and better than a K per inning. I'm guessing his size is partially to blame as there seems to be an inherent prejudice against little guys on the mound. At 5'9" and 165 he's not going to intimidate anyone with his presence, but those results are pretty damned impressive.

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  8. Remember that little guy, Ron Guidry? He wasn't so bad. Sign DeRosa and bring him to camp.

    Good question on Eveland. Maybe arm still is a concern.

    Mack, no commuting today. My commuting sentence is commuted for the weekend. Sic transit gloriam.

    We're a day closer to Wilmer Flores dazzling the Mets in 2015.

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  9. Those PH totals you listed for Mayberry Jr. are tremendous!

    Only 11 players in history have amassed at least 100 PH appearances and have an OPS of .900 and above.

    And that HR/AB ratio is sweeet, about the equivalent of a 40-HR season in 650 ABs.

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  10. Brian -

    It's been a long time since the Mets have had this kind of projected pop of the bench

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  11. If the Mets suprise us and sign Yoan Moncada, he becomes our no. 1 prospect ahead of Syndergard and I believe that one signing would make our offseason a success. Am I way off on this or not.

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  12. To think of Gilmartin as anything more than a lefty out of the pen, to compete with the other lefties we have in the waiting line, is foolish. Our rotation is already fully stocked, so IMO, considering him as SP5 just doesn't make sense.

    I wasn't initially enamored with the Mayberry signing. I was of the mind that Chris Denorfia would have been a better choice, albeit, he doesn't provide Mayberry pop. I also have always been a fan of Reed Johnson as a RH bat off the bench, but perhaps his skills have deteriorated at the ripe old age of 38. So I relook at Mayberry, and his LH/RH splits as well as his PH stats have won me over. Good signing, Sandy.

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  13. Lol....I love creating minor chaos by simply stating that other outside writers/evaluators/scouts have mentioned a player as still maybe having starting potential.

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  14. For Gilmartin to become a SP5 option, at least 4 or 5 other pitchers would have to go down with injury.

    I see Harvey, Niese, Wheeler, deGrom, and Colon eventually settling in as our starting five to start the year. They'll be backed up by Montero, Thor, Matz, Mazzoni, and possibly a spring invite that's yet to even be signed.

    I think Gilmartin was picked strictly to compete and hopefully become a reliable lefty out of the pen. A perfect second lefty/swing man and a league minimum salaried player that hopefully is on the team for the next few years building up his creds.

    There is nothing wrong with the trade of Verret for Gilmartin which is what this essentially was.

    Also, holy shit, our AAA rotation may be better that 1 or 2 major league rotations at the start of the year. Despite all the yapping and screaming from Mets fans over the last five years, they've built themselves quite a stable of young arms.

    It just sucks that it doesn't coincide with ownership finally being out from under their massive debt that they certainly still have.

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  15. Has anyone noticed that Dilson Herrera is listed ahead of Murphy at 2B on the Mets depth chart?

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  16. Lol.....maybe its in alphabetical order right now or something..

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  17. I don't believe MILB SP Depth is a "problem"--- Gilmartin is an indicator of the fact that all MILB pitchers who glitter are not Gold. 18 Months ago he was a Bauble---no he's abandoned like cheap Tin.

    There's no such thing as a Pitching Prospect...Keep the Arms Coming!!!



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  18. Gilmartin gets thrown into the lefty/loogy cattle call in ST. An absolutely reasonable risk of $25K. If he's not the guy, no harm no foul. I'm rooting for Rice though.

    I have to say that I like the Mayberry signing. Betting he comes up with a bunch of big pinch-hits this year, and improves the starting lineup vs. lefties.

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  19. Rember that Gilmartin can spend a lot of ti me on the DL next year and still stay with us - if he has a good spring, he makes the team and will have a few "flare ups" of his shoulder tendinitis

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  20. Re-reading the Morning Report: That is one heckuva trove of pitchers still at AAA and AA, perhaps unprecedented...hence why it was no big deal to lose Verrett and Peavey, and why Sandy will want to still trade off pitching. I can guarantee you the Mets' situation is unique, whether the pendulum has swung to pitching or not in MLB

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