Ernest Dove - The Curious Case of Mets Pitching Prospect Erik Goeddel

  Well, since I had so much fun writing about the interesting case of recent perennial 40man roster protected but not major league playing Wilfredo Tovar, i'd figure I go ahead and write a little post about a pitcher in the Mets minors who has also been protected for about as long, Mr. Goeddel.

  Erik was drafted by the Mets in the 24th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur draft out of the University of California. Erik spent every year of his minor league career as a starting
pitcher, maxing out at 134 innings in 2013. Then, in 2014, the organization, as is the case many times with arms, they immediately transitioned Goeddel to the bullpen. His ERA has gone up every year of his minor league career, and the transition to full time bullpen in the dreaded hitter friendly PCL led to a career worst hits per 9 innings, as well as a career worst walks per 9 innings, touching almost 4 and a half per.

  However, despite the 24th round status, and the increasing inflation of the numbers, the organization has protected Goeddel on the 40 man for the past 2 years (I believe).  So consider me intrigued (especially since its still January and its a slow offseason).  He's listed at 6ft 3, 190 lbs, so that's some good solid numbers there.  He also went out there in Vegas and had a career best of K per 9 inning rate of his profession career, right at 9.0/9in.  There have been some reports of this
maybe/basically/truly being the definition of having a 'LIVE arm'. He just turned 26 years old, which especially for a newly projected reliever is certainly not old.

 He was given a cup of coffee in the show last September, but really no point in singling out a couple a bad innings, with a couple good innings to finish out the year.  At this point I'm wondering what the plans are for the young man.  We enter into the 2015 season with all kinds of arms in the system, from the parent club, all the way on down the line.  We've already learned from Mack himself that the AAA and AA rosters are stacked as it is, and the team is probably heavily focused on decisions to make in regards to players like Syndergaard, Montero, Matz, and company.  And the since the 2015 Mets and their farm system may have even less room then it had last year, what does it mean for a player like Goeddel.

  It's obviously unfair, distasteful, and a little disrespectful to simply state Erik being the guy who can simply hold that 40 man spot until a Matt Reynolds or Plawecki type has to be protected later. And equally not acceptable to assume he's just waiting on some minor league contract veteran to fill a spot and take his place either.

  So I instead simply wanted to bring up his name, inquire with my fellow Mack's Mets experts to inform us about this man's history, projections, high ceiling, low ceiling, and thoughts on his chances to live the dream, and be a major league pitcher.