The resolution of the Cesar Puello situation is coming soon.
The 23 year old prospect has seen his star rise and fall a few times during his
Met career. The final act of which may be just a few days away. I can’t imagine
there’s not at least one team who wouldn’t jump at the chance to grab a potential
5 tool guy like Puello with the hopes he’d blossom under their tutelage.
The loss
of Puello would not hurt the Mets today, but in future seasons it could-probably around
2017. By that time Cuddyer will be gone and Granderson probably no longer a
full-time player. In a perfect world Conforto and Nimmo should be ready by then
to flank Lagares but when is the MLB world ever perfect. Kirk and den Dekker
will be probably still be around too. By that time Puello may be starring in
the outfield of Tampa Bay or worse yet the Phillies or Braves. At the very
least he will be the on the short side of an OF platoon, or possibly a full time
starter.
That’s looking ahead but let’s return to the present for a minute. The
problem with Puello is that you can’t keep him around as a 4th or 5th
outfielder because he needs regular playing time. He’s not ready for full time
MLB action yet, but could be by mid-season, of course at the point he most
likely will be in a another team’s organization. I suppose the loss of Puello
became a fait accompli with the signing of Mayberry, if not earlier. Still it’s
never a good thing to lose one of the most talented players in the organization.
To see his potential just rewind back to 2013 and the season he was having at
Binghamton before the PED suspension. That suspension definitely changed the
entire trajectory of Puello’s Met future. Instead of being clearly on the radar
as potential future Met star, he sat out the final 50 games of that season and
entered 2014 as a murky question mark instead of a solid exclamation point. The
team didn’t know if his 2013 success was chemically induced. As for Puello, rusty
after the long layoff despite playing winter ball, was probably questioning
his success a bit too. Puello’s PED suspension caused the team to look to other
options for the future, resulting in the drafting of Conforto, and later the
signings of Cuddyer and Mayberry.
The 50 game PED suspension changed the future
of Puello and in many ways the Mets outfield too. We’ll find out soon if this is the end of his
story with the Mets or if there will be a future chapter. I wouldn’t bet on it
though. Unfortunately, in addition to the aforementioned teams picking up
Puello, it also seems like the kind of thing the Pinstriped rivals in the Bronx would
do.
His AB's look lifeless....total lack of aggression---drilled out of him?
ReplyDeleteHe needs a fresh start. The guy is looking at 1-0 and 2-0 fastballs. He's working himself to defensive 2 strike counts.
He SHOULD sign elsewhere.... he can then re-start and making his obvious talent work--maybe it'll happen for him---seems like it cannot happen here.
Unfortunatelly Puello plays for the Mets and they are usually clueless.
ReplyDelete1. Why did Wally sit Puello for long stretches knowing that his time was limited? One would figure that you play a 5 tool player everyday just in case it all comes together. That won't happen on the bench. (strike 1)
2. Then Puello comes to ST and Collins plays everyone more than Puello. (strike 2)
3. Sandy signs Mayberry who is a good pinch hitter but you don't lose a 5 tool player for a pinch hitter nobody wanted and who you got for 1M+. If you have any brains, you keep the 5 tool player for another year and either trade or release Mayberry. (strike 3)
Now the Mets will lose Puello when Kevin Long can potentially make the adjustments that Puello needs.
And yes, I agree with the other comment where Puello is taking strike 1 down the middle.
ReplyDeleteAnonymouus -
ReplyDeleteBackman sat Puello because he was ordered to do so.
Maybe someday the entire story will come out but, the Mets brass did not want Puello to succeed here.
Puello has walked several times this spring, but in taking strike 1, he is making the same mistake Duda was until the calendar turned to June last year and Duda dramatically reduced doing so.
ReplyDeleteWhen Duda did, he had 23 homers and 68 RBIs in his last 103 games last year, hitting .260/.360/.509 the last 4 months.
Which is why they're talking multi-year extension for the player so many hated a year ago this time - primarily because he took far too many fat strike 1 pitches.
Puello should, like Duda, NOT be taking fat first pitch strikes.
If Puello was that unwanted by the FO, why wasn't he traded or released instead of benched? He could've been Yaldespined.
ReplyDeleteThe FO has no motivation for Puello to be seen by anyone but them. For all I know they want him here and maintain some belief in him...but it's been an odd journer--especially last year at LV. If it's been a "development plan" it sure looks wacky.
ReplyDeleteThis is a situation where the Organization has not completed it's task....and the player hasn't either. Puello now has a choice to choose his next spot....or maybe stay?