5/10/15

Mack’s Morning Report – 5-10-15 – Middle Infield Madness



Good morning.

We wrote Friday about some of the players that should be getting a call up to their next level soon. Most were pitchers, both starters and member of the pen.

We’ve also spoke countless times on this blog about the lack of a big time shortstop on the parent Mets team. Wilmer Flores (Mets: .244 – all stats through Tuesday’s games) continues to get the nod, with Ruben Tejada (Mets: .167) backing him up on the bench and (I assume) Matt Reynolds (AAA: .327) in the wings.

Now the problems begin.

The backup to Reynolds in Las Vegas is Wilfredo Tovar and he’s hitting .303. Binghamton has two shortstops, TJ Rivera (.385) and Gavin Cecchini (.333). In St. Lucie, prospect Amed Rosario is holding his own at .255 and Luis Guillorme (.315) has played just about every game at short for the Sand Gnats.

Every one of them, minus Rosario, seems to be on their way to be earning a promotion soon, but to where? You can’t demote any of these guys for hitting over .300.

The interesting thing is the shortstop talent doesn’t stop here.

Sitting in extended camp and awaiting an assignment to either Brooklyn or Kingsport is draft pick Milton Ramos and Alfredo Reyes. In addition, five international bonus babies (Kenny Anderson, Yoel Romero, Hansel Moreno, Edgardo Fermin, Cecilio Aybar) have been paid in the range of $100K to $1.1mil bonus money to sign with the Mets during the International signing period that comes every June.

Lastly, the Mets are also in line to signing two more highly recruited shortstops this June, Andres Gimenez, and Gregory Guerrero.

Are the Mets going overboard here on 87-pound shortstops with no power? Can’t some of this money go to a Cuban slugger once in awhile?

Listen… we know this. International everyday star infielders always play shortstop. It doesn’t mean they will end there. Still, the Mets have to expand their prospect signings to at least another position.

15 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Mack can't agree more. The Mets in a few years can call up all their shortstops and have Shortstop Nite at Citifield, with all 8 positions manned by shortstops, and former SS deGrom on the mound.

I 1000% agree. Sign Boppers. We haven't had too many real good ones (Wright, Johnson, Strawberry). It is almost criminal how few they've produced. Sign Boppers and one may be really good every few years. They got lucky with Duda...but had to draft him first.

Ernest Dove said...

The more I think about it, the more I want tejada as my 2015 starting shortstop. (Oy)
The fact remains that this team simply can't score runs, and the best way to squeeze out more 3-2 wins like last night is to have the best defensive lineup u can manage to have out there.
Perhaps if/when Wright and TDA rejoin the lineup and produce, they can go back to experimenting with Wilmer. ......
Besides regardless of what anyone thinks of tejada offense, he's not hurting this team batting 8th.

Unknown said...

The only shortstops at or above high A that have a chance to be clearly better than what we have now are Cecchini and Rosario. Reynolds' .327 is no big deal. Half the starting lineup is hitting higher if you count the resent call ups. Reynolds could be in the mix with Tejeda and Flores but he isn't better.
When Cecchini is ready for AAA they need to clear the position for him, whatever it takes. He is the closest to being a significant upgrade. I can see the Mets going with him at the start of the 2016 season if they are unable to upgrade at SS through a trade.

Mack Ade said...

Ernest -

I keep falling back to the same saying... timely hitting, superb pitching, and errorless baseball.

Last night's 3-2 win is a perfect example.

Maybe you're right. Maybe the 2015 Mets go defensive here and go back to Tejada.

I don't know

Mack Ade said...

Richard -

The only one's that I remember as being defensive specialists were Rosario and Guillorme

Unknown said...

Mack

I don't see Cecchini as a defensive specialist but from what I have read about him he is solid at the position. He may not win games for you with his glove but he wont lose them for you either. Rosario seems like the best we have but he is two years away.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Should I paste my shortstopions posts from last year? What did I say then? You cannot build a team around pitching then give them bad defenders and expect to win. You wouldn't put bicycle tires on a Ferrari and expect it to go fast.

My conclusion at the end of all of my research and writing last summer was that short of a trade addition to the team, the best (imperfect for sure, but best) option is Ruben Tejada. Last night was a microcosm of why. I stand by my analysis last year.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Should I paste my shortstopions posts from last year? What did I say then? You cannot build a team around pitching then give them bad defenders and expect to win. You wouldn't put bicycle tires on a Ferrari and expect it to go fast.

My conclusion at the end of all of my research and writing last summer was that short of a trade addition to the team, the best (imperfect for sure, but best) option is Ruben Tejada. Last night was a microcosm of why. I stand by my analysis last year.

Mack Ade said...

Tom -

I don't know why but does seem to be that Sandy's Mets purposely stays away from big bats, both in the draft bot also in the International market.

That being said, no one could have predicted the amount of quality players on the DL this season.

What we do know now is that Dilson Herrera and Keven Plawecki can hold their own. They also project to someday hit in the 10-20 home run range.

All this team has to do is get through this bad patch and come out of May still in first place (watch out... the Nats are on the way).

The rotation will give you the pitching you need to win...

Mack Ade said...

On paper, Stephen is right and a return to Tejada for 4-5 games would be the easiest quick adjustment... and it might work.

I'm going to be as repetitive as Stephen. How many times have I said that I concede shortstop as the 8th hitter, hitting .220, if he gives us Golden Glove like defense?

Dilson Herrera probably won't win a Golden Glove either but the combination of Tejada and Herrera as middle infielders will give the pitching staff much more confidance than they have now.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Agreed. If the Mets were built differently then I wouldn't necessarily come to this conclusion but the way the team is now, I cannot support Murphy and Flores as the middle infield.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Agreed. If the Mets were built differently then I wouldn't necessarily come to this conclusion but the way the team is now, I cannot support Murphy and Flores as the middle infield.

Mack Ade said...

As we used to say, here's the scoop...

Having either Murphy/Flores or Tejada/Hererra as your middle infielders are not going to drastically change in either direction the average runs scored in each game.

What it will do is cut down the amount of errors and blown double plays that aren't recorded as an error.

The team will still average their 3-4 runs a game... they'll just give up less runs, thus win a few more.

And, let me tell you, winning 'a few more' will be the difference in the NL East

Tom Brennan said...

With a healthy Wright and Travis (any word on his expected return date?) this team will score. Hopefully it will score anyway vs Cubs and Brewskies

Mack Ade said...

Michael Baron reported this morning that d'Arnaud is visiting Mets doctors on Monday to possibly have his soft cast removed.

If this is tru, he could return to baseball activities next week and be a couple of weeks away like Wright