Mack’s Morning Report – 12-26-15 – Dominic Smith, Juan Lagares, Alejandro de Aza

Good morning –

  Clubhouse Corner on Dominic Smith –

Dominic Smith has generated buzz and excitement within the game after an outstanding 2015 effort. He’ll only be 20-years of age when next season begins and by any standard, he’ll well be on his way to becoming the Mets first baseman of the future.

Mack -2016 may be the last year that Lucas Duda plays first base for the New York Mets.

I never thought I would ever say that the Mets would start, at first, a 21-year old with limited home run power, but this looks like the guy that’s going to change that thinking. He doesn’t run (two stolen bases) so that sort of rules out leadoff hitter. He may have been ranked a millionth in home runs for the Florida State League, but he led it with 33 doubles and knocking in 79 runs. That’s impressive for anyone at any age.

Smith may be developing as ‘the new’ kind of #3 hitter that baseball seems to be developing… ‘spray’ gap hitters that get on base and allow other runners to cross the plate. It probably won’t matter if he hits enough home runs to make old farts like me happy, if he gets on base and passes that duty down the line to the #4 and #5 hitter. That wouldn’t have been fine for me twenty years ago, but Kansas City proves to me there are other ways to achieve your goals in this game.

Smith will turn 21 in June 2016. Dilson Herrera will turn 22 in March. Think of how much positive can be solved if both these guys work out. You could have 25% of your field positions solved for 8+ years.

I want to get ahead of this team building’ thing by the end of next season. The rotation seems set for years. Left field and catcher are put to bed. And it would be nice to add second base and first here.

The de Aza signing this week speaks volumes on why teams need to develop their own future through draft picks and international signings.

Building future teams will be a lot easier this way.

There have been some real positive reports out of the Domincan Baseball League as to the working status of OF Juan Lagares’ throwing arm. Anyone that has seen him throw down there say that he looks totaling healed (without surgery). Sunday alone, he threw out runners both at home plate and at third base. Now all he has to do is hit .280 from both sides of the plate and steal around 40 bags a year.

My guess is he much be a little upset that everybody keeps telling him that he has to be platooned with someone. Now he reads that the 'someone' has a one year contract that could top out at $7mil. 

Don't be surprised if this guy comes out of the box with vengeance and winds up playing 'both ways' in 2016. His defense alone warrants this kind of consideration.

The signing of OF Alejandro de Aza before Christmas tells me one and one thing only… that the Mets front office wanted to button up their attempt to fill the hole left with the exiting of Yoenes Cespedes and get on planning to spend the rest of this and next year payingsome of their debt off.

The paying of $11mil a year for a part time outfielder and a relief pitcher that will throw 40 innings all season (Jerry Blevins) seems so shortsighted when players like Cespedes and Justin Upton are still unsigned.  You could have taken this money, add the $12.5mil due Michael Cuddyer in 2016 (before he retired) and you could easily paid for the first year of a multi-year contract to a superstar that will put an end t your outfield needs for years.

Am I the only person that can figure this out?

If I’m wrong, and de Aza has an all-star season, he’s gone after one season because this is a one year deal.

Now, the future of finding a future outfielder in the Mets system is long range at best. Brandon Nimmo just isn’t working out after being a first round draft pick in 2011. That’s now five years ago.

There’s nobody projected to play in Binghamton next season that looks like they will make a difference someday.

The best hope looks to be Wuilmer Beccera who was paid a $1.3mil bonus to sign with Toronto and was a throw-in with the Thor-de Arnaud deal after Sandy Alderson talked the Blue Jays out of him. He did one thing wrong for Toronto. He let his face be hit with a baseball in the beginning of his career there. Since then, he has hit .300 for Kingsport (2014: 19-years old) and .290 for Savannah (2015: 20-years old).

The problem is he won’t be ready until Curtis Granderson is gone and the Mets will still be one outfielder short of a future.