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2/19/16

Mack’s Morning Report – 2-19-16 – Jairo Perez, Terry Collins, Bobby Parnell, Lucas Duda



Good morning.

Michael Mayer ‏@themainemets  - Former Met Jairo Perez has signed w/ Delfines de Ciudad del Carmen (Mexican League). Played for Binghamton, Las Vegas, and St. Lucie in 2015.

Mack – Perez is another example of certain Mets minor league players that seem to perform at a decent level but just never get a chance to get to the big league level. Here, we got a guy that has a lifetime minor league batting average over five seasons of .302 and he played last year at 27-years old. What exactly has this guy done wrong?

You know me.  I’m a results over stat line kind of guy and I just don’t know how you can determine guys like T.J. Rivera, Matt Reynolds, Danny Muno, etc. can’t make it at the major league level unless you give them a shot.

Or, at least bring him back for another season in your system… but, what do I know.


Terry Collins had his first press conference of the young season. He mentioned that he did notice the low projections some press has projected for the 2016 season. He also said that the fans response in the off-season by the fans to what the Mets did in 2015 and what they are doing pre-2016 is ‘off the charts’.

Strangely, he said he had no plans on talking to David Wright until sometime next week. This was the same thing that Sandy Alderson said yesterday. Is Wright off limits for some reason?

Collins said that ‘the best pitching staff in baseball is the healthiest’. His pals are to expand the rotation to a 6-man squad when Zack Wheeler returns ‘for a while. He also said that Sean Gilmartin and Rafael Montero will get some springs starts which probably means that they are both just being stretched out for the Vegas rotation.
What’s a Terry Collins press conference without a WTF moment… he said the Mets might experiment playing Matt Reynolds in the outfield.

He said he was unsure how many at bats either Juan Lagares or Alejando De Aza will get this season other than your usual days off that other players get from time to time. He did say that everyone loved how Lagares got in shape during the off season.
Collins made it very clear that Travid d’Arnaud is the number one catcher, but he also wasn’t sure how many days a week he would play there (four or five) and he also said he will keep a first baseman glove in his locker… however, the clear backup first baseman will be Wilmer Flores.

Thoughts – This is Collins just serving up the plate for spring training. There’s nothing earth shattering here except for the Reynolds mention for the outfield. You do hope that De Aza doesn’t have a Twitter account. First you get traded to the Mets to replace Yoenes Cespedes, they the Mets resign Cespedes, then your manager says he has no idea how many innings you’ll get in the game during the season, and lastly you read that some minor league shortstop might be used in the outfield.

Donald Trump had a better day with the Pope comments.



The Detroit Tigers signed RP Bobby Parnell to a minor league deal.

          Mack – Parnell was one of the last Mets left from when I was allowed in the clubhouse. I wish him well, his time was over here and the Mets have moved on. In addition, on a personal note, I really didn’t think he was much of a positive influence in the clubhouse. Sort of a snob really. Anyway, still the best to him.


Andrew Vazzano ‏@AVSNY  - Lucas Duda has watched throw home in World Series. Knows he had him dead to rights. Will learn from it, grow from it. "Will fuel me," he said.

Mack – I’m sure Duda has watched the replay a number of times. It truly was painful to watch and, yes, it was a routine play for a major league first baseman.

This was only one example of the criticism Jon Niese had for the Mets infield, but the real problem here was this game should never have come down to that throw. The Mets had the lead early and should have gone on to the next game. The pitching blew this game, not Duda.

23 comments:

  1. Obviously the Mets front office is seemingly still pretty high on matt reynolds at this point to even consider that. Maybe he's 100% healthy and Mets believe he's the 2014 kid that dominated the minors offensively.

    P.S. my upcoming 10am post and its pictures are in honor of Thomas ;)

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  2. Matt reynolds currently has no starting job at major league or aaa level in the infield.
    Maybe envision him as the new Soup Campbell.

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  3. I like the Reynolds move because they don't have any depth to speak of in the outfield that can help the big team out in the minors. Might as well see what they can get.

    Also wish they could trade for Van Slyke from the Dodgers or someone like him that can play 1st and outfield

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  4. Great line about Trump and the Pope.

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  5. Mets might experiment playing Matt Reynolds in the outfield? They FINALLY are doing something right LOL. In line with Ernest comments above, Lagares had a great year in AA, then an off year the following year. Some fans wanted him left off the 40 man that spring. I suggested that he, like many major leaguers, may have had an off year. Before you knew it that year, he was on the Mets. Reynolds may have had an injury-induced off year last year. Time to show he can have an "on" year in 2016.

    I thought Jairo could crack the Mets' starting line up, but Terry saw it different LOL. Hopefully Jairo can win a Mexican Triple Crown this year and make the majors somewhere in 2017.

    Glad to see Parnell get a chance...with another team.

    Duda's throw just landed somewhere in the Indian Ocean. He promises next time to keep it in the Western hemisphere LOL.

    Trump wants his wall and called the Pope out on his off-the-wall comments LOL. It is Friday - I am in LOL mode.

    100 wins, boys and girls.

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  6. Matt Reynolds is 25 and he's clawing at the edge of a Roster Spot. Learning a new glove is not big news.

    Regarding Eric Campbell---if I were him, I'd ask for an opportunity to catch once a week at any minor league level that would accomodate him....while we're on the subject of adding another glove to a skill set. His projectible production is not NKLB level as a position player...unless he's a backup catcher.

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  7. The Reynolds thing makes sense. He's probably got a utility-level bat, and the club is waist-deep in ML-replacement level infield depth, but a bit thin in the OF. No harm in seeing if they can stick him out there in an emergency. Also, expecting a big year from Lucas. I'm convinced that he played hurt for a good portion of the middle of the season last year, but didn't sit because of the injuries all around him. If Lucas is healthy this year, in this lineup, I won't be surprised with 35+ HR and an avg around .270, in other words, one of the top offensive 1B in baseball. Also, "the throw" aside, he was a better than competent defender last year.

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  8. Ernest -

    You might be right about Reynolds but right now Tejada and Flores are super healthy and I just don't see a role for Reynolds

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  9. Zozo -

    They should have resigned Castellanos to fill this role

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  10. I'm old school.

    You can't 'learn' a new position in the majors.

    Go back to the minors and start over on a new position. Period.

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  11. Jairo Perez was an up and down player. He missed all of 2010 and 2013. He alternated good and bad years. I guess as a 26 yr old with St. Lucie, they discounted his results. He got very limited ABs last year, so it isn't a surprise that hey let him go.

    Reynolds reps in the OF is a good idea. Adding to his versatility can only help his bid for a roster spot. There has been some talk of the Rangers interest in De Aza, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a late ST trade of De Aza in combination with adding Reynolds to the opening day roster. Too bad Trump can't play the OF. I'd rather see him in Citifield than the White House. (LOL)

    Mack - I was sorry to see Parnell go, until I read your comment about him. He continued to gain velocity during last season and was almost all the way back by Sept. I had thought he'd be a good, low risk return on a minor league contract. But given Sandy's stress on character and clubhouse presence, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he let Bobby walk.

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  12. Herb -

    We shouldn't be spending the kind of money we currently are spending on the SP5 job regardless if the team can now afford it. We need this money to renegotiate a few pitching contracts.

    I have no problem with Campbell here until either someone better comes along or Reynolds plays the OF well in Vegas.

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  13. Yes, Reynolds in OF makes sense; it's really his last prayer as a productive player, super-utility, where you are not expected to be actually good at any one thing.

    Cecchini needs those starts at SS in Vegas. Then there's Rosario in AA. Then there's . . .

    If Reynolds can put together a strong Spring, and demonstrate basic competency in the OF, he might be more useful than Tejada.

    I'm not counting on it.

    Like Zozo, I feel that an acquisition is needed to balance the bench. There's time.

    James Preller

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  14. What kind of mid season acquisition will this team be looking at? Little preseason prediction

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  15. If Trump played the outfield, he'd build a wall first, a little shallow than the current one.

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    Replies
    1. He could stand behind it too.
      In his own special Trump Dump Zone

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  16. Thomas, good comment. I guess he'd get the Yankees to pay for it too.

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  17. Anthony -

    My guess is any mid season acquisition would be determined based on a future injury

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  18. Herb and Bob, Trump would get Jairo to pay for it because he is playing in Mexico.

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  19. Mack-
    I assume you meant that we shouldn't be paying that much for the #5 OF, and you're right. But SA didn't know he was signing a 5th OF when he inked De Aza. I'd love to see De Aza and his salary traded and someone else get the job.

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  20. Herb -

    Ya know, Bernadina could be a good 5th OF option also

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  21. I don't think Wright is "off limits". I just think they trust him. And I think he's earned that trust. David has always been a straight shooter and he's always had the work ethic you sort of wish was universal in the game. He's not one of those guys you need to keep tabs on. He's not one of those guys who is going to risk his career in a stupid pick-up basketball game or poppin' wheelies on a dirt bike.

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