Tom Brennan - Mets International Signing Report Card

The following fine TPGMets website list, prepared by Chris Walendin, lists Mets international bonus signings since the year prior to the Mets signing Amed Rosario.  

How are these guys doing in their careers so far?

2016-17:

SS Sebastian Espino - $300,000 - very solid start for the 17 year old in the DSL: .308/.379/.495 in 26 games.

OF Ezequiel Pena - $200,000 - not good at all...6 for 64, 32 Ks in his brief DSL career.

2B Luis Santana - $200,000 - 46 games over 2 years for the 17 year old - solid, so far, so good....273/.356/.358.

OF Jean Carlos Soto - $150,000 - 25 DSL games for the 17 year old...293/.381/.378 - so far, so good.   Miami may have Giancarlo, we have Jean Carlos.

2015-16:

SS Gregory Guerrero - $1,500,000 - promoted to GCL, the 18 year old is .293 over his first 11 game so far.  He hit .247 in 64 DSL games in his 2016 debut year.  Not quite keeping up with Andres Giminez so far.  But my guess is he could catch fire at any time.

SS Andres Gimenez - $1,200,000 - Mets struck gold with this 18 year old, who is hitting .265 in the Sally League in 50 games after a dynamic debut in the DSL in 2016.  Recently at .286, he is in his first pro slump currently.  It could be that with Michael Paez's promotion, pitchers are more selective. 

SS Shervyen Newton - $50,000 - he is 18 year, off to a fine start to his DSL 2nd season, .336/.453/.455 over 30 games.

2014-15:

SS Kenny Hernandez - $1,000,000 - so far, seems like a clear over-pay.   Slightly under .200 in his career so far.

SS Yoel Romero - $300,000 - 19 year old is tearing up DSL in 27 games, .330/.431/.385.

SS Edgardo Fermin - $250,000 - 19 year old listed at 6'0", but 145 pounds.  Feed the lad!  He is hitting more than his weight - .346 in 12 games for Kingsport so far. Good signing.

OF Tulio Garcia - $175,000 - .166 DSL hitter - bad signing.

LHP Daniel Guzman - $140,000 - solid 19 year old lefty in DSL - 3 of 3 in saves this year.  Time will tell.

RHP Jhoander Churio - $130,000 - listed as an active DSL player, but has not pitched this year.  Has had control issues in past years.  Not holding my breath here.   

SS Hansel Moreno - $50,000 - boy does he look like a bargain.  The 6'4", 180 3rd baseman was hitting .450 (18 for 40) in early season play with Kingsport, with just one error and good speed.  One to really watch.

2013-14:

OF Ricardo Cespedes - $725,000 - the 19 year old hit .322 for Kingsport as an 18 year old last year,  injuries have limited him to 47 at bats in A ball so far this year, but my guess is he is a very worthwhile investment.

C Ali Sanchez - $690,000 - the 20 year old, 6'1" 200 full time Columbia catcher this year is hitting .234 (.277 since May 1) with very low power (4 extra base hits) but very low strikeouts.  He has caught 49% of 231 base stealers in his career, making Jerry Grote happy.  My guess?  He is a major league back up catcher by late 2020.  Maybe the bat awakens and he is a future major league starting catcher.

SS Yeffry De Aza - $475,000 - 6 days younger than Sanchez, he has hit little (under .200 last year), & only has 1 at bat this year.  Seems to not be a good signing at all.
SS Luis Carpio - $300,000 - Carpio turned 20 today...happy birthday, Luis!  He should have gotten de Aza money.  Good glove, good speed, low power bat, .251/.310/.307 in over 70 Columbia games.  Another Ruben Tejada type?

RHP Luis Silva - $275,000 - 20 year old who pitched pretty well for the GCL Mets last year in limited innings, and is listed as active for Columbia but has not pitched an inning in 2017.  Your guess is as good as mine. Not Dwight Gooden.

SS Cecilio Aybar - $251,000 - turns 24 after season's end.  He is 2-14 at the plate fro the Cyclones this year.  Just 70 at bats for Kingsport last year.  Seems like a bad spend.

2012-13:

SS Amed Rosario - $1,750,000 - he's pretty good, I think.

RHP Ronald Guedez - $170,000 - seemed to be a quality pitcher at low levels up to 2015, but 17 innings last year, on DL all of 2017.  Probably a Tommy John guy.  Time will tell if/when he returns as to his effectiveness. 

SS Franklin Correa - $155,000 - low average, low power, very high strikeouts.  Has pitched a few times in a pinch, very well.  Maybe he has a career as a reliever.

3B Walter Rasquin - $140,000 - 5'9", 200.  Hitting .283 for Brooklyn and a career .386 slugger who has stolen 31 of 42 in his career.  Shaky fielder.  Still, a worthy signing at that $$.

SS Miguel Patino - $135,000 - finished 2016 red hot (17 for 41) but was released last year.

RHP Scarlyn Reyes - $25,000 - turns 28 soon, and in St Lucie and AA this year and last his aggregate ERA is over 5.00, but as organizational filler has been worth the dough.

2011-12:

C Jose Garcia - $800,000 - overpaid for a guy who has never hit a homer - hitting .305 this season for St Lucie in 55 at bats but with just 1 double.  Not worth the dough.

3B Jhoan Urena - $425,000 - a familiar name, hitting .301/.392/.448 in over 80 games for St Lucie.  Good signing - get him to AA pronto.

C Dionis Rodriguez - $185,000: poor hitter, gone after 2016
LHP Adrian Almeida - $170,000 - lefty in A ball for Angels.  Walks a lot of guys.  Did not pan out for Mets.

RHP Nicholas Debora - $115,000 - 23 year old who has not pitched a lot, but is off to a good start in Brooklyn (13 K in 9 innings, good control).   Let's see how 2017 goes.

RHP Marcos Molina - $100,000 - a potentially great signing if he can stay healthy and continue to develop.  Best pitcher in NY Penn league a few years ago, but needed TJS the next year.  Good potential to be a major league starter.

Overall:

Some real hits - and far fewer misses - to me, international money has been very well spent.  I'd say 20 of the 32 were successful signings, with several highly successful ones.  

BUT none have yet made the majors, and only a handful are close.  And that is the real litmus test.  My guess, though, is about 10 of these guys will make the bigs in the next 3-4 years.