Tom Brennan - OH WHAT A RELIEF IT IS
We've seem our share of flammable relief pitching from the Mets - you know, sprinkle gasoline, light a match, and games go up in flames. But help is coming.
Five guys appear ready to help right away in September, although it is doubtful we will see more than 2 or 3 of them.
4 others show superior promise, but need more seasoning.
Here goes - see if you agree:
TYLER BASHLOR, RHRP,
AA
Why? Fireballing Tyler
started out with St Lucie this year; now at Binghamton, and has fanned 80 in 47
innings. He had a few shaky outings for
St Lucie 2 months ago, but then went dominant with 6.1 innings of 12 K ball,
and afterwards, since his promotion to AA, in 10 outings, he has impressively thrown 12.2
innings, allowed 5 hits, 2 walks, no runs, and fanned 19. Has 12 of 16 saves this year. Lack of AAA experience may hold him back.
DREW SMITH, RHRP, AA
Why? Acquired by the
Mets in late July, the former 2015 3rd round pick is 3-2, 2.08 in 13
IP, with 13 Ks in AA. They probably will
hold him off until 2018, to get him more seasoning, though, since he has no AAA
experience. Mostly in High A ball this
year, he is 4-4, 1.71, 0.93 WHIP, 7 of 11 in saves.
JAMIE CALLAHAN, RHRP,
AAA
Why? 1-1, 2.00 in 9 innings with Vegas since acquired. 65 Ks
in 51 innings in AA and AAA this year. Callahan was a 23 year old 2nd
rounder with Boston in 2012. Throws hard.
KYLE REGNAULT, LHRP,
AAA
Why? Only lefty in
the bunch. Also, quite a year, mostly in
AAA this year. 7-0, 2.56 ERA
in 44 games, 63 Ks in 63 IP. 5-0, 3.00
in 33 games with Las Vegas, which warrants him a medal. Control was an issue for him earlier in 2017,
but no longer: in his last 10 outings spanning 18 innings, he fanned 18, but walked
only 1. The 28 year old is only in his 3rd
minor league season.
JACOB RHAME, RHRP,
AAA
Why? The 24 year old
former LAD 6th rounder has high levels of experience: 99 outings in
the PCL over the past 2 years, and this year has fanned 66 in 54 innings with a
1.19 WHIP. With Vegas so far, a
dominating 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 11 K.
He's the most ready of the 5 relievers listed here.
HONORABLE MENTION – FINE, BUT NOT READY YET:
ADONIS UCETA, RHRP,
AA
Why? He has allowed 3
runs in 3 innings in AA, but at 2 levels of A ball this year, in 54 IP, he
fanned 66 and allowed just 28 hits, and overall in 2017 is 5-0, 1.39 with 13 of
13 saves – but he needs more experience.
TIM PETERSON, RHRP,
AA
Why? Spectacular in
AA this year (39 outings, 5-3, 1.18, 7 of 9 saves, 8.5 K/9 innings). AAA experience was brief and not kind: 2.2 IP, 5 runs. He needs to prove his mettle in AAA in 2018
before arriving in Queens.
GERSON BAUTISTA,
RHRP, HIGH A
Why? He throws 101, that’s why. But his control before the Mets acquired him
was poor – since acquired, though, he has a 1.59 ERA with 3 saves in seven
outings for St Lucie, and in 11.1 IP, has walked just 3 and fanned 15. We need a person like Gerson.
MATT BLACKHAM, RHRP,
FULL A
Why? Superb year for the hard thrower returning from TJS. 38
games, 4-2, 1.48, 7 of 9 saves. Has fanned 79 in 55 IP. And getting better – July and August, ZERO
earned runs in 25 innings with 36 Ks with a 0.60 WHIP. That is true quality. 2018 could be a critical year for Matt, maybe arriving in Queens at some point.
AUSTIN MCGEORGE, RHRP, HIGH A
Why? Stunning season, that's why. This 22 year old 7th rounder from 2016 has thrown 47 innings in Columbia and St Lucie, with a 1.72 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 64 Ks. Perty danged good, ain't it, Paw?
AUSTIN MCGEORGE, RHRP, HIGH A
Why? Stunning season, that's why. This 22 year old 7th rounder from 2016 has thrown 47 innings in Columbia and St Lucie, with a 1.72 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 64 Ks. Perty danged good, ain't it, Paw?
Some other solid relievers in minor league full season leagues, too,
like Ben Griset and Ryder Ryan, but they’ve got a lot of competition now.
A whole lot, as reading about the above 10 should tell ya.
13 comments:
The guys in AA may not get the jump to the bigs because it's not as if they are fighting for a pennant. Dollars trump winning and you burn an option if you promote them this year.
Mind you, I didn't say I agree with that philosophy, but that's how it is. Of your list, Rhame who is already on the 40-man roster may be the most likely one of the bunch, if not necessarily the most deserving.
Reese, you have a point - and the way they jerk relievers back and forth from AAA, their unwillingness to burn an option in September on a particular guy is understandable but may override the positive benefit those guys would have in getting big league break in time in a lost season.
Tom -
Good article.
Agree with Reese. The Mets will save the option.
Put Plawecki in the pen.
mack - yep, Plawecki seems much more effective than Bradford - I do not like seeing Plawecki, who for all you know might be our #1 catcher in 2018, doing mop up duty to save the pen. We, after all, have quite a team injury record going for us, much of it on the long/freaky side. We don't need any more long/freaky.
I'm just thrilled TC is finding more AB's for Reyes and AC and that helps me sleep better at night. Also says alot about how they feel about Taijeron. Biggest problem going forward is the same one we've been dealing with since the Madoff mess...will they ever spend real money again. With the prospect of Machado, Harper, Stanton and that kid from Japan Otani does ANYONE here think we have a snowball's chance in hell of landing one of them? So the "Why not" is a major issue as far as I'm concerned as I would love to think the light at end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train.
Gary - I wouldn't be surprised if Terry is just playing out the string and playing more the guys that have no 2018 future on this team.
I really have torn up my tickers after the Conforto/Cespedes injuries. I don't want anyone that's a core member of this team to play another inning and I just want to go home.
Yes this season is like that Groundhog day movie as we keep repeating the same nightmare over and over and over again and for me the capper was Conforto's injury as a OMG moment even more than the rest because as our new David Wright he was going to be "the man" but now what? Every time he swings a bat we're gonna hold our breath its just crazy.
Hate to be Donnie Downer here but you know what's gonna happen next spring with all these relievers ....it's an excuse for the FO to not spend on any free agent relievers because we have so much depth.
Gary, on the latter point, that is why they need to get at least a few of these guys (Rhame, Callahan) up here in Sept. If you intend to really heavily use relievers from the list in my article next year, it would have to help them to get their feet wet this year. Jitters lose games, simply put. You don't want the pen to be Ramos, Familia, Blevins and the Jitterbugs.
Also, once we get past Sept 1, if Cabrera is not traded, let him sit and pinch hit. Reyes should also play sparingly. Give Taijeron a real chance - I think all he will be is .200/.300/.400, but you won't know until you try.
If the kids are not going to play, why bother to bring them up? If you're going to play Cabrera and Flores in the infield then why not Cabrera at 3B and Flores at 2B? Is that logic too much for the senile manager?
Since there are questions about 2B going into 2018, why not simply play Flores at 2B the rest of the year and see what he can do with about 120 at bats left while playing just one position?. If he ends up with 25hrs and 70/80 runs in less than 500 at bats, how is that a bad thing when you consider he will be making around 3/4M next year?
Collins is just trying to see if he can blow Plawecki's arm so he can continue to play d'Arnaud. Gotta get him going you know..
Refreshing to see how Cashman is going to Japan to personally view a potential superstar and the Mets can't even afford the plane ticket.
It just hurts to be a Mets fan these days. And yes, all these trades for BP arms is about squeezing another year without spending money on the good talent available as free agents.
Brooklyn's Steve Villine's 34 to 1 K to walk ratio in 24 innings is super too.
Jordan Humphreys had Tommy John. Unreal.
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