Reese Kaplan -- CitiField, Where Rookies Came to Rot

It’s time for a chicken and egg argument.  Did rookie ballplayers for the most part do poorly because they weren’t prepared sufficiently for the majors or were they misused upon arrival by the guy with the lineup pencil?  What we will see is a fresh start in both regards this season with a revamped minor league leadership team and a new manager in the dugout in Queens.

Think about the previous ugly season in which a great many rookies made their debuts and second year players were forced into the lineup due to a multitude of injuries.  By my count you had the following non-veteran players given their first tastes of big league opposition and pretty much showed they weren’t quite up to the task:

• Jamie Callahan
• Gavin Cecchini
• Chris Flexen
• Robert Gsellman
• Ty Kelly
• Seth Lugo
• Tomas Nido
• Tyler Pill
• Kevin McGowan
• Matt Reynolds
• Dom Smith
• Jacob Rhame
• Amed Rosario
• Josh Smoker
• Travis Taijeron

That’s an awful lot of dubious performances!

Phil Evans was one of the few who made the most of his limited opportunities, batting .303 in just 33 ABs while Asdrubel Cabrera and departing free agent Jose Reyes played every day.  So naturally, of course, they outrighted him off the 40-man roster.   I also give a pass to Paul Sewald who pitched solidly until overuse began to wear on him in August and September.  Chasen Bradford was actually pitching better at the major league level than he did in the minors through a 33 inning rookie debut.

Some of the aforementioned lackluster bunch are likely not in the mix anymore as they too have been booted from the 40-man roster.  Travis Taijeron left the organization to sign a minor league deal with the Dodgers and Tyler Pill will play his trade once more in Las Vegas. 

Others probably are going to either be traded, cut loose or banished to AAA.  This group would include McGowan, Flexen, Cecchini and Reynolds.  I assume the high strikeout totals of Josh Smoker will merit him one more long look and the newcomers called up at the tail end of the year – Callahan and Rhame – will get a chance to show their stuff to the new boss.

The interesting thing to watch this year with a new approach to both training and motivation whether or not the idea they indeed did not receive sufficient preparation has merit or was it more a reflection of the major league staff and how they did or did not use these players.  Michael Conforto, Wilmer Flores and others know what it was like to produce but be shown the bench in favor of lesser performing players.  Again, new management should mean a new approach.

I would expect a few non-roster invitees to make some noise this year.  Drew Smith who came from Tampa in the Lucas Duda deal had the best stats of any of the multitude of relievers acquired.  If he’s still here, Adonis Uceta will be interesting to watch, as will the protected players Tyler Bashlor, Gershon Bautista, Luis Guillorme and Corey Oswalt.  There’s not a lot of talent in AAA so I would expect fortifications to come from outside the organization.