6/20/18

From The Desk…


Good morning.

1.    Jim Callis - @jimcallisMLB - 1st-rder Jarred Kelenic signs w/@Mets for $4.5 million (pick 6 value = $5,525,200). Wisconsin HS OF, best HS hitter in entire @MLBDraft, also generated my favorite 2018 Draft comp: "Mark Kotsay w/more athleticism."

2.    John Edwards/The Athletic - @John_Edwards - Mets' organization itself needs to step back and look at who makes what decisions regarding injured players. Right now, that hierarchy appears functionally flawed, according to sources inside and outside the org.

3.    The Mets finished replacing Jeff McNeil and Peter Alonso, who were promoted last week to AAA-Las Vegas. Do they promote either Dash Winningham or Jeremy Vasquez to replaced Alonso or Michael Paez or J.J. Franco to take over second? Nope. Welcome AAAA 1B Joey Terdoslavich and 3B Josh Allen. Terdoslavich is a 28 year old journeyman with limited power that has a lifetime BA in the majors of .221, and the minors of .273. Allen joins the Mets after being undrafted and then playing for four years with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League and 2018 for St. Paul (American Association).

4.    Mets declare both Columbia outfielders, Quinn Brody and Matt Winnaker, ‘inactive’ and sign RHP Zac Grotz. Grotz is an ex-28th round pick in the 2015 draft, by Houston. He pitched his college ball at Tennessee. Grotz is a professional minor league reliever who hasn’t pitched for anyone this year. So far this year, he has gone 2-1, 2.53, 7-G, 4-starts, for York of the Atlantic (Indy) League.

5.    One more… Mets sign 3B/DH Jose Brizuela and assign him to Brooklyn. Brizuela was a 2014 16th round pick out of Florida State. He played last year for A-Rancho Cucamongo (51-AB, .353).

6.    Note: I’m sure the Terdoslavich, Allen, Brizuela, and Grotz decision have not made any of you go out and order your 2018 Mets World Series tickets, but there are valid reasons for all decisions like this at the time of the year that the short teams are being formed. They are organizational filler that can keep an organization that currently is not known for their deep list prospects. It is what it is, folks.

7.    Good news… 3B David Thompson was cleared to return to baseball and started his rehab assignment for Brooklyn on Friday night.

8.    Stephen Watson - @WISN_Watson - Kelenic will play for the Gulf Coast Mets beginning Mon. & be formally introduced at Citi Field on 6/27. He will get to take batting practice at Citi Field and throw out the first pitch that night at the Mets game. He will then likely go to Tennessee and join the Kingsport Mets for the rest of their season.

9.    Ian Mejia - @_ianmejia - I want to take time to thank the @Mets for drafting me, they have blessed me with an opportunity that every young ballplayer dreams of. I have decided that I am going to stay home and be a Wildcat! Hopefully with the help of god this opportunity may arise again in 3 years

10.  Lowest ERA from starters between May 20th – June 16th… 1) Mets 2.60… 2) Seattle 2.85… 3) Cubs 2.98…4) St. Louis 3.08… 5) Nats 3.41… Really.

11.  Super prospect, 17-year old OF Adrian Hernandez got off to a slow start this year. He didn’t play his first game until June 2nd and went 0-7 in his first two games. Since then, through June 16th, he has gone 10-21 and is now hitting .357 for the season.

12.  We talk here on Mack’s Mets how certain ‘almost prospects’ can reinvent themselves and become a star in this game. Daniel Murphy is a great example of this. Jeff McNeil looks like he’s becoming this. Well, take a look at Mets reliever Dave Roseboom. We all had Dave on the fast track when he was shooting up the affiliate list. He then developed a foot problem that resulted in the loss of the 2017 season. This year, he went back to the pitching horrors of Las Vegas and gave up 7-ER in 3.2-IP (I will never understand why the Mets send quality, young pitchers to this sewer). Mets decision makers make the right move and return him to AA-Binghamton where, through Saturday night, he’s been stellar: 17-appearances, 24.1-IP, 32-K, 1.85, 1.19. My hope is he remains here through the 2018 season and is promoted directly to Queens for the beginning of the 2019 season. He’s 26. He’s ready.

18 comments:

Reese Kaplan said...

Ummm...these are the Mets we're talking about, Mack. 26 isn't NEARLY old enough to warrant a look. Ask Jeff McNeil.

Mack Ade said...

People are looking at Jeff.

It just is not the Mets that are doing the looking.

Tom Brennan said...

I hope Jarred Kelenic's career FLOOR is Mark Kotsay. Kotsay has had some good years, but I hope Kelenic long term hits higher and with more power.

I wonder why the heck both Brodey and Winnaker would be inactivated at the same time. Is it a non-suspension suspension? Very strange.

Dave Roseboom's time will come this year if he stays healthy, once guys up top falter a bit more, as long as Dave keeps pitching lights out.

Grotz and Terdoslavich sounds like a great name for a slip and fall law firm.

Hey, after their opening day comatose bats, Brooklyn is HITTING. Nice.

A lot has changed since David Thompson went down with his injury, including Cecchini also going down and Pete and Jeff surging. When Cheech and TJ Rivera return, it is going to be plenty crowded in Vegas, at least temporarily.

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, if Jeff goes to another team with a better opportunity, good for him. I like to see underdogs get their shot, period.

Let's just hope he doesn't "Murphy" us if he goes, after he leaves.

Tom Brennan said...

Brizuela off to a blazing start with the Cyclones, but he is 25 already. Tough hill to climb.

He made me think of the human rake, Eudor Garcia, for some reason. Eudor, after leaving the Mets system last year, hit well enough in indy ball, but it seems he has moved on to other things. That was an odd one, for a guy who a few years ago was pretty highly considered.

Mike Freire said...

I feel like I took a crazy pill watching Sandy's decision making and personnel decisions.

Or, maybe Jeff Wilpon took Sandy's red stapler and he is in the process of "burning down" the building (Office Space style)?

Hobie said...

Thanks for the recap, Mack--this is exactly why I am addicted to MacksMets.

Wouldn't you love to see the the Big Board Depth Chart in SA's office? But let's say there is one, arranged by ceiling evaluation and ETA, would you still consider the potential success of a MnrL franchise at all? Would fill fodder at PSL after bumping up, say, Paez (who I think is a gritty sleeper) & Vasquez have any advantage to either the players promoted or their teammates left behind? idk, just asking.

John Franco's kid is another matter. He's older and has already played in AA.

Eddie from Corona said...

Mack
we saved money on the Kelenic signing... some went to the 2nd round pick...
where are applying the rest? who is worth going over slot to sign (above the 10th round)

Also any news on Panick? I remember we signed him for a million after being drafted 11th i believe... But 2 years of non pitching.. how is he doing? he was suppose to be close to throwing...

Tom
No way i want Mcneil to succeed some where else... if he traded hopefully we fleece someone.. but if he succeeds somewhere else its because we cannot do our job...

Reese Kaplan said...

The money saved on the Kelenic signing goes to pay Jeffie's country club dues.

Mack Ade said...

Mike -

This is why I keep reminding people that Sandy does not make these kind of changes anymore.

He didn't last year, and, in fact, he lost 'lead mic' after his break due to cancer.

Played in a jam band in the 90s and I was a 'lead mic' along with another guy and a woman with a golden voice.

I took a job in Atlanta to pay the bills but kept my house on Hilton Head.

I would come 'home' a weekend a month from my Buckhead apartment and rejoined the band... but I never got the lead mic back, They had to move on without me and replaced me with another band member.

The 'lead mic' is now John Ricco.

Blame him for this shit that is going on.

Mack Ade said...

Hobie -

I have returned to basics and see myself writing two or three colums like this a week for the remainder of the season.

Mack Ade said...

Hobie -

Sandy and Ricco do not pull the shots in the minor team affiliates.

This job falls to Ian Levin.

Hobie, you know mw. My depth chart would always lead with talent with age as a tie breaker so I did not rush a guppy too fast.

Mack Ade said...

Eddie -

what is 'Panick' full name?

Robb said...

Mark kotsay was the 9th overal pick in his draft and was basically a 275+, 15-20 hr guy, who played for 17 years in the big leagues. So while that doesnt sound sexy, if thats the comp plus some more athleticism, you're talking about a 4+ WAR guy a year during his prime years. Thats a guy who makes 3 or 4 all star games over a 7-8 year span. Basically Conforto with a bit less power and a bit more speed.

it does feel like if they had known his price and the second round guys price that they should have taken someone in rounds 11-20 that was a million to sign.

Mack Ade said...

Robb -

What round you pick a HS player in is now overshadowed by the over slot/under slot manipulations.

Guys like Chris Flexen and Rob Whelan would never have signed if they weren't offered over slot money.



Eddie from Corona said...

mack
its Cameron Planck

Mack Ade said...

Eddie

He is rehabbing for GCL and will return to K Port when that is over

Anonymous said...

Why has it taken Jeff McNeil so long to get up to the majors?

A: Two years worth of injuries. Hard to plan on this. It doesn't matter, Jeff will be a NY Met very soon my crystal ball says. The it said, Alonso too.