From The Desk...

Good morning.

I want to remind everyone that what you read here each morning has been written the day before. Therefore, some of this news seems late. Example: I’m writing this paragraph on Monday morning. Some of the things I might write about are the results of games on Sunday. You are reading it on Tuesday. This is the best way I can do it. I refuse to sit all day on Twitter and other social media sites and try to be the first person to ‘break’ a story about the Mets. It amazes me how some bloggers take a salary from someone and do them a disservice everyday by concentrating on Twitter rather than their jobs. You would think by now that their bosses would catch on.

I’m not sure I understand the logic of sending RP Bobby Wahl to Las Vegas. This is the time we should probably be trying to figure out who will be in our 2019 bullpen and what better time to figure out if Wahl qualifies than now, He pitched 1.1 scoreless innings on Sunday, striking out three… he’s 26 years old… he’s 0.77 in his last 10 AAA games, with 24-Ks in 11.2-IP… and we need a new closer. What am I missing here?

Cincinnati starter, Matt Harvey, missed a big opportunity to step up right before the trading deadline. He had four great outings before Sunday’s clunker… 3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4 HR, 59 pitches.. ray of hope: His ERA is still lower than Jason Vargas.

Ken Rosenthal and Matt Geib are both reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies are showing strong interest in the services of 2B Astrubel Cabrera. Who is in their pipeline that could help seal the deal?

          From Minor League Ball:

6) Jhailyn Ortiz, OF, Grade B: Age 19, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 for $4,000,000; hit .302/.401/.560 in the New York-Penn League with eight homers, 18 walks, 47 strikeouts in 159 at-bats; big power, some observers giving 70-grades, and showed he could hit for average as well although still must prove he can handle higher-level breaking stuff; classic right field tools with strong arm and average speed though needs more polish on throws and general defense; very high ceiling as a power hitter; ETA 2021. 

2018:  A-Level - .243, 10-HR, 37-RBI

7) Adam Haseley, OF, Grade B: Age 21, first round pick in 2017 from University of Virginia, hit .390/.491/.659 with 14 homers, 10 steals in 223 at-bats for Cavaliers, then .284/.357/.405 in 215 minor league at-bats between NY-P and Low-A; pure hitter with polished approach, raw power is considered just average but batting average/OBP should compensate; can handle center field, “high floor” type prospect; ETA 2020.

2018:  AA/A+ Level - .302, 8-HR, 45-RBI

9) Jorge Alfaro, C, Grade B-/B: Age 24, on the prospect radar for what seems like 20 years at this point; hit .241/.291/.358 with 16 walks, 113 strikeouts in 324 at-bats in Triple-A, which was awful, but then mashed in the majors at .318/.360/.514 in 107 at-bats, though with a poor 3/33 BB/K; scouting reports really haven’t changed much: he has serious raw power and good defensive tools but is consistently inconsistent, especially with the bat, looking like Johnny Bench one day and Bob Uecker the next; I’m rooting for him to succeed if only because I have given up trying to predict what he will do and want him to graduate off the list; ETA 2018.

2018:  NL Level - .252, 6-HR, 21-RBI

One of ex-writers, Chris Soto, had an interesting take on the Familia trade –

          Mets getting unfairly killed for the Familia trade.

Look at Kelvin Herrera deal, Royals got (2) Future Value 45 grade players in AA and A+ & a wild card 2017 IFA signing.

Mets received (1) FV 45 grade player in A+, an MLB ready high K RP, and $1M IFA bonus

If that $1M is spent CORRECTLY (cough cough....Victor Victor Mesa).....

One could argue the Mets got a BETTER return than the Royals did.

It’s sad to see Tim Tebow go down with a season ending injury. No matter how serious you took this attempt at playing baseball, you must now regret that the fan base will be denied one smiley face day when he was going to be called up in September. 

Binghamton now shows only three active outfielders on their roster… converted third baseman Jhoan Urena, Patrick Biondi, and Kevin Taylor. No one stands out at St Lucie, with dud Wuillmer Beccera being the most productive OF hitter there (.242).

Mets prospect outfielder, Quinn Brody, was promoted from A-Columbia to A+-St. Lucie. Have to say the promotion is little odd at this point. He was only hitting .217 for the Fireflies. It also leaves them with only three active outfielders… Matt Winaker, Zach Rheams, and Jay Jabs.