Mack - From The Desk...

Good morning.

The GCL-Mets ended their season last week. Many players, like outfielders Jarred Kelenic (.413) and Walter Rasquin (.524) and starting pitcher Simeon Wood-Richardson (0.00) have already moved on, but this would be a good time to make an educated guess on what players will move up to either Kingsport or Brooklyn on opening day 2019.

With the paper promotion of C Andres Regnault (DSL: .333, GCL: no at-bats) to Florida, I assume that fellow catcher Jose Mena (78-AB, .295) will, at least, be sent to Kingsport. Mesa, a product of the DSL system, played part time this year as a 21-year old. In fact, he’s basically been a part timer his whole professional career. Lastly, in 246 at-bats over three seasons, he’s had only one home run. Mike Piazza this isn’t.

Almost prospect, 2B Wilmer Reyes (119-AB, .269) is almost guaranteed to replace Luis Santana in Kingsport next year. He played this year at 20 and looks like a lock for the Kingsport infield next spring. He was promoted to Kingsport last week to help them for their playoff this season and he’ll never play a game for the GCL team again (unless it is a future rehab appearance).

21-year old RHP Ramon Guzman came into Florida with a questionable 2018 DSL record (3-starts, 7.45). Still, someone remembers the stellar job he did in 2017 (1.25) and he got the call to Florida. This year, in 11 games, that included five starts, he went 5-2, 2.95. He does need to cut down on the walks (22 in 58-IP), but I can’t see him coming back the GCL team next year to accomplish that.

Question of the Week comes from my good friend Gary Seagren.

Hi Mack, What's your take on the infield next year with Jeff McNeil's early success and Andres Gimenez doing so well in Bingo. At 19 he still has plenty of time to mature but with the recent successes of youngsters like Soto and Acuna quality of the player should matter and how do you rate him currently? Also would you move JM to 3rd and play AG at 2nd or visa versa? I'll leave the first base discussion to the rest of the writers here. Thanks.

Mack – Hey Gary. Thanks for the question.

First of all, I don’t think McNeil’s success is ‘early’. His 6-season minor league batting average was .311. His problem has been that he wasn’t recognized by this brainless brain trust.

I can’t predict where any of these guys will play because the Mets keep playing them at un-natural positions.

My infield would be a combination of the ‘best’ at their natural position and the best of the ‘middle infielders’ (SS-2B) that are so necessary for securing a victory on the field.

Andres Gimenez would be my SS when he is ready.

 Amed Rosario would move over to second, and McNeil would be my third baseman.

This is the time of the that certain under producing minor leaguers are kicks to the curb by having them placed on the disabled list. Everybody knows these are paper moves designed to make room for kids being promoted for a job well done at a level behind.

This is not the case with Kingsport’s second baseman Luis Santana.

The 19-year old 2016 International signee ($200K) broke his wrist this past week. The key here would be severity which we have no idea what it is. Tom Brennan broke his wrist and it was fine in six weeks. Others take years to heal, if ever properly to play professional baseball.

Santana has really made a name for himself with a bat in his hand. His 3-year minor league batting average is .325, and he hit .325 last year for the DSL-2 team, and ,348 for K-Port

Defensively, MLB Pipeline has him with a 50 fielding rating, which my source down there says is a joke. He has it in the 65-70 range.

I’m sure that original plans were for him to play winter ball, but that might not be in the cards any longer. Still, you will most probably see him next spring in Brooklyn, pushing Carlos Cortes to Columbia.

(kiss of death... Santana broke his wrist right after I finished writing this part of the post... I still don't see this preventing him from playing in the big city next spring)

It doesn’t look like that baseball will be returning soon to Atlantic City. Atlantic City.

The 2019 MLB Draft name to remember is Niceville Senior HS (FL) SS Rece Hinds, who has won just about every home run derby out there that they allow high schoolers to participate in. Perfect Game has him at a 10 rating –

Rece Hinds is a 2019 SS/3B/OF with a 6-4 210 lb. frame from Niceville, FL who attends Niceville HS. Big and strong athletic build, long arms and room to get stronger. Third base tools defensively, has outstanding raw arm strength, good one spot lower half quickness and athleticism. Right handed hitter, elite level power with big raw bat speed and extension through contact, can get long and around the ball at times but can launch them to where others can't when everything comes together, has the ability to drive the right centerfield gap at times as well.

My comparison:  Ken Griffey Jr.

David Lennon - @DPLennon - By our calculations, David Wright is scheduled to earn $3.21M for September. If he does not come off the DL, Mets recoup $2.41M of that sum through insurance.

We need to discuss SP Jason Vargas.

Yes, we all hate the contract and the 6.56 AAA ERA is nothing to write about, but he’s pitched a 6.56 in his last six starts, which includes a 1.62 in his last three starts.

Numbers like this would make him one of the top SP5 in the league… just mentioning.

And last, it’s sad to see a frustrated Peter Alonso lashing out at both the Mets and announcer Chris Carlin about him not being promoted in September and Carlin’s criticism of what Peter’s agent said. Peter should have stayed out of all of this and all it can bring back to him now is bad news.

The Mets don’t like it when players disrespect the management or ownership publicly. Pitcher Nelson Figueroa’s wife’s comments on her blog cost him any chance to be part of the 2010 Mets, Justin Turner’s seemingly ‘telling jokes inside a funeral parlor’ approach in the clubhouse after critical loses pissed off Sandy enough for his banishment. And out of control SS Jordany Valdespin was ‘escorted’ by John Buck to his car after he called Terry Collins a ‘cabron’.

Things like these things are not tolerated by the Wilpons and what happened this week may have cost Alonso any chance of playing for the Mets in Queens someday.