1/6/19

From The Desk – Any Free Agent You Want, Farm System Rankings, Kameron Misner, Cubs, Dirty Laundry



Good morning.


Your Favorite Baseball Team Can Afford Any Free Agent   It Wants –

Players that have accomplished as much as Harper and Machado do not typically hit free agency at such a young age, but also players like Harper and Machado are atypical by definition. At some point, some team will pay them both a lot of money, and it will likely be one of the four or five teams that ever sign star free agents. At that point, and possibly only at that point, the market will begin to develop in earnest for the players in the tier just below them. That could happen in a few weeks, or it could happen in late February. You already know this.

Mack – I sometimes have a very difficult time understanding the suits in Flushing.

You have an opportunity to own one of the top three or four players in the game and the best outfielder you will ever have over the next eight years in your outfield.

You worry about year nine and 10 where his body may be breaking down. Do you still think the NL won’t have a DH by then?

And… there will not be any better outfielder in baseball that will come your way during these years.

Does it really matter that it is going to cost you $40mil a year?



Bleacher Report's  Updated Farm System Rankings at the Start of 2019 –

                  
     The New York Mets have a top-heavy system with a clear-cut top eight prospects and then a significant drop-off.

Andres Gimenez and Peter Alonso can be considered "1" and "1A" in these rankings. One is a precocious middle infield prospect with tremendous upside, the other is a first base-only slugger who looks ready for the majors after logging an .849 OPS with six home runs and 27 RBI in 27 AFL games.

Not far behind is Mark Vientos, who posted an .878 OPS with 11 home runs in rookie ball. He'll be 19 for the entire 2019 season and still has plenty of room to add strength to his 6'4", 185-pound frame.

Don't be surprised if Simeon Woods-Richardson is the top pitching prospect in the system by the end of the year. The Mets went over-slot to sign him to a $1.85 million bonus at No. 48 overall, and he posted a 1.56 ERA and 26/4 K/BB over 17.1 innings in his debut.

There's a lot of high-ceiling international talent to keep an eye on—led by Ronny Mauricio, Shervyen Newton, Freddy Valdez, Adrian Hernandez and Francisco Alvarez.

            Mack – B/R had the team ranked 23rd out of 30 teams.

            That’s about right.


MLB.com – OF Kameron Misner   -

                      
  Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Misner showed glimpses of talent at Poplar Bluff (Mo.) High and got drafted by the Royals in the 33rd round in 2016, but no one envisioned him blossoming into potentially Missouri's first position-player first-rounder ever. He has the best all-around tools in the 2019 college crop and a track record of performance, but he hasn't gotten as much hype as he deserves. He fouled a ball off his right foot and broke it last spring, costing him the final two months of his sophomore season and all of last summer.

Misner's bat speed, strength and the leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame give him huge raw power that he's just beginning to tap into. He's a polished hitter with a sound left-handed swing, good balance and a mature approach that had him leading NCAA Division I in walks when he got hurt in 2018. He also has plus speed and the aptitude to steal bases, making him a 20-20 threat.

Though Misner played mostly left field as a freshman and a lot of first base as a sophomore, he has the quickness and strong arm to patrol anywhere in the outfield. He has a chance to play center field in pro ball and definitely profiles well in right. Scouts love his makeup as well.

Mack – I will continue to tout Misner like I did Beer last season… as if anyone is going to listen to little ole me.



  Do the Cubs   have enough to keep up in baseball's toughest division? –

                                
   Search "Cubs" on any social media platform these days, and you're not going to find the same vibe that existed after the 2016 World Series. A team coming off a disappointing finish -- combined with a quiet winter so far -- is starting to feel the heat from an expectant fan base.

More important, the Cubs are feeling the heat from a division they seemingly owned at this time a year ago. That hold has faded. Milwaukee overtook Chicago for the NL Central title in 2018, and St. Louis and Cincinnati have been as active as anyone this offseason. The gap is closing in a division without a rebuilding team. That's a rarity in baseball these days, and there will be no easy wins.

Mack – See? It doesn’t matter how good your team is. Writers and fans are going to give you a rash of shit in the off season.

Lastly…

          
Simply put, we need additional writers here at Mack’s Mets.

            We try to guarantee our readers at least two posts a day, but It is getting difficult with the loss of writers and increased medical issues from our current staff.

Please email me at: macksmets@gmail.com and I will email you back the details of the gig.

           Thanks and LGM.

12 comments:

bgreg98180 said...

I can not agree more in regards to Harper.

But then again, I am just one of "those" Met fans.

bill metsiac said...

How fast and how far has Luis Guillorme fallen since he was so highly touted a year or two ago? A lot of people (I think including Mack) felt he was going to be an ML All-Star.

Prospects prospects prospects (sigh)

Tom Brennan said...

Luis G needs an OPS of at least .650 to be viable. Last year? .523. You do the math. Luis would have been on a major league roster for a long time, back in the days when teams carried 15 position guys, and could afford to carry a late inning defensive replacement.

I'd rather rely of Cheech as my final UTIF, if I was forced to choose between the two. Maybe he could pull a Jeff McNeil in 2019, although I doubt it.

I like Misner's power and speed.

It is time for boldness...sign Harper.


Missing from the Bleacher Report article names listed are the lefty names Szapucki, Peterson, and Kay. Hmm...

Mack Ade said...

Bill -

I agree.

I never expect my shortstops to have power. I want polished defense, good speed on the bases, and .250+ hitting.

I know in my heart he is still capable of putting up these numbers as a full timer... if... he is given 200+ at bats to prove it... and his head isn't too screwed up to shake the Mets mind-fuk off from the past.

I know the Guillorme family very well and we converse all the time. I'm sent family pictures, including his current trip back home with his family to their homeland.

You can tell by the look in his eyes that the fire is still there.

Play this kid or cut him loose so he can tie on with a team that will give him a full shot.

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, hope your optimism proves out. If he hits .250+, he would be useful for sure.

Reese Kaplan said...

He's Ruben Tejada Lite and that's setting the bar limbo champion low. No power, no speed...

Mike Freire said...

Until Bryce (and Manny for that matter) signs, there's always a chance, right?

I think the KBrox deal yesterday is all about depth and perhaps, a replacement for Lagares if there are any takers. There is still a void in the OF, IMO.

Mack Ade said...

Reese

I am sure that the Guillome family, who read us every day, appreciate the support from the site.

bill metsiac said...

He's still young enough to turn things around. I was surprised that he didn't play Winter ball, or maybe he did and I just missed it.

Anonymous said...

Idle Thoughts of Little Meaning or Purpose

(Trying to address some of the current stuff.)

First off, JD Davis.

I would imagine that newly appointed GM Advisor/Ass't. David Wright may have had something to do with the NY Mets getting JD Davis. Just a hunch here because I have watched a little video on JD and despite not quite yet being a finished product, JD Davis really impressed me with his bat. JD has the power stroke the Mets always want more of to contend fully, and he has hit 26 HR twice in the minors at two levels.

Secondly on David Wright.

To me, David Wright is the epitome of class, talent, and dignity. I put him in a category with Rusty Staub and very few other ex-Met players. If he signed off on JD Davis, I'd go with that. Just prior, the Mets really had no heir apparent third baseman in their AAA or AA MiLB system. Now they do. Excellent.

On Luis Guillorme thirdly.

It isn't that Luis was awful last year in his stint with the parent NY Mets. It was more to me, that he didn't really make a big entry splash in 2018, like many of us were kind of hoping he might have. This is not too say that his next try won't be way more successful.

Listen, injuries unfortunately happen and I would bet Luis sees some game time up with the Mets by the end of June 2019.

Would a trade with Luis elsewhere be a good move for him now?

A: Yes, I too think so mainly because with all the trades these NY Mets have made this off season, they still managed to hang onto pretty much both their top two MiLB kid players, namely Peter Alonso and Andres Gimenez. This was a feat well executed by new Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen. Big time kudos going out to Brodie for that accomplishment.

The new young Met player core already with a year in is very good, especially with a deep infield in-place. I simply do not really see Luis Guillorme getting to the Mets ahead of Andres Gimenez, then the question still remains for finding Jeff McNeil (who arguably was the NY Mets best 2018 second half batter) a position of his own for keeps. The stall looks pretty full in other words, to me.

In summation, I would seriously entertain trading Luis Guillorme for something the Mets may more need at the MLB or MiLB levels, so that Luis can get in-line on a team for a real MLB chance in 2019, which he vastly deserves.

You have to remember here too, that the Mets also have infielder Gavin Cecchini looking for his second shot on the parent ball club. For both Gavin and Luis it would be a waiting game for them in MetLand 2019.

A possible inclusion of Luis with a Met catcher now here (like a d'Arnaud or Nido) might fetch something worthwhile back the Mets will need more. Maybe a backup catcher who can play enough games to rest Wilson Ramos adequately and something else.

Finally, Walker Lockett.

I like this big right handed, hard throwing 24 year old starter. Overall, he has a nice MiLB statsheet, solid strikeouts, but has also seen some time lost due to injuries. Walker has good movement on his 92-95 mph fastball and he sports a decent 80 mph curve ball scouts say. You add in maybe one more pitch to his arsenal, like a change-up or a slider, and Walker Lockett is potentially a primetimer.

The name Lockett seems really familiar to me. Mack, any info on that so I don't have to go look this up? (I'm lazy.)

Anonymous said...

M. Ade:

Did you get to see the Clemson vs. Alabama game last night?

Woe. Was an amazing game. Tidal wave. One for the ages.

Kind of hoping on New Orleans vs. KC in Superbowl. We'll see.

Anonymous said...

A Wild Off Season

Seattle trade-offs. Yankees stocking up on solid lefty starters. The cat and mouse with Bryce and Manny. The Red Sox standing predominantly pat. And these Mets getting two aces in Diaz and W. Ramos.

And there is still six-weeks left until pitchers and catchers report.

Holy MACK-erel man!

(Put me in coach, I am ready to play!)