Morning.
As
you know, there is a lot of chatter out there regarding the reduction of minor league
teams so the owners can save some money backing cities that are losing money.
Trust
me… this isn’t going to lose us any of our prospect minor leagues. It simply
would mean there would be less organizational players that the Mets had to play
a salary.
Teams
in question here would be Kingsport and/or Brooklyn, though some would argue
that baseball would never remove the Wilpon insignia from the uniforms of their
owned and operated team in Brooklyn.
But
I ask…
What
if they did?
And
even more so, what if they dumped both teams?
Would
this be as bad as it looks on paper?
By
my count, here is what most of the starters would look like on the remaining
five minor league teams (minus the two DSL teams that also remain):
Starters:
AAA – Gonzalez, Kilome
AA – Szapucki, Peterson McGill, K.
Smith, McGeorge
A+ - Humphreys, Vilera, Holderman,
Acosta, Hutchinson
A – Santos, Allen, Wolf
GCL – Oliveros, Rincones, Almonte,
Ortega
Relievers:
AAA – Gilliam, Nogosek, Villines,
Blackham
AA – Uceta, Campos, B. Taylor,
Mitchell, Ramos, Zabaleta
A+ - Colon, BIddy
A – Escalona
GCL – Villaba, Huizi, Villegas
Catcher:
AAA – Sanchez
AA – Mazeika
A+ - Alvarez
A – Regnault, E. Rodriguez
GCL – Villalobos
First
Base:
AAA – open
AA – J.Vasguez
A+ - open
A – Saunders
GCL – open
Second
Base:
AAA – Haggerty
AA – Cortes
A+ - Newton
A – open
GCL – Polanco
Shortstop:
AAA – Gimenez
AA – Mauricio
A+ - W. Reyes
A – open
GCL – L. Castillo
Third
Base:
AAA – D. Thompson
AA – Vientos
A+ - Baty
A – J. Palmer
GCL – open
Outfield:
AAA – open
AA – Brodey, Toffey, Lagrange
A+ - Granadillo, Magnum
A – F. Valdez, A, Hernandez, Ashford,
Consuegra, Corona
GCL – C. Dominguez, Campos, A. Ramirez
Other teams play their
teenagers as high as the majors. Why can’t we at least play ours on one of our
four full season teams?
Thoughts?
12 comments:
Look at what the Nationals and Braves have done with young players then consider the Mets have someone like Matt Blackham who is a pitcher with a career ERA of 2.38 (!!!) and isn't even on the 40-man roster let alone sniffed the majors. He'll turn 27 in 2020. Are they waiting for him to collect Social Security?
Man, I thought this was going to generate a considerable amount of response.
I thought that most of the reason short season exists is for those players that were just drafted? If these players all go to a full season team then does that mean there is just a massive number of players they cut to make room for them?
I have the Valley Cats near me (short season Astros) and I have to think they are very profitable. It would be disappointing to see them eliminated.
Yes, lots of cuts.
Frankly, you might consider reducing the domestic draft to 30 rounds if this happens. Remember... we have two DSL teams that supply around 25% of our players eventually anyway.
Kids would have to probably sit the remaining of the year they were drafted and start off the next season in Columbia. GCL would mostly have the DSL grads.
Until or if something happens, it's all conjecture including how leagues and seasons are reconfigured, and who loses how many teams.
I also strongly doubt the Cyclones are contracted. MILB/MLB would be nuts to do that in what is a premier setting on the ocean in the popular tourist Coney Island in a premier city, with beautiful modern ballpark and dedicated fan base.
I wouldn't even assume Kingsport is contracted either. Remember, Mets have a third stateside rookie ball teams, not just these two.
I also think it possible the minor league reconfigure process could end up stalled in court for years. Towns, cities and affiliates may actually fight to retain their investments and community staples. Teams may fight to keep their leases.
Mack Ade,
One of the reported proposals was reducing the number of rounds to 25 or 30. I can't recall the specific number.
A successful draft is one in which a team selects 10 players who eventually wear a major league uniform. A 20 percent success rate is considered a positive when it comes to drafting. Count me among those fully in favor of reducing the draft to 20 rounds and limiting each club to four affiliates - Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A and Rookie/Single-A short season.
This could be a boon to independent baseball, a side benefit of this restructuring plan.
Great, thoughtful article, Mack. I got a late start here.
I think you need Brooklyn, because it draws great, and we draft or sign a slew of guys each year.
But you could dump two teams with little concern.
A lot of the players who would lose their jobs would play independent ball, and the rare few who prove they were under-estimated will then be signed.
It is the price, partly, of significant raises to minor leaguers. The decent minor leaguers would prefer that, so they don't end up giving up.
One thing; you keep leaving my dark horse super starter guy, Tylor Megill off your lists. I think he makes a huge impact in 2020. Also, Tommy Wilson deserves snaps for getting to AA in his first full season.
Long Time
But isn't blogging conjecture?
Tom
Both Megill and Wilson hve to show me much more.
Mack Ade -
Blogging can be anything you choose, but contraction is a big deal and that hasn't happened. The reports on a minor league revamp, reflect proposals. The finished product could be very different. Are the Mets really going to lose two teams - including the Cyclones?
We also have to consider economics, local impact, and how many minor league affiliates MLB teams will agree to relinquish, and which teams that might be. This is very complicated process that could take years and end up in court for long time. This involves all 30 big league teams and maybe 75, 85 minor league affiliated teams, each of which has a contract with multiple entities including cities, towns, parent clubs, unless owned by their parent clubs like the Mets own Cyclones.
MLB went thru a considerable minors restructuring back 60 years ago roughly, around when the Mets joined the NL. I wonder how that went?
Mack, I agree that Wilson has to show me. Megill has as high a velocity arm, I believe, as any of their starters, including Szapucki and Kilome. I am therefore high on Tylor, even if others are not. He had a fine season in 2019.
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