Mack – Random Thoughts: Richard Brito, Decomposers, Seth Lugo, Sammy Tavarez, Yoenis Cespedes

Good morning.

The Mets have signed another possible red chip prospect out of Latin America.

His name is Richard Brito and he is a RHP who has been clocked at 101-102. He also throws a slider. The 6-4, 198 pound Brito is 21-years old, which is far older than most Latin guppies that tend to sign in the 16-18 year old range, but he’s the same age as someone you would sign as a college junior.

Two important things…

One, he will pitch 2021 as a 22-year old. He needs to start off in St. Lucie, but only if he has the maturity and command to do that. The Mets need to work daily with him on this. Throwing hard means nothing if you can’t pitch and target.

Two, and most important, the Mets continue to sign top shelf Latin prospects, things they have done very little until the new draft team was formed and put in place.

RHP Robert Domiguez (who will debut with Brito next year), catcher Francisco Alvarez (2018: 2.7mil bonus)  and outfielders Freddy Valdez (2018: 1.45mil bonus) and Alexander Ramirez (2019: 2.5mil bonus)… these are guys our team never would have bid on.

THIS is the important thing. Couple this with the incredible job we did in the domestic draft the past two years, and the elevated paths these kids will be on because of two less minor league teams, and we are going to have a killer team in 2024.

Last word on Brito… start him off as a reliever and let him build his confidence in the pen. 

I Google’d ‘what serves no function on earth’ and came up with nothing. The closest I came was decomposers.

Decomposers break down dead, organic materials, detritivores—like millipedes, earthworms, and termites—eat dead organisms and wastes. Yummy. But even the National Geographic says that “decomposers play a critical role in the flow of energy through an ecosystem. They break apart dead organisms into simpler inorganic materials, making nutrients available to primary producers.”

So that does it.

Only  Jed Lowrie ranks below decomposers.

Legs that have complete bone fractures have come back quicker than his. Did anyone consider that, like David Wright,, this is the best he’s going to be at this age? I’m sure he can still take the garbage out in front of the mansion he bought with the 20 million we gave him, but doing that and playing major league baseball are two different animals.

I’m sure he didn’t hurt himself on purpose, but at this point he’s just blocking someone else to join the roster. I guess this now is a Mets problem and it is their job to release him, pay him what he is contracted for, and put this guy in the rear view mirror. There is no ‘David history’ here, so just let’s move on here folks.

Jeff Zimmerman wrote an interesting article on the role of middle relievers this year and how their importance is tantamount to the success of the team in 2020.

We have always though that Seth Lugo  was one of the best here, yet some thought out loud that he should be added to the rotation.

Jeff Has a different spin on Lugo. Check it out:

https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/middle-relief-targets/

The Mets signed another 21-year old speed starter out of Latin America.

RHP Sammy Tavarez (@Sam12_12) comes out of Santo Domingo and throws a 97-98 mph fastball, topping off at 100. Good starters have two more pitchers. Great ones have three. Sammy has a 93-94 sinker, 83-84 slider, a 78-79 curve, and a 88-89 change. He has agreed to sign after the pandemic passes so don’t look for him until 2021. Where? What bonus? Who the heck knows.

And lastly…

Luis Rojas said on Sunday that Yoenis Cespedes ‘looked like a monster’. He said he was running full sprints and I watched video on Facebook of him sending two pitchers off the Mets Apple in dead center.

I have been harsh on Yo and I still need to see him in the starting lineup to believe his rehab worked, but, I will tell you this. If this guy is 100%, lean and mean, and can still hit like the old Cespedes, this will change in a heartbeat the odds on this team making the playoffs.

Like I said… I will believe it when I see it, but close your eyes and keeping repeating with me… ‘looks like a monster… looks like a monster… looks like a monster…”.