We welcome ex-Met outfielder, Alex Escobar, ex-Met prospect starter, Matt Durkin, and ex-Met catcher Kai Gronauer to our growing list of followers.
The Mets signed Escobar as an undrafted international free agent in 1995. He played throughout the Mets affiliates including his best showing in 1998 for the A-Columbia Bombers: 416-AB, 27-HR, .310.
He did play for the parent Mets in 2001 (50-AB). He was then traded to Cleveland in an eight person deal that brought Roberto Alomar to the Mets.
Durkin was a much heralded second round pick by the Mets in 2004, out of San Jose University.
He pitched three season for the Mets, that included a 4-5, 3.77, in 17-G, 14-ST for A-Hagerstown and a 4-8, 4.00 in 25-G, 18-starts for a very bad 2007 Savannah team.
(Matt and I got close that year and I witnessed the Mets miss-diagnose a pitching hand injury that, in my opinion, cost him his professional career. He never pitched again in the minor system.)
Kai Gronauer came to the Mets as an International free agent, out of Solingen, Germany.
Kai played seven seasons in the Mets chain, starting with the GCL-Mets in 2008 and ending with the AAA-Las Vegas in 2014. During that time, his best year was 2010 with St. Lucie, where he hit .324.
His seven year total was: .257 in 1,007 at-bats.
Please welcome all three to our family of readers.
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One was:
His time in the big leagues has been a bit uneven, though he’s coming off the best start of his career (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) and his stuff is still very good. The Mariners are rebuilding and are more likely to see how their young arms can fare, but a contender could come calling with the idea of having Dunn help out of the bullpen during a playoff race, and maybe the rotation if there’s a need.
Lastly this week, I live in South Carolina, where the only Mets games that are televised are the few that either ESPN, MLB Network, or Fox Sports South (some Braves games) televise on my cable system. Past that, I follow the games on the MLB.com feed throughout the night.
I spent the Mets pause watching most of the other members of the division do nothing to run away with the crown. Other than the Braves, no one seems to want to win this division and I especially looked forward to Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Marlins. Especially because they were going to throw at us two minor league starters.
I knew our starting pitching was marginal, but Jake would open up the series… right?… and our bats would lead us to two victories over a team that we would pass in the standings.
Well, guess what? No Jake. But our pitching gives up only seven runs total in both those games. Piece of cake, right?
So… how many collective runs did we get? What did our version of Murderer’s Row come up with?
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Wednesday did bring Jake and he put up a remarkable seven inning, 14 strikeout outing. He left after seven with a three run lead. Easy peasy, right? Nah. Our pen was determined to once again show their weakness late into games and, before we knew it, the game was tied.
Look folks… sure, I enjoyed the doubleheader victory against the Yanks, but I have to come to realize that this just isn’t one of the great teams. Sure, we have a couple of outstanding players, but everyone else on this team simply is inconsistent. And the amazing thing is our best hitter this season is the guy we trash Brodie about constantly for trading for him.
We don’t even root for this team to win anymore. Instead, we find ourselves checking the standings to see if our fellow division teams won or loss. Reverse rooting.
I root for one other pro sport team, which happens to be one that I never expect much from. That’s the New York Football Giants. This is a team that I root every year for them to get the top pick in the next year’s draft.
Are the Mets in this category? Well, no, but they aren’t someone we should be looking up in advance the dates when playoff baseball starts.
I had little interest to start in this fractured season. Now, I basically have none.
For this season, I now consider myself a Mets writer and nothing more.
I wrote this before last night's game and I feel more strongly now about what I said here.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more. This year I wish they would just lose or win every game the last week before trade deadline. So we know what we will be either buyers or sellers. This 50% crap is gonna make Brodie Buy when he should be selling. Mortgage more of the future to save his job. Hopefully I’m wrong
ReplyDeleteWelcome Akex Escobar. I was at the Mets-Braves game where he hit his first home run.
ReplyDeleteZozo -
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if a freeze hasn't been executed re: BVW trading before the arrival of Mr. Cohen.
Mack I would do a trade of say Nimmo and Rosario for Clevinger. Do you think that would be enough to get him and his 2 more years of control?
ReplyDeleteCleveland needs an outfielder and shortstop to take over for Lindor when they eventually trade or lose him to free agency. I think it seems fair to me and helps both teams.
Plus our defense gets better with Giminez and Marisneck/Hamilton
Zozo, Marisnick and Hamilton will not get on base much, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteDunn had been awful, but sometimes it takes just one game to pivot.
Don't trade the prospects.
If Matz is out for a while, is it ridiculous any longer to ask if Bartolo Colon wants to come back?
ReplyDeleteZozo
ReplyDeleteClevenger is toxic in the clubhouse