The Mack Report - Saturday, June 25th

I asked a day before for us to start anew. Looks like we did.

We beat (or should I say Lindor beat) the best pitcher the Marlins could throw at us and both the Braves and Phillies lost to west coast teams. 

Looking ahead at the scheduled for the rest of June:

    The Mets will play two more at Miami and then two at home against Houston.

    The Braves will play two more, at home, against the Dodgers, and three at the Phillies.

    The Phillies will play two more at San Diego and then host the Braves for three.

We know, since the two teams will be playing each other, that there will be three collective losses for the Braves and Phillies. Our hopes are that Philadelphia wins at least two of these.

Still, the best way to determine our fate is to win the vast majority of our games, will be tested once again when the Astros visit Citi.

Next, let’s talk expiring contracts. 

I, like most of you, want players like Pete Alonzo extended. Also, most, or all of us, want our top prospects to be retained. 

I’m not sure where I would play all these studs right  now, but you can’t look ahead and dream of signing Shohei Ohtani and other future free agents, unless you retain a larger percentage of your roster with $700K team controlled youngsters. Steve Cohen may be rich but he isn’t buying Twitter. 

To do this, and build a better team for this season, will mean we need to take a long look at expiring contracts on teams that have no chance of making the playoffs this year. 

First up, is RHSP Zack Grienke, of the Kansas City Royals. 

Grienke is currently making $13mil for the 2022 season and is eligible for free agency in the off-season. He is currently long in the tooth (38), and has not had a good current year (10-starts, 0-4, 5.05), but this was one hell of a successful pitcher in the past, including winning the Cy Young Award for his current team in 2009. 

Also on Kansas City is (only) 27-year old outfielder, Andrew Benintendi. He has generated a 1.6-WAR this season, playing all three outfield positions, He also has hit .295, with 3-HRs. 

We will look at more expiring contracts tomorrow. 

College Baseball Nation posted their mock v2.0 HERE - 

Mets picks in the first round: 

11) New York Mets; Justin Crawford, OF, Las Vegas, NV (HS)— 

The Mets have been a black box the entire spring with many unsure at how they’ll spend zillionaire owner Steve Cohen’s money. And to make things even more uncertain, this pick is their consolation prize for failing to sign Kumar Rocker, their 1st round pick from last year. Some say they’ll go after Lesko, the best prep arm until he had Tommy John surgery. Others are convinced they’ll draft Arizona C Daniel Susac. Instead, they pull the trigger on Crawford, a speed-first center fielder at what will be a well under slot deal. It’s obvious the Mets have something big up their sleeve.

 

14) New York Mets; Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford, Georgia (HS)— 

Throughout the spring, scouts flocked to tiny Buford, GA in droves to watch the phenomenon that is Dylan Lesko pitch. With a fastball approaching the century mark, a plus-plus changeup and emerging deuce, Lesko was said by some to be the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett more than 20 years ago. But when he succumbed to the scalpel like so many of his pitching brethren this spring he became a black box as far as his draft status was concerned. Would he still be the same after surgery? What were his bonus demands? Instead of turning pro would he honor his college commitment and head to the pitching factory that is Vanderbilt? These were all questions asked by executives and evaluators alike since late April, and no one had an answer. 

Enter Steve Cohen, the Mets owner. Though Lesko’s bonus demands do not drop despite his surgery, Cohen doesn’t flinch. Armed with the $1 million in savings from the Crawford deal and the $700,000 in 5%-of-total-pool overage money (that comes with a 100% tax so many teams are loath to pay), New York has no qualms about meeting Lesko’s hefty asking price.

 

Mack - 

Crawford is a good pick but there is no way I would leave deLauter on the board and pick Justin. 

As for Lesko, you know how high I am on him. 

 

North Allegheny High School (PA) shortstop, Cole Young, has decided to honor his commitment to playing next year for the Duke Blue Devils. That basically means he has pulled his name from the upcoming draft. 

Young started the mock season as the number two shortstop prospect, behind Brooks Lee. The season brough others, like Zach Neto and Jackson Holliday to jump him in the rankings and Young was threatening to drop out of the first round next month. 

 

Friday’s tweets -

 

Mathew Brownstein @MBrownstein89 

Brett Baty has a 14-game hitting streak. 

Here's what Baty has done in those 14 games: 

.364/.444/.600, 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB 

 

New York Mets @Mets 

Though Keith Hernandez was best known for his defense, he was also clutch in the batter’s box. His .297 batting average still ranks among the best in Mets history, along with his 690 singles and 468 RBI.

TOM’S METAPHYSICS

Lindor must be 100% from that slammed finger…homer, double, 4 RBIs. Walker now 6-2…any starter who is .750 in wins is an ACE to me.

Drew Smith and Edwin Diaz we’re not their A game selves, but their B game got the friggin’ job done, ay, mates?  Canha clocked one, too. He is a real pro.

McNeil healing up…coulda pinch hit…

Max WON’T rejoin the Mets this weekend…I’m mighty mad, Max.

MINORS MUCKRAKING

SYRACUSE: BLANKENHORN NIGHT, 4-4 with a dinger…he is up to .264, and hitting .395 in 20 June games…ready if the phone call comes. Meyer hit and 2 strolls. Montes de Oca threw 2 scoreless and fanned 4.  Me likes that. Nogosek tough save and a 1.08 ERA…also waiting for that happy call.  3-2 win..

BINGHAMTON: Pitchers’ duel. Lasko 6 scoreless, and a 2 K save to Dedniel, who is like Elvis, only one name needed.  Mauricio # 12, Cortes 2 hits on the night.

BROOKLYN: If it is a win, chances are it is low scoring…2-1 win.  Zwack was sharp tonight.  Mena homered (3), and Palmers 4th inning RBI single drove in what turned out to be the deciding run. Dazzling Sammy Tavares nailed a perfect 4 out save and fanned 2.

ST LUCIE: Mack’s favorite A ball slugger, Do..MIN..guez, hit his 14th, De Los Santos hit his 9th and added a triple and single, but the Lucites lost 9-6….Atencio pitched pretty well but the 2 relievers did not. Can’t win em all, back at em today (Saturday).