8/9/23

OPEN THREAD: When Should Mets Promote Nate Lavender?



Baseball in Queens is Hungry for Good Pitching 

“You’ve tried the rest, now try the best.”

2021’s 16th round Mets selection, Nate Lavender, is having an amazing season -and career - in relief.

The 6’2”, 23 year old lefty is 3-2, 2.63, with a terrific 60 Ks in 38 IP in AA and AAA. 

27 of those innings in AAA as perhaps Syracuse’s most effective hurler.

Career, 9-5, 2.05, 12 for 12 in saves, 139 Ks in 92 IP.  Primo.

Should we be feeling blue if Lavender is not crayoned onto the Mets 26 man roster very soon?

Color me excited.

Would you call him up now?

Also…

Joey Lucchesi threw a 52 pitch successful rehab start with Brooklyn.

Mets lost again…does anyone care?

What, lastly, do you think of this?

Good win tonight in Somerset! 

Rumble Ponies now 12-3 the last 15 games! 

Binghamton is now 1 game out of first place!

And Binghamton’s best offensive player pre-injury, Matt Rudick, is just about done with his rehab, and likely to rejoin what suddenly is a dangerous Ponies offense.

27 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

I hope this acquisition of a group of prospects pans out a lot better than all the iffy relievers the Mets got around 2018.

Mack Ade said...

1. I'm not into rushing anyone to Flushing for the rest of the season

Let them build their stamina where they are now and add them to the 26 on OD 2024

Mack Ade said...

2. Nice one hitter by Syracuse last night led by Mike Vasil taking a no hitter into the 8th

Still has a long way to go before I see reason to open him up in Queens in 2024

Mack Ade said...

3. Do everything you can this year to get a lottery pick at 1.6

Mack Ade said...

4. I am very under-impressed at the pitchers drafted this year

TexasGusCC said...

A very thorough explanation of the draft on MMN explains (through Christopher Soto) that the Mets only need to get the seventh worst record in order to be in the top six picks - for the lottery. It seems that the new CBA doesn’t allow a team to be in the top five three years in a row, and the Nationals have been in the top five the last two, so now the highest they can draft is #10, so the others all move up a spot.

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, I discussed Vasil with my brother. He is unimpressed with his stuff. Hopefully, Vasil proves him wrong.

I agree on calling a spade a spade with this year’s draft. Sproat May turn outOK, but to follow the draft by acquiring hitting prospects in trades leaves the Mets’ system very sketchy on pitching. Unless the month end dump was deemed highly unlikely on draft day, loading up on offense as they have to the neglect of pitching makes no sense.

Lavender, meanwhile, might turn out great…but he is a reliever, not a starter.

Tom Brennan said...

I did read Mauricio will now get time at 3rd base in AAA. 2024 utility player? Jack of all trades, master of none?

It is an excuse to keep him on Yasgur’s farm until 2024.

Tom Brennan said...

Will Matt Allan resurrect? Riley Gilliam? Bryce?

Promote Gervase, Beck and Hardy to AA, let’s see what they’ve got. Move that conveyer belt.

TexasGusCC said...

I read that too Tom and it bothered me. Why now? Didn’t you just send Baty down? Where was this all summer when Baty was in Queens?

Mack Ade said...

I didn't know this

Soto is da man to follow re this and salary issues

Mack Ade said...

I hope the Mets aren't relying on Hamel and the 4 starters in AA to lead them to the WS in the 24-29 years

Mack Ade said...

I predict that Mauricio will be the next Anderson Hernandez

Mack Ade said...

There are a number of high helium relievers in the chain

I agree

Bump them up to AAA and AA

Mack Ade said...

My prediction

Mets next top third baseman

Luisangel

Apesquat said...

It seems the Mets development people don't have a plan. Movi g Mauricio out of left and onto 3rd? Is that to get Baty some competition or mess with his head? I don't get the point. Leave Mauricio in left til the end of the season

Mack Ade said...

I agree

The Mets development people seem over their head and I am sure this is wearing thin on the players that are both moved and those that are observing this

Tom Brennan said...

Mets make total sense to patients of Nurse Ratched. Everyone else, uhh uhh.

TexasGusCC said...

Jacob Reimer, love high this kid so young is not overwhelmed!

Why hurt Baty’s confidence though? I don’t like that one bit.

Tom Brennan said...

I still wonder if you put Baty in KC, out of the pressure cooker, would he be doing fine.

Reimer and Morabito both look like strong hitters.

Gary Seagren said...

If we can get that kid from Japan Yamamoto I think then a top 3 of Senga Yamamoto and Q is good start with ED in the pen. This off season should be very busy and hopefully includes Stern.

Tom Brennan said...

Early game today. Tidwell strong for Binghamton today, Jeremiah Jackson hits his first as a B Met.

Paul Articulates said...

I agree with Apesquat too. It is very disturbing to see these decisions thrashing around with Baty, Mauricio, and others. If you want to build in versatility, then do it in a controlled manner in the minor leagues during a player's progression. Don't elevate them and then second guess how they perform. Baty had a mental regression in the majors that affected both his hitting and fielding. If he has been pegged all along as a 3rd baseman, don't change that - just fix his head and get him back up there.

Mack Ade said...

FCL RHSP Jonah Tong has struck out 48% of the batters he has faced this season

Tom Brennan said...

Tong is a Jace Beck guy…21 Ks and 10 walks in 9.2 IP. So, only 13 of 44 batters put the ball in play? Crazy.

Mack Ade said...

I watched a video on his 12 K game a night ago

Donknow much about him but he has a +++ curve

Anonymous said...

It Was NOT A Lost Season, but rather...

A season where typical Mets "bad luck gremlins hit", and dreams were dashed because Edwin Diaz went down at the WBC and the 2022 was so promising that it prompted the NY Mets to make the obvious off-season sound move addition of SP Justin Verlander, to sort of seal the 2023 season. But those gremlins hit and bit. They sure did.

But to me...

It was a great trade deadline, best ever in the history of this franchise most likely, and Syracuse is heating up again with some of these excellent MiLB players brought in. Syracuse SP Mike Vasil went eight innings with no hit baseball yesterday, striking out a slew. Ronnie Mauricio hits another blast, and guys like OF/1B Joseph Suozzi has a big game in Syracuse's victory. Joseph is now hitting .281 with both his AA and AAA BA tallied. And .461 BA with his new Syracuse team. He makes for a third possibility at first base here in NY in 2024. And is another ST invite.

So to me, this was a terrific first season of the new NY Mets team. And the "Lost Season Thing" just doesn't stand with me because of this.

And add Syracuse's Brandon Mcllwain's 9 HR / 52 RBI's 10 SB / .266 BA / name to the list of very interesting 2024 ST invites.

People, don't get down because this start of the 2024 NY Mets season looks really optimistic. We have true depth at every position.