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1/31/24

Mets announce AA coaching staff - minors taking shape

The following press release was issued yesterday by the press office of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies:

Binghamton Rumble Ponies Announce 2024 Coaching Staff

Reid Brignac to Return for Third Season Leading the Rumble Ponies

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A Affiliate of the New York Mets, are pleased to announce their 2024 coaching staff. Reid Brignac returns along with Pitching Coach AJ Sager, Hitting Coach Darin Everson, and Bench Coach Mariano Duncan. Juan Loyo joins the staff as the team’s development coach. Brignac and his staff are coming off leading the Rumble Ponies to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2023 and their first playoff series victory since 2014.

Brignac (pronounced Brin-yac) begins his third year as manager of the Rumble Ponies and fifth year in the Mets organization, coming off leading the Rumble Ponies to the postseason for the first time since 2017. In 2023, under Brignac’s tutelage, the Ponies went on a second-half surge, going 39-27 overall and 17-5 over their last 22 games. Brignac’s team swept the Somerset Patriots in the Eastern League Division Series to lead the Ponies to the ELCS before falling to Erie.  

In 2022, he led a team that saw five players make their major league debut with the Mets after starting the season with the Rumble Ponies, tying a Binghamton franchise record (Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, José Butto, Nate Fisher, and Bryce Montes de Oca). Brignac also was the Mets’ representative on the Arizona Fall League coaching staff after that season, serving as the manager of the Peoria Javelinas. Brignac enjoyed a long and successful playing career, spending parts of nine years in the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins. He was initially drafted by the Rays in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft. 

Sager begins his second season as the Rumble Ponies’ pitching coach and was named the Mets Minor League Staff Member of the Year for his efforts last year. Sager’s pitching staff in 2023 set a Binghamton franchise record with 15 shutouts and took home five Eastern League honors, highlighted by Mike Vasil winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for May and Dom Hamel being named EL Pitcher of the Month for September. Sager’s staff also ranked first among the 30 Double-A clubs in strike rate and walks issued, and second in opponent on-base percentage. On September 7 at Hartford, right-hander Joander Suarez threw the eighth no-hitter in franchise history, facing the minimum 21 batters over seven innings.

Sager previously spent 20 years coaching in the Detroit Tigers organization and pitched for parts of five seasons in the major leagues, playing for the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and Tigers as part of a 12-year professional career. In 123 major league appearances, the right-hander was 12-15, with five saves and a 5.36 ERA.

Everson begins his second season as the Rumble Ponies’ hitting coach and in the Mets organization. Last season, Everson guided an offense that notched seven walk-off wins, had a player have 4+ RBIs in a game 12 times, and saw two different players hit three homers in a single game (Jose Peroza, Luke Ritter). Everson spent the prior five seasons as the Colorado Rockies hitting coordinator. He also served as the organization’s Triple-A hitting coach in 2017, Double-A hitting coach from 2013-2014 and as the club’s Double-A manager from 2015-2016. 

Duncan begins his third year as bench coach with the Rumble Ponies and sixth year in the Mets organization. He previously served as the bench coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A) in 2021 and in the same role with Kingsport in 2019. The former infielder played 12 major league seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. He is a two-time World Series champion (’90 Reds and ’96 Yankees) and was inducted into the Dominican Republic Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. 

Loyo joins the Rumble Ponies staff as the team’s development coach. Loyo is in his second year as a coach in the Mets organization. He spent last season as the development coach for the Mets High-A Affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones. Loyo compiled a career .263 batting average over 124 games in the Mets farm system from 2018-2022, appearing in at least one game at every level.

Re-joining the Ponies’ staff in 2024 is Athletic Trainer Vanessa Weisbach. Weisbach served as the Rumble Ponies’ athletic trainer in 2022 and is in her ninth year with the Mets organization. She also assisted the New York Mets Athletic Training Staff at the end of the 2022 season. Last season, Weisbach served as the athletic trainer for the Syracuse Mets, the Mets Triple-A Affiliate.

Returning for his third year as performance coach is Ryan Orr. Orr was named the Eastern League Strength Coach of the Year in 2023, which is voted on by the strength coaches around the league. Orr is in his fourth year in the Mets organization, previously serving as the strength coach for High-A Brooklyn in 2021. He previously was a performance coach for two seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization. 

Also joining the Ponies’ staff is Baseball Analytics Analyst Will Moscato, Player Development Associate Hunter Broadbent, Nutrition Associate April Post, and Athletic Training Associate Rosalie Mumford. Clubhouse Manager Mike Vavalle returns for his eighth season with the Rumble Ponies and sixth season as home clubhouse manager.

The Rumble Ponies open the 2024 at Mirabito Stadium against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays Double-A Affiliate) on Friday, April 5. 

Season Tickets and flex booklets are currently on sale and can be purchased by visiting the Visions Federal Credit Union Starting Gate Box Office at Mirabito Stadium, on the phone at (607)-722-FUNN, or on our website www.bingrp.com

##RUMBLE PONIES##


Mets announce AAA coaching staff

 The following press release was issued yesterday by the press office of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies:

Syracuse Mets Announce 2024 Coaching Staff

Manager Dick Scott returns to lead Syracuse coaching staff in 2024

 

SYRACUSE, NY – The 2024 Syracuse Mets coaching staff has been announced and features a combination of familiar names with a few new names but most with multiple years of experience in the New York Mets’ organization. Manager Dick Scott, Hitting Coach Collin Hetzler, and Bench Coach/Assistant Hitting Coach J.P. Arencibia all return for their second season with the Syracuse Mets. 

Strength Coach Alex Tavarez enters his third season with Syracuse and 11th in the Mets’ organization. Pitching Coach Grayson Crawford enters his first season with Syracuse and in the New York Mets’ organization. 

The rest of the Syracuse staff includes Development/Infield Coach Adrian Texidor, Head Trainer Austin Dayton, Assistant Trainer Kylie Holton, Baseball Analytics Analyst Ryan Hecht, Player Development Associate Matthew Innella, and Nutrition Associate Ashley Steinberger.

Manager Dick Scott brings a wealth of coaching and player development experience as he begins his second year as Syracuse’s manager and his 11th total season in the New York Mets organization. Scott was New York’s coordinator of coaching development and instruction the last two seasons. 

Before that, Scott served as the Miami Marlins’ Director of Player Development from 2018-2020. The Ellsworth, Maine native was with the Mets previously as New York’s bench coach in 2016 and 2017, New York’s Director of Player Development from 2013-2015, and the club’s Minor League Field Coordinator in 2011 and 2012. Before joining the Mets, Scott was the Minor League Field Coordinator for the Houston Astros in 2010 and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Director of Player Development from 2001-2009. Syracuse was affiliated with Toronto for all of those years except 2009. 

Scott was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 1981 amateur draft and played ten seasons professionally: eight in the Yankees’ system and two with the Oakland Athletics’ organization. Scott appeared in three major league games with the Athletics in 1989. That same season, Oakland won the World Series. After his final season as a player, Scott began his coaching career in the Athletics’ organization, managing various levels from 1991-1996 before joining the Arizona Diamondbacks to manage Low-A South Bend in 1997. 

Scott was named the Arizona League Manager of the Year in 1991, Northwest League Manager of the Year in 1992, and the California League Manager of the Year in 1994. Scott was also named the 1994 Minor League Manager of the Year by USA Today Baseball Weekly. After his seven seasons of managing, Scott became the Advance Scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998-2001 before joining Toronto in November of 2001.

Hitting Coach Collin Hetzler begins his second season with Syracuse and his fourth season in the New York Mets’ organization. Hetzler spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the Mets’ complex hitting coordinator at New York’s spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, FL. In 2022, Hetzler was named the Mets Minor League Staff Member of the Year. The Fort Worth, TX native played two seasons of college baseball at Galveston College before playing his final two collegiate seasons at Houston Baptist University in 2011 and 2012. 

Hetzler was an assistant coach for the baseball team at Houston Baptist in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and he earned an MBA from Houston Baptist University in 2017. Prior to joining the Mets, Hetzler worked as a hitting trainer and the operations manager at Driveline Baseball in Kent, WA. Driveline is a data-driven baseball development program. While Hetzler never played professionally, his stepfather, Brian Milner, was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization and played for the major league squad in 1978.

Pitching coach Grayson Crawford is joining Syracuse for his first season in Central New York and his first season in the New York Mets’ organization. Crawford spent the last two seasons as a pitching coach in the New York Yankees’ organization with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons in 2022 and the Double-A Somerset Patriots in 2023. Before his professional baseball coaching experience, 

Crawford was a Pitching Coach and/or Assistant Coach at multiple colleges, including Lipscomb University, Austin Peay State University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Murray State University, Lindsey Wilson College, Pensacola State College, and Stillman College. Crawford played collegiate baseball at Southern Arkansas University for one year before transferring to Stillman College and playing three years as the team’s catcher where his father, Donny Crawford coached the team.

Bench Coach/Assistant Hitting Coach J.P. Arencibia is back for his second season with Syracuse and in the New York Mets’ organization. Arencibia played ten seasons professionally, including parts of six years in the majors with Toronto (2010-2013), Texas (2014), and Tampa Bay (2015). The Miami, FL native played three seasons of college baseball at the University of Tennessee before he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Prior to joining the Mets, Arencibia was an analyst on Miami Marlins broadcasts on Bally Sports Florida and on Marlins Radio.

Development Coach/Infield Coach Adrian Texidor comes to Syracuse for the first time this season and is in his third year with the New York Mets. Texidor was the Bench Coach for one of the Mets’ Dominican Summer League teams last season. In 2022, Texidor was a Baseball Systems Associate in Binghamton for the New York Mets. The Guayama, Puerto Rico native won the 2015 Big League World Series championship with the Latin American team before playing collegiate baseball for Kaskaskia College and Miami (OH).

Strength Coach Alex Tavarez is in his third season with the Syracuse Mets and his 11th year in the Mets’ organization. Previously, Tavarez was the Performance/Strength and Conditioning Coach for High-A St. Lucie in 2017 and 2018, for Low-A Columbia in 2016, and for the Gulf Coast League Mets in 2014 and 2015.

Head Trainer Austin Dayton begins his first season with the Syracuse Mets and his seventh in the Mets’ organization. Dayton was an Athletic Trainer for Double-A Binghamton last year, High-A Brooklyn in 2022, Low-A St. Lucie in 2021, Rookie Level Kingsport in 2020, Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Mets in 2019, and he was the Head Athletic Trainer at the Mets’ Dominican Republic Academy in 2018.

Assistant Trainer Kylie Holton also begins her first season with the Syracuse Mets and is in her third year with the New York Mets. Holton also has experience as an Athletic Trainer for the Episcopal School of Jacksonville and was a Student Athletic Trainer for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Holton played college softball for the College of Central Florida and for Morehead State University.

Baseball Analytics Associate Ryan Hecht is in his third year with the New York Mets. Hecht was a Minor League Analytics Analyst for the Mets last year and was a Minor League Analytics Associate in 2022. Hecht played college baseball at Colby College from 2018-2021 and was a Baseball Operations Intern for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019.

Player Development Associate Matthew Innella spent part of 2023 with Syracuse and returns for 2024.

Nutrition Associate Ashley Steinberger begins her first season with the Syracuse Mets and in the New York Mets’ organization. Steinberger was a Sports Dietitian in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization in 2023.

Season tickets and Flex Plans for the 2024 Syracuse Mets baseball season are on sale now. Single game tickets will go on sale Saturday, March 2, 2023. Fans can purchase tickets at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium or over the phone at 315-474-7833 during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or online anytime at SyracuseMets.com.

Opening Day for the Syracuse Mets is scheduled for Friday, March 29th at NBT Bank Stadium against the Rochester Red Wings. Please follow the Syracuse Mets on social media or check SyracuseMets.com for the most up-to-date information on 2024 Syracuse Mets tickets, promotions, schedule, and more.


Reese Kaplan -- A Pre-Season Poll About Queens' Hopefully Finest


Today's column is a bit brief out of two personal necessities.  As some of you are aware, back in 2022 I relocated from the USA to Malaysia where I've been living in a rental condominium since June of that year.  I started looking for a new home and doing the ancillary paperwork to allow foreigners to buy property and earlier this month I made that happen.  

Prior to moving in there were some things that needed doing, including a professional top to bottom cleaning, removal of some furniture to create space to build a game room, installation of appliances and then the actual transport of goods from here to there (just a distance a hair over a mile).  I promised the team here I would try to write some columns in advance of news as I didn't know when I was losing Internet service here or gaining it there.  The goal was to make today the actual move-in day, but sometimes life throws you an unexpected curveball.

For the past several days I hadn't been feeling very well and seemed to lack energy during a time when there was a lot of heavy lifting to be done.  I thankfully had a younger body building friend come visit here from another state in Malaysia.  He did an amazing amount of work as each hour of the Sunday/Monday moving I was getting worse and worse.  Well, it turns out not to have been merely an out-of-shape 63 year old guy attempting to play moving man.  

I'm also an insulin dependent diabetic and exercise naturally lowers your blood sugar levels.  In 20-20 hindsight I should have either lowered my insulin dosage or increased my carbohydrate intake.  I did neither and as a result I passed out from a critically low blood sugar reading.  

Off in the ambulance I went and spent Tuesday night in the hospital after getting my glucose level to the right measure.  I bullied my way out of the hospital late this morning as there is still work to do but a message went to my landlord informing him that the hoped for January 31st departure wouldn't be happening due to this situation.  

He was very nice about it and a few lighter paced days will finish things up.  I'm paid through the 14th, so there's nothing much he could say, though I know he's anxious to get his new tenant the keys.

Anyway, today's writing is understandably brief.  I wanted to pose ten poll questions about the upcoming season and let you all have at it:

  1. What should be the team's number one priority between now and the start of Spring Training?
  2. What do we need to see most during the Spring Training period to indicate the team is indeed ready for 2025?
  3. What one improvement did the Mets make during the off-season that you feel will make the biggest impact?
  4. What player on the club will be the biggest positive surprise?
  5. Correspondingly, who do you feel will disappoint in his performance for the upcoming season?
  6. What are your initial thoughts on rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza?
  7. How will the reassignment of Eric Chavez back to hitting coach help what was a lackluster offense this past season?
  8. What role will injuries (and recoveries) play in the team's overall results?
  9. How much patience should be given to Brett Baty and Mark Vientos?
  10. Where should emerging home run hitter Francisco Alvarez slot into the batting order?

Spent a few moments and answer as few or as many hit home for you.  

In the interim, wish me luck with the last 20+ cargo containers that need to be moved.  And a Costco sized tube of Ben-Gay. 

1/30/24

Tom Brennan - Repost of My Top 35 Productive Mets Prospects Article from Mid-October

I just saw Anthony DiComo write that the Top 30 Mets list on Mets.com won't be updated and reposted until March.  The page is blank and says it is pending update.

It takes a lot of supporting work for them (him?) to post about each of the Top 30 on the Mets site, so the time gap is understandable.

In the interim, I thought I would re-post my Top 35 article from mid-October 2023 for your enjoyment and reference:

 


Wow! Productive Ones!

My updated “Productive Top 35” is below.  Surprisingly, as I see it, it is a loaded list.  Lots of real talent.  The overall Mets minors had a bad win-loss result because, frankly, there were way too many weak players (e.g., close to, or below, .200 hitters, and lots of lousy pitchers), but that doesn't mean the top 35 isn't very, very good.  You decide if you agree. 

Pre-viewing explanatory notes are as follows:

a) You don’t produce, you get demerits.  Downgrades.

b) You produce, though?  UPGRADES!  Production counts.

c) Guys out for all or part of the 2023 season who will also miss all or most of 2024 are excluded to make room for talented producers.  

SO...NO COLEMAN CROW, MATT ALLAN, BRYCE MONTES DE OCA? 

Correct. See you dudes back on the field hopefully sometime in 2024. 

But you are not in my Top 35 for now. Come back, play, and we’ll see.

d) A player’s hypothetical ceiling is also considered of course.

Luke Ritter, for example, clocked a gaudy 27 HRs in just 107 games last year in AA and AAA, but he will be 27 come next spring training and his 137 Ks in 107 games at his age just seem too high to consider him a top 30 prospect.  If he had fanned 107 times in 137 games instead, he'd easily be in my top 10-15, as his HRs per game rate in 2023 was amazing.

This list includes the best recent draftees, as I felt they deserved it.  

Of course, some had very little playing time.  

I am, for instance, leaving Nolan McLean just off bottom of my list (let’s say he is # 36) until next year.  Why?  

The 3rd round slugger/pitcher fanned 11 times in 16 at bats while walking 7 times - a small sample, but Ks are expected and concerning  -  and he pitched just 3.1 innings, allowing one run - good, but very brief.  He is supposed to be more pitcher than hitter - we'll see next year.  I am, to be clear, confident he'll rapidly earn his way up the list in 2024. Top 15 by this time next year is my estimate.

Ditto Kade Morris, a 3rd rounder in 2023 who threw 3.1 IP and allowed 1 run.  I'll add him to my top 35, presumably, in 2024. assuming he can improve on his pretty lousy college stats, including in 2023 (5+ ERA, 1.50+ WHIP), in Nevada, which perhaps was geographically part of his problem, since Las Vegas proved to be a tough place for Mets prospects to pitch in years past..

I increased my “Top” list from 30 to 35 so as to not leave out a bunch of DSL hitters who really did well in 2023.  Riskier to include them, as the shift to stateside often separates the hombres from the real bambinos, but I decided to take that risk and include some of them.

THE HERALDED LIST OF 35 IS HEREWITH UNVEILED….

1. Jett Williams - IF/OF - Binghamton Ponies - he is our future Trea Turner, and that is high praise. On base machine with speed and moderate power.  121 games, 104 walks and  15 HBP, a solid 43 extra base hits, 45 of 52 in steals, all along with a .425 OBP, in his first full season...while a teenager...finishing solidly in AA. What is not to love?

 - Drawback?  Just 5'6"

2. Drew Gilbert - OF - Binghamton RPs - anyone who plays a lot of his first full pro season in a league as high as AA and, after the trade, in 35 AA Binghamton games, hits a sensational .325/.423/.561?  To me, that has him in a coin flip with Jett for the # 1 slot.

 - Drawback?  Just 5'9"

3. Luisangel Acuna Binghamton RPs - great fielder and speedy, but the 21 year old hit like Ruben Tejada after the trade. Just 2 HRs, both in one game, and 3 doubles; Acuna needs to hit better. He had just 39 XBH in 569 PA.  Not good at all, frankly.  I really struggled in my mind to put him above the next guy for that reason. Is a long-term comp for him a Luis Castillo, who was an excellent major leaguer with low power for years?

- Drawback?  Just 5'8"

But wait…the great Joe Morgan was just 5’7”, wasn’t he? 

4. Ronny Mauricio - IF/OF - not short, like the preceding 3. He is barely, but still, eligible for NL ROY next season. He played well with the Mets in September. I gave Luisangel Acuna the edge over him (for now) only because of Acuna’s superior glove.  But Ronny generates far more extra base hits. (Drawback since I originally wrote this?  His ligament tear which will cost him most of 2024)

5. Kevin Parada - C - Binghamton RPs -  hit well enough, but no “wow” hitting.  Must add in the “wow” to his offense in 2024.  When we tracked fellow catcher Alvarez as he ascended, I found myself saying WOW a lot.  Maybe now that Kevin is past the hitters' hell Brooklyn, he will WOW us with the bat in 2024.  Am I too harsh on KP to drop him to #5? 

Well, when I looked a few months ago, he was not included in MLB's top 10 prospect catchers. And his K rate needs to shrink.

6. Blade Tidwell - RHSP - Binghamton RPs - he pitched very well in Brooklyn, struggled a bit in AA with its less forgiving home park and superior hitters.  I expect a strong Tidwell 2024, and for him to be ready to be a big league starter in 2025.  Future? Middle-to-back-end rotation guy, with a chance at being better.

7. Dominic Hamel - RHSP - Binghamton Rumble Ponies - he was frankly lousy early in 2023.  He was frankly superb later in 2023.  I think he is on his way, with a 2025 arrival time. Future mid-to-back-end-of-rotation guy.

8. Christian Scott - RHSP - dealing like an ace in High A and AA in 2023.  With his control, he could beat Tidwell and Hamel to the Mets.  Future mid-to-back-end-of-rotation guy.

9. Mike Vasil - RHSP - Syracuse Mets - he is ahead of the prior 3, found it rocky in 2023 there.  I think he improves a lot in 2024, and makes his Mets debut during the season.  How good will he be?  I'm guessing fringe starter, until he proves he is better than that. 

10. Nick Morabito - OF/IF - 20 year old in FCL, really is prepared for takeoff.  57 games of excellence split between the FCL and St Lucie, where he hit .306/.421/.407 with 21 steals!  Just 2 HRs, but I imagine we'll see him eventually get up in the 10-15 range.  Good outfield glove.  

He just might be another Jett Williams, but injuries limited his first half games, so he played just half the games as Jett did. What if he had played 64 more games like Jett? Seriously....is Nick a second "future Mets’ Trea Turner"?  Reportedly, to be clear, he does not have a gun for an arm.

11. Jacob Reimer - 3B - he was raking in FCL at age 19, then in St Lucie, and then struggled in a brief stint in Brooklyn. To me, I'll take a flyer on him as a close to top 10 guy.  336 at bats, 8 HR, 49 RBI, .265 overall.  I think we see him improve in leaps and bounds in 2024.  And he'll have us saying, "another quality infielder?  Where will he fit?" 

12. Nate Lavender - AAA lefty reliever, and first reliever in the list, he performed exceptionally well and fanned over 13 per 9. ERA under 3.00, way below his teams’ ERAs. Definitely NY-bound in 2024, IMO.

13. Paul Gervase - RHSP - Binghamton RPs - Higher K rate than Nate, and a minuscule ERA. This 6’10” dude fanned 20 in his 10 inning AA debut.  What does THAT tell you? Queens ETA 2024.

14. Wilfredo Lara, SS - St Lucie - 19 until May of next year, Lara had 14 HRs amongst his 35 extra base hits in 96 games, 50 runs, 49 RBIs and 17 steals. Great for his age.  A little behind Reimer, IMO, but he is speedier.

15. Tyler Stuart - RHSP - Binghamton RPs - Stuart was death to South Atlantic League hitters in 2023, and did OK briefly in AA. The 6’9” righty was on the IL down the stretch. He is currently listed, thankfully, as "active", and an Oct. 10 Anthony DiComo article mentioned Stuart without reference to any injury, so Stuart presumably will be ready to go in 2024. In 2023, he tossed 111 innings, and ended up 7-2, 2.28.   Hopefully, he merely reached an unwritten innings limit.

16. Rhylan Thomas - OF - first full year culminated in AA, and after a short stint in St Lucie, where he hit .303, he amazingly hit over .340 in Brooklyn and Binghamton, and fanned less than anyone in the organization. Just needs to add power. That is a big "just", and some doubt he will.  Won organization’s minor league OF Gold Glove. I think if major league outfield playing time emerges, he will be ready to help the Mets by late 2024.  Is Dave Magadan a good comp?  2024 will reveal that.

17. JT Schwartz - smooth, smooth hitter and first baseman, great RBI rate in 2023. Now, the 6’4” righty hitter has one mission…add power.  I just wonder if Rhylan will be the better of the two hitters, but Schwartz could easily come out on top here. Time for a coin toss.  Both Rhylan and JT need more power in their game, along the lines of Drew Gilbert.

18. Joander Suarez - Suarez was lousy through early July 2023.  The second half was different - he had an absolutely brilliant stretch of several games in AA late in the year where he was almost unhittable.  In fact, in 6 of his last 7 season starts, he tossed 36 scoreless innings and allowed a mere 7 hits. And that was after a strong 4 game stretch in mid-July where he fanned 32 in 24 innings. allowing just 15 hits. Strong second half control (a walk every 5 innings). A 1.98 ERA in the second half, and just a HR allowed every 18 innings this year. 

So, I took a leap and slotted him in at # 18, to see if a little more consistency and 2024 success jumps him into the top 10.  I'd not be surprised if he got called up as a bullpen arm in 2024.

19. Colin Houck - I'm sure Houck will rapidly ascend, having been the 32nd overall pick and considered perhaps the 12th-15th best talent.  He was 7 for 29 in limited post draft play. I wish the Mets picked a pitcher, not yet another SS, but if he turns out to be great...?

20. Ryan Clifford - the 20 year old, 6'3", 200 pound lefty clobberer clobbered 24 HRs, but - surprise, surprise - hit just .198 for Brooklyn, the same as Stanley Consuegra did in Coney Island.  Clifford also fanned 51 times in 32 Brooklyn Cyclones games, after fanning slightly over once per game prior to the trade.  Get him OUT OF BROOKLYN!  He is ready for AA.

Ks clearly must come down, but Ryan is just 20, so he has ample time.

21. Stanley Consuegra - OF Brooklyn Cyclones - could be a real sleeper. He incredibly hit 14 road HRs in under 50 games and .260+ on the road. Awesome. Nine HRs in horrid Brooklyn where he hit .198...I wonder how many HRs the wind robbed there? He still hit 23 HRs in a mere 97 games.  

Full stop: 17 of those HRs were in his last 56 games!  He could turn into a true long ball crusher in AA in 2024.  Has to cut the Ks a bit (113 in 409 PAs). He may be way too low at # 21.  I am betting he hits 30-35 homers next year, since a) he will be in Binghamton, not Brooklyn, and b) he will, if healthy, play 30 or more games than in 2023.

22. Marco Vargas 18 year old IF did great after debuting with St Lucie after an equally impressive FCL stint. .265/.432/.389, 13 steals in 54 games in 2023.  Gotta be on my list.

23. Jeremiah Jackson - SS - AA - 22 HRs in 440 at bats, 27 steals, .260s, terrific so far, but... his 144 Ks in 500 plate appearances to me are a red flag.  In essence, the 23 year old is putting up the equivalent of Khalil Lee numbers.  And Lee hardly made the majors (and did so poorly). The high rate of Jackson Ks are keeping him out of my Top 20.

24. Brandon Sproat - perhaps the righty 2nd round starter should be ranked higher, but not a single pro inning thrown after the draft, so I start him low.  He can climb in 2024 when he produces.

25. Calvin Ziegler - RHSP - just 1 IP late in the season after injuries in 2023, in which he delightfully fanned 3.  That was after not many innings in 2022, BUT high potential. If healthy, top 10 by mid-2024? Why not?

26. Julio Zayas - C, age 17, in DSL, flat-out raked. 46 G, 166 AB, 7 HR, 42 RBI, .295/.351/.506, just 22 Ks.  RBI Guy.  One RBI Guy Tomas Nido is jealous.  What a performer Zayas was at his age in 2023.  How will it translate stateside in 2024?  We'll find out.

27. Rowdey Jordan - OF - he hit just .135 (7 for 52) in AA in April, but the 24 year old former 11th rounder was strong thereafter and finished at .230 with 13 HRs, 63 RBIs, and 65 walks in 119 games, and 30 steals. Reasonably impressive, but what is his career ceiling? 2024 will tell. Playing in the AFL this fall - 3 doubles in his first 25 ABs there.

28. Jefry Rosa - OF - led the entire DSL in HRs. And there are 50 teams in the DSL. 

And he only played 39 of his team's 54 games! 

126 AB, 14 HR (what a rate!), 34 RBI, .286/.413/.714, 38 K.  

He may not be nearly as successful at higher levels, but anyone with a .714 slug % is in my Top 35.

29. Wilkin Ramos, 22 year old righty who relieved very well. 5-2, 2.50, finished up in AA. 67 Ks in 57 IP.  Mack likes him, so should you. 

Queens in late 2024 seems possible.

30.  Anthony Baptist - DSL - CF: 

27 G 82 AB, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .280/.450/.476, 21 K, 9 SB. 

Big bonus speedster.  He missed games but came on stronger at the end.  Maybe, of all the DSL guys I have listed, he will turn out to be the best.

31.  Heriberto Rincon  - CF - DSL: 

43 G, 148 AB, 1 HR, 20 RBI, .318/.408/.400, 33 K, 16 SB.  

Speed and on base skills seem strong. Ditto on the "we'll see how he does stateside in 2024."

32. Jeremy Rodriguez, SS in DSL, post-trade:

8 G, 24 AB, 9 RBI, .458/.583/.708, 3 K, 1 SB.  Wow!

The 17 year old stole 19 bases in 51 games in 2023, with a .411 OBP. Well thought of. I’m taking a high flyer, and could be very wrong here, but let's make it interesting.

33. Daniel Juarez - LHRP - great relief year in High A/ AA, but not as good as Lavender and Gervase in terms of Ks. Yet, he belongs in the top 30 after slightly over a K per inning and 3-3, 2.37, 0.93 WHIP season.  Future Mets pen guy? I'd say YES! You want to switch him to # 29 and move Wilkin Ramos to # 33, I can live with that.

34. Alex Ramirez - CF - High A - bad season, so I'm dropping him.  Until when? Until he produces, that’s when.  

Take out that 6 for 6 game and he hit .210 in all of his other games, and he played a lot.  With just 7 HRs in 521 PAs, or just one every 75 PAs!  Compare to his teammate Consuegra’s HR deluge. Alex, prove you deserve to be highly ranked again, after a frankly bad year. 

35. Trey McLoughlin, AA reliever. Brooklyn Binghamton, 4-3, 2.79 in 51 innings with 64 Ks.  He PRODUCED in a year where so many Mets minor league hurlers did not. Not bad at all for a former 16th round righty.  Pitching in AZ fall ball.

Matt Rudick, OF, slid barely out of my top 35. In my mind, he was not just Binghamton's best player, but the undisputed Eastern League MVP until mid-June.

Then, being a Met comes often with a jinx: a shoulder injury screwed the rest of his season.  In mid-June, pre-injury, he was going so well that I thought he’d be a late season Mets call up. 

Will turn 26 next July, so he badly needs to not be hurt in 2024 so as to compete against a horde of good offensive players while is he still relatively young.

Some other guys I dropped out of the top 35 because they were lousy in 2023. They DIDN'T produce.

Righty Justin (pitched like Jane) Jarvis was lousy in AAA, although perhaps he could be a Mets reliever in 2024 at some point.  He has allowed a truly high 40 HRs in 260 innings in the minors over the past 2 seasons (compare to Suarez, who has allowed 12 career HRs in 215 IP).

Righty Landon Marceaux was lousy in AA and then (I believe) banished to the utter darkness of Tommy John Siberia, as he ended the season on the 60 day IL.  

And some I'd previously listed in my Top lists, like Jose Peroza, stalled out from a good beginning down to a mediocre level of production as 2023 wore on.  Off the list they went.

Guys like Willy Fanas to me need to prove after a so-so year that he is top 35 stuff.  He and Simon Juan are in my mental top 50 (I have not ranked any below #35) because they got big bonuses, despite weak offensive production.

And Branny de Oleo, DSL might deserve top 35; a SS:

He played 44 G, 159 AB, 3 HR, 25 RBI, .302/.387/.472, just 17 Ks, 6 SB. 

I like the low Ks.  Of course, any DSL guys are a crap shoot, maybe my top 35 list gives them too much credit. 2024 beckons. Prove your ability then.

Also, Jostyn Almonte RF DSL:

41 G, 135 AB, 6 HR, 27 RBI, .311/.427/.526, 36 K, 13 SB.  

Again, are great DSL stats a mirage?  They weren’t for former Mets star prospect Andres Gimenez.  They were, though, for whiffing slugger Vicente Lugo several years ago.  We'll see how Almonte does stateside in 2024, and I'll rank him in the top 35 later if he excels.

In this organization, mediocre may get you to the majors for a while if you are a pitcher, but it won't if you are a hitter.  Few slots exist of hitters.

Let’s not forget DSL/FCL talents Jesus Baez and Ronald Hernandez, both of whom the Mets site listed on their top 30. Hernandez, particularly, could have been on my top 35. But my shoe horn broke.

And a fine high minors player like Joe Suozzi (.270/.362/.382, including some quality games at AAA) went undrafted and has hit well since his Mets minors debut in 2021 but is he going to be major league caliber 1B/OF?  Not quite convinced, but he has performed solidly as a pro. I won’t say he can’t.  Definitely in my 36-40 range.  Maybe I am being too harsh.  But...

The hitter competition to get to Queens is fierce.

Meanwhile…

Some pitchers almost made the top 35.

Left out of the top 35 because he in my mind didn't yet quite make the cut is Saul Garcia, a 20 year old righty who turns 21 in June 2024, who fanned a fine 106 batters in 80 innings, and was 6-9 with a 5.04 ERA, mostly in St Lucie (a high K league) with 13 late season solid innings in Brooklyn.  Who knows how much he improves at a still very young age next year?  

And his 20 year old teammate 6'4" Luis A. Rodriguez, who threw just 31 innings last year but was solid, with a 3.69 ERA and 30 Ks.  Both could climb rapidly next year. We’ll see.

Also a future top 35 guy is lefty reliever Eli Ankeney, who was 3-1, 3.07 with 51 Ks in 41 innings, mostly in Brooklyn.  Walks a bit high.  Let's see how he does in AA next year, but the 22 year old 20th rounder from 2022 had a surprisingly strong season.

Eric Orze is now 26 and had a lousy AAA year undeserving of a top 35 ranking - until he was absolutely brilliant in his last 11 innings of scoreless relief with 22 Ks.  He perhaps figured something out and my guess is he could show up in Queens in 2024. 

Had I not added several DSL guys to the top 35, the list could have included a guy like Brandon McIlwain (.247/.356/.393, 20 steals), but while the 25 year old had a decent offensive season in AA and AAA, "decent" does not get you to the big leagues.  He needs to get a lot better, and do it fast, given his age.  But, despite being 5 years older, he had a whole lot better year than Alex Ramirez.

All of the "almosts" above, the ones who didn't quite crack my top 35, would fall into the 36-50 range for me.

Hundreds of Mets minor leaguers trailed behind all of the above-noted guys, to be clear. Why? They didn’t produce enough.

Who, in your astute minds,  did I leave out?  

Who do you agree with me on? Disagree?

My apologies for the lack of pictures. 




  

Mike's Mets - The Defense Doesn't Rest

 


By Mike Steffanos

A renewed emphasis on defense would be a good thing for the New York Mets.

Mike Vaccaro had an interesting column in the New York Post about the rather dull first winter of David Stearns's tenure, compared with the splashier debuts of some other recent Mets GMs. Back in the offseason of 2004-05, Omar Minaya famously hit the ground running, signing Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran in his first offseason in charge. In his inaugural hot stove as GM, Brodie Van Wagenen swung a deal for Edwin Díaz that, unfortunately, also saddled the club with the Albatross of Robinson Canó's contract.

Contrast this with Stearns, whose biggest deals this winter was the signing of pitchers Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. While I certainly understood the logic behind inking these guys, neither of the announcements made a chill run down my spine as I felt when I first learned of Beltran's agreement. The 40-man on Mets.com is loaded with the names of guys David Stearns brought in to deepen the roster. Some of these new guys could play an important part in what happens to the Mets in 2024. A few of them even fascinate me a tiny bit.

I'm intrigued by the defensive skills Harrison Bader can contribute in the outfield, even as I acknowledge that he is likely to miss time due to injury and hasn't posted an OPS+ over league average since 2021. Bader is with the Mets on a 1-year contract. Those short-term deals are hard to find fault with, as the player won't be around long enough to cause any lasting pain, even if he doesn't really work out. What makes Harrison Bader interesting, and has kept him employed in MLB despite a lackluster batting line of .243/.310/.396 over 7 seasons, is the elite defense he brings to the table.

The Mets have a history of prioritizing offense over defense going back decades. Davey Johnson, still arguably the most successful manager in Mets history, would often sacrifice some defense to get a bit more pop in his lineup. For instance, he often started Howard Johnson or Kevin Mitchell at SS when Sid Fernandez was pitching. There was logic to this choice, as El Sid was an extreme fly ball pitcher. But it was notable in the pre-steroid era when defense was still prized over offense in baseball.

Tom Brennan: Mets Minors Relief; Defense Matters; Fake Ages; Colt Keith


OH, WHAT A RELIEF IT IS!

In 2023, we saw what we see almost every year in Metsville - a long string of relievers coming to the Mets, pitching mostly not well, and leaving, and several coming and going more than once.

You'd figure everyone even halfway worthwhile came up, right?

Wrong.  Let me discuss some "possibles" bubbling up through the system here.

There are two who might have been called up if needed, but both were not on the 40 man roster and would have had to be added.  

And two others, also not on the 40 man roster, who got hot late in the season, but again, there was not a pennant race for the Mets, so why call them up either? 

And two others who pitched well in AA and have pitched well his whole minors career in relief, frankly.

I like guys who can strike out the world, sport a tiny ERA, and win and save games.

Here are the 6:

1) NATE LAVENDER

The 6'2", 210 lefty mostly pitched in AAA in his second full minor league season, after being drafted in the 14th round in 2021. He appeared in 42 games and ended 2023 with a 4-3 record, 7 of 8 in saves, 2.98 ERA, fanning a tremendous 86 in 54 innings, with hitters batting .196 against him, and compiled a 1.20 WHIP.  He hit 7 batters, too, which I frankly like to see, demonstrating possibly a lapse in control, but certainly not indicating he is gun-shy about keeping guys honest.  His only flaw as I see it is 26 walks in 54 innings.

In his career, he is 10-6, 2.32, 13 of 14 in saves, and 165 Ks in 109 IP.  His homers allowed rose to 7, all in his 44 innings in AAA, after having only allowed 1 HR in his prior 64 minor league innings. Better hitters are more dangerous, and represented a good learning experience.  Still, his HRs allowed rate is solid.  And in his 44 AAA innings, he fanned 67 and posted a 3.27 ERA.  Keep in mind that in the International League, due to the tight automated strike zone, the average team's ERA was 5.08 and Syracuse's ERA was 5.80, so he flummoxed those averages.

I see no reason whatsoever that he cannot contend for the 2024 Mets opening day bullpen, and if not on that roster day 1, it won't take long.

Puzzlingly, his Steamer MLB projections for 2024 (as of late November, when I drafted this article) are just 12 IP, 3.89, 10 K/9.

2) PAUL GERVASE

Drafted in the 12th round in 2023, the 6'10" 23 year old righty Gervase may need a little more time, as he only has gotten as high in the minors as 10 innings in AA late in 2023. But those 10 innings included 20 strikeouts.  And he faced 4 batters in the post-season, retiring all 4 and fanning 2.  In 2022, he threw 5 innings of relief in the playoffs for St. Lucie, allowing no runs on 2 hits, 2 walks, and fanning 4.  So, he has performed very well in post-season play. 

In Brooklyn, where he spent most of 2023 he fanned 76 in 47 innings.  Those 96 Ks in 57 total 2023 innings are eye-catching K numbers.  

He ended his full season of 2023 at 4-2, 2.05, and saved 7 of 9. His ERA might have been better had he not had a .272 BABIP in 2023, which seems high for a guy who missed so many bats. 

He has allowed just 2 HRs in 68 pro innings, which is great.  A concern, though, is he walked 42 in his 57 innings and hit 5 batters.  That won't work in the big leagues.  But his walk rate was somewhat better after a wild April, and he promisingly walked just 4 vs. 20 Ks in his 10 innings late in the season in AA. 

It would seem some AAA seasoning in early 2024 and a reduced walk rate should be Gervase's ticket to the Big Show by June.  Major league hitters will make him throw strikes, though. 

His Steamer projections for 2024 are for 14 IP, 4.37 ERA, and 10 K/9.

3) JOANDER SUAREZ

As I have chronicled in prior articles, Suarez, after years of few innings due to injuries, sported a 7.23 ERA in early July in Brooklyn. 

He then ignited, with a 4 start stretch in July where he fanned 32 in 24 innings while allowing 5 earned runs, followed by 5 of his last 6 season starts where, in the 5, he allowed just 7 hits in 30 scoreless innings while fanning 36, with the last 3 of those starts in AA, including a no hitter.  

He allowed just 6 HRs in 108 innings in 2023, and sported a second half ERA of 1.98 while walking just 10 hitters in 50 innings.

All of which constituted a brilliant, but small, sample size.  His career could go in two paths, it seems, if he can build on his success in 2024 as I expect he will:

a) a Mets reliever by mid-2024, because he sports control and a low HR rate.

b) a possible Mets starter in 2025.

He still has not caught Steamer’s “eye”, showing him not pitching in the majors in 2024. The Mets May agree, since he was left off the 40 man.

Option "a" seems more likely, unless of course the Mets use him as a trade chip this off season. Built like a bull at 6'3", 250, I recall the Mets trading Adam Oller and JT Ginn for Chris Bassitt after a similarly brilliant minors stretch for Oller, who faltered with the As. Ginn faltered, too.

4) ERIC ORZE

The last 2 seasons have mostly not gone well for Eric Orze, the Mets' 5th rounder in 2020, but the now 26 year old man with the forkball might just have figured things out in late August and September in AAA, when in a stunningly strong relief stretch, he hurled 11 innings, allowed 2 hits, walked 6 and fanned 22.  

I do like the fact that in a HR-happy league like the International League, Eric allowed just 6 HRs in 61 innings.  His ERA after a brutal season start was 10.50 on May 6, by which time he'd allowed 14 earned runs in 12 innings, but "just" 22 earned runs in 49 innings after that in a league where (as noted above) the average team's ERA was 5.08.

But again, not to ignore his prior struggles, but that last 11 innings of dominance in AAA and his low HRs allowed rate give me the sense that he can help in the Mets bullpen in 2024.

Steamer does not see the man with the 60 rated splitter splitting pitches for the Mets in 2024, however.

5) TREY MCLOUGHLIN

A 16th rounder in 2021, the 6’2” righty Trey Mac pitched very well in Brooklyn and AA in 2023. 4-3, 2.79 in 35 games, 64 Ks in 51 IP, and 5 of 8 in-saves, and solid control. 

Trey also pitched in Az Fall Ball, and did so very well, too.  How does 9 innings and a 0.00 ERA sound? (His teammate Nolan Clenney, to not leave him out, allowed 1 earned run in 9 innings in the land of the cactus.)

Trey will turn 25 next June, so it is time to take on and defeat AAA. If he succeeds at that in 2024, he could be a second half call up to the Mets.

Steamers apparently likes Trey, showing him (when I drafted this some weeks ago) with 33 MLB innings, 30 Ks, and 4.58 in 2024.  Trey is not a fireballer, FYI.

6) DANIEL JUAREZ

The 5'11" lefty from Venezuela, who pitched 2023 as a 22 year old, started out in the DSL in 2019.  In his career, he is 10-6, 2.50, with 219 Ks in 165 innings.

In 2023, he relieved in 12 games in Brooklyn and allowed no earned runs and just 5 hits in 16 innings. He then got in 21 games for AA Binghamton, where he registered a 3.27 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP, where batters hit just .200 against him.  (But, righties in AA against him hit .234, with 22 hits and 13 walks in 24.2 innings, so that is a bit of a concern in that low-offense league).

He was 1 for 1 in save chances in 2023.  Just 4 HRs (all in AA) in his 57 innings in 2023, with 3 against those righties in those 24.2 IP against righty hitters in AA.

I am impressed by his commendable performances so far, but he fanned 24 in his 16 Brooklyn innings, and that dropped to 37 Ks in 41 innings in AA, so I am concerned a bit as to whether his stuff that has been enough to tame hitters up to AA will still be strong enough to hold MLB hitters at bay.  So, he is to me the iffiest of the 5 hurlers touted here, but he could easily prove the ability to adapt and continue to succeed against higher competition.  Let's see how he does in 2024 in AAA.

Keep in mind that as well as he has pitched, he has thrown 165 career innings and not yet been tested against AAA hitters, which may be a bit concerning.

And Steamer shows him not pitching in MLB in 2024.


My brother Steve, were I to show him this list, would reply, “you show me Mets minors guys like this every year, can we just stock up the Mets pen with enough REAL relievers, for once, to have a killer pen?  Where are OUR 100 MPH pen guys?”

He’s got a point. I told him that Dick Raddatz-sized Bryce Montes de Oca had a 70 rated fastball, and a super-sick, ultra high speed sinker, but his control arm is still not cleared for high speed hurtling by the repair shop.  

I read recently, though, that his throwing program is moving along nicely, although I don't know what that person's source is to know how far along that is.  I did, though, see a video clip of him easily tossing the ball back in the early fall.  

If he comes back fully repaired and healthy in June or July, that could be a big plus for the Mets' pen.

And, of course, let’s remember Dylan Tebrake, of whom I wrote a few weeks back.  I know this reader group has some Dylan fans.

AND…YES, DEFENSE MATTERS!

“It’s the defense, stupid.” No, Bill Clinton did not say that, but it’s true.

The Mets have added slick fielding Harrison Bader and Joey Wendle, among others.

Luis Guillorme was shed by the Mets. That reputed defensive whiz was a far cry from Wendle in that regard. Wendle has superb career WAR. So does Bader. Guillorme does not….that is the data.

In defense of former Met Vogelbach playing no defense, he did so only because he was a full time DH. He did defend his place at the buffet table, though, and his dugout to buffet table sprint time was the best on the team.

Let's get serious again:

According to a site called The Fielding Bible, the Blue Jays led the majors in 2023 in Defensive Runs Saved with a +85, while Stearns’ former Brewers team was 2nd with a +68.

The Mets were 25th in team DRS with a NEGATIVE 25 runs saved, a remarkable 110 run negative difference from the leather-flashing Blue Jays. 

The Mets’ best DRS players in 2023 were “the Francisco’s “ - Lindor and Alvarez were both +7.

But Lindor’s +7 was only good enough to rank him 49th in baseball last year.

(BTW, Gary Sanchez the past 2 years had 659 at bats, 33 doubles, 35 HRs, 108 RBIs….and remarkably a PLUS 7 in DRS in 2023. Glad we kept Narvaez and Nido instead? They combined for a mere +1 DRS, and 8 RBIs in 2023. Horrible.)

And… Nimmo was a minus 7, while the Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho was a +29, an incredible differential. 

It is little wonder that Stearns got Bader to play a lot of center field. Bader was a +5 in 2023 with far less playing time and playing less than 100% healthy. And acquired Tyrone Taylor (+4) and Adrian Houser (+2), further improving the Mets’ 2024 defensive profile.

Baty and the injured Marte were both -7 in DRS.  Both have to do much better in that regard in 2024. How about 0 DRS from both? I’d take it.

All that said…it is very clear why Stearn’s acquisitions ought to significantly improve Mets’ defense. Fewer runs allowed due to shaky defense ought to mean more Mets wins.

FAKE AGES IN INTERNATIONAL VILLE:

MLB.Com noted (as per the Athletic) that “the age of a Mets signee from the 2023 international signing period is reportedly under investigation by Major League Baseball, as several teams recently learned that players they either have agreements with or were interested in were older than they previously believed. The Mets, Astros, Royals, Twins and Athletics are reportedly those teams.”

“The Athletic notes that according to those familiar with baseball's international signings, identity and age fraud in the Dominican Republic is on the rise…..Earlier in January, the Mets signed 20 international free agents but did not officially sign shortstopRaymel Ortiz. Michael Marino reported that a deal between Ortiz, MLB Pipeline's No. 26 international prospect in the 2024 class and the Mets fell through because of player age falsification.”

SO…WE WONDERED WHY RAYMEL WASN’T SIGNED.   MAYBE THEY FOUND OUT HE’S ACTUALLY 22…OR 32…OR 42.  AGE IS RELATIVE ANYWAY, RIGHT?

WAIT, I THOUGHT ONLY WOMEN LIED ABOUT THEIR AGES…

COLT KEITH CASH

The now 22 year old Colt was the first selection in the 5th round of the 2020 draft. 132nd overall. Tigers snatched him up.

The Mets drafted C Matt Dyer, best remembered for being entirely forgettable, with the 120th pick in the 4th round.

So…third baseman Colt in 2023, as a Tiger high minor leaguer, hits .306 with 38 doubles, 27 HRs, and 101 RBIs!  He is yet to make his MLB debut.

The Tigers, however, are already so effusive about Colt that this was reported in MLB Trade Rumors:

The Tigers announced a six-year contract extension with infield prospect Colt Keith

The deal guarantees Keith $28.6425MM and could max out at $82MM over nine years if three club options (covering the 2030, 2031, and 2032 seasons) are all escalated and exercised. 

In addition to a $2MM signing bonus, Keith will earn $2.5MM in salary for the 2024 campaign, $3.5MM in 2025, $4MM per season in 2026 and ’27, and $5MM per season in 2028 and ’29. Each club option includes salary escalators, but the values currently break down as follows — the 2030 club option is valued at $10MM with a $2.6425MM buyout, the 2031 option worth $13MM ($1MM buyout), and the 2032 option worth $15MM ($2MM buyout).

WOW.

The Tigers could easily do this because they are 60% below the salary cap.

I know, the draft is a crap shoot.  Heck, Dyer could have turned into the next Duffy Dyer.

This tells me to not dawdle in trying for a similar extension for Francisco Alvarez.

1/29/24

OPEN THREAD - Are Baseball’s Voting Writers Knuckleheads?

The Voters…Are They Knuckleheads?

Former Met closer Billy Wagner’s last year of Hall of Fame eligibility.

 2025. Next year.

In 2024, he needed 75% to get in. He got 73.8%. Fell a few votes short.

Are those who didn’t vote for him prudent? 

Sadists (we’ll make him sweat because…well, because we enjoy torture)?

Knuckleheads? 

Does he REALLY have to wait until year 10 to get in?

His career? 

47-40, 2.31, 903 innings, 1,198 Ks, 0.998 WHIP, 422 saves.

Seems great. Seems clearly Hall-worthy.

What say you?


SAVAGE VIEWS – The Mediocre Mets - Part Two

 

At this time last year, Mets fans were ecstatic that we would be serious contenders for a World Series title.  After all, our rotation was headed by two Hall of Fame pitchers.  Things did not go as planned, obviously.  

Most pundits have the Mets winning even less games in what is being called a transition year.  Let’s take a look at last year’s roster vs the projected roster for 24.

Pos

2023 Mets

2024 Mets Projected

1B

Alonso

Alonso

2B

McNeil

McNeil

SS

Lindor

Lindor

3B

Escobar

Baty

LF

Canha

Nimmo

CF

Nimmo

Bader

RF

Marte

Marte

C

Navarez/Nido

Alvarez/Nido

DH

Vogelbach

Vientos

OF 4

Locastro

Taylor

OF 5

Pham

Stewart

INF

Guilorme

Wendell

 

 

 

SP 1

Scherzer

Senga

SP 2

Verlander

Quintana

SP 3

Senga

Severino

SP 4

Carrasco

Manaea

SP 5

Peterson

Houser

SP 6

Megill

Megill

RP

Robertson

Diaz

RP

Ottavino

Ottavino

RP

Raley

Raley

RP

Smith

Smith

RP

Nogosek

Lucchesi

RP

Curtiss

Butto

RP

Hunter

Lopez

RP

Santana

Hartwig


An argument can be made that this year’s team is actually better than the team that started last year.  The offensive production for the first three months of the season was underwhelming.  Alonso, McNeil, Lindor, Marte, et al all had poor starts to their seasons.  

The catching duo of Narvaez and Nido was below par. 

Verlander and Quintana began the season on IR which propelled Megill to the Five Hole.  The pen without Diaz was a disaster.  It’s reasonable to expect bounce back years from the likes of Alonso, McNeil, Marte, and Lindor.  Although Lindor did finish strong, he struggled through the first three months of the season.

Alvarez has emerged as a potential star, while Nido is an adequate backup.  The major questions that need to be answered are whether Baty and Vientos will live up to the hype.  The feeling is that they have survived their growing pains and will be significant contributors this year. 

In the wings, should the need arise, are Acuna and Gilbert.  Also, upcoming relievers include Lavender and Gervase plus a large number of no-name additions who could provide excellent depth.  This year might see pieces like Vasil, Scott and Hamel emerge as future starters.

I like the job Stearns has done in building the team to compete in 2024 while retaining top prospects.   

The above hopefully supports my argument that our team will be very competitive this year. 

Ray

January 29, 2024