MACK - SUNDAY REPORT - Here Comes The IFA Studs -

Good Morning –

A lot of things changed when Steve Cohen plucked down a couple of billion for the Mets. And I’m not talking players.

It took a while for General Manager/Manager things to get back in working order and the quality of the coaching staff is still in question, but internally, a lot has improved on this team since Fred and Ethen ruled the roost.

Increased scouts and cross-checkers… a huge increase in analytical personnel… improvements at the affiliates and facilities… the famous “lab” at the St. Lucie complex…

One area that has always bothered me was the almost total disrespect that the Wilpon organization had for Latin development. Sure, they would give out a seven-figure bonus to an Amed Rosario ($1,75mil) or Francisco Alvarez ($2,700,000), but most turned out to be the quality of Alex Ramirez ($2.05mil), Fernando Martinez ($1,400,000) or Juan Urbina ($1.2mil).

More importantly, these dollar figures were far lower than teams like the Dodgers, Astros, Padres, and the Yankees would dish out to the top kids that year. While the Mets were paying out around a mil for the 30th top prospect, teams like those were paying twice and three times that for the cream of the crop.

Remember… this doesn’t work like the domestic draft. Here, the prize goes to the team that writes the top check.

The Wilpons were a domestic draft organization and turned a blind eye to the majority of top talent that came out of other countries, especially Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

And then came Steve Cohen.

It took him awhile to catch on here. People around him started to point out to him how simply stupid the Mets have been in this area. I’m sure his Latino wife had a word or two on this subject. Whatever the turning point was is unspoken, but it came before the 2023 signing period. It was then that Mets realized the sting of losing slots in the domestic draft could be immediately offset with signing the cream of the Latin market that year. Plus, you get the prospect 3-4 years under your belt before someone going to a domestic college.

You own em’… you develop them at your pace… no aggressive college manager who throws the pitch count away at playoff time… and a bitchin’ lab in Florida to play with.

And with that… poof… out goes the archaic Wilpon system and in comes one that determines the value of a prospect by their talent, rather than their nationality.

And…

What do you wind up?

2023 – C Daiverson Gutierrez – ($1.9mil)

                    2025 -  A+:  327-AB, 53-BB, .242/,362/.309/.671

2024 – C Yovanny Rodriguez – ($2.85mil)

                    2025 – DSL:  136-AB, .331/.446/.493/.939

             OF Edward Lantiqua – ($950mil)

                    2025 – FCL:  153-AB, 33-BB, .288/.433/.399/.832

             SS Yensi Rivas - ($500K)

                    2025 - DSL:  138-AB, 23-SB, .261/.378/.312/.690

2025 – SS Elian Pena – ($5mil)

                    2025 – DSL:  178-AB, 9-HR, 36-BB, .292/.421/.528

2026 – SS Wandy Asigen – ($3.9mil)

             OF Cleiner Ramirez – ($1.3725mil)

Six real good baseball players to add to your already good crop of domestic prospects.

I expect this will be the norm in the future.