The Morning Report 11.23.2015 | Mets Lose Jack Leathersich to Cubs, Syndergaard could be a Career Met, "The Final Boss" a Mets RP Target

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- The Chicago Cubs have claimed left-handed reliever Jack Leathersich off waivers from the New York Mets. Leathersich, 25, underwent Tommy John surgery on July 30, so he is not due to return until next summer. The Mets have a shortage of left-handed relievers, but chose anyway to remove Leathersich to clear a spot ahead of Friday's deadline to add prospects to the 40-man roster to shield them from the Rule 5 draft.

(Chris Soto: I don't blame the Mets for removing a guy from the 40 man roster who will likely not contribute to the team during the 2016. There is never a guarantee that a player comes back from Tommy John Surgery 100%, as evidenced by Bobby Parnell. That said, I don't think anyone would have expected Leathersich to be claimed. Even stranger....Leathersich was not the only New York reliever recovering from TJS to be claimed on waivers as the Yankees RHRP Chase Whitley was also grabbed off of waivers by Tampa Bay.)



Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- Noah Syndergaard had dreamed of being a big leaguer most of his life, but ever since 2013, he had dreamed specifically about getting a chance to get back to New York City. “I love it here,” Syndergaard said. “I had some time after the season and I wanted to just experience all I could of it. I wanted to do things I couldn’t do in the season and I am having a lot of fun. I want to be a Met for life, I love it.”

(Chris Soto: Syndergaard is quickly becoming my new favorite Met....a position that has been empty since the departure of Jose Reyes. He's fiery, he's talented, he can throw it by you with a 100 mph fastball or make you look ridiculously silly on a 84 mph hammer curveball. These kind of statements, these "natural" statements, are something you don't hear coming out of the mouth of a Matt Harvey. While I'm certainly enjoying the wonders of 3 aces in the Mets rotation right now....I know when push comes to shove....we can't afford to extend all 3 of them. If I had to choose 2 of deGrom, Thor, and Harvey right now, with the 3rd being traded and bringing in a massive amount of young talent, I would be choosing Thor and deGrom.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• Per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, the Nationals have jumping into, and are now leading, the race to sign free agent RHRP Darren O'Day. The Nationals have a competitive edge in their pursuit since O'Day's wife currently in employed in the D.C. area.
• Per Newsday's Marc Carig, Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh is on the Mets radar as a potential free agent addition to their bullpen as they continue to look for options to bolster their late inning set-up core to Juerys Familia. 

(Chris Soto: Not knowing what exactly is going to happened with Papelbon and the Nationals....adding a guy like O'Day to the bullpen mix adds a ton of depth to an already good bullpen. That said though, you have to wonder what the value add is? Is $9M per season really best spent on a 7th inning bullpen arm or would it be more helpful elsewhere? As for the Seung-Hwan Oh, if I'm the Mets I would certainly take a flyer on Oh. Especially knowing that his numbers were so dominant in what is widely known as a hitting friendly environment in the Korean Baseball League. Also....he has a bad ass nickname...."The Final Boss")

MMs Top 25: #17 LHRP Jack Leathersich

#17 LHRP Jack Leathersich (LR: #13)

Bats: L Throws: R
Height: 5' 11" Weight: 200 lb

Age: 24
Acquired: 2011 Rule IV draft, 5th round, University of Massachusetts-Lowell

2014: (AA/AAA) 3-3, 1 SV, 3.31 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15.4 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.362 WHIP
2013: (AA/AAA) 4-0, 3 SV, 4.63 ERA, 58.1 IP, 15.7 K/9, 6.9 BB/9, 1.646 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 2-6, 2 SV, 3.00 ERA, 72.0 IP, 14.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.153 WHIP
2011: (SS-A) 0-0, 1 SV, 0.71 ERA, 12.2 IP, 18.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.711 WHIP

     When you are a senior draftee out of College and have already made the full time switch to RP....the margin of error you have to reach the MLB is so thin. A pure reliever needs to show an unbelievable talent to generate outs to not only beat out 7 other peers per level, but to also beat out the 5+ rotational guys who still have the option to make the switch. For the Leather Rocket, he's done everything right so far except one thing....conquer Las Vegas.

     Leathersich has had two shots at AAA so far and both times he went from an unstoppable force to a free pass giving machine. His 61 game career in AA has resulted in a 2.63 ERA, a K rate of 16.0 per 9 innings and a manageable 4.4 BB per 9 IP. his 39 game career in AAA has produced a dreadful 7.23 ERA, 14.7 K/9, and a 8.9 BB/9 rate. We all know the jump from AA to AAA is tough but the split in his BB/9 rate is just absurd. He's also given up twice as many HR's in half as many games. So what the heck is going on? In a Q & A session with Fangraphs' David Laurila, Leathersich alluded to what he thought the problem was...

"The guys you play against at the higher levels are much better hitters and much more patient. I’ve learned that you need to command the strike zone. That’s what I struggled with in Triple-A this past year. The hitters have a better sense of the strike zone and aren’t swinging at borderline pitches, so you need to command your pitches and get ahead. I’ve always thrown high in the strike zone, and I’m working on throwing the ball down and then climbing up the ladder when I need to."

     There's the problem, despite having below average fastball velocity, Leathersich still loves to use the upper half of the strike zone. This allows his deceptive delivery to be that much more effective as his "slower" fastball and get on a batter quickly. Here's where we drop some Science on everyone....In humid environments, the air is actually lighter than normal dry air. That's because H20 molecules are lighter than the O2 and N2 molecules found in normal air. This causes less "drag" on a baseball allowing it to travel farther in flight and in Leathersich case....stay up rather than gravity dragging the pitch down. So every time Leather Rocket is trying to climb the ladder, the pitch goes too high and is a ball....every time he aims low in the strike zone, the pitch stays up right in the batters wheelhouse. If you don't have natural side to side movement, like Noah Syndergaard does, it's almost like you have to "aim" to throw a ball down in order to get strikes.....something that is awful to do for development purposes.

     Because of this phenomenon, I personally think Leathersich is a candidate to jump straight from AA to the MLB. Make no mistake, he's MLB ready right now. The only thing preventing him from being on the team is the fact that despite being a Lefty, he actually carries reverse platoon splits and is more effective against right handed batters. He'll be second in line, behind Cory Mazzoni, to replace anyone in the MLB bullpen in case of injury.

Ceiling: MLB High Leverage Strike Out Machine RP (Brad Boxberger)

Floor: MLB Medium Leverage Strike Out Machine RP

Anticipated Assignment: (AAA) Las Vegas Bullpen.

MMs Top 25: #13 LHRP Jack Leathersich

#13 LHRP Jack Leathersich (LR: #16)
Bats: R Throws: L
Height: 5' 11" Weight: 200 lb
Age: 24
Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 5th Round, University of Massasschusetts- Lowell

2014: (AA/AAA) 3-3, 3.26 ERA, 49.2 IP, 1 SV, 15.2 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 1.329 WHIP
2013: (AA/AAA) 4-0, 4.63 ERA, 58.1 IP, 3 SV,15.7 K/9, 6.9 BB/9, 1.646 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 2-6, 3.00 ERA, 72.0 IP,  2 SV, 14.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.153 WHIP
2011: (SS-A) 0-0, 0.71 ERA, 12.2 IP, 1 SV, 18.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.711 WHIP
     
     First I was on the Leather Rocket express, then I was off, but once again I'm back on. Leathersich has always had control problems and they became more pronounced when he was promoted to Las Vegas last season. His performance was poor enough that the team re-assigned him to Binghamton to re-collect himself once again.

     Just like his last stint in Binghamton, Leathersich was flat out dominant. He struck out 79!!! guys in only 46 innings while keeping his BB rate under control at 4.1 per 9 innings. In fact, over his final 18 innings in Binghamton he was able to get that rate all the way down to 3.0 per 9 which is fantastic progress. Leather was promoted to AAA again at the beginning of the month and while it seems like he is struggling again, thanks to a 7.36 ERA; Leathersich has actually continued to pitch well.

     In his first 5 appearances back, Leathersich has faced 19 batters. 5 (26%) of them have struck out, 2 (10.5%) have walked, and 5 have gotten base hits (.294 batting average). While the hits seem pretty bad, only 1 of them was a solid contact line-drive. Encompassing everything, the overall periphals look strong. If he can continue at that 26% to 10.5% K to BB rate, he's going to be perfectly fine in AAA this time around and could potentially be ready to be a MAJOR piece in the MLB bullpen.

Ceiling: Stellar 8th inning bridge to the Closer (Andrew Miller)
Floor: Reverse Platoon Left handed specialist vs right handers (Antonio Bastardo)

MM's Top 25- #16 LHRP Jack Leathersich

#16 LHRP Jack Leathersich (LR: #6)
Bats: R Throws: L
Height: 5' 11" Weight: 205 lb
Age: 23
Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 5th round, University of Massasschusetts- Lowell

2013: (AA/AAA) 4-0, 4.63 ERA, 3 SV,15.7 K/9, 6.9 BB/9, 1.646 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 2-6, 3.00 ERA, 2 SV, 14.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.153 WHIP
2011: (SS-A) 0-0, 0.71 ERA, 1 SV, 18.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.711 WHIP

All right...All right....I may have gotten a bit carried away with the Leather Rocket in our last ranking when I posted him at #6. RP's just don't warrant to be that high in a prospect list. 2013 was a tale of two seasons for Leathersich; In Binghamton, he was lights out with a 1.53 ERA a ridiculous 55 K's in 29 innings. However, once he was promoted to Las Vegas, his ERA exploded to 7.76 and while he racked up 47 more K's in an additional 29 innings, he also walked 29. That's just not going to fly at the next level.

There is hope though, as Zack Wheeler eluded to in his interview with John Harper of the New York Daily News, the lack of humidity makes it extremely tough to grip baseballs which in turn leads to wild control bouts. Generally a lengthy adjustment period is usually needed in order to combat this issue and 29 innings is surely not enough time. His deceptive delivery will get another shot to pitch in Vegas but it may not be long before he gets the call to the MLB since he does not have to worry about fellow lefties Josh Edin and Scott Rice.

Leathersich is one of those rare breed of relief pitchers who actually carries reverse platoon splits. Against right handed hitters Leathersich held them to a .181 AVG and a .292 SLG in 2013 and .162/.237 in 2012. In comparison, lefties own a .329/.408 line against him in 2013 and posted a .267/.337 line in 2012.  While the splits are very pronounced his performances at all levels before Vegas suggest that he could be an 8th inning guy no problem but he'll have to reign in the control in order to do it.


Anticipated Assignment: (AAA) Las Vegas High Leverage Reliever
Ceiling: Premier MLB late inning reliever (8th inning guy) 
Floor: Premium Right handed One Out GuY (7th inning ROOGY)

BONUS: Here is some footage just to show you how difficult it is to pick up the ball out of his hand.

Position Battles Worth Watching: 13 Pitchers, 3 Bullpen Spots

One of the largest fights this Spring Training, as it is every season, will be for the final spots within the bullpen. This year only 4 guys are really guaranteed spots going into the season; RH Bobby Parnell, RH Victor Black, RH Carlos Torres, and LH Scott Rice. That leaves 3 spots left in a normal 7 man bullpen. Let's break this battle into two separate sections and assume that the team will carry 2 lefties this year.

Battle to be the 2nd Lefty

Favorites- Josh Edgin

Guys w/ a Chance- (none)

Longshots- Adam Kolarek

This is more of a minor ST battle that probably won't be a fight at all. While Josh Edgin is the incumbent and most likely winner, he was heavily criticized last season for his atrocious start. In 11 April appearances, Edgin held a 9.64 ERA and allowed a .325/.386/.525 batting line in mostly low leverage situations. Even worse, after being sent down to both AA and AAA, Edgin did not improve posting ERA's of 7.88 and 5.91 respectively. Edgin also suffered a season ending injury in August 

Adam Kolarek, meanwhile, had a career best year for the Binghamton Mets making appearances in 44 games and posting a 1.71 ERA and holding lefties to a .214 AVG and only 3 extra base hits all season. His low 90's fastball has a two plane break away from lefties which induces plenty of weak contact. He combines it  with an advanced change-up and a newly added slider which makes him just as effective against righties as well.

While Kolarek has looked good, Edgin has looked good in bursts at the MLB level and is on the 40 man roster. The team is almost certain to give Edgin at least one more chance while Kolarek gets some work in at AAA but he'll give Edgin a run for his money this ST. Don't be surprised if you start to hear his name more often if Edgin gets off to another rough start.

Royal Rumble over Last Two Spots

Favorites- Jeurys Familia, Gonzalez Germen

Guys w/ a Chance- Ryan Reid, Joel Carreno, Miguel Socolovich, Kyle Farnsworth

Longshots- Jeff Walters, Chasen Bradford, John Church, Cory Mazzoni, Logan Verrett, Jack Leathersich

Both Familia and Germen are expected to be major players in the bullpen this season but they may receive some stiff competition from recent minor league contracts signings in Reid, Farnsworth, Carreno, and Socolovich. 

The 29 yr old Reid had a career year in AAA last year and earned an 11 inning cup of coffee at the MLB level where he performed well in all but 1 of his appearances. 

The former Blue Jay, Joel Carreno, brings eye popping K rates into the competition thanks to a plus slider that's extremely tough on righties. In 2013 he held righties to a .101 AVG while striking out 41% of them. 

Lastly, there's the journeyman, Miguel Socolovich. The 27 yr old Venezuelan spent time in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and most recently in Japan for 2013. He didn't rack up many innings there (11.1) but he only allow 1 ER in his short time there.

The rest of the guys are longshots to make the team but, with chance to showcase their abilities, good performances could lead to potential promotions to the MLB level in case of injuries or ineffective by the other guys. Walters should be the 1st in line though since he is on the 40 man roster already. 

Are the 2014 Mets a Better Team on Paper? (Bullpen)

    We have clearly improved at the C, SS, and CF positions even though the players are the same. We expect the same lackluster production at 1B, and the same solid production at 2B and 3B. As we stated before, LF looks like its a real wild card since we still have no idea who's going to be starting and RF should be at least equal to last year's production but has a chance to be a bit better. The rotation is obviously not the same without Harvey, but the current group of guys may surprise you. Last but not least lets take a look at the bullpen.

(***Note this takes into account the team as it is today. Steamer Projections are extrapolated out to 162 games for the starter only.)

2013

Players: Scott Rice, LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Atchison, Bobby Parnell, David Aardsma, Brandon Lyon, Josh Edgin, Greg Burke, Gonzalez German, Pedro Feliciano, Carlos Torres, Vic Black, Rob Carson
Stats: 26-31, 3.98 ERA, 40 SV, 10 SO, 178 BB, 392 K, .256 BAA
(22nd in MLB ERA)

     Let's not beat around the bush for this part. The bullpen flat out stunk in 2013. Yea they finished 22nd thanks to a strong end to the season but only 3 teams gave up more runs than the Mets bullpen (Colorado, Houston, and Seattle). The same 3 teams were also the only ones who had higher BAA then the Mets. The bullpen even finished dead last in K's by a wide margin of 26.

     Parnell was the only household name in the pen last season and was excellent saving 22 games with a 2.16 ERA and even winning 5 games in the process. However a neck injury cut his season short leaving the bullpen to a bunch of minor league call-ups and spring training invite guys.

     Rice was a pleasant surprise in 2013 but heavy usage in April and May, due to Edgin's poor performance and demotion to AAA, led to him imploding in June to the tune of a .423 BAA and a 10.50 ERA. Once Edgin, was re-promoted to take some of the burden off him, both pitchers performed admirably posting sub 1.50 ERA's in July and August.

     Hawkins was also a pleasant surprise posting a 2.93 ERA and converting 13 Saves in Parnell absence. In fact, the 40 year old was the most consistent pitcher all year long and finished strong with 7 saves in September while giving up 0 runs and only 7 hits.

     Unfortunately after those 3 guys the rest of the pen was dismal. Aardsma had one good month before sporting a 5.00+ ERAs the rest of the way. Lyon and his 4.98 ERA was released halfway through the season after showing that he couldn't a be a set up man to Parnell (6.12 ERA in non save situation appearances). Atchison's old UCL-less arm couldn't stay healthy and couldn't strike anyone out (5.2 K/9) while Burke and his 5.68 ERA racked up some serious frequent flyer miles between NY and Vegas.

2014

Closer: Bobby Parnell: 28 SV, 3.15 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9

Set-Up: Victor Black: 3.50 ERA, 10.1 K/9, 4.6 BB/9
LOOGY: Scott Rice: 3.77 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 4.1 BB/9
ROOGY: Jeurys Familia: 3.66 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 4.2 BB/9
RH MR: Gonzalez German: 3.41 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9
LH MR: Josh Edgin: 3.84 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 4.0 BB/9
Long Man: Carlos Torres: 3.92 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9

     Much like the projections for the rotation, we need to take the bullpen projections with a grain of salt. That said, these numbers do not look that bad at all. One obvious thing that stands out is that this pen is going to be built on young power arms and will not repeat as the league's worst K machines. At the same time this group is also projecting to be one of the most inexperienced with only 9 years of MLB service time between them (Of which 5 years belongs to Parnell). The oldest guy in the bunch (Rice) will only be in his 2nd MLB season.

     This pen has some potential and is either going to be very energetic and strong armed or is going to implode in our faces. It will all depend on how Terry Collins uses them. Our saving grace here is that Jeff Walters, Jack Leathersich, Chase Huchingson, Cory Mazzoni, and Jacob DeGrom are all ready to hold a spot in the pen if any of these guys falter.

    Also from a statistical standpoint you can't be much worse then last year's group

Verdict: Massive volatility due to inexperience but at a bare minimum will be a push. Could possibly finish at moderate improvement if group can keep the BB rates in check.


You can't analyze the Mets pen without throwing in how they are managed.

It's like going to The Palm Restaurant, ordering the Filet, and asking for a bottle of ketchup.

First thing first... the starters have to average at least six innings per game. That happens, they may have enough here.

I still think there is one more outsider that will be signed for the pen. Until then, I'll reserve judgement. 

Mack Ade – PM Report – 7-9-13 – Scarlyn Reyes, 16-inning games, Jack Leathersich, Tejesh, Alfredo Reyes

 

Scarlyn Reyes… 6-3, 190 RHSP, 21-yrs old… 1^st year in organized baseball for the DSL Mets… 3^rd start (July 8^th): 8.0-IP, 0-R, 10-K, 0-BB… 1.37 for the first three starts… where do these guys come from? You sign bonus Latin kids at 16. Reyes is 21. Where the hell has he been for the last five years? Look, he turns 22 in November so does it really matter what he does here? The Mets are not going to push aside all the pitchers in the system for one old Latin dude with a weird first name.  

Doesn’t it seem like the Mets have been involved in an awful lot of long distance games this year? I can’t seem to find any breakouts on each of those games, but last night (or was it this morning?) was the perfect example of a Mets extra inning game. The Giants had 14 hits. The Mets had nine. This season, or lack of it, has always come down to the bats. Let’s give credit to the Mets pen last light. That was eight scoreless innings after a halfway decent Matt Harvey outing.Harvey should have had this win because the game should have ended in the ninth inning, but, once again the Mets seem incapable of scoring more than three runs. Manaement must concentrate this trading season on correcting his. Try to imagine if you could have inserted Buster Posey’s five hit game into the Mets lineup. We’d all be asleep a long time ago. 

The wild card race did tighten up a little after Monday night. Both Pittsburgh and Cincinnatti (who currently qualify for the entries if the season was to end today), as well as Washington and San Francisco. The Mets are now tied in the loss column with the Giants and Cubs and could finish 7^th in the race to slot two teams by the end of tonight’s game. Clutching at straws maybe, but, what the hell.  

I want to tip my Mack’s hat to some of these Mets followers out there that seem to spend every waking hour on Twitter keeping us all up to date on what’s going on in Met-land…  guys like ‘Met945’… ‘Tej’… ‘Metro’… you know who you are and you are far more better than I am at tracking all this information these days. Keep it up guys. It makes an old dude’s job a lot easier. 

Look, let’s call a spade a spade. RP Jack Leathersich is getting his arse handed to him at the AAA level. Maybe this is a good thing. His career up to that point was sort of Superman like and, hopefully, he’ll have the off-season to put this all into perspective and come out with a new plan. It amazes me how ‘sure fire’ relievers like ‘Leather’ and Josh Edgin just seem to lose it overnight. It speaks to the thousands of times I have reminded all of you about the increase of talent at each level in this game (also, looks like D.J. Mitchell is now coming out of the pen).  

DSL bonus baby, 19-yr. old SS Alfredo Reyes, did have two more hits last night and raised his seasonal BA to .307. Does all this kids have to play shortstop? I’d sure like to see him moved up, but he seems blocked by Luis Guillorme at GCL, Amed Rosario at K-Port, and Gavin Cecchini in Brooklyn.

Stuff – Vincente Lupo, Danny Muno, Jack Leathersich, Lance McCullers Jr., John Henry

Vincente Lupo

The Mets have an actual, positively genuine outfield prospect. The problem he’s at least four years away. Vincente Lupo is an 18-year old hitting machine that is ranked in just about every top five offensive categories anyone has come up with. We all know far too little about these kids playing way down south and I give the Mets a lot of credit not rushing him; however, I do expect to see him play with Savannah next year for a full season. He’s second in the league in homers (nobody hits home runs down there) and his stat line Tuesday was: .349/.492/.629/1.121. Really? 

Danny Muno

Frankly, I’m very impressed here. I was never that excited about his big numbers in Brooklyn (2011 - .355) because of the age he played there. Then came the stupid 50-game suspension and I thought we had seen the last of this guy. Well, we haven’t. He’s still playing SS, hit his 6^th home run of the season and going into Tuesday’s game with a stat line of: .274/.369/.406/.775. I especially love the 35-BB in 234-official at bats and only 39-K. For the hell of it, he produced four hits tonight while I was writing this (up to .286).

I can’t see Muno having any future with the Mets at short, though there is no one in his way next spring there or at second base in AA. I’m adding Muno to my ‘blue’ list and admitting I had this kid wrong.  

Jack Leathersich

We got a live one in St. Lucie. 5-11, 205, 22-year old Jack Leathersich has now thrown… get ready… 106 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. ‘Leather’ totally dominated Savannah in the spring 0.75, 24.0-IP, 37-K, but the strikeout machine is continuing at the A+ level, with an additional 64-K in 40.1-IP. I’ve met Jack and seen him pitch and he’s quite the bully on the mound. He comes off much older and I can’t see him having any trouble getting to Queens before the 2013 season ends. Once again… 106 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. This is very special folks and Jack is definitely a member of the ‘red’ list.

Lance McCullers Jr.

I saw this on a Houston blog this morning:

RHP Lance McCullers - At 18, supplemental first round pick McCullers is the youngest of the group and he has yet to win his first professional game, but with a 1.42 ERA and a 1.053 WHIP, it's only a matter of time. After four starts with the GCL team, McCullers was promoted to Greeneville where he's made two additional starts. Batters are hitting only .186 against him.

(The Mets drafted BOTH Cecchini and Plawecki with McCullers still available)

The Mets drafted BOTH SS Gavin Cecchini and C Kevin Plawecki with McCullers still on the board. By the way, McCulllers high school ERA in his senior year: 0.18. Cecchini is ready impressing no one in Kingsport and, while Plawecki is showing some promise, one has to wonder how a sure fire pick like this was passed over.

John Henry

I worked for a guy like Boston Red Sox owner John Henry. The holder of the major note for two Savannah radio stations ‘hired’ me to turnaround a situation in which the broadcast-minority owner, had run the stations into the ground under an incompetent General Manager. I had to fly to Boston and meet with both of them and the broadcast dude, Bill McCormick, wanted nothing to do with me; however, it wasn’t his call. In return, McCormick made me address to the staff on the first day at the radio stations my dependency problems, even though I had been sober for 16 years. Nice way to start a job (note: turned stations around in 2.5 years, produced $440K PCF, and sold stations to Dick Verne (ex-President of NBC who hired Howard Stern) and I remained for three more years as minority partner). Bobby V should tell these guys to go fuck themselves at the end of the year and go replace Fareed Zakaria on CNN.

The Keepers - #19 - RP - Jack Leathersich

19.           LHP    Jack Leathersich:

7-7-11: - Jack twittered late yesterday afternoon that he would be making his prop debut today, for Brooklyn. 5th rounder… 5-11, 205, LHP out of UMass-Lowell. Had a wonderful freshman season that got him Freshman Of The Year… fastball sits 89-91… two average breaking balls, a sluve and a curve. Scouts were concerned with mechanics… Last year: 89 IP, 55 H, 27 BB, 126 K, 0 HR, 6-2, 1.62 ERA, .175 BAA

8-18-11: - Stock Up – RP Jack Leathersich – Leather pitched 1.2 last night and only had four strikeouts. Poor baby. Seriously, that’s seven relief outings so far this season, for 8.2 innings, and he has 20 strikeouts. Let’s see… 8.2-IP is… 26 outs, 20 of which are whiff. That’s a 58.8-K/PA and a BABIP of .455. Really.

Mets: Francisco Rodriguez, Jack Leathersich, John Holdzkom, Mike Pelfrey

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, believing his former agents deceived him, might file a grievance or lawsuit against them this week, his attorney told USA TODAY. Attorney Richard Johnson said Rodriguez was pondering a malpractice or fraud suit after a 10-hour mediation hearing last week with his former agents, Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group, did not produce a settlement. He could file a grievance with the MLB Players Association. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/brewers/story/2012-02-19/francisco-rodriguz-lawsuit-agents/53159032/1

2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - Relief Pitcher #2: Jack Leathersich. A fifth-round selection in 2011, Leathersich struck out 26 of the 47 batters he faced in the NYPL. That’s 55.3%, folks. Short-season relievers generally aren’t a good bet, but this small lefty has a classic low-90′s fastball/power slider combination that should make him a quick riser to a setup role in an NL bullpen. Grade: C+

4th Round (124th overall): John Holdzkom, RHP – Salt Lake CC - This was the first head-scratcher of the draft. Holdzkom was looked at as a big guy with big time stuff, but he had no command and was considered a head case—he was academically ineligible in high school and dropped out of community college because he got into an argument with his coach. It was an overdraft to say the least. As expected, Holdzkom showed the big stuff, but hadn’t a clue how to throw a strike. Eventually his poor mechanics and need to throw the ball through a break wall caught up to him and he needed Tommy John surgery in 2009. He came back briefly in 2010, but was released by the Mets in 2011. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/02/grading-the-omar-regime-the-2006-draft.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=grading-the-omar-regime-the-2006-draft

With Johan Santana recovering from shoulder surgery at this time last year, Terry Collins named Mike Pelfrey his No. 1 starter weeks before he had to -- and regretted the decision as Pelfrey took a big step backward with a 7-13 record and 4.74 ERA. Pelfrey was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, but to this point, has failed to live up to that potential. If Santana is healthy this season, Pelfrey is likely to be slotted third or fourth in the rotation, and the Mets hope he'll be more comfortable -- and more effective -- in the middle. http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/three-mets-with-something-to-prove-1.3541005

The Keepers - #19 - LHRP - Jack Leathersich

19.           LHP    Jack Leathersich: 

The Mets signed their 5th round pick on Sunday, 5-11 LHP Jack Leathersich.

He burst on to the national radar in 2009 with a masterful freshman year as a member of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Riverhawks, going 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched. His stellar season earned him Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year honors for 2009. In 2010, Leathersich had a bit of a sophomore slump, compiling a 4.26 ERA to go along with a 3-2 record, but still struck out 62 batters in 57.0 innings pitched. He finished up 2010 by pitching in the Cape Cod League for the Orleans Firebirds. As a member of the bullpen, he put together a 1.71 ERA, striking out 31 in just 21.0 innings. Prior to the 2011 season, Leathersich was named the third-best Division II draft prospect, as well as a pre-season All American. I sat down with Leathersich recently and got the chance to ask him how he has made himself into the pitcher he is today and what the future may hold for him. - http://www.goriverhawks.com/sports/m-ba ... 11aac.htm

www.baseballamerica.com  : - UMass-Lowell's Jack Leathersich has been in the Riverhawks rotation since his freshman year, but he's best suited to pitch out of the bullpen, which is where he had success in the Cape Cod League last summer. An arm-strength lefty, Leathersich struck out 31 batters in 21 innings of relief for Orleans, running his fastball up to 95 mph, while he works at 88-92 as a starter. He shows two fringe-average breaking balls, a slurve and a curveball, but he slows everything down in his delivery on secondary offerings. Scouts have concerns about Leathersich's mechanics, as he throws across his body with recoil and often loses his arm slot. Some talked him up as a potential top-five-rounds selection, but he'll probably be taken in the eighth- to 12th-round range.

Mets: Jack Leathersich, Rob Johnson, Cory Vaughn, Bobby Parnell

2-2-12 - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/35-lhp-jack-leathersich/   - 2011: It is nearly impossible to have a better professional debut than Jack Leathersich did for the Cyclones, when he struck out over half the batters he faced. After pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts against 27 walks in 89 innings for Umass Lowell, the Mets held Leathersich’s innings down by working him one inning out of the bullpen every five days.  The starter’s schedule also allowed him to throw a bullpen and a side between appearances

• Dec 22: C Rob Johnson - The offensive woes of this 28-yr old defensive-minded backstop have been much publicized -- see, .197 career average in ~650 big league ab's. So he's here strictly as a defensive option in the backup catcher batter royale. He was actually considered a decent all-around catching prospect for the Mariners after batting .305 in Triple-A with an .800+ OPS in '08. However, at this point he'll likely only turn up with the Mets if the front office really places a high emphasis on defense, which isn't impossible for the backup position. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/31/2753903/taking-inventory-of-the-mets-minor-league-free-agents

2-3-12: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2760606/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-20-16 - OF Cory Vaughn - The 21-yr old son of former big leaguer Greg Vaughn is at a crossroads after a 2011 which can honestly give ammunition to either side of the debate on his future. On the one hand, in the first half of the season in Savannah he picked up where he left off in 2010, hitting well, showing good walk rates and featuring the kind of all-around athleticism that had scouts dreaming of a plus right fielder in the bigs the minute they saw him in a pro uniform. Conversely, he was far less impressive upon his promotion to St. Lucie. Specifically, for a college player Vaughn seemed surprisingly lost against A-ball pitching. That .219 mark was pretty damning, as was the continued increase of his K-rate up above 22%. And though you can give him a break for a BABIP below .250, you then must dock him for a mark above .350 with Savannah. There is some thought that his performance suffered thanks to a nagging heel injury, though Vaughn continued to play nearly every day so it’s tough to gauge. In short, there are certainly things to like about Vaughn as his combination of secondary skills and raw tools make it easy to envision an every day right fielder. But a decline in power as well as a K% bordering on unacceptable sinks his overall ceiling as well as the excitement he created during his pro debut with Brooklyn.

We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Bobby Parnell, but those were intertwined with maddening inconsistency. He can reach triple digits with his fastball, but it’s as straight as an arrow and often left high in the zone. Similarly, his slider has at times looked devastating, but Parnell has yet to master it; for every time he drops it over the outside corner for a swinging strike, five times he’ll bury it in the dirt or leave it flat and floating over the heart of the plate with a “hit me” label. Last year he toyed with a change-up/forkball with mixed results. So what will be his focus this spring training? Will he scrap the slider, and continue developing the change? Or will he work on both? If he does work on two secondary pitches, is six weeks enough time to get handle on either, or is he better off concentrating on one?  http://www.metstoday.com/7417/11-12-offseason/mets-spring-training-question-17-bobby-parnell/

Mets: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jack Leathersich, Tim Tuefel, Dan Murphy

1-27-12: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6509  5. OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis -Baseball-Reference player profile - If it weren’t for June labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder that cut his season off after 53 games, the 6-3/215 Nieuwenhuis could well have made his big league debut in 2011 and perhaps not even have been eligible for this list. He was hitting .298-6-14/.908 OPS as a 23 year old in AAA at the time he was hurt. Consistency has been the left hand hitter’s trademark since he was drafted in the third round out of NAIA Asuza Pacific in 2008. Nieuwenhuis doesn’t have a true plus tool, but does everything well on the field. Despite his size and just average Major League running speed, Nieuwenhuis has played centerfield almost exclusively since signing due to his instincts and ability to run routes. And while Nieuwenhuis has hit 17 and 18 home runs in his two full seasons in the minor leagues, he does hit enough doubles to qualify as a potential run producer. The big question for Nieuwenhuis is whether his instincts in centerfield will translate to enough range to cover the large outfield in Citi Field. That would give the Mets a centerfielder with some power for the position, whereas he would fall below the ideal production line should he be relegated to a corner position.

1-30-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/30/2757346/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-21-30  LHP Jack Leathersich - The Mets 2011 fifth rounder selection out of DII UMass-Lowell, Leathersich absolutely blew away the competition in his short pro debut. Yes you're reading those numbers right, he struck out 26 of the 47 batters he faced. 55% of them. That's an otherworldly 18.47 K/9. Obviously 12+ innings is a short sample and we can't get too overexcited but that's pretty much best case scenario for any short debut. And that was after striking out 126 in 89 innings this spring as a junior. Leathersich is a 21-yr old lefty who isn't exactly the tallest but has a sturdy 5'11", 205 lbs build. He is known for a his mid-90's heat as well as a bit of an unorthodox delivery -- like many undersized lefties with such velocity. He also throws an inconsistent yet promising curve. Before bolting for San Diego, Mets former scouting director Chad Macdonald stated that though he made his debut in relief the team will consider Leathersich as a starter based on the promise of his secondary offerings. I'd say it's probably doubtful that he sticks as a starter long-term but it's not hard to imagine Leathersich in a role similar to Kansas City rookie reliever Tim Collins.

Tim Teufel takes over for Chip Hale, who left to be Bob Melvin’s bench coach in Oakland. Last spring training, as the manager of Triple-A Buffalo, Teufel sought out Murphy to get him to improve his defense. “He took quite a bit of time to help me out last spring and I think that’s going to pay off, because now he knows what I do well and what I don’t do well,” said Murphy, who spent yesterday afternoon visiting kids at Cohen Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park and will be honored tonight at the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner in Midtown. Murphy’s unfamiliarity with the double-play pivot led directly to both injuries and although he was able to avoid surgery each time, that will be a main focus when he gets to Port St. Lucie on Feb. 10. - http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/mets_get_teuf_on_murphy_SUj0y79NfMIt9fCVurm00L#ixzz1l2lfHAQs

In 2011, Daniel Murphy hit .320 in 391 at bats with an OBP of .362. He crushed 28 doubles in less than 400 at bats. The “doubles” stat is important to consider. Without speed, Murphy would likely need to hit his way to second base rather than nab it on a steal. And I am sure the Mets would like the OBP to elevate toward .390, but Murphy has such a good command of the strike zone I think he could make that leap. You can either put Torres or Ruben Tejada,  who can bunt well, behind him. Those leadoff doubles could quickly become a man on third with one out situation for David Wright http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/31/coutinho-can-daniel-murphy-bat-leadoff-for-mets/

Mets - Ryan Fraser, Daniel Murphy, Boof Bonser, BizOfBaseball Loser, Jack Leathersich

12-19-11: - .amazinavenue.  - RHP Ryan Fraser - STOCK DOWN - Like Cecilliani, Fraser didn't quite live up to his stellar 2010 as a Cyclone. However, for Fraser 2011 meant a shift in roles as he went from a dominant closer to a mainstay of the Savannah rotation this season. And while the numbers might looks ok on the surface, dig a little deeper and you'll see that Fraser didn't exactly master Lo-A hitters. Take his FIP which ended up over a run higher than his ERA (4.75). Or his K/9 which you figured would drop as he moved to starting, but not as much as it did ('10: 11.20 | '11: 5.86).

Part of Murphy’s defensive deficiencies are physical — he has slow, uncoordinated feet, inaccurate arm, and an overall awkwardness in body movement; he looks like what might happen if Hunter Pence tried to play the infield. Further, he suffers from both mental lapses and the simple fact that he sometimes doesn’t know what to do — which is completely understandable considering that he’s been moved all over the diamond at the big league level with little to no minor league training at any position other than 3B. I can’t entirely blame Murphy for his defensive struggles, because the Mets have colossally failed him in their inability to identify his skill set during his developmental stage. After failing as a third baseman, he should have been moved either to 1B or the outfield (not both) and left there for 2+ years to learn how to play at least one position adequately. With enough experience and confidence at one position, Murphy could have then focused more on developing his hitting http://www.metstoday.com/7325/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-dan-murphy/

The Giants signed right-hander Boof Bonser to a minor league deal, his agency, Reynolds Sports, announced on Twitter. Bonser has a 5.18 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 416 2/3 career innings and hasn't pitched at the Major League level since 2010. Bonser underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2011 season and likely won't be ready to pitch for San Francisco until midway through the 2012 campaign. The Giants selected Bonser, now 30, with the 21st overall pick of the 2000 draft  http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Loser – The New York Mets. Stung by the Bernie Madoff scandal, high player payroll and dwindling attendance, the Mets will see losses of $70 million by the end of the season. Struggling for cash, and taking out loans from both BofA and MLB, by the end of 2011 Sterling Equities isn’t being pushed out by MLB, but they may not stand in the way of the banks doing so.

12-28-11 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/12/mmo-2012-mets-top-prospects-s-21-30.html  - 30.   Jack Leathersich (LHP) The Rocket put up some scintillating numbers in his brief debut at Brooklyn after the Mets took him in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. After throwing 57 innings during the 2011 college season for UMass/Lowell, the Mets used him out of the pen to limit his innings before they had a chance to assign him a workout plan to build strength and stamina. In 12.2 innings in the New York Penn League, the Rocket, throwing mid 90′s gas, struck out 26, while walking only 3, giving up 6 hits, and 1 ER. The plan next year and going forward will be for him to start, and he should be in the mix for the rotation at high-A St. Lucie. If at some point he falters as a starter, the Mets would not hesitate to put him back in the pen, where his fastball picks up a few mph.

Five Long-term Solutions for Closers

A few days ago, I posted here about five options the Mets need to consider to fill their hole at closer. They are all free agent options, but the Mets only need a short-term answer for this void. They have several key options for a longer-term.

Of the dozen or so players throughout the farm system that could develop into something special at the back end of the Mets bullpen, here are five names you may not know that have a good chance at this point. As before, this is in no particular order.

Dale Thayer: Thayer was called up twice this season to the Mets. While there, he under-performed. He posted a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings. He was much more dominant in Buffalo,

however. In AAA, he had a 2.66 ERA with 21 saves in 54 games overall. He had 66 strikeouts to just 15 walks or a four to one clip.

That ratio was certainly good enough to earn him a spot in the Mets bullpen for next year. If he is like Nick Evans and just needs playing time to warm up, he could solidify that position for

the next few years.

Rhiner Cruz: In just 38 games at Binghamton, Cruz posted seven saves. His 4.14 ERA is not an indication of a lack of talent in the role, but rather simply a period of adjustment to a higher level of competition. He had a 2.77 ERA in St Lucie.

If he continues to show improvement and adjust to better hitters, he could develop into that 9th inning option in Queens for years to come. At just 25, he's still young and he's still in need of time to mature as a pitcher. Cruz could be on pace for a 2013 siting at Citi Field. It all depends on how he develops.

Josh Edgin: Edgin was promoted during the season from Savannah to St Lucie. Between both teams, he totaled 27 saves (16 in Savannah and 11 in St Lucie). He posted a 1.50 ERA bet-

ween both stops. He posted 76 strikeouts to 23 walks in 66 innings.

That three to one ratio is exactly what teams look for in a dominant closer. As he continues to hone his skills, he could develop into what the Mets have needed for so long. He has the potential to be in Queens by 2013 if he continues his current pace.

Jack Leathersich: This man is young (21) and raw. He has pitched nine games at Brooklyn and has one save to show for it. His 0.71 ERA was a good start for a young career. The team sees him as a viable option down the road. He may move up the system quickly and we could see him in 2014 if all goes well for him.

Ryan Fraser: Of all these options, Fraser may have the farthest road to get to the Mets. He pitched in Savannah this season, mostly as a starter. He posted not so great numbers, but in the minors, it's not really about the numbers. His 3.58 ERA is deceiving. As is his 7-9 record and his 90 strikeouts in 138.1 innings.

He does have one save this year. The team has started to learn where he is most useful. As he settles into the role of closer in the minors, he will only get better. He could reach the Mets by 2014 or 2015 at the latest.