Mack Ade - Rhiner Cruz, Omar Quintanilla, Kevin Mulvey, Chris Young

    ·         Recent Rule 5 loss, RP Rhiner Cruz, pitched his first ST outing the other day… 2-BB, 2-H, 4-ER… and 0.0-IP. Ouch. Please don’t send him back. There’s enough pitchers in the system right now.

·         The Mets brass seem very happy with the signing of SS Omar Qunitanilla. It will give the Mets the option of letting Reese Havens play 2B for the B-Mets, while Jordany Valdespin gets a full season in Buffalo at second.

    ·       You see, you just never can figure out why the Mets do what they do in the spring. You have Dylan Owen,Collin McHugh, Chris Schwinden, Miguel Batista, Mark Cohoon, and Jeremy Hefner battling it out for the five starter slots in Buffalo, you still haven’t made a decision on Tobi Stoner, Eric Niesen or Eric Beaulac, and then you go out and sign Kevin Mulvey. WTF?

   

     ·         There are multiple reports that pitcher Chris Young might be returning to the Mets this season. Young was going strong last year before being lost for the season. Most of you probably believe that the addition of Young would create a demotion of Dillon Gee back to the minors; however, don’t be surprised if a move like this could create the release of Mike Pelfrey. March is famous for big releases (Oliver Perez) and Gee offers the Mets more predictably sanity at this point.

Mets: Juan Urbina, John Gant, Johan Santana, Kevin Mulvey

2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - Starting Pitcher #5: Juan Urbina. Urbina would’ve been young for a high school draftee in 2011, and he already has over 100 innings of US professional experience. He’s already shown good command and has a more developed three-pitch arsenal than most pitchers his age, headlined by a changeup that already flashes plus. He also has a projectable frame and could grow into more velocity. He’s a potential breakout player as he heads into full-season ball, and doesn’t even turn 19 until May 31. Grade: B

2-17-12 - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/2/17/2803960/2011-draft-sleepers-part-two-round-21 - John Gant, RHP, New York Mets: A 21st round pick from high school in Wesley Chapel, Florida, Gant is originally from New York and signed for a reasonable $185,000 bonus. Lanky at 6-4, 190, Gant has an average fastball that should/could get faster along with a curveball and changeup. Like Trent Higginbotham and Joey Maher (see below), he didn't cost an enormous sum to sign, but has considerable upside.

They all could laugh in those cautious moments before Johan Santana toed the rubber, and they all would rave after his 27-pitch bullpen session ended without incident. All optimistic declarations, of course, must be tempered by this knowledge: Santana still has to prove his surgically repaired left shoulder can handle the strain of pitching every five days. There is no guarantee this is possible. So a lively bullpen session, one which left his manager giddy, means only so much. The biggest tests for Santana occur today, the day after he throws, when he discovers how his arm feels and decides whether he can complete his usual work. http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2012/02/mets_johan_santana_watch_is_on.html

2nd Round (62nd overall): Kevin Mulvey, RHP – Villanova - Mulvey was considered a steal this late in the draft. Baseball America had said about him, “Mulvey doesn’t figure to last past the Phillies at No. 37 overall and could go before that”. He was a college workhorse, with good command three average to slightly above-average pitches, and could reach the majors quickly. For the 2006 and 2007 Mulvey looked like the real deal. He was already in Triple-A by the end of his first full season and looked like he was only a few months away from contributing at the big league level. The Mets sold high on Mulvey and used him as a piece in the Johan Santana deal that summer. 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