FLASH: Kevin Plawecki Optioned to AAA- Las Vegas, Rene Rivera wins Back-Up Catcher Job

     The New York Mets announced that C Kevin Plawecki has been optioned to AAA- Las Vegas. Although it was going to be a long shot, Plawecki did have an outside shot to win the back-up catcher's job if he was able to display better hitting and receiving abilities this Spring. Unfortunately for him, Plawecki suffered a hyperextended knee injury early in camp that limited him to only 26 ABs this spring. In 13 games, Plawecki hit .269 AVG with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 double, and 8 K's vs only 1 BB. 

     As a result, Rene Rivera will be the club's back-up catcher once again for the 2017 season. Although he only received 16 ABs himself this spring, Rivera posted a .375 AVG with more BBs (3) than Ks (2). The fact that he has such a good rapport with ace Noah Syndergaard, and is the club's best asset against opposing team's running game, gave Rivera a huge edge in this position battle.

(Nothing to see here folks....Plawecki would've needed to hit .400 with 5 HR or some crazy stat line in order to unseat Rivera. Although, at that point....he could've just as likely unseated d'Arnaud too.)

The Morning Report 1.28.2016 | Collins Setting High Expectations for 2016, Edgin Unlikely to Begin 2016 Season Until May, Potential Trade Match-up with Cardinals.

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- Coming off a World Series appearance and armed with one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Mets will enter the 2016 season with high expectations. Even manager Terry Collins plans to hold his club to an elite standard with the hopes of steering the Mets back to the Fall Classic. "We've got to go back,'' Collins said. "Let's win it all. You got to have those expectations. If you are afraid of it, you are in the wrong sport. You talk about goals in baseball, there is no bigger goal, and until you get to the World Series, you don't really understand how much fun it is.''

(Chris Soto: Terry Collins is correctly putting high expectations on the 2016 season. We as Mets fans have had a taste of the glory and fun that comes with a World Series appearance and we will rightfully feel spoiled enough to demand another one. Should a 100-62 record with a loss in the NLCS a failed season? No of course not....but with us having a better team than last year when we DID make the World Series....it sure as heck will FEEL that way.)



David Hong | Metsmerized Online- According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Edgin is on pace to return about a month into the season and the Mets are anticipating his return to be around May 1. Edgin was the team’s top left-handed reliever in 2014, when he posted a 1.32 ERA with 28 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. The Mets re-signed fellow southpaw Jerry Blevins this offseason and he will be the primary lefty specialist until Edgin returns. The Mets also recently signed left-hander Antonio Bastardo to a two-year, $12 million dollar deal.

(Chris Soto: I'm not sure why but I was under the assumption all off-season that Edgin would be ready to go come 4/1. I understand now the Front Office's desire to acquire another solid left handed option......it was actually a need. When the Mets got off to that fast start early in the season, Collins was taking advantage of a 3 lefty bullpen. He will do so once again with Gilmartin being the low leverage lefty, Blevins the high leverage lefty, and Bastardo as the 8th inning guy who can face lefties or righties.)

HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Cardinals aren’t exactly certain of when Yadier Molina will be healthy enough to make his 2016 debut. Molina underwent thumb surgery back in October and had to undergo a second operation in December after the first one did not fully correct the ligament issue.
• This is interesting news of note because the Cardinals do not have an internal replacement for Molina. While Travis d'Arnaud is certainly still an injury risk, this can be a strong opportunity for potential discussions between the Mets and Cards for prospect Kevin Plawecki.
• The Mets announced that they have designated outfielder Darrell Ceciliani for assignment, which will clear clear a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the newly re-signed Yoenis Cespedes
• At first glance, it seems like Ceciliani will likely clear waivers and report to AAA-Las Vegas, however, lately there has been a strong history of Mets CF capable players being claimed away from them. 
• According to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, Lefty Eric O’Flaherty is set to throw for scouts in Seattle. He’ll be looking to prove that he’s not only healthy, but has worked out some mechanical kinks.

The Morning Report 11.11.2015 | d'Arnaud or Plawecki Unlikely to be Traded, Mets Taking Their Time with Mejia, SS Luis Carpio in Mets Top 10 Lists, O'Day Market Moving Fast

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- The Mets have two young catchers projected to be frontline players. And at least for next season, they are planning to keep both Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, with the possibility that one may be getting at-bats at another position, Mets assistant GM John Ricco said.“Catching is, we’ve said this many times, a position you can’t have enough depth. We have two guys we think are frontline catchers. I think there are ways for us, especially in the short term, ways to make use of both of them. Short term I don’t think we’d be talking about either one of them, because they are both gonna help us win.”

(Chris Soto: This is a very wise non-move that the Mets are making. Catcher is a tough position to play with a higher risk of injury then other positions on the field. In addition, while Travis d'Arnaud has certainly shown to be capable of being one of the Top 5 offensive C in baseball,  he hasn't proven that he can stay healthy during the course of the season. I know that the club continues to be very high on Kevin Plawecki and there are some in the organization that are hoping that Plawecki progresses enough as a hitter to start pushing d'Arnaud out of a full-time job. While his framing is not as good, they feel Plawecki has more leadership skills, better blocking skills, and does a better job controlling the run game.)



Joel Sherman | New York Post- The Mets have not completely shut the door on bringing Jenrry Mejia back next season, and they are gathering information by watching him pitch in the Dominican Winter League. Though Mejia’s 162-game suspension is still in force in the majors and will run until approximately July 26 next season, Mejia is eligible to pitch in Winter Leagues. The Mets – and others – will be watching to see what Mejia looks like after essentially not pitching in 2015 and, presumably, what he looks like pitching clean. He was suspended twice last season for failing tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Even if Mejia looked good, the Mets might not bring him back for a variety of reasons, including that their clubhouse turned against the righty for his irresponsibility.

(Chris Soto: I would not bring Mejia back for 2016....but I recognize the situation that the Mets are in that favors them heavily. Since Mejia is arbitration eligible and pretty much screwed up his entire 2015 season, the Mets probably could get away with making him an offer that is the maximum below his 2015 salary which is 20%. On top of that, if they did tender him a contract, they wouldn't have to pay him until July 26th anyway, thus saving themselves 66% of the total contract. So conceivably, the Mets could keep Mejia without sacrificing a 40 man roster spot at a bargain price of $685k in 2016.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- One player who has also received a lot of attention lately is shortstop Luis Carpio. Only 18, Carpio was extremely impressive this season in rookie ball for Kingsport, batting .304 while playing good defense. He was rated as the 7th best prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America, which caught a lot of people by surprise. “He’s just a pretty complete player — a pure defender at shortstop,” DePodesta said. “There’s no doubt he stays there. Offensively, he’s really, really polished for such a young guy. He has great control of the strike zone. He has some strength in his hands. I think he’ll hit for some more power as he matures. Overall, he’s just really, really polished — not just even his skills, but just his mental approach to the game for such a young player is really advanced.”

(Chris Soto: Luis Carpio is a name most of us had not heard. I came across his name last season and was intrigued by his K:BB ratio at the time [33 to 33] but when I saw a SLG% below his OBP, I wrote him off for the time being. Now there are some jumping on the Baseball America bandwagon placing him in Top 10 lists which is just flat out not fair. The kid just turned 18, played in the lowest USA based minor league level, and is not displaying any power. He certainly has potential, but for my "rolling style list" he's in the #25-30 range where I like to place long term potential international young guys such as Adrian Almeida and Ali Sanchez like I've done in the past.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The market for free-agent right-hander Darren O’Day is moving quickly, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (links to Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client already has offers in hand, according to Olney, and he’s planning to meet with the managers of some of those teams in the coming week.

(Chris Soto: Quite day for the Metsies on the rumor mill, but this news is important. One of the Mets top priorities this off-season is to add another strong arm to the front end of their bullpen to combine with Addison Reed and Juerys Familia. O'Day's market is moving extremely quick which means the dollars being thrown around are likely to be outside of the Mets comfort range.)

The Morning Report 11.4.2015 | Offseason Goals for the Mets, Terry Collins Signs Extension, Mets want Reed, Johnson, and Blevins back in 2016, Position Change Looming for d'Arnaud?

Rob Neyer | Fox Sports- I do think it’s not too soon to talk about the Mets, though. They were, as everyone knows, a completely different team, performance-wise, after trading for Yoenis Céspedes. But Céspedes is free to sign with whomever he likes this winter. As is Daniel Murphy. The twin departures of Céspedes and Murphy would create a couple of holes in the lineup. Sure, you can always shift Wilmer Flores to second base, with Ruben Tejada reassuming his duties at shortstop. I’m going to guess the Mets are most aggressive this winter. The bullpen might not be the Mets’ biggest need this winter, it’s almost certainly the easiest to address.

(Chris Soto: I see 3 specific areas that the Mets need to address this off-season. A) Who plays 2B? Do you re-sign Murphy? Does Wilmer Flores slide over from SS? or do they think Dilson Herrera is ready? B) Improve the middle IF defense. The lack of defense was exposed by the Royals in the World Series and needs to be addressed. Sliding Flores over to 2B improves it a bit but using Herrera is even better. As for SS, there aren't really any good defensive free agents. Your best bets are Alexei Ramirez, Ian Desmond, and Asdrubal Cabrera.....all offense oriented guys.)

OFF-SEASON UPDATE

• The Mets are prepared to announce that they have signed Manager Terry Collins to a two year contract extension. According to reports, Collins is expected to receive a small bump in pay with the deal set to be announced via press conference today.

• Per Adam Rubin via Twitter, The Mets are expected to tender an arbitration contract to RHRP Addison Reed. Reed is forecasted to make ~$5.7M via the arbitration process since his 2015 salary was already reflective of him being a closer. Arbitration can only boost a player's salary not reduce it.

• Per Marc Carig via Twitter, With the emergence of Kevin Plawecki and Travis d'Arnaud's struggles controlling the running game, the Mets could look to add some versatility to d'Arnaud's portfolio by introducing him to a second position.

• Also from Marc Carig's Twitter feed, the Mets are preparing to offer new contracts to IF Kelly Johnson and LHRP Jerry Blevins. The Mets were happy with Johnson as the versatile utility bench player and would like him back in that role for 2016. Meanwhile Blevins was superb as the team high leverage LOOGY until injuries unfortunately shelved him for the season. They would look to use him in the same capacity as well.

The Morning Report 5.21.2015 | Plaweck's Days Numbered, Dodgers Need Pitching, Citi Field 2014 Finances, Middle IF Defense Efficiency

David Wright Injury Tracker | Working Out in Port St. Lucie 

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- If Kevin Plawecki’s days in the majors are numbered, he has certainly given the Mets something to think about. “He’s done great, he has played very well,” Terry Collins said before Wednesday night’s 9-0 loss to the Cardinals at Citi Field. “He’s caught the ball very well, he’s blocked the ball very well, he’s actually thrown better. While Plawecki has struggled at times at the plate, he is hitting .171 on the road and .224 overall. He has admittedly made the pending decision about whether to send him back to the minors a difficult one.

(Chris Soto: Quite frankly, I don't think it's a difficult decision at all. Yes, Plawecki has shown to be more than capable of being a full time everyday catcher. His receiving skills and throwing arm have been better than advertised. However, he is struggling at the plate and that is something the Mets cannot afford with the rest of the team ice cold right now. They need d'Arnaud's bat back in the line-up and Plawecki needs to go back to AAA to heat his bat back up in case he's needed again later in the year.)


Kate Feldman | Amazin Avenue- If he does go in for surgery, Ryu would join right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy in missing the rest of the season, leaving the Dodgers with three starting pitchers and a few "maybe" replacements. With the early success of Noah Syndergaard in his first two starts, the Mets will, once again, face a surplus of starting pitchers once Dillon Gee returns from the disabled list; Gee will pitch his second rehab start with St. Lucie on Thursday. Left-handed pitcher Steven Matz is also waiting in the wings (or Las Vegas) with a 1.80 ERA in 50 innings pitched. "From where we sit right now, if we can add an arm, that would certainly be helpful," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Mark Saxon of ESPN.

(Chris Soto: The Dodgers and the Mets do match up well for a potential trade. However, I don't think any of the current Dodger IF's are of any interest to the team, except for Corey Seager. The Dodgers have made it perfectly clear that Seager is untouchable and Guerrero is a below average defender at SS making him and Flores essentially a wash. I think if anything is gonna get done here it will be a deal just to clear Gee's roster spot in exchange for a minor league and perhaps an IFA signing bonus slot.)


Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- For a fifth consecutive year, the Mets saw a dip in revenue generated at Citi Field. The ballpark took in a little more than $117 million in revenue in 2014 and $2.2 million fewer than in 2013. It is a 35.1 percent decrease from the amount Citi Field accumulated in 2009, the ballpark's inaugural year. Through their first 21 home games this season, excluding Wednesday night's game against the Cardinals, attendance is up by 4.79 percent, according to a Mets spokesman. Average weekend attendance is up by 26.5 percent this season. The Mets also took on an added cost this year. They took out a $4 million loan in February to install and construct an LED video sign in the parking lot adjacent to Citi Field.

(Chris Soto: It does seem like the darkest of financial times are finally behind the Mets. Despite last year's decrease, it was the "smallest" decrease of the past 5 years as attendance figures are starting to turn with the influx of better talent.)

Ranking the MLB teams from best to worst in effectiveness at getting ground-ball outs. Astros rank No. 1 pic.twitter.com/vjmdNVv87e

— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) May 4, 2015

(Chris Soto: Boy....that's not a metric the Mets want to be a part of. Middle infield defense is so important in today's game so to be near the bottom of this list is killing the Mets. At some point Alderson is going to have to look at Flores and Murphy and say enough is enough.)

The Morning Report 4.27.2015 | Subway Series Recap, Montero being Called Up, Wright to St. Lucie, Updated ZiPS projections.

Mets v. Yankees Series | Chris Soto: It sucks to lose the series to the Yankees....it really does but lets take a step back and recognize that the club is STILL 14-5 so far this season and carries a 6 Game Lead over the Miami Marlins and a 7 Game Lead over the Washington Nationals. In addition, it's not like the Yankees beat us.....the Mets beat themselves mostly. As good as Jacob deGrom is...he just didn't have a feel of the ball on Friday and that's ok! It happens, you can't be great 33 times a season. Even Clayton Kershaw had a 10 ER game last season and he won a Cy Young award. As for last night, it was all about errors, errors, errors. Knowing how bad the middle IF defense is; it's gonna happen. The positive things we need to take from this is that Plawecki looked good, Grandy and Murph's bats are starting to come around, Duda is still mashing against lefties, and Robles/Goeddel had strong performances out of the bullpen. Let's move on to the more important games and take these next 3 against the Marlins.

Matt Cerrone | Metsblog- Rafael Montero will start Tuesday against the Marlins, despite two uneven starts at Triple-A Las Vegas, Sandy Alderson said Saturday. Thursday, he allowed four runs on six hits in five innings (74 pitches). Montero, 24, was sent to Las Vegas on April 17 after starting the season in the Mets bullpen. He allowed two earned runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings (4.15 ERA) before being demoted.

(Chris Soto: Don't read too much into this start, this is just a Mets strategy play to give the remaining starters and extra day of rest early in the season. The Mets are in the middle of a stretch where they play 13 games in 13 days before their next off day. It's actually a pretty smart strategy as it keeps Montero in a SP roles an gives him continued tastes at the MLB level while resting Harvey and deGrom AND bringing in a fresh bullpen are too. The club is likely to demote a RP (Goeddel?) for Montero's start, re-demote him, and then bring up a fresh arm (Leathersich?) the next day.


Steve Popper | North Jersey News- David Wright flew Sunday morning to Port St. Lucie, Fla., where he will resume baseball activities today. Wright is eligible to return from the disabled list Thursday, but the Mets don’t expect him to be with the team that quickly. "He’s going to start doing baseball activities," manager Terry Collins said. "Start catching ground balls. He’s going to start doing some jogging, running around the field a little bit. I think if he’s here by Saturday that would be really good." GM Sandy Alderson was asked if Saturday was realistic, but he said, "I’m not making predictions," and noted that the team would have a better idea after Wright gets on the field and begins the work.

(Chris Soto: This is a very good sign. For once I am glad that Wright is taking the slow approach to get healthy. The team has been solid without him, but with him the club would be even better. Campbell has filled in extremely well but he's going to get overexposed as pitchers adjust to his play. With off days before and after the 2 game series against Baltimore on May 5th and 6th, I think it's very reasonable to expect Wright back for that series.)

ZiPS Playoff Odds and Mean Standings, 4/24 pic.twitter.com/dHcc9SDLns
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) April 24, 2015

(Chris Soto: With the strong start, the ZiPS projection system now has the Mets and Nationals on pretty much equal footing. The Mets are entering another stretch where 10 of the next 12 games are against Division opponents. Boy if the Mets can take 7 or more of these games, they are going to have a SERIOUS leg up on the rest of the division for the rest of the season.)

The Morning Report 4.21.2015 | Updated Recovery Times, Plawecki Ready to Step In, Hansel Robles the RP, Wright getting Healthy

Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- Travis d'Arnaud will need at least three weeks to mend before resuming baseball activities. If he heals without issue, in three weeks he could begin baseball activities again. The timetable for recovery for Jerry Blevins is longer. The left-handed reliever has a distal radius fracture of the left arm. He will be in a splint for at least six weeks before he can begin throwing again. Meanwhile, reliever Vic Black was found to have a small right side disk herniation in his neck. The issue has caused triceps muscle weakness for him. After a week of therapy, he will be seen by doctors again.

(Chris Soto: Better than expected news on all 3 injuries. Early estimates had d'Arnaud at 6-8 weeks, Blevins at 3-5 months, and Vic Black pegged for Tommy John Surgery. Shorter recovery times is certainly always welcome news but in d'Arnaud and Blevins cases, you have to wonder what the post-recovery effects are going to be. Hand/Wrist injuries usually mess with a player for much longer than the initial recovery [ala Mark Teixeira])


Howie Kossay | New York Post- Though d’Arnaud likely will be out at least one month, scouts believe Plawecki can immediately contribute, perhaps even pushing the team’s talented rotation to even greater heights. “Plawecki is extremely talented, and I think he could be even better than d’Arnaud,” an NL scout said. “He’s not as ready right now, but with the right nurturing he is going to be really, really good. Without a doubt, he’s a frontline catcher.” Another scout said: “I think he’s going to be fine. He’s always done the job. He’ll hit enough for a catcher. He makes contact. He may be just a bit of an upgrade defensively over d’Arnaud. Guys like to pitch to him.”

(Chris Soto: Kevin Plawecki is no regular replacement catcher. By his own rights, Plawecki is an MLB top prospect, one of the best young catcher at that. There are some members in the organization who believe that Plawecki, not d'Arnaud, is the club's catcher of the future. They love his offensive abilities, his leadership skills, and his game calling. Sure his arm strengeth is barely average and guys can steal on him but, until early on this year, guys were able to steal on d'Arnaud all the time. The eventual decision that needs to be made between d'Arnaud and Plawecki has just entered it's final phase.)


Toby Hyde | Mets Minors- The Mets moved Robles out of the Double-A starting rotation in 2014 and into the bullpen at midseason, and his results have been excellent ever since. As a starter, he ran a fairly pedestrian 4.86 ERA in Double-A with a 9 percent walk rate and 21 percent strikeout rate. However, as a reliever between Double-A and Triple-A he owns a 1.30 ERA in 27 2/3 innings with 34 strikeouts against eight walks, good enough for a strikeout rate of 30.6 percent and a walk rate of 7 percent. As a starter, in Double-A, his fastball was below average — often in the 89-91 range, although he would reach back for more at 93. However, his velocity has jumped in of the bullpen and multiple reports had him working off a 93-96 mph fastball.

(Chris Soto: Robles really came out of nowhere. Despite dominating in the NY-Penn League a few years ago, his stuff just couldn't play up as a starter in the upper levels. However once he was moved to the bullpen, his started gaining velocity and lots of it. In fact Toby may be underselling Robles here.....Scouts in Las Vegas recently had Robles clocking his fastball in at 98mph with regularity. He could have some significant value in the middle innings.)


Lastly.....some more good news.....

Sandy Alderson said David Wright wrote stationary bike yesterday and is on track to return when 15-day DL stint is up. #mets
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) April 21, 2015

Lets Go Mets!

The Morning Report 4.20.2015 | Injury Updates, Familia's the Closer, Wally Backman in Miami?

Injury Updates- One day after I reported that Vic Black's velocity was severely down in his relief appearance for the Binghamton Mets, The Mets announced that he was being sent out for additional MRI testing due to soreness in his neck and shoulder areas. With Travis d'Arnaud and Jerry Blevins on their way to the 15 day DL for at least the next 6-8 weeks, the Mets are calling up top prospect C Kevin Plawecki as well as RHRP Hansel Robles to take their places. We all know Plawecki's story....but what about Robles? Well...ever since he converted full-time to the bullpen, he has been flat out dominant. In 12 (2014) appearances, Robles held opponents to a .159 AVG, posted a 1.80 ERA, and K'd 10.8 per 9 IP. So far in 5 (2015) appearances, Robles continues to roll on, holding batters to a .207 AVG having not given up a run this season and K'ing 11.7 batters per 9 IP.


Joe Trezza | MLB.com- Jeurys Familia has impressed Mets manager Terry Collins enough to remain in the closer's role, at least initially, when Bobby Parnell and Vic Black return from rehab assignments. "If Bobby Parnell and Vic Black show up tomorrow, Jeurys Familia will still close," Collins said. "Again, it's been a year since Bobby's been out there. If when he shows up, he shows the same stuff he showed us a year ago, we will try to get him back in the role that he's comfortable with."

(Chris Soto: Familia has been PHENOMENAL as the closer so far this season. Mets front office executives always felt that Familia had the best stuff between him, Parnell, and Mejia and that he would emerge as the closer of the future and so far they are right. He is tied for the league lead in saves, is holding batters to a paltry .160 AVG including a whopping 0! hits in 12 plate appearances against left handers, and made Giancarlo Stanton look silly trying to swing at his slider and sinker. We have the makings of a star here folks.)


Clark Spencer | Miami Herald- Reeling from a four-game sweep to the New York Mets that left the Marlins with the second-worst record in the majors at 3-10, manager Mike Redmond's job may be in jeopardy as the team heads to Philadelphia for a series with the Phillies that could dictate his fate. According to sources who have heard rumblings, Redmond is on the hot seat and the the organization is already bouncing around possible replacements. One possibility: Wally Backman, the Mets' Triple A manager.

(Chris Soto: KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OUR GUYS! The Miami Marlins were the popular pick to win one of the wild card spots all off-season long. However, as Brian Mangan and I pointed out multiple times....Miami has NO pitching! It doesn't matter how good your offense is if your pitching continues to give up multiple runs a game. Just look at this 4 game series.....Not a single Marlins starter went more than 5 IP. That kind of inefficiency has a ripple effect. It directly affects your bullpen as they get overworked....and it affects your offense's confidence as they press to come back all the time.)

Off Day Today! Get Some Rest Boys!

2015 MLB Top Prospects: Kevin Plawecki 6th Amongst C

     MLB.com has begun released there annual 2015 prospect rankings. After reviewing the Top right handed prospects and left handed pitching prospects, MLB Pipeline has moved on to the top catching prospects. Among them is 23 year old Kevin Plawecki, who seems stuck behind fellow young backstop Travis d'Arnaud, but could force his way onto the team sometime this year.

"Throughout his climb up the Mets' ladder, Plawecki has shown a penchant for making consistent contact. He rarely strikes out and has hit for average at every stop, with a career .295 average entering the 2015 season. He has a contact-over-power approach, but he does have enough strength to clear some fences. Plawecki hit 11 homers in 2014 and that sounds about right in terms of what's fair to expect in the future. Drafted as an offensive-minded backstop, Plawecki has been solid behind the plate, with good hands and enough agility to block balls well. His arm is average, and he's never going to be the kind of catcher who completely shuts down a running game."

MMs Top 25: #2 C Kevin Plawecki

#2 C Kevin Plawecki (LR: #5)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 225 lb
Age: 23
Acquired: 2012 Rule 4 Draft, 1st round, Purdue University

2014: (AA/AAA) .309/.365/.460, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 30 BB, 48 K, 31% RTO
2013: (A/A+) .305/.390/.448, 8 HR, 80 RBI, 1 SB (100%), 42 BB, 53 K, 29% RTO
2012: (SS-A) .250/.345/.384, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 25 BB, 24 K, 32% RTO

    Take your pick, would you rather have...A) a catcher with .260 avg, 20-25 HR potential, or B) a catcher with .290 avg, 10-15 HR potential but hits 40-50 doubles a season. Catcher A has excellent pitch framing abilities but poor blocking skills. Catcher B has good blocking skills, and average framing abilities. Both have below average arms.

     That's the dilemma that the Mets front office is facing right now when comparing incumbent Travis d'Arnaud and challenger Kevin Plawecki. While d'Arnaud is already in the MLB, Plawecki has been tearing through every minor league level with relative ease. After posting a .250 avg in his 1st season with Brooklyn, Plawecki has never posted an average below .280 and his OPS is regularly in the .800's. For comparisons, only 5 catchers this season have posted +.800 OPS, Posey, Mesoraco, Lucroy, Gattis, and Martin.

     MLB.com has Plawecki ranked as the #4 catching prospect in baseball and #61 overall. Baseball America has him even higher as the #3 catcher and 40th overall. No matter who you ask, a majority of talent evaluators believe Plawecki has a very bright future ahead of him. The ball's in Sandy's court to decide who's gonna man the dish for the next decade and potential be the team's next Mike Piazza.

Ceiling: Under the Radar Superstar MLB Catcher. (Johnathan Lucroy)
Floor: Average MLB starting C with 2 or 3 solid seasons. (Salvador Perez)

MM's Top 25- #5 C/1B Kevin Plawecki

#5 C Kevin Plawecki (LR: #9)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 205 lb
Age: 23
Acquired: 2012 Rule 5 Draft, 1st Round Supplemental, Purdue University

2013: (A/A+) .305/.390/.448, 8 HR, 80 RBI, 1 SB (100%), 42 BB, 53 K, 29% RTO
2012: (SS-A) .250/.345/.384, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 25 BB, 24 K, 32% RTO

Can you believe that an organization that was so thin at the catching throughout the entire system (so much so that Josh Thole was our best bet for the future) suddenly is full of promise? 

Kevin Plawecki, aka "the Pummeling Pole" on Amazin Avenue, turned in an excellent 2013 season. Combining a strong hit tool with gap to gap power, a propensity to drive in runs, and average defense behind the dish will guarantee you a job as at least a back-up catcher in the majors. As an added bonus, Plawecki also (very quietly) spent time at 1B for the Port St. Lucie team and grades out as a nicely above average defensive player there as well. 

Plawecki provides the "back-up plan" that the organization sorely needs in case Travis d'Arnaud flops. An interview between Paul DePodesta and MILB.com shows that the Mets brass has been extremely pleased with both his offensive AND defensive developments last season and value him as a Top 100 prospect in the game. Scouts so far have only 2 knacks on Plawecki. A) "his footwork," and B) "his game-calling". Both are very fixable things and I expect him to turn in a very strong season with an aggressive assignment for 2014.


Anticipated Assignment: (AA) Binghamton starting catcher.
Ceiling: MLB starting Catcher, 1 or 2 All-Star seasons
Floor: MLB back-up Catcher

Mack Ade – Morning Report – 10-7-13 – Binghamton, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, 40-Man, Kevin Plawecki

 

Adam Rubin –

                The long-reported potential move of the Double-A Binghamton Mets to Ottawa has received what appears to be its final death knell. Ottawa’s Finance and Economic Development Committee has shifted its attention from a prospective Double-A team to an independent league team, according to a published report in Canada.

                                Mack – This is very good news. You want the Mets AA and AAA teams as physically close to Queens as you can get them. The Mets need to everything they can to keep the powers to be in Binghamton happy. In addition, I hope back channels are being developed between Syracuse and the Mets to hopefully become their AAA affiliate after the 2014 contract runs out with airless Las Vegas. Mets minor leaguers are supposed to be freezing their balls off in April, not doubling down on the strip.

 

Carlos Beltran on Mets –

                “Maybe I’ll see you, maybe I won’t. I’m going to listen to everybody and we’ll see what happens. I have nothing against them. I would say that was unfortunate to go through that whole thing with my surgery, but I’m pretty good in letting things go.”

                                Mack – Beltran is saying all the right things for a guy that could go into the Hall of Fame someday as a Met. He was always a misunderstood Met and I was there first hand for three spring trainings, including the one where he took charge of his only rehab program on his knee. The Mets wanted him to move faster and he would have nothing to do with it. Beltran is a pro’s pro who knew his body better than any Met doctor they threw at him. He also never reacted to that last at bat where fans castrated him for not taking the bat off his shoulder. He thought it was a ball and he’s do the same thing again. I think there is a good chance you could see both him and Marlon Byrd for two-year contracts here to ehlp calm things down while this team still tries to figure out who is going to play in their outfield in 2016 (right wo, my guess would be Dustin Lawley, and elevated Brandon Nimmo, and Cesar Puelo, baring any additional top notched purchase.

 

Joe D –

                Will The Mets Consider A Reunion With Jose Reyes?

                                Mack –Get off of this.  This is a dead horse being dug up and beaten. He bought a home on Long Island for the school, and he loves the pizza there. This ship has passed… this had as much accuracy as the premature moving of the Binghamton franchise.  I’m not a big fan of speculative’ posting like ‘the Mets should…’. It makes for ‘hits’ and nothing more.

 

Brian Joura’s  40-man –

                Pitchers (18) – Vic Black, deGrom, Edgin, Jeurys Familia, Gee, Gonzalez Germen, Gorski, Harvey, Hefner, Matz, Mejia, Jonathon Niese, Parnell, Rice, Hansel Robles, Carlos Torres, Walters and Zack Wheeler.

Catchers (2) – Juan Centeno, Travis d’Arnaud

Infielders (12) – Davis, Duda, Wilmer Flores, Zach Lutz, Murphy, Quintanilla, Rodriguez, Satin, Tejada, Turner, Wilfredo Tovar and David Wright

Outfielders (7) – Baxter, Andrew Brown, Matt den Dekker, Juan Lagares, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Cesar Puello, Young. - http://mets360.com/?p=19242

                Mack – This is a good start. I would add Luis Cessa and Miller Diaz, who are eligible for the Rule V draft. Frankly, I would take off Robles who hasn’t developed… I hope at least one of the first basemen are gone and we can come up with someone better than Quintanilla before the season starts. I simply hate the outfield.

 

Ed Coleman –

                Harvey’s decision also impacts the wealth of young pitching that the Mets have in reserve. Trading away some of those “chips” to fill other holes the team has now probably becomes prohibitive. Alderson was always reluctant to go this course, but now seems even less likely to do so. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/06/coleman-alderson-has-decisions-to-make-in-the-absence-of-harvey-next-season/

                Mack – It looks like all the Mets brass and beat reporters are finally agreeing on one thing… the solution to the Mets problems is not to start prematurely trading away the young pitchers in the system to fill the holes in the lineup. We all saw the injuries last year… Mejia…Hefner… Harvey… etc. We can’t expect the Mets staff to have an injury free season in 2014. However… what I do expect is the timetable on both Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard to speed up a little, especially if they have a hot April and May in Las Vegas. I’ve said it a 1000 times… this team gets to the playoffs with pitching and an after all-star game rotation of Wheeler, Niese, Gee, Syndergaard, and Montero, with Mejia, Familia, Black, Parnell, deGrom, Germen heading up the pen. A staff like this can produce an awful lot of wins if you get them a few more runs than you did this year.

 

Michael Lecolant -

The Mets may have struck pay dirt though, with their number one 2012 compensation pick.  With the thirty-fifth overall selection, the Mets opted for a more polished college catcher, Kevin Plawecki.  After two full seasons playing for Brooklyn, Savannah and PSL, Plawecki, 22, boasts a .278 average in 665 total at-bats, forty-six doubles, fifteen home runs, 107 runs batted in, and a .376 OBP.  He finished the 2013 season with a combined .390 OBP and .305 batting average in 449 at-bats, with thirty-eight doubles and eighty runs batted in. http://risingapple.com/2013/10/06/the-unlucky-process-of-rebuilding-through-the-draft/

                Mack – 2014 will be a critical year for both Plawecki and Travis d’Arnaud. Normally, I would say that someone as talented as Plawecki would be trade bait being directly behind such a projected talent like d’Arnaud, but this does not take into accord the dreaded injury bug that seems to have hit Darno throughout his career. I’m not sure where Plawecki will open the season but he will make his bones in Binghamton this year. Past that, the future of Mets catching looks very bright.

 

John Stubel –

                Vic Black, LaTroy Hawkins, Aaron Harang, Carlos Torres, Jeremy Hefner, Ike Davis, Diasuke Matsuzaka and Lucas Duda are not the answer. To win, and be competitive enough to win a division or play in the post season, Alderson knows the Mets will need more than parts and pieces. The good news is the Mets will "monitor the opportunities in the marketplace factor those in within a budget," according to Alderson. Let me translate: manage your expectations this off-season. For example, will Robinson Cano's name come up at organizational strategy meetings scheduled this week in Port St. Lucie? No. “We’d be in a position to do it, whether it were the right player,” Alderson said last week. “But would it be prudent to do it, even for the right player. It’s not out of the question. Will we do it, that is more of a strategic question, not a matter of resources.” Read that quote again -- carefully. Alderson already answered the question, Whether it's Cano, or Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Garza or Bronson Arroyo, the answer is no. "...would it be prudent to do it, even for the right player," said Alderson. Do you know what prudent means? Here, I'll save you some time: Prudent is acting with or showing care and thought for the future. It appears that with Harvey on the shelf, subsequently, so is the Mets future. http://johnstrubel.com/harvey-surgery-will-impact-mets-plans/

                Mack – I know John. He designed one of my blogs. I also consider him one of the most intelligent and informed Mets bloggers out there. Read what he said again. Here’s your 2014 folks.

 

Tyler Kepner -

When the Mets put Marlon Byrd’s name on the wire, Huntington pounced, hoping that a team with a worse record would not claim him first. Nobody did, and the Pirates sent reliever Vic Black and a Class A infielder to the Mets for Byrd and John Buck on Aug. 27. Four days later, Huntington shipped two more players to Minnesota for first baseman Justin Morneau. For Byrd, who hit a combined .291 with 24 home runs for the Mets and Pittsburgh, this season has been as exhilarating as last season was sobering. In 47 games with the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, he hit .210 with one homer. He also served a 50-game suspension for testing positive for tamoxifen, a banned substance. Byrd has explained that he took Nolvadex, a medication to control gynecomastia, the enlargement of breast tissues in males. The condition can be caused by steroid use, but Byrd said he did not know why he had it. He told Newsday that he did not know Nolvadex contained tamoxifen. “It was me not doing my homework,” he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/sports/baseball/pirates-willing-to-be-stupid-made-smart-midseason-moves.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1&

                Mack – taking something to try to eliminate male breasts sure sounds like steroids to me… still. 2013 looks to be drug free and let’s give the guy a tip of the hat for a great season that, for him, is still going on. I’ll take him back in a heart beat.

 

Rob Rogan -

Nieuwenhuis’ future with the team is in serious question at this point. The expectation is that the Mets will look to upgrade the corner outfield spots this off-season. Assuming they do, and with Young and Lagares on the roster, it seems that Nieuwenhuis will be a long shot to make the major league roster next season. The presence of Matt den Dekker and the looming AAA arrival of Cesar Puello further cloud his future. The fact that he was not promoted in September when rosters expanded is surely a bad sign as well, and he will most likely remain in AAA as outfield depth moving forward. http://mets360.com/?p=19247

                Mack – 2013 just didn’t work out well for the Captain, who obvious never stood a chance under Terry Collins of becoming the everyday centerfielder. He had only nine, I repeat, nine plate appearances the entire year against lefties. You can’t turn around bad numbers unless you get plate appearances and it looks like the chances for Nieuwenhuis have gone away. Centerfield, at worst, in 2014 will be a platoon with den Dekker and Juan Lagares. For now, I expect the Captain to be a mainstay in Las Vegas, though he could lose a starting job to the trio of Puello, Darrell Cecilliani, and Dustin Lawley.

Draft Notes 5-30-12 – Victor Roache, Kevin Plawecki, Tim Cooney, Tucker Frawley

Victor Roache – http://natsgm.com/2012/05/28/2012mlbdraftpreviewthehitters/

Victor Roache OF Georgia Southern -> Roache entered the season with the reputation as one of the top power hitters in college baseball after hitting 30 home runs last year as a sophomore, then went to the Cape Cod league last summer and was quite impressive outside of a late season slump.  Unfortunately Roache broke his left wrist early this season, leaving teams to question how this injury will affect him going forward.  Roache is an interesting name amongst the scouting community, as his supporters see him as a power slugging corner outfielder (he reminds me of former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Greg Vaughn), while his detractors fear his swing-and-miss tendencies and profile as a right-handed hitting left fielder.  The team that drafts him will believe in his power translating to professional baseball and will have scouted him heavily last year.

 Kevin Plawecki

Aside from Mike Zunino, there isn’t much to get excited about when looking at the crop of college catchers. The second tier (Zunino is the sole member of the first) is comprised of a group that is spearheaded by Purdue backstop Kevin Plawecki, arguably the top performer this season after the Gators highly regarded catcher. Whereas Plawecki doesn’t have any one trait that paints him as a future superstar, few have doubts that he has the polish to go along with the offensive ability and defensive chops to be an everyday catcher in the big-leagues. For starters, he guided the Boilermakers to their first-ever Big Ten Championship, and along with it, their first No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Plawecki was the team’s top offensive playmaker, hitting .365/.454/.567, racking up a team-leading 20 doubles and six homers along the way.

  Tim Cooney

                        Player: Tim Cooney - College: Wake Forest University Position: Starting Pitcher  Bats/Throws: L/L  Height/Weight: 6'3" / 195 lbs  Class: Junior  Draft Year: 2012 

Good height; thin, athletic frame; thin legs; some moderate projection in frame

Delivery doesn't have great smoothness; a bit slot with a high leg kick and some leg whip in his finish

Live arm from a 3/4 arm slot; clean arm action, releasing the ball with good extension

Fastball has some late arm side run; 86-90, touching 91 throughout the outing (via TV gun)

Fastball looks bigger than radar is indicating; good late life and can be blown past hitters up in zone

Cut fastball with nice glove side action; 85-89 (via TV gun)

Cutter has good depth and late life that can miss bats

1-7 big, steep breaking ball with a ton of depth; good sharpness; 69-74 (via TV gun)

Curve ball has heavy spin and even the slow variety have fairly sharp break

Change with hard fading and diving action; 76-79 (via TV gun)

Throws the change with conviction and got good consistent action on pitch throughout the game

2-8 slider with some late tilt; 79-83 (via TV gun)

Slider does not have a ton of depth but the break is decently late with some sharpness

Slider works well as a back door offering and works effectively as a chase pitch to LH batters

Shows good control of his stuff and commands them at times

Command was a problem in the third inning, leaving pitches in poor locations and having inefficient at bats

Works quickly and does a good job of attacking hitters

Mixes pitches well and generally keeps the hitter off-balance

Good deception on his pick-off move

Tucker Frawley

Tucker Frawley, C, Coastal Carolina, Senior Frawley is an excellent defensive catcher.  He moves well behind the plate.  He has a strong, accurate arm and a quick release.  Frawley does not project well offensively, but has shown a more patient approach as a senior and put up better numbers than he has previously.

Draft 2012 – Jake Cosart, Keon Barnum, Kevin Plawecki, Austin Maddox, Lewis Brinson

Jake Cosart — 6’-1”, RHP, Clear Creek HS (TX)  When you can throw 99 mph, you are going to get some attention. At 6’-1” and 165 lbs, the power Cosart generates from his arm is scary. At the 2011 Perfect Game National Showcase, he hit 99 mph on the radar gun, easily the fastest time at the event. It must run in the family bloodline — his brother Jarred Cosart, a top prospect for the Astros, hit 102 mph at the 2008 Perfect Game World Showcase. Jake shows signs of a future devastating curve but is still inconsistent with his command. A strong senior season, and added weight, could see him sky rocket when the draft comes around. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Keon Barnum, 1B, King (Tampa, Fla.)  - Barnum has plus raw power and a major-league frame at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. He's a decent athlete but profiles best at first base, which will limit his value come draft day. But a better year hitting to all fields and making contact could put him into the top 30. Barnum, a Miami recruit, batted .491 last year with six homers and 27 RBIs. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/940/mccullers-jr-is-top-florida-diamond-star

We continue the countdown today at number 23 with Purdue junior catch Kevin Plawecki. The Carmel, Indiana native attended Westfield High School where he was a four year letter winner. He was a two-time All-Indy North, All-Hoosiers Crossroads and All-Hamilton County selection while leading his team to the State semifinals as a senior. As a freshman in 2010, he made 54 appearances (52 starts) while hitting .343 with eight homers and a team high 53 RBI. He was excellent behind the plate throwing out 16 baserunners out of 46 attempts. He picked up several honors including being named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA Freshman All-American, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team member. http://ht.ly/1gyc28  

We continue the countdown today at number 22 with Florida junior RHP/infielder Austin Maddox. The Jacksonville Florida native attended Eagle’s View Academy where in his four-year high school career, Maddox led the Warriors to a 19-2 playoff record, a pair of state championships and four final fours. He was picked  by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 37th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft with the 1,129th pick but decided to head to Gainesville to play for the Gators. As a freshman, he started 63 games playing four different positions at third base (29), designated hitter (19), first base (14) and catcher (1). He ended up finishing second on the team with a .333 batting average while leading the team  in homers at 17 and RBI with 72. Maddox picked up several honors including being named SEC’s Freshman of the Year, third-team All-American by the NCBWA, Freshman All-America teams by Baseball America, Lou­isville Slugger, NCBWA, second-team All-SEC recognition, and was named to the league’s All-Freshman Team. http://ht.ly/1gAsQf

Lewis Brinson has the tools that scouts look for and the skills to put those tools to use on the field.  In a deep outfield class, he is among those at the top. Brinson has above average bat speed and good power.  He has room to fill out and should add more power as he matures.  Brinson shows good speed with recorded 60 times from 6.51-6.60. Brinson projects as a centerfielder at the next level.  He has plenty of range and a plus arm. On draft day, Brinson is a likely first round selection.  If he slips, he won’t slip far. http://mlbdraftguide.com/