11-7-12 – David Wright, RA Dickey, Cesar Puello, Melky Cabrera, Lucas Duda

“A source” told Andy McCullough of the Newark Star Ledger that the David Wright and RA Dickey deals are “not close.”

Don’t read too much into this. Not ‘being close’ can mean a lot of things at this point and simply could represent the further limits of what either party want to either pay or receive. I’m sure the Mets which to pay no more than $100mil additional dollars to Wright, while the Levinson Brothers, at this point, wouldn’t even get on the phone for less than $130mil. Unfortunately, that’s how this shit works and, add to this the Mets almost cavalier approach to negotiations like this, we may wind up going into the 2013 season with one or more of these issues unresolved. It may seem like the Mets have control here since they exercises the 2013 option, but, trust me, this brings no good cheer to the negotiation table for 2014+.

The Mets have established a current value for these two players. Honestly, they don’t have to take it any further. It really doesn’t matter if Wright wanted $20mil per season and Dickey wanted $10mil if the Mets trade away one or both. That will be the problem of the new team that inherits the exercised option that was exercised.

What the Mets do know is they would receive a minimum of two players per deal that could immediately be added to the 25-man and help turn this team around.

Also… one more thing about this “face of the team” bullshit. Hey, Mr. Levinson… you keep not sitting down with the Mets and making a decent attempt to get this deal done and, trust me, the trading of Wright will become less of a fan issue every off-season day.

New York Mets Minor League Free Agents:

RHP: Fernando Cabrera (AAA), Drew Carpenter (AAA), Edgar Ramirez (AA), Jeff Stevens (AAA)

LHP: C.J. Nitkowski (AAA)

C: Jean Luc Blaquiere (AAA), Lucas May (AAA), Mike Nickeas (AAA), Juan Torres (LoA)

2B: Brad Emaus (AAA)

3B: Matt Tuiasosopo (AAA)

SS: Sean Kazmar (AA), Oswaldo Navarro (AAA), Luis Nieves (HiA), Josh Rodriguez (AAA)

OF: Rafael Fernandez (HiA), Adam Loewen (AAA), Dustin Martin (AA), Valentino Pascucci (AAA), Raul Reyes (AA), Corey Wimberly (AAA)

          (note…  many of these players could be back on one of the Mets rosters if they don’t sign with someone else. At the same time, there are 100s of players that were on other team’s rosters that are now available for the Mets to look over…

          The full list:  BA)

Here’s what the Las Vegas roster projects as after the free agent cuts:

          SP (5) – Zack Wheeler, Daren Gorski, Gonzalez Germen, Mark Cohoon, Chris Schwinden

          RP (9) – Elvin Ramirez. Brad Holt, Daniel Herrera, Craig Hansen, Ryan Fraser, Dylan Owen, Armondo Rodrigues, Greg Peavey, Chuck James, Tim Byrdak (IR)

          1B (3) – Eric Campbell, Josh Satin, Alan Dykstra

          2B (1) – Reese Havens

          SS (1) – Wilfredo Tovar

          3B (3) – Wilmer Flores, Zach Lutz, Jefry Marte

          C (1) – Juan Centeno

          OF (4) - Matt den Dekker, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Juan Lagares

OF Cesar Puello did hit a home run on Tuesday for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, but he’s far from ready to be projected into a future Mets parent lineup. The Mets are well known for the lack of talent they have throughout the system in the outfield and they lost two of their better players, Jordany Valdespin (foot injury) and Lucas Duda (broken wrist) in the past 24 hours. We’re all writing about the same shit during this off-season and there’s been a bunch of pundits all point out the fact that Puello doesn’t seem to understand that his batting average is never going to go up if he keeps swinging at balls out of the strikezone. First, you never walk, but secondly, these balls never come off the bat with enough moxie to turn into hits. Your BA goes down, your BB/9 is for shit, and your OBP and OPS never develops.

I simply loved this guy when he was in Savannah and I have no idea what happened to him.

Three ex-Mets found new homes. OF Jeremy Reed signed a minor league contract with Arizona. He spent 2012 on the DL. P Garrett Olson signed with Oakland. He went 4-7, 4.63 with Buffalo lasy season. And lastly, OF Jason Pridie signed with Baltimore.

Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes that OF Melky Cabrera will eventually sign with the New York Mets for one-year, $4mil.It sounds like a good idea for me. First of all, Cabrera would not be a candidate for the 2014 Mets under any condition. The Mets wouldn’t want him if he flops in 2013 and, if he does well, he will get the kind of money he deserves elsewhere. No, 2013 will just be a year to prove he can play all-star baseball without PEDs.

Team wise, 2013 becomes an easier season to get through. You can stick Cabrera in centerfield, let Kirk Nieuwenhuis play the full year (in LF or RF) in Las Vegas where he needs to heal and learn how to professionally hit, and play with Matt den Dekker in centerfield. The rest of the Mets outfield (Lucas Duda, Jason Bay, Mike Baxter, Jordany Valdespin) can platoon the corners.

It’s getting more obvious every day that the Mets outfield problems are deeper than thought. Darrell Ceciliani isn’t eating up fall ball and Cesar Puello continues to be a plate maintenance nightmare.

Think Carlos Beltran. Sign Cabrera, give him the platform to shine, then trade him to someone trying to win the World Series in 2013. You’re not going to steal another Zack Wheeler, but there is someone out there that can help this team long range in a deal like this.

Oh… need any more reasons to sign Cabrera? How about Duda, the furniture mover? For now, you’re back to Bay in left and some combination of Valdespin (hurt foot), Baxter, and, I guess, Nieuwenhuis. Jesus, this just keeps getting worse.

Stuff – Cory Vaughn, Melky Cabrera, Jorge Rivero, John Gant, Updated Mack’s Top 15

Cory Vaughn

Cory Vaughn has his 20th homer of the season. It’s probably too late to expect his BA to become respectable this season, but 20 home runs is 20 home runs. He and Aderlin Rodriguez currently represent the two big bats in the system. Both will test AA next season and possibly ETA for 2014.

My string is still out on Cory. We all remember my initial thoughts on this pick which were both wrong and uncalled for. The talent is there, but the game seems to be attached to his head instead of his ability. What I hope is he adds around 6-8 pounds of muscle in the off season balanced off with another year of maturity. We all know the path to the Mets outfield is wide open and Cory will play 2013 at 24-years old. It’s time. 

Melky Cabrera

I remember going to a press dinner years ago when I managed WNEW radio, and Coach Parcells spoke to the crown in the dining room. “People don’t change,” said Parcells, “they may look like they do for a while, but they really don’t.”

At what point during a great season do you decide to shoot your ass with this stuff? It can’t be something you’ve done all your career because, if it was, you would failed other tests, right?

All of baseball knew this happened, but no one reported it awaiting the appeal process. And what’s with that? You can still play shot up while you’re trying to prove what, the needle was wrong?

Here’s what baseball will do. He supposedly was worth a minimal $50mil contract that would have been signed in the upcoming off-season. He’s miss the first week and someone will sign him for, oh, around $50mil. Nobody cares anymore.

                         “This is the business we've chosen.”

                                                         Hyman Roth 

Jorge Rivero

We wrote about Vincente Lupo earlier this week. There’s another kid in the system that I know little about, but we may want to keep an eye on.

Jorge Rivero is a 23-year old playing Kingsport, which could make him the oldest player in the league. The 6-0 converted shortstop (now that’s always a good first step in this organization) comes out of La Habana, Cuba and is currently hitting .351, which would qualify him for the 2^nd highest BA in the league if he had around 40 more at-bats

Here’s something I wrote in 2011:

8-1-11: - I don’t know much about this kid, but his output in 2011 is worth nothing. This is his first season in the Mets system and the 22-yr. old batted .292 for the DSL Mets in 120-AB. He was transferred stateside and is now matting leadoff for the GCL Mets. So far, after 45-Abs, he’s .289. That combines to .291 which is just fine for a young second baseman.

Rivero will play 2013 as a 24-year old, so he has to move quickly. I hope the Mets recognize the talent here and send him all the way to St. Lucie next spring. 

John Gant

Gant is an intriguing find that has silently creeped close to the ‘blue’ list lately.

The 19-year old 6-4, 198 righty was drafted by the Mets in the 21st round of the 2011 draft and chose to sign rather than attend LIU. His limited GCL-Mets stats that year didn’t jump out at you (4-G, 6.48), but it was a start of a professional career.

In 2012, he was assigned to Kingsport and immediately went out to the mound and stunk up the joint (an important thing to note here about the 2012 K-Port team… talent wise, you are basically on your own out there).

John gave up 20 runs in 17.1-IP in four of his first five starts and, if the Mets still had a GCL team, he would have been sent back there.

But, things have settled down since then and his numbers in his last four starts are impressive: 22.1-IP, 4-ER, 21-H, 19-K, 7-BB (trust me, he’s working on the BBs).

PG wrote before draft day:

John Michael Gant is a 2011 RHP/1B with a 6-4 180 lb. frame from Wesley Chapel, FL who attends Wiregrass Ranch HS. Nice projectable pitcher's build, long arms and legs, should be able to gain strength. Drop and drive pitching style, long extended arm action, 3/4's release, whippy loose arm action. Steady 85-87 mph fastball, gets nice sink/run on fastball, short mid 70's curveball with some depth, developing change up. Projects to add velocity. Signed with Long Island University.

Where do we project Gant. Well, we now know he’s capable of producing stellar professional numbers regardless of what he does the rest of the year. His youth will probably send him to Brooklyn if for no other reason Savannah will be filled up with the likes of Rainy Lara, Luis Cessa, Luis Mateo, Gabriel Ynoa, and Hansel Robles. His chance to jump the Clones is dependent upon whether Mateo or fellow K-Port hurler, Steve Matz are moved that fast. My guess today is Brooklyn.  

Updated Mack’s Top 15

1.      RHSP Zack Wheeler –  ETA: mid-2013 – A – Starts season as SP1 in AAA

2.      RHSP Rafael Montero – ETA: 2015 - B+ - no rush… back to St. Lucie

3.      RH?P – Jenrry Mejia – ETA: 2012 – B+ - back on prospect relief list

4.      3B-1B Wilmer Flores –  ETA: Sept-2013 – B+ - Starts season as 3B in AAA

5.      CF Brandon Nimmo –  ETA: 2015 – B+ - should jump two levels to A+

6.      RHSP Michael Fulmer – ETA: 2015 – B+  St. Lucie bound

7.      LHRP Jack Leathersich – ETA – Sept-2013 – B - 106-K/66.1-IP – B-Mets

8.      RHSP Domingo Tapia – ETA: 2015 Closer – B – Star studded Lucy rotation

9.      RHRP Jeurys Familia – ETA: 2012 – B - will open in Mets 2012 pen

10.  OF Cory Vaughn – ETA: 2014 – B - has now reached 20 home runs

11.  3B Aderlin Rodriguez – ETA: 2016 - powerful bat will get him to B-Mets

12. RHSP – Luis Mateo – ETA: 2016 – the old man will jump to St. Lucie

13.    CF Gilbert Gomez – ETA: 2015 –   will take time, St. Lucie bound

14.  RHRP Marcos Camarena – ETA: 2016 – blocked from starting in Lucy

15.      OF -  Vincente Lupo – ETA:  2017  - DSL sensation

(it’s important to note that 10 out of the 15 picks were NOT draft picks)