12-19-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/12/19/2622862/2011-mets-minor-league-season-in-review-savannah-sand-gnats - C Albert Cordero - STOCK UP - 2011 was an excellent season for the long-term value of Cordero in the catching-starved Mets organization. With growing expectations coming into the year, Cordero was slow out of the gates to say the least. However, things changed after he made some adjustments at the plate around the All-Star Break: That pretty much says it all. Oh except for his 24 of 36 baserunners caught stealing (40%). All in all, it was a very strong season for Cordero as he emerged as the top prospect on this Savannah club.
12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com - Fresno State SS Danny Muno has good plate discipline, a little bit of speed, and enough defensive chops to hang at any infield spot, though I prefer him at second. He absolutely destroyed New York-Penn League pitching – compared to all Mets minor leaguers, he came in first in both BA and OBP and second in SLG – and likely positioned himself to start next season at St. Lucie. Considering their long-standing devotion to putting together strong teams in Brooklyn, the Mets must have been thrilled to have Muno tear it up for the Cyclones. Expectations have raised some, but if this is Muno’s peak, I’m sure the Mets could live with the return they’ve already enjoyed on their $10,000 investment.
In truth, the Mets eliminating one of the minor league teams isn’t that big of a deal. Coinciding with the prevalent money issues; the upcoming Madoff trial; the $40 million bridge loan the Wilpons recently took from Bank of America; that they’ve yet to pay back the $25 million loan of a year ago from MLB itself; that they let Jose Reyes walk without a fight; and have spent little on Major League players this winter—among many other things—makes the decision to dump the single A team simply look bad. The elimination of one of the Mets nine minor league teams isn’t going to cut enough money out of their spending that it’s going to make a significant difference to organizational finances. As the Times piece says, the Mets were one of three Major League franchises with nine affiliates; the decision, as Jim Duquette says, is more philosophical than cost-cutting. I think it’s more cost-effective to keep or expand the reach into the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and even places like Africa and the Middle-East than it is to have that extra A team with a load of players who—barring a sudden growth spurt; the discovery of a new pitch; a mechanical tweak at the plate or on the mound; or some other unforeseen stroke of luck—have almost zero chance of making it to the big leagues. http://paullebowitz.com.previewyoursite.com/blog/?p=3446&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
The four-time All-Star shortstop, Jose Reyes has recently signed a six-year $102 million contract with the Miami Marlins, stepping into a new team to prove his excellence as an accomplished shortstop. Prior to this multi-million dollar deal with the Miami Marlins, he was part of the New York Mets where he had an impressive .337 average, which also enabled him to win the first battling title. While the deal with the Marlins was a complex affair initially, the fogs of uncertainty dispersed with his agreeing to the six years contract. “It's a perfect situation in Miami,” Reyes said. “We have a lot of talent there and the new stadium, the weather, close to Dominican, a lot of Spanish people there, so I think I'm going to like it and enjoy it as much as I can.” http://blogs.bettor.com/Jose-Reyes-From-New-York-Mets-to-the-Miami-Marlins-a119643
Signed OF-R Mike Cameron to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. [12/21] It looked like Cameron was at the end of the line after being designated for assignment by the Red Sox and released by the Marlins—ostensibly over a verbal altercation with a flight attendant—over a 2 ½-month period late last season. At age 38, and with two seasons of ineffective play and injury issues behind him, he appeared to be facing forced retirement, and retrospective appreciations of his largely overlooked body of work began to pop up across the internet. As those posts pointed out, a number of factors have conspired to keep Cameron’s Q Score low. He hits for low averages and strikes out a lot, which doesn’t endear him to old-school fans. From 2000-2007, a period that contained much of his prime, Cameron played in Safeco Field, Shea Stadium, and Petco Park, three of the least favorable offensive environments in baseball. Finally, much of his value is tied up in defense, which hasn’t always garnered the proper appreciation. With a few more FRAA, Cameron could pass Gary Pettis and Jim Busby to claim one of the 10 highest fielding value figures among center fielders since 1950.- http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15723
9-15-11: - http://centralny.ynn.com/content/sports/557217/satin-named-mets-top-minor-leaguer - Life just keeps getting better for Joshua Satin, who picked up his first major league hit in his first at-bat with the Mets Labor Day weekend and who has also picked up a pretty major minor-league honor. Satin has been named the New York Mets minor-leaguer of the year after hitting .323 with 12 homers and 76 RBI's while splitting time with Binghamton and AAA Buffalo this season. Satin was named an Eastern League all-star this summer, the third straight year he has earned a minor league all-star honor. The 26-year-old in his fourth season with the organization became the first B-Met ever to hit for the cycle and strung together a 15-game hit streak with the Bisons
If I were a General Manager of an organization looking to upgrade at shortstop, (Jose) Reyes would be an obvious choice. However, position scarcity will force teams to pay more than what would be in my personal comfort zone of 5 yrs/85 mil due to concerns about his problematic hamstrings. With so much of Reyes’ value tied to his legs, the chance of attrition in his mid-30′s is just too much of a risk to stomach through six or seven years. - http://scoutingthesally.com/new-york-mets-shortstop-jose-reyes-free-agent-2012-contract
Marlins released OF Mike Cameron. Cameron battled hamstring, wrist and knee injuries during his tenure with the Fish, and hit just .239/.333/.423 in 163 total plate appearances. The 38-year-old veteran outfielder might simply decide to hang up his cleats for good. - http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/341610/baseball-headlines?r=1
9-13-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/9/13/2423288/2011-minor-league-ball-interesting-short-season-hitting-prospects - Dan Muno, SS, Mets: Eight-round pick out of Fresno State this year destroyed the New York-Penn League, hitting .355/.466/.514 with 43 walks and 23 doubles in 220 at-bats for Brooklyn. At age 22 he doesn't have the long-term projection of other guys on the list, but he's very polished and could reach the majors rapidly as a utility type.
Juan Urbina:
I know it’s a little early in the short-season team’s schedules, but I am going to have to readjust where I have Mets prospect SP Juan Urbina ranked in “The Keepers”. I’ve had him at #12, which is far too high, even for someone pitching well. He’s simply too young and too far down the chain to figure out yet.
Josh Edgin:
7-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/07/best-mets-minor-league-surprises-mid-season-edition.html - Josh Edgin – St Lucie, the 6’1″ left-handed reliever is dominating the opposition this year like very few have been able to do. After giving up 3 ER’s at the very beginning of the year he has been unscored upon since early May. His first 24 appearances were at Savannah, while the last 6 games have been with St Lucie. Over his first 9.1 FSL innings he has given up 0 runs. here are his combined stats this season: 2-0, 0.67 ERA, 30 G, 40.1 IP, 19 H, 3 ER, 0 HR, 50 K, 14 BB, .142 BA against, and he has 18 saves so far. Not bad for the 30th round pick from 2010.
Robert Carson:
7-5-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/aa-weekend-harvey-valdespin-keeps-on-hitting - Sunday, Robert Carson had the kind of start I’ve come to expect: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 5 gb/7 flyouts… Lots of runners. Not missing many bats. Just eh.
Mike Cameron:
The Boston Red Sox have traded outfielder Mike Cameron and cash to the Florida Marlins in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Cameron, 38, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on June 30 after appearing in 33 games this season, while batting .149 with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs, nine runs and eight walks. The veteran outfielder was signed by the Red Sox on Dec. 16, 2009. He spent the majority of last season with a groin/hernia injury and needed season-ending surgery last September. - http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=6740840&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
3-HRs-In-A-Row:
You don’t see any Met teams hit three home runs in a row too often, especially the Binghamton boys. Well, that chanced in the first inning of the nightcap last night when Jordany Valdespin, Josh Satin, and Alan Dykstra all went yard in the 2-3-4 slots. Wanna hear something even weirder? They were all the 10th home run this season for each guy. Oooooooo….
Mets Farm:
I think several arms have taken steps forward. At this time last year, Brad Holt and Jeurys Familia were completely lost. Now they are either back on track (Familia) or at least not a disaster (Holt). Matt Harvey is having a very good year. As far as the position players I'd agree with you in the case of Flores and Puello, but Nieuwenhuis has been just as good as before and Duda keeps improving. It's a pretty mixed year on the farm for the Mets. - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2011/2612032.html
Mike Cameron:
And then, of course, there’s Cameron’s sublime defense. UZR has Cameron saving nearly 110 runs more than an average fly catcher during the course of his career. Some might view that total skeptically. But whether you gauge Cameron’s D by UZR, Total Zone (which has him saving +96 runs) or the naked eye, the man could cover serious ground. With apologies to Franklin Gutierrez, Cameron was the original Death To Flying Things while patrolling center in Seattle, and he remained one of the best defenders in the game into his mid-thirties. By taking his cuts in cavernous parks and accumulating much of his value in the field and on the bases, Cameron rarely had the flashy raw numbers of his contemporaries on the WAR Leaderboard. Cameron became known as a .250ish hitter with a good glove — the sort of player you’d like to have, but not the sort that should be showcased in a prime-time gathering of the game’s best. He didn’t “feel” like an All-Star to most, though he topped the four-win threshold on nine occasions and had five-win seasons four different times. While Cameron made just one Midsummer Classic, he’d have a starting spot on the Rodney Dangerfield All-Stars. - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/mike-cameron-stealth-star-of-the-90s-and-aughts
Jose Garcia:
7-2-11: - http://www.nyfuturestars.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33973&sid=31529f89662bccd15eb42f127a379cd5&start=72 - JOSE GARCIA, C – VENEZUELA - B-T: B-R Ht.: 5-11 Wt.: 180 - After Jose Ruiz and Marck Malave, Garcia is expected to be the next in line among Venezuelan catchers. Garcia, who is from San Felipe, has skills on both sides of the ball with an athletic, lively frame. He's good mechanically behind the plate, with good hands and a solid arm that plays up because of his quick release. He gets high marks for the catching intangibles that scouts and managers like to see. His hands are also an asset in the batter's box. He has a level, line-drive swing and makes good contact. His power is below-average now. Some scouts think it will stay there, while others think he might have a tick more in him. He's a switch-hitter, but his right handed swing is more advanced. The Mets have been tied to Garcia.
Who’s On Second:
Once Wright returns, the Mets must decide whether to commit to Ruben Tejada or Justin Turner as their everyday second baseman; recently, the two have split time at second while Turner has also filled in regularly at third. The Mets won't keep the 21-year-old Tejada in the Majors unless he's playing every day, making him perhaps the most expendable player on the roster. Plans could also change if the club's regular first baseman, Ike Davis, is able to avoid ankle surgery and inch toward a return from the disabled list. That, along with continued production from Lucas Duda, would offer the Mets incentive to give fill-in first baseman Daniel Murphy innings at second - http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110702&content_id=21287938¬ebook_id=21287934&vkey=notebook_nym&c_id=nym&partnerId=rss_nym
Dillon Gee:
After watching Gee again on Saturday, I can’t help but wonder how many other pitchers there are out there who can pound the strike zone, with 3-4 quality pitchers, and not have to always bedazzle you with high heat. The secret here is pounding the strike zone. Gee has an outstanding ability to hit the inside portion of the strike zone against lefties. This, with an effective cutter, a fastball that does sit in the low 90s, and a low 80s change-up does the trick for him
Josh Thole:
7-1-11: - newsday. - Thole, only 24 and without a full season in the majors, was batting .234 and was worried about his future. This was not how his season was supposed to start, not after the Mets had handed him the starting catcher's job based on his strong finish the previous year. "I will go through nothing like that ever again," Thole said this week at Comerica Park . "It was every day. It was the hardest thing I've ever been through. When you're going out there busting your butt and you don't get a hit, and then the catching is not going like you want it to go, it just builds up. It's hard. It's stressful. "You're thinking to yourself it can't get any worse, and the next day, something more happens, and then you think about your job. You really do. I can't tell you how many times I thought, I gotta get this thing going."
Robert Gsellman:
7-1-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/754145-2011-mlb-draft-prospect-robert-gsellman-looking-to-shine-for-the-new-york-mets - Last week, I went over to Robert’s house to talk about his decision with him. He had verbally committed to Harbor College and really liked their program. Faced with the tough choice of professional baseball and junior college, he seemed genuinely unsure. When we said goodbye, he casually and quickly put on a fitted New York Mets cap that he had picked up earlier that day and hopped on his skateboard. At that point, he may still have been weighing his options, but the pride that I felt in the moment that the Mets hat fell onto his head was enough to carry me through the coming weeks. My neighbor and friend, Robert Gsellman, was drafted by the New York Mets and is working on his dream. I couldn’t be more proud. Now that he has signed with the team, he leaves this weekend for Florida for two months of baseball with the team. Knowing Robert, he’s going to continue to do incredible things as a top talent in the league.
Yeixon Ruiz:
7-1-11: - The Mets have a third baseman (he also plays 2B) on the DSLMets1 team named Yeixon Ruiz. No, I have no idea how to pronounce his name, but he may be woth keeping track of. Ruiz went 3-4 last night, raising his stats to .333/.407/.419/.826, but. More importantly, he had 5 stolen bases. Yesterday. A little old for the DSL (20), but we’ll keep an eye on him.
Mike Cameron:
7-1-11: - http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=6722677 - Mike Cameron's career with the Boston Red Sox essentially ended when Kevin Youkilis woke up Thursday morning with a sore left foot. As general manager Theo Epstein described it, that was the sequence of events that led the Red Sox to designate the 38-year-old outfielder for assignment, meaning the team has 10 days to trade him, waive him or release him.Cameron's spot on the roster was extremely tenuous, given his .149 average and 3-for-39 slump. But when Youkilis fouled a ball off his left foot Wednesday night, then reported his foot was still very sore the next morning, Epstein decided he had to make a move. The Sox recalled right-handed hitting Yamaico Navarro, an infielder by trade who was given a hasty tryout in the outfield by Triple-A Pawtucket and satisfied the team that he could handle the position.
Chris Schwinden:
7-2-11: - Schwinden continues to impress with Buffalo, going 7.0-IP Friday night: 0-R, 5-H, 8-K, 0-BB. His AAA ERA is now 2.87 and he has definitely earned his all-star status. Even more important is his increased K/IP ratio over the last few games.
