Christopher Soto - Spring Training Battles: Back End of the Bullpen

     This has been a no holds barred cage match between a large group of guys with many of them pitching fairly well so far this spring. The current bullpen consists of 4 RHP (3 sans Familia) and 1 LHP so Terry can pretty much go with any combination of guys above and still have a pretty balanced bullpen. For this analysis though we will assume that the opening day bullpen will consists of 5 RHP and 2 LHP giving us 1 RHP spot and 1 LHP spot to fill. In addition, I am making the assumption that Seth Lugo is taking the last spot in the bullpen as the 6th starter/long man for the duration that Jeurys Familia is suspended for.

2nd Left-Hander Job

• Josh Edgin | 8.1 IP, 4.32 ERA, 3 BB, 9 K, .179 AVG against
•      Edgin has the inside track on the job by virtue of the fact that he is out of options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without first being passed through waivers. The consensus amongst folks in the industry right now believe that he would certainly be claimed by another if that happen. That aside.....Edgin has pitched well this spring after shaky off a bit of rust in the early going. His lack of 'premium" velocity though is still a bit of concern as he has failed to regain the ticks on his fastball that he lost due to Tommy John surgery. With other left handed options advancing in the minor league system, the club could decide that it can afford to risk potentially lose Edgin.

• Josh Smoker | 10.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 5 BB, 10 K, .200 AVG against
•       If Edgin were to be pushed.....this is the guy that would cause it. Smoker has been on the fast track to the MLB since the Mets resurrected him from the Independent Leagues in 2015. With a fastball that sits between 95-96 and can touch 100 mph and a wipeout slider that generates a ton of swings and misses, Smoker has the tools to be a premium MLB RP. The club also has quite a bit of confidence that he is ready for the MLB based on his performance in September last season. From Sept 3rd till the end of the season, Smoker faced 32 batters and struck out 14 of them (a 15.1 K/9 rate) while allowing a .241 Avg against.

• Adam Wilk | 9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 2 BB, 7 K, .243 AVG against
•      Signed to a minor league deal with a camp invite in January, Wilk was supposed to have legitimate shot at competing for the 2nd lefty role this spring.....until Blevins was re-signed that is. Now he's on the outside looking in but that hasn't stopped him from pitching extremely well this Spring. Unless an injury occurs, Wilk seems destined for AAA-Las Vegas where he can either be deployed as the LOOGY down there or he can even be used as a SP. In either scenario, he's an arm that the club will likely hold onto for the 2017 season.
• ***Adam Wilk was already re-assigned to minor league camp so he is out of the running.***

• Sean Gilmartin | 6.2 IP, 6.75 ERA, 3 BB, 4 K, .276 AVG against 
•       The former Rule 5 draft pick couldn't build off of his excellent 2015 bullpen season and was switched back to a SP in AAA-Las Vegas to provide the club some more depth last season. Based on his performance out of the bullpen so far this spring....it seems like he will likely be asked to do the same thing in 2017. With the numerous injury concerns in the club's rotation and the lack of higher end prospects forecasted to begin in AAA this season, Gilmartin could be one of the first arms called up should the injury bug plagued the Mets again.

• Tom Gorzelanny | 6.2 IP, 9.45 ERA, 4 BB, 6 K, .333 AVG against
•       Just like Wilk, Gorzelanny was signed to a minor league deal with a camp invite and was supposed to have a chance at winning this job before Blevins was re-signed. Unlike Wilk though, Gorzelanny has not looked very good this spring and is a candidate to be flat out released.

2nd Right-Hander Job

• Rafael Montero | 13.1 IP, 2.70 ERA, 7 BB, 20 K, .200 AVG against
•      Can the real Rafael Montero please stand up? If this is him....the Mets may finally be inclined to abandon hopes of him as a SP and carry him on the Opening Day roster as a low to mid leverage RP. The former control specialist is still having problems with his control this spring (4.7 BB/9) but the huge uptick in strikeouts (13.5 K/9) more than makes up for it. His stuff plus the ability to go multiple innings and makes him a perfect fit for an early bullpen usage innings eater role. The question is.....has the club seen enough to trust him?

• Ben Rowen | 10.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1 BB, 6 K, .156 AVG against
•      Why does a 28 year old an 82 mph fastball have the front office super excited? Well that would be because Mr. Rowen is a submarine style pitcher who has a career 1.85 ERA in the minor leagues. The Mets jumped on the opportunity and made Rowen their 1st minor league signing with a invitation to camp. So far he is proving exactly why the club likes him so much. In today's era of 95 mph+ fastballs from everyone in the MLB bullpen, Rowen gives opponents a very different/very strange look. Not only is the arm slot a rarity.....but his motion is almost wiffle ball like making it extremely difficult for a batter to get his timing right. Rowen has a VERY REAL chance of making it onto the MLB roster. The only thing giving the club pause is the fact that someone would have to be removed from the 40 man roster (or placed on the 60 Day DL) in order for them to add Rowen.
• ***Ben Rowen was re-assigned to minor league camp today so he is out of the running.***

• Paul Sewald | 10.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 3 BB, 6 K, .143 AVG against
•      A rising bullpen star in the organization, Sewald has produced positive results as the closer for the St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Las Vegas teams over the past 3 seasons. Now he finds himself trying to force himself onto an MLB roster that is pretty crowded when it comes to right handed arms. Sewald doesnt really have the premium stuff most late inning RP have as his fastball only clocks in between 88-92 mph and his slider grades as a league average pitch. However, Sewald plays those pitches up with his unbelievable command of the lower half of the strike zone. It seems like Sewald will come up short this spring....but he may very well be getting a call to the big leagues at some point this season. 

• Erik Goeddel | 6.1 IP, 9.95 ERA, 0 BB, 9 K, .429 AVG against 
•      Goeddel has MLB experience......he's had MLB success......he possesses strikeout caliber stuff......unfortunately for him, he's coming off of elbow surgery and doesn't look like he is 100% yet. An assignment back to Las Vegas seems very much in the cards for him for now. However, since he IS on the 40 man roster, once the club does feel like he is ready, he could very well be the 1st right handed bullpen arm called up.
• ***Erik Goeddel was re-assigned to minor league camp today so he is out of the running.***

The Morning Report 10.01.2015 | Cespedes Dodges a Major Scare, Colon Intends to Pitch in 2016, Gilmartin to Start Today

Mark Townsend | Yahoo Sports- After clinching their first division title since 2006 over the weekend, the only thing that could go wrong for the New York Mets this week would be an injury to a key player. On Wednesday night in Philadelphia, things very nearly went catastrophically wrong, as star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was struck on the left hand with an 89-mph fastball from Phillies right-hander Justin De Fratus. Fortunately, the Mets star avoided a major injury. X-Rays were taken and no broken bones were revealed. Cespedes was diagnosed with contusions to two fingers, meaning he should be good to go again in a couple days. 

(Chris Soto: The moment I saw the HBP my immediate reacton was "Oh no...there goes the Mets luck." Luckily, Yeonis Cespedes escaped with only bruising rather than a devastating fracture this late in the season. Which brings me to this point....as much as the team wants to win home field advantage, at what point can you just not continue putting players at risk for injury. Your in the playoff already and the only way your going to win is to have everyone at 100%. It is certainly a thin line that Terry is going to have to teeter on during these last 4 days of the season.)

Kenny DeJohn | Rising Apple- Bartolo Colon...intends to pitch in 2016. “I think for personal records I think I was OK,” Colon told Ackert. “I know 14-13 means a lot for me. I think I did everything in my power to help the team and put it in position to win.” Colon, who will be 43 next May, has gone 29-26 with a 4.14 ERA, 3.71 FIP and 1.235 WHIP in two years (396 innings) with the Mets. He leads all starters in 2015 with 1.1 BB/9.

(Chris Soto: Good for Colon. Despite what the stats or the radar gun may say, Bartolo has still been an effective pitcher at his advanced age. He could very well be the next Jamie Moyer, pitching until age 45/46. Unfortunately, I just don't see that being with the Mets. It's been fun having him around the past two seasons and he has been certainly worth every penny despite the WAR statistic saying he wasn't. However, the Mets just have WAY too much good, talented, and young arms that will be in the rotation or fighting for a rotation spot next year already. Going into 2016 you already have Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, and Niese [who is still under contract], followed by Rafael Montero and Zack Wheeler, who is scheduled to return in June.)

David Hong | Metsmerized Online- With the news that left-hander Steven Matz has been scratched altogether from starting against the Phillies because of back stiffness, manager Terry Collins announced on Wednesday night that left-hander Sean Gilmartin will start for the Mets on Thursday during the series finale at Citizens Bank Park. Backing up Gilmartin after an expected four inning work load, or piggy-backing him if you will, is right-hander Tim Stauffer.

(Chris Soto: This is actually going to be a very interesting audition for Gilmartin. Carlos Torres is arbitration eligible this off-season and I do not expect the Mets to tender him a contract for 2016. This means that swing man long relief/occasional high leverage role is going to be open next season and Gilmartin seems like an excellent fit for that role in the future. At the same time, since they now control him fully via the Rule 5 draft, the Mets could send him down to AAA next season to be a full-time starter as an insurance policy should one of the big guns get hurt next season.)

The Morning Report 9.21.2015 | Mets Crash and Burn Against Yanks, Gilmartin the UnSung Bullpen Hero, Cespedes Not Worried About Slump

Marc Carig | Newsday- The nightmare unspooled in the most gut-wrenching way possible Sunday night, ripping at the emotions of a fan base still haunted by collapses of long ago Septembers. Here was Harvey, the franchise ace, cruising along with a one-run lead against the Yankees. He had thrown only 77 pitches in five shutout innings. He struck out seven. But he was limited to only five innings. When the time came, he was pulled. The night unraveled from there. It was swift. "It's extremely hard to take him out there," said Collins, who has swallowed his old-school beliefs, all in order to adhere to the innings plan. "It was the perfect storm."

(Chris Soto: Look...last night sucked but honestly you could have foretold it. The 1 weakness for this club right now is that the back end of the bullpen is quite terrible. So when a SP can only go 5 IP, it's gonna force TC to use the weakest part of his pen. Robles was bad and Stauffer, O'Flaherty, and Torres are likely to not even make the playoff roster. So let's not panic folks, and remember the whole point of last night. We needed to see improvement from Matt Harvey heading into the playoffs....and that's exactly what we saw last night....MAJOR improvement.)

Colby Conetta | Amazin Avenue- When the Mets selected Sean Gilmartin in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, it was assumed that he would become the team's lefty specialist. Throughout the course of the season, though, the Mets brought in other pitchers to handle that duty. Despite these changes, Gilmartin has remained in the pen, becoming Terry Collins's only reliable left-handed reliever. In 49 IP, Gilmartin is sporting a superb 2.76 ERA with a 2.59 FIP and a 8.9 K/9 ratio. Despite his supposed role as a lefty specialist, he is adept at retiring right-handed hitters, too–they've only managed a meager .239 wOBA against him all season, while lefties have mustered a paltry .293. 

(Chris Soto: Quite honestly, Gilmartin doesn't get talked about enough. Most Rule 5 draft picks don't stick around as the talent level usually isn't high enough to compete at the MLB level. However, Gilmartin has been the exception to that rule; he's not only held his own....but he's gotten better as the season has progressed. He's doing exactly what a pitcher his age should be doing, developing. All of a sudden, now Sandy Alderson has a strong arm for his bullpen that is under team control for the next 5 years.....Edgin who?)

Bill Baer | NBC Sports- The slugger has only two hits — though both are home runs — in his last 27 plate appearances spanning seven games. He was one of baseball’s most fearsome hitters since joining the Mets at the trade deadline, smoking 17 home runs since the beginning of August. Cespedes was asked by the media about his slump. He got a little deep... “The only thing I’m scared of is death,” he said, then corrected: “I’m not scared of that.”

(Chris Soto: Boy...this slump of his has gotten severely overblown. Players go through peaks and valleys all season long...yet when the new guy has 1 bad stretch...everyone starts freaking out to the point where they are now calling for him to be dropped in the batting order. Take a chill pill folks....most of the club seems to be laboring through some exhaustion towards the end of the season. The club has 7 more games against much weaker opponents before they're next off day...I'll be happy with them taking 4 of them.)

The Morning Report 3.26.2015 | Chase Huchingson Enters the Fray, Montero Making His Case, Lefties Hitting Their Stride, Parnell's Rehab Game

Lefty Bullpen Competition | Chris Soto-  If you saw yesterday's game, you would have caught a glimpse at a new competitor in the left handed relief battle. His name is Chase Huchingson and he's pretty good. Yesterday threw 1.1 IP, induced an inning ending double play against Slade Heathcott, hit a batter, then walked a batter, got top prospect lefty 1B Greg Bird to ground into a force-out, gave up a hit to Nick Noonan, then struck out Ben Gamel. All the batters were left handed. It was mixed results but you could see why lefties have a tough time hitting him. His 3/4 arm slot motion is tough to pick up on and he has just enough juice on his 92 mph fastball to keep guys unbalanced.


Mike Puma | New York Post- In case there was any doubt about the 24-year-old fireballer cracking the major league roster, that was all but settled with Montero’s performance Wednesday, when he allowed one run on three hits over four innings with four strikeouts.“That is the best I’ve seen him,” manager Terry Collins said after the Mets’ 7-2 victory. Montero, according to Collins, could be given a shot at the seventh-inning job to start the season, because the team expects Vic Black to begin April on the disabled list.

(Chris Soto: Montero showed us something yesterday that he did not utilize when he initially was promoted to the big leagues last year. He used his filthy change-up like he's done in the past in the minors. Last season Montero was getting cute, using his slider at a near 20% clip while using his change-up only 13% of the time, despite the slider being only an average to below average pitch. In the minor leagues Montero's usage was closer to 10% for the slider and 25% for the change so it's nice to see him go back to his bread and butter methods.)


Mike Puma | New York Post- The right-hander pitched a scoreless inning in Port St. Lucie against Triple-A New Orleans in his first game action in nearly a year. According to reports, Parnell’s fastball was mostly in the 90 mph range. He topped out at 92. But Parnell — who routinely flirted with triple-digits on the radar gun two years ago — explained he wanted to avoid overthrowing, so he wasn’t concerned about the velocity.“I hope to return in May, but I’ll let my body and arm tell me when I’m ready to come back,” Parnell said.

(Chris Soto: Yesterday was a busy day for Puma....It's a step in the right for Parnell. Puma is unfairly comparing the velocities between 2 years ago and today. If we all remember, per the direction of Jason Isringhausen, Parnell actually took a lot of velocity off his fastball when he added the knuckle-curve to his arsenal. In 2013 his fastball was routinely in the 94-96 mph range vs. the 96-98 mph range back in 2012. Based on that, Parnell sitting at 90 and hitting 92 mph is right about where I would expect him to be with still a month and a half of rehab left.)

Mike Vorkunov | NJ.com- After the game, a 7-2 Mets win, manager Terry Collins offered this when asked how the lefty reliever competition measures up at this point: "For me that's back to back very good outings for Sean Gilmartin. He's throwing his breaking balls for strikes. He's got the lefties, he can pitch them in. He's used his changeup. He's pitched very well. Right now, again, it's still wide open."

(Chris Soto: As bad as the lefties were early in camp....All of a sudden everyone seems to be locking in at the right time. It's still a wide open race with Gilmartin, Scott Rice, Duane Below, Erik Goeddel, and now Chase Huchingson all capable of winning the job. The only guy who has fallen out of it so far is the "Leather Rocket" Jack Leathersich.)

The Morning Report 3.12.2015 | Edgin dodges a Bullet, Thor Dominates, Gee Adjusting to Bullpen Life, Flores 2015 Projection.

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- “Left-handed reliever Josh Edgin may escape his current elbow issue with "rest and rehab." Mets officials were still awaiting more details from team doctor David Altchek, the source added. A second source added that surgery -- either Tommy John, or something more benign like the removal of the bone spur that Edgin was diagnosed as having last August -- did not seem necessary"

(Chris Soto: Sounds like Edgin has dodged a bullet. Irregardless, it doesn't sound like he will be ready for the start of the season and is likely to open the year on the DL. The chances of Scott Rice and Sean Gilmartin making the team has risen significantly because of this despite both of them having 13.50 ERA's so far this Spring. However, don't sleep on Dario Alvarez. He has thrown well so far in his 3 IP striking out 4 along the way.)


David Lennon | Newsday- "That ain't fair," one Marlin said. "They need to give us aluminum bats or something." ...Wednesday must have felt like looking down the barrel of a gun for the Marlins -- from the wrong end. Syndergaard made...an impression, maybe because the Marlins previously were unfamiliar with the 6-6 blond giant who threw "thunderbolts." Syndergaard struck out five in his 2 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed only one hit.

(Chris Soto: Harvey was a bit sluggish yesterday and spent the afternoon working on his slider and curveball more than in his previous start but then Thor came in and absolutely stole the show. He was pumping fastballs in the zone between 97-99 mph and Marlins batters were beyond outmatched. In my opinion...the most impressive thing is that it's only March 12th and these velocities are already off the charts. By the time April 6th rolls around...everyone should have an extra 2-3 ticks on their respective fastballs.)

 

Mike Puma | New York Post- Dillon Gee still is getting used to the whole bullpen routine. “[Gee] is very awkward at it,” manager Terry Collins said. "It’s a whole different role for him and you could see it as he came in that inning; he hung back–to-back sliders, which he never does. It’s a new phase in his game and we’re going to continue to run him out there in those situations.” “I felt fine and I am pretty pleased the way it went,” Gee said. “I just wish I would have made a better pitch to that first guy.”

(Chris Soto: I continue to stand my ground when saying that Gee and Montero are not "natural" fits for bullpen roles. They both require additional time to warm up in the bullpen and neither guy possesses a "premium" pitch that can play up in the bullpen. For what it's worth though, Gee was hitting 91 mph in the bullpen yesterday which was his max last season. Based on that info it seems like Gee's fastball could play up to 93 mph out of the pen once the season gets going.)


Brian Joura | Mets 360- While most people fret about his defense, Flores has not really hit yet in the majors. In 375 PA in MLB, Flores has a .635 OPS and a lowly .264 BABIP. But, in his last 26 games, Flores posted a .290/.327/.500 line in 107 PA. In this stretch, 12 of his 29 hits went for extra-bases, including four homers. Our official forecast [.265 AVG/.310 OBP/.400 SLG, 11 HR, 55 RBI] leans much more to the optimistic side, [but] can Flores produce a .290 BABIP in the majors?

(Chris Soto: I think the Mets 360 group's forecast is actually pretty spot on...A .710 OPS would be amongst the Top 7 MLB SS in terms of offense and is far better than anything the team has had over the prior 3 years. The 11 HR and 55 RBIs though are based on only 484 Plate Appearance. If he gets a full season of 600+, I think he can reach 15 HR and 70 RBI.)

The Morning Report 02.26.2015 | Rehab Coins, 2nd Lefty Competition, 2015 Cuddyer Projections, Thor's Frustration, Familia's Development

Tim Rohan | New York Times - "For the last few years, the Mets’ rehabilitation team has given metal coins  to more than 40 players for getting through a program designed to get them healthy. Not every player receives one. The injury must be a significant one — such as Harvey’s Tommy John surgery — that keeps the player out for a while, and the player must put forth a genuine effort. The coins, then, are their reward. Pearson views them as a motivational tool, something the players can strive for, a keepsake they can cherish later in life. Some players are ecstatic to receive their coins; others are indifferent. But in general, they understand the coin’s purpose."

(Chris Soto: My military vet friends will understand the significance of the "challenge coin." A momento for all the hard work that you put in for X amount of years, a reminder of the botherhood that you established with the other guys you were with during your time. While not exact, these coins serve a similar purpose. A reminder of all the hard work they had to do to get back into the game. A reminder to love the game as much as you can, because, in one moment it can be taken away from you for a significant amount of time.)

Mike Puma | New York Post - "Manager Terry Collins said he expects to give Gilmartin every chance to succeed this exhibition season in a lefty competition that also includes Scott Rice, Jack Leathersich and Diego Alvarez. As it stands, Josh Edgin is the only lefty assured a spot in the bullpen. “You have to give him an opportunity to pitch,” Collins said Wednesday. “He’s got to show us what he can do. In that situation you don’t want to send him out there once or twice. As we get into spring training we’re going to find out, ‘Can he get that left-handed hitter out?’ "

(Chris Soto: Strap in folks....cause this is going to be one heck of a battle. This is the 1st time in a while where none of the starting positions are up for grabs, so the primary battles in camp are going to be for bench spots and the 2nd LOOGY role. Gilmartin is going to in for one heck of a fight as Rice and Alvarez have both shown the ability to get lefties out, while Leathersich is just a K machine against both sides.)

Brian Joura | Mets 360 - "The Mets didn’t sign Cuddyer because of his defense. Instead it was the promise of a big right handed bat that made him so attractive to the club. Two years ago, Cuddyer won the batting title and he arrives at Citi Field with a lifetime .352 wOBA. He’s clubbed 112 HR the past six years and brings the promise of a big stick to the lineup. Cuddyer offers the possibility of being an ideal fifth-place hitter.....So, how do we see him doing in 2015?"

(Chris Soto: Joura and his team are projecting a .800 OPS in 2015 from Cuddyer. If he attains that, then i will do cartwheel in the 3 feet of snow that is sitting outside right now. Only 13 OF'ers posted an OPS of .800 or better last year, so that kind of production will put Cuddyer amongst the top offensive OF in baseball again.)

  Mike Vornukov |  nj.com/mets “Noah Syndergaard's frustration finally came to a boil midway through last July. Beat up by the Pacific Coast League, his ERA hovered above five. Frank Viola, his pitching coach at Las Vegas, would not relent with his pupil. In Syndergaard, he saw a talented pitcher in need of guidance. By late August, Viola noticed a modification. Syndergaard produced better workouts and side sessions between starts. He accepted there was improvement to be made. His attitude had adjusted to the rigorous demands, and his performance lifted too. Syndergaard arrived to spring training this month flying under the radar. Matt Harvey's return has garnered the spotlight. Steven Matz is the hot-shot prospect who has stolen the attention. Yet, Viola says, Syndergaard is better than ever before. A season of deep-set struggles has changed him and bettered him. Syndergaard will testify to the results. The crucible of hitter-friendly Las Vegas has turned him from robotic hard-thrower to pitcher. A curveball and changeup now provide steady compliments to that fastball. And a person who had difficulty handling the demands of his stature received what Viola deemed a "wake-up call." Viola says the Syndergaard that has arrived here is "not the same Noah I had last year. It's that drastic difference." His bullpen sessions are more precise. He is more confident and understanding. When he will be able to pitch in a rotation with Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom is unknown. "Being in the big leagues has been my dream ever since I was a little kid," Syndergaard said.”

 (Herb G. Thor certainly seems to have matured in 2014, and both he and his spring workout buddy Steven Matz, will be hard to leave out of the Mets rotation in 2015. Both appear to be ready. However, if the Mets’ brass is serious about making a run at the post season, they certainly might opt for experience and leave Niese and Colon in it until the end. On the other hand, if the Mets have fallen out of the race, they could go with the youth program and bring up the dynamic duo from Las Vegas.)


  Mike Puma | nypost.com “Jeurys Familia might have raised the bar too high for himself last season. The right-hander was so good for the Mets — pitching coach Dan Warthen said he was maybe as good as any reliever in baseball for the season’s final five months — it might be best to lower expectations on Familia for 2015. That’s asking an awful lot,” Warthen said Tuesday referring to Familia’s 1.86 ERA from May 1 through the end of the season. “But I have great confidence that he will be a big factor.” The 25-year-old Familia took a long-awaited leap last season. In a bullpen that includes power arms Jenrry Mejia, Vic Black and Bobby Parnell, it’s Familia who might have the best overall stuff. He is expected to begin the season in a setup role, but the Mets still view Familia as capable of handling the ninth inning.”

 (Herb G. The emergence of Familia is an exciting development. He has always had great potential, but seemed to fall short on delivering it each year. Now we are left to wonder if the way he finished last year is the real Familia. If so, he has to be added to the mix of possible closers on the team. It is a good problem to have, but does not make T.C.’s job any easier. Although he may be the best of the lot, he is probably #3 in line behind Mejia and Parnell. And without closer experience, his value as a trade chip would not be quite as high.) 

FINAL Results: 2014 Rule 5 Draft

Also at Mack's Mets:

     Today at 12pm is the start of the 2014 Rule 5 draft. The Mets will select 14th today due to their finish in the standings in 2014. During the Sandy Alderson regime, the team has generally not dabbled in the Rule 5 draft market for themselves. Instead, the team acts as a selection spot for those teams in the bottom of the draft order, or with full 40 man rosters, in exchange for cash or international bonus slot compensation.

     It is widely reported that the club expects to lose RHSP Logan Verrett during the MLB Phase of the draft. Other clubs view Verrett as an good option as a 6th/7th medium leverage reliever or as a #5 starter. Sandy Alderson also indicated that he expects to lose "a handful of guys" during the AA phase of the draft. This means other clubs will be looking to pluck players from the St. Lucie, Savannah, and Brooklyn rosters for their own AA clubs.

MLB Phase

Pick	Team	# on 40 Man	Player Selected
1	Diamondbacks	39	C- Oscar Hernandez - Astros
2	Rockies	39	1B- Mark Canha - Marlins
3	Rangers	38	OF- Delino DeShields Jr - Astros
4	Astros	38	RHP- Jason Garcia - Red Sox
5	Twins	39	RHP- JR Graham - Braves
6	Red Sox	39	RHP- Jandel Gustave - Astros
7	White Sox	38	Pass
8	Cubs	38	SS- Taylor Featherston - Rockies
9	Phillies	38	SS-  Odubel Herrera - Rangers RHP- Andrew Oliver - Pirates
10	Reds	38	Pass
11	Marlins	39	LHP- Andrew McKirahan - Cubs
12	Padres	39	Pass
13	Rays	40	N/A
14	Mets	39	LHP- Sean Gilmartin - Twins
15	Braves	38	RHP- Daniel Winkler - Rockies
16	Brewers	39	Pass
17	Blue Jays	37	Pass
18	Yankees	37	Pass
19	Indians	40	N/A
20	Mariners	39	RHP- David Rollins - Astros
21	Giants	40	N/A
22	Pirates	39	Pass
23	Athletics	40	N/A
24	Royals	39	Pass
25	Tigers	40	N/A
26	Cardinals	37	Pass
27	Dodgers	40	N/A
28	Orioles	37	RHP- Logan Verrett - Mets
29	Nationals	40	N/A
30	Angels	39	Pass

AAA Phase Selections
1st round
D'backs: RHP- Tim Crabbe - Reds
Rockies: RHP- Kyle Simon - Phillies

Rangers: 1B- Rock Shoulders - Cubs
Astros: C- Luis Flores - Cubs
Twins: RHP- Greg Peavey - Mets
White Sox: RHP- Peter Tago - Rockies
Cubs: OF- Ariel Ovando - Astros
Reds: C- Cam Maron - Mets
Marlins: LHP: Matthew Tomshaw - Twins
Padres: SS- Juan Gamboa - Mets
Rays: OF- Louis Urena - Pirates
Braves: C- Steven Rodriguez - Diamondbacks
Indians: RHP- Delvy Francisco - Phillies
Giants: RHP- Ramon Del Orbe - Marlins
Tigers: RHP- Jheyson Manzueta - Marlins
Cardinals: RHP- Tyler Waldron - Pirates
Dodgers: OF- Peter Lavin - Phillies
Orioles: OF- Sean Halton - Brewers
Angels: IF- Chris Curley - White Sox

2nd round
Rangers: SS- Hiram Martinez - Marlins
Reds: RHP- Euclides Leyer - White Sox
Marlins: 1B- Harold Riggins - Reds
Rays: RHP- Michael O'Brien - Orioles
Giants: RF- Brett Jackson - Diamondbacks
Dodgers: RHP- Alexander Santana - Orioles
Angels: SS- Pedro Ruiz - Diamondbacks

3rd round
Marlins: LHP- Alexander Burgos - Tigers
Dodgers: RHP Randy Fontanez - Mets
Angels: OF- Kentrail Davis - Brewers

4th round Dodgers: SS- Nate Samson - Diamondbacks

AA Phase Selections

No Players Selected

Joe Panik, Sean Gilmartin, Derek Fisher, Jed Bradley, Cody Asche

Joe Panik entered the season generally viewed as the top shortstop in college and has done nothing to change that perception. Offensively, Panik’s greatest assets are his patience and excellent strike zone judgement. He makes solid contact and hits to all fields. His bat has enough pop to envision 10-15 home runs at the next level. Panik has enough speed to pick up some steals as well. In the field, Panik has good range and soft hands. His arm is average, which leads some to see his future at second base. Whether he remains at short or slides over to second, Panik has the ability to be a high on base guy and solid fielder at the next level. mlbdraftguide







Florida State junior LHP Sean Gilmartin notched his 9th win of the year (overall 9-1, 1.25) going 7.1 innings, allowing 4 runs (all unearned) on 7 Hits and 0 walks while fanning 9; Gilmartin has consistently performed well for the ‘Noles but little has been said about his potential draft stock; we took the liberty to dig a little deeper and here are a couple of pertinent quotes: John Sickels thinks Gilmartin is a “solid college arm” and could be a sleeper in next month’s draft… in an interview with Baseball America a few weeks ago, they wrote, “Gilmartin’s draft stock has climbed this spring. Scouts say he doesn’t figure to last longer than the supplemental first round this June.”; sounds like he’s among that second tier of guys just behind the Cole’s, Starling’s and Lindor’s, and should start seeing some more ink by the prospect paparazzi as draft projections start to get deeper throughout the month… prospectnation







Derek Fisher OF, Cedar Crest HS (PA) -- - The Rangers like to go with the best player available approach, and at this point Derek Fisher is the best player on the board. He has the size (6'3''), power, and speed to become a tremendous asset. The only hold up is he has a solid commitment to Virginia, so Texas will have to open their wallets. GM Jon Daniels has never shied away from spending to get top talent, so grabbing Fisher here would be a no brainer. draftsite





Jed Bradley - Bradley is one of the top arms in the draft class and offers a not-often-found combination of "now" production and projection. The lefty gives you a plus fastball two-ways, two potential above-average to plus secondaries, a simple and repeatable low-impact motion and some projection to boot. He has some of the less refined secondaries among the top tier arms, but should see a nice bump in stuff across the board once he gets into a pro system and is tasked with focusing on better executing the slider and change. He has yet to allow a homerun in 81.1 IP, and while his SO/BB ratio could be stronger he produced a highly impressive 44 strikeouts to just 6 walks last summer on the Cape. There's little to dislike, provided you believe in the motion and arm being too clean not to lead to some tightening up of the secondaries. He's an arm worthy of top 5 consideration and should certainly be in the mix for a number of teams drafting in the top 10. diamondscapescouting.  





Cody Asche - Tall, big athletic frame with thick thighs Quick bat and generated good bat speed - Fairly patient approach, taking a number of pitches just off of the plate - Showed easy pull power to hit a low fastball to the right-center field warning track for a double - Swung through a few too many pitches bullpenbanter.