From @ajcbraves reporting: RT /Hearing that #Braves are getting LH Paul Maholm and OF Reed Johnson from #Cubs
Carrie Muskat@CarrieMuskat
Carrie Muskat
Mack’s Mets – the premier site for information on the New York Mets talent pipeline and dialogue on Mets prospects, Mets news, and Mets opinions.
7/30/12
FLASH TRADE - Geovany Soto
Andrew Baggarly@CSNBaggs
The Cubs are trading Reed Johnson and Geovany Soto. Awaiting word on destinations. Johnson has good stats vs. LHP. Could be fit for Giants.
MLB Trade Rumors@mlbtraderumors
Geovany Soto Traded http://bit.ly/Q7FLMt #mlb
MLB reports@MLBreports
MLB reports
“@JohnBurns_MLB: Per @jonmorosi: Geovany Soto shaking hands in dugout, as well. It appears he has been traded. #Cubs” Mets? Bet the Mets
Adam Rubin@AdamRubinESPN
FLASH TRADE - Reed Johnson - continuing...
Jon Heyman@JonHeymanCBS
Andrew Baggarly@CSNBaggs
Tim Brown@TBrownYahoo
reed johnson has been traded. a #mystery as to where
Andrew Baggarly
The Cubs are trading Reed Johnson and Geovany Soto. Awaiting word on destinations. Johnson has good stats vs. LHP. Could be fit for Giants.
Henry Schulman@hankschulman
Reed Johnson is not coming to the Giants.
Tim Brown
OK, I can play: Not the Dodgers on Reed Johnson.
FLASH PROMOTION - SP - Zack Wheeler
Adam Rubin -
After weighing whether to have Zack Wheeler make his Triple-A debut on the road, or give him one more start with Double-A Binghamton to allow Wheeler to make his Buffalo debut at home, the Mets have opted for the latter, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com.
Wheeler is due to pitch one last time for the B-Mets on Tuesday against Harrisburg, the Nats' Double-A affiliate.
The top prospect then is expected to move to Buffalo, and make his Bisons debut Sunday against Washington's Triple-A Syracuse affiliate.
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/53013/source-sunday-eyed-for-wheelers-bisons-debut?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
After weighing whether to have Zack Wheeler make his Triple-A debut on the road, or give him one more start with Double-A Binghamton to allow Wheeler to make his Buffalo debut at home, the Mets have opted for the latter, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com.
Wheeler is due to pitch one last time for the B-Mets on Tuesday against Harrisburg, the Nats' Double-A affiliate.
The top prospect then is expected to move to Buffalo, and make his Bisons debut Sunday against Washington's Triple-A Syracuse affiliate.
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/53013/source-sunday-eyed-for-wheelers-bisons-debut?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Mack’s Updated Top 17 Mets Prospect
1.
RHSP – Zack Wheeler
– A – definitely an SP2, maybe higher… I have him competing in spring
for a rotation slot, but expect him to play 2013 in
2.
RHRP – Jenrry
Mejia – A- technically no longer
a prospect, but we list him here because he’s back in AAA learning a new job…
you’ll see him the latest this September and he’ll open 2013 in the Mets pen.
3.
3B-1B-Trade – Wilmer Flores – A- the
closest developed bat in the system… has had no problem with AA pitching and
has committed only two errors all season – ETA: traded
4.
RHSP – Michael
Fulmer - B+ The 19-year old has shot up the projection
charts and now has a 2015 rotation projection
ETA: 2015
5.
RHSP – Rafael
Montero - B
- wowed them in Savannah and now
doing the same in St. Lucie. ETA: 2015
6.
RHSP Domingo
Tapia – B - may have the best tools in the system… will pith St. Lucie
in 2013 and has an ETA of 2015
7.
OF
Gilbert Gomez
- B -
scouts love him… needs some meat on his bones, but he’s be long gone on
a trade before he even sniffs Queens -
ETA: trade
8.
RHRP – Jeurys
Familia – B- Familia is still
starting because the Mets are still trying to get him to consistently pound the
zone. He’s go to Queens next spring as a two-pitch reliever. -
ETA: 2013
9.
OF – Brandon Nimmo -
B- - the tough thing here is not rushing Nimmo in
a system that lacks outfield prospects -
ETA: 2016
10.
2B – Reese Havens -
B- Havens finally had an injury
free season, but lacked the strength early to put together the kind of season
he is capable of – new ETA: 2014
11.
LHSP – Steven
Matz - B-
- Injuries cost Matz two seasons,
but he’s now beginning to show why the Mets drafted him so high - ETA:
2016
12.
RHSP – Cory Mazzoni -
B- Mazzoni is new to the list and
the Mets are very excited about him… another control pitcher that has
increasingly been added to trade rumors – ETA: traded
13.
RHSP – Tyler Pill
- B- another new name to the list… Frank Viola said
he might be the best control pitcher in the system – ETA: traded
14.
SS Phillip Evans - B-
- we now realize why the Mets
held him back in extended camp… a tools prospect project – ETA: 2016
15.
RHSP Luis Mateo –
B- a 23-year old playing two level below
where he should be… that’s how much pitching depth this organization has – ETA –
traded
16.
SS-2B Gavin Cecchini - B-
- no rush here… the Mets will
move him up a slot behind Evans, unless one of them switch to second base –
ETA: 2017
17.
C – Kevin Plawecki -
B- - starting to slow the pop the Mets dreamed of
when they picked him… the college boy will move fast… ETA: 2016
FLASH TRADE RUMOR - Stephen Drew - continuing...
MLB reports@MLBreports
“@xochristinaxo: HE BEING TRADED lol RT @nickpiecoro Stephen Drew was just called into manager Kirk Gibson's office. Door closed.” oh oh...
Matthew Pouliot@matthewpouliot
Sounds like Drew might be on his way to Oakland. RT @nickpiecoro Stephen Drew was just called into manager Kirk Gibson's office. Door closed
Nick Piecoro@nickpiecoro
Nick Piecoro
"Baseball stuff," Stephen Drew said of his closed-door meeting with the manager. "Wasn't no trade talk kind of stuff."
False Alarm - My bad
David Rubin - As The Trade Deadline Approaches...
...expect the Mets to do nothing. And that, in spite of what we want to see happen, is the correct call, IMO. It's not worth removing valuable "parts" - aka teammates/contributors - like Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak - for low-level prospects who may or may not ever pan out. Let's face it- we have a system FILLED with players like that!! And it's certainly not worth opening up a hole at second base in trading Daniel Murphy for a reliever when we have all seen all too well that relievers, in this "new era" (think non-PED) of baseball, are good one year and barely passable the next. It's really unfortunate that we lost Johan when we did, and Dillon Gee, because, truly, there remains a lack of depth at the major league level, but that is something that won't be the case in another year or so with the rise of a lot of prospects. Believe me, with those 2 still in the rotation, and Harvey's promotion happening in September instead of July, the team would've been much better situated to be a buyer right now. It didn't happen, and we've all been realists (well, many of us, anyway) for a long time now...it won't hurt us at this point to wade through another season and continue to monitor and develop the next wave of talent that will take the team to the next level. We've already invested so much in this team, it would be wrong to break apart the core and/or the spare parts just to make noise on the back-pages and blog-space.
So sit back, hold tight, watch Harvey's next masterpiece tomorrow, and watch as the Philthies sell off assets and suffer the same fate they wished upon us...
2013 Q and A - Nick Ciuffo – C - Lexington H.S., Lexington, SC
Mack - The first
question is always an easy one, though it might take you a little time to
finish it. Take us back to that first day a baseball was placed in your hand
and take us up to day. I’m talking 8-11yr. old years, travel teams, positions,
coaches, etc.
Nick - I've been
playing baseball for as long as I can remember. Everyday since I have been big
enough to handle and bat and a ball I've played baseball. For the most part I
have always been a catcher. I tried to play the infield and other positions but
basically got bored. I wanted to control the game and be the "coach"
on the field. I first played travel ball when iIwas 11 years old. My first
coach was Nick Cummings. My first catching coach was Johnnie Cribb (caught at
the citadel). I played for the Diamond Warriors until i was 14. My last
tournament was with the 18u team in Atlanta. I played for Eddy Barwick, David
Wolfe, Matt Ishee. I then went to play for the SC Diamond Devils. I played for
the 15u team for a summer when I was 14 and played for Ashley Farr. The next
fall was my freshman fall of HS when i played for the 18u team. i played for
John Rhodes who I I still play for now.
Mack - Nick, PG says
“Outstanding at PG National, 1.83 pop time and very good left handed bat with
power”… tell us a little about your game from your perspective.
Nick - There is always
room for improvement with every players game. Everyday there is something that
you can get better at. I feel like right now the best parts of my game are all
around defense, knowledge/maturity when playing the game, and hitting.
Defensively I feel like I have an above average arm/release and good
fundamentals blocking and receiving behind the dish. With my bat I have good
power but am still working on getting it to translate all the time into the
games. And last, with knowledge/maturity level I feel like I know the game very
well. As a young kid I basically lived at the College of Charleston baseball
field. Most kids learn from their dads or rec league coaches, I learned from
college coaches and players, so the only way I knew how to play the game was at
the Division 1 college level. I learned from Cougar greats like Brett
Gardner(LF for the Yankees), Brandon Siezmore, Chris Campell, and many other
players who were drafted. I learned just as much about the physical part of the
game as I did the mental. I learned things like how to think through at bats
and how to call a game and control a pitching staff.
Mack - Nick, you play
for a killer school that is ranked 9th nationally and 3rd in the state. Do you
find there is an extra amount of pressure on you as a player when you have this
kind of schedule to defend each season?
Nick - I am asked
questions about pressure a lot, but through my 3 HS seasons the most pressure I
felt was when I was catching Drew Cisco my freshman year at Wando. He was a 6th
round draft pick by the Reds. He was such a good pitcher and expected a lot out
of himself and also expected a lot out of me. If I wasn't on my "A"
game every time i caught him it made him look bad and as a 14 year old freshman
on a varsity team you don't want to disappoint the best player and someone I
had looked up to for many years. If it wasn't for the pressure he put on me as
a young player catching him my defensive game would not be as good as it is.
Other then that I
always put pressure on myself to be the best whether I am representing
Lexington High School, myself, or the United States of America. But overall
yes, when playing for a good team like we had at Lexington it's always more
pressure when playing on one of the best teams in the state and in the country.
Mack - Here’s an indie
scout’s thoughts on you: “C-1b, Nick
Ciuffo (shoe-fo) (American Legion) 6'1 190, L/R, one of better hitters in
tourney, shows good presence as a fielder, idea as receiver, with arm strength,
also pop in his bat, with some power, had some trouble vs. LHP, but there is
something there to work with, Lexington HS, Lexington SC, watch him in 2013,
has gotten a bit better last 3 yrs. I've seen him.” – Thoughts?
Nick - Those are all
good points. The biggest thing that sticks out in that statement about me is
the LHP comment. During HS I saw a lot of lefties. It had been a while since I
had seen a lefty and I feel like that was a big reason why I struggled. During
HS when I would see a lefty almost every game I felt very comfortable and hit
well against them.
Mack - You transferred
from another great school, Wando. Did you find any new challenges with that
process?
Nick - There weren't
very many challenges moving to the new school. After about 2 days it was like I
had lived there my entire life. The team was very accepting of me on and off
the field. The biggest challenge on the field was learning the pitchers, the
way they liked to pitch and what their biggest issues mechanically were. Off
the field in the school it was learning where the classes were and how to get
around the school.
Mack - Lastly, I’m sure
you’ve been busy this summer. Have you played at any level and what are you
doing to get ready for the most important season of your young lifetime?
Nick - This is a summer
I have been waiting on for a long time. I have been preparing for this summer
my entire career. Still today just like my whole life I try to improve on every
aspect of the game every day. The only difference this summer that I've done
different is I've taken time off. I've played so much baseball that I have had
to take time off before I play the next 3 week
Mack – Thanks Nick.
Email me your schedule when you get it and I’ll drive up (around 100 miles) and
catch the game you want me attend.
Question To Mack – David Wright
 |
| Pic by Mack Ade |
Mack: You make good points, but we’re getting to
the point of almost being past predicting or speculating. Word has begun to
leek from inside the hallowed walls that the Mets will be making a long term
offer to him before the regular season ends. The amount of money or years
involved would just be guesswork at this point, but you can use the old,
outdated Zimmerman deal as barometer here.
Word also is that the
offer could come as soon as the Mets ‘officially’ rule themselves out of the
wild card race.
This will leave Wright
and his agent to decide whether he should keep his NYC home.
This will get done,
Gary.
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