The Mack Report – Mets Free Agents, Aderlin Rodriquez, Rustich Update, Wally Backman

The Mets released the names of the 2010-2011 free agents:

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I’m continuing my analysis of John Sickles’ top Mets prospect picks. Next up is:




Allan Greene

 4) Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B, Grade B-: I am very impressed with his power but concerned about defense and reports of bad work ethic.


Once again, John and I are in the same boat. I have him 5th, behind Reese Havens.


There’s been a bunch of press on him since the season ended and this was the second time I have read about Aderlin’s so-called “bad work ethic”. I didn’t see any signs of that in Savannah this past season, though I was kind of invisible there near the end of the season.


Rodriquez is still quite raw, but he may be the best ceiling bat in the organization. There was no question in 2010 that he was the best player on the Kingsport roster. His power is very raw and he desperately needs a good hitting coach to teach him the ropes regarding mechanics. He’s pure power and it seems like he doesn’t even know what he’s doing.


Negatives are his lack of speed, both on the base paths and the field, and he draws a lot of comparisons to Jenry Marte at third, which is not a compliment.


His future as a Met would take a conversion to a corner outfield position, but, ask anyone in the Mets’ minor league system who has the most power potential, and I guarantee this kid will win the survey hands down.


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Mack Ade

 Daniel Murphy is stuck in a winter slump right now, hitting only .174 (4-23) for the Aguilas Cibaenas team in the Venezuelan Winter League.


How bad is he hitting? Well, he actually was named the team batter of the week when he first started, so he’s basically oh for everything since then.


Don’t panic. Murphy is still trying to get his mojo back from his recent injuries, plus he’s just about exclusively playing at his new position, second base. The important thing here is the fact that he’s playing, period.


I truly expect him and Ruben Tejada to battle it out come spring training for the Queens second base job in 2011. But, of course, I’m using Omar logic and I have no idea what the new dudes are going to do.


Geez, it’s tough to be in the Mets-prediction business right now.


Update:  Murph went 3-4 with a 2-run home run Sunday night, after I had prepared this report... told ya.


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Word out of Dallas, Texas is that the surgery performed on Brant Rustich Thursday was both correctly diagnosed, and successful.


I’m not going to talk to him for a few more days after researching that the first couple of days after this procedure can be a real mother jumper for the patient.


I’ll let you all know as soon as Rusty and I cross the wires.


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NYMets

 Ya know, I saw an article on line today saying that hiring Wally Backman as the Mets manager is “worth the risk”.


Should the hiring of the new Mets manager, under Sandy Alderson, be “a risk”?


Shouldn’t the Mets continue to hire in the mold of Alderson, someone that has already proven they can do the job at hand?


Really don’t care what the Mets do in 2011, but I’d like the team to be managed by someone that can mold this team into a winner by the end of 2013 latest.


I don’t think hiring a “risky” manager is the way to go with this goal in mind.

 Henry Blanco, Elmer Dessens, Kelvim Escobar, Pedro Feliciano and Fernando Tatis