3-1-13 – Carlos Beltran, Jay Horwitz, Darin Gorski, Nats Pitching

Wright on Beltran:

"I remember Carlos came down for a minicamp, I talked to him a little bit there and we exchanged numbers. That whole spring training he worked out with me, we hit together, we were in the weight room together. As a young player, I really appreciated that. I imagined that I'd get older. Obviously I never thought that. But he was the type of guy you want to mold your game after -- a five-tool guy that could steal bases, hit for power, hit for average, play Gold Glove defense. That's the kind of player everybody aspires to be -- to do it all."

I had a wonderful conversation with Jay Horwitz this morning. I continue to be on the wrong side of the elite blog list but I’m hopefully making progress. I did something to the Mets and Jay that I frankly don’t remember. (loss of memory + probable bi-polar incident off meds). Whatever it was cost me my press credentials, daily email release, and an invitation to the newly formed blog conference call list. Jay apologized but said that the team is tightening up (the NYY basically let no one in anymore other than major beat guys) and he said I just don’t make the cut. I can live with that. Thanks Jay, for at leave the email on a busy day.

Darin Gorski

Left-handed prospect Darin Gorski will get a serious look as a reliever, Sandy Alderson confirmed Monday. Gorski is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. In fact, Robert Carson may be boxed out, too. Still, the Mets want to see Gorski in that role. Gorski, 25, has made 74 of his 90 professional appearances as a starting pitcher. A seventh-round pick in 2009 from Kutztown (Pa.) University, he went 9-8 with a 4.00 ERA in 25 appearances (24 starts) at Double-A Binghamton last season. Lefty batters hit .219 and righties hit .251 against him in 2012.

I think it’s a wise move taking a look at Gorski as a possible future reliever. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he’s probably going to be blocked from the Mets rotation until, like, 2020.

Now, here’s the important thing. How will the Sandy Alderson-Terry Collins Met handle this. Will it be another cluster fuck like the way Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel handled the on-again, off-again position of Gorski. If he’s going to be a reliever he has to become one in 2013, for Las Vegas. Period.

                        If they put him in the Vegas rotation, nothing is accomplished here.

Nats Pitching

It’s hard to think that a rotation containing Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler might be overshadowed by the bullpen, but the likely lineup of Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and newly signed Rafael Soriano could do just that. Due to the extended spring training ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Storen is the only reliever to have made his debut so far, and he looked solid. Those wanting to get a better look at Nats starters over the next couple of weeks might as well watch team USA as Gonzalez and Detwiler head to Phoenix.

Most Mets fans barely cover their own 25-man squad, no less anther team’s 40-man, drafting history, and affiliate rosters. Washington has become a great team because they were a very bad team for a long time and then decided to draft their way out of the celler. Yes, they have since signed key free agents and made targeted deals, but the majority of their success comes from the Rule Four Draft.

Unlike the Omar Minaya Mets (who drafted within the bonus suggestions) and Sandy Alderson Mets (who have tried to save money in this area), Washington went out and signed the top players available when their turn came up, regardless to how much the bonus was going to be. Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Drew Storen… we can go on and on here. These were super players that were able to shoot up the affiliates with lightning speed.

Jorge Castillo - ‏@jorgeccastillo

Pedro Feliciano has been cleared to resume baseball activities after being diagnosed w/rare genetic heart condition: