Mack's Morning Report - 9-14 - Pipeline Position Analysis - 2B

Red Names - Prospects
Blue Names - Semi-Prospects

Mets - 

  Wilmer Flores - The Mets have to decide whether or not this guy will be their starting second baseman next year. Most who follow the team believe he deserves the shot, but most who follow don't make these decisions for the team. Matt Reynolds should also get some games in here. 

I don't expect Astrubel Cabrera to come back and T.J. Rivera could be healing for most of the season.

Lastly, this question will once again be asked... what do we do with Gavin Cecchini?
  
AAA/Las Vegas - 

 Gavin Cecchini - Cecchini came up as a shortstop but has primary moved over to second in hopes of finding a pathway to the majors. Considering he plays in the PCL, his 2017 batting average of .267 (453 at-bats) was disappointing. I really don't know what to do with this guy other than make him my AAAA shortstop now that Amed Rosario hit Queens.

Jeff McNeil - like Cecchini, the 25-year old McNeil is trying to do everything he can to find a path to the majors. The good news is he's now healthy and playing all four infield positions, which does make him a strong candidate for a future utility position in Flushing. The bad news is he does none of these things great and is two years older than 'Cheech'.

  Phil Evans - The last guy that plays three infield positions is Evans, who also started out as a prospect shortstop. I don't see any future here for one of the nicest guys in the organization. Rosario has him blocked at short, there are many ahead of him at second, and the Mets will most probably seek a third baseman not currently in the organization. Is there a chance he will be resigned and returned to Vegas? Sure, anything is possible. 

  Dale Burdick - Burdick was called up to Las Vegas during the last week of the season when others were added to the Mets extended roster.

AA/Binghamton - 

  Luis Guillorme - 23-yrs old - Everybody listed above under Las Vegas has to move aside for the mean guy. The once defensive whiz at short has now successfully made the conversion to second. In 2017, he played almost exclusively at second for the B-Mets and hit .283 (481-AB). People said he would never be a hitter and he now has a five year minor league batting average of .285. He will NOT be back in Binghamton next spring and, frankly, I have him in Flushing at the 2018 all-star break. 

A+/St. Lucie - 

  Michael Paez - played 2B, SS, 3B in 2017 - 22/yr. old - 4th Rd. 2016 - played well for Columbia (224-AB, .290), but only fair for Lucy (215-AB, .200). Organizational player here at best

  Nick Sergakis - played in the OF, and on second and third - 24/yrs. old - 23rd Rd. 2016 - played the entire season for St. Lucie and hit .252 in 206 at-bats. Like Paez, organizational.

  Leon Bird - played outfield, second base, and third base - 23/yrs. old - 2015 10th Rd. pick by Texas - More organizational, this one and emergency sign during the season due to injures. 

My guess is Paez goes to Binghamton next spring.

A/Columbia - 

  Oliver Pasqual - 20/yrs old - IFA - played second, short, and third - got off to late start, hitting 44-AB, .295 for Kingsport. Was promoted late in the season to Columbia and hit .286 in 14-AB.

  Luis Carpio - 20/yrs. old - IFA - played second and short - Carpio signed with the Mets as an international prospect shortstop who got off to a very good start playing short for K-Port in 2015 (.304). Then injuries set in during the 2016 season, netting him 74-AB, .203 for GCL/Brklyn. This past year, playing almost exclusively at second, he hit .232 (474-AB) for Columbia.

  J.J. Franco - 25/yrs old - 38th Rd Atlanta/2014 - played second base, third base, and outfield - thought this was going to be another Tim Tebow media moment, but Franco held his own, hitting .277 in 137-at bats

  Vinny Siena - 23/yrs. old - 14th Rd. 2015 - hit a combined .169 for St. Lucie and Columbia in 2017. Finished the season on the DL. Should be last year in system.

A-Low/Brooklyn - 

  Walter Rasquin - 21/yrs. old - IFA - played second, third, and DH - had a great season for the Cyclones in 2017: 243-AB, .300. Remember... this was a horrible team and it would have been easy to pitch around a decent bat. It's obvious he will move up to at least Columbia next spring.

  Edgardo Fermin - 19/yrs. old - IFA - played second, short, and third - basically a backup infieder, both at second and short. Hit lights out in Kingsport (71-AB, .352) but settled down after being promoted to Brooklyn (73-AB, .219).

  Franklin Correa - 21/yrs. old - IFA - played second, third, and short - Like Fermin, he played all over the infield. Hit .228 in 167 at-bats for Brooklyn this past season which is no guarantee he will move on to Columbia.

Rookie/Kingsport - 

  Angel Manzanarez - 20/yrs. old - IFA - played second, short, and third - .234-BA in 192-ABs.

Rookie/GCL Mets - 

  Hansel Romero - signed in 2014 for a $50K bonus -  The 20-year old Romero played short, third, and second this year, first of the GCL-Mets. He was hitting .387 there in 62 at-bats and was quickly promoted to Kingsport, where he hit .261 in 165 more at-bats. This could be a special one.

  Wilmer Reyes - The 19-year old Reyes played 2017 at all three infield positions (third, short, second), though he is primarily a second baseman. He came to the GCL Mets from the DSL-1 team (215-AB, .242) to fill in for injuries here. 

Pedro Ventura - hit only .231 in 65 at-bats on the island, then moved on to finish the season with the GCL-Mets to fill in when Gregory Guerrero went down. This might be Ventura's last season in the organization. This is his third time around for the DSL Mets and he only hit .194

Rookie/DSL-1 Mets - 

  Rafael Valdez - Let me first say something about obtaining DSL stats. As Michael Corleone was told in Havana, 'this was the business we chose...". You simply are never sure whether or not what you read here is correct. MiLB.com said that NO ONE played a single game at first base for this team this year. And they have Valdez listed as playing 59 games at second, while The Baseball Cube says he's a shortstop and never played for any team this year. You take what the sites give you about this league... that being said, the 20-year old Valdez hit .246 and will probably stay on the island to play ball next season.

 Rookie/DSL-2 Mets - 

  Luis Santana - signed in 2014 for a $200K bonus - we seem to have some pretty decent infield talent on 'the island', led by the 18-year old bonus baby Santana. He got his feet wet in 2016 with 67 at-bats (.267), but took off this year with a stat line of: 65-G, 237-AB, .325 (10th in league)/.430/.481/911 (6th in league), 52-RBI (tops in the league). Really early here, but number one in ribbies? Love it!

  David Lozano - no, this is not the David Lozano that played in the Mets chain a decade ago. This is a 19-year old Columbian that is also listed as a third base and first baseman. He hit well in 160 at-bats (.313), but he might consider giving the manager a hint and running out on the field with a first baseman mit.

Both have a great chance of coming stateside in 2018.

Me? I make Lozano my first baseman in either Kingsport or the GCL Mets.

Summary - 

Every shortstop in this system seems to be trying to play second. They've come to the realization that Amed Rosario might be around for awhile (will he?).

Lots of distance promise shown by Pasqual, Rasquin, and Romero, but I think that Guillorme will do in 2019 what Rosario will do next season... form a ++ middle infield combination for many years.

Rating:  B