NY Mets - still a challenge to figure the five guys here... Michael Conforto is projected to remain on the DL up to the 2018 all-star break, so things look even more bleak.
On aboard is a starting lineup of Yoesnes Cespedes, Juan Lagares, and Brandon Nimmo (paging Jay Bruce... paging...).
For now, Travis Taijeron and Aoki are under team control (Aoki entered the MLB late in his career), so my guess is that Aoki's A4 option will be picked up by the Mets in the $5mil range and these two guys will start the season in Queens as the OF4 and OF5.
Unless... the Mets look outside the organization for a major chip (bring back Bruce?) or find an alternative to either Taijeron or Aoki.
What I do like is the fact that both Lagares and Nimmo will get an opportunity to play every day so we can finally see if either/both can mature into a future OF chip.
Still... right now... this is NOT a pennant contending outfield.
AAA - Las Vegas -
Kevin Kaczmarski - 25/yrs old - Rd. 9/2015 - 17/Bin: 452-AB, .274, 52-RBI
Kevin Taylor - 26/yrs. old - Rd. 36/2011 - 17/Bin: 383-AB, .292
Jayce Boyd - 26/yrs. old - Rd. 6/2012 - 07/LV: 246-AB, .297
LJ Mazzilli - 27/yrs. old - Rd. 4/2013 - 17/Bin: 324-AB, .259
Patrick Biondi - 26/yrs. old -Rd. 9/2013 - 17/Bin: 264-AB, .235, 26-SB (3rd in league)
Champ Stewart - 24/yrs old - Rd.6/2013 - 17/Bin: 320/AB, .222, 35-SB (led league)
Both 'Kaz' and Taylor have earned their promotion and Boyd has really stepped up this past sesson out west. Probably no future MLB starters here, but I said the same thing about both Lagares and Nimmo.
I have to leave one of these guys back in Binghamton and I chose Stewart simply becasue of his age.
(I've got both Travis Snider and Victor Cruzado released to free agency and not resigned for 2018 - sorry Hobie)
AA - Binghamton -
Wuilmer Beccera - 22/yrs. old - 07/StL: 469-AB, .267
Jhoan Urena - the Mets have just sent Urena to the Instructional Leagues as a left fielder
Tim Tebow - 30/yrs. old - 07/StL: 216-AB, .231 - ending the season at .226/.309/.347, 8-HR, 486-PA, 126-K, 43-BB. Not bad since he hasn't played baseball since, like, first grade.
John Mora - 24/yrs. old - IFA - 07/StL: 502-AB, .265-AB
Champ Stewart - 24/yrs old - Rd.6/2013 - 17/Bin: 320/AB, .222, 35-SB (led league)
Jeff Diehl - 23/yrs. old - Rd. 23/2011 - 17/St.L: 93-AB, .280 - finished the season on the DL
Ian Strom - 22/yrs old - Rd. 22/2016 - 17/Col: .294 - 17/StL: 37-AB, .270
I'm not sure if Beccera is considered a prospect anymore; however, I've kept his name in blue at least through the All-Star break of 2018. Not much red in this position analysis so we can use all the blue we can hang on to.
Love the addition of Urena here. He probably has a much easier chance of getting the Queens someday as an outfieder rather than a third baseman.
Strom was a pleasant surprise here but I have to move one of these guys back to St. Lucie for the spring of 2018. For me, it's the ever inter-changeable Diehl, who needs to try and find some major at bats somewhere.
A+ - St. Lucie -
Gene Cone - 22/yrs. old - Rd. 10/2016 - 17/Col: 315-AB, .219
Jacob Zanon - 22/yr. old - 15th Rd./2016 - 17/Col: 179-AB, .246, 17/StL: 58-AB, .224
Enmanuel Zabala - 22/yrs. old - IFA - 17/St.L: 206-AB, .209
Jeff Diehl - 23/yrs. old - Rd. 23/2011 - 17/St.L: 93-AB, .280 - finished the season on the DL
Jay Jabs - 22/yrs. - 17th Rd/2016 - 17/Col: 320-AB, .206
Arnaldo Berrios - 21/yrs. old - 39th Rd./2014 - So far, a lot of nothing here. Played for three teams in 2017... a combined 281-AB (LV, StL, Col) producing only a .185-BA.
Pretty slim pickins' here.
One of these guys have to be cut or left in Columbia for another season. For now I kick Berrios back there and, when we finsih the analysis for Columbia, he may not srvive there.
A - Columbia -
Quinn Broady - 21/yrs. old - 3rd Rd/2017 - 17/Bklyn: 210-AB, .257 - 17/Col: 35-AB, .229
Desmond Lindsay - 20/yrs. old - 2nd Rd., 2015 - 17/Col: 214-AB, .220 - finished season on DL.
Jose Miguel Medina - 20/yrs. old - IFA - three teams in 2017 - StL/Col/Brklyn: 322-AB, .252
Jeremy Wolf - 23/yrs. old - 31st Rd., 2016 - 83-AB, .241
Guillermo Granadillo - 20-yrs old - IFA - 2-teams: 17/GCL: 156-AB, .301 - 17/BRK: 55-AB, .236
Cecilio Aybar - 23/yrs. old - IFA - 17/Brk - 72-AB, .194
Arnaldo Berrios - 21/yrs. old - 39th Rd./2014 - So far, a lot of nothing here. Played for three teams in 2017... a combined 281-AB (LV, StL, Col) producing only a .185-BA.
Broady and Lindsay are locks to play here... and Medina and Granadillo (for the GCL-Mets) hit well also.
It looks like Berrios is the odd man out again and, this time, I'm cutting him.
Rookie - Brooklyn -
Wagner Lagrange - 22/yrs old - IFA - two teams in 2017: 17/KNG 185-AB, 335 - 17/BKN: 39-AB, .308 - Had a banner 2015 season in the DSL (.347), slipped in 2016 playing for the GCL-Mets (.231) and then .330 comined this past season. Whatever adjustments he has made stateside seems to have worked. Trust me... this guy has earned a continued promotion to Brooklyn and, if he blows away spring training, could wind up on opening day in Columbia. This is our only red letter prospect that has ever played a game for any of the Mets affiliates. He's 22 and we need him to get moving. We need this guy to be real.
Dionis Paulino - 23/yrs. old - hit .290 in 183 at-bats in Kingsport this past season. No power yet, but so far, so good, with a bat in his hand.
Raphael Gladu - 22/yrs old - 16th Rd./2017 - first pro season... 130-AB, .269 for Kingsport
Anthony Dirocie - 20/yrs old - IFA - 17/KNG: 237-AB, .245
Grabiel Jimenez - 22/yrs. old - 17/KNG: 122-AB, .205
Jimenez wouldn't normally make the cut and probably won't once the new draft kids are signed and arrived. LaGrasnge, Paulino, and Gladu seem safe. Dirocie and Jimenez are on the draft bubble.
Rookie - Kingsport and GCL-Mets
Here's where the draft really comes into play. You not only have DSL chips coming stateside and are assigned here, but the rare pitchers that looked well at either of these levels that weren't sent on to Brooklyn will join the flood of newcomers.
Some names to look for -
Randy Adon - 20-yrs. old - IFA - 17/GCL: 50-AB, .280 - 17/KNG: 6-AB, .333 - definitely will start for Kingsport
Kenneth Bautista - 20-yrs. - 23rd Rd./2015 - 17/GCL: 129-AB, .264 - probably moves on the Kingsport
Jhoander Saez - 19/yrs old - IFA - 17/DSL2: 275-AB, .320 - could jump GCL and go straight to Tennessee.
Summary - My guess this is one of the more dismal outfield pipelines in baseball. Sure, a couple of the blues could go red, but don't count on it. The Mets are going to have to find their outfielders in the FA and trash heaps for years. Amazing.
Rating: F
9 comments:
It seems to be a daily refrain, but here we go again...remind me what Sandy Alderson does well? It's not drafting, it's not trading, it's not planning, it's not hiring...
I saw an instructional league list the other day - Jeff Diehl is indeed switching over to pitcher, probably foreseeing a Taijeron K-fuled career if he remained an OF and probably coming up short there. Good move.
Taijeron could still be a major leaguer, I think he too needs to be more aggressive swinging and not trying to work the pitcher, because he will always strike out far too much if he does. In other words, the Alderson Deep Count philosophy is a clear and present danger to his long term prospects. Swing early and often, Travis. You got the power - perhaps not Judge power, but there are (with a stretch) similarities.
Anthony Derocie is a bit intriguing - I do not have him in my top 50 because he fans far too much but, behind Taijeron, he was the power OF guy in the minors. Usually, really high K rates kill careers as they climb the ladder. 33 extra base hits in 237 at bats, but 93 (yes 93) Ks. Ugh. He is still 20 though, let's see what 21 brings. It better be an improvement in strikeouts.
I know AA was a pitchers' league this year, but I was disappointed in Kaczmarski - going into the season, I thought he was Brandon Nimmo with more speed. So his .274/.370/.369 to me was quite disappointing. He had only 28 extra base hits in about 525 PAs. As an OF. That won't cut it.
Reese -
He plays pong extremely well.
Tom -
You're saying all the right things, but, the bottom line is that there still isn't that much here.
That 'other site' keeps getting quoted here... sigh
Annoyed quite frankly that Taijeron gets switched out of the game in the 6th when Aoki pinch hit for the pitcher. Terry, let the darned kids play, will ya? We had a 3-1 lead, do you have to be that anal?
Taijeron had popped up and walked twice. On base 2 of 3 times...after the prior game when he was 2 for 4 and a game winning hit? Getting it going finally and he gets yanked. Moronic. Extremely annoyed at Terry there. It is time for Terry to be yanked.
And Lindsay's career might be finished with that injury...
David, did I miss something? Didn't Lindsay, a non-pitcher, just have the same operation in July that Jake had last September to his elbow, and Jake the pitcher was ready for spring training? Why wouldn't Lindsay?
Building an organization based upon the recuperative and healing principals of the steroid era?
As anemic as these hitters' numbers are, perhaps we should all go try to buy out any leftover inventory at Balco :)
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