The Morning Report 1.28.2016 | Collins Setting High Expectations for 2016, Edgin Unlikely to Begin 2016 Season Until May, Potential Trade Match-up with Cardinals.

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- Coming off a World Series appearance and armed with one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Mets will enter the 2016 season with high expectations. Even manager Terry Collins plans to hold his club to an elite standard with the hopes of steering the Mets back to the Fall Classic. "We've got to go back,'' Collins said. "Let's win it all. You got to have those expectations. If you are afraid of it, you are in the wrong sport. You talk about goals in baseball, there is no bigger goal, and until you get to the World Series, you don't really understand how much fun it is.''

(Chris Soto: Terry Collins is correctly putting high expectations on the 2016 season. We as Mets fans have had a taste of the glory and fun that comes with a World Series appearance and we will rightfully feel spoiled enough to demand another one. Should a 100-62 record with a loss in the NLCS a failed season? No of course not....but with us having a better team than last year when we DID make the World Series....it sure as heck will FEEL that way.)



David Hong | Metsmerized Online- According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Edgin is on pace to return about a month into the season and the Mets are anticipating his return to be around May 1. Edgin was the team’s top left-handed reliever in 2014, when he posted a 1.32 ERA with 28 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. The Mets re-signed fellow southpaw Jerry Blevins this offseason and he will be the primary lefty specialist until Edgin returns. The Mets also recently signed left-hander Antonio Bastardo to a two-year, $12 million dollar deal.

(Chris Soto: I'm not sure why but I was under the assumption all off-season that Edgin would be ready to go come 4/1. I understand now the Front Office's desire to acquire another solid left handed option......it was actually a need. When the Mets got off to that fast start early in the season, Collins was taking advantage of a 3 lefty bullpen. He will do so once again with Gilmartin being the low leverage lefty, Blevins the high leverage lefty, and Bastardo as the 8th inning guy who can face lefties or righties.)

HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Cardinals aren’t exactly certain of when Yadier Molina will be healthy enough to make his 2016 debut. Molina underwent thumb surgery back in October and had to undergo a second operation in December after the first one did not fully correct the ligament issue.
• This is interesting news of note because the Cardinals do not have an internal replacement for Molina. While Travis d'Arnaud is certainly still an injury risk, this can be a strong opportunity for potential discussions between the Mets and Cards for prospect Kevin Plawecki.
• The Mets announced that they have designated outfielder Darrell Ceciliani for assignment, which will clear clear a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the newly re-signed Yoenis Cespedes
• At first glance, it seems like Ceciliani will likely clear waivers and report to AAA-Las Vegas, however, lately there has been a strong history of Mets CF capable players being claimed away from them. 
• According to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, Lefty Eric O’Flaherty is set to throw for scouts in Seattle. He’ll be looking to prove that he’s not only healthy, but has worked out some mechanical kinks.

The Morning Report 6.17.2015 | Ceciliani Continues to Rake, Mets Becoming Dark Horses, R.A. Dickey Trade Revisited.

Joe D. | Metsmerized Online- Playing left field in place of Michael Cuddyer who got the game off, outfielder Darrell Ceciliani went 2-for-3 on Tuesday night as the Mets edged the Blue Jays 3-2. Ceciliani, who played a pivotal role in the win, continues to earn playing time and is hitting .538 over his last six games dating back to June 11 while playing solid defense.“We use the term loosely a lot, but to me he typifies it: He’s a baseball player,” Terry Collins said. “No batting gloves, hits the ball to all fields, runs the bases hard, runs them intelligently.” The 24-year old rookie continues to make the most of his opportunity and he’s quickly become an integral part of the Mets bench.

(Chris Soto: I'm loving what Ceciliani is doing. Yea the K rate is high, but he's finding holes in the defense when he does hit the ball. Even if/WHEN that luck runs out, he still provides value off the bench as a late inning pinch runner and defensive replacement for Cuddyer in LF. Plus....hey... Grandy and Cuddy are no spring chickens, The Mets will need to give them sporadic days off during the summer months.)


Matt Turner | Rant Sports- The New York Mets are far from the team that won 11 straight games in April, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to lay down just yet. Even though they’re only 7-7 in June, they’re 4-1 in their last five games including a series victory over rivals Atlanta Braves and an extra-inning win over the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays. As they continue to play without their captain, David Wright, the Mets keep finding ways to win games — pretty or not — and manage to hold their lead atop the NL East. Their recent stretch of play is what makes you think the Mets can be dark horse contenders. Sometimes they just get hot, and even though they might not have the most formidable lineup in baseball, they still find ways to win.

(Chris Soto: It is widely known that when it comes to playoff time...the team with the best rotation and the best bullpen generally is going to win the series. The Mets can match up and beat anyone in baseball with their starting pitching. The bullpen currently is on the weaker side, but, once everyone gets healthy, the combo of Mejia in the 7th, Parnell in the 8th, Familia closing, and Blevins keeping lefties at bay, is one of the more formidable combos in baseball as well.


Darrell Samuels | Call to the Pen- This week, the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets play in a home-and-home four game series. After New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard pitched 6 incredible innings against his former team on Monday night, many people were probably playing the ‘what if’ game. On paper Toronto now appears to have gotten the short end of the stick. Dickey is now 40 years old and probably not much left in the tank. Syndergaard is 22 years old and has a long career ahead of him. The Mets are fantastic during the middle of June this season. The Blue Jays are above .500 but still not at the top of the hill yet.

(Chris Soto: LOL.... the short end of the stick is an understatement here. Darrell only talks about a comparison between Thor and Dickey. d'Arnaud was also part of the deal and is developing into one of the Top 5 offensive catchers in baseball. Then you throw in John Buck who was packaged with Marlon Byrd to bring back a nice high leverage reliever in Vic Black as well as the club's new career 2B Dilson Herrera. Lets not forget the Wild Card in the trade Wuilmer Becerra, who is destroying Southern League pitching and is on the cusp of a promotion to the Florida State League. No....the Mets didn't just win this trade.....they ROBBED the Blue Jays.)

The Morning Report 6.15.2015 | Surprising Roster Moves, Syndergaard to the Bullpen?, d'Arnaud's Impact Return, Ceciliani Earning His Spot.

Roster Move Surprises | Chris Soto 

     Alright, first thing's first, the Mets surprised the whole world this weekend with a flurry of transactions  no one saw coming. First, the team decided to hold onto Kevin Plawecki and optioned Anthony Recker down to AAA. The team gave off the impression that this would be temporary, for at least the next 10 days, as the club continues to ease Travis d'Arnaud back into the 5-6 day a week catching role. Once he's settled we will likely see Recker and Plawecki switched to get Plawecki more consistent playing time. 

     Second, the Mets announced that they will be promoting RHRP Akeel Morris to the MLB straight from Port St. Lucie. While Morris certainly deserves a look at the MLB level, this promotion was more out of necessity than actual desire. With Gee's stinker last night burning 5 guys last night and the next off day still 7 days away, the club needs some additional support in the pen. A quick look at the 40 man roster will show that the Mets only have 3 RP left in the minors eligible for promotion (Vic Black, Dario Alvarez, and Morris). Black is dealing with an new injury he sustained last week and Alvarez is both left handed AND has not been good down in Binghamton. That said, Akeel Morris has been SUPERB down in A+ ball and could potentially hold his own. Now the really important thing is....who gets demoted? Gee?


Mike Puma | New York Post- The fragile state of the bullpen has the Mets concerned to the point there was recent discussion within the organization about Noah Syndergaard’s viability as a reliever.
But team brass remains committed to Syndergaard in the rotation and is unlikely to make the radical switch that would have involved promoting stud lefty Steven Matz to take Syndergaard’s rotation spot, according to an industry source.

(Chris Soto: What? No No No NO NO! How could anyone in the organization even think of this as a possibility? You ruined Jhenrry Mejia once, then you dicked around with Rafael Montero and look what happened to him! Whatever low level executive thought of this idea should be fired on the spot by Sandy Alderson for his incredulous thinking. Parnell is back now and is slowly being eased back in, the club just promoted Morris, and [even though he's dealing with another minor issue] Black should also be right around the corner.)


Bill Madden | NY Daily News- Amid all the trade speculation involving Milwaukee third baseman Aramis Ramirez and, to a lesser extent, Oakland’s soon-to-be-available handyman Ben Zobrist, the best “trade” Alderson made of late was a week ago when he activated Travis d’Arnaud from the disabled list. It is becoming more and more apparent the Mets are a different team when d’Arnaud, the center piece of Alderson’s Met rebuilding job, is in the lineup. As Mets manager Terry Collins said, just having d’Arnaud back and hitting cleanup behind Duda enables him to stretch out his lineup.

(Chris Soto: Man...having Travis d'Arnaud back just completely changes the whole look of this team's offense. Your talking about a guy with  .280 AVG, 15-20 HR power potential guy just suddenly reappearing in your line-up everyday, any team would kill to have that happen to them. When Daniel Murphy gets back, All of a sudden,  the line-up looks formidable again. Especially when you recognize the fact that the MLB average stat line right now is a .252 AVG with a .708 OPS. Everyone is close to or above that line outside of Lagares and the hodge-posh of guys who have been playing 3B. Lagares had been dealing with an injury so I'll give him a pass there and the front office is actively trying to upgrade at 3B with Wright out.

Granderson: .249 AVG, .350 OBP, .745 OPS
d'Arnaud:  .310 AVG, .901 OPS
Duda: .278 AVG, .876 OPS
Cuddyer: .268 AVG, .725 OPS
Murphy: .283 AVG, .749 OPS
Flores: ..249 AVG, .716 OPS
Lagares: .278 AVG, .674 OPS
Tejada: .268 AVG, .727 OPS


James Newman | Mets 360- Last season, it seemed that the Mets had plenty of depth for the outfield, as Matt den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis were given chances to play in the majors, but struggled to take advantage. Ceciliani [on the other hand] has the chance to be a special player for the Mets, even if it is off the bench. Hopefully he continues to improve and experience success when he is given the opportunity.

(Chris Soto: Ceciliani has been a god send for the bench since he was called up. Since his call up he is hitting .270 AVG with a .730 OPS, 1 HR, 3 SB, and a +4 Defensive Runs Saved Metric. This is EXACTLY what the Mets need from the classified "4th OF" bench guy. Someone who can provided both speed and defensive value off the bench as well as handle himself well when needed for a spot start.)

The Morning Report 5.19.2015 | Nimmo Examined and OK, Ceciliani Promoted from AAA, Dom Smith Heating Up, Alderson Not Panicking Yet.

David Wright Injury Tracker | Worked Out in Port St. Lucie yesterday

Michael Baron | Just Mets- The Mets breathed a sigh of relief on Monday with one of their top prospects. Brandon Nimmo was examined at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan today, and was diagnosed with a sprained ACL in his left knee. Nimmo can resume baseball activities when he is pain free. Nimmo was placed on the disabled list after Friday’s game in Binghamton after stepping on first base awkwardly beating out an infield single..

(Chris Soto: Glad to see that Nimmo is ok. As I reported on Saturday, even though he was in a brace, it was a SOFT brace which allowed him to walk around and put some sort of weight on the knee. Nimmo looked like he was in good spirits and was joking around with some of the other players in the dugout during the game. He'll probably take another week or 2 off before returning to the line-up. Hopefully Conforto is there with him by that time.)


David Hong | Metsmerized Online- The New York Mets announced after Monday’s game that they will promote outfielder Darrell Ceciliani from Triple-A Las Vegas and add him to the major league roster. Ceciliani, 24, is batting .336/.389/.584 in 113 at-bats for Triple-A Las Vegas and has a nice combination of power and speed. He’s played the majority of his minor league career in center field and is regarded as a fine defender.

(Chris Soto: FINALLY! The move that I have begging the Mets to make is finally happening. While no corresponding move has been announced yet, it is extremely likely that we will see CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis designated for assignment. This will open up room on both the 25 and 40 man rosters in order to add Ceciliani. For those of you who don't know Darrell, he is an above average defensive CF with good speed capable of stealing 30 bags in a season. His speed and quick first step gives him superb range in the OF but his throwing arm is below average. Offensively, he has very little pop but does put the bat on the ball and keeps his K rate at a reasonable 18-20%. Probably his best attribute is that despite being a lefty, he does not carry any significant L/R splits making him a good candidate for a late inning pinch hitter situation.)


Bryan Zarpentine | Rant Sports- Many of the New York Mets’ top prospects have gotten off to great starts in the 2015 season. However, the lone exception to that has been first base prospect Dominic Smith. When evaluating Smith’s performance this season, one has to remember that he is facing older and more polished pitchers, including a few that may very well reach the big leagues within the next year or so. In fact, it would be surprising if Smith had gotten off to a fast start this year. Smith’s 2014 season actually unfolded in a similar fashion, as he started slow in April, but put together a solid middle of the season in May, June, and July, before tiring out late in the season. Smith has started to show signs of breaking out of his early-season slump with nine hits and nine RBI’s in his last eight games.

(Chris Soto: Bryan does bring up 2 interesting points. 1) This is Dom Smith's 2nd consective extremely aggressive assignment. Most players his age are in training camp preparing for the Short Season A leagues.  2) This season's trend is almost identical to his 2014 season trend. This means we were likely to see an adjustment phase, just like we saw last year when he was assigned to Savannah as a 19 yr old, and he is now finally starting to heat up. Over the past 7 days, Smith has hit .273 with a .742 OPS and only 2 K's. Half of his hits during that time frame are of the extra base variety too.)


Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- As of now, before the Mets begin a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals — who own the best record in baseball — they are 22-16 and hold a half-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the division. Their run differential (+27) is third-best in the National League. "Nobody's ever pleased. You always look back at things," Alderson said. "Nobody cares whether your players are on the disabled list or not. All they care about is the won-loss record so that's really what we have to look at. At one point we were 10 games over. We're six over now. We've gotten back to nine before the Cubs series. So we've got to hopefully climb back and get back to where we were. I think we have the pitching and the offense is starting to pick up too.

(Chris Soto: While there should be not urgency to panic...the Mets do need to pick it up here soon. The Nationals, riding the scorching hot bat of Bryce Harper, are 12-4 so far this month and have closed the division gap to only 1 game. Even worse, that 1 game lead is also the edge the Mets have on the Cubs for the 1st Wild Card spot with a 2.5 game lead on the San Francisco Giants for the 2nd WC spot. It's time to get HOT boys. )

Mets Recap Mets 5-4-Profiling – Greg Peavey, Tyler Pill, Darrell Cecilliani, Angel Cuan, Jeurys Familia

Mets Recap  Mets 5-4-Profiling – Greg Peavey, Tyler Pill, Darrell Cecilliani, Angel Cuan, Jeurys Familia

Stock Up -  SP Greg Peavey – The Mets pitching continued to impress during the first week of the season; however, it came mostly from the second tier of prospects. Peavey pitched 5.2 scoreless innings in his first 2012 outing, giving up only two hits while striking out five and walking none.

                                   Stock Up -      SP Tyler Pill – you have to love those college Friday pitches going to A-ball. Pill dominated in his first outing, going: 6.0-IP, 0-R, 3-H, 7-K, 0-BB. He should be in St. Lucie as I originally predicted.

                                  Stock Up -   CF Darrell Cecilliani – a walk off home run always gets you a ‘stock up’ and Darrell had quite a night on 4-9, going 4-5 and raising his young BA to .444. ‘DC’ is healthy again.

                                  Stock Up -  SP Angel Cuan – there definitely was a bunch of god Mets pitching the first week of the season and none better than Cuan, who went: 7.0-IP, 2-H, 0-R, 4-K, 1-BB for St. Lucie. Most of us pundits await his conversion to a reliever, yet he just keeps pitching.

                                  Stock Up -      SP Jeurys Famlia – this is your typical Familia outing… 95+, a lot of strikeouts, too many walks, 100 pitches, less than 4-R per start. Wednesday 4-11 was: 5.0-IP, 3-R, 8-K, 3-BB, 100-PC, seasonal ERA: 3.72. I predict he will be ready long before Harvey.    

The Keepers - #28 - OF - Darrell Ceciliani

28.      OF Darrell Ceciliani

Cecilliani was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft by the Mets.

He immediately signed and played the entire season for Kingsport, going .234/.313/.310/.623 in 158 at bats. Only eight of his 37 hits went for extra bases.

6-30-10: - Cecilliani went 3-4 Monday night, which raised his 2010 Brooklyn batting average to .409. Yes, all three were singles, but he still has produced six extra base hits this season, only two less than he did all last season for Kingsport. Ceciliani was a questionable fourth round draft pick last season and most draft experts had him in the 8-15th round projected area. That being said, he’s off to a great start this season, and hopefully we’ll see his first professional home run soon.

7-9-10: - Cecilliani continued to rake, going 3-4 last night against State College. He also stole three bases and raised his hitting stats for the season to: .392/.442/.608/1.050.

7-19-10: - As of 7-19, Ceciliani is leading the NY-Penn league in hitting, with a .397 batting average.

8-6-10: - Ceciliani continues to have one hell of a season with Brooklyn. He went 3-5, 1-2B, 1-HR, 4-RBI last night and raised his batting average to .382. Normally, I would say that he is due for a promotion, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mets keep him in Brooklyn so they have a better chance in the playoffs. Either way, he's a lock to play next season for St. Lucie, which means a skip over Savannah.

Mets: Minority Owners, Fernando Cabrera, Darrell Ceciliani, Rafael Montero

The great minority-owner search by Fred Wilpon and his partners who own the New York Mets has hit another new deadline, with Newsday reporting late Monday night that the team now expects to sell ten shares worth four percent apiece, at $20 million a pop, by the end of February. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/null/2012/01/5168842/minority-investors-are-about-come-wilpon-groups-rescue-still

• Jan 10: RHP Fernando Cabrera - Aside from Miguel Batista, the 30-yr old Cabrera has the most major league experience of anyone on this list. In parts of seven seasons with the Indians, Orioles and Red Sox, he's posted a pretty mediocre 5.24 ERA exclusively in relief. He's actually only appeared in over 25+ major league games twice in that time. In parts of twelve minor league seasons he's posted a more palatable 3.24 ERA, including a very solid 2.71 ERA in Triple-A in 2011. Cabrera is known for his extreme reliance on a slider, throwing the pitch nearly 43% of the time since 2008. Again, depth for the Buffalo staff -- he'll know his way around after three seasons there when they were an Indians affiliate -- though with a decent shot to appear with the Mets at some point during the season. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/31/2753903/taking-inventory-of-the-mets-minor-league-free-agents

1-30-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/30/2757346/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-21-30  - OF Darrell Ceciliani - One of 2010's most dynamic prospects, the 21-yr old Ceciliani found the Sally League a bit more challenging than his time with the Cyclones. The speedy lefty saw declines pretty much across the board, including most notably his 100+ point drop in BABIP. After posting a .430 mark last year we knew some regression was in order; the problem is even with a sort of high .327 mark in 2011, he was barely able to keep his average respectable. And while he was able to make some moderate strides being more selective in the second half, it came at the expense of some power. Ultimately, he did boost his walk rate above the 10% threshold which isn't insignificant. And he did maintain an ISO above .100, which is solid for a center fielder. He also continued to show off his excellent speed while manning a good center field. Hamstring injuries bothered him once again but he managed to bounce back relatively quickly. The offensive potential he showed in 2010 paired with the fact that he falls high on the defensive spectrum keep him relatively high on this list. However, we may have to revise his offensive ceiling from Jacoby Ellsbury down to the still respectable Brett Gardner.

1-31-12 – http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/  - Rafael Montero - 1-31-12 – He had a great 2011, but more importantly, has one of the most explosive arms in the lower levels of the system regularly working in the low-90s, with the ability to throw mid-90s when he airs it out. He has the beginnings of a breaking ball and throws strikes, lots and lots of strikes. On talent and arm strength alone, I think Montero should be much higher. However, I’m scared a little of short-season pitchers with very little track record so far from the big leagues. 2011: The Dominican Summer League was not challenge.  Really, the GCL wasn’t either.  Four starts in the Appalachian league were less dominant, but he showed off with five good innings in the New York Penn League in Brooklyn.   Seriously, for the year, he struck out 23% of the batters he faced, walked under 5% for a K/BB of 5.1.

Mets – Brandon Nimmo, Darrell Ceciliani, Jason Bay, Mr. Met, Reese Havens

1-3-12 - mets360  - 4. Brandon Nimmo, OF, Rookie ball, .211/.318/.368 in 44 PA - I don’t like ranking players with little to no professional experience. But it’s silly to pretend that Nimmo isn’t one of the club’s top prospects. It would not surprise me if he ended up being the most valuable player currently in the farm system. The strikeouts are certainly a concern from his brief pro debut. But he also hit 2 HR in 29 ABs in the Gulf Coast League, giving some indication of the power he possesses. By now you know that his high school did not have a baseball program, but Nimmo ran track and played football as a prepster, giving hints to his all-around athleticism. There’s talk he will skip the short-season New York-Penn League and open 2012 in full-season ball. If so, this time next year we’ll have 400+ ABs with which to properly evaluate Nimmo.

mtsmerized  - 35. Darrell Ceciliani (CF) This speedy 21 year-old, lefty swinging center-fielder, who the Mets made their 4th round draft pick out of Columbia Basin Community College (Wash) in 2009, is still very raw, and if he does reach the majors, it won’t be before 2014. This past year he was the Savannah Sand Gnats everyday center-fielder. In three full seasons, (two short season, and this one) he has amassed 800 lifetime minor league AB’s, with a lifetime .283 BA. He has a .358 OBP, and a .403 SLG%, but his problem so far has also been too many K’s. His K/BB ratio reads: 173/78, and for a lead-off hitter those numbers need to improve. If he can become a better contact hitter, he has the speed and ability to stay in centerfield.

I want to believe in Jason Bay, and I want to believe he finally made an adjustment in September and can now be a valuable part of this lineup. However, because he was largely awful for the better part of two seasons, it’s so hard to put any faith in his abilities going forward. Don’t get me wrong – there were certainly a lot of positives to take away from his strong finish last year. For the first time since he joined the Mets, he had quick hands through the zone and appeared to attack pitches middle-in, which allowed him to pull balls down the line with consistentcy and authority. He also wasn’t waiving at the outside pitch; he either laid off those pitches or drove them up the middle. The question is: Was this a renaissance of sorts or an aberration? http://www.metsblog.com/2012/01/08/the-future-for-jason-bay/

Mr. Met, the red-stitched Übermensch born without a first name, has experienced so much as the giant head of the Mets: good years, but many bad ones, World Series celebrations and late-season collapses. Jose Reyes but Vince Coleman. Tom Seaver but Aaron Heilman. Gil Hodges but Art Howe. Imagine, then, Mr. Met as Sisyphus, muscling his head up the steep hill of tough Mets history. That’s his life and his plight. And in that, he is in 2012, perhaps more perfectly than ever, a symbol of the club. The Mets have stunk on the field. The club’s owners have been accused of benefiting unjustly from one of history’s great frauds. The franchise’s finances — with a world of debt, a slashed payroll, ever-shrinking attendance — are imperiled. Even its new $800 million stadium has been deemed a flawed structure that hurt the team it was built to showcase http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/sports/baseball/ever-the-optimist-mr-met-keeps-his-head-up.html

1-8-11: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/01/07/most-intriguing-mets-prospects-in-2012/  - 1) Reese Havens (2B) – If not for constant injuries he would already be entrenched at second base. Average defender with a short and powerful stroke at the plate. Also possesses good strike zone knowledge. If healthy, he will be the second baseman in Queens by the time 2012 is over.

Cutnpaste: - Cole Frenzel, Chuck James, Ike Davis, Darrell Ceciliani, Marc Kroon

12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com  - Like so many players we’ve talked about before, Arizona 1B Cole Frenzel’s greatest challenge will be hitting enough to warrant playing time at a position that demands consistent offensive excellence. A baseball pal who has seen Frenzel play a lot compared him to a poor man’s Jeff Cirillo at the plate. If he can play a few other positions passably, he could have a future as a four-corners utility guy. Also, there’s no way I’m the only guy who reads his name and immediately thinks of this guy, right?

Chuck James was picked up by the Mets after being released by the Minnesota Twins back in November. He posted a 6.10 ERA and no record in eight relief appearances across two two spells with the Twins this season. James spent the other five-and-a-half months of the year at Triple-A Rochester in the International League. He was 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA in 38 outings for the Red Wings. James has been a non-factor over the last three years at the big-league level. He hasn't been a full-timer since '07, and prior to in May with Minnesota, he had not thrown a pitch in the Majors since July 2008. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/987616-new-york-mets-2012-preview-what-to-expect-from-left-hander-chuck-james

I don’t know — your guess is as good as mine. Ike Davis has a long, uppercut swing that would seem to be prone to the streakiness that we’ve seen. But when he’s “on” — wow — he’s “on”. He has the propensity to hit majestic, towering homeruns. He can also take a walk. He has also shown an ability to go the other way. His fielding is stellar. On the down side, we’re not sure how much he’ll struggle against lefties, he tends to strike out quite a bit, and his already slow feet likely will be slower after the injury. Will he become an Adam Dunn type of player? Maybe. Or will be more like an Adam LaRoche? I think that’s the range for him from ceiling to floor, and if LaRoche is the floor, that’s not too bad. My guess is Ike Davis will fall somewhere in between the two Adams, and that’s fine by me. First, though, I want to see him healthy and on the field — let’s all keep our fingers crossed on that. http://www.metstoday.com/7305/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-ike-davis

12-19-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/12/19/2622862/2011-mets-minor-league-season-in-review-savannah-sand-gnats  - OF Darrell Ceciliani - STOCK DOWN - After a stellar 2010 with Brooklyn where he batted .355 with 33 extra-base hits in just 68 games, the '09 fourth rounder came back to Earth with a so-so campaign for the Gnats. His numbers were down in pretty much every department, most significantly his BABIP which dropped from .430 down to .327. And the scary thing is that's still kind of a high number. And while his average naturally took a huge hit as a result, the bigger concern is the nearly 200 point drop in slugging he experienced.  Now Savannah is a notorious pitchers paradise and like his underwhelming debut campaign Cecilliani battled some injuries this season. However, it's undeniable that the sky-high enthusiasm that many had for him last winter has to be dashed...at least somewhat.

On Sunday, The Baseball Historian posted an interview with early 1990s New York Mets prospect Marc Kroon. The Mets picked Kroon with their second round selection in the 1991 June Amateur Draft, their third overall pick that year. (New York had two picks in the first round, choosing high school outfielder Al Shirley with their first choice and California State University pitcher Bobby Jones with a supplemental choice received as compensation when Darryl Strawberry signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent.) The 6′ 2″ right-hander spent three years in the Mets organization before being traded to San Diego during the winter of 1993 for journeyman pitcher (and Brooklyn native) Frank Seminara.

Mets Q and A: - Wally Murphy on The Sand Gnats

Mack: - Welcome Wally. No one has seen more from this team this year than you have. First question is really simply. Name the one player, and why, that is definitely going to be a star in the pros for the New York Mets?


Wally: - That is a good question. There are several players on the team this year that could play for the Mets in the future. The player I think will advance to the top is Josh Edgin, who pitched great in relief for the Gnats the first half-he was (1-0), ERA under 1, with 16 saves. His fast ball was 90 plus and had a great curve ball. I think he could pitch relief or come in the game to get a left handed batter out.


Mack: - I agree. I think Josh might make Queens by the beginning of 2013. Let's talk about Aderlin Rodriquez. Sadly, you've watch a lot of Mets prospects kick the ball around the infield in the last couple of years. We all know A-Rod can hit the ball out of the park, but is he as bad a fielder as the stats say?


Wally: - Aderlin Rodriquez has made lots of errors at third this season. He has a great throwing arm to first and has made a bunch of super plays at third. He is only 19 so they may keep working with him at third. Maybe he will play first base in the future.


Mack: - Regarding the rotation, is there one pitcher that stood out this season from the rest?


Wally: - I was impressed with Angel Cuan pitching well this season leading the team with 10 wins. Not overpowering, his fast ball is 85-86 range, but has good breaking pitches, moves the ball in and out and up and down in the strike zone. I would call him a "crafty" pitcher. Hope he does well in St. Lucie next year.


Mack: - You've watched this team for years now... a little word association. Cory Vaughn or Matt den Dekker?


Wally: - Both play very good defense in the outfield. Slight edge in hitting goes to Den Dekker.


Mack: - Better bat... Aderlin Rodriguez or Josh Satin


Wally: - Josh Satin has hit for good average (.300) at all of his stops. Aderlin Rodriquez has more power (17) home runs, but is hitting around 220. The upside for Rodriquez is that he is only 19 years old, and has time to improve his average and be a more consistent hitter to go with his pop.


Mack: - Wally, your thought on "DC". He didn't have the year everyone expected....


Wally: - The injury slowed down Darrell Ceciliani and he has been hitting better the second half (.260's). He is a tremendous center fielder and it seems like he runs down every ball hit to left-center, center, and right center. Only 4 errors for the year. Good speed leading the team in stolen bases with 25. I look for him to hit for a higher average next year.


Mack: - Wally, any other thoughts on any of the other players this season?


Wally: - Albert Cordero has improved his hitting and made adjustments to lead the Gnats in hitting (around .280) the second half. Gnats pitching has been strong, Angel Cuan (10-3), Adam Kolarek (7-0), Chase Huchingson (7-2), Taylor Whitenton (5-4), closer Hamilton Bennett (2-0) with 14 saves. The entire pitching staff has pitched well leading the SAL with the lowest team ERA.

Cutnpaste: - Darrell Ceciliani, Elvis Sanchez, Fernando Martinez, Collin McHugh, Chris Capuano

8-21-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/prospect-pulse-left-handed-hitters.html  - Darrell Ceciliani – This 21 year-old center-fielder, who the Mets made their 4th round draft pick out of Columbia Basin Community College (Wash) in 2009, is still very raw, and if he does reach the majors, it won’t be before 2014. This year he has been the Savannah Sand Gnats everyday center-fielder. In three full seasons, (two short season, and this one) he has amassed 800 lifetime minor league AB’s, with a lifetime .283 BA. He has a .358 OBP, and a .403 SLG%, but his problem so far has also been too many K’s. His K/BB ratio reads: 173/78, and for a lead-off hitter those numbers need to improve.

8-23-11: - DSL 2011 End of Season Wrap-Up - http://www.nyfuturestars.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35808&sid=e8719b8eddffd9bc033d0ab708d8aff5  - Elvis Sanchez, 17, 3B - Disappointing year for Sanchez in his debut, hitting just .157 with 3 bombs. In 198 ABs, he walked 62 times, and struck out 73. Almost 37% of ABs, he strikes out.

8-25-11: - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9021595  - Fernando Martinez - I know he's not on the major league roster, but shouldn't he be by now? Is he in the witness protection program? I suppose he fits right in with the Mets organization…over-hyped, slow to develop, always injured.

(Colin McHugh) I don't pretend to know what the future holds for me and my baseball career. I don't know if I will ever have the chance to pitch at Fenway again. But for a brief moment my wife, my father and I got a glimpse of where I could go. What I could do. We came face to face with the reality of why we put in all the work. It felt good, natural even. At the very least, it was a story I shared with those closest to me, and one that I will continue to share with my kids and grandkids. I think we forget, in the day to day grind, that we are building a life's worth of memories here. This was one that I will never forget. - http://adayolderadaywiser.blogspot.com/

With everyone preparing for Hurricane Irene you might have missed a dominant pitching performance by Chris Capuano on Friday. Capuano’s complete game 13 strikeout shutout of Atlanta might appear to be another win in a season that will end short of the playoffs, but as Mark Simon noted at ESPN NY this is one of the best pitching performances in team history. It was also the best performance by any pitcher in 2011. Simon used Bill James Game Score, which rates starts, with the number usually coming between 0 and 100– higher being better. Pitchers get rewarded for finishing innings, not allowing base runners, and striking batters out. The scoring system is as follows: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=39121  

The Keepers: - #36 - OF - Darrell Ceciliani

36. OF Darrell Ceciliani



Cecilliani was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft by the Mets.


He immediately signed and played the entire season for Kingsport, going .234/.313/.310/.623 in 158 at bats. Only eight of his 37 hits went for extra bases.


6-30-10: - Cecilliani went 3-4 Monday night, which raised his 2010 Brooklyn batting average to .409. Yes, all three were singles, but he still has produced six extra base hits this season, only two less than he did all last season for Kingsport. Ceciliani was a questionable fourth round draft pick last season and most draft experts had him in the 8-15th round projected area. That being said, he’s off to a great start this season, and hopefully we’ll see his first professional home run soon.


7-9-10: - Cecilliani continued to rake, going 3-4 last night against State College. He also stole three bases and raised his hitting stats for the season to: .392/.442/.608/1.050.


7-19-10: - As of 7-19, Ceciliani is leading the NY-Penn league in hitting, with a .397 batting average.


8-6-10: - Ceciliani continues to have one hell of a season with Brooklyn. He went 3-5, 1-2B, 1-HR, 4-RBI last night and raised his batting average to .382. Normally, I would say that he is due for a promotion, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mets keep him in Brooklyn so they have a better chance in the playoffs. Either way, he's a lock to play next season for St. Lucie, which means a skip over Savannah.


1-28-11 – This was an absolutely wonderful surprise pick in 2009. No one’s quite sure if he can maintain the levels he created in Brooklyn, but he’ll get another chance, probably in Savannah, in the spring. Let’s hope the new Mets brass aren’t into rushing high school kids like Omar was.