John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Niese, Murph and Conforto Beat Braves, 9/2/2015

 

Jon Niese, 2016 Topps Baseball Card

2015, the last year the Mets made the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to the Fall Classic.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics.

Year: 2015; Game #150; Monday;  Sep 21, NYM 4  Vs. ATL; 0; boxscore;   WP: Niese; LP: Miller; Time: 02:51; NIGHT; Attendance: 26,362; Record: 85-65; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 6.5; W; 

Curtis Granderson RF: 1 for 3; 2 runs; 2 walks; 2 Ks; Daniel Murphy 3B: 2 for 4; 2B; 2 RBIs; Yoenis Céspedes CF-LF: 3 for 4; 2·2B; Lucas Duda 1B: 0 for 2; 2·IW; 2 walks; Travis d'Arnaud C: 0 for 4; GDP; 2 Ks; Kelly Johnson 2B: 1 for 4; 1 K; Michael Conforto LF: 1 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 0; Wilmer Flores SS: 1 for 3; CS,GDP; Rubén Tejada SS: 0 for 0; 1 walk; Jon Niese P: 0 for 1; 1 walk; Michael Cuddyer PH: 1 for 1; Kirk Nieuwenhuis PH: 0 for 1; 1 K; Jon Niese, W (9-10): 6 innings; no runs; 3 hits; 2 walks; 2 Ks; Addison Reed, H (13): 1 inning; no runs; Tyler Clippard: 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 2 Ks; Jeurys Familia: 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 1 K; 

NY Post: Mets drama takes back seat in much-needed respite vs. Braves. "Jon Niese handled the Braves over six innings and Daniel Murphy atoned for an earlier base-running gaffe with a big seventh-inning double that led the Mets’ 4-0 victory at Citi Field...Murphy’s two-run double in the seventh gave the Mets a cushion with a 4-0 lead. In the first, he had run the Mets out of an inning by freezing between second and third base on a grounder and then getting tagged out to complete a double play."

ESPN.com: "Niese won for the first time in a month, Michael Conforto homered and the Mets inched closer to an NL East title...New York stretched its lead to 6 1/2 games over the second-place Nationals with 12 to play and lowered its magic number for clinching the division to seven. Washington's interleague home game against Baltimore was postponed because of rain and rescheduled for Thursday."

NL East Standings 9/21/2025

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	85	65	.567	--	632	570	.547
WSN	78	71	.523	6.5	672	594	.556
MIA	64	86	.427	21.0	558	622	.450
ATL	60	91	.397	25.5	527	724	.359
PHI	56	94	.373	29.0	567	771	.363

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/21/2015.

The Morning Report 12.9.2015 | Zobrist Shuns Mets for Cubs, Daniel Murphy Market Set, Flores Breaks Ankle in Venezuela, Braves Trade Shelby Miller

Jay Jaffe | Sports Illustrated- The Cubs enlivened a slow day at the Winter Meetings with a pair of moves that reconfigured their middle infield, added depth to their pitching staff and reunited manager Joe Maddon with perhaps his best player in Tampa Bay. First, they landed switch-hitting free agent Ben Zobrist via a four-year, $56 million deal, then they traded former All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro to the Yankees for swingman Adam Warren and utilityman Brendan Ryan.

(Chris Soto: Gotta tip your cap to the Cubs...despite not making the best offer, they made a better pitch to Zobrist and had his former coach Jon Maddon on the staff to entice him even more. Zobrist certainly has better numbers than Castro, but he is 10 yrs older than him. In addition, the return they received for Castro was not pretty bad considering he is cost controlled high end hitting SS.)



Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media-  Now that Ben Zobrist has signed with the Chicago Cubs, the Mets must search for a Plan B. With a hole still left to fill at second base, the Mets will circle back to free agent Daniel Murphy, who turned down the club's one-year, $14 million qualifying offer last month. Like Zobrist, Murphy is a versatile player who can play first, second and third base. Having drafted and developed him, the Mets also know exactly what kind of player they'd be getting. However, Murphy is a below-average defensive second baseman and he is also prone to blunders on the base paths.

(Chris Soto: Zobrist's deal with the Cubs sets a benchmark for Murphy. If Zobrist is worth $14M per season than Murphy is likely to sign a deal for possibly the same amount of years at a $12M per season rate. This is a figure that I personally would be very comfortable giving Murphy to be my everyday 2B as well as my "Oh Shit" plan for 3B in case David Wright gets hurt again. One thing a lot of folks are overlooking is that Murphy worked heavily with Kevin Long this season to make a tweak to his swing in an effort to develop more power. As a result, Murphy posted the best "power" season of his career posting an ISO rate 33 points above his career average.)



Associated Press | Yahoo Sports-   Mets infielder Wilmer Flores broke his left ankle last month when he was hit by a pitch playing winter ball in Venezuela. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Tuesday at the winter meetings that Flores does not need surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. Flores was injured in his season debut with the Bravos de Margarita in his home country. He took several days off then returned to the lineup for three games before being shut down for the winter. The Mets originally thought the injury a bruise but learned Tuesday it was a nondisplaced fracture.

(Chris Soto: Here is the danger with letting guys play in oversea Winter Leagues. The medical technology available to them is no where near what the Mets have sitting in Citi Field alone. Flores figured it was just a bruise and tried to gut it out. He even performed well in his 3 games back, but something still didn't feel right so he returned back to the States where an X-Ray was done and the fracture was found. It's certainly not too bad of an injury since it's non-displaced. It basically amounts to just a crack. He'll be fine in about 4-6 weeks.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Braves fire sale continues. They traded RHSP Shelby Miller and minor league LHRP Gabe Speier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 2015's 1st round pick and team #1 prospect SS Darby Swanson, #3 prospect RHSP Aaron Blair, and MLB OF Ender Inciarte. 
• The LA Dodgers seem to be the most aggressive team trying to convince the Miami Marlins to trade RHSP Jose Fernandez. The club is now trying to involve a 3rd party to try and get the necessary second high level prospect they need to acquire Fernandez without having to give up SS Corey Seager.
• The Mets have received offers for LHSP Jon Niese. According to Mike Puma, the club feels comfortable enough with Rafael Montero's health progress to use him in the #5 SP role in the event Niese is traded until Zack Wheeler is ready to return.

(Chris Soto: Boy....the Braves got a MASSIVE haul for Miller. There was no way I could have expected he would fetch that kind of price considering his advanced metrics, mainly FIP, were not in agreement with his solidly low 3.02 ERA from 2015. The Miller deal should be a good barometer for what the Mets could get should they decide to trade a healthy Zack Wheeler.)

The Morning Report 12.8.2015 | Mets Await Zobrist's Decision, Edgin Making Progress/Expects to be Ready Opening Day, Baseline Value Set for Potential Jon Niese trade

Also at Mack's Mets:

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- Ben Zobrist’s camp informed the Mets and others at the Winter Meetings that they expect to have a decision by “the end of the week.” First, the 34-year old will meet Tuesday with the Nationals at the Opryland Hotel. Many believe the decision will come down to the Mets and Nats. Zobrist’s representatives told the Mets and others that they were all planning to sit down and begin making a decision on Wednesday. “That could mean he makes a decision Wednesday night,” one industry source said. “Or it could mean by Sunday or Monday. But no one thinks it goes much further.”

(Chris Soto: I have succumbed to the fact that the Mets really want Zobrist. Fine, I get it, I am all for any free agent signing that makes the team better. Let's just make sure we get him and not the Washington Nationals. To be fair...over his past 5 seasons, Zobrist has averaged 148 Games per season with an outstanding .796 OPS. He may not be sexy, but his numbers are outstanding and better than any season Murphy was able to post. If his skillset can age well like the Mets think it will, then I am ok with the signing.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- According to Assistant General Manager John Ricco, left handed reliever Josh Edgin is making progress from Tommy John surgery and could be ready around opening day. Edgin has not had any setbacks in his recovery, and could be an effective weapon out of the bullpen next season if he returns to full health. “It’ll be about a year out right around Opening Day, and he’s progressing, hasn’t had any setbacks to this point,” Ricco said.

(Chris Soto: Spring Training is going to be an important barometer for Edgin. Is he truly 100%? or is this another Bobby Parnell case where a talented reliever is going to never find his stuff again? We wont know until Edgin steps onto that mound come March. Regardless, the Mets need a much more sure thing than Edgin and even Blevins. If you could pair those two with an Antonio Bastardo for instance, who held lefties to a .138 AVG, you have the makings of a very solid bullpen that has depth.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Braves could be close to finalizing a trade for young SP Shelby Miller today.
• The Nationals signed 31 yr old RP Shawn Kelley to an undisclosed major league contract. Last season Kelley posted a 2.45 ERA and 63 strikeouts. This could open the door for a Papelbon or Drew Storen trade as the club now has a surplus of late inning RP arms.
• The Boston Red Sox traded LHP Wade Miley to the Seattle Mariners for LHSP Roenis Elias and RHRP Carson Smith.

(Chris Soto: The Braves continues to blow up the squad and try to re-tool for 2017. Man Freddie Freeman should give David Wright a call to see how it feels to be part of a losing squad during the prime of your career.

It seems like the Mets and Nationals are continuing to compete for the same free agents every time a potential name pops up. O'Day, Kelley, Zobrist, etc. This is turning into a very heated battle to build the best team possible to grab control of the NL East.

The Red Sox deal is EXTREMELY important for the Mets as it sets a baseline for what the Mets should expect should they decide to deal LHSP Jon Niese. Both guys are 29 yr old left handed SPs, generally thought of as solid #4 rotation guys. Both have career K rates of 7.0 per 9 IP, Miley's BB rate is 2.8 per 9, Niese is 2.7 per 9 IP. Miley has a career 3.95 ERA, Niese is at 3.91.

The fact that the Red Sox were able to get a younger, possibly more talented, lefty in Elias + one of the best young RP in baseball in Carson Smith is an unbelievable steal! Do I think the Mets would get a similar package? Probably not, but as a Mets fan I would be exctastic if the club could get their hands on a controllable young RP who posted a 2.31 ERA thanks to a 11.8 K/9 rate with a slider filthy enough to make Mike Trout look silly.)

The Morning Report 5.20.2015 | Poor Match-up for Niese, Good Murphy/Bad Murphy, Lagares Struggling, Where's Parnell's Velocity?

David Wright Injury Tracker | Took Infield in Port St. Lucie 

Andy Martino | NY Daily News- We would use this space to suggest that the Mets trade Jon Niese, but it might be too late. Beyond his two consecutive stinkers, last week in Chicago and Tuesday at Citi Field, “teams are scared of his shoulder, fair or not,” as one executive of a club once interested in Niese put it. “They missed their window to get a lot for him.” Still, the Mets should use the next few months to see if they can disprove that, and make room for the younger guns forcing their way into the rotation. Perhaps Niese’s reasonable contract would generate enough value for the Mets to fill one of their more modest needs, like bench or bullpen help. It’s worth a shot, at least.

(Chris Soto: Well that's quite the overreaction. Daily Fantasy League players were very quick to point out before the game that the current crop of Cardinals have fared EXTREMELY well against Niese so this game was not a good match-up for him to begin with. Before last night's results, the line-up the Cardinals used had a .385 AVG with a 1.028 OPS against Niese. Just forget about this one, he was destined to fail last night.)


Joe D | Metsmerized Online- It was a night of give and take for second baseman Daniel Murphy on Tuesday night. Murphy accounted for both Mets runs on a two-run homer in the fourth inning that came within inches inside the right-field foul pole. Murphy now has an amazing 22 RBI to lead the team and is on pace for roughly 100 this season. No other Met is close. However, Murphy’s exuberance soon faded when he failed to cover first base on a bunt attempt by Wacha in the sixth inning.

(Chris Soto: Murphy's gaff last night was a result of having a corner IF mentality at 2B. Murphy's first reaction was to charge to bunt to make a play at home....but the 2B's job is to cover the bag. Like we said with Flores....this is what you get with Murphy. High offensive output at a primarily weak offensive position in baseball, but poor defense. You just hope that the offense outweighs the defense which it has so far in the month of May.)


Zach Braziller | New York Post- Swing at strikes. It sounds simple. It’s a basic component for any successful hitter, a skill Juan Lagares is still trying to master. The Mets center fielder, manager Terry Collins and hitting coach Kevin Long all agreed Lagares’ recent struggles are connected to him expanding the strike zone, chasing pitches he either can’t hit or won’t do much damage with. “Maybe he’s trying too hard to command [the strike zone],” Long said. “At this point, he’s [gone] a little bit backwards, but he’ll keep working at it. He’ll get it right.” “I try to come back to the approach I was [using] before,” Lagares said. “The only thing you can control is keep working hard and try to do the best you can out there.”

(Chris Soto: Lagares is in a deep slump right now and Zach is right in referencing that he's swinging at a lot of pitches out of the strike zone. Whenever I think of Juan Lagares, I always bring myself back to when the Mets initially had Carlos Gomez. Gomez was not a highly publicized prospect coming up as he didn't have much power and was more of a speed/defense CF. When Gomez first came up to the MLB, he was swinging at 40% of the pitches outside of the strike zone and only 65% of pitches inside the zone. Surprise, surprise....Lagares' rates right now are 39% outside the zone and 66% in the zone. Gomez eventually made the adjustment an improved that in zone rate to almost 80% so it most certainly possible for Lagares to do it. Let's just hope that it doesn't take 1,500 plate appearances [3 seasons] like it took Gomez to do it.)


Adam Rubin | ESPN New York-  New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson preached patience with Bobby Parnell, whose velocity continues to sag in minor league appearances. His velocity remained in the 90-92 mph range, although “occasionally” was higher, according to Alderson. Manager Terry Collins said Parnell is having issues with control as well. “The velocity is in there, but we haven’t seen it consistently yet,” Alderson said. Parnell underwent Tommy John surgery on April 8, 2014.

(Chris Soto: We've been so spoiled by Harvey that we have forgotten that THIS is how Tommy John recipients normally progress. While Harvey had 18 months to recover and build strength, Parnell is barely over a year removed. He is likely to continue struggling until at least the summer time in my opinion so fans shouldn't expect Parnell to be of assistance until then. Now on the flip side, Victor Black has look really good in his 2nd round of rehab appearances so far. It's far more reasonable to think that Black could potentially be back before the end of this month.)

The Morning Report 3.9.2015 | Flores, Niese, Reynolds, Nieuwenhuis All Looking Good, Yu Darvish and Tommy John Surgery, Tony Clark on the Mets

Mike Puma | New York Post - "On Sunday, Flores made two strong defensive plays and delivered an RBI single against the Red Sox, providing more hope for team brass he fits at shortstop.
“It is what you’re supposed to do; a couple of backhanded plays and I made a strong throw and everything went real well today,” Flores said after the Mets’ 6-3 exhibition loss at Tradition Field. At the plate, Flores is 5-for-11 (.455) over four Grapefruit League games.”

(Chris Soto: Defensively, Flores has been a bit spotty to start the spring but it's still early and guys are getting their legs under them still. Flores performance this weekend was very encouraging and should give fans confidence. He launched a shot into deep left center field that looked like it was heading out but the wind held it back. Even if he ends up grading out as a below average defensive SS, the upgrade in offense he provides over other MLB SS's will be more than enough to make up for it.)

Bill Madden | MLB Daily Dish - "Niese became the fourth of the Mets’ projected five starters to make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday and, like Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Bartolo Colon before him, accounted himself well until running out of gas in his third inning off work after throwing twice as many pitches than his three rotation counterparts. But more importantly, and in tune with all the happy developments going on here, Niese’s 52 pitches were PAIN FREE. "I felt great....I haven’t thrown that many pitches in a while. … Last year, I was just trying to find an angle where it didn’t hurt.”

(Chris Soto: Again....it's still very early in Spring Training.....but....I'm not sure how you don't get excited about this team with what we have seen so far. Niese was fantastic during his 1st 2 innings of work before he gassed out. He looked liked the 2012 version of himself that went 13-9 with a 3.40 ERA while holding batters to a .240 avg. The velocity looked good, the movement looked good, and more importantly, the arm looked healthy.)


Ted Berg | For The Win - “We monitor everything,” Clark said when asked about the Mets’ specific case. “It is an opportunity for us, as we monitor, to learn, understand and appreciate the dynamics of any one particular club at any particular time. To the extent that a club has a plan and is functioning according to that plan, depending on what those considerations are and how they manifest themselves according to the payroll and the play on the field, we will interject ourselves where necessary. Rest assured, whether it’s New York or anywhere else, we watch very closely what is happening and often times have conversations that don’t end up on the front page but are happening behind the scenes to understand what is going on.”

(Chris Soto: No one seems concerned about how the Mets rebuilding process went.....except irrational Mets fans. The Players Union, player agents, the MLB Front Office, all understand the processes that Sandy Alderson put into place to try and get this team salary balanced again. The team is now primed and ready to compete for the next couple years as well as have space to extend core players to lucrative, yet fair, extensions.)

Joel Sherman | nypost.com “The sad word circulated throughout the game Saturday that Yu Darvish likely needed Tommy John surgery. However, Darvish’s injury should not have been a reason to think further about dealing Gee. It should motivate the Mets to keep him. After all, the Mets’ rotation currently consists of the majors’ oldest starter, the anti-Adonis, Bartolo Colon, 41; the dubious shoulder of Jonathon Niese; two Tommy John surgery survivors, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom; and the power stylings of Zack Wheeler. So if Gee were dealt, the Mets would have to hope either Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard or Steve Matz is major league-ready now."

(Herb G. It certainly looks like Gee will start the season in the Mets’ pen. Alderson has tried to move Gee over the winter, and continues to try during the spring, to no avail. He clearly would like to send Gee packing, if he can get the return he seeks. (Isn’t that always the case with Sandy? Holding out for maximum return. It’s worked before.) Sherman, however, makes good sense here. Rookie pitchers, like Thor or Matz, or even Montero, although they may eventually have outstanding careers, are rarely that effective in their debut years. (A tip of the hat goes to Jacob deGrom.) So, if the Mets are to be contenders in ‘15, perhaps Gee is worth the $5.3 million insurance premium.)


Mike Puma | nypost.com  “Matt Reynolds has wasted little time getting noticed this spring. “He’s probably not that far away from playing in the major leagues,” general manager Sandy Alderson said Saturday, a day after Reynolds hit a ninth-inning walkoff homer against the Tigers. “He looks solid, confident in the infield, so he’s done a nice job.” The Mets are expected to begin the season with Wilmer Flores at shortstop, but Reynolds would like to make the decision difficult. “I came in here with the attitude I’m going to compete my [butt] off to try to win the job,” Reynolds said.”

(Herb G. It certainly looks like Reynolds is intent on making his case. Of course, this early it is a miniscule sample, but in 4 games he is hitting .444 with a 1.278 OPS. His problem is his glove. Were he a better fielder, he would have a legitimate chance to unseat Tejada as the backup shortstop.)
　

Kristy Ackert |  nydailynews.com “Kirk Nieuwenhuis is out of minor-league options but he’s full of confidence. Nieuwenhuis continued to build on an impressive start to the spring, going 3-for-4 in the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Red Sox at Tradition Field. In four games, he is now 9 of 15 (.600) with two doubles. “Well he’s just swinging very good,” Terry Collins said. “He came in with a determination to be the fourth outfielder here.” With no options left, Nieuwenhuis would have to make the 25-man roster out of camp, if the Mets don’t want to risk losing him on waivers.”

(Herb G. Nieuwenhuis may actually make the team on merit. Most Met fans seem to be pulling for den Dekker to win the other bench outfielder spot. But if Nieuwenhuis continues his hot spring, he will get it hands down. Hmmm, is a 2016 bench of Nieuwenhuis, den Dekker, Campbell and Reynolds just a pipe dream?)

Mack Ade – PM Report – 6-29-13 – Mike Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard, Jon Niese

Washington 6, New York 4

Look, I know how hard this has to be on all you Mets fans. You have the second coming of either Tom Seaver or Dwight Gooden, depending upon your age and the era you came out of. And, what happens? The guy is getting minimal support.

Now, the initial reaction is why in the hell doesn’t TC leave the guy in for at least one more inning? Let’s remember, that he is on some kind of pitch count that is going to rear its ugly head sometime late in the season. Secondly, whether you want to hear it or not, this isn’t our season and his team is destined to play just outside both a payoff spot and a great 2014 draft pick.

You don’t want to do anything to hinder the growth of the two most important pitchers to come along in years, Harvey and Zack Wheeler. They will serve up the future playoff victories but only when it’s time.

Sit back and enjoy this now competitive season. Young is running all over the place. Byrd is timely hitting. And Satin is finally getting his shot. And guess what, here comes Wheeler this weekend. I love it.

Maturation

                I mentioned a few weeks ago how to watch these games. I turn on when Matt Harvey pitches and I turn off the game when they take him out of the game. Frankly, by that time of the night I’m working on material on all the minor league games so the last thing I need is the distraction of some Mets reliever pissing the game away.

                Naturally, I have added the same process when Zack Wheeler now pitches and I will do the same once Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard join this rotation. Then, and only then, will I have the rotation I will be happy with.

                One of our most loyal readers, ‘Charles’, may have it right. He says to keep all the young pitches and trade none of them until enough of them mature to give you the rotation of your dreams. Mine comes on opening day 2015. I have the three speed kings Harvey, Wheeler, and Syndergaard, the lefty Niese, and Rafael Montero, who I’m not sure how to classify right now. He’s pitching in the non-pitcher friendly PCL. Everything was peachy in AA (11-starts, 2.43), but, after four starts in Las Vegas, he’s sitting at a 4.50 ERA. The good news is the strikeouts are still there (20K/20IP), but the BBs are up, six in 20.0 innings. This could be nothing more than different interpretations of strike zones by AAA umpires, but, whatever it is, there is nothing good about having a AAA franchise in a league like this. Your hitters look too good and pitchers looks like shit.

                Trust me… stop watching the last two innings of Mets games and add more internet time following guys like Montero and Syndergaard. You’ll feel better about this team.

7^th Inning Specialist

                Where is Pedro Feliciano, how that we really need him?

                Yeah, I know, he’s down on our farm, and he has a combined A+/AA stat line of: 9-G, 9.0-IP, 7-K, 2-BB, 1-ER, 1.00.

                Remember when he pitched in, like, 162 games in one season for the Mets (and then we sold him and his dead arm to the Yankees)? This team needs two things… a manager that will allow the starters to pitch at least six innings regardless as to what the scoreboard says, and a  Feliciano-type sitting in the bullpen waiting to pitch the seventh and then hand it over to the rest of the pen. If the starter goes seven, let him rest for another day.

                There is some rehabbing going on which includes both Feliciano and Tim Byrdak. Hopefully, there is help on the way here.

Mack Ade – PM Report – 6-27-13 – Ruben Tejada, Jordany Valdespin, Jon Niese, Rafael Montero, Matt Krook

 

Ruben Tejada (quad) will begin a rehab assignment later this week for the Gulf Coast League Mets.

This is good news, even if you aren’t a fan of Tejada. Right now, this team needs as many healthy bodies as you can find and in my world, the sooner they get back someone who can play SS and 2B, the quicker they can get Jordany Valdespin off this team for good.

The future here is all about replacing the old with someone better. If I hear one more person tell me that Valdespin is a great pinch hitter, blood will come out of my eyes. And, I never want to see his slap at a ball thrown to him from the catcher at second base. I’ve told you for years that he has refused to let a routine play remain that and it repeatedly got him suspended in the Mets chain.

I’m not sure if Ruben Tejada is a long term answer at shortstop, but what I do know is Omar Quintanilla was a step up to Tejada when needed, and Tejada will be a step up to Valdespin as a utility infielder. 

                                                                        Courtney Hawkins hit his 14th Home Run at High-A Winston Salem

 

Terry Collins told WFAN that Jon Niese will not need shoulder surgery on his torn rotator cuff.

                I would have been a lot happier if one of the Mets doctor went on WFAN and said this.

In my book, any return of a guy that has a partial tear of his rotator cuff in June, is a long shot. You can’t play with injures like this. Look at Michael Fulmer’s ‘torn miniscus’ that was going to put him down for 3-4 weeks. No sweat, right?

Do yourself a favor. Drop Niese from your Mets-mind and let this season play out without him. Let the bonus be if he comes back. The team is going to have to play the rest of June and, at least, all of July, without a left handed starter. So be it. Nobody is gong to trade to the Mets a solution to this problem.

Stay concentrated on what this team needs long term and let this injury play out.

 

Who has better future, Montero or @Noahsyndergaard… Jonathan Mayo ‏@JonathanMayoB3 - I'd give slight edge to Syndergaard, like both. 

 

Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard to Represent Mets in 2014 Futures Game.

                Any press is good press.

In a perfect world, both these guys go to Queens, but it seems to me that if anyone is being marketed here, it would be Montero. He’s already been showcased during last year’s spring training, and he’s going to major league ready one year earlier than Syndergaard. Yes, the Mets need him too, but they can live without him if Thor turned out to be another 96-99 mph power pitcher like Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler. The rotation would actually set up better with the lefty Niese and a finesse picher like Dillon Gee or Logan Verrett.

My guess… you’re going to get a major piece of the puzzle right after the Future’s game for a package headed up with Montero.

 

Matt Krook passes on Marlins, will attend Oregon

Krook was the 35^th pick overall out of St. Ignatius (CA) Prep and some projected him as the top left handed high school pitcher in the draft. You have to read into this the choice this kid… attend a great baseball school like Oregon or go play baseball for a fucked up owner inn a town with no fans. Miami should have known better here and drafted a college junior. There’s no way in hell a kid with this much talent wants to die in South Beach (yeah, I know, they don’t play in South Beach… or, was that the Heat?).

3-7-13 – Venezuela, Jon Niese, Francisco Rodriguez,

The best thing you can say about yesterday’s game vs. Team Venezuela is that the results seem to have determined the first set of cuts, all coming out of the bullpen. There is no positive way to spin that Carlos Torres, Elvin Ramirez, and Hansel Robles combined to allow ten runs in five innings of relief. Torres should be released. I really don’t know what to do with Ramirez. He pitches well in the minors, but has consistently sucked at the major league level. I know this is just spring training but these are all major leaguers you are throwing against and you’re supposed to get them out once in awhile.

Regarding Robles, I would rather release the gum drop that decided to send him to the parent camp this spring. Robles isn’t even ready for Savannah, no less this.

Stupid, stupid decisions. 

Are you sure Jerry still isn’t around?

John Delcos‏ - @jdelcos

Jon Niese said Venezuela made him work. Said his change-up needs work and is the last pitch he masters each spring. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com

                   Just more bad news.

You might remember reading the ass-kicking Venezuela gave Philadelphia. Well, they did the same thing to the Mets on Wedneday.

The fact is that Team Venezuela is an all-star team of prime ballplayers, while the team that the Phillies and Mets are putting up in spring training simply isn’t. It does seem to expose your team, but one must remember your best stars are participating in the WBC series and teams like the Mets aren’t trying to wins games. At this point, they simply are getting all their players into shape and trying to evaluate who to keep around April 1^st.

Still, drubbings like this just make the camp even more glum.

Francisco Rodriguez

"I would love to return to the Mets said Rodriguez. They've got a great coaching staff over there. To come back and redeem myself would be great, because I've got to be realistic and honest. You would have to be real blind to not see that I fell when I was there. That's not even a question. To be able to get one more shot and get it done would be great."

                  I’ve never been a fan of going back. IMO, K-Rod represents a Mets era I don’t want to revisit. 

3-7-13 – Grayson Stadium,Todd Hundley, Jon Niese, Francisco Rodriguez

It’s not news that it is hard to hit homeruns in Savannah’s Historic Grayson Stadium

However, it turns out that relative to league average, Grayson Stadium with a HR park factor of .480 is the hardest stadium in which to hit a home run. Relative to league scoring, it is the second furthest from league average among actively used parks (behind only Sacramento).

                   An interesting article by Toby. Those of us that live here in the Savannah area have always known how hard it was to hit it out here, but I never realized it was that hard.

                   However, I still remember two homers…

                   The Mets Brahiam Maldonado’s shot to the street behind the old bleachers in left field (opening night, 2007)

                   Jayson Heywood’s line drive shot off the top of the centerfield scoreboard.

From 1953 until September 14, 1996, the single-season home run record for a catcher stood at 40, established by Brooklyn's Roy Campanella.

Todd Hundley broke the mark with a left-handed opposite-field swing on an 0-2 fastball away — not exactly his bread and butter — becoming perhaps the best power-hitting catcher in baseball. It was funny, as he had only lately become the best power-hitting catcher in his own family

          Hundley was a complete failure as a Dodger and never came close to hitting this many home runs again. It always made skeptics wonder…

John Delcos‏ - @jdelcos

Jon Niese said Venezuela made him work. Said his change-up needs work and is the last pitch he masters each spring. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com

                   Just more bad news.

You might remember reading the ass-kicking Venezuela gave Philadelphia. Well, they did the same thing to the Mets on Wednesday.

The fact is that Team Venezuela is an all-star team of prime ballplayers, while the team that the Phillies and Mets are putting up in spring training simply isn’t. It does seem to expose your team, but one must remember your best stars are participating in the WBC series and teams like the Mets aren’t trying to wins games. At this point, they simply are getting all their players into shape and trying to evaluate who to keep around April 1^st.

Still, drubbings like this just make the camp even more glum.

Francisco Rodriguez

"I would love to return to the Mets said Rodriguez. They've got a great coaching staff over there. To come back and redeem myself would be great, because I've got to be realistic and honest. You would have to be real blind to not see that I fell when I was there. That's not even a question. To be able to get one more shot and get it done would be great."

                  I’ve never been a fan of going back. IMO, K-Rod represents a Mets era I don’t want to revisit. 

2-25-13 – Jordany Valdespin, Jon Niese, Matt den Dekker, Mets-Michigan Highlights

Matt Harvey - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 39 pitches (25 strikes)

Rafael Montero – 2.0-IP, 20-pitchers, 16-strikes, 92-93, 94

Mike Kerwick‏ - @mikekerwick

An NL talent evaluator who saw Wheeler yesterday and Harvey today said Harvey is better right now. "[But] not much. They're pretty close."

Hi Mack, Well I'm just off finally getting my "fix" of Mets baseball...damn, it was a LONG off season and a few points if I may. First can they PLEASE stop talking about Wheeler and D'Arnaud making the club out of spring training. Like were gonna lose a year of team control for a month in Vegas. Look, I know their chopping at the bit for these kids and I get it but let’s be real here. Second, I find it curious that both Niese and Spin got no love coming into the spring and I don't get it. Spin according to scouts had a good winter report and Niese had a breakthrough season last year and could be our opening day pitcher  I have NO expectations about Johan this year except dumping the salary whenever we can and that was before the no velocity thing). When you think about a Wheeler, Harvey, Niese top 3 it really gets you excited. Why Spin and Den Decker aren't talked about more maybe you could comment on. With Duda in left we HAVE to have a centerfielder who can cover the ground and he's our best defensive OF prospect and has speed and power, does he K a lot...who doesn't these days, but now is the time to try him out. Spin has by far the most overall talent and should be given every opportunity at second while Murph recovers and then try him in right. I like Byrd as a 4th or 5th but the kids should play. Thanks, Gary Seagren

                        Regarding Jordany Valdespin, it’s no big secret that no other Met wants to have a locker next to this guy. He sits there after every game intragraming, Facebooking, and Twittering pictures of himself. This is one seriously distorted guy who also has a problem with authority. There have been multiple suspensions in the minors plus multiple times that players in the major league clubhouse have had to pull him aside and read him the rules of the team decorum. He’s not going to change, but, as long as he can produce better than the other utility players around him, he’ll stay on the team. It’s really kind of sad because we will never know how talented he could have been if he allowed himself to be coached.

                        Regarding Jon Niese, I agree with you that most fans take Niese for granted. He’s a workhorse that just goes out there and does his job. Wheeler and Harvey are going to get most of the press and Syndergaard, Montero, and Tapia will be featured in posts by the minor league weenies. I think he will become a premier pitcher when he can settle into the SP4 role once Syndergaard comes aboard and matures. I think he’s a fine SP3 but he’d be a dominant SP4.

                        Regarding Matt den Dekker, dD has only two obstacles to climb before heading the Queens. One, he needs to stop getting off to such a slow start every time he’s promoted to a new level. Secondly, 343 strike outs in 1194 professional at-bats is simply unacceptable at any level. He’s get his turn, but not until he solves these two problems in his game.

            Collin Cowgill might as well take the rest of spring off. He went 2-2 in his second ST game, which included a walk, and RBI, a steal, and beating out a grounder to the whole for his last hit. It’s called “a Cowgill”. 7Train is, I’m sure, making the t-shirt as we speak. He had made the team.

             On the other side, Lucas Duda is really struggling with his new batting stance. It’s not that he’s striking out all the time… it’s that he’s striking out all the time so badly. This is the last thing you want to see happen to someone that needs a shot of confidence every day.

Regarding the Mets - University of Michigan Game:

                   Mets won 5-2

                   Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Rafael Montero, Hansel Robles, and Carlos Torres pitched ... total 9-K, 3-BB, 8-H

                   2B/3B Wilmer Flores hit a home run

                   3B/SS Brandon Hicks went 2-3, 2-R

                   OF Marlon Byrd continued his 1.000 batting average, going 1-1.