Mets: Zack Wheeler, Collin McHugh, Matt Harvey, Josh Thole

Zack Wheeler, the No. 1 prospect in the Mets' organization, does not mind that many fans are pinning the hopes of this franchise on him. "It makes me feel good," Wheeler said in the press room at Digital Domain Park on Monday afternoon. "But then again, you've got all these other guys who are doing the same job as me and they're pro baseball players. So you've got to respect them and respect their abilities." Wheeler, the blue-chip pitcher who came east in last year's Carlos Beltran trade, said he has put a lot of time into developing his change-up. He counted off four pitches – fastball, change-up, slider, curve – and said the fastball is the best weapon in his arsenal. http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/baseball/139788603_Mets_notes__Zach_Wheeler_focused.html

2-10-12 -  http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitte r   - #2.)  Collin McHugh, RHP. McHugh has struck out over a batter per inning for his career, but he didn’t hit full-season ball until he was almost 23, so he’s always been old for his levels. He had a 2.87 ERA and 2.56 FIP in Double-A this past year at age 24. As one might expect from a guy with these numbers and little buzz, McHugh doesn’t have the velocity to blow the ball by hitters, working at 88-92 mph. He relies more on sequencing and good offspeed stuff, with an overhand curve, sweepy slider, and diving changeup. He could be a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater, and isn’t too dissimilar from Dillon Gee. Grade: B-

Matt Harvey, Mets SP -  Talent: 8 -  Opportunity: 5 -  2011 Highest Level: Double-A -  Future number two horse was impressive across two levels (3.32 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.3 K/9) after going No. 7 overall in 2010, and there’s not much in his way at the big-league level, so a strong start at Double-A in 2012 could have him on the verge by late summer. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/?p=27635

After shortening his swing in June, Josh Thole hit .292 the rest of the way to finish with a .268 batting average. The real concern for Thole comes when he is behind the plate.  He led the NL with 16 passed balls.  In fairness, 11 of those came while catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.  He did have the third best fielding percentage among NL catchers, however (.997). If he stays within himself, he should be fine at the plate, but the real improvement needs to occur when he is behind it. http://realdirtymets.com/2012/02/21/player-projections-josh-thole/

Mets: Craig Missigman, Reese Havens, Josh Thole, Matt Harvey, Domingo Tapia

2-10-12 - http://seedl ingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - #10.) Craig Missigman, RHP. I’m going off the beaten path with this one. Missigman was one of 2011′s youngest draftees, as he didn’t turn 18 until the final month of the minor league season. A 37th-round pick, he acquitted himself well in 23 innings in the GCL despite his youth, with an 18/6 K/BB and just one home run allowed. At 6’4″ and 175 pounds, he has a lot of projectability, and he already sits in the 86-89 mph range with two usable offspeed offerings. Obviously, he has all sorts of time to figure out how to attack professional hitters as well. An intriguing deep sleeper. Grade: C+ 

2-9-12 - amazinavenue.   - 2B Reese Havens - What’s left to say about Havens? Once again he showed us he has a great approach at the plate, as evidenced by yet another 11+% walk rate. Once again he showed us he can hit for excellent power from the left side, thanks to another .150+ ISO. His average is still being held down by a highish K-rate but that’s nothing critical. He continues to project as an excellent mix of on-base skills, power and fair defensive ability at second base. But once again he failed to stay on the field, appearing in only 61 games which was unfortunately the second highest mark in his career. Last winter he had a procedure done which was purported to eliminate the chronic oblique issues. Yet in 2011 he still missed time due to back problems -- thought to be associated with lingering conditioning issues. But he went into the offseason healthy. And now that he’s had his first winter sans rehab in quite some time and now that the major health issue is supposedly behind him, it’d be nice to see him reach the 100-game plateau in 2012. Especially since it would also likely lead to a major league call-up. But if that doesn’t happen and he indeed suffers more health woes, it’s time to start seriously questioning whether or not Havens will ever be durable enough to have a meaningful big league career.

Thole’s 16 passed balls last season were the most in the National League and while the majority came while catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, he still made many other miscues that did not appear in the boxscores according to Lennon. Josh Thole has been working “intensively with Mets catching coordinator Bob Natal” this offseason, and is now in St. Lucie, two weeks early where he will work with new bench coach Bob Geren, a former major-league catcher. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/02/its-now-or-never-for-josh-thole.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-now-or-never-for-josh-thole

2-10-12 – bullpenbanter - In mid-August Baseball America named Harvey the top pitching prospect in the Florida State League, edging out names like Carlos Martinez, Jarred Cosart, and Trevor May. The difference, to his benefit or detriment, is that Harvey honed his skills at the University of North Carolina, whereas the rest did not. Was Harvey expected to dominate the pitching friendly Florida State League? Absolutely.  Binghamton, though? Initially, I wasn't so sure. Though, based on what polished college arms like Trevor Bauer and Sonny Gray are doing at AA, I'm now inclined to believe, "Yes. A college arm like Matt Harvey should dominate AA." While his ERA isn't as shiny as it was in the FSL, advanced pitching metrics show Harvey has been roughly the same dominate pitcher in both leagues

2-10-12 – AA  - As part of his continuing Top 100 Prospects series for ESPN, Keith Law posted his top sleeper in each organization this morning. For the Mets, that player was Kingsport righty Domingo Tapia; once again, for those on the outside of the paywall looking in, here is a brief commentary: "Right-hander Domingo Tapia is 6-foot-5 and hits triple digits as a starter with some sink on the pitch. He pairs it with a solid to above-average changeup that produced a reverse split in his 50 innings in Kingsport last year. He'll need a more consistent breaking ball to project as a top-end starter, but the velocity and changeup are a good start."

Mets: Tim Leary, Mets Trial, T.J. Chism, Tim Byrdak, Josh Thole

The New York Mets traded pitcher, Tim Leary to the Kansas City Royals for Frank Wills on January 18, 1985. Leary was one projected to be the ace of the Mets pitching staff, but he injured his arm in his major league debut which required surgery.Even though he ended up having a long career, he never did live up to the tag of “pitching phenom”.  http://realdirtymets.com/2012/01/18/this-day-in-mets-infamy-with-rusty-the-would-it-surprise-you-if-edition-01-18-11/

Seen one way, a trial is exactly what Wilpon and Katz have said they wanted: a chance to formally rebut claims that they profited improperly from investing with Madoff and built their fortunes on his fraud. After the lawsuit was filed a year ago, they labeled it a strong-arm attempt to provoke a settlement “by threatening to ruin our reputations and businesses which we have built for over 50 years. This is a flagrant abuse of the trustee’s authority and we will not succumb to his pressure.”  Seen another way, a trial is potentially a big risk for Wilpon and Katz. At trial before Rakoff, the trustee will be seeking as much as $386 million from them. The Mets, as a club, have lost roughly $120 million the last two seasons and have added to hundreds of millions in existing debt by borrowing $25 million from Major League Baseball and $40 million from Bank of America over the last 15 months. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/sports/baseball/judge-rejects-bid-by-madoff-trustee-to-appeal-ruling.html?_r=1

T.J. Chism (LHP) - Chism will anchor a very talented bullpen at Savannah this year. He should be one of the team’s closers, if he pitches as well as he did last year for Brooklyn. In 2011 he went: 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA, and 6 saves. His WHIP was 0.88, and his opponents batting average was .179. In a recent interview with MMO, T.J. described his pitches: “I throw a 2-seam and 4-seam fastball which I usually work around 87-89 topping out around 91 from a 3/4 arm slot. A change-up and slider which range anywhere from 75-80 mph depending on how I feel that day. My change-up and slider really excelled when I moved to the 3/4 arm slot during the beginning of my second year. And I was able to locate my fastball alot better as well.” http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/01/prospect-pulse-the-2012-savannah-sand-gnats.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29

The same can be said for virtually all left-handed specialists, but if Tim Byrdak’s exposure to right-handed hitters is limited in 2012, he should be able to turn in another good year out of the bullpen. His career splits against left-handed hitters aren’t nearly as great as they were last year, but even a return to his career norm would be good enough for his role on the team. Although Byrdak turned 38 at the end of October, he hasn’t shown any signs of physical breakdown yet, and considering the Mets’ relatively minor investment in his arm, it would not be the end of the world if he encounters an injury at some point this year.  http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/18/2715749/2012-mets-player-profile-tim-byrdak

A 13th-round draft pick in 2005, Josh Thole made his Mets debut in September of 2009, but spent most of 2010 as the backup behind new acquisition Rod Barajas, a power hitter without good on-base skills. Past his prime and subject to prolonged slumps, Barajas was never meant to be more than a stopgap solution as well, and by late summer he was traded to the Dodgers. Thole entered 2011 as the starter, but as evidence by the Mets’ signing of Ronny Paulino last December, new GM Sandy Alderson was still a bit unsure of Thole’s ability to carry a full load.   Thole’s 2011 season was a mixture of ups and downs.  He played well at times, but showed his inexperience behind the dish.  The one thing that will keep him in the Majors is an overall improvement defensively and his bat.  His offense was for the most part underwhelming in 2011, so it remains to be seen if he will still be the starting catcher by August of 2012.  For that to happen to he needs to improve upon a lot of areas of his game this upcoming season.

Can Pudge be the answer for Josh Thole?

The Mets have a young catcher in Josh Thole. He has not quite lived up to the hype yet, though. Many fans (I am not one of them) feel that he is never going to pan out. The problem is that this team has been blessed with exceptional catchers in their history.

Names like Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Jerry Grote have all become what we think of when we imagine a Mets catcher. Beyond that holy trinity, they still have players like Todd Hundley and Paul LoDuca who did an admirable job in their respective lineups.

We are used to the position being one that provides offense. It is most likely that Thole will end up being a Paul LoDuca as opposed to a Mike Piazza, but that's not bad either. In his fist full season, Thole hit .268 last year while catching 114 games behind the plate.

He is just getting the defense down at the MLB level, especially the art of learning to catch a knuckler like R.A. Dickey. He spent last season learning to call a game and take control of a pitching staff; all the little things that never go into the box score.

With that said, he may spend some of this year doing the same thing, however, he should have some help back there. The Mets need to sign a veteran catcher to back him up and teach him how to be that complete player the franchise knows he can be.

There are several catchers still available on the market, however, one stands out as a perfect choice to accomplish this goal. His name is Ivan Rodriguez. Baseball fans know him simply as "Pudge". Rodriguez is as seasoned a veteran as they come.

He has spent 20 years in the big leagues. Most of them with a competitive Texas Rangers team that had solid pitching and a stellar offense. He may very well go into the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up his spikes.

There were rumors last week that the Mets were interested in his services for the exact reason I explained. There are three reasons that immediately stand out as to why this would be a good move for the Mets.

First, he's an experienced catcher that knows how to take control of a pitching staff and how to call a game from behind the plate. He knows how to properly learn his own pitchers' weaknesses and strengths and those of the hitter.

This is something that he can and will teach to whoever he backs up next season. Why shouldn't that someone be Thole? Pudge can teach Thole how to improve on that .207 caught stealing percentage he posted last season.

Secondly, he can help Thole learn to be a situational hitter as well. Rather than trying to pull the ball and over-swing, Thole can become the gaps hitter everyone knows he is. Pudge is a career .296 hitter.

While he has come nowhere close to that in that past few seasons, he still knows how to work a count and get the pitch he wants. He can teach an impatient Josh Thole how to be more selective at the plate.

Finally, the tutelage of Ivan Rodriguez would be immeasurable for a young team. Everyone talks about the future of this pitching staff. With pitchers like Matt Harvey, Jesus Familia and Zack Wheeler all coming up in the next year or so, Thole needs to learn these things now. This season.

If the franchise decides they are trusting him with their most precious commodity, young pitching, they have to give him the proper support. Other wise, he will crash and burn and the young dream staff with him.

While he may never be a Mike Piazza or a Gary Carter, he can be happy just being Josh Thole. If that Josh Thole learns the nuances of the game from a great player like Ivan Rodriguez.

Danny Muno, Lucas Duda, Bobby V, Andrew Bailey, Josh Thole

11-23-11: -  http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.js p?ymd=20111110&content_id=25949502&fext=.j sp&vkey=news_milb&partnerId=rss_nym -   Shortstop -- Danny Muno, Brooklyn (59 games): Embarking on his first pro season, Muno led all Mets farmhands with at least 200 at-bats in hitting (.355) and was in Ted Williams territory with his torrid second half (.396). The New York-Penn League midseason All-Star also impressed with a 43-39 walk-to-strikeout ratio, while his .466 on-base percentage led the league. "I don't think many players had a better year than Danny Muno. He did everything," DePodesta said, adding that Muno has a chance to continue his career at shortstop.

Lucas Duda should be helped out by the Mets’ decision to move in the fences at Citi Field. While he hit his homers, like Davis, deep enough that the right-field wall might not have been a problem, his ability to hit to the opposite field will likely allow him to keep his swing intact and hit more homers. He also noted that with his limited speed, the fences moving in could help him as much defensively as offensively. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=teamreports-2011-mlb-nym

So the only question becomes, "can he win?" Provided he's learned from his previous experiences with the Mets and is able to make adjustments to how he relates to upper management and to star players, without changing the essence of who he is and how he does things in the room, then he can absolutely win. The good thing about Bobby Valentine's reputation with veteran players is that having been out of the league for ten years, a lot of those veteran players like Cliff Floyd and Tom Glavine who made no bones about how they feel about Bobby are out of the league. So just as the current Mets gave Terry Collins a clean slate coming in and paid little to no attention to his past, the current Red Sox roster will give Valentine a clean slate as well. If Valentine's relationships with star players stay positive and don't deteriorate to the level that it did with Hundley, the Sox will be fine. That's up to both player(s) and manager to work out. Seeing that the reason Valentine's here is to clean out any real or perceived nonsense, it will be up to the players a little bit more. It'll certainly be a culture shock for these players, but if they didn't need it, Valentine wouldn't be here. http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2011-articles/november/eye-black-is-back.html

The Mets are among the at least half-dozen teams that have inquired seriously about Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, a person familiar with those talks told The Post. However, the A’s are selling high on the righty and currently do not believe the Mets have the necessary pieces to obtain Bailey, a two-time All-Star and the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year. The Reds, Rangers and Blue Jays are among the teams that are pursuing Bailey, a New Jersey native who went to college at Wagner. Oakland has made it clear it wants bats, preferably outfield bats, for Bailey, who has 75 saves and a 2.07 ERA over three seasons. In Lucas Duda, Fernando Martinez and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, the Mets have some potential fits. But Martinez’s value has decreased with his continuing inability to stay healthy. Scouts from opposing teams see Nieuwenhuis as either a complementary starter or fourth outfielder. And, for now, Duda is the Mets’ starting right fielder and probably too valuable to them to include in a trade for a closer.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/mets_eye_bailey_qvOvEnSpPlng8QgrlN9x0I#ixzz1fHs8OdB4

Barring injury, Josh Thole is almost certainly going to catch more often than any other Met in 2012. There are few everyday catchers available as free agents and fewer available in a trade the Mets would make. It could be a good thing; in a perfect world, Thole will get better and better the more he plays. But I’m concerned that he’s already taken his athleticism as far as possible with the old school receiving techniques that the Mets organization taught him; he might improve using different mechanics, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll have the opportunity to learn them. Further, Thole may not have the typical, strong personality of a backstop. While he works hard, plays hard, can handle the physicality of the position, and isn’t afraid to get dirty, his body language and actions display him more as a “follower” rather than a leader, and he seems to lack confidence; in fact, he’s borderline meek. Catchers usually have a more “type A” personality — one who takes charge and commands respect. That’s generally not something that can be learned — you either have it, or you don’t. http://www.metstoday.com/7234/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-josh-thole

Cutnpaste: - Reese Havens, Josh Thole, 2012 Pen, Omar, Brian Schneider

10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects - 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects -  10.Reese Havens, 2nd (High Class A, AA): Going all the way back to his college career, Havens has shown quality pop and the ability to get on base at a glove-first position. The second baseman unfortunately underwhelmed in the power department this year while his strikeout rate rose and his injury troubles continued. If he can show consistent health next year in his age 25 season, it’s likely that Havens will be a consistent offensive performer. If not, it’s highly possible that his power will not fully show itself and the strikeout troubles will continue, severely limiting his value.

Thole has already had a few pitchers jaw about his pitch calling and you don’t need binoculars to see how miscast he looks behind the plate. His instincts are lacking and his offensive game leaves much to be desired. On a team that will have too many dead outs in their lineup in 2012, Thole is the worst one because he can’t field his position at a satisfactory level. When an opposing batter makes it to first base, they start drooling when Thole is behind the plate – even those who run as slow as John Olerud. Thole is a huge problem for the rotation, and for a team that is going to find themselves struggling to score runs and protect leads next season. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/2011-player-review-josh-thole-c.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29

Jenrry Mejia could be among those future options, but probably not until 2013, as he recovers from last season’s Tommy John surgery. Alderson said the Mets are in much better position from a bullpen standpoint than they were last year at this time. The general manager likes the fact the Mets have lefties Tim Byrdak and Danny Herrera under contract and potential pieces in Acosta, Parnell and Pedro Beato. Lefty Robert Carson has made a strong impression in the Arizona Fall League and likely will be added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and Alderson also views rookie Josh Stinson as a potential candidate for the bullpen.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/alderson_eyeing_closers_VIbIsKW9ygaZumtNQWsItO#ixzz1dx7CBR56

I had completely forgotten that former New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya is still on the team’s payroll through the end of next season. New York Times reporter David Waldstein jogged my memory when he mentioned this little detail in a blog post yesterday. Fortunately, it seems like Minaya might be employed soon by the Toronto Blue Jays or another major league team. Of course, Minaya’s influence on the Mets will linger until at least 2013, thanks to the contracts he gave to Jason Bay and Johan Santana http://randombaseballstuff.com/2011/11/17/did-you-know-omar-minaya-is-still-on-the-new-york-mets-payroll

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Phillies have re-signed catcher Brian Schneider, pending a physical. No word on the contract details. Schneider, who turns 35 later this month, batted just .176/.246/.256 with two homers and a .502 OPS over 139 plate appearances last season, but will serve as Carlos Ruiz's backup again in 2012.  http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/345417/baseball-headlines?r=1

Mack’s 25-man: C Josh Thole

It’s funny… Josh only hits one way, which, when he came up, writers said positive things about. Now, the same guys say Thole’s approach to hitting is boring.

Thole would be the first one to tell you that he had the talent to play in the majors, but he never said he’d wind up in the HOF. He’s a spray hitting .275 hitter who will have spurts of .300+ weeks. Defensively, he led the league in passed balls, but he also spent the entire year catching R.A. Dickey.

Right now, Thole is the best catcher in the system. I’m sure he’s working hard on his arm strength during the off-season and, hopefully, he’s hired some knuckler to come to his backyard and toss it around daily.

He’ll bat seventh, in front of Ruben Tejada.

I still go back to my first meeting with Josh. I asked him, in 2007, what position he was going to play and he said he didn’t know. He was primarily a first baseman back then, which is where he played most of his games that season for the Sand Gnats. I forgot to get either his telephone number or email address and I miss talking with him. He truly is one of the nicest human beings one could meet.

Lineup:  Blank, Murphy, Wright, Davis, Duda, Bay, Thole, Tejada, Pitcher

That’s ten down, 15 to go.

Cutnpaste: - Willie Harris, Josh Thole, Dave Kingman, 2014, Robert Carson

Willie Harris played five positions -- six, including designated hitter -- but spent most of his time in left field. He is a point of contention amidst the alleged sabermetric groupthink that is Amazin' Avenue. Harris was a leading vote-getter for the AA Mets' Worst Hitter Award, yet I don't think he was as horrible as alleged. He posted a .351 OBP as a reserve while playing, in my estimation at least, solid defense. Yes, his power was Tholian and he probably played a bit too often but Harris wasn't the catastrophe that many made him out to be. That said, securing a Harris return in 2012 should not be an offseason priority. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/10/25/2494933/2011-postmortem-left-field

Josh Thole: Young, inexpensive with more potential than production. Thole did not perform to expectations and wouldn’t draw attention from a team wanting a starting catcher. Teams needing a catcher have more experienced options in the free-agent market. It’s hard to believe anybody would trade for him to be a starter. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/10/25/mets-have-precious-few-pieces-to-trade

In an era when 40 home runs might lead a league, Dave Kingman stood out. The 6-foot-6 slugger, nicknamed Kong for his larger-than-life displays of power, was a prodigious longball threat, bashing 442 homers over the course of a 16-year career from 1971-1986. He led his league just twice, but only Mike Schmidt (495) and Reggie Jackson (448) went yard more often during that timeframe. And while HitTracker had yet to be invented, few people produced the distance that he did with his homers; his April 14, 1976 shot is said to be the longest in the history of Wrigley Field; it left the Friendly Confines and struck the third house beyond Waveland Avenue, some 530 feet away. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15364

You can generously say the Mets' timetable for returning to division-title contention is 2013, when pitching prospects Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Familia might be legitimate major league contributors. But it is not until the following season that the Mets get true liberation from their weighty contracts, when Johan Santana is off the books and Jason Bay may be cleared off as well (assuming what may be a controversial vesting option based on plate appearances over the next couple of seasons does not kick in for 2014). Too often in the past the Mets made decisions based on public perception. That's how they got into the predicament of their cumbersome contracts in the first place. Rather than make pure baseball decisions, they signed big-ticket players to appease the fan base and sell tickets with little consideration for the down-the-road ramifications of those payroll commitments. www.espn.com

10-26-11: - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/mike-newman-prospects-chat-102511  - Comment From Robert Carson - Is my fastball and slider enough to be a MLB middle reliever? Mike Newman: Fastball has enough giddy-up, but the slider still falls short. I guess I can mention this now since it was a couple of years ago, but near the trade deadline, I was specifically asked if he could be a guy who sat at 94 out of the pen as an adrenaline reliever. I thought he could at the time and still think he'll get a big league shot at some point.

Cutnpaste: Brandon Moore, Reese Havens, Miquel Batista, Josh Thole, Terry Collins

9-16-11: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110916&content_id=24774440&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb  - (Brandon) Moore, 25, was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2010 with Class A Savannah when he had a 3.49 ERA in 14 outings for the Sand Gnats. He pitched at three levels in 2010 before spending all of this season at Double-A, where he finished 10-8 with a 4.47 ERA in 26 outings (25 starts). The Crawfordsville, Ind., native was New York's 14th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of Indiana Wesleyan University and has also pitched for Kingsport, Brooklyn and St. Lucie over the last three years.

9-17-11: - Reese Havens (Mets first-round pick in 2008): The second baseman, taken four picks after Ike Davis, has suffered through one injury after another practically since the day he was drafted after playing every single game of his career at South Carolina. But it would be a stunner if the Mets chose not to protect a player that could become their long-term answer at second base as soon as next season. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/yankees_mets_must_make_key_decisions_5aKoxsOfZQzXf4dhd226oK#ixzz1YErc8tpG  

This 40-year-old Dominican pitcher doesn’t have any higher learning on his résumé. So how is it he finds himself on this list of the nine smartest players in baseball? By being a published author, that’s how. Batista has had a book of poetry entitled Sentimientos en Blanco y Negro (or Feelings in Black and White) published, as well as a thriller novel about a serial killer called The Avenger of Blood. I have no idea if these works are any good, but not just any old dummy can sit down and write a book. So for a baseball player, I’d say Miguel is of above average intelligence. Wouldn’t you? - http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/09/16/9-smartest-players-in-major-league-baseball  

Though (Josh)Thole has had the challenge of handling knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for most of the season, he said that is no excuse for his NL-leading 16 passed balls. That number has partly obscured Thole's throwing improvement and steady game-calling this year Offensively there have been fewer questions, even if Thole's .266 average with three homers and 36 RBIs in 312 at-bats haven't exactly evoked images of Mike Piazza. But the Mets will remain patient with the 24-year-old Thole, whose role could become more pronounced next season if veteran Ronny Paulino isn't re-signed -- the team could go with a tandem of Thole and Mike Nickeas behind the plate. - Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/getting_defensive_gx39RsY8mPcZg7oa8EpG4N#ixzz1YHrP4wxG  

It has nearly been a year since Terry Collins was introduced as the Mets manager and declared, "I’m not the evil devil that a lot of people have made me out to be." And his words have rung true as he has been a non-stop whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm, cherishing the days on the field after an 11-year absence from a spot on the bench. He has shed the reputation as a too-intense explosion waiting to happen. At least he had until Thursday when he blew up publicly, ripping his team for appearing to have folded up. But when he finally erupted, his team didn’t turn on him. There was no anonymous sniping and really little disagreement with his words. Even Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took to Twitter to back up Collins. But there was really nothing to defend him from. - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/34978/mets-morning-briefing-9-18-11  

Cutnpaste: Phillip Evans, Jeff Glenn, Ron Hunt, Jeff Francoeur, Josh Thole

Phillip Evans:


8-17-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/6911/mets-minors/reviewing-the-mets-draft  - Phillip Evans stunned everyone. When the Mets drafted him, he was considered a lock to play college ball at San Diego St. But when you throw supplemental-round money to a 15th-rounder, you make moves. Evans signed for $650k, well over what MLB suggests. He’s a shortstop right now, but the Mets are considering moving him to catcher, which I don’t agree with. We all see how Josh Thole turned out. Don’t mess with what’s not broken, right?


Jeff Glenn:


8-14-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/kingsport-mets-team-report-stretch-run-edition.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29&utm_content=Twitter  - Jeff Glenn - The other half of Kingsport’s catching tandem, along with Cam Maron, Glenn was drafted in the 9th round in the 2009 draft, out of Winter Haven H.S. in Winter Haven, Fla. When Glenn is catching, Maron DH’s, and vice-versa, so they are both getting plenty of AB’s while keeping their legs fresh, a smart move by manager Frank Fultz. Although much taller, at 6’3″, and more athletic behind the plate, than Maron, Glenn’s offensive skills lag behind a bit. After a hot start to the season, Glenn is fading as the stretch run wears on. He is only batting .114 in his last 10 games, but overall his numbers look like: .234 BA, in 128 AB’s, 13 Runs, 30 Hits, 12 2B’s, 3 HR’s 15 RBI’s, .398 SLG, and a 37/12 K/BB ratio. Glenn and Maron should emerge in the next year as catching prospects to watch.


Ron Hunt:


Hunt was a guy who also had a decent twelve-year career as a major leaguer, making two All-Star teams, hitting .273/.368/.347/.715. He didn’t have a lot of power or speed, but as his OBP suggests, he did get on base. His batting average was unremarkable yet strong and he would get his share of walks and HBP, to make him a valued player. He helped re-introduce the HBP as a valid strategy for getting on base. Hunt’s motto was, “Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball.” He thought it ironic that he started getting plunked mainly when he was a member of the Giants. "Why would you hit me to face Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Jim Ray Hart?" he said to Baseball Digest in 2000. - http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-top-10-career-hit-batters-the-method-to-the-madness  


Jeff Francoeur:


Royals signed OF Jeff Francoeur to a two-year contract extension. Exact terms aren't yet known, but with Dayton Moore at the helm in Kansas City, we had a sinking feeling this was coming. Francoeur, 27, is batting .278/.328/.465 with 15 homers, 66 RBI and 19 stolen bases over 509 plate appearances this season while playing his usual solid defense in right field. That being said, he hasn't made any strides with his plate discipline and his batting average on balls in play has been rather fortunate, so we wouldn't be surprised if he resumed being terrible next season. It's just an odd fit for a franchise with so many young, high-upside talents on the way. - http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/337993/baseball-headlines?r=1  


Josh Thole:


8-18-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/6922/opinion-and-analysis/mets-2011-end-of-season-review  - Josh Thole is a capable receiver. Again he too is at the age where he is what he is and there’s little chance that come 2012, Josh Thole will come to Port St. Lucie performing like Joe Mauer. Accepting that as a reality there are many areas he can improve especially defensively. In fact I have a feeling Terry Collin’s wouldn’t mind one bit if Thole’s learning curve leaned heavily towards improving his defensive skills.

Cutnpaste: Josh Thole, Matt Harvey, Cesar Puello, Josh Stinson, Mets Pitching

Josh Thole:


Josh Thole is one of the younger players on the team whose abilities as a major league hitter are still to be determined. Although he's gotten more time at the plate than Ronny Paulino, Thole still has a mere 569 plate appearances over two-plus seasons in the big leagues. In total, Thole's hit .273/.351/.355, which doesn't look great but isn't particularly awful considering his position. Catchers these days can't really hit. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/8/15/2364130/mets-should-play-josh-thole-more-often-especially-against-lefties  


Matt Harvey:


8-14-11: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=38578  - Harvey did show a very hard fastball, but it was mostly over the middle and appeared very hittable. The Thunder strung together three straight hits to lead off the second inning, scoring two runs. The toolsy Melky Mesa (more on him later) led off with a hard single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch, and advanced to second on a bullet line drive by Zoilo Almonte which struck Harvey and caromed over to the third baseman. Damon Sublett followed with a deep double to left center. Although Harvey did not walk anyone, he ran the count deep several times and had to come in with a meaty fastball to get the ball across.


Cesar Puello:


8-11-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/baseball-americas-mets-top-10-list-prior-to-2011-where-are-they-now.html  - OF – Cesar Puello: Speedster outfielder who has all the tools to progress through the ranks at a quick pace. Like Flores, he has not put up big numbers in the low minors and because of that he has not progressed through the system at the pace team officials had hoped. He has shown some pop this season which has surprised some, but the rest of his game needs more seasoning. Started 2011: Single-A Currently: Single-A


Josh Stinson:


8-14-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/32042/projected-prospect-call-ups  - JOSH STINSON, rhp (5-9, 6.36 ERA in 33 appearances, 15 starts, with Buffalo and Binghamton): Stinson had success at Triple-A Buffalo after a promotion late last season, going 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts. He stumbled this season in the International League as a starter, posting a 7.44 ERA in 13 starts. He then was reassigned to Double-A Binghamton, where he was assigned to the bullpen -- the role the Mets project for the Shreveport, La., native in the majors.


Mets Pitching:


Heading into the season, it appeared the Mets could be a particularly bad team thanks to an utter dearth of reliable pitching. Instead, the rotation has been solid top to bottom, and the bullpen has had its share of highlights, too. Looking forward, the Mets have to be happy with Jonathon Niese's solid season, which includes a 3.92 ERA and 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. R.A. Dickey has put together a nice response to his 2010 breakout performance. The pair will provide two reliable arms to build around in 2012. The Mets have also received a solid performance from Chris Capuano. They could try to bring him back next year as a fourth starter, although he'll be more costly than his 2011 price tag. Dillon Gee has stepped in as a nice swing man option. The Mets may be forced to rely on him as a regular contributor next season, but they should look for a better option if they want to compete in the tough NL East. The big letdown has been Mike Pelfrey. The Mets may want to look into selling low while they still have the option of selling at all. Despite ERA fluctuations throughout his career, his peripherals seem to indicate he's a mid-fours ERA pitcher. - http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/nl-east-update1  

Juan Urbina, Tim Byrdak, Jon Niese, Josh Thole, Billy Beane

Juan Urbina:


7-13-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/765098-new-york-mets-dillon-gee-and-the-mets-top-10-young-pitching-prospects#/articles/765098-new-york-mets-dillon-gee-and-the-mets-top-10-young-pitching-prospects/page/2  - At 6’2” and 170 pounds, Baseball Prospectus lists Urbina as a top-10 Latin talent. The lefty is known for maturity both on and off of the field, and has major league blood in his system, being the son of former All-Star Ugeuth Urbina. Baseball-Intellect calls him the sixth-best prospect in the entire Mets organization, and one scout called him the best Venezuelan pitcher he’d ever seen. Baseball America ranks him ahead of some already proven players, but also are incredibly big fans of what he can bring to the table. Urbina is lean and athletic, can hit 91 mph with his fastball, and has very good command. His changeup is a good setup pitch, and lots of scouts admire his clean mechanics because they feel as if it will minimize his risk of injury. The Mets may or may not rush him up in the system, but I think that he is the sort of pearl that could handle it either way.



Tim Byrdak


With a 1.48 WHIP, 3.98 ERA, and 4.3 BB/9 IP, Byrdak has hardly been spectacular. Even in his main role of pitching against lefthanded batters, he’s been only average, allowing a .254 batting average and .736 OPS. Not awful, but not great, either. But he IS lefty, and even marginally effective LOOGYs have value. Rival GMs also get excited about his 11 K/9 ratio. There’s a chance the Mets can pick up a decent minor leaguer in return for Byrdak. - http://www.metstoday.com/6684/opinion-and-analysis/who-will-the-mets-shop-this-month



Jon Niese:


A- - Easily the best starting pitcher on the team, Niese's 3.88 ERA is a bit deceptive, and it was artificially inflated when Terry Collins thought it'd be a good idea to use him out of the bullpen in the final game before the break. He's already been good but should be even better moving forward. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/12/2272199/new-york-mets-pitchers-mid-season-grades



Josh Thole:


7-13-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/13/2272873/new-york-mets-batters-mid-season-grades  - C - If he can improve his defense, this sort of grade will work just fine while he's under team control. But his defense is not good right now, and his choke-up approach has sapped him of all power. He walks enough and avoids the strikeout enough to have offensive value, especially when compared to other catchers. .258/.350/.325 is still under-powered when you stack it up against the .242/.314/.380 the league's catchers are putting up. He's doing okay.


Billy Beane:


1984-1989 (Twins/Athletics/Mets/Tigers) - The first chapter of the most important baseball book of the century is dedicated to the travails of one terrible player: Billy Beane. If you believe Michael Lewis in "Moneyball", Beane's complete inability to hit at the minor or major league level sparked his attraction to statistics and eventually, a revolution. Beane, despite having all tools, the size, and even "the good face," did absolutely nothing with his 301 major league at bats. He left baseball a frustrated hitter with a .246 career on-base percentage—the kind of mark that made Beane the executive shudder - http://deadspin.com/5820716/the-100-worst-baseball-players-of-all-time-a-celebration-part-1  

Josh Thole, Robert Gsellman, Yeixon Ruiz, Mike Cameron, Chris Schwinden

Josh Thole:


7-1-11: - newsday.  - Thole, only 24 and without a full season in the majors, was batting .234 and was worried about his future. This was not how his season was supposed to start, not after the Mets had handed him the starting catcher's job based on his strong finish the previous year. "I will go through nothing like that ever again," Thole said this week at Comerica Park . "It was every day. It was the hardest thing I've ever been through. When you're going out there busting your butt and you don't get a hit, and then the catching is not going like you want it to go, it just builds up. It's hard. It's stressful. "You're thinking to yourself it can't get any worse, and the next day, something more happens, and then you think about your job. You really do. I can't tell you how many times I thought, I gotta get this thing going."



Robert Gsellman:


7-1-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/754145-2011-mlb-draft-prospect-robert-gsellman-looking-to-shine-for-the-new-york-mets  - Last week, I went over to Robert’s house to talk about his decision with him. He had verbally committed to Harbor College and really liked their program. Faced with the tough choice of professional baseball and junior college, he seemed genuinely unsure. When we said goodbye, he casually and quickly put on a fitted New York Mets cap that he had picked up earlier that day and hopped on his skateboard. At that point, he may still have been weighing his options, but the pride that I felt in the moment that the Mets hat fell onto his head was enough to carry me through the coming weeks. My neighbor and friend, Robert Gsellman, was drafted by the New York Mets and is working on his dream. I couldn’t be more proud. Now that he has signed with the team, he leaves this weekend for Florida for two months of baseball with the team. Knowing Robert, he’s going to continue to do incredible things as a top talent in the league.

Yeixon Ruiz:


7-1-11: - The Mets have a third baseman (he also plays 2B) on the DSLMets1 team named Yeixon Ruiz. No, I have no idea how to pronounce his name, but he may be woth keeping track of. Ruiz went 3-4 last night, raising his stats to .333/.407/.419/.826, but. More importantly, he had 5 stolen bases. Yesterday. A little old for the DSL (20), but we’ll keep an eye on him.



Mike Cameron:


7-1-11: - http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=6722677  - Mike Cameron's career with the Boston Red Sox essentially ended when Kevin Youkilis woke up Thursday morning with a sore left foot. As general manager Theo Epstein described it, that was the sequence of events that led the Red Sox to designate the 38-year-old outfielder for assignment, meaning the team has 10 days to trade him, waive him or release him.Cameron's spot on the roster was extremely tenuous, given his .149 average and 3-for-39 slump. But when Youkilis fouled a ball off his left foot Wednesday night, then reported his foot was still very sore the next morning, Epstein decided he had to make a move. The Sox recalled right-handed hitting Yamaico Navarro, an infielder by trade who was given a hasty tryout in the outfield by Triple-A Pawtucket and satisfied the team that he could handle the position.


Chris Schwinden:


7-2-11: - Schwinden continues to impress with Buffalo, going 7.0-IP Friday night: 0-R, 5-H, 8-K, 0-BB. His AAA ERA is now 2.87 and he has definitely earned his all-star status. Even more important is his increased K/IP ratio over the last few games.