The Morning Report 12.14.2015 | Injuries and Fatigue Force Cuddyer to Retire, Mets Could be Back in on Cespedes, Cardinals Nab Bowman via Rule 5 Draft

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- Citing injury toll and the desire to spend more time with his family, Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer unexpectedly announced his retirement on Saturday.  Cuddyer's decision was made all the more shocking because he was midway through the two-year, $21 million deal he signed. "I think it shows you the type of family-man that he is," David Wright said. "...he could have easily just come to spring training, said he was hurt, and then milked all year on the DL and got paid. For for him to leave that much money on the table andtell the Mets [early] so they can come up and formulate a Plan B and use that money elsewhere, I think that speaks volumes for him as a teammate, as a person, as a father [and] as a husband."

(Chris Soto: Michael Cuddyer was certainly not the most successful signing the team has made over the past few seasons. However despite his poor performance, he never stopped playing the game hard, he never stopped contributing to the clubhouse, and he always put 100% effort into the team even when he was hurting and probably had only 50% to give. Giving the Mets $12.5M extra to spend this off-season may go down as the single biggest contribution that comes from him and it could potentially be a big deal depending on who they go out and spend that money on. Farewell Michael! May you find good health and relaxation in your life after baseball.)

John Harper | NY Daily News- The higher-than-ever cost of pitching this winter should motivate the Mets to go the extra mile while they’re getting such a bargain on their own young pitchers, extend themselves to win championships while they can afford such excellence. At the very least, with more money to spend now, the Mets should at least make an effort to sign Cespedes. At age 30 he has spectacular athleticism that isn’t going to disappear over night, so offer him a five-year deal for $110 million, and if someone wants to give him six or seven years, then the Mets would be justified in letting him go.


(Chris Soto: Now that Heyward is off the market, the next best OF'ers are Cespedes and Justin Upton. Since Upton does not have the athleticism to play CF, this leaves Cespedes as the guy the Mets SHOULD be targeting to improve their OF. Surprisingly enough, Cespedes' market has been extremely quiet even after the Heyward signing and it is looking more likely that Yo is going to sneak into January unsigned. January is usually the month where agents start getting a little nervous and start adjusting their asking prices down. On top of time, and additional factor working against Yo is the fact that Upton is still unsigned and is younger than him making him the most likely target for a number of other teams in the market for an OF. The situation is lining itself quite nicely for a potential reunion between the Mets and Yo.)



Danny Abriano | Rising Apple- The Mets lost Triple-A Las Vegas RHP Matthew Bowman in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. Bowman, 24, was selected by the Cardinals. Bowman had a 5.53 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 140 innings this past season for Las Vegas. [However], In 2014, Bowman had a 3.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out 124 batters in 134.1 innings split between Double-A Binghamton and Las Vegas. After Bowman was selected, assistant GM John Ricco said he had been left off the 40-man roster due to the down year he had in 2015.

(Chris Soto: The Mets minor league depth took another hit on Thursday with Bowman's selection. Compared to most writers, I was a bit higher on him in terms of prospect ranking. I saw a lot of similarities between Bowman and deGrom at the AA stage of their careers. Both guys were converted SS's who were bigger athleticism plays on the mound then they were "premium stuff" guys. Bowman struggled mightily with his release point though last season and it resulted in a major drop in his K and a jump in his BB rate, both quite a ways from his career norms. It seems like the Cardinals feel that it is more of a result of the tough pitching environment than it is a lack of talent....and I agree with them. I feel that the Mets could end up regretting not holding onto Bowman.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets were in discussions with LHRP Jerry Blevins during the Winter Meetings about a potential return to New York. 
• The trade between the Phillies and Astros for RHRP Ken Giles was finally announced by both teams but with an adjustment in the deal. Astros OF prospect Derek Fisher is no longer part of the deal. Instead RHSP prospect, and former #1 pick, Mark Appel has taken his place.

(Chris Soto: That's an interesting adjustment in the Giles deal. Appel has struggled mightily since becoming a professional athlete and a number of scouts have actually soured on him. His ceiling has been downgraded from a sure fire staff ace to a potential #3/#4 over the past 2 years as he has struggled with injuries and inconsistent mechanics. I'm not sure if the Phillies are going to be able to revive his career, but if they do, it will be quite the steal away trade.)

MMs Top 25: #10 RHSP Matthew Bowman

#10 RHSP Matt Bowman (LR: #19)

Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 175 lb

Age: 24
Acquired: 2012 Rule IV draft, 13th round, Princeton University

2014: (AA/AAA) 10-8, 3.22 ERA, 134.1 IP, 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 1.310 WHIP
2013: (A/A+) 10-4, 3.05 ERA, 127.0 IP, 8.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 1.150 WHIP
2012: (SS-A) 2-2, 2.45 ERA, 29.1 IP, 9.2 K/9, 0.6 BB/9, 0.955 WHIP

     Every year there is at least one guy who's "comes out of nowhere" to become an impact player for his MLB club. In 2014, it was Jacob deGrom...2013, Juan Lagares....2012, we saw both Kirk Nieuwenheis and Josh Edgin make an impact...so on and so forth. So who will be that guy in 2015? If I were a betting man and you asked me to put all my chips in one basket, I'd recommend jumping on the Matthew Bowman bandwagon.

     Before I even begin to talk about Bowman let me just throw this little nugget out here. Jacob deGrom played most of his college career as a SS and then converted to a SP late. After a few years of development deGrom is now one of the most promising young arms the Mets have. Coincidentally, Matt Bowman ALSO was a college SS who converted to SP during the 2011 season. After a few years of working with Mets coaches he's already staring down and striking out AAA and former MLB batters. Maybe we should just stop drafted SP's and draft all SS's. 

     There's so much to like about an athletic guy who just "knows" how to pitch. Bowman does not have the premium plus stuff that you find from most other top prospects, but, what he does have is 4 average to slightly above average pitches that play up thanks to his "odd" delivery. Well....it's not really all that odd anymore because it's actually an exact replica of NL CY Young Tim Lincecum's delivery. The motion allows him to maximize his smaller frame to produce a fastball velocity of between 91-93 mph with the occasional 94/95mph heater mixed in. It also helps disguise his hard slider which generates a large amount of K's against right handers. 

     The rest of Bowman's arsenal is quite vast; he also carries with him on a regular basis an average change-up, which he uses heavily against left handers and a 2-seam fastball that generates groundballs when he need them. In addition to those "50 grade" offerings, the Ivy Leaguer also carries a pitch in each of his back pockets. While he does not use them frequently, Bowman has also show a big 12-6 curveball that can throw unsuspecting batters off balance and a split finger fastball when a batters refuses to pound his 2-seamer into the ground.

     Bowman has already not only made it to AAA, but, he has also done well there in his short 6 start stint. Everything he has done up to this point reminds me of Jacob deGrom before he broke out last season. Unfortunately, the rotation is so much more crowded than it was last year. If somehow an opportunity does arise for Bowman to showcase his abilities at the MLB level....be prepared to be dazzled.

Ceiling: MLB #4 SP (The middle ground between CY Young and current day Tim Lincecum)

Floor: MLB Flex RP

Anticipated Assignment: (AAA) Las Vegas starting rotation.

Matt Bowman, Everyday Players, Eudy Pina, Pedro Feliciano

Let’s continue with the Class of 2012… Sandy and Company’s called out the name Matt Bowman when they got to the 13^th round of the 2012 draft. Bowman pitched three years at Princeton and compiled a stat line of .293/.341/.347/.689, with 2HRs in a total of 426-AB. Good stat line for a pitcher, huh? Bowman finished up his college days tossing nine starts, posting a stat line of: 4-2, 4.66, 56.0-IP, 58-K, 17-BB. Like others the Mets drafted, he found the rotational talent in Brooklyn a little deep, so he went down to the pen and stat lined: 12-G, 1-start, 2-2, 2.45, 0.95, 29.1-IP, 30-K 2-BB (what I loved about these Brooklyn guys is they don’t like to walk people).  It seems to me that the sure bet is he will start the season in Savannah, but the 22-year old has a chance of making St. Lucie as well.

I truly appreciate all the articles lately that the Mets intend on developing a winning team similar to the plan San Francisco used: lots of pitching and talented hitters developed inside the system. I have no problem with this, as long as you draft and sign more than starting pitchers. The Mets had the opportunity in 2012 to draft heavily promoted OF prospect Courtney Hawkins but passed.  Instead, they went for another middle infielder, an area that the team already had good organizational depth. I know everyone says you go into a draft and always pick the best player available regardless of position. Well, if you’re going to try and operate a team with a limited budget in an inflated market, then you have to begin to make decisions based on weaknesses by position. Right now, the Mets top two outfield prospects are Vincente Lupo and Wuilmer Becerra, both of which haven’t played one baseball game in America. What’s the ETA’s here? 2016? 2017? Is there anyone else in the system that could help us here?

We spoke of Latin OF prospects Lupo and Becerra. Lupo will play 2013 as a 20-year old. Becerra even younger at 18, but Eudy Pina has already hit .261 in Brookyn as a 21-year old. His .749 OPS shows potential and he should hook up with Brandon Nimmo and Steven Sabol in the Savannah outfield. Could be interesting. I’m sorry, but I don’t see much past this. IMO, you’re going to very disappointed with what comes out of the St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Savannah outfield over the next two years. Just real bad planning an execution by two administrations. 

Lastly, you have to like the logic of signing Pedro Feliciano to a minor league contract. This guy never pitched bad. He simply became injured and he's put up impressive stats this winter. This is exactly the kind of pitcher the Mets need to solidify their bullpen. Who knows how much of a workhorse he can be anymore, but why not find out?  Yeah, I like it and I called for it early. Good move, Sandy.

Draft 2012 – . Rio Ruiz , Nick Williams, Carson Kelly, Matt Bowman

29. Rio Ruiz 6’-1”, 3B, Bishop Amat HS (CA)  Ruiz has been on the radar for years, and for good reason. Defensively, his soft hands, range and strong accurate arm make him one of the best at third base.  At the plate, his plus bat speed from the left side allows him to make consistent contact to all fields. Hit .455 with 19 extra base hits in 101 at bats as a junior. Not going to steal many bases but his defense and ability to be a run producing hitter will make him a high draft pick in 2012. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class   3. Billy “Nick” Williams, OF, Ball (Galveston, Texas)  Williams is what one scout calls a "ridiculously gifted kid," possessing plus speed -- he's been time in the 6.4s in the 60-yard dash -- and has hit 90 mph off the mound. His athleticism and power lefty swing come from a 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame that may profile in center field, a la the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Bernie Williams and a young Andruw Jones. Williams has shown big power on pitches middle-in, and an improving ability to hit the ball hard to the opposite field. He's destined for the top 50 and could hit his way into the first round if he's not set on heading to Austin to play for the Longhorns.

45. Pirates (Ryan Doumit) — Carson Kelly, 6’-2”, 3B/RHP, Westview HS (OR) With Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon, the Pirates are building a great rotation through the draft. They add some more depth in Kelly, an athlete who excels both on the mound and at the plate. He hit .473 with 14 home runs as a junior and is a line-drive hitter with power to all fields. Has very good bat speed and a solid approach at the plate. His strong arm and athleticism should allow him to stick at third base, if he chooses. As a pitcher, his curve, sinker and 93 mph fastball are all quality pitches with the ability to get better with more time and focus on the mound. Was outstanding at the Pan Am Championships for Team USA, going 2-0 1.29 ERA and 12 K/1 BB over 14 innings. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/2012-mlb-mock-draft-3-0-now-with-supplemental-picks/16253/

Matt was the best pitcher in the Cal Ripken League this past summer, and he was integral in the Big Train winning the league championship this summer.  Matt was tied for first in wins with 5 and he led the league with a 0.82 era in 55 innings of work for Bethesda. He allowed just 31 hits, walked an incredibly low 6 batters and was third in the league with 46 strikeouts. He also held the opposition to a .161 batting average. He was named to the Cal Ripken League All-Star Game, and I ranked him as the best pitcher in the league this summer. View my list here.  BA ranked him as the 8th best prospect in the league, while PG ranked him as the 4th best in the league. Lastly, at the conclusion of the season, the Cal Ripken League named him the Most Outstanding Pitcher. http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/2011-top-performer-matt-bowman.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+collegesummerbaseball%2FJiiy+%28Summer+Ball%29&utm_content=Google+Reader