Showing posts with label Sandy Alderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy Alderson. Show all posts

8/31/21

Mets News and Breakfast Links - 8/31/2021

 



Good Morning. Born today Claudell Washington. Happy Birthday to Pat Howell, and Hideo Nomo.  Mets play two against the Marlins today, lots of takes on "Thumbs Down" and Wilmer Reyes is back with a rehab start in the FCL. 

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Minor League Links,  This Day in Mets History and Comments. 

Mets Links: 

Miami Herald.com: The game was suspended in April. Marlins and Mets resume it Monday. How will it work? The Marlins and New York Mets will pick up where they left off on that April 11 afternoon when they begin a four-game series at Citi Field with a doubleheader Tuesday. The first game is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. and will be the resumption of the suspended game from where it was halted and will be a full nine innings.

Joel Sherman NY Post: “Francisco Lindor – not Javy Baez – is the real Mets issue “Baez is an accidental tourist. He will be a Mets footnote. A guy who will really learn what boos sound like at Citi Field when he shows up in his next team’s uniform…if you are going to sign here like Winfield or force your way here like A-Rod and Stanton, you have to know what awaits in bad times. Lindor certainly had to know because Winfield, A-Rod, Stanton and many others came before him. And he still took the 10-year, $341 million extension. Maybe it was just too much to spurn despite doubts. But once you take it, there is that devilish deal. Rightly or wrongly, it comes with the paycheck size.”

Mike Puma NY Post: Mets fans have varied takes on players’ ‘thumbs-down’ message. “Brian Sokoloff, a member of the 7 Line Army — the team’s most prominent fan group — said when he heard about Baez’s comments, it felt like a middle finger had been extended in his direction… ‘It’s very sad that Lindor is involved in this because this is Year 1 of an 11-year marriage, and it’s off to a very bad start, and I would like a divorce. Frankly, it makes me wonder about the wisdom of giving this guy 10 years, before you ever saw him play in a Met uniform. That is ridiculous.’”

Dennis Young NY Daily News: Sandy Alderson somehow managed to out-clown the Mets’ players. “It’s worth very quickly noting here that while Alderson vigorously threw his players under the bus, when his front office was reported to be a den of sexual harassment, his response was: ‘People are getting executed, including women, by the way, for reasons that are unjustifiable....Is there ever a statute of limitations on coverage of some of this stuff?’”

Sarah Valenzuela NY Daily News: Javier Baez’s thumbs vs. Mets fans just latest contribution to chaotic season. “It wasn’t so much the thumbs down — really, who cares, he didn’t insult anyone’s great ancestor — but his explanation of why he did it. So aside from making a head-scratching decision from a PR perspective, he unknowingly added more nonsense to an already bonkers season. Only the Mets could create drama over a pair of thumbs.”

Newsday: After thumbs-down episode, how will Citi Field fans react when Mets take the field on Tuesday? “They will have to face their home fans — twice — on Tuesday during a doubleheader against the Marlins, their first on-field action since Javier Baez said that the recent thumbs-down celebrations from him, Francisco Lindor and others was a form of booing their own fans, a surprising revelation that drew a strong rebuke from team president Sandy Alderson.”

NY Post: Francisco Lindor all smiles at US Open amid Mets’ ‘thumbs-down’ fiasco.

NY Post: Ex-Mets deliver booing reality check: ‘What you sign up for’.

Metstradamus: “I don’t expect Javy to understand the frustration of the Mets fan. He’s been here for a month while we’re here forever. We were here before him, and we’ll be here long after he leaves. I also don’t expect him to understand the New York fan base after playing his entire career in the city of Chicago.”

NY Post: Aaron Boone weighs in on Mets’ ‘thumbs-down’ controversy. “’ “I don’t think you ever like [the fans] letting you have it or getting booed… But to get caught up and put a lot of energy into worrying about that takes away from what you have to do as a professional…Ultimately, you can’t let it take your eye off the ball.’”

Danny Abriano SNY.TV: Thumbs Down: Mets players vs. fans is imbecilic and taking attention away from what matters most.




Rob Rogan of Mets360.com Tear it down, Mr. Cohen. Rob actually wrote this on Saturday – before the “thumbs down” issue talking about the Mets offense: “Power and patience; patience and power. The apparent mantra of the Mets’ organizational hitting philosophy under Alderson for the last ten years is to “wait for a good pitch to hit.” This is obviously sound in theory, but it’s seemingly morphed into the perverse version fans have been subjected to game in and game out in 2021. Hitters up and down the lineup are consistently being beat by predictable pitch patterns while leaving the bat on their shoulders when they do see those good pitches. They’re in the top ten in the league in soft contact and in the bottom ten in hard contact. They’re in the bottom half of baseball in BB% and third-worst in ISO. They swing a lot (48.9% Swing%). They miss a lot (11.9% SwStr%). They strike out a lot (23.8% K%). So much for power and patience, huh?” Subscription required.

John Harper SNY.TV: Why Mets must gamble on Noah Syndergaard -- whether he pitches in 2021 or not. “Without any blue-chip pitching prospects close to being ready in their minor league system, the Mets are going to have to pay for pitching one way or another if they want to contend for a championship next season…That means gambling on Noah Syndergaard whether the Mets’ brass gets to see him pitch this season or not.”

NY Post: Howie Rose to miss rest of Mets season with medical issue. 





SportSpyder Mets Links: 

Minor League Baseball:

FCL Nationals 10 FCL Mets 0 (Box Score) The FCL Mets get 1 hit – that one hit came from Wilmer Reyes making his first rehab start at 2B after being out all year – 1 for 3.  Manny Rodriquez also made a rehab start at SS 0 for 4, 3 Ks. Christopher Vasquez (L, 3-1) 2/3 inning, 2 runs – both earned, 2 hits, HR, 1 K; 


For the complete Mets Minor League statistics click here.

MLB and NL East Links:

Here is yesterday's MLB Scoreboard.

MLB.com:

FOX Sports:

MLB Trade Rumors:

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Braves.com:

Marlins.com:

Phillies.com:

Nationals.com:

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 


Born on this date:

Died on this date:

Transactions:

New York Mets purchased Bill Graham from the Detroit Tigers on August 31, 1967.

New York Mets traded Jerry Grote to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Dan Smith and Randy Rogers on August 31, 1977.

New York Mets traded Pete Harnisch to the Milwaukee Brewers for Donny Moore on August 31, 1997.

New York Mets sold Tim Spehr to the Kansas City Royals on August 31, 1998.

New York Mets traded Jeff Francoeur to the Texas Rangers for Joaquin Arias on August 31, 2010.

New York Mets traded Erik Manoah to the Los Angeles Angels for Fernando Salas on August 31, 2016.

New York Mets traded Ryder Ryan to the Texas Rangers for Todd Frazier on August 31, 2020.

New York Mets traded Kevin Smith to the Baltimore Orioles for Miguel Castro on August 31, 2020.

New York Mets purchased Robinson Chirinos from the Texas Rangers on August 31, 2020.

2002
Losing their 13th consecutive game at Shea Stadium, the Mets complete the worst month at home in National League history. With the 1-0 loss to Randy Wolf and the Phillies, the Amazins' join the Seattle Pilots (August-1969) and the Tigers (September-1996) as teams that have not won a home game in a calendar month with at least ten games.


2012: In Miami, R.A. Dickey of the Mets wins his 17th with a 3 - 0 shutout.

Centerfield Maz:

Brooklyn Trolley Blogger:

Click here for the full list of Mack's 2022 MLB Draft Scouting Reports.    

Want more?  Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news. 

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Also at Mack's Mets:

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2/18/14

The LTJ Editorial: “David Is Always Doing The Wright Thing”

Make sure to take vitamins too, David!

The LTJ Editorial: “David is always doing the Wright thing”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

As a New York Mets fan, who doesn't love the impact Third Baseman David Wright has had on the team this past decade or so? Not only our team captain, Wright continues to be the face of the franchise being one of the bright spots on the team. He contributes as much on the field as he does off the field, always making sure to be another role model in the big apple everyone can look up to. However, one thing we all learn in life, especially in the sports world, is you can't control time. Eventually, you start to decline in skill, injuries start becoming more frequent, and next thing you know is you are fighting for longevity. Over the course of time, you need to start playing smarter, not harder. Entering his eleventh season, Wright has already had a few significant injuries that not only cost him playing time, but also put more wear on his body. The severe hamstring injury sticks out the most since it was a scary moment for all of us and definitely for him too. It was at that moment he probably realized, it's about time to work on something different for the future to prevent these injuries from creeping up on him again.

So far this offseason, Wright has decided to change his regimen when it comes to preparation for this upcoming MLB season. His main goal is to stay healthy and have a complete season without missing so much as a single game. Besides his usual diet and exercise, Wright is working on flexibility while focusing on durability with the usual wear and tear that comes with holding down third base. Being 31 years old does make you wonder just how fast time goes by. In a blink of an eye you turned from rookie to veteran and unfortunately, in Wright's case, he doesn't have much to show for it with the Mets. With only one playoff run in his career, it's easy to understand his frustration with how the team has done so far with him in the lineup. Bad organizational decisions really, but in the end, it starts from the top down. No, not just the Wilpons, it's about the people who make the personnel acquisitions for the team. You know, the main person responsible for upgrading, cultivating, and signing talent. I'm talking about General Manager Sandy Alderson.

If you think about it, Alderson has done a good job these past four years he has spent rebuilding the Mets. After the entire Omar Minaya debacle, he came in and went right to work on building a future winner from within. Yeah, it hasn't come to fruition yet, but the foundation is set and almost ready for takeoff. Currently, the Mets have the sixth best farm system in all of professional baseball, have gotten much more respect across the league, and have spent serious money in an offseason for once! That's right, the tight wallets of the Wilpons have been opened to reveal a golden aura. This light, brighter than a thousand suns, was the guiding force to bring in some fantastic upgrades to build around Wright. It's about time since well, Captain America can't do it all! Now with some pretty solid upgrades to our outfield, starting rotation, and top prospects waiting for the big call to the majors, the Mets are in a good position going into this season. Sounds like a broken record every year, however, the Mets should be competitive this season and hopefully be able to play some baseball in October.

Someone with the caliber of Wright should be enjoying postseason baseball to bring a championship to his team and city. With a better supporting cast this season, his longevity will be one of the big keys to success for the Mets this year. This new offseason regimen will benefit him for the long-term since Wright will most likely see his career begin with the Mets and end with them. Let's have #5 be in that starting lineup until 2020. The Mets will need him healthy more than anything for any hopes of making the postseason again since most of us want to forget about 2006 and actually remember another year instead.
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11/5/13

A Letter to Sandy

mets - sandy alderson

 

Dear Sandy Alderson,

Are you aware of the date? It's the offseason of 2013. You do remember what you promised Mets fans around this time, don't you? For years you have talked about the future and being competitive again. 2014 was said to be the year when competing again was going to be a given. Your mouth wrote the checks and now you have to cash them.

That's not to say that you have to break the bank. We all know that there isn't really that game-changing talent out there in free agency. Hell, this class of potential players is littered with a fair amount of middling guys. But you have to get somebody we can get excited about. There is potential to field an effective, competitive and most importantly, a winning team. We want to see it.

Don't listen to Jeff Wilpon. You have more than four good players, albeit not many. There are definitely holes to fill on the roster. Get someone who can mash. Marlon Byrd led the team in homeruns. A guy off the street displayed more power than was expected from so many of our in house guys. A real slugger (or two) could really lengthen this lineup that has been mostly dreadful over the last few years. Who really fears our hitters? Who should be feared? Go from there.

As far as pitching, don't quit on that bullpen. Little tweaks could really help make this unit an effective one. I know you're counting on developed players, but don't skimp. The starting rotation needs someone to fill the clown sized shoes left by Matt Harvey. This may seem like an impossible task and to some extent it is, but don't let it stop you from trying. There are some intriguing players on the market who could definitely help make carry this rotation in 2014. Ryan Vogelsong could come on the cheap after a down year. Bronson Arroyo might thrive in the vast spaces of Flushing after his time in Cincinnati. Think it through.

Lets be honest with ourselves for a second. The Mets aren't going to win anything in 2014, but that's okay. You don't have to shoot for the moon just yet. Take the little steps now to help this team win. Lets stop being under .500 for a change. Give some young arms a shot to see what they have because in 2015, this rotation could be the best in the majors. Then you'll have your winner. The forward thinking remains, sadly. I thought that would eventually go away. And yet, I don't hate it anymore. Just get this team better. We'll be grateful for it. I promise.

Your Pal,

Matt
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8/29/13

Mack Ade – AM Report – 8-29-13 – Vic Black, Dilson Herrera, Sandy Alderson, Terry Collins, Matt Harvey

mets - michael baron

 

Michael Baron ‏@michaelgbaron  - In four starts since returning from the DL, Jon Niese has a 1.93 ERA, only 6 BB, 28 K, 28 IP. 7 IP/start. Walks were an issue pre-DL.

 

Your 2014 draft order with 30 (or less) games to go: 1. HOU 2. MIA 3. CHC 4. CWS 5. MIN 6. MIL 7. SF 8. SEA 9. TOR 10. NYM

 

Mark Simon     ‏@msimonespn     -  Vic Black has thrown 64 MLB fastballs this year. They have averaged 96 MPH, peaked at 98.2. Breaking ball averages about 82

 

Just a wonderful addition of RP Vic Black yesterday, giving the Mets two top ten prospects in the Pirates deal. My top ten right now lines up as: 1. RHSP Noah Syndergaard, 2. RHSP Rafael Montero, 3. 1B Dominic Smith, 4. OF Brandon Nimmo, 5. SS Gavin Cecchini, 6. RP Vic Black, 7. OF Cesar Puello, 8. 2B Dilson Herrera, 9. LHSP Steven Matz, 10. RHSP Michael Fulmer.

 

SP Michael Fulmer has been shut down with new shoulder problems. There does seem to be a growing health issue here which would be a shame since Fulmer is a very talented pitcher. He really needs to start over next season for St. Lucie… he was 3-3, 3.33 in nine starts this season for GCL (rehab) and Lucy. Remember, he will only be 21 next season.

 

Jonathan Mayo –

Dilson Herrera, 2B: Herrera was ranked No. 11 on the Pirates' Top 20 at the time of the trade. Herrera was signed out of Colombia in 2010 for $220,000, and he has made steady progress since. He was among the rookie-level Gulf Coast League leaders in several offensive categories in 2012, and he continued to be productive making the jump to full-season ball at age 19 in 2013. A South Atlantic League All-Star and Futures Game participant, Herrera has shown an ability to hit and with more power than expected considering his 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. He runs well and has the chance to be a base stealing threat. Herrera has hit double digits in home runs and stolen bases in 2013, and that should continue, especially if he can refine his plate discipline to let his bat play more consistently. His speed serves him well in terms of range at second, and he should be able to stay there long-term.  

 

There has been very little player movement in the system since the all-star break. Normally, better players move on to ‘properly’ speed up their growth, but this year it seems every Mets affiliate is in a pennant race and wants to hold on to its players. What all this has created is players like Dominic Smith and Jhoan Urena remaining on the GCL-Mets, Robert Whalen, Chris Flexen, and Jeff McNeill remain with Kingsport, Gavin Cecchini, Miller Diaz, and Robert Gsellman remain in Brooklyn, Steven Matz and Brandon Nimmo will finish the season in Savannah, and half the Binghamton team doesn’t move to Vegas. Was this the original plan by the Mets? I wouldn’t think so because wins and losses are not the primary goal of affiliate teams. It’s supposed to be all about development, not whether or not a championship is won at the rookie level. Losing a Flexen is supposed to balance off when you gain a Smith. IMO, the Mets are operating badly in this area right now.  (FLASH - Smith was promoted to K-Port yesterday afternoon) 

 

Ken Davidoff –

In short, this trade culminates a good run by GM Sandy Alderson. He picked up two valuable players in Buck and Byrd for very little money -- Buck and R.A. Dickey’s salaries essentially canceled each other out, and Byrd made six figures -- got value from both and then flipped them for a guy who could help down the road. That’s textbook baseball operations for a rebuilding team.

The Pirates, forever a rebuilding team and now a contender, intelligently used a resource in Herrera to strengthen themselves as they try to secure their first playoff berth (and first winning season) since 1992. http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/baseballinsider/rod_hughes_alderson_hUHVdzHoHKlBrZh2p1TNRN#ixzz2dHCfypy7

 

Mark Healey –

I know that many folks will say that my long support of Wally Backman makes me biased in this area, and I won’t dispute that. I didn’t like the Collins hire at all, and I have an admitted more than once that he’s been a lot better than I expected. I expected a a horror show. The subsequent cheaper below .500 “love fest” (they try hard, yay Mets!) that has ensued is no less acceptable than a drama-laden ( see 2009 Mets ) one would have. Terry Collins will in all likelihood be back in 2014, be he shouldn’t be. Nice guys might not finish last, they but they don’t seem to finish in first lately either. The Mets have a lot of work ahead of them this offseason, more so with the loss of Matt Harvey. Improving the manager and his coaching staff should be part of that effort. http://www.gothambaseball.com/2013/08/terry-collins-shouldnt-be-back-in-2014-2/

Mack - Healey has been the President of the Backman fan club for many years now. I have second thoughts on Collins but third thoughts on Backman. I just don’t see him as a major league manager.

 

Grantland -

Masahiro Tanaka is just 24 years old, but already in his seventh season playing in a major professional league. Following in the footsteps of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish, Tanaka is expected to come up for bidding this winter, earn a ton of money, then play for an MLB team next season. For a country that appears on its way to producing more quality pitchers than ever before, Tanaka is likely to be the next major target.

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League haven't officially made Tanaka available yet, but major league teams are already salivating over a pitcher they see as a no. 2 starter once he crosses the pond. The stats are … ridiculous, really. In 21 starts this year, Tanaka has gone 18-0 with a 1.15 ERA. This isn't anything new. In 2011, Tanaka went 19-5 with a 1.27 ERA, winning the Sawamura Award — which predates the Cy Young. In 2012, he went 10-4 with a 1.87 ERA. Drilling deeper reveals more eye-popping stats. Tanaka struck out 138 batters this season against just 23 walks (a 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk rate), ceding just five homers in 165 innings pitched. That's actually his worst result of the past three seasons: Tanaka whiffed 169 batters and walked just 19 in 2012 (just less than nine strikeouts for every one walk) with just four homers allowed in 173 innings, and fanned 241 while walking just 27 in 2011 (another near-9-to-1 rate), with eight home runs given up in 226⅓ innings. For perspective, only three qualified big league starting pitchers have ever posted strikeout-to-walk rates of 9-to-1 or better: Curt Schilling in 2002, Cliff Lee in 2010, and Bret Saberhagen in 1994.  http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/72725/japans-next-big-thing 

 

Matt Harvey is having a hard time with this TJS shit. He’s tweeting that he’ll be back on April 1st and he even met with Roy Halladay, who had a similar injury and never went under the knife. It’s simply too early for anyone to make any decisions here. There’s about two weeks of swelling that needs to go away and then new MRIs and CAT Scans will tell the experts the extent of the tear. What the xrays won’t tell anyone is what would eventually would happen if no surgery was performed. It’s simply to tell you what the game plan would be if there was surgery…  2014 would be lost… 2015, at best, would be around 150-155 innings… and 2016 would be the first year Harvey would be able to pitch without restrictions. And then there is the Halladay plan… he’s been on and off disabled lists since 2004 with arm and shoulder problems, plus a torn UCL, yet he found time to pitch a no-hitter, a perfect game, and a couple awards named after a guy named Cy Young. I know what’s going to happen here. The doctors are going to confirm some degree of a tear, but it will only be a partial. I also know in my heart that Harvey is not going to sit for a year and then pitch sissy for another. No, guy like this operates at full throttle, even if there is a possibility of a future full tear and career ending injury. There’s going to be quite a tug and pull here between Harvey and the Mets. Stay tuned.

 
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2/2/13

2-2-13 – Eric Niesen, Sandy Alderson, WAR, Carl Erskine,




Noah Syndergaard‏ - @Noahsyndergaard

Felt great to throw off the mound again and hear the pop of the mitt. Got that itch
The Seattle Mariners have signed ex-Mets minor league pitcher Eric Niesen, who pitched last year for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League.


Sandy Alderson:

“I think it’s important to underscore the word ‘symbol’ or symbolic.’ I think they represent an approach. Certainly, [Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Noah Syndergaard are] at the forefront. Those three have been rated very highly. They’re among our best prospects. … I think they’re representative of a broader development, and that is our farm system has gotten a lot stronger. Zack, Syndergaard and Harvey have gotten a lot of press. But, at the same time, we’ve got a lot of depth behind them. … In a broader sense, it’s important that every team – including big market teams – have very solid farm systems. Otherwise, success is not going to be sustainable or achievable, eventually.”

                                               Alderson will not go name by name past the big three because, frankly, most of what’s in the system is still speculation. The pitching, in the lower levels is phenomenal. How about leading three leagues (NY-Penn, SAL, Florida) in lowest ERA/WHIP. The team is less than two weeks away from actually producing, on the field, some real stuff to write about. Until then, we’ll have to live with hearing about Harvey, Wheeler, and Syndergaard.



Matt Hunter

My issue is this: I don't like the increasing over-use of (and over-reliance on) WAR as THE definitive evaluation of a player's worth. This was particularly true during the Mike Trout-Miguel Cabrera MVP debate last fall. For instance, consider this headline on an ESPNLosAngeles.com story in late September: "Mike Trout Is Your MVP (WAR Says So). That was just one of many stories focusing on WAR in the MVP race, where the stat became a big factor in analysis of the players, as Bleacher Report noted. Now, Cabrera wound up winning the MVP by a wide margin, so WAR wasn't a decisive factor in the award vote. (I voted for Trout, though I did not base my ballot on WAR.) But I just found it tiresome to keep reading all the references to it, as if WAR was the only stat that should be considered, and leading a league in batting average and home runs and RBIs -- as Cabrera did in becoming the game's first Triple Crown winner since 1967 -- was somehow a mere accounting trick.

                                                   I’ve gotten much more Sabr-friendly this off-season. I really love OBP and think it’s the best stat out there on the value of your hitters. BABIP was hard enough to figure out and then someone told me there’s BABIP for both pitchers and hitters? Yoou couldn’t come up with a different name? And FIP, I was always taught to stay away from word that started with the letter ‘F’. And now there’s WAR. Huh? Good God, ya’all. What is it good for? Absolutely nuthin’.




'Norm'

Carl Erskine on:

1. Pee Wee Reese- A solid professional, our Capt. He was an extension of the manager on the field. A little older than some of us and had already been in the league before us. We were freshman, he the senior. When Pee Wee died at age 81 a New York paper headlines read “this Pee Wee was a giant”

2. Don Newcombe- One of the early black players and suffered the same indignities as Jackie. Hard thrower and a good hitter. Newk had some trouble adjusting to the big leagues but Roy Campanella and Jackie in their own way gave Newk great support.

3. Duke Snider- My roommate for ten seasons. Close as brothers we were. He had trouble early with the high strikes. A great hitter geo. Sisler was the coach that helped Duke handle that pitch.  Among the greatest center fielders to play in New York.

4. Roy Campanella- My catcher for ten seasons, over 1000 innings. Caught both of my no-hitters.   Sweet spirit and a grateful attitude. Was beyond smart as a player. He had savvy, handled pitchers so well managers would tell the staff don’t shake off campy. After hewas paralyzed in an auto accident he sat in a wheel chair for 33 years but never  complained, he was a great help to other paraplegic’s.

5. Gil Hodges- Quiet strong man, glue of our infield. Good power assisted Jackie on the field by keeping the peace.  Smart baseball mind, and a good sign stealer. Belongs in the hall of fame.e on:
            
                                    These were my heroes. The Boys of Summer. Erskine was my brother’s favorite pitcher while mine was Johnny Podres. I was born in 1947 so the Jackie Robinson era was before my time, and I lived on the border of Ozone Park and Richmond Hill (95th Avenue between 106th and 107th Street), and we only had one black family in the entire neighborhood (and high school). Still, I don’t remember ever thinking that Don Newcome or Roy Campanella were less of a man because of the color of their skin. They were Brooklyn Dodgers. Newcombe could really hit with the best of them and we always wanted the team to use him as a pinch hitter. I still remember that day of the devastating car crash. His back up, the absolutely slowest runner in baseball, Rube Walker, took over. Walker may still be trying to stretch a single into a two-bagger.
I went down to Vero Beach a few years ago and wrote a centerfold story about Dodgertown. It’s just about all gone now. A few streets still have the names of the players but most continue to get stolen. You can drive down the main drag in town and not see one sign to the old stadium and, unless, you remember where to turn left, you will eventually just fall into the ocean. There was no minor league town more vibrant than Vero Beach and it’s now just gone. 
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1/29/13

1-29-13 – 2013 Bullpen, Matt den Dekker, Sandy Alderson, Sean Manaea, Sickels System Ranking



Mets announce Banner Day has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 11 prior to a 1:10 p.m. game vs. Pirates


Mark Simon‏ - @msimonespn
Mets pitchers had the highest rate of getting opposing hitters to swing at pitches outside the strike zone with 2 strikes in 2012- 45%


Dan Martin - 

Alderson was more optimistic about adding a pitcher for the bullpen, since there are several significant, available arms, though most are past their prime. Among them is former Giants closer Brian Wilson. Alderson and pitching coach Dan Warthen watched Wilson throw in California recently and the GM said he expects to see Wilson again “in the next several days.” The Mets are hesitant to hand Frank Francisco the closer job again after an ugly first year in New York that was followed by elbow surgery. Wilson is coming back from Tommy John surgery last year.

Look, we all know the disappointment everyone is feeling about the lack of quality of the outfield, but maybe it’s time to move on and strengthen another area. The starting rotation and infield are just fine and the relief crew looks like it just needs a little tweaking. Bobby Parnell, Frank Francisco, and Josh Edgin definitely have spots here, though Francisco’s actual role might be in question. My guess right now is that Greg Burke and Jeremy Hefner go into camp with a slot, while Jeurys Familia, Elvin Ramirez and Robert Carson are still trying to win one. The wild card is Pedro Felciano who I expect to step up. My guess right now is your LOOGY/ROOGY will be Felciano and Familia and the one addition to this staff may be a new closer.



Rob Castellano - 

OF Matt den Dekker - After tearing apart the competition at Double-A Binghamton in 2012 (.960 OPS), more advanced pitchers took advantage of the 25-year-old's overly aggressive approach at the plate in Triple-A (.629 OPS). He'll try to polish some of that swing-and-miss out of his game early in 2013 (28.5% strikeout rate) to justify an everyday role; however if all else fails he already features the best outfield glove that currently resides within the Mets organization. With the Mets current outfield situation in shambles -- not just offensively, but defensively as well -- expect to see a good amount of den Dekker whether he irons out the kinks in his offensive profile or not.




Sandy Alderson:

“We continue to look, but I think, realistically at this point, there’s not a lot left on the shelf, so at some point we have to realize that, well, perhaps the outfield is not the strength of our team. But at least going into spring training we may be looking at what we have and not being able to make an addition. There's a long time between now and the beginning of February. There's still some good players on the board. There’s still a lot out there and we’re looking. Well I’d say right now it’s an incomplete, but there’s still time in the semester, to give an educational metaphor. We’ve been watching the market, we know what’s available, we’ve known what’s available. We reconvene and review periodically, meaning every couple of days. There are a number of things that we’re currently involved in pursuing. But we’re hopeful we’ll have some additions before spring training starts, and I expect that we will have some additions, but at this point to say we’ve been patient is probably an understatement but that’s what we’ve been."

            Like I have said before, I’m fine with this off-season if it was to end right now. Sure, I wish there was a better outfielder and I think the pen could use one more anchor pitcher, but Travis d’Arnaud, John Buck, Noah Syndergaard, a top Latin prospect outfielder, Shaun Marcun, Greg Burke, and Pedro Feliciano for a 38-year old pitcher is fine in my book.




David Groveman

Rafael Montero is one of the Met top prospects and probably deserves to be in the top 5 based on his 2012.  Silly scouts might differ.  The reason he did so well here is because he limited walks and hits to an EXTREME level, so this might get a little wonky in AA but he does seem to be on track to be a front-end pitcher (based on numbers). Is Montero moving up on my list?  Yes.  How high?  4th?  He’s still likely a tick behind Snydergaard but based on this math it’s hard for me to place him below Nimmo or Fulmer and it’s really close with Wilmer Flores.  2013 will be a defining year for Montero and could make things interesting for 2014 and beyond with the Mets.


Groveman has always been high on Montero and I agree with him that 2013 will be the year that one of the younger prospects separates himself from the pack. Montero impressed at two levels and should return to St. Lucie because he only pitched eight outings there; however, time and prospects march on and the projected Lucy squad looks filled with last year’s Savannah’s starts. I hope they don’t rush Montero too fast. My breakaway money is on Domingo Tapia, who will pitch in Florida with the press concentrating on others like Noah Syndergaard and Michael Fulmer. 
Timothy De Block - 


College pitching looks to the be the strongest at the top of the board with Mark Appel, Ryan Stanek, and Sean Manaea. Mark Appel has the strongest stats and career to go off of right now and will likely have the least leverage in negotiations despite have Scott Boras in his corner. Stanek is more of the scouts dream with a nice fastball and wipeout slider to rack up strikeouts in the SEC. However, Manaea is almost a left-handed Stanek that is a little more rough around the edges with his mechanics but has a breakout performance in the Cape to back him up. All three of them profile as frontline starters with the Ace ceiling. I need to see more of Manaea this season with how he performs and develops with a close look at his mechanics. If he continues to post good numbers and I start to like some adjustments in his mechanics, I may be drooling my June. I think he has the highest ceiling of all the draft prospects right now but his floor is considerable lower than the other two pitchers. But, because of the ceiling, he is my pick right now.

You regulars here know I write a weekly column for www.bigleaguefutures.net and keep up a composite mock draft throughout the year. This is a good post to get up to speed on the draft so give it a click… BTW, I agree that Manaea will go #1.


There’s no one better at this than John Sickels so I was quite impressed with where the Mets faired here 

(http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/1/28/3925786/2013-baseball-farm-system-rankings):

1) St. Louis Cardinals (ranked #5 last year): Strengths: Everything. They have pitching, hitting, high upside, and depth. They have a proven track record of player development. Weaknesses: none really. They could use a shortstop with a better bat but so could most teams.
           
NL East:

8) Miami Marlins (29)

12) New York Mets (15): Strengths: strong at the top with trade acquisitions Zack Wheeler, Travis D'arnaud, and Noah Syndergaard all ranking as Grade A- prospects. Pitching in general is a strength, with large amount of depth behind the top group. Weaknesses: impact hitting behind D'Arnaud and Wilmer Flores.

20) Philadelphia Phillies (24)

25) Washington Nationals (14)

27) Atlanta Braves (8)
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