Daily Archives: January 28, 2008
In his latest mailbag for MLB.com, Marty Noble answers questions about the Mets lack of activity in the free-agent pitching market, arbitration, and debates who is better: Ryan Church or Shawn Green.
…ugh…i just heard a bit of Kevin Burkhardt’s pre-taped interview with Billy Wagner, which will air for the first time tonight on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove…during the interview, wagner tells kevin that, as of today, the Phillies and 
Braves should be ranked higher than the Mets…
…it’s all about managing expectations, i guess…
…at any rate, true or not true, why say this out loud…look, i respect and appreciate billy’s honestly…but, seriously, does a closer in new york really need to draw even more attention to himself than he is already exposed to…if he intends to be this season’s lightning rod, for his sake, he better be lights-out successful…
To watch Burkhardt’s interview with Wagner, tune in to SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report tonight at 6: 30 pm.
According to the player’s agent, the Mets have signed 18–year-old Australian 
high school pitcher Adam O’Neill.
Mets scout Tony Harris, who signed O’Neill…
“I watched him pitch and I was immediately interested. He had a great arm action, was fluid, had that perfect pitcher’s body and kept the ball low with a hard curve that was fooling the hitters.”
For more on O’Neill, click here.
According to the report, O’Neill will first report to Port St. Lucie.
…thanks to NY Mase for the link…
The Phillies have signed free-agent 3B Pedro Feliz to a two-year contract, reports Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
Feliz batted .253 with 20 HR and 72 RBI in 150 games for the Giants last season.
Tagged Pedro Feliz |
…given matt’s post from earlier today, about the team’s young pitching, it makes sense to dig deeper and take a look at the young arms they are apparently so high on…
Here’s a look of some of the top pitchers the Mets have nabbed in the past two June amateur drafts (in no particular order):
Scott Moviel, RHP (2nd round, 2007): Drafted in the second round out of high school this past June, Moviel went 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the GCL Mets, tossing 40 innings and allowing 45 hits, but walking only 11 and striking out 37. He’s a power pitcher with a strong feel for his breaking stuff. His ceiling is considered amongst the highest of the Mets’ pitching prospects, and not just because he stands six foot seven.
Brant Rustich, RHP (2nd round, 2007): Rustich is a big (6′6, 225) reliever with big stuff. He began his short debut season with Kingsport of the Appy League, appearing in five games while posting a 0.87 ERA. In 10.1 innings he allowed six hits and a walk, striking out ten. After moving up to Brooklyn, he tossed 12.1 frames in ten games, allowing ten hits. He struggled a bit in Hawaiian Winter Baseball, but the Mets think he had some of the best stuff in last june’s draft, and he could move quickly as a reliever. They also may try him out as a starting pitcher, as he has three plus pitches.
Nathan Vineyard, LHP (1st round supplemental, 2007): A lefty out of Georgia, Vineyard has middle of the rotation potential, to go along with an already plus-slider. His fastball is in the low 90′s and can improve, as he has the size (6’3, 200 lbs) and pitchability to do so. He didn’t fare so well in his pro debut (0-3, 5.27 ERA in 27 IP in the GCL), but is as solid a prospect as you’ll find a year removed from high school.
Nicholas “Cole” Abbott, RHP (25th round, 2007): A lanky, under the radar righty from Utah, Abbott already boasts a low 90′s fastball and a decent breaking ball, despite the lack of experience that comes with growing up in a less than baseball crazy state like Utah. He got beat up in his pro debut (0-3, 7.31 in 10 games), though he pitched mostly from the bullpen. He won’t be on any fast track, but he’s a sleeper type prospect.
Guilluame Leduc, RHP (6th round, 2007): Even lankier at 6’4 and 190, Leduc is a raw talent, coming out of Montreal, where they play only a few months a year and the instruction is less then world class. Still, he has a low 90′s fastball and a decent spinner, and has some potential with ample work.
Nick Carr, RHP (Draft and Follow, 2005): Carr was 5-2 with a 3.80 ERA for Brooklyn. He tossed 66 innings, only allowing 55 hits, and while he tended to lose command at times, walking 27, he struck out an impressive 74 NYP league hitters. He has dominating stuff, though with a herky jerky motion that could eventually send him to the bullpen. He should be in one of the two Class A Leagues this season.
Phillips Orta, RHP (10th round, 2006; signed as DAF, 2007): Born in Venezuela, Orta pitched for Western Nebraska Community College before signing with the Mets. He has a potential plus fastball at 89-94 mph, and can throw a good slider at times. He didn’t put up good numbers in his pro debut, but is another sleeper to keep an eye on as he starts his first full season in pro ball in 2008.
Tagged Minors |During the Marchand Minute on today’s Max Kellerman Show, ESPN 1050’s Andrew Marchand quotes a baseball executive – with knowledge of 
the Johan Santana trade – as saying the Mets feel as if the ball is in Minnesota’s court, and its up to Twins GM GM Bill Smith to make the next move.
According to Marchand, the Mets remain confident, as they have been since prior to the Winter Meetings, but do not feel anything has changed from their perspective.
To stream ESPN 1050 live from your computer, click here.
Tonight on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove Report, Kevin Burkhardt will interview Billy Wagner, and then be joined in studio by Adam Rubin of the Daily News and Ed Coleman from WFAN.
…also, i will be on again, this time with a one-minute segment about how Mets fans say they feel about the team’s bullpen heading in to 2008…
The program airs at 6:30 PM EST, and again at 11:00 PM EST.
By the way, Hot Stove is asking, “If the Mets fail to acquire Johan Santana, who should they use or sign to be their fifth starter?”
To vote, go to 
and scroll down.
…there is a new bit of rhetoric coming from the Mets, specifically 
from the minor-league coaches down in St. Lucie, which goes as follows…
…for the first time in a long while, the Mets are working hard to sign as many young pitchers as they can…they feel they have acquired some of the best young pitching through the draft over the last year or two…so, even if the Mets trade a few minor-league pitchers in the next week or so, they still have a good number of young arms to fill in with over the next few years…
…in other words, if a trade is made, the farm system will not be ‘decimated,’ as so many people have tried to suggest…
…forgive me, but, i’ll believe it when i see it…and that’s no disrespect to the Mets, it’s just i will always have a difficult time getting overly excited about pitching prospects…
…also, for what it’s worth, these same people in florida seem to mention Kevin Mulvey quite a lot, and believe he is capable of competing for the starting rotation during spring training – assuming he is still with the organization…
In their recent Top 10 Prospects List for the Mets, Baseball America ranked Mulvey as the team’s second-best pitching prospect behind RHP Deolis Guerra, and ahead of Philip Humber, writing…
“He’ll open 2008 in Triple-A, but Mulvey could get a look in the rotation by midseason. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter.”
The 22-year-old Mulvey was 11–10 with a 3.32 ERA in 26 starts for Double-A Binghamton this past season.
Following the release of Baseball America’s list, the site’s editor, John Manuel, was asked if Mike Pelfrey would have been ranked higher than Mulvey or Guerra, had Pelfrey still have been eligible, to which Manuel responded…
“I don’t imagine he’d rank higher than fourth, and in some ways I’d rather have Kevin Mulvey, who has the fearlessness to throw fastballs in fastball counts and the command to get outs with it. I’m pretty impressed by Mulvey’s season the more I dive into it, though I still see him as more of a No. 4 starter than a No. 3. Pelfrey might end up a reliever if he doesn’t throw more strikes with his fastball.”
…regarding any future trades with, oh, i don’t know, the Twins, i just can’t see how a deal gets made without mulvey being involved, especially if the Mets are unwilling to part with the Teenage Hitting Machine…additionally, i never get the sense that the Twins are very interested in pelfrey, nor was oakland for that matter, which has always been somewhat alarming to me since those two organizations are well-known for having tremendous scouting departments…
Tagged Minors |According to La Velle E. Neal III, in a post to his blog for the Star-Tribune, “It looks like the Twins want to get a Johan Santana trade done this week or begin preparing for his arrival at spring training.”
Additionally, it is unlikely that a third team will be needed to make a trade, explains Neal, and the Twins will not part with an extra player to push a deal along.
Ultimately, Neal writes…
“I still rank the Mets as the favorite with the Yankees second but the Twins have every right to demand that Fernando Martinez be included in the deal…The Mets are trying to get one of the best pitchers in baseball for prospects. Excuse me while I put on my Allen Iverson hat. Prospects? Prospects? We’re talking about prospects, man. Not proven major league talent, prospects.”
…by the way, the New York Post is reporting that a deal for santana is ‘imminent,’ but they are just referencing the report from the Pioneer Press on sunday…in fact, they each cite the actual report, which is why i am not posting every single article…i mean, they’re all based on the same report, which i referenced over the weekend…
…you know, i’m gonna miss good ol’ La Velle E. Neal III when this whole santana saga is over…it’s funny how every off-season i end up obsessing over some other team’s player, typically from oakland, and during that time i truly come to enjoy the work of these non-new york writers who i don’t get the opportunity to read as often as i should…
In yesterday’s Newsday, Ken Davidoff takes a look at the rising value of Fernando Martinez, and quotes a scout as saying…
“He’s not a centerfielder. He’s an advanced bat. He’s going to
have power down the road…His lower half is mature, but his lower half is not quick-twitch. I envision him as a corner outfielder.”
…i have no idea what quick-twitch is…is that a good thing or a bad thing…anyway…
…from what i can gather, there are no plans to try him out at first base, because he may not be swift enough on his feet…which is too bad…if for no other reason than it provides more options…
Davidoff also recalls Martinez’s role in a potential deal for Barry Zito and the A’s, who deemed the young outfielder ‘too raw.’
…being the spin-obsessed, message-development skeptic that i am, i expect to see a ton of stories helping to hype fernando over the next few days…this way, if the Mets lose out on Johan Santana, they can say, ‘Hey, we just couldn’t part with Martinez, you know, because he is such a huge prospect,’ though i’m probably reading way, way too much in to that…
Of course, as I noted last week on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, 80 percent of those polled at MetsBlog.com said they would trade Martinez, with four other prospects, to get Santana.
Speaking of prospects, Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook lists each organization’s Top 30 Prospects.
In a post to Prospects Blog, BA’s Matt Eddy breaks down where each of those 30 prospects were selected from.
According to Eddy, 10 of the Mets top 30 were selected from college in the draft, 10 came from International signings, five were from high school, two were draft and follows, one was a non-drafted free agent, one was from trade and one was from the Rule V Draft.
…for what it’s worth, i am hearing more and more people connected to the Mets expressing frustration with the slotting system, while acknowledges that it’s time to move away from it and just start doing what’s best for their organization…which is great news, especially since they have three picks through the first round-and-a-half of the draft this year…
For more on the ‘slotting system,’ check out Ken Davidoff’s recent column for Newsday, during which Minaya insinuates a need to sway from his previous draft style.
Tagged Minors | ← Older posts
