Daily Archives: February 12, 2010
…i keep hearing the Mets might do, or are considering doing, some sort of New York-themed race in Citi Field, sort of like the Sausage Race in Milwaukee and the Presidents Race in DC… i am not sure how to feel about this… on one hand, it’d better than the digital, no-human element Subway and Airplane races they typically run on the scoreboards in Citi Field and Yankees Stadium… at the same time, it’s copying the Brewers and Nationals… but, it could also be pretty entertaining, depending on what type of characters they have running around out there…
According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, Nelson Figueroa, Fernando Nieve, Pat Misch and Anderson Hernandez are all out of options, and so, “They must clear waivers if they don’t make team.”
…this is clearly going to factor in to who ends up being rewarded the fifth starter spot… Jon Niese can be sent down to the minors, though i do think he has as good of a chance at making the roster as anyone else… i think it’s too early to speculate on the roster anyway… i need to see these guys pitch… plus, who knows how niese and nieve, and others, are looking post surgery… that said, there’s going to be lots of competition, for the final bench spot, the final spot in the rotation and the final role in the bullpen…
The Mets have the ninth most-valuable sports brand in the world, and the second most-valuable brand in baseball, at an estimated value of $159 million, according to Forbes Magazine.
“The important thing to note here is that the numbers are Forbes calculations of the brand value alone, not the complete value of any team, athlete, event or business,” they explain. “It’s all about branding.”
The Yankees are the most valuable brand in baseball, worth $266 million, while the Red Sox check in at third, just $2 million behind the Mets.
…this is impressive, considering, when i asked people to identify the team’s brand last fall, the responses were about 90 percent negative… this is also good news, in that if the Mets can just start winning again, it will not take much to re-direct the franchise to a more profitable, popular position…
Last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, which airs every Thursday night at 7 pm, Keith Hernandez said Daniel Murphy needs to get more help from Luis Castillo.
Hernandez explained, when he played first base and a left-handed hitter would be up, Wally Backman and Tim Tueful would signal to him if an off-speed pitch was about to be thrown, since he was unable to see the catcher’s signal. This way, Hernandez knew how far off the bag to play.
“I asked Murphy if Castillo did that for him, and he said,” Hernandez explained. “I told him, I think you’re going to have to go have a talk with Luis, and tell Luis you want to know.”
…the point here is, there was not a whole lot of communication going on in the right-side of the infield… and, hopefully that will change… i guess that is what Spring Training is for…
To see clips of Hernandez talking by phone with Kevin Burkhardt, as well as interviews with John Maine and Mike Pelfrey, all from last night’s Mets Hot Stove, go here.
Kevin Goldstein has released his Top 11 Mets Prospects list for Baseball Prospectus.
Goldstein ranks 20–year-old RHP Jenrry Mejia as the team’s top prospect, saying:
“It’s rare to find a fastball with plus-plus velocity and movement, but Mejia has just that… he needs to find a consistent breaking ball. He gets around on his slider too often, leading it to sweep across the plate on a single plane. His pitches have so much movement that at times he has trouble controlling them in the strike zone.”
Goldstein says, in a perfect world, Mejia will be an upper-echelon starter, though he could end up in Citi Field’s bullpen by the end of this season.
In addition, Goldstein says:
- There are still many scouts who see Fernando Martinez as a future All Star;
- Wilmer Flores has ‘middle-of-the-order potential,’ but it’s certainly no guarantee;
- Ike Davis won’t be a big star, but he will be a solid slugging first baseman;
- Brad Holt, who still relies on his fastball, can be a third or fourth starter, but he also has the possibility of working in the back end of a bullpen;
- Kirk Nieuwenhuis is a big athlete with solid tools across the board, with a good sense of the strike zone and a quick bat, who could be an everyday outfielder;
- Reese Havens, who has the most patient approach in the system, could be a low-average second baseman who makes up for it with walks and power.
To read about other Mets prospects, including more details about the players mentioned above, as well as a review of the overall system, read Goldstein’s report, here.
Yesterday, the Arizona Winter League said 22–year-old free-agent SS Rylan Sandoval had signed a minor-league contract with the Mets.
In a post to Mets Minor League Blog, Toby Hyde explains why acquiring Sandoval could help Mets 18–year-old SS prospect Wilmer Flores.
Last month, Keith Law of ESPN.com ranked Flores at No. 43 on his list of the Top 100 Prospects in MLB, saying he can be an eventually be power bat, who will be best fit to play first base or outfield.
In November, Adam Rubin of the Daily News named Flores the team’s second-best prospect in his list for Baseball America.
To read a scouting report, and see video, of Flores, check out Scouting the Sally.
Yesterday, Tom Glavine announced his retirement, and said he will be joining the Braves as a special assistant to team president John Schuerholz.
Glavine will be a guest today on WFAN at 12:45 pm, during which host Evan Roberts will almost certainly talk with him about his comments following the final game of 2007.
← Older posts
