Mulvey, the Mets top pick in the 2006 draft, went 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 151.2 innings for Double-A Binghamton last season.

…double-a pitching coaches and scouts i spoke with while covering the 2007 b-mets unanimously agreed mulvey will be a major league starting pitcher in the near future, though likely not an ace…

He finished the season with 13 shutout innings in New Orleans.

Evan Drellich: What’s going through your head after the trade?

Kevin Mulvey: I still have the same answer that I’ve always had, I know that I have no control over what happened and I look forward. Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity that everybody’s telling me that I have to go into spring training and try to make the team.

Evan Drellich: Have you been informed that you’re in contention for a major league roster spot with the Twins?

Kevin Mulvey: Well, they didn’t tell me whether I would make the team or not, but they told me I’d come into spring training with a chance, you know? Anybody in spring training has the chance to make the team.

Evan Drellich: What are your final thoughts on your time with the Mets?

Kevin Mulvey: I never played for the New York Mets, but I can say that the Binghamton Mets fans were great. I never played in New Orleans, but on the road it was a lot of fun to play in a Mets uniform at the Triple-A level.

I have nothing but great things to say about every single coach that I ever had in the brief Mets career that I had, I have nothing but good things to say about the organization and the front-office people. They’re a first-rate organization, they had a lot of class, they treat people well. Obviously they’re doing a good job—the Mets are a very successful organization, both money-wise and on the field—and I have no bitterness toward them at all.

Evan Drellich: Though you were just one part of the package the Mets put together for Santana, is it in any way a compliment to you to be traded for one of baseball’s best pitchers?

Kevin Mulvey: I can’t say if it was a compliment or not a compliment. I can say that, as of right now, the Mets needed a front-line starter and Johan Santana was available and they did what they needed to get him.

...best of luck in Minnesota, kevin…

…added to by Matthew Cerrone…

…first off, hat’s off to evan for being able to reach mulvey, who i am certain was getting inundated with phone calls from friends and family as news of trade became public…

…i’ll say this, during the Winter Meetings, i was very impressed by the number of people inside baseball who spoke so highly about mulvey, especially the Twins and A’s…so, good for him, and i hope he goes on to have a great career…

…added to by Jordan Zakarin…

…i spoke to Baseball Prospectus prospect guru Kevin Goldstein, who was just a week away from releasing his Mets Top 11 Prospects List, to learn more about the players who will be leaving the Mets for Minnesota…

Kevin Goldstein: They’re giving up, like you say, four guys who were all among their top prospects. Then again, this is the Mets system we’re talking about, so their top prospects aren’t equal to other teams top prospects. There’s nobody on that list of four who is some kind of guaranteed stud — it’s a crazy great deal for New York.

Jordan Zakarin: Who will they miss the most of that lot?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t think any of them had any sort of immediate impact potential with the Mets, as Gomez was blocked. After that, guys like Humber and Mulvey had fill-in chances, but they just added a starter to their mix — a pretty good one at that.

Jordan Zakarin: Given that you have to do a new top 11, and will be looking at some of the lower level guys, what are the chances the mets can replenish this prospect depth in-house, from recent draftees or international signings?

Kevin Goldstein: It was a bad system before, and it’s obviously a much worse, borderline horrible system now. But that’s okay.

A minor league system serves two purposes: One, create talent for the big league team. Two, create talent to get other players for the big league team.

The system just filled purpose No. 2 quite well.

Jordan Zakarin: I think the darkhorse here was Deolis Guerra, in terms of potential, and fans not knowing so much about him. He probably has the highest ceiling of the pitchers traded. But, the Mets have recently been bragging about a strong low minor league, recently drafted corps of pitchers. Do you see any potential top prospects there, that could replenish the farm and make up for these losses?

Kevin Goldstein: Not really. Every system has high upside guys at the lower levels who COULD become top prospects, but few do, and I was argue that the Mets actually have far fewer of that type of player than most teams. I like Guerra plenty, but he was no sure thing, either.

Jordan Zakarin: How lucky are the Mets to have kept Fernando Martinez? It’s seemingly a dumb question, but basically I’m asking how good of a prospect is he, and are you surprised they got Santana without him?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t like ‘lucky’, it’s just a good trade. I’m not surprise Martinez isn’t in the deal — I’m downright shocked. To me here’s clearly the Mets’ best prospect, and I have no idea how the Twins can make that trade without getting him.

Jordan Zakarin: I’ll let your scouting report coming out soon speak for itself, but do you think there’s a clear gulf between Martinez and Gomez, and do you think Minnesota may have chosen Gomez because he can play center field?

Kevin Goldstein: I think Gomez’s CF ability definitely plays into that. The have a wide open hole there right now that needs to be filled, so Gomez will compete with Jason Pridie and Denard Span.

Jordan Zakarin: Does Mike Pelfrey not being in the deal reflect more on the Mets still liking him, or baseball people elsewhere being down on him?

Kevin Goldstein: We don’t know that, unfortunately. We don’t know if he was offered, and we don’t know how the Twins feel about him. In general, from talking to other people in the industry, Pelfrey’s stock was pretty down after 2007.

Jordan Zakarin: Do people see him more as a reliever now, and do you think he can still crack the Mets rotation?

Kevin Goldstein: People are mixed on that question. He’ll be given a shot in spring training, but he’ll have to earn it.

Jordan Zakarin: Finally, how do you think this offer compares to the Red Sox offer, and do you have any idea how the Mets were able to pull this off?

Kevin Goldstein: I think what we’ve learned here is that we probably never really knew what the Red Sox offer was. Because what was rumored is a far greater package than this. Same goes for the Yankees.

…big thanks to kevin, who did this interview at the spur of the moment…i forward to your new Mets Top 11 Prospects List at Baseball Prospectus, which should be interesting…though this trade probably make your life a lot harder…

specifically from the minor-league coaches down in

…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…

“Monday in this space I discussed the strength of a Phil Hughes-led offer from the Yankees, but a Mets package that includes Martinez, Guerra, Gomez, and Mulvey would blow that out of the water.”

Gleeman also writes for The Hardball Times and Rotoworld.com, among other noteworthy websites

…thanks to Peter Wade for the link…

Martinez, Guerra, Gomez, Mulvey and Humber are among the top seven prospects in the Mets farm-system, according to Baseball America, who writes…

“Minaya says Martinez is on the same track as players such as Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa, all of whom reached the majors by age 20…His bat ultimately will be his calling card, and the Mets see him as a future 30-homer threat…

“Guerra’s fastball had below-average velocity for most of his first season, but now it ranges from 89-94 mph and touches 96…The Mets have monitored Guerra’s workload carefully, and he has plenty of projection in his big-shouldered frame.  His next goal will be to stay healthy and pass the 100-inning level…

“Mulvey throws four pitches for strikes and keeps everything down…His competitiveness makes his whole greater than the sum of his parts…He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter…

“Humber still has the best curveball in the organization…He’s still refining his command…He now projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter.”

Willie Randolph, on Mulvey, as quoted by Burke…

“I like his poise.  I don’t think he was intimidated at all. Spring training is such a small window, but I like the fact that he showed a real poise and presence. And his stuff was crisp and decent…He has all the tools. I’m excited about him and from what I hear in the organization, a lot of our guys are saying good things about him too.”

Mulvey is ranked as the team’s second-best pitching prospect, behind Deolis Guerra, and ahead of Phil Humber, by Baseball America, who writes…

“Mulvey throws four pitches for strikes and keeps everything down.  His fastball, which sits at 87-91 mph and touches 94, features good sink and run…His competitiveness makes his whole greater than the sum of his parts…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.”

…as i mentioned during the Winter Meetings, the Twins and A’s seemed to really like mulvey, which, to me, says a lot, since those two organizations are known for having such strong scouting departments…

In 26 starts for Double-A Binghamton last season, Mulvey was 11–10 with a 3.32 ERA, while striking out 110 batters and walking 43 through 152 innings.

Overall, Mayo isn’t bullish on the team’s system, noting the dearth of high minor-league talent that has so far left them frustrated in their efforts to acquire a top-line starting pitcher.

Mayo places the team’s prospects in a number of categories based on their 2007 performances, including “climbed the ladder”, “kept their footing”, and “dropped a rung”.

Interestingly, he lists OF Fernando Martinez, the team’s top prospect, in “dropped a rung” category, despite his decent performance as an 18-year old at Double-A Binghamton.

Mayo names RHP Kevin Mulvey, the Mets’ top pick in 2006 who spent nearly the entire year at Binghamton, their organizational pitcher of the year; the team bestowed the same honor upon the Parlin, NJ native in October.

He awarded the organizational position player of the year award to 1B Brett Harper, who at 26 was finally healthy and had a bounce back season with Binghamton.

…mayo paints a bit of a grim picture, and is especially hard on youngsters martinez and Deolis Guerra, who put up a 4.01 ERA as an 18-year old in the FSL… we’ve heard all off-season how weak the Mets system is, though that talk has seemed to have subsided a bit recently…

…as matt cerrone posted yesterday, the mets realize they need to change their draft approach, using their considerable financial muscle to buck mlb’s slot guidelines and sign talent that has fallen due to bonus demands… given their two first rounders, and a first round supplemental this upcoming draft, nows the time to make the change…

…in addition, there has been a large influx of latin talent signed over the last two years… some will make their united states debuts, while some will make it to full season leagues…that could also prove a major boon to the farm system this time next year…

Topping his list, with B+ grades, are OF Fernando Martinez and RHP Deolis Guerra, followed by OF Carlos Gomez and RHP Kevin Mulvey, both given B’s but with the potential to be bumped up to B+ in Sickels’ yearly prospect book, which is due out in February.

…note that because of service time accrued, OF Lastings Milledge and RHP Mike Pelfrey did not qualify for the list…

On the system as a whole, Sickels states:

“There is some nice pitching in this system, but depth in position players is very weak. Overall the system is better than it looks at first, but lack of hitting depth is a problem, and I hate the way they rush some of their prospects.”

…later this week, i’ll have an interview with sickels about his take on the Mets farm system…

…given the questions about the team’s lack of depth, the list is a lot more promising than one might initially anticipate…unlike Baseball America, sickels ranks 1B Nick Evans in the top ten…after evans’ strong year in the extreme-pitcher friendly Florida State League, i agree with sickels…

…as with all of these Mets lists, you get the feeling there will be significant upheaval and change in the next year or two, as the top-level guys such as Carlos Gomez and Phil Humber graduate for good (or are traded); the nearly ready 2007 draftees start seeing big-league time; and the big latin classes signed over the past two summers start to see significant time stateside…

Davidoff, on what has been done already…

“3. Exercised their 2008 option on Moises Alou. Thumbs down. At some point, the 41-year-old Alou is going to stop hitting. And even if he keeps hitting, he’s going to keep getting hurt, too.”

…on what still needs to be done…

“1. Trade Aaron Heilman, Lastings Milledge, Kevin Mulvey and a lower-level prospect to the A’s for Dan Haren.”

“The beauty of a Haren trade is that the Mets would be acquiring an ace for the price of a back-of-the-rotation starter. They would retain the payroll flexibility to go out and get Santana on the free-agent market a year from now, if Santana is still available, or Erik Bedard in two years.”

…davidoff has several valid points and this was an interesting read, but i actually liked keeping alou on for 2008…of course he’s a risk, but a risk worth taking…

…also, his trade proposal would most likely bring haren to the mets, but i’m still anxious to see which prospects, if any, minaya decides to deal…

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.”

John Manuel, writing for BA, ranked them in this order:

1. Fernando Martinez, OF
2. Deolis Guerra, RHP
3. Carlos Gomez, OF
4. Kevin Mulvey, RHP
5. Eddie Kunz, RHP
6. Brant Rustich, RHP
7. Philip Humber, RHP
8. Jon Niese, LHP
9. Nathan Vineyard, LHP
10. Robert Parnell, RHP

Regarding the farm system as a whole, Manuel writes:

Scouts from other organizations say the Mets have little immediate help on the way in the farm system. The jury is still out on how much Pelfrey and Humber will contribute, and there’s not much in the way of upper-level position players behind outfielders Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez.

The lack of talent reflects New York’s decision not to wield its large-market resources to acquire talent the last two years, particularly in the draft. The Mets have surrendered their first-round choice as free-agent compensation in each of the past two drafts, and haven’t tried to compensate by exceeding MLB’s bonus guidelines with other picks. Minaya said that could change in the near future.

Manuel will be chatting on BaseballAmerica.com to discuss the rankings at 1 pm.

…a thin list indeed, it doesn’t include Mike Pelfrey or Lastings Milledge, as they have exceeded rookie innings pitched and at bat limits, respectively… even so, after Martinez and Guerra, there is little high-end talent here to speak of… interestingly enough, no Mike Carp, who struggled with injuries this year…

…Manuel does mention the Mets’ large caribbean signing class this summer, which will perhaps soon inject some high ceiling talent into the system, but a change in draft strategy is seemingly crucial…

…i’ll be back later in the day with my own writeups of some of the top 10, as well as a bit of a recap of Manuel’s chat, which starts in a little less than an hour…