SB Nation - Wilmer Flores

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospect Lists for 2010

raygu — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0000

In addition to the top 20 Prospect lists that SB Nation's John Sickels is writing up over at Minor League Ball, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus are working on their top 10, or 11 in the case of BP, prospect lists for 2010.

Today, I give you the Baseball America top 10 prospect lists for 2010 for the National League East teams:

Marlins

1. Mike Stanton, of

2. Logan Morrison, 1b

3. Chad James, lhp

4. Matt Dominguez, 3b

5. Gaby Sanchez, 1b/3b

6. Ryan Tucker, rhp

7. Kyle Skipworth, c

8. Isaac Galloway, of

9. Scott Cousins, of

10. Jhan Marinez, rhp

More after the jump:

Nationals

1. Stephen Strasburg, rhp

2. Derek Norris, c

3. Drew Storen, rhp

4. Ian Desmond, ss

5. Danny Espinosa, ss

6. Chris Marrero, 1b

7. Jeff Kobernus, 2b

8. Justin Maxwell, of

9. Michael Burgess, of

10. Destin Hood, of

Phillies

1. Domonic Brown, of

2. Kyle Drabek, rhp

3. Michael Taylor, of

4. Travis D'Arnaud, c

5. Trevor May, rhp

6. Anthony Gose, of

7. Sebastian Valle, c

8. Jarred Cosart, rhp

9. Antonio Bastardo, lhp

10. Domingo Santana, of

Mets

1. Jenrry Mejia, rhp

2. Wilmer Flores, ss

3. Fernando Martinez, of

4. Ike Davis, 1b

5. Brad Holt, rhp

6. Jon Niese, lhp

7. Reese Havens, 2b/ss

8. Josh Thole, c

9. Ruben Tejada, 2b/ss

10. Juan Urbina, lhp

Braves

1. Jason Heyward, of

2. Freddie Freeman, 1b

3. Julio Teheran, rhp

4. Mike Minor, lhp

5. Craig Kimbrel, rhp

6. Christian Bethancourt, c

7. Randall Delgado, rhp

8. Zeke Spruill, rhp

9. Cody Johnson, of

10. Adam Milligan, of

Notes On Baseball America's Top 10 Mets Prospects

Sam Page — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:28 -0000

As you undoubtedly saw in the fanshots or somewhere else yesterday, Baseball America released its top 10 prospects list for the Mets, with Adam Rubin reprising as the author of the write-up and subsequent chat. Rubin's article didn't provide much insight into the ranking, but the chat cleared a few things up. Here are the things I found most interesting about the list with relevant quotes:

Fernando Martinez, the incumbent #1 prospect for two years, drops to #3 after his best season in the minors (.877 OPS in AAA at age 20). He continued to be chronically injured, tearing his meniscus, as mentioned in the article. Rubin said in the chat, "Fernando Martinez has fallen far enough that the Mets talk about going outside for a left fielder for 2010." That makes me worry the Mets are putting stock into his worthless sample-size major-league audition, because I find it hard to believe an injury could hurt his stock so much in a season where he had a break out. I know it was his fourth straight season with an injury, but on the other hand, that means he's gone from injury prone, projectable, with no results to injury prone, projectable, with good results. Rubin later said, when asked about Martinez no longer being untouchable, " His value is so diminished right now. He's certainly not untouchable, but teams are very concerned because he's been unable to stay healthy for four straight years."
Mejia taking the #1 spot is not surprising, but his being ranked four spots ahead of Holt kind of is. Rubin said this of Holt: "I know a fair amount of the scouts who watch Binghamton regularly during the season. The consensus seems to be that he will be a No. 3 starter in the majors. Here's a report one person gave me on Holt: Good four-seam fastball (88-93 mph, peak 95), curveball (75-78) and changeup (79-81). Command needs work. Wasn't quite the same after missing three weeks with an ankle injury. Has to learn to maintain a consistent release point. He'll add some weight as well which will improve his durability and stamina. Needs to improve from a mental perspective. Often allows situations to get out of hand by compounding problems due to overthrowing. Has to eliminate obsession with strikeouts." Holt supposedly was throwing in the lows 90s peak 98 on his fastball in 2008. When a reader questioned the change in perception later in the chat, Rubin insisted that Holt tops out at 95.
They still love Wilmer Flores, and put him in rightfield on the "Projected 2013 lineup." I wouldn't read into that much, since they basically just throw whatever prospects they can into these projected lineups; they likely will never happen. Take, for instance, the projected lineup for next year according to the 2006 version of this list:

Catcher Francisco Pena

First Base Carlos Delgado

Second Base Anderson Hernandez

Third Base David Wright

Shortstop Jose Reyes

Left Field Lastings Milledge

Center Field Carlos Beltran

Right Field Fernando Martinez

No. 1 Starter Mike Pelfrey

No. 2 Starter Philip Humber

No. 3 Starter John Maine

No. 4 Starter Deolis Guerra

No. 5 Starter Kevin Mulvey

Closer Billy Wagner

Reflects something of a past optimism, as opposed to the 2011 projected lineup, which reflects something of a past delusion:

Catcher Francisco Pena

First Base Fernando Martinez

Second Base Greg Veloz

Third Base David Wright

Shortstop Jose Reyes

Left Field Lastings Milledge

Center Field Carlos Gomez

Right Field Carlos Beltran

No. 1 Starter John Maine

No. 2 Starter Oliver Perez

No. 3 Starter Mike Pelfrey

No. 4 Starter Deolis Guerra

No. 5 Starter Kevin Mulvey

Closer Eddie Kunz

That outfield is awesome, but that pitching staff might be the worst-conceived in history. Also note them sticking Fernando Martinez somewhere, a la Wilmer. I also find it interesting that they projected a healthy Carlos Beltran to be in right field by 2011, but they this year, they put Carlos Beltran with irreparable bone-on-bone knee injuries in CF in 2013.

Speaking of Francisco Pena, apparently he will be left off the top 30 prospects list, per Rubin. Not even Mark and I did that in our ongoing top-26, and I really dislike Francisco Pena as a prospect.
Kirk Niewenhuis got ranked best defensive outfielder, which is encouraging, since the biggest question about his abilities are related to his fielding, not his hitting. Rubin passed along this scouting report: "He will garner comparisons to Curtis Granderson in terms of his position and ability to fill up the stat sheet in many offensive categories. Good opposite field power and a plus overall hitter. Great contact guy. Batted in the leadoff spot at the end of the season with St. Lucie and Binghamton and produced many multi-hit games. Figures to be a 20-20 guy. Good range in center and an average to slightly above average major-league arm." He also cited a scout that compared his mentality to Kirk Gibson's. That's high praise, for a guy that didn't crack the top 10.
Nate Vineyard retired.
Juan Urbina made the top-10 without throwing a professional pitch. Rubin justified ranking him ahead of the more established Jeurys Familia and Kyle Allen, thusly: The Mets spent $1.2 million on Urbina because they believe he's a top-10-caliber prospect. His fastball averages 88-89 mph, with a peak of 91 mph, but he has a clean delivery. Team officials believe the velocity will climb a little as he gets instruction, but that's fine for a lefthander. Familia throws from the opposite side and considerably harder and doesn't have a clean delivery. Allen also is righthanded." I nominate "Allen also is righthanded" to be the go-to non-sequitur at Amazin' Avenue.
The Mets won't push prospects anymore with Tony B gone.
Robbie Shields has grission. Rubin called him the baseball equivalent of a "gym rat," which is a new one.
Jordany Valdespin was named best athlete. He put up good numbers last year in Savannah, but didn't get promoted, so I assumed he must be a bad athlete or something. Guess not.

Sam's 2010 Offseason Plan

Sam Page — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:30 -0000

Take this post for what it is, subject to change and wishful thinking. I intended this plan to be realistic in the sense that all the trades and signings are possible, but not realistic in that I think it's what the Mets will actually do--that's another post for another time. So without further ado:

The Major Moves:

Sign Matt Holliday to a 6/$110 Million contract, starting salary $17MM--Maybe he will only sign for five years, but I think at age 36 he would still be at least an adequate outfielder given his skillset. I already made most of the case for Holliday here, but especially in a year where the Mets have a protected first round pick, he seems like a perfect fit. Jason Bay will be a DH in a few years, given how precipitously his fielding has declined. He's an acceptable backup plan, only if he'll take significantly fewer years, which he probably won't. The way Mets fans deified non-entities like Xavier Nady makes me think a they'll go crazy having a legitimately great corner-outfielder for the first time in a long time
Trade Bobby Parnell and Wilmer Flores to the Rays for Carlos Peña--I don't understand why Mets fans think it is smart or even efficient to resign firstbase to being played by someone like Daniel Murphy, if we sign Matt Holliday. It's not like the Mets were just middle-of-the-pack offensively last year, they were bottom of the barrel. With the largest payroll in the National League, why not try and fill all the team's holes with at least players who are average or better at their position? The Rays are motivated to sell Peña, being in his walk-year and making $10.5MM. They have a few a infielders on their bench, who could start on most teams (Aybar, Rodriguez), so they'll be most interested in a cheap set-up caliber reliever. Parnell fits that description easily--he's still making league minimum and posted a 3.80 tRA in the bullpen his rookie season. Wilmer Flores makes up the difference in value; he's the kind of super-athletic shortstop prospect the Rays love to hoard. For the Mets, Pena solves the "not enough homers" problem; he tied Mark Teixeira for the AL homerun crown, despite missing nearly all of September with a fractured hand. He has elite plate-discipline and the batting average will probably rebound a bit. If healthy, Peña is also an above-average defender and could easily be worth 4 WAR over a full season.
Sign Rich Harden to a 1-year/$10 million contract with incentives and a mutual option for a second season--See the above link on Matt Holliday for why I also don't want John Lackey. The best way to not get locked into bad contracts is to not give them. A one year deal to Rich Harden is the type of gamble a team with the Mets payroll should take. He's injury prone, having pitched just 140 innings the last two seasons, but in just 140 innings he can be worth 4+ WAR. He was just 1.8 WAR this season according to fangraphs, but that was due to bad luck with homers, which is reflected by his xFIPs being extremely consistent from year-to-year. Any argument to sign Lackey instead of Harden proves how overrated past durability is with pitchers. Coupling Harden with a good above-replacement contingency plan(s) likely costs less than Lackey, is incredibly more valuable than Lackey, will likely provide more innings than Lackey, and doesn't carry the huge risk of giving an injury prone pitcher in his 30s a multi-year contract.
Trade Jeff Francoeur to the Cubs for Mike Fontenot.--The Cubs will eventually dump Milton Bradley, and will look to replace him with an "RBI-guy" in rightfield. RBI's are Jeff Francoeur's specialty. Mike Fontenot magically amassed 3 WAR in under 250 plate appearances in 2007. In 2008, the Cubs gave him more responsibility then leaned toward trading him when his batting average sunk. As mentioned in that article, they still view him as trade bait. With such high BABIPs in past seasons, his batting average will likely rebound. I'd bet his true skill is somewhere in between .296 wOBA player of last year, or the .395 wOBA player of the year before, maybe the league average hitter of 2006. Even if he is only an average hitter, though, his fantastic defense (9.6 UZR/150) will make him more valuable than Castillo. Having a good defensive secondbaseman will be even more important with the young groundball pitchers Pelfrey and Niese in the rotation next year.

The Minor Moves:

Sign Carl Pavano 1 year/$6 million dollar contract--Pavano will likely half to accept another short-term commitment, because of his surface numbers and lingering injury concerns, but he actually pitched quite well last season. His 4.00 FIP reflects all-around good peripherals, consistent with his career numbers. Citi Field might help suppress his high HR/FB%, and a move to the National League can only help his strikeouts. At 3.7 WAR last season, he would have easily been the most valuable pitcher on the Mets. He'll likely be the best value on the market, and would solidify a rotation with a lot injury risk.
Sign Kiko Calero 2 years/$5 million dollar contract--Calero quietly posted a 2.38 tRA this season. Here's a pretty good summary on his attractiveness as a free agent, if 2.38 didn't convince you. He would be a definite upgrade over Parnell. I see him signing with the team that offers a multi-year deal.
Sign Adam Everett 1 year/$1 million--Here, I want a player that can step in and start, without dragging the whole team down with his poor play, if Jose's injuries become complicated. His defense isn't what it used to be but it's still great.
Sign Greg Zaun 1 year/$800,000--I waffled on this, but Omir Santos needs to go back to the minors. He's a minor league player who can't hit anything but fastballs, and pitchers will make the adjustment eventually. Zaun provides plate discipline and defense that is negligibly worse than Santos' and somewhat better than Bengie Molina's. Thole may be an adventure in the field, but if it gets too bad, Zaun has the bat to be a starter, without costing Molina-money.
Sign Endy Chavez 1 year/$1.5 million--Our hero. He's like Adam Everett for the outfield! He'll be coming off surgery, so it probably would not even cost this much to sign him. Even if he's lost a step, he's eons better than Francoeur in the field, so much better suited for a bench role.
Sign Shawn Hill 1 year/$400K--He was recently released by the Padres, but he's got a 4.11 career FIP. He's injury prone, but keeping both him and Maine around is a pretty good insurance plan for an already filled-out rotation.
Sign Mike Sweeney 1 year/$600K--Sweeney got his PhD in fixing fractured, mutli-cultural clubhouses from the 2009 Mariners (not that those things are necessarily related, or exactly describe the Mets). Anyone who liked Francoeur for his attitude will love Sweeney. His skills as a right-handed platoon bat are redundant with Nick Evans also around, but he'd be brought in just as much for his intangibles than abilities.
Sign Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year contract with incentives/max value $2.5 million--The former Angels ace is on the recovery path and would add dimension to the pitching staff as a cheap, worthwhile gamble in the bullpen.
Trade Luis Castillo to the Royals for virtually nothing--I'd bet they'd take him. Getting rid of Castillo is a priority, as I think he is a huge risk to totally bust in 2010. His continuing diminished range caps his value at ~1.5 WAR, and indicates his knees really aren't getting any better. He compensated for the lack of speed last year by taking an absurd amount of pitches and hitting a career-high percentage of line drives. There's no reason to expect him to repeat either of those feats in 2010. Sell high.

Overall thoughts:

On the hitting side, the lineup has patience, power, speed, and contact skills without any obvious holes. Never watching that squad would I think, "here's Santos-Cora-Valdez, 1-2-3." The bench re-emphasizes defense, something severely lacking from last year's backups, and features all players good enough to start on some team, but who aren't expecting starting jobs. Of the 26 players listed, 8 could be considered rotation candidates, which gives flexibility on who makes the opening-day roster and in case of an injury, no Pat Misches or Livan Hernadezes have to start. There's no obviously crappy reliever who fits in under the guise of "long man" but has no other usefulness or upside. Most importantly, this roster allows the AAA class of prospects (Davis, Martinez, Mejia, and Holt) to stay in AAA as depth options or emergency trade candidates, in case Harden, Pavano, Maine, and Hill all blow out their elbows. I could see 95 wins, and with good health, the upside for much more. Now go wild with your own proposals.

New York Mets Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

New York Mets' outfielder Fernando Martinez (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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New York Mets Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

This list was originally published December 20, 2008. This is a REVIEW of the PRE-SEASON list for 2009, not a revision of that list. This is a REVIEW of the old list. The first grade listed is the OLD GRADE.

1) Wilmer Flores, SS-3B, Grade B+: .273/.313/.351 in the Sally League. Not much power, very few walks. But at least his strikeout rate is reasonable, and he's very young at 18.

2) Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+: Hit .290/.337/.540 in Triple-A, .176/.242/.275 in the majors before knee injury. It looks like his power is coming around, and he's still just 20. Main need is to stay healthy.

3) Jon Niese, LHP, Grade B: 3.82 ERA with 82/26 K/BB in 94 innings in Triple-A, holding his own in the majors. I think he is well-positioned for success in 2010.

4) Brad Holt, RHP, Grade B: 5.98 ERA with 41/20 K/BB in 53 innings in Double-A, 53 hits allowed. Need for better secondary pitches to go with the fastball is evident.

5) Reese Havens, SS, Grade B: Hitting .232/.350/.397 in the Florida State League. Showing pop with 10 homers, good plate discipline, batting average low but there is some luck involved there. Still intriguing if he can stay healthy.

6) Jefry Marte, 3B, Grade C+: Hitting .235/.279/.348 in the Sally League. Very young at 18, but strike zone judgment is quite poor.

7) Jenry Mejia, RHP, Grade C+: Excellent in the Florida State League, OK in Double-A, combined numbers 2.50 ERA, 68/25 K/BB in 72 innings, 2.15 GO/AO, just 19 years old. Emerging as a top pitching prospect. Out of action with a finger injury.

8) Bobby Parnell, RHP, Grade C+: 3.94 ERA with 39/25 K/BB in 48 innings, 55 hits for the Mets. A competent reliever, being considered for starting role in 2010.

9) Eddie Kunz, RHP, Grade C+: 4.50 ERA with 28/28K/BB in 48 innings in Triple-A, 40 hits. 3.11 GO/AO ratio is intriguing, but needs better command.

10) Nick Evans, 1B, Grade C+: Hitting .218/.293/.405 between Double-A and Triple-A, hit .250/.298/.409 in 15 major league games. Window of opportunity is closing.

11) Ike Davis, 1B, Grade C+: Hitting .292/.377/.503 between Florida State League and Eastern League with big power spike erasing questions raised last year. Stock way up.

12) Dillon Gee, RHP, Grade C+: 4.10 ERA with 42/16 K/BB in 48 innings in Triple-A before hurting his shoulder.

13) Scott Moviel, RHP, Grade C+: 5.35 ERA with 24/14 K/BB in 37 innings in the Florida State League, 41 hits. Mediocre performance, perhaps hampered by recovery from knee injury.

14) Scott Shaw, RHP, Grade C+: 3.59 ERA with 102/50 K/BB in 120 innings in the Florida State League. Pretty good numbers, will transition to Double-A next year.

15) Eric Beaulac, RHP, Grade C+: 2.61 ERA with 106/34 K/BB in 93 innings in the Sally League. Strong K/IP and K/BB ratios, all numbers are solid, need to see at higher levels.

16) Ruben Tejada, SS, Grade C+: Hitting .294/.358/.382 with 14 steals in Double-A. Makes contact, can swipe a base, not a lot of power but just 19 years old. Looks like an interesting prospect to me with rising stock.

17) Greg Veloz, 2B, Grade C+: Hit .232/.297/.303 in the Florida State League, 18 steals but production weak otherwise. Just traded to the Nationals.

18) Michael Antonini, LHP, Grade C: 5.34 ERA with 67/25 K/BB in 84 innings, 98 hits in Double-A. Still throwing strikes, but has had problems adjusting to this level, as with many finesse guys.

19) Dylan Owen, RHP, Grade C: 5.36 ERA with 61/45 K/BB in 101 innings, 122 hits in Double-A. Just not dominant enough, like Antonini his finesse game hasn't translated well to this level.

20) Kyle Allen, RHP, Grade C: 3.99 ERA with 82/40 K/BB in 97 innings in the Sally League, 90 hits allowed. 2.17 GO/AO. Looks like an interesting sleeper prospect with good forward potential if he can sharpen command.

Josh Thole was rated as a Grade C in the 20-25 range pre-season, as I was concerned his lack of distance power and his defense. He still doesn't hit any homers, but his stock is higher and his contact ability is impressive enough for him to be in the top ten now. Ike Davis's power surge will vault him higher as well. Niese and Martinez should contribute next year, Mejia looks quite impressive, and Tejada is a sleeper. Overall the Mets system isn't bad at all, though I still think they push some of the Latin kids too quickly.

BS Applesauce - Reyes setback, Mets blow another, Castillo vs. the dugout, Yusmeiro Petit

Joe Budd — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:51:24 -0000

Not too much encouraging news after last night's debacle. The new and improved bullpen looks a lot like the 2008 bullpen for Santana. If I wasn't able to laugh about this season, I definitely would cry myself to sleep every night.

Meet the Mets

Jose Reyes was sent back to New York for further examination after he felt discomfort from running. Adam Rubin, who apparently played a mean shortstop back in Babe Ruth league, says he may be done for the season. At this point, what difference does it make if he plays in 2009?

Not only did Reyes suffer a setback, Luis Castillo fell down the dugout steps last night, spraining an ankle. It looks like we are going to have a double play combination of Angel Berroa and Alex Cora. Wow. Castillo can't wait for Florida.

Greg Prince lists the things that the 1914 Boston Braves did not do to complete their miracle season.

Metstradamus pictures a new Subway commercial.

The Mets horrible season has a trickle down effect on their farm system, as well.

Carlos Delgado is running, kind of.

Matt Cerrone talks to Josh Thole. No word yet if he means business too.

Centerfield Maz highlights one of my favorites, John Olerud.

Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 and Lance Broadway is not good.

Around the NL East

The Marlins blew a 4-0 lead to the Nationals, losing 6-4. Is it just me or are the Mets clearly the worst team in the division right now?

The Phillies lose to the Rockies and the fans left early. Wow, spoiled already.

JA Happ was moved to the Philadelphia bullpen.

The Braves showed signs of life last night, beating up on the Padres.

Around MLB

Yusmeiro Petit (remember him?) took a no-hitter into the 8th inning for Arizona.

Met fans aren't the only ones mad at Guillermo Mota. Prince Fielder was stopped at the Dodger clubhouse door by security after Mota hit him with a retaliation pitch.

Mark Prior's career rehabilitation with the Padres took a step back yesterday as he was released.

Joe Posnanski is getting a senior writers job at Sports Illustrated.

Keep an eye on Neftali Perez.

2009 Trade Deadline Preview: New York Mets

Brendan Scolari — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:35:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Boan - AP

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Buyers or sellers?

The Mets are five games under .500 with a 46-51 record. They are 10 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and 6.5 games behind the Rockies in the Wildcard race. The team really isn't in a position to contend this year but it sounds like the front office might try to make a push for the playoffs by adding players anyways. This week should be key in determining which direction the Mets will head this season.

Short-term need

The Mets have a few great players but most of the rest of the team has been mediocre at best and there are a lot of spots that could use an upgrade. Neither Omir Santos nor Brian Schneider is the answer at catcher. Carlos Delgado has begun swinging off a tee but nothing is imminent and in the meantime the club doesn't have a solid option at first base. Second baseman Luis Castillo has provided decent production but nothing special.

Carlos Beltran is still amazing when healthy but the rest of the outfield leaves much to be desired. Gary Sheffield can hit but can't field, Jeff Francoeur can field but can't hit, and Daniel Murphy can't do either. The Mets just don't have starting-caliber corner outfielders other than Beltran, unfortunately similar to their infield outside of Jose Reyes and David Wright.

The pitching is in similar condition. Johan Santana is still very good and Mike Pelfrey has been solid but after that there are question marks all over the place. Livan Hernandez has been predictably mediocre, John Maine has only made 11 starts, and Oliver Perez has been an absolute bust so far. The bullpen features Francisco Rodriguez who has a sparkling ERA but his peripherals have been declining for years and it isn't certain whether he will remain an elite closer. J.J. Putz is hurt and was ineffective when healthy and Billy Wagner is still rehabbing from arm surgery that has kept him out the whole year. If those two could get healthy and find their old form the bullpen would be a huge strength but that is unlikely.

Long-term need

For the long term the Mets will have to look to fill most of the same needs they have in the short term. Fernando Martinez should eventually be the full-time right fielder and Beltran will stay in center but neither Jeff Francoeur nor Daniel Murphy has shown much of a reason to be given the other outfield spot.

David Wright and Jose Reyes will man the left side of the infield for the forseeable future but there is no one to play the right side. Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo are getting old and Nick Evans is unexciting. The same thing goes for the catcher position, where the Mets don't have anyone they can trust for the long term.

The pitching rotation should be the same next year save for Jon Niese stepping in for Livan Hernandez but that may not be a good thing. Johan Santana has lost enough velocity that he isn't quite the pitcher he used to be, Mike Pelfrey hasn't lived up to huge expectations, John Maine has only thrown 150 innings or more once in his career, and Oliver Perez has been worth a grand total of 2.2 wins above replacement since his awesome 2004 campaign. Despite making fixing the bullpen a priority in the offseason it still isn't very good so the Mets will need to look for some power arms that won't be as expensive in terms of prospects or dollars as K-Rod and J.J. Putz were.

The Mets have exciting prospects from Latin America that should eventually be able to fill some of these holes but they aren't going to be ready for a while so the Mets will just have to be patient.

Big leaguers on the market?

If the front office decides that this is not the Mets year, some role players like Gary Sheffield and Pedro Feliciano could be on the market. The Mets could also trade Brian Schneider if some team becomes desperate for a catcher, but otherwise there shouldn't be too much movement. All the big names on the team figure to stay no matter what happens. If the Mets are buyers they could trade someone like Bobby Parnell or Jon Niese depending on what they are looking for but don't expect them to make a big move.

Minor league strength

The Mets don't have a lot of players ready to play in the majors this year but there is some good talent just a year or two away. The Mets have spent lots of money in Latin America and have gotten good returns, but they haven't been the best at finding talent in the draft.

Fernando Martinez is only 20 years old but already has 100 PA in the big leagues. The outfielder could find himself in New York to stay by next year. Shortstop Wilmer Flores is currently struggling in Single-A but has huge upside and isn't even old enough to vote yet. Third baseman Jefry Marte is another young player who is currently struggling but has lots of room for growth. Only 18, he has the power and athleticism to eventually become a fixture at the hot corner. Right-handed pitcher Jenrry Mejia is only 19 but is already in Double-A. He currently has a 3.74 ERA with 24 strikeouts and only 9 walks there. Brad Holt is a college draftee from the 2008 draft with a good fastball but weak secondary pitches. He was thriving in High-A and has good peripherals at Double-A but has allowed too many homeruns (7 in 34.2 innings).

Take on short-term money to win?

With their financial strength the Mets should be able to add a contract at the deadline if they find a suitable trade partner. The real question is whether the Mets want to go for broke and try to win this year even though they've struggled so far.

For more coverage of the Mets, check out Amazin' Avenue.

Halladay Applesauce - Mets reject Blue Jay offer, Minaya and Manuel safe, 9 straight for Phillies, Manny and Mantle

Joe Budd — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:03:39 -0000

Just when you thought they were out, they pull you back in. Not really because of the play on the field, but because of uncofirmed Jon Heyman reports of a rejected Halladay trade. There's much to say about the merits and drawbacks of the rumored trade, but at the very least, it gives us more to talk about than whether the Mets can get anything for Livan Hernandez.

Meet the Mets

Roy Halladay! Jon Heyman reported last night that Omar Minaya rejected a trade for the Toronto right hander that would have sent Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Ruben Tejada, and Bobby Parnell out of Queens. Andrew Beaton makes the case that the contract isn't worth one year of, at best, second place baseball. Meanwhile, Matt Cerrone is distracted by the shiny new name.

Surrounding this news came the story that Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya received the vote of confidence from the Wilpons. Shockingly, this signal does not mean that they will stay.

Fernando Nieve's thigh tear will cost him six weeks on the DL. Jonathan Niese is likely to start on Saturday in his place. Rob Neyer says it's about time. In the meantime, New York called up Cory Sullivan.

The Daily Stache has a disturbing prediction on the health of Carlos Beltran.

Wilmer Flores hit his third home run of the season last night.

Where have you gone, Nelson Doubleday? We need you.

There's even talk now of Livan Hernandez playing first base. Ugh. I love the blogosphere.

The New York Observer profiles the Mets' great broadcasting trio.

Mets Geek takes a look at the promising pitching prospect Kyle Allen.

34 years ago yesterday, Joe Torre hit into an MLB record four double plays.

For those of you in Manhattan, be sure to check out tonight's Amazin' Tuesday at Two Boots Tavern.

There is going to be a Voltron movie. No word on Carlos Beltran's availability to play the lead.

Around the NL East

The Nationals are now 0-5 under Jim Riggleman.

Washington starting pitcher Scott Olsen will have surgery to repair a small tear in his left labrum.

Philadelphia won its 9th straight without Roy Halladay.

Ken Rosenthal argues that Philadelphia could easily move from Halladay to Cliff Lee, should their first choice fall through.

The Phillies might also be looking to solidify their bullpen; they are scouting Chad Qualls. Qualls would probably cost a quality starting pitching prospect.

Tommy Hanson struck out 11 Giants en route to an 11-3 Atlanta victory.

Following Florida's 3-2 victory over San Diego yesterday, the Marlins optioned (isn't that a really nice way of saying demoted?) Andrew Miller to Triple-A.

No clear signal yet telling us if the Marlins are buyers or sellers.

Around MLB

Sacrifice bunts are Communist.

Manny Ramirez passes Mantle and Jason Schmidt wins his comeback.

Tracy Ringolsby lists the five best fits for Roy Halladay. The Mets don't make the list because they are too stupid.

The Pirates beat the Brewers 8-5, ending a 17-game losing streak against Milwaukee.

Amazin' Avenue Chat Transcript: John Sickels On Mets Prospects

Eric Simon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:13 -0000

Here is the transcript of our live Mets prospect chat with John Sickels of Minor League Ball. Enjoy.

Pat Andriola: Is Jenrry Mejia a top-50 MLB prospect?

John Sickels: He’d be top 100 for sure. Top 50? I don’t know. I’m going to do a new prospect list for Rotowire by the end of the month, so I’ll have a decision for that soon. He’s certainly taken a big step forward this year.

Pat Andriola: What do you make of Robert Carson and Scott Shaw?

John Sickels: I like Carson’s youth and ability to generate grounders and suppress home runs, but his strikeout rate isn’t all that great. I’d rate him a Grade C/C+ right now. Shaw is older and more advanced, but his components at St. Lucie aren’t that great and he is more of a fly ball pitcher than Carson. He throws harder, but his track record in college wasn’t that great either. I’d give him a Grade C right now. Both have major league potential but neither are elite prospects at this point.

Pat Andriola: What is Wilmer Flores’s ceiling?

John Sickels: Well he could be a superstar. He could also be just average, or he could flame out in Triple-A. His absolute ceiling would be as a .300, 30 homer guy. But it remains to be seen if his power will fully develop, and where he will fit defensively.

AnthonyR: Ike Davis is a guy who I saw quite a bit of at the Collegiate level. I’ve always thought that he had a much better "ceiling" as a back of the bullpen arm than in the field (where he was good, but I never was all that impressed). You mentioned in one of your prospect lists that this could be a potential for him should he not succeed. Am I seeing something that is not there and does he really have more potential at the plate than on the mound? I seem to be the only one who feels this way.

John Sickels: Well I liked Davis as both hitter and pitcher, but I think his ceiling his higher as a hitter. As a pitcher he looks like a short relief type. As a hitter he projects as a regular first baseman, which has more value. Give the guy a chance to hit….he’s doing a lot better this year and controls the zone very well.

viktor06: How do you Mets farm when compared to how it was one year ago and where would you rank it overall among the rest of MLB?

John Sickels: I don’t know how it ranks. I don’t try to compare farm systems during the season, there are too many moving parts. I wait until after the season is over and all the data is in before making system-to-system comparisons. off the top of my head I would rate it as average….they have some guys with great ceilings but could use more depth.

viktor06: What grades would these get from you now – Jeurys Familia, Robert Carson, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ruben Tejada

John Sickels: All have major league potential. none are sure things.
Carson C/C+
Familia C+/B-
Nieu: C
Tejada: C/C+

viktor06: How big of a concern are Ike Davis'platoon splits?

John Sickels: Moderately concerned. If they are still sharp next year then I would be more worried.

squid92: Which prospects are closest to the majors? Who could make an impact later this season or early 2010?

John Sickels: I think they are pretty thin at the upper levels and I don’t see anyone guaranteed to make an impact this year. Niese needs more chances. For 2010 you could see Davis or Mejia but even they might be better suited for 2011.

JamesK: Who are you most looking forward to tracking on the Mets single-A short season team, the Brooklyn Cyclones?

John Sickels: Well the guys I find interesting in the 2009 draft class haven’t signed yet. Of the guys on the roster right now, it will be interesting to see if OF Luis Rivera can maintain his hot start. He has tools but was terrible before this year. Can he keep this up?

squid92: Do you have any comps for Ruben Tejada? Brad Holt? Ike Davis?

John Sickels: Tejada: pick your own good glove/bad bat utility infielder, there are a bunch of them; Holt: If he stays healthy he could be like Pelfrey. For some reason I think he’ll get hurt though; Davis: Lyle Overbay with an excellent glove.

squid92: How would you rank the three Savannah arms (Familia, Carson, Allen)? What differentiates the three? Right now, I don’t have much to go on in terms of those three separating themselves in my mind.

John Sickels: they all look like C/C+ guys to me right now. I don’t see a lot to distinguish them either.

viktor06: Josh Thole - whats the latest status on his defense?

John Sickels: I can’t get through to half the websites on the internet right now so I can’t look up the numbers directly. the last i heard about his glove a month ago was ’making good progress.'

TheBigStapler: Steel cage match: Holt and Mejia. Who is the better prospect?

John Sickels: hmm….i’d say mejia. pretty close….i’d have mejia as a B+/B right now and Holt as a B.

JoshNY: When you’re evaluating a young player who’s in the process of changing positions (such as Josh Thole), how does that differ from the process of evaluating a player who’s simply not a very good defender (such as how Ryan Braun was as a prospect)?

John Sickels: Well that’s a very good question. Not trying to dodge it, but it really IS a case-by-case thing…what positions are involved? Why is he being moved? Is he being moved from an easier position to a more difficult one, or vice versa? Does he just need more experience? Physical tools? etc. etc. There is no hard and fast rule. Generally speaking, all other things being equal, the more athletic player has the edge over the less athletic player, but there are exceptions. I don’t have a hard and fast rule about it.

squid92: What's the good word on Scott Moviel? I know he’s been out of commission for a while, but is there anything good to go by on for now?

John Sickels: Well he’s on the mound at least, though I don’t have any recent reports about what his velocity/stuff is like post-injury. Personally I tend to be somewhat suspicious of the super-tall pitchers…guys like Moviel or Brackman with the Yankees. I think it is hard for them to keep their mechanics and command in gear…lots of moving parts…and I think they tend to get overrated, just as smaller pitchers are sometimes underrated.

whynot: Possible bullpen piece by 2010 a la Parnell? Or do the Mets really want to try him as a starter?

John Sickels: I don’t know what they want, but he looks like a reliever to me. Probably more 2011 though.

whynot: Reese Havens: Why not just move him to 2B now? Clearly he can’t play short. Good comp? Aaron Hill maybe or is that wishful thinking?

John Sickels: I could see Hill at this peak, perhaps with a few more homers and a bit less batting average. I agree with you, move him to second base.

jasondg: Fernando Martinez: Is his AAA success for real, or do you need to see more? Anything we should take away from his early struggles (in limited action) on the big club, or do we just need to be patient and let him adjust?

John Sickels: He just needs time. remember, he’s been rushed considering his age. I don’t know if he’s ever going to be a huge star that lives up to the hype, but he should be a solid player for a long time to come. He’s been awfully young for his leagues, and that combined with his injury problems have made it a bit hard to get a read on exactly how good he might be. Even scouts who have seen him a lot have mixed opinions about how much power he will show at his peak. in other words, i’m confident he will be a succesful player, but the exact SHAPE that success will take, I don’t know.

Evan_S: Regarding Francisco Pena, does he have a chance to become a decent hitting major league catcher? And how good his he behind the plate?

John Sickels: He sucks. He can’t hit and I don’t think he’ll start. He has a good arm but is still raw behind the plate. Maybe he’ll make it as a backup, but I don’t buy him as a regular at all.

JamesK:Where do you see Steve Matz's fastball topping out?

Meddler: I heard some message board buzz that he’s still thinking about declining the Mets offer and attending college. Have you heard anything on that front?

John Sickels: I rather like Matz and could see him being a consistent 90-94 guy with maturity. I would avoid worrying about signability rumors right now. Everything is all posturing at this point.

squid92: Any preliminary info on "Machete" Urbina Jr.?

John Sickels: I don’t know anything more than you do right now, and perhaps less. :)

TheBigStapler: Jon Niese: Does his newfound 2-seamer alter his projection at all?

John Sickels: My opinion hasn't changed. He can be a good 3/4 starter if given enough adjustment time and if he stays healthy.

squid92: What do you think of Aderlin Rodriguez? Obviously, not much data to go on. But have you seen any BP or fielding practice that gives any more information on him?

John Sickels: Nope. all I have are scouting reports right now. Great tools, raw, too young to know what will happen yet.

I’m happy to see international signees get more attention over the last few years, but expectations for these guys are even harder to live up to than for the North American kids…they are so young,and most of them are SO raw. The hype gets awfully thick.

Zwill: Ruben Tejada: Will his bat improve enough to make him an everyday player or will he just be a defensive replacement at the MLB level?

John Sickels: I don’t think he’ll hit. he’s got a great glove though.

Meddler: Anyway, has Kyle Allen shown any legitimate improvement yet this year? Folks around here know he’s "my guy" as Adam Schein would say.

John Sickels: I like the ground balls and the decent strikeout rate, and he’s made the jump from rookie ball without getting killed. I’d rate him as a Grade C right now, but with the potential to get well beyond that. Let’s see what the final numbers and scouting reports look like…he could be a big sleeper for 2010.

Meddler: Where are all of Zach Lutz’s doubles? That seems to be the issue holding his ISO back more than his raw power. Is he a better prospect than Lucas Duda or Shawn Bowman? If so, is he good enough that the Mets should consider supplanting one of those two and moving Lutz to Binghamton?

John Sickels: Well let’s see….bowman is the best athlete, but he strikes out way too much and probably always will. Duda just doesn’t have enough pop for a first baseman. Lutz hasn’t shown huge power this year either, but he’s still working off some injury rust. Right now, if i were the Mets, i think i’d leave things just as they are right now. I would rank Lutz and Bowman ahead of Duda since they have more defensive value.

Meddler: Reese Havens: He hurt his hand on a HBP recently, and I’ve heard zero diagnosis, but he hasn’t been in the lineup since. Have you caught any buzz on that front? What do you think of Havens’ low average in the FSL? Is his power/patience enough to make up for the lack of line drives?

John Sickels: I haven’t heard anything either. Yes, the low batting average is a concern, but power/patience were his calling cards anyway. Right now I’m more concerned abou this durability than anything….he seems to get hurt a lot and that could cut into his offensive development.

squid92: What’s happened to Jefry Marte? I see he’s got 31 errors in 70 games and he’s not hitting either?

Meddler: Did the organization just get a little over-zealous here? The numbers scream "over-matched". How much should we read into this?

John Sickels: They keep pushing these Latin American kids awfully hard and Marte doesn’t seem to be responding well. I’d send him back to the NYP and try to rebuild his confidence. But they don’t ask me about these things, lol. And I tend to lean conservative about promoting players.

squid92: How far away is Havens from being major league ready (as a 2nd baseman)?

John Sickels: I think his timetable has been pushed back. I’d say 2011.

squid92: James Fuller: Future lefthanded reliever maybe, or is he just putting up nice numbers in a pitchers league for Brooklyn?

John Sickels: Probably projects as a LOOGY type. Good numbers but needs to get exposure at higher levels.

wobatus: If Jeri was a prospect, who would she be?

John Sickels: Stephen Strasburg. Duh.

Meddler: Is Eddie Kunz stuck in some kind of repeating time loop? He’s been in the upper levels for what seems like forever and put up basically the same ratios and generated the same results. Has he just hit his ceiling?

John Sickels: He is what he is. He can be a competent middle reliever who gets ground balls.

squid92: Dillon Gee: He was recently diagnosed with a torn labrum. I know you’re not a doctor, but in your experience, are there any significant examples of pitchers who had this and were able to attain a major league career? Gee was still sorta a fringe prospect before hand, so this might do it for him?

John Sickels: Well there are different kinds and severities of labrum tears. I haven’t read the reports on Gee so I don’t know how extensive his was or what exactly they did during surgery. so I can’t really answer this.

Meddler: Eric Beaulac: Pretty old for the SAL, does a move to the pen speed up his timetable? He’s really overmatching A-ball hitters as a reliever. Does he have the stuff/profile to be more than a ROOGY?

John Sickels: I kind of like Beaulac actually, though he doesn’t have the ceiling of his teammates at Savannah. I could see him as a ROOGY, yes.

MatthewA: Should the Mets be kicking themselves for trading Humber, Mulvey, or Guerra? Hindsight’s always 20/20, but it’s those pitchers that will determine the Santana trade a win or a loss.

John Sickels: I don’t think they should have any regrets about it. And I’m a Twins fan. Mulvey could still be a good pitcher but I have little hope for Humber or Guerra.

squid92: Cesar Puello vs. Javier Rodriguez

John Sickels: Puello.

JoshNY: Speaking of Strasburg: I know this is more along the lines of rumor-mongering than player evaluation, but is there any chance the Nationals fail to sign him and he winds up back at SDSU for his senior year?

John Sickels: He’ll sign. about 2 minutes before the deadline, but he’ll sign. he’d be a fool to go back to college and risk blowing his arm out, and I don’t see him taking the indy ball route.

Meddler: The GCL catcher Nelfi Zapata: A 2009 draftee, is generating some nice buzz. Worth paying attention to, or do we need to see a lot more first?

John Sickels: Worth tracking, definitely. he could have gone within the first 10 rounds if his signability had been more clear That’s a nice pickup for them in the 19th round.

AnthonyR: Earlier, you said Francisco Pena "sucks" (absolutely spot on awesome). Are there any other prospects in our system that you feel less strongly about than most?

John Sickels: Well i have to admit, I’m not especially passionately positive OR negative about most Mets prospects. But Pena…well, he just sucks. If he wasn’t the son of a major leaguer he wouldn’t have gotten as much attention as he has.

Eric Simon: Is there such a thing as a pitching prospect?

John Sickels: Of course. But they are DIFFERENT than hitting prospects and can’t be directly compared, which is why I split them up on my 50/50 lists.

David G: Adam Bostick: He’s pitching well this year, but he’s 26 now, can he be a successful reliever? Does he hit 90 mph? I’ve wondered why the Mets went with Misch over him (though Misch has pitched well.) And thanks again for taking the time to do this, very cool of you.

John Sickels: Bostick is a guy that i’ve been watcihng for what seems like 10 years now. i’ve seen him throw 93 MPH and I’ve seen him throw 86…..i don’t have a current velocity report on him for 2009, but his track record is that of a pitcher with potential who could sneak up on us just as soon as eveyrone gives up. He reminds me of Dennis Reyes, who was a failed starting pitcher prospect with injury and weight problems, but who ended up being a pretty useful pitcher once everyone gave up on him.

EMSfan9: I know this is a bit broad but with all the trade rumors flying around, who, if any, of the Mets prospects would you consider untouchable?

John Sickels: No one. I don’t regard anyone in the mets system as untouchable. except maybe fmart.

Meddler: What's the word on Brad Holt's curveball? With all the back and forth and spotlight dueling he’s had with Mejia, I really haven’t heard as much about this as I imagined I would by now, yet it seems to be the biggest hurdle for Mr. Holt. What are you hearing? Has he wrangled it in and got it a bit more consistent? Does it still look like a possible plus pitch in the making?

John Sickels: Well supposedly it was looking pretty decent in the FSL, but Holt has been knocked around a bit in Double-A. Small sample and I don’t have a current scouting report. He does sound an awful lot like Pelfrey: great arm, secondary stuff needs help.

squid92: Just as Meddler said Holt's curveball is his biggest hurdle, Mejia’s mechanics would seem to be his. Anything new on his motion? Has he improved his mechanics?

John Sickels: Well his command is better this year and that is usually a result of better mechanics.

MatthewA: Is Tobi Stoner worth keeping an eye on?

John Sickels: Could see him as an 11th man if it comes together.

John Sickels: Thanks guys. This has been fun and we will do it again. Next time I will do this from home with a better connection and can hopefully provide more detailed answers for you!

Go Ahead, Criticize The One Thing He's Good At

Sam Page — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:59:14 -0000

Leave it to John Harper to come to the same conclusion as the rest of us, after exhausting the most backward logic, based on a wealth of misinformation. After the usual trumping up of Jerry Manuel's "request" for a trade, we begin:

But the problem is the Mets have so few desirable prospects at the upper levels of their farm system that Minaya is dealing from a position of weakness in trying to make any type of trade.

This statement would have been somewhat true before the promotion of Brad Holt, Jenrry Mejia, and Ike Davis. I'd say the Mets now have quite a few desirable prospects in the upper levels. In fact, here's a list of notable prospects in Buffalo and Binghamton: Jon Niese, Tobi Stoner, Michael Antonini, Eddie Kunz, Fernando Martinez, Brad Holt, Jenrry Mejia, Ike Davis, Shawn Bowman, Josh Thole, Ruben Tejada, Dylan Owen, and sometimes Jonathan Malo. Wow, actually that's quite a few, seven of which should crack some top prospects lists. But go on...

Of course, he has only himself to blame for that, as the lack of prospects developed during Minaya's five-year regime with the Mets is a glaring failure. Never mind top prospects, the simple lack of major-league ready talent is haunting the big club at the moment as the Mets scramble to survive all their injuries.

Is the insinuation here that Omar should have some major league ready prospect ready to fill in everytime someone gets injured? No team can realistically do that, which is why bench player depth exists (hint, hint, the really glaring failure of the Minaya regime). Oh, what's this? Here comes the major-league ready talent graduated during Minaya's tenure list: Lastings Milledge, Daniel Murphy, John Maine, Nick Evans, Jon Niese, Fernando Martinez, Mike Pelfrey, and Bobby Parnell. Not bad for a win-now team with a huge payroll.

Consider that the Mets' top two minor league teams are a combined 39 games under .500 - Triple-A Buffalo is 26-47, Double-A Binghamton is 28-46 - and it gives you an idea of how bleak the situation is.

Listen, I know expectations were high for Mike Lamb as the future face of the franchise, but there were signs. He had been cut from the Twins last year after batting .200. He was 33. We should have seen it coming. That, coupled with Willy Mo busting,...it's been a tough year for Mets fans.

Furthermore, one scout who observed Buffalo in mid-June recently said that Fernando Martinez was the only position player who could be considered a major-league prospect. The scout called the Mets' system "impotent" and openly wondered whether Minaya has had any kind of real plan in place other than acquiring high-priced free-agents.

Either Harper is quoting his scout friend, Cpt. Obvious, out of context, or they both have serious logic problems.

Ouch.

To be fair, the Mets did surrender a total of 11 players in the trades for Johan Santana and J.J. Putz the last two years, and at the time of the Putz deal last winter, Minaya made a point of telling reporters that his farm system deserved more respect.

alley...

To be just as fair, however, major leaguers Aaron Heilman and Endy Chavez were the key cogs in the Putz trade, and the Mets got Santana because the Twins were backed into a corner, unable to get the Yankees or Red Sox to package their top minor-league talent.

OOP!! Or perhaps it reflects well on Minaya's ability developing the farm and as a General Manager that he didn't trade his best young players for Santana? No, no, no, the Twins had to trade him because the Red Sox wouldn't offer Ellsbury and Buchholz.

"Sir, the Yankees won't trade Chamberlain, Hughes, and Kennedy all at once."

"Who's that team that keeps offering four prospects for Mike Lamb? Y'know, the really impotent one?"

"The Mets?"

"Yea, see if they'll take Santana on too."

Did you ever think the Twins, arguably the greatest scouting team in the majors, might have liked Gomez and Guerra, both of whom were ranked as top prospects?

In addition, it's worth noting that outfielder Carlos Gomez, the centerpiece of the Santana trade, was in the Mets' system before Minaya became GM, and the Twins have been disappointed in the three minor-league pitchers, Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra, and Philip Humber (who was released this spring), in the deal.

It's like...pitching prospects have a high rate or attrition...or something crazy like that! I'm sure the Twins would have been much happier getting the mythical Ian Kennedy/Phil Hughes package Harper alludes to. Those two have never disappointed.

P.S. Omar Minaya left his position with the Mets, where he was heavily involved in international scouting, in 2002. Carlos Gomez signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2002. If you asked Omar Minaya what he thought about Carlos Gomez before he became the Mets' GM, he'd probably have an answer.

On the other hand, under Minaya the Mets have developed pitchers Mike Pelfrey and Bobby Parnell, as well as infielder Daniel Murphy. And signing free agents has cost them a couple of top draft picks in recent years.

but you already made me do the list!

But the real sticking point is the apparent failure to cash in on the Pedro Martinez signing five years ago. At the time Minaya essentially said he was willing to overpay for Pedro, in the form of $52 million over four years, because of the dividends it would provide, because every kid in the Dominican Republic would want to sign with the Mets.

Since then, however, the only such signings of significance appear to be Fernando Martinez, 19-year-old shortstop Ruben Tejada and 17-year-old shortstop Wilmer Flores. That's not exactly a pipeline of talent.

Those three players certainly don't suggest a pipeline of Dominican talent, mostly because only one of them is Dominican in the first place. Here are some Mets' prospects that are actually from the country he's talking about: Fernando Martinez, Jenrry Mejia, Francisco Pena, Cesar Puello, Greg Veloz, Jeury Familia, Elvin Ramirez, and Juan Lagares. Notice that list does not account for many of the most recent signings and the Mets Dominican Baseball Academy in Boca Chica, DR.

-snip-
"By now I thought their system would be loaded with good (Latin) players," one major league scouting director said recently. "But for whatever reason, it hasn't happened."

Is it so bad the Mets don't throw three million dollars at every international prospect on the market? Yes, I wish they would go after more talents like Ynoa, but they seem to get the best bang for the buck of any MLB team. Which makes me wonder, has Harper ever heard of Jenrry Mejia? Signed for a relatively small bonus from the Dominican Republic...throws a 95 mph sinking fastball...is dominating AA as a teenager...no? Nevermind.

The same baseball people say the Mets do have attractive prospects at the lower levels of their minor-league system, Flores especially, and righthander Brad Holt, their first-round supplemental pick a year ago who was recently promoted to Double-A.

Brad Holt, a very attractive lower-level prospect, in the Mets upper-levels...

Either one would get the attention of a team looking to make a trade, but considering how few such prospects the Mets have, it hardly seems worth it to include them in quick-fix deals for someone like Adam Dunn, Nick Johnson or Aubrey Huff - or even Mark DeRosa, who was traded from the Indians to the Cardinals on Saturday.

Wow, how'd we get here? Yes, the Mets should not trade top prospects for a player that will only help minimally, but not because the farm system is barren. They shouldn't make those trades period. They're not going to be worth their prices, and the Mets have much bigger problems than what a DeRosa-type or Adam "0 WAR" Dunn is going to solve.

Listen, I blame Minaya for alot, but not for the work he's done internationally or with the farm system. The Mets have their best farm in 10 years and are in a great position to develop a fantastic young team. There was nothing before Minaya, except what he had left behind from his scouting days and Steve Philips' favorite Jose Cruz Jr. trade bait, David Wright.

Which reminds me, do you remember why the Mets are so desperate for a trade, Mr. Harper? They lost a shortstop, who you affectionately called a headcase, who Minaya signed for nothing out of the Dominican Republic. Does that count as major-league ready talent?

Catcher	Francisco Pena
First Base	Carlos Delgado
Second Base	Anderson Hernandez
Third Base	David Wright
Shortstop	Jose Reyes
Left Field	Lastings Milledge
Center Field	Carlos Beltran
Right Field	Fernando Martinez
No. 1 Starter	Mike Pelfrey
No. 2 Starter	Philip Humber
No. 3 Starter	John Maine
No. 4 Starter	Deolis Guerra
No. 5 Starter	Kevin Mulvey
Closer	Billy Wagner

Catcher	Francisco Pena
First Base	Fernando Martinez
Second Base	Greg Veloz
Third Base	David Wright
Shortstop	Jose Reyes
Left Field	Lastings Milledge
Center Field	Carlos Gomez
Right Field	Carlos Beltran
No. 1 Starter	John Maine
No. 2 Starter	Oliver Perez
No. 3 Starter	Mike Pelfrey
No. 4 Starter	Deolis Guerra
No. 5 Starter	Kevin Mulvey
Closer	Eddie Kunz