The Mets announced that they have re-assigned 10 players to minor league camp. Those players are Zack Wheeler, Collin McHugh, Hansel Robles, Gonzalez Germen, Elvin Ramirez, Darin Gorski, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, Wilfredo Tovar, and Cesar Puello.
Despite Wheeler's oblique injury, he was most likely not going to make the Opening Day roster. He strained his oblique last week before his second scheduled appearance. However, once he is all healed up, the organization will obviously be keeping a close eye on him at Triple-A. If Johan Santana's injury problems continue to linger, I would imagine that Wheeler would be the first person to receive the call-up to replace him.
As for the other 9 players:
Collin McHugh- It is sort of surprising to see McHugh get cut this early in camp. He has had a rough spring, but I would have expected him and Jeremy Hefner to battle out a rotation spot. McHugh is going to need to have a very strong season in Triple-A to get back to the big leagues.
Hansel Robles- Robles has an incredible amount of potential, but is still several years away from being ready for the major leagues. His 17.18 ERA (in 2 appearances) this spring didn't exactly help his cause either. I am excited to see how he does in Double-A next season. Keep in mind that he is still 22 years old.
Gonzalez Germen- I didn't even know who Germen was until this spring, but it turns out that he is yet another young, promising arm in this organization. He has the velocity to be a dominant pitcher, but like Robles, he struggled this spring and is still years away from being ready to contribute.
Elvin Ramirez- Ramirez is another player that I didn't expect to get cut this early on in camp. The reason as to why he is going to start the season in Triple-A is because he walks too many batters. Ironically, the Mets brought him up last fall because he posted very good BB/9 ratios in the minor leagues. However, his ugly 7.4 BB/9 ratio this spring didn't help his case at all.
Darin Gorski- Gorski didn't make the most of his time in Spring Training, and will most likely head back to Double-A, where he should be able to put up decent numbers. However, at 25 years of age, the clock is ticking for him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the organization convert him to a relief pitcher.
Reese Havens- It's coming to that point where we can start calling Reese Havens a bust. The former first round pick hit .091 in 11 at-bats this spring while playing below average defense. The upside is there, but injuries have held him back his entire career, and it may be time to cut ties with the 26 year old.
Juan Lagares- Lagares is another guy who didn't hit very well this spring, but has a chance to be with the team sometime in 2013. I expect to see more of him, especially when you consider the weakness of the entire Mets outfield.
Wilfredo Tovar- Tovar really didn't have a great chance to make the team out of camp, considering that the two middle infield positions are pretty much locked up already. He is a guy who has plenty of upside, but no role with this team going forward. I expect him to be packaged in a trade somewhere down the line.
Cesar Puello- Puello is one of those players who has above-average speed, and just enough power to make him an all-around player. He was mentioned in the Miami-Clinic scandal from earlier in the spring, but I don't think that it influenced the team's decision to cut him. The bottom line is he hit .260 in Single-A last season, and still needs plenty of seasoning before he can be considered for a role on the big league team.
There are now 45 players left in camp, and here you will find a list of these players.
No comments:
Post a Comment