Spring Training: Nationals at Mets 12:10 PM

Today, the Mets will open their Spring Training schedule with a home game against the Nationals at 12:10 PM.

Mets

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF

2. Ruben Tejada SS

3. David Wright 3B

4. Ike Davis 1B

5. Marlon Byrd

6. Lucas Duda LF

7. John Buck C

8. Justin Turner 2B

9. Jordany Valdespin DH

P. Shaun Marcum

Shaun Marcum will start for the Mets, and will be followed by Zack Wheeler, Darin Gorski, Cory Mazzoni, and Jeurys Familia.

Nationals

1. Denard Span CF

2. Steve Lomardozzi 2B

3. Bryce Harper LF

4. Tyler Moore RF

5. Chad Tracy 3B

6. Ian Desmond SS

7. Chris Marrero 1B

8. Chris Snyder C

9. Micah Owings

P. Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg will start for the Nationals, and will be followed by Bill Bray, Fernando Abad, Erik Davis, Cole Kimball, and Pat McCoy.

Game Recap: First Intrasquad game

Yesterday at Tradition Field, the Mets played their first (and only) intrasquad game of the Spring. Team Grey defeated Team White by a score of 6-2.

• Wilmer Flores hit a three run home run to left-center field, and had 4 RBI on the day. 
• Jordany Valdespin singled, homered, and scored twice.
• LaTroy Hawkins pitched 0.2 innings, and let up five earned runs. including the home run to Flores.
• Collin McHugh started for Team White and Gonzalez Germen started for Team Grey.

My Take: It wasn't the most competitive game in the world, but it was nice to finally see some action again. Flores looked very solid, and that home run he hit was a shot. However, I was more impressed with the sac fly that he hit later in the game. He seemed to get a better swing, and I am really excited to see how he progresses in Spring Training. Valdespin looked solid as well, but I always feel like it is home run or bust with him. He seems to always go for the long ball, and that is concerning in my mind. Hawkins looked very bad in the 0.2 innings that he pitched in, but it is still early and I can't say anything definite about him yet. McHugh looked pretty good for Team White, and Germen seemed like he was leaving the ball over the plate too often, therefore explaining all of the hits he gave up. 

Today's intrasqaud lineups in PSL

The Mets will play an intrasqaud game today at 12:00 PM in Port St. Lucie

Team White

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF

2. Jordany Valdespin 2B

3. Collin Cowgill DH

4. Brandon Hicks 1B

5. Brian Bixler 3B

6. Andrew Brown LF

7. Omar Quintanilla SS

8. Cesar Puello RF

9. Anthony Recker C

P. Collin McHugh

Team Grey

1. Juan Lagares LF

2. Matt den Dekker CF

3. Mike Baxter RF

4. Zack Lutz 3B

5. Wilmer Flores 2B

6. Josh Satin 1B

7. Travis d'Arnaud DH

8. Juan Centeno C

9. Wilfredo Tovar SS

P. Gonzalez Germen  

Another day at PSL, Check out these new pictures

Today I spent a few hours in Port St. Lucie, and had the chance to get a few autographs from some of the players. The whole experience was awesome, and I hope that I get a few more autographs before tomorrows intrasquad game. Here are some of the pictures from today's workout.

Here is the practice field right behind Tradition Field

Dillon Gee and some others walking on the field

Here are a few more players getting ready for some light stretching.

Here is a Matt Harvey sighting.

Wilmer Flores getting ready for some jogging. This guy is so much bigger in person than you think.

Ike walking off the field

Wright getting ready for some BP against Jeremy Hefner

Both Wright and Davis next to each other in the batting cages,

Here we see a few coaches before the workouts. 

Finally, I'd like to thank the following players for their autographs: Dillon Gee*, John Buck, Travis d'Arnaud*, Anthony Recker, Zack Lutz, Ruben Tejada*, Collin Cowgill, Jordany Valdespin, Scott Atchison, Rafael Montero, Juan Centeno, Landon Powell, Andrew Brown,  and Matt den Dekker. Also, I'd like to thank SNY Analyst and former Met great Bobby Ojeda and Manager Terry Collins for signing their autographs for me. 

* means that they also took a picture with me.

Mets sign Wells, Roche to minor league deals

Roche

The Mets have signed pitcher Andy Wells and outfielder James Roche to minor league contracts. Wells will report to minor league camp, and Roche will report to extended Spring Training next month. Wells played for the York Revolution (Independent League) last season, posting a 16.62 ERA in 3 appearances. Roche played for the Newark Bears of the Independent League in 2012, hitting .278 in 36 games. 

I don't understand what Alderson sees in either of these players, but I usually try to hold back my criticism when he signs players to minor league deals. There is no risk involved, however, I don't understand the signing of Wells. The guy pitched in 3 games last season and did terrible, so I wonder if Alderson owed him a favor or something. Roche, on the other hand, had a semi-decent season at the plate, but I highly doubt that we will ever see him in a Mets uniform. 

Mets may need to part with Havens this Spring

After being drafted in the 1st round of the 2008 Amateur Draft by the Mets, it seemed like second-baseman Reese Havens would eventually play a crucial role in the future of the team. However, injuries have severely held back his development, and he may now find himself being placed on waivers. Havens, 26, is at the age where his career is going to need to start picking up, because if it doesn't teams will begin to give up on him. 

Havens certainly has the talent to become a solid major leaguer, but like I said earlier he can't stay off of the disabled list. With the 40 man roster crunch coming up, Havens will most likely find himself as one of the odd men out, as the team is going to need to find space for some newly signed veterans such as Marlon Byrd and/or LaTroy Hawkins. 

There is no doubt that a team would claim a player like Havens off of waivers simply because of his potential. He still has the capability to be a good player, but just like former Met Fernando Martinez, the injuries will continue to hold him back. Time is ticking for the former first round pick, and he better hope that he finds a way to stay on the field. 

Yours truly is currently in Port St. Lucie

For the next couple of days, I will be at Port St. Lucie to check out some of the workouts and try to get some autographs. I will be taking plenty of pictures, so be ready for that. I will be at Friday's infra squad game, and Saturday's game against the Nationals. Here are a few pictures that I have taken so far today.

Here is a picture of Tradition Field.

 I thought that this was a cool feature to the stadium. Each banner represents a season that the minor league team made the playoffs. 

Here is a picture of the inside of Tradition Field.

Like I said before, I am going to Saturday's game against the Nationals. I will try to post up a game preview, and a game recap as well. Additionally  you can expect plenty of pictures of Wheeler, Marcum, Parnell, and others who are expected to pitch that day. 

Puello linked to PED clinic

According to ESPN.com, Mets outfield prospect Cesar Puello is among the new names on the list of players who received performance enhancing drugs from Anthony Bosch's biogenesis clinic in Miami. 

"Because of the ongoing investigation, we have no comment," the Mets said in a statement. "We refer all questions to Major League Baseball."

Puello hit .260 with 4 homers for Single-A in 2012, and is still on the 40 man roster, despite missing most of the season due to an injury.

Uh oh. I thought that the Mets would find a way to stay out of the whole biogenesis clinic rumors, but obviously they now are going to have to be involved. I am not terribly concerned about Puello, even though he was a decently-regarded prospect, because the Mets (believe it or not) have other outfield options. Puello  had a rough season and wouldn't have been ready for a few years if lucky, so this isn't going to kill the future.

I also want to mention that Fernando Martinez, the former top prospect in the Mets' system, was also found on the same list of players. Oh, it seems like yesterday that F-Mart was ready to step in and become the future of the organization. Well, I suppose the drugs explain his vast amount of injuries throughout his career. 

H4TV Article- Are the Indians ready to take over the AL Central?

The Indians have had a major roster turnover this off-season, and many are wondering if they are ready to become a threat again in the American League Central. They certainly have tough competition between the Tigers, White Sox, and possibly even the Royals. Winning the American League Central won't be an easy feat, but Cleveland certainly has the talent to pose a threat. 

Asdrubal Cabrera is the team's best offensive player, and, despite the trade rumors, he will be in Cleveland for the long-run. He is getting better with each passing season, and should continue his fine production in 2013. Carlos Santana has some flaws in his game, but will be the team's backstop for the next couple of years. There is no question that Santana has incredible power, however, his strike-out rate is very alarming. Over at first base the Indians finally have a decent player, and that is Mark Reynolds. Reynolds came over to Cleveland on a one year deal, and will certainly see a lot of playing time in 2013. His strike-out numbers concern me, as well as pretty much every other fan in the game, so that could end up hurting the Indians. It is home run or bust with Reynolds, and I wouldn't be thrilled with having a player like that.

Trust me I'm not going to completely bash the Indians offense, because there are a few other bright spots. Jason Kipnis has the potential to be one of the best second-baseman in the game, and could find himself being a 20-20 or even a 30-30 player within the next couple of years. Lonnie Chisenhall has yet to break out at the big league level, but I like his potential and hope that he stays healthy so he can prove himself. The outfield is extremely solid,  especially with the most recent addition : Michael Bourn. Bourn will immediately provide Cleveland with an above-average lead-off hitter. He is a huge upgrade over Drew Stubbs, who may find himself as trade bait now. Nick Swisher, another key addition, will give the Indians power in the middle of the lineup, and should make the departure of Shin-Soo Choo seem slightly less painful. Finally, Michael Brantley has had mixed results at the big league level, but will get another year of every-day playing time in 2013, only this time he will be the left-fielder.

The biggest thing that will hold Cleveland back is going to be their pitching. They haven't really made drastic changes to their rotation, and that certainly concerns me. In my mind, Justin Masterson will need to find some consistency to become a true ace, and Ubaldo Jimenez is going have to return to his 2010 form to become a valuable asset. I don't mind the addition of Brett Myers, as he will bring a veteran presence to the rotation, and should be able to eat up some innings. Trevor Bauer is a nice pickup given his high potential, but I get this strange feeling that Arizona knew something about him, therefore prompting him to be included in the Shin-Soo Choo deal. Bauer will need to face American League hitting, and I am not sure how he will fare in 2013. The addition of Daisuke Matsuzaka is definitely a questionable one, considering that it seems like he has completely lost the ability to have success at the big league level. However, it is a low-risk, moderate reward pickup, and Cleveland could use all of the arms that they can get.  Finally, Zack McAllister, Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber are all number 5 pitchers at best, and I don't expect them to give serious contributions to the team.

Luckily Cleveland's bullpen is one of the best in the game. Despite several trade rumors, Chris Perez stayed put this off-season, and will most likely remain the team's closer. Perez is going to need to have a serious bounce-back season before his job gets taken away from him. I really like Vinnie Pestano, and I believe that he would be the one to take Perez's job. The rest of the bullpen is filled with several under-the-radar arms, such as Joe Smith, Matt Capps and Matt Albers.

I am trying not to be a downer on the Indians for next season, but in my mind I just see too many question marks regarding this team. The offense is slightly above-average, but the pitching rotation is a complete mess. Guys like Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and others are going to need to have huge years in order to keep the Tribe in reaching distance for the division. I like the idea of bringing in Terry Francona to manage the ball-club, considering his past success with the Red Sox and former ties with some of Cleveland's current players. However, I am just not fully convinced that this team is ready to compete in 2013, despite all of the additions.

Murphy to miss a week of Spring Training with an injury

According to Matt Dunn of SNY, Daniel Murphy has discomfort in his intercoastal muscle, and will head to New York for an evaluation. Sandy Alderson expects Murphy to miss a week of Spring Training. Murphy described the feeling as "a little sore", and that the injury could be connected to some of the changes that he has made to his swing. 

This isn't a huge story, but it may allow Collins to a get a longer look at other options at second base, such as Valdespin, Reese Havens and others. I am a big Murphy supporter, but I feel like his job is up for grabs this Spring. There is a lot of competition for that job, and with this injury Murphy may be sidelined for a week or two. 

Mets, Hampson, agree to minor league deal

The Mets have re-signed left handed pitcher Justin Hampson to a minor league contract. Hampson will report directly to the minor league camp. In 2012, Hampson posted a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings with the Mets, and left handers hit just .150 against him in 23 plate appearances. He was removed from the 40 man roster in October, and declared free agency shortly after that.

The Mets have plenty of lefties, but I guess throwing in Hampson will make the competition even more thicker. He put up good numbers in his brief stint with the Mets last season, and he may turn out to be a surprise. However, I'd like to get a look at Robert Carson, Darin Gorski, and others before I give him a real shot at a bullpen job.

Buck may get traded when d'Arnaud gets the call

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York says that is is possible that the Mets trade catcher John Buck once they decide to promote Travis d'Arnaud to the big leagues during the season.

"The summer David Wright succeeded Ty Wigginton at third base for the Mets, Wigginton found himself traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates... a similar scenario could play out this season, as catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud waits in the wings to succeed John Buck," Rubin explains.

Buck hit .192 with 12 home runs in 398 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2012, and will earn $6 million next season. 

It is way too early to determine Buck's fate with the Mets, but it will be interesting in, let's say July, if the Mets are out of contention and Buck is having a semi-decent season, then what would they do with him? I highly doubt that he would fetch a good prospect in a trade, so perhaps keeping him is the best option. Right now, he seems like the ideal mentor to d'Arnaud, and having a veteran catcher on your club is never a bad thing. The only reason that I would trade him would be to get some salary relief, which is something that could definitely be nice to have at this point in time. 

Valdespin to work as an infielder this spring

Terry Collins recently told reporters that Jordany Valdespin will spend this spring focusing on his infield work. 

"He played a lot of of outfield in winter ball. This spring, we need to put him back in the infield a little bit," Collins said. "We know if, need be, we can play him in the outfield. We need to take a look at him in the infield now."

Earlier this week, Collins said that Valdespin was a candidate for a full-time outfield spot, and that he was also looking at Justin Turner and Zack Lutz to play the outfield as well.

I definitely disagree with Collins here, because Valdespin isn't going to find any playing time as an infielder. The infield is pretty much set already, with the exception of Murphy, whose job may be up for grabs. I don't exactly understand why the organization would switch Valdespin yet again, especially given the weakness of the outfield. If Valdespin was able to win an outfield spot and play everyday, then I'd expect him to take advantage and have a successful season. However, maybe at this point the team will just look at him as a bench player at best.

What I would personally do would be let Valdespin start the season in the minor leagues as an outfielder. Let him improve defensively, and call him up when he's ready. He seems to have a decent amount of power, and the speed is there, so he is capable of being a decent outfielder someday. I just hope that the team doesn't pull a "Jenrry Mejia" on him and constantly change his role on the team.