Ankiel declines outright assignment, elects free agency

Outfielder Rick Ankiel has declined his outright assignment to the minor leagues and will elect free agency. The Mets designated Ankiel for assignment last week after he hit .182 in 20 games for them. 

I'm surprised that he decided to elect free agency instead of staying in the organization because it was likely that he would have gotten a call-up sooner or later. The Mets outfield situation is incredibly weak right now, but the loss of Ankiel doesn't hurt anything. Ankiel provided good defense, but was hideous at the plate. 

It may be time for him to hang up the cleats and retire. As a converted-hitter, he has had an up-and-down career, and at this point after being released by both the Astros and Mets, he may not have much of a desire to play anymore. 

Could the Mets make Parnell available in July?

The Mets are likely going to sell some of their pieces around the trade deadline next month, and Bobby Parnell could be one of them. Parnell has played well for the most part this season, and his value is as high as it's ever been. It is common to find relief pitchers being traded in the summer, because teams are always looking to bolster their bullpen for the long run. This raises the question: Would Sandy Alderson listen to offers for the 28 year old Parnell?

Right now, Parnell has a 2.93 ERA with 9 saves in 27.2 innings pitched on the season. He has shown signs on improvement from his previous years in the league, and is definitely moving in the right direction. This season he is earning a pay raise, due to arbitration. However, he is under team control through arbitration until the 2016 season, and that should appeal to opposing teams. 

In general, 'closers' are inconsistent. One year may be good while the next may be horrific. That is why it makes sense to sell high on Parnell right now before his value possibly dips back down. I understand that dominant relief pitchers do not show up everyday, but Parnell is just too valuable right now. When teams are rebuilding, the closer is usually one of the last pieces they add. A dominant closer isn't needed very much for a team that is capable of winning only 70 games or so like this year's team. 

Trust me I like Parnell, and I always have, but the time is right to send him packing. He shouldn't be off limits in any sense. Having a home grown closer and giving him a closer mentality is a great way for non-competitive teams to create value and bring in prospects. The Oakland Athletics have been doing it for years with Andrew Bailey, Huston Street, and others. 

It may be too early to predict what teams would be interested in Parnell, but I know for a fact that the Detroit Tigers will be checking in at some point. The Tigers have been flip-flopping with their closers this season, and right now Jose Valverde is not getting the job done. Detroit has a few interesting players that the Mets could try to get, so perhaps a trade is possible. They have young outfielder Avisail Garcia, but New York would have to add another player to acquire Garcia, whose future looks great. Another player that would fit right in with the Mets would be 3B/OF prospect Nick Castellanos, who is highly regarded in Detroit's organization. Like Garcia, the Mets would have to add another prospect, perhaps a pitching prospect, to pry Castellanos out of Detroit. 

Recap of Sandy Alderson's interview on WFAN with Mike Francesa

On Monday afternoon, GM Sandy Alderson took part in an interview with Mike Francesca of WFAN. Here I'll give you a breakdown of what he said:

Eric Campbell, Wilmer Flores, and Andrew Brown will be the next series of call-ups if the need arises.

I'm very interested to see how Flores does in the Major Leagues. Finding a position for him has always been tough, and I firmly believe that, with the demotion of Ike Davis, that Daniel Murphy should move to first and the team should give Flores an audition at second base. As for Campbell and Brown, they are both basically Quadruple-A players in a sense, and shouldn't have much of an impact if they end up being promoted.

Alderson: "This is a player issue not a staff issue"

Alright I don't believe this because Alderson wouldn't rip the coaching staff on the air. I seriously believe that Terry Collins is on the hot seat, and that Wally Backman will be the team's manager starting in 2014. Also, both  Dan Warthen and Dave Hudgens need to go. The team does have a player issue, but the coaches aren't exactly top-notch either.

The Mets will try to bring in a top bat at the trade deadline, someone who is under team control for the next couple of years. The team is more than willing to add payroll for the right player.

This is encouraging, because it shows that the team is willing to part with some prospects to get a big bat in the lineup. I don't know who will be available, maybe Giancarlo Stanton or Andre Ethier, but whoever they get they will have to drastically overpay. Trading at the deadline can sometimes come back to haunt a team, so the Mets are going to need to be cautious. Luckily, after this season ends they will have quite a bit of payroll flexibility. 

He wants Jack Leathersich to go to Triple-A first before making his MLB debut. 

Leathersich is still 22 years old so I understand why the team is being cautious with him. He has a great arm but needs to learn some sort of control. His strikeout numbers are fantastic, but the walks concern me, along with many other Mets fans. So, I'm definitely comfortable with letting him stay in Triple-A for a while until he learns how to command his pitches. Once he does that, he could be a dominant relief pitcher in this game.

Cesar Puello could earn a promotion later in the year, and the bio-genesis scandal has little effect on a potential call-up. 

Puello is such an interesting player because he struggled last season in Single-A, and has been raking this year in Double-A. He is still 21 years old, but projects as a five tool player that can do a little of everything. I really hope that this bio-genesis scandal does not lead to a suspension, because I'd really like to see what he can do for this team in September.

Alderson believes that Ike Davis is a core player, not Lucas Duda and Ruben Tejada.

Hmm. This is interesting. After seeing how terrible Davis has been this season, I wonder why he would say something like that about him. Also, why would he say this on the air? I could only imagine how this makes Duda and Tejada feel. I'm not sure if Duda is a long-term option for this team, but you shouldn't go out and blatantly say he isn't. The problem has been finding a position for him. As for Tejada, I know he has struggled but he's still very young. Saying that he isn't a core player is a slightly premature, no?

Mets demote Davis, Carson, Baxter; call up Edgin, Satin and Cowgill

The Mets have announced that they have made a few roster changes. The team has -- finally-- optioned Ike Davis to Triple-A Las Vegas, as well as Mike Baxter and Robert Carson. To take their roster spots, the club has called up Josh Edgin, Collin Cowgill, and Josh Satin.

Ike Davis has struggled, to say the least, this season. In 55 games for the Mets, he hit a mere .161 with 5 home runs and 16 runs batted in. Additionally, he struck out 66 times in 186 at-bats. Over the past month or two, he has been under heavy scrutiny by the New York media about his struggles given the expectations that the organization had for him. 

"At some point you just have to say to yourself this is not in his best interest," Sandy Alderson said about Davis. "I was one of his biggest supporters. But, I just felt -at some point- we've just got to get him out of here. Hopefully, he'll be back in a short period of time... He needs to be able to work on his swing without worrying necessarily about the outcome. We think it's in his best interest."

Alderson also mentioned that the players are accountable for the team's poor performance, not the manager or coaching staff. 

Mike Baxter has hit .212 in 85 at-bats with the Mets this season. He served primarily as the team's fourth outfielder, getting occasional spot starts. Carson has under-performed since arriving in Queens last season.  In 13 appearances this season, Carson has posted an ugly 8.50 ERA while letting up 8 home runs in only 18.0 innings pitched.

Josh Edgin has really struggled this season. He was demoted to Double-A earlier in the year, and is earning this promotion despite posting a 5.91 ERA in 11 Triple-A appearances. Satin, 28, has always been able to hit in the minor leagues, and this year has been no different. In 220 Triple-A at-bats, he hit .305 with a .420 on-base percentage. Cowgill was demoted by the Mets in April, and hit .268 in 32 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.

Let me just say this: it is ABOUT TIME. It was painful to watch Ike Davis night in and night out, and I'm so glad that they are finally taking some action with him. I understand that he may never be a high average type of hitter, but people have said that his home runs will make up for it. However, this season he only has 5 home runs, so he wasn't doing ANYTHING at the plate. All I can really say is I hope he goes to Triple-A, rediscovers himself, and has a strong finish to the season.

Honestly, you never want to sell low on a player, but there may come a time when the Mets will need to sell Ike Davis off. That is why I hope he finishes the season strong, bumps up that trade value, and is sent packing before the start of next season. It's funny because not too long ago this guy was considered a potential cornerstone player for this organization, but the league learned how to handle his game.

As for the other two demotions, both of them are really not too surprising. Baxter served a nice role on this team as a fourth outfielder, but he really doesn't offer anything above and beyond. By that I mean he just gave a little bit of everything. The one thing I did like about him was that he had a nice eye at the plate, and drew plenty of walks. I definitely expect to see him back with the Mets sometime this season.

Carson has been given plenty of chances to become a dominant bullpen weapon for Terry Collins, but has failed miserably. He has great velocity on his pitches, but tends to leave the ball right down the middle, resulting in many home runs and hard hit balls. At 24 years old, he still has some time to improve, but the clock is definitely ticking for him.

As for the call-ups, I really don't like the addition of Josh Edgin. Edgin has been miserable all season in every level he has played for, and won't add much to the mix right now. I was once very excited about his emergence, but he has quite a bit of work to do mechanically before he can be regarded as a mediocre relief pitcher in this league. I was disappointed that Jack Leathersich, a prospect who is currently having success in Double-A, was not considered for the team's bullpen. Control may be an issue for him, but he is a strikeout machine, and throws pitches in the upper 90s. I don't know if he is ready for the big leagues, but at this point, what do the Mets have to lose? 

As for Josh Satin, I like the addition but I feel bad for the guy. All he has done in the minor leagues is hit, but the organization has never really stuck with him at one position. I expect that most of his playing time will come from first base, and I'm excited to see what he brings to the lineup.

Finally, Collin Cowgill was a spark plug for this team in the first week of the season, but really cooled down after that leading to an eventual demotion. He adds a positive vibe to the clubhouse, and will give the team much needed speed on the base-paths. However, I can understand why some Mets fans may be upset with him being promoted instead of, say Cesar Puello, a young outfield prospect who is tearing it up in Double-A.

There is no doubt that the Mets needed a roster shake up after being swept by the last-place Marlins twice in two weeks. I'm happy that Sandy Alderson and Co. finally decided to take action towards the player personnel. I truly believe that these moves were only made to send a message to those who were demoted. The players being brought up definitely won't save this team and make them contenders again. However, seeing new faces and getting a fresh start is the right thing to do at this stage in the season. 

Mets designate Ankiel for assignment, promote Nieuwenhuis

The Mets have announced that outfielder Rick Ankiel has been designated for assignment in order to create roster space for fellow outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Ankiel hit .182 in 71 plate appearances with the Mets. He was signed to a major league deal with the Mets back in May after being released by the Houston Astros. Nieuwenhuis hit .232 with 10 home runs for Triple-A Las Vegas this season. 

This is the right move because Ankiel was really struggling, and had no long-term spot on this roster. Ankiel didn't pose much of a threat with the bat, striking out 25 times in 66 at-bats. When the Mets first brought him in, I knew Ankiel wasn't much of a hitter but I believed he would provide solid defense. His defense is most likely what kept him from not being designated for assignment earlier.

As for Nieuwenhuis, I am not a fan of him, but at this point what do the Mets have to lose? I'd much rather have Kirk go out there and get playing time than Rick Ankiel. However, I wonder if they are going to stick him in center or right field. I'd much rather see Juan Lagares in center field, and it makes sense to put Kirk in right field due to Marlon Byrd's struggles.