Tejada placed on the DL, Quintanilla called up

The Mets have placed shortstop Ruben Tejada on the 15 day disabled list following an injured quad that he suffered on Wednesday. The team has called up middle infielder Omar Quintanilla to take his place on the roster. The team has also shifted pitcher Frank Francisco to the 60 day disabled list.

Tejada was in a major slump and I wouldn't be surprised if the organization lets him take his time once he begins rehabbing. If he wants to be part of this team's future, then he is going to need to start hitting and being more aggressive on the basepaths. I understand that he will never be Jose Reyes, but most shortstops generally have above-average speed, and since Tejada is not that way the Mets have had trouble with him in the lead-off spot. Anyway I expect him to be back sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, and hopefully he finds his swing.

As for Quintanilla, he did a nice job filling in for Tejada last year, and will probably be an upgrade. He is above-average defensively, and is capable of knocking in his fair share of hits, so I look forward to seeing what he can do with this opportunity. The problem is, if he struggles and the Mets decide to send him back to the minor leagues, he is out of options and will likely be claimed off of waivers.

Finally, as for Frank Francisco, the guy has been a complete bust while in a Mets uniform, and he is one of the few bad signings that Sandy Alderson has made since taking over as the GM a few years ago. I'm glad that Bobby Parnell is finally running away with the closer's job, because if Francisco was here, he would certainly not be happy in the setup role.

Checking in on the Mets top 10 prospects

10. Pitcher Michael Fulmer 

Grade: INC 

Should end the season in: Double-A

Fulmer underwent knee surgery on a torn meniscus in March, and should be ready to return to baseball action sometime within the next few weeks.

9. Pitcher Luis Mateo

Grade: INC

Should end the season in: Double-A

Mateo has had elbow problems this season that have limited him to two starts. The injury problems have kept him on the disabled list since April, and have really held back his development in the minor leagues. If he manages to come back healthy and have a decent season, he will probably end the year in Double-A. 

8. Pitcher Rafael Montero

Grade: A-

Should end the season in: Triple-A

Montero has been fantastic in Double-A, posting a 3.08 ERA in 9 starts. He also has a sparkling 1.4 BB/9 ratio and 10.6 K/9 ratio. The organization is starting to realize how good Montero can be, and he is quickly becoming the team's 2nd best pitching prospect behind Zack Wheeler. If Montero continues his success, look for him to be in Triple-A and possibly make a spot start or two for the club in September. 

7. Third Baseman Wilmer Flores

Grade: B-

Should end the season in: Major Leagues

Flores has been hyped up throughout his entire minor league career, but has bounced around between positions. He is listed as a third baseman, but is capable of playing second base, first base, and the corner outfield positions. It is very clear that he can hit, and he should have an extended look in the outfield sometime later in the season. Keep in mind that he is still only 21 years old, so perhaps more seasoning in Triple-A would be the best route to go. 

6. Shortstop Gavin Cecchini 

Grade: INC

Should end the season in: Single-A

Cecchini's season has not started yet, so it is impossible to give him a grade. However, he is still 19 years old and the organization will be extremely cautious with him. He had a brief stint with Single-A last season, and giving him a full season of development at that level will be the best course of action right now. 

5. Pitcher Jeurys Familia

Grade: B- 

Should end the season in: Major Leagues

Familia was off to a decent start but tendinitis in his biceps landed him on the disabled list back in April. Besides some command issues, Familia has all of the tools to be a fantastic pitcher in the game. He has swing-and-miss velocity, causing him to put up great strikeout numbers. He will most likely end the season in the bullpen, but I believe there is a possibility that he becomes a solid setup man sometime down the road.

4. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo

Grade: A+

Should end the season in: Double-A

Nimmo has had a fantastic start with Single-A Savannah, hitting .322 with a .421 on-base percentage. The Mets will take their time with Nimmo's development, but his numbers speak for themselves, and if he finishes the season in Double-A there's a chance that he could make his MLB debut as soon as 2015. 

3. Pitcher Noah Syndergaard

Grade: A+

Should end the season in: Double-A

Syndergaard seemed to be a tad bit overlooked in the R.A. Dickey trade, but right now he is making Sandy Alderson look like a genius. He has posted a 2.86 ERA in 9 Single-A starts, and is making quite some noise throughout the organization. At 20 years old, he still has a few years of development left, but it is possible that we could see him in Queens sometime around the end of the 2015 season.

2. Pitcher Zack Wheeler

Grade: B+

Should end the season in: Major Leagues

Wheeler has been regarded as a future ace throughout his entire minor league career. Some people believe that he is ready for the big leagues right now, but I am very concerned about his walk ratio. The 3.7 BB/9 ratio is nothing to be taken lightly, and hopefully it is something he can fix in the minor leagues. However, he will definitely make his MLB debut very soon -- perhaps in two or three weeks --. and hopefully he sticks with the team for the rest of the season. 

1. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud

Grade: B-

Should end the season in: Major Leagues

d'Arnaud started the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, but unfortunately broke his foot and will still be in a walking boot for the next few weeks. If he didn't hurt himself, he would have easily been with the big league club by now. If I had to guess, I'd say d'Arnaud will spend a week or two in Triple-A when he completes his rehab assignment, and he will be the starting catcher for the Mets by the All-Star break.

Mets sign Aardsma to minor league deal

The Mets have signed relief pitcher David Aardsma to a minor league deal. Aardsma has spent the last 7 seasons in the major leagues, posting a 4.22 ERA in 255 appearances. His best seasons came in 2009 and 2010 as a Seattle Mariner, where he posted a 2.90 ERA and racked up 69 saves. Aardsma had Tommy John surgery back in 2011, and started the season with the Miami Marlins, who released him last week. He will report directly to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Aardsma has had some control issues in the past, but on a minor league contract he presents little risk. He has shown flashes on brilliance throughout his career, but hasn't been able to stay healthy as of late. If he manages to have success in Triple-A, he will easily be considered for a call-up considering the weakness and lack of depth in the team's current bullpen. 

Should Ike Davis go to the minors?

Ike Davis has been abysmal this season, and fans have lost faith in the former first round pick. He is hitting .169 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI heading into Wednesday night's game, and has already struck out 40 times. Davis had a rough 2012 season, but it was overshadowed by his 32 home runs that he managed to hit. This season he has not been able to find his power stroke and is still hitting for an incredibly low batting average, thus arising the question: Should he go to the minor leagues?

I truly believe that putting Davis into the minor leagues would be beneficial for the young first base-man. Granted, it would be a confidence-killer, but Davis would have the ability to work on his swing, and come back later in the season better than ever. We understand that he may always be a high-strikeout type of player, but he may develop some consistency from working in Triple-A.

The Mets would have plenty of options at first base while Davis is gone. Lucas Duda is a first baseman by trade, and could slide there for a few weeks. That also would allow a player like Jordany Valdespin to get more playing time out in left field. You could also move Daniel Murphy to first base, which was his primary position when he first came up to the big leagues. Murphy too would be an exceptional first-baseman for the however so many weeks that Davis would need in the minor leagues.

All in all, the Mets are going to need to do something about Ike Davis. His struggles are not going unnoticed, and fans are beginning to lose patience. I'm personally not ready to give up on him just yet, but I would like to see the organization send him to Triple-A and see how he does. 

Mets sign Rick Ankiel, send Brown to Triple-A

The Mets have signed outfielder Rick Ankiel to a major league deal. Ankiel started the season with Houston, and hit just .194 in 25 games. He also struck out 35 times in 65 plate appearances. Outfielder Andrew Brown has been sent to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room on the roster for Ankiel. The team also moved pitcher Jenrry Mejjia to the 60-day disabled list.

Ankiel has been a player on the Mets' radar for quite some time now, but at this stage in his career he really doesn't offer much. He strikes out way to often, and isn't known for his eye at the plate. The only thing he really has going for him is that he has an excellent throwing arm that could land him some playing time in center field. 

GM Sandy Alderson described Ankiel as a stop-gap like player until a few of the younger players are ready later this season. However, at this point, the Mets are sitting in 4th place in the NL East, and should consider just bringing up the prospects now. It is very unlikely that Ankiel revives his career in New York, and he is clearly not part of the future with this organization. He is a nice player to have for outfield depth, but besides that he is a waste of a roster spot. 

Matt Harvey dominates Sox, almost perfect

Last night Matt Harvey had a fantastic game against the White Sox, striking out 12 batters in 9 innings, and letting up one infield single that came in the 7th inning.
Unfortunately Harvey did not get the win because the team did not give him any run support. However, he dropped his ERA to 1.28, and already has 58 strikeouts on the season.

Harvey has easily been the biggest bright spot for the Mets this season, and, barring any injuries, will be on this year's National League All-Star team.

So far in his brief career, Harvey has lived up to his incredible hype. He is becoming the leader of the starting rotation, and fans are very eager to see him go out every fifth day and toss gems.

Zack Wheeler status update

Zack Wheeler has been the top prospect in the Mets' organization for the last two or so years, and it is expected that he will make his major league debut sometime during the 2013 season. Due to an oblique injury, he didn't get a chance to prove himself in Spring Training. He also has had the Super-Two status problem hovering over his back for quite some time now. However, due to the rotation's recent struggles, fans have gotten impatient. Zack Wheeler could be up in Queens sooner than later.

At the moment, his 4.00 ERA in 7 Triple-A starts is nothing to get excited about, but the 10.0 K/9 ratio is impressive. Wheeler has shown that he has the ability to become a major league ace, but control issues have held him back. His 4.2 BB/9 rate will keep him in Triple-A a little longer, as he still needs some more seasoning.

Overall, Wheeler still needs a good 5-6 solid starts until the Mets will give him a crack at the major league rotation. His strikeout numbers have been impressive but he will need to cut down on the walks in order to have success at the professional level. I expect him to be with the team sometime after the All-Star break, and to stick with the club throughout the rest of the season.