Who will the Mets be selling off this season?

The Mets are currently sitting in 4th place in the NL East with a 46-54 record. Despite playing well as of late, they will likely be forced to sell of some of their pieces before the July 31st trading deadline that is only 4 days away. Over the last couple of seasons, the Mets have sold pieces off at the deadline, so this should be a familiar sight to see for the fans. The question is: Who will the Mets be able to sell off?

At this point, the team will likely just trade a few veteran players that will most likely not re-sign in the off-season. Below are the players that I believe could be traded within the next couple of days: 

Scott Atchison

Atchison has battled some elbow trouble this season, and has only appeared in 22 games. However, with an ERA of 3.80 and a history of decent success, and team could look to add him. Atchison will be arbitration eligible after the 2013 season, and is under team control  through the 2015 season. At age 37, he may not be able to sustain his success until the 2015 season, but he could be a low-risk gamble for a contender. 

LaTroy Hawkins

Like Atchison, Hawkins has been around the game for a while, 19 years as a matter of fact. However, Hawkins has had success with the Mets, and has stayed healthy. The 40 year old veteran has posted a 3.22 ERA in 45 appearances with the team in 2013. He has been a great veteran presence for many of the younger pitchers on the Mets right now, but perhaps it would be right to send him off to a contending team to get a decent prospect for him.

Bobby Parnell

I've always been a huge supporter of Bobby Parnell, even a few years ago when he struggled as a starter. In 2013 he has really come into his own as a closer, putting up a 2.30 ERA, while netting 20 saves in 46 appearances. Parnell has learned to efficiently use his breaking pitches, and his powerful fastball to get hitters out in tight spots. His value is sky-high right now, and Sandy Alderson would get a nice prospect or two for Parnell. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I truly believe that the Tigers will make a strong run for Parnell soon.

Carlos Torres

Torres has been a huge surprise for the Mets this season. Before earning a promotion to the team a few weeks ago, he was gathering trade interest from teams like the Rockies and Giants. The Mets held onto him, and he has really raised his value. He currently has a 0.94 ERA in 12 games (2 starts) for the Mets. A contender could look at him as an effective swing-man out of the bullpen, and considering that the Mets picked him up on a minor league deal in the off-season, I believe they won't be too picky about the return.

John Buck

John Buck has had an interesting season, to say the least. After hitting 9 home runs in the first 23 games of the season, he has hit only 5 in his last 60 games. Buck was originally brought on to be the backup catcher behind Travis d'Arnaud. However, d'Arnaud has had an injury plagued season and likely won't be in Queens until August. With that being said, the Mets have been overusing Buck. 

Some say that Buck's veteran presence on this team would be more valuable than a potential prospect that he would bring in, but I disagree. Put it this way: Buck is making $6 million this season, and if traded, the Mets could save some money, and get a decent prospect as well. It's a tough situation for Sandy Alderson and Co., but ultimately I believe Buck will be dealt sometime soon, most likely in August. 

Marlon Byrd

To say that Byrd has exceeded expectations this season would be a massive understatement. Byrd was brought in on a minor league deal back in the winter, and he was expected to battle out for a bench spot. However, ever since Day one of Spring Training, Terry Collins preached that he would allow Byrd to earn every-day playing time. Given the weakness of the Mets' outfield, it was assumed that Byrd would make the team. However, the 35 year old veteran has been a starter for the whole season, hitting .281 with 17 home runs. The outfield market is tricky right now. Marlon Byrd could be a cheap alternative to someone like Alex Rios. I can see the Texas Rangers ultimately being the one's who snag Byrd from the Mets.

Mejia's role with the Mets

Today the Mets defeated the Nationals by a score of 11-0, but the real story was Jenrry Mejia. Before the game, Mejia had made 6 rehab starts in the minor leagues. The former top prospect was chosen to start the game over others such as Rafael Montero, Jacob deGrom, and Chris Schwinden.

 

It's safe to say that the Mets are happy with their decision.

 

Mejia delivered 7 scoreless innings, striking out 7 in the process while not walking a single batter. He surprised everyone, looking like the pitcher he was originally hyped up to be. Terry Collins recently said that they will allow Mejia to join the six-man rotation, a move that has been made to limit Harvey and Wheeler's innings this season. But, despite today's success, can Mejia find success pitching every sixth day?

 

Like I mentioned before, Mejia was once a highly-regarded prospect in the Mets' organization. He made his MLB debut three years ago as a 20 year old. Jerry Manuel clearly rushed him to the big leagues, and misused him in every way possible. Mejia constantly bounced back between a starting and relief pitcher with his time with the Mets, thus leading to Tommy John surgery on an injured arm.

 

At 23 years of age, Mejia still has a bright future ahead of him if he can fulfill his potential. Personally I'd like to see more of him out of the rotation, and see if he will be a solid starter for this team moving forward. Of-course, the Mets have plenty of pitching, so perhaps they could give him the rest of the season to raise his value, then sell high on him in the off-season. Either way, the team should keep Mejia in the rotation, unless he REALLY struggles.

 

Right now, the team has a good problem. We can't forget about Jon Niese, who is set to come back in August. With that in mind, the entire rotation has had success, so it would be tough to kick someone out of it for Niese. The rotation currently looks like this: Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee, Carlos Torres, Jeremy Hefner, and Jenrry Mejia. All of these pitchers have had success in 2013, and it would be difficult to take them out of the rotation.

 



Mets trade two prospects to LAA for int'l bonus pool money

The Mets have traded outfielder Julio Concepcion and pitcher Andres Perez to the Angels in exchange for an International Signing bonus allotment slot. Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Mets have received the Angels' No. 2 bonus slot, which is valued at $360,500. The Mets now have an overall bonus pool worth $3.0251 million.

 

 

Concepcion has hit .238 in 6 games with the Brooklyn Cyclones this season. As a lifetime .277 hitter, the 23 year old has not been considered to be a "true prospect" according to Badler.

 

Perez has posted a 5.52 ERA in 14 2/3 in the Rookie Appalachian League.

 

Acquiring bonus slot money is a relatively in baseball. Nowadays, as the league is getting closer and closer to a having an international draft, teams are signing so many players from other countries. Ever since July 2, teams have had the option to sign these international players, but with a certain amount of money that they are allowed to spend.

 

Basically, the Mets are getting money that they'll be able to use on more amateur free agents. There is a lot of talent out there, and roughly $360,000 can actually make a big difference when deciding on which players to sign.

 

Both Concepcion and Perez have not done anything to impress in the minor leagues, so they won't be missed. Overall, this is a good move by Sandy Alderson. Hopefully he uses this money to sign a solid international free agent soon.



Collins will need to find others to replace Byrd's production if he's traded

On Friday, Terry Collins spoke to reporters about Marlon Byrd and his great production, and added that if Byrd is traded before the trade deadline on July 31, the team would need to find production from other players on the roster. 

"If there's moves made before the end of the season, whenever that might be, I certainly think [if] you're taking one of our better bats out of the lineup, someone really has to step up, and again, you point your fingers only in a couple of directions." Collins explained. "We're not going to ask Juan Lagares all of a sudden to be the run-producer that Marlon Byrd is, or even Kirk Nieuwenhuis. We're going to look at those that have had major-league experience before, those guys that when we started March 1, there were expectations for them to be run producers."

Collins also said that he does not want the team to trade Marlon Byrd. 

"Hopefully Marlon is still here, but if he's not, then someone else has to pick it up." Collins said. 

Byrd is currently hitting .270 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI in 80 games with the Mets this season.

I've said this before and I will continue to say it: the team HAS to trade Marlon Byrd. They picked him up on a minor league deal, so he was a low risk investment, and he has played extremely well. They need to cash in and get a nice prospect for him sometime this month. Teams always overpay for outfielders, and bench players, so the Mets would likely get a good offer for Byrd. 

Obviously if the team trades Byrd, that leaves a big hole in the lineup. Collins is right, it would be unfair to ask someone like Lagares or Nieuwenhuis to replace Byrd's production. When Collins talked about players who have had major league experience, he is talking about Ike Davis and Lucas Duda. Both will need to step up big time if Byrd is dealt, even if it is a lost season.

Could Carlos Beltran enter the HOF as a Met?

Carlos Beltran recently said that if he is lucky enough to be elected, he could enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets hat, according to Mark Hale of the New York Post. 

"It could be," Beltran said. "I don't know how that works. I don't know how you choose that. But, yeah, it could happen ... If you look at my numbers, I think I had better numbers with the Mets than the Royals."

With the Royals, Beltran hit 123 home runs with 516 RBI, and 164 stolen bases. With the Mets, he hit 149 home runs with 559 RBI, and 100 stolen bases. In his career, Beltran has 2,166 hits, 353 home runs, 1,296 RBI and 308 stolen bases. 

In my mind, Beltran was incredibly underrated during his time with the Mets. He had some amazing seasons, including the 41 home runs in 2006 that helped lead the team to the NLCS. As for his career numbers, I don't know if he is a shoe-in Hall of Famer, but he is borderline. 

It is very rare to find a player with a perfect combination of speed, power, and defense in today's game. Beltran was a perfect example of a five-tool player. 

With the Mets, Beltran started off hot, then cooled down a bit because of injuries. However, he finished his Mets tenure very strong, hitting .289 with 15 home runs in 98 games before being traded to the Giants in 2011. 

It's obvious that Beltran's numbers are better with the Mets than with the Royals. Beltran's prime was in New York, and that is where he thrived the most. If he does indeed make the Hall of Fame, I expect him to wear a Mets cap. Beltran was a great player with the Mets, and if he is not elected to Cooperstown, he should easily be elected to the team's Hall of Fame. 

Valdespin throws tantrum after being demoted

Jordany Valdespin threw a tantrum in front of his teammates on Friday after he was told by manager Terry Collins that he was being optioned to Triple-A. 

According to Newsday, multiple clubhouse sources confirmed the incident. The New York Post reported that Valdespin cursed out Collins and demanded to be put on the disabled list.

"Everyone gets upset when that happens, but you just need to shut up and pack your bags," an anonymous source told Jorge Castillo of the Star-Ledger. "He acted like he was the first guy who ever got sent down."

Valdespin has gotten in trouble several times over his professional career. According to the Daily News, he was  "suspended for insubordination multiple times in the minor leagues and winter ball."

It's sad to think that at one point in this season, I, like most Mets fans, were pushing for Valdespin to earn more playing time. He has so much raw talent, but his attitude and antics have severely held him back. Terry Collins clearly wasn't impressed with him, and I can only imagine how bad the blood will be between the two if they ever cross paths again.

At this point, Valdespin is what he is. He isn't going to wow anyone with any of with tools, so he'll likely be a bench player if anything in the future. If he gained some maturity I'd think otherwise, but this was not the first time he was gotten in trouble by the organization. Last year in San Francisco, some of his teammates pranked him for not listening to the team's dress code. Also, in May of this year, he seemed to show-boat after hitting a home run in a meaningless blowout game, which led to him being hit by the next pitch he saw, and being ignored by his teammates.

For a guy hitting .188, Valdespin thinks way too highly of himself. Players need to prove themselves before acting like he has, and Valdespin only has 350 plate appearances in his short career so far.

Unfortunately I think this is the last we see of Valdespin, at least for a little while. Even if he has success in Las Vegas, the organization will be reluctant to call him up because of the off-the-field distractions he brings to the table. Also, I think it is safe to say Sandy Alderson was not pleased with Valdespin's behavior, considering that he was standing in the clubhouse when it all happened.

Mets are "not interested" in trading Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard is putting up extremely impressive numbers down in the minor leagues, and is getting fans very excited about the future of this ballclub. It is obvious at this point that the Mets need a big-time outfielder, and they would most likely need to trade a top prospect or two to acquire one. However, it doesn't seem like Syndergaard, who was acquired by the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal, will be one of those players. 

"We're not trading Noah Syndergaard," an organizational source told John Harper of the Daily News.

Syndergaard recently started for Team USA in the Futures Game, and tossed a scoreless inning. 

"There's a lot of buzz about him," Sandy Alderson said. 

Syndergaard has a combined 2.69 ERA in 16 starts with Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton this season. In his four Double-A starts, he has put up a 1.35 ERA with an outstanding 11.7 K/9 ratio, and a sparkling 1.8 BB/9 ratio.

Syndergaard is projected to be a future number 3 starter behind Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, but I truly believe that he is capable of being a dominant number two, or even number one, in this game. There is nothing you can't like about this kid, who at 6'6" 240 lbs, has the perfect body to be a power pitcher. 

Scouts have raved about his dominant fastball, and his incredible off-speed pitches. I, for one, know that the Mets would be incredibly foolish to let someone like Syndergaard go. His ceiling is just too high, and there's that old saying "you can never have too much pitching." 

The Mets will need to acquire an outfield bat, but I would much rather give up someone like Rafael Montero, who does indeed have potential to be a successful player in the game, but doesn't have the same upside that Syndergaard carries. 

As for Syndergaard's future, he will likely finish the season out with Double-A Binghamton. At 20 years of age, there is no reason to rush him to the big leagues. I think its reasonable to see him at the Major League level sometime in September of 2014, the earliest. That would stick him in the rotation at roughly 21, 22 years of age, and put him in position to have a nice, long, successful career with the Mets.