Parnell lands on the DL, what should the Mets do?

The Mets have placed Bobby Parnell on the 15 day disabled list with a herniated disk in his neck. Parnell has not thrown since last Tuesday after complaining about the neck pain. His stint on the disabled list is retroactive to July 31, so he will be eligible to return on August 15.

 

Losing Parnell is a big blow to an already weak bullpen. He has really turned into a solid closer this season, posting a 2.16 ERA with 22 saves in 49 appearances. I've been a big fan of Parnell ever since day one, and seeing him develop into a solid relief pitcher before our very own eyes has been very pleasing. Hopefully this injury does not require surgery, because Terry Collins said surgery is "possible" but not definite.

 

Now Terry Collins loses a big weapon out of the bullpen. He has been using David Aardsma as the team's ninth inning guy for the last few games, but he has not pitched well at all. Aardsma, however, has a track record of success in the role, so at this point he may be the best option.

Normally I'd suggest having Josh Edgin as the team's interim closer, but he himself is also on the disabled list with an unexpected hairline fracture injury on his ribcage. Edgin was lights out for the Mets over the last month. In July, he had a combined 0.73 ERA in 14 appearances.

 

Now, the Mets have to make a big decision. Do you use Aardsma? A veteran who has had a track record of success but has not had that same success in 2013. Or perhaps someone like Jeff Walters? A 25 year old relief pitcher who is currently sporting a 1.89 ERA in 44 Double-A appearances this season. Walters' 32 saves are extremely impressive, and his 9.4 K/9 shows that he could be a solid member of the bullpen very soon.

 

Personally, I'd like to see Walters soon. This team needs a new look, and Walters could provide that spark of energy that the Mets have been seeking. At 25 years old, it is beginning to become that time where teams make final decisions on their pitchers, and Walters has done everything right in 2013 to help his case for a big league promotion.

 

 

 

Valdespin and Puello suspended for connection to Biogenesis

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that suspensions of a handful of players around the game for their involvement in the Biogenesis clinic. Two of these players are from the Mets organization: Jordany Valdespin and Cesar Puello. Both players have accepted their 50 game suspensions, and will miss the rest of the season. Also, the two were on the 40 man roster, but while serving their suspensions, they will not count towards the 40 man roster.

 

Puello's name has been linked to the Biogenesis investigation for a couple of months now, so a suspension for him was expected. Puello, 22, was named to the Double-A All-Star team in 2013. The outfielder hit .328 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI this season for the Binghamton Mets.

 

Valdespin was never named as an involved player in the investigation, so this comes with much surprise. The team optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas on July 13. Before his demotion, he was hitting .188 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI in 144 plate appearances. Oddly enough, he begin to hit extremely well in Triple-A. He had a line of .466/.533/.759 during his brief stint with the 51s.

 

I'll start off with the easy part here. It was expected that Cesar Puello would have a season-ending suspension. We all knew about his involvement with the Biogenesis scandal, so we weren't particularly surprised to see this happen.

 

Puello, had he not had been suspended, would've likely gotten a look with the major league team during the September call-ups. He had an unbelievable season in Double-A, and is still young enough to have a good future role with this club. Despite his involvement, I am still very excited to see what he can provide for the team somewhere down the line. At this point, he'll likely make his Major League debut sometime in 2014.

 

As for Valdespin, there really isn't anything much to say but Wow. At first, I had sympathy for the guy because he would rot on the bench while Terry Collins played veterans who were worthless. Now, I understand why the organization was so tough on Valdespin. His attitude is certainly one of a kind, and is what is holding him back in his career.

Valdespin has all the talent in the world, but he was given time to mature and it just never happened. This incident now seems like icing on the cake for the 25 year old outfielder.

 

I don't care if he comes back next year and hits .500 in Triple-A, I do not want him back on the Mets. He could either get his act together in the minor leagues, and get packaged off in a trade, or released. The Mets should not have to deal with this immature loser, and I truly believe that eventually he'll get the fate he deserves. 

Mets promote Wilmer Flores

The Mets have promoted top hitting prospect Wilmer Flores. He is en route to New York, which was announced by the team on Twitter last night. Flores, whose 22nd birthday is today, played primarily first base and third base for the Las Vegas 51s this season. He has hit .321 with 15 homers and 86 RBI on the season. It is assumed that Flores will be spending most of his time as the team's third baseman as David Wright is currently on the 15 day disabled list.

 

The team originally signed Flores out of Venezuela as a 16 year old back in 2007. He was a highly touted player in the organization for quite some time, and was rated in the Top 100 prospects list by Baseball America in the 2009-2011 seasons. As an 18 year old, Flores was elected to start at second base in the 2009 All-Star Futures Game.  In 2011, he was converted from a shortstop to a third baseman.

 

I've been preaching Flores for quite some time now, and I'm ecstatic that he will finally be promoted to the majors. It was getting ridiculous for quite some time, considering that Flores is versatile and capable of playing first base. With Ike Davis' struggles, Flores would be a good upgrade, even if his defense isn't as solid as Ike's.

 

For the time being, Flores will man the hot corner, and fill in for David Wright. I'm excited to see how he looks at the plate, because judging by his minor league numbers, he has the potential to be a very solid hitter. Also, at 22 years old, there is a good chance we may see him with the Mets for a long time.

 

When Wright returns from the disabled list, the team will have a decision to make. I highly doubt they'll convert Flores back to a shortstop. Perhaps they could finally pull the plug on Ike Davis and send him to the minors for good, and stick Flores at first base.

 

All in all, seeing new faces is always a welcoming sight. Flores should provide a much-needed boost to this current lineup. I'm very interested to see how these coming weeks play out, because sooner or later the Mets will need to promote some of their other top prospects, such as Travis d'Arnaud and Rafael Montero.

Could the Mets make a run at Erick Aybar?

According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Angels will sell off some of their players in the coming days, and have let other teams know that Erick Aybar is one of the players that can be had in a trade. Aybar, 29, has had a decent season in 2013, hitting .283 with a .310 on-base percentage in 81 games with the Halos. As a career .279 hitter, he is playing slightly above his norm. 

The Mets currently have a huge hole at shortstop. Omar Quintanilla has done a fine job serving as a stop-gap, but Ruben Tejada, who was once assumed to be the long-term replacement for Jose Reyes, has had a lost season. Before injuring himself in May, Tejada hit .209 in 50 games with the Mets, and also made 8 errors in 48 games at shortstop, which is good for a .966 fielding percentage. Tejada is fully healed from his injury, but the team optioned him to Triple-A over a month ago so he could work on his approach at the plate. He has indeed hit .337 in 24 games with the Las Vegas 51s, but fans are still unsure about his future with the club. 

Personally, I'm a big Tejada fan, but I would support a trade for a shortstop. Aybar isn't the best shortstop in the game, but he would present a huge upgrade over Quintanilla and Tejada. He could serve as a switch hitting leadoff hitter that the team has needed for quite some time. Granted, I like what Eric Young Jr. has done, but Aybar has more experience in this role. 

Normally, Aybar utilizes his speed and collects about 15 stolen bases on average per season. However, in 2013, he hasn't been running as much, which is evident by his 5 stolen bases this season. 

To answer the question that is directed in the title of this article, I believe the Mets should make a run at Aybar, but at the right price. Aybar is owed about $30 million through the 2016 season, so the Angels may need to give some cash to get a deal done.

Aybar's value is as low as it will likely ever get, and I am convinced that he has better years ahead of him. If the Mets could get away with giving a mid-level prospect or two for Aybar, I would certainly consider it. 

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.