Mack's Mets

Draft 2012 – Chris Taylor, Lucas Sims, Victor Roache, Kurt Heyer

2012-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Chris Taylor isa shortstop with a strong arm and he can be moved around the field to playeither third as well as in the outfield. He has a very solid arm for ashortstop, but can use another year in college to help develop the battingportion of his game. He had 41 strike outs and 77 hits in 256 at bats for lastseason. His OBP for 2011 was .378 and he is also fast enough to get a stolenbase. He had 10 in the 2011 season. Draft Projection: Taylor can go in the topthree rounds of this draft and be a good young impact player for a team needinga shortstop or a third baseman with a strong arm. He's not a well know player,so he can most likely go past three rounds ending up as a valuable steal in thedraft. http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3165

Lucas Sims — 6’-2”, RHP,Brookwood HS (GA) - Sims has one of the liveliest arms in the draft. Hisfastball can touch 98 mph, and his 12-6 hammer curve can be filthy at times.His change-up is still developing and his control needs to be more consistentbut his potential will land him in the first round. Went 4-1 with a 2.38 ERAwith 52 strikeouts over 32 innings as a junior in 2011. Has a bulldog mentalityon the mound, attacking hitters without fear. Could be a dynamite closer downthe road. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Victor Roache /Georgia Southern / OF: Roache’s game is about power and bat speed. He has rare amounts of those two qualities and thatallows him to launch some majestic home runs. He is still a fairly raw prospectfor a college junior but that has both positives and negatives. Roache wasn’theavily recruited out of high school and he hasn’t gotten much exposure to highquality instruction. So he has perhaps more upside and growth left in his gamethan you’d expect for someone this age. Roache actually improved (particularlysome polish in his swing mechanics) from the time I saw him earlier in thesummer to when I attended games later in the season. My biggest concern withRoache is where his body ends up. He’s already a thick 6-1 at 225 lbs with alarge lower half. While he’s fairly athletic for that size now, he’s already inan outfield corner and will have to stay on top of his body. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

We continue the countdown today at number 10 withjunior RHP Kurt Heyer from Arizona. He is 6’2and 196 pounds from Huntington Beach California and attended Edison High Schoolwhere he played under Steve Lambright. As a senior, he had an 11-3 record witha 0.84 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 100 innings bringing the team to the CIFChampionship game against Capistrano Valley. He picked up several awardsincluding being named All-CIF First Team, 2009 EA Sports Second TeamAll-American and a league Pitcher of the Year. He decided to attend college atArizona where he made an immediate impact on the Wildcats program becoming theteam’s Friday night starter. He made 17 appearances (16 starts) as he had a 7-4record with a team low 3.26 ERA in 102.0 innings. He ended up striking out 109batters while walking only 29. Batters also struggled against him as they onlyhit .255. He was named to the Pac-10 All-League team while being named anAll-American from Baseball America. He was also named a Freshman All-Americanby Collegiate Baseball. http://ht.ly/1gPrUJ

Draft 2012 – Rock Rucker, Spencer Edwards, Deven Marrero, Tanner Rahier

2012-01-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Rock Rucker — 6’-5”, LHP,Redan HS (GA) - He is 6’-5”, left handed, his fastball hits 95 mph and he isjust starting to commit full time to the mound. Because of that, Rucker’sceiling is very high, and with a strong senior season on the mound, could findhimself in the upper half of the draft. Long and lean, there is still room foradded velocity and his curveball projects to a plus pitch. One to keep an eyeon this year. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class 8. SpencerEdwards, SS/OF, Rockwall (Texas) Edwards, who's headed to Austin to play forthe Longhorns if he passes on pro ball, possesses oodles of athleticism, whichallow him to play shortstop in high school. He may fit better as an outfielder,and is a two-sport star, also serving as a star defensive back and widereceiver in football. He's run 60-yard dashes in under 6.7 seconds and40-yarders in the 4.4 range. His swing and overall plate skills are a bit raw,but if he focuses on baseball, he could be an everyday player in time.

Deven Marrero /Arizona State / SS : Marrero is a premium defensive shortstop who ranges wellto both sides. He has a strong-arm that remains accurate even while throwing onthe move. Marrero isn’t much more than an average runner straight ahead but youwouldn’t know it from watching him play shortstop. His hands and reactions areexcellent and that helps him overcome his less than spectacular foot speed. Atthe plate Marrero has plus bat speed and a good-looking swing, but a somewhataggressive approach, a habit of drifting towards the pitcher and a big leg kickwill result in plenty of strikeouts as a pro. The Sun Devil won’t have a lot ofover the fence power either but his game is hard contact and he should not beconfused with a slap hitter. Marrero has some questions to answer about his offensiveprofile but I’m still comfortable projecting him as an above average hitter fora shortstop. Even with the question marks the qualities of being a shortstopwho can hit some will have him off the board early in July. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

TannerRahier has an incrediblework ethic and exhibits outstanding range, quick feet and powerful arm. At theplate, he drives the ball with authority and projects for power. He has alsobeen known to pitch in relief showing a 93 mph fast ball. He is committed tothe University of San Diego

Draft 2012 – Hunter Virant, Brandon Thomas, Mike Wisecarver, Byron Buxton, Duane Underwood

2012-01-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

HunterVirant —6’-4”, LHP, Camarillo HS (CA) One of thetop prep lefties in the draft, Virant is a freak athlete who excels at justabout everything on the baseball field. He hit .446 as a junior and has elitespeed. His pitching abilities are what will make him a first round pick,however. Has four pitches that all grade out to at least average, and with his6’-4”, 180 lb frame, has a lot of room for improvement. His fastball is hisbest pitch, sitting in the low 90s, and his curveball has serious potential. Heis a gamer who plays his best during the biggest events and is a member of theU18 Team USA baseball. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Brandon Thomas /Georgia Tech / OF: The Georgia Techoutfielder really stood out for me on a Wareham team I got to see numeroustimes (It’s the shortest trip for me). Thomas has very good raw tools andathleticism for a college player. He is a switch hitter with a nice lookingswing from each side and possesses a quick bat and has above average power. Hisglove may end up a little short for centerfield given his size, but he’s aquality defender with good instincts and actions in the outfield. Thomas has amix of tools, athleticism and polish that should make him an early round pick. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

Mike Wisecarver LHP Waterloo Bucks--Nicholls State Mike went a perfect 6-0 and had was third inthe league with a 1.91 era in 56.2 innings pitched. He allowed just 46 hits,walked 19 and fanned 44 this summer. PG ranked him as the 32nd best prospect inthe league. http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/top-35-pitchers-in-northwoods-league_20.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Byron Buxton —6’-1”, OF, Appling County HS (GA) Georgia is a hotbed for baseball talent, and Buxton may be the best ofthe bunch this year. His elite speed and strong, accurate arm will allow him tostay in center field at the next level. Has extremely quick wrists and an easy,fluid swing. Mainly a pull hitter right now, the power should develop withtime. Buxton is one of those players with so much talent that his body isn’tready for it yet. Justin Upton comes to mind when watching him play. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694

Duane Underwood isthe top pitching prospect hailing from the state of Georgia, which has been agreat source of talent for big-league clubs over the years. He doesn’t have aceiling as high as some of the most recent, including 2009 first-rounder ZackWheeler, but he has enough potential that he could sneak into the first-round. Underwoodis a lithe, athletic right-hander with a power arm that at first glance remindsa bit of 2010 first-rounder Taijuan Walker. He has great velocity, capable ofreaching 97-98 mph, and the makings of an above-average curveball. In the field,he’ll be an above-average defender. http://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/duane-underwood-rhp-pope-hs-ga/

Draft 2012 – Adam Climber, Josh Elander, Carlos Correa, Kevin Gausman, Andrew Susac

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Adam Climber RHP Green Bay—Washington - Adam went 2-1 and had a great 0.52 era in34.1 innings of work. He appeared in 18 games, was among the leaders with 9saves and he fanned 36 batters. He also allowed just 3 walks during the season.PG ranked him as the 20th best prospect in the league.

Josh Elander /TCU /C : Elander really caught my eyeearly in the Cape Season and I wasn’t surprised to see him added to the USMNTroster (He actually replaced Zunino). The Texas Christian backstop is athleticwith a well-rounded game. He doesn’t possess an ideal catcher’s body with histhick frame but certainly has a chance to stick there. The feeling is that histools will play at a number of other positions in any case. Elander has a verydisciplined approach at the plate and should hit for a high average with achance for above average power. If he continues to progress behind the plate hecould really move up draft boards this spring. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

Carlos Correa — 6’-4”, SS, Puerto Rico BaseballAcademy (PR) - A defensive whiz with aton of offensive potential, Correa has the frame to be a power-hitting thirdbaseman while maintaining his gold-glove defense. Has a strong and accurate arm, as well asgreat range and footwork. At the plate, he makes consistent contact and has anadvanced approach at the plate. An exciting player to watch and a kid who willhave a ton of scouts watching his every move this upcoming season. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Kevin Gausman — 6’-4”, RHP,LSU At 6’-4” and 190 lbs, Gausman is a power righty who can get his fastball upto 99 mph. His long, easy delivery gives his fastball late life, running in onhitters. His change-up has late, fading action and should be an above averagepitch while his breaking ball is still developing. Had a 3.51 ERA with 86 K/23BB over 89.2 innings as a freshman for LSU, allowing only five home runs.Another strong sophomore season should cement him into a top-10 pick, possiblytop-5. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Best Tool: Andrew Susac's best tool right now ispower. According to the Baseball America scouting report he has "pluspower and generates the kinds of backspun home runs that keep carrying untilthey clear the fence." For a team that has been starved of power this isan excellent thing to hear. Needs to work on: He has yet to make his pro debutso it is hard to get a clear read on what he needs to work on but one thingthat the scouting reports have warned against is that his approach can besusceptible to breaking balls and that he will need to make adjustments on thatas he moves up through the minors. http://www.crazycrabbers.com/2012/01/crazy-crabbers-top-20-prospects-andrew.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Draft 2012 – Brian Johnson, James Ramsey, Andy Hunter, Deven Marrero, Nolan Fontana

2012-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Brian Johnson — 6’-4”, LHP,Florida Johnson is the best left handedcollege pitcher in the draft. Has a low-90s fastball with sink, an aboveaverage change-up and his slider projects to a plus pitch at the next level. At6’-3” and 225 lbs, he has great mound presence and teams usually eat up lefthanded college pitchers come draft day. Also a tremendous hitter and could bedrafted high as an outfielder. In 12 at bats for Collegiate Team USA, hesmashed three home runs, drove in five runs and walked three times. He alsopicked up a win, giving up one run over four innings, striking out four, whilewalking none. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

James Ramsey /Florida State / OF – Ramsey had a strong college season for the Seminoles in2011 and built on that with an impressive performance on the Cape. He wasdrafted in the 22nd round by the Twins following his Junior season but decidedto return to school as a Senior this year. There is some skepticism over howRamsey’s game will play in pro ball. He often drops his back-end and takes anaggressive uppercut swing. While this leads to some long home runs (his sixhome runs tied him for second in the Cape) it also leads to more than a fewstrikeouts. The tools and athleticism are solid across the board and Ramsey isa max effort guy who plays the game the right way. He was named Cape League AllStar Game MVP after hitting a looooong home run over the bullpens in rightfield. I also saw Ramsey in March, and while I still have questions about hisbat I saw improvements in his ability to shorten up his swing and makeadjustments. After a very good Cape campaign Ramsey is poised to be one of themore interesting Senior draftees. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

Andy Hunter RHP Green Bay Bullfrogs—Gonzaga - Andy went 5-2 and was fourth in the leaguewith a 1.97 era this season. He pitched 59.1 innings and appeared in 17 gamesfor the Bullfrogs. He allowed 42 hits, walked just 11 and was among the leagueleaders with a .195 BAA. PG ranked him as the 25th best prospect in the leaguethis summer. In late November, I named him one of my top performers.http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/top-35-pitchers-in-northwoods-league_20.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Deven Marrero —6’-1”, SS, Arizona State Marrero excels on both sides of the field and could bethe first shortstop taken in the draft. Was a 17th-round pick by the Reds in2009 but chose to attend Arizona State. Hit .397 with six home runs, 42 RBIsand 11 stolen bases as a freshman, earning first-team, freshman All-American bycollegiate baseball while setting an Arizona State freshman record for battingaverage. Won Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore as hisdefense caught up to his offense. Shows a great approach at the plate, as hehas only struck out 54 times in 96 games at ASU. Has the ideal size (6’-1”,190), range and footwork to be a gold-glove caliber shortstop down the road.Brother Chris was a first-round pick in 2009 and made his major-league debutfor the Nationals this year. Led Collegiate Team USA with 19 hits, 14 RBI, fivedoubles and six stolen bases over 14 games during the summer. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

A lefthanded hitter, Nolan Fontanaexcels at small ball, leading the SEC with 52 walks last year anddrawing a total of 105 the past two seasons, while striking out just 59 timesin his career. He also led the conference in sacrifice flies last season withnine and topped the Gators in total sacrifices (20). He doesn't have blazing speed, but he is asmart, aggressive baserunner who led Florida with five triples as a sophomore. In two years and 472 at-bats, Fontana is a.288/.426/.426 hitter with 27 doubles, seven triples, eight homers, 113 runsand 72 RBIs. Fontana said he gained five pounds of muscle over the summer, andO'Sullivan expects a bit more pop out of his shortstop this year. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/season-preview/2012/2612858.html

2012 Draft: – Marcus Stroman, Teddy Stankiewicz, Stephen Piscotty, Peter O’Brien

2012-01-29T07:00:00.002-08:00

Marcus Stroman —5’-9”, RHP, Duke Stroman could close formost major-league teams tomorrow if needed. With a fastball that touches 95mph, and a tight slider that can be ridiculously mesmerizing at times, he isone of the most ready pitchers available in the draft. Went 8.1 scorelessinnings for the collegiate Team USA, striking out 17, while walking just one.At the 2010 Cape Cod League, he tossed 25 scoreless innings, striking out 32while walking just three, including registering 10 saves. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class 6. Teddy Stankiewicz,RHP, Southwest Christian High School (Fort Worth, Texas) Stankiewicz, who has signed on to play atArkansas as part of their blue-chip class, offers projection thanks to a6-foot-4, 200-pound frame and some athleticism. He sits in the 89-92 mph rangewith more velocity on the way. His best breaking ball is a firm slider that hasflattened in games but has tilt and late break. The right-hander also offers acurveball with good shape. As with most prep arms, his changeup needs a lot ofdevelopment.

Stephen Piscotty,6’-3”, 3B, Stanford - After grabbing Appel with the second overall pick, theTwins grab his teammate in Piscotty. With his smooth swing and excellent batspeed, Piscotty is one of the purest hitters in the draft, able to spray theball to all fields. He hit .364 with three home runs and 40 RBI over 57 gamesas a sophomore in 2011. He then led the Cape Cod League with a .349 average.His lack of power could force a move to left field where his strong andaccurate arm could play well. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/2012-mlb-mock-draft-3-0-now-with-supplemental-picks/16253/

Miami catcher Peter O'Brien hasfinally been cleared to play in 2012 by the NCAA, according to Hurricanes coachJim Morris. O'Brien slugged 34 homers over the last two years atBethune-Cookman and was drafted by the Rockies in the third round last June. Hedid not sign, instead transferring to Miami for his senior year. He applied foran eligibility waiver from the NCAA on the grounds that the Miami Gardensnative was transferring to be near his mother, who was battling healthproblems. It took several months and a lot of paperwork, but his request waseventually granted this morning http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/2012/01/miamis-peter-obrien-cleared-to-play/

2012 Draft: - SCAD, Michael Fagan, Albert Almora, Marcus Stroman

2012-01-29T04:39:00.000-08:00

The Savannah College of Art and Design announcedMonday that it is discontinuing baseball, softball and volleyball programs atthe end of the 2011-2012 academic year. SCADvice president for student success Phil Alletto said the money saved will makefinancial aid available to a greater number of incoming students. Affected student-athleteswill keep their scholarships while they remain in good academic standingcontinue to progress toward graduation. http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2012-01-23/scad-discontinuing-baseball-softball-and-volleyball

Michael Fagan LHP St. Cloud River Bats—Princeton - Michael was one of the top relievers in theleague. He went 3-2 and had a 1.95 era in 50.2 innings of work. He appeared in19 games and led the league with 81 strikeouts. PG ranked him as the 28th bestprospect in the league.http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/top-35-pitchers-in-northwoods-league_20.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Albert Almora —6’-2”, OF, Marion Christian Academy (FL) Aside from his five-tool abilities,Almora has leadership qualities not seen in many players his age. Thosequalities were on full display during this year’s Pan-Am Championship games inColombia. The six-time member of Team USA won MVP honors as the under-18 teambrought home the gold by annihilating the competition. Almora hit .421 (16 for38) with a team leading 11 runs, five doubles, 11 RBI and nine stolen bases asTeam USA went 9-0, outscoring opponents 88-8. He has a plus arm and his speedshould allow him to play center field at the next level. A total package ofoffense, defense, speed and an extremely high understanding and passion for thegame, Almora should hear his name called in the upper half of next year’sdraft. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

We continue the countdown today at number 6 withDuke junior RHP Marcus Stroman. The Medford, New York native attendedPatchogue-Medford High School where he was a four year letter winner. He went9-1 as a senior with a 0.25 ERA and 120 strikeouts while hitting .350 with sixhomers and 22 stolen bases. His junior season saw him go 7-2 on the mound witha 1.20 ERA and 96 strikeouts while batting .410 with a pair of homers and 30steals. He was named Louisville Slugger’s Player of the Year and earning the GatoradePlayer of the Year honors for the state of New York. He also won the PaulGibson Award, which goes to the top pitcher on Long Island. He was selected inthe 18th round (532nd overall) of the 2009 MLB Draft by the WashingtonNationals but decided to head to Duke. As a freshman, he hit .265 with 44 hits,26 runs scored and 20 RBI while going 6-4 on the mound with three saves and anERA of 5.31 ERA over 57.2 innings. He was named ACC Freshman of the Year and asecond team Freshman All-American by Baseball America. http://ht.ly/1gV4Z8

2012 Draft – Taylore Cherry, Wyatt Mathisen, Cody Poteet, Mark Appel

2012-01-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

27. Taylore Cherry —6’-9”, RHP, Vandalia Butler HS (OH) Cherrycan get his fastball up to 98 mph thanks, in most part, to his 6’-9” frame. Hisdelivery is easy and fluid, and he looks like he could pitch a doubleheaderwithout tiring. Went 6-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 94 K over 56 innings as a junior,earning him Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the state of Ohio. Both hiscurve and change-up look to be above-average pitches at the major-league level,and his durability is something all teams will covet. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class 7. Wyatt Mathisen,C, Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas) Mathisen could shoot up the draft boards with a strong senior seasonafter impressing on the summer circuit. His arm strength grades as aboveaverage and scouts raved about his accuracy. He offers quick wrists and a soundapproach at the plate. There's raw power there, too, but Mathisen's draft stockwill be tied to both his bat and his future behind the dish. This TexasLonghorns commit could be considered as early as the second round in June’sdraft.

Cody Poteet, 6’-1”, RHP,Christian HS (CA) The Padres have one of the better farm systems in baseball,pitching depth being their best asset. Poteet is seen as undersized by somescouts, but his arm strength leaves little concern. He can crank his fastballup to 96 mph, and his hard mid-70s curve is one of the best in the country. Hischange-up is still developing but is very deceptive at times and projects to anabove-average offering. He has an easy delivery and is very aggressive on themound, attacking hitters with superb command. He keeps the ball down, showinggood signs of a ground-ball pitcher. Hasbeen a member of Team USA since he was 14. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/2012-mlb-mock-draft-3-0-now-with-supplemental-picks/16253/

Mark Appel / Stanford /RHP: Appel is getting some strong early consideration for the top pick in thedraft. The Stanford right-hander played an abbreviated Cape season as hepitched out of the bullpen for the Team USA Collegiate National Team. Appel hadimpressed me when pitching for Team USA so I was excited to watch him pitchagain. I caught him at his best for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on July 27th.Appel gave up 3 runs in a losing effort, but hit 98 mph and struck 12 battersin 6 IP while walking none. He is a big, athletic kid with a free and easydelivery. With about a billion scouts in attendance (+/- five scouts) Appelshowed a tremendous slider that features both strong horizontal and verticalbreak. He threw strikes in the lower half of the zone with his fastball and hischange up also had its moments. Hitters were overmatched all day and Appelracked up swings and misses on all his pitches. Appel had an up and down yearoverall but more days like this could see him in an Astros uniform in July.http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720

Baseball: Jeff Francis, Wilson Valdez, Jesus Montero, Boone Logan

2012-01-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

The Cincinnati Reds areclose to signing left handed pitcher Jeff Francis toa minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal. Jon Heyman is now reportingthe deal is official. Numbers have not been released yet. Francis, 31, entershis 8th season with a career 4.78 ERA. He spent his first six seasons with theColorado Rockies, but was out for the entire 2009 season following a surgery onhis left shoulder (that's the important one!). While he's no Edwin Jackson,he's good for 180+ innings when healthy -- striking out 6 and walking 3 pergame. He spent 2011 with the Kansas City Royals, going 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA. http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/1/25/2735489/cincinnati-reds-to-sign-jeff-francis

Here's a look at WilsonValdez' numbers from the past two seasons with the Phillies: 2010 - 20 GIDP -363 PA (5.5% of all plate appearances ended in 2 outs.) 2011 - 13 GIDP - 300 PA(4.3%) During those two years, Baseball's top GIDP victims were Billy Butler(32 in 2010) and Albert Pujols (29 in 2011). Had Wilson Valdez reached the sameplateau of PAs in each season, in 2010 he would have set a new Major LeagueBaseball record for GIDPs in a season with 37.35. We're talking about a sportthat's been around for 140+ years and Wilson Valdez would have been the alltime season leader in grounding into DPs had he been an every day player! In2011, had he reached Pujols' PA numbers he would have been a close second inall of baseball with 28.21. Unfortunately, Valdez can't support his GIDPnumbers with the same OPS numbers that Pujols puts up! http://www.droppedstrikethree.com/2012/01/saying-goodbye-to-double-play-machine.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

I think Jesus Montero could struggle at the major league levelin 2012, particularly if he continues to tinker with his setup and swingmechanics, as finding consistency and rhythm is vital to execution at thatlevel; advanced arms can feast on hitters who are out of sync; hitters who areconstantly altering their stance or setup. I think he’s capable of makingadjustments, and his gifts with the bat (bat control, hand-eye coordination,etc.) should keep his head above water even in the event of mechanical setback.The end result will please fans of the Mariners for years to come, and Yankeesfans can pine for their former flame from afar while they erect shrines toMichael Pineda, a pitcher so promising that I would consider having hischildren as well http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15916

The Yankees settledtheir final salary arbitration case, agreeing with left-hander Boone Logan on a one-year contract worth $1,875,000. Theagreement Thursday was just below the midpoint between the $2.1 million he hadasked for last week in arbitration and the $1.7 million New York had offered.But Logan can earn a $25,000 bonus if he appears in 55 games this season. Loganwas 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 64 games last year and earned $1.2 million http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/26/boone-logan-and-yankees-agree-at-1875000/

Baseball: Brandon Morrow, Dylan Bundy, Tim Lincecum, Gaylord Perry

2012-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Blue Jaysannounced on Tuesday that they have signed a three-year, $21 million contractextension with starting pitcher Brandon Morrow.The deal covers Morrow's final two arbitration seasons and at least one year offree agency, depending on whether the Jays exercise an option that they holdfor the 2015 season. According to Mike Wilner of Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 inToronto, Morrow will make $4 million in 2012, $8 million in 2013 and $8 millionin 2014, and Toronto holds a $10 million club option for 2015 with a $1 millionbuyout attached. The deal guarantees Morrow at least $21 million over the nextthree years, with a possible payout of $30 million over four years if theoption is exercised. http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/1/24/2730332/toronto-blue-jays-brandon-morrow-contract-extension-mlb-rumors-2012

When the BaltimoreOrioles plucked him out of Northeastern Oklahoma's Sperry High School in the2008 Draft's eighth round, Bobby Bundy heard the hype. Everyone within earshottold him he was a great pitcher. But allthe talk about Dylan Bundy is much, much louder.Bobby, 22, has taken a backseat to his 100-mph-capable, 19-year-old youngerbrother, the fourth overall draftee in 2011, and as of this month, MLB.com'sfifth-best righty pitching prospect in the game. He is well aware that hislittle bro beat him to Baltimore's 40-man roster -- the result of signing aMajor League contract -- and isn't surprised to learn that Dylan has his ownWikipedia page http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120111&content_id=26316230&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb#&tcid=tw_share

Hank Schulman of theSan Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have reached agreement on atwo-year, $40.5 million contract with right-hander TimLincecum. The Giants were hoping to secure Lincecum to a long-termcontract this offseason, but the 27-year-old had a higher asking price than theclub could reach. This deal buys out his remaining arbitration years, and allowshim to test the open market in 2014. Lincecum registered a sparkling 2.74 ERAand 220/86 K/BB ratio in 217 innings last year for San Francisco and shouldremain a bonafide ace over the course of his new two-year deal. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/348284/baseball-headlines?r=1

This year is the 40thanniversary of the last time human beings set foot on the moon. Why haven’t we been back since? Maybe we should blame Gaylord Perry. One of baseball’s great urban legends is that Perry,a Hall of Fame pitcher from 1962 to 1983, once said a man would walk on themoon before he hit a home run. Orperhaps the legend is that Alvin Dark, Perry’s manager with the San FranciscoGiants, is the one who made that disparaging but humorous remark about Perry’slack of knack to hit the longball. The confusion and dispute over who said itor if anyone actually said it at all are so well known that the Internetinvestigators at Snopes have even sniffed it out and can’t find theanswer. What makes the dispute relevantis the second big fact of the story, which is indisputable. Perry hit his first career home run on July20, 1969 the day that Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man” on the moon.http://networkedblogs.com/t8LMM

Baseball: Drew Smyly, Francisco Lindor, Jorge Posada, Christian Yelich

2012-01-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Drew Smyly, Tigers: At thestart of the 2011 season, lefty prospects in the Tigers system like Andy Oliverand Casey Crosby got more of the attention, but it was Smyly who outperformedboth of them. In his first full season, Smyly made it to Double-A and led thesystem in ERA while finishing third in strikeouts, more than enough to earn himMLB.com's nod for the organization's Pitcher of the Year. Smyly fits the moldof a command-and-control college lefty with four pitches -- fastball, cutter,curve and changeup -- that are all usable offerings. If the breaking ball andoffspeed stuff continue to improve, it shouldn't be long before he's ready tohelp out in Detroit. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

Francisco Lindor,SS, Lake Country - When the Indians drafted Lindor eighth overall this June,Baseball America threw out these phrases: “tremendous work ethic,” “plays thegame with ease and passion,” “scouts haven’t scoffed at Omar Vizquelcomparisons” on defense, and that he was a “legitimate candidate for the No. 1overall pick.” If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is. Lindor is only 18and has plenty of growth ahead of him. He’s already been dubbed best hitter foraverage, best defensive infielder, and top prospect by Baseball America and nowwill have to go to work proving that on the field. If he’s as good as he’sadvertised to be, he could force his way up the minor league ladder veryquickly http://www.indiansprospectinsider.com/2012/01/five-exciting-prospects-to-watch-in.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Jorge Posada, 40, played 17seasons, all with the Yankees. He finished with a .273 average, 275 home runsand 1,065 RBIs in 1,829 games. Most of them were under manager Joe Torre, whomPosada called a "father" figure for him. Posada is one of only fivecatchers all-time with 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 homers and 1,000 RBIs;Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and Ivan Rodriguez are the other four.Posada ends his career as the first catcher since Bench to play 17 consecutiveseasons with the same team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7497146/new-york-yankees-jorge-posada-retires-17-seasons

Christian Yelich putup an excellent offensive season, hitting for average and power while stealingover 30 bases and posting a very good on-base percentage. But his batted balltendencies were downright bizarre. When you scroll down Yelich’s Minor LeagueSplits page, the first thing that jumps out is his HR/OFB%, the percentage ofhome runs he hit among his flyballs to the outfield. His HR/OFB% came in at19.2%, well above the league average of 9.1%. That isn’t so crazy, but Yelichhit just 15 home runs! Scrolling a little further down on the page, we get tohis batted ball ratios. And those are pretty outlandish. His LD% (line drivepercentage among his batted balls) was an impressive 22.2%, well above theleague average of 16.4%, but he hit way too many balls on the ground, 53.7% ofhis batted balls compared to the league average of 42.8%. The only reason thatYelich was able to get away with that is because he’s so fast and was able tobeat out decent percentage of those groundballs in addition to the groundballsthat went for hits by pure luck. Yelich didn’t hit very many flyballs at all,just 21.9% of his batted balls compared to the league average of 26.4%. Butamong his batted balls, Yelich was extremely efficient. A minuscule 1.3% of hisflyballs were pop-ups on the infield, exponentially better than the leagueaverage of 19.8%. When Yelich hit the ball in the air, he hit for tons power,with 30.2% of his line drives and flyballs ending up as extra-base hits. Butwell over half his batted balls were groundballs, preventing Yelich fromposting elite power numbers. Yelich was basically two different hitters meshedinto one: a Juan Pierre-esque hitter that hit tons of groundballs but beat alot of them out and a healthy Josh Hamilton-esque hitter that hit everythinghard for extra-base hit after extra-base hit. Yelich’s BAbip was .373, rightaround where it should have been, but it’s insane how he got there. The resultswere spectacular: Yelich’s .312 batting average led all Sally League qualifiers(minimum 3.1 PA’s per game which in this case is 434 plate appearances). ButYelich has to right his batting ball tendencies to maximize his potential. Ifhe can trade a bunch of groundballs for flyballs to the outfield, he’ll hit formore power and his batting average won’t suffer very much because he’ll stillhave the speed to beat out groundballs - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/01/24/2011-sal-all-stars-of-christian-yelich/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Baseball: James Paxton, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Stefan Welsh

2012-01-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

James Paxton, Mariners:Paxton didn't sign with the Mariners until March, but he made up for lost timequickly by double-jumping from low Class A to Double-A during the season,pitching well at both levels. His two best pitches are his fastball -- a trulyplus offering he can crank up into the upper 90s -- and an excellent powerbreaking ball. The improvement he's shown with his changeup is a big reason whythe Mariners are even more excited about his potential as a Major Leaguestarter. He was shut down a bit early last year, more as a precaution thananything else. Seeing him in Seattle's rotation soon is not out of thequestion. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

As the Nationals talk to free-agent first basemanPrince Fielder, they face a significant contractual decision on one of theirown players – third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmermanhas informed the team of the exact terms he would accept long-term, accordingto one major-league source. He has said in the past that he does not want tosign an extension that would restrict the club from making other moves. Contractnegotiations are fluid, but two other sources suggest that an agreement betweenZimmerman and the Nationals is within reach. Zimmerman, 27, is under contractfor $12 million in 2012 and $13 million in 2013. After that, he is eligible forfree agency. http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz/sources_nationals_know_zimmermans_price/9534704

The star quality of Rice 3B Anthony Rendon makes upfor a lot of Washington’s lackluster drafting past the third round. This ishardly an original thought, and I know I repeat it more than I should, but itis really tricky finding interesting things to say about the draft’s bestprospects. There are only so many ways you can say “yeah, he’s really good atX, Y, and Z, perhaps a bit lacking or flawed in A and B, but, on balance, heshould be a really good big league player assuming good health, a typicaldevelopmental curve, and the continuation of the existence of mankind after2012.” http://baseballdraftreport.com/

When I awoke on Friday, September 17, 1982, I feltlike an 8-year-old on Christmas morning. It really set in when I opened thesports section of the paper (delivered, naturally, to my "suite") andwent to the listing of Today's Starting Pitchers and saw: New York (Wever 0-0)at Milwaukee (Caldwell 15-11), 7:30 p.m. I spent the day wandering through somesuper-mall in downtown Milwaukee feeling pretty good about myself. I boughtsome things with my newfound wealth (meal money) that I would never haveconsidered buying the week before, like $50 sunglasses. I tried not to thinkabout that night's game, but I didn't have much luck. Everywhere I went, I sawMilwaukee Brewers paraphernalia, and everything I read talked about theincredible offensive prowess of the team (something I would find out aboutfirst-hand a few hours later). http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201201/sunlight-moonlight-man

Baseball: Jarrod Parker, Mike Montgomery, Dominican 16-year olds, Bryce Harper

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Jarrod Parker,A's: Parker put his 2010 Tommy John surgery behind him last year, particularlyin the second half, earning a September callup and a spot on the D-backs'postseason roster. He was then the key prospect sent to Oakland in the TrevorCahill deal, immediately becoming the A's top prospect. He has a very goodfour-pitch mix and his stuff was all the way back. He also came back a moremature and complete pitcher, one who used his time away from the game wisely.He profiles as a top-of-the-rotation starter and should get an opportunity inOakland in the very near future. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142

Mike Montgomery,Royals: Little seemed to go right for Montgomery in 2011. He headed into theyear at the front of an impressive group of pitching prospects in the Royalssystem, with many thinking he'd be the first to reach Kansas City. The Triple-APacific Coast League handed Montgomery a healthy serving of humble pie, as hestruggled with his command for much of the season. His pure stuff is still asgood as it ever was, with the potential to have three plus pitches, and he didstay healthy all season. Montgomery seemed to learn from his tough season andit could serve him well this year, when the 22-year-old should break through tothe big leagues. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

Segura goes on to argue that organizations aremistakenly placing a premium on youth in the Dominican because only six playersthat were signed at age 16 made big league debuts between 2008-2011, while17-year-old signees had 23 debuts and 18-year-old signees had 24 debuts. Organizationsdo not sign Dominican teenagers to six-figure deals merely to have them scratchthe big leagues, though. They wish to exploit the perceived inefficiencies ofthe Latin American market and buy premium talent at a fraction of the marketvalue.

Keep in mind an important caveat to this discussionof “value” in regards to Dominican prospects. The lavish bonuses dished out to16-year-old players are not always directly tied to their skill level. Teamssometimes need to vastly overpay if their connections with the local buscones(or trainers) are not well-established. These buscones also serve as the youngplayers’ agents, drumming up interest and creating an auction-like atmosphereof unfettered capitalism that drives up asking prices. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/younger-is-not-always-better-in-the-dominican/

Bryce Harper, Nationals:Harper might play all of the 2012 season at age 19, but it would be a mistaketo think that's a reason he won't be in Washington this year. All signs pointto him getting every chance to make the Opening Day roster, and why not? Harperhas already shown an ability to make adjustments. He started out slowly afterhis double-jump to Double-A last summer, but was just heating up when he gotshut down by a minor hamstring injury. No matter, Harper simply went to theArizona Fall League and raked there. His plus power shows up in gamesconsistently, and he didn't strike out quite as much as some thought he would.Harper gets on base, is an aggressive base runner and is improving in theoutfield, where his plus arm works very well. He could be ready to take thenation's capital by storm on Opening Day. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120120&content_id=26407614&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26407614

Baseball: Archie Bradley, Martin Perez, Daniel Bard, Lance Bergman

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Archie Bradley, D-backs: The second of two Oklahomahigh school pitchers taken in the top 10 of the 2011 Draft, he's no lessimpressive than state-mate Dylan Bundy. A three-sport standout in high school,Bradley signed with Arizona rather than play quarterback at the University ofOklahoma. He has a very exciting combination of size and stuff, with a plusfastball, a power curve and a changeup he didn't need in high school, givinghim the chance to have three above-average pitches. And though he played othersports, he has a good idea of what he's doing on the mound, meaning he may notmove as slowly as some prep pitchers do, starting with full-season ball in2012. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142

Martin Perez, Rangers:The prospect world can be a bit fickle. Some are not as high on Perez as theyonce were because he struggled in Triple-A in 2011. Command has been an issuefor the Venezuelan at times and he struggled with it after his promotion,particularly in the strike zone, leading him to get knocked around quite a bit.But it's easy to forget he'll be just 21 for all of the upcoming season, andhis pure stuff -- fastball, changeup, curve -- has the chance to be plus acrossthe board. There's more than enough time for him to fulfill his enormouspotential. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

The Boston Red Soxavoided arbitration with Daniel Bard according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Bard’ssigning leaves just David Ortiz, Andrew Bailey, and Alfredo Aceves as theremaining arbitration-eligible players of the Red Sox. Bard is going to try toearn a role in the starting rotation after having been the setup man in theBoston bullpen this past season. Bard, 26, went 2-9 with a 3.33 ERA in 70appearances this past season. http://blog.prorumors.com/2012/01/rumors/red-sox-avoid-arbitration-with-daniel-bard/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Berkman, who turns 36on Feb. 10, replaces Albert Pujols, the starter at first base for the Cardinalsfrom 2004-2011. Before Pujols moved from left field to become the Cardinals’everyday first baseman, St. Louis had a pair of first basemen, Mark McGwire andTino Martinez, who successfully played the position while at the same ageBerkman is now. Mike Matheny, the Cardinals’ first-year manager, got afirsthand look as St. Louis’ catcher at the fielding performances turned in byMcGwire and Martinez. So it reasons Matheny would be comfortable with Berkmanas his first baseman in 2012 http://retrosimba.com/2012/01/23/at-36-lance-berkman-should-fit-fine-at-first-for-cardinals/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Baseball: Taijuan Walker, Drew Pomeranz, A.J. Burnett, Carlos Pena, Cory Hahn

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Taijuan Walker,Mariners: With the way Walker pitched in his first full season, the Marinerswill quickly forget they didn't have a first-round pick in 2010. The SoCal highschool product was a multi-sport star and, as a result, is really focusing onpitching full-time for the first time as a professional. So far, so good, asWalker has been dominant as the Mariners have been cautious with him up untilthis point. The stuff is there, with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and excellentcurve. His changeup is rapidly improving. That three-pitch mix, his size andathleticism could all add up to a frontline starter in the future. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142

Drew Pomeranz,Rockies: The tail end of the 2011 season was a whirlwind for Pomeranz. As theplayer-to-be-named in the Ubaldo Jimenez Trade Deadline deal with Cleveland, hesat in limbo for a long stretch, unable to pitch, waiting for his part of thetrade to be completed. Then he had to have his appendix removed. Despite allthat, he pitched very well for the Rockies and earned his first callup to thebig leagues, throwing five shutout innings in his debut. When fully healthy, hehas a plus fastball and curve. His changeup isn't quite as good, but it's stillan effective pitch. If the former Ole Miss southpaw commands the ball the wayhe did in the big leagues late last year -- that had been an issue for him inthe past -- he'll be just fine, and he should get a long look for a rotationspot this spring. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

It seems as if the Yankees are determined to get ridof A.J. Burnett has they have been getting theword out ever since the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero swap that they would loveto deal him, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN. Start reports that the Yankeeswould prefer to take on somebodies bad contract rather than eat Burnett’ssalary, but there aren’t many comparable options out there. Jason Bay of theMets may be the best fit if teams are looking to just swap bad contracts.Burnett is owed $33 million over two years while Bay is owed $32 million overthe same time period. Alfonso Soriano and Adam Dunn are two other names thathave been thrown around as possibilities, but both have contracts that extendbeyond 2014 which pretty much kills those possibilities. http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/01/rumor-yankees-continue-to-shop-a-j-burnett/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Carlos Pena was, of course,a member of the worst-to-first 2008 Rays (not Devil Rays, that’ll cost you).That club won 97 games, Tampa Bay’s first ever American League East title,Tampa Bay’s first ever playoff series, and Tampa Bay’s first American LeagueChampionship, all just a year after Pena and his .430 wOBA could only power theteam to a 66-96 campaign. He was also there for 2010, the Rays’ second divisionchampionship, but that team’s success was almost despite him. Pena stillprovided his trademark power, slugging 28 home runs, but his strikeout problemsand a sharp dip in BABIP led to just a .196 batting average and a .326 wOBA.Between the failures of 2010 and his contractual demands — he sought andeventually received eight figures on a one-year deal — Pena and the Raysdiverged for the 2010 season. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/carlos-pena-returns-to-the-trop/

Cory Hahn made his waydown the third base line of El Dorado Field to home plate with the assistanceof his father, Dale, late Saturday afternoon. The crowd at El Dorado HighSchool greeted him with a standing ovation. After all, he is the mainattraction. "He's a star now," said former Los Angeles Angelsannouncer Rex Hudler. "He's got a chance to encourage a lot of people –more than he would if he were a ballplayer." The former Mater Dei baseballstar was the guest of honor as a who's who of Orange County baseball sluggerstook part in the 1st Annual Trinity Bat Company Home Run Challenge. Proceedsfrom the charity event were donated to the Cory Hahn Fund. High schoolers,minor leaguers and major leaguers, including Angels catcher Hank Conger andfirst baseman Mark Trumbo, attended. However, Trumbo didn't participate whilestill recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/21/12/Hahn-inspiring-beyond-baseball/landing_angels.html?blockID=650944&feedID=9174

Baseball: Addison Reed, Pitchers and Catchers, Gary Carter, Cholesterol

2012-01-28T05:16:00.000-08:00

Addison had no troublestaying under the radar as a 3rd round selection out of San Diego StateUniversity from 2010. Being a teammateof Stephen Strasburg will do that to you. In 2011, however, his sleeper status evaporated as he rolled throughfour minor league levels, starting in Single A Kannapolis through Triple ACharlotte in 2011, eventually landingin the majors. Reed struck out 111batters in 78.1 innings pitched while walking only 14 over those fourlevels. During 2011′s whirlwind tourthrough the minor leagues, Reed’s ERA never scored higher than 1.59. Though with a pitifully low amount of data,his 7 major league innings saw his ERA jump to 3.38 while striking out 12 andwalking just one with a painfully low ground ball rate at 20% and a sky-high.474 BABIP. So Reed does have to provethat he’s ready for primetime yet. http://baseballinstinct.com/

One of the magicalphrases for baseball fans is "pitchers and catchers report." This isthe day when those players report for the first team workout of theyear.Typically pitchers and catchers report first, ahead of other players, duethe long term nature of a pitchers' work plan. When that date is within reach,fans allow ourselves to move the baseball caps and replica jerseys from theback of the closet to the front. Some of us start looking for season tickets toarrive in the mail or eagerly await single games to go on sale. You startlooking at what your team has done over the past few months and start to getexcited about the upcoming year. http://the42bus.blogspot.com/2012/01/pitchers-and-catchers.html

He was known as"The Kid" for his youthful, upbeat manner. A native Californian, heattended Sunny Hills High School -- how perfect -- in Fullerton beforelaunching his professional career with the Montreal Expos at 20 in 1974. Hewould spend 11 more seasons in Canada before joining the Mets in 1985, theessential missing piece in a historic puzzle. Your well-traveled correspondent,a columnist for the New York Post at the time of the Mets' rise to prominence,dubbed Carter "Kid Sunshine." He seemed to like it. Things could getdark around those freewheeling, high-octane Mets at times. But there always wasa light, an aura, surrounding the space occupied by No. 8. http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120126&content_id=26478476&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym

Ron Noy, a NewYork-based sports orthopedist, said weight inevitably increases stress on lowerextremity joints, such as hips, knees and ankles, as well as the lower spine.The force across these joints increases up to eight times their weight duringcompetition, so more weight means a higher likelihood of meniscus tears, hiplabral tears and impingements. The degenerating joints then become "moresusceptible to irritation that can result in swelling and decreased performanceor increased need for days off," Noy said. Jeff Kotterman, director of theNational Association of Sports Nutritionists, said any team that invests $200million in a single player probably ought to hire him a personal nutritionist,too, if not a personal chef, though even that might not do the trick. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204661604577185101342728264.html?mod=djemMTIPOFF_h

Baseball: Christy Mathewson, Adam Dunn, Christian Bethancourt, Craig Kimbrel

2012-01-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

Baseball: Christy Mathewson, Adam Dunn, ChristianBethancourt, Craig Kimbrel

ChristyMathewson - Here was anadmirable character. Mathewson was one of the early college-educated stars inbaseball. He was intelligent, creative (the fadeaway pitch), and honorable inways that few people are these days. He was widely respected—aka electable—andas a devout Christian, he would have been a golden boy for the conservativeright. Normally, that'd be a strike against him, but the national government ofthe time needed someone with the scruples of Matty. Plus, if he had gone intopolitics, perhaps he wouldn't have enlisted in the army at the age of 38,wouldn't have inhaled the lethal gas that slowly took his life, and perhaps wewould have had him around longer than 45 years. —Bradford Doolittle http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15903

Dunn's struggles in2011 -- his first season with the Chicago White Sox -- were well-documented,here and elsewhere. Although Dunn never hit for average, he still posted arespectable career batting average of .250 prior to 2011. That dropped to .159last season. .159. That's lower than the batting average of fifteen NationalLeague pitchers last season with at least 60 at-bats. But the power outage iseven more shocking. His career slugging percentage through the 2010 season was.523. In 2011, it was .277. .277. As a slugging percentage. And he ended theseason with only 11 home runs. http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/1/25/2728481/adam-dunn-white-sox-projections-statistics

ChristianBethancourt, C, Braves - Bethancourt is one of, if not the best,defensive catchers in the game. His arm is a pure 80; one scout reported a poptime of 1.68, the best he's ever recorded in his decade-plus of work.Offensively, the 20-year-old Panamanian has been a mixed bag; he has hit for adecent average but showed little in the way of power or patience. His approachstill needs work, but after hitting five home runs in 72 Arizona Fall Leagueat-bats, there's hope that his raw power might come around. The Braves hope hecan show enough this spring to earn a Double-A assignment.

Craig Kimbrelsplashedonto the scene in 2011 and simply dominated. Granted he had some bad outings and battled inconsistency throughout theseason that led to 8 blown saves. Still, the raining rookie of the year notcheda record 46 saves for the Braves, was an All-Star, and managed 127strikeouts. His ERA was only 2.10throughout all that and his WHIP was even more impressive at 1.04. Kimbrel is an outstanding closer with the potentialto be a HOF closer. Last year Idescribed him as a right-handed version of Billy Wagner and I will stick tothat. Kimbrel has a lights out 97+ MPHfastball and a slider that buckles even the best hitters. http://thecloserreport.com/2012-player-profile-craig-kimbrel-atlanta-braves/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Press Release - Bisons Announce 2012 Spring Training Schedule

2012-01-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bisons Announce 2012 Spring Training Schedule

Mets Pitchers & Catchers Report to Port St. Lucie, FL on February 20

Buffalo, N.Y., January 27, 2012-The Buffalo Bisons today announced their 2012 Spring Training schedule. The Herd will play a total of 12 games against the Triple-A affiliates of the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals, March 17 – April 1.

The New York Mets will open their 2012 Spring Training at Port St. Lucie, FL when pitchers and catchers report on Monday, February 20. Mets’ position players are scheduled to arrive at Digital Domain Park on Saturday, February 25.

The exhibition schedule will start on Saturday, March 17 in Port St. Lucie, FL against the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis). The Herd will play six games versus the Redbirds and six against the New Orleans Zephyrs (Miami). The Bisons will play all their home games in the Mets complex at Port St. Lucie FL. All games, home and road, will be played at 1:00 p.m.

The Marlins and Cardinals each have their spring training facility in Jupiter, FL.

                               Date                      Opponent                           Location
                                March 17             vs. Memphis                      Port St. Lucie, FL
                                March 18             @ New Orleans                Jupiter, FL
                                March 20             vs. New Orleans               Port St. Lucie, FL
                                March 21             @ Memphis                       Jupiter, FL
                                March 22             @ New Orleans                Jupiter, FL
                                March 24             vs. Memphis                      Port St. Lucie, FL
                                March 25             vs. New Orleans               Port St. Lucie, FL
                                March 26             @ Memphis                       Jupiter, FL
                                March 28             vs. New Orleans               Port St. Lucie, FL
                                March 30             @ Memphis                      Jupiter, FL
                                March 31             @ New Orleans                Jupiter, FL
                                April 1                   vs. Memphis                     Port St. Lucie, FL

The Keepers - #6 - OF - Brandon Nimmo

2012-01-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

6. Brandon Nimmo OF

6-2-11:- .perfectgame- With Nimmo in the same draft class as other uniquely-qualified high-schooloutfield standouts such as Bubba Starling (Kansas) and Ben Roberts (Montana),this has been an interesting spring for national scouts, and also for regionalscouts who have those remote areas. Nimmo projects as a solid supplementalfirst-round pick, and should that happen, he would become the highest draftpick ever from Wyoming. Former University of Wyoming outfielder Bill Ewing hasheld that distinction since 1976, when he was the NCAA Division I home-runleader. Ewing was picked in the fourth round of that year’s draft by theCalifornia Angels. Despite his remote Wyoming upbringing, Nimmo is actually avery polished product for his age. With no formal high-school baseball inWyoming, most of Nimmo’s exposure to the game has come while playing withCheyenne’s Post 6 American Legion team, which has won consecutive state titlesand nine of the last 10. Nimmo has led that team in hitting the last threeyears, and batted .448-15-84 with 35 stolen bases in 35 attempts in 2010 asPost 6 went 67-12 to set a program record for most wins in a season. Nimmo hashad a couple of significant factors that have weighed in his favor from whatmight be expected of a Wyoming high-school product. His older brother, Bryce,was a three-year starter at Nebraska from 2006-2008, and had many similartools, although he was only 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, so the Nimmo name wasalready familiar to many Midwest scouts. In addition, Nimmo made appearances onthe national showcase circuit last summer, including the 2010 Tournament ofStars in North Carolina. Cheyenne Post 6 has also made numerous out-of-statetrips to Sun Belt locations, thus giving scouts a far broader swath of gamesand at-bats to familiarize themselves with Nimmo than they have with eitherStarling or Roberts. What they’ve seen is a very talented all-around athletewith surprisingly-polished hitting skills from the left side. Nimmo has veryadvanced barrel skills, squares up pitches consistently and can drive them tothe gaps. His easy stride and plus speed (Nimmo is a Wyoming indoor state trackchampion) result in numerous doubles and triples now that should evolve intohome runs in the future as he fills out and gets stronger. His polish with thebat is the one thing that scouts have repeatedly remarked on this spring afterseeing Nimmo. While the rest of Nimmo’s physical package doesn’t quite measureup to Starling’s, it is very solid and separates him from most otherhigh-school center fielders in this draft. He’s a 6.5 runner in the 60, despitehaving had 2009 ACL surgery from a football injury. He also has solid-averageto fringy-plus arm strength. Nimmo is a 4.0 student, to boot, with ascholarship offer to Arkansas, but with the type of attention he has beengetting this spring from the scouting community, it look like professionalbaseball is in his immediate future.

6-6-11:- Nimmo lives in Wyoming, a state that has no highschool baseball. If you ever have gone to Wyoming in April, you wouldn’t bewondering why. Instead, Nimmo hit in his backyard against a pitching machine.The interesting thing here is he’s listed as an outfielder, even though thereis no outfield in Wyoming. Anyway, he always wanted to play baseball and signedup for the USA Baseball TOS last August. He went 2-4, with a triple, 2-runsscored, 2-RBI, and was named MVP for the American team. At this point, he stillhadn’t been recruited by any college because how do you scout a kid hitting intheir backyard (I’m not making this shit up, guys). I’m not sure how successfulhis high school career could have been because he had knee surgery in 2009after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee playing widereceiver on the football team in September 2009. Thus, if there was a baseballteam (again, there isn’t) there would have been no 2010 season anyway. Oh yeah,did I mention he has tendinitis in the same knee now? He did play AmericanLegion ball in 2011 (.448, 84-RBI, 15-HR, 34-SB, 70-G) but not against anyquality pitching. Reports from the Mets War Room tonight is they think theywill have no problem signing him. You think? Observation: I have no idea whatto say at this point. I said last year’s 2nd round pick, Cory Vaughn, sucked,and I was wrong about this. How do you give a grade to someone that doesn’tplay baseball? And the picture won't even post on the site. Grade: INC

6-6-11: - David Rubin on Mack’s Mets: - Well, youHAVE to hand it to Paul DePodesta and the new Mets scouting/drafting regime-they certainly know how to ZAG when everyone else pegs them to ZIG!! Taking18-year-old Wyoming OF Brandon Nimmo with their first pick in a draft ladenwith top-pitching talent is certainly, for lack of a better word, ballsy. Hewasn't one of the top 5-ranked outfielders prior to the draft, mostly due tothe fact that he was a high school kid who didn't play high school ball- NOTbecause he wouldn't, but because there IS no high school team where he is fromin Wyoming!!! Noted draft expert, Jonathan Mayo, was excited because he feelsthe Mets are finally drafting for ceiling, and by all accounts, the sky is thelimit with Nimmo. We've already heard comparisons to both Paul O'Neill and AndyVan Slyke- quite frankly, if there was a way to guarantee that, we'd ALL beecstatic to see that kind of production in right-field or center at CitiFieldfor the next 14 years. I truly hope this ends up being a pick that we don'tregret, and the fact that pitchers like Matt Barnes were NOT drafted rightafter the Mets passed has to make you feel like the Mets are finally "inthe know" this year...I mean, they HAVE to know something about this kid,right? Right??? Bueller??? Bueller???...

6-6-11: - Jack Flynn on Mack’s Mets: - The cynics are going to have a field day with this one.
The Mets took Brandon Nimmo with their first-round pick tonight (13th overall),and if you were scanning mock drafts for information about the Wyomingschoolboy you needed to look down at the players listed in the 30 to 40 range,where most experts were projecting him to be picked. The question, of course, is a simple one -why? Why did the Mets take a toolsy high school outfielder with very limitedamateur experience? Why did New York's scouting department consider him amid-first round pick when media experts had him tabbed as a high supplementalpick? The cynic will certainly have sometheories. The cynic will tell you that Nimmo is signable, first and foremost,and that the Mets are simply continuing their trend of pinching pennies withtheir draft picks. Most big-market clubs have figured out how to game thefirst-year player draft - swoop in and grab the players that scared off thesmaller-market teams that cannot or will not give in to their signing bonusdemands. The Mets continue to be behind the curve in that respect, operating asthough they played in the smallest market in baseball instead of the largest.Even though highly-rated outfielders like Josh Bell and Mike Mahtook were stillon the board when they made their pick, past history and current financialconcerns suggest that the Mets reacted like the rest of the minnows, swimmingaway from the larger bonus demands of the better bets. It's not going to costthe Mets a lot of money to get Nimmo into the farm system - and that's just howthey wanted it. Nimmo's commitment to play college baseball at Arkansasreportedly predicated on whether or not a professional team offered him a signingbonus on par with a first-round pick. The Mets, clearly reaching for their manat #13, should easily overcome Nimmo's college commitment by simply offeringslot money. It's frustrating and it's infuriating, but it's just a fact of lifein the dying days of the Wilpon regime.Now, none of this is to say that Nimmodoesn't have the potential to succeed at the major league level. He is atremendous risk, of course, but just about every high school player in theamateur draft is a risk. What's especially worrisome about Nimmo, however, isthat lack of experience and a pre-existing knee condition from surgery twoyears ago. The knee injury was suffered playing high school football and isprobably not as much of a concern, in the grand scheme of things. What is ofgreater concern is that Nimmo is from Wyoming and therefore has never playedhigh school baseball. (Apparently, there is no high school baseball throughoutthe state of Wyoming, and as a result I am struggling to believe that Wyomingis located in the United States of America.) Scouts have had to use hisAmerican Legion experience and private workouts to draw their impressions.Nimmo is obviously raw, and it will be up to the Mets' development system tomold him into a professional player. Even if he rockets through their farmsystem, Nimmo is almost certainly at least four years away from beingmajor-league ready. Mets fans would be better off going to sleep tonight notdreaming about the likes of Nimmo donning the orange and blue one day. It's waytoo far in the future and it's probably never going to happen anyway. Rather,they will be happier dreaming of the day when the Wilpons have been run out oftown and a new ownership group will prioritize winning over slotrecommendations. When that day finally comes, Mets fans will look back atfirst-round picks like Brandon Nimmo and wonder how they stood by their teamthrough nights like this.

6-7-11: - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/drafttracker.jsp- Comments: A high school player whose Wyoming high school has no baseballteam, Nimmo put himself on the map over the summer, winning MVP honors at theUnder Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field. He's got a smooth, left-handedswing that allows him to consistently make hard contact. There should be plentyof power in his bat in the future as well. A good athlete who has playedfootball and run track in the past, he's got decent speed when healthy -- hedealt with some knee tendinitis early this spring that was not a long-termconcern. Nimmo has a solid throwing arm and has shown the ability to play allthree outfield positions, though a corner is the most likely in the future. Themost difficult thing for Nimmo has been getting seen this spring, but scoutslikely have gotten enough of a feel for this outfielder, who has drawncomparisons to Paul O'Neill, to be drafted and signed away from his commitmentto the University of Arkansas

6-14-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/6/14/2222649/2011-mlb-draft-new-york-mets-review#storyjump - 1) Brandon Nimmo, OF, Wyoming HS: He'llwant a lot of money to skip college ball at Arkansas, but I think it is worthit. He's got above average tools across the board, good plate discipline, andmore polish than we have any right to expect given his background.

6-26-11:- The barn is bigger than the modest gray ranch house that sits in front of iton the six-acre plot of land. This is not just any barn, though. It doesn’thouse horses, tractors or farm equipment. What’s stored in this structure issomething different. Here lives a dream. No player from the state of Wyomingever had been a first-round pick in the major league draft until the Metsselected outfielder Brandon Nimmo with the 13th selection earlier this month.The state boasts a population of just half a million. There are nearly as manyantelopes in Wyoming as people. http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/inside_barn_wyoming_prospects_mets_TtBDYqPiKHhLPvZoeGOPCK#ixzz1QNrqmyt3

8-21-11: - StockUp – CF Brandon Nimmo – Well, you knew it was only a matter of time before we’dbe writing about Nimmo’s first professional multi-hit games. He went 2-5 todayfor the GCL Mets, which raised him embryonic batting average to .273. It’s justgreat to have him in uniform and playing.

10-18-11 KeepsUpdate - #6 - I’m personally still not sold on thismega-pick, but everybody says I’m wrong. Scouts tell me he has “Harper-like”projection… wouldn’t that be something…

10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects - 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects- 4.Brandon Nimmo, CF (Rookie League):His overall offensive upside remains a bit murky (mainly in the powerdepartment), while the quality of his tools and swing are readily apparent. Istill believe that he will become a fantastic prospect once he concentrates onbaseball year round, an environment that the baseball-less Wyoming high schoolsystem did not provide. Nimmo’s left-handed swing is great for his age, andhe’s got the athleticism/speed to play a quality center field. He should hitfor quality average and above-average power as a center fielder, possibly likea less-speedy Christian Yelich in time.

12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com – Afterconsensus top two prep outfielders Bubba Starling and Josh Bell, East HS (WY)OF Brandon Nimmo stands alone as the draft’s third best young outfieldprospect. Nimmo’s asencion to the upper half of the first round wasn’t always aforgone conclusion; it took almost the entire spring for the prep outfieldpicture to develop, as early favorites like Derek Fisher and Larry Greeneslipped and late risers such as Granden Goetzman and Senquez Golson couldn’tquite reach the loftiest of draft heights. Nimmo was left standing as the clearthird best prep outfielder for very good reason. For as much praise as his rawtools received leading up to the draft, Nimmo showed in his brief pro outingthat he’s more than that. There have been equal amounts of plaudits for hispresent skills, most notably his far better than expected plate discipline.When you combine an advanced approach with his existing tools (most notably hisarm, speed, and hit tool), it is easy to envision a potential above-averageregular in right. I’m pretty good at separating draft stuff from personalrooting interests (five years of development time gives some perspective, I think),but the Phillies fan in me is annoyed to have to “root against” such acompelling prospect in Nimmo. My annoyance is doubled when I think back to lastyear’s draft when the Mets grabbed personal favorite Matt Harvey. Annoyance istripled (and then some) with the realization that, for as much justifiedcriticism as the Mets have received for their thrifty drafting ways of recentyears, they managed to undo a good bit of recent damage with what I consider tobe a pretty darn strong 2011 try. Nimmo, Phillip Evans, and maybe Brad Marquezall have the potential to be well above-average regulars, and New York’sbalanced approach to adding arms in the first ten rounds or so (figure at leastone of the college guys wind up a steady starting pitcher, as well as one ofthe two overslot prep righties). If New York winds up with either Nimmo/Marquez(starting OF) and Evans (starting 2B) offensively, and, going off my ownpre-draft list, Logan Verrett and Christian Montgomery in a future rotation,they will have done quite well for themselves. [good athlete; above-average armwell suited for RF; above-average speed would work in CF; good approach; giftednatural hitter; gap power; 6-3, 185]

1-3-12 - http://mets360.com/?p=8885&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mets360%2Ffeed+%28Mets360+Feed%29 - 4. Brandon Nimmo, OF, Rookie ball,.211/.318/.368 in 44 PA - I don’t like ranking players with little to noprofessional experience. But it’s silly to pretend that Nimmo isn’t one of theclub’s top prospects. It would not surprise me if he ended up being the mostvaluable player currently in the farm system. The strikeouts are certainly aconcern from his brief pro debut. But he also hit 2 HR in 29 ABs in the GulfCoast League, giving some indication of the power he possesses. By now you knowthat his high school did not have a baseball program, but Nimmo ran track and playedfootball as a prepster, giving hints to his all-around athleticism. There’stalk he will skip the short-season New York-Penn League and open 2012 infull-season ball. If so, this time next year we’ll have 400+ ABs with which toproperly evaluate Nimmo.

1-10-12 - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/top-15-prospects-new-york-mets/ 4. Brandon Nimmo, OF

BORN: March 27, 1993

EXPERIENCE: 1 season

ACQUIRED: 2011 1st round (13th overall),Wyoming HS

2010-11 TOP 10 RANKING: NA

SCOUTING REPORT:Nimmo earned a paycheck of more than $2 million, which is impressive consideredthe lack of baseball opportunities he had in the state of Wyoming. He earned afollowing on the showcase circuit, though, and flashes above-averageathleticism. Nimmo flashes five tools with his power and arm strength earningthe lowest grades. He has speed, which he utilizes in the field, but it may beless useful on the base paths due to a slower first step.

YEAR IN REVIEW:Nimmo appeared in just 10 games after signing but he looked as advertised –explosive but very, very raw. He racked up 14 strikeouts in those 10 games butalso banged out two home runs in seven rookie ball games.

YEAR AHEAD: TheWyoming native is the type of player that could definitely use one or twoseasons in extended spring training. However, the organization has a history ofpushing its top, young players so Nimmo could open the year in low-A ball. Iwouldn’t recommend it. The club hasn’t had much recent success with itsaggressive approach (Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores).

CAREER OUTLOOK:Nimmo could become something very special – and it would make a great storygiven his modest baseball beginnings – but real-life lessons have taught usthat these players flame out more often than not. With that said, the youngoutfielder has four- or five-tool potential.

1-18-12 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/01/prospect-pulse-the-2012-savannah-sand-gnats.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29 Brandon Nimmo (OF) – If Nimmo gets alook see in the long-season South Atlantic League, I doubt the Mets would throwhim to the wolves right away. I could see them easing him in gradually as afourth outfielder, to give him time to soak everything in. Remember this is thekid that didn’t play actual high school ball growing up in Wyoming, and he isbrand new to professional baseball. He may even be left behind in extended ST.But if he does make the Sand Gnats, it would only be until the short-seasonleagues begin in June.

Mets: Jeurys Familia, Robert Carson, Frank Francisco, Matt Harvey, John Maine

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1-26-12: - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/index.jsp?partnerId=aw-6182194846943667814-996 - Scouting report: As the strikeout rateattests, Jeurys Familia has one of the bestpower arms in the Mets’ system. He runs his fastball easily into the upper 90s.He’s still more arm strength than anything else, but his success in Double-Ashows that his secondary pitches are improving. His breaking ball should be anaverage pitch and his changeup, while clearly his third pitch, can keep hittershonest at times. He improved his walk rate, and the hope is his overall commandwill continue to get better.

1-23-12 -http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/23/2693134/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects #45) LHP RobertCarson - Was I happy to see the AFL radar gun hitting 97mph this fall?Of course. Do I love his combination of size and power stuff from the leftside? Who wouldn't. But ultimately, Carson has got to do something to stay upon these lists and frankly, in the past three seasons he hasn't. While it'sfair to say that he was likely moved too fast, a couple of 5+ ERA's the lasttwo years paired with consistently high walk rates, surprisingly low K-ratesand ballooning opp. averages doesn't add up to a top prospect regardless ofvelocity or handedness. Add in the fact that his secondary offerings haven'tdeveloped as planned and it's hard to stay high on a guy who is pretty muchhanging his hat on one superb season in rookie-ball almost five years ago.

Frank Francisco was,of course, signed for two years by the Mets to be the team’s closer, a rolewhich he filled briefly in both Toronto and Texas. The fact that he doesn’t havea long track record of saves doesn’t bother me in the least, and there’s notmuch reason to believe he’ll struggle in the role over the next couple ofseasons. It’s worth noting that Francisco held a 126 ERA+ over the past fouryears thanks in large part to the hitter-friendly environments in which hepitched. As a 32-year-old relief pitcher, he also figures to be a potentialtrade chip either this season or next since the Mets picked him up for areasonable $6 million per year. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/27/2752625/2012-mets-player-profile-frank-francisco

1-27-12: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6509 - 1. RHP MattHarvey -Baseball-Reference Player Profile - Harvey was a 2006 PG/AflacAll-American and potential first round pick out of a Connecticut high school in2007 but turned down a chance at a seven figure bonus to pitch for NorthCarolina. He was immediately tabbed as the potential first overall pick in the2010 draft but struggled with consistency and command for his first two yearsat UNC before regaining his prospect status as a junior. The Mets picked himseventh overall and signed him to a $2.525M bonus just prior to the deadline.As should be expected (but doesn’t always happen) for a polished top collegedraft pick, Harvey started 2011 in Hi A and cruised through the Florida StateLeague, then performed almost as well in the second half of the season in AA.He finished with a 13-5, 3.32 record in 135 innings, with only 47 walks and 156Ks. Harvey throws a heavy low to mid-90s fastball and does a very good job ofworking down in the strike zone with the pitch. One of his distinguishingtraits is that he’s able to hold his top velocity all the way through pitchcounts and will often hit 95-96 mph late in games. Harvey’s top secondary pitchis a low-80s slider that has good depth and bite and is his primary strike outpitch. His curveball is primarily a show me type pitch for strikes and hischange up is beginning to develop.

Honestly, we are trying to be positive. But, dayafter day, the Red Sox are making it very difficult not to be at least puzzledby these off-season moves. Tonight, the Red Sox signed journeyman pitcher John Maine to a minor league contract. Are you kiddingme? This guy was jettisoned by the Orioles and the Mets. Maine does have fewerhits than innings pitched over his seven-year career, but he's a mediocrepitcher with a 4.35 ERA and is injury-prone. His career WHIP is 1.339. Come on.http://www.fenwaynation.com/2012/01/forget-maine.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

2012 Draft- Players 16-20

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Some interesting names here. My favorite of this quintet is Trahan but there is a lot to like about Gallo’s power bat as well. Readers who are interested most in the players the Mets have a high chance of drafting should read #19 C Stryker Trahan. I think there is a good chance the Mets will draft him the way things look right now.

#16- SS Kenny Diekroeger – Stanford University Cardinals

Why ranked #16: Former top high school prospect who exhibits elite athleticism and strong tools across the board. Went to Stanford and had a great freshman season, hitting .356 which dropped to .293 as a sophomore which could have been a slump or residual effects to the new collegiate bats. His athleticism should let him stay at short, although some scouts see him as an outfielder down the road. Good speed, will hit for power and average. Nothing lacks in his game but there is some concern about the sophomore slump and his numbers at Stanford suggest he has some patience and free-swinging issues at this point in his career (80:31 KK:BB ratio).

Why the Mets would draft him: The Mets will be looking hard at shortstops to take the place of Reyes. However, unless Deven Marerro is available (which I doubt), the best shortstop prospects will come from high school. My favorite is Carlos Correa and I would much rather see the Mets invest in his upside than someone like Diekroeger’s. Diekroeger is one of those players whose numbers have not yet caught up to his potential and athleticism. Despite a strong average in college, this is a kid who has power but only has seven home runs in over 400 at bats, is fast but has only stolen six bases in two years and last year he struggled all the way down to a .720 OPS. I respect the athleticism but worry about his strikeout-to-walk ratio in college and the numbers from last year. Some team will take a chance that Diekroeger is still developing and that the elite athleticism will turn him into a standout shortstop some day. They might get a steal. I do not think the Mets will be that team at #12 given the talent that will still be on the board.

Tools: All five tools are there. Despite only seven homers in over 400 collegiate at bats, the quick hands suggest more power will be coming. Will hit for average and while the arm is average, his athleticism makes his range at short impressive and Kenny could turn out to be a plus defender at the next level.

Ceiling: Solid shortstop and #2 hitter.

Trivia: Kenny played third base as a freshman at Stanford but moved back to shortstop last year and will play there as well in 2012.

Mack - right now, I have him as the 5th SS, behind two ++ shortstops (Marreno and Correa) and Cecchini and Russell. A nice 2nd roun pick.

#17- 3B/RHP Joey Gallo- Bishop Gorman High School (NV)

Why ranked #17: If Victor Roache is the college power bat in the draft, Gallo is the high school power bat. Add to that a fastball that can hit the mid-90s with a curve and a change that look like they could be plus offerings one day, scouts look at his 6’5, 205 lb. frame and want him on the mound. Ultimately I believe the team that drafts him will keep him as a hitter and despite being a behemoth, Gallo moves well and might stay at third long term. My gut says he is a first baseman when it is all said and done but the elite power from the left side should be just fine for any position.

Why the Mets would draft him: 25 HRs in 121 at bats last year as a junior. Given his strong arm, third base is a possibility for Gallo long term. The Mets would be interested in the elite power and if Gallo were drafted, would become the best power-hitting prospect in the system. While the swing is long and he will strike out, Gallo also has an outstanding eye and he reminds me a bit of Ryan Howard in his use of his lower-half and his long swing from the left side. I like his swing better though. It is smoother and in many ways cleaner than Howard’s which is why, ideally, he could hit for a higher average and strike out fewer times than Howard. If the Mets pass on him, I could see the Nationals taking Gallo and grooming him foet r their first base spot (unless they convert or plan to convert Michael Morse at some point). I am not convinced Gallo will stick at third and if the Mets feel the same way, I believe they will pass. However, he may not be on the board by #12. The power is real and a lot of teams will be attracted to his size, strength, swing, and athleticism for a big guy.

Tools: Elite power from the left side. Moves well for his size and will hit for a good average for a power hitter. Quicker than you would think in the field given his size and has a cannon for an arm which suggests he could be useful and stay as a third baseman as a pro. If he moves across the diamond to first, the bat will be more than enough to make up for it.

Ceiling: 30+ homers a year from a 3^rd baseman and clean-up hitter who will not win awards for his glove but will showcase an elite arm to gun down runners in close plays at first.

Trivia: The reputation Gallo has built for himself as a power hitter may not better be exemplified than through his display at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last year. According to Diamond Prospects, Gallo hit a 442-foot home run that helped earn him the MVP award for the event. That 442-foot bomb was the longest ever at the classic and is currently the 10^th longest home run ever hit at Petco Park. Ever. Gallo was 17.

Mack: I think the biggest problem about Gallo is I grew up in Ozone Park with a guy named Joey Gallo, and I can't get this wise guy out of my mind.

#18- RHSP Chris Beck – Georgia Southern University Eagles

Why ranked #18: Throws three pitches including an elite fastball from 92-96 MPH. Big-bodied, durable pitcher who is one of the most major-league ready arms in the class. Strong showing (2.12 ERA) in the Cape Cod League has increased his stock.

Why the Mets would draft him: Beck would be another power righty to add to Harvey, Wheeler, Familia, Mejia. As Mack has said time and time again, you can never have too much pitching. That being said, Beck has struggled with control at times and the secondary offerings are question marks. A college righty close to the big leagues might not be the direction the Mets will go at #12 and I doubt he will be around after the first round. The fastball is elite and he should make it to the bigs quickly but I believe the Mets will pass on Beck when it is all said and done if he is even around. Some mocks have him going to the A’s or Rockies just before the Mets pick.

Throws: Four-seam fastball (mid-90s, touches 97), slider and changeup are works in progress but are getting better. The slider could be a plus pitch eventually.

Ceiling: If the slider and changeup get there, Beck could be a power righty/#2. At this point, given the fastball/slider combo, some control problems, and his makeup, I see a future closer.

Trivia: Teammates with eventual fellow first-rounder OF Victor Roache. Scouts will have plenty to watch on both sides of the ball this spring.

Mack: I'll see him pitch at his opener next month and will let you know how he looks

#19- C Stryker Trahan - Acadiana HS (LA)

Why ranked #19: Arguable the second best catching prospect in the class behind Mike Zunino. Great athleticism and impressive speed for a catcher. Strong power from the left side. Pop times range from 1.85 to 2.01 seconds and many think he can stay at catcher long term. If not, the bat should be enough to play in right field.

Why the Mets would draft him: Mets need a #1 catcher in the system and with Zunino likely to be gone by #12 and Trahan sure to be gone by the supplemental round, the Mets might grab Trahan before another team does. I see Trahan as one of the more likely picks by the Mets at #12 and that is more than fine by me. I love that Trahan is a catcher who runs a 6.54-60 and his arm is outstanding. The power might not be as elite as Elander or Zunino’s but Trahan’s eye is strong and he could hit for average, some power, and steal a base here and there. Sounds a lot like Brian McCann or Russell Martin and I do not think that is too aggressive a projection for Trahan. If the Mets think Trahan could be the real deal and move relatively quickly through the system, he fits into the plan for the future and will be taken with the Mets first pick in the 2012 draft.

Tools: Good lefty power, good running ability and a great arm behind the plate. Enough defense to stick at catcher and is still improving. Good eye and patience behind the plate.

Ceiling: Middle-order catcher who gets on base and provides strong defense and tools across the board.

Trivia: Trahan sees time at tight end for Acadiana’s football team in the fall.

Mack: Here's the problem. There are 12 great players in this draft and, at least one of them will be availabe when the Mets come up.

That being said, they need at least one prospect catcher in the system.

I would pick Stryker.

#20- RHP Jake Barrett – University of Arizona Sun Devils

Why ranked #20: Big fastball, nice curve, developing change. Class of ’13 college righty from Arizona who has more “stuff” than results thus far in his college career (4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP last year for the Sun Devils). Was excellent as a reliever as a freshman a year ago and I have a feeling that he might be better suited an RP than a starter. Either way, Barrett is one of the more major league-ready prospects in the draft.

Why the Mets would draft him: Depending on how Barrett looks in the spring, he could be long gone by the #12 pick or still be around by the supplemental round and the second pick the Mets have. If Barrett can prove he can dominate as a starter, he becomes one of the elite college starting pitching prospects. If not, some teams will look at him as a back-rotation guy or reliever. Either way, I do not think the Mets will bite at Barrett at the #12 spot but may if he is around in the supplemental. Again, the Mets will have a ton of options at #12 and there is a lot of risk for such a major league-ready college righty to scare me off.

Throws: Low-90s fastball (90-94, can reach back for a bit more), curve, average change. Have read he throws a split-finger fastball as well but can not make that out in the low-quality “scouting” videos I have seen thus far.

Ceiling: Fringe #2/#3/closer.

Trivia: Barrett was drafted out of high school in the second round by the Blue Jays in 2009.

Mack: Dropping in mocks for no apparant reason.

New Met - P - Garrett Olsen

2012-01-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

Garrett Olson

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 1", Weight: 210 lb.

Born: October 18, 1983 in Fresno, CA (Age 28)
High School: Buchanon (Fresno, CA)
School: California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (48th pick) of the 2005 amateur draft.
Signed June 22, 2005. (All Transactions)
Debut: July 4, 2007
Teams (by GP): Mariners/Orioles/Pirates 2007-2011
2012 Contract Status: Pre-Arb Eligible (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 2.133, Arb Eligible: 2013, Free Agent: 2016 , link

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB	Awards
2005	21	BAL-min	A-,A+	2	1	.667	1.99	14	9	2	0	0	1	54.1	32	12	12	1	20	0	59	4	0	2	214		0.957	5.3	0.2	3.3	9.8	2.95	ADN,FDK · NYPL,CARL
2006	22	BAL-min	AA,A+	10	9	.526	3.10	28	28	0	0	0	0	165.2	159	65	57	12	50	1	162	16	2	6	699		1.262	8.6	0.7	2.7	8.8	3.24	BOW,FDK · EL,CARL
2007	23	BAL-min	AAA	9	7	.563	3.16	22	22	0	1	0	0	128.0	95	49	45	13	39	0	120	5	0	1	510		1.047	6.7	0.9	2.7	8.4	3.08	NFK · IL
2007	23	BAL	AL	1	3	.250	7.79	7	7	0	0	0	0	32.1	42	28	28	4	28	1	28	2	1	1	162	60	2.165	11.7	1.1	7.8	7.8	1.00
2008	24	BAL-min	AAA	1	2	.333	2.97	7	7	0	0	0	0	36.1	35	14	12	1	16	0	39	1	2	1	159		1.404	8.7	0.2	4.0	9.7	2.44	NFK · IL
2008	24	BAL	AL	9	10	.474	6.65	26	26	0	0	0	0	132.2	168	100	98	17	62	1	83	8	0	6	621	67	1.734	11.4	1.2	4.2	5.6	1.34
2009	25	SEA-min	AAA	2	3	.400	4.94	9	9	0	0	0	0	47.1	38	26	26	2	23	0	38	4	0	2	200		1.289	7.2	0.4	4.4	7.2	1.65	TAC · PCL
2009	25	SEA	AL	3	5	.375	5.60	31	11	5	0	0	0	80.1	79	52	50	19	34	0	47	4	0	2	347	77	1.407	8.9	2.1	3.8	5.3	1.38
2010	26	SEA-min	AAA	2	5	.286	3.66	12	6	2	0	0	0	46.2	36	22	19	4	15	0	50	2	0	1	189		1.093	6.9	0.8	2.9	9.6	3.33	TAC · PCL
2010	26	SEA	AL	0	3	.000	4.54	35	0	11	0	0	1	37.2	42	20	19	6	15	1	31	0	0	4	172	88	1.513	10.0	1.4	3.6	7.4	2.07
2011	27	PIT-min	AAA	4	3	.571	3.05	24	15	1	0	0	0	85.2	63	35	29	7	47	1	61	3	1	3	361		1.284	6.6	0.7	4.9	6.4	1.30	INA · IL
2011	27	PIT	NL	1	1	.500	2.08	4	0	1	0	0	0	4.1	2	1	1	0	3	1	4	0	0	1	21	201	1.154	4.2	0.0	6.2	8.3	1.33
5 Seasons				14	22	.389	6.14	103	44	17	0	0	1	287.1	333	201	196	46	142	4	193	14	1	14	1323	71	1.653	10.4	1.4	4.4	6.0	1.36
162 Game Avg.				6	10	.389	6.14	48	20	8	0	0	0	133	154	93	91	21	66	2	89	6	0	6	612	71	1.653	10.4	1.4	4.4	6.0	1.36

SEA (2 yrs)				3	8	.273	5.26	66	11	16	0	0	1	118.0	121	72	69	25	49	1	78	4	0	6	519	80	1.441	9.2	1.9	3.7	5.9	1.59
BAL (2 yrs)				10	13	.435	6.87	33	33	0	0	0	0	165.0	210	128	126	21	90	2	111	10	1	7	783	65	1.818	11.5	1.1	4.9	6.1	1.23
PIT (1 yr)				1	1	.500	2.08	4	0	1	0	0	0	4.1	2	1	1	0	3	1	4	0	0	1	21	201	1.154	4.2	0.0	6.2	8.3	1.33

AL (4 yrs)			AL	13	21	.382	6.20	99	44	16	0	0	1	283.0	331	200	195	46	139	3	189	14	1	13	1302	70	1.661	10.5	1.5	4.4	6.0	1.36
NL (1 yr)			NL	1	1	.500	2.08	4	0	1	0	0	0	4.1	2	1	1	0	3	1	4	0	0	1	21	201	1.154	4.2	0.0	6.2	8.3	1.33

Baltimore Orioles

Olson was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds (48th overall) of the 2005 draft.

He spent most of the 2005 season at Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds, and was named the 8th-best prospect in the New York-Penn League. He allowed one run or fewer in 10 of his 11 games. He pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out 8, in his last start on August 15 at Staten Island. Olson then pitched for the Single-A Frederick Keys, held opponents to a .192 batting average, and was named the Orioles' 6th-best prospect by Baseball America following the season.
In 2006, he advanced from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie, going a combined 10–9 with a 3.10 ERA, and striking out 162 batters in 165.2 innings. He was again named the Orioles' 6th-best prospect by Baseball America following the season, and was named the Baltimore Orioles Minor League Player of the Year.

Olson was invited to the All-Star Futures Game. He was called up by the Orioles organization to be a starting pitcher again after July 4 start in Chicago. He was mentioned, but did not participate in the 2007 All-Star Futures Game, representing the United States team
.
Through 2007, in his minor league career he was 21–17 with a 2.95 ERA, and had averaged 7.37 hits and 8.82 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Olson was promoted from the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to take the place of injured Orioles starter Steve Trachsel, and he made his major league debut on Independence Day of 2007 against the Chicago White Sox. He would have earned the win in his debut, but he only pitched 4⅓ innings, falling two outs shy of the 5 innings required to qualify for a win. He earned his first career win in his next start, also against the White Sox, on July 14. He gave up 2 runs in 5⅓ innings, both on solo home runs by Jermaine Dye, and the Orioles went on to win 5–3.

Olson committed his first career error in his debut on July 4. After allowing the first batter he faced in his career, left fielder Andy González, to reach base via a walk, he made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, allowing Gonzalez to reach second base. His first career strikeout came three batters later, as Paul Konerko was called out on a 2–2 pitch.

On June 28, 2008, Olson earned his first career hit vs. the Washington Nationals against Jesús Colomé in the sixth inning.

He went to 3–0 on 8% of all batters he faced in 2008, the highest percentage in the majors.

Seattle Mariners

On January 18, 2009, Olson was traded to the Chicago Cubs with a minor-leaguer for Félix Pie.Just 10 days later, he was traded along with Ronny Cedeño to the Seattle Mariners for Aaron Heilman.

On April 1, 2009, Olson was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to begin the season. He was called up on May 6 because of an injury to relief pitcher Shawn Kelley. Olson soon took the rotation spot from teammate Chris Jakubauskas.

He compiled a 3.72 ERA in 12 relief appearances covering 19 1/3 innings. In 11 starts, he is 3–5 with a 6.49 ERA through August 10. This is why he was sent to the bull pen to become a reliever. Olson stated he felt comfortable in both roles.

Olson was again optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on August 20 to clear roster space for Infielder Bill Hall.

On September 13 Olson was called-up again to the Mariners. This is his third stint with the team in '09. With Tacoma, Olson went 2–3 with a 4.94 ERA and notched the Rainiers' only playoff win against the Sacramento River Cats.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On March 18, 2011, the Mariners placed Olson on waivers. He was later claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.He was designated for assignment on April 17.

New York Mets

Olson signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on December 12, 2011.

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Olson}

Scouting

Olson has an average fastball for a left-hander at 89-92 MPH, though it touched a notch higher than that late in the season. It has a ton of life and he does a good job of keeping it low in the zone. Opponents at both levels had trouble lifting it for extra base hits. Olson also has the best control of any starter prospect in the system.

Olson also has a big breaking power curveball that still probably rates as his best pitch, despite the improvement of his other pitches over the past year. Fellow lefties are rendered helpless against it. Olson also took a step forward in 2006 attacking right-handers and it all starts with his changeup. Once his weakest offering, it now rates as a solid third pitch and shows even more room for improvement. It has natural life that mimics a splitter.

Outlook

Though he has only 84.1 innings above A-ball, there are many within the organization that believe Olson is ready for the majors already. If the Orioles weren’t intent on keeping him a starter, there is little doubt that he could be successful out of the bullpen by opening day. With the high-priced additions of this off-season, Olson will start at triple-A Norfolk and likely battle with Hayden Penn for the #1 starter slot. Penn will likely get his chance at a major league spot before Olson but, with the likes of Steve Trachsel and Jaret Wright as the roadblocks, both will get plenty of chances.

Garrett Olson should have a slot in the rotation nailed down by 2008 and projects as a mid-rotation starter. He is already close to his ceiling and only the further development of his changeup is holding him back. There are pitchers in the Orioles’

http://orioles.scout.com/2/622459.html

A Year Ago Today - Q and A - Michael G. Baron

2012-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Mack: Morning everybody. We’re talking with Michael G. Baron, Mets photographer extraordinaire and Matt Cerrone’s right hand guy on www.metsblog.com . Good morning Michael. Are you in camp yet?

Baron: Not quite yet, but we’re just over two weeks away, and I hope to be there on February 15 or 16 at this point

Mack: Michael, it will be nice to get back to talking about baseball rather than minority ownership. Do you think this mess will be a major distraction to Terry Collins and the team come “picture day”?

Baron: One can say it’s an early test for both Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson, and their ability to separate the business side of things and what goes on in between the lines. Ultimately, their job is to win, and I believe this group will have no problem creating a separation.

Mack: Okay… let’s talk Mets. Obviously, David Wright is untouchable, both to the fans and the “administration”. If you were the GM, would there be anyone else that you would etch in stone?

Baron: It’s hard to say anyone in the organization is untouchable, given the right circumstances. I do believe someone such as David Wright would not be dealt, but you never really know what is going to happen.

As much as I want David Wright and Jose Reyes to be on this team for the rest of their careers, at the end of the day, this organization has struggled to win consistently as of late, and any and all possibilities to improve the team have to be exhausted, including the possibility of dealing core players. I think there are ways to build around both of those players, and I feel both can be part of any winning solution, but if Sandy Alderson feels the team can be better both in the short and long term of the franchise by dealing one or both, I have to believe in that – what choice as a fan would I have?

I would think that for now, Wright along with Jenrry Mejia, Ike Davis, Wilmer Flores, and Jeurys Familia are untouchable. But again, things change, and opportunities change, and so nothing would surprise me at this point.
Mack: Talked with Jeurys today… he’s ready. Regarding Ike Davis, I love the guy, but he does have a way to go. I remember the first 100 at-bats for Mike Jacobs as a Met and he hit a .600 slugging percentage. Does Davis have to produce at the Carlos Delgado level to keep his job or will the Mets be happy with a 25-HR/80-RBI/.275 batting average?

Baron: I think it all depends. First base is in fact a power position, but Davis does have amazing power. I would think any team would like to see a higher RBI total out of their first baseman, but he’s also an above average defensive player as well which adds a ton of value. Unless they can dramatically improve via trade or in the free agent market over the next few years, having a player under control like Davis, who will come at a relative discount until the middle part of the decade is not exactly a bad option.

Mack: The Mets made a bunch of mid-level additions this year. Last year’s bonus was R.A. Dickey. Any thoughts on who might turn some heads in Flushing this season?

Baron: I think Chris Young is a key to their success, but if he’s healthy, I think he’ll be a pleasant surprise and a welcome addition to the rotation.

Mack: Michael, you’ve got one of the greatest jobs in the world. You get to walk around and take pictures of the New York Mets!!! How did that come to be?

Baron: I started taking pictures at Met games in 2002. I didn’t own a camera at the time but I had borrowed my friend’s Olympus point and shoot camera to take on a trip to Las Vegas, and still had possession of the camera for an extra day so I decided to take it to Shea Stadium and shoot a game between the Mets and Phillies. From then on, I was hooked, went out to get my own point and shoot, and I’ve been taking pictures at games ever since.

In Spring Training of 2009, I sent Matt some live photos from Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, but at the time I didn’t intend for them to reach MetsBlog – I was there, at Spring Training, and I figured he might be interested in the photos, and the next thing I knew, he posted them to MetsBlog and they were an instant hit.
Around Opening Day that same year, Matt and I met at Citi Field and we once again talked about me writing for MetsBlog. Again, simply wanted to provide the pictures for the site, but he wanted me to write and act as a backup to him when he would be unavailable. I decided to give it a shot, although I was uncertain how it would go because I’m not a writer, but here we are, almost two years into writing regularly for MetsBlog, and I love it, and don’t regret a minute of it.
As you said, being able to follow the Mets as closely as I do now is truly great. But most people don’t realize it’s not a full time job for me. As a matter of fact, I don’t get paid at all for what I do with the Mets. I genuinely enjoy writing, and spending the time writing, and going to games and photographing. It’s not easy to manage at times, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world.

Mack: Michael, I’m a big fan of your Flicka site… (here comes the shameless plug…)
Could you fill everyone in on how they can both view and purchase some of your great shots…

Baron: I upload all of my photos to flickr, and they can be viewed at anytime by visiting the following site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelgbaron . In addition, those galleries are fed into www.MichaelGBaron.com at http://www.michaelgbaron.com/pictures , which will serve as the new MetsPhotos.com, and that gives me a platform to blog not just about my experience with the Mets, but all teams from all sports.
Mack: Michael, thanks for spending a few moments with us.. .last question… any prediction for the Mets in 2011?

Baron: I think this team will be better coached, and in turn they will have better execution on a more consistent basis. I think it’s possible they could contend for a Wild Card, and if things go right, I expect them to contend. However, I think a more realistic target for this group of Mets is 82-86 wins.

Press Release - Mets Sign INF Matt Tuiasosopo

2012-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

Mets Sign INF Matt Tuiasosopo to Minor League Contract

January 27, 2012 – The New York Mets today announced the club has signed INFMATT TUIASOSOPO to a minor league contract. He will report to minor league camp.

Tuiasosopo, 25, spent last season in Seattle’s organization, hitting .226 (99-439) with 14 home runs and 77RBI in 116 games for Triple-A Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. The 6-2, 230-pound native of Bellevue, WA played parts of three seasons in the majors with Seattle, compiling a career batting average of .176 (34-193) with five home runs and 15RBI in 71 games from 2008-2010.

Tuiasosopo’s father, Manu, and brother, Marques, both played in the NFL. Manu spent three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, while Marques played for eight years with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.

Mets: Matt Harvey, Payroll Drop, John Franco, Gary Carter, Juan Lagares

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

1-26-12: - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/index.jsp?partnerId=aw-6182194846943667814-996 - Scouting report: Some were concernedabout Matt Harvey’s delivery issues and theresulting command problems he had coming out of North Carolina, leading to theconclusion he might be a reliever in the future. That talk has quieted somewith the success he had in his first season. He commands his fastball muchbetter now and has a plus breaking ball as well. His changeup has improved,though there’s still room for growth there. He can still improve his overallcommand, though there’s more confidence he’ll do so and be a starting pitcherlong term. He made good adjustments to a higher level after struggling when hefirst got to Double-A last year

After general manager Sandy Alderson revealed theorganization lost $70 million last year, the Mets appear poised to have thebiggest one-year payroll drop in MLB history --roughly $52 million. That would surpass the former record: $48.4 million by theTexas Rangers from 2003 to 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information. TheMarlins from 2005 to 2006 had the biggest reduction by percentage, trimmingnearly 75 percent of their payroll, but the total was $45.4 million. http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7495383/new-york-mets-largest-payroll-dropoff-ever

John Franco will become the26th member of the Mets Hall of Fame, the team announced Thursday. Franco, anative of Brooklyn, spent 14 years with the club, appearing in 695 games andamassing 276 saves. His 424 career saves rank fourth in major league history. “Iam truly honored and humbled by this,” Franco said in a conference call. Hesaid the induction meant more to him because he rooted for the Mets when he wasa child. Franco, who retired in 2005, has stayed active with the Mets’organization, mostly in community activities and charity events. Last season,however, he took time to advise Bobby Parnell, who was learning how to be acloser. Franco said Thursday it was unlikely he would take on any coachingduties anytime soon. http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/

1-27-12 – http://www.213milesfromshea.com/2012/01/27/get-to-know-a-mets-minor-league-player-juan-lagares/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter- Juan Lagares is a member of the Mets’ large group of young, far awayprospects. Lagares has been in the Mets system since 2006 when he was only 17years old (played in the Mets Dominican Team). Since then he has worked up theMets system, reaching AA last season. In terms of his progression since playingin America (2007), his batting average and power (doubles, homers, SLG) haveimproved every season (with the exception of 2009, where his power dipped abit). Statistically speaking, last season was by far his best as he destroyedA+ ball, and then did even better at the AA level: St. Lucie: 308 AB, 51 R, 104 H, 15 2B, 6 3B,7 HR, .338 BA, .380 OBP, .494 SLG B-Mets: 162 AB, 21 R, 60 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, .371 BA, .391OBP, .512 SLG - In his last season, hishitting pace really increased as did his slugging. There has been a lot of buzzthat Juan is knocking down the door to be named a top 10 prospect in the Metssystem, and it will probably happen if he has another year in AA like he didlast season. In 2012 he’ll be 23 and with a positive year, depending on howpositive and the health of the Mets, he could be looking at a late season callup, to competing for a spot on the 2013 roster (and entering starting talk in2014).

Mets: Matt Harvey, Payroll Drop, John Franco, Gary Carter, Juan Lagares

2012-01-27T10:07:00.001-08:00

John Franco will become the26th member of the Mets Hall of Fame, the team announced Thursday. Franco, a nativeof Brooklyn, spent 14 years with the club, appearing in 695 games and amassing276 saves. His 424 career saves rank fourth in major league history. “I amtruly honored and humbled by this,” Franco said in a conference call. He saidthe induction meant more to him because he rooted for the Mets when he was achild. Franco, who retired in 2005, has stayed active with the Mets’organization, mostly in community activities and charity events. Last season,however, he took time to advise Bobby Parnell, who was learning how to be acloser. Franco said Thursday it was unlikely he would take on any coachingduties anytime soon. http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/

The Hunt For A Mets LHHOFer

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Mets are "diligently monitoring" the market for left-handed-hitting outfielders such as Johnny Damon, Kosuke Fukudome, Rick Ankiel, Raul Ibanez and Juan Pierre, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Crasnick adds that the surplus of players who fit that bill affords the cash-strapped Mets with some much-needed negotiating leverage

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/01/mets-monitoring-outfield-market.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Johnny David Damon (Caveman)
Position: Outfielder
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 205 lb.

Born: November 5, 1973 in Fort Riley, KS (Age 38)
High School: Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL)
Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1st round (35th pick) of the 1992 amateur draft.
Signed June 23, 1992. (All Transactions)
Debut: August 12, 1995
Teams (by GP): Royals/RedSox/Yankees/Athletics/Rays/... 1995-2011
2012 Contract Status: Free Agent, 1 yr/$5.25M (11) (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 16.051, Free Agent: 2012 , Agents: Scott Boras

Kosuke Fukudome
Position: Rightfielder
Bats: Left, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 0", Weight: 200 lb.

Born: April 26, 1977 in Kagoshima, Japan (Age 34)
High School: PL Gakuen (Osaka City, Osaka)
Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs in 2007. (All Transactions)
Debut: March 31, 2008
Teams (by GP): Cubs/Indians 2008-2011
2012 Contract Status: 2nd-Year Arb Eligible, 4 yrs/$48M (08-11) (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 4.000, Arb Eligible: 2012, Free Agent: 2014 , Agents: Joe Urbon, previously: Steve Hilliard

Richard Alexander Ankiel
Positions: Centerfielder and Pitcher
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 225 lb.

Born: July 19, 1979 in Fort Pierce, FL (Age 32)
High School: Port St. Lucie (Port St. Lucie, FL)
Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1997 amateur draft.
Signed August 28, 1997. (All Transactions)
Debut: August 23, 1999
Teams (by GP): Cardinals/Nationals/Braves/Royals 1999-2011
2012 Contract Status: Free Agent, 1 yr/$1.5M (11) (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 8.033, Free Agent: 2012 , Agents: Scott Boras

Raul Javier Ibanez
Positions: Leftfielder and First Baseman
Bats: Left, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 220 lb.

Born: June 2, 1972 in New York, NY (Age 39)
High School: Sunset (Miami, FL)
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 36th round of the 1992 amateur draft.
Signed June 29, 1992. (All Transactions)
Debut: August 1, 1996
Teams (by GP): Mariners/Phillies/Royals 1996-2011
2012 Contract Status: Free Agent, 3 yrs/$31.5M (09-11) (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 14.020, Free Agent: 2012 , Agents: ACES

Juan D'Vaughn Pierre
Position: Centerfielder
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 175 lb.

Born: August 14, 1977 in Mobile, AL (Age 34)
High School: Alexandria (Alexandria, LA)
School: University of South Alabama
Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 13th round of the 1998 amateur draft.
Signed June 4, 1998. (All Transactions)
Debut: August 7, 2000
Teams (by GP): Marlins/Dodgers/Rockies/WhiteSox/Cubs 2000-2011
2012 Contract Status: Free Agent, 5 yrs/$44M (07-11) (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 11.056, Free Agent: 2012 , Agents: Mark Pieper

(update: Pierre has signed with the Phillies)

FLASH - New Met - 3B Matt Tuiasosopo

2012-01-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Matthew P. Tuiasosopo
Positions: Third Baseman, Leftfielder and First Baseman
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 230 lb.

Born: May 10, 1986 in Bellevue, WA (Age 25)
High School: Woodinville (Woodinville, WA)
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 3rd round of the 2004 amateur draft.
Signed July 12, 2004. (All Transactions)
Debut: September 5, 2008
Team: Mariners 2008-2010
2012 Contract Status: Pre-Arb Eligible (details)
Service Time (01/2012): 1.079, Arb Eligible: 2014, Free Agent: 2017 , http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tuiasma01.shtml

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos
2004	18	SEA-min	A-,Rk	49	205	169	36	53	11	3	6	26	5	5	23	50	.314	.420	.521	.940		88	5	10	0	3	1	EVR,MRE · NORW,ARIZ
2005	19	SEA-min	A	107	464	409	72	113	21	3	6	45	8	5	44	96	.276	.359	.386	.745		158	7	9	1	1	2	APP · MIDW
2006	20	SEA-min	A+,AA	121	494	448	47	111	18	0	2	44	7	7	34	122	.248	.310	.301	.612		135	12	7	4	1	1	SBR,SAN · CALL,TL
2007	21	SEA-min	AA	129	548	446	74	116	27	5	9	57	4	8	76	113	.260	.371	.404	.775		180	14	11	1	14	2	WTN · SOUL
2008	22	SEA-min	AAA	111	500	437	87	123	32	2	13	73	4	0	47	104	.281	.364	.453	.817		198	9	12	0	4	0	TAC · PCL
2008	22	SEA	AL	14	47	44	1	7	2	1	0	2	0	0	2	16	.159	.213	.250	.463	24	11	0	1	0	0	0	5/D
2009	23	SEA-min	AAA,Rk	68	301	253	52	70	15	0	12	38	3	1	40	89	.277	.383	.478	.861		121	5	4	3	1	0	TAC,MRE · PCL,ARIZ
2009	23	SEA	AL	7	25	22	2	5	1	0	1	2	0	0	2	5	.227	.280	.409	.689	83	9	0	0	0	1	0	/4
2010	24	SEA-min	AAA	38	176	143	26	36	6	0	5	21	2	2	32	35	.252	.392	.399	.791		57	4	1	0	0	1	TAC · PCL
2010	24	SEA	AL	50	138	127	12	22	5	0	4	11	0	0	9	49	.173	.234	.307	.541	51	39	3	1	1	0	0	75/364D
2011	25	SEA-min	AAA	116	526	439	73	99	20	6	14	77	11	2	75	132	.226	.341	.394	.735		173	8	5	1	6	0	TAC · PCL
3 Seasons				71	210	193	15	34	8	1	5	15	0	0	13	70	.176	.234	.306	.540	49	59	3	2	1	1	0

2004

He began his pro career with the Peoria Mariners in 2004, hitting a solo home run in first career-at bat on July 10. Tuiasosopo hit safely in 18 of 20 games and reached base safely in 19 of 20 games. He had a 13-game hit streak, hitting .467 from July 10–25, and tied for the team lead in home runs with four. On August 5, he was promoted to the Everett AquaSox. At the end of the season he participated in the 2004 Arizona Instructional League.

2005

In 2005, he was with Seattle's Low-A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He hit .276 with three home runs and 45 RBI. He was ranked number 36 on Minor League News' annual Fab 50.^[1]
He recorded a season-high 13-game hitting streak to start the season, batting .423 with eight runs, three doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs during that time. Tuiasosopo had 27 multi-hit games, three four-hit games and six three-hit games. He hit home runs in back-to-back games on June 9 and 10

2006

In 2006, he split time between the Mariners' High-A Inland Empire 66ers and Double-A San Antonio Missions affiliates. He batted a combined .248 with two home runs and 44 RBI. He played with the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League that fall.
He hit .306 with one home run with 34 RBIs, 31 runs scored and five stolen bases in 59 games with Inland Empire but only batted .185 with one home run, 16 runs scored and 10 RBIs with San Antonio.

2007

Tuiasosopo spent the 2007 season with the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. He hit .424 with 8 runs, 5 doubles and 3 RBIs during a season-high 10-game hitting streak from April 5–14. He recorded a double in 5 consecutive games from April 6-1.
He was named to the Southern League All-Star team and later that season played for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.
At the end of the 2007 campaign Tuiasosopo was rated as the Mariners No. 10 prospect by Baseball America. He was named to the Minor League News Fab 50 again in 2007.^[2]

2008

Until September 2008 he was playing with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.
On September 5, 2008, he collected his first Major League hit, a double, against pitcher Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees while playing for the Seattle Mariners.
He finished the 2008 season batting .281 with Tacoma and .159 with the Mariners.

2009

Matt made the 2009 Opening Day roster for the Mariners.
On July 4, 2009 Tuiasosopo made his first rehab start with the AZL Mariners. Tuiasosopo was activated soon after the All-Star break.^[3]
Tuiasosopo hit two home runs against the Portland Beavers on August 28 helping the Rainiers to their seventh straight victory.^[4] He finished the season batting .261 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 59 games for the Rainiers. In four playoff games, he batted .313 with one home run and four RBIs.
On September 13 Tuiasosopo was called-up to Seattle after the Rainiers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Sacramento River Cats.^[5] He said this about the playoff experience:

“	We all knew that if we were in the running, all of us would be here in the playoffs, because we know how important that it was, The organization thinks it's important winning in the Minor Leagues, so we knew that we were going to be around and we just wanted to keep winning. We wanted to see if we could get that ring. That was important to all of us in that room there.	”
—Matt Tuiasosopo, mariners.com: September 15, 2009.^[6]

On September 27, during the pre-game show on 710 ESPN Radio, color man Mike Blowers predicted that Tuiasosopo would hit his first major league home run in his second at bat of the game on a 3-1 fastball into the left center field second level of Rogers Centre. Sure enough, in the fifth inning of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Tuiasosopo delivered, although the home run went above the left field bullpen on technically what is the first level of the stadium.^[7]^[8]

2010

Matt has spent time in the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners during the 2010 season. He has played his first major league games at shortstop, first base, and in the outfield

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Pettitte

The Secret to Success, By Hollywood

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

EXT: Street - Dawn

Open on Flushing street corner just as the sun rises. A truck is being loaded with copies of the New York Post. Nostalgic music about days gone by playing in the background. The camera follows the truck as it makes its morning deliveries. (Credits Roll) In doing this the camera sequence we pass by some of the more notable areas of Queens: The Ice King of Corona, Queens Blvd, The Worlds Fair Etc... The truck swings past Citi Field and approaches a news stand. The guy in the back of the truck drops a stack of papers as they drive by. The camera focuses on the headline, "New York Mets Brace For Another Rough Season". (End Credits)

INT: Sports Club - Day

JEFF WILPON plays racquetball behind a glass wall, FRED WILPON is talking to another man as SANDY ALDERSON approaches.

SANDY ALDERSON

You have to be kidding me. I've barely heard of half these guys and now you want me to trade the best player?

FRED WILPON

Sorry Jimmy, we'll talk later. (Pulling SANDY ALDERSON aside) Sandy, you're the GM, I need you to make things work with the budget I have for baseball. You know that we have no money.

SANDY ALDERSON looks around at the opulent sports club.

SANDY ALDERSON

Obviously.

JEFF WILPON sticks his head out of the court.

JEFF WILPON

Hey Sandy, I'm having a small get together for my birthday, Bono is going to perform. You should come.

FRED WILPON

Look Sandy, nobody expects you to win. Just put a team on the field.

The next 15-30 minutes we'll see the misfit Mets during Spring Training. Some players who don't have the raw skills of stars, some that are too raw and undeveloped. Perhaps Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes do cameos.

The HOLLYWOOD story would then show how Terry Collins was able to get these misfits to perform like stars. All Johan Santana needed were an ugly pair of glasses, all Ruben Tejada needed was to sacrifice a live chicken and Lucas Duda fields 800% better when thinking about the articles from vintage editions of Playboy magazine.

Jeff and Fred Wilpon will be in the wings to sabotage the team at every turn. Forcing Alderson to move David Wright for minor leaguers just as the team starts to get moving, Selling off the team's training and health equipment to pay for legal fees and firing Terry Collins for making them look like scum bags.

In the end the team exceeds all expectations and reaches the World Series where they face off against the Yankees who throughout the movie are portrayed as the team whose owners can provide anything and everything. In fact... for the sake of suspense, let us say that David Wright was traded across town. The Mets lose heart and fall into a three game hole only to climb back and win in grand fashion on a walk-off bunt single by Josh "Holy Moly" Thole.

The movie wraps up with the team being taken away from the Wilpons, Alderson getting full control and Terry Collins getting his job back. There is a brighter outlook for the future... unless we need to produce a sequel.

Sadly... Hollywood does not control baseball and almost none of this is likely to happen. Oh well... Though... if there is a producer in the house I'd volunteer to write the screenplay. I'm just not sure if we should bring in Bob Uecker or leave the equally entertaining Keith Hernandez in the booth.