The Mack Attack: Vol. I, Issue V

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Major/Minor League position Analysis – 2B

Second base has all of a sudden gotten very busy.

Just when you thought you had it figured out that Luis Castillo would start 2B at Shea, with Ruben Gotay as his back-up, what does Omar go and do? That’s right, he signs a hobbled Jose Valentin to a 1-year minor league contract which could be worth $3mil if he makes the parent team.

So, where do you play him? In New Orleans? We’ll, you already have signed Peeter Ramos to compete with perennial minor league star/major league flop Anderson Hernandez. You can’t play A.H. at shortstop, because they just signed Anderson Machado to play there.

Castillo… Gotay… Valentin… Hernandez… Ramos… boy, this is a whole lot of nothing.

In my opinion, the only second baseman smiling about this is Hector Pellot, who started out the 2007 season at A-Savannah, and is now projected to start at A+-St. Lucie in 2008. Pellot, who turns 21 next month, batted .274 for the Sand Gnats (431 at bats). The good news was the 34 stolen bases… the bad… 102 Ks in 431 Abs. He finished the 2007 season at St. Lucie (23 at bats, .304 BA) and there’s no reason to rush him. He had a miserable 2006 season after being drafted in the 4th round, but matured in Savannah both as a player and a high-character young man. Hector’s a good guy with a lot of talent and is still learning to play stateside as well as grow up. As of today, he’s 19. Do you remember how many times you struck out at 19?

Projected at AA-Binghamton is Jonathan Malo, who batted .255/.322/.377 at St. Lucie last year in 231 at bats. Malo is no big shakes and will hold down the job until Pellot blossoms, and most probably, end the 2008 season there.

Past Pellot, it’s all speculation. Latin-prospect Gregory Veloz can’t seem to find the right position to play and keeps shuffling around between 2B, 3B, and SS. He probably will return to Savannah this year, where he started 2007 but couldn’t get in the starting lineup. He would up in Kingsport and batted 100 points higher than he did at the A level, so he’s worth another shot. Veloz is still considered prospect material and, like most Latin players coming stateside, the best thing about his 1st season is the fact that it’s over. He’s also something like 12 years old.

Keep a long eye out for J.R. Voyles, who had a respectful season in Brooklyn (.254/.342//385 in 169 Abs) last year. There is a chance that Veloz could go back to either SS or 3B, leaving the starting 2B job in Savannah open for Jeff.

For now… retreads and fossels.

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The Continuing Saga of Just Who In The Hell is Going To Play Outfield At CitiBank?

It seems to me that Mets fans really thought Omar & Co. were going to sign 2 top free agents every year. I mean, that’s how it started, right? Year one of Omar: Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Year 2: Carlos Delgado and Paul Lo Duca.

But then the time machine went bonzo. The Mets signed people like Moises Alou and Shawn Green, but they didn’t sign them 5 years ago when they were in their prime.

So, no Barry Zito and no Japanese starting pitchers. Instead, it’s Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine. Not exactly how things started for Omar & Co.

The one constant through the last 2 years of missed signing was the general opinion of “well, with Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez coming along, at least we don’t have to worry about the outfield”. Well, Lasto is rooming with Jesus Flores this spring and both Gomez and Martinez will most probably play baseball next year in Minnesota.

Now what?

Well… the Mack solution is simple:

1. Carlos Beltran is still in CF. One down, 2 to go.

2. Ryan Church will become the darling of Queens.

3. Omar & Co. will sign Pat Burrell at the end of the 2008 season.

But Why Stop Now:

4. The Mets will sign 1B Mark Teixeira to a 5 year deal beginning with the 2009 season.

5. The Mets sign SP A.J. Burnett to replace the departing Oliver Perez in the rotation.

6. The Mets sign SP C.C. Sabathia to replace the retiring Pedro Martinez.

7. Both SP John Maine and Johan Santana are given extensions to their existing contracts.

Now… do you care anymore who will catch, play second, or pitch every 5 games?

 

The Last 5 Important Draft Analysis:

Here’s the bottom line… if you own a MLB baseball team in 2008, you had better have drafted good players in the 5 drafts covering the 1998-2002 period. Your team should be filled with players drafted in those 5 years.

Here’s how the Mets stack up from 1998-2002:

1998: 50 baseball players were drafted

0 are currently on the Mets

6 made it to the Bigs: #1 pick Jason Tyner lifetime 1356 at bats

#2 pick Pat Strange lifetime 0-0, 6.35

#5 Craig Brazell lifetime 38 at bats

#17 pick Ty Wigginton lifetime 2329 at bats

#23 pick Jaime Cerda lifetime 3-9, 4.26

#36 pick Earl Snyder lifetime 59 at bats

1999: 50 baseball players were drafted

1 is currently on the Mets #4 Angel Pagan

5 made it to the Bigs: #1 pick Neal Musser lifetime 0-1, 4.38

#3 pick Jeremy Griffiths 1-4, 7.35

#10 Prentice Redman lifetime 24 at bats

#38 pick Mike Jacobs lifetime 995 at bats – decent career in Florida

2000: 51 baseball players were drafted

0 are currently on the Mets

4 made it to the Bigs: #1 pick Billy Traber lifetime 12-14, 5.41

#1 pick Bobby Keppel lifetime 0-4, 6.10

#6 pick Chris Basak lifetime 1 at bat

#7 pick Jeff Duncan lifetime 154 at bats

2001: 52 players were drafted

2 currently are on the Mets: #1 pick 3B David Wright

#1 pick RP Aaron Heilman

2 more have made it to the Bigs: #3 pic Lenny DiNardo lifetime 9-13, 4.66

#5 pick Danny Garcia lifetime 194 at bats

2002: 48 players were drafted

0 are currently on the Mets

2 have made it to the Bigs: #1 pick – Scott Kazmir lifetime 35-29, 3.64, led league last yr. in Ks

#10 pick – Matt Lindstrom lifetime 3-4, 3.49 – exc. Debut in 2007

 

251 ballplayers were drafted… 3 are currently on the Mets… any questions?

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How Many Starting Pitchers Does It Take To Screw In a New Orleans Lightbulb?

I reported earlier on F.U. that Willie Collazo has been converted to starting pitcher and has been pitching lights out (whatever that is), in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Well, until somebody proves they can pitch consistently in the Bigs, the New Orleans roster now has the following starters on their roster:

Kevin Mulvey Mike Pelfrey Bobby Parnell Phillip Humber Adam Bostick

Sal Aguillar Mike Devaney Jose Sanchez Willie Collazo

Us kids from Ozone Park have always had trouble with math; however, this is 9 SPs on a team that needs 5.

So, let’s do some guessing…

1. Either Pelfrey or Humber winds up in Minnesota

2. Sanchez goes hasta la vista

3. Ditto Aguillar

This leaves either Devaney or Collazo in the SP5 position.

We’ll see.

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So… who’s Coming Stateside in 2008?

By my estimates, 9 Latin American prospects earned a trip stateside in 2008, 5 from the DSL team, while the other 4 come from the VSL Mets. They, and where I project them to be are:

OF Pedro Zapata – Zapata put up some impressive numbers (.382/.425/.325/807 in 160 Abs) playing for the DSL Mets in 2007. MiLB.com already has him projected playing for the GCL Mets, so I’ll leave it there. One important thing though… check out the .325 slugging percentage vs. the .425 OBP. This is a walk, steal, and singles guy, period.

SP Victor Guzman - It’s not easy compiling good pitching stats in the Latin American leagues, but Victor Guzman did all right in 2007 for the DSL Mets (4-3, 3.42 in 12 games, 6 starts, 1.36 WHIP). Milb.com also has him currently on the 2008 GCL Mets roster.

SP Jose Valentin – I know, this is going to confuse Metsiac. This Jose Valentin was born in 1987 and went 2-2, 2.44 in 8 starts (13 games) for the DSL Mets in 2007. He also is currently on the GCL Mets active roster for 2008.

RP Thomas Paredes – you gotta suck pretty bad if you can’t earn an SP slot on a Latin team, right? Well, not true when it comes to Paredes, who did start 3 games games for the 2007 DSL team, but pitched relied in 10 more and compiled a total 1-3, 1.43, 1.02 WHIP stat line. I also loved the 41Ks in 44.0 IP, a very high number in a hitters league. He too is already on the active 2008 GCL roster.

SP/RP Jenrry Meija – put up some impressive numbers last year for DSL (2-3, 2.47, 1.17 in 14 games, 7 starts), though I can’t find his name associated anywhere this month with baseball (whatever happened to phenom Samuel Jiuz???).

SS Ruben Tejada – actually, he already made the jump to the GCL Mets last year (.283/.401/.367 in 12o at bats) after putting up killer numbers in Venezuela (.366/.466/.479 in 121 at bats). This looks like a big time prospect in the making and I expect him to start 2008 in Savannah.

3B Juan Torrez – hit .298/.357/.417 in 201 Abs for the VSL Mets in 2007, but, as of today, isn’t listed on the GCL roster like most of the guys listed above. Visa problems? Another year of development (born in 1988)? It’s hard to believe these kinds of numbers doesn’t warrant a trip stateside.

OF Imbewer Alvarez - Also still listed on the VSL Mets, though his problem might be his age (turns 22 in May). It definitely wasn’t his 2007 output (.323/.439/.453 in 201 at bats). Currently still listed on the VSL squad.

 

Mack