Mack Attack: July 15, 2008

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Pennant: Phils: 44 losses - Mets: 44 – Marlins: 45 - Braves: 50 – Nats: 60

Wild Card: Milw: 43 losses - St. Louis: 43 - Mets: 44 - Marlins: 45

The Mets bullpen entered the break having not allowed a run in 19 1/3 innings, including Joe Smith’s scoreless frame Sunday… Carlos Delgado’s 17th homer, a two-run shot, gave him 1,426 RBI, moving him past Andres Galarraga for 49th all time. – NYDN

With a team that has spent much of the season plugging holes in the roster, Mets Manager Jerry Manuel could be in a rare situation next week, at least when it comes to second base. All of a sudden, it seems as if he is going to have options to choose from. Luis Castillo, who is recovering from a strained hip flexor, is eligible to come off the disabled list on Thursday. But in his absence, Damion Easley and Argenis Reyes have held down the fort. Easley is batting .292 and providing solid defense. Reyes is 5 for 18 in nine games since being called up from Class AAA New Orleans. "I think we're all a little worried about dealing with that right now," Manuel said. "When the time comes, we'll make a decision. But we're playing very well at that position." -- NY Times

According to the New York Daily News, when asked whether Luis Castillo (hip) would be coming off the disabled list immediately after the All-Star break, a Mets officially replied, "What for?" Castillo has clearly fallen out of favor in New York due to his mediocre performance and constant health problems, but he's a half-season into a four-year, $25 million contract. Without that deal coming into play the Mets would no doubt turn second base over to Damion Easley and Argenis Reyes - Rotoworld

There may have been plenty of elite prospects yesterday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, but Fernando Martinez was apparently one of the most eye-catching. "When you look at the field, there are guys that stand out, guys that you notice," an NL scout who was at yesterday's Futures Game said. "He's one of those guys. He has one of the best swings of anyone out there." Martinez, the MetsNew York Mets ' top prospect, was part of the Futures Game yesterday, playing for the World Team and going 1-for-2 with a single in his club's 3-0 win over the US Team. The Dominican center fielder, who won't even be 20 years old until October and who was the fourth-youngest player in yesterday's contest, drew praise from multiple people and expressed a pretty good degree of confidence in his health and ability. Martinez, who's hitting .294 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 52 games at Double-A Binghamton, says he believes he'll be up later this season. - NYP

The distance between center field and either left field or right field is only 120 or 130 feet or so. The distance between Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium is only a few miles. But the move from center field in the All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium to a regular corner outfield position at Shea could seem like eons. Sunday, as he does probably every day, Fernando Martinez mulled such a journey, although in his mind it likely seems like the next subway stop. Martinez, 19, the Binghamton Mets' center fielder and the top prospect in the organization, was in center field for the World Future Stars. Before that he was in the visiting dugout, smiling an infectious smile, brashly flaunting his confidence, laughing when he knew that confidence was bordering on outrageous, and wondering when the Mets might come a callin'. During spring training he predicted the call would come before this season is out. "I don't know," he said Sunday. "They know. Really, I don't know. (Just) work hard every day. I say in my mind, 'I want to be here.' I don't know when, this year or next year. So work hard and we'll see." He said he speaks, from time to time, with Omar Minaya and Tony Bernazard, but that they don't tell him their plans for him. Of course, he ought to know this: It is possible that the call may never come from the Mets, that they may decide it is more important to fill one of their corner outfield spots with a big-league-ready player. And that it might, just might, mean that the Mets have to trade their top prospect. It might mean that Martinez the prospect is also the Mets' top asset. This we know, because it has been this way forever. A prospect is only potential until he arrives, and when he does, sometimes that potential turns into greatness and sometimes it never is fulfilled. – pressconnect.com

Evaluation of a Past Omar Trade:

7/19/06:

Acquired INF Ruben Gotay:

Never made it with the Mets…

2008: batting .208 with Atlanta

for INF Jeff Keppinger:

batted .322 for Cincinnati in 2007

currently batting .289

conclusion: this turned out to be a very bad trade for Mets… Keppinger is now becoming one of the better 2Bmen in the league

B-Mets:

The Binghamton Mets didn’t have a baserunner after the third inning, falling to the Trenton Thunder 2-0 at Waterfront Park Monday. The loss is Binghamton’s ninth in their last 12 games. Trenton (59-37) scored both of their runs on Chris Malec’s two-run homer in the first. That was all Tobi Stoner (0-4) allowed over six innings. Eric Brown followed with two scoreless innings of relief. Binghamton (51-46) had runners on with less than two out in each of the first three innings, but were unable to get any runs across against Brian Bruney or Phil Coke. Coke (8-4), who came on in the second, retired the last 20 B-Mets in order. The lefty struck out 11 over eight scoreless innings.

Gnats:

Amidst a power outage and 14 innings of baseball, the Sand Gnats pulled off their first four-game sweep in more than two years with a 2-1 victory over Lexington. Casey Craig scored from first in the bottom of the 14th when Jonathan Fixler’s throw to second on Craig’s steal attempt went into center field. The ball rolled under centerfielder Brandon Barnes’ glove enabling Craig to score the game-winning run. In an ultimate pitcher’s duel, Gnats starter Julio Polanco allowed Lexington’s only run in the second on a Brian Pellegrini home run to center field. It was Polanco’s only blemish as he went six innings without allowing a run while striking out a season-high 8 batters. Nick Abel (2-1), who earned the save yesterday, pitched 2.0 innings for the win. Savannah’s other run of the game came in the fourth inning when Tony Maccani singled with the bases loaded to drive in Jose Jimenez. The Gnats had their opportunities to win the game in the 10th and 13th innings with the winning run at third base and less than two outs but failed to capitalize on either attempt. The last time Savannah swept a four-game series was May 28-30, 2006 when the Gnats swept the Charleston RiverDogs at home. The four-game win streak for Savannah is the first since June of 2006. The 2-1 win is also the 14th one-run game the Gnats have played in their past 21 contests. They are now 6-8 in those 14 games.

Clones

The Cyclones took the rubber game of their series with State College, winning 7-6. The win is Brooklyn's second straight, and improves the team's record to 13-14. The Cyclones bats did some early damage, as DH Reese Havens and 3B Zach Lutz each hit solo home runs in the first inning. Havens finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Lutz was 2-for-4 to raise his season average to a team-high .333. OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis also continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 to raise his average to .286. OF Angel Pagan played his third straight rehab game for Brooklyn, and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Pagan stole a base in each game of his rehab assignment with Brooklyn, and added to his franchise career-best total he originally set in 2001 (33). 18-year-old RHP Jenry Mejia made his second start of the year, and pitched four innings, allowing four runs. RHP Wendy Rosa relieved Mejia in the fifth inning and pitched one third of inning, leaving with the bases loaded. LHP Roy Merritt (1-0) came in to rescue the Cyclones, however, when he struck out the last two batters to end the inning. Merritt pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and struck out six batters. RHP Yury Santana, pitched 2.2 more scoreless frames and RHP Stephen Clyne escaped a jam in the ninth with a strikeout to earn his second save in as many games

Minor League Bios:

David “Reese”Havens SS L R 6-1 195 Univ. South Carolina 10-20-86

Havens was drafted in the 1st round of the 2008 draft by the Mets. He signed days later which included a $1.4mil signing bonus.

MLB.com’s comments on draft day:

Hitting Ability: Havens has improved over time as a hitter and makes good contact with a very patient approach.
Power: Excellent bat speed does generate some pop and he could hit 10-15 homers, maybe 15-20 at best.
Running Speed: He's a well below-average runner.
Base running: Very alert on the bases and armed with good instincts, he won't hurt you.
Arm Strength: He's got a plus arm at short.
Fielding: He catches the ball well when he gets to it.
Range: His range is restricted because of his lack of foot speed. Some feel he'll have to move to third.
Physical Description: Havens is really put together with a strong, athletic body.
Medical Update: He had a sprained thumb in the fall, but he's 100 percent now.
Strengths: A good approach at the plate with the ability to make solid contact; good knowledge of how to play the game.
College Stats on Havens: 359 BA/.486 OBP/.645 SLG%/ 248 AB, 76 R, 89 H, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 18 HR, 58 BB-44 K, 13 E in 66 games, .953 FPCT

Recent Scouting Report: Summation: Swing mechanics and theories towards what makes up “the best swing” are very diverse. But, there are many standards that I like to think are pretty constant when it comes to making a good stroke. That is why I chose to examine Reese Havens first. What you see in the video, and in the photos is a very refined hitter with a polished swing. He has some small flaws here and there and other things go into make a good hitter besides mechanics of his swing, but it is a good place to start. Havens’ stroke is built to spray line drives to the gaps and to all parts of the field. I’d be quite surprised if that polish doesn’t easily carry him to a big league career.

From Keith Law on Draft Day:

This is a great pick for the Mets. He makes all the plays at shortstop because he reads the ball off the bat so well. At the plate he has excellent pitch recognition and hand-eye coordnation. If he has to move to second base because of the presence of Jose Reyes at shortstop, he has more than enough bat. Havens has a great approach and instincts, and he should move quickly through the Mets' system.

From Kevin Goldstein (BP) on Draft Day:

I actually kinda like this pick. He's got some pop, he's got some holes in his swing, but he's a monster makeup kid who could move quickly, and is probably now the Mets 2B of the future

From Adam Rubin the day after the draft:

Havens, born during the 1986 World Series, hit .259 as a freshman and .274 as a sophomore in the Southeastern Conference, but took off after shortening his swing under the tutelage of Mike Roberts (the Orioles’ Brian Roberts’ father) while hitting .315 in the prestigious wood-bat Cape Cod League. Havens hit .359 with 18 homers and 57 RBI in 63 games this season for the Gamecocks.

The Mets’ recent philosophy has been to keep shortstops and center fielders at their natural positions until they’re close to the big leagues, including Fernando Martinez remaining in center field, but there already was draft-day speculation Havens could be converted to catcher, which he’s never played, or second base.

Havens was considered a potential first-round pick out of high school, and the Red Sox were prepared to draft him 26th overall in 2005, but he was seeking a reported $1.7 million signing bonus - and Boston’s offer would have been $1.35 million. With teams shying away, he dropped to a 29th-round pick by the Rockies and instead headed to South Carolina.

SNY the day after the draft:

I love the Reese Havens pick. This is not a guy I expected Omar Minaya to pick, as he’s been leaning more toward tools and Havens plays much greater than the sum of his parts. He is not an athlete, per se, but definitely a baseball player. Through hard work and smarts, he proved capable at short and may even project there, but not on the Mets. Some teams, including the Red Sox, were rumored to want to move him to catcher. Havens, according to the reports Thursday, was not enthused about that switch. Perhaps it’s still in the cards for the Mets. He’ll sport a plus-lefty bat no matter where he ends up, but expect it to be second base for New York. This year at South Carolina, Reese had a .485 OBP/.628 SLG/1.113 OPS, walking 19 percent of the time.

ScoutingBook.com ranked Havens as the 262nd top prospect:

A successful shortstop in college whose range is a bit of a question in pro ball, South Carolina graduate David Havens could make a heck of a second baseman for a future Mets infield that already includes two All Stars and the player picked just before him in the 2008 Draft, first baseman Ike Davis. A solid line drive hitter with plus plate discipline, Havens could be a long-term keystone for New York
In June 2008, BA did a post-draft adjustment of their top 10 Mets prospects and Havens was ranked #3, with the comments: “more likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop. “
Braunstein on Havens:

1. 22 Reese Havens SS Sullivans Island, SC U. South Carolina - Again wonder why the Mets took him. Doesn’t have speed, a little bit of pop so not your prototype 2B. The same Ps that the Mets could have selected instead of Ike Davis were still around here. Wore #6 in college. High School - played for Mike Darnell. Parents are Brent & Nancy. Mom graduated from U. South Carolina. Is a sports & entertainment major. Named ABCA & BA 2005 HS All-American. Played in 2005 HS All-Am. Game. 2005 S. Carolina AA POTY. 2004 & 5 SC AA All-State team. 2005 HS team were AA state champions. P Was drafted 29th ‘05 by COL. Was taken so late because of his strong commitment to USC. BA says has playing smarts but may have to move to 3B because of lack of range. Makes good contact with a patient approach. Has a plus arm. Swing is pretty compact. Doesn’t wait for the ball to get to him so pro Ps could take advantage of that and limit his batting avg to unacceptable levels. Looks like a hard-nosed player and may just work his way to the ML.