Mack Attack: June 20, 2008

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Friday, June 20, 2008

Phillies: 32 losses - Marlins: 33 - Mets: 36 - Braves: 38 - Nats: 45

Wayne Krivsky, fired last month as Cincinnati Reds GM, is set to join the Mets as a major league scout. Krivsky, Mets general manager Omar Minaya, special assistant Sandy Johnson, scouting director Rudy Terrasas and pro scout Brian Lamb worked together in the Texas front office.

The Mets released RHP Jonathan Castillo, RHP Jose Diaz, C Teddy Dziuba, 3B Leivi Ventura, OF Chris Fournier

From: Yahoo’s most underpaid team:

SS: Jose Reyes, New York Mets, $4.38 million – The one thing Omar Minaya can say he did right was sign David Wright and Reyes to club-friendly deals. Sure, Reyes hasn’t turned into the machine many hoped (and figured) he would. His stolen bases are down, and his on-base percentage seems to have plateaued around .350. Still, he is dangerous, exciting and, for less than $5 million this year, a steal.

A Possible Scenario To Consider:

Let’s look at the Toronto OF situation.

Currently playing at their AAA team is a 24-year old named Adam Lind, who is leading the league in BA (.330/.391/.524/.916).

Their current outfield consists of Alex Rios (27-years old: .267/.326/.370), 29-year old Vernon Wells (.285/.335/.453), and a bunch of guys platooning the 3rd outfield position.

At the same time, their AA franchise has 26-year old Aaron Mathews (.297/.345/.399/.744) and 25-year old super prospect Ryan Patterson (.294/.336/.524/.860).

Logic tells you that there’s not enough room next year in Toronto for Rios, Wells, Lind, Mathews, and Patterson.

Here is a perfect situation to offer Toronto 2 players DH Mike Carp, and 3B Dan Murphy, for Patterson. Their current DH (Matt Stairs) is batting only .255 and 3B Scott Rolen isn’t getting any younger. The Mets don’t need a DH and they already have a 3Bman.

Overnight, you have Beltran and Church in 2008, with Martinez and Patterson joining them in September.

This is how I want Mets management to think.

Draft News:

Braunstein on Reece 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.

Zephyrs:

Iowa starter Sean Marshall pitched eight innings allowing one run on four hits leading the Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Zephyrs at
Principal Park. The Cubs scored a run in four different innings. The scoring started with a solo home run to centerfield for Eric Patterson in
the third. The Cubs added a run in the fourth and sixth with RBI’s by Tony Richie. Jason Dubois hit a two out home run in the seventh off of reliever Ivan Maldonado. Marshall was dominating for Iowa, the Z’s were retired 1-2-3 in four of the first six innings. The Zephyrs scored their only run in the eighth inning on a Gustavo Molina solo home run. Willie Collazo started the game for the Z’s and dropped his second consecutive decision as he pitched six innings and allowed three runs. The Cubs lead the series 2-1 with the finale on Friday.

B-Mets:

Roster moves: C Rafael Arroyo placed on Disabled List.

Added C Mike Nickeas from AAA New Orleans.

Mike Carp played LF Thursday night

Caleb Stewart scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, helping the Binghamton Mets to a 3-2 win over the Erie SeaWolves at NYSEG Stadium Thursday. Binghamton takes two of three from Erie, winning for the 15th time in 20 games.

The B-Mets (39-32) jumped ahead of Erie in the fourth. Stewart reached with a one-out single off Andrew Kown before Ambiorix Concepcion followed with a two-run homer to left.

Erie (31-41) tied the score with a pair of solo homers. Dusty Ryan reached Tobi Stoner for a longball in the fifth, and Tim Lavigne (1-0) allowed the game-tying blast to Kody Kirkland leading off the ninth.

Kown (4-8) retired 14 of 15 before Stewart’s one-out double in the bottom of the ninth. Concepcion was intentionally walked before Salomon Manriquez hit a hard shot down the line. Kirkland, the Erie third baseman, stopped the ball, but his throw to second got away, allowing Stewart to score.

Lucy:

Roster moves: C Sean McCraw sent to Savannah
Add C – Jordan Abruzzo to roster from Savannah

Gnats:

The Sand Gnats, who finished fifth in the Southern Division with a 33-37 record in the first half, will have some familiar faces when they play in Rome tonight. One face that won't be on the bus is All-Star Designated Hitter Jordan Abruzzo, who has been promoted to High-A St Lucie, the New York Mets announced today. Abruzzo, 23, was one of two representatives for the Sand Gnats at this year's All-Star game. The San Diego, Calif. native was hitting .300 with 5 home runs and 30 RBI. He becomes the third Sand Gnats promoted this season and will join starting pitchers Mike Antonini and Angel Calero in St. Lucie. Over the three-day break, the Gnats also had some other roster moves. Starting shortstop Matt Bouchard, outfielder Michael Parker and starting pitcher Tim Stronach have been sent down to Short Season Brooklyn. Bouchard, who has been with Savannah since opening day, was hitting .215. Parker, 23, played in 34 games after being called up in late April and hit .198 with 2 home runs. Stronach made one start with Savannah in which he took a no decision. Joining the Gnats roster are some familiar faces from the 2007 squad. Shortstop Juan Lagares, who is now ranked as the 28th best prospect in the Mets' organization according to Baseball America, will rejoin the Sand Gnats for the second half and become the starting shortstop. Lagares started the season on the Savannah disabled list and then was rehabbing down in Extended Spring Training. Last season with Savannah, Lagares hit .210 with 5 home runs and 49 RBI to go along with 23 stolen bases. To fill the void at catcher, Sean McCraw, who started 2007 with the Sand Gnats and was called up to St. Lucie, rejoins the Sand Gnats for the second half. McCraw started the '08 season in St. Lucie and played in 28 games, batting .143 with 2 home runs and 10 RBI. Last season in Savannah, the left-handed hitting catcher hit .272. Brad Burns, who made one start with Savannah at the end of the 2007 season, has been called up from Extended Spring Training to join the Sand Gnats. In that one start, Burns went 5.0 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits. With Kingsport in '07, Burns was 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in 12 games (six starts). B.J. Hubbert will come down from St. Lucie and begin the second half with the Gnats to fill the outfield spot left open by Parker. Hubbert played his college ball at Alcorn State before the Mets grabbed him in 2006. In '07, the 6-3, 215-pound Hubbert played for the GCL Mets and Kingsport Mets. In 19 games with St. Lucie, Hubbert was hitting .250 with 4 doubles, 1 home run and 7 RBI.

Clones:

The Cyclones lost the last game of the opening series after winning the first two, and now travel to Aberdeen for a weekend series against the IronBirds.

After a scoreless three and half innings the Cyclones took the lead on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth, when CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis scored his league-leading sixth run. But in the top of the fifth, Staten Island third baseman Michael Lyon hit a deep drive off the left field wall for a two run double to take a 2-1 lead. The Yankees went on to beat the Cyclones by a score of 7-2.

Cyclones starting pitcher Manny Olivares (0-1) went five innings, allowing two runs, one earned. Olivares gave up seven hits and allowed two walks and struck out three in his season debut. Eric Beaulac followed Olivares, and went 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, two walks and just one hit , with one strikeout. The lefty Matias Carrillo finished off the game going one and a third innings, surrendering just one run on three hits and striking out two

GCL Mets:

Official Roster:

Pitchers - Nicholas Abbott - Robert Carson - Gavin Dlouhy - Rogers Figueroa - Lachlan Hodge - Samuel Martinez - Jenrry Mejia - Jacobo Neguilis - Omar Perez - Luis Rojas

Catchers - Juan Centeno - Tyler Howe - Patrick Maat - Juan Martinez

Infielders - Jeffrey Flagg - Dan Hernandez - Jefry Marte - Luis Nieves
Valentin Ramos - Miguel Tejada - Jordany Valdespin

Outfielders - Darren Clark - Ruben Martinez - Cesar Puello - Jonathan Sanchez

The GCL Mets lost their first game of the season, 7-1, to the Dodgers… RF Cesar Puello went 3-4, while P Jacobo Neguillas ended the night with a 40.50 ERA (0.2 IP, 3 ER).

DSL Mets:

P Ismael Mendez continues to impress early. Mendez pitched another 5 scoreless innings on Thursday, upping his scoreless streak to 12.0 innings (0.00).

VSL Mets:

VSL Mets lost again, 5-4, to the Cardinals… not a big hitting day for the Mets… only 4 hits and committed 3 errors… only highlight was Jose Brito’s 3 innings of reileft (0 ER).

Minor League Bios:

Ezequiel Carrera OF L L 5-11 170 6-11-87 Guiria Sucre, Venezueala

Carrera started the 2006 season for the Tronconcero team in the VSL, but joined the VSL Mets (.301 in 216 at bats) for the remainder of the season. He was tied for 4th in the VSL in triples.

Carrera came stateside in 2007 and played the majority of the season in CF for the GCL Mets (.341/.430/.436 in 179 Abs, 16 SB). He finished the season out with Brooklyn (.300/.347/.329 in 70 at bats).

In 2007, Carrera was named the winner of the Sterling Award, given to the MVP of the the GCL Mets.

From the 2008 Prospect Handbook:

Carrera has moved slower than most of the Mets' Latin prospects that the organization hopes to develop into big league regulars, but he started to make believers in 2007. He batted .341 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and emerged as the best center fielder at the lower levels of the New York system. Carrera profiles as a fourth outfielder because of his lack of power but he could have the small-ball skills to become a regular. He has a short, contact-oriented swing with no real load to speak of, so he's unlikely to ever hit for much pop. But he's willing to draw walks, has improved as a bunter and is a plus runner, though he's not a burner. He looks like a traditional No. 2 hitter. Defensively, he's accomplished in center field, with above-average range and an accurate if below-average arm. Carrera is likely to jump on the fast track and start 2008 in high Class A.

A May 2008 scouting report from Andy Braunstein:

Ezequiel Carrera - CF - I dubbed him Zeke the Streak, some are politicing for Easy Ezequiel because he makes things look so easy in CF. He has the speed, gives Ps fits if he is on 1B. Has a good enough eye to walk, his OBA is 80 points higher and K/W ratio is under 2:1. In the OF he can run them down especially laterally, Going back he could use some work as he plays shallow and he ends up running after the rolling ball. Arm is avg at best. He is Mr. Excitement. Sometimes he falls in love with his power potential and ends up hitting deep fly balls that are caught and doesn't bunt as often, and as well as he should. There is no excuse for ever popping up a bunt attempt. He is only as good as his BA, OBA and SB #s are. That he is a 20 year old doing as well as he has here is a good sign. If he was 22 and doing the same red flags will be popping up all over the place. He has 2 years to up his BA, and iron out the wrinkles in his path the MLs.

Ex-Mets:

Carlos Gomez had 3 hits and scored 2 runs

Brian Bannister allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings as the Royals rallied to sneak by the Cardinals, 3-2. Braden Looper gave up one run on 5 hits over 7 innings for St. Louis

RP Orlando Roman is 2-1/2.21/1.16/16 SVs in 36 appearances in the Mexican League

Milwaukee signed SS Chris Woodward

Toronto released RHP Ryan Meyers.

This Day in Mets History:

2002 - Luis Castillo extends his hitting streak to 34 games breaking the 1922 record established by Rogers Hornsby for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman. The Dominican's infielder streak, the 14th longest in major league history, also ties Benito Santiago's record set in 1987 for longest established by a Latin player.