New York Mets 2009-10 Winter report

[Sausy]

He just may not be ready...most players don't just come in and stand out.They take time to develop and with his ability and from what I hear a strong makeup,Jennry will be a strong contributor to the Mets really soon.

I really am liking these updates sonny on Ike Davis....might be a very special hitter and with one more year of seasoning could be the Mets first baseman for a very long time.

Who else is doing well and may be helping the Mets in the near future?

 

[sonny10305]

Who else is doing well and may be helping the Mets in the near future?

My main focus is still on Ike Davis Jennry Mejia Josh Thole Zach Lutz and Jeurys Familia

But I am also watching
Lucas Duda Who impressed me in his AFL debut
Reese Havens even thouigh he has had a bad start, he can't hit the righties
Ruben Tajada who steals bases ala Reyes
Eric Niesen like Mejia has had good days and bad. I Saw him pitch a no hitter and then get creamed the next time out
Jordamy Valdespen strong showing in the Dominican

I get a lot of info from my Cyclone buds (one in particular) so should be more to tell as I get it.

 

[Sausy]

Thanks sonny!Look forward to the updates!

 

[sonny10305]

Ruben Tejada had a good day yesterday with a walk-off hit.Tejada is now batting .320, with three doubles, one walk, five strikeouts and two stolen bases in six games during the AFL.Not to shabby.
A exciting future Mets Short Stop.

Brad Holt continues to work on his secondary pitches, he is still basically a one pitch guy which pts him in the relief pitching role right now. But He is working on it, this I know for a fact.


Ike Davis continues to improve his hitting; he wants badly to conquer the breaking ball.
John Lackey went 6.2 innings, struck out seven, walked three, and let up six hits and three runs

Theses are the guys to watch kids

 

[Sausy]

Ruben Tejada had a good day yesterday with a walk-off hit.Tejada is now batting .320, with three doubles, one walk, five strikeouts and two stolen bases in six games during the AFL.Not to shabby.
A exciting future Mets Short Stop.

Brad Holt continues to work on his secondary pitches, he is still basically a one pitch guy which pts him in the relief pitching role right now. But He is working on it, this I know for a fact.


Ike Davis continues to improve his hitting; he wants badly to conquer the breaking ball.
John Lackey went 6.2 innings, struck out seven, walked three, and let up six hits and three runs

Theses are the guys to watch kids

If Reyes reclaims his dominant player status,maybe Ruben Tejada could do a good job at second base.Luis Castillo isn't getting any younger,great year he had individually nonwithstanding.

I think Brad Holt has to take his time....one or two years to wait until he better commands his other pitches will prove well worth the wait.They have Jon Niese hopefully fully recovered from that terrible hamstring tear by spring training....he was showing a lot more poise and confidence to go along with really good stuff up to that point,a little extra seasoning seemed to work wonders for him.

I haven't even seen Ike Davis and I'm excited....he will be up by September if he continues his torrid hitting.


Now John Lackey is not a minor leaguerSeriously,though....don't see how the Angels give him up.May be tempted by the Red Sox,too...though I tell you,as much as I love Mike Pelfrey and think a healthy,confident Johnny Maine will do great John Lackey is a tough sob and the Mets need someone battling for the playoffs.Who can pitch tough in a playoff atmosphere and John Lackey on those counts is a very good one.Maybe the Mets can sell him on helping bringing them back to real contention,and if his demands aren't too exorbitant make every effort to try signing him.

 

[sonny10305]

If Reyes reclaims his dominant player status,maybe Ruben Tejada could do a good job at second base.Luis Castillo isn't getting any younger,great year he had individually nonwithstanding.

I think Brad Holt has to take his time....one or two years to wait until he better commands his other pitches will prove well worth the wait.They have Jon Niese hopefully fully recovered from that terrible hamstring tear by spring training....he was showing a lot more poise and confidence to go along with really good stuff up to that point,a little extra seasoning seemed to work wonders for him.

I haven't even seen Ike Davis and I'm excited....he will be up by September if he continues his torrid hitting.

You hit on a very important question, one that Kevin Burkhardt brought up as well, we really have no idea how Reyes will be in 2010, the surgery was successful but who knows. As for Tejada replacing Castilllo, not just yet, if Luis comes into spring training looking as good as he did last year maybe we could get at lest another good year out of him. He was awesome in 2009.
We see it the same way on Holt, he desperately needs more pitches for sure but beyond that I don’t wanna rush him, he will be a superstar. I said that after seeing him in Brooklyn and like you said he will be worth the wait, trust me you are gonna love that kid. And oh baby, wait till you see Davis. I am sure if you go back to some of my comments from last year there has to be a couple of me gushing over watching him play.
I was so excited when Neise come up and devastated at what happened that day when he got hurt. I never wanna se that image again of him wincing in pain on the ground (or DWright getting bopped in the head either) Jon is going to be anther major player for our team.
I plan on doing a whole prolly way too long post on pitching and how it went in 09 and what we need for 2010.
I heard this for the first time yesterday, do you guys ever hear about how
the Blue Jays turned down an offer that would have sent 19-year old prospect by the name of David Wright to the Blue Jays for outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.?
The Mets were willing to take the half-season rental, but the Blue Jays didn't feel the return was enough.
THE RETURN WAS NOT ENOUGH!!!
I mentioned both Wright and Burkhardt; tell me just what were David and Kevin talking about here?

 

[Sausy]

You hit on a very important question, one that Kevin Burkhardt brought up as well, we really have no idea how Reyes will be in 2010, the surgery was successful but who knows. As for Tejada replacing Castilllo, not just yet, if Luis comes into spring training looking as good as he did last year maybe we could get at lest another good year out of him. He was awesome in 2009.
We see it the same way on Holt, he desperately needs more pitches for sure but beyond that I don’t wanna rush him, he will be a superstar. I said that after seeing him in Brooklyn and like you said he will be worth the wait, trust me you are gonna love that kid. And oh baby, wait till you see Davis. I am sure if you go back to some of my comments from last year there has to be a couple of me gushing over watching him play.
I was so excited when Neise come up and devastated at what happened that day when he got hurt. I never wanna se that image again of him wincing in pain on the ground (or DWright getting bopped in the head either) Jon is going to be anther major player for our team.
I plan on doing a whole prolly way too long post on pitching and how it went in 09 and what we need for 2010.
I heard this for the first time yesterday, do you guys ever hear about how
the Blue Jays turned down an offer that would have sent 19-year old prospect by the name of David Wright to the Blue Jays for outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.?
The Mets were willing to take the half-season rental, but the Blue Jays didn't feel the return was enough.
THE RETURN WAS NOT ENOUGH!!!
I mentioned both Wright and Burkhardt; tell me just what were David and Kevin talking about here?

Don't worry how long your post on your perspectives on the Mets pitching in 2009 and what they should do about it.You always make great points...you observe and analyze and I'll definitely be very interested to read what you think,sonny!

Never knew that about the proposed Jose Cruz Jr.-David Wright trade.Just thankful Toronto underestimated David's potential and it never happened.Jose Cruz Jr. was at best a pretty good player who failed to live to expectations.Even if he were like his father,who was so good for so many years in Houston...that still would not match the impact of David Wright on the Mets.Just have to hope the other pieces around him will fit better in 2010,because he'll be ready next spring even more dedicated and passionate than ever to help bring a world championship to the New York Mets.

God,that's a hot pic....Kevin looking introspective and David with those gorgeous eyes and sexy eyebrows,studly scruffiness....and that ever present hot tongue roll!I'm more than a little excited!

 

[sonny10305]

Don't worry how long your post on your perspectives on the Mets pitching in 2009 and what they should do about it.You always make great points...you observe and analyze and I'll definitely be very interested to read what you think,sonny!

God,that's a hot pic....Kevin looking introspective and David with those gorgeous eyes and sexy eyebrows,studly scruffiness....and that ever present hot tongue roll!I'm more than a little excited!

Thanks for the encouragement. Actually I have a word document about 2009 pitching going for a couple of weeks now and every couple days I write something in there. I will get it finished soon.

As for D Wright, I know how much you love that tongue of his and thought of you when I saw that picture.

 

[Sausy]

Thanks for the encouragement. Actually I have a word document about 2009 pitching going for a couple of weeks now and every couple days I write something in there. I will get it finished soon.

As for D Wright, I know how much you love that tongue of his and thought of you when I saw that picture.

Damn,sonny's prepared!I'll definitely be looking for it!

Oh,you love that tongue action too,sonny!Thanks,though!I do apppreciate it!David is so fine!

 

[sonny10305]

I can not believe how many Mets fans I have spoken to who hate the Yankees so bad that they are rooting for the Phillies to take the championship. WHAT!! I find that completely insane, how could you as a Mets fan want the philles to win just cause they are playing the Yankees.
I get the NY rivalry and that’s fine, but the Yankees are never a threat to us cause if you think about it the Yankees only matter to the Mets six days a year on the field unless both teams make it to the World Series.
The Phillies, on the other hand, matter 162 days a year and their success has a lot more bearing on the Mets' place in the actual baseball world. You could argue that a true Mets fan would put those concerns well above any razzing they may get.
It’s all fun and games to go up to a Yankees fan and tell em your team sucks and all that crap but to root for them to loose here is just plain nutz.
If you are one of those poor unfortunates please answer this question, what have the Yankees ever done other than to be the other NY baseball team in that other division to warrant your hatred. Then think about what the Phillies have and done and said and tell me that’s not worse.
If you are a Mets fan you must want the Yankees to win here, even if you are loyal to your division ya gotta make the exception with the Phillies. These are the same Phillies who said they were the team to beat before the 2007 season and then came back from a seven-game deficit with 17 games to play to make it true. The same Phillies who blew past us again at the end of 2008 and then gloated about it and called the Mets choke artists. The same Phillies whose fans have had a fine time using the Mets as the punch line of every joke they've told for the last three seasons. So tell me, you want more of that?

Yankees in six which would give them the championship at Yankee stadium.

 

[sonny10305]

Watching our future Mets has been encouraging
Jenrry Mejia’s went deeper in his third outing going three innings, he threw 35 of his 56 pitches for strikes. He also managed to generate groundballs; improvement over his first two starts.
Ruben Tejada was 2-3 with a walk, and is now hitting .344 he has been putting the bat on the ball and continues doing well.
Ike Davis had a couple of singles and a double. He’s hit safely in eight of his nine games and eight of his 14 hits have gone for extra bases.
Oh, if you guys have heard rumors about Beltran being traded, forget it, not true.
Ridicules rumor I never really believed anyway, but I get calls asking if it’s true……it aint

 

[sonny10305]

It is not yet confirmed yet by the Mets but it’s looking like Chip Hale will prolly be named the Mets’ new third base coach after the World Series. you may remember him with the Diamondbacks where he was also a minor-league manager. We had heard talk about former Phillies third base coach Steve Smith but it looks like Hale will get the job.
Razor Shines is looking like the new bench coach although there is still talk about giving that job to Bob Melvin from the Diamondbacks. But Manual loves Razor, they are very close, so my guess would be razor gets the job. That leaves Sandy Alomar Jr. going to first base.

If you read that Scott Servais might be taking over for Tony Bernazard, forget it cause he is staying with Texas.

In Ike Davis news (cause I love the kid) Davis is hitting .309, and has reached base in eight of his team’s 10 games, during this year’s Arizona Fall League.
Last year you may remember me telling you Davis hit .298 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton.
He was also Baseball America’s first-base prospect in the Double-A Eastern League, and the 13th-best prospect overall.
I am buds with a Cyclone player who knows Ike very well, they are close friends. When you hear him talk about Ike he just can’t stop smiling.
Remember the name IKE DAVIS, I have been talking about him for a while now, the day he wears a Mets uniform at Citi will be party time at my house

 

[sonny10305]

Josh Thole has been going well in the Venezuelan League, going 21-for-54, good for a .389 average, while striking out just five times. He continues to put the ball in play a lot.
Sooo will he be our catcher in 2010? The thing is in order to carry a catcher like Josh you need to either be able to hit him second mostly because you will remember he makes contact a lot. Otherwise you end up burying him in the eighth hole because hopefully you will have a deep line-up. Luis Castillo in the lineup certainly complicates that. And I am in favor of luis coming back.
So my answer as of today would be no, let Josh gain more experience in Triple-A, maybe learn how to pull the ball a little bit more maybe even find the gaps.
I dono if the Mets are going to go after another catcher (Schneider is done) if they don’t then I guess we can expect pairing Thole with Santos opening day.
Lance Broadway is also at Venezuela, I will try and find out how he is doing.

Meanwhile, Fernando Martinez who had season-ending surgery on his right knee in late July is in the Dominican Republic he has begun to run the bases, he says his body has responded well, and hopes to soon be playing left field. Sure wish that kid better luck than he has had so far. Tobi Stoner Is also here.

Nelson Figueroa, Omir Santos, Pat Misch, and Angel Pagan, are all in Puerto Rico I am sure working hard on their skills

 

[Sausy]

Glad to hear Mejia is doing better.Love the news on Tejada...seems like he could be an exciting player and you know how Ike Davis and his great big booming bat gets me all atwitter,sonny!

I really like Josh Thole.Getting more polished as a hitter all the time,and his improving defensive skills will make him likely the regular catcher in 2011,plus he looks hot as hell.Hoping Fernando Martinez makes a full recovery and regains the offensive stroke that made him such a potentially outstanding power/average dynamo.His defense already appeared to be developing very nicely.

 

[sonny10305]

Ike Davis and his great big booming bat gets me all atwitter,sonny!

I dono babe, why do I not think your talking about his baseball bat.

Good news from Jeff Francoeur he has undergone thumb surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. The doctors operated on the torn ligament in his left thumb.Jeff was injured while making a diving catch against Philadelphia.
Jeff and D Wright will be going to HoJo's training camp in Florida to work out.
David has gone there the last few winters and invited Jeff to come along this year.
They will be staying at Ho Jo's house.

 

[sonny10305]

Ike Davis has been named to the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Showcase on Saturday night. The game will be carried live for the first time on the MLB Network.
Through 12 games, Davis is hitting .340 with six doubles, three HR and 13 strikeouts in 12 games.
He hit .298 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton in 2009.
According to Baseball America, he was the best first-base prospect in the Double-A Eastern League,
and the 13th-best prospect overall.

Lucas Duda sprained his right wrist the first week of the AFL season and has gone home. He has been replaced by Nick Evans who doubled and walked Tuesday.

Last week, in the Arizona Fall League, in a move that has felt inevitable for a year now, Reese Havens began the move from shortstop by lining up at second base for the first time. Havens, who, as a member of the taxi squad, only gets to play twice a week, played second in both of his games. Reese said it was one of the main things he is working on out here trying to move over and get comfortable on the other side.
.

 

[syam24]

Glad to see Ike Davis is having an exceptionally good stay in Arizona, and nice to see him get recognized. Maybe we will see him in Queens this summer after all.

 

[Sausy]

I dono babe, why do I not think your talking about his baseball bat.

Good news from Jeff Francoeur he has undergone thumb surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. The doctors operated on the torn ligament in his left thumb.Jeff was injured while making a diving catch against Philadelphia.
Jeff and D Wright will be going to HoJo's training camp in Florida to work out.
David has gone there the last few winters and invited Jeff to come along this year.
They will be staying at Ho Jo's house.

Good to hear Jeff will be fine for spring training.Even with the sprain,he ended the season hot and proved to be a great acquisition from the Braves.Hopefully he will start to regain consistently the form he showed earlier in his Atlanta career,when the right fielder was predicted to be a perennial All Star.

Great to hear he's spending time with David Wright and Howard Johnson this winter.David will certainly be working extra hard to return to form as a dangerous hitter and get away from the constant streakiness(especially striking out alarmingly and being very disappointing in clutch situations)that despite his .302 final average plagued him all year.Hopefully in work and preparation they'll feed off each other(not in a naughty way)and really gain confidence and steadiness to be ready for the new season.Howard has a great rapport with a lot of the Mets players,especially David and his patience and support willl be very important in getting Jeff and David really comfortable and focused.

And sonny,speaking of Ike Davis....can't I mean BOTH kinds of bats?

Ike Davis has been named to the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Showcase on Saturday night. The game will be carried live for the first time on the MLB Network.
Through 12 games, Davis is hitting .340 with six doubles, three HR and 13 strikeouts in 12 games.
He hit .298 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton in 2009.
According to Baseball America, he was the best first-base prospect in the Double-A Eastern League,
and the 13th-best prospect overall.

Lucas Duda sprained his right wrist the first week of the AFL season and has gone home. He has been replaced by Nick Evans who doubled and walked Tuesday.

Last week, in the Arizona Fall League, in a move that has felt inevitable for a year now, Reese Havens began the move from shortstop by lining up at second base for the first time. Havens, who, as a member of the taxi squad, only gets to play twice a week, played second in both of his games. Reese said it was one of the main things he is working on out here trying to move over and get comfortable on the other side.
.

Definitely got to catch the game Saturday and get my first look at Ike in action.Seems ready to make it to the next level,and arrive at CitiField by August.

Regarding Reese Havens,had a feeling he would be more suited to second pro wise than short,not enough range.How did he do overall last year...how is his limited stint in the AFL going?Do your sources think he can make an impact with the Mets at second,especially because he's not overly athletic or quick and rangy?

Glad to see Ike Davis is having an exceptionally good stay in Arizona, and nice to see him get recognized. Maybe we will see him in Queens this summer after all.

The best thing is that Ike can represent a long term cornerstone for the future the Mets and their fans can embrace,like David Wright and hopefully still Jose Reyes.The Phillies are unfortunately not going away anytime soon,so it is imperative as well young pitching prospects like Jon Niese,Brad Holt and Jennry Mejia and (and Ruben Tejada,who I believe a better all around second base prospect over Reese Havens)continue to develop rapidly.The Mets have to have a solid foundation and replenish their farm system in order to compete with the Phillies for the long term.

 

[sonny10305]

Just about everyone I talk to likes Havens, especially his bat (careful saucy) what I like is his situational hitting; he has a real knack for elevevating the ball, and can be counted on to go up the middle. He has a wacked out stance like none I have ever seen, because of that pitchers often bust him inside.
His arm is decent but would be just adequate at short. But he for sure has the potential to be an excellent defensive second baseman.
In 2008, he earned third-team All-American honors and second team All SEC honors, unfortunately the year turned out to be a loss cause of too many injuries.
First came the elbow troubles and then leg problems did him in.

As for Davis, like I have said you are gonna love this kid.

Check him out

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q07wvvLEyP8[/ame]

 

[sonny10305]

Well no surprise to me The Mets have told JJ Putz they will not pick up his option for 2010. JJ was just never happy being the setup man for k-Rod, he said he was but I never believed him, he wants to be a closer. We were happy when he signed on and it looked great on paper, but it never really panned out. The option would have called for $9.1 million, and instead they will buy him out for $1 million. I am happy about this because as I said he was not a happy camper in that position and second it became just too much money to spend on him especially after that surgery. The Mets can now spend those bucks on something we really need like another starter or catcher. The only possibility left I suppose would be for him to the Mets on an incentive-laden deal.

I always liked Nick Evans and he sure has had his ups and downs, so I am happy to tell you is working hard and yesterday he got his first AFL homerun. Evans is 2-12 in the AFL with a double and a HR. He is playing LF but will prollly play some first as well.