Last night on the farm Brooklyn won, as they chase a playoff berth, while the rest of the organization lost.
Scranton W/B 7, Buffalo 5
The roving Yankees got the best of Chris Schwinden, who gave up 4 runs, including 2 homeruns, despite 8 strikeouts. C.J. Nitkowski gave up a couple runs, the first he’s surrendered since being signed by the Mets. The Herd pounded out 10 hits, including 2 each by Fred Lewis, Josh Satin, and Matt Den Dekker (who’s all the way up to .219). Lucas Duda and Zach Lutz both went 0 for 4.
New Hampshire 3, Binghamton 2
Darin Gorski threw 7 good innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9, but he took the loss. Ryan Fraser had 2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with 2 strikeouts. Juan Lagares was 2 for 4. Wilmer Flores and Allan Dykstra each hit a double. After 51 games in AA Flores is hitting .289/.336/.418, which is an identical average and OBP that he had in St. Lucie this year, but the slugging is 45 points fewer in AA.
Asheville 5, Savannah 2
Alex Panteliodis let up 3 runs on 9 hits and took the loss. Matt Reynolds hit his 3rd homer of the season, giving the Gnats their only runs of the game.
Brooklyn 6, Vermont 2
Julian Hilario threw 6 shutout innings, striking out 4. Logan Taylor and Tyler Vanderheiden took it the rest of the way, both surrendering an unearned run. Taylor struck out 4 in 2 innings and Vanderheiden struck out 2 in 1 inning. Phillip Evans led the way offensively going 3 for 4. Alexander Sanchez was 2 for 5. Stefan Sabol and Eudy Pina both homered. Pina’s homer was a 3-run shot that was part of a 4-run 2nd inning. Brandon Nimmo was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.
Burlington 5, Kingsport 4 (12 innings)
This was supposed to be a double header, but game 2 got cancelled, so they decided to make game 1 last 12 innings. After taking the lead in the 11th, the K-Mets gave up the lead in the bottom half of the inning before losing in the 12th. John Gant continued to pitch well, going 5.1 innings and giving up just 1 run while striking out 5. Jorge Rivero was 3 for 4 with a homer. Jonathan Leroux also homered. The K-Mets will play a double header each of the next 2 days.
24 comments
Sylow59
8/21/2012-8:23am at 8:23 am (UTC -4)
How can you not have a decent positional prospect above ss-A? If you had a 2 year old picking randomly you’d have done better.
Stickguy
8/21/2012-8:36am at 8:36 am (UTC -4)
I will give them Flores in AA, but that is about it.
Sylow59
8/21/2012-9:12am at 9:12 am (UTC -4)
What I hear about Flores is pretty much what I heard about FMart, granted Flores can stay on the field.
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
While I’ll agree that it does look pretty bleak down there, the system has produced Ike, Tejada, Murph and Thole on the offensive side. It’s a shame Duda fell off a cliff. I think this team needed him more than it thought it did, at least offensively.
But unless someone buys on Santana next trade deadline or on Wright in the offseason, I can’t see any instant influx in the minor league positional players with this team.
Sylow59
8/21/2012-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
I wouldn’t include Thole in any conversation about prospects. Murphy has some major holes in his game. Ike gets a pass for health reasons. And Tejada is a very pleasant surprise. Omar screwed up the farm system. It’s going to take some time unless they trade Wright and RA this winter. I’d consider trading Niese too if we can get a nice haul in return.
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-10:07am at 10:07 am (UTC -4)
I lean towards trading RA and keeping Wright. I know we differ there in opinion, but the premise is certainly there to trade him/them away for 4+ prospects. I’d think you could get a Mike Minor and a higher position player for RA. Not saying I would trade him to Hotlanta, but something in that realm of a return. MLB ready pitcher with promise and an almost Blue chip positional player.
I’d be much more hesitant on letting Niese go, due to age and relatively cheaper salary.
srt
8/21/2012-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
Problem with trading major league talent for prospects is the prospects are often a crap shoot.
If we were going all in on rebuilding – ala Houston – it would make sense. Just not sure that’s what we’re doing here in Flushing.
Stickguy
8/21/2012-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
I agree with you Tex. Neise would be a hard sell to trade, given his age and contract status. And of course production and upside!
at some point, you have to have real players locked up to build upon. And he would be one of them.
Wright is such a tough call. From a purely analytic standpoint, the prudent play is probably to trade him if you can get a real good package back (and given the dearth of 3B talent around, you should). But, that would require a strong relationship between fans and team/owners, and that they don’t have.
so in some ways, Wright is like Werth, in that the team needs to “overpay” for a guy on the wrong side of 30 in order to make a statement to the fans that they are actually open for business.
and besides, while a few more prospects would be nice, it is not likely to be the difference between playoffs and irrelevancy in the next few years. And the money won’t break them, plus they likely not reinvesting in anything you will care about (IOW, if wright goes, payroll just slashes more).
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-10:25am at 10:25 am (UTC -4)
Well, it is a fine line. Even though you say, signed Bourn to less than Wright would make, you’d have Bourn + a bunch of prospects vs. just Wright. Wright is WAAAAAYYY better than Bourn, but the overall improvement at multiple positions move cover up the drop in 3B production.
It is a tough, tough call. NY is full of lunatics, and while trading Wright may be the best thing for the overall health and rise to Mets product on the field, Wright kind of transcends that a little. When Santana is let go, much like Piazza, we knew that they did what they could but where in the very later stages of the twilight of their careers. Wright won’t be that for a couple years at least. Trading Wright would not be viewed well. Reyes you could suck up, because you still had Wright. Should Wright go, who becomes the face of the club?
Sylow59
8/21/2012-11:46am at 11:46 am (UTC -4)
re. Niese.
if you can get a:
Olt and Andrus do you pull the trigger. Do the Rangers pull the trigger.
Craig (or Adams and Carpenter) and Jay?
Stickguy
8/21/2012-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
well, I agree with one thing you are implying. pick a side of the fence, and get there, instead of trying to straddle the middle and go nowhere.
so if you are going to gut/rebuild, go all the way!
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
Stick, I still think tearing it down to rebuild has to stop at some level. Jettisoning major pieces to get picks has to get to a level where you have the lowest common denominator of sorts. I would think Niese would be about that level. If you are blowing it up, start trading everything above Niese, then you can have a nice young pitching staff and should the team start making strides, It’ll be easier (in theory) to add a Wilingham/Quentin type than trying to find pitching.
Stickguy
8/21/2012-12:47pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
oh, I agree. an I want to keep neise. and very true about getting a few bats easier than a rotation!
I was thinking more about DIckey. If they trade Wright, trade dickey. Not sure if beyond that (outside of Neise) there is anyone debatable.
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
Murph, Valdy and Familia, oh course!
Stick
8/21/2012-1:18pm at 1:18 pm (UTC -4)
oh, I said debatable. they aren’t!
OK, spin and Familia you can. But if you trade Wright and dickey, trade murphy if you can get something decent back, and move on to the future!
wanny
8/21/2012-3:58pm at 3:58 pm (UTC -4)
Was it Grave or Kong who did the research on the stars for prospects trades that revealed that most of the time the seller loses the deal?
Can’t trade Wright. Have to resign him.
Stickguy
8/21/2012-4:05pm at 4:05 pm (UTC -4)
wasn’t Knog. So must have been Grave. If not him it was rusty
NJstuckinTX
8/21/2012-4:41pm at 4:41 pm (UTC -4)
It was Grave.
(snffle).
Bryan
8/21/2012-1:46pm at 1:46 pm (UTC -4)
There are plenty of decent prospects, but what you’re looking for is a bona fide star prospect and those are hard to come by anywhere. Puello still has a high upside despite a lost season. A-Rod has serious power (very rare commodity). Den Dekker is elite defensively. Tovar is great defensively and a nice contact hitter. Also, look for Plawecki to be a fast riser next year.
srt
8/21/2012-8:33am at 8:33 am (UTC -4)
I’m reading this morning that Hefner will be placed on paternity leave and Carson is being called up to take his place.
Good to have another lefty in the pen. Not sure how much action Carson will see in 3 days. Last time he was up here, he didn’t fare too well.
Mr North Jersey
8/21/2012-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
When he walks in the clubhouse you think players say Heeeeere’s Carson?
Stickguy
8/21/2012-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
probably not, since most of them likely were not out of elementary school (heck, some not born) when Johnny went off the air!
srt
8/21/2012-3:15pm at 3:15 pm (UTC -4)
Johnny Carson?
I’m sorry, that was before my time….
wanny
8/21/2012-1:20pm at 1:20 pm (UTC -4)
Texas laughs off the niese offer before hanging up angrily.