Last night, the Mets announced that five minor leaguers players, in addition to the ones already on their 40-man roster, have been invited to Spring Training. Those players are pitchers Rafael Montero and Cory Mazzoni, catcher Juan Centeno, utility player Josh Satin, and outfielder Matt den Dekker.
Montero is a bit of a surprise. Not because he isn’t good, but because he’s still 22 and has thrown exactly 0 pitches above a-ball. To think that Montero would be ready to make the ML club out of spring training in any role is a little crazy. However, Montero was fantastic in a-ball last season and should be in or close to the top-10 on a lot of peoples top prospects list (I have him 12). The Mets could use the spring as a litmus test to see how close he could be to the big leagues, as he should get at least some opportunities to pitch against big league hitters in spring games.
Mazzoni is far less of a surprise. The Mets drafted him in the second round of the 2011 draft, and as expected, he has risen quickly. With a decreased strikeout rate in AA last year, Mazzoni is looking like a bullpen arm, but one that can crank it up into the mid 90′s at times. With some empty spots in the bullpen, there’s no reason not to take a look at Mazzoni. Even if he doesn’t make the opening day roster, he could join the big league bullpen at some point this year.
Centeno is an obvious choice, with catching depth with a place of need for the Mets. Centeno is a low-strikeout high-contact type hitter, who is solid defensively, but somewhat undersized. A lot of things would have to fall in place for him to make the opening day roster, but he’ll be in big league spring training so the Mets can gauge how close he is to being viable ML catching depth.
Satin is kind of a token invite. Theoretically, he could impress in camp and compete for a job as the 25th man, but that’s unlikely. Satin is 28, and a nice guy to have on a AAA ball club, but he has no place on a big league roster. The Mets are giving him an invite because their roster is thin and to keep Satin happy and willing to stick around the organization in future years, because, like I said, he’s a useful AAA player.
den Dekker might have the best chance to compete for a spot on the opening day roster. The Mets are thin in the outfield, and right now Kirk Nieuwenhuis is penciled in to play centerfield, but den Dekker could become a serious part of the competition. He has a half season of AAA under his belt, and he didn’t exactly impress during that time, but if he has a good spring with the bat he’s going to become a contender to be the opening day centerfield real fast. He hits left-handed, which doesn’t help his case, but he has some pop and as we all should know plays incredible defense. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and keep a decent average he can be a major league center fielder. He’ll be an eye to keep an eye on early in camp, and a guy to keep watching in the spring for as long as he’s hitting.
On a related note, for winter league stats for Mets players, click here: http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=nym
31 comments
srt
1/15/2013-7:55am at 7:55 am (UTC -4)
I love televised ST games in this day and age. We get a first glimpse at some of these kids that we’ve only read about up until now.
Back in the day, you hardly knew about the minor leagues and only heard about a top prospect or two when they wrote about it in the paper.
Stick
1/15/2013-9:13am at 9:13 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, I remember getting the morning papers and not knowing what happened the day before until I read the update from whatever beat guy was with the team. I think I prefered that over endless tweets of wild speculation!
Stick
1/15/2013-9:18am at 9:18 am (UTC -4)
I figure Montero is more of a reward deal, and maybe an indication of how highly they regard him.
Den Dekker I still am high on. Love the glove. Really hoping he takes whatever next step he needs to in order to make the Mets. Does seem largely redundent to Kirk, and I doubt you ever see both of them together! Really too bad Den doesn’t hit RH though.
saw a good comment on MLBTR. someone mentioned that he needed to cut down on strikeouts, and the response was “If matt cuts down out the Ks, he would be Den Deer”. Well, I thought it was funny.
Satin, filler. Then again, so is Turner, and we seem to be stuck with him.
srt
1/15/2013-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
I keep forgetting about Turner.
Wonder how long that experiment of putting Turner in the OF will last in ST?
TX
1/15/2013-9:46am at 9:46 am (UTC -4)
Turner better learn the OF, or he’s not long for this team. Not saying he’ll get the boot this year, but just a feeling. Considering he’s the only back up 3B at this point, he’ll make the roster on the bench. Then prob Recker, Baxter, Cowgill, and a middle inf replacement to be named later.
Stick
1/15/2013-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
can always use Murphy over there. And depending on who wins the MI bench job, they might be able to do it too.
Turner though IIRC is not even a 3B. He tried it a few times, but has no experience there really.
They really need to sort out the OF first so they can adjust the rest of the roster.
i also hate a 7 man pen, because a 5 man bench is just too limiting.
srt
1/15/2013-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
Agree with you on the 7 man BP.
I’m not thrilled with Turner playing 1st base as back up either. Yeah…one game or part of one game is fine. But if Ike hits the DL, Turner at 1st is not the answer.
greggofboken
1/15/2013-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
Unfortunately you’ve got Santana back from injury and Harvey (so far) prone to being inefficient. And starter #5, be it one of the guys up from the minors — or perhaps Chris Young. Tough to do a 5-man pen with so many dodgy propositions for endurance on the starting staff.
TX
1/15/2013-10:25am at 10:25 am (UTC -4)
If they could re-sign Cedeno (or is Valdy didn’t blow big chucks of putridity in the infiled), then this certainly does allow for Murphy to be slide around, but considering the strides Go Big Murph has made, I really dislike the notion that he is a super sub, at least at this point, I think he’s earned his spot at 2B combined with the fact there is no one to push him out of it (Dang you HAVENS!!!).
The bench does need a 1B/3B/OF type, as the OF as currently deconstructed is 3 full spots of platoons. No way can the bench consist of 3 fully dedicated OF types.
srt
1/15/2013-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
Looking at the stats link you provided….Valdespin is doing quite well, isn’t he?
If only this would translate to the MLs. I’ll be interested to see what he does in ST.
TX
1/15/2013-10:29am at 10:29 am (UTC -4)
Time to make some change… Tuh-Tuh-Traded…
Strike now while the iron is hot and the news of player insubordination is nowhere to be seen!
srt
1/15/2013-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
Ha! Wouldn’t bother me if Valdespin is included in a trade.
Bryan
1/15/2013-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
He should be doing well, most winter leagues are about equal to AA, so he should be hitting. He still doesn’t have much trade value, and appears to be on the outside looking in, heading into spring training.
TX
1/15/2013-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. I don’t see how he makes the team unless he somehow outplays Kirk and the Kapt starts in AAA vs. Valdy.
Stick
1/15/2013-1:51pm at 1:51 pm (UTC -4)
let them all fight for the jobs. no one should be entrenched, outside of DW and Ike (for now). every other spot should be up for grabs.
and I think they should stick Spin, wherever he ends up, in CF every day to see if he can grow into and handle the job. I expect AAA is more likely, and he gets shuffled to a corner OF where he does not belong. This is the mets after all, and they rarely do what I tell them to!
darknova306
1/15/2013-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
Looks like Rafael Soriano just cashed in (again): Nats reportedly giving him 2 years and $28M with a 3rd year vesting option.
I’ve always liked Soriano, but damn!
TX
1/15/2013-2:39pm at 2:39 pm (UTC -4)
Talk about an awesome BP. And Rotation. And starting Lineup. And Bench… And Head Coach…
greggofboken
1/15/2013-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
And Accounts Payable Department!
TX
1/15/2013-2:44pm at 2:44 pm (UTC -4)
I was going to put that, then stopped, as i didn’t want to make myself start weeping…
darknova306
1/15/2013-2:52pm at 2:52 pm (UTC -4)
Yup. That gives them, what, 3 solid closer options now? The Mets still have zero… sweet…
gategem
1/15/2013-6:29pm at 6:29 pm (UTC -4)
Now don’t you worry. All good Barristers are known for magically turning the tide in what appears to be a losing cause and SA will pull a rabbit out of his hat. Now that will solve the Mets lack of speed problem but damn it would be nice if the rabbit could hit.
darknova306
1/15/2013-6:43pm at 6:43 pm (UTC -4)
So he’ll pull a Roger Cedeno out of his hat?
Stick
1/15/2013-7:35pm at 7:35 pm (UTC -4)
well, that is not where you pull a Cedeno out of, but you have the general idea.
srt
1/15/2013-2:45pm at 2:45 pm (UTC -4)
Apparently, money is no object for the Nats.
Stick
1/15/2013-3:23pm at 3:23 pm (UTC -4)
Good for them.
remember, they had to suck rocks (worst in baseball) years running, to get the blue chips (and a bunch of other young guys they hoarded) to get to the point were they were positioned to be a “win now, buy the expensive FA” team.
so who knows, maybe our light at the end of the tunnel isn’t Jeffy’s bentley rushing at us!
srt
1/15/2013-5:39pm at 5:39 pm (UTC -4)
Difference between the Mets and the Nats though is the Nats ownership has deep, deep pockets…..
darknova306
1/15/2013-5:59pm at 5:59 pm (UTC -4)
Mets have deep pockets. It’s just that most of that money is held up in albatross contracts and a pretty boy.
TRS86
1/15/2013-3:00pm at 3:00 pm (UTC -4)
That’s a GREAT move by them.
Stick
1/15/2013-3:22pm at 3:22 pm (UTC -4)
I just wonder if they plan to keep them all and hope it works, or if Storen is going to be traded?
You always hear out tempermental closers are, can’t pitch in non-save situations, etc.
though I suppose this could be the 2nd time Soriano got top closer money to be a set-up guy? talk about living right.
but the playoffs be damned, the back end of their pen looks scary. As does the Mets, just in a different way.
kingman 26
1/15/2013-4:55pm at 4:55 pm (UTC -4)
Wow, Montero’s BB numbers!
122 IP and 19 BB at A ball at age 22!
That seems to me to show some unreal maturity. How many kids achieve that?
His numbers are seriously eye-opening.
Sorry but den Dekker seems to me to be yet another Met OF prospect who is going to be seriously offensively challenged. But, if he can hit at all, his fielding could make him a keeper.
Centeno’s lack of extra base power is almost funny it is so glaring, but I would take him over just about anyone we are likely to see before d’Oorknob makes his debut.
srt
1/15/2013-5:44pm at 5:44 pm (UTC -4)
OT:
Ex-Mets Nemesis John Rocker: Holocaust Wouldn’t Have Happened If Jews Had Guns
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/15/ex-mets-nemesis-john-rocker-holocaust-wouldnt-have-happened-if-jews-had-guns/
Reading over those comments again from Rocker back when he played for Atlanta literally made me laugh out loud. It’s a wonder the Shea faithful of NY weren’t throwing beer cans and batteries at him on the mound.