Tag Archives: Minor Leagues

Jun 22

While we were away ….

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I was down Monday with server issues, which I hope have been resolved. Many thanks to Joe D. from Metsmerized for his help and patience.

MAINE: Thrown under the bus.

Two items occurred that I haven’t had the opportunity to comment on: John Maine and Jenrry Mejia.

The one on Maine is especially disturbing because it shows and ugly side of Jerry Manuel. His comment about pitching Maine “on the off days,’’ was for a cheap laugh, which he got. But, how he threw Maine under the bus like that has to send a message to other players when dealing with their injuries.

Maybe Maine is done with the Mets, but he’s still here and working hard to get back. He deserves his manager’s respect.

If I’m a player and working hard to get back, I don’t like the manager taking a cheap shot at me for his benefit.

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Jun 18

Mets need to send Mejia down

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In order to get something you have to be willing to give something, and the something many will ask for as the trade deadline approaches in Jenrry Mejia.

I’m beginning to wonder what Mejia’s trade value is these days. He’s been spotty in his role out of the bullpen, and has a career 11-11 record in three years as a starter.

MEJIA: Needs to go down.

“How can the Mets sell this guy as a starter that can produce right away if he’s not even starting for them?’’ a former general manager said.

So, any deal made has to be looked at through the eyes of the other team as potential over production.

So, what will other teams do if the got Mejia. Why, my guess is they would send him to the minor leagues to develop him as a starter.

So, why won’t the Mets do the same?

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Jun 08

Pelfrey kept his word

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There’s no question out of necessity the Mets rushed Mike Pelfrey, but it says a lot about him that he was able to learn and not let the frustrations of a 3-8 season in 2007 sabotage his development as it would with many young pitchers.

PELFREY: Goes for fifth straight win tonight.

Pelfrey appeared to find himself in 2008, but regressed last year to the point where he was mentioned in trade rumors. Pelfrey, simply, was a mess with some hideous moments, such as a three-balk afternoon in San Francisco.

He still had all the good things in his scouting report, such as a power fastball, but it was outweighed by a propensity for not being able to finish off batters or innings.

When things got tense, Pelfrey got tight and small threats mushroomed into big innings. When they unraveled for him, he was all over the place.

When he struggled this spring, some speculated he’d be better off in the minor leagues – I had that thought – but Pelfrey promised he was working on things and would be better.

He kept his word.

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Jun 06

Perez’s MRI evaluated by MLB

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Eyes had to be raised when after Oliver Perez, who so vehemently refused a demotion to the minor leagues, suddenly came up lame with patella tendinitis after a MRI the day before the Mets activated Jon Niese from the disabled list.

PEREZ: In better times.

Major League Baseball reviewed the MRI because, shall we say, of the convenient timing of all this for the Mets.

Manager Jerry Manuel said Perez complained of knee pain Friday when he arrived at Citi Field, then had a MRI than revealed the tendinitis.

“He says he’s not able to pitch the way it is right now,’’ assistant general manager John Ricco said. “When a player tells you he’s injured and a doctor confirms that, from where I sit, that’s what the DL is for.’’

Maybe it is convenient, but the truth is Perez had surgery on the same knee in the offseason and this spring has had nothing on his fastball. To say it’s coincidental would be true; to say there is a link would also be true.

“I thought that with the velocity not ever getting to what I saw in 2008, that always concerns me to some degree,’’ Manuel said.  “But the athlete tells you that he’s fine, he’s fine, doesn’t feel anything, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.’’

Perez will rehab his knee at Port St. Lucie, but the team does not have a timetable for when he’ll throw again.

Perez is 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA in 11 appearances, seven of them starts, and has allowed 76 base runners in 38 2/3 innings.

Jun 04

Mets DFA Matthews

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MATTHEWS: Wasn't contributing

Outfielder Gary Matthews was designated for assignment this afternoon and catcher Omir Santos was recalled from the minor leagues. Odd choice to carry three catchers. I would have thought they’d bring up outfielder Jesus Feliciano, who has been scalding the ball at Class AAA Buffalo.

Matthews had been playing terribly and getting less and less opportunities. Fans and posters here have been calling for his release.

Still no word on whether Luis Castillo has been placed on the DL. If so, expect infielder Ruben Tejada to be promoted from Buffalo.

The Mets won’t likely officially activate tomorrow’s starter, Jon Niese, until game time.

Jun 03

Mets’ Daniel Murphy injured; Oliver Perez still holding tight.

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The experiment of Daniel Murphy as a role player is on hold. It remains to be seen about his career.

Weeks of hard rehab work were wasted last night when Murphy re-injured his right knee trying to turn a double-play as a second baseman while playing for Class AAA Buffalo.

“I don’t think it’s real good,’’ Buffalo manager Ken Oberkfell told The Buffalo News. “The way he turned the double play was nice. He made the right pivot. It just looked like the guy got there late, and when Murph came down he never got out of the way once he planted his foot.’’

So much for fundamentals.

MURPHY: More bad luck

There was also a school of thought the Mets could showcase Murphy’s bat in the minor leagues for a deadline trade for pitching. That hope is gone now, too.

It takes skill to play in the major leagues. Also, timing and a little bit of luck. Murphy has had little of the latter two and it’s shame because he’s one of the very good guys as he would have done anything to help the Mets.

That now brings us to Oliver Perez. You kind of figured he wouldn’t be going away – at least in the way you hoped.

Until now, Perez’s selfishness has merely inconvenienced the Mets, an annoyance at best. In the next two days it could really shorthand them.

The Mets are still lobbying Perez hard to accept a minor league assignment to clear way for Jon Niese’s return from the disabled list. Niese is scheduled to pitch Saturday at Citi Field; it’s not known when Perez will throw a ball again in anger.

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May 31

Time to get rid of Perez.

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PEREZ: Time to cut ties.

The fear is there, but is it any worse than the embarrassment?

The fear is the Mets will cut loose Oliver Perez and he’ll find out what ails him under another pitching coach – maybe worse, it might be somebody in the NL East or The Jacket.

But, is that any worse than the embarrassment of watching Perez make a mockery of the concept of teamwork and force the Mets to play with what is a 24-man roster because of his refusal to accept repeated requests to go to the minor leagues to attempt to iron out his problems?

I would love to see the Mets attempt to suspend Perez for his selfishness for his unwillingness to make himself better, and label it conduct detrimental to the team. If an athlete doesn’t condition himself, doesn’t work out, then the team has some recourse. How is this not the same? How is refusing to go where you’ll get work different?

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May 24

May 24.10: Mejia to stay in pen.

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Until they change their minds again, the Mets have made a decision – hopefully definitive for at least the remainder of the season – on Jenrry Mejia.

The prospect with the million-dollar arm will remain in the bullpen.

Manager Jerry Manuel confirmed last night what many surmised after Manny Acosta was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo instead of Mejia to make room for Ryota Igarashi’s return from the disabled list.

“You have a young man who has a tremendous arm, tremendous upside,’’ Manuel said. “If you take what he gives you in small bits, it’s very serviceable, even at the big league level.’’

Several things went into the decision, notably when Mejia started altering his delivery Thursday in Washington. Altered deliveries lead to arm problems and the Mets want to nip possibility early.

During the series with the Nationals, Manuel had suggested Mejia was likely to be the one to go to the minor leagues to make room for Igarashi.

Starting might still be in Mejia’s future, but not for now, and you would be correct if you thought this move had something to do with Manuel’s immediate job future.

“If we wanted to have him start, he could start in the winter somewhere,’’ Manuel said. “But here, if he’s serviceable and if he’s usable, then I’d like to have him. It’s probably selfish on my part, but that’s how I feel.’’

With Igarashi back, the plan is for him and Feliciano to work the eighth and Mejia to work the seventh. Watching Mejia blow away Mark Teixeira Saturday night convinced Manuel.

“Basically, that was the plan all along,’’ Manuel said. “We felt that Igarashi could handle the eighth, and we needed someone to handle the seventh. I wanted to see Mejia pitch in this environment and see how he responded to it, and he did real well.’’

I only hope the Mets stick with this decision and not waver. To bounce him from role to role at 20 could be harmful to his development.