DSL – The Mets have done well signing international free agents over the past two administrations. Currently, the 40-man roster has 39 players + 5 on the DL. Of the 39, one-third are Latin America players.

In the case of the Mets, they all pass through one of the two DSL teams and you should see some new names come spring training running around the Florida back fields.

One caveat… these kids get signed at 16 and basically are still learning how to play the game. The pitchers just throw as hard as they can and the hitters will swing at a wasp if it tries to fly past them. Still, some stand out and these are hombres to keep an eye on:

OF Vicente Lupo –      Lupo did just about everything last season. His .343 BA was 8th in the league. He led the league with a .500 OBP, was 2nd with a .608 slugging percentage, and was number one with a superior 1.108 OPS. He’s already played two years for the DSL team and doesn’t turn 19 until next month. The Mets need outfielders and this just might be one 3-4 years from now

C Adrian Abreu – Abreu’s stat line was very impressive last season: .295/.417/.406/.824. I was particularly impressed with the fact that he was tied for 9th in the league with 44-RBIs). The 21-year old has played three years in the DSL and his gap power alone is going to earn him starting role at either Brooklyn or Kingsport. Oh yeah, did I mention he was a catcher?

C Manuel Hilario – The “other” catcher was Hilario: .286/.378/.451/.829, and was tied for 14th with 41-RBIs. There are two very productive catchers at this level. Hilario is 20, so he should move as fast as Abreu and it would be nice to believe the system might be producing at least one good catching prospect here.

          SP Yoryi Nuel – This was the 3rd season (2010: 2.45, 2011: 3.78)  for the 19-year old and he combined for a 3-3, 2.47, 1.08, 14-ST, 51-K, 65.2-IP stat line for both teams (the Mets ‘traded’ their entire DSL1 team halfway through the season for the DSL2 team ???). I can’t see him pitching a fourth season there.

          CL Carlos Coronado – the DSL closer… 4-1, 2.06, 1.00, 27-G, 13-SV, 23-GF, 35.0-IP, 26-K, 5-BB… this is an incredibly low BB-9 ratio for this level. Just turned 21. He’s ready for the visa.

          SS Leon Canelon – .302/.361/.386/.747, 9-E, 11-SB… only 2nd year in organization though he is 21-years old (where were these guys hiding since they were 14?). He easily would make the GSL team, and should make Kingsport because the Mets are light at this position at this level right now.

John Sickles came out with his top 50 prospect bats. I’m come to respect John over the years because he’s not afraid to admit he had things wrong early. There are 30 teams in the league, so you’re looking for at least two names here to make your future look above average. Well, 3B Wilmer Flores came in at #28 and that was it. I was hoping to see Aderlin Rodriguez on it, but, considering the last three names were Bubba Starling, Kyle Parker, and Dan Vogelbach, I can fully understand why he didn’t make it.

The Mets have been allotted approximately $6,487,300 in the 2013 draft bonus pool. Last year’s figure was $7,151,400, but they spent only $6,285,400. $185,600 will be carried over to the 2014 draft.

I remember University of Tennessee senior RHP Zack Godley’s last playoff season at Bamberg Ehrhardt H.S. (SC). I was standing behind the stands smoking a cigarette with his mother who was pissed at the Mets and their approach to his son the day of the draft. Godley was drafted in the 50th round and was basically told via phone that there wasn’t even travel money, no less a bonus or contract for her son. No, if he wanted to ‘try out’ (as she put it) he was welcomed to hop the bus, Gus. Well, he didn’t and went on to UT and went 4-2, 3.50, in 12-G, 11-ST last season. I’m sure his mother is proud.

I heard from P Dylan Owen regarding any participation this year in winter ball: “I’m probably just hanging out at home”, said Owen. “I was thinking about Venezuela again but I don’t know if I can do it. I need some rest.” With a little luck, Owen could have been Dillon Gee or, at least, Collin McHugh. He was in line a couple of times for the next call up in case someone went down, but it just didn’t happen. This will be Owen’s last season under the Mets control and I hope he goes out with a bang. Six year stat line in the minors: 45-44, 4.46, 1.39, 690-IP, 537-K, 253-BB, 1-NH. Observation: Frankly, he needs a good spring training to guarantee a job in Las Vegas. 2012 was a bad year in Buffalo (4-9, 6.28, 1.64). My money is on him.

The entire Baltimore Orioles starting lineup in Game 5 against the Yankees is $25.7mil. A-Rod is $29mil.

Two-way player, Texas Tech WR/NYM OF Bradley Marquez, suffered a significant knee injury in Saturday’s game, which just may end his progress and career with the New York Mets. Marquez was a role the dice over-slot pick that the Mets obviously hoped would give up the gridiron someday to be a full time baseball player. In fact, he was already hinting that way going into Saturday’s game.

In my opinion, all these two-sport player signings are bullshit and just another waste of a pick. The Mets could have easily taken this over-slot money and added it to the offer made to Teddy Stankiewicz and the team would have another real time pitching prospect in their chain. Just bullshit.

24 comments on “Might Be Wrong, But… DSL, Sickles Bats, Bonus Pool, Zach Godley, Dylan Owen, Bradley Marquez

  • Charles

    Marquez and Teddy came from two different drafts.

    Reports were that he was about to give up football to concentrate totally on baseball. Now, he probably will but is it too late. You are right though, three months just isn’t enough time to teach this kid the game. Either he should have picked a sport or they should have said goodbye.

    If Teddy turns into anything good, the Mets would look awfully foolish yet again. Unless, of course, the draft the next Giancarlo Stanton with that extra pick in 2013…I doubt they will.

    • Mack Ade

      Charles:

      This is a very week draft other than catchers and outfielders, who will all be gone by the 3rd round. They better pick wisely this time and no uncer-slotting bullshit.

      • Mike Koehler

        I had read something about Marquez before he got hurt. Sounded like he was very raw, but also a very promising talent. Unless there was an obvious alternative (which I have clue about), I’d have no problem taking a risk on a player like Marquez. Look at JPP with the football Giants.

        • Mack Ade

          There is a 3-4 year period in which you can mold a baseball player… it helps if he had played the sport before.

          No draft pick is a waste of time. Just ask the Mets pitching coaches about Dillon Gee.

    • 7rain

      The two sport split deal rarely works but Marquez is undeniably talented and as a 16th round draft choice is exactly the sort of chance a big market team should be taking and it was only 325 Grand if I recall. If we had done this sort of thing a couple times a year for the last decade we definitely produce at least one OFer and maybe three or four plus a catcher or two.

      The Stankewicz thing was really weird. We didn’t even spend all the allotted money and now I notice the CBA only gives us a 3rd rounder. Could it have been a medical issue? I doubt it.

      The Godley story is almost incomprehensible. Cheaping out on the draft has reached new levels with bus fare even being withheld. Hard to believe and especially in that draft where we spent 1.7 M total on the first 10 rounds.

      KC spent 3.4 M on their 3rd and 4th rounders alone including Wil Myers the #3 rated prospect in baseball a RH hitting CFer. Twenty seven players drafted after the true first round got at least half of what we spent on our entire first 10 rounds.

      We didn’t have our first rounder (K-Rod) and did go slightly over slot on Matz (900 G’s) but still there were players that we could have drafted, paid and had close to or in the Majors right now including catcher JR Murphy, Brad Boxberger, Rex Brothers, Tyler Skaggs, Tim Wheeler, Jake Marciniak, Chris Owings, Garrett Richards and catcher Tommy Josephs with a little more cash (and in some cases a supplemental round pick that we could have gotten for Castillo)

      Yeah I know it’s a risk and even the guys looking like sure shots right now can bust but when they do it doesn’t cost you games at the Major League level or 25-70 million dollars and a prospect or two in the rule 5 draft.

      Even Edgin getting less than 2 Grand is crazy. The stories about the Mets that must circulate throughout MLB and the minors must really put a good face on the Organization.

      • Mack Ade

        “Only” $325,000 for a 16th round pick… lol.

        Regarding Stank.. I also write for another site on draft prospects and know many of these kids that get drafted each year by all the teams.

        I was in constant contact with a member of his family through the entire process of the Mets telling him they were going to draft him, telling him they wanted him to accept less money, being told he wouldn’t accept less money, then beingtold that’s fine… the Mets drafted him and went back to the under-slotting offer. Stank walked away in disgust, as he should have.

        The Mets handled this very poorly.

        They also brought in twice a high school player out of Texas and told him he would only be drafted if he would accept under-money. He was another big loss and is now enrolled in college.

        Under-slotting was the goal for the Mets in the last draft and leaving money on the table proved that Alderson had a very limited budget regardless what the league said he could spend.

        I’ve said this before… agents constantly remind their clients that this is a bad team to be part of.

        • 7rain

          With the new CBA you can at least understand trying to skimp and save here so you can go over elsewhere. Look how Toronto handled the draft. Five of their top 10 got $2,500 so they could spend more on their real picks.

          You think $325,000 for a 16th rounder is funny? Mack you of all people should know that draft placement isn’t a true measure of talent, if it were why would some prospects get 2 M in the 3rd round while others got less than half that in the 2nd? The Yankees gave a 14th rounder $675,000 and a 44th rounder $500,000 in 2009 Toronto gave an 18th rounder $550,000 in that draft. Hell we even gave a 13th rounder (Zach Dotson) $500,000 and KC, Texas and Arizona spent 450K on their 15th rounders.

          It was about attempting to get first and 2nd round talent out of the later rounds by getting guys to come out early, something we have rarely done and now that opportunity is lost and almost every team in MLB has a four year head start on us.

          • Mack Ade

            But they played baseball…

  • Justin M.

    Excited to see some of these kids in Brooklyn next season. Especially Lupo.

    No way of knowing what our needs will be 3-4 years from now, but glad that the strengths of this draft are the team’s biggest weaknesses.

  • Mack Ade

    C Rob Johnson was removed from the 40-man this morning and he is now a free agent

    • David Groveman

      Mets will likely need someone just like him by the start of the next season but it helps them clear room in the 40 in the meantime.

  • TJ

    Mack,
    I don’t know anything about the Stank situation, but letting your #2 pick go unsigned, spending significantly less than the allotment of picks, and carrying forward just a small fraction of those savings – this does not align well with the club’s stance that they are building from within. Just as losing Buffalo doesn’t align well. Not sure this admin walks the walk.

    • David Groveman

      Switching from Buffalo to Las Vegas doesn’t bother me.

      Not signing early picks is far more grievous. Going through some past drafts and certain classes just don’t have diamonds in the rough.

    • Mack Ade

      The Mets appproached this draft like a bargain basement sale. They obviously didn’t have the budget to spend so they tried to screw around with the head of some players, especially the young ones out of high school.

      The baseball world knows well how the Mets operate and free agents almost universally don’t feel that a World Series is going to go through Queens.

      At least Omar was allowed to spend. Sandy isn’t.

  • Charles

    I love how the Nationals draft. They constantly pick the best, high ceiling player they can. That’s a team that is going to be competitive for a real long time.

    • 7rain

      Very true Charles, Helped them get Gio too as one of their over slot pitching prospects was a big part of that deal.

      The Nationals had lots of top 10 picks including a couple of #1’s but that’s not all they did, not by a long shot.

      • Mack Ade

        Gio wanted to be a Met but there was no interest.

        • 7rain

          No way to get him either.

          Gotta give some thing to get something.

    • Name

      The Nationals lucked into Harper and Strausburg. Just a hunch, but i think that the Nats were 1-year wonders. I’m thinking they won’t make anything higher than the 2nd wild card next year.

      • Mack Ade

        I disagree.

        The Nats use the draft correctly. They spend the money and pick the best out there when their turn comes up. They aren’t afraid of picking someone once projected higher but who has fallen due to an injury that is correctable. All of this has created one of the deepest systems in baseball and one of the youngest teams on the field.

        I applaud the way they approach the game.

        • Name

          I’m assuming you’re disagreeing with my thinking that the Nats are 1-year wonders rather than the lucking into Harper/Strausburg.

          And you should disagree with me. I have nothing to back me up at all. A rational anaylsis of the Nats should come to conclusion that the Nats will be contenders for years. The only thing that i have to back me up that crazy things happen that we can’t forsee and people don’t improve/regress at the way that people forecast them to. Like i said, just a hunch I have.

  • Charles

    Teddy and Nido were the only two picks in the first 10 rounds I was excited about. And Teddy isn’t even in the system! I am still bitter over the Cecchini pick, as I’ve continued to say over and over, and will never understand that pick when McCullers and Hawkings were right there for the taking. When they first picked Nimmo, I was scratching my head, then came to like it within the first month. I had learned a lot about him and realized he could be special; same with the Fulmer pick. But this Zucchini or Cecchini kid, nobody has said that he stands out at all. I know having many middle infielders is a good thing, but first round picks come around once a year and cost millions. You need to go with the Harvey’s and Wheelers, not a light hitting SS!

    • 7rain

      Cecchini projects to be an average Major League SS while Hawkins projects to be an average Major League LFer. Cecchini also appears to be a safer choice from a bust perspective so for those two reasons I like the pick as SS’s are more valuable and harder to produce than LFer’s.

      McCullers is a different animal but we certainly have a decent situation in middle infield going forward and that’s a big deal but catcher and OF are serious needs at all levels of the system.

    • Mack Ade

      Charles, he was signable. That’s all.

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