I’ve followed the Mets minor leagues for a while and what I’ve found is that every year there are players who make cases to reach the majors but an injury rolls around or they slump and it looks like we might have jumped the gun. Just look at Travis Taijeron, in his last 5 games he’s 2 for 20 with 6 K’s 1 BB and 1 HR. A week ago people were clamoring for news on this guy as a potential call-up and wondering why he didn’t have the “Prospect Pedigree”. We all hope he bounces back but our expectations have hopefully come down to earth… FOR HIM.
I can’t say the same for Cesar Puello who has just kept on swinging since he caught fire in mid-May and thus far burned Super Nova in June.
- April: 15 Games, .280/.357/.420
- May: 30 Games, .298/.385/.526
- June: 12 Games, .479/.510/1.021
It’s more than PRETTY impressive. My question is, WHEN. When will the Mets call up Puello to audition for 2014? I think the answer is pretty clear, when Marlon Byrd is traded. The Mets have a veteran, having a good year, who could help a conteding ball-club and it would be foolish not to offer him up for prospects as the deadline approaches. Once Byrd is traded, the Mets need to audition Lagares, Puello and others to better make their plans for the future. For that matter, the Mets need to figure out if Flores is spending 2014 on the Mets too.
The next two weeks will be an interesting time for the Mets who are of two minds.
Buy, because we NEED hitting
Sell, because we AREN’T winning
We’ll have to wait and see…
MLB:
Josh Satin should get more AB’s – I’m a fan of his and with Davis threatening to come up I’m worried that a guy who I think could be a GREAT pinch hitter is going to be overlooked.
AAA:
Wilmer Flores looking really good – He’s not on a super hot tear but his cold streaks are merely warm periods (by most standards).
Are we missing the boat on Zach Lutz? – At a certain point I have to wonder why the Mets don’t make him part of their plans.
Rafael Montero up in August? – That’s my best guess. It depends on injuries and performance but I see it as likely.
Jacob deGrom likes AAA – He was only so-so in AA but he’s looked like a very usefull rotation candidate since his June promotion.
AA:
Allan Dykstra is an OPS machine – April: .987… May: .971… June: 1.365
Noah Syndergaard has a nice debut – One game down… many more to go. (Thanks Xu Zhu… you’re the best)
A+:
Jayce Boyd is for real? – His first 4 games in Port St. Lucie have been extraordinary. Let’s hope this continues.
Full Season A:
Brandon Nimmo struggling – He’s not gone off the radar but he’s certainly not looking ready for a promotion right now.
Gabriel Ynoa IS looking ready for a promotion – I think he’s mastered the SAL… time for the FSL.
Short Season A:
Patrick Biondi needs to walk more – He’s going to hit, but his OBP needs to be close to .400 for him to make it.
L.J. Mazzilli looks like a solid pick – He might never be a star in the majors… but most agree he’ll reach the majors.
Akeel Morris, a dynamite RP? – 2 games and 9 K’s in 4.2… that’s pretty good but his 3.2 innings in the second game might indicate he’s being stretched out.
Rookie 1:
Champ Stuart is a player to watch – He’s got speed and will get on base. He just needs to learn how to read pitchers so he can better swipe a bag.
Rookie 2:
Dominic Smith on display – I expect Smith to be good enough to skip Brooklyn but only his performance will be able to tell us that.
Wuilmer Becerra hopes to make Alderson look smart – He’s not JUST a toss in. Becerra could eventually look like a steal in the R.A. Dickey trade.
Vicente Lupo hopes to live up to the hype – His DSL numbers were off the charts… he’s got a long way to go to prove they were for real.
Ivan Wilson’s Journey Begins – He’s going to be in the system for a while… this is where he needs to show us if he should be on our radar’s the whole time.
Latest word is a promotion will happen after the AA All Star Game
What about for Allan Dykstra. He’s 25 and has clearly proven that he deserves to be at a level higher than AA. He might not be considered a prospect, but I think once Davis gets called back up, Dykstra should go to Vegas.
didn’t Boyd also close out his previous stay with something like getting on base 26 times in 19 ABs? That guy is locked in.
Boyd is looking like he’d like to be an impact major leaguer. If he can continue this little burst of power I’ll get on the bandwagon.
Hell, even Dykstra’s having some fun. Sure, he’s older but he has gotten on base at every level he has ever played and his numbers this year are even better than Puello’s. It’s nice to see that we got someone of (some) value from Eddie Kunz. Would love to see what he could do in AAA. Even at age 27, a guy with a 20+% walk rate could be useful despite not being an All-Star.
Once Ike is promoted back to the MLB you will get your wish
With the minor league talent, I feel like it’s 1983 all over again. The only difference is that we didn’t have Gooden until 1984. We are ahead of the game with Harvey and Wheeler ( What a happy feeler).
Nice to hear from a new reader!
It’s an exciting time for Met fans and it will be more exciting once d’Arnaud is back.
Puello to AAA for sure. I’m pro Byrd because of his OPS+ of 126 and to trade him I would want a prospect as good as Puello . I realize I am in the minority on winning games in 2013 but Byrd would need to bring in something substantial as I think he would be at least a good 4th OF in 2014 and a veteran presence. Is Puello better than Lagares in your opinion? Is Lagares better than Young? Is Puello a better OF than Duda? Puello at age 22 has time to continue in the minors. His value should only increase.
If Ike gets promoted, then he should start out as a platoon with Satin initially. Satin eventually should be the backup corner infielder on this team. Lutz, when the opportunity arose always seemed to be hurt. Bad luck and Satin has been in his way.
Flores is going to force the issue at 2B with Murphy and one should get traded by ST 2014. Until then, also leave Flores on the farm.
Glad to see Synergaard promoted. If all goes well, AAA in 2014 and a debut next July at Citi.
Montero may not see Citi until spring of 2014 because he is not on the 40 man and they may want to hold that spot for others.
Jayce Boyd can hit and should develope a little more power. He needs to work on his fielding though.
Thanks David.
With Puello being named in the Biogenesis scandal what would you do? If I’m Met management I would wait. If he’s suspended then you know his numbers were inflated from PED usage and you lose him for the remainder of this season. Hard to trade a player once he’s been red flagged. Then again Bartolo Colon just keeps on getting stronger as he ages. It’s a greedy business and winning solves any issues.
Nothing is gained by holding Puello in AA after the All Star Game.
He has no positive test and merely has his name linked to a shady business man. Puello will serve a suspension if the league feels they can get away with suspending Braun SUCCESSFULLY. Otherwise there will simply be a bit of a shadow of doubt.
With the injuries he suffered in 2012 and 2011 I’d bet he used the PEDs ala Andy Pettitte.
Fangraphs rates Dykstra #1 on their AA leaderboard among hitters overall, Puello #7 for hitters 23 yoa or under,Leathersich #1 relief pitcher and Montero #6 starting pitcher for the first half. Pretty impressive stuff.http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/daily-notes-scout-leaderboards-for-double-a/#FG
Indeed, thanks for sharing