Alou and the LF gang

[Guest mario25]

I think that if Alou comes back and is out again within a few weeks (or games) it is time for Fernando Martinez to come up and inject some speed and young life into this team. He cant do any worse than the tandem of players they have been using. Chavez is best as a late inning replacement, Easley is a reserve infielder and Anderson is a PH deluxe. Taking them out of there element is showing there weaknesses. I also think Pascucci should be given a chance to come up and given a chance to play.

[Guest attgig]

I wish we would dump all the sub-mendoza line players we've been trying to use to fill in there.

dump marlon.
trot... you can make a case he needs more at bats to get his BA up, but i've seen enough of him.


Bring up Chris Aguila, and let him start a few weeks, see how he does.
Bring up Pascucci, and let him split some time with Delgado.


As for Fernando, the kid's just 20 years old, he JUST got back from an injury... let him keep on going for a month or so in AA, and call him up if Aguila doesn't work out.

[Guest AG/DC]

mario25 wrote: I think that if Alou comes back and is out again within a few weeks (or games) it is time for Fernando Martinez to come up and inject some speed and young life into this team.

He's been hurt, playing exactly four games since May 19. In AA.

mario25 wrote: He cant do any worse than the tandem of players they have been using.

Yes he can.

]Chavez is best as a late inning replacement, Easley is a reserve infielder and Anderson is a PH deluxe. Taking them out of there element is showing there weaknesses.

All true-ish.

mario25 wrote: I also think Pascucci should be given a chance to come up and given a chance to play.

Definitely ahead of Martinez in my book.

Fernandez, though, came back for a three game series at Connecticut this weekend while the Mets were figuring out who they were against the Yankees, and went 7-12 .583/.615/1.000 // 1.615.

That pleases me, but I'm still not entertaining the idea of forcing him into the lineup.

[Guest attgig]

oh, and speaking of decent LF replacements... WHERE THE HELL IS PAGAN?!?!?

wasn't he supposed to be back a month ago? I wish he didn't try to make that catch... *sigh*

[smg58]

Pascucci should have been up before now. How well does he have to hit, and how poorly do the alternatives?

Once the Mets don't need 13 pitchers, I'd bring Pascucci up and promote Carp to take his place in New Orleans.

I see no benefit to rushing Martinez. I'm glad he's swinging the bat well, but he's not going to help the 2008 team.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe they can coax Darryl Strawberry out of retirement.

He's only four years older than Moises Alou.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Pagan may have season ending surgery, papers said today.

Aguila doesn't really have the track record of a guy worthy of a tryout for even a few weeks.

I've also seen enough of Chavez as an everydayer, and Anderson, I think, is very close to being done for good.

[Frayed Knot]

The problem with Endy is that he was slated to be a 5th OFer but has been shoved into the role of a 3rd and even 2nd for much of the season.

I know virtually nothing about Pascucci including whether or not he can play the OF. I suspect the reason Phillips was promoted instead (insider info on the MFYs aside) is that he has played there before and that it was destined to be a short-term promotion so you bring up the guy you don't care about losing when he's dropped. Maybe this little move preserved Pascucci for later on.

I didn't think F. Martinez was anything other than a 2010 option even before he missed 6 weeks of the season (again!).

[Guest attgig]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Aguila doesn't really have the track record of a guy worthy of a tryout for even a few weeks.

yeah, but pascucci doesn't really either.
And marlon's track record isn't relaly helping him...
I really don't see a guy who's been pretty consistent at the AAA level doing any worse than marlon.... Maybe he's a AAAA guy, but that seems to be working for the Cardinals.
IMO, we don't have a better alternative in LF that's in our farm system. We give the guy who most deserves it a legitimate chance, unless Omar's going to trade for another oft-injured OF'er....

[Guest AG/DC]

Paccucci led the PCL in homers last season, third in the affiliated minors. It was his fourth time hitting twenty homers in minor league ball. He not only played in the AAA All-Star Game, but was named "Star of Stars." He did a good job filling in for Benny Agbayani in Japan in 2005 but floundered in 2006.

Looka that minor-league track record: http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=11018

[Guest attgig]

I think it's time to promote him to AAAA

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

attgig wrote: I think it's time to promote him to AAAA

He was already there. He had an 800 OPS.

[seawolf17]

Vince Coleman Firecracker wrote: ="attgig"]I think it's time to promote him to AAAA He was already there. He had an 800 OPS.

Yeah, but ベニー and 移籍した李に次ぐ第4の外国人扱いながら腐. He did have 8 月, 17日の西, and 28歳と若く.

[Centerfield]

Let's watch the language. There are kids that read this board.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah! Somebody cover SteveRogers' eyes!

[Vic Sage]

Frayed Knot wrote: ...I know virtually nothing about Pascucci including whether or not he can play the OF...

Most of his career minor league games have been in the OF. However, I've read (somewhere) that he's considered an awful fielder. Still, I could live with that in LF, If he brought his career rate of a nearly .900 OPS to Shea.

[nymr83]

it really wouldnt hurt to just give the guy a shot at this point, at least until alou gets back, whenever that is.

[Guest attgig]

whoever we bring up, I think it's time to cut Anderson. 1/2 a season with a BA below the mendoza line is enough pain.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Last I heard, Alou may be back as early as Friday.

And if so, hopefully he'll last the whole weekend.

Since we currently have 13 pitchers, I would think that Alou would replace Muniz.

I hope Omar finds a way to import a legitimate major league outfielder before July 31.

[MFS62]

I hear of Pasucci and think of Shelly Duncan.
Why not see if he can provide a similar temporary lift, if not a permanent one?

And, while I'm stretching, why not a Schoeneweis for Shelly Duncan deal?

Later

[Guest AG/DC]

Nymr83 wrote: it really wouldnt hurt to just give the guy a shot at this point, at least until alou gets back, whenever that is.

Pascucci or Martinez?

[Guest AG/DC]

[nymr83]

AG/DC wrote: ="Nymr83"]it really wouldnt hurt to just give the guy a shot at this point, at least until alou gets back, whenever that is. Pascucci or Martinez?

Pascucci. Martinez is the youngest player at his level and injured alot, dont rush him.

[Elster88]

I don't see any point to Pascucci coming up and hitting .125. We have guys who can do that already. What the hell is all the fuss (not picking on you specifically Nymr) with a 29-year-old minor leaguer who has gotten half a cup of coffee?

Have the organizations he's played for really misjudged him that badly? No they haven't. Does he have hidden talent that has never shown itself before that just needs a chance to blossom? No he doesn't. He's just the flavor of the month. At least give me a young "five tooler" to get all hot and bothered over before I get let down.

Book it in the Prediction Archives. Pascucci will never be a solid contributor for this team. (I have no idea how to define "solid contributor".)

[Guest AG/DC]

Elster88 wrote: I don't see any point to Pascucci coming up and hitting .125. We have guys who can do that already.

There's a damn good likelihood he'll do better. And a lesser chance that he'll do far better.

Elster88 wrote: What the hell is all the fuss (not picking on you specifically Nymr) with a 29-year-old minor leaguer who has gotten half a cup of coffee?

He's battering the ball in the Pacific Coast League, after battering it there last year, and our offense is wanting.

Elster88 wrote: Have the organizations he's played for really misjudged him that badly?

Only one way to find out.

Elster88 wrote: No they haven't.

How do you know?

Elster88 wrote: Does he have hidden talent that has never shown itself before that just needs a chance to blossom?

It has shown up, repeatedly.

Elster88 wrote: No he doesn't.

Again, how do you know.

Elster88 wrote: He's just the flavor of the month.

http://www.louisbourgtourism.com/!berylsketch.jpgThe guy has had many good months in his career, and his two most recent have been torrid ones at the highest minor league level. It makes me curious.

"That�s what makes death so hard � unsatisfied curiosity � Beryl Markham

Elster88 wrote: At least give me a young "five tooler" to get all hot and bothered over before I get let down.

Fine, that's your preference. But we're looking for a role player here. And the risk is minimal.

Elster88 wrote: Book it in the Prediction Archives. Pascucci will never be a solid contributor for this team. (I have no idea how to define "solid contributor".)

I'll take a "useful contributor off the bench for a few."

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

]Have the organizations he's played for really misjudged him that badly?

MLB GMs that Val has played under since getting to AAA:

2003: Omar Minaya
2004: Omar Minaya
2005: injured?
2006: Japan
2007: Larry Beinfest
2008: Pat Gillick, Omar Minaya

Is it possible 3 GM's have failed to evaluate a non-toolsy player within their organization properly? I'd say it's very possible. Do I think Val is an all-star in waiting? No, of course not. He doesn't need to be. Here are the players' OPS+ he might replace in the lineup:

Endy Chavez: 65
Damion Easley: 78
Marlon Anderson: 34 (side note- HOLY SHIT! 34???!!)
Fernando Tatis: 60
Trot Nixon: 57

So, unless Val comes up and is more than 35% worse than the average major leaguer, he'd be a better hitter than four players on the current roster.

This is a guy who has been hitting very well for a long time against the highest levels of competition outside the majors, and is absolutely raking this year, especially against lefties (.393/.507/.821). He's a guy who was only given one short stint in the majors when he was 25 and then given the dreaded AAAA label. (BTW, in those 72 ML PA's, he didn't hit but still had a 14% walk rate.) He's a typical victim of the scouts vs stats front office debate.

Here's my prediction: give Val Pascucci 150 PA's in the majors this year, and he'll give you at least a 330 OBP and a 400 SLG, which would make him the 9th best hitter on the team. Against lefties, he'd hit better than Delgado. And who knows? He might be Jack Cust good.

[Guest AG/DC]

That's a far better answer than I gave. Mine was just short answers. Firecracker had a thesis and research and data and shit.

And to add to that, the Phillies had the guy for a month.

[nymr83]

Edgy and firecracker basically said it all for me.
its not that i think V is going to be some great player, its just that he's tearing up the minors and that deserves a shot when the guys we have arent gettting it done.

my "prediction" is that they won't give him that shot. if they do, i think he'll be decent but nothing memorable for a few months, but still an improvement over what anderson and chavez have been giving so far

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

For what it's worth, yesterday Alou hit a rehab HR off some 20 year old with a 5.5 ERA in the Gulf Coast League. He should be back with the big league team in a few days. When he gets hurt after that, who knows? 2 days? 3?

[Vic Sage]

When Alou comes back, we should start an over/under thread on number of games or days until his next trip to the DL.