Fernando Martinez in 2010

[Benjamin Grimm]

Remember him?

My worst-case scenario for the off-season involves the Mets deciding over the winter that Fernando is their guy for left field.

[Theoldmole]

Maybe a little premature to give up on him?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yes.

But it's also premature to count on him to be a starting left fielder next year.

I don't think that will happen, but if it does, it will be a bad thing.

[metirish]

He looked understandably overmatched when here, get healthy , have a good Spring training and see you well into the summer next season.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I have the same attitude as I have with Murphy. He's welcome to as much PT as he can earn. So far, that's been nuttin'.

[ashie62]

Many latin players are scouted at the ages of 9, 10, and signed as soon as possible. At these young ages the best athletes are going to standout amongst their peers because the are bigger, faster,stronger and more athletic than the others kids.

When they are matched professionally with players of the same age and comparable athletic ability we see then who's baseball tools come naturely and evolve.

I believe Martinez has hit the wall professionally. I don't like his swing and I question his fundamentals.

Hope I'm wrong, but prospects can become suspects pretty quickly.

[Guest attgig]

forget his tools and abilities. can he stay healthy is the real question. I thought he was supposed to be back sometime mid september (his original injury had like 8 weeks heal time, which would've been mid sept). but no press on what happened to him...

anyways... in my mind...fmart = alex escobar the second

[Frayed Knot]

"Many latin players are scouted at the ages of 9, 10, and signed as soon as possible. At these young ages the best athletes are going to standout amongst their peers because the are bigger, faster,stronger and more athletic than the others kids."

No one scouts as early as 9 or 10 - at least no one from the ML clubs. They can't be signed until 16 which, although still ~2 years younger than American players, still puts them closer to being their adult-sized/skilled self than boys among smaller boys.



"When they are matched professionally with players of the same age and comparable athletic ability we see then who's baseball tools come naturely and evolve."

As is true with any draft pick or signee. No one expects them to be finished products fresh out of the box.



"I believe Martinez has hit the wall professionally. I don't like his swing and I question his fundamentals."

I believe it's far too early to make that determination. He has succeeded (in limited quantities) at professional levels that were several ranks above his age group. He's younger than maybe half the players drafted just 4 months ago and yet spent his year in AA, AAA & ML (and DL)



"Hope I'm wrong, but prospects can become suspects pretty quickly."

They also mature at different rates. Steven Strasburg went undrafted out of HS only to be not just the 1st overall pick 3 years later but the most heralded one in at least a decade. To give up on Martinez now, or even to treat this upcoming season as some sort of make or break campaign, is far too rash.

[Ceetar]

Best case is Martinez tears it up in Buffalo and replaces a 'reverted to sucky' Francoeur in May.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would think that the "best case" wouldn't involve Francoeur reverting to sucky.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's already in quotes. It's inevitable.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Can one revert back to state they never left?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

"I believe Martinez has hit the wall professionally. I don't like his swing and I question his fundamentals."

I believe it's far too early to make that determination. He has succeeded (in limited quantities) at professional levels that were several ranks above his age group. He's younger than maybe half the players drafted just 4 months ago and yet spent his year in AA, AAA & ML (and DL)

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like the part where the Mets are deluded by a second grade scouting report.

[soupcan]

If the Mets don't go outside the organization for next year's LF, I have a hard time believing they'd just hand it to Martinez. I would think that at the least they'd have him and Pagan split time out there.

My 12-yr old has Carl Crawford slated as the Mets starting LF next year anyways.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

If the Mets don't go outside the organization for next year's LF, I have a hard time believing they'd just hand it to Martinez. I would think that at the least they'd have him and Pagan split time out there.

My 12-yr old has Carl Crawford slated as the Mets starting LF next year anyways.[/quote:2xqoot82]

Damn those underage hiring laws. I'd send your 12-year-old to work for Omar right away if he could make Carl Crawford materialize. Doesn't hit for a lot of power, but he could run wild with extra-bases in Citi.

[smg58]

He actually doesn't have a whole lot left to prove in the minors, and he has more AAA experience than several players the Mets have given roster spots to in the recent past. I think he's earned the right to compete for at least a starting platoon job in right field (i.e., Francoeur has not earned the right to block Martinez if Martinez outperforms him in the spring). But the Mets should go get a quality left fielder.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It's really a shame he was hurt because he really could have answered some questions if not helped before this year was out.

I'd hesitate before giving up on him for sure. Maybe the right play is a short commitment to a get-by guy in left, again with the idea that Fartinez could challenge his ass onto the bench by July.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe the right play is a short commitment to a get-by guy in left, again with the idea that Fartinez could challenge his ass onto the bench by July.[/quote:2m6g95fe]

I'd rather see them go big in left field, and let Martinez challenge Francoeur's ass. But what Johnny proposes may well turn out to be what happens.

[ashie62]

I like the part where the Mets are deluded by a second grade scouting report.[/quote:1f4omor1]

If you don't think MLB clubs are shaking the trees in Latin America at young ages to find talent you are fooling yourselfs.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Then I'll ask you to show me one single account of an MLB club scouting a nine-year-old before characterizing me as such.

[ashie62]

I wasn't trying to characterize you personally..geez..I will provide the link for the Sports Illustrated story that brought the issue to light.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wouldn't be too surprised if they kept tabs on the standout 9- and 10-year-olds, for future reference.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sure, but it's not really the same thing. Best thing to note about a 9-year-old is how good a player his dad was.

[ashie62]

I wouldn't be too surprised if they kept tabs on the standout 9- and 10-year-olds, for future reference.[/quote:3bah7f14]

Thank you..that is what I was trying to say..As in players may stick out in a little league game and are "noted" to keep an eye on..No one is signed until 16 but there is "intel" beforehand.

Tom Verducci's 7/10/2003 article in SI discusses the issues and processes

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ever attend Little League all-star games?

Ever see a pro scout-- or an American buscone, even-- at ANY of these?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ever attend Little League all-star games?

Ever see a pro scout-- or an American buscone, even-- at ANY of these?[/quote:of0a37ad]

Well, scouting in the States is different from scouting in Latin America, where young kids are that much closer to the age where they can be signed.

And how would you be able to tell if there was a scout at a Little League game? He'd probably look just like any other father or grandfather there. I doubt he'd be wearing a "BASEBALL SCOUT" jumpsuit or anything.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm certain there is no team hanging onto a 20-year-old that they should be giving up on because they're somehow deluded by the athletic ability a player showed against his nine-year-old peers. "Man, he was bringing it at 38 MPH back then. He'd put it in on the hands and saw off the kids from Villa Blanca. Had them going back to the bench in tears. I don't know what's wrong now. Let's see if we can dig up that old video and get him to replicate his motion."

I'm certain that scouts aren't above taking a look at 13-year-olds and mature 12-year-olds (Harold Baines was discovered at 14, I think), but you can't tell much before puberty.

[metirish]

If we could only contact that "unnamed scout" he'd tell us how it works.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Jeez, a lot of people are down on a twenty year old with an .877 OPS in triple A. While I don't think Fartinez should be inked in as the starting LFer for next year, I think he's the perfect insurance for the probable Francoeur regression.