battles?

[duan]

anyone want to go through the battles that are present this spring and how they're evolving?

5th Starter

4,5,6,7(?) bullpen guys

starting centre fielder

5th OF

starting short stop
back up Corner IF

maybe it's too early

[Valadius]

Well, the fifth starter race boils down to Jon Niese, Fernando Nieve, and Nelson Figueroa. By my observation, the Mets would prefer Niese to win the job, but Figueroa has the edge based on performance right now.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think Takahashi may be on the fringes of the fifth starter situation.

I'm totally down with Figgy right now. Nieve and Takahashi (if they can fit him) go in the pen, and Niese to Buffalo.

It's really important to factor in that Nieve and Niese are both coming off of injuries and need to find their comfort levels again.

[TransMonk]

Takahashi!!!

[metirish]

Fernando Martinez won't be the center fielder going north, Jerry sees that as between Matthews and Pagan with FMart starting in the minors.

[Valadius]

Jerry can suck it, Matthews is nothing but dead weight.

[metirish]

It's a bit confusing , perhaps it's my reading comprehension but he seems to be saying that Martinez is not ready to be a center fielder.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jenrry Mejia has been the most hyped Mets prospect this spring. Ike Davis has gotten his share of attention, too. But Fernando Martinez is having as good a spring as both of them, if not a better one. The 21-year-old outfield prospect is hitting .538 with two doubles, two triples, three homers and 10 RBI through nine Grapefruit League games. As it happens, the Mets are looking for a starting center fielder until Carlos Beltran returns. But they remain intent on having Martinez start the season at Triple-A Buffalo, leaving Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews Jr. to slug it out for the big-league job. When asked if he would consider F-Mart for the job Thursday, manager Jerry Manuel said, "That would be difficult, in all honesty. That would be difficult. The center field part is very important to us right now. We came in here with the mantra that we're going to catch the baseball, play good defense, that type of thing, so we'll see how that turns out. But right now, we have Gary and Angel slated for that spot." Martinez struggled at the plate during a month-long stint in the majors last season. He hit just .176 before having season-ending knee surgery. But Manuel indicated defense was a bigger concern. "If we keep it on the ground, he'll be a good center fielder," Manuel said. "He hasn't played there for any extended period of time, but I think this is a great experience for him."

[Valadius]

We came in here with the mantra that we're going to catch the baseball

[Frayed Knot]

Jerry can suck it, Matthews is nothing but dead weight.[/quote:dx2g7vvg]

So then you make him the 5th OFer (4th until Carlos comes back).
There's no sense in carrying Fernando on the team unless he's ready to play full-time - which he almost certainly isn't and except for the first month there's not even a job opening if he were.

If GMJ starts most of the time in CF over Pagan whilst waiting for Beltran then I'll join you in the anti-Jerry catcalls.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"If we keep it on the ground, he'll be a good center fielder," Manuel said. "He hasn't played there for any extended period of time, but I think this is a great experience for him."

What the flerg does this mean?

Also, last bench slot (I suppose this is 5th OF?). Catalanotto seems to be flailing his way out of the last bench slot, leaving it up to-- most likely-- Jacobs or Carter. Sadly, going by playing time, the race appears to be proceeding in that order.

[metirish]

Can I say something stoopid?(insert joke here). If all Jacobs can do is hit mistake fastballs then wouldn't he be a good bat of the bench to face the other teams closer when what we need might be that big shot?

Most closers are not unhittable like you know who so I think he'd be a good one to have around.

[Frayed Knot]

It's a bit confusing , perhaps it's my reading comprehension but he seems to be saying that Martinez is not ready to be a center fielder.

Scouts have generally leaned toward the notion all along that Martinez was never destined to be a true CFer.
Because of his (young at every level) age there's always the possibility that he could grow into one but minor league OFs (and IFers for that matter) tend to move towards the corners as they age and the competition gets tougher rather than the other way around. So when you stack his lack of true CF instincts onto his mediocre foot speed and overall dearth of experience at the position and you've got just part of the stack of reasons why he shouldn't be the temp CF replacement for the opening month.

[TransMonk]

I think FMart should start at AAA. But once Beltran gets back, GMJ, Pagan and even Francoeur should be put on alert that they could lose time or jobs to FMart.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think they should be on alert now. But as Mr. Deadwood is OSP-ing at 1.317 and Jerry has given more plate apperances to Martinez than any other outfielder, I think we can hold off on looking for a whipping boy.

[Frayed Knot]

I think FMart should start at AAA. But once Beltran gets back, GMJ, Pagan and even Francoeur should be put on alert that they could lose time or jobs to FMart.[/quote:1rzd62n1]

Ideally he goes to AAA **Stays Healthy** and kicks butt for a half season -- at that point you're much more comfortable bringing him up either to cover for an injury or to even get a couple days a week in giving any of the OFers an off-day, particularly against a RHP.
What move you make to make room for him then- like maybe drop-kicking GMJ, platooning w/Francoeur, trading Pagan - would depend on any one of a number of factors.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Can I say something stoopid?(insert joke here). If all Jacobs can do is hit mistake fastballs then wouldn't he be a good bat of the bench to face the other teams closer when what we need might be that big shot?

Most closers are not unhittable like you know who so I think he'd be a good one to have around.

[ashie62]

I think FMart should start at AAA. But once Beltran gets back, GMJ, Pagan and even Francoeur should be put on alert that they could lose time or jobs to FMart.[/quote:2kz2g8bt]


Yeah, what he said!

and a Jon Niese #5 for myself

[nymr83]

I'd be very disappointed not to see Carter on the roster. he and Jacobs cant make it together unless the Mets decide to have a smaller pitching staff

[metirish]

Can I say something stoopid?(insert joke here). If all Jacobs can do is hit mistake fastballs then wouldn't he be a good bat of the bench to face the other teams closer when what we need might be that big shot?

Most closers are not unhittable like you know who so I think he'd be a good one to have around.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Adn Jacobs taking a donut tonight couldn't have helped him any.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Jacobs: 25 PA, 4 H, 5 BB (!), 2 K (!), 2 HR, .200 AVG/.267 OBP/.500 SLG.

Carter: 14 PA, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HR, .417 AVG/.500 OBP/1.250 SLG.

I has lobby for Chris Carter to have starting-lineup position next game or two.

HisaMania now has 10 Ks to 1 BB on the season. He's like Glavine, all right, except he gets strike calls by throwing actual strikes, and not by being Tom Glavine/rolling his eyes.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Guest

[ashie62]

strikes are good...

[Guest attgig]

from everything I read, it seems like figgy is getting absolutely no consideration to win the #5 job. I just don't get it. he's pitching great, putting up numbers... and nothing.
ie: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2010/03/roster-analysis.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+nydnrss/blogs/mets+(Blogs/Surfing+the+Mets)
(japan? really?)


maybe i should start a facebook page to get figgy a rotation spot... maybe that'll help... either that, or he'll end up hosting SNL....



oh, and good little figgy interview here: http://mets360.com/2010/03/14/360-seconds-nelson-figueroa/
he's taking it like a pro...all the more reason I want him to win the job.

[metirish]

From the same link

BY ADAM RUBIN Yes, that was Mike Jacobs this morning, with a bag of catching equipment in front of his locker. Jacobs looks like he's the leading candidate for the final bench spot with the Mets, and the organization has asked him to catch on a limited basis in order to increase his versatility. So Jacobs, who caught in the minors with the Mets before being converted to first base in 2005, is planning to catch Tobi Stoner's bullpen session before today's Mets-Twins game. "It's like riding a bike," Jacobs told the Daily News. Jacobs ordered his own Rawlings glove, which he was considering using for the session. But because it's not broken in, he may settle for a Chris Coste extra instead. Bottom line: Jacobs won't be more than an emergency catcher in a major-league game. And when was the last time you saw the Mets use an emergency catcher? "I don't think this is a Brandon Inge situation where I'm going to be catching once or twice a week," Jacobs said. For the record, Jacobs also caught a bullpen session last year with Kansas City. He had not been asked to do that in his three previous years with the Marlins. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/#ixzz0iduJckBd

[ashie62]

Is Muffy on the verge of losing the starting 1B gig? Jacobs' stock seems to be rising. Then if they both crap out "I like Ike" could be spending a bit of time in Queens this summer.

[smg58]

I would argue that Jacobs has exactly zero value at this point unless he can catch.

I'm really not sure what Carter has to do to get a spot. The only outfielder or first baseman the Mets have who can hit righthanded pitchers better than him is Bay -- except possibly Martinez, and I'm not sure what he has to do to get a spot either.

[smg58]

While we're on the subject of what people have to do to make the team, I just noticed that in 25.1 IP, Takahashi, Figueroa, and Misch have combined for zero runs. Nobody's even mentioning Misch.

[ashie62]

I'm gonna disagree that Jacobs has zero value. It feels as if he is going to make the team and loom over Muffy.

True about Misch. I had forgotten him myself. I guess he needs to get a shot a make a job his own.

[Frayed Knot]

... except possibly Martinez, and I'm not sure what he has to do to get a spot either.

Stay healthy and show he can do what he doing in ST for a few months in a row.
Remember that this is a guy who did get 100 ML ABs last year and hit a mostly punchless .176 ... before getting hurt again - and in 4 years of pro ball has had barely 2 full seasons worth of reps (1,100 ABs) due to being sidelined with one problem after another.
2 dozen or so ST ABs doesn't wipe all of that out.

Plus there's the snag where the one "open" position right now is CF and that's not only temporary (we hope) but it's the one spot where they're not really sure he can play.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think we're all prone to get caught up in the idea that the most recent news is the most definitive.

At the start of spring, blogs were arguing for the Mets to quit kiddng themselves and trade Martinez while he still has value. Now the balance is tipped to blogs dismayed by the Mets keeping the brother down.

And the difference is 32 spring training at-bats. Zero walks in there, by the way.

I'm rooting for him too, but it's silly to root against a team deliberating. Developing players should be filled with constant deliberations.