Prospect Critical Mass

[Guest Edgy DC]

It occurs to me that Ike Davis (God willing) will be the third high-profile debut of this young season. Add in the still-prospecty Jon Niese and the inevitably-to-return Fernando Martinez, that's five-ish of the top ten (Niese is on some lists, not on others), and that's five little big shots joining the Flushing Fury this season.

I'm sure we've had top prospects wash ashore around the same time before --- I think of Wilson-Izzy-Pulse-Everett-Huskey around 1995 and Wilson-Brooks-Backman-Leary-Gardenhire around 1981.

It's this coming wave of prospects that makes me more enthused about Omar than Jerry.

Of course, both of those previous waves crashed pretty gently.

[metirish]

It's certainly one thing Omar can hang his hat on, and these look like legit prospects .

[Centerfield]

Who's the third?

(Mejia, Davis, ?)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Tejada, heir apparent to Castillo I'm sure.

[Centerfield]

Is Tejada a legitimate prospect? I assumed he was an Anderson Hernandez/Argenis Reyes type.

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: Is Tejada a legitimate prospect? I assumed he was an Anderson Hernandez/Argenis Reyes type.

Still only 20 y/o and has more promise than either of the other two.
Not as highly touted as Davis/Martinez/Mejia, etc. but could have some kind of ML future.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He may well be (free-swinging dude), but he's 7-9 on most Mets prospect lists right now, and still very young.

[bmfc1]

Being more enthused about Omar than Jerry is like having to decide which of Hefner's wives is the smartest.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Nobody's ever reasonably impugned Omar's eye for talent. As a dying man's hearing is the last of his senses to fail, his scouting ability may well be the last thing he'll be able to hold onto in a a skein of darkening baseball career prospects.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: Is Tejada a legitimate prospect? I assumed he was an Anderson Hernandez/Argenis Reyes type.

I hear both things. Some seem to think he'll be passed by Reese Havens, others thing he can convert to 2B and do a good job. Mets must think something of him, as he was with the club the last two springs, and has played in Citi Field each of the last two Aprils ('09 was an exhibition, but he was there. )

[Guest Edgy DC]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Nobody's ever reasonably impugned Omar's eye for talent. As a dying man's hearing is the last of his senses to fail, his scouting ability may well be the last thing he'll be able to hold onto in a a skein of darkening baseball career prospects.

Well, a GM who can pick (and supervise the development of) amateur talent (whether that's Omar or not is unclear) is a top skill in my book.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Nobody's ever reasonably impugned Omar's eye for talent. As a dying man's hearing is the last of his senses to fail, his scouting ability may well be the last thing he'll be able to hold onto in a a skein of darkening baseball career prospects. Well, a GM who can pick (and supervise the development of) amateur talent (whether that's Omar or not is unclear) is a top skill in my book.

It seems to me that guys who can do that one thing well and appear to be unskilled at everything else associated with being an MLB GM-- like assembling a capable, durable major-league roster, properly evaluating major-league-level talent, communicating with external and internal stakeholders, and a host of other management responsibilities-- should probably not have MLB GM jobs.

Head of scouting? Sure. Asst. GM with no real organizational responsibility, but a free rein in looking at players internationally and the ear of the owner/club president? As long as he's not undermining the chain of command, okay.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Come on. What is the standard of a capable major league roster? What is the standard of a durable one? I clearly didn't mean this to be an argument about the guy. Only to hold up an interesting fact on what's coming down the pike, and to frame that in isolation.

[metirish]

Some would have you believe Tony Bernazard was the man behind these prospects.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Some would have you believe Tony Bernazard was the man behind these prospects.

Some would have you believe that he's the man behind the oppo-field hitting experiment, Jack Ruby and "Addams Family: The Musical."

And, Edge-- I know. When I made my comment about Omar's scouting ability, I meant it as mostly complimentary*. I'm just saying that I think he's got plenty to offer a baseball organization in him yet... as a scout. Omar the Scout thinks it a great idea to slam money down now, and sign this amazing Fernando Martinez kid; Omar the GM executes late-season trades (for apparently-minimal return)-- whether of his own volition or not-- that vastly decrease the likelihood that the Mets will find another FernyMart-type prospect in the domestic draft.

*Any resemblance between my compliments and my damning someone with very faint praise is purely coincidental.