The newest Met: Chin-lung Hu

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

So says multiple tweets, acquired for Michael Antonini.

[Ceetar]

At least it's someone else to talk about?

I remember Chin-lung Hu from watching Mets-Dodgers Spring Training in 2007, but only for the jokes.

In fact, i'm not sure they didn't acquire him for the jokes.

Also, interesting quote here from him, apparently he only does good when Chien Ming Wang does good, which would explain why he's no longer a big prospect:

"And every time, he pitches good," Hu said, "I have a good game. Like, I had three hits a few days ago, then I went on the Internet and saw that Chien-Ming Wang had pitched seven shutout innings [on July 3, against the Twins]."

[ashie62]

27 year old SS who was highly regarded by the Dodgers but has done nothing as of yet. Not bad, didn't cost anything.

[Frayed Knot]

Spring training conversation:
Man #1 - "That SS over there, who's he?"
Man #2 - "No, he's Hu."




Hu turns 27 in February so I'm not sure he's going to turn into something that he isn't already - which is kind of Rey Ordonez only not as good a hitter.
On the other hand I have no idea who Michael Antonini is so I can't figure I'll miss him.

[seawolf17]

Can play second and short, so he could be a viable MI backup. Worth a look.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That reporter will be thrilled.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: That reporter will be thrilled.

even though he's from Tawain she'll be claiming him as Chinese.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He'd be the first Taiwanese or Chinese Met, so that's something.

Antonini is a Philadephia-area product. Strong but relatively undersized lefthanded blondie. I think he pitched in one of those exhibition preview games at CitiField.

[smg58]

He has to play first base at least once, doesn't he? Or at least get to first base. On the field, that is. Oh, never mind.

Probably not a consequential deal. Antonini put up good numbers in the low minors, but reality set in at Binghamton. Hu hits singles but doesn't do much else. I suppose one more lottery ticket doesn't hurt, but we may have a bigger organizational need for lefty arms than middle infielders at this point.

[Frayed Knot]

I guess the idea is that, if things go well with Hu, the Mets can let Ruby Tejada germinate for another year in AAA while CLH does the backup SS/2B thing.

[Guest Edgy DC]

smg58 wrote: I suppose one more lottery ticket doesn't hurt, but we may have a bigger organizational need for lefty arms than middle infielders at this point.

Good point, though I'm not sure Antonini was particularly close at this juncture. He was sort of similarly ranked with Dillon Gee for a while, but Gee took some big steps forward the last year and a half while Antonini stalled out.

[Valadius]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: That reporter will be thrilled.

If Sandy acquired him to shut her up, think again. I'm anticipating a thousand questions from here to the end of time about when does Hu come to Flushing.

[Guest attgig]

Frayed Knot wrote: I guess the idea is that, if things go well with Hu, the Mets can let Ruby Tejada germinate for another year in AAA while CLH does the backup SS/2B thing.

at this point, i'm guessing it's safe to say tejada has no shot on being our 2b in 2011.

we have:
Castillo
Emaus
Hu
Murphy

My guess would be, murphy beats out castillo for starting 2b, and castillo gets cut.
Then it's Emaus vs Hu for the backup MI guy. if Hu wins, Emaus goes back to toronto. If Emaus wins, Hu goes to AAA.

If castillo somehow wins out on 2b, murphy becomes the utility (though I'd hate to see him at SS), and both Emaus and Hu isn't in flushing.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I don't know about that, there may be room for both Hu and Emaus.

My guess is that the Mets will carry 6 infielders. (12 pitchers, 2 catchers, and 5 outfielders)

The six could end up being Wright, Reyes, Davis, Murphy, Hu, and Emaus.

[Guest attgig]

Who's backing up ike and wright in that scenario then? I would think they would keep someone in the roster for the corner IF spots.. i guess someone like evans may be able to do for a game here and there, but we'll see i suppose.

[Guest attgig]

fangraphs just posted something about this trade, and offers up this scenario:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/hus-on-short/

The best-case scenario for Hu? The Mets struggle along in 2011 and find themselves below .500 near the break, sell Jose Reyes for a considerable package of prospects that can revitalize their minor league system, plug in Hu, and find that he can be a glove-first slap hitter that provides value while he�s cheap. That would work for the team, too, except for all that �struggling in 2011 stuff.�

[Benjamin Grimm]

attgig wrote: Who's backing up ike and wright in that scenario then? I would think they would keep someone in the roster for the corner IF spots.. i guess someone like evans may be able to do for a game here and there, but we'll see i suppose.

Well, Murphy can do that.

[Guest attgig]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: attgig wrote: Who's backing up ike and wright in that scenario then? I would think they would keep someone in the roster for the corner IF spots.. i guess someone like evans may be able to do for a game here and there, but we'll see i suppose. Well, Murphy can do that.

then, Hu's on second? uhhh...


I would be a little afraid to yank Murphy around the infield when the other guys need a break. if he's still getting himself comfortable at 2b, I would want him to stay at that position.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Evans can also back up first. Emaus plays third as well.

I have no problem with Murphy playing first and third in addition to second. We're a little too oriented with conquering weaknesses in player development. Giving folks a chance to foster their stengths is where it's at. Any number of good and great players played all over the field, getting by with what defensive skills they had, until opporunity and their bat settled them at one position or another. And once their stengths established them in a more permanent place, they ironed out their weaknesses.

[metirish]

Emaus, Hu, Murph, Evans.....can't fucking wait I tell you....exciting times in store.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Evans can also back up first. Emaus plays third as well. I have no problem with Murphy playing first and third in addition to second. We're a little too oriented with conquering weaknesses in player development. Giving folks a chance to foster their stengths is where it's at. Any number of good and great players played all over the field, getting by with what defensive skills they had, until opporunity and their bat settled them at one position or another. And once their stengths established them in a more permanent place, they ironed out their weaknesses.

that's fine, but if they do with Murph as the regular 2B starter, I'd kinda like to have him 'stick' there except in extreme cases. Don't get all fancy with making your starters also the backups at other positions. (Although I guess that's what will happen with Pagan)

[Benjamin Grimm]

You know, I think there are a lot more reasons to be optimistic about 2011 than there were in 1980. I know that's not saying much at all, but at least this is a "bad" Mets team that really can turn out to be good. (With some good breaks and a lack of bad ones, except in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Potential at-bat music:

[list:1f4pvqrd][*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu Are You?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd]
[*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu's Behind the Door?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd]
[*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu Wrote Holden Caulfield?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd]
[*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu Killed Cock Robin?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd]
[*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu Let the Dogs Out?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd]
[*:1f4pvqrd]"Hu Needs the Kwik-E Mart?"[/*:m:1f4pvqrd][/list:u:1f4pvqrd]

Anyhu, does anybody else wonder if stocking up on middle infield depth presages moving Reyes for the rotation help they seem to be needing?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Plus, leverage in midseason extension negotiations, maybe?

/Accentuating the Jose-positive

[seawolf17]

Mets: "Well, we'll just go with Hu at short."

Jose's agents: "Seriously? You just added another $5 million to our demands."

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, I don't see Hu's arrival as an option that would lead to Reyes' departure. Not on a team that has plans to contend at least eventually.

[Guest Edgy DC]

at this point, i'm guessing it's safe to say tejada has no shot on being our 2b in 2011. we have: Castillo Emaus Hu Murphy My guess would be, murphy beats out castillo for starting 2b, and castillo gets cut. Then it's Emaus vs Hu for the backup MI guy. if Hu wins, Emaus goes back to toronto. If Emaus wins, Hu goes to AAA. If castillo somehow wins out on 2b, murphy becomes the utility (though I'd hate to see him at SS), and both Emaus and Hu isn't in flushing.

You leave out the out-of-options force of nature that is Luis Hernandez. The numbers were against Tejada even before this deal.

Meanwhile, I reread and see that attgig already posted fangraphs forwarding a Hu-presages-a-Reyes-trade scenario.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Yeah, I don't see Hu's arrival as an option that would lead to Reyes' departure. Not on a team that has plans to contend at least eventually.

If they get big-league value back for him, it may not be a drain on big-league pennant hopes. They may lose three WARs at shorstop but gain them back in the rotation --- plus a little control and flexibility and blahblahblah beyond this year.

[Frayed Knot]

Trading Reyes based on the addition of Hu would still leave us needing a starting SS

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I'm not advocating it, but a starting shortstop is just a shortstop who starts.

If they replace a 4.0 WAR guy with a 0.8 guy, they may believe they will get those numbers back at another position with what they bring in. (With Gee and Perez their nominal fourth and fifth starters, there's certainly room for improvement.) They may additionally get payroll flexibility and control beyond 2011 to boot.