Juan Lagares

[MFS62]

My kid is a toolsy outfielder who has been in the organization for several years. Now 22, it looks like he is finally putting it together.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=RF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501571

Welcome to the family, kid.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Was about to do it myself today.

Announced his promotion to Binghamton by going 5-5 (w/ 2 2B, a 3B, a BB, an RBI, 3 R, and a SB) in his second game, against Reading.

[MFS62]

With a double and two triples tonight, my kid is hitting over .410.

Later

[MFS62]

Three more hits tonight.
My kid's still hitting .398 after over 120 AAA at bats.

Later

[Edgy MD]

He's doing great, but (1) you may want to subtract an A there (he's in Bingo), and ( it wouldn't kill him to take an occasional pitch.

[MFS62]

1) My bad. (error of enthusiasm?)
2) Yup. (Hey, Clemente walked fewer than 25 times a year for his first 5 years in the majors. And I'm hoping that my kid will one day be spoken of in the same breath as a hitter. After all, he's my kid. I have to think that way. Now don't get all logical on me and spoil my reverie.)

Later

[Ceetar]

will play in winter leagues in Arizona.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Still not walking, and the power may be a little bit of a mirage. But LordAwmighty, has this kid been punishing the ball in AA. (.397/.420/.544 in 32 games, in the middle of a power-packed 19-game hit streak)

[MFS62]

And he has carried his hitting over to the Arizona Fall League:
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=p_pbp&pid=501571

Later

[MFS62]

He had nagging injuries during the year, but still did ok in 2012:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=lagare001jua
If he gets off to a hot start, I'm hoping he could find his way to the Mets as a platoon player this year.
Later

[Vic Sage]

Lagares doesn't have nearly enough power to justify his K rates and BB/K ratios, nor enough OB% to complement his speed. He's also a 23 year-old Dominican turning 24 in the spring, which makes him a little old for AA, further discounting his recent production (and being from the DR, he may be 26 or 27, for all we know). plus, as a RHer, he fills the wrong end of a platoon.

Unless this guy is a GG-level CFer, i don't see his value.

[MFS62]

As a right handed hitting outfielder, he does fill a platoon need as the current roster is constituted.
As I said, he had injuries during the year. He was flirting with .300 most of the year, then when he came back from a late season injury, his average took a 10-15 point drop.

He has played all three outfield positions including substantial time in center. There, he would be the occasional righty when Kirk is sat down against a lefty starter. Barring a trade, he is the only righty hitting outfield prospect in the organization who has played at AA or above. So he has a shot.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Adam Rubin wrote: Juan Lagares promotion appears looming Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com April, 22, 2013 Outfield prospect Juan Lagares, who is tearing up the Pacific Coast League, likely will join the Mets as soon as Tuesday, baseball sources told ESPNNewYork.com. Lagares, 24, is hitting .346 with three homers and nine RBIs through 78 at-bats with Triple-A Las Vegas. All 17 of his appearances with the 51s have been in center field. He also has experience in both corner outfield spots. He already is a member of the Mets' 40-man roster. Lagares initially was a shortstop in the Mets' system after signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2006. �He�s a ... kid who can play all three outfield positions," Wally Backman told ESPNNewYork.com late in the 2011 season, while managing Lagares with Double-A Binghamton. "He�s got speed. He�s a good outfielder. He throws to the right bases. And he can swing the bat a little bit.� Lagares was leading the Florida State League in batting with a .339 average when he was promoted to the Double-A B-Mets on July 23, 2011. One scout who watched Lagares in Double-A compared him body-type-wise to Raul Mondesi. �Compact,� the scout said. �Short, hitter�s legs.� Backman said there�s a smoothness to Lagares at the plate. �He has a very �quiet� approach,� the manager said. �He has a knack for getting the barrel on the ball. He looks like he�s a real good hitter. I mean, if you just watch him, you say, �This kid is going to be able to hit.�� Signed in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic, Lagares committed 40 errors in 82 games at shortstop the following season with Savannah, and had a .911 fielding percentage. �My first year it�s a lot of errors,� Lagares said while in Double-A. �After that, I felt good.� Still, in 2009, the organization moved him to the outfield, where he has shown an aptitude. Lagares said line drives were initially challenging, but the transition was relatively smooth. �In the beginning, it was not that easy,� Lagares said. �But with time I learned how to play outfield comfortably.� Injuries really slowed Lagares more than anything early in his pro career. He suffered a broken right ankle on July 28, 2010 while playing for St. Lucie, but did not require surgery. Lagares actually played two weeks in pain after initially getting hurt holding up at third base on a teammate�s hit. He eventually had to be shut down after he ran in pain to first base on a strikeout that eluded the catcher. The previous season, Lagares was limited to 47 games by a wrist injury. In 2008, the start to his season was delayed by an arm issue.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I guess this means Less Cowgill.

[MFS62]

Well, you're in the Bigs, kid, and will be making good salary and meal money.
But there are other youngsters who need nurturing. So, (with a gentle push on the tush)out you go!
Glad we helped.

Later