Davis, Mejia, others heading to ST

Yeah, I’m still pretty sick.  But this might hold you over until I’m better.

From the Mets…

The New York Mets today announced that they signed infielder/outfielder Jolbert Cabrera, infielder Luis Hernandez and lefthanded pitchers Bobby Livingston and Travis Blackley to minor league contracts and invited all four to major league Spring Training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. later this month.  Additionally, the team extended major league Spring Training invites to righthanded pitchers Jenrry Mejia and Carlos Muniz, lefthanded pitcher Eric Niesen, catcher Francisco Peña, infielders Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. 

Cabrera, 37, spent last season in Baltimore's system, appearing in 78 games for Norfolk (AAA) of the International League.  A .257 career hitter, Cabrera spent time with Cleveland, Los Angeles (NL), Seattle and Cincinnati over parts of eight major league seasons.  He played with Fukuoka of the Japanese League for two seasons (2005, 2006).

Hernandez, 25, split last season between Kansas City and Omaha (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, hitting .205 (15-73) in 37 games with the Royals.  Hernandez's other major league action came with Baltimore in 2007 and 2008.

Livingston, 27, pitched in three different organizations' minor league system last season-Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh-and combined to go 10-2 with a 4.02 ERA (80 earned runs/179.0 innings) in 31 games, 29 starts.  Livingston is 3-3 lifetime with a 6.31 ERA after pitching with Seattle and Cincinnati.

Blackley, 27, pitched last season with Reno (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, finishing the year 4-7 with a 4.85 ERA for the Aces.  For his career, the lefthander is 1-3 with a 9.35 ERA in eight games combined for Seattle and San Francisco.

Mejia, 20, combined to go 4-5 in 19 starts for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League last season.  He has struck out 205 in 210.0 career minor league innings.

Muniz, 28, pitched with the Mets in 2007 and 2008, going 1-1 in 20 games out of the bullpen.  The righthander spent 2009 with Buffalo (AAA) of the International League.

Niesen, 24, made 27 starts between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season, going a combined 7-11 with a 4.09 ERA.

Peña, 20, caught 100 games for St. Lucie in his third season in the Mets' farm system.  He is the son of former Kansas City Royals manager and current Yankees bench coach Tony Peña.

Davis, 22, won the 2009 Sterling Player of the Year Award, given annually to the top player in the Mets' minor league system.  The first baseman hit .298 (128-429) with 20 home runs and 71 RBI in 114 games between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season.

Tejada, 20, hit .289 for Binghamton while Nieuwenhuis, 22, won St. Lucie's Sterling Award, emblematic of the team MVP.  Nieuwehnhuis ranked 10th in all of the minor leagues with 99 runs scored last season.  He added 16 home runs and 71 RBI with St. Lucie.

Twitter Poll: Who is the most exciting prospect?

I took to Twitter to ask my followers which prospect excites them the most.

Here are some responses…

mattclausen said: Thole....guady BA numbers, smart hitter....will play perfectly in Citi

pattigibbons said: Ike Davis. He shows well-rounded promise as an infielder and as a hitter.

trmbonemulligan said: Ike Davis without a doubt. Maybe its just the hype but I feel like he could be another Delgado

kramtelak said: The prospect that nets the Mets Halladay.

I’m frightened by the point trmbonemulligan brings up.  Is Davis just hype?  Obviously, it’s too early to tell and we’ll only find out when he starts playing more and at a higher level.

I truly hope Davis isn’t just another product of the hype machine.  I’ve already penciled him into the lineup in the coming years.

Does that mean I’ve bought into the hype?

Rosenthal: Castillo to Cubs being discussed [Updated]

Update – 12:02 a.m.: Well, here’s a fitting start to the rumor-mongering I so hate (yet so get sucked into all the time). The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Blue Jays want “no part” of Bradley. And who can blame them.

Still, keep voting. It started as just a hypothetical, anyway.

Original post: Ken Rosenthal is reporting from the GM meetings in Chicago that a deal that would send Luis Castillo to the Cubs and bring Lyle Overbay to the Mets has been “discussed.”

A three-team deal that would also send Milton Bradley to Toronto has “some legs, but not much,” according to a source of Rosenthal’s.

Overbay, a left-hand hitting first baseman, shouldn’t be on the top of the priority list for the Mets. I’m not sure if they realize it, but Daniel Murphy is still on the roster. It’d be a silly move, especially with Ike Davis prospering in the minor leagues. (Overbay only has one year left on his deal, so it wouldn’t affect Davis.)

Still, I think it would be silly. What do you think? Vote below and leave your two cents in the comments.

Top 10 Mets prospects

Here’s the top 10 list from Baseball America…

1. Jenrry Mejia, RHP
2. Wilmer Flores, SS
3. Fernando Martinez, OF
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Brad Holt, RHP
6. Jon Niese, LHP
7. Reese Havens, 2B/SS
8. Josh Thole, C
9. Ruben Tejada, 2B/SS
10. Juan Urbina, LHP

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t care?

Ike Davis: Rising star

First-baseman of the future, Ike Davis, was named to the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Star Game.

Davis is batting .340 (17-50) / .370 OBP / .640 SLG with six doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 12 games.

Davis, who in my mind will be playing first at Citi Field in 2011, has quickly become one of the hottest prospects in the Mets minor league system.  Hopefully this isn’t just another product of the hype machine.  So far, with these numbers and his minor league stats, he might be the real deal.

Mejia roughed up; Davis, Tejada keep hitting [AFL]

Jenrry Mejia took the mound for his first Arizona Fall League game, but only lasted one inning.

Mejia gave up only one hit, but walked three batters and allowed three runs to score.  He did strike out one while on the mound.

On more positive notes, Ike Davis picked up another hit and two more RBI.  Davis has driven in eight runs in only two games.

And Ruben Tejada added two more hits and scored two more runs, giving him four hits and four runs in the first two games of the AFL season.

Jenrry Mejia to make AFL debut

Yesterday, the Arizona Fall League kicked off with a nice start for Mets fans. Ike Davis, the veritable first baseman of the future, drove in six runs, going 4-6 with a grand slam and two doubles.

Today, Mets fans can track the first start of Jenrry Mejia, one of the top pitching prospects in the Mets organization.

Mejia will take the mound for the Surprise Rafters today, facing off against the Peoria Javelinas, which you can track here.

Mejia got a nice write up in the Daily News today by Adam Rubin.

Rubin writes…

Manager Jerry Manuel traveled Tuesday from his home in Sacramento, Calif., to gauge whether Mejia may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010, as well as to evaluate first-base prospect Ike Davis. GM Omar Minaya is also in attendance. Mejia projects as a No.1 or No.2 starter in the majors eventually.

"Somebody told me if you play in the big leagues at 20 years old, that's good," Mejia said. "I said, 'I know, but I wanted to play in the big leagues last year.'"

I like him already.

A good start for Ike Davis [Updated]

Via @MLBazFallLeague

Update – 5:54 p.m.: Davis also drove in two runs on a bases loaded single in the seventh inning.  That’s six RBI if you’re counting at home.

Delgado’s year likely done

Carlos Delgado, who was trying to make a return to the major leagues after hip surgery this season, may not be healthy enough to come back.

“I think time is running out for him,” Jerry Manuel told reporters before Friday’s game.

It’s unfortunate for Delgado who is without a contract for next season.  Though he’s pretty much built for the American League for the rest of his career, some have rumored that the Mets may bring him back in an incentive laden deal as a placeholder for Ike Davis in 2011.

Obviously, that would put Daniel Murphy back to the minor leagues, which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

But, I don’t think Delgado is a smart signing at this point.  He’s in the twilight of his career and missed so much time this year, who knows where he’s going to be for next year?

I’m just glad I’m not Omar Minaya.

Mets minor league Players of the Year announced

Isaac “Ike” Davis and Jeurys Familia have been named the Mets’ Sterling Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year respectively.

Davis, who split time between the advanced-A St. Lucie Mets and Double-A Binghamton, hit .298 / .381 / .524 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI.  Davis is currently on Team USA in the World Cup being played in Europe.

Familia made 23 starts for Single-A Savannah, going 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.157 WHIP.  Familia tossed 134 innings, striking out 109 and walking 46.

Adam Rubin ponders if Daniel Murphy will simply be a placeholder for Ike Davis, who will likely start the 2010 season with Triple-A Buffalo.

I’m all for it.  I hate how the team rushes players, but if the guy is showing talent, keep promoting him until he’s ready for the big leagues.

Players heading to Arizona Fall League

The Mets will be sending six players to the Arizona Fall League to play for the Surprise Rafters.

The Mets announced the following minor league players will participate in the Arizona Fall League…Infielders Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada, righthanded pitchers Jenrry Mejia, Scott Moviel and Josh Stinson and lefthanded pitcher Eric Niesen will play for the Surprise Rafters…The AFL begins on October 13th.

These are some of the top players in the Mets minor league system.  The fact that they’re sending them to play more baseball is a good thing for the future of the franchise.

Let’s just hope the 2009 injury bug ends when the season does.

Ike Davis named to USA’s World Cup team

Minor league first baseman Ike Davis, the Mets 2008 first round draft pick, has been named to the United States World Cup team.

The 6-foot-5 first baseman had previously appeared on the 18-and-under and 16-and-under World Cup team.  This year’s World Cup will be held from Sept. 9-27 in Europe.

Davis has also been named to the Surprise Rafters roster in the Arizona Fall League.

Davis, in 54 games with the Binghamton Mets, has hit .307 / .409 / .442 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI.

Game Recap: Mets 4 -- Orioles 0

Five pitchers combined to shut out the Baltimore Orioles on their spring training turf today, as the Mets cruised to a 4-0 victory.

On The Mound

Oliver Perez made his first start of the spring, pitching only three innings. He allowed only one hit, a double, and walked two batters.

A good, quick showing for Perez, who will be dialed back after throwing 85 pitches in his last World Baseball Classic appearance.

Bobby Parnell followed Perez, going 2 2-3 innings and scattering five hits. Parnell struck out two. Darren O'Day was next in line and allowed one walk and one strikeout in 1 1-3 innings.

Parnell is still around while Jon Niese heads to the minor league because Parnell still has a chance to stick in the bullpen. It's an outside shot, but a shot just the same.

Brian Stokes and Elmer Dessens each allowed one hit in their inning of work.

At The Plate

Daniel Murphy continued his hot spring, going 2-4, with a triple. He drove in two RBIs and scored one run.

I can't wait to see him get a full season under his belt.

Ike Davis also picked up two hits, including a double, in his first spring training action. He drove in one run.

Nice to see from the young guy.

Alex Cora picked up the Mets other RBI.

On Deck

The Mets will travel to Orlando to take on the Atlanta Braves in a 1 p.m. game on Saturday. The game is not on TV.

Interesting things going on today

A few things to pay attention to as you watch today's spring training game read about it later.

Oliver Perez
Perez is making his first Grapefruit League appearance today again the Orioles after returning from the World Baseball Classic. Perez struggled through the WBC, going 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA in 6.2 innings. Perez also expressed that he was feeling "fatigued" after the performance.

Jerry Manuel said he would "dial-back" Perez during spring training action. Expect only a few innings out of Perez today.

Nick Evans
Evans will start in right field today as the Mets try and find a position for the young righty. He leads the team in spring training at bats, likely due to the WBC. Evans is a young guy that should be getting regular playing time, so a bench position may not be what the Mets want for him. Wrestiling away a starting job may be his only chance at making the Opening Day roster, but I don't see that happening.

Ike Davis
The Mets picked Davis 18th overall in the 2008 draft, and he will be starting at first base today.

Adam Rubin posted the write up he completed on Davis on draft day:

Davis, unlike his father a lefty thrower and hitter, pitched his freshman year, then played right field his sophomore year and first base as a junior. He is hitting .394 with 16 homers and 73 RBI in 49 games for ASU, entering a matchup with Fresno State this weekend for a berth in the College World Series.

"I've played first longer, so I'm probably a lot better at that," he said.

Too bad this game isn't on TV.

Ike Davis doesn't like his teammates very much

Hope he can deal with his fellow Mets minor leaguers better than his college squad.

Apparently, the fight was a "joke." Right. Just like most military accidents happen during "training exercises."