Rule 5: Mets roundup from the draft

As covered earlier, the Mets selected Carlos Monasterios (Update: He’s been traded) and John Lujan in the earlier rounds of the draft. After that the Mets selected…

-Mets selected 1B Thomas Hubbard from Seattle.

Marshall hit .271 / .380 / .434 with 14 home runs and 70 RBI with the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jax last season.

-Mets selected RHP Rolando Valdez from San Diego.

Between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Valdez posted a 5.40 ERA in 33 1-3 innings. He posted a 1.680 WHIP, allowing five home runs.

-Mets selected LHP Orlando Lara from San Diego.

Lara spent 2009 with the Mexico City Reds, pitching in 18 games, starting seven. He posted a 5.03 ERA and 1.676 WHIP. He allowed three home runs in 48 1-3 innings.

-Mets selected RHP Johan Figuereo from Washington.

Figuereo is a converted infielder who threw his first inning in 2007. In ‘08 he tossed 37 2-3 innings, putting up a 4.20 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. Last year, he tossed 24 2-3 innings with a 2.92 ERA and 1.216 WHIP. In only 23 innings, he allowed eight home runs.

The Mets did lose a player from the Gulf Coast League team. I’m trying to track down that name.

Thanks to Chris Birckhead on Twitter, we know the Mets lost RHP Hayden Beard, from Australia, from Gulf Coast Rookie League.

Beard went 5-2 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.385 WHIP last season.

Mets sign Mike Hessman

According to Adam Rubin, the Mets have signed career minor-leaguer Mike Hessman to a minor-league deal.

He’s 31-years-old, hit .217 / .324 / .442 with 23 home runs and 77 RBI last year with the Detroit Tiger’s Triple-A team.  Hessman last played in the majors in 2008 with the Tigers, hitting .296 / .387 / .889 in 12 games with the Tigers.

Hessman has played every position at the minor league level, with the majority of his time coming at third base.

Coaching News: Backman in Brooklyn, Teufel in Binghamton and Alomar Jr. in Cleveland

Three coaching moves for the Mets organization today.  Two in and one out.

• Wally Backman was officially announced as the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league affiliate to the Mets.
• Tim Teufel, another ‘86-er, was hired as manager of the Double-A Binghamton Mets.
• And Sandy Alomar Jr., who was the catching instructor for the Mets last season, has been named first base coach for the Cleveland Indians.

Backman officially named Brooklyn manager

The Brooklyn Cyclones have officially named Wally Backman manager of the Single-A affiliate.

From the press release…

"I am thrilled and grateful to be coming back to the Mets' organization," said Backman. "The greatest days of my professional career were spent here in New York, and I have always felt a special connection to the city. I am especially excited to be joining the Cyclones. Brooklyn is a major minor-league team, and I know the borough's fans are - like me - intensely passionate about baseball and about winning."

Backman's appointment as the Cyclones' manager also marks a return to the New York-Penn League for the fifty-year-old Oregon native. Originally selected by the Mets in the first round (16th overall) of the 1977 draft out of Aloha High School (OR), an 18-year-old Backman made his professional debut with the then-affiliate Little Falls club in the NYPL, and hit .325 in 69 games.

"We couldn't be happier to welcome Wally to Brooklyn, "said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. "He has always been a fan favorite in New York, symbolizing the blue-collar work ethic and unbridled dedication to winning that this city - and particularly this borough - values above all else in its sports stars. Brooklyn and Backman were made for each other."

He will be introduced on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

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?

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.

Mets minor leaguer dies

Rafael Castro, 18 and a Columbian native, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack, according to the Associated Press.

Castro had been in the Mets organization for two years, both with the Venezuelan summer team.  He died at the team’s academy in Carabobo, Venezuela.

Heyman: Backman back in the fold

Jon Heyman just tweeted something of note…

Mets planning to bring back feisty '86 hero Wally Backman in minor-league coaching role. they could use a little spunk.

It’s about time this guy got another shot.

There is an opening with Double-A Binghamton, as manager Mako Oliveras was fired last week.

Backman’s brash attitude might not sit well with some people, but he’s the kind of guy that will light a fire under a player or team and push them to perform.  He has a very polarizing persona, so some people hate him and some people love him.

I’m interested to see how Mets fans react to this.  I know a few people will like to see Backman back with the Mets.  On the flip side, I also know a lot of people just flat-out don’t like him.

Also, if Jerry Manuel gets off to a rough start in 2010, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t considered as a replacement.

Another note on coaches, according to a source, the Mets and Edgardo Alfonzo have been talking about a possible coaching position, likely with the Gulf Coast League team.  Just a rumor right now, but that would be nice to see.

Mets fire top Latin America scout and Luis Aguayo

In a report for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports that the Mets have fired Ramon Pena, “the organization’s top official in charge of signing Latin American talent.”

The Mets also fired Luis Aguayo, who was the minor-league field coordinator and also served a stint as first base coach last season.  Sandy Johnson, vice president of scouting, also plans on retiring.

Looks like the Mets are none-too-pleased with their minor league system, both in terms of signings and crafting them into major league ready players.

To me, this signals a sort of last-ditch effort by Omar Minaya and the Wilpons to save face in this dismal season.  These firings cast the notion that these people are the reason the team is losing and shedding them will help the team in the future.

This reeks of desperation.

Now you need to keep you eye on who fills these roles.

More Sterling Award winners

Here are the top players from each team in the Mets minor league system…

2009 STERLING AWARD WINNERS

BUFFALO (AAA) OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE: JESUS FELICIANO (OF)

Height: 5-11      Weight: 174      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 6/6/79     Resides:Bayamon, PR                       Obtained: Signed as a free agent (2/07) Signing Scout: LA Dodgers (1997)

Feliciano finished fifth in the International League with a .311 batting average and led the IL with 154 hits. The 6-0, 174-pound outfielder scored 57 runs, collected 30 doubles, one triple, one home run, 41 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 130 games for the Bisons. Feliciano, 30, became just the eighth Bisons player in the modern era to reach the 150-hit plateau.

BINGHAMTON (AA) EASTERN LEAGUE: JOSH THOLE (C)

Height: 6-1       Weight: 205      Bats: Left  Throws: Right          Born: 10/28/86    Resides: Breese, IL                       Obtained:Mets’ 13^th round pick in 2005  Signing Scout:Quincy Boyd

Thole finished second in the Eastern League with a .328 batting average and was third in the EL with a .395 on-base percentage. At the time of his promotion to New York – on September 1^st – he was fourth in the Eastern League with a 30.2 (20-86) caught stealing percentage. Thole, 22, was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star Game but did not play due to a dislocated left thumb that kept him out of action from June 30^th-July 18^th. Thole scored 48 runs, had 29 doubles, two triples, one home run, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases in 103 games with Binghamton.

ST. LUCIE (A) FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE: KIRK NIEUWENHUIS (OF)

Height: 6-3       Weight: 178      Bats: Left  Throws: Right          Born: 8/7/87     Resides:San Dimas, CA                     Obtained: Mets’ third round pick in 2008             Signing Scout:Fred Mazuca

Nieuwenhuis hit .274 (132-482) with 91 runs scored, 35 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs, 71 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 123 games with St. Lucie. Nieuwenhuis, 22, was named to the Florida State League All-Star team and ranked among the team leaders in batting average, home runs and RBI.  His 16 home runs ranked him second on the team and third in the FSL.  Niewenhuis also finished the season as the FSL leader in doubles, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, and runs scored. He batted .406 (13-32) with eight runs scored, three doubles, one home run and three RBI in eight games with Binghamton at the end of the year. Niewenhuis ranked 10^th in all of minor league baseball with 99 runs scored.

SAVANNAH (A) SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE: ROBERT CARSON (LHP)

Height: 6-4       Weight: 230      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 1/23/89     Resides:Hattiesburg, MS                      Obtained: Mets’ 14^th round pick in 2007 Signing Scout: Benny Latino

Carson went 8-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 25 starts for Savannah. He hurled two complete games with one shutout. In 131.2 innings, he allowed 139 hits, 68 runs, 47 earned, with 45 walks and 90 strikeouts. Carson, 20, was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team. He twirled a 9.0 inning, three hit shutout with eight strikeouts at Lexington on July 11^th earning SAL Pitcher of the Week honors.

BROOKLYN (A) NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE: MARK COHOON (LHP)

Height: 6-2       Weight: 195      Bats: Left  Throws: Left            Born: 9/15/87     Resides:Buleson, TX                    Obtained: Mets’ 12^thround pick in 2008    Signing Scouts: Ray Corbett

The lefthander led the New York-Penn League with nine wins, and ranked sixth with a 2.15 ERA en route to being named to the NYPL All-Star team.  He started the All-Star Game as well as Game One of the playoffs for Brooklyn. Opponents hit .210 against Cohoon, and he surrendered just 18 extra-base hits, while facing 356 batters.  Mark’s nine wins tied a Cyclones’ franchise record, and his 92.0 innings established a new club record.  Cohoon, 22, pitched 6.0 or more innings in 12 of his 14 starts, and allowed two earned runs or less 10 times.

KINGSPORT (R) APPALACHIAN LEAGUE: JEFF FLAGG (1B)

Height: 6-6       Weight: 246      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 11/7/85     Resides:Jacksonville, FL                    Obtained: Mets’ 27^th round pick in 2008 Signing Scouts: Benny Latino

Flagg led the Kingsport Mets in batting average (.301), home runs (10) and RBI (59) and was second on the team in runs scored (47) in his second professional season out of Mississippi State University.  His 10 home runs also ranked second in the Appalachian League, while his 59 RBI were tops in the league.  Flagg, 23, had 17 multi-hit games in 57 starts for Kingsport while hitting .364 (47-129) with runners on base. 

GULF COAST LEAGUE (R): JULIO CONCEPCION (OF)

Height: 6-4       Weight: 198      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 9/5/89     Resides:Santo Domingo, DR                       Obtained:Non-drafted free agent (3/07) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Sandi Rosario

Concepcion finished seventh in the Gulf Coast League with a .306 (49-160) batting average. He scored 21 runs, and collected four doubles, two triples, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 45 games. Concepcion, 20, had at least one hit in 35 of his 45 games played and had a .354 on-base percentage.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (R): ALEXANDER SANCHEZ (1B)

Height: 6-3       Weight: 200      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 11/28/90     Resides:Santo Domingo, DR                  Obtained: Non-drafted free agent (6/09) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Franklin Taveras

The 18-year-old first baseman finished the season tied for the Dominican Summer League lead with a .372 (71-191) batting average.  In 47 games with the DSL Mets, Sanchez drove in 42 runs, which was among the team leaders.  In 213 plate appearances, Sanchez struck out only 19 times and hit .432 (48-111) with three home runs and 25 RBI in 27 games during the month of July.   

VENEZUELAN SUMMER LEAGUE (R): ANDRES PEREZ (OF)

Height: 6-1       Weight: 180      Bats: Right  Throws: Right        Born: 7/5/89     Resides:San Cristobal, DR                  Obtained: Non-drafted free agent (8/07) Signing Scouts:Ramon Pena, Ismael Cruz, Marcelino Vallejo

Perez hit .311 (75-241) with 25 runs scored, 14 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 44 RBI in 67 games for the Venezuelan Mets. He posted a .356 on-base percentage and a .440 slugging percentage. Perez finished fourth in the League in RBI, batting .406 (28-69) with runners in scoring position.

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.

Two Mets minor leaguers in Futures Game

The 2009 Futures Game rosters have been released and two members of the Mets organization have been named to the World team.

17-year-old Wilmer Flores and 19-year-old Jenrry Mejia will play in the Futures Game in St. Louis on July 12.

Flores is playing his first full professional season this year. Mejia was recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton and was rumored to hit 102 mph on the gun in his last start.

Brad Holt promoted to Double-A Binghamton

Brad Holt was drafted 33rd overall by the New York Mets last season.  Today, just days away from this years amateur draft, Holt has been promoted to Double-A Binghamton.

Holt is 9-4 in 22 career professional starts.  In 2009, he’s 4-1 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.049 WHIP with Advanced-A St. Lucie.

According to Adam Rubin, Mets officials say Holt is on a similar path that Mike Pelfrey took to the major leagues.  Hopefully he doesn’t take as many lumps once he makes it to the MLB level.

Holt makes his first start for Binghamton on Friday.

Niese sent back to Triple-A; Figueroa recalled

After two starts, one good and one bad, Jon Niese has been sent back to Triple-A Buffalo.  Nelson Figueroa has been called up to take his spot on the roster.

Niese lasted only 4 2-3 innings today against the Braves, allowing five earned runs on seven hits. 

The game went 12 innings as well, forcing the Mets to use every reliever.  Figueroa’s addition will add a rested arm to the bullpen.

The question here is: Where is Tim Redding?  Redding is said to be ready after rehabbing with Buffalo and will probably be activated for Niese’s spot in the rotation when it comes around again. 

Does that mean Figueroa gets sent down again?  Maybe the Mets will play with a short bench, putting Carlos Delgado on the DL and using his roster spot for Redding?

None of those questions can be answered just yet, but the Mets have done quite a questionable job with their roster shuffling in 2009, this just presents another hurdle in the road.

Figueroa has become a fan favorite around the Citi, so I know a few people that will be glad he’s back with the big club.

Seven sent down

According to Adam Rubin, seven young Mets were sent down to minor league camp.

Fernando Martinez, Jose Coronado, Mike Antonini, Michel Abreu, Tobi Stoner, Adam Bostick and Dillon Gee

Martinez isn't even allowed to play in the field, so it was no shock there. I am surprised the team sent Coronado down, especially with all the players at the World Baseball Classic.

A few of these guys are the future of the Mets, so don't be surprised if they're sticking in camp for a bit longer next year and the year after.

Mets sign Livan Hernandez

Jerry Manuel accidentally let slip that Livan Hernandez would be joining the Mets in camp, likely on a minor league deal.

Since then, the report has been confirmed.

Great. I'm all for stockpiling pitchers, but there is a line at which a team doesn't need to cross before it looks desperate. The Hernandez brothers, either of them, are beyond that line.

Prove me wrong, Livan. This move just rubs me the wrong way.

I guess it's time to congratulate Omar Minaya for finally getting Livan in a Mets uniform.

Hmmm...I wonder what El Duque is up to...

Here's some info, relayed by Adam Rubin:

"Inventory" is the word Minaya used. Reports are that Hernandez's velocity was just 78-83 mph in Colorado late last season. Minaya revealed that he was very close to trading for Hernandez at the '06 deadline once Duaner Sanchez had the taxi cab accident, but instead pulled the trigger and acquired Oliver Perez from the Pirates. Minaya also mentioned he wanted Triple-A Buffalo to be strong this year.

The Stache is back: Mets sign Jose Valentin

Jose Valentin is back with the New York Mets, according to Joel Sherman.

Valentin, who started his Mets tenure in the doghouse, eventually took over the second base starting job in 2006. He went on to have a renaissance season, and some considered him a good leader in the clubhouse, especially around Jose Reyes.

In '06, Valentin hit .271 and slugged 18 home runs.

In '07, Valentin appeared in only 51 games before breaking a bone in his leg. He hit .241 in 166 at-bats.

It will be great to have him back around Reyes and the rest of the team, if only for spring training. If he ends up at triple-A he'll be a competent call-up if when Luis Castillo goes down with an injury.

Mets sign Elmer Dessens

The Mets have signed pitcher Elmer Dessens to a minor league deal, according to the Denver Post (via MLBTR).

Dessens is guaranteed $72,000, but could earn up to $600,000 with incentives.

He has pitched for eight different teams in his 12 year career, most recently with Atlanta. A career 4.56 ERA, and a season ERA that hasn't dipped below 4.50 since 2005, Dessens can work as either a reliever or a starter.

Enjoy Buffalo, Elmer.