On Darryl Strawberry’s 55th birthday, here’s the latest from Citi Field…
- The Mets “couldn’t give [Rafael Montero] away” this offseason, a club official tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. “At one time, this kid’s name was the first one mentioned anytime we talked to a team about a trade and he was untouchable,” the high-ranking official said. Montero was seen as both a top Mets pitching prospect and as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball (as per MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus) prior to the 2014 season, though the right-hander’s star has since dimmed. Montero missed almost all of 2015 due to a shoulder injury and then battled control issues in 2016, so his MLB output consists of just 73 1/3 innings since the start of the 2014 season. He has been pitching well in spring camp, however, and trying to get himself in contention for a long relief job. Given Montero’s past prospect status, it seems surprising that no teams were considered him as even a buy-low lottery ticket in a trade, though it could be that any interested teams wanted to wait until Spring Training to scout his progress.
- Also from Ackert, she hears from Addison Reed that the reliever isn’t necessarily intending to seek out “a closer’s contract” in free agency next offseason, even though Reed may be in position to pick up some saves if and when Jeurys Familia is suspended. “It really doesn’t matter to me,” Reed said. “As long as it’s a good deal and a good fit. I am not really thinking about it [free agency] yet, but I am happy here and happy with my role here.” Reed has past closing experience with the White Sox and Diamondbacks, though he has thrived since joining the Mets in a setup role.
- Neil Walker has been taking ground balls at first base “just in case” he is needed at the position, the regular second baseman tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “I just need to get my feet back underneath me,” Walker said. “If I were to have to go over there, it would just take a couple days to get back in the flow of things.” The Mets were short-handed at first last year due to Lucas Duda’s stress fracture in his back, and with Duda missing more time due to hip stiffness in Spring Training, the Mets have taken the opportunity to get Walker and Jay Bruce some reps at first base. All signs still point to Walker as the everyday second baseman, of course, as New York would turn to Wilmer Flores, Bruce, possibly Jose Reyes and others before using Walker at first in the event that Duda misses time. Walker has only played 10 games at first in his pro career, all as a minor leaguer in 2009-10.
- Brandon Nimmo will miss a few weeks of action after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain while playing in the World Baseball Classic, Italy manager Marco Mazzieri told reporters (including James Wagner of the New York Times). The injury will likely end any chance Nimmo had of cracking the Opening Day roster, as he was already a longshot due to the Mets’ outfield surplus.
Between Walker, Flores, Bruce and Reyes, I’d think Walker would make the most sense to handle first base. Considering Bruce has never played the infield, Flores and Reyes lose whatever defensive value they have by playing first, and aside from Conforto and Nimmo most of the top prospects close to the bigs are middle infielders so it makes much more sense to me to put Walker at first than the rest of those guys.
Bruce played 1st for the Reds in 2014, when Votto was hurt……albeit just 3 or 4 games. The experiment was considered a disaster…….and they never talked about doing it again…..LOL
I bet the Mets already know that.
wow moron, bruce has played 1st before…
Why call him a moron? Bruce has 26 innings at first base in his career. Don’t be rude.
Barely, and he was terrible. Shouldn’t use names, especially when you’re not making a good point.
Monterey could become a good trade chip come midseason.
Montero*
Could it be like in many instances involving not just the Mets, their refusal to “sell low” is the primary reason for the “non-interest” in Montero?
So many good players getting hurt in the WBC. The injuries could negatively affect the MLB season. There has got to be a way to do this at a time when players are fully conditioned and not at the beginning of spring training. Manfred and Tony Clark should be alarmed by the level of injuries.
Agree that the “Timing Is Terrible”…….
They get hurt in ST as well.
Ian Desmond hit by a pitch (on the left hand) today…….fracture will put him on the DL, and probably out for at least 6-8 weeks, I’d guess…….
So many? Besides Nimmo and Perez who else? Nimmo wasn’t even going to be on the opening day Mets roster.
K-rod but I don’t know how serious his was
AJ Pollock got hurt today hitting a homer. In spring training. Like 15 times more injuries occur in ST than in the WBC.
Jerry Blevins got hurt crossing the street. Let’s move streets all to one area so they can be avoided more easily.
No, not really.
Doing it in July or August takes players away from games that matter.
FWIW, I think the Olympics should be mainly for prospects not on the 40 Man roster.
But, then, few people would watch.
probably 2 weeks after the WS
I find it hard to believe that the Mets couldn’t give Montero away. Bet you the Padres would take him. Why don’t they place him on waivers and we’ll find out.
The WBC blows. Half-empty stadiums and always an injury to some key players. MLB must be making a ton of $$$ off this . I wish this and the new Intentional walk dictum would disappear.
Marlins stadium set attendance records for every WBC game this week. Only possible injury to a key player was Perez, and it doesn’t sound serious. Meanwhile, Desmond had his hand broken by a double-A pitcher yesterday in a truly meaningless ST game and Pollock hurt himself hitting a homer in another meaningless ST game.
If you watched, many of the WBC games have been super-exciting & passion filled, including US-Colombia, DR-Colombia, US-DR, and a couple of the games in Mexico. Plus, they’ve set attendance records in Miami. So if anything should be canceled, it’s Marlins games! If this is what we could have in the Olympics, get it done, MLB! The NHL takes a midseason break for the Olympics, why can’t MLB?
I think if they r going to continue the WBC it shouldn’t b during spring training. It should b around the fall league. I know numbers of watchers will go down with football. But it will give time for things like hamstring pulls to heal prior to spring training. I like the WBC. The timing isn’t great tho
What’s the difference between the wbc and spring training though?
So, do it during the MLB Playoffs?
That’s adorbs.
dont use stupid words
This is the other thing, of course. Players don’t really need two months of spring training anymore. Spring Training is a relic of an era in which baseball players worked other jobs in the offseason. They needed spring training to get back in baseball shape after a winter spent working in a factory or bartending or whatever. That’s not the case anymore. Major League players are full-time professional athletes. Most of them have regular off-season regimens. Some rookies and NRI might need ST to possibly win a roster spot but for most players it’s a waste of time.
Tim Tebow is playing Spring Training games. One year Garth Brooks got 22 ST at-bats. That’s how important and meaningful ST is.
If teams are doing ST right, they’re getting looks at 80 to 90 players. The full 40, plus NRIs, and a horde of guys in the minor leagues, as well.
Players don’t need that long, necessarily. However, to use the Mets wasting at-bats on Tebow isn’t why the WBC is a good or bad idea.
Nimmo would’ve been the 5th OF if Sandy wanted Conforto in AAA to play every day; not sure why everyone wrote him off.
Montero starting in AAA is fine with me; keep him available for a doubleheader 26th man gig, or spot pen duty. Bring him up – keep him a few days – send him down; every organization needs an arm like that, if he’s healthy again.
dont be so sure the mets wont trade granderson or bruce before the trade deadline during the season…both expiring contracts