A quick look around the National League…
- Renowned for his offensive ability, Mets first base prospect Pete Alonso has lived up to the billing this spring with a .423/.464/.885 line and three home runs over 26 exhibition at-bats. But it’s the 24-year-old’s defense which has truly raised manager Mickey Callaway’s eyebrows, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. “I kind of knew the offense was going to be somewhat special. So for me, the defense and how locked in to a game he is every day (is surprising),” said Callaway, who added, “All the little things that it takes to be a quality major-league player, he’s doing them on defense.” A consensus top 100 prospect, Alonso is competing with Dominic Smith, who was a touted farmhand not long ago, for the Mets’ starting job at first. Smith has also raked this spring (.435/.500/.609 in 23 ABs), and it could help his cause that New York would gain an extra year of control over Alonso by sending him back to the minors until mid-April. The Mets, however, have insisted service time won’t play a role in whether Alonso lands an Opening Day roster spot.
- After enjoying a stunningly effective rookie year in 2018, Giants right-hander Dereck Rodriguez has earned a place in the team’s season-opening rotation, manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday (via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). Bochy noted that he hasn’t set the entire quintet in stone yet, but as Shea points out, Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland and Drew Pomeranz look like locks to accompany Rodriguez in the starting five. Rodriguez was arguably the best member of the group last season, when he turned in a 2.81 ERA/3.74 FIP with 6.77 K/9 and 2.74 BB/9 in 118 1/3 innings (21 appearances, 19 starts).
- Left-hander Vidal Nuno’s minor league contract with the Nationals includes opt-out chances on March 27 and June 15, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports. Thanks in part to the Nationals’ release of fellow lefty Sammy Solis on Saturday, Nuno’s chances of cracking their 25-man roster by one of those dates have seemingly improved, Dougherty observes. Further, the 31-year-old Nuno has gained an important fan in manager Dave Martinez, who said Saturday: “From what I’ve seen, he’s got a multitude of pitches that he can get people out with. I mean lefties, righties, he’s not afraid of pitching in. I like him. His presence on the mound is good. He attacks the strike zone. I really like what I see so far.”
Vidal Nuno had on of the best cutters in terms of pitch value last season. I wonder if he figured something out or was just the sample size.
Man Nuno was rough to watch in a very short sample size in Baltimore but nonetheless it was terrible. The peripherals don’t support the results last year and he’s largely been a journeyman. If I were betting I’d bet against him but Sammy solis set the bar pretty low for what a LH reliever gives them.
Solis was supposed to be able to get people out from both sides of the plate and for much of his career he was able to. But last year’s 4..74/1.68/.329 line against Left handed batters (and that’s before his 7.97/1.43/.224 Right hander line)
Well let’s just say Solis’ days were numbered and that number was not very large
I’m not sure how much faith I put into certain “values” in MLB. Those same kind of “values” determine Yasmani Grandal to be a very good catcher, when in fact he is a catcher who can barely catch the ball.
Nuno has always to me been one of those guys who looks better than his results are. When I see him pitch I see good stuff, but too often I also see him getting shelled. That cutter is a legit good pitch, but for whatever reason he keeps bouncing around and is only successful in short spurts
Different coaches and different league should help. You are right the stuff is there, but I see both control and the mental part of the game being the pieces of his game that needs work..
The stuff is what turns scouts’ heads.
The work is what makes you a professional
We should know about him in a week or two,once he has had a large enough sample size to see the early trends
I can’t believe the Twins just let Rodriguez go for nothing
someone had to have lost their job over that
Not that simple,Sometimes you grow when you get let go or you Bond with a different Pitching Coach etc.
If people lost their job every time a late bloomer had a good season, there would be so many firings it’s not even funny
Maybe he didn’t want to be a Twin…IJS
Good. He deserves to be in the rotation. Smarj looks good too. Maybe he’ll have a good year. Beede is also pitching well. Hopefully we’ll see him in the rotation at some point if not as a reliever.
The guy you really want to look at is Melvin Adon. He has a 100+ fastball that misses bats. He tore up the AZFL, and is repeating things this spring.
Nice front five for SF
Nice 4 for sure. Shark is terrible though. He’s the starting pitching version of BJ Upton
He’s having a great spring.
I’ve been a Mets fan for 46 years – and I hope Pete Alonso slumps before the end of ST so they can send him to AAA for 3 weeks and get the extra year of control!
With the way Dom Smith is hitting youd think it’d make it a lot easier. Far too early to give up on the guy as well. I caught a couple Mets ST games on TV and he does look great physically and he was hitting the ball well. .
You know, they could send him down for 3 weeks in August or even August of next season just as easily. Any time a player goes into a small slump. Just say you are giving him a little time to work out the kinks. I’ve never understood why teams don’t do that. It would look a lot less obvious that you are manipulating his service time.
i was just thinking the same thing while reading this article. i agree with you 100%
Because they can do it anyway they want and it’s within the rules so they just don’t care
I hope you are not in public relations, because if you are, your employer is in deep trouble.
Because teams prefer to see their guys work out a slump in the big leagues. If you think sending the kid down the second he slumps is a better alternative than this I’d have to disagree. Sounds like a good way to hurt a kids confidence for service time manipulation. Much harder than letting him rake at AAA for the first 3 weeks.
Time to look at opposing teams and gauge how many lefties and righties Mets can expect to face and determine how many at bats he might get. Then decide.
Or just do the right thing and play him.
Agreed!!!
Dom equalling Pete won’t be enough to send Pete down if they’re both above 900 OPS.
They need to stop taking us for fools and be honest. They’re not bringing both guys north to play 1B and it would be the height of stupidity to lose that extra year of control over 3 weeks. The rule is stupid and will be worked out for the next CBA, but it is there, so the Mets will take advantage of it.
Lol, cheap skate metsies cant send him down, especially with other guys hurt.
That extra year is gone baby!
Greg Bird has a higher OPS than either of them, and no one is holding their breath that it will mean anything come the regular season.
Hell, Tyler Wade has a .933 OPS…relax, everyone.
It happens every year. Someone hits well in ST against minor leaguers and raises expectations. Most of the time they don’t live up to them.
How dare you doubt Wade!
If mcNeil is back again in the infield with Frazier and Lowrie on IL, Mets can easily open with both Smith and Alonso on 5-man bench. Don’t forget Smith can also play left field.
Smith, Davis, Catcher, Broxton, and a middle infielder.
D’Arnaud starts the season on DL.
I was going to say this, that they could both could and should make the roster if they they keep raking.
Same thing with Voit and Bird though the team said they won’t and neither plays the outfield, though they have the dh and could even let one try the outfield.
Both would be absolutely horrendous in the outfield.
Smith can’t play LF
Did you see him last year terrible smh
He should stick till May 1b every day put up or shut up time for Dominic
Did you really shake your head?
Smith can play LF badly
I love how MLB Trade Rumors has decided to not allow comments or do any follow ups in Larry B’s recent allegations. However, they have always left the room open and followed up when it come to any player being accused, even if it was nothing more than assumption, of domestic violence. Not beating the writers and the creators of this forum, but it seems like their is some double standard going. Or am I wrong? Wonder if anyone would clarify.
Cocaine is a helluva drug.
What’s your problem with Larry? These “incidents” are not always so furiously serious. Can’t fire everyone or put everyone in jail every time someone gets frustrated at the mall or else there will be no one left walking around free or employed anymore.
Man, if sending Alonso down for 3 weeks is even a potential option at this point, I’d imagine it’d be wise to not talk about how good his defense is and how he does all the little things right. Callaway just took the best excuse to blatantly manipulate Alonso’s service time right out of upper management’s hands.
They still have Dom Smith as an excuse.
I have flagged your comment. Ichiro is a troublemaker. Apparently, that send-off to Japan (with the Mariners) can’t happen fast enough. He’s gotta leave kicking and screaming.
WAR is overrated.
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing!
Say it again!
WAR!
AMen my friend
Say it Again!!
Amen