Tag: Carlos Beltran

Mets Minor League Update: Lucas Duda

Lucas Duda
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

Watch out Fernando Martinez, there’s another corner outfielder who is gaining ground on your prospect mojo.

Lucas Duda received International League Offensive Player of the Week accolades last week after blasting five home runs in 23 AB’s. Duda finished the week with a .304/.433/1.000 clip at the plate for the week. Duda has 22 RBI and 23 total hits for AAA Buffalo since his promotion from Binghamton. Impressively, that promotion came on June 14th. The USC product only has 20 games at the AAA level under his belt.

The 24-year-old has made a splash onto the AAA scene, and has impressed scouts at all levels of the farm, but not so much with his power until now. Duda supplanted himself into the Buffalo record books by going yard in five consecutive games last week. After being drafted by the Mets in the 7th round of the 2007 draft, Duda has only tallied 24 home runs in his three full seasons of professional ball. Clearly, Duda is maturing at the plate and putting his 6’5 240 lb frame to good use. Continue reading “Mets Minor League Update: Lucas Duda”

Mets’ Beltran and Perez Recovering

St. Lucie Mets
Image via Wikipedia

Last night Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez played a rehab game for St. Lucie. For Beltran it was the second straight game he played the full game since his knee surgery. He’s expected to return to the Mets on July 15 in San Francisco. He hasn’t played for the Mets since Oct. 4, 2009.

Perez pitched for St. Lucie going 5.2 IP for the win. He allowed 2 hits and 2 runs while getting 7 strikeouts. He’s been on the Mets’ DL since June5 with knee tendinitis. It’s unclear when he’ll be returning to the Mets and whether he’ll be headed back to the bullpen or not.

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Mets 2010 All-Star Lost Bonuses

One of the most interesting things about MLB contracts are the bonus clauses. They’re not allowed to give bonuses for most statistical performance entities. Many bonuses are structured around playing time or award selections. This is particularly true of free agent contracts and some arbitration eligible player contracts. I looked through Cot’s Baseball Contracts to see which Mets lost out on bonuses this year by not being selected to the 2010 All-Star game.

Here’s the list of lost bonuses:

  • Johan Santana – $100,000
  • Carlos Beltran – $100,000
  • Francisco Rodriguez – $100,000
  • Henry Blanco – $50,000

The Mets ended up saving $350,000 in bonus money this year and didn’t have to send the players above on a cross-country trip with the potential of getting hurt. It worked out really well for the Mets that none of their pitchers made the All-Star team. It’s always nice to have your players in the game for the exposure but the risk of a pitcher getting hurt is tough to swallow.

By the way, who would’ve ever thought that Blanco would have an All-Star clause in his contract?  He’s never been an All-Star in his career, so I don’t know where that came from.

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Mets Trading Prospects Not Depth For Cliff Lee

May 11, 2010: Cliff Lee for the Seattle Mariners pitches during a game against the hometown Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The Mariners beat the Orioles 5 - 1.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsTrade month is almost upon us, and the Mets definitely look to be buyers this season. With that said, any talk of trading Angel Pagan (selling high) needs to be thrown out immediately. I’m not saying the 29 year old will be a major cog in the next couple of years. Who knows? But it is simply a matter of depth.

Carlos Beltran’s knees are never again going to be a sure bet. Pagan is also not a player who has been kn0wn to avoid the disabled list. It doesn’t hurt having four more than capable outfielders sharing time. Just yesterday, Angel was pulling himself out of a game because of a strained muscle. Depth in the outfield, and in general, is essential and in our case could be a strength.

We all remember what happened in past seasons when we lost key players late. Losing Fernando Tatis in 2008 helped to make our offense as inept as any in baseball at that time. The year before, we lost an aging Alou and Valentin who were key offensive pieces. Depth will allow the hot bats to find the lineup and give a manager the ability to get more creative. Continue reading “Mets Trading Prospects Not Depth For Cliff Lee”

Video: Mets 2010 Potential Trade Deadline Moves

New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran (15) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Nationals on September 18, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington. (UPI Photo/Mark Goldman) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsFox Sports is doing a virtual GM piece with Jim Bowden in the video below. If you can get past his odd looking hair, he actually does a pretty good job of assessing the Mets situation coming up to next month’s non-waiver trade deadline.

Bowden says that the Mets will be looking at starting pitching, Carlos Beltran’s health, and a potential upgrade at second base. Of course, all of those are easier said than done. But the national media aren’t always on when it comes to analyzing team needs. In this video, Bowden is pretty much dead on.

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Video: Virtual GM: Mets

What to do with Angel Pagan?

New York Mets center fielder Angel Pagan reacts after he dove to catch a drive by Philadelphia Phillies batter Carlos Ruiz in the seventh inning of their MLB National League baseball game in New York, May 27, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsMets fans have seen the best of Angel Pagan this season. After 65 games this season Pagan has been the most clutch and consistent Mets player this season.

This begs the question, what do the Mets do with him when Carlos Beltran comes off the disabled list?

Beltran has yet to start his rehab assignment on June 16th, but the Mets are hoping to have Beltran back by mid- July and when he does come back manager Jerry Manuel has a tough decision to make.

Right now the Mets have a good problem. Does Manuel move Pagan to right field and bench Jeff Francoeur? Does he bench Angel Pagan and get some late game spark off the bench? Does he use Francoeur and Pagan in a platoon? Continue reading “What to do with Angel Pagan?”

Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana

FLUSHING, NY - JUNE 23: Shortstop Edgardo Alfonzo #13 of the New York Mets watches the flight of the ball during the MLB game against the Kansas City Royals on June 23, 2002 at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Mets won, 5-4. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets are off today so I thought it was a good time for some links. It still seems like a dream that they could actually win a series on the road, much less sweep one, but sweep the Orioles they did. They’re on the way to Cleveland to start a series there on Tuesday. Here are the links

Carlos Beltran has been working in Port St. Lucie to return from knee surgery. He’s been playing some center field in squad games and plans to return “soon”. Despite Jerry Manuel’s comments about Beltran coming back to DH next weekend in the Bronx, the Mets says that’s not happening.

John Maine made a rehab start for the Binghamton Mets in Trenton yesterday. His fastball topped out at 88 mph and he’s expected to make another start on Friday for Buffalo. It’s going to be very interesting to see if Manuel believes that Maine should walk back into the rotation and supplant Hisanori Takahashi. Personally, I think Maine belongs in the bullpen.

In other injury news, Fernando Martinez is back with Buffalo and went 2 for 4 with a home run yesterday. Continue reading “Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana”