Despite his strong start to spring, Mejia should be in AA in April

BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

Yesterday afternoon we were blessed with another Mets spring training triumph, this time over the Florida Marlins by the score of 11-2. Two of the stars of the game were Chris Carter, who pinch hit in the 9th and ended up with 2 homers and 4 RBI, and Jenrry Mejia who pitched three scoreless innings and made every pitching-starved Mets fan salivate. Because everyone blows spring performances out of proportion, I’m afraid that the outstanding play of Carter and Mejia will cause management to think about putting one or both of them on the opening day roster. That would be ridiculous.

The problem with Chris Carter is that he doesn’t have a position. He’s been listed as an outfielder, a first baseman, and most prominently, a designated hitter. The Mets do play a handful of games in AL parks every year, so maybe that will come in handy. Or it would if the Mets didn’t already sign a left-handed power bat named Mike Jacobs who also can’t play defense to save his life. I’m confused as to why the Mets bothered to ask for Carter in the Wagner trade or acquire Jacobs off the scrap heap. They did promise to make Buffalo better, but then still they only need one of these guys unless the Mets think it’s worth it to carry a power bat on the bench who can’t do anything else.
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Did Darryl Strawberry really say Mejia might be the next Mariano Rivera? (PHOTO BY THE DAILY NEWS)

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

We all need to relax when it comes to Jenrry Mejia. The last time a young pitcher was this hyped, he spent more time on the operating table then the mound(Paul Wilson, Generation K).

Of course young pitchers have blossomed in the past like Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver, but the Mets’ luck hasn’t been so good recently. Mejia is 20 years-old and has shown scouts and fans alike enough promise to warrant a Big League trip soon. However, when people like Darryl Strawberry are calling him the next Mariano Rivera that’s when we all need to wake up from fantasyland.

Mejia’s 1.97 ERA during his brief stint in St. Lucie is reason to hope, even his minor league career ERA of 2.91 is enough for us to believe this guy has the goods. However, we must not rush a talent like him for the sake of just seeing him up here. At 20, I can’t fathom him being ready for the big city and tough crowd in Queens. Also, in his stint in AA Binghamton he was 0-5 with a 4.47 ERA. Hardly dominance and a clear sign that more nurturing is needed.

Will Jenrry Mejia be a contributer to the Mets someday? I’m sure. However, it’s never good to pull a fruit off the vine before it’s ripe and the same goes for the Mets’ young prospect.

Wishing on a star.

BY ANTHONY LAFAMAN
STACHE WRITER

Man I wish we had the guns to get Adrian Gonzalez but how can you top Ellsbury/Bucholz? Murphy/Davis/Mejia? They would laugh. Plus they have a sweet hitting first baseman in the minors themselves so Davis does nothing for them. Do any of you guys get the feeling that outside of Bay and maybe a few non-tender signings the Mets are really banking on the health of Beltran/Reyes? It’s like they are counting them as new acquisitions. Am I alone?

Jonathan Mayo is one of MLB.COM's best and brightest.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Recently, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to conduct an email-based interview with MLB.COM writer Jonathan Mayo. Many people know him around baseball circles for his expertise with the youngsters in baseball, and since the Mets’ minor league system has been so scrutinized over the past couple of years, I thought we could get a “State of the Union”, so to speak. So without further adieu, enjoy.

Daily Stache: If you compare the Mets to the rest of the league, how would they stack up in terms of their minor league system?

Jonathan Mayo: They’d still land near the bottom. As was evident when there wasn’t a whole lot to come up to replace the many injured big-leaguers, they’re particularly weak at the top of the system. There are some interesting young arms from international scouting efforts and Ike Davis looks legit, but there’s still not much there.
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The Mets September Call Ups Are Coming! EXCELLENT!

BY JOSEPH STONE
STACHE WRITER

For those of you that were missing me, here I am, back with them old school rhymes fo yo ass!

I had to put myself into a brief hiatus due to some personal issues, but I am back to serenade you with more witticisms and gripping thoughts about our favorite team, the New York Mets.

Ok, so that’s not quite the case. I got nothin’. I think Oscar Wilde would be struck speechless at the ineptness of this team. Good Lord! Can things get any worse for our heroes?

From where I last chronicled, the Iron Met, Davis Wright, was knocked from the starting lineup, Omar Minaya was given the full backing of Darth Wilpon, somehow the worst lineup ever was able to set an offensive record, Livan was cut, Francoeur is day-to-day (Aren’t we all), a game ended on the wrong side of an unassisted triple play(!), and the Fillies trashed the joint. Did I miss anything? Is there anything in this interminable season that would change the horrible fortunes of the team?

Psst. Give ya a hint. The answer only has two letters, and those two little letters ain’t F and U.

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Jonathon Niese could really fill the void that guys like John Maine have left. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

Seriously, it’s time to see what the Jon Niese can do with a few big league starts. That whole Fernando Nieve as our savior thing was cute for a couple weeks, but now that reality has set in, it’s time to send Nieve to the pen and insert Niese into the starting rotation.

The Mets are taking on water fast, so they’re running out of chances to see what Niese can do in a real, meaningful baseball game when his team is still alive in a playoff hunt.

Not only that, but the kid is just lighting Buffalo on fire. He just pitched a complete game, ten strikeout masterpiece that was preceded by five excellent starts in a row. With the big league club in the shape that its in, there’s no reason to keep Niese down any longer.

Whether or not the Mets make a move at the trade deadline depends on not only their place in the standings, but also the faith they have in their pitching prospects. If Niese can perform well in New York, the club should have more confidence that AA starters Jenrry Mejia and Brad Holt can follow suit.

While counting your chickens before they even reach AAA is never advisable, it’s still fun to imagine what the Mets’ rotation would look like in 2012 should Mejia, Holt and Niese all pan out.

Not only has Niese earned another few starts in the majors, but his success could do a lot for this team’s morale as well as their future prospects.

Brad Holt might be the Mets' best prospect.

BY AARON YORKE
STACHE WRITER

As the Mets fight to stay above .500, yet easily stay in the playoff mix, we wonder how far this team could go with another real bat in the lineup. Whether it be Aubrey Huff or someone else, the Mets will have to decide if bringing in reinforcements is worth giving up prospects. Here’s the rundown of the most likely to be traded players (in no particular order)…

Jon Niese – LHP
Jon Niese was the guy who was supposed to be filling in when John Maine and Oliver Perez went on the DL. Instead, early season AAA troubles caused the Mets to rely on Tim Redding and Fernando Nieve instead. Niese did make two major league starts earlier in the year: a good one vs. Pittsburgh (6 IP, 2 ER) and a not so good one vs. Chipper and friends (4+ IP, 5 ER). The good news is that his play in AAA has improved lately. His last four starts for the Bison have been outstanding with 25 Ks to 7 walks and 3 earned runs in 26 innings. Overall, Jon’s K:BB in Buffalo is 3:1. He’s begging for another shot at the bigs.

Trade him?: It’s probably not worth it to trade Niese since his upside as already been pegged as a middle of the rotation guy, as opposed to Holt or Mejia, who have higher ceilings. Since the Mets already have their ace locked up long term, Niese will be more valuable to New York than to rebuilding teams. The fact that he hasn’t been called up yet says to me that the Mets are satisfied with Redding and Nieve, but they don’t want to confuse Jon with a role in the bullpen.

Wilmer Flores – SS
It’s debatable whether Wilmer Flores or Fernando Martinez is the Mets’ #1 prospect. While Fernando struggles to find his swing against big league pitching, Wilmer has struggled to find power versus A-ball pitching. He’s batting .281/.319/.364 in 242 ABs with Savannah this year. The kicker is that he was born in 1991 and he killed in rookie ball last year as a 17-year-old with a .842 OPS. Right now, he plays shortstop, but Miguel Cabrera comparisons suggest that could be changing sooner or later.

Trade him?: Flores’ long development time will make a trade seem less costly now, but his apparently limitless ceiling makes one hesitant. You can bet opposing GMs will be weighing the same qualities when putting together an offer.

Jenrry Mejia – RHP
The 20-year-old Dominican was signed in 2007 and was pretty good in Brooklyn (low-A ball) last season with a 3.49 ERA, 52Ks, and 23 BBs in 56 innings. He started 2009 in high-A at St. Lucie and tore up the league with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts. A promotion to AA has proved worthwhile so far as the young Mejia has backed a modest 3.74 ERA with 24 Ks and just 9 walks in 21+ innings over four starts. If stats don’t get you excited, maybe a mid-90s fastball will. Mejia is also said to be developing a “hard curve.”

Trade him?: If Mejia continues to succeed at AA he will certainly be sought after. The fact that him and Holt are both righties with similar pitches makes it tempting to move one of them, but you can never have too much pitching.

Brad Holt – RHP
After Holt was drafted last June as a supplemental first round pick, his career has mostly followed Mejia’s. After dominating in Brooklyn last season, Holt took St. Lucie by storm in 2009 with 54 Ks and 13 walks in just 43 innings before his promotion to AA Binghamton. After a nice first start there versus Connecticut in which Holt went 6+ innings while allowing just a pair of earned runs, he got crushed vs. Akron letting in 5 runs while recording just one out. If his prior performance is any indicator, Holt’s premier AA starts will be the norm. Just like Mejia, Holt is sports a mid 90’s heater and is working on improving his curveball.

Trade him?: Just like Mejia, if Holt can pitch well in AA he will be valuable. The fact that he’s two years older than Mejia makes him less valuable to a rebuilding team. If one of the two gets dealt, my money is on Jenrry.

Fernando Martinez – OF
Even though he’s in the majors, Fernando is still only 20 years old and still a prospect.
All we’ve seen so far is a talented defensive outfielder who’s overmatched at the plate at this young stage of his career. Had the Mets managed to avoid injuries to Beltran and/or Pagan, Martinez would probably be in Buffalo right now. His struggles on the big stage do not diminish the promise he has shown throughout his career.

Trade him?: It’s a tough call. Look at the corner outfielders the Mets have been sending out there lately. They don’t have a long term answer at either spot. Unless the Mets are blown away by an offer, I’d hold onto him.

Reese Havens – SS
Havens is a middle infield prospect from the University of South Carolina taken in the first round of the 2008 draft. In just 85 at bats with low-A Brooklyn last year, he batted .247/.340/.471 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs. This year in St. Lucie he’s at .225/.338/.414 with 8 homers and 28 RBIs in 191 at bats. While his numbers don’t look that impressive, Havens figures to play second base should he advance to the major leagues; a position that does not demand a whole lot of offense. Havens’ greatest asset at the plate is his patience. He’s already drawn 30 walks this year, which is not easy considering his lack of power. Hopefully Havens will be able to fill Luis Castillo’s shoes by the time his contract runs out in 2011.

Trade him?: Havens hasn’t really blown anyone away with his performance thus far. He would likely be the “other” guy in a deal surrounding a more valuable prospect.