26
2011
Jordany Valdespin: Second Baseman Of The Future?
An article by 
Despite their extra-innings tie, it was great to see some New York Mets baseball today.
The Mets came from behind to tie the Atlanta Braves, 5-5, in their opening spring training game at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie.
While the scores really mean nothing in spring training, it’s the performance of players on the cusp that really makes a difference.
Some of today’s positives include Fernando Martinez’s two-run homer in the fifth, Chin-Lung Hu’s two-strike hitting in the ninth and Willie Harris’ opposite field two-run homer in the tenth.
However, one of the things that might get overlooked in this game was the performance of 23-year old second baseman Jordany Valdespin.
Valdespin ripped an RBI double in the ninth inning to tie the game. He also showed great range on a few plays at second base.
With all the hype over who will play second base this season, Valdespin’s name has taken a back seat. He likely isn’t in the competition for this season, but he could be one of the possible long-term solutions.
Then again, so could Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy, Reese Havens or a player currently outside the organization.
Valdespin hit .289 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases in 65 games for the High Single-A St. Lucie Mets.
He is said to have a fiery personality and has clashed with his managers on several occasions.
He will need to put together a full season of productive baseball and controlling his attitude to get any consideration for a full-time gig at some point in the future.
Just based on the limited sample from today, Valdespin has all the tools to be an all-around second baseman: good speed, good range, good arm, good swing and even a little pop.
It’s too early to deem him the future at second base, but a good year in the minors, coupled with inconsistent play from whoever plays second base this year, may propel Valdespin into the conversation.
At the very least, a good year from Valdespin may open another team’s eyes to his talent. The Mets could then use him as a trade chip, assuming they are content with who is playing second base.
Valdespin will be someone the organization will keep a close eye in the minors this season. He should start at Double-A, with Justin Turner likely to get the majority of the playing time at Buffalo.
Follow me on Twitter @JMMancari.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
Last updated: 06/19/2013
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Hu’s wasnt a hit and run. There was 2 strikes and Harris was stealing so it looked that way. Even I was fooled at first but you don’t hit and run w/2 strikes.
Just wanted to clear that up. Also good job by Mejia, new curveball is work in progress but looked nice.
Wow, I didn’t realize that either. It looked so natural. Thanks for the heads up, I’ll make the change.
Gary Cohen even called it a Hit and Run so it is hard to argue against the man in the booth
But then it was later corrected. That was my first reaction as well, but either it was Keith or Ron that pointed out that Harris was doing a straight steal.
Besides, you don’t hit and run with 2 strikes….It just doesn’t happen. With 2 strikes you just send the runner.
It was immediately corrected by Darling. Straight steal. With 2 strikes you cannot ask your hitter to swing at the next pitch no matter what. 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 3-1 are great counts to H+R on and you’d prefer to put it on with a GB type pitcher who’s around the plate, not a pitcher who’s up in the zone and missing.
That’s the problem with my fellow Mets fans, the guy makes one play in the first spring game and we declare him the 2nd baseman of the future. PLeeeaasse
Lets not overreact to a 1 for 3 day with that game-tying RBI double coming against a pitcher with no Major League experience (he was 0 – 2 with a strikeout against major league pitchers prior to that double). Valdespin has been awful defensively in the minors (55 errors in 222 games…28 in 175 at 2B including 9 errors in 28 games in AA last season). He looks like he needs at least 2 more seasons in the minors before he could even get a cup of coffee with a major league team.
You’re right Matt. I was looking more at his skills than his performance today. The talent is unquestionably there. Let’s see how he develops over the next few years. Like I said, he could be used as a trade chip somewhere down the line if the Mets are content with their second base situation.
Let’s see how his fiery meshes with Wally’s fiery in Bingo this year.
23 in A+ is not particularly young, so making the next 2 steps and being ready in 2 years sounds about right if he is going to do it.
Mejia’s curve is not new. He threw it last year just not enough<its raw. I hate to say this but my feeling early on is Castillo might stick,with Murphy going down to Buffalo. Emaus making the team along with Evans,Hu,Harris and Hairston. Just a feeling from the way Alderson was talking and from what Collins said,about Castillo's At-bats. I hope im wrong ,considering there is still 5weeks till opening day. But it will be interesting having Valdespin being coached by Backman?
It could be that Alderson/Collins are hoping and praying that if they say enough nice things another team will beleive it and trade for him!!! Nah?
I agree Steve, They could feel we’re better in the beginning with Castillo/Emaus and who knows maybe we could get something for Castillo (other than salary relief) if a team winds up in abind like we did in 2007. Playing him next to Davis is not as bad as playing him next to Delgado but you cannot bat him 2nd. He is a #8 hitter or would really be better hitting ninth with the pitcher at 8.
you got one too many bench guys on the list, since you forgot to include the BU catcher.
If castillo makes the team as the starter (banging my head on the desk here for a minute, so hold on … OK, done), then Emaus is not on the team. Hu will be the BU MI, with Harris the emergency 2B guy (think, Tatis in the past). Evens will back up 3B and 1B, plus be available for the OF.
Valdespin gives us something to potentially look forward to in future years. We need players like that in the minor league system. I like the ideo of Hu comig north with the team. Just think of all the lame jokes about “hu’s (who’s) on second?”. I also took note of Ron’s comment about Mejia’s last season being a regression due to the time pitching in relief. His opinion is that Mejia is now a year behind in progression towards a starting role compared to where he should be. Thanks again Jerry Manuel for managing the team to save your own butt instead of doing what is right to develop players for the future. Hopefully we’ll get better management than that from Collins.
Valdsespin is a little old for his league and a couple more leagues to get through, learn to take a few pitches, settle down somewhat but it’s great having someone like that in your system, keeps you from making the poorly thought out free agent move for the wrong guy for too many years and too much money. Great for AAA depth, ML back up, pinch hitter, runner defensive replacement. If we had a guy like this in AA or AAA in 2007 we don’t make the Castillo trade and I’m sure we win one more game at least.
I get fuzzy with the years (old age sucks), but was that the year Keppinger got his leg hurt right before they were going to call him up? He was a player that would have fit this profile I think (not projected to be a start, but a more than adequate guy in the system, for cheap, to plug the hole temporarily)
a very inaccurate stateent and a very flase assault on Castilo. Castillo was a fine addition in ’07. You seem to have a hatred for Castillo. So let me ask you this…Was it Castillo’s fault he was offered a 4 year deal after ’07? Then your claim if we had a guy like Valdespin we wouldn’t have had to trade for Castillo….. Again false…We had a guy like that which ios why we had to make the trade. Maybe you think Ruben Gotay wasn’t a minor leaguer. I think you need to broaden your mind a tad. Every player brought in by Omar wasn’t bad. The 07 deal wasn’t bad, unless you have the gall to tell us that giving up that eventual back up catcher was disastrous! the signing in 08 was. You need to differentiate between the two.
The trade for Castillo didn’t hurt because as usual our prospects busted. What’s new about that?
The fact that Luis could not play the way he had before is what hurt. Remember we lost the post season by ONE GAME, the next year, which he was unable to prepare for due to his rehabbing BOTH knees from surgery we lost it by TWO games.
When you are hurt you simply cannot play baseball the way you always have, you have to change the way you do things. It used to pain me to watch Luis have to do a pushup to get off the ground to avoid putting weight on his knees.
So yeah, he played hurt and he played hard. Did the best he could and overall did fairly well but the idea of playing him with two knees needing surgery next to Delgado who covered next to nothing at 1B led to loads of GB’s going into RF and that was the difference of way more than 3 games in 2 years.
Way more.
We traded Keppinger for Gotay in July 2006, straight swap, about the same time we traded Matsui for Marrero. The thinking had to be that Gotay was going to be better and he was pretty damn good in 2007 and certainly the equal of an injured Castillo WITH upside as a 24 year old. Very very shortsighted and stupid move in trading for and then signing Luis when you had a young guy making nothing, uninjured that you had just traded for last year because you liked him better than a guy the Organization had, as usual, rushed up here before he was ready a year BEFORE Omar arrived, decided he wasn’t any good when all he had done was hit WELL over .300 w/an OB of 50 points higher and a .400 SLG as a 2nd basemen. Exactly the position you needed help at. You just cannot make this s**t up.
You make all these trades, all these free agent signings, all that wasted money, 2 blown pennants by 3 games to go through Matsui, Easley, Gotay, Keppinger, Valentin, Castillo, and the guy that played the best was the guy you got rid of for Matsui in the first place. Desi Relaford, the guy with the brightest future was either Keppinger or Gotay. One was traded for the other and the other one was cut the next year with the 24M man rehabbing from surgery on BOTH friggen knees. Just incredibly idiotic, imbecillac, and utterly lacking in any kind of a coherent strategy for THIS YEAR or any year.
It’s like I got my Daddy’s credit card and I’m going to buy an antique just for the sake of having one.
that is one thing about Omar. You can argue if you want about FA signings vs. draft picks. But one indisputable thing is that he very poorly managed the roster during the season (and sometimes off season) in terms of losing guys for nothing, not keeping depth players, etc. Even something as simple as losing O’day for 1 start by a guy that you are waiving the next day anyway. What GM loses 2 guys effectively for 1 spot start, when there was someone in the pen that could have started and then gone to a committee to finish it out?
and for castillo, regardless of what poor moves led to the need to make the trade, at the time it was a good (and needed) deal. But not just offering him arbitration (getting a pick or at worst 1 more year), knowing he needed surgery, was insane.