Mar
24
2012

MMO Mailbag: Which Prospects Will We See In 2012?

An article by Joe D

I haven’t done one of these in a while mostly because after the Hot Stove season winds down in January, we don’t get as many questions and email until we start getting closer to Opening Day, which I am happy to say is in 12 days.

What prospects do you think we’ll definitely see play for the Mets in 2012? – Adam

I’m not sure that we’ll definitely see anyone in particular with regards to our top prospects. But there’s a good chance that Matt Harvey can work himself into the equation if he gets promoted to Buffalo and excels there. That might not happen until late in the season if it happens at all. Further down the Mets top prospects list I could see Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Reese Havens get their first cup of coffee, providing they can get past their health problems. The fact is Havens would have been here by now if not for his back and side issues. I don’t believe Matt den Dekker will see any major league service time regardless of what Terry Collins said yesterday. After that, it’s a crapshoot. Maybe we’ll see Jordanny Valdespin, maybe not. Josh Edgin and Robert Carson could make an appearance as well. That’s all I’m willing to commit to for now.

I’m so happy you placed Gary Carter’s No. 8 patch on your banner and I hope it stays there all year. As you can tell by my email address I’m a big Gary Carter fan and I’m glad to see that his patch and your heart is in the right place. – Lisa

Thank you.

Do you think Daniel Murphy will be the second baseman for the entire season? – Anon

I couldn’t really tell you. There’s too many factors at play. If he starts costing the team games because of his defense, I would imagine he’d see less and less playing time at second. The flip side to that is that he becomes one of the Mets top hitters this season and the Mets will continue playing him at second because they can’t afford to have his bat out of the lineup. Whether or not David Wright is still here after July 31 will play a factor too, as they would most likely shift Murphy to third base if that happened. Havens or Valdespin could also push the envelope down in the minors and force the Mets to make a move. Anything can happen at this point, but the best case scenario would be to have Murphy elevate his defense at second to at least league average. If that happens it gives the Mets plenty of options moving forward, and you can never have too many of those.

You can send your Mets questions to me at GetMetsmerized@aol.com.

About the Author: Joe DeCaro

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

4 Comments + Add Comment

any March 24, 2012 at 11:07 am

Kirk for sure. And I would bet on Harvey, at minimum a September call-up, but quite possibly before that.

Edgin yes. I expect a lot of churn in the pen. And agreed about Havens, if the oblique/back stuff hadn’t flared up at exactly the wrong time, he would have been up 2 years ago, and quite likely cemented in as the starting 2B.
Metsie March 24, 2012 at 11:39 am

Murphy’s bat will weigh heaviliy on what happens with him. If he picks up where he left off the glove will be talked about but not enough to take him out of the lineup.

I totally agree with JoeD about Wrights status and Murphy playing 3B, It does seem like the most logical thing to do should they trade Wright and I think that is still VERY likely!

I do see days where Murphy will play 1B when Davis needs a day off but those we hope will be few and far between. Not sure it’s wise to do that but Terry likes to get everyone into games and everyone a day here and there so it seems likely that will happen. OF is thin so they may not get such luxuries.

As for the Kids coming up I don’t expect to see any of them barring a trade or injury.
And if it’s due to injury they will get a start before they go back down and thats about it.

We seem to have the IF well covered if Injury hits mostly thanks to Justin Turner but we also have the following options that preclude a kid having to come up.

Davis – Murphy
Murphy – Valdespin and Turner
Tejada – Valdespin and Turner
Wright – Turner and Murphy

The question is who comes in for the rest?
OF – If Hairston is healthy he is the main backup for all three positions
C – If Thole goes down it’s Nickeas which is fine defensively but his bat is worse than Tholes!

Starting pitching really has no options but the MiL guys, and if we lose two to injury at the same time Harvey coming up simply won’t be enough!
Richard March 24, 2012 at 12:31 pm

Reese Havens… I think at this point,it’s time to try a different position.
Mr North Jersey March 24, 2012 at 6:39 pm

Speaking of prospects.

“Cory Vaughn went 2-for-3 with a single and homer, his third long ball in five spring-training games with the B-Mets.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/40804/around-the-minors-3-24-12

Somewhere Hitman is smiling from ear to ear.:-)

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