15
2013
Is Valdespin Out Of The Mets’ Team Picture?
An article by 
JetsMets13 asks…
What has happened to Jordany Valdespin’s stock in the organization? I keep hearing about Duda, Nieuwenhuis and Baxter with hardly ever a mention of ‘Spin. I thought he flashed some nice power in limited playing time, and when they handed him an outfielder’s glove he adapted very quickly. What gives?
Joe D. replies…
No one can deny that Valdespin is probably the most athletically gifted player on the Mets 40 man roster right now. Although his skills are still somewhat raw, there is no denying his impressive and rare combination of power and speed. He can put a charge into a baseball like few others can and he adds a certain electricity to the lineup whenever he’s in it.
Defensively, ’Spin fared much better in the outfield than Duda and Murphy did when they were asked to trade in their infield gloves. However, there’s some work to be done. He needs to get better reads off the bat and improve on his routes, but that can only come with more playing time and experience.
‘Spin plays the game fearlessly and aggressively and last season he showed a knack for rising to the occasion in a big spot – something the Mets don’t get enough of these days. But all that glitters is not gold.
There are some very apparent flaws to Valdespin’s game, and chief among them is his poor strikezone judgement. He swings at far too many pitches out of the zone leading to a high propensity for strikeouts, low batting average, and not enough walks. (Although his walk rate has improved, so there is some hope.)
Ideally, Valdespin looks to be the type of hitter you’d like to see batting first or second in the lineup. But until he can make more contact that probably won’t happen and unfortunately it now appears that he may have worn out his welcome with the Mets.
It may sound unfair for a team to give up so quickly on such a young and gifted talent as Valdespin, but it seems that is exactly what the Mets are doing. All offseason long, his name has never been mentioned when the subject of the Mets outfield comes up – even though he may be the team’s best hope, at least for the foreseeable future.
Last week, Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo even went so far as to say that “Valdespin is a long shot” to make the team this Spring. That’s sad.
If that’s true, I think the Mets are underestimating Valdespin’s power and speed potential. For a team that is always preaching patience, they seem to have had very little of it where ‘Spin is concerned. If I were calling the shots, Valdespin would get a full compliment of at-bats and playing time for the first two months of the season. I would exhaust all measures with him before I punt one of the corner outfield positions to the likes of Collin Cowgill and Mike Baxter who are better suited as utility outfielders.
The bottom line is that with some improved plate discipline, Valdespin may be every bit as good and perhaps better than some of the outfielders the Mets have been kicking the tires on like Jason Kubel, Michael Morse or Michael Bourn.
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.
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Valdespin putting up some nice numbers in the off season leagues.
Jordany seems like Lastings Milledge and FMart.
LOL
F-Mart ?
really?
are you from the past ?
This is going to be an interesting spring. Lots of players competing to make the team.
I like to see that, instead of guaranteeing jobs to mediocre incumbents. if he wants the job, let him force the team to give it to him.
He may be a little to uppity for the Mets. He should know his place because there’s no room for that kind of ‘tude in the clubhouse. (Written with sarcasm font.)
The only spot I see him taking on the roster is Kirk’s. If only he could play passable D at SS/2B/3B, it would make him have value. As of now, the bench is Recker, Cowgill, Baxter, Turner (yuck) and a backup middle infielder yet to be determined.
I still have nightmares about the game in DC that he pretty much lost on his own playing SS.
Yeah, that was brutal. Was 2 or 3 errors or something like that. Valdy needs to transition to the OF and take the bull by the short ones and make CF his own. If he can’t, he’ll be trade bait or flounder in AAA for a while.
I thought last year after seeing him play that his entire game just screamed “CF”. Just put him out there and let him go. Don’t even mess around with the corner OF spots. And never, ever again at SS!
Wonder where he has been playing in the winter league?
I think the Mets did this kid a huge disservice last year by letting him rot on the bench when he could’ve gotten the reps in CF at AAA. I know he had a lot of big hits off the bench last year but there were times when he got splinters on his ass from sitting on the bench when he could’ve bee transitioning to the OF in the minors. He could be a big time super utility guy for this team for a long time if he ever learns the strikezone.
Lets not forget the he has been an extreme head case since he entered their system. He was suspended in the minors by the Mets when in Savannah and doesn’t take advice on how to act properly.
It might not be that they don’t believe in his ability. It could be that they don’t believe he’ll ever change his attitude. He was suspended in the winter leagues this past off season as well. He just doesn’t learn.
Glad you brought this up. I just don’t care for this guy at all. He certainly had some big hits off the bench and has raw skills that could be developed in time. My problem with “Spin” is that I saw far too many instances with him looking like a dumb player.fundamentally. Looking at his build reminds me of Jose Reyes who was raw at first as a player but Jose was never a discipline problem like “Spin” has been.
If we can trade him as part of a multi player deal…so be it!
We don’t need another player who doesn’t have a position
“If I were calling the shots, Valdespin would get a full compliment of at-bats and playing time for the first two months of the season. I would exhaust all measures with him before I punt one of the corner outfield positions to the likes of Collin Cowgill and Mike Baxter who are better suited as utility outfielders.”
I agree completely. It is true that Valdy is raw and his approach at the plate is undisciplined (name 5 Mets who do NOT fit that mode…its tough…swinging at non-strikes is something they excel at). But his natural ability is far above most others appearing. I felt he was worth taking a look at and the fact that he rode the bench most of August and September sealed my opinion of Collins. Valdy should have been in CF everyday to see what he can do. Defensively, while not excelling, he transitioned well. Offensively, he struggled but that is why daily ABs would have helped determine if he can hit ML pitching. His stats in the minors showed he can hit (at those levels). Can he take the next step? I do not know and neither do the Mets.
Valdy may be Reyes-lite at the plate. He has that combo of speed and power. As for his walk rate, he is Dominican…nobody walks off that island. Some of those guys simply can make a living hitting the ball out of the strike zone (V. Guerrero never saw a pitch he didnt like). If the organization is high on Kirk and Duda, fine. But to tell me that Baxter, who I like as a utility player but not a starter, has a higher upside than Valdy is something that I have a tough time believing. In fact, even as a bench player, who gives a team more. Both can run, play all three OF positions, pinch hit, start for stretches at a time, and play decent defense. The one main difference is Valdy can also play the IF.
The only hope is that Valdy gets plenty of ABs during ST and knocks the cover off the ball. Sadly, with Collins (or the organization’s) distaste for him, it does not seem likely.
I agree about this aspect of Collins. But, to be fair, the manager is supposed to put out the best team on the field (try to win) based on the players he has. If the FO wants certain guys played, they either need to make out the lineup cards, or even better, make the stiffs disappear so he has no choice!
Spin though I hope gets a position and a couple months to play it every day, to prove he can do it. I just think that, right now, it might be in Vegas to start.
baxter, Kirk, COwgill are right now at least “real” OFs, and 2 of them at least are above average overall in the field.
again, let them go to ST and earn themselves jobs. Spin will have plenty of chances to show he has learned to control the strikezone, and that he can play ML quality D in the OF
‘Spin is somewhat of a unique situation. Pretty hard to catagorize or pigeon hole, plus he is still in the middle of reinventing himself as an OF. Plus, you can’t ignore the history of behavioral issues (suspensions, etc.).
put it all together, and really hard to predict what you are going to get in ST. So, certainly reasonable that they are not inking him in for any particular role right now.
but, he is still on the team (if they really hated him he would be gone), and in ST, there is likely to be next to nothing (OK, absolutely nothing) set in stone for the OF. So any beat writer speculation is not worth jack diddle about who will have what job, since the depth chart has to be in pencil now (maybe invisible ink?)
so my thoughts on him are, he seems to be having a good winter season. If he comes to camp and kicks butt, heck yeah he can win a job (starter/paltoon/bench). And if not, but he shows that he has stepped forward, figure out where he best fits and send him to Vegas with a clearly defined plan/role, and tell him to focus on what he needs to, put up numbers, and force his way back up.
because if you can predict anything right now with this year’s OF, it is that there is likely to be just a “smidge” of turnover!
The guy has a Lastings Milledge-like edge to him that I do not like. If his past issues tell me anything, it’s that he may not be all that coachable and not someone i prefer to have on my team.
“The guy has a Lastings Milledge-like edge to him that I do not like.”
LMAO
sure you’re right
Spin most certainly deserves an equal shot as anyone to make the team and to compete for a starting position. As you stated, his strike zone command needs a lot of improvement, and hopefully he can demonstrate some improvement this spring. With the current roster, CF and leadoff hitter is wide open, and it looks like he has the potential to fill each but he must raise that OBP. Personality-wise, he’s not the first kid in the world with attitude issues, and won’t be the last. Like anyone else, so long as he keeps himself out of big trouble, the Mets can work with him on those issues while, at the same time, like anyone else, making him earn his spot.
one thing though with Spin is that he is not exactly a kid any more. He is what, 25 already? So old for a prospect trying to break in, and well past the point of making excuses for him (approach or attitude).
not like he is a 19 YO that still needs to mature from a teenager into an adult.
d’Arnaud is the same age Spin was last season. Would you give up on him too if he bats .220 in his first 250 MLB at-bats?
they are actually 13 months apart…but you do have a good point…
It’s not too late for him to make adjustments to his game. He’ll never walk a ton, but if he could manage to walk maybe 30 times a year or so, that’s more than enough when you factor in his exciting speed/power combination.
Think of players like Phillips and Desmond as comparisons – They are both aggressive hitters, and have a similar speed/power combination that Valdespin has.
Prior to Phillips’ age 25 season, he was a .206 hitter with a .246 OBP in 432 AB’s. That’s a lower average, lower OBP, and it’s a larger sample size than Valdespin, yet Phillips has developed into an all star player. Ian Desmond in 1109 AB’s in his 24-25 age seasons, had a .303 OBP and a .677 OPS, yet he was also an allstar last year.
So what’s the point to this? The point is to give Valdespin some time before we write him off. He is one of the best athletes in the system and was a rookie last year with only 191 major league AB’s.
We are told to have patience on here every day, so why can’t we be patient with probably the best athlete on the team?
I seem to be in the minority thus far here…but I’d find it a lot more unfortunate if the Mets were counting on Valdespin to be an everyday guy and handing him the position now. He hit a few nice homers last year…but that was it….overall he was a pretty terrible baseball player. He had a couple nice PHs but got exposed as the season went along and he played a bit more regularly. A .286 OBP? Eeek. His AAA numbers haven’t been anything special either. Add in the attitude issues to boot…he certainly shouldn’t be a guy entitled to anything. I wouldn’t want him as a starting player on my team.
That said – the OF is a huge question mark. And players underperform…players always get hurt. So it is plausible he could show something in ST (though that is usually a terrible barometer) or maybe in the minors that shows himself to be more worthy of playing time at the MLB level
as the team sits, right now there are only 2 guys I would say should be guaranteed spots, with a 3rd by default.
the 2 are Ike and Wright (duh on DW, I know). the 3rd guy is Tejada, simply because there is not a whiff of a replacement option now.
the other 8 spots should all be wide open.
I agree with Jeff, he had a couple of high profile games last year but overall he hasn’t really done enough to solidify a position on the team. If he were outstanding defensively (actually I thought he played a pretty decent 2B but I don’t see him outhitting Murph) maybe there would be more of a demand for his services, but as it stands he didn’t pintch hit as well as Baxter, certainly can’t play the OF as well as Baxter, so it’s highly unlikely he’s going to take that spot. No way is he going to supplant Nieuwenhuis, (I have a hunch about Kirk, I think he’s going to really do well). Duda is the one spot, if Duda really bombs, and if the newcomers Brown and Cowgill and the other guy under-perform, then maybe … but not being a natural outfielder doesn’t help him. Also, that picture of him in a Marlins cap didn’t help at all. It was like some sort of nightmarish Reyes flashback for Metsfans …
I posted on another thread that i want to see him in RF everyday, I guess the brass feels he needs to polish his craft in the minors first. He is a poor defensive infielder so OF is probably the best place for him anyway. Maybe the thinking is let him play AAA for awhile away from the lights and the media and See what he can do there first. He was rushed to the majors from aa last year anyway, One thing I dont want to see is him rotting on the bench on the big team.
Sorry guys. He is AAAA.
he is a clown with pop.
Valdespins attitude could be kept in check if we had a leadr like Hernandez or Knight around to keep him in check…
We however do not have that.
Oh man they should be mentioning Valdespin everyday and put his picture on the 2013 media guide otherwise they don’t care about him.
I think the Lastings Milledge coments are fair.
Baseball is a team sport and some of the younger players seem to forget that.
Lastings had great potential but I’m sure what a lot of Mets fans remember is him high-fiving the fans after hitting a homer that TIED a game.
Valdy, from what I’ve read, has a me-first attitude that doesn’t bode well for a team sport.
I hope I’m wrong.
If lastings could hit an off-speed pitch, lastings would be in the league.
he cant
so he’s not.
gary sheffield got 10x the criticism lastings got
gary sheffield lasted cuz he could hit
so….can Vlady hit off speed stuff?
vlady as in vlad guerrero ?
ummmm i think so…
if u meant valdy… i think he was just a fast-ball hitter when he came up…as the season progressed, he became more patient and layed off the junk…but at the expense of giving up the 1st pitch, putting himself into a hole
valdy has skills u cant teach, his bat speed is sick, he has speed around the basepaths…
if anything reminds me of carlos gomez, just gotta be a lil more patient with the kids,
in the right environment, a kid like him can flourish.
NY might not be the best place, esp with the media basically casting the guys who dont kiss their butts as villians all the time
valdy can do no good here…
So I’m one of the few who still have a world of confidence in Valdespin, huh?
Let him compete for the starting CF job with Nieuwenhuis & Den Dekker in Spring Training. Should he hit well and show signs of improvement in plate selection, I have no problem in him leading off this season.
Spin is playing RF tonight for Escogido with former Met Nelson Figueroa on the hill for Escogido. If your interested.
http://www.escogido.com/web/escogidotv.php
Hitman,
I have no reason to give up on him yet either. So I’m with you.
Neither have I…. given up on him….
I just think he is a kid who is going to require a Veteran to take him under his wing ans straighten out the attitude and we simply dont have that guy here….
Valde can be a great player if put into the right Situation I just don’t think WRIGHT is right to meet that requirement….
A Pujols, Mex even a guy like Ray Knight would make this kid shape up fly right and be all he can be…
Two are retired and one is in Cali so until Sandy breaks his little 25 Mil piggy bank open (which it’s too late for now anyway) I just think Valde can go either way not due to talent but attitude.
Usually when you think are too good you don’t get better…Unless there is a Vet there to show him what GOOD really means and how to carry yourself to get there.
I’m not sure what some veteran on the big club could do that his coaches and manager haven’t managed to do by now. Spin’s getting a little old in the tooth to be going forward with the same attitude problems we’ve been reading about for a while now.
How many of these young kids grew up admiring and worshiping the great
SUPERSTARS Terry Collins, Dave Hudgens and Tim Teufel?
How many aspired to be JUST LIKE THEM and do everything they say needs to be done to be like them?
Just because your in management does not mean you get the same respect as the BEST CO-WORKER on the team.
Players want to be like GREAT players, when it comes to advice they will buy it from a guy who has succeeded far sooner than some guy that has never done anything of real note claims to know the way to be good yet could never make it work even for himself!
And when it comes to the subject of EGO and Chemistry no coach on the planet can help it.
Unless the entire team hates him and they all rally around each other in hate.
Gil Hodges got through to them only because he was Gil Hodges!
If we had an HOF player as Manager maybe your idea would apply…
And it may even apply to some extent to Backman who while he was never one of the greats he does have the ring and was a much bigger part of that Met team than Teufel ever was.
‘Just because your in management does not mean you get the same respect as the BEST CO-WORKER on the team.’
If he’s not giving ‘management’ respect, he might as well find another line of work. Like them or not, those managers and coaches are his bosses.
If he can’t be bothered, I’d trade him and let him be some other team’s headache.
Well all I can say is Respect is and awful lot like Trust….
It is not something that is given you have to EARN it….
i have more confidence in his ability than i do in this organization’s ability to provide a good environment for him.
the guy can barely speak english, any and every word out of his mouth is construed by SNY and the apes on metsblog as being cocky and too confident.
The guy hits a game-winning HR against the Phils, against the super obnoxious and cocky Papelbon….and Jordany thanks his mother…
that good aura lasted about 5 seconds before someone in the media reported that Jordany didnt tuck his shirt or button it all the way up on the team bus.
I have never in over 30 years of following the mets ever heard of someone’s shirt being a news story
On a literal level, Valdespin wore a T-shirt on the team bus (he said he was running late and forgot about the unwritten rule requiring a collar). Soon after he boarded, teammates began loud teasing, according to a person on the bus.
“This is the big leagues,” the manager said. “The guys said, no. You dress nicer than that. Once in a while, while you make what they think is an error of judgment, they deal with it in their own ways… There are things that we hold valuable, and one is acting and looking like a professional.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-mets-shred-jordany-valdespin-shirt-violates-unwritten-dress-code-rule-article-1.1128134#ixzz2I7GLut21
Sorry, but on another team in another market, this never makes the paper.
That’s not a Mets issue. that’s a 24 hour news cycle thing. Check other teams’ blogs and such. Same pedantic crap gets tossed around. However, this being a huge market and the Mets being in their current situation, these things get magnified.
I think Spin has a chance to earn a roster spot which is all you can ask for if you’re in his spot. He’s making the Opening Day roster as an outfielder with infield utility or bust. I can’t say he’s head and shoulders ahead of a guy like Kirk because Kirk has just as much to prove. So, let them report to Spring Training along with Cowgill, Turner, Lagares, Baxter and let them earn their spot.
bingo.
I can’t stand Valdespin. Prima dona without the prima dona talent.
And you’d know he doesn’t have the talent because…..?
Valdespin with tonight’s game where he went 1 for 4 with a walk has hit safely in all 16 games of the LIDOR Round Robin with 2 games remaining.
In the 15 games coming into today his numbers look as follows,
15/G, 62/AB, 9/R, 27/H, 6/2B, 0/3B, 0/HR, 10/RBI, 6/BB, 11/SO, 9/SB, .435/BA, .485/OBP
I don’t take winter ball or the stats seriously, but I hope he at least learned something that will make him better going into Spring Training.
Agreed.
By the way don’t know where he mostly played in their regular season but in the Round Robin portion for what it’s worth he’s played exclusively Right Field minus 1 game where he played 2B.
and all it takes is one dirty look to erase a .425 batting average
thats the short leash that comes with being brown in this town
Jackie Robinson is the Met”s figurehead black.
With the way the mets roster looks today we are going to see a combo of different players early on in the outfield whether this works out good or bad it is what it is a total mess that needs the most attention.