Projected 2013 Mets Minor League Rotations

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• Alex68 January 21, 2013 at 8:06 am

  Is it just me, or the mets minor league teams will be more exciting to watch than the big league club??? This is how pathetic things are in flushing..
  With that being said, St lucie (According to projections of course) is loaded with young arms… Looking forward to see them compete against one another as to whom can outdo the other.. 2016 here we come!
  • Hank January 21, 2013 at 11:34 am

    It’s not just you old friend. I’m actually thinking of asking Joe to write about the Minors because that’s going to be at least 74x more exciting than the “MLB” team.
• Metstheory22 January 21, 2013 at 8:28 am

  Rotations look good but what is their outfield going to look like?
  • Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 9:35 am

    what outfield?!?
• What's cousin Optimus prime January 21, 2013 at 9:21 am

  Looks good but where’s Alex Pants?
  • oleosmirf January 21, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    He’ll be starting in Savannah in the spot he wrongly allocated to Camarena. That guy will be in St. Lucie…
• jerseymet January 21, 2013 at 9:21 am

  With this pipeline of pitching there may not be enough innings to go around. A nice problem to have. The past few years we used AAAA filler types to eat up innings. Nice to see some guys with upside. This will be a make or break year for Schwinden. He looks likes a trading chip. There could be additional openings is Queens by July. Santana for something and Niese for real outfielder.
  • taskmaster4450 January 21, 2013 at 4:16 pm

    Trade piece? Wasnt he the guy who passed through waivers three times last year?
    • jerseymet January 21, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      The same guy. Good enough for AAA but not better than the 40th guy on the roster. Sort of like Mike Nickeas.
• Scup January 21, 2013 at 9:29 am

  The only exception I take is with Angel Cuan going to Binghamton. He did not pitch that well in St Lucie, in his last 10 games he was 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA and a overall record of 6-10 with a 4.01 ERA. I would not be surprised to see him stay with St Lucie unless he has a big turnaround.
  • Wally Backman January 21, 2013 at 9:53 am

    Everyone cant pitch in St. Lucie, it would mean setting someone back a level who is ready to be challenged which sometimes is even worse then moving someone up.

    I think Cuan, Hutchingson and Goeddel are being given their chance to sink or swim as we did last year with some. They got enough time with PSL and have to make room for the real prizes in the Mets system. If that means pushing these three up, so be it. Neither of them were lights out last year and after this year we may never hear from them again like Brad Holt..
    • What's cousin Optimus prime January 21, 2013 at 9:56 am

      Cuans probably going to be moved to the bullpem
      • Wally Backman January 21, 2013 at 9:59 am

        I totally agree with you and I feel the same way about Huchingson. They are both basically two pitch pitchers with one plus pitch.
        • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 10:48 am

          a side benefit for sure of having too many high end SPs fighting for rotation spots. A few guys will end up in the pen waiting for an opportunity.
• srt January 21, 2013 at 9:46 am

  Hefner, Familia and Mejia all making the club out of ST? IDK….
  If they don’t sign a 5th starter before Opening day, Mejia might get that chance. Otherwise, I’m thinking he starts in the starting rotation in triple A, rather than the BP on the big club.

  Of course this could all change depending on how well they do in ST. Not inconceivable that Mejia pitches well and gets the opportunity to head north.
  • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I don’t see them all on the Mets either, but could happen. The spots are up for grabs!

    laffey and Schwinden are definitley bubble guys that could be squeezed out.

    the other wild card at the moment is if there is still a trade for an OF coming. Even if it is a lower level guy (meaning not Upton) it is going to take at least one of these arms to get done.

    but overall, a whole lotta enticing arms. Hopefully enough stay healthy and reach their potential that they can fill out the rotation, and have enough left over for a few BP power arms, and some trade fodder.
• Joe Gomes January 21, 2013 at 9:48 am

  If the Mets decide to give Mejia and Familia more time to work on their control, the AAA rotation could be stacked too. Wheeler, Mejia, Familia, McHugh, Gorsky
  • jerseymet January 21, 2013 at 10:47 am

    D’Arnold will most likely be their catcher in Las Vegas. This will be a great opportunity to get familiar with this organization’s top pitching prospects.
• Joe Gomes January 21, 2013 at 9:53 am

  Hey Joe,
  Tell us the best projected ML rotation with the guys we just read about?

  Wheeler, Harvey, Niese, Syndergaard, Fulmer? Need a 2nd LH, Matz?
  • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 10:46 am

    I Think matz is the real dark horse. He could easily have a huge year and shoot up the ladder a bit this season, if he is finally all the way back from the TJ surgery.
• Wally Backman January 21, 2013 at 9:57 am

  Nice job and kudos for putting Mateo in PSL which I hope the Mets really do. I think Schwinden is just fodder, wasn’t he picked up and released by 2-3 other teams in 2012? If Mejia or Familia dont make it out of ST they’ll take his spot I agree. A few of those other names like Germen and Cuan I don’t even consider prospects but my guess is that they wont cut them so play them and see what happens.
  • What's cousin Optimus prime January 21, 2013 at 10:55 am

    German has decent stuff, I think he can be an ok middle reliever. Cuan sucks though, when I saw him he was 83-85 with the fastball.
• kevin January 21, 2013 at 10:09 am

  I know we signed two outfielders, but have we signed anyone for the bullpen yet? We wont have Ramirez, Rauch, Acosta back and Byrdak is out until the summer. Have we replaced any of them yet? I see Francisco, Parnell, Edgin, and then who else? Carson? We seem to have 4 openings by my count.
  • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 10:58 am

    There is that sidearm guy (Bourke?) who almost definitely will be there. Then a long guy, maybe heffner or laffey. so that gets you up to 5 guys.

    the other 2, most likely come out of the ST competition (familia/majia/ramirez/etc.)

    but I think you are right, they did not bring in any established guys guaranteed a role. Though quite possible that will be one of the late backfill signings.
  • DrDooby January 21, 2013 at 11:32 am

    As of today, the 2013 bullpen should look like this:

    Closer: Francisco
    Setup R: Parnell
    Setup L: Edgin
    Middle R: Burke
    Middle L: one of Laffey / Carson / Rice or free agent to be signed
    2nd. Middle R: Familia or veteran free agent to be signed
    Long relief / spot starter: Hefner (or Laffey)

    Edgin, Burke and Familia have a lot of potential and could join Parnell (if not traded eventually) as part of the longterm solution. I still expect at least one veteran free agent to be added, maybe Brian Wilson or Jon Rauch again. Maybe another lefty too. What is Pedro Feliciano doing these days ?
• Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 10:22 am

  Gawd, Syndergaard looks like a potential stud. He’s had stellar seasons since turning pro in ’10. Anything can obviously derail the progress of our top pitching prospects but to have the likes of Montero, Syndergaard, Fulmer, Mateo, Robles, deGrom, Verrett, Ynoa, Lara (and more) in full season AA and full season A Ball may prove incredibly fortuitous for the NY Mets in just a couple years.
  • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 11:14 am

    he does look very promising. Great basis (FB) and good side stuff, and if he refines that enough he could be a stud.

    also looks like the output from the bionic build a SP factory. So no worries about being a little guy that won’t hold up!
• DrDooby January 21, 2013 at 10:49 am

  Very nice projection.
  I agree that Familia & Hefner have a very strong chance to open 2013 on the major league roster.
  At AAA, I do expect Mejia to spend the start of 2013 with Las Vegas as the Mets figure to sign a veteran stopgap SP – my bet being Chris Young 3.0. That probably kicks either Cohoon or Laffey out of your projection, though I could see Laffey in the role of a 2nd lefty on the major league staff anyway.
  At AA, I´m with you – though Hutchigson looks bullpen bound to me. Also, G.Germen could move on as a reliever after his nice Winter Ball showing in that role. Verrett or DeGrom could be a fine candidate to fill out the Binghamton rotation if they stick with 6 pitchers and a spot is open.
  At High A, lefty Alex Panteleodis joins the St. Lucie rotation after his strong finish as the lone lefty and replaces whoever of Verrett or DeGrom heads to Binghamton. Also, wouldn´t be surprised to see Robles skip Savannah after his dominating season with Brooklyn. That´s a tremendously talented rotation btw, with a bunch of legit prospects.
  The Savannah rotation could also well feature RH Miller Diaz, RH Matt Koch and even LH Steve Matz instead of Robles and Camarena and Hillario who both look more like org. fillers than real prospects who´ll get the chance to start. Diaz should be ready for full season ball in his 4th season in pro ball, after a fine season in the Appy League. Koch may be a reliever eventually but needs innings to work on things and should start as a 3rd round pick. And while Matz is brittle, his upside is tremendous and he´ll be Rule V eligible after 2013, so the Mets can´t take things too slow with him.
  Not sure about the Cyclones rotation. Diaz & Matz could end up there – but I could see the Mets be more aggressive with them.
  Overall, the most exciting thing is that every full-season team figures to have at least a handful of pitchers that can be labeled as “legitimate” pitching prospects. The Mets haven´t had pitching depth like that over the past 25+ years.
• jerseymet January 21, 2013 at 11:11 am

  Laffey is not on the 40 man roster at this time. I don’t see Sandy wanting to expose anyone to waivers. I think Aaron is here for depth or as a trade chip.
• Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 11:23 am

  DrDooby, which team has “a tremendously talented rotation”? PSL, Savannah or Brooklyn…? St. Lucie looks absolutely loaded to me, with Robles & Ynoa on the cusp of High A.
  • DrDooby January 21, 2013 at 11:36 am

    St.Lucie:
    Syndergaard – Fulmer – Tapia – Mateo – Robles – DeGrom (if he´s here and not in Binghamton) all have legitimate upside with mid 90s velocity, at least one above average second pitch and above average control for their age. Panteleodis made strides late in the season and could be an under-the-radar breakout candidate with a somewhat limited ceiling, too.

    Of course, the other projected rotations also look quite promising – but St.Lucie´s clearly is the one that stands out the most.
    • Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 11:55 am

      Thanks DrD. Totally agree. Amazing depth. It will be incredibly exciting to follow the tracks of these top prospects this year.
• JetsMets13 January 21, 2013 at 11:46 am

  NICE!!! I love pieces like this. I think Gorski has a legit shot at Mets bullpen role this season, but for the most part aside from Wheeler, most of our best starters are still in the lower minors and quite a bit aways.

  I have a good idea for the site. You should devote one day a week only to the minor leagues. (not counting big news reports) There is nothing that good out there and what you do have is all very amateurish with no analysis. You seem to have the people, the knowledge and the access to make it happen. Maybe do a Mets Minors Monday every week. What do you think?
  • Scup January 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    Sounds like a great idea! I would enjoy seeing one day devoted to our Minor League clubs
• Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 12:09 pm

  Hey J-M13 you’re right, but some are not that far away. This year, with luck, we’ll have Montero & Pill have solid AA years that may also include deGrom, Syndergaard, Mateo…maybe even Fulmer deliver some plus innings in AA this year…with a few of these able to contribute @ CITI for us in ’14.
  • Brian January 21, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    I think Montero is a lock for 2014. When these kids finally make it up I may just become a Mets season ticket holder again, assuming they work out their outifled problems by then.
    • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 12:48 pm

      It is a lot easier to straighten out an OF in a short time than it is to rebuild a piching staff.

      figure if you get 1 guy actually out of the system that is good (and it could be someone they have not traded for yet), 1 FA that makes sense (Upton/Bourn this year, Gomez next say), and you sign a couple veteran FAs to share the 3rd spot 9the cody rosses of the world), you can suddenly have a respectable, functional unit.

      Look at the guy considered the best OF last year, that a lot of people are still crying that they have not re-signed (Hairston). He was a scrap heap signing a couple years ago, and in 2011 was a true spare part.
  • DrDooby January 21, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Thing is, while most of the depth is still in the lower minors, they all have well above average control for their age / level of play. Which means they figure to advance more quickly than a prospect struggling with command or still in need to fill out physically – which most of the Mets prospects have.

    Also, while it´s exciting to have Harvey, Wheeler, Familia, Mejia, Edgin and maybe McHugh, Gorski or even G.Germen (as a hard-throwing reliever !) to look forward to, it´s even better to know that even if things go wrong (like with “Generation K” back in the day), there´s still a plethora of other options in the system and the entire process is merely delayed by a year or two instead of having “flopped” for good (as was the case with Generation K).
    • ifthevansrockin January 21, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      exactly what a guy like Synergies could move really, really quickly.
    • Chicago Days January 21, 2013 at 3:17 pm

      yes, think about it. ‘Behind’ Harvey & Wheeler we’ve got Montero, Pill, Syndergaard, Fulmer, deGrom, Mateo & ‘behind’ that group, there’s Verrett, Tapia, Ynoa, Robles, Lara, Cessa–not to mention a cluster of potentially at least useful arms like Mazzoni, Gorski, German and more. And i left out Familia & Mejia–because i could! Wow.
    • taskmaster4450 January 21, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      The key with pitching prospects (especially high end ones) is health. Most top pitching prospects do not fail because of a lack of stuff or control but because of injury. This is mostly true at the major league level. Hopefully the Mets outlook of taking it slower with the prospects along with baseball’s belief that slowly adding to the yearly inning count is safer will net better results than the Generation K. Besides, I do not see the Mets allowing Collins to throw Harvey or Wheeler (when he arrives) 225 innings like they did with Pulsipher.
• Hitman January 21, 2013 at 6:00 pm

  I don’t know how Cohoon is projected in the AAA rotation when he should be converted into a LOOGY at this stage of his development. That’s his best chance of ever cracking it into the Major Leagues. I don’t see McHugh back in the AAA rotation. Best chance is to have him tryout for a spot in the rotation because like Cohoon, that’s how I see him making it when it’s all said and done. Most likely, Mejia will be taking one of those spots in the rotation for AAA Vegas. I still wish they’d sign someone like Jair Jurrjens to a minor league deal to take that other vacant spot. Also, didn’t Germen end the season in AAA? Why would he be demoted back to AA? He’s another one who will most likely be looked at as a reliever at this point.

  No Panteliodis? Most likely, he’ll repeat Savannah with the deep PSL rotation and be that #6 pitcher instead of Camarena, who’s mostly a long man anyway.
• CB January 22, 2013 at 12:44 am

  how long before Mateo is in AA if he dominates the FSL like he did the NYPL. They wouldn’t really give him a full year in St. Lucie at 23 would they?
  • Fonzie13 January 22, 2013 at 12:58 am

    I’d say after about the mid season break if he’s dominating he’ll get promoted.
• sarge69 January 22, 2013 at 2:35 pm

  Thanks for the post on coming attractions in St. Lucie.
  I live about 4-4 1/2 hr away so I might have to go ck out a couple of St. Lucie Mets games.
  • Joe D January 22, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Hey Sarge,

    Be sure to take plenty of pictures and email them to us when you do make it out to St. Lucie. I would also appreciate hearing about your thoughts on any players and your insights which I have always appreciated.
• sarge69 January 23, 2013 at 2:07 pm

  I will do my darnedest at the games I attend Joe.
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  [...] * Terrific piece by Joe at Metsmerized, “Projected 2013 Mets Minor League Rotations.” [...]