Mar
14
2013

D’Arnaud and Flores To Be Assigned To Minor League Camp By Friday

An article by John Delcos

dillon gee Normally, when a team has five of its hitters drilled in two games a case can be made for retribution. There’s been no such talk from the Mets about the Detroit Tigers taking liberties with their hitters.

Jim Leyland’s pitchers have always been aggressive, so perhaps this is just a case of not having control early in spring training.

Nonetheless, it hurts just as much in March as it does in July. It will be interesting to see how the Mets respond if somebody takes one in the ribs today.

Retaliation is tricky at any time, but especially during spring training because players are going in and out of the lineup and pitchers are just trying to make the team. Then again, the solution might be to sign Armando Benitez for the day.

Dillon Gee, today’s starter for the Mets against Detroit in Port St. Lucie, does have a spot in the rotation. Just saying.

Also scheduled to pitch today for the Mets are LaTroy Hawkins, Pedro Feliciano, Greg Burke and Josh Edgin. Today’s lineup is as follows:

Jordany Valdespin, lf
Justin Turner, 2b
Ike Davis, 1b
Marlon Byrd, dh
Mike Baxter, rf
Zach Lutz, 3b
Anthony Recker, c
Matt den Dekker, cf
Ruben Tejada, ss

MORE CUTS COMING: The Mets are expected to option catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud and infielder Wilmer Flores to the minor league camp by Friday. If a player on the 40-man roster is injured within 15 days of Opening Day they qualify for major league service time and pay, and must be placed on the disabled list until they are healed. It’s a financial risk the Mets will not take, especially since neither is expected to make the team.

SANTANA NOT READY: Terry Collins told ESPNNewYork.com yesterday Johan Santana is “not too close,’’ to getting back on the mound.

One has to wonder if Santana’s surprise mound appearance might have set him back. At the time, GM Sandy Alderson was projecting he wouldn’t throw for about ten days.

Whether or not Santana reinjured his shoulder is hard to ascertain, but he didn’t do himself any favors and his progress has been set back.

METS MUSINGS: Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis could resume baseball activities today, but is still a way from getting into a game. I’ll have something more about Nieuwenhuis’ disappointing spring later. …Daniel Murphy will take batting practice again today and could get into a minor league game this weekend. … I wrote yesterday about the Mets taking a look at outfielder Brennan Boesch. There could be mild interest. Perhaps working against Boesch is his age. At 27, one would assume an upside, but if this is so, why was he released? It can’t just be the strained oblique.

About the Author: John Delcos

I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.

16 Comments + Add Comment

Nathan March 14, 2013 at 9:19 am

AAA is going to be a power house this year. I hope Flores forces the Mets hands to make a move. It is really looking like Kirk will be starting the year in Vegas.
Metstheory22 March 14, 2013 at 9:45 am

Not surprising. I would rather get the extra year than keeping them and possibly losing them a year early. Bad time for Kirk to get hurt. But as we all know the team you start out with is never the team that finishes the year. Wheeler, D’Arnaud, maybe Flores and den Dekker might see action during the season.
TRS86 March 14, 2013 at 9:47 am

I saw something from Rubin yesterday that he expects Havens to be placed on waivers as well. Sad but what do you expect?
- van March 14, 2013 at 10:54 am
  
  hopefully if they do, he clears. I have not given up all hope for him
neekerbreeker March 14, 2013 at 10:13 am

Bad idea … Havens has Jeff Kent written all over him.
- Dave In Spain March 14, 2013 at 12:14 pm
  
  He also has ¨Fragile¨ written all over him.
Nathan March 14, 2013 at 10:20 am

Havens might clear. However, I think this points out a flaw in Alderson’s plan. At some point, he’s going to have to start trading away some of the log jam. Playing guys out of position once they reach AAA or the majors is just bad planning.
- van March 14, 2013 at 10:58 am
  
  for sure, you can only hoard prospects for so long before it becomes a numbers game. And this coming off season absolutely they will have to move some volume to create room. And a lot of the out of position issue had to do with the guys in the system, either only having guys at the same position (1B/3B), or ones that are just bats with no real position. those are tough to fit in, especially without a DH.
  
  one thing though from recent drafts (whether you like the guy they picked vs. others available) is that they really do seem to be focusing on guys that can also play defense. Not as many bats with no home on the field it seems. That should make it easier as the minors develop. Plus, lots easier to move a guy to a new position if he is a plus defender, instead of a DH!
  - Nathan March 14, 2013 at 11:28 am
    
    I don’t think we are yet hoarding prospects but like you said we seem to have a bunch of the same type of players. I’d love to see some of them moved to fill positions that we need.
Joey D. March 14, 2013 at 12:11 pm

Sending d’Arnaud down so to keep him for that additional year is understandable and in the Mets case, most reasonable since we are not expected to do much of anything this sseason.

But let’s hope that does not work against us as it probably did with the Angeles, who waited until their 20th game to call up Mike Trout,

The Angels started off the season 6-13 and finished four games out of the wildcard. Though one will never know what could have been, it is quite feasible to believe holding Trout back cost them making it into post-season. Could they have gone a modest 11-8 had Trout been in the lineup starting opening day? Through his first 19 games Trout hit .338, drove in nine and scored 13 times with three home runs – meaning one run per game. And five of those thirteen losses were by just a single run and three others just by two.

If the Angels sign Trout to a long-term contract prior to his free agency year, then all they wound up doing was blowing their chances for 2012.
- Dave In Spain March 14, 2013 at 12:16 pm
  
  I don´t think we have to worry about this.
- Hotstreak March 14, 2013 at 12:20 pm
  
  Hi Joey,
  
  If Travis d”Arnuad is comparable too Mike Trout that would be fantastic. Your point about locking up Mike Trout is a good observation that indeed 2012 would have been wasted. The Angels were pennant contenders in 2012, while the Mets are not in 2013. However your observation is worth remembering if and when we do become contenders.
  - Joey D. March 14, 2013 at 1:27 pm
    
    Hi Hotstreak,
    
    Let’s hope that the time the Mets become contendors that we will not be too old to not remember that observation!
    - Hotstreak March 14, 2013 at 1:28 pm
      
      Hi Joey D.
      
      LOL
  - Joey D. March 14, 2013 at 1:30 pm
    
    Hi Hotstreak,
    
    I think I have to worry about that happening to me sooner than to you!
Metsie March 14, 2013 at 1:31 pm

“One has to wonder if Santana’s surprise mound appearance might have set him back”

Exactly what I said would happen once Sandy blew this issue into the press and Santana felt the need to shut everyone up about it….

If he was not ready then Drag him into the pen and MAKE him ready…
Don’t Goad him into doing something he is not ready to do and risk setting him back because he wasn’t ready and hurt himself trying to prove he was….

NL East Standings

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Braves	24	18	.571	-
Nationals	23	20	.535	1.5
Phillies	20	23	.465	4.5
Mets	16	24	.400	7.0
Marlins	11	32	.256	13.5

Last updated: 05/18/2013

MMO Mets Chat

Need Tickets To The Mets Game?

Check Out These Great MLB Links!

For wholesale prices on New York Mets gifts and equipment, check these stores out!
Mets Autograph Signings
Mets Fan Apparel
Mets Autographed Baseballs
Baseball Card Supplies
Baseball Equipment

For the best seats and lowest MLB ticket prices, go to PurchaseSeats.com. Get your Mets Tickets now and follow them on the road with Yankees Tickets, Phillies Tickets, Nationals Tickets and Braves Tickets!