3
2013
Mets Matters: Duda Breaks Out, Byrd Could Push Hot-Hitting Valdespin To Vegas
An article by 
It is not surprising that GM Sandy Alderson indicated today it is “less and less likely,’’ Johan Santana would be ready for Opening Day.
Alderson attributed that to Santana not being in good shape when he reported to spring training because he didn’t go through his normal off-season routine after extensive rehabbing the previous two winters.
“From my standpoint, his arm is fine, as far as we know,’’ Alderson told reporters. “Was he ready to pitch when he came into camp? No. Even he may have been a little surprised by that.
“So that leaves us where we are today. And where we are today is getting him ready to pitch as soon as we possibly can. We haven’t rule out Opening Day, although given when we think he might get on the mound, it becomes less and less likely. We haven’t given up on that notion yet. And we’ll see where it takes us.’’
The Mets are kidding themselves in thinking Santana has a chance to make the Opening Day start because he hasn’t thrown off the mound since Feb. 19.
Jonathon Niese will start if Santana opens the season on the disabled list. In that scenario, ESPN reports the earliest Santana could start would be the sixth game of the season.
Also expected to open the season on the disabled list is closer Frank Francisco, meaning Bobby Parnellwill get that opportunity.
PITCHING UPDATE: Shaun Marcum, LaTroy Hawkins and Pedro Feliciano are expected to pitch in a “B’’ game Tuesday against the Marlins.
Marcum and Hawkins have been working in the bullpen to build up their arm strength. Feliciano, who has a heart ailment, was cleared to resume throwing, and will wear a heart monitor.
SATURDAY’S GAME: The 8-8 tie with Miami reminded me that there was a time when they played extra innings during spring training. I remember a story that Pete Rose got his break during a long extra-innings game in which he made an impression with several extra at-bats. I am sure he’s not the only one. There’s no telling who might have had a chance to shine if the game lasted a few more innings. The game sure has changed.
Even so, two Mets in particular left the game with a good taste in their mouths.
The first was Matt Harvey, who gave up a leadoff homer to Christian Yelich, then settled in for 2.2 solid innings in a 49 pitch outing. He was coming off a solid debut last Sunday when he allowed one run in two innings against the Astros. So far, so good.
The second was Lucas Duda, who homered and hit an opposite-field double. Manager Terry Collins was more impressed with the latter because it reflected positively on alterations he made with his stance.
Going the opposite way is vital for Duda, because it shows patience and means shortening his stroke. Statistically, this should lead to reduced strikeouts and more walks, thereby adding to his on-base percentage. Duda will open the season in left field, which, at Citi Field is easier to handle than in right.
Corner infielder Zach Lutz continues to wield a hot bat and picked up two more hits in yesterday’s contest. He’s drawing a lot of attention and many believe he’s MLB ready and worthy of at least a bench spot with the Mets. The trouble is that Justin Turner stands in his way and he’s also having a nice camp for the Mets.
OUTFIELD BATTLE: Collin Cowgill (.500) and Jordany Valdespin (.429) both lead the team in hits and are battling with 36-year old Marlon Byrd and Andrew Brown for the two available utility outfield spots. Brown is is batting .134 and seems to be fading, but Collins prefers Byrd’s veteran experience and never stops talking about it. My choice would be Cowgill and Valdespin, but Byrd reminds me a lot of Julio Franco (remember him?) and he might push a more deserving youngster, in this case Valdespin, to Triple-A no matter what the spring numbers are. Baseball’s a funny game.
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.
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“Statistically, this should lead to reduced strikeouts and more walks, thereby adding to his on-base percentage.”
That great, let’s make a potential slugging run producer who we want to hit the ball deep and drive in runs swing less. Great.
that’s a great idea! Train Duda to walk so the 7,8, & 9 hitters can bring him. Forget wanting him to make contact with the bottom of the order coming up.
That’s nice.
yeah, no, duda should keep swinging and missing with his approach from last year when they tried to get him to pull the ball more to hit more home runs. A lot of balls go over the fence that way.
I know right? They should have left him alone last year because in 2011 he was just fine.
I´m not sure that Kirk Nieuwenhuis is a 100 % lock for the opening day roster at this point. If Kirk continues to struggle and both Valdespin and Byrd play strong, it would make sense sending Kirk to Las Vegas for a bit to work on things while Cowgill becomes the fulltime CF with Valdespin & Byrd platooning in RF and Baxter getting the role of main lefty bat off the bench.
As for Turner, if the Mets feel Lutz is ready to hit in the majors and remain healthy for a change in a bench role, then trading Turner could indeed become an option. Unless he becomes the backup middle infielder and kicks either Hicks or Quintanilla off the roster.
Right now, it appears there are only two bench jobs available for Turner, Hicks, Lutz and Quintanilla.
I don’t see how Byrd and Vspin are in competition with each other as one is lh and one right. Duda, Cowgill, Kirk/dd, Baxter/Vspin, Byrd/brown appears to be the choices.
agreed. Assume for now that Duda is going to be the regular LF (I don’t think it is guaranteed, but it is the plan at the moment).
that leaves 4 regular OF spots, and I would be shocked if it was not going to be 2 LH and 2 RH.
IMO, Cowgill is close to a lock because he plays CF. So that leaves 1 RH and 2 LH spots.
therefore, Bryd, Brown, and Hoffman are the “real” OFs competing for that 1 spot (with a guy like Lutz a longshot).
2 LH, you have Spin, Baxter, Dekker (maybe) and Kirk fighting for those spots. Though it seems like Baxter has almost been guaranteed his spot, and I would still be shocked if they went with Dekker OD. So, Spin and Kirk fighting for the last spot.
and of course, starter vs. platoon vs. bench is up for grabs.
Valdespin is at worst coming north as a super sub
TC likes Byrd, wow what a shock! Earth to TC we are in a rebuilding year and we really want to see our younger players be givin a chance so next year we will know where we stand not
with a 36 old player who will have nothing to do with this team next year! I said this yesterday,
platoon MDD and Cowgill in CF and play Spin in RF! I don’t get it? Byrd and Spin are both
having hot springs so Spin who is 25 should go down and Byrd who is 36 should stay?
While Murphys been hurt TC should have been giving Flores a serious shot at 2nd base
to see if we have something there right now or not? Playing Turner who will ither be gone
or a bench player everyday doesn’t make sense the mets already know what turner can do
but if Flores makes a good(or great) impression maybe we could trade murphy when he’s
healthy and give Flores a shot at 2nd base? I read that Murphy is FA after this year and with
Flores waiting in the wings I doubt the mets will resign him anyway!
TC is managing to keep his job next year. I think he’s less concerned about rebuilding. Haven’t we seen this movie before? In some ways, I’m rooting for another mediocre season… to see Wally in Queens for a long, long time.
managers always seem to love their seasoned veteran guys. Even if it is the easy way out.
yes and no
in 2010, Jerrry lobbied for Ike and Mejia to come up…he lost on Ike, and won with Mejia…
we wasted the 1st month on Mike Jacobs, just to save 1 year on Ike and messed up Mejia’s progress
in Jordany’s case…
TC doesnt like JV
case closed…
JV might be the most talented of all our outfield prospects in upper minors. He apparently has an attitude problem and is not a good teammate, based what we read in the media. But as the manager and leader of this team, it’s TC’s job to harness JV’s skills and help him adjust his attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying JV is not responsible for himself. Give JV a fair chance over the course of full season and see what he can do and how he behaves both on and off the field and in the clubhouse. And if he’s not productive and still has an attitude problem, cut ties with him.
If Valdespin is not going to make the team as a starter (I think he’s deserving of that), then I’d rather see him go AAA and play in the outfield everyday. He’s still fairly new to the outfield and needs reps. He can then come up around mid-season for good.
R u kiddin? Jv obp. Is like .280 in the minors! U want him to start? Y? He can’t get on base to use his speed, he was terrible in the of, and aside from ph hr’s (which were great) he did nada, n wearin a marlins hat……please. A lot of growin Jo to do! Reminds me of milledge? Can be great player if he grows up and matures and stops thinking he’s n all star all ready. My 2cents. Lol
I think the idea is to swing at strikes and stop waving helplessly at breaking balls in the dirt, like he did all last year. Nobody is saying they want Duda to stand there with the bat on his shoulders, letting fastballs fly right by him!
Wow, let’s twist everything that’s said around so that it fits the bird brain mentality you spew daily. Honestly, what’s wrong with trying to get their batters to lay off balls and swing at strikes? There’s no question that Duda was horrible last season, expanding the zone. Should the Mets really just tell him to keep it up and hope for the best.
It really is pretty simple with Duda. They want him to go back to what he did in the minors and 2011. Use the whole field, with power the other way. But stop getting himself out trying to do too much, and fishing for junk.
so it is not about cutting down on hits for walks. It was simply about taking a walk if they weren’t going to give him a pitch to hit, instead of swinging at a ball anyway and taking the K.
In the minors, Duda always was a patient guy, with a high OBP (and slugging after the first few years).
Man if Duda did what he did at every level in the minors, we would have a Giancarlo Stanton, don’t laugh look at his #’s…….problem is with Duda …….no confidence! If he come around this year it changes the whole team. All of a sudden…..
Cowgill cf Neise Harvey wheeler marcum gee, don’t laugh Santana closer!
Murphy 2b. What’s his face 8th in. Name blanks me now u all know who.
Wright 3b. Santana can’t start nemore, he was a reliever, he would be
Davis1b. Deadly as closer, gas it up for 1 inning! Let me coach please!
Darnaugh? Catcher
Duda lf
Whoeva rf
Tejada ss.
CThomp519 – It’s nice to see that you understand the Mets hitting philosophy. Can’t say the same for all of us. Perhaps Dave Hudgens or Terry Collins would help us fans by formalizing the Mets approach. Some of us need it badly.
boy 519 you are obssessed with me, why? Because I call on your God Sandy’s way of doing things on a daily basis? Sorry that bothers you that I see something Alderson does that bothers me all the time. Get used to it, bud.
And maybe if they get out of Duda’s way he can return to what got him to the majors instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and ruin another season like they did last year with Duda, Ike, & Murphy. And there is nothing you can say that can disprove that either. Oh, and you’re a BIRDBRAIN as well, pal. Because you can’t think for yourself. Do yourself a favor if my rants bother you so much than ignore them.
In the article the author wishes that they play extra innings in spring training in the case of a tied game. I disagree. Spring training seems longer and when you have split squad games you in effect play a doubleheader. Too much can be too much especially when facing the grind of a 162 game season and an expanded post season. I know baseball owners would never agree due to the cost but I would like to see a permanent expanded roster to 28 players. As a manager I would add a speedy runner who can run bases late in the game to break a tie or score a run, a long reliever and another bat off the bench. Will never happen but would make for a better game, and would also extend the careers of some great ballplayers. In mt calculation for the ’13 season I have already written off Santana. I think his impact is minimal at best. Final note. Watching the games live I see small crowds at Tradition Field yet when I tune to other games the spring training stands look almost sold out. Are we losing our fan base?
I have never been there, but I was always under the impression that PSL was relatively out in the boondocks. Other teams (like the group around Tampa) have a whole lot more population to draw from, and more common tourist areas. IOW, you have to really go out of your way to see the Mets in ST.
Metfan Lou — “Watching the games live I see small crowds at Tradition Field yet when I tune to other games the spring training stands look almost sold out. Are we losing our fan base?”
Lou, it was cold and windy in PSL yesterday. Probably most fans watched it on the internet of TV. The weather was one reason why the game was called after nine innings. But you point out by implication that fan attendance is higher at some west coast of Florida games. If the Nationals vacate Viera in the next couple of years, the Mets just might go to the west coast of Florida too. It’s been rumored the Nationals will. Corporate box areas have been installed and other ;improvements made at Space Coast Stadium in Viera to entice the Nationals to stay. The knock against the east coast of Florida is that there are too few teams still playing there so bus trips for away games are long. The only east coast sites now used are Viera, PSL and Jupiter.
Thanks for that inside information. I never really took much of an interest in spring training until I got MLB.TV. The stadium at PSL looks nice and the fans are close to the field and it looks like a great place to watch a game. One thing I think is stupid is the intervierws that go on during the game. The questions are really stupid, the players know they have to do it but don’t look that interested and after watching two or three I know the questions and know the answers. For example “So do you think getting more time in right field will impove your game.” Need I say more.
If Spring Stats are an illusion in baseball, then why the hell are we going with Byrd over ‘Spin? It makes zero sense to me. Often, the last good baseball Stats for fading veterans (Byrd) are their Spring Stats. The guy will stink up the joit, come June. What are we doing going with Byrd in a rebuilding year, where it’s critical to gauge the talent f our young guys and/or late bloomers (Cowgil, Lutz,Brown, Hoffman). We should go with Duda, MDD, ‘Spin in the OF, with Cowgil, Brown or Hoffman as platoons.
normally i would agree with u…but i would have jordany really sharpen his OF skills so he can replace whatever scrub Sandy has in RF..
it would be hard to justify keeping JV in AAA with a scrub hitting .240 with no power after a few months
.240?!? You’re an optimist! I hear ya. That’s probably the way it’ll go. And ‘Spins stats will likely be explosive, given the thin Vegas air. As i also expect MDD’s stats to be in Vegas.
no worries….when Spins stats are through the roof in AAA….I’m sure people will discount it b/c it was in Vegas…
when Travis’s stats are through the roof in AAA…I’m sure people will conveniently forget that it was in Vegas
people forget…
travis is a career .286 hitter in the minors…..
travis hit .255 at age 20 in A ball
travis hit .259 at age 21 in AA ball
travis has had a back injury, a concussion, a torn thumb ligament, and a torn knee ligament
and he hasnt even reached the majors yet….
how long do u think he is going to last as a catcher ???
and if he doesnt…will his bat ( and glove ) be good enough to push Ike off 1B?
nope…but his salary might….
stay tuned…
Wat has jv done? Seems like everyone loves him. A few ph homers and he’s god. His #’s stink in the minors and the majors……and he can’t play the of. Am I missing sumthing? Let him get his obp above .300 in the minors first geez.
Well technically if you can hit a Dinger coming cold off the bench you SHOULD be able to hit them all the time….
He doesn’t! And coupled with his attitude I think I know why….
He is one of those who has motivational issues….It’s a sympton of thinking your good maybe better than you are…
When you think that and you have been sitting all day you come out motivated to show everyone how wrong they were to keep you on the bench!
And when you get into the game you don’t have that extra motivation, OR the work ethic and just wait for your GREATNESS to show…
And sometimes it doesn’t show….
It is a sign that his issues are in the head not the body. He has great potential and could (if he realizes it all) be one of the best players in the game and not have to be the only one in the room who thinks your bound for the hall!
There is nothing wrong with Valdespin that a good Veteran Leader couldn’t solve provided you find one he is willing to listen and look up to…
Not sure that guy is here yet….
This is my first time go to see at here and i am actually pleassant to read everthing at
alone place.
We need pinch hitters in the late innings and guys like Hicks, Quintanilla, and Andrew Brown are just not going to make the grade…
Outfield – I’d like to see both Turner and Valdespin take some turns at SS, so they could keep some power on the bench with Turner, Valdespin, and Lutz. Takeda is going to play 95% of the time anyway, and all those guys can also play some outfield if needed.
Outfield – Neuwenheis does not seem ready, so let’s keep Duda, Byrd, Cowgill, and Baxter, and Valdespin could come out their at times too…
oops – the first bullet should say “infield”, not “outfield”
Leading off today valdespin
I just had an epiphany. Good or bad, our OF on Opening Day will be Duda, Cowgil, ‘Spin, with Byrd & Baxter as ‘depth’. The crystal ball is cloudy past that. MDD, being a lefty bat, may be hard pressed to see Citi Field this year, unless he is lights out in Vegas and / or injuries / production issues occur.
Right now, I’m guessing Duda/ Cowgill/Byrd/Baxter/Spin/Turner/Q are making the team.
Almost another month to go yet so plenty of time for some of the others to step up and try to win a spot.
Glad to see Duda get a couple hard hits. He went to LF and hit a bomb off a lefty…two very positive signs. If they can get (and maintain) his confidence, then he is big cog in that OF.
As of now it looks like Cowgill is the only deserving player with an outfield spot full Time, if JV had Cowgils heart and grit I would say he has to start in right, Duda has to start in left because of his power potential which we desperately need to compete this year, he is a big piece if he can harness his power potential. So I see Duda an everyday left fielder to start the season as well as Cowgill the everyday centerfielder. In right let them battle it out but if JV continues to rake I think he should get his chance in right and let Byrd provide veteran presence off the bench and alternate supplementing Duda and JV in right and left field vs lefties so they can get a break. Baxter is a very good pinch hitter and late inning defensive replacement. Kirk needs to go down and work on his strikeouts, he also provides depth with MDD as well later in the year.
If Cowgill continues to hit which I think he will just not at this kind of pace, moire like 280 10 dingers 80 to 90 runs, 50 to 60 rbi 20 SB i can see from this kid in center which would be great, and if Duda can hit 20 to 25 dingers then the Mets outfield is not nearly as bad as predicted. Anything coming out of right that’s positive is a bonus. These are not unrealistic expectations what so ever.
Let’s see this Cowgill and the rest of this filler later on as ST wears on as pitchers stop loosening up, stop experimenting, and start really pitching. Everybody is going gaga over a couple of hits at the beginning of ST, unreal.
And I guess the same can be said of Jordanny too but I have a feeling that Jordanny is the one who is going to adapt more relative to his potential since he’s still new to the majors.
Let’s see how both of them do once the bell rings and it’s for real. My money is on Jordany.
those 2 actual have just about the same amount of ML PAs. Cowgill has 10 more. so no real experience difference to base anything on.
It’s always better to see your guys doing well than struggling so in that respect seeing Spin and Cowgill get off to a good start is nice but I try to really start keying in on how the players look at the plate on the mound and in the field with about 2 weeks to go in camp. So if they are doing well at around that time it will say more to me as to who may end up with the edge to make the team going North.
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