Las Vegas 10, Sacramento 6

On the mound, Darin Gorski got the start and had a decent outing. He fared much better than he had in his previous start, but finished just a third of an inning shy of getting a quality start. The lefty allowed three earned runs and struck out four, en route to his first win of the season. Gorski did not allow a walk in the game, which was a nice improvement after he walked four batters in each of his first two starts of the season.

In the bullpen, the recently demoted Greg Burke pitched a scoreless frame, as did Dylan Owen who closed out the game. Armando Rodriguez and Gonzalez Germen both continued to struggle as they combined to give up three earned runs.

After starting out slow on offense the past few games, the 51s flipped the script and jumped on the River Rats early and often. Andrew Brown replaced Travis d’Arnaud in the cleanup spot, and had three hits, including a triple that drove in Juan Lagares in the first. Brian Bixler scored on a wild pitch in the second, and Eric Campbell and Bixler had RBI singles that plated three more runs the third inning. Wilmer Flores, who has been heating up lately, hit his first home run of the season, drove in three runs, and is now batting .304. Reese Havens doubled in his fifth run of the season, and Juan Lagares was once again a factor at the top of the order scoring two runs and driving in another.

As we reported on Thursday, Juan Centeno has been promoted and will take over the majority of the catching duties while d’Arnaud is out.

Key Stats

• Wilmer Flores: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 2 R
• Juan Lagares: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 3B, BB
• Andrew Brown: 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R
• Eric Campbell: 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI
• Darin Gorski: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 K,

I can get used to playing in Savannah, and those BBQ Pork Kabobs aren’t half bad.

Breaking News:

As I predicted only two days ago, Jacob deGrom was indeed promoted to Binghamton before Noah Syndergaard.

DeGrom replaces Luis Mateo, who was placed on the DL with a right elbow strain.

Good call by the Mets, and a hearty get well soon to Luis Mateo.

Joe D.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Savannah (6-5) topped the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 8-5
• St. Lucie (8-3) defeated the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 6-3
• Binghamton (6-5) dropped a game to the Portland Sea Dogs, 7-4
• Las Vegas (6-6) got toppled by Colorado Springs, 19-5

Prospect Pipeline

• Brandon Nimmo‘s new nickname is the Human Torch — he is on absolute fire. He had another three hits, one of which was his first home run of the season, and added five RBI in last night’s game. He is now the organization leader in batting, with a .429 average. He is also the only hitter in the organization with a batting average over .400. Nimmo on his home run: ”I was looking for a good pitch to hit, and I got a fastball inside and drove it well,” he said. “It felt really good. Even in my fourth at-bat, I hit the ball pretty well. I was staying on the ball, seeing it well tonight. You just enjoy these nights.”
• Travis d’Arnaud hit his first home run of the year on Monday night. So far on the season, d’Arnaud is hitting an even .300, and has six extra base hits and eight RBI. Even more impressive is the fact that he has walked twelve times against seven strikeouts. His on base percentage is an outstanding .488. This kid is ready for big league pitchers.
• I’ve been saying since last Summer that Rafael Montero could be a viable option for the Mets 2014 rotation. Some scoffed, but I stood my ground. Now I say he’s a lock and we’ll see him by September of this season at the latest. I’m higher on Montero than I am about Noah Syndergaard and I don’t really care what others think about that. Three starts into his Double-A season and Montero already looks like he needs more of a challenge at Triple-A, and no, it’s not too early to say that as I said he was polished enough to start at Vegas even before the season started. Also, what is the big deal about who signed Montero? It’s as if some will root less for him based on who signed him. I swear, I’m seeing more and more fans with this crackpot mentality everyday. Give it a break. (Joe D.)
• As I wrote in an article yesterday, right-hander Zack Wheeler pitched 5.1 innings, issued no walks and struck out 8 on Sunday afternoon. Improvement? Without a doubt. But for crying out loud stop with all the cries of calling him up. He hasn’t thrown one quality start yet and is completely gassed by the fifth inning. All these scouts that follow him around like puppy dogs never say anything about that. I get it, he has four plus pitches, no need to repeat it every five days. His pitch counts are way too high and while he walked none in this last start, I lost count of how many times he went to three ball counts on batters. One-hundred pitches through five innings is not going to cut it in the major leagues. Stop trying to get the front office to rush him. He has the talent and bulldog mentality that Matt Harvey does, but not nearly the refinement and efficiency. (Joe D.)
• Collin McHugh gets the ball tonight for Las Vegas. Many people have been calling for McHugh to be called up to Flushing, and rightly so. So far this season, McHugh is 2-0, has an ERA under 1.00, and twelve strikeouts to only one walk. (Hey Mitch, I second that motion. – JD)
• J.J. Cooper, of Baseball America, answered some fans’ questions about prospects, and why some players got the snub on his Prospect Hot Sheet last week. Here is what he had to say about Nimmo and Travis d’Arnaud: “Nimmo was in consideration more than d’Arnaud…  The catcher’s week was nice, but not really Hot Sheet worthy in a week where 150+ players posted 1.000 OPS or better. And many of them were playing in less hitter-happy environments.” And in regards to Kevin Plawecki: “Thought about it for a little while. Working against him was the fact that he’s a tick old for the Sally League, but the Mets like to take it slow with their draft picks. He still looks to be most likely a backup catcher at the big league level, but he is an intriguing guy to watch.” Here is what he said about the Mets pitcher who impressed him most so far this season, not named Rafael Montero: “Mateo. He was in serious consideration to at least make the team photo. Very nice first outing after a healthy jump up in level of competition.” What about Montero’s chances of pitching at Citi Field in 2013? “Let’s slow down a minute. I know the Marlins just rocketed Jose Fernandez to the big leagues, but that’s a rare case. Montero has two starts in Double-A and only 10 pro starts above low Class A right now. A full season in Double-A is probably best for his development.”
• Lately, I seem to find myself watching twice as much Mets minor league baseball than regular Mets baseball. I don’t miss any of the Mets games, but in addition to them I’m catching at least two other minor league games a day as well. Sometimes simultaneously. I just find the minor league games to be so much more compelling and it reminds me of the old baseball broadcasts where you could actually hear the sounds of the game instead of three guys in a booth that yap non-stop and then those insane interviews that cut in while players are scoring runs in the background. SNY broadcasts have become way too noisy and distracting to me. Call to the Booth, Tweet the Booth, Text Polls, Cholula Hot Sauce Meters, etc. It’s a wonder they could fit the game in. (Joe D.)

Stat Line of the Night

Brandon Nimmo: 3-for-5, R, HR, 5 RBI

Tweet of the Day

Zack Wheeler took Darin Gorski on his first trip to In-N-Out Burger:

First trip to in and out was a success…def one of the best burgers I’ve ever had and the fries animal style #legit

— Darin Gorski (@darin_gorski20) April 15, 2013

Picture Courtesy Of Zack Wheeler’s Twitter Feed

Transactions

Retroactive to April 11, Cory Mazzoni was placed on the disabled list due to ”Tennis Elbow.” Luis Mateo was called up from St. Lucie to fill in for Mazzoni while he is out. He started last night’s game, and was removed in the fourth inning with an apparent injury. Before leaving the game, Mateo gave up four runs on six hits. He also walked three batters.

In other transactions, Pedro Feliciano joined the St. Lucie roster, Adam Kolarek was moved up from Binghamton to Las Vegas, and Shawn Teufel was added to Binghamton’s roster from extended spring training. Teufel arrived in Binghamton, and then found himself pitching a couple of hours later, coming in to relieve Mateo when he was removed from the game. He pitched two innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.

So Sandy is yelling at Terry five times a day?

Colorado Springs 11, Las Vegas 6

In a game where the two teams combined for thirty hits, the Las Vegas 51s dropped this one to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 11-6.

It was trouble out of the gate for Vegas in this one, as designated starter Darin Gorski was only able to last two innings in this late-night affair. Gorski struggled from the start, and faced all nine hitters in the Colorado Springs lineup in the first inning, where he allowed three runs. He allowed back-to-back RBI doubles in the second inning, and although he got out of the jam, he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half of the inning. Gonzalez German was brought on, and he pitched the next three frames while allowing two runs in the top of the fourth.

Robert Carson allowed an inherited runner from Dylan Owen to score in the seventh on a wild pitch, but had an overall line of an inning and two-thirds pitched without allowing a hit and striking out three. Justin Hampson struggled in his inning, allowing five hits and three earned runs in the eighth, but he managed to strike out two batters. Jeurys Familia rounded out the pitching for the 51s, and pitched a hitless ninth while setting two down on strikes.

It looked like this could possibly have been a higher scoring affair, but Las Vegas was only able to score in bunches – three in the third and three in the fifth. After an RBI ground-out by Travis D’Arnaud in the third inning, Andrew Brown drove home Wilmer Flores on an RBI double, and was promptly sent home on a Josh Satin RBI single. Satin was not finished, however, as he drilled his fourth home run of the campaign in the sixth – a two-run shot that scored D’Arnaud, who had reached base after ripping an RBI double.

Vegas had the bases loaded in the seventh inning with none out, but failed to score any runs as Zach Lutz and Jamie Hoffman flew out and Reese Havens followed that with a strikeout.

Key Stats

Wilmer Flores: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R

Travis D’Arnaud: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R

Josh Satin: 2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 1 R

Darin Gorski: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 ER, 0 K

Las Vegas 4, Fresno 3

Darin Gorski had a decent outing and the late hitting for the 51s sealed the win, 4-3.

—

Darin Gorski had a solid outing, going five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, walking four and striking out three. Gorski did not exhibit solid command, but managed to miss the bats enough to walk away with a respectable start. Gorski will always be a contact pitcher, and the development of his breaking ball will determine his final resting place. Greg Peavey went two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Justin Hampson got the win, giving up one hit in his inning of work. Jeurys Familia came out for his inning to grab the save, giving up two hits but striking out one batter. Pitching has been a huge part of the 51s success and will continue to be.

On the offensive side, Vegas continued its early scoring mentality netting a run on a Wilmer Flores RBI groundout and an Andrew Brown RBI triple. Josh Satin would push an RBI single in the sixth inning to tie the game. A Jamie Hoffman RBI single in the top of the ninth inning would seal the win for the 51s. Despite many offensive explosion type games, the 51s have shown some clutch hitting as well as some great situational hitting.

Zack Wheeler toes the rubber for the 51s tomorrow evening at 10:05 ET as Las Vegas (4-1) continues their series with the Fresno Grizzlies.

Key Stats

• Juan Lagares - 2 for 5, R
• Travis d’Arnaud – 1 for 3, R, BB
• Wilmer Flores – 0 for 3, R, RBI, BB, K
• Darin Gorski - 5 IP, 5H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• Jeurys Familia - 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, SV

Binghamton Mets 7, Erie SeaWolves 2

Erik Goeddel had a great outing and the offense made sure there was no doubt in the 7-2 victory

—

Erik Goeddel put together a strong outing, going six innings giving up two runs on eight hits, walking no one and striking out five. Goeddel relied on generating ground balls and leaning on his defense, which is always a positive plan when you have a great defense behind you. Jack Leathersich came out for two innings of work, and allowed one hit while striking out two batters. Leathersich may be the fastest mover in the Mets system based on his ability to be a crossover reliever and dominate lefties. Jeffrey Walters came out for the ninth inning and allowed two hits and walked one batter pitching the ninth. The premier pitching surplus is present in Binghamton and they are utilizing it well.

The B.Mets offense didn’t take the day off either, with five earned runs crossing the plate and a few runs scoring due to some shoddy defense from the SeaWolves. Cesar Puello hit an RBI double in the fifth and was thrown out in a run down play being aggressive. Alonzo Harris hit a solo home run in the sixth inning. Wilfredo Tovar had an RBI fielders choice in the seventh, scoring Cesar Puello. Darrell Ceciliani had a two-RBI double in the seventh, and Cory Vaughn struck out swinging but a wild pitch allowed Darrell Ceciliani to score from third. Rhyne Hughes netted an RBI on a force attempt in the ninth inning, scoring Alonzo Harris.

Rafael Montero looks to build on his strong opening day start against Erie tomorrow evening at 6:05 ET.

Key Stats

• Alonzo Harris - 3 for 5, HR, 2 R, RBI
• Cory Vaughn – 0 for 5, 3 K
• Cesar Puello – 1 for 3, R, RBI, BB, K
• Erik Goeddel - 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Jack Leathersich - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER. 0 BB, 1 K

With Aaron Laffey officially named the starter on Sunday, when the Mets complete their series against the Miami Marlins, the front office have a corresponding move to make.

It looks like the beneficiary will be Darin Gorski who was initially assigned to Double-A Binghamton.

The left-hander, who I had pegged for Vegas all along, had a solid season for Bingo in 2012, making 24 starts and posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 139.2 innings pitched.

Noah Syndergaard will lead a talented Advanced-A rotation in St. Lucie.

Two months ago I rolled out my first pass at pre-season projections for our Mets minor league rotations. We now have more mush clarity and some official assignments that have been announced. Many of the pitchers I reached out to at the lower levels have replied back to me with their assignments.

I’ve asked Teddy, one of our two MInor League Analysts, to look over my projections and share some of his commentary and analysis. He’s seen many of these pitchers up close and knows a good many of them personally. Now that he’s returned from Minor League camp, I thought it would be great to have him add his feedback to my post.

Here you go…

Las Vegas 51′s (Triple-A)

1. Zack Wheeler
2. Collin McHugh
3. Aaron Laffey
4. Chris Schwinden
5. Carlos Torres

I’m pretty sure that Dylan Owen and Mark Cohoon will be on hand when duty calls although I’m disappointed that Cory Mazzoni and Darin Gorski got squeezed out of AAA. Jenrry Mejia, as you all know, is shut down for 1-2 months with more arm woes. I don’t get the Torres fascination, I really don’t.

Teddy’s Take: Well, of course Wheeler and McHugh are givens, considering their ability to have thrived at the lower levels, and I didn’t even realize Chris Schwinden was still with the Mets. I believe that Laffey might be the first pitcher up when an injury goes down, and Cohoon would be the one to take over. I don’t believe however, that Dylan Owen will be considered another starting pitcher after two poor years statistically, and a fastball that barely scrapes 90. I do believe that Gorski deserves a spot over Carlos Torres, who pitched himself out of spring training early enough. Gorski is a more advanced arm, and that has been evident. The question is: who takes over for Wheeler, Laffey, and McHugh after they leave? I also believe Armando Rodriguez’s time as a starter is over, he will be a reliever this year. But, if it were me, I’d have Torres in the pen, and Cohoon starting. Gorski deserves the spot.

Binghamton Mets (Double-A)

1. Cory Mazzoni
2. Darin Gorski
3. Jacob deGrom
4. Rafael Montero
5. Tyler Pill  
6. Erik Goeddel

The Mets have a real numbers problem at starting pitching. Having Gorski and Mazzoni in Bingo means we had to hold back a couple of starting pitchers who were ready for the jump like Logan Verrett and Chase Huchingson. At this point I’m thinking they’ll go with a six-man rotation and somehow squeeze Goeddel into the mix. As for Gonzalez Germen and Greg Peavey, I’m stumped. Looks like bullpen duty and spots starts. Speaking of the bullpen, was glad to see Jack Leathersich get assigned to Bingo. I told him he would be, but he seemed skeptical.

Teddy’s Take: We have many interesting arms at Binghamton. Mazzoni is definitely going to headline opening day, no doubt about it, with the question going forward being, who will start Game 2? Will it be Gorski or Montero? All of these pitchers are definitely locks to stay in the rotation for Binghamton, including Goeddel, but he should definitely be relegated to reliever soon. He has a history of arm injury, and more success as a reliever rather than a starter. I believe that Peavey will have another chance in the B-Mets rotation, for now. With promotions though, who is going to get called up to Triple-A first? The first bet is Mazzoni, Gorski, then Rafael Montero, with Degrom right behind him. It’s a very interesting logjam the Mets will have next year, with plenty of options to choose from for the AAA squad rotation.

St. Lucie Mets (High-A)

1. Noah Syndergaard
2. Logan Verrett 
3. Luis Mateo
4. Alex Panteliodis
5. Domingo Tapia
6. Chase Huchingson

It totally sucks that Michael Fulmer will miss a huge chunk of the season on the DL. Mateo is 23 so he’s a lock, and I can’t see Tapia and Pants not being here. Verrett really has nothing left to prove in Advanced-A, but the Mets held on to all their pitching this offseason and now we have a huge logjam. Bringing in guys like Carlos Torres in the offseason certainly didn’t help matters either and it’s having a trickle down effect. Poor Hansel Robles ends up in Savannah now even though I initially had him skipping a level. Angel Cuan to the bullpen? Weird…

Teddy’s Take: Poor Fulmer, he would definitely be a Number 2 had he not injured his knee, but he will be back in a very, very impressive starting rotation. The thing to remember is the factor of starter piggybacking. It will help the logjam of talented starting pitchers that is “troubling” the Mets. That way, one starter will go around 4-5 innings, and another destined for starting will follow, so we will see more starters on this roster, this time around, as well as relievers, and interesting ones as that. Angel Cuan will end up as a reliever, which will give us more options at relief. He was destined to be there, being undersized, and barely cracking 90. It’s about time. Robles deserves a roster spot, but there’s no hurry for him with the amount of players we have.

Savannah Sand Gnats (Single-A)

1. Hansel Robles
2. Gabriel Ynoa 
3. Rainy Lara
4. Luis Cessa
5. Miller Diaz
6. Julian Hilario

I would have had Steven Matz and Matthew Bowman here too as both youngsters are very deserving. But maybe both will benefit with another year in a short-season league. It looks like looks like Matthew Koch and Marcos Camarena may get some spot starts out of the bullpen.

Teddy’s Take: I would disagree, but Joe’s right, with the logjam of pitchers in general. There’s just so many to choose from to start these staffs. I believe, yeah Joe, you’re right with the 1-5, but I saw Hilario at PSL pitching with the extendeds, so he’s staying there. It might be Camarena, or the Mets might make it really interesting and bring in Steven Matz, (which is my hope), but I’m sure it’s going to be Bowman. There is however, the outside chance that Robert Gsellman might be the 6th starter, and there’s also the possibility of more piggybacking such as the St. Lucie Crew.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Low-A SS)

1. Steven Matz
2. Robert Gsellman
3. John Gant
4. Matthew Bowman
5. Bret Mitchell (if healthy)
6. Logan Taylor

This group was the most difficult to assess and has the most likelihood of being totally wrong, but if Matz is healthy I’m certain he’ll get the bump from Kingsport. Gsellman and Gant are no-brainers to make the squad, but I’m afraid Chris Flexen and Corey Oswalt will most likely start at Kingsport. They’re both still young and really should have been in the GCL anyway in 2012 if only we had a GCL team.

Teddy’s Take: If the headlining starter is Matz, it will help for many Long Islanders to visit MCU park. The only questions are actually Flexen and Oswalt, they should be in Brooklyn, and Logan Taylor is destined for St. Lucie or Savannah as a fast-rising reliever. As I said above, it could be either Gsellman or Bowman up at Savannah, but my money is definitely on Bowman, as a college starter, and one from Princeton, no less. The issue is seeing whether the logjam becomes much clearer at the upper levels. Making a promotion movement sooner rather than later will aid in developing some of these pitchers stuck either in Savannah or Kingsport. The other issue is the influx of the 2013 draft. Will they hopefully go for a ton of high-upside hitters and make it easier for us next year to speculate rotations? Or will they take some starters for Brooklyn, Kingsport, and Gulf Coast? Another factor to consider is the Dominican IFA’s: I don’t know which ones really, but it’s just important to note.

Get Metsmerized! They’re Number One!

A Message From Joe D.

I hope you enjoyed this. At Metsmerized Online our goal is to provide you with the best Mets Minor League coverage that is second to none. We give you real insights and true comprehensive coverage like no other. We’ve bolstered our Minor League team with five new veteran additions and now boast a 15 person minor league staff. Five of our writers come packed with their own credentials and have covered the minors from 4-18 years and really know and have worked the Mets system. Whether you prefer a pure scouting point of view or an analytic one based on the latest advanced metrics, we give it to you all. In the last three months alone we’ve averaged over a dozen minor league posts per week. Nobody else can say that, and that was in the offseason.

Last year we provided our readers with over three dozen player interviews and this season you can expect that number to increase significantly. Our definition of interviews is in-person/post game interviews or phone interviews, not asking players 3-4 questions on Twitter. Our goal is to blow you away with minor league content that is intuitive, timely and insightful. You won’t get any watered down analysis that isn’t really analysis at all. This year one of our new features will be Coaches Corner where we will pick the brain of a different minor league manager, or pitching and hitting coach. We’re leading off with Wally Backman.

MMO has always been ahead of the curve. We were the first site to post complete minor league recaps in 2005 and the others didn’t join the party until 2009 or later. Now we have a beat writer covering each affiliate and recaps that include quotes, injuries, insights and more. We’ve come a long way.

Stick with us, and we promise to keep you glued to our coverage. The future of the Mets looks bright and we intend to spread that message day by day and hour by hour. I’ll leave you with this… One player told me last December, that MMO is required reading in the clubhouse. Who am I to argue with that?

3:30 PM Update:

Adam Rubin has now reported that Darin Gorski has cleared waivers and will remain under team control. It also has been announced that Scott Rice, and not Robert Carson, will be the second lefty in the bullpen for 2013.

The bullpen now projects as follows:

1. Bobby Parnell
2. Brandon Lyon
3. LaTroy Hawkins
4. Scott Atchison
5. Josh Edgin
6. Greg Burke
7. Jeurys Familia
8. Scott Rice

So here’s today’s moves as announced by the Mets:

They have selected the contracts of LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Rice, Marlon Byrd and Scott Atchison, added them to the 40 Man Roster.

Robert Carson, Landon Powell and Omar Quintanilla were all optioned to Las Vegas.

2:00 PM Update:

Adam Rubin has just reported that Reese Havens has cleared waivers. He remains under control of the New York Mets and can be assigned to the minors. There is still no word on Darin Gorski. Update to follow.

Original Post:

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets are expected to waive infielder Reese Havens and left-hander Darin Gorski to make room on their 40-Man roster.

The process would involve exposing them to waivers. If they clear, they can be outrighted to the minors.

I can see either of the two being picked up by other teams, and I’d put it at 50/50, especially for Gorski who could be ready to join an MLB bullpen right now.

Rubin writes about them:

Havens, a first-round pick in 2008, has struggled through back injuries throughout his career. He hit .215 in 325 at-bats last season with Double-A Binghamton.

Gorski, a 25-year-old left-hander, was 9-8 with a 4.00 ERA in 25 appearances (24 starts) with the B-Mets in 2012.

With both being cleared off the 40-man roster, the Mets now have five open spots for adding players on minor league deals.

We all knew there would be some tough decisions to be made, and certainly these are two of them.

Havens has been largely disappointing because of his inability to stay healthy, but oozes with talent, power and potential at a premium position. Gorski may not have been a starter in the majors, but could be an effective lefthander out of the bullpen.

Rubin also confirms that reliever Greg Burke and right-hander Jeurys Familia both have made the Opening Day roster, according to his sources.

The bullpen now projects as follows:

1. Bobby Parnell
2. Brandon Lyon
3. LaTroy Hawkins
4. Scott Atchison
5. Josh Edgin
6. Greg Burke
7. Jeurys Familia
8. Robert Carson or Scott Rice

Carson is on the 40-man roster and presumably has the advantage. The Mets will go with eight relievers in the pen until Shaun Marcum is be activated from the DL to make his start against the Marlins to close out the final game of the Mets opening homestand.

DARIN GORSKI: Is he officially a reliever now?

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York took to Twitter a short while ago and began posting his projections for the Mets Triple-A roster.

Included in his Las Vegas 51′s rotation he has: Zack Wheeler, Aaron Laffey, Collin McHugh, Chris Schwinden and Carlos Torres.

A month ago I projected the rotation as follows:

1. Zack Wheeler
2. Collin McHugh
3. Mark Cohoon
4. Darin Gorski
5. Aaron Laffey

That was what I had once I removed Mejia, who has been shutdown for at least a month, and Hefner who won a job in the Mets rotation. The biggest difference between what I project and Rubin is that he has Carlos Torres in the rotation and Darin Gorski is nowhere to be seen.

When I posted my projection back on February 21, I did speculate that both Familia and Gorski may not even make the cut and could be relegated to the bullpen because of a numbers crunch:

Jeurys Familia is looking more and more like a reliever now and even Darin Gorski is beginning to trend in that direction lately.

I’m not that surprised that Schwinden makes Rubin’s cut even though I personally saw him as a numbers casualty as well, but the Torres thing surprises me.

The Mets signed the 30-year old free agent back in November and I remember thinking at the time how confusing an addition it was – even as minor league fodder.

Last season, Torres made 31 appearances for the Colorado Rockies and posted a 5.25 ERA and 1.415 WHIP in 53 innings pitched. All of his appearances were in relief. He’s having an awful spring for the Mets, posting a 8.54 ERA in 5.1 innings with nine hits allowed and five runs. I don’t see the value in pushing aside a younger pitcher with higher upside just to give Torres a job. It makes little sense to me.

I would also think that Mark Cohoon was more deserving of a spot on the Vegas rotation, especially after his solid season in Binghamton where he posted a 3.62 ERA and 1.207 WHIP in 23 starts, 18 of them quality starts.

And while I did speculate Gorski would go to the pen, my thinking at the time was because he’d be squeezed out because of the numbers crunch and not because a determination would be made that he was finished as a starter.

If we can give Gorski another season in the rotation, I’d be all for it. I would most rather see that than to push him aside because of someone like Torres.

Update: Right after I posted this Adam Rubin DMed me and said that yes, Familia is now officially a reliever.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York writes:

In desperate need of clearing several spots, the Mets have put out word to other teams that they are interested in moving non-core prospects on the 40-man roster.

Among those available via trade: Gonzalez Germen, Darin Gorski, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, Cesar Puello, Elvin Ramirez and Hansel Robles.

That is based on the assumption that  Omar Quintanilla, Aaron Laffey, Marlon Byrd, LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison have all made the team, and nobody at this point believes they haven’t.

Any prospects cut from the 40-man roster will have to pass through waivers and there could be some casualties.

Also, regarding Puello, Andy Martino reminds us:

Cesar Puello is among Mets possibly at risk to be taken off 40.If that happens, no longer protected by union re: Biogenesis.

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) March 26, 2013

Well, we all knew this was coming after all those minor league deals we signed this offseason…

Maybe he wouldn’t have been sent down today with nine others, but as spring training goes on and the need to stretch out the starters increases, Wheeler’s innings would have been reduced, something the Mets did not want to happen.

Since he is better off getting regular innings, today’s demotion was inevitable. With the oblique hampering him, there’s no sense in trying to squeeze him in. He’s better off resuming a normal routine in the minor league camp, where he’ll throw in the bullpen again before getting into a game.There’s always the possibility of Wheeler pitching in a “B” game, but for now he’s in the right place for his development. The Mets have long been accused of rushing pitchers – see Mike Pelfrey and Jenrry Mejia – and as they are building again they can’t afford to make a similar mistake with Wheeler, regardless how he feels.

“It’s the big leagues, of course I want to be here,’’ Wheeler said. “I’m not surprised. They told me this could happen.’’

When Johan Santana went down, there was immediate speculation Wheeler might be the one to replace him on the roster, but general manager Sandy Alderson immediately shot that down, saying the plan of patience used for Matt Harvey would be the same for Wheeler.

“I felt bad for him because of the injury,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “I told him he’s sitting in the same seat Matt Harvey was last year. I told him to do well and force us to call him up.’’

The Mets played Harvey perfectly. They resisted the initial temptation, and eventually brought him up in July when the season was already lost. Harvey impressed in ten starts enough to be in the rotation. They project the same for Wheeler.

Wheeler already had a setback when he strained his right oblique muscle 11 days ago and had to be scratched from a start against St. Louis. Wheeler conceded the injury was a setback. Wheeler made one start this spring, throwing two scoreless innings against Washington.

“I only got out there one time,’’ Wheeler said. “ That’s what I’m kind of mad about. I wanted to sort of get out there and prove myself. I hope I’ll be up here soon.’’

Several things have to happen if Wheeler is to see Citi Field soon, including injuries to a pitcher in the major league rotation; Wheeler’s performance at Triple-A Vegas, and, of course, economic considerations.

“I told him to work on his secondary pitches and fastball command on both sides of the plate,’’ pitching coach Dan Warthen said.

Wheeler is aware what needs to improve if he’s to succeed in the major league. He’s aware he can beat hitters with his stuff in the minor leagues, but realizes he needs more finesse and guile in the major leagues.

“I need to keep working on my curveball and getting it over for strikes,’’ Wheeler said. “I want to keep my pitch count down and get deeper into games.’’

Economically, if Wheeler stays in the minors for the first 20 games of the season he can’t be credited with a full year of major league service time, which would delay his free agency season from after 2018 to 2019.

It is anticipated the cutoff date for the extra year of salary arbitration might be June 15, so it is entirely feasible Wheeler will be called up after that date. That’s also the same time we might see catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

Unless there’s a dire need, don’t expect to see Wheeler before June 15.

MARCUM PITCHES WELL: Shaun Marcum was exceptional today, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings while giving up one hit and striking out two in the Mets’ 3-0 victory over St. Louis.

“I saw a lot that I liked,’’ Collins said. “He had tremendous command and that’s his trademark. He made pitch after pitch.’’

Marcum, penciled in as the fifth starter, is confident in his progress.

“I feeling like I’m heading in the right direction,’’ Marcum said. “I need to build up my pitch count.’’

Mechanically, Marcum said he doesn’t have command of his change-up and is pushing it rather than throwing it with a natural release.

When his change-up doesn’t have the right movement and goes horizontally rather than dip, it is a sign he is flying open with his shoulder and not staying on top.

METS NOTEBOOK: Jordany Valdespin continues to impress, today driving in a run with a seventh-inning single. … Alderson said it still is too early to make a determination on placing Santana on the disabled list to open the season. … Frank Francisco threw off the mound. The reports were good, but Collins said: “Be careful what you see in March and be careful what you see in September.’’ Translation: He’s opening the season on the DL. … Wheeler highlighted the list of ten cuts, which included: pitchersGonzalez Germen, Collin McHugh, Elvin Ramirez and Hansel Robles; left-hander Darin Gorski; infielders Reese Havens and Wilfredo Tovar; outfielders Juan Lagares and Cesar Puello. The Mets are down to 45 players in camp.

Terry Collins told ESPN New York this afternoon that the oblique injury to top prospect Zack Wheeler is “not very bad.”

Adam Rubin also reports that “the hope is to get Wheeler back on a bullpen mound in five days.”

As MMO’s John Delcos pointed out this morning, Wheeler sounds like he’ll miss just one more start before he appears in another Grapefruit League game.

As they should, the Mets are handling this one with extra caution.

Original Post 2/27

Andy Martino of the Daily News is hearing that Zack Wheeler will be scratched from his start today because of an oblique injury that happened while hitting in cage….

Wheeler has confirmed the injury and the Mets are calling it a mild strain…

“It’s mostly precautionary at this point,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. “He tried to throw and didn’t experience any problem, but he was sore to the touch so we’re backing off.”

Darin Gorski will start in place of Wheeler in Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals.

THE GAME:

Ruben Tejada hit a two-run homer and Collin Cowgill drove in a run with double as the Mets won their exhibition opener, 5-3, over Washington. One game does not a spring training make, but if you’re going to play the games it is better to win them.

WHEELER IMPRESSIVE:

Zack Wheeler wowed them in his first appearance of the spring, giving up a walk and hit in two scoreless innings. Wheeler threw mostly fastballs and sliders, the two easiest pitches to throw at the start, and will work more on his secondary pitches later in the spring. Even so, manager Terry Collins – despite Johan Santana’s condition – said Wheeler would likely open the season for Triple-A Las Vegas. The Mets believe they have a keeper in Wheeler, who threw 30 pitches with 19 of them strikes and working in the 94-96 mph., range and need to move him along slowly. He’ll continue to get work, but as spring training progresses and more innings go to the starters, he could get time in minor league or split squad games. Said Wheeler: “There wasn’t really nerves. I was just a little pumped up going out there. After I got settled down, after the first couple of batters, I think everything went well.’’ Translation: Yes, there were nerves.

PARNELL GETS TOUGH SAVE:

With Frank Francisco down with elbow soreness, Bobby Parnellbecomes the closer. Parnell worked the ninth and got out of trouble caused by an infield hit and error. I’d much rather see Parnell get in and out of trouble than blow hitters away. The more acclimated he becomes to working out of pressure situations the better. The word on Francisco is he might pick up a baseball Monday, but it would be several weeks before he’s throwing in games. The chances are very good he’ll open the season on the DL and Parnell will be the closer. Jeurys Familia will get a chance to close in a split-squad game Sunday against Houston in Kissimmee.

FELICIANO SIDELINED:

Lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano was diagnosed with a heart condition and will be required to wear a monitor to measure an irregular heartbeat. Collins told reporters: “My understanding is he has a heart condition that could possibly be very serious. So that’s why we’re being very, very careful with him. Until we get further results on some of the tests he took in New York, he’s not to be on the field.’’ There remains the distinct possibility this could be the end of Felicano’s career.

“It’s scary, I don’t know,” Feliciano said. “I am waiting for the doctors and for them to bring the monitor down here and then more tests.”

METS NOTES:

Shaun Marcum had a rough outing, giving up three runs on four hits, including a two-run homer to Chris Snyder. Marcum said he was having mechanical problems and pushing his change-up.

Somehow, the Mets still think they can get four starts for Santana and have him ready for the Opening Day. What’s the big rush?

Good day for the young pitchers as Darin Gorski and Cory Mazzoni each threw two scoreless innings and also impressed

Jenrry Mejia will start Tuesday against St. Louis, while Daniel Murphy is working out, but hasn’t been cleared to hit.

The beer will be flowing and hot dogs will be devoured as Grapefruit League play is set to begin today. SNY coverage will begin at 11:30 AM, and will carry through the game as the Mets take on pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals. First pitch is slated for 12:10 PM.

Some of the Mets notables scheduled to pitch today are Shaun Marcum and Zack Wheeler, along with Cory Mazzoni, Jeurys Familia, and Darin Gorski.

John Harper of the Daily News wonders if Johan Santana has something wrong with his shoulder.

The Mets are being careful to call this a conditioning issue for Johan Santana, not a medical or, in their words, “structural’’ issue. But they can call it anything they want — it’s clear that something isn’t right with his left shoulder. And after everything Santana has been through the last couple of years, you have to wonder if it will ever be right again.

Wilmer Flores flexed his muscle yesterday, as he launched a three-run blast and drilled a deep sac-fly to drive in four during Friday’s intrasquad game. Meanwhile, Jordany Valdespin gave new Mets reliever Brandon Lyon a rude welcome, as he touched him up for a homer to lead-off the game.

Terry Collins came away from yesterday’s exhibition impressed with some of the Mets young arms, saying that lefty reliever Scott Rice had “great movement”, and described Greg Burke as “very interesting.”

Collins also noted that he is happy to see Kirk Nieuwenhuis using a “shorter swing” this Spring, and he may be able to live with his propensity to strike out if he can hit 16-plus homers and run the bases well.

Baseball is officially back, let the games begin.

Welcome to Who’s Hot Who’s Not, where every Tuesday, we take a look at the hottest and coldest players from the upper minors (St. Lucie, Binghamton, Buffalo).

Who’s Hot

• Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton- Flores is just on fire right now. After earning himself an “Honorable Mention” on last week’s list, Flores has picked it up even more. Over his last ten, he is batting .447 with three home runs. During that span, he has driven in six runs and has a .500 on-base percentage.
• Darin Gorski SP, Binghamton-After a breakout year with St. Lucie last year, Gorski is doing it once again, this time with Binghamton. He has been having a very good season overall, but his last few starts have been stellar. Over his last three games (21.2 IP) he has a 1.66 ERA and has struck out 25 batters.
• Cesar Puello RF, St. Lucie- Puello has missed major time in his second season in the Florida State League, but seems to be finishing his year strong. He is hitting .355 over his last ten games to go along with a home run and four stolen bases.

Honorable Mention: Logan Verrett SP, St. Lucie- Verrett was stellar in his 11 starts with Savannah, earning himself a promotion to High-A St. Lucie. Since then, he has been even more impressive. He has a 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings since getting the call. In his last start against Jupiter, he gave up just one run on three hits over seven innings.

Who’s Not

• Lucas May C, Buffalo- May has had a rough season overall with Buffalo. The power hasn’t been there this season, and this latest stretch has been particularly rough for Lucas. He is batting .138 over his last ten games with a .158 on-base percentage.
• Jefry Marte 3B, Binghamton- Marte was on last week’s list and has continued to struggle, putting him on it once again. Marte is hitting just .189 over his last ten games and .183 overall in the month of August. He is now hitting .253 on the season.
• Travis Taijeron OF, St. Lucie- After having a fantastic first half for Savannah, hitting 12 home runs in 64 games and showing patience at the plate, Taijeron has had a tough time adjusting to the very tough Florida State League. Taijeron is hitting .182 over his last ten games and has struck out 14 times in 33 at-bats.