Ken Davidoff of the New York Post has a somewhat critical take on the Mets under Sandy Alderson, and yesterday he spoke to a rival NL executive who told him this:

“The big thing for me is it feels like the Mets are stuck in some kind of purgatory,” an official from another NL team said recently, on the condition of anonymity. “They didn’t blow up their club like Houston did, but they also aren’t a serious threat in the NL East behind Washington, Atlanta, and even Philadelphia.”

“Players like Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy have value, but are they going to be part of the next division winner in Queens? Unlikely. They are losing value every day as their salaries increase and years of club control decrease.”

Davidoff adds that the Mets’ first two drafts under Alderson have not received high grades in the industry, nor has the team come up with any under-the-radar finds through waivers or minor league free agency.

They have done better internationally, with 2011 Dominican pitchers Rafael Montero and Luis Mateo climbing the organizational ladder. Their clear need is for position players, as top draft picks Brandon Nimmo (outfielder, 2011) and Gavin Cecchini (shortstop, 2012) have underwhelmed outside observers.

I’m a big fan of Sandy, probably the biggest one on this site. But clearly he’ll need to make some noise in this year’s draft and follow that up with a less rigid approach to how he navigates the off-season next winter.

I doubt he can continue to tell fans that he has the money, is unwilling to spend it, and get away with it.

He’s losing some of his most steadfast supporters lately, and a fifth straight losing season could start tipping the scales the other way. It’s time for him to be bold and start talking more about the present and less about the future which we already know looks bright.

Last week, I did a write-up defending Gavin Cecchini from the horde of skeptics that have continually looked down on him. This week I am continuing on that trend, but I don’t think I need much convincing when it comes to the next player, Brandon Nimmo.

In June of 2011, the Mets took Brandon Nimmo 13th overall in the Rule IV First Player’s draft out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. We all know his story, coming from a notoriously cold state with no high school baseball, which made it convenient for so many to write him off. Never mind the fact that he played in many national and premier showcases against players from the top baseball programs in the country and shined as bright as the rest of them. Nimmo destroyed his closest competition and excelled while playing baseball in an American Legion League, where he batted .551 with 98 hits, 23 doubles, 16 triples and 14 homers in 178 at bats. That’s eight more extra-base hits than singles for all of you trying to do the math. So lets end the myth that he never even played baseball in high school, that’s true, but he did play baseball everywhere he could and was among the top players every time. Lets move on.

The reason Paul Depodesta picked him 13th overall after being called really raw?

Paul said post-draft that he wanted to signal a transition from low-ceiling college picks as Omar had drafted in his tenure to high-ceiling and high-risk and reward players, which was exactly the mold where Nimmo fit. And so, Nimmo became the highest drafted player out of Wyoming, ever.

The high risk, you already know from the fact that there is no real high school baseball to train with. But the high reward is intriguing. It looks as though Nimmo could be a true 5-tool player when it comes down to it. Even MLB’s Jon Mayo and Baseball America seem to agree. Baseball America says in its scouting report of Nimmo that he could have average to plus skills across the board. Jon Mayo gives him all average to above average scouting grades shown below, courtesy of MLB.com.

Scouting Grades* (present/future):

Hit: 4/6 | Power: 4/6 | Run: 5/5 | Arm: 5/5 | Field: 4/5

Overall: 5/6

Five grades of average or better skills (5 on the scouting scale) usually translates to a 5 tool player, by the way, and all of Nimmo’s future grades seem to point to it, as well as what Baseball America said.

My own scouting report.

I witnessed a game with Nimmo in Brooklyn last year and wrote up my own scouting report as well:

Brandon Nimmo, Outfielder of the Mets has a tall, skinny build with room to grow still.

In his one game I witnessed, he struck out twice and walked once, leading to concern after watching that he was diving after buried breakers. I did not see him hit a ball, but with his frame and swing, he could live up to a 5 or 6 bat as well as above average power.

His play in the outfield was not impressive, just okay. He used a fundamental approach to step back before running forwards for a fly ball. Although fundamental, this gives the idea that he is hesitant due to a lack of experience of reads off the bat. His speed seemed to be below-average in the outfield. With his speed, it is suggestible that he moves to a corner when it is deemed necessary in his development.

In an interview with Nimmo by SNY, he seemed to acknowledge the areas he needed improvement in, including reads off the bat in the field, and getting back into the groove of hitting the middle-out pitch, which is where he likes to hit it. As well, he said that he gained weight working out in Arkansas and went from 6’1” with 178 pounds to 6’2” with 195 pounds.

Consider this:

In his first stint, the Mets sent him to the Gulf Coast League, where he hit .241 with 2 homers and 5 singles in 29 at bats (there was nothing else by the way). He was later pushed up to Kingsport where he hit .111 in 9 at bats (1 single). It seemed like a disappointing first time in the pros for anyone, let alone Brandon Nimmo. Thankfully, he didn’t have as bad of a season as Shaq Green-Thompson did this year.

His next year however, he was sent, surprisingly enough, to Brooklyn where he hit .248 with 20 doubles, 3 triples, and 6 home runs. Those numbers would make anyone think that he had a bad season, but he didn’t. There are a few reasons why I say this.

First of all, Nimmo was sent to the New York-Penn League a notorious league where many newly drafted collegiate baseball players are sent after being signed. He was sent there, being 19, as the 10th youngest player, and arguably the rawest player out of any teenager in the league. The median age of the league was nearly 22 by the way, so Brandon was playing over his head by three years at least. Hitting .248 with considerable power after not having much competitive experience is considerably incredible.

Now take into account the whole psychological aspect. You’re 19 years old with barely any competitive experience. You’re from a city that just cracked 60,000 people, and playing in front of 1/5th of that population on any given night. You’re also playing as the Number 1 Draft Pick for a large market team in the most pressurized sports city in the country. All 12,000 people in that stadium are judging you before your career even starts to amp up. Imagine that? That makes hitting .248 seem more incredible.

Now take account the actual stadium. The right field wall at MCU Park faces the bay at Coney Island, providing comfort for a pitcher facing a lefty bat, and a nice breeze for anyone sitting along the third base side. As a former employee whose job was to watch many games at MCU Park, there was only one time that I saw a home run hit over the right field wall in 2010, and that includes batting practice. Only one was counted, and it was hit by none other than Juan Centeno. He managed to hit one under the wind and out by merely a few feet. When I watched from behind the cage, most people’s hits died before the warning track, thanks to that wind. Even Ike Davis couldn’t accomplish hitting one out during any game that he played in during his stint in Brooklyn which caused many to begin labeling him as a bust..

Now this is amazing: last year, Nimmo hit two home runs to right field. One was a grand slam. He managed to pull two home runs at this park, where Ike Davis, our major league premium power first baseman couldn’t. He hit four more on the road, tied with four others for 6th in the league. He also ranked 4th in doubles in the League.

To put even more good news on the table about this past season, Nimmo also led our team in walks (46) which ranked second in the league. The person who placed first was three years older and had college experience before playing in the league. The fantastic part behind this is that most players out of high school do not feature good plate discipline, something that Nimmo achieved early on. He did strike out a considerable amount (78), but that’s development, and he’ll learn that too.

Overall, Nimmo had a solid year in Single-A Short Season Brooklyn, not the bad one some perceived. It’s important to understand what you’re looking at and put that into context on many different levels. Baseball America ranked him 11th on their top 20 prospects list for the league. It would have been preferable to see him in the top 10, but he has enough time to prove himself to the scouts. He has proved to me from what I’ve seen and reports I’ve had the opportunity to analyze that Nimmo is a legitimate first round draft pick.

Projections:

For next year, I, like most other people, feel that he is going to end up in full season Single-A Savannah. What I project for him is something along these lines:

.275 – .280 – 30 doubles – 12 homers – 5 steals

The reason behind these projections is his development in the New York-Penn League providing him an edge over players in the South Atlantic League, because many of these players ascend to High-A instead of Low-A.

It’s exciting to think what Nimmo is going to do, and what his future might hold. Keep in mind though, he is still young, and very, very raw, so watch out if he doesn’t meet your expectations. Either way, he will be exciting to follow in Savannah.

Who Got Passing Grades?

Catchers

Josh Thole  .268/.345/.344, 3 HR, 40 RBI  B-

Thole did not develop as much as was expected offensively this year. He only scored 22 runs this season.

Ronny Paulino .268/.312/.351, 2 HR, 19 RBI  B-

When he was healthy, it seemed as if Paulino was a good pick up for the Mets.

Mike Nickeas  .189/.246/.264, 1 HR, 6 RBI  D

Nickeas was not able to produce much offensively in the limited action that he saw this year

First Basemen

Ike Davis .302/.383/.543, 7 HR, 25 RBI  Inc.

Only having Ike Davis for 36 games this season was a big loss for the Mets and was one of the reasons why they struggled.

Daniel Murphy .320/.362/.448, 6 HR, 49 RBI  A-

Daniel Murphy was able to show what we have known for years. His bat is enough to keep him in the lineup. The problem is finding a position for him.

Lucas Duda .292/.370/.482, 10 HR, 50 RBI  B+

After a slow start to his season, Lucas Duda managed to pick things up and put together a solid season.

Nick Evans .256/.314/.403, 4 HR, 25 RBI  C+

Nick Evans has not been the same since he was injured last season. At this point, he looks like a bench player and not a starter.

Middle Infielders

Jose Reyes .337/384/.493, 16 3B, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 39 SB  A  

When he was healthy, Jose Reyes did everything that the Mets could have asked of him. He also became the first Met to win a batting title.

Justin Turner .260/.334/.356, 4 HR, 51 RBI   B

Justin Turner showed flashes of brilliance this season. He also showed why he was in the minors for so long.

Ruben Tejada .284/.360/.335, 0 HR, 36 RBI  B+

Ruben Tejada’s bat looked a lot more advanced than it did last season. He was once again outstanding defensively.

Third Base

David Wright .254/.345/.427, 14 H, 61 RBI, 11 SB  B- 

There is still something that seems off with David Wright. His performance has fallen from the levels that it was at a few years ago and he could be traded in the off-season.

Outfielders

Jason Bay .245/.329/.374, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 11 SB  D

Just like last season, Bay looks like a lost cause at Citi Field. The Mets must be regretting the $66 million investment they made in him.

Angel Pagan .262/.322/.372, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 32 SB  B-

There was talk that Angel Pagan may get non-tendered this off-season. That likely will not happen as Pagan has done enough to prove that he is deserving of a starting spot.

Carlos Beltran .289/.391/.513, 15 HR, 66 RBI  A

Part of the reason for Beltran’s grade comes from the fact that he was traded for Zack Wheeler. Beltran put up great numbers when he was with the Mets.

Willie Harris .246/.351/.317, 2 HR, 23 RBI  C

The New York Mets knew that they would not be getting much offensively when they signed Willie Harris. He did a decent job in the outfield this season.

Jason Pridie .231/.309/.370, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 SB  C-

Jason Pridie was a decent bat off of the bench for the Mets this season. He saw action in 101 games this season.

Scott Hariston .235/.303/.470, 7 HR, 24 RBI  B-

There were a few occasions this season where Scott Hariston came up big. He filled the Mets need of a power bat off of the bench.

Starting Pitchers

R.A. Dickey 8-13, 3.28 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 134 K  A-

While his record may not indicate the level of success that Dickey had this year, he was the best pitcher on the New York Mets’ staff.

Mike Pelfrey 7-13, 4.74 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 105 K  F

Mike Pelfrey has failed to show improvement year after year. He was the worst starter the Mets had in a year that they were counting on him to be a big part of their rotation.

Chris Capuano 11-12, 4.55 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 168 K  B-

Chris Capuano struggled to be consistent during this season which explains why he had a 4.55 ERA even when he had a number of solid outings.

Dillon Gee 13-6, 4.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 114 K  B

The young starter led the Mets with 13 wins this season. He did struggle with his control at times this season.

Jonathon Niese 11-11, 4.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 138 K  B

The future of the Mets rotation looks bright with Gee and Niese. He was arguable the Mets second best pitcher this season.

Chris Young 1-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 22 K  Inc.

Chris Young was putting together a very strong season this year before he was injured. The Mets certainly could have used him for more than four starts.

Relievers

Francisco Rodriguez 2-2, 32 SV 3.16 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 46 K  A-

K-Rod was the Mets best reliever before he was traded away to the Milwaukee Brewers. The move was a necessary one but it created a hole in the Mets’ bullpen.

D.J. Carrasco 1-3, 6.02 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 27 K  F

The Mets big off-season signing was a major bust. He struggled all season and has made his deal look like a mistake.

Pedro Beato 2-1, 4.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 39 K  C+

As a Rule V Draft Pick, Beato needed to be on the Mets’ 25-man roster for the whole season. He looked good at times while at others he struggled.

Bobby Parnell 4-6, 6 SV, 3.64 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 64 K  B+

Parnell could be the Mets’ closer next season. He did a good job with the role after Francisco Rodriguez was traded.

Jason Isringhausen 3-3, 7 SV, 4.05 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 44 K  B-

Years after he was a part of Generation K, Jason Isringhausen returned to the New York Mets. He was a veteran presence in the Mets’ bullpen.

Tim Byrdak 2-1, 1 SV, 3.82 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 47 K  B

Tim Byrdak was one of the best pitchers in the Mets’ bullpen this season.

Manny Acosta 4-1, 4 SV, 3.45 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 46 K  A-

Manny Acosta was a beacon of consistency for the New York Mets this season. He was the best pitcher in the Mets’ bullpen this year.

Ryota Igarashi 4-1, 4.66 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 42 K  D+

Igarashi still has not adjusted fully to pitching in the United States. He struggled a decent amount this year.

Manager

Terry Collins  B-

Collins did a fairly good job of managing the Mets this season. However, the fact remains that the team was eight games under .500 for the year.