Game 42: Reds at Mets

Posted: May 20, 2013 in News
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By Steven Inman
The Mets begin a three game homestand tonight against the Cincinnati Reds who have gotten off to a great start this season after winning the NL Central last year.
New York Mets (17-24)imagesCAU5LIB3

  1. Daniel Murphy – 2B
  2. Rick Ankiel – CF
  3. David Wright – 3B
  4. Lucas Duda – LF
  5. Marlon Byrd – RF
  6. Ike Davis – 1B
  7. John Buck – C
  8. Ruben Tejada – SS
  9. Shaun Marcum – RHP

Daniel Murphy is the hottest player in the Mets lineup right now including 2 homers in the Mets series at Wrigley field. Murph is 14 for his 28 during the last seven games.

Cincinnati Reds (26-18)imagesCADQ3WP8

  1. Shin-Soo Choo – CF
  2. Cesar Izturis – SS
  3. Joey Votto – 1B
  4. Brandon Phillips – 2B
  5. Jay Bruce – RF
  6. Todd Frazier – 3B
  7. Xavier Paul – LF
  8. Ryan Hanigan – C
  9. Johnny Cueto – RHP

Johnny Cueto is making his first start since the second week of April so he may be on an early pitch count. He has been dealing with oblique injuries and the Reds believe it has something to do with his delievery. It will be interesting to see if Cueto’s mechanics change at all tonight. Also Shin- Soo Choo has been spectatcular for the Reds and we have targeted him as a player the Mets could look at this winter.

Mets will give Murphy a look as a leadoff man

Posted: May 20, 2013 in News, Opinion
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By Steven InmanimagesCAU5LIB3

In the Mets long lasting quest to find a leadoff hitter to replace Jose Reyes, Terry Collins has tabbed Daniel Murphy as the next man in line to give it a try. Murphy is the hottest hitter on the team right now after a magnificent road trip so he figures to have no problems adjusting to that spot.

Murphy is not the ideal hitter to hit leadoff because he has little speed. I personally like him next to David Wright because when Wright is separated opposing pitchers really give David nothing to hit. The Mets right now really have two hitters who are league average or better right now.

The Mets best lineup has Murphy hitting second or third and Wright third or fourth. That seems to be when they have their most success but they really don’t have any other options to hit at the top of the order right now.imagesCADQ3WP8

Murphy has told hitting Coach Dave Hudgens and bench coach Bob Geren that he really doesn’t feel all that comfortable hitting third. He better get used to it because I believe that is where he will hit in the next good Met lineup whenever that will be.

They say for every spot you move up in the order you gain about 20 at bats over a full season. It would behoove the Mets to hit Murphy and Wright as close to the top of the lineup as they can. Now it’s the other spots in the lineup they need to figure out.

The Mets ideal leadoff hitter right now plays for another team. Michael Bourn would have been an ideal leadoff man in New York and you see that the Indians have really taken off after Bourn came off of the disabled list. Bourn is batting .321 for the first place Indians.

Mets sign David Aardsma to a minor league deal

Posted: May 20, 2013 in News
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By Steven Inman imagesCAU5LIB3        

The Mets have signed righty reliever David Aardsma to a minor league deal Monday and sent him to Triple A Las Vegas.

Aardsma, 31, has pitched just one big league inning since 2010 and that came last season with the Yankees. Aardsma was a very good closer a few years ago with the Seattle Mariners before a series of injuries. Aardsma was released from the Marlins Triple A roster earlier this season.

David had 69 saves between the 2009-2010 seasons for the Mariners.

Aardsma will be used as depth but with the way the Mets bullpen has performed, don’t rule out a call up sometime in the nearby future if he pitches well.

Mets unlikely to trade John Buck at the deadline

Posted: May 19, 2013 in News, Opinion
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By Steven InmanimagesCAU5LIB3

Despite today’s win at Wrigley field in Chicago, the Mets are now 17-24 and many are wondering if they can sell off some pieces at the trading deadline on July 31st. We are still more than two months away from that but many have speculated that veteran catcher John Buck who is on the last year of his deal could be dealt.

The thought was maybe Travis d’Arnaud comes up and impresses allowing the team to part with Buck. However d’Arnaud broke his foot and is about six weeks away from playing in minor leagues games again. That would put him at a best case scenario of getting two full months in with the big league club this season.

The Mets wanted Buck to mentor Travis, a role that Buck seems perfectly okay with and they seem more interested in that compared to the marginal prospect that they would receive in a deal involving the catcher.

This is d’Arnaud’s team of the future but because of his injury, Buck will likely be a Met for the full year. If the Mets sell off pieces of their team, it likely won’t include John Buck.

Rafael Montero promoted to Las Vegas

Posted: May 19, 2013 in Future Mets, News, Opinion
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By Steven InmanimagesCAU5LIB3

Mets top prospect Rafael Montero has been promoted from double AA Binghamton to Triple AAA Las Vegas. Montero, 22, had a 3.47 earned run average with 54 strikeouts in 46.2 innings for Binghamton. Montero was averaging less than one base runner per inning which is outstanding.

Montero has pin point control and can throw all of his pitches for strikes at any point in the count. He profiles more as a middle of the rotation guy but you really never know until the kid gets a few starts under his belt in the big leagues. Keep in mind scouts also thought Matt Harvey was probably a #3 starter in the big leagues too at this point last year.

Montero is only expected to make a start or two with the 51′s but if he performs well he might not go back to the B-Mets.That being said I probably would have left him in Double AA until he was deemed ready for the big leagues, letting him skip the hitter friendly pacific coast league.

I expect he will take some lumps in Vegas and face a little adversity like his new teammate Zack Wheeler has. If he keeps that to a minimum, Montero could be up and pitching in the Mets starting rotation sometime during the second half of the season.

Citi Field All-Star batting preactice jerseys

Posted: May 19, 2013 in Citi Field, News
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By Steven Inman

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These will be the jerseys that the 2013 all-stars will use for the 2013 all-star game in July at Citi Field during batting practice. The players will wear their regular uniforms during the all-star game. If you’d like, you can purchase these jersey’s at MLB.com here

Ike Davis could be sent to Triple A soon

Posted: May 18, 2013 in News, Opinion
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By Steven InmanimagesCAU5LIB3

Ike Davis is badly struggling and striking out in nearly half of his at bats so far through the first quarter of the season. Davis just endured a 0 for 24 spot and seems to be just an automatic out with two strikes. Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson no longer seem to be saying that Davis everyday job is secure in the major leagues. “We’re not there yet.” Alderson said about sending Davis to Las Vegas.

I don’t know what they should do with Ike. He came in with such high expectations. I was screaming that the Mets should start talking to Davis about a long term deal. Whoops that’s my bad.

In 147 plate appearances, Davis is hitting .160 with a .245 OBP and .512 OPS, four home runs and nine RBI with 14 walks and 46 strikeouts.

Davis has been below .200 all season and showing no signs of improving. If the Mets do send Ike down I don’t know who plays first. Maybe they move Lucas Duda to first but who plays outfield then? Besides, Duda has not been much more productive either.

The Mets have a major problem going forward with Ike not just for this year but for the long term future. The Mets had a chance of solidifying their outfield with the money they are saying they will have this winter. I’m not confident they can solidify their outfield and find a new first basemen should that be the route they go in.

We will have to wait and see but the Mets will be much better off in the future if Davis can somehow just get it going. To do that he is going to have to move a lot closer to the plate.

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