luis carpio

New York Mets Sign 11 Minor League Free Agents

by
Oakland Athletics, Bruce Maxwell

With the election day hangover sweeping through the news cycle, the New York Mets were active on the free-agent market. The big fish of Trevor Bauer and J.T. Realmuto are still on the market but the Mets scooped brought in 11 players on minor league deals. Five were in the organization this year but Jose Peraza and Mallex Smith highlight the group of outsiders.

The five Mets returning to the team are Johneshwy Fargas, Jake Hager, Harol Gonzalez, Bruce Maxwell, and Luis Carpio. Fargas is a centerfielder with supreme speed, stealing 235 bases over seven minor league seasons. His minor league batting average of .255 with a .342 has kept him back.

Hager is a 27-year old utility infielder who is still waiting on his first major league action. He has recorded slugging percentages over .400 in his last two minor league seasons.

Gonzalez is a right-handed starter who suffered from the canceled minor league season in 2020. He pitched to a 3.01 ERA in a career-high 137.2 innings between AA and AAA. Gonzalez should scratch the surface of the big leagues in 2021.

Maxwell is trying to revive his career after spending 2020 in the Mets alternate site. He is known as the first MLB player to take a knee for the National Anthem and hit 24 home runs in the Mexican League during 2019.

Carpio is entering his eighth year in the Mets organization but is just 23-years old. His hitting has kept him in the lower levels of the minors with a career .246 average and 20 home runs.

New Kids on the Block

Mallex Smith was a hot commodity after the 2018 season. His slash line of .296/.367/.406 with 40 stolen bases proved him to be a quality leadoff hitter. It was one of the reasons why they traded to get him back in 2018 after dealing him in the previous offseason. Smith’s bat tailed off significantly to .220/.290/.323 over the last two seasons. While he still stole 48 bases, he also tailed off defensively. As a minor league pick up, it is a good low-risk move.

Jose Peraza has a similar career arc to Smith; a promising contact hitter who has not replicated those numbers in the last two seasons. From 2016-2018 Peraza slashed .284/.320/.382 compared to .236/.283/.345. Peraza also saw his strikeout rate increase and his defense at second base decline over those poor two seasons.

Arodys Vizcaino‘s career has been plagued by the injury bug. He has undergone Tommy John and torn labrum surgery but still maintains a 3.01 career ERA. Vizcaino still throws in the upper 90s and if the Mets can keep him somewhat healthy, he could be a steal in the bullpen.

Little Known Signings

Oscar De La Cruz is a right-handed pitcher heading into his age-26 season. The intrigue from the Mets comes from his 2019 season where he had a 3.64 ERA over 96.1 innings with 105 strikeouts. It was his best season in the minors, with a majority of it being spent in AA.

David Rodriguez is a 24-year old catcher known primarily for his good defense behind the plate. In 2017, Rodriguez threw out 60% of base stealers (33 of 55) at high A. In his second season at AA in 2019, he threw out 31% of base stealers (20 of 64). Rodriguez only hit .225 in 2019 but gives the Mets some competition in the lower ranks of their catching depth chart.

Mitchell Tolman is the final signing and spent his entire minor league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tolman plays a handful of positions and had a chance to move up the ranks in their organization if the minor league season was not canceled. At 26 years old, Tolman’s .364 minor league OBP and ability to play multiple positions is part of what garnered the Mets interest.

 

 

Five New York Mets position player prospects that can help in 2020

by
New York Mets, Andres Gimenez

Recent trades, notably the ones for Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and Marcus Stroman, have decimated the New York Mets‘ farm. Most of the high-end talent is in the lower minors now.

Trading Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners last year was a blow to the system, which lost its brightest prospect.

However, that doesn’t mean that there are no players on the verge of contributing to the major league team. Yes, most of the Mets‘ spots are filled with either young, talented players like Jeff McNeil or Pete Alonso; or high-salary veterans like Robinson Cano, but these players have the potential to help the Mets in 2020:

Five prospects in the New York Mets‘ system that can contribute next year

Ali Sanchez, C

The Mets think highly of Sanchez, as they added him to their 40-man roster in November. That way, he can’t be scooped up by a rebuilding team in the Rule 5 Draft.

Sanchez will play the 2020 season as a 23-year-old, defense-first catcher. He will most likely start in Triple-A, a level he failed last season after a decent showing in Double-A.

The Venezuelan backstop hit .278 with one home run, 13 doubles, 28 runs scored, and 30 runs batted in 270 Double-A at-bats. His .674 OPS there is proof of his defense-first nature. He had a .179 average in 56 Triple-A at-bats.

If he can hit decently at Triple-A and the Mets need to have a catcher around, he may get the call since he is now in the 40-man roster. He is a fantastic defensive backstop with a cannon of an arm, great instincts, and knows how to call a game.

Andres Gimenez, SS

Of the five prospects listed here, Gimenez may be the least likely to be called up to the major leagues in 2020, but he is also the best prospect of the bunch by all accounts.

Small but toolsy, he is excellent at shortstop with athleticism, range, great hands, and instincts. He also has above-average speed but not much power.

Gimenez spent the entire season in Double-A and hit .250 with nine home runs and 28 stolen over 432 at-bats. He had a reverse split, batting .223/.274/.365 against right-handed pitching and .320/.394/.443 versus lefties.

Given his slick glove, Gimenez could play a good shortstop for the Mets right now. However, the team prefers to let him face Triple-A pitching first.

Patrick Mazeika, C

Mazeika is a left-handed hitting catcher who hasn’t played in Triple-A yet but had a great year in Double-A. There, he hit 16 homers and drove in 69 runs while hitting .245. His OPS was .738.

While he is no Buster Posey or Yadier Molina behind the plate, he can make it work. His arm isn’t his most potent tool, but he is known for getting would-be baserunners out around a 30 percent rate over his career.

He is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, so it is not a given that he will be with the Mets in 2020. However, if he masters Triple-A, he could find himself in Flushing in the summer.

Luis Carpio, 2B/SS

Like Mazeika, Carpio is also eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, so he may not stick with the Mets. There is not much power in his profile, but at 22 years old, it may come.

Carpio’s defense is outstanding, and he can play in second or shortstop. He is willing to draw walks and had been experimenting with modifying his swing plane so he can add more power. However, he only hit four homers between Class A-Advanced and Double-A last season.

Overall, he hit .263/.347/.362 and a .709 OPS in 243 Double-A at-bats. He has had shoulder surgery, so his power may take a spike in 2020 now that it is well in the rearview mirror.

Sam Haggerty, 2B/OF

Statistically, 2019 was a breakout season for Haggerty, a 25-year old who can play in the outfield and second base.
He played in Class A-, Double-A, Triple-A, and even the majors. He accrued the most games in Double-A, with 68, and he hit .259/.370/.356 there with a .339 wOBA and a 120 wRC+. Additionally, he also stole 19 bases there and 23 at all levels.

His biggest strength as a player is his ability to take walks. However, as there isn’t much thump in his swing, big leaguers can attack him aggressively to see if he can do damage. Will he? It is uncertain, but he could help the New York Mets in 2020.