Results tagged ‘ Jenrry Mejia ’
Projecting the Opening Day roster, 1/29
Finally, some updates! The acquisition of Shaun Marcum changes things a bit, tempting me to bump Jenrry Mejia to the bullpen to make room for him. Instead, I chose to remove Mejia from the roster altogether; I believe the Mets are somewhat committed to keeping him stretched out as a starter, and he’ll only be able to do that at Triple-A.
The Mets also added a new face in reliever Scott Atchison, who expects to make the Opening Day bullpen and could bump any number of relievers out of it. I went with Greg Burke, though your guess is as good as mine at this point.
C : John Buck
1B: Ike Davis
2B: Daniel Murphy
SS: Ruben Tejada
3B: David Wright
OF: Lucas Duda
OF: Kirk Nieuwenhuis
OF: Mike Baxter
Bench: Collin Cowgill
Bench: Andrew Brown
Bench: Justin Turner
Bench: Brandon Hicks
Bench: Anthony Recker
SP: Johan Santana
SP: Jon Niese
SP: Matt Harvey
SP: Dillon Gee
SP: Shaun Marcum
RP: Frank Francisco
RP: Bobby Parnell
RP: Josh Edgin
RP: Scott Atchison
RP: Robert Carson
RP: Jeurys Familia
RP: Jeremy Hefner
In the running: C Landon Powell, 1B Josh Satin, INF Zach Lutz, INF Brian Bixler, INF/OF Jordany Valdespin, OF Matt den Dekker, RHP Greg Burke, RHP Jenrry Mejia, RHP Collin McHugh, RHP Elvis Ramirez, RHP Carlos Torres, LHP Aaron Laffey, LHP Pedro Feliciano, LHP Darin Gorski.
Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Mets all tapped out in Buffalo?
The Mets recently released their probable pitchers for the next week, confirming that Dillon Gee (below) has joined the rotation until further notice. The following day, the team announced that Chris Young has opted for surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder, almost certainly ending his season.
Teams don’t ever go 162 games using only five starters, most poaching proven pitchers from their farm systems several times throughout the course of a season. But the Mets currently have no such luxury, having seen a plague descend upon Triple-A Buffalo. Boof Bonser has already undergone Tommy John surgery. Top prospect Jenrry Mejia is scheduled for the same procedure. Gee’s promotion to the big leagues has further undermined what was supposed to be one of the International League’s top rotations in Buffalo. (And even Gee has a history of shoulder trouble — despite optimism, there’s no telling how long he may last in the bigs.)
This, for the Mets, is a problem. It would be almost impossible for them to play out the remaining 80 percent of the season with just five starting pitchers, but they have little else available on the farm. Buffalo’s rotation currently consists of D.J. Carrasco, who was exiled from the Mets last month; Casey Fossum, a former big leaguer who represents little more than organizational depth; Brian Sweeney, another journeyman starter; Josh Stinson, a former 37th-round Draft pick without much serious potential; and Chris Schwinden, so far the best of the bunch. In six starts with Buffalo, Schwinden is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA, striking out nearly a batter per inning and showcasing solid control.
If the Mets need a starter in the immediate future, Schwinden may be the pick, unless the Mets opt to go with Carrasco, who is already on the 40-man roster.
Either way, the situation is not ideal, and considering the team’s tight budget, searching for help outside the organization may not be a viable option. It is critical, then, for the five starting pitchers in New York to remain healthy — both now and for the immediate future.
—–Follow along on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
In case you missed it: 2/28
It’s easy for stories to get lost in the shuffle down here in Spring Training, with so much going on daily. Each Monday, I’m going to try to recap what happened on Mets.com and the greater world of baseball over the past week.
Monday, Feb. 21: The first new addition I profiled in camp was D.J. Carrasco, a versatile reliever from the D-backs by way of Northern California. Ostensibly trying out for the team as a starter, Carrasco will most likely fill the jack-of-all-trades role left vacant by the departed Hisanori Takahashi. He also has a sweet collection of vintage cars. Also Monday, new manager Terry Collins summoned some brimstone and fire in addressing the team prior to the first full-squad workout.
Tuesday, Feb. 22: Marty Noble filled in for me this day and interviewed Willie Harris and Scott Hairston about their history of beating the Mets with spectacular catches. Harris and Hairston are the two favorites to win backup outfield jobs this spring. Noble also provided union chief Michael Weiner’s take on the Francisco Rodriguez contract situation.
Wednesday, Feb. 23: Known for their diversity, the Mets draw many players from Latin America and Asia. But Germany? I wrote Wednesday about Kai Gronauer, a rare European prospect looking to hook on with the Mets. Also making news was Collins’ admission that had it been his choice, he would have kept Jenrry Mejia confined to the Minors last season.
Thursday, Feb. 24: Mets fans know Luis Castillo, they know Daniel Murphy and, to some extent, they even know Justin Turner. (They also know Jason Isringhausen, who is working on a new pitch in camp — but that’s beside the point.) But most do not yet know Brad Emaus, the fourth candidate in the second base competition and perhaps the favorite for the job.
Friday, Feb. 25: Some troubling off-the-field news surfaced Friday, when the Mets confirmed that Major League Baseball loaned them money to deal with a “short-term liquidity issue.” On the baseball front, things went smoother, with top prospect Matt Harvey discussing his offseason and Hairston homering twice in an intrasquad game.
Saturday, Feb. 26: Grapefruit League play began Saturday with a 5-5 tie against the Braves. Starting pitcher Jenrry Mejia, whose future remains conflicted, hit 94 miles per hour on the stadium radar gun. The Mets also announced that single-game tickets will go on sale March 14.
Sunday, Feb. 27: Oliver Perez’s bid to make the team began sourly, when the lefty allowed four runs in two innings against the Braves. Noble had the report from Orlando. Back home at Port St. Lucie, the Mets beat the University of Michigan, 7-1, in an exhibition at Digital Domain Park. With Sandy Koufax in attendance, Chris Capuano started and pitched two strong innings. Some sad news also broke Sunday, however, when Koufax’s former teammate with the Dodgers, Duke Snider, passed away at 84.
—–Follow along on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
A first-hand opinion of Jenrry Mejia
Though Mets manager Jerry Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen have heard the reports on Jenrry Mejia and, in preparation for his Saturday start, have watched him throw a bullpen, they have not seen Mejia throw in person since his demotion to Class A St. Lucie back in June.
Mike Nickeas has.
The catcher, called up to the Mets Thursday morning, caught Mejia at both Triple-A Buffalo and Double-A Binghamton this season, after also catching the 20-year-old prospect in Spring Training. Many within the Mets organization, including general manager Omar Minaya, have called Mejia’s improved curveball the primary factor behind his recent success. And Nickeas agrees.
“He’s getting that over first pitch a lot,” Nickeas said. “I think that’s really effective. I think it’s difficult to swing at first pitch for a lot of guys, especially when he’s throwing 96, kind of cutting. It’s very effective.”
Also effective is Mejia’s changeup, especially when used in tandem with his upper-90s fastball. That combination, the Mets feel, should be enough for Mejia to hold his own while he grows acclimated to starting in the Major Leagues.
“Compared to last year, he’s come a long, long way,” Nickeas said. “I think his off-speed stuff for strikes has been tremendous this year, and his last four or five outings have been phenomenal. His fastball is where it has been, only it’s more consistent to both sides of the plate. He’s done a terrific job.”
—–Follow along on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo.
Igarashi nearing rehab assignment
Ryota Igarashi has thrown off a mound on multiple occasions and “is getting close” to a rehab assignment, according to Mets assistant general manager John Ricco.
Igarashi, who went on the disabled list April 21 with a strained left hamstring, posted a 1.35 ERA in seven games before the injury. Inked to a two-year, $3 million contract this past offseason, Igarashi spent early April working his way into the Mets’ late-game plans.
When he returns, he will open up several options for the Mets. Assuming Igarashi falls back into a setup tandem with lefty Pedro Feliciano, his presence would free the Mets to:
- Stop overusing Fernando Nieve in late-game situations
- Move Jenrry Mejia to Triple-A, where he could stretch out as a starter
- Move Hisanori Takahashi into the starting rotation in place of Oliver Perez
Don’t get too excited, though — the Mets have shown zero desire to do any of those things, and don’t appear close to doing any of them even with Igarashi in the fold. But Igarashi’s presence, assuming it comes this month, will provide the Mets’ pitching staff with a modicum of flexibility.
Mets poll: If you were GM for a day
Time to try something new here at Mets Cetera. Based on your comments both on this blog and MLB.com, I can tell there’s a certain amount of restlessness within the Mets fan base right now. So I’ll leave it up to you: if you could alter only one aspect of this team, would you…
Anthony DiComo
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