The Mets have a veritable "Who's Who?" of fringe prospects, has-beens and never-will-bes in camp this year, and while you can always find a wide spectrum of organizational fodder in spring training, this year's grab bag is simply bursting at the seams with that which shall be foisted at the wall in the event that something actually sticks. This is the third year we've played the ole Make-The-Mets-O-Meter, but I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't credit my good friend Martin Gandy for doing it first at Talking Chop.
The Mets have so many players in camp that I've split the inaugural breakdown into batters and pitchers, which I will publish separately. We'll begin with the pitchers.
Player | Comment | |
---|---|---|
Michael Antonini, LHP | 23-year-old lefty, pitched last year at Double-A Binghamton. Good control, good changeup. | |
Tony Armas, RHP | ERA approaching 8.00 in 8.1 innings with the Mets last year. | |
Adam Bostick, LHP | Came to the Mets from Florida in the deal for Matt Lidstrom and Henry Owens. Has more than a strikeout per inning over seven minor league seasons. | |
Rocky Cherry, RHP* | Plucked from the Orioles in December's Rule 5 draft. Decent minor league peripherals. 6'5". | |
Valerio De Los Santos, LHP | Not much to like here. De Los Santos is 36 and lefty. He had pretty good control in the minors but that didn't seem to translate in his 256 big league innings. | |
Matt DeSalvo, RHP | Gets a lot of groundballs but doesn't do anything else particularly well. | |
Elmer Dessens, RHP | 38 years old. Has had exactly one good year as a starter and zero as a reliever. | |
Nelson Figueroa, RHP | Unlike most of the other mediocre pitchers in camp, at least we know him. | |
Casey Fossum, LHP | Once the centerpiece in the Curt Schilling-to-the-Red Sox deal, Fossum has an 83 ERA+ in 782 innings and doesn't do anything particularly well. | |
Freddy Garcia, RHP | Once a reliable workhorse, Garcia's last two seasons have been injury-riddled and he had to settle for a make-good minor league deal with the Mets. He's close to an even money bet to win the fifth starter spot. | |
Dillon Gee, RHP | Dee allowed just 24 walks in 157.1 innings between St. Lucie and Bingo last season. | |
Livan Hernandez, RHP | Was: a very good pitcher for the Expos thirty some years ago. Is: very fat. | |
Brandon Knight, RHP* | Made two starts for the Mets last year. Probably going to lose the numbers game. | |
Eddie Kunz, RHP* | A little ruff™ around the edges. | |
Tom Martin, LHP | Old. Lefty. Pitched for the Mets in 2001. Really. | |
Carlos Muniz, RHP* | Probably organizational filler at this point. | |
Jon Niese, LHP* | Had a decent shot of making the team before the Mets signed Garcia, Hernandez, et al to minor league deals. Unless Niese flat out pwns in spring training he'll probably start the season in Buffalo. | |
Darren O'Day, RHP* | Likely to miss 2009 due to injury. | |
Bobby Parnell, RHP* | Very good fastball; has an outside shot of making the bullpen. | |
Connor Robertson, RHP* | Acquired in the Scott Schoeneweis deal. Nothing to write home about. | |
Heriberto Ruelas, LHP | No idea who this is. | |
Kyle Snyder, RHP | Someone's gotta throw BP, right? | |
Brian Stokes, RHP* | Flashed mid-nineties heat late in the season with the Mets. Bullpen spot might be his to lose. | |
Tobi Stoner, RHP | Has shown pretty good control in the minors. Has a great name. | |
John Switzer, LHP | See: Snyder, Kyle. |
Key:
= Chance of making the Mets is unchanged.
= Chance of making the Mets is going down.
= Chance of making the Mets is going up.
* = player on 40-man roster