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Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

batmagadanleadoff May 09 2013 09:47 AM

Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too), wherein Howard Megdal proves his Mets bona fides by mentioning practically the entire Mets bullpen. I say "practically", because I'm not even sure who the hell comprises the 2013 Mets pitching staff. Cheer up, Jeremy Hefner: The Mets still need you By Howard Megdal 11:10 am May. 9, 2013 Jeremy Hefner, fifth starter for the Mets at the moment, knows he doesn't control his own destiny. "If it was right now, if he came up today, then yeah, I would probably be the one that gets sent down," Hefner, 27, told the Star-Ledger's Jorge Castillo Tuesday. "I’m realistic enough to know that, but I can’t control that." The "he" Hefner referred to is Zack Wheeler, the best pitching prospect the New York Mets have. Wheeler was acquired for Carlos Beltran near the trade deadline in July 2011, and has done little since but wow scouts and the Mets alike. His poor early start in Las Vegas this year was neither surprising (Las Vegas is a horrific place to pitch) nor particularly concerning. And lately, his command has been impeccable: just two walks and 12 strikeouts over his past two starts. "He’s turning the corner, that is what we have seen the last two starts," Las Vegas manager Wally Backman told the New York Post. "If we see that a couple of more starts, he’s going to be pushing the door open himself, forcing the issue for sure." Hefner has pitched better of late. Though he struggled last night early on, he managed to allow four runs over six innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. His strikeout rate is actually up a bit over last year, and he seems to have found his control, with one walk over his past 13 innings. Naturally, Hefner understands that he could be pitching perfect games every time out. Wheeler is the perceived future, and the Mets want to see what they have in him, sooner than later. Hefner has a role on this team, though, and it's one he should have been in from the start: long man. Quick, name the Mets' long man, right now. Any idea? They really don't have one. They do, however, have in Robert Carson, a guy who is the second lefty after Scott Rice in the abstract, but is, in reality, a guy with a 17.18 E.R.A. who's faced a total of three batters since April 29. Rice, it seems, is on the Pedro Feliciano/Tim Byrdak/Josh Edgin track, with the Mets overusing him until his arm either falls off or ceases to produce useful pitching. Carson's presence is supposed to preclude that, but only if manager Terry Collins uses him. Collins is rightly skeptical of treating Carson as a significant part of his bullpen. So there he sits, largely idle, while the Mets have no long man for the games when Shaun Marcum, Dillon Gee, or even Jon Niese fail to go deep into games. (Matt Harvey, theoretically, could exit early, too, but no one really expects that to happen.) So Hefner shouldn't be sent to Las Vegas when Wheeler gets promoted; he has pitched well enough to be the long man, and with few alternatives, and another young pitcher who will probably have his share of short outings as he grows accustomed to the major leagues (only Matt Harvey is Matt Harvey), Hefner should be useful. And if Carson begins to produce, the Mets will have no shortage of right-handed relievers. One of them, Jeurys Familia, has as many walks as strikeouts. He might as well work on that command at Triple-A. The Mets also have the option of sending Hefner to Las Vegas. And Terry Collins indicated it would be a numbers game. "If they’re all pitching really good, you don’t send anyone down. It’s like any other position. You’ve got to earn your way up here, but if there’s no spot, there’s no spot." But there's a spot, and certainly a need, for Jeremy Hefner. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/s ... l-need-you

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 09 2013 10:21 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

I happened to get a copy of this piece before Megdal's editors redlined it [crossout]The Mets traded R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays because Fred Wilpon couldn't afford him but hasn't admitted as much but[/crossout] Jeremy Hefner, fifth starter for the Mets at the moment, knows he doesn't control his own destiny. "If it was right now, if he came up today, then yeah, I would probably be the one that gets sent down," Hefner, 27, told the Star-Ledger's Jorge Castillo, [crossout]who has not been denied credentials by the Mets,[/crossout] Tuesday. "I’m realistic enough to know that, but I can’t control that." The "he" Hefner referred to is Zack Wheeler, the best pitching prospect the [crossout]debt-laden[/crossout] New York Mets have. Wheeler was acquired [crossout]in a desperate cost-cutting measure[/crossout] for Carlos Beltran near the trade deadline in July 2011, and has done little since but wow scouts and the Mets alike. His poor early start in Las Vegas this year was neither surprising (Las Vegas is a horrific place to pitch [crossout]and a result of the Wilpon's shoddy managing of their obligations to support a proper minor-league system[/crossout]) nor particularly concerning. And lately, his command has been impeccable: just two walks and 12 strikeouts over his past two starts. "He’s turning the corner, that is what we have seen the last two starts," Las Vegas manager Wally Backman told the [crossout]credentialed[/crossout] New York Post. "If we see that a couple of more starts, he’s going to be pushing the door open himself, forcing the issue for sure." Hefner has pitched better of late. Though he struggled last night early on, he managed to allow four runs over six innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. His strikeout rate is actually up a bit over last year, and he seems to have found his control, with one walk over his past 13 innings. [crossout]The Mets have stadium debt due next year.[/crossout] It just goes on and on like that.

Edgy MD May 09 2013 10:30 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

G-Fafif May 09 2013 10:37 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

/awe

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 09 2013 10:41 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

I kid because I love. He makes a good point with Hef who gives up too many HRs but has pitched better than Marcum and Gee so far.

Edgy MD May 09 2013 10:52 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

Plus Sarah Grace works overtime giving us WW material. I think too much is made of who odd men out will be in pitching crunches. If you are pitching effectively, there's always room for you.

G-Fafif May 09 2013 11:15 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

Does Hefner's voice always seem to be cracking as if he's on the verge of tears as he reflects on his pitching? He sounds so upset in every postgame interview. Or is the kid just keeping him up late?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 09 2013 12:42 PM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

Maybe he's just really empathetic, and can't help putting himself in SNY viewers' shoes. I know I have a similar reactive arc when I watch him pitch.

metsguyinmichigan May 09 2013 02:52 PM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I happened to get a copy of this piece before Megdal's editors redlined it [crossout]The Mets traded R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays because Fred Wilpon couldn't afford him but hasn't admitted as much but[/crossout] Jeremy Hefner, fifth starter for the Mets at the moment, knows he doesn't control his own destiny. "If it was right now, if he came up today, then yeah, I would probably be the one that gets sent down," Hefner, 27, told the Star-Ledger's Jorge Castillo, [crossout]who has not been denied credentials by the Mets,[/crossout] Tuesday. "I’m realistic enough to know that, but I can’t control that." The "he" Hefner referred to is Zack Wheeler, the best pitching prospect the [crossout]debt-laden[/crossout] New York Mets have. Wheeler was acquired [crossout]in a desperate cost-cutting measure[/crossout] for Carlos Beltran near the trade deadline in July 2011, and has done little since but wow scouts and the Mets alike. His poor early start in Las Vegas this year was neither surprising (Las Vegas is a horrific place to pitch [crossout]and a result of the Wilpon's shoddy managing of their obligations to support a proper minor-league system[/crossout]) nor particularly concerning. And lately, his command has been impeccable: just two walks and 12 strikeouts over his past two starts. "He’s turning the corner, that is what we have seen the last two starts," Las Vegas manager Wally Backman told the [crossout]credentialed[/crossout] New York Post. "If we see that a couple of more starts, he’s going to be pushing the door open himself, forcing the issue for sure." Hefner has pitched better of late. Though he struggled last night early on, he managed to allow four runs over six innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. His strikeout rate is actually up a bit over last year, and he seems to have found his control, with one walk over his past 13 innings. [crossout]The Mets have stadium debt due next year.[/crossout] It just goes on and on like that. Brilliant!!!

batmagadanleadoff May 10 2013 08:54 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

Pinch-hit hero Mike Baxter can't crack the Mets' starting outfield, for some reason By Howard Megdal 10:03 am May. 10, 2013 Just what do the New York Mets have in Mike Baxter? This week, they've had a hitter capable of ending games. Baxter came off the bench and delivered the game-winning single on Tuesday night to beat the Chicago White Sox. Thursday night, he did it again, this time in the ninth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2. "Kind of talking to the players that we've had in the past that have had a lot of experience pinch hitting, and Teuf [Tim Teufel] and some of the guys on the staff that have done it quite a bit in the big leagues, I think the consensus among them is you've got to be a little more aggressive right from the start of your at-bat, just because you've been idle all game and you don't have that rhythm of the game," Baxter told reporters after the game Thursday night. "Sometimes it's beneficial if you get a pitch in the zone, a fastball that you're looking for, you probably should go ahead and get your timing on that first one." The approach Baxter described is at odds with Baxter's results since coming to the Mets on a waiver claim from the San Diego Padres in July 2011. He's walked 38 times in 314 plate appearances over three seasons, allowing him to post a robust .366 on-base percentage despite an ordinary .260 average. Add in some decent power, and Baxter has a 116 O.P.S.+ as a Met. Since he plays the outfield, at times spectacularly (see Johan Santana's big night), and the outfield is not exactly an area of strength for the Mets ... why has Baxter started just 11 times in 31 games? One answer is his splits. He's a .798 O.P.S. hitter against righties, which is good. He's a .398 O.P.S. hitter against lefties, which is poor for a pitcher, let alone an outfielder. He's gotten just 32 plate appearances against lefties, hardly a fair sample. But he didn't hit lefties in the minors, either, and there's little to suggest he should be playing against them more. But there's another platoon split that could be playing into Terry Collins' mind, and it is one that shouldn't. Baxter is a career .709 O.P.S. hitter as a starter, but .901 off the bench. The difference is magnified in 2013, with a .665 O.P.S. as a starter, .940 as a substitute. And for all his talk about aggressiveness off the bench, his walk rate is actually higher as a reserve than as a starter. Collins is unusually intrigued by Baxter's bench work. "This guy comes off the bench with a plan, with something in his mind, and he executes it," Collins said after the game Thursday night. "It's truly amazing, because that is one tough job. And for a young guy to do it as well as he does, it is truly remarkable." Still, even if it turns out Baxter is no good as a regular, the Mets might want to do what it takes to find out. They don't have three outfielders competent enough to hit at above league average rates and field the outfield positions well. And Baxter is 28, under team control for the next four years if they so choose. He's not a prospect, but he's as close an approximation to one as the Mets have on the team or in the upper minors. When the Mets are facing righties, there's no good reason Baxter should be on the bench. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/s ... d-some-rea

Ceetar May 10 2013 09:11 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

I don't see convincing evidence in the minors that Baxter can't hit lefties. It's not like our righty outfielders are hitting them, and Baxter is clearly the second best outfielder on the roster right now (After being second* best last year too) *I might prefer him over Hairston overall valuing the extra OBP over SLG, but certainly those were two useful halves of a platoon last year.

Edgy MD May 10 2013 09:16 AM Re: Madoff Free Megdal (Wilpon Free, too)

That .243 / .341 / .324 // .665 line as a stater should obviate the sarcastic headline, no. If he was a regular starter, I imagine that Megdal would be tempted to campaign for his benching. As it is, the outfield starting situation looks like this: Duda: 29 games Byrd: 20 Valdespin: 12 Baxter: 11 Cowgill: 10 Lagares: 6 Brown: 3 Nieuwenhuis: 3 That tells me that the situation is still being sorted out. This time tomorrow, Baxter could be one of the three team leaders in outfield starts. His campaign would have been more impressive if launched three weeks ago.