Category: Minor Leagues
B-Mets sold, new owner pledges to keep club in Binghamton
On Monday, the Binghamton Mets announced the sale of the Eastern League Franchise to Evans Street Baseball Inc., headed by John Hughes, by former owner Michael Urda.
Previously. here had been rumors Urda intended to sell the franchise to a group looking to move the B-Mets away from Binghamton to Delaware. But Hughes stated his intent to keep the team in Binghamton following his purchase of the franchise.
“Having a Double-A, New York Major League Baseball affiliate in the Southern Tier is a tremendous opportunity, so great attention will be focused to ensure the team has top-grade facilities and the infrastructure necessary to develop Major League talent,” Hughes said in a statement. “We want to be a contributor to the rebirth of the Southern Tier and create a memorable, unique, fun, and affordable fan experience each and every time. As a leader who takes an active hands-on approach, I am committed to upgrading the fan experience, improving community outreach programs, and establishing NYSEG Stadium as a community jewel.”
The B Mets open the silver season on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 6:35 at NYSEG Stadium against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Season tickets and mini packs are on sale now and may be purchased in person at NYSEG stadium or by visiting www.bmets.com or calling (607) 723-METS.
Mets lose Matt Bowman to the Cardinals in the Rule 5 draft
The Mets pitching depth took an expected hit in the Rule 5 draft on Thursday morning, as they lost RHP Matt Bowman to the Cardinals in the Major League portion of the draft.
Bowman, 24, had a rough season with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2016, going 7-16 with a 5.53 ERA in 28 appearances and 26 starts, allowing 184 hits and 51 walks in 140 innings for the 51s. He dealt with a minor arm injury over the course of the season as well.
But Bowman has been a highly regarded arm in the organization since he was drafted in the 13th round of the 2012 first-year player draft. He has a small frame and doesn’t throw particularly hard, but he has a deceptive delivery, is a strike thrower and had really made a lot of progress in the Mets organization until he hit this speed bump in 2015.
The Mets left him off the 40-man roster in late November, and considering he is close to big league ready, it’s not really a surprise a team would consider taking a chance on him.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft is assigned a fee of $50,000 to his original organization. That player must remain on his new team’s Major League active roster for the entire season. If he is removed from the active roster and goes unclaimed through waivers, that player must be offered back to his original organization for $25,000.
So, the Mets may get him back at some point.
The Mets retained notable exposed players such as Wuilmer Becerra, Paul Sewald, and TJ Rivera.
Dominic Smith named to the All-AFL Team in 2015
Mets 1B prospect Dominic Smith had a breakout year in 2015, winning the Florida State League Player of the Year award in 2015 after hitting .305/.354/.417 with six home runs and 79 RBI in 118 games with Single-A St. Lucie.
But he missed time at the end of the season with a shoulder injury, and so he headed to the Arizona Fall League to pick up some extra at-bats and additional playing time at first base.
And his impressive run continued in the desert.
Smith was named an Arizona Fall League Fall-Star, but was unable to play in the league’s All-Star Game after suffering a muscle strain which caused him to miss 14 days of action this month.
Still, Smith posted impressive all-around numbers in the AFL, hitting .362/.483/.511 with four doubles, a home run and six RBI with 12 walks and ten strikeouts in 47 at-bats.
Those marks were good enough for Smith to be named to the All-AFL team in 2015 at first base.
“Smith picked up in the AFL where he left off in the Florida State League, making consistently loud contact and barreling the ball to from line to line,” Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com writes. “The 20-year-old’s approach supports the numbers, too, as he’s extremely patient and willing to take a walk but also is comfortable hitting in any count and seldom expands his zone. Meanwhile, Smith’s defense at first base drew rave reviews throughout the fall.”
Smith, 20, is listed as the Mets fifth-best prospect, according to MLB.com. He will likely begin the 2016 season with Double-A Binghamton.
Brandon Nimmo, RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Jeff Walters, and RHP Robert Gsellman added to the 40-man roster
The Mets added four minor leaguers to the 40-man roster on Friday, protecting them from being exposed to the Rule 5 draft in December.
OF Brandon Nimmo, RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Jeff Walters, and RHP Robert Gsellman were added to the 40-man roster, automatically receiving invites to major league spring training as a result.
The 40-man roster now stands at 39.
Nimmo, 22, hit .269 with 48 runs scored, 16 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 26 RBI with a .362 on-base percentage in 2015 for Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League and St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League. He missed a month with a sprained left knee. Nimmo was named to the Eastern League midseason All-Star team and went 1-2 for the US team in the Futures Game in Cincinnati. Nimmo was a first-round pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.
Lugo, 26, went 8-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 24 combined starts between Las Vegas and Binghamton in 2015. He racked up 127 strikeouts. Lugo was a 34th-round selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft from Centenary College (LA).
Walters, 28, was 3-0 with two saves and a 2.45 ERA in 29 games in relief for Binghamton , St. Lucie and rookie-level Gulf Coast last season. He returned from Tommy John surgery on June 22. Walters led the Eastern League in saves (38) in 2013 and pitched in 23 games for Las Vegas in 2014 before undergoing surgery. He was a seventh-round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Gsellman, 22, went 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA in 24 starts between Binghamton and St. Lucie in 2015. He was named to the Florida State League midseason All-Star team and was the Sterling Pitcher of the Year. Gsellman was a 13th-round pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. Continue reading
Mets have tough decisions to make as they aim to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft
The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster in order to avoiding exposing them to the Rule 5 draft is Friday, November 20.
The Rule 5 draft takes place on the final day of the Winter Meetings in December. The rule is designed to prevent teams from hoarding players in their minor league system for an infinite amount of time.
Any player who was 18 years old or younger on the June 5 before they signed their first professional contract, and this is the fifth Rule 5 draft since their signing date is eligible for exposure. In addition, if a player was 19 years old or older on the June 5 before they signed their first professional contract, and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since their signing date, he is eligible for exposure.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft is assigned a fee of $50,000 to his original organization. That player must remain on his new team’s Major League active roster for the entire season. If he is removed from the active roster and goes unclaimed through waivers, that player must be offered back to his original organization for $25,000.
A recent case involving the Mets are Logan Verrett, who was selected in the 2014 Rule 5 draft by the Orioles. He was designated for assignment late in Spring Training, at which point he was picked up by the Rangers. He was designated soon thereafter, and was returned to the Mets for $25,000.
The Mets selected LHP Sean Gilmartin in the Rule 5 draft last winter, but he remained on the active roster for the entire season. If the Mets choose, they can now send him to the minors without having to return him to his original team.
Notable Mets players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in 2015 are Brandon Nimmo, Robert Gsellman, Wuilmer Beccera, Matt Bowman, Travis Taijeron, Mickey Jannis, and Jeff Walters. Continue reading
