Tag Archives: Peter Alonso

Dominic Smith Is Ready For Starting 1st Base Duties

16 Mar

Dom Smith
Newsday.com:

Dominic Smith could tell you he is in the best shape of his life, as so many other ballplayers do at this time of year, and it probably would be true. But he knows that doesn’t mean anything unless he performs when it matters.

Before he got his body right during the offseason, the Mets helped Smith do the same with his mind. Last season was the worst of his career, and at the end of it, he wasn’t sure where he stood with the organization. The new Mets regime, led by general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, settled that by telling Smith the team still believes in him.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” said Smith, who got a visit from executive director of player development Jared Banner and visited hitting coach Chili Davis. “To hear that, especially early in the offseason, it helped me get through this offseason and helped me feel more comfortable, relaxed and have fun on an everyday basis. They don’t have to let you know that, but for them to be open with me was awesome.”

With his concerns assuaged, Smith used the Mets’ vote of confidence as a springboard into an intense offseason and strong spring training, including a .400 average and 1.005 OPS as he competes with Pete Alonso for the first-base job.

All things considered, the Mets would be better off keeping Pete Alonso in the minor league to start the season anyway.

Mets Have Discussed Signing Infielder Mike Moustakas

19 Dec

Mike Moustakas
NYPost.com:

According to an industry source, the Mets last week discussed the idea of Mike Moustakas, a proven lefty bat who would bolster the lineup, but it’s unclear if the veteran infielder remains a possibility after the Ramos addition. Moustakas was discussed as a third-base option who would move Todd Frazier to first, allowing the Mets to ease rookie Peter Alonso into the lineup.

I’d rather have Moustakas at 3rd than Todd Frazier, who I feel is pretty near the end of his career. But the ides here is signing Moustakas to play 3rd and moving Frazier to 1st, which of course would surely upset the steady-waiting-for-his-shot Peter Alonso.

Peter Alonso Is Tearing Up The Arizona Fall League Too

18 Oct

Peter Alonso
MetsMerizedOnline.com:

The Arizona Fall League kicked off this past week, and after an incredible 2018 season, New York Mets first base prospect Peter Alonso picked up right where he left off.

After finishing the minor league season tied for the league lead with 36 home runs, Alonso added one more long ball to his resume with a first week two run home run.

In total for the week, he hit .500/.556/.750, and along with the home run he added a double, six runs scored, four RBI, two walks, and two stolen bases.

Unless, God forbid, he gets injured, don’t be surprised to see Alonso’s name on the Mets 2019 Opening Day lineup.

The Mets Are Not Calling Up Peter Alonso This Year

29 Aug

Peter Alonso
And the kid is not happy about it:

Maybe David Wright will be the reason to go to Mets games in September. Peter Alonso will not be.

Assistant general manager John Ricco delivered the news Tuesday, saying the slugging first baseman will remain at Triple-A Las Vegas for the remainder of the season.

The Mets have multiple reasons to leave him in the minors. They have stated they would like Alonso to hone first-base defense, and there are also 40-man roster considerations. Alonso is not on the roster and not yet eligible for the Rule 5 draft, so the Mets are preserving a roster spot by not calling him up.

Additionally, the Mets have a surplus of first basemen. Jay Bruce is expected to see a lot of time at the position as he returns. Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith also will have turns, and the Mets did not want Alonso riding the bench.

Yeah, doesn’t make much sense to call him up if he’s hardly going to play.

Mets Sticking with Dumb Plan of Playing Jay Bruce at 1st Base

25 Aug

Jay Bruce
Jay Bruce is back and apparently healthy. Yet, the Mets being the Mets, have to find some way to screw things up and in this case, it’s making a guy whose played the outfield for 99% of his long career, play 1st base:
 
NYPost.com:

As the Mets evaluate their options for next season, manager Mickey Callaway said Bruce is a possibility to become the team’s full-time first baseman in 2019 if he can show proficiency at the position over the next five weeks.

Bruce is expected to begin receiving action at first base in the coming days.

This makes no sense on so many levels. For starters, the guy playing 1st base most of the time now, Wilmer Flores, is doing a pretty good job. Secondly, Bruce just got back from a couple of months on the DL. I know that the season is over, but with all the able footwork required at 1st base combined with Bruce’s recent history of foot injuries, is playing him at first for the rest of the season really a good idea?

Then too, the Mets have Peter Alonso waiting in the wings to be there future 1st baseman–some are saying that Alonso’s 32 minor league homeruns this year warrant a call-up to the big leagues now. Lastly, not only does Bruce not seem too excited about playing 1st, but the idea that Brandon Nimmo or Juan Lagares are ready to be full-time starters in the outfield just doesn’t seem fitting considering the former’s streakiness at the plate and the latter being so injury prone. But of course, as we’ve learned over the years, leaving well enough alone just isn’t in the Mets modus operandi.