While the Mets were busy introducing Jason Bay to the New York media, the Buffalo Bisons announced that the Mets had signed them six veteran free agents, including former International League MVP Mike Hessman. Joining Hessman, the Toledo Mud Hens all time HR leader, are 2009 bisons MVP OF Jesus Feliciano, Two-time International League All-Star INF Mike Cervenak, INF Russ Adams, INF Andy Green and RHP R.A. Dickey. All six players will receive invitations to major league spring training.
I discussed Dickey last week here.
The 32-year-old Hessman has played in the international league in every single season since 2002. He’s averaged 28 home runs a year for the last five years, and hit. 271/. 374/602 with 20 doubles and 34 home runs in his MVP 2008 season. Hessman is primarily a third baseman, although he has played every other position on the diamond. Hessman has played in 898 games AAA, 1555 minor-league games overall and 77 games in the big leagues where he hit .208/.276/.476. He made his MLB debut with Atlanta in 2003.
Cervenak, who will be 34 in August, has played in 1,126 minor-league games and just 10 major-league games with the Phillies in 2008. He is coming off a 2009 with the Phillies triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, in which he hit .305/. 347/.450 in 462 AB. Like Hessman, Cervenak is primarily a third baseman but can play all over the diamond. He split his time nearly evenly between all four corner positions in 2009. Cervenak began his professional career with the Chillicothe pit patriots of the dependent frontier league in 1999 before the Yankees signed him in 2000. He made his double-A debut in 2001 at the age of 25, and played in the Eastern league for parts of four seasons before reaching AAA in 2004 with the Giants Fresno grizzlies affiliate. He has played 579 games at Triple-A.
Russ Adams, who will turn 30 in 2010, split 2009 with the Portland Beavers, the San Diego Padres AAA affiliate, after the Blue Jays, who drafted him in the first round in 2002, waived him. A shortstop as a young player, Adams has played every position on the field except pitcher catcher in center field. Adams is a career .277/.354/.401 hitter in 2500 minor league ABs and a . 247/313/372 hitter in the 884 major league at bats. He made his MLB debut back in 2004 for the Blue Jays, and played in 139 games for Toronto in 2005 hitting .256/.325/.383. Since the Jays decided after 2005 that Adams was not the answer at shortstop, he has played more second base than short.
Andy Green who will turn 33 in July, has been with the Mets for the last two seasons. Injuries held Green to just 63 games in 2009 is lowest ever total in a full American professional season. A career . 298/.379/.448 minor-league hitter in 3116 AB, green is primarily a second baseman although he plays third short and the outfield corners as well.
Feliciano hit over .300 for the Mets AAA affiliate for the third straight year in Buffalo last year and led the International League with 154 hits. Most likely, he will play center field when Fernando Martinez doesn’t and in a corner, when Martinez is in center.
None of these players figures to contribute, or even see significant playing time with the Mets in 2010. However they should make the Bisons much better than the 2009 edition which started 2-16 in April and was virtually eliminated from the playoff chase by the second week of May.
The other obvious thing this signals, is that the Mets will not have to force players to Buffalo who clearly are not ready (see: Jose Coronado & Jonathan Malo). I would expect that Ike Davis will be Buffalo’s opening-day first baseman, and Ruben Tejada the team’s opening Day shortstop. If he doesn’t make the major-league team as a reserve, Nick Evans should get regular playing time; he needs the at bats. However, it would appear that both 3B Shawn Bowman and 0F Lucas Duda will have to fight for their playing time at AAA.
I can’t imagine that all five of the veteran position players signed today will play a full season in Buffalo. One or two at the very least will ask for their release when they don’t receive adequate planning time.
They also added Alejando Mechado, I guess to back up middle IF.
I’m surprised about Ike Davis starting in AAA. Since they signed Hessman I figured Davis would start in AA, even if it is only for a couple weeks.
They have Carter, Evans, Hessman, Cerbenak, as well as whoever out of Feliciano and FMart doesn’t play CF to play the 4 corner positions. That’s one too many without Davis and Bowman.
That’s Alejandro Machado when spelled correctly… who’s played mostly 2B/SS in his minor league career, with a few games in the OF as well.
I’m not sure Carter would clear waivers to be assigned to Buffalo. So I wouldn’t count on him being in the mix there.
He has options, doesn’t need to clear waivers.
He was optioned in ’08 and ’09 only, so one more year left.
Yes, but Ike Davis is more important than all the players you mentioned combined. if the Mets decided that he should start at AAA, the presence of any of those other players is absolutely irrelevant.
In 55 games at double-A last year, he hit .309/.386/.565 with 13 home runs and 14 doubles. Yes, his strikeout rate was too high (25.8%), but I’m not sure what else he has to prove at that level.
The difference between AA and AAA being so little now I don’t really see the harm in trying to get him off to a running start and at the same time keeping a minor league veteran from having to go to AA or ask for his release. Two weeks in AA won’t set him back, and could get him off hot.
I’m coming from the perspective of what is best for Davis, as clearly he is the only one they should give that treatment to out of this bunch. Keep in mind how he never recovered from getting off to a slow start in Brooklyn.
Regarding the playing time with the Mets comment, Russ Adams would be a fine replacement for Alex Cora should the need come up. Probably better than Anderson Hernandez.
Not sure where Andy Green fits, they seem to be bringing competition for AAA roster spots into the picture this year. Luis Rivera was in that bench IF role last year and hit well. There looks to be 17-20 position players to compete for 12 or 13 Buffalo roster spots.
The trickle down will have an effect on the lower level rosters as well. There could be some interesting guys who either start the year in a bench role or are even left off full season rosters or released. Hector Pellot for instance.