Bisons notebook
No speed limit for Mets’ prospects with 2009 Herd
The New York Mets are in and the Cleveland Indians are out. So what players might be wearing the Buffalo Bisons’ new uniforms in 2009?
The Mets under General Manager Omar Minaya are renowned around baseball for developing Latin players (think Jose Reyes). They try to highlight the running game (Double-A Binghamton stole 109 bases this season and Class A Savannah stole 114), and they don’t sit back to wait for the home run.
“Our philosophy of player development is that we want to continue to be strong in pitching, defense and speed,” Minaya said. “We tend to push guys. You’ll see a lot of young guys. We tend to take a good young kid and push him and challenge him.”
Tops on that list is outfielder Fernando Martinez, rated the team’s No. 1 prospect by Baseball America magazine even though he doesn’t even turn 20 until next month. He hit .287 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs this year as a 19-year-old at Binghamton. Martinez struggled with injuries and figures to open next year playing left and center field in Buffalo.
“He’s a good-looking kid who has the potential to be here next year as one of the better prospects in baseball,” Minaya said.
Outfielder Daniel Murphy was named the Eastern League’s best batting prospect after a big year at Binghamton (.308-13-67) and has batted .362 in his first 38 games with the Mets. The Mets plan to work him at second base in the Arizona Fall League and he may need some time in Buffalo in ’09.
Murphy and outfielder/first baseman Nick Evans (.311-14-53) at Binghamton are platooning in left field in New York with Fernando Tatis (shoulder) out for the season. Evans could be an everyday player in Triple- A next season.
Left-hander Jon Niese, the starter for the Mets Monday against Chicago, could be Buffalo’s ace next season. He was 6-7, 3.04 at Binghamton but went 5-1, 3.40 in seven starts at Triple-A New Orleans.
First baseman/outfielder Mike Carp, 22, also had a big year at Binghamton (.299-17-72). So did starter Bobby Parnell (10-6), who’s likely to be a reliever here. The Buffalo closer should be Eddie Kunz, who set a Binghamton record with 27 saves this year.
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New Orleans made the Pacific Coast League playoffs in 2007 but finished 66-75 this season. Binghamton went 73-69, falling two games short of an Eastern League playoff berth.
Savannah (61-76) and Port St. Lucie, Fla. (53-81) both had losing seasons in Class A, although St. Lucie went 34-31 in the second half of the Florida State League. Brooklyn went 45-30, missing the New York- Penn League playoffs by 1z 3/4 1/2 me 1/3 .
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Being pondered this offseason is the formation of a Baby Subway Series competition between the Bisons and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Yankees’ affiliate.
Because the Mets have been in New Orleans the last two years, the New York City clubs’ Triple-A teams have not played since 2006. Now they’ll meet 16 times as rivals in the International League North.
The games in Buffalo are April 13-16, July 7-8 and Sept. 2-3. Buffalo goes to Scranton April 21-22, July 11-12 and Aug. 22-25.
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All Triple-A affiliations have been set for the next two years after press conferences were held Monday in several locales including Buffalo. The rundown of changes looks like this:
• Buffalo: Cleveland to Mets
• Columbus: Washington to Cleveland
• Syracuse: Toronto to Washington
• Las Vegas: Los Angeles Dodgers to Toronto
• Albuquerque: Florida to Los Angeles Dodgers
• New Orleans: Mets to Florida
