I’ll begin this with a disclaimer. I understand how annoying those Monday morning QB-types are who constantly second-guess moves made by the manager. I understand that Duaner Sanchez was not to be used last night, and manager Jerry Manuel had already spent Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, and Pedro Feliciano in his bullpen. He didn’t have much left to use.

However, Manuel had two better options to use rather than Carlos Muniz in the 9th. Scott Schoeneweis didn’t pitch on Tuesday, so he was fresh. Billy Wagner pitched on Tuesday but didn’t on Monday, so he was also fresh.

Manuel seems to have chosen Muniz because he’s a righty, and the 9th had two right-handed batters (Albert Pujols and Troy Glaus) sandwiched between a left-handed batter (Rick Ankiel). Ryan Ludwick, another right-handed batter, would come up if any of them got on. One cannot fault Manuel for playing the matchups, as many managers do. But in this case, when it’s the heart of the Cardinals order against the last man in your bullpen, Muniz, who had struggled a bit since his recent call-up, I wouldn’t make that move.

The entire Cardinals lineup is predominantly right-handed, and the Mets have a bullpen with three lefties. Sometimes you just have to ignore match-ups. After all, it was the left-handed Chris Duncan that homered off Feliciano in the 8th.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the move is it’s really a move for the 12th when the Mets fictitiously have a lead and Wagner can close the road game. Using Wagner in the 9th to keep the game at a tie is a move to keep the Mets in the ballgame, period. Hold off on Muniz until its the 12th inning, and the game is still at a deadlock. Schoeneweis and Wagner have already been spent, and Muniz, a reliever capable of going a bit long, is the last line of defense before having to use a starter. Don’t use him in the 9th against the heart of the Cardinals’ order.

As was reported here at Hot Foot by Gary Grund earlier, the Mets have called up Carlos Muniz to replace Claudio Vargas. Not only are the Mets now once again without a long man, but the team also heads into a gigantic 18-game stretch beginning with Friday’s doubleheader without a viable extra starting option on the major league club.

In his four-start stint with the Mets, Vargas was adequate and certainly as much as the Mets could hope for. He went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA, holding the fort so well that people wondered whether he or Mike Pelfrey should continue on in the rotation. Thankfully, Pelfrey got yet another opportunity, and it has paid dividends for the team.

Vargas’ equally short tenure as Mets’ long man has proven as adequate. It’s not spectacular because, after all, the vast majority of the time Vargas was just eating innings in mop-up duty. Out of the seven games Vargas appeared in as a reliever, the Mets only won one game — the 13-inning endurance test with the Diamondbacks on June 11.

But it still stands to reason that the demotion of Vargas is odd, considering he has filled the role of long man well and the Mets are heading into a stretch where the team will need a spot start or two. It’s fine to see what Muniz has, but this is bad timing, especially when the Mets have limited options at the Triple-A level.

The Mets may end up using Muniz in a game or two at most, and then when the need for a starter is more pressing in about a week, the team might send him down yet again for Tony Armas. In 16 starts at Triple-A New Orleans, Armas is 5-6 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Despite Armas’ good efforts at Triple-A, he’s probably the same caliber as Vargas. If this scenario plays out, it still won’t make much sense.

Other options at Triple-A include the converted starter Willie Collazo (4-5, 3.83 ERA) and a rebounding Nelson Figueroa (3-2, 2.89 ERA). Still, Armas remains the most likely choice.

Should the Mets always carry a long man? After all, the organization’s respect for emergency catchers has led them to want to take on three catchers instead of two, always going the extra mile. Well, personally, I think the long man is a bit overrated. The position almost always has either failed starters or the worst bullpen arm or both, and it seems more like a euphemism in today’s baseball than anything else.

On top of all this, most times the ‘long man’ only pitches two innings at most, which is the ceiling for every relief pitcher in a bullpen, anyway. While Vargas filled his long man obligation after an Oliver Perez meltdown on June 2, going 4.2 IP and giving up zero earned runs on three hits, the situation doesn’t happen often. Pitchers do implode occasionally, though, and they do get hurt from time to time. Better safe than sorry.

Adam Rubin, on his blog for the New York Daily News, writes that Met officials have discussed demoting Aaron Heilman, who currently has a 6.29 ERA, and replacing him with Triple-A closer Carlos Muniz.

Rubin cites Steve Trachsel and Bobby Jones as an examples of a veteran pitchers who improved after a stint in the minor leagues after poor starts.

Rubin also notes that Ryan Church plans to see a neurologist Tuesday. Church has been experiencing wooziness six days after his concussion.

Matt Wise has been placed on the DL with an arm contusion. Carlos Muniz will take his place on the roster. Wise hasn’t pitched since Tuesday, when he gave up a homerun to lose the game. He had a 4.19 ERA last season with the Brewers.

Adam Rubin on his New York Daily News blog relays the final numbers for the Mets representatives.

Reliever Eddie Kunz, the Mets’ top pick in the 2007 draft, went 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in nine appearances.

Fellow reliever Carlos Muniz had a 3.27 ERA in eight appearances.

First base prospect Mike Carp hit .243 with no homers and 16 RBI in 107 at-bats.

Caleb Stewart batted .318 with 6 home runs, and 11 rbis in 12 games.

Mike Nickeas batted .196 with 1 home run, and 6 rbis in 13 games.

Adam Bostick was 2-0 in 6 starts with an era of 2.74 and 23 strikeouts.

Eddie “Macho” Camacho was 0-2 in 10 games with an era of 2.31 and 9 strikeouts.

Mets.com recently wrote about Mike Carp and Eddie Kunz. Carp is coming back from a hand injury and Kunz was picked up by the Mets in last year’s amateur draft.

SNY.tv provides some insight from scouts and people who closely monitor minor league prospects, such as Jim Callis of Baseball America, primary editor of the soon-to-be released “Prospect Handbook” (available in mid-January through Baseball America), on some of the Mets prospects playing in the Arizona Fall League.

The Mets have four pitchers on the Scottsdale Scorpions: lefties Adam Bostick and Eddie Camacho and righties Eddie Kunz (the Mets top pick in 2007) and Carlos Muniz.

Deric McKamey, advisor to the St. Louis Cardinals and author of the soon-to-be-released, third annual “Minor League Baseball Analyst” believes Adam Bostick can be a swing-man or two-inning reliever. He sees Camacho as a LOOGY (lefty one-out guy) and Muniz as a ROOGY.

McKamey is not high on Kunz. He sees his command as an issue and places him a notch below Aaron Heilman, and projects him to be a seventh-inning guy. An American League East scout agreed with McKamey as well.

“I can’t believe Kunz was a first-round pick. I think his ceiling right now is Aaron Heilman and not many players reach their ceiling.”

Jim Callis is higher on Kunz and sees him as a potential closer.

For more analysis on Mets prospects playing in the AFL, head over to SNY.tv 

From StLucieMets.com…

The St. Lucie Mets were perfect in the playoffs. After sweeping the
Palm Beach Cardinals 2-0 in the division series, they completed a three
game sweep of the Dunedin Blue Jays, en route to capturing their fifth
Florida State League Championship.

Jose
Sanchez earned his second win of the playoffs throwing six and
two-thirds innings, allowing just four walks, while striking out four.
Carlos Muniz earned the save. Muniz saved all five of the Mets playoff
wins.

The Mets were paced at the plate by catcher Jesus Flores
who went 4-for-4 with an RBI. Corey Coles had three hits while Fernando
Martinez collected two hits and Jose Coronado, JE Cruz, Alhaji Turay
and Jonathan Malo all chipped in with one.

Congratulations to manager Gary Carter and the St. Lucie Mets!!!

Here's a rundown of yesterday's minor league action. This comes from the magnificent Toby's Mets Minor League Report…

Three
different Mets pitchers were honored with pitcher of the week honors: Binghamton’s Miguel Perez, Hagerstown’s
Deolis Guerra and Brooklyn’s Nelson
Portillo.

In other news, the Binghamton Mets have won 12 straight.

AAA

A+

A-

NY Penn League (Brooklyn)

Rookie Appalacian League

Rookie Gulf Coast League