Tag Archive for Dilson Herrera

#WatchWatch

August 1, 2016 Uncategorized 7 comments

32This year’s trade deadline, about as nutty as last year’s, has resulted in the acquisition of Reds slugger Jay Bruce and the shocking return of Jon Niese. Both guys will be hunting for new uniform numbers as their existing digits belong to their new teammates.

49Bruce, a slugger who can hopefully replace some lefthanded sock that vanished when Lucas Duda got hurt, wears the unusual No. 32, currently and could perhaps pry it from Steven Matz with a Rolex — in the baseball world, the currency of the uniform number. Niese was the Mets’ last occupant of No. 49 until Josh Smoker came and went last Tuesday. Technically 49 still belongs him him.

Niese by the way wore No. 18 in Pittsburgh, where he washed out as a starter and had recently been assigned to the bullpen.

As for the outbound freight, Dilson Hererra has been occupying No. 2 in Vegas and on the Mets’ 40-man roster, which was his number before and after the visit from Juan Uribe last summer, when Hererra wore the since-reassigned No. 16. Uribe, struggling in Cleveland, happened to have been DFAed to make room for all Cleveland’s new gets today and so could potentially slide back in No. 2. That’s the theme this year.

The guy we traded for Niese, gascan lefty Antonio Bastardo, wore No. 59, for the apparent minimum number of seconds he took between delivering pitches. I’m glad to see it and he go, particularly since the Pirates are picking up the commitment.

Fill me in if anything official comes in!

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Struggling Sophomores

June 20, 2016 Uncategorized 3 comments

So it’s come to this.

Swept by the Braves at home, the third-place Mets are expected to, and let’s face it, probably ought to, shake the team up at least a little before the hated Royals arrive for a two-game set starting Tuesday.

26Some of the changes appear obvious. Travis d’Arnaud will return behind the plate and hopefully, he’ll stay healthy. It appears very likely that Kevin Plawecki to Last Vegas will be the corresponding move. No excuse for how poorly he’s hit — wearing 26, Plawecki’s barely any different than the overmatched 22 he was in his rookie year — but thanks in part to d’Arnaud’s fragility Plawecki’s never had that two months in Las Vegas he so obviously needs.

30Will Michael Conforto join him on that plane? It would appear to be a consideration, and one I advocated weeks ago. I have little doubt Conforto can and will be a very good hitter but it’s long past the point where he ought to work out his issues in Las Vegas, even for just a short while.

Top draft pick Brandon Nimmo is having a fabulous year out there by the way, slashing better than 300/400/500 (that’s a positively Fonzerian line), is already on the 40-man roster, and could presumably succeed as a leadoff hitter. That would allow Curtis Granderson to drop in the order and take up at least some of the power slack. Nimmo wears No. 7 in Vegas, but 9 — and 1 — are just sitting around waiting for someone here.

Less likely in my estimation — but inevitable it would seem — will be a reacquaintance with Dilson Hererra. I don’t think that happens unless Neil Walker is hurt, or traded, but I wouldn’t necessarily reject the latter idea. Walker’s a free agent to be and won’t get “Murphy Money” from us, and isn’t on a 40-home-pace any more.

16Finally it takes a special kind of uselessness to be a reserve and yet fail to fit into this lineup but it’s my guess Alejandro De Aza won’t be around for too much longer. Traded? Released?

59The bullpen may also get a rocking, although injuries may determine that as much as performance. Even if Antonio Bastardo were having a good season, which he’s not, his deliberate pace drives me crazy as a fan and he would appear vulnerable but for the expectations that come with his career and contract, and the fact that’s he a left-handed relief pitcher. Hansel Robles, like Conforto and Plawecki, may just need a few weeks in AAA to work things out. Sophomores.

What are your thoughts?

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Meet the Most

September 11, 2015 Useless Milestones 5 comments

16I’m only trying to stay out of the way and let the Mets do what they will, but ought to note two new additions to the roster, our old friend Dilson Herrera and pitcher Tim Stauffer. As discussed in comments below, Herrera was issued No. 16, which technically became available upon Danny Muno’s removal from the 40-man roster when Addison Reed climbed aboard.

54Stauffer is a former 1st round pick of the Padres whose journeyman career most recently saw him released by Minnesota this summer and signed to a minor league deal with the Mets. Stauffer, presumably up in case the Mets need a Carlos Torres-type relief appearance while Carlos Torres rests a sore calf, was issued No. 54, last seen on the back of another un-40ed Met, Alex Torres.

These additions are notable in that they’ve brought the Mets active roster to include 38 men, tying the all-time record (with 1967) for Most Guys in the Clubhouse at Once. Amazin’!

 

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Two for 2

September 7, 2015 Met Mysteries, Uncategorized, Uni Controversies 7 comments

2Well the moment is upon us and someone’s going to pay the price for the Mets having played fast and loose with uni number assignments.

Dilson Herrera, along with Logan Verrett and Johnny Monell, were recalled following this afternoon’s smashing victory at Washington. While we can expect Verrett to wear 35 and Monell 19 as they had earlier this year, Hererra will be wearing something. That’s because the Mets rather inelegantly issued Juan Uribe Herrera’s No. 2 while Herrera was away rehabbing and playing for AAA Las Vegas.

The Mets roster as of late last Monday night, still lists the two of them wearing No. 2.

As noted previously, I’ve given this matter some thought and suggested
0 could be a solution. Other swipes from the uncalled-for, like Vic Black’s 38 or Danny Muno’s 16, are also possibilities. Then I realized poor Dilson also wore 2 in Las Vegas this season and wondered if he wouldn’t pull a Benito Santiago and alight in 02. Santiago, for you youngins, was a catcher with San Diego who famously rocked No. 09 — he wanted space between the digits for the strap holding his chest protector.

Great win today!

 

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Stinky Mets Stink

May 16, 2015 Uncategorized 6 comments

34You probably don’t need much less want a reminder that the Mets are really stinking up the joint out there and giving back darn near all they gained as a result of that magical win streak, if that actually happened at all and wasn’t a figment of our imaginations like a successful sacrifice bunt. Boy do they stink.

The last bit of bad news is Dilson Hererra’s injury: He’s on the DL now and Eric Campbell is on the way back. Why the Mets won’t pull the trigger on Matt Reynolds is a bit puzzling but I think they’re stubbornly committed to doing all they can do to stick with the Flores-at-shortstop plan, even when seemingly better options are out there. At times, it reminds one of 2004 when they committed to — and stuck with — Kaz Matsui at shortstop over Jose Reyes long after it was apparent they could and should have reversed course.

I’m still of the mind that Flores isn’t a bad idea. Leave him be, and he might hit 20 home runs, which is a lot for a shortstop and just might turn out to be a lot for a Met this year. And in a lineup with adequate production elsewhere, it would be especially good but we’re not getting those things right now while David Wright and his 60-year-old body recovers from whatever ails him and Travis d’Arnaud heals a broken finger.

Though you don;t like to see an injury be the case, Hererra it seems could use some more seasoning in the minors anyway, as could Kevin Plawecki.

Have you guys met Noah Syndergaard yet? He’s wearing No. 34.

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Hey Nineteen

May 6, 2015 Uncategorized One comment

19Less than a month into the season and we’ve already seen promotions for the two guys who caught my eye in spring training: Since-demoted infielder Danny Muno and now, lefthanded-hitting third-catcher dynamo Johnny Monell.

Monell, as he’d modeled during Spring Training, takes the largely undistinguished uni No. 19 which I associate most strongly, for whatever reason, with Ron Gardenhire. Though Tim Foli wants in the picture too. Irascible TV personality Bobby Ojeda is still the most accomplished of the 35 guys who have worn 19 for the Mets, a group whose luminaries include diminutive relievers Daniel Ray Hererra and Tom “The Blade” Hall and fat one Heath Bell; outfield disasters Roger Cedeno and Ryan Church; Lenny Harris, who specialized in pinch-hits; Mike Hessman, who specialized in minor league home runs; and Anthony Young, who specialized in losing.

Welcome aboard, Johnny. We need all the help we can get.

2The move by the way followed the reintroduction of Dilson Hererra to the Mets lineup and a recasting of last September’s arrangement whereby Dilson manned second base and Daniel Murphy third base. I think it’s pretty clear that Murphy’s days as a Mets starter are nearing their end. If he becomes the left-handed pinch-hitter that Kirk Nieuwenhuis isn’t this year or Johnny Monell might be, great. If not?

Great article by Sporting News scribe Jesse Spector on the curious, rarely issued No. 69, worn more often by Pirates than by all other teams combined.

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Rockie Horror Pitcher Show

December 19, 2014 Met Mysteries 5 comments

2If the Mets really want Troy Tulowitzski, he ought to be theirs. And if the reports we’ve seen out there are any indication, I don’t think the hold-up ought to be whether or not Noah Syndergaard is included in such a deal, but rather, about how much of that $100+ million Tulo’s got coming to him will the Rockies be willing to kick in to get as much as Syndergaard back. There’s no deal otherwise.

You only have to look at the motivation with which the Dodgers coughed up Matt Kemp to the Padres to get an idea. Los Angeles gave away $32 million to make that deal happen, coming away only with a glove-first catcher and two decent pitching prospects.

The Rockies arguably are even more up against it, given they play in a division with the defending World Series champion and now two more going-for-it-now teams in San Diego and the Dodgers. They reportedly heard “crickets” about Tulo at the Winter Meetings. I wouldn’t underestimate their desire to get something done, and the Mets for once have the cannon fodder to make it happen, if the price is right for them. I’d be very willing to look into this.

That’s one possibility, anyway. I’ve thought for some time now that a leadoff type shortstop, in a non-Tulowitzski sense, is what the Mets need, with Flores going over to second base and Daniel Murphy moving on to another club. In fact, Murphy probably goes in either of my shortstop scenarios, since subtracting his salary would probably make sense if the expense of a Tulowtzski is added, and the Mets have runway at second base with Flores and Herrera easy enough to add in. Either way, they’re not done yet, I don’t think.

19Thanks to Gene and Howie for keeping me on toes here. I think adding John Mayberry Jr. was great for the Mets (righthanded bench power, versatile outfielder) and I go with Gene’s prediction that he winds up wearing No. 19.

Tulowitzski would be one of those guys who triggers a number change, though I don’t imagine be any trouble to reassign Hererra No. 1. According to the legwork by Howie below, 1, 8, 13, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 43, 44, 46, 47, 53, 57, 60, 61, 62, 64, 67, 69 and 71-99 are available. We’ll see some of those numbers populated by recent 40-man roster additions (including the presumed 34 Syndergaard) and other spring training invitees soon enough. Happy holidays!

 

 

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Mookie Dilson?

August 28, 2014 Met Mysteries 11 comments

Hi, I’ve come back from the dead to speculate on the surprise promotion of young second-sacker prospect Dilson Hererra, who evidently is on the way to Citifield Friday to sub for the injured Daniel Murphy and hopefully make this punchless and too-often fun-less team worth watching again.

1I stuck with them this year, I really did, but there’s been little to update you with on the number front. Herrera’s promotion in fact will be the first new addition of a new player to the big-league squad in 70 games (since Taylor Teagarden on June 10, according to figures from my friend Greg).

Herrera, whom we received only a year ago in the Marlon Byrd Trade (or was it John Buck? Both at once? It’s been so long) was among the youngest players in Class AA this season, so a shot at second base in the bigs is quite the opportunity. One would think, with money tight, a successful trial could make Daniel Murphy even more of a longshot to return in 2015. He’s owed an arbitration bump at minimum this offseason but stands to reason he’d take a multiyear deal now if the Mets would only offer.

They probably won’t. That’s baseball.

As astutely pointed out in the below post’s comments, Hererra could inherit either No. 1 (most recently belonging to Chris Young) or 2 (Justin Turner in 2013) upon his arrival.

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