Update IV on Former Prospects

Prospects traded away in the last year - Part III

1. Dustin Martin (traded for Luis Castillo) OF, L/L, 24, AA

4/14/08: .520/.517/.720/1.237, 13 for 25, 5 runs, 5 2b, 8 RBI, 2/3 BB/K, 3/3 SBs

5/5/08: .352/.398/.495/.893, 32 for 91, 19 runs, 6 2b, 2 3b, HR, 19 RBI, 8/22 BB/K, 8/9 SBs

5/29/08: .316/.381/.433/.814, 54 for 171, 29 runs, 10 2b, 2 3b, 2 HR, 33 RBI, 17/40 BB/K, 13/18 SBs

7/29/08: .289/.360/.433/.793, 108 for 374, 50 runs, 23 2b, 5 3b, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 39/88 BB/K, 18/27 SBs

He's still hitting LHP much better then he's hitting RHP, with an .894 OPS vs LHP and a .753 OPS vs RHP. You would expect his numbers vs RHP to come up, so there's still a chance he'll become something useful down the road, but at his age/level, remember he's about a year or two older then average in the EL.

2. Drew Butera (traded for Luis Castillo) C, R/R, 24 3/4, AA

4/14/08: .300/.364/.300/.664, 6 for 20, 4 runs, RBI, 2/3 BB/K

5/5/08: .177/.257/.194/.451, 11 for 62, 8 runs, 2b, 2 RBI, 7/14 BB/K

5/29/08: .196/.298/.295/.592, 22 for 112, 19 runs, 5 2b, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 17/21 BB/K

7/29/08: .219/.317/.344/.661, 54 for 247, 36 runs, 13 2b, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 32/44 BB/K

He had a great June with a .308/.378/.477/.855 line, but has regressed back to major suckitude in July, hitting a paltry .176/.300/.309/.609. About the only good thing you can say about Butera is that he has a good eye at the plate, but what good is it if he's hitting .219? A 98 IsoD isn't useful when it carries you to .317 for an OBP. And he turns 25 in a couple of weeks. Ouch.

3. Jose Castro (traded for Jeff Conine) SS, S/R, 21 1/2, AA

4/14/08: .280/.280/.440/.720, 7 for 25, 2 runs, 4 2b, 2 RBI, K

5/5/08: .250/.304/.344/.648, 16 for 64, 6 runs, 4 2b, 3b, 7 RBI, 4/4 BB/K

5/29/08: .231/.259/.282/.541, 18 for 78, 5 runs, 2 2b, 3b, 5 RBI, 2/2 BB/K, 1/2 SBs

Total 2008 Stats: (AA/A+): .234/.275/.303/.578, 34 for 145, 11 runs, 6 2b, 2 3b, 12 RBI, 6/6 BB/K, 1/3 SBs

7/29/08 (A+) .240/.274/.303/.578, 61 for 254, 23 runs, 7 2b, 3 3b, HR, 15 RBI, 7/18 BB/K, 2/5 SBs

Total 2008 Stats: (AA/A+/AA/A+) .239/.277/.307/.585, 77 for 322, 29 runs, 11 2b, 4 3b, HR, 22 RBI, 11/22 BB/K, 2/6 SBs

He's proving that last year was a big fluke as far as his hitting went (.318/.363/.383/.746 in the FSL for the Mets), but we really didn't get a big return for him, and the next guy on this list turns this trade into one I regret wholeheartedly. Castro is no big loss.

4. Sean Henry (traded for Jeff Conine) OF, R/R, 22 3/4, A+, AA

4/14/08: 293/.370/.415/.784, 12 for 41, 6 runs, 3 2b, 3b, 7 RBI, 3/7 BB/K, 4/4 SBs

5/5/08: AA Chattanooga: .340/.404/.640/1.044, 17 for 50, 12 runs, 2 2b, 2 3b, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 5/12 BB/K, 3/4 SBs

Total 2008 Stats: .319/.388/.538/.927, 29 for 91, 18 runs, 5 2b, 3 3b, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 8/19 BB/K, 7/8 SBs

5/29/08: .301/.394/.504/.898, 34 for 113, 21 runs, 5 2b, 3 3b, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 16/26 BB/K, 6/8 SBs

Total 2008 Stats: .299/.388/.481/.868, 46 for 154, 27 runs, 8 2b, 4 3b, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 19/33 BB/K, 10/12 SBs

7/29/08: .319/.392/.514/.906, 91 for 286, 54 runs, 19 2b, 5 3b, 9 HR, 53 RBI, 30/56 BB/K, 13/18 SBs

Total 2008 Stats: .315/.389/.502/.891, 103 for 327, 60 runs, 22 2b, 6 3b, 9 HR, 60 RBI, 33/63 BB/K, 17/22 SBs

We could use a toolsy OF prospect, especially after trading away Milledge and Gomez, and with Nando's brittleness. Henry turns 23 in 2 1/2 weeks or so, but he's been doing the vast majority of his damage in the AA Southern League as a 22 year old, right in line for a prospect. After a down month power wise in June, he's tearing shit up in July with a .367/.452/.646/1.097 line in 79 ABs, with an 11/12 BB/K ratio. Of the 4 prospects traded for Castillo/Conine, this is the only one I regret now, although I was against both deals, for different reasons (Gotay, Castro could've been our RH power bat off the bench if we'd gone to 3 catchers, Conine was as useful a RH bat as I would've been).

5. Deolis Guerra (traded for Johan) SP, R/R, 19, A+

4/14/08: 0-0, 0.90 era, 2 GS, 10 IP, 6 H, ER, HR, 6/8 BB/K

5/5/08: 2-1, 4.61 era, 6 G, 5 GS, 27.1 IP, 29 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 12/20 BB/K, 1.50 WHIP

5/29/08: 6-1, 4.23 era, 11 G, 10 GS, 55.1 IP, 52 H, 29 R, 26 ER, 4 HR, 26/32 BB/K, 0.64 GO/FO, .244 BAA, 1.41 WHIP

7/29/08: 10-5, 4.56 era, 20 G, 19 GS, CG, 104.2 IP, 102 H, 58/53 R/ER, 9 HR, 47/56 BB/K, 0.61 GO/FO, .253 BAA, 1.42 WHIP

Guerra's repeating a level, and is struggling big time doing it, he still has age on his side, but it is disconcerting to see him struggle so mightily in a repeat of a pitcher's league.

6. Kevin Mulvey (traded for Johan) SP, 23 1/6, R/R, AAA

4/14/08: 1-1, 0.84 era, 2 GS, 10.2 IP, 9 H, ER, 3/11 BB/K

5/5/08: 2-3, 3.82 era, 6 GS, 33 IP, 37 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 4 HR, 12/34 BB/K, 1.48 WHIP

5/29/08: 3-6, 4.07 era, 11 GS, 55.1 IP, 62 H, 32 R, 25 ER, 6 HR, 22/50 BB/K, 0.90 GO/FO, .279 BAA, 1.52 WHIP

7/29/08: 4-8, 3.87 era, 20 GS, CF, 104.2 IP, 107 H, 60/45 R/ER, 12 HR, 34/84 BB/K, 0.80 GO/FO, .261 BAA, 1.35 WHIP

Mulvey's having a very good July, except that he's still not pitching deep into games, averaging just about 5.5 IP/GS, he's walked just 4 in 22.2 innings, allowing 19 hits. He's exhibit A why W-L means nothing, in his last 10 games, he's lost games of 6 ip, 1 er, and 4.2 ip, 1 er, while taking NDs in games of 6.2 ip, 3 er and 7 ip, 2 er. Still, the performance of the next guy on this list is terrible, so as of right now, Mulvey's the only minor leaguer given him in this trade who's performing reasonably well.

7. Philip Humber (traded for Johan) SP, 25 1/3, R/R, AAA

4/14/08: 0-2, 5 era, 2 GS, 9 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1/5 BB/K

5/5/08: 1-3, 5.40 era, 8 G, 5 GS, 25 IP, 33 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 11/14 BB/K, 1.76 WHIP

5/29/08: 2-5, 5.19 era, 13 G, 10 GS, 50.1 IP, 60 H, 35 R, 29 ER, 5 HR, 27/29 BB/K, 1.02 GO/FO, .299 BAA, 1.73 WHIP

7/29/08: 6-7, 5.38 era, 25 G, 17 GS, 93.2 IP, 107 H, 63/56 R/ER, 16 HR, 42/70 BB/K, 0.69 GO/FO, .288 BAA, 1.59 WHIP

Humber was once again demoted to the bullpen for a brief period this year in July, making 5 relief appearances in between starts, and at least for now, the short term gains seem to be apparent, his last 2 GS, he's gone 12.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and striking out 15, going 2-0 with a 2.13 era. However, overall his season has been nothing short of a disaster, and 2 GS isn't going to change anything there. On the bright side, at least his K rate has been rising, 43 Ks in 43.1 innings in his last 2 months, after just 29 in his first 50.1 innings, and his walk rate is coming down. Still, he is 25 in AAA, on the verge of becoming irrelevant.

8. Carlos Gomez (traded for Johan) OF, 22, R/R, MLB

4/14/08: .269/.296/.385/.681, 14 for 52, 4 2b, 3b, 4 RBI, 2/12 BB/K, 5/6 SBs

5/5/08: .271/.297/.374/.671, 29 for 107, 6 2b, 3b, HR, 8 RBI, 3/26 BB/K, 13/14 SBs

5/29/08: .293/.327/.429/.756, 58 for 198, 31 runs, 9 2b, 3 3b, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 8/51 BB/K, 17/22 SBs

7/29/08: .250/.284/.349/.633, 101 for 404, 54 runs, 17 2b, 4 3b, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 15/99 BB/K, 21/30 SBs

Ouch. He went into the tank since our last update, and is on pace to K 157 times this year, not good at all for a leadoff hitter. Even when Jose Reyes struggled with his walks, he didn't K nearly as much as Gomez is. Still, I'll stubbornly hold onto my Gomez 2008 = Reyes 2005 prediction, and we'll see where things end up (hopefully with a few more BBs, less Ks and more SBs for Gomez).