(Jacob Resnick/Mets Minors)
In addition to the 19 players previously released by the Mets organization, the New York Mets have announced the following nine players have also been released:
PITCHERS
LHP Placido Torres
Level: Gulf Coast & Brooklyn
Stats: 0-0, 3.97 ERA, 9 G, 11.1 IP, 9 K, 1.500 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 7.1 K/9
RHP Keaton Aldridge
Level: Brooklyn & Columbia
Stats: 2-1, 6.31 ERA, 21 G, 2 SV, 25.2 IP, 15 K, 3.5 BB/9, 5.3 K/9
RHP Cameron Griffin
Level: Columbia & St. Lucie
Stats: 1-5, 4.34 ERA, 40 G, SV, 58.0 IP, 56 K, 1.414 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 8.7 K/9
LHP Martin Anderson
Level: Brooklyn & Columbia
Stats: 0-6, 5.29 ERA, 11 G, 10 GS, 49.1 IP, 63 K, 1.642 WHIP, 4.4 BB/9, 11.5 K/9
LHP Gunnar Kines
Level: Brooklyn
Stats: 2-2, 3.00 ERA, 7 G, 3 GS, 33.0 IP, 32 K, 1.4 BB/9, 8.4 K/9
RHP Gregorix Estevez
Level: Brooklyn
Stats: 3-1, 3.77 ERA, 21 G, 3 SV, 31.0 IP, 26 K, 1.581 WHIP, 7.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9
LHP Kurtis Horne
Level: Brooklyn
Stats: 0-0, 11.37 ERA, 7 G, SV, 6.1 IP, 3 K, 2.842 WHIP, 5.7 BB/9, 4.3 K/9
POSITION PLAYERS
INF Leon Byrd
Level: Brooklyn & St. Lucie
Stats: 48 G, 203 PA, 171 AB, 18 R, 36 H, 7 2B, 12 RBI, 5 SB, 5 CS, .211/.323/.251
OF Enmanuel Zabala
Level: St. Lucie
Stats: 67 G, 229 PA, 206 AB, 16 R, 43 H, 6 2B, 17 RBI, 6 SB, 7 CS, .209/.273/.238
A little surprised about Zabala
Why? He’s been in the organization since 2013 with .252.321.313.634. and 3 homers in 296 games.
In 2017, .511 OPS.
Agreed. He did not bring much to the table offensively, yet. But he’s still just 22 and still 2 years away from free agency. Every system has warm bodies that are just there to fill out the rosters. Seems to me he was at least an adequate one of those.
Clarification: absolutely no concerns or complaints about his release. The term used above was, “a LITTLE surprised”. In general, I like the aggressiveness Ina Levin has shown since taking over a couple of years ago, and I like seeing the org get younger at the lower levels.
That said,its not so black and white. He did some things well in 2016 in Columbia. And while he stumbled badly in Lucie in 2017, 22 y.o. players don’t usually get released for one poor year at advanced-A. The Mets have given plenty of players a second crack at St Lucie over the years. What was the impetus for releasing him? Its not like there are a ton of studs behind him being blocked by his presence.
It boils down to roster space, developmental investment, significant internal conversation and thought determining who stays and goes. Maybe a baseball decision, or business, It’s a judgment call attempting to project into the future and Mets came to the decision he’s expendable.
There are always difficult decisions to make. Whether Zabala was among the most difficult, is something we may never know. But after 5 seasons, they apparently came to the conclusion it was time to part ways and invest time, money and energy into someone moving up to take his place.
Thanks. I think, however, that we’re all aware that there is a process in place, what that process is, and what the considerations are. So you’ve simply overstated the obvious. None of which addresses this player, in particular.
At the end of the day, this was a 22-year old playing in a league where he was 2 years below the league average age. That makes his release unusual, even though he did struggle. The original poster simply said he was a “little surprised” (key word being “little”), and I agreed. Its fine if you disagree. But its a minor move that doesn’t warrant this much back & forth, and doesn’t call for pontificating.
Just wondering if you emailed me yet? Haven’t seen anything.