Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sorry Carp Fans

In today's game, Carlos Delgado hits 2 home runs bringing his average up to .205 and increasing his home run count to 3 along with improving to 12 rbis. There has been lots of talk about decreasing Delgados playing time or even getting rid of him. One of the most viable options talked about is first baseman Mike Carp in AA.

Carp is leading the Binghamton Mets in a plethora of categories ranging from average to total bases. His stats include the following: a .376 average with 6 home runs, 20 rbis, 16 runs, 7 doubles, 14 strikeouts, 6 walks, and a slugging percentage of .645 in 93 at bats. As good of numbers as this is, Carp has struggled unbelievably after injuring his wrist last season.

A power hitter, Carp, batted He hit .243 and had 0 home runs in last season in the Arizona Fall League and still managed to be the AFL Prospect Team. Last season, Carp batted .251 with 11 home runs, 48 rbis, and 55 runs in 97 games for AA.

Carp was highly regarded early last season and was invited to spring training, but since his injury has had a lot of trouble up to his recent success this year.

People might want the Mets to call up Carp because of his great numbers right now but it is a very poor idea. Carp does not usually hit very well for average and his biggest problem is his strikeouts. Through 2007, Carp struck out 329 times in 381 games. The kid needs to show that he will continue to hit in AA and then AAA before being called up. He simply is not ready to make the leap and it is a stretch to say he will be ready next year either. Carp really needs to play a large part of the season in AA and some in AAA and must play a full season in AAA if he will have lasting success at the Major League Level

2 comments:

Vain Saints said...

If he maintains his high level of performance, however, I would strongly consider moving him up to AAA this year as well as giving him strong consideration as the 1B of the future for the Mets, possibly bringing him to the Pros as early as '09.

This, of course, introduces a dilemma. Do you or do you not go after Teixiera? If you do, you will probably have to overpay him and give him a l-o-o-o-ng contract that will outlive his utility to the team, and you strand Mike Carp in the minors. You will be paying a lot of money for Texiera's marginal value over Carp, which might not be that high, and it will result payroll will then include the large contracts of Santana, Beltran, Tex, and Wagner (at least for '09), as well as the considerable contracts of Wright and Perez, whom the Mets would be wise to keep IMO. If you don't, and Carp does not pan out, you look foolish. Of course, if Carp does pan out, (he is, after all, only 21, and there's a good chance he might have turned a corner) you have more young talent and more flexibility for the team.

My thinking is go after Tex, and strongly consider trading him for a position of need if Carp tears it up in AAA. If Tex insists on a contract that will render him untradeable, or if he demands an explicit no-trade clause, pass.

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