Friday, May 26, 2006

Pedro Times 2???

Sorry folks- Jonathan put this story together a few days ago, but for some reason it didn't post correctly, making it a bit less timely, but still very important Mets' news.

In the Draft and Follow Category, the Mets drafted 2 players who qualify in the top 25 of this category, as per PGCrosschecker.com (http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/draft/dr_06_05_12_draftstory_as.aspx)
The Mets drafted the #1 person on this list, Pedro Beato, in the 17th round of last year's draft. Due to his amazing performance at St. Petersburg Community College, there are now rumors that the Mets will go as high as $1.5 million to sign him. Beato attended Xaverian High in Queens, in the Mets backyard.

“He’s got electric stuff and has gotten better, and better, and better all year,” said St. Petersburg coach Dave Pano. “He was lights out last week in the state tournament. He sat at 96 in the sixth and seventh innings, and he did it so easy.”

Beato is now eligible to sign now with the Mets, as St. Petersburg was recently eliminated from the state tournament. Scouts have been camped out at all his games this spring. while Mets GM Omar Minaya has also been to see Beato in person. Contract negotiations with the Mets are expected to begin in earnest shortly.

Beato, a product of the Dominican Republic, moved to New York seven years ago, is also very appealing to the Mets because they do not have a first-round pick this year, having forfeited their selection in the offseason after signing closer Billy Wagner as a free agent from the Phillies.

The Mets took a chance on Beato with a mid-round pick last year because he was not 100% physically, having not yet bounced back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in April of 2004. His velocity had dropped to just 86-88 mph as a senior, after hitting as high as 93 mph as a junior in high school. Beato was also reluctant to cut loose with his breaking ball, which is normal for someone coming off of this type of surgery and not yet confident in their ability to throw pain-free.

Merely one year later, Beato is healthy and has become even a better prospect than he was in high school before the surgery, and the Mets seem ready to reap the rewards of Minaya's long-term thinking yet again!

The Mets also own the 25th rated Draft & Follow player, catcher Luis Martinez, of Jackson State, Tennessee. Let's see - that's PEDRO beato and luis MARTINEZ...do we see a PATTERN forming here????!!!!!!

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