Mets hope to maintain presence in Latin America

Team: New York Mets
Location: Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Date: March 19, 2007

Burning Question

How has the Mets' farm system been affected by the absence of Latin American scout Eddie Toledo?

Eddie Toledo doesn't throw a baseball 95 mph. He won't steal 60 bases in a season or hit 45 home runs, either. Yet, the argument could be made that he was just as important to the Mets as anyone who could accomplish the aforementioned tasks.

Toledo was the Latin American scout for the Mets, a darn good one, who gave the club an unmistakable presence in the Dominican Republic. Toledo was instrumental in signing Jose Reyes and also played a huge role in bringing top prospects Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez into the fold.

While New York's regime under Omar Minaya has made significant strides in Latin America -- the signings of Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez were huge factors -- Toledo's presence was just as important, if not more so. But he and the club parted ways last year and he's now with Tampa Bay.

The impact of Toledo's departure may not be felt this season or even next year. But in years to come, as New York's next wave of prospects begin to hit the Double-A and Triple-A levels, it will be interesting to see what that Latin contingent looks like without Toledo's influence.

"They were a force with him there," one American League executive said. "They better have someone who knows what he's doing after him. [Eddie] always did a first-rate job."

It would seem as if the Mets do have someone who "knows what he's doing." In fact, they have several someones. Juan Mercado, who worked extensively with Toledo for several years, remains with the club while Ramon Pena, who came over from Detroit last season, has a track record that compares to his predecessor's. So, the notion that there will be a dropoff in the influx of talent from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela or Puerto Rico doesn't seem to have much validity.

Pena worked for the Tigers for 22 years, coordinating their scouting efforts in the Dominican Republic and running their baseball academy in San Cristobal before joining the Mets last year. Some of his current signings in the Detroit system include Eulogio De La Cruz, Gorkys Hernandez, Sendy Vasquez, Wilkin Ramirez and Audy Ciriaco, all considered medium to high-level prospects.

General manager Omar Minaya, while extolling Toledo's virtues, is confident the club will retain a high profile in Latin America. Having a new crop of talent evaluators doesn't necessarily mean that they are new at evaluating talent.

"The most important thing is scouting from a brand new standpoint," Minaya said. "At the end of the day, the scouts still have to find the talent. And the truth is, no one can match our track record in baseball, in my opinion, with the number of quality Major League signings. I don't think anyone has what we have."

Other News of the Day

Remember the name Juan Lagares, a 17-year-old shortstop the Mets signed out of the Dominican Republic. It has yet to be determined where he will start the season, but he had a strong Instructional League in the fall and, according to Minaya, "does things ahead of what Jose Reyes was doing [at that age]." Lagares hit .255 in 57 Dominican Summer League games last year and collected eight triples and 12 stolen bases. "He's very talented," vice president of player development Tony Bernazard said. "He's going to be special." ... Bernazard was also singing the praises of switch-hitting IF Greg Veloz, who hit .262 and stole 28 bases in the DSL last year. "He's got speed and balance and good hands," Bernazard said. ... Catcher-turned-pitcher Joe Hietpas has yet to get on the mound in game situations, but roving pitching instructor Ray Ripplemeyer said his side sessions "haven't been bad and he looks like he has a good arm." Hietpas threw his fourth bullpen session on Monday. ... Fernando Martinez had his right hand wrapped Sunday afternoon as he sat in the clubhouse. It wasn't wrapped in a traditional medical wrap, but rather in some sort of nylon material. When asked if everything was okay, Martinez indicated that he was fine and that there were no broken bones or ligament damage. He said it "just feels tight" from time to time. Still, it was tender enough that he couldn't shake hands. Bernazard, however, allayed any fears, saying the youngster simply had some soreness. ... Shortstop and Montreal native Emmanuel Garcia has been having a huge spring, impressing the Minor League staff at the plate and on the field. He was an Appalachian League All-Star last year and picked up a hit and an RBI in a Major League game last week. "He's a very good athlete," Bernazard said. "He hasn't played much baseball, but he's showed signs of coming along." Garcia, 21, got three hits in a Minor League game Sunday and will start the season in either Savannah or St. Lucie.

Five Questions with Joe Hietpas

Hietpas was a 16th-round pick in 2001 and has proven to be a solid defensive catcher. But after hitting .208 in 1,300 Minor League at-bats, Bernazard thought it was time to make a switch. He said the fact that Hietpas pitched a scoreless inning last year at Triple-A Norfolk and reached the low 90s on the gun helped make the decision.

MiLB: How did the switch from catching to pitching come about?

JH: I had a discussion with Tony Bernazard in the offseason and we decided it was worth trying. I came into Spring Training as a catcher and that was kind of my priority. But when it became clear that I would not be catching for the Mets, pitching seemed like my best opportunity to make it to the big leagues.

MiLB.com: Was it hard to walk away from catching?

JH: It was very hard to walk away because I take a lot of pride in what I'm did behind the plate. I took a lot of pride in being an extension of the pitching staff. The pitchers responded to what I was doing, so walking away was difficult.

MiLB.com: How tough will it be to work with a catcher and not think about what he's doing behind the plate?

JH: I hold the catcher to very high standards. I have high expectations of him, but now that I'm on the other side of the battery I want to trust the guy I'm pitching to. If I disagree with his approach and his effort down there, that might be hard for me.

MiLB.com: How's it been working out so far?

JH: It's been going well so far, and my arm feels good. I'm 27 so I might be a little older than guys like [former Met] Henry Owens who have done this. But my arm hasn't been worked like that. I was a little nervous going in, but I feel as if I've made progress.

MiLB.com: What's it like not having to carry that big bag of equipment around all the time?

JH: That's a serious adjustment. I'm used to being one of the toughest guys on the field, carrying around that big heavy bag. Now all I have to carry around is a little duffel bag and some running shoes.

Lasting Impression

Mike Carp has easily proven to be the surprise of Spring Training for the Mets, making the leap from Class A last season to impressive rookie this March. Minor injuries to Carlos Delgado and Julio Franco early on allowed Carp to get some serious playing time and get a long look from Willie Randolph and his staff. He did not squander the opportunity, making the most of the last month with the big boys.

Randolph said he saw similarities between Carp and Washington first baseman Nick Johnson, a former Yankee. Carp, a California native, is hitting .242 with five RBIs through 33 at-bats. He started off hot this spring but has cooled recently, although not enough to tarnish what has been a magnificent camp.

Carp was a ninth-round pick in 2004 out of Lakewood High School in California. He was the club's Organizational Player of the Year last season after hitting .287 with 17 homers and 88 RBIs at St. Lucie in the Florida State League. He was second in the league in RBIs and at one point reached base in 30 consecutive games. Carp was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2005, leading that circuit by getting hit with a pitch 21 times. He was plunked 25 times last year.

"He's one of these players that you can see is talented," Bernazard said. "Just look at the approach he has. He had 88 RBIs in the Florida State League and that wasn't by accident. He's an advanced guy for someone who just turned 20. He has a chance to be a good player and a run producer."

Carp will start the season at Double-A Binghamton.

Off the Beaten Path

Fernandez's locker is in a prominent spot in the Minor League clubhouse, between last year's top pick Kevin Mulvey and Cuban veteran Michel Abreu. It faces the entrance to the fields, making Martinez one of the first faces players and visitors see as they enter the clubhouse. ... Port St. Lucie is an exploding little city, growing by leaps and bounds seemingly at every turn. Restaurants are beginning to pop up just about everywhere land is available and housing along the I-95 corridor is becoming plentiful. What was once a boring town certainly has blossomed into a nice place to be. ... No trip to St. Lucie would be complete without heading down U.S. 1 to Jensen Beach where visits to The Dolphin Bar and Crawdaddy's are mandatory. The crayfish at Crawdaddy's rock.

Parting Shots

The Mets have taken shots from their critics for years about the depth of their Minor League system. When Gary LaRocque and Jack Bowen were running things, the naysayers always believed there was never enough talent being discovered or produced. Yet, Aaron Heilman is an integral part of the pitching staff, David Wright and Jose Reyes form arguably the best left side of an infield in baseball, Scott Kazmir is on the verge of becoming an ace in Tampa Bay while Lastings Milledge is viewed as one of the game's top prospects. Oh, and let's not forget Martinez and Gomez. So to the critics who hammered the previous regime, it's time to reassess.

It would also be appropriate to look at the current folks running the Minor League operation in Queens with a less critical eye as well. The team is still producing young talent, just look at what last year's third-round pick Joe Smith has been doing this spring if you need an example. Bernazard, if nothing else, has enlightened me over the last few days with his ability to evaluate talent and then break it down for discussion. His philosophy about developing younger players, particularly teenagers, is sound and clearly seems to be working when you consider what many of the Mets' teens have been able to accomplish in the last 18 months.