Mets Pick Emaus, Beato in Rule 5 Draft

While the Yankees continue with their ho-hum, failed pursuit of $100M free agents, the Mets succeeded in making a big splash at the winter meetings, adding two players to their 40-man roster.

In this morning’s Rule 5 Draft, the Mets chose infielder Brad Emaus and pitcher Pedro Beato.

If you want to know about these two individuals, go back to my post yesterday previewing the prospects of the Rule 5 Draft. You will see both Emaus and Beato at the very top (though, Beato was first and Emaus second on my list, and the Mets picked them in the reverse, so don’t email me for lottery numbers — I obviously cannot see the future).

I fully expect to see Emaus compete for the second base job, and Beato for a spot in the bullpen, during spring training. Whether they make the team will be remain to be seen, but at least we have something to look forward to other than some bazillion-dollar thirtysomething pitcher who would hog up most of the payroll for the next seven years.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
  1. Walnutz15 December 9, 2010 at 12:04 pm
    Not bad.

    Far cry from selecting a guy just to fork over to another squad….lol

    As much as I’d love to see Reese Havens progress this year; having guys like Turner, Emaus, and Murphy around will let guys like him (and Tejada) play comfortably in the Minors for a full season……or until someone stands out from the rest of the pack.

    I like this philosophy…………worlds more than dropping significant money on a slap-dickey like Luis Castillo.

    We’ve seen the Mets struggle to find [make the right choice on, anyway — Keppinger, Gotay, passing up cheap signings like Loretta or Grudzielanek in the past] these types of talented hitters…..who could potentially contribute at the Major League-level.

    Maybe they’re eventually able to milk something out of Beato, to the tune of giving him a shot in The Bigs as a “Local Boy Makes Good” story? Bullpen material, as long as he’s got good velocity…..we’ll see how this goes.

    Better than sitting around idly and taking on old fat-cats looking to boost their bank accounts.

    • Joe Janish December 9, 2010 at 1:14 pm
      I never saw Luis Castillo slap RA Dickey; I’d think that RA would flatten him if he did.

      Great point on Havens / Tejada; now they can take their time and progress at their own pace. I don’t see any plausible reason not to make 2B a three-man competition among Turner, Emaus, and Murphy — assuming Castillo arrives in camp with his annual ailment.

      I like Beato, and think he can be at least as good as Manny Acosta. But then, I also thought Stephen Register was MLB-ready, and he hasn’t quite set the world afire.

  2. mrtasan December 9, 2010 at 11:40 pm
    this is a much better site than metsblog…go suck some matt cerrone
  3. CatchDog December 10, 2010 at 10:01 am
    It all seems so weird being in agreement with the FO moves.

    So perhaps local boy Beato becomes Nelly Figs part deux? There’s another guaranteed 15 seats a night filled. Brilliant!

  4. Walnutz15 December 10, 2010 at 11:48 am
    C’mon Dog — you’re missing the bigger picture here!

    If Beato did make it, then there’s always the possibility his family (maybe even some friends) buy another few bricks to add to the walkway…….like Figueroa’s dad did.

    • CatchDog December 10, 2010 at 4:51 pm
      DOUBLE BRILLIANT !!!
  5. Mark December 11, 2010 at 10:53 am
    These are solid moves. Both of these guys have the potential to help the major league club in 2011. And if they don’t, they are not likely to impede the progress of the more coveted minor leaguers (Flores, Mejia etc.). If the Mets catch lightening in a bottle, great. If not, these guys appear competent to hold down the fort for a year. And if not even that, return them to the Jays and O’s and pay the minor fee.

    Right now, Alderson & Co. don’t have a ton of flexibility. Next year, they should have a great deal more.

    In the meantime, I am intrigued with the idea of bringing in Chris Young on a 1 year incentive-ladden deal. If he’s healthy, he could presumably benefit from pitching half his games at Citi (much like at Petco).

    Anyhow, I don’t think that Alderson & Co. genuinely expect to win now. My guess is that they’re trying to put a credible product on the field with a well constructed roster – change is a good thing – that could, if everything breaks right, surprise people and contend for the wild card. If not, they’re gearing up for 2011 and 2012 when they have more money to spend and the better crop of young talent should be ready.

    In the meantime, this has been a solid offseason. Gotta’ take the long view.