December 20, 2011 11-12 Offseason Joe Janish

Will Mets Release Fernando Martinez?

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets are considering “unloading” Fernando Martinez, and might even release the young outfielder.

C’mon now, seriously?

(Hat tip to longtime MetsToday reader and commenter “Mic”.)

Granted, F-Mart has been an incredible disappointment since the Mets made him a millionaire for his sweet sixteen. But he’s still only 23 years old, which would seem to be too young for an outright release. Trade, sure, but release?

The only reason I can think of to release Martinez is if he makes more money than the average minor leaguer; can anyone confirm one way or the other? I’m under the impression that the big investment in him came as a signing bonus, which was guaranteed and already spent by the Mets.

What say you? Should the Mets trade F-Mart? If they can’t, should he be released? Why or why not?

Tags: f-mart, fernando martinez

Joe Janish

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.

Reese December 20, 2011 at 11:33 am

It’s not as if they’re bursting at the seams with outfield talent at the AAA level. You have Niewenhuis and Baxter…take away F-Mart and you get old retreads like Pascucci who are mere roster filler. den Dekker and Puello aren’t likely to start the year in AAA. (Maybe Jason Bay should!) 🙂
86mets December 20, 2011 at 11:55 am

I doubt they release him. Of course, his injury and lack of production in winter ball (something like .083 in 9 games so far) will severly impair his trade value. But why they would release him is a mystery to me. If you can’t trade him, just keep him and give him another chance in AAA. Got nothing to lose that way.
Mic December 20, 2011 at 11:57 am

Considering the mets are planning on fielding a AAAA team this yr, fmart should actually see time preferably in rf.
Jay December 20, 2011 at 2:22 pm

The Metsfits are right on track with F-Mart. They will let him go to become a star somewhere else. Management is literally filling the roster with players that “fit” the profile of cheap, major league b and c players with the hopes that as a team they catch lightning in a bottle. Unfortunately, this Metsfit group will only get electrocuted by the National league East.
Kranepool December 20, 2011 at 3:19 pm

FMart is the next “Alex-whatever-his-name-was”, another in a long line of Mets’ “prospects” who look great compared to other 16 year olds, but not so great when they hit their 20s. Maybe a good argument for trading Wilmer Flores, before he’s exposed at higher levels. In any evetn, I agree that releasing FMart makes no sense: he’s not blocking anyone’s path to the MLB, he has nominal trae value, and he doesn’t cost much, so give him another year or two to see if we get lucky.
- Mike B December 20, 2011 at 5:32 pm
  
  Come on Kranepool we have the “prospects” that are going to take us to the top in 2014. What a lame excuse for not producing a relavent team, might as well tell us thier dog eat thier scouting reports.
  - Kranepool December 20, 2011 at 9:23 pm
    
    Mike,
    
    I’ve actually got some hope for the 4 pitchers in the pipeline. If 2 of them make it–i.e., become #2 starters by 2015–that could give a backbone to build a legitimate rotation around.
    
    But I am dubious about our Latin American Academy signings–they sign these guys so young that the first couple of years they look good on a “if he can hit like this at 18, imagine how good he’ll be at 22” basis. Kinda ingnores the fact that hitting at low A aint the same as AAA or the MLB.
    - Mike B December 20, 2011 at 11:50 pm
      
      Kind of like the little leagues that go on to win the little league WS arent a given to make MLB.
      
      It doesn’t seem to be thinking crazy that maybe 2 of them will become #2 or #3 starters one day but its just so hard to tell what you have with starting pichers. Look at the Yankees with Jabba Hughes and Kennedy. Its been exhausting to watch even from a Met fan point of view. Ups and downs and downs and ups and then you finally give up on one and he becomes a cy young candidate while the two you keep get injured.
LongTimeFan December 20, 2011 at 3:40 pm

Mets need to clear roster space for at least three more players on bench. I can see FMart being a candidate for release or DFA. It’s not that he’s only 23, it’s that he’s moving like he’s 10 years older, with arthritic knees at such young age. I would move him to an infield corner or to an AL team to save his career. and also have him reduce lower body bulk.
gary s. December 20, 2011 at 8:18 pm

Trade him for the proverbial bag of balls.The way things are looking at Citimorgue for 2012, we probably won’t be able to afford baseballs either.Can’t wait for the announcement to return foul balls that go into the stands
- NormE December 21, 2011 at 12:58 am
  
  Will there be any fans in the stands to return the balls?
  - gary s. December 21, 2011 at 1:41 pm
    
    besides the 10 idiots who paid 20 mill for 4 per cent of the team? No
    - Walnutz15 December 21, 2011 at 2:37 pm
      
      Well, since 2 of those shares are Wilpon and Katz pumping $$ in to “create sale momentum” – you’ll have 8 actual fans.
mic December 21, 2011 at 1:02 am

http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/12/mets-stepping-up-efforts-to-trade-wright.html
- Joe December 21, 2011 at 2:06 pm
  
  “Jason Bay owning a full-no trade clause”
  
  that contract was so stupid.
Rob December 21, 2011 at 6:04 pm

The only reason that I can see for releasing him is to create a roster spot. Of course, he can be a non-roster player like Baxter, but I’m not sure if that will expose him to other teams. I agree that he’s still only 23, but he’s just not stayed healthy enough to make anyone believe that things will change in the future.

And while were on the subject of Latin American players, is there some concern about signing these guys so young? Seems to me that the preferred approach is to draft a college player who has some development and seasoning at the college level. How risky is it to sign a teenager of 16 or 17, with no sense of how they’ll grow and develop over the next four to five years. It’s the same concern that is expressed for HS players.
- Carl December 22, 2011 at 9:35 am
  
  Signing players young is high risk/high reward. It’s true college players are safer picks, but you also get them much older. If you can get a guy to the majors when he’s 21 or 22 you have team control over him for six years and he’ll only be 27 or 28 and right at his peak, then you can sign him to an extension to get his most valuable years right before his decline where most teams will overpay for a proven veteran.
  
  College players still need time in the minors so they get to the majors on average when they’re around 24 so you get much less of their peak years of value. That is why teams take the risk on HS pllayers.

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