Where He Should Be

It is official. Despite having a good Spring, he will not start the season with the Mets. Despite getting a lot more playing time then anticipated due to injuries, he will not start the season on the Mets. Despite being highly touted and considered the best player in the Mets farm system, Fernando Martinez will begin the baseball season in the minor leagues.

I actually think this is a good move. Don’t get me wrong. The Mets could use his help and I fully believe he is the real deal, still I do not think that the Mets are desperate enough to have such a young kid on the team.

I think he will make it and I think he has a bright future. Still, hindsight being 20-20, I think the Mets played it poorly with Lastings Milledge. The last thing the Mets want to do with Martinez is set him up to fail and/or have his market value go down.

Sure, part of me would love to see him start with the Mets and we could see what he has. With Alou out for a bit and not many backup outfielders in the system, you could make a strong argument that he should be on the Mets roster come the start of the season. Still, I do not think it is the right move.

Martinez set a goal to be with the parent team by September. I think that is a good goal, an appropriate one and one that should not louse him up. If he has a full season, or just about a full season in the minor leagues, he should be ready when they bring him up. Hopefully in September the Mets will have already clinched the division and they will be able to give some of the young kids playing time without putting any extra pressure on them.

It was fun to watch Martinez this spring and to see the numbers but he is just where he should be.