Ruben Tejada may be filling in at shortstop while Jose Reyes is on the disabled list, but the Mets’ shortstop of the future may be filling in for Tejada with Triple-A Buffalo.
When the Mets recalled Tejada this week to replace the injured Reyes, they also promoted Jordany Valdespin from Double-A Binghamton to replace Tejada. In his first two games with Buffalo, Valdespin hit in the leadoff spot and went a combined 3-for-8 with a double, including the game-tying RBI in Thursday’s 3-2 win over Syracuse.
Valdespin’s initial success with the Bisons is a continuation of what has been a breakout season for the 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Valdespin hit .297 with 15 homers, 51 RBIs, 33 stolen bases and 62 runs scored in 107 games with Binghamton this year, and played in the Eastern League All-Star Game.
Valdespin entered the season as the Mets’ No. 25 overall prospect, according to Baseball America, after the publication ranked him No. 30 last year.
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The signing deadline for players selected in June’s First-Year Player Draft is midnight on Monday, with both the Mets and Yankees hoping to get several players signed.
The highest profile player yet to sign for either team is Brandon Nimmo, the Mets’ top pick and the No. 13 overall selection in the draft. Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, is reportedly asking for more than $2 million to forego his commitment to attend the University of Arkansas and turn pro, although he is expected to sign.
The Mets also are waiting on several other players from the top of their draft, including third-round pick Logan Verrett, a right-hander from Baylor. So far, the Mets have signed 14 of their top 21 picks.
The Yankees have signed their top pick, third baseman Dante Bichette, Jr., but still are waiting on a few of their top 10 picks, including second-round pick Sam Stafford, a left-hander from Texas, third-round pick Jordan Cote, a high school right-hander from New Hampshire, fifth-rounder Greg Bird, a Colorado high school catcher, sixth-rounder Jordan Cave, a Virginia high school outfielder, and 10th-round pick Jon Gray, a right-hander from Eastern Oklahoma State, a junior college.
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Manny Banuelos made his third — and possibly final — Triple-A start of the season last night for Scranton/Wilkes Barre, giving up three runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to Syracuse.
After last night’s start, the 20-year-old left-hander has thrown 112 innings this season, putting him over 40 innings past last year’s regular season total and surpassing his previous career high of 109 innings set in 2009.
Because the Yankees tend to want to limit pitchers to go about 20 percent past their previous career high each year, that would mean Banuelos optimally would finish with roughly 130 innings this season — most likely leaving him with about 20 innings to stretch out over the remainder of the season after last night’s start.