A B is a very conservative assessment, and that's fine too.

I'd like to see Gomez get a full year in AAA.  I like Gomez, but if a trade comes up I'd move him before Milledge or Martinez.  Partly because Milledge is more ready, but mostly because his biggest asset is his centerfield defense, which would have more value to another team than it does to the Mets.

He's not definitely going to be good, he's not definitely going to be bad. He does have a definite value right now, and because I put a little extra weight on ceiling, I'd give him a B+. I can accept a lot of failure for a chance at Alfonso Soriano, especially when a some of his "failures", turn out to be a pretty good CF, around the value of Juan Pierre.

But I have seen some of the prospects you have given a B+ A- and I think Gomez should be that high.. the guy has so much potential with his body he could fill out and be Hanley.. or He could be Jose Reyes..

I think the Mets did rush him, but that was also because they did not have many options with all of the injuries they suffered in the OF this year.  I think the only "starter" who did not miss significant time with injuries was Shawn Green and when guys like Milledge, Chavez, Ben Johnson, etc. were called upon to replace the injured OF they got injured.  If the Mets could have kept Gomez in the minors they probably would have, but the situation dictated Gomez needing to be called up

"TH: That certainly is the philosophy to push guys pretty hard.  This Mets organization really does push guys pretty aggressively, right?

AW: We like to challenge guys, might be the term we like to use a little more than "push."  We feel if guys are ready, we like to see what they can do ahead and do at a level.  It's good our guys to face adversity and be in a spot where they have to step up to show us what they can do in a tough situation.  All that really matters is the big league level.  All that matters is what guys are going to be able to do when they get there, and helping out the Mets organization.  We feel like challenging players is the best route to go.  "

Do you think the Mets wanted to rush Gomez?

Of course not. "The Mets should have been able to find a stop-gap.

John, did you look at how many injuries the Mets had last year in the outfield? We had to promote Gomez. We gave him a taste of the big leagues out of necessity. And at first he looked like he was going to be able to handle it, then began to struggle. What he did show us was poise. He looked like a major leaguer...as odd as it is to say because his stats didn't belie that sentiment.

He needs more time to develop. But the Mets simply didn't have that time. They gambled that it wouldn't hinder his development. He's 21 years old and before hurting his hand: .250/.303/.333.

Since hand injuries often take time for players to come back from and since he saw limited action even once healed, I don't know if this was Gomez 100% or not.

We cannot judge moves made by organizations in a vacuum. The Mets rushed Gomez but they had to do so. He's much better than a grade B. I'd say A-

Had Martinez not gotten injured, I think he would have made a similar adjustment to the one Gomez made a year earlier. If you look at his splits, he had a horrible April, then a great May, and by June he was playing hurt which brought his overall numbers back down.

For me, it makes intuitive sense to challenge position players like Reyes, Gomez, and Martinez. They have so much natural ability that if they played at each level at a normal age, they could produce very good numbers without ever learning the pitch recognition and strike zone discipline needed to succeed in the majors. By advancing them rapidly, it forces them to realize that coasting on natural ability is not going to work and leads to their making adjustments that will ultimately make them quality major league hitters.

Gomez shouldn't be in the majors next year because it would cost the Mets too many wins, but I don't believe being there would hurt him in the long run.

To note, he's hitting .263 in winter ball.  His last 10 games he has hit .308 with 3BB and just 1K.  If his discipline comes around, watch out, because the quick has a quick swing.

It seems more logical, assuming no trades are made, that Gomez would be in AAA, with Alou, Beltran, and Milledge starting in MLB.  They already have Endy Chavez and Marlon Anderson on the bench for the OF, and Ben Johnson a candidate if they need another bench guy.

But, most quotes from Omar in the offseason seem to be along the lines of "I feel if we were to go with some of our young players in right field, we could" 1  or "We're probably going young in right field" 2.  This implies Gomez could be in the mix as well, but it still seems Milledge would be more likely, barring a trade.  And, Marty Noble reports "They can't be sure Milledge can produce runs at a rate comparable to Alou's, they recognize Gomez isn't ready to perform -- even in a platoon -- and that Chavez's greatest value is as a No. 4 outfielder. The Mets need a left-handed-hitting outfielder." 3.

What I think raises the possibility of Gomez in the majors is the idea that Milledge might be traded.  This was the big rumour last offseason, and it never happened.  It seems to be a popular rumour again this offseason.  But if the Mets really plan to trade Milledge, why would they be hyping Gomez?  Moreover, while Milledge is the one the Mets seem more inclined to move, it seems a lot of potential trading partners ask for Gomez instead.  Last year it was the Marlins who weren't interested in Milledge, but wanted Gomez in any trade.  This year it seems to be the Twins who are interested in Gomez (though I doubt Keith Law's version, which had the Mets turning down Garza).

A year ago, I suspected that maybe Gomez was being over hyped, and that maybe Gomez was the one more likely to be traded.  At this point, I'm less inclined to think so.  Both the Mets, and most trading partners (apart from the more stats oriented A's), seem to me from their behavior and quotes, to really value Gomez over Milledge.