Roto Riteup: June 20, 2013

If one were to criticize the bespectacled author for spending time with family before leaving town instead of developing a kick-butt Roto Riteup, the same handsome author would be forced to shove his boot up your ever so tender booty-hole.

On today’s agenda:
1. The next big-time Mets rotation arm
2. Mark Appel is officially an Astro
3. Fun with arbitrary endpoints

The next big-time Mets rotation arm
With Zack Wheeler now firmly planted in the Mets’ rotation, it’s important (or at least fun) to see what could be next in New York.

In the pipeline is Noah Syndergaard, whom the Mets acquired from the Blue Jays in the R.A. Dickey trade. Syndegaard is currently pitching for the Meteorological High-A affiliate, and his results have been good. Syndegaard is certainly no Wheeler nor Harvey, but he’s got a chance to be an exciting MLB starter in his own right. At this point, I’d say Syndegaard is likely to stay in the minors until mid-2015 for the sake of his service time, but there’s a chance he develops nicely and comes up late next year.

Also in the pipeline is Rafael Montero. The right-hander was pretty well unknown and under appreciated heading into 2012, but his dominant results despite a lack of size. Montero’s stuff isn’t bad, but it’s not something scouts rave about. However, Montero has some superb command and can easily be envisioned as a mid-rotation starter. Currently in triple-A, Montero should be up next season around the Super-Two deadline.

Mark Appel is officially an Astro
After turning down the Pirates last year, Appel has signed for below slot with the Astros. Appel has pitches and an approach that are major league ready, and the right-hander could be up as soon as next season’s Super-Two deadline.

Fun with arbitrary endpoints
An often weekly look at players and what they’ve done in a completely biased amount of time. All stats are through Tuesday’s white hot game action.

• Dillon Gee, last four starts: 29.1 IP, 32 K, 4 BB, 3 HR, 71% strikes; 1.53 ERA
• Todd Frazier, last 15 games: .291/.371/.491 (.342 BABIP); 3 HR, 22.6 K%
• Jacoby Ellsbury, last 12 games: .321/.379/.453 (.362 BABIP); 10 SB, 10.0 K%
• Joe Blanton, last four starts: 26.2 IP, 33 K, 3 BB, 7 HR; 4.39 ERA, 0-4 record
• Danny Farquhar, last six appearances: 8 IP, 11 K, 3 BB, 1 HR; 5.63 ERA, .412 BABIP

It should be professed that the author is a fan of Farquhar’s cutter and two-seam fastball, and believes the right-hander could be a great bullpen arm if he were to stop trying to throw four-seamers by batters.