Phlavio's Corner

Meet the B-Mets

2011-05-30T08:26:00.011-04:00

I'm not a professional scout in any way, but I got to watch the B-Mets up close and personal from behind their dugout and can still give my opinions. Jose Coronado provided my wife's favorite part of the game with the bubble on the hat of Jean Luc Blaquierre. However the biggest hits of the game belonged to Valdespin, Brahiam Maldonado and Salomon Manriquez. I will quickly say that Maldonado is far too home run happy in his approach, (The 5'11" OF has an upper-cut swing and is not the fastest man in the field) and Manriquez is a solid defender who looked good at the plate. I wasn't paying tons of attention to them. Who WAS I paying attention to? #22, Brandon Moore, SP: Moore's fastball topped out at 90 MPH and sat close to 88 for most of the game. His slider was his go-to pitch and accounted for all but one of his K's. He threw the slider between 76 and 85 MPH and would have it sneaking into or diving out of the zone. He was hit pretty well a few times but kept the hitters using the biggest part of the ball-park. In the later part of the game he had a BIG at-bat vs. Latimore where he managed to get him to strike out on a good slow change up. Moore had good control for MOST of the night but is VERY uncomfortable when he is behind and WILL walk people rather than give up on the breaking pitches. #7, Jordany Valdespin, SS: Valdespin had a two-out RBI single that was nearly more, if not for some good throws by Altoona. Jordany at the plate displayed great strength in his upper body but is not as calm and confident as I'd want a lead off hitter to be. His feet and legs have a lot of idle movement. In the field he looks smooth and confident but his arm is not Jose Reyes'. #5, Josh Satin, 3B: Josh Satin has a very good eye and an advanced approach at the plate. He has a big step in his swing but it doesn't seem to be a negative. On the bases he is not a guy I'd expect to run. He actually looked pretty fast but he just seemed tentative taking a lead from first. In the field he nearly made a fine bare-handed play from 3rd but got a slightly late jump on the ball against a faster runner.

#4, Reese Havens, 2B: Reese Havens swing is practically perfect. It's even and smooth and strong. He looked in control of each at-bat and seemed capable of always hitting the ball for line-drives. He had a nice play with a tough bouncing ball that split he and Dykstra and nearly made a spectacular diving stop earlier in the game.

#10, Ricky Brooks, RP: Brooks is not a household name by any means but he was pretty dominant yesterday. Coming in for the 8th he struck out three before finishing the game in the 9th with a 4th K. Brooks topped out at 94 MPH with a 77 MPH change and a 84 MPH slider. He looked "in the zone."

My wife and I remarked at the overall camaraderie of the team. They seemed to genuinely like each other and enjoy the game. After the B-Mets took an early 3-run lead my wife quipped, "I think this team is better than the real Mets." In some ways I suppose they were.

As a side note I got a ball from Brad Holt who seemed like a pitching coach as he watched the game from the railing.

Up This Week:

TBD

Minor Troubles

2011-05-27T10:02:00.003-04:00

If you want some good news on the Met farm you should look at one of these players: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Chris Schwinden, Joshua Satin, Jordany Valdespin, Pedro Zapata, Matt Den Dekker, Juan Lagares, Darin Gorski, Cory Vaughn, Robbie Shields, Gregory Peavey, Erik Goeddel or Chase Huchingson. Today's report is not about all the good or even the pretty good or okay. I'm feeling negative vibes and want to focus on some of the negative story lines.

AAA:

Nobody is really left in AAA and the two that are, are playing well (Schwinden and Nieuwenhuis). The real negative is the injuries. One to Zach Lutz and one to Lucas Duda. Both talented hitters with a future on a big league bench, this season has not been kind.

AA:

Binghamton has hit a bump in the road for pretty much ALL of their pitchers. Cohoon has been hittable, Moore has been crush-able, Familia has been human and Carson too. The biggest blip was for Brad Holt who had re-discovered his control this season. The glitch is that he lost it BIG TIME. His most recent outing was a return to good but I no longer see his promotion to AAA being a sure thing for 2011. Hitting-wise, the best hitters are not in AA but Eric Campbell is much better than he's shown this season. Some good news, Havens should be back soon... though with his arrival Satin SHOULD be moving to AAA.

A+:

Caesar Puello and Wilmer Flores have both looked like stars this season. Then there are times when they don't. Both are K-ing too much and walking to little. Puello not running enough and Flores' poor power start both don't set my heart a-twitter. Even Jefry Marte has cooled substantially. Note, he's never been close to this good, so anything more would be gravy. A big blip are the once GAUDY stats for Matt Harvey. Since April 28th he's been VERY human and no longer looks like a fast-track player. That's the way things go.

I look at this team's players and see a team who should be killing the opponents. Darrell Cecilliani, Cory Vaugn, Aderlin Rodriguez, Robbie Shields, Wilfredo Tovar and Javier Rodriguez, this team should hit. Sadly only Cory and Robbie got that memo. Ceciliani was hurt but has not bee sharp since coming back, Aderlin has power but lacks contact, Tovar and Rodriguez just seem lost.

For Richer or Poorer

2011-05-26T08:58:00.004-04:00

Let us pretend for a moment that we were losing $70 Million a year because of a business venture we started. We'd all be pretty upset and... justifiably so. I mean, it isn't our fault that the team doesn't get more stadium revenue. Although... in the case of the Wilpons, it sorta IS their fault.

Take the case of Bobby Bonilla. The Mets could have paid off the rest of his contract, $5.9 Million dollars in 2000. Instead they differed the payment. They took a 10 year hiatus and then would pay Bonilla $1 Million dollars for 25 years. They did this because they were getting such large returns from Bernie Madoff that they stood to profit from having that $5.9 Million for the first 10 years... to cover that $25 Million dollar/25 year contract that kicked in this year AND THEN SOME. (Mind you, Bonilla is not the only case)

Now... let us believe in their innocence and that they simply thought that they were actually getting 8-12% returns from their magical friend of finance. If the Wilpons opened the books to the public, I wonder how much of the Met financial situation is caused by the ownership's investments and how much is the teams actual revenue.

Sandy Alderson announced yesterday that the Met payroll in 2012 would be between $100-140 Million dollars. That isn't bad... if it's closer to the 140 end of things, but in New York I shudder to think of the genuinely hateful response to the Wilpons crying pauper.

Should the Mets come close to spending in the 140 range you had better believe that the only name that the Mets should be spending that kind of money on is already on the team. (Do we really think Pujols will play RF?)

SAVE REYES

Pass The Buck

2011-05-25T09:15:00.004-04:00

We have all heard the saying that the "Buck Stops Here." Some president built a campaign around that slogan and it was pretty successful. It meant that HE would be taking ownership for the problems the country would be faced with. Not blaming crooked businessmen or insulting his employees.

What we as fans sometimes forget is that the Buck... starts here...

Fred Wilpon pays for the players salaries, the operations costs for the stadiums and training facilities. He even pays the bills for SNY. He does all of this with the knowledge that the buck will be passed and as it does... it should make friends.

The Wilpons pay for the team and all the costs that surround them. They pay for advertising and promotion of players who... they apparently don't even like. Who pays them?

Television: Proceeds from sales of commercials during Met games is profitable. It's even more profitable when you own the network the game is televised on. When another network broadcasts a Met game... guess what, the Wilpons make money there too.
Merchandise: Those Reyes jerseys that will soon be hitting the discount rack as well as those Beltran bobble heads and David Wright posters all make the Wilpons money.
Stadium: Let's talk about that stadium...

The Mets must be in trouble... right? The stadium looks barren with so few people attending the games. Let us say you did go to that game. How much money did you pay for your beer and those nachos and the souvenir sundae for your kid? The team makes money whether or not the team has fans in the seats. SURE, the more people come to the games, the better, but the Wilpons money comes FIRST from television, SECOND from merchandising and THIRD from people actually going to games.

So... the Wilpons can complain all they want about the team's struggles and the players being "over-payed". The buck might start with them, but they aren't running a charity. The buck ends with them and I'm willing to bet that with all the struggles, the Mets are not the reason the Wilpon's are tight for cash.

SAVE REYES

Let Fred and Jeffy know that you love the team and the players DESPITE them and not BECAUSE of them. Join the SAVE REYES campaign and help save the final scraps of dignity for the franchise. Don't do it for me... do it to spite Mike Francessa.

Public Enemy #1

2011-05-23T12:17:00.006-04:00

The early voting for league LVP is in and by a resounding margin the Met ownership has entered into a 2-way tie with the McCourts atop the rankings. The MLB has already freed the Dodgers of the divorcing couple which means that the Wilpons are most likely going to move well ahead in the voting by the all-star break. If you haven't heard, I'll post a link:

Met Fans Sit Down

Basically, Wilpon, in an effort to restore his (potentially wrongfully/rightfully) defamed name decided to torpedo the only part of his empire that the average citizen cares about. Let's tally the damage:

Reyes:
"He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money. He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it."

So now if the Mets want to TRADE Reyes, they no longer have the trading power of even feigning a desire to retain their talented SS.

Beltran:
"We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series [his 2004 postseason with the Astros]. He’s sixty-five to seventy per cent of what he was."
Another player we were HOPING to trade this season who we can now expect 30-35% less for. Thanks Fred, I can see how you became a business tycoon. Play the cards as far from your chest as possible right?

Wright:
"He’s pressing. A really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar."

Come to the Mets, ownership can't wait to throw you under the bus. You think that any top talent wants to take a deal with this TOXIC ownership duo? Sure, the Mets can still pay for talent... oh wait... we don't have money anymore either? Well I guess perhaps treating your best players better might have been financial advice that Fred needed his buddy Madoff for.

Add to this the message to the fans. Hey kids! We don't have any superstars... go watch the Yankees. I suppose, in his defense, not many kids read the New Yorker.

The Mets (By way of Ike Davis):

"Good hitter. Shitty team—good hitter."

Awesome, hey... I just wanted to conclude my diatribe by saying that everyone not named Ike is a scum sucking loser with no right to play baseball. Way to rally the troops.

Let's see... lower the trade value of the two best trade chips Alderson has to work with, alienate the face of your franchise and insult the team. What's next, getting rid of all the team's training equipment? When does Terry Collins whip out the nude cardboard cut-out and start removing pieces with every win?

Mr. Springer, a knowledgeable Met fan put his rose glasses on and sees positives to the situation. He thinks that the ownership is long over-due for telling the players publicly that they don't value them. He sees this as potentially inspiring. So I'll take his inspiration and look at the positives.

The Dodgers don't have an Owner, perhaps we can just TRADE the Wilpons away.

In Short:

DUMP THE WILPONS

SAVE REYES

SAVE REYES

2011-05-20T11:26:00.011-04:00

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Or... in this case... HIM. Jose Reyes has been on the Mets for the last 9 years and what better way to say, "Danke Schoen," to him then to keep him here for the next bunch? Maybe I'm over-reacting... but I feel a little like Jennifer Grey.

Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe Reyes isn't such a good guy. After all, I get to blog, he gets a big fat pay check. But still, why should he get to go wherever he wants after the season? Why should everything work out for him? What makes him so goddamn special? Screw him!

I'm a Met fan and if I have to suffer through bad teams... shouldn't my favorite players? Maybe I went a bit too far for the sake of justifying quote manipulation. I'm just a little upset by the prospect of letting Jose slip through our fingers.

There is a point to be made, though. Why would he want to stay? Since 2006 have the Mets really given Reyes a great reason to stay? I mean... he loves his home in Long Island but there's another stadium that's commutable and not only have they won more frequently but they even have a growing wound at SS. Face facts, we haven't shown Reyes anything good.

Nothing - wha - what do you mean nothing good? We've seen everything good. We've seen the whole city! We went to a museum, we saw priceless works of art! We ate pancreas! Well.. I ate pancreas and pretended he was with me. People did look at me a little strangely as I spent the day hanging out with a cardboard cut-out. STILL! Doesn't our love mean anything?

Perhaps my love should. I'm not one of the fans who turned on Reyes for clapping and smiling and getting pumped. I think I'm not alone in loving Reyes in good times and bad. So... Faithful Met Fans... Are you with me?

If Reyes is traded Mr. Rooney wins.SAVE REYES

Up This Week:

Public Enemy #1 - Time to start the offensive.

Taking Ownership - Those with the bucks should not be passing them.

Alms - Do we deserve pity?

Minor Complications - Little right... LOTTA wrong.

The Future of Met Hitting

2011-05-20T08:49:00.003-04:00

I focus on the positives with the minor leagues. So... you can take this post as an indication that not all our young pitching is flourishing, but rest assured that Harvey, Familia, Goeddel, Peavey and Schwinden are all doing fine. I've simply focused on farm pitchers already and it's time to focus on some bats.

AAA, Buffalo Bisons:

Fernando Martinez, Nick Evans, Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada are all in Flushing so that leaves the Met prospect list in AAA a little under manned. There is still ONE familiar face and Toby Hyde would like us fans to stop demanding that the Mets promote him. Just because he blogs about the minors for SNY doesn't mean he has the authority to promote anyone.

Kirk Niewenhuis, OF - Kirk went through a bit of a dry-spell for the first part of may but is back to his hitting ways. Why is he still in AAA? Well... that has a lot to do with Angel Pagan not being long from returning to the MLB. He's really shown a pretty solid bat through his first 125 ABs and he's displaying a good amount of power with 14 doubles, 2 triples and 6 Hrs. If Kirk can play MLB CF, then he's an A+ prospect if he's a corner outfielder that power becomes more necessary and I'm not sold on him hitting more than 20 dingers a year... particularly in Citi-Field.

AA, Binghamton B-Mets:

Maybe I'll catch a game when my wife and I visit her family in the area. With their inconsistent play, I'm not sure how wild I am to do it though. The fact is, that with all the offensive stars in the Met system... Binghamton is the lightest equipped. Not their fault Reese Havens is an injury waiting to happen.

Joshua Satin, 2B/Util - Josh is going to move on up to AAA at some point... I'd wager soon. Or at least as soon as Havens can actually play. With AAA so heavily mined it makes sense. Now... I'm not sold on Satin being a major league starter. I don't think MANY people are. I do think he could be a major league utility guy. What's the issue? Well... we already have Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans and the list goes on. A big feather in Satin's favor is an advanced eye that means to me that he'll be a good PH candidate.

Jordany Valdespin, SS/2B - After a rough start to the year, the guy some peg to "replace" Jose Reyes (Next week: The Save Reyes Campaign Begins), Valdespin is rounding into form. He's got some power... 10 doubles, 2 triples and 2 Hrs and some speed... 10 SBs. What he doesn't have is command of the strike zone. He's walked 9 times and K'd 29. Now... that isn't awful but it's a long way from what we'd need. Should Reyes leave town, he's still the likely incumbent but I don't see Jordany as a long-term replacement unless he can get that ratio to 1:2.

A+, Port St. Lucie Mets:

High A is one of the better teams the Mets have, though recently it seems the bullpen is struggling. The fact is the team has 4 or even 5 very good OFs and for that reason I believe a few will be Northward bound in the very near future. I am not going to list them all because I want to focus on players I see as true impact players right now.

Matt Den Dekker, CF - More than a few people are excited about Matt. He's got a great glove... so... no worries about needing to shift to a corner and he's showed a good amount of power (for a CF). 15 doubles, 7 triples and 2 HRs. His speed is pretty normal and I'd put him in the 15-20 SB range in the majors but I'll take the healthy mix he DOES provide any day. One thing he DOES do it hit... a lot. He's hitting .331 and that is pretty solid by anyone's measure. The issue is that common BB:K problem. 8 walks and 35 K's is a big reason why he has not made the jump to AA.

Juan Lagares, OF - Lagares beats out Pedro Zapata and Caesar Puello because of his RECENT hitting. On the double header of May 15th, Juan belted 3 HRs between the two games. He's seemed a little slower to develop than some other prospects. He caught up to the SAL last year and looked over-matched in the FSL. Now he's caught up to FSL so I think that next year he should be ready to try AA. He's got some power but will need to develop a bunch more to be a major league starter.

Wilmer Flores, SS - I couldn't resist. With all the great starts young players have had, Flores has been lost in the flow a bit. Chalk up part of that to stupid minor league reporters for Baseball Prospectus who thing they're being original when they re-hash the, Wilmer can't play SS story. No... he can't... but I am pretty sure 3B, LF, RF and 1B are still places he could shine. Has he hit for power? Not to the extent people want to see... no. HOWEVER, he's hitting for some power and he's picked up the power numbers more now that he's settled into the season. Take a cue from Douglas Adams and "Don't Panic!"

A, Savannah Sand Gnats:

Some of the players I'm particularly excited about have not proved me right as of yet so I'll focus on two guys who aren't disappointing.

Cory Vaughn, OF - Greg Vaughn's kid is... AWESOME. He may not be hitting for prolific power like he did in the NYP but he's doing almost everything you could want a prospect to do. Is he hitting? You bet! He's hitting .331 and slugging .478 (He's hit 2 of his three HRs recently so it might be a sign of things to come). How's his plate discipline? TOPS! He's got a 27:37 BB/K ratio and is a leader in OBP. How's his defense? Pretty good. He's played all three outfield positions. He projects to have the hitting chops to play anywhere anyway. If I had to find a flaw it would be the 4 CS in 10 attempts. It doesn't look like he's a prolific base stealer. Though... 6 SBs does point to the ability to nab at least a few.

Robbie Shields, SS - Can Shields stick at SS? I don't know. He's got more of a shot than Wilmer Flores. Shields is a hitting infielder and that isn't something to scoff at. He's got a few TRULY gaudy stats. His K/BB ratio? 21:21. That's sick! Most of his hitting has come in May and that should tell you that he's potentially a big star who just took a month to REALLY get going. My biggest worry is that Shields is also not destined to stick at SS and that hurts his value.

Quit D!cking Around!

2011-05-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

What is wrong with R.A. Dickey? Is his knuckle not knuckling? Is his beard not mannishly awesome? He's certainly not the same guy he was last season. What could have happened to New York's journeyman golden boy? I mean... in the off season he was everyone's favorite Met.

2010 vs. 2011:

Statistically the biggest issues for Dickey are a ballooning in his H/9 and rise in his BB/9. It's not a secret that the biggest adversary to a knuckleballer is going to be control. However... his walks have only gone from 2.2 to 3.2 (BB/9). Walking a little over 3 guys every 9 innings is not terrible. The big culprit is that he's giving up 3 extra hits per outing, going from 8.5 to 11.2 (H/9).

Beyond that... there's also luck. Last season Dickey had a fairly normal .280 BABIP. In 2011 he's 53 points higher. Part of the reason for this is the Gods and part of the reason is that people are hitting him HARDER. Opp SLG has gone up significantly. A 100 point rise is bound to coincide with him being hit harder and contributes to an inflated BABIP (but this time it's HIS fault).

So... what do we do? Rub an ointment on it? Change up the facial hair? Sacrifice a chicken to Jobu? I'm not Dan Warthen or an expert on pitching but it seems to me that the problem is either control, pitch selection or that hitters made an adjustment. The first two... we can deal with. If it's the third one, Dickey is on his own to make adjustments.

In the end I know from Wakefield that knuckleballers make dynamic relievers. So... perhaps it's Dickey who will move to the pen and not Capuano or Gee.

At Least You Have Your Health

2011-05-17T11:25:00.005-04:00

The Mets have had years with more and more serious injuries. However, 2011 is quickly becoming another glimpse at how abysmal the NY Met training staff seem to be. Bay... Pagan... Davis... Wright... I won't list Young or Mejia, those things will happen but it seems that we just can't get all our ducks in a row.

Now... the Mets have been close to healthy but if they actually could get ALL of the above players healthy at the same time it becomes a different team. Firstly, the pitching staff + Sanatana is much improved. Second, The teams speed combination of Reyes, Pagan and Wright is solid and scary. Murphy hitting in the 7th hole where he should be, Turner and Paulino providing bench support, Pridie there for defensive replacement work... the list goes on. The Mets with all their current injuries are not a .500 baseball team but if everyone could stick together and get healthy, this team is better than a lot of people think.

Lineup:
1. Jose Reyes, SS (One of the best lead-off hitters in baseball)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (Switch hitter with speed and some power)
3. David Wright, 3B (Power hitter with great speed)
4. Carlos Beltran, RF (Great hitter with great instincts)
5. Jason Bay, LF (Powerful righty bat)
6. Ike Davis, 1B (Powerful lefty bat and best 1B glove in baseball)
7. Daniel Murphy, 2B (Solid hitter and hard worker)
8. Josh Thole, C (Contact Oriented Catcher)

Rotation:
1. Johan Santana (Lefty with good stuff and great control)
2. Mike Pelfrey (A solid #3 pitcher)
3. Jonathon Niese (A good young pitcher who has potential for more)
4. R.A. Dickey (A knuckleballer who is gritty)
5. Dillon Gee (A solid inning eater who has earned a spot)

Bullpen:
CL - Francisco Rodriguez (Workhorse closer)
SU - Taylor Buchholz (GREAT setup guy)
SU - Jason Isringhausen (Veteran with control and a diverse arsenal)
MR - Pedro Beato (Hard throwing young reliever)
MR - Bobby Parnell (Harder throwing young reliever)
MR - Tim Byrdak (Capable left specialist)
MR - Mike O'Connor (Another LOOGY arm)
LR - Chris Capuano (Solid long man and great vs. lefties)

Bench:
C, Ronny Paulino (Power righty bat and solid catcher)
1B/2B/SS/3B, Justin Turner (Solid hitter who can play many positions)
OF, Jason Pridie (Good 4th OF)
OF, Scott Hairston (Veteran OF with power)
IF, Luis Hernandez (Defensive replacement)

Ask The Fans

2011-05-16T09:59:00.009-04:00

I run a fantasy league with far too many players and far too many teams. At any one time at least 500 players are floating around the 20 teams in the league and for non-paying owners we're all pretty involved, enthusiastic and aggressive. We're like a bunch of children arguing over the merits and flaws of various X-Men. However, I'd say that 16 out of 20 of the owners know their baseball and make sound arguments for things.

I asked them:

If the Mets are sellers at the deadline, and everyone was available, who would your trade for and what would you offer?

I closed commenting from Met fans (the majority of the league) and let the fans of various other teams give their opinions on what they'd give for who.

Atlanta:

Mr. Carter is a Brave fan who I've known for some years (purely online communication) and we've had mature and interesting debate on the NL East. This began on the Met message boards of ESPN and has continued largely into our fantasy league. Like most Brave fans, Mr. Carter loves himself some Bravo prospects. However for Jose Reyes... here is what he's come up with:

Atlanta Gets:
SS - Jose Reyes

NY Mets Get:
SP - Arodys Vizcaino
SP - Chris Masters
SP - Dimaster Delgado

Sorry I just can’t find any way to rationalize to myself giving up Teheran, Minor, Delgado, Salcedo, Perez, or Lipka for a rental player. Depending on needs Christian Bethancourt could be a target for the Mets. He hasn’t done much so far in the minors but is still really young and has monster upside as a catcher. Ive seen reports that said he’d probably have the best arm in baseball if he came up now but wouldn’t be able to hit.Frankly, the Mets would be stupid to take this deal and I think Mr. Carter knows it.

The largest issue is that all of the players he's offered are in A+ baseball. This, in turn, means that none of them can contribute in 2011 or 2012. While none of the players he's listed are worthless I think that Brave fans would delude themselves if they thought that they could get Reyes without giving up one of the: Teheran bunch. Add to this that the Mets trading Reyes within the NL East would be near impossible and that price-tag goes up.

Detroit:

I met Mr. Oom as he came into the league in the middle of year 1. He wasn't super baseball savvy at first but thanks to the insanity of the league I like to think this Tiger fan has rekindled his love of baseball minutia.

Detroit Gets:
SS - Jose Reyes

NY Mets Get:
SP - Andrew Olliver
SP - Charlie Furbush
OF - Daniel Fields
3B - Nick Castellanos

Third base is basically a black hole of death now that Brandon Inge has proved to be an average/below average fielder (which was once his only saving grace). Batting near the mendoza line, a rough K/BB, and with more limited range and erratic throws, there's not much to like barring yesterday's game winning triple over Minnesota. Every dog has his day. Jhonny Peralta has been surprisingly great for the Tigers, and a move to third would make him even better!

This package makes a lot more sense for the Mets. Olliver and Furbush are good AAA pitchers with solid upside. Fields and Castellanos make little sense for the Mets as they play positions the Met farm has depth at, but that isn't the end of the world. Mr. Oom who made this package goes on to say that he'd go after Wright as well but would balk at giving up Jacob Turner. The rest of the league agreed that Turner would need to be part of the deal if Wright were on the table.

New York, AL:

I've known Mr. Reitman for years and years. We met when we were in Elementary school... or maybe even earlier. He's probably the guilty party when it comes to my insane following of baseball. Sure, he's a grubby Yankee fan. Sure, he cheats at All-Star Baseball 2001. Sure, he will never admit that Scott Brosius was inferior to Robin Ventura, but he isn't as bad as MOST Yankee fans.

NY Yankees Get:
SP - Mike Pelfrey

NY Mets Get:
SP - Nik Turley
RP - Fernando Hernandez

or

NY Yankees Get:
SP - R.A. Dickey

NY Mets Get:
RP - Fernando Hernandez
SP - Zachary Nuding

or

NY Yankees Get:
OF/DH - Carlos Beltran

NY Mets Get:
SP - David Phelps
3B - Robert Lyerly

or

NY Yankees Get:
SS - Jose Reyes

NY Mets Get:
SP - David Phelps
SP - Nik Turley
SP - Chase Whitley

R.A. Dickey is probably only worth a couple C-Level fillers or maybe a decent RP... meaning not a top prospect but an RP doing well. Beltran is worth a couple middle B prospects but no more than two. I'd give up a decent B and a C for Pelfrey and probably a trio of Bs for Reyes. Reyes is worth more but we have no opening.

Mr. Reitman... NO opening? I'm sorry but I wouldn't be thrilled to have the Captain holding SS for the next few years and players like Reyes don't come along frequently. Less frequently do they get traded by big-market clubs. The key to most of these deals is that the Yankees aren't giving up "A" level prospects but they are giving up players who could impact the club in the somewhat near-ish future. The Beltran trade is the only one that looks remotely acceptable to me.

In conclusion, the Mets want to make some trades but getting top prospects back is not a sure thing. Also... UNDERSTAND... that other fans don't value our players as highly as we do. Likely if we were asked about acquiring THEIR players we'd balk at sending Wilmer Flores, Matt Harvey or Jeurys Familia. It's reality.

PLATOON

2011-05-11T08:28:00.005-04:00

Before the season started a certain blogger (ME) might have mentioned that he wanted a certain player (MURPHY) to platoon with a righty but basically get 85% of the playing time. This blogger said this because despite Brad Emaus' supposed hitting ability and Chin-Lung Hu's defense, the Met pitching would never be enough to win games on their own. So... the solution was that we needed more hitting. More hitting = Daniel Murphy.

Defensively, Murphy has his faults. He's a bit too aggressive and tends to look less than balletic out in the field. Turner himself is also not exactly the reincarnation of Ozzie Smith. The fact is... You don't need to have an all-star defensive whiz at second. You don't need to be super stong up the middle. No Keith Hernandez... You don't. What you do need, is players that can hit. You think too many Met fans miss Rey Ordonez and his wimpy bat? Maybe a few, but you get my point... at least I hope you do. Murphy/Turner give the Mets a combo at second of a righty and a lefty who can handle a bat and not completely butcher the field. I only wish that the Mets/Terry Collins/Santa/ or... Whoever is making the calls could have come up with this a few weeks sooner.

Since starting this post, last week, Ike Davis was hurt and the Mets now have Murphy at first and Turner at second in full-time roles. I won't read too much into Turner's big night with the bat yesterday but I will say that it's pretty telling that the Mets are using these players to recover from losing their best offensive weapon from the early going. Now... Murphy and Turner do not a Davis make, but they've been solid.

Now... a new and strangely happy question: Does this mean we can get rid of Chin-Lung Hu or Willie Harris?

Probably not, but I want it bad.

Fernando Martinez: Should I say that his promotion bothers me? Well, it does. Not because I want Kirk Nieuwenhuis up (Frankly Pridie deserves the playing time he's getting) but because other players in AAA make much more sense. Lucas Duda for one... Nick Evans for another. Carrying a 3rd Bench OF does not make sense. Martinez should be playing every day in AAA and not serving as a PH in the majors. Come on!

Up This Week:

From The Horse's Mouth - I Poll Fans on Trade Possibilities.

Full Strength - What Can a Full Met Lineup Provide?

Quit Dicking Around - What is Wrong With R.A. Dickey?

Young Guns - A Look Into the Minors.

P.S. Sorry for the break in posts I was splitting time working from home and being a nurse.

Spending $60 Million

2011-05-09T10:06:00.004-04:00

With $68.3 Mil plus probably $10-15 Mil in smaller contracts and arbitration the Mets have between $36.7-41.7 Mil to spend. The goal is to keep their payroll beneath $120 Mil. That couldn't be that hard. What would that look like?

Free Agent Targets:

Jose Reyes, SS (29) - Jose is already popular with Met fans. Likes where he's living and is the best player available to fill the vacancy at SS. Matt Cerrone has said before that beyond Reyes, who else would the Mets be able to go after? The key will be Length and salary. I'm not going to ask for a Home Team discount from Reyes for size but I'm going to hold my offer to 5 years. (5 Years, $70 Mil: $10M, $12M, $15M, $16M, $17M)

C.J. Wilson, SP (31) - Wilson may not be the most exciting name out their but he'd be gifted the benefit of Citi Field and be joining a rotation that would include Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and Jonathan Niese. He's not going to need to be an Ace, just a #3 pitcher. With the weaker pitching class hitting free agency I know that his price will be inflated but pitching is NEEDED. (3 Years, $27 Mil: $9M, $9M, $9M)

Jonathan Papelbon, RP (31) - Mets will need a closer and are the only "Big Market" team who is likely to pay for one. Even so, I don't think the Mets throw K-Rod money at a closer again no matter what. Still, the Mets need to throw a good amount of money for a better closer like Jonathan. (3 Years, $30 Mil: $8M, $10M, $12M)

George Sherrill, RP (35) - Nothing fancy, but nothing fancy is necessary. The Mets need a lefty and Sherrill is probably the best lefty reliever available for 2012. He could probably slot in as a third setup man on the staff but I'll leave him in the ranks of the middle relievers. The question is how big a contract can you give an aging lefty reliever? (2 Years, $6 Mil: $3M, $3M)

Javier Lopez, RP (34) - Here is another big move. I'm looking at signing TWO lefty relievers. Why? Well, because the Mets have been handicapped for too long by not having enough lefties in their bullpen. Most teams have 2-3 lefties to spot through a game to make the matchups favor them. The Mets need to run Tim Byrdak out there for 3 batters because they only have the one lefty. (I know O'Connor is on the team now, but do you count him? I don't.) (3 Years, $7 Mil: $3M, $2M, $2M)

From The Minors:

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CL (L) - Captain Kirk is tearing up AAA and looking like he might replace Angel Pagan sooner than later. He's got SOME power and SOME speed but he's not Reyes or Davis. He looks like a 15 HR, 20 SB player who is a good fielder and solid all-around player. He projects as more of a corner OF with his speed but between he and Fernando Martinez both being fringe CF guys I think the OF defense won't suffer. Plus Angel moves back to the bench as the 4th OF guy.

Fernando Martinez, RF (L) - The forever prospect gets his legit shot at making the team. Because I'm the one writing this I'm going to say that he does succeed and in the spring both he and Nieuwenhuis push Angel Pagan into a reserve role. Fernando's power and production may not be the 30 HR range that I used to see... but... it could easily be above 20 and who knows how high from there.

Matt Harvey, SP (R) - Matt Harvey is still pitching in Port St. Lucie. Why am I projecting him into the starting rotation? With Mejia's injury and the extremely weak starting pitching market for 2012 Harvey has a shot to make the rotation next spring. It will be a fair competition between he, Cohoon and a few others to win the 5th spot in the rotation. Notice that I've cut ties with Mike Pelfrey before the season.

Mark Cohoon, SP (L) - Cohoon loses the battle with Harvey for a spot in the rotation but the finesse lefty is reliable enough to give a long relief job and a third lefty arm to the bullpen. Cohoon's style is well suited to long-relief as he should never be walking the ballpark and letting the game get out of hand (like Ollie Perez might. Cohoon could look to replace Dickey in 2013, though I give that nod to Jenrry Mejia.

Lineup: 8
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF (L)
3. David Wright, 3B (R)
4. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
5. Jason Bay, LF (R)
6. Fernando Martinez, RF (L)
7. Daniel Murphy, 2B (L)
8. Josh Thole, C (L)

Rotation: 5
1. Johan Santana, SP (L)
2. R.A. Dickey, SP (R)
3. C.J. Wilson, SP (L)
4. Jonathan Niese, SP (L)
5. Matt Harvey, SP (R)
Bullpen: 7
CL - Jonathan Papelbon, RP (R)
SU - Taylor Buchholz, RP (R)
SU - Pedro Beato, RP (R)
MR - Bobby Parnell, RP (R)
MR - Javier Lopez, RP (L) MR - George Sherrill, RP (L)
LR - Mark Cohoon, SP (L)

Bench: 5
Ronny Paulino, C (R)
Angel Pagan, OF (S)
Lucas Duda, OF/1B (L)
Justin Turner, IF (R)
Nick Evans, OF/1B/3B (R)

2012 Payroll: $113.7 Mil

YOU WANT MORE?!?

2011-05-09T09:31:00.003-04:00

For the sake of this analogy Gruel is Jose Reyes and Oliver Twist is the Met fans. Also in this case the fat man with the pot of gruel and the loud voice is Met management crying poverty. Actually... they aren't crying poverty, that's simply what everyone else is saying. What is being said?

"The Mets don't have the MONEY to re-sign Jose Reyes."

Let me be the first to call B.S. on this. If the Mets are going to have a $120 Million dollar payroll they'll have just under $60 Million to spend before the re-sign arbitrate etc... With all arbitration assumed I'd estimate $45 Million still free. Is there no room for Reyes in that money? Wait... maybe they'll be too busy getting pitching.

Chris Carpenter, 37
Roy Oswalt, 34
Ryan Dempster, 35
C.J. Wilson, 31
Edwin Jackson, 28
Mark Buerhle, 33

Above is a small list of some of the BETTER starters available in free agency. All I can help seeing is that the Mets might as well save that $45 Million for 2013 if they want only pitchers... but while they're doing that, maybe they should spend part of it on one of the most popular players on the club.

Jeff Wilpon and company have legal woes and all of that, but they are not exactly going to send out a baseball team with a payroll beneath $100 Million in New York City. The next time you hear Evan Roberts talk about it on WFAN. Call up and call him out on his B.S. Then wait for Steve Somers to come onto the air, he's the only one I like.

Save Reyes!!!

Up This Week:

Let's Be Silly - I'm Gonna Spend Those $60 Million... and Have Some Fun.

Platoon - Visiting Turner and Murphy and Giving the New Platoon a Grade.

Re-Alignment - Like Any Good Mechanic I Have to Check the Rotation.

Minor Qualms - Let's Take the Rose Colored Specs Off, Shall We?

Uh... did you say 'yutes'?

2011-05-06T08:56:00.003-04:00

Jenrry Mejia, 22: Today's Minor League report starts with the mention of the injury to Jenrry Mejia. You already know about what happened and that he needs Tommy John surgery. You've even heard moronic speculation that he'll now be magically relegated to the bullpen. I can only tell you that the Mets could ill afford to have their top pitching prospect hit this type of road block. Today's post will instead focus on the pitchers who are HEALTHY in the Met minors.

Chris Schwinden, 25: Schwinden is the only starting pitcher still in AAA who has pitched remotely well. There is little to nothing to fault him on his first 3 starts but his fourth outing was shaky and it may be that AAA is adjusting to Schwinden. Shcwinden is a control pitcher who relies on using the strike zone to make up for a low 90's fastball. His secondary offerings include a slider and a changeup. He's likely not more than a reserve starter or long reliever.

Mark Cohoon, 24: Again, three GREAT starts and then things start to un-ravel. Cohoon will look to rebound after his 5 ER outing on May 1st. Again... Cohoon has nothing to over-power anyone. His fastball sitting in the high 80s. His secondary pitches (curveball and changeup) are both usable pitches and he projects as a useful back of the rotation starter with the added bonus of being a lefty. He's probably going to be going up to AAA as it seems the organization is going to be conservative. He should be in the majors in 2011 if he's needed.

Brandon Moore, 25: I talked about Moore a lot last year. He was VERY good in Savanah, okay in Port St. Lucie and TERRIBLE in AA. Again in AA he's proving to be up to the challenge there. The term "Junk-Baller" might be used for Moore who throws a middle 80s fastball, with a variety of off-speed pitches that include a slurve. He's not a top prospect or someone who people imagine will make a large impact in the majors but he could come in and be a good reliever against fastball hitters.

Bradley Holt, 25: Brad's 2008 was GREAT. His 2009... feh. His 2010 was JUST bad. His 2011... well it's actually pretty nice all things being equal. He's got his velocity back up and he's keeping people off base. His 4th start (notice a trend?) was poor and the opponents hit .462 against him that game. OVERALL... he's held the enemy to a .192 AVG. That is pretty sweet. It was once thought that Holt could be a front of the rotation guy. I think he could still be a #3 or #4 pitcher in the MLB. I tend to wear rose color glasses though.

Robert Carson, 22: Because of his age and build I think Carson might be the best guy currently in AA. He's a lefty and at 6'3" he's right around the area that coaches look for in players. He's another victim of the 4th outing blues. He's another Fastball/Slider/Changeup guy but being a lefty with a low 90's fastball he could develop into something pretty useful at the major league level. At the very least a useful lefty bullpen arm. Because he's only 22 he's likely to not get the call to the majors no matter what in 2011.

Jeurys Familia, 22: Familia lasted until his 5th start before having his bump in the road. Thankfully... he already rebounded nicely. He is striking out a player an inning and that is swell but what I love is his sub 1.00 WHIP. He just doesn't let people on base. His fastball is in the mid 90s and has developed a change and a slurve to compliment the pitch that so impressed scouts back in 2010's Spring Training. Familia hasn't really shown any flaws in A+ so far and a call to AA is only a matter of time.

Matthew Harvey, 22: So far Familia is the highest ceiling pitcher I listed. Familia looks like front-end starter but I don't think I'd call him an Ace. You know who I would call a future Ace? Matt Harvey. He's got a high 90s fastball and a few solid breaking pitches that are the reason he's striking out so many. The biggest issue he had before being drafted was his command and thus far it's been pretty solid. He's walking about 3 men per 9 innings which isn't excessive and he's looked like he's already too good for the hitters at A+.

Gregory Peavey, 23: Greg has been pretty solid in Savanah but he's not dominating the league that is known to be easier on pitchers. His start last night was his best so far. 6 innings, 3 hits, 0 BBs and 6 K's. He's got a fastball that reaches the middle 90s and a hard slider. Peavey is still to far from the majors for me to even venture a prediction of where he'll wind up but he's looking like he'll move up to the FSL either this year or to start next.

Erik Goeddel, 23: Another guy who shows promise that I can't rightly project too well. A hard throwing righty Goeddel has a shot to be a starter or a reliever depending on his development. Right now I can't say which is more likely. To go along with a fastball that I've seen described as a true + pitch, he has a solid curve ball that keeps hitters off balance. The Mets went over slot to get Erik and the expectations for him are reasonably high.

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

2011-05-05T08:18:00.003-04:00

All the amateur GMs in the world have gotten into trade fever with relation to Jose Reyes. Jose is having a good year and the Mets, in case you've been asleep... have not. Jose is in the final year of his contract in his prime baseball years and will demand something in the neighborhood of Carl Crawford money. Heck, with the SS position so thin he should probably get more. I listed the players before but with San Francisco in town there is one favorite who has clearly jumped out.

San Francisco has the best situation for looking at and acquiring Jose Reyes. They have a team that is expected to compete, they have an issue at short, they are hungry for offense and they could sure use some hitting. The question is, will they give enough? Sure, people will name what they think that Jose is worth but that is all meaningless to Met fans.

Jose is worth a lot to Met fans. He grew up here. He came up from the minors, delivered on his outstanding potential and became the spark of the franchise. The Mets do not come so close to the World Series without him. The Mets do not look nearly as good in general without him. Alderson might want to simply get the most bang for his buck, but Met fans will want more than that. We don't want to lose Reyes without getting something as meaningful back.

Miguel Tejada is the reason the Giants are so enthusiastic about trading for Reyes. Once upon a time I was telling my buddy Ross that Tejada was miles better than Jeter. (I've basically done this with every good short-stop to come along since) After a few years in Baltimore and Houston it looked like his days at short were at a close. Then the Giants give him a deal and slot him to be their everyday SS. It's 50% wishful thinking and 50% it's so crazy it just might work. Sadly, it hasn't. Does Miguel's defensive and offensive regression force the Giants to cave to the demands of Alderson and the rabid Met fans?

Before we get into things... I need to explain something to some people... KEITH. Keith Hernandez mentioned that you couldn't trade Reyes unless you get a Matt Cain or Matt Kemp in return. Sure... that makes total sense. Let me trade a young, talented major leaguer who is cheap and under team control for a talented star who's contract is expiring and will demand a fortune to stay. While it is conceivable that the Giants might think they have enough pitching without Cain, I can't see the Mets getting a young MLB stud for Reyes.

Once again, I'll dive into the rosters of Fresno and Richmond and see what I can find.

Fresno Grizzlies: AAA

Brandon Belt, 1B/OF - Trading Belt would anger as many Giant fans as trading Reyes would anger Met fans. This is GOOD. It should hurt Giant fans to acquire Reyes. Why would we want to accept a deal in which we didn't think we were getting someone they'd miss. Belt had a taste of the majors to start the year but was demoted after a slow start. Since his demotion he's put out a AAA OPS of 1.342 and an SLG of .765 which are both slightly inflated by the PCL. He's been moved to the OF so those who love Ike don't need to fret though he'd likely look ghastly in right field in Citi Field. Regardless I demand him first and foremost in a deal for Reyes.

Richmond Flying Squirrels: AA

Eric Surkamp, LHSP - Ranking 9th in the Giant's top 10, Surkamp is likely someone they WOULD be willing to part with. Surkamp is a lefty who gets a lot of strikeouts without throwing that hard. He looks to me like a safe pick for a middle of the rotation pitcher and after demanding Belt I don't think I can also demand an Ace. Well... I could... but I won't. Surkamp currently has 41 K's in 26.1 innings in AA and a very healthy 2.05 ERA. He doesn't give up too many walks or hits and looks like he could be a major leaguer later this season.

Charlie Culberson, 2B - Culberson is just so damn handsome... sorta like a Matthew McCaunoughey without the gross hygiene problems. Seriously, he's a pretty good ball player. He projects as a good hitting second baseman with some good power and some speed. I think that he might be a little less of a hitter than Havens but he's a darn bit healthier. Also, for those who love Murphy, he's more defensively sound etc... The big flaw in his game is the K's but that's true for most young players.

I probably also ask for Brandon Crawford, who hasn't played in 2011 yet (maybe he's hurt?) but he played in AA last year and projects as an okay hitter/fielder at SS.

So... I'm asking for a four player haul for Jose Reyes (though I'd gladly include Beltran or Rodriguez in the offer [They would both fit into the Giant team and help them go back-to-back]) if it would get the deal done. Would getting these four players make up for the loss of Reyes? Not at first. No matter what. I'd miss him too much.

Plus without Reyes in Citi Field the best reason to go to the game would be Peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

Fire Sale

2011-05-03T13:08:00.004-04:00

Should the Mets clean house and do a total Marlin-style reboot? It actually works pretty well for the Marlins as they DO compete for a ring every 5-10 years. The key here is what would classify a "Fire Sale" and what would simply be smart baseball mathematics.

Joel Sherman has shouted "Fire Sale!" for a while. When he says it, we know he's asking the Mets to trade Beltran, Rodriguez and Reyes. They aren't on the roster beyond 2011, so what is the harm? However, I don't REALLY see trading them as a TRUE "Fire Sale." A true cleaning house would likely see the departure of 90% of the current Mets.

My Question: Does Mr. Sherman mean that he wants a "Fire Sale" (selling all contracts that do not contribute to success for this team three or four years from now) or does he want to take advantage of some of our players with expiring contracts and/or high value?

Dearly Departed: 6/8ths of the Lineup

Jose Reyes, SS - You've heard about the Jose debate before. Trade Jose as the Mets have no shot of winning now and need to rebuild. Jose is worth at least two +/++ prospects and likely 3-4 players. He's clearly going to be a Type A free agent so he'd net the Mets a 1st rounder and a compensation pick at minimum. As the sage Matt Cerrone has noted, there isn't a backup plan to Jose in place. Ruben Tejada could play SS but if you lose Jose's bat you need more of a replacement than Tejada gives you.

Daniel Murphy, 2B/1B - Murphy has trade value? Yes, he does. He's played pretty solid 2B and he's proven to be a +hitting 2B while doing it. Add that he can man 1B and 3B reasonably well and more than a few teams might look at him. A lot depends on injuries and who the Mets would be willing to trade him for, but the Mets could get a + prospect in a deal for their blooming 2B.

David Wright, 3B - Trade Wright? I'm not for it, but this is me showing you what a "Fire Sale" would mean. Wright is going to go up in price and likely be looking for a large Ryan Howard/Ryan Braun pay-day in the next year and a half. Trade Wright for a bevvy of prospects and use them to craft a winning club. It's not as crazy as it sounds. Wright is under team control through 2013 and is still a great hitter and an okay defender. The Mets could ask for a boat of prospects for Wright and they'd probably get them from a team with a 3B vacancy looking to win NOW.

Carlos Beltran, RF/DH - Beltran is hitting well and "Fire Sale" or not he's due to be traded. You can thank that no Arbitration clause. He's looked good both in the field and at the plate so there would be some takers but the risk of health is always present so his value takes a hit. You might get a + prospect for Beltran but more likely you get 1 or 2 guys who are in the upper levels of the minors and look like lesser MLB contributors. As Robert points out the Arb Clause ends up not being a factor with Beltran's Age, Injury history and Salary. He'd earn to much in an arbitration case and the Mets wouldn't make the offer.

Jason Bay, LF - Jason Bay happens to cost a lot so if the Mets could move him for a similarly light-ish package like Beltran's they wouldn't be crazy, $36+ Mil is a lot of salary to pick up. Jason Bay can help teams looking for a good hitting corner OF with some power. They'll need to have money or the Mets will need to pay some contract because he makes more than half the players on some teams combined.

Angel Pagan, CF - Pagan is young and still under team control for another year. Even with a "Fire Sale" the Mets COULD keep him, but his skill set is replaceable. He'd get the Mets a middle of the road return. More than Beltran or Bay because of his age and price. Less than Reyes or Wright because he's not nearly as talented. It all depends on the markets need for CFs and how well he rebounds when he returns.

Dearly Departed: Almost the ENTIRE Pitching Staff

Johan Santana, LHSP - I'm in favor of trading Johan no matter what. He's been hurt too much, costs too much and he isn't the guy he was when we traded almost nobody for him. The Mets would be wise to look at offers even if they don't need to cut bait with everyone on a total overhaul. Santana isn't going to fetch the same number or perceived value he did the last time he was traded but at least one +/++ prospect and at least 2 prospects overall.

Mike Pelfrey, RHSP - Right now I'd trade Pelfrey for some Pogs. He's been awful and probably needs to go to AAA to reclaim some semblance of skill. He's young enough and cheap enough that somebody might still buy into his early 2010 numbers and make a deal. That list shrinks each time he pitches. Best case scenario is that he rebounds and builds back some value first. I worry that each time he pitches that value will go the other way.

R.A. Dickey, RHSP - Say it ain't so! Yep, this is a Fire Sale and R.A. Dickey is not a prospect under team control for little too no money. He's a veteran with solid value who could net the team multiple prospects on the trade market. The list for suitors might actually be higher than almost any other player. Met fans would likely have a riot if Alderson actually did it.

Chris Young, RHSP - Young has pitched well when healthy so it's only sensible that he has some value. Young is a 1-year rental and trading him would make sense as soon as the Mets are completely out of the race no matter what. He was definitely a good signing but holding onto him does nothing. Unless he could become a Type A free agent... I don't think he can.

Chris Capuano, LHSP - As a starter not so much value but as a lefty reliever and swing man he has some value. I don't claim that it's a lot of value but it's enough that the Mets could get something back which is generally better than nothing. Capuano or Pelfrey should be moved out of the rotation for Dillon Gee in the near future. It bothers me that the team is screwing around with Gee.

Francisco Rodriguez, RHRP - Frankie has some value already and more value going to a team who HAS a closer. On a team where his option won't vest he's a GREAT 7th or 8th inning setup man who can be a difference maker. Mets could either look to dump his salary and not get much back or pay part of it and get a prospect in return. Both solutions are good and both are smart to do with or without a fire sale.

Taylor Buchholz, RHRP - In the absence of Frankie, Taylor might be the closer... never mind that. This is a "Fire Sale" so Taylor goes too as he's worth more than any other reliever we have. I'm not entirely sure what a cheap, team controlled setup man would net the Mets in terms of prospects but it's likely to be a decent haul. Besides, Pedro Beato is cheaper and younger and can be rushed into the closer role too quickly... just like we planned.

Jason Isringhausen, RHRP - Izzy deserves to be on a winning club the way he's pitched. He is still good enough to handle later innings and he's not going to be of much value down the road. He won't net the Mets a lot but even getting a mediocre prospect might be worth it if we are selling EVERYONE who isn't nailed down.

Who's Left?:

Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee and Pedro Beato would be the players I'd peg to survive even the most complete Met Fire Sale. It would mean promotion for Lutz, Duda, Tejada, Evans, Nieuwenhuis, Martinez, Gorski, Schwinden, Cohoon and others. The team would finish poorly and have a good regular pick in the 2012 draft and enough payroll flexibility to do almost anything.

So... what I'm trying to say here... is that Joel Sherman is wrong. The Mets don't need to have a "Fire Sale". They need to make smart decisions with the players who are not going to be giving the Mets returns beyond this season.

Oh yeah... and if you want the fans to keep showing up at the park... re-sign Reyes.

Take Me Out To The Game (Your Treat)

2011-05-03T09:31:00.003-04:00

The Mets are not the hottest Ticket in town. They shouldn't be. I mean, Book of Mormon is supposed to be really good. If you want tickets under $100 to see it, you need to wait until November or go to a Tuesday show. You want to go to a Met game? You will likely spend more at a New York deli at lunch to get tickets.

Friday, May 6th (vs. Los Angeles Dodgers)

The Dodgers are a former New York team so there is some history there. Plus Donny Baseball is the Manager and they are pretty good team in general. Watching the Kemp/Ethier connection might be worth the price of admission. How much IS the price of admission?

Tickets Range Between: $6.95 and $115

Best $10 > : 2nd Row of the Left Field Promenade Reserved ($8.50)
Best $25 > : 3rd Row of the Left Field Reserved ($24.00)
Best $50 > : 1st Row of the Pepsi Porch ($44.00)
Best $100 > : 6th Row of the Champion's Club ($97.00)
Best Ticket: 1st Row of Left Field Field Box ($111.00)

Sounds like going to a game is pretty cheap... right?

Sorry... not so much.

Want to drive to the game? Parking will cost you upwards of $19.00. You want to eat? Prepare to spend at least $20 per person and more if you are going to be drinking or eating one of the more gourmet options. How about a souvenir for your kid? $30 for a hat? Yes, $30 for a hat and more for everything else. The fact is, tickets could be free and going to a game would still be a little to pricey for some. For my money, it might be better to watch the game at Pub 101 and get $.25 Sunset Grill Wings.

Big News

2011-05-02T11:15:00.005-04:00

Clearly we were all a little distracted from baseball. I mean a girl just married the grandson of a monarch and he has obvious degrees of male pattern baldness. Clearly we couldn't focus on baseball with concerns about Kate's dress and the choice of wedding venue hung in the air. There may have also been some sort of news about someone being killed in Pakistan.

Frankly... this is a baseball blog. Not only that, but a silly baseball blog. I'm not going to cheapen major military actions by making snarky jokes. I leave that to the experts on Fox News.

The Mets lost a series to the Phillies but have showed some improvement as a team. I think there are a few key things to note:

Francisco Rodriguez deserves to be closing. Do I want the Mets to be saddled with his 17.5 Million dollar contract in 2012? No! Particularly not when we might be cutting payroll down to 120 Million or below. However, the Mets cannot say he hasn't pitched well enough to hold the job. Hopefully he pitches well enough to be traded.
Ronny Paulino is back. ESPN doesn't have a mug-shot because of his difficulty in starting the season but I forgive them. He and Thole make up what I would call a GOOD catching tandem. They are a pure platoon and having a contact lefty backing him up will help Ronny as much as having a power righty helps Josh.
Mike Pelfrey seems lost. Sorta like a puppy but more like a REALLY bad pitcher. Pelfrey has frankly looked bad since he first showed up to spring training so it isn't a huge surprise. The question is, can he recover? Can he reclaim some of his past success? I seriously hope he has something physically wrong, because then maybe he can spend a few weeks in Florida and return with some semblance of talent. Right now I'm ready to make him the swing man and give Dillon Gee his job.
The Bench OF looks bad. Willie Harris and Scott Hairston are about as reliable as a 1970 AMC Gremlin. They can't pinch hit and when they start they do little better. Jason Pridie has been the best bench guy and I might be wrong... but I'm pretty sure he's still Jason Pridie. Lucas Duda is starting to hit again in AAA and I want to see him replace Harris in the near future. At least Duda can strike out for power.
Is Chris Young Sandy Alderson's best acquisition? Pedro Beato also ranks up there, but Young has sorta saved a rotation that has looked like one of the weakest in the majors. Thank heavens for Dickey and Young's ability to at least keep the Mets IN games. Young's health is still a concern but I'm more concerned about Pelfrey BEING healthy for his next start.

Up This Week:

Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Is it worth it?

Fire Sale - Is it time to sell EVERYONE?

Peanuts and Crackerjacks - Maybe there will be a good prize at the bottom.

Inviso Prospectus - When in doubt, stick with the classics.

And Greg Vaughn's Son

2011-04-29T09:06:00.005-04:00

The Mets minors are still going a long in a mostly positive way. The pitchers... for the most part have all hit the first "Bump in the road" of the season but at the same time, the hitters are heating up. There are lots of things to be happy about. One of them, is related to Mr. Vaughn.

AAA:

Full Name: Ruben Dario Tejada

Born: 10/27/1989

Birthplace: Veraguas, Panama

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 185

Bats: R

Throws: R

Before the season I referred to Tejada as a bench middle infielder in the same mold as a Chin-Lung Hu. He had good defense and that was about it. Thus far, in 2011 he's got an OPS of .800 and has 14 RBIs. Ruben Tejada has gone from looking like he couldn't hit to looking like he's one of the better hitting SS's. He's obviously hitting for some power with an .800 OPS, but how much? 3 Doubles, 2 Triples and 2 Homers in 22 games. On the down-side, he's still not running enough. 2 SBs and 1 CS make me really hesitant to see him in a lead-off role. Right now he's looking like a very nice #7/#8 hitter option at the major-league level.

Full Name: Kirk Robert Nieuwenhuis

Born: 08/07/1987

Birthplace: Santa Monica, CA

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 215

Bats: L

Throws: R

Captain Kirk is looking like a star. An OPS of 1.021 makes that pretty obvious. However all of his hitting is not turning into production. He trails Ruben Tejada by 8 RBIs. It's just a little screwy and has more to do with where they are hitting in the order. Kirk may not be capable of holding down a good enough CF to last in Citi-Field but he's hitting like a +++CF so... he's hitting well enough to play right field if he's asked to. If Pagan were going to be out for a month or longer I'd give Kirk a shot at coming up and getting a look as an everyday player. Yesterday I saw someone comment that He should come up and be on the bench. I wanted to smack that fan. Kirk could be a starting OF for the Mets in 2012 and they don't want to halt his progress by making him a bench player.

Full Name: Jesus Fernando Martinez

Born: 10/10/1988

Birthplace: Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: R

Fernando has already taken a 2 week break this season. By which you should know I mean he's been injured. He's responded to the critics by returning with a vengence. He's got 3 extra base hits in his 6 games back and his OPS is sitting at .935. However, don't get excited unless he stays healthy for all of May and continues to hit. Then you can start to think about whether he or Kirk will replace Carlos in right.

Full Name: Jenrry Manuel Mejia

Born: 10/11/1989

Birthplace: Tabara Arriba, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Jenrry has finally hit a bump in the road. After looking flawless in his first two starts he looked okay on the 19th and bad on the 24th. He's still really limiting hits and looking pretty sharp in general but it is evident that he belongs in AAA for the time being. Mejia is a pretty solid thought for a late-season call-up particularly if the Mets fall from contention.

AA:

Full Name: Joshua Satin

Born: 12/23/1984

Birthplace: Hidden Hills, CA

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Joshua Satin has emerged as the biggest threat in the Binghamton lineup. Once Den Dekker and others join him, that will likely shift, but for now... he's the king of Binghamton. He's really doing just about everything we could want him to. Hitting often and for power. He's also a touch old. He's 26 and only in AA. He could be in AAA easily but even if he were... is he better than Justin Turner? I don't think he is.

Full Name: Jordany V Valdespin

Born: 12/23/1987

Birthplace: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 190

Bats: L

Throws: R

Jordany had a BAD start to the year but things are improving. He's now hitting .237 which is 50 points of improvement from where he was not so long ago. He's also shown speed and some power. The drawback with Jordany will always be his discipline. He's not good at taking a walk and he shows a David Wright-like ability to strike out. It's not good to see but it's not impossible to correct. He's on a short list of people who would potentially replace Jose Reyes in 2012 but I hope it doesn't come to that. Valdespin would make a GREAT bench player as he has good defense and a reasonably good bat.

Full Name: Mark E. Cohoon

Born: 09/15/1987

Birthplace: Burleson, TX

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 195

Bats: L

Throws: L

Holt and Carson suffered bad starts and Cohoon too had a bump in the road. Mark's bump was REALLY minor. He has looked like the most polished and ready pitcher in the farm and he's the most likely guy to be called up next. He's blocked by Dillon Gee who is providing depth at the major-league level right now. If the Mets shift Capuano into the bullpen (as I think they should) then Cohoon will be next in line to get a call. Is AAA necessary for him to stop at on the way? I don't think it really is.

A+:

Full Name: Matthew G Den Dekker

Born: 08/10/1987

Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Den Dekker was pegged by some as the best defensive OF in the Met's system. I just wanted to illustrate something about his hitting. Matt owns a 1.024 OPS and a 1.380 OPS over the past 10 games. 11 Doubles, 3 Triples and 1 Homer, almost half of his hits have gone for extra bases. The only thing holding Matt in A+ ball is likely the organization trying to demonstrate patience and diligence. He's ready to test the tougher pitching of AA and I hope he can continue his great hitting.

Full Name: Wilmer Alejandro Flores

Born: 08/06/1991

Birthplace: Valencia, Venezuela

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 175

Bats: R

Throws: R

So... Baseball America is ready to write Wilmer off. His approach is no good, he's terrible at defense and he has no power. If you can definitively say that after 1 month of baseball, I think you should thank Ms. Cleo for your information. Wilmer is hitting... for average. He's starting to pick up the pace for power, but if you look at his history it follows his progression. When he landed in A+ ball last year he hit the ball consistently and for no power for a little over two weeks before he settled in and started looking to drive the ball. Is his defense bad? You bet. Look for Marte to move to Binghamton and Wilmer to possibly shift to third.

Full Name: Jefry Leonal Marte

Born: 06/21/1991

Birthplace: La Romana, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 187

Bats: R

Throws: R

Marte is known for starting slow and then playing okay baseball to reclaim some of his potential. This season he started like a rocket. He's hit the ball with authority, 4 HRs and he's shown some discipline with 10 BBs. Marte has sorta re-established his value in the farm after falling out of many peoples lists. Marte is leading the team with Den Dekker and may soon be LEAVING the team with Den Dekker. I would expect to see Jefry and Matt move to AA and perhaps Flores shifting to 3rd.

Full Name: Cesar David Puello

Born: 04/01/1991

Birthplace: La Romana, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 195

Bats: R

Throws: R

Puello rocketed into our combined consciousness in 2010 after having a big second half in Savannah. He's started 2011 slowly, but the hope is that he's starting to make corrections. He's bringing his batting average steadily upwards and he's hitting some doubles, but that STAR quality is missing. My biggest worry is his 2/18 BB/K ratio. He needs to fix that if he's going to stay in the Met's top 10 prospects.

Full Name: Matthew Harvey

Born: 03/27/1989

Birthplace: Groton, CT

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Another pitcher who had a rough go this week. Through 4 starts... FLAWLESS. The last one... shows he's a work in progress. Still, 5 starts in his minor league career and he's 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and a K/9 over 9.00. Harvey has a bright future and still has a ticket to Binghamton at some point this season.

Full Name: Jeurys Familia

Born: 10/10/1989

Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 185

Bats: R

Throws: R

Familia has the benefit of not having pitched in the last couple days. Will he avoid the plague of bad outings? Well... I think he's got a good shot. The secret to Familia's success has been not allowing anyone on base. 9 hits and 7 walks in 25.2 innings makes it REALLY hard to lose ball games. Familia might actually be the pitching prospect with the highest ceiling in the Met system.

Full Name: Aderlin Rodriguez

Born: 11/18/1991

Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Do I really have a player hitting below .200 on this list? Yes, yes I do. First of all he's hitting .279 in his last 10 games and second of all, do you know how hard it is to have a .192 average and an SLG over .400? Aderlin's power is REAL. He's also shown he can probably stick as a 3B, though he's not a whiz in the field. He's hit all four of his homers in the past 5 games so it will be interesting to see how long his power streak will live. I am really okay with Rodriguez moving up the system pretty slowly so look for him to stick around in Savannah for a while.

Full Name: Cory Vaughn

Born: 05/01/1989

Birthplace: Carmichael, CA

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Greg Vaughn's kid is not exactly a clone of his father. He's taller, he's faster and he's capable of playing all OF positions. Vaughn has been the only really consistent bat in Savannah and he's putting together a strong overall game. He's got some power and some speed, he's not too prone to strike out and he's been solid in the field. We are all waiting to see if he can start to belt with consistent power like he did in Brooklyn. If he can do that he'll rocket up the scouting reports.

Them

2011-04-28T09:22:00.004-04:00

Someone mentioned to me that there are actually 4 other teams in the Met's division. I did some research and discovered this was true. So I decided to see what they'd been up to.

#1 Philadelphia Phillies, 16-8: The city of neighborly hatred is well known for greasy sandwiches, funny names for heroes and being across the river from the Camden Aquarium. The team, which is named so cleverly after long-time SNL favorite Phil Hartman, wears red and white in honor of their favorite color, pink. Led by a pitching staff Aced by Joe Blanton, they manage to do pretty well with the likes of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee rounding out the rotation. Young slugger, Raul Ibanez is likely to be a franchise player and hang around in Philly for a long-term contract.

#2 Florida Marlins, 15-8: Not far from "The Birdcage" and only an hour (or so) South of Boca Woods Retirement Village, the Florida Marlins play baseball in a Football stadium. The team which is full of elderly players and inflated contracts is in dire financial trouble as they are constantly competing with heavy spenders like Pittsburgh and Minnesota. The offensive star of the team is clearly Donnie Murphy, while they rely heavily on Chris Volstad in the pressure pitching department. The team will likely try to move Hanley Ramirez for an older more expensive player as he doesn't fit the teams model for success. I hear the Yankees are interested.

#3 Atlanta Braves, 13-13: While native American's were un-abashedly wiped out of Georgia by the prison colonies that landed in the 18th century, their memory is kept alive by racist-ly pretending to scalp opposing teams and chanting a slightly less racist hymn then, "What Made the Red Man Red?" The team, which is haunted by the ghost of Bobby Cox, is known for their sure-handed defensive second baseman. Their third baseman, Larry Jones, will probably never amount to much and shouldn't make too much of a lasting impact. Thankfully Brooks Conrad is their to replace him.

#4 New York Mets, 11-13: Not so many miles from where the greatest Chinese restaurant in history once stood (Lums) is a stadium nestled into one of the safest and most friendly neighborhoods on earth. Next to that Tennis stadium and across the train tracks is Citi Field. Terry Collins is new to the team and he made himself stand out by being far whiter than the previous two managers. The change has greatly helped Jason Bay. It's rumored that all Canadians have a natural fear of skin pigmentation.

#5 Washington Nationals, 10-13: This team might have the largest fan-base in the nation. Selling out every game (against the Phillies) the Nationals enjoy the much deserved respect of a team with a long and inspiring history. When George Washington chopped down the cherry tree it was to craft a bat to play for his beloved Nationals. Coincidentally he needed wooden teeth because he used his teeth to carve that very bat. The Nationals are in last place, but it could be far worse. Thankfully their Achilles Heal, Ryan Zimmerman, cannot play currently and drag the team farther down with his awful all-around game.

Keeping the Pace

2011-04-27T09:22:00.004-04:00

With the Mets on a roll it seems like a good time to do some math to see what they are on Pace for. I mean, if everyone can stay relatively healthy... Note, these stats are just simple projections based on their production so far vs. how many at bats I think they COULD reach.

Jose Reyes, SS: 94/6/35/35/47 - Jose is on pace to have a good year with plenty of stolen bases and runs scored. However I was expecting more. It seemed to me that Reyes' projections would be better. He's really having a great early season and the numbers are merely GOOD. With Bay back in the lineup and with Murphy settling in for support, I'd expect the pace numbers to go up.

Daniel Murphy, 2B: 67/10/77/38/10 - I think I, Daniel Murphy and most Met fans will sign up for those numbers from Murphy. They aren't blow me away numbers, but they're solid numbers from a 2B. I won't go so far as to say that Murphy could exceed them, but I will say that he is capable of this kind of production.

David Wright, 3B: 116/32/97/77/32 - A 30/30 season? Gee... when you look at the fact David is a career hitter nearly 50 points higher then he's at, this production seems insane. Can he get these numbers? Sure. Can he exceed them? Maybe? You know... if Wright continues to hit well with Bay in the lineup and improves his batting average back to where it's usually sat, he could have TREMENDOUS numbers.

Carlos Beltran, RF: 85/20/66/39/0 - Beltran will steal a base. It's tough with basic mathematical projections to deal with someone who just hasn't tried something yet. Imagine if I were to project 0 HRs from Justin Morneau? Beltran's numbers are pretty solid but I think the RBI numbers should be a touch higher and if the knee flares up... everything could be much lower.

Jason Bay, LF: 118/24/71/47/0 - Okay... so Bay's small sample size skews the numbers and they look all sorts of strange. We're working with what we have. If Bay continued on this pace the Flushing Faithful would likely issue a pardon to Bay for 2010.

Ike Davis, 1B: 89/28/124/83/0 - So... the stolen base numbers are accurate. Could Ike be that good? I think he could be BETTER. I mean, I think Ike has the power to lead the team in homers so that 28 could easily be eclipsed by something on the brighter side of 35. The other numbers reflect Ike's improved discipline at the plate, which is hard to deny.

Angel Pagan, CF: 46/7/39/59/26 - I have to believe that Angel is better than this, but at the same time... I can't predict EVERYONE to have a good year. So if I can get those big years I've already listed above, I'd suffer with a diminished Pagan... at least until we promote Captain Kirk.

Josh Thole, C: 22/0/50/29/0 - Another victim of a slow start, Thole has proven to still be a clutch hitter and is learning to adjust to pitchers now that he's a known quantity. I would imagine that he'll exceed these numbers easily even losing additional playing time to Paulino's bat.

Glass Half Awesome

2011-04-26T09:06:00.003-04:00

Being a Met fan and an optimist is a bit difficult. The Mets aren't exactly awesome at doling out the feel good games and consistent wins. It's actually quite easy to be a Met fan and a pessimist. The Mets are in last place, they have really only looked good against Arizona, Reyes is likely leaving, Wright only knows how to strike out and the stands are as empty as a campus library on free taco day. So... here are a few reasons to buck up.

New York Mets

The Mets are 9 and 13 after winning four straight. That means that we were recently 5 and 13 with almost no reason to field a team. They are in last place and, as you might expect, the 4 Ace Phillies are in first. Why should you be happy?

Have you heard? Jason Bay is back.
David Wright is lining up to have excellent production.
Jose Reyes looks like an All-Star again.
Carlos Beltran is healthy.
Chris Young is back.
Dillon Gee looks like a real-deal MLB starter.
Mike Pelfrey and Jonathan Niese might not be heading for the glue factory.
Pedro Beato looks like an A+ Rule V pick.
K-Rod has trade buzz.
Luis Castillo and Ollie Perez are gone and never coming back.

Buffalo Bisons

Haven't we already been through the ringer with most of these guys? This team was supposed to have a lot of talent on it and they are only 8 and 11. Fernando Martinez is the biggest name on the roster and he's already been hurt this year. Why should you be happy?

Kirk Nieuwenhuis is hitting a lot (15-game hitting streak)
Kirk Nieuwenhuis is hitting for power (8 Doubles 3 HRs)
Fernando Martinez is back (also hit a PH HR)
Ruben Tejada has become a hitter.
Jenrry Mejia look like he'll be ready for the MLB rotation later this year.
Chris Schwinden and Jorge De La Torre look like they could be solid MLB bullpen guys.

Binghamton Mets

Another sub .500 team? Am I supposed to buy that the team will produce stars when they can't beat other AA teams? The top player is some kid I've never even heard of. Why should I be happy?

Joshua Satin named EL player of the week.
He's hitting .327 and powering the offense largely alone.
He and I have similarly massive eyebrows.
Alright... the real reason. PITCHING!
Brad Holt (Remember Him?) 0.50 ERA, 18 IP, 14 Ks, 0.78 WHIP.
Mark Cohoon 0.47 ERA, 19 IP, 20 Ks, 1.00 WHIP.
Robert Carson 1.69 ERA, 16 IP, 16 Ks, 1.19 WHIP.
Jordany Valdespin is walking more? (And hitting less)

Port St. Lucie Mets

Wait... this team doesn't fit. They're 17 and 2. The team has 9 players hitting over .280. The team has 4 starters with ERA's under 4.00. Clearly this team will have a few things to be happy about.

Pedro Zapata is a base stealing CF. He's hitting .400 and has stolen 8 bags in 8 attempts.
Francisco Pena has the body for power and is at least hitting for average.
Matt Den Dekker has good gap power and excellent tools.
Jefry Marte is exceeding every one's expectations and basically re-establishing his value.
Wilmer Flores started slow, but has heated up. The power will return this is how he typically finds his groove. (He's hitting .297)
Caesar Puello is also finding his groove and looks to be turning the corner in A+.
Matt Harvey... He's 4 and 0 in 4 starts. He's got a 0.00 ERA with 27 K's in 22 innings. This is his first year in the minors and he's already demanding to move up in the system. (Not verbally)
Jeurys Familia... He's had less luck in his starts. He's only 1 and 0 but his 0.35 ERA and 25 Ks are pretty sweet. Sweeter still is his 0.62 WHIP.
Nicholas Carr is establishing himself as a potential late inning relief man.

So... always remember that if you look hard enough, there are plenty of things to find to make you happy.

The Bay After Tomorrow

2011-04-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Met's were inches from the critical desalinization point. Gatorade, Saltines and Dennis Quade couldn't save them. Yet someone showed up to get the beleaguered team into the metaphoric safety of the New York Library.

Bay and Knight

The Mets didn't realize until too late that the Wilpons had hung them out to dry and were letting them "die" on this mission (season). Thankfully the Mets ran into a charming and sexy Jason Bay. Now they are learning to trust each other as they both fight to stay alive.

28 Bays Later

Four weeks after the cataclysmic start to the 2011 season Jason Bay wakes up to find his world shattered. Now he must band together with a handful of survivors, Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Davis and Murphy to try to find sanctuary (the playoffs).

The Bay the Earth Stood Still

Jason Bay arrives in the Met clubhouse and tells the team they must learn how to win baseball games... or be destroyed.

Bay..... O
Me say, Bay-ay-ay... O......
Bay's bat come and the Mets finally win...
Bay, me say Bay, me say Bay, me say...
Bay's bat come and the Mets finally......
Hit all day and they scorin' runs!

You get the point. Actually, I'm not buying into the whole idea of Jason Bay being the savior of the team. Sure, he's adorable and the Mets are winning, but he's really not doing much beyond allowing Collins to bat Davis 6th. Are the Mets better with Bay in the lineup? Yes! Can he walk on water and then turn it to wine? Yes! He's Canadian... they ALL can. Are the Mets winning BECAUSE he's back? I'm not so sure. Though... I can't argue that they ARE winning.

Up This Week:

My Half-Full Glass Runneth Over - Who needs stats and physical evidence? I have HIGH hopes.

Keeping the Pace - Will the Mets hitters keep their pace up? If they do, what does that mean?

The Other Guys - Oh... right, we're like in a division and junk.

Freeing the Trapped Minors - Or at least bragging about them.

Minors Must Be Accompanied By Adult

2011-04-21T11:00:00.005-04:00

With Reyes in the final year of his contract, the Wilpons in denial about their need to get out of Dodge and the Mets floundering at the worst record in baseball, I wanted to look at teams who might have a good package of players to offer the Mets. First I'll identify teams who have a need for Jose Reyes and who the Mets COULD trade with. Then I'll see who has the players in the farm to interest the Mets in MAKING a deal.

Why am I doing this on a Friday? Fridays are for minors and I'm looking into the minors for many other teams to find trade partners. If you want an update on the Met's minor leaguers, visit Toby's blog and check it out. The news has been good.

The Long List:

Arizona Diamondbacks - They have Stephen Drew. No
Atlanta Braves - They need a SS in 2012 and may like Reyes' future more than waiting for a prospect. The issue is that Atlanta is not going to trade good prospects to a division rival and the Mets are not going to trade Reyes to Atlanta. No
Baltimore Orioles - Hardy isn't the answer but they already have THE top SS prospect so I can't see them biting. No
Boston Redsox - Jed Lowrie is on fire and they ALSO have Jose Iglesias and too many guys who hit lead-off. Boston is a possibility if only because they can afford to move Iglesias for a surer thing. Yes
Chicago Cubs - They have Starlin Castro. No
Chicago White Sox - They have Alexei Ramirez. No
Cincinnati Reds - They have the need at SS and no great internal solution. Yes
Cleveland Indians - They have Asdrubal Cabrera and if they are buyers, I'd bet he's playing plenty well. No
Colorado Rockies - Troy Tulowitzki is there and that means it's obvious. No
Detroit Tigers - The Tigers finances are already stretched and they have a fine SS. No Florida Marlins - Hanley Ramirez is not being moved to make room for Jose. No Houston Astros - The Astros would love Bourn and Reyes hitting together but have no reason to spend in 2011. No
Kansas City Royals - Not after they traded for Alcides Escobar. No
Los Angeles Angels - Alright, so they have Aybar, and he's fine, but they'd love Reyes and they can make trades using a pretty solid farm. Yes
Los Angeles Dodgers - They have Furcal, but even so... Tom Gordon's son is ready to replace Rafael and Bud Selig is not looking to spend on a big long-term contract now that he controls the team. No
Milwaukee Brewers - Milwaukee is interesting but hard to see happening. They have the need for Jose, they'll be in contention, and they will likely free up money because Fielder will walk. Maybe
Minnesota Twins - They are in an awful funk but even assuming they recovered and were buyers I don't think Reyes is a Twins-type move. No
New York Yankees - Derek Jeter has a few more years left but do the Yankees want to deal with his declining range and arm? Yes
Oakland Athletics - They could easily be in contention and looking to upgrade over Cliff Pennington. Would the Athletics part with prospects like Grant Green and a pitcher to get Reyes on their team? Maybe
Philadelphia Phillies - Rollins is set to walk and DEFINITELY in the growing twilight of a good career. Alderson would be assassinated if he made a move like that. No
Pittsburgh Pirates - Pirates spend money? Well... let's just think about the fact that their lineup is starting to have signs of growth and that they do have an opening at short for Reyes. Maybe (Probably Not)
San Diego Padres - Jason Bartlett is all they can afford at that position. No
San Francisco Giants - With Miggy not a long-term answer for anyone, I'd imagine that the Giants will be on top of the Mets to see what can be worked out. Yes
Seattle Mariners - I can't see the Mariners as buyers so I can't even make this a thought. No
St. Louis Cardinals - St. Louis has bigger problems but if they are close they might offer a good package for Reyes to win again before Pujols leaves. Probably Not
Tampa Bay Rays - Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez seem to not be the greatest fits for the team and they'd love Reyes to hit in front of Longoria but the money is an issue and a long-term deal is unlikely. Maybe
Texas Rangers - Andrus is already like Reyes but younger. No
Toronto Blue Jays - On the one hand they need a lead-off hitter like Reyes but on the other they are squared away with Yunel Escobar. No
Washington Nationals - Not with Ian Desmond. No

The Short List:

Boston Red Sox - The biggest reasons Boston wouldn't make a trade are the success of Jed Lowrie and the presence of Jose Iglesias. It does seem to follow logic of recent Boston teams that trading for Reyes would at least be an option. The concept requires Lowrie to not be doing well and Iglesias not ready to help with a playoff push, but it's possible. The Mets should not get TOO excited if Iglesias is the big part of the trade package as I'm not sold on him being much more of a hitter than Ruben Tejada.
Cincinnati Reds - Zack Cozart doesn't strike me as a replacement to Reyes or anything to hinge a trade on. HE DOES have a mix of power and speed but he's not going to turn into Troy Tulowitzki. The average looks like it'll be around .250 in the majors and I don't know how well the other numbers will translate.
Los Angeles Angels - Brandon Wood is probably not going to excite the Mets too much, but he might be the logical choice as a part of a larger package. Though L.A. could easily also go with an offer that included the safer Erick Aybar. The Mets would need to hinge the package on other prospects. Don't you dare mention Mike Trout, they aren't trading Tim Salmon's illegitimate son. However the Mets might inquire on Tyler Chatwood, Jordan Walden and others.
Milwaukee Brewers - The Brewers don't have a good SS prospect to match but I suppose Baseball America named Scooter Gennet 2B/SS their #4 prospect for 2011. Frankly the top 4 are all doing miserably, but Milwaukee is doing well and could use Reyes so I wouldn't count them out.
New York Yankees - The Mets would have their choice of lovely catching prospects but that doesn't help when they'd need pitching and a SS. The good news is that the Yankees have several pitchers of note. Now... two of them have had bad starts but I'd wager to say the Yankees would be in the mix if Reyes were available.
Oakland Athletics - Oakland has Grant Green in their farm and he's a good prospect. That might preclude them from dealing for Reyes alone. What Oakland doesn't have is a "Star". People don't line up for Kevin Kouzmanoff. Oakland's pitching staff is solid and they ALWAYS have more prospects down the pipe. If I'm the Mets Mr. Green MUST be part of the deal if I trade.
Pittsburgh Pirates - They have two things going for them right now. They have a talented farm and they are starting to build a talented team. Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen are a good core, but imagine adding a star like Reyes to the team and the kind of boost he'd be to the fans. On the side of what they have to offer, look at Chase D'Arnaud who doesn't WOW me and a boat load of pitchers including Jeff Locke but excluding James Taillon... they aren't trading him.
San Francisco Giants - I've come up with two SS's Brandon Carwford and Ehire Adrianza and a pitcher, Zack Wheeler. Crawford looks like the better prospect and Wheeler looks good but expendable in an over-stocked pitching system. Crawford isn't ready for the majors yet and Tejada is not going to last, so it might make sense to see a swap for the Mets nabbing Crawford and pitching and the Giants getting Reyes. Maybe we could include K-Rod as the Giants wouldn't need to let him close?
Tampa Bay Rays - Plenty of reasons to not do it. They don't have a great shot at holding onto Reyes and they are in the toughest division in baseball. HOWEVER, if they got him he'd make the team an instant top contender again. The other half against the likelihood is that they have TWO good SS prospects. Do the Rays get itchy for another run at glory and cut a deal. They have the pieces to trade and could easily hold onto either Tim Beckham or Hak-Ju Lee and let Reyes walk. I could see them thinking about it.

Conclusion:
I'd say that the Giants and Reds probably match up best in terms of need/offer. With pretty good prospects in their systems at SS they can both make trades to appeal to the Mets. Perhaps later this year I'll venture what the packages offered might be.

Sitting Here On Top Of The Bay

2011-04-21T09:08:00.003-04:00

The Jason Bay experiment in queens is an ongoing research assignment to discover if Canadians wither in New York. This will come in handy should the Mets or Yankees ever target Joey Votto. The good news for the Mets and the researchers at the Institute for Canadian Adaptation (The ICA) is that Jason is returning to Flushing to resume the study.

Thus far, the warning reads: May cause extreme loss of power and contact with occasional bouts of running into walls and seeing small yellow birds.

Let us look at Mr. Bay's brief Met career:

Bay only managed 95 games with the Mets in 2010 because of his slug-fest with the left field fence. His OPS was .749 a whopping 140 points below his career average and it showed. This is evident by his unseemly drop in power (only 6 HRs) and production (47 RBIs). Surely part of this can be blamed on the Mets not surrounding him with ideal talent, right?

Let us look at Mr. Bay's time surrounded by ideal talent:

Right... Boston wasn't too shabby in 2008 and 2009. Well he wasn't a flat-out God, but he did hit a few homers for Boston. Clearly a result of playing along-side David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and others. Although... it MAY have had something to do with the short/high porch in left. I won't stress over it too much but I'd wager that Bay's production was boosted by being surrounded by a pretty solid lineup, with Pedroia and Ellsbury getting on base ahead of him.

So... all the Mets need are better players. Bay needs help to be the useful star he was in Boston.

Unless you look back to Pittsburgh:

The Pirates surrounded Bay with the total package... by which I mean, not very much. He arrived after a trade with San Diego (also brought Pittsburgh Mr. Ollie Perez I believe) and he caught on fast. In 2004 he won the Rookie of the Year, in 2005 and 2006 he was an all-star and landed his name on MVP ballots. Sure, in 2007 he has a rough go, but he pretty much powered the team as the lone bright shining beacon of hope in an otherwise dark and depressing horizon.

Bay has been in the spot-light, out of the spot-light, surrounded by talent and surrounded by scrubs and found ways of succeeding. I can't believe he'd come to New York and that would suddenly be his Kryptonite. Maybe I'm wrong but I still have hopes and dreams of Bay proving to be halfway useful to the Mets in 2011 and 2012 and... 2013... alright so even in my hopes and dreams I can't be a TOTAL optimist. Welcome to the life of a Met fan.
I wonder what would have happened if he was allowed to actually play in his home country?

Generation K... Again?

2011-04-20T08:58:00.004-04:00

As I talk about these players below as a new potential home-grown force for the Mets I caution those fans who lived through the first Generation K not to slit their own wrists. Let me also just say, "Paul Wilson looks a lot like Mike Pelfrey." Anyway... The old Generation K produced an oft-injured starter, a very good closer and... Bill Pulsipher. It didn't kick off a new Golden Age (First Golden Age?) for Met pitching and they didn't win a fist full of Cy Youngs.

Why should I have faith in this new crop of young guns? Because... well... you shouldn't. History and math are steeply stacked against them. Why do I have such faith? I'm a glutton for punishment. Care to meet them?

Jenrry Mejia - 10/11/1989 (21) AAA
6'0", 160 Lbs Bats: R Throws: R
If you haven't yet heard the name Mejia, you are likely not an East Coast baseball fan. He's not only the Met's top pitching prospect he's among the better prospects overall in the minors. Mejia is all of 21 years old and looks pretty dominant in AAA. His most recent start did begin with an UGLY inning but he followed that with a flawless 4.2 that should put everyone at ease. Mejia is the first pitcher on the list because he's the closest to a finished product and has one of the highest ceilings in the group. His fastball can hit up to 97 and usually sits around 94. He has a plus change up and a curve ball that can be used effectively if sparingly.

Matt Harvey - 3/27/1989 (22) A+
6'4", 225 Lbs. Bats: S Throws: R
Matt has what is known to scouts as the ideal build for a starting pitcher. Something about having a body like the trunk of a tree seems to get scouts all excited. What gets me as a fan excited is his 96-97 MPH fastball, his plus-plus slider and his flawless minor league record. Harvey not only looks like the real deal, he looks like he could be the second closest pitching prospect despite being new to the farm and only in Port St. Lucie. The consensus is that Matt will travel North to Binghamton once Binghamton becomes a little warmer. Once there he could continue to pitch well and see a September call-up (depending on the MLB clubs awful record.

Brad Holt - 10/13/1986 (24) AA
6'4", 194 Lbs. Bats: R Throws: R
Not only do you probably remember this guy, you probably have already written him off. I don't know if I can blame you. In 2008 he obliterated the New York Penn League. In 2009 he fared well in Port St. Lucie and less well in Binghamton. In 2010 he imploded BIG TIME falling back from AA and still doing poorly down in A+ However 2011 has seen a resurgence from Bradley. He's only had two starts but the big stat that plagued him is not cropping up in a big way. He's walking far fewer. His velocity is also supposed to be back (some... not all) and that means that he's back on track to see the majors in 2011 or 2012.

Jeurys Familia - 10/10/1989 (21) A+
6'3", 185 Lbs. Bats: R Throws: R
So... I seriously debated putting Jeurys above Holt but he lands 4th on the list because I think the Mets will try to play it safer with him. Frankly, of all the great season starts for Met minor league pitchers... Familia's is the best. He's through three starts and he's given up 6 hits. His K/9 is floating just beneath the 9.00 mark where I imagine all front-end starters should be and his ERA... like most on this list is almost non-existent 0.48. Last spring Met officials talked about Familia having the best fastball in camp. His season was not perfect but he had the K's and low-ish Opp Avg that I know he's capable of. If I had to pick which of the pitchers on this short list could be a TRUE ACE... it would be him.

Will any of these young guns turn into the second coming of Ryan and Gooden? Will they provide the home-grown pitching that made Atlanta the most predictable playoff team of a decade? I hope so. Just remember that for every bunch of Maddux, Smoltz and Glavines, there's an equally un-thrilling Jason Isringhausen, Paul Wilson and Bill Pulsipher.

25 Other Things

2011-04-19T09:13:00.004-04:00

And now... 25 things we wish we could forget.

What We Wish We Could Forget: Jose Reyes' impending departure. With Jose in the final year of his contract, having a splendid season and with the Mets not exactly making a World Series run, Jose is likely in his final season as a Met. It bums me out. It would likely bum most Met fans. I remember the excitement when he first came up from the farm. How can one get over the loss of a player like Jose? Enthusiasm. Fill the Reyes void in your life by clapping and smiling for seemingly no reason. If you are moved to dance or point to god... go with it. Whatever gets you through your future Reyes-less years.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Angel Pagan forgot how to hit. Something happened between 2010 and 2011 and it has not been great for the Mets or Angel Pagan. Thus far, Angel is hitting a robust .169 and proven a solid ability to pop-out. ACTUALLY this might make you get off of that proverbial ledge. Along with not hitting angel is doing some things that might make you happy. What are they? Well... if you want to feel better about Pagan's poor year, remember that he's walked 8 times and only k'd 8 times. That mean his OBP is still respectably above .250 despite the poor hitting.
What We Wish We Could Forget: David Wright has more K's than ground-outs. David Wright should donate $1000 for every whiff he commits at the plate. Then there might be someone smiling (besides the opposing pitcher) when David walks grumbling back to the dug-out. What is wrong with Wright? He came up and for two years was a very difficult guy to strike out and then seemingly over-night, he turns into whiff master. How can you find solace? Well... just remember that many teams would kill to have our K-Machine in their lineup.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Carlos Beltran's knee is made out of liquid pain. Not to knock Beltran but his knee has probably had a larger impact on the recent Met teams. Sure... he had a couple magical runs, but overall Beltran's biggest impact has been felt on the disabled list. How can you get past the inevitable pain of watching Beltran limp off the field? For me, it's that Beltran will not be back after 2011, but for most try to imagine the hurt some playoff contender will experience just after the trade deadline. You know when, the recently acquired, Carlos Beltran pulls up gimpy after the team traded some prospects away for him.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Jason Bay is going to be a Met for 2 more seasons. Has Jason Bay been worth his contract? No. Will he ever be? No. Is it Omar Minaya's worst signing? No. Is he Canadian? YES! Bay has spent a lot of time hurt. When not hurt he's spent a lot of time not hitting. So... I guess it evens out. Or just makes it all that much more awful. What do you do to get by your pain of two more seasons of over-priced Jason Bay? Blame Canada! With all their hockey hulla-bulloo and that b!t*h Ann Murray too. They're not even a real country anyway.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Ike Davis is the slowest man alive. There is a lot that we all like about Ike. He's got power, and great defense. He's a force at the plate and more of a clutch hitter than most. What Ike is not... is fast. He's frequently compared to Adam LaRoche for hitting but speed-wise, he gets pared with John Olerud. For those that don't know, John Olerud is basically baseball vernacular for the slowest man alive. What can distract you from Ike Davis' lack of foot-speed? How about you trying to run the bases faster? Try it, I dare you.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Daniel Murphy owns a glove. So... Daniel Murphy can hit, he's not 100% perfect at the plate or on the bases but when he comes up I've got faith that 25% of the time he'll get a hit and get on base 30%+ of the time. However the same confidence fades when he steps onto the field with a glove. Murphy tries really hard, and that is great but he's just missing something in foot-work or coordination that would allow him to be a reasonably successful fielder. How can you distract yourself from Murphy's fielding? Might I suggest Russian Roulette?
What We Wish We Could Forget: Josh Thole hasn't exactly thrown out everyone. I'm a big fan of Thole. His hitting is solid and his lack of power is off-set by the confidence that he will get A hit when he comes to the plate. Also... I had to love how in a single game he went from a poor 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position to a nice 3 for 10 which proves that SO MANY stats are meaningless in the spring. However, how can we get by people stealing freely on his arm? He's not going to magically become Piazza, but let's remember that a catcher does 3 things, calls the game, blocks the plate and throws out runners. He's fine at that middle one, and I think we can get by focusing on that.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Johan Santana might be nothing more than 49.5 Million dollars in payroll. I don't believe Johan Santana will be worth 50% of the money due to him over the rest of his contract. I just can't see him staying healthy. However... when he's been healthy, he's been pretty darn successful. So... how do I reconcile that our BEST pitcher is also the most over-payed? How about the fact that a strong couple games might buy Sandy Alderson enough stock to trade Johan to another more desperate for immediate success team? That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Mike Pelfrey is our "Ace". He's not an ACTUAL Ace, but on our staff, Mike Pelfrey is the Ace. I keep repeating this because I want to make tou depressed and nostalgic for Al Leiter. Is it working? The latest brain-wave I've seen is the concept of trading Pelfrey to a contender for prospects. I'm all for it, but who is going to bite on that piece of bait? How can you deal with the deep dark feelings that crop up when you hear Pelfrey and Ace in the same sentence? I'm going with denial, "What are you talking about? R.A. Dickey's our Ace."
What We Wish We Could Forget: Jonathan Niese might have the best "Stuff" in the rotation. You hear a lot of people make reference to polish and stuff. Stuff is the actual raw talent that a player possesses. while polish is how skilled he is at using it. I'll give the example of Aroldis Chapman who throws somewhere around 105 MPH. He has stuff. I'll also give the example of Jamie Moyer who's fastball topped out at 70. He had polish. Jonathan Niese has a swooping curve and a solid fastball, but nothing to freak out over. How do you get past the fact that he's got the best "STUFF" on the roster? Think about the great Met pitchers who had no "Stuff" like Rick Reed. You don't need a 105 MPH pitch, it helps... but you don't NEED it.
What We Wish We Could Forget: R.A. Dickey isn't Superman. I look at Dickey and I hear trumpets playing a heroic fanfare. He's just so darn likable. Not to mention that he's probably the best healthy pitcher the Mets have right now. I just get a little worried over fans who want to dump everyone BUT Dickey for new players. Sure, Dickey is good, he might even be a top of the rotation guy on 50% of the teams in baseball, but he's also a knuckle-baller. What does that mean? It means that hitters know that 9 out of 10 pitches they see from him are going to be knucklers and that could lead to an explosive day every time he pitches. How do you get past this? Lose yourself staring into his majestic beard and soft blue eyes...
What We Wish We Could Forget: Chris Young is being "RELIED" upon. I like Chris Young. I harassed Metsblog for news on Chris Young on a nearly daily basis before he signed. I even feel that WITH the injury, he was Alderson's best signing of the offseason. However... even I didn't think we could "RELY" on him. How can you get by the inevitable injuries that this giant man will suffer? Well, Dillon Gee could help by continuing to pitch that well, but just breath deep and know that all the Mets NEED from Young are 20 games started.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Chris Capuano is a starter. I like Chris, no I love Chris, as a relief pitcher. He's quite capable of being a great lefty specialist / long reliever. The issue is that unless Gee sticks with the team, Santana returns or the Mets promote Mejia, Capuano is going to start for the Mets. How can you cope with the inflated ERA that will come with exposing Capuano to a fill assortment of righties? He'll be relegated to the bullpen at some point. It'll be okay.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Francisco Rodriguez will likely vest his absurd option. How could the Mets let this happen? 17 Million for K-Rod is ABSURD! However, the Mets will need to pay it if he finishes over 55 games. The simple solution would seem: Just don't let him do that. However the players union will clearly block that. How can you deal with the pain that K-Rod will vest because he's still the best option the Mets have to close out the game? ACTUALLY, start hoping he pitches REALLY well. A team might be willing to trade for K-Rod if the Mets pay some of the money back. I'd rather pay 5-7 Mil in 2012 for K-Rod AND have a prospect than pay 17 Mil and K-Rod.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Bobby Parnell looks a lot like a batting cage pitch machine. I like Parnell. He could totally round into a closer. I had secret hopes that would happen in 2011, but that seems RATHER unlikely. Right now I just want Bobby to return to being a setup guy rather than an BP pitcher. How can you cope with the Parnell blues? It's rough, with few prospects with as much potential waiting in the wings. Perhaps we should just remember that Bell struggled as a Met and then went on to be a slightly decent pitcher.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Jason Isringhausen is really REALLY old. Okay, so my father is going to punch me, but as I'm only 27, 38 seems REALLY old. At least for baseball. Now... I know that some pitchers are timeless and can get away pitching into their 40s but my worry with Izzy is the ware and tear on his arm. I'm 27 and after serving a volleyball a few times at full power I'm in need of physical therapy. How can you deal with Isringhausen's age-related vulnerability? How about the fact that he showed up out of nowhere. WHATEVER he gives the Mets. Is SUPERB. If he was injured getting out of bed today, he'd have done enough in 2011 to earn our thanks.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Taylor Buchholz is as likely as anyone to get hurt. At least Taylor buchholz can be counted on... right... I think you might want to recall that Taylor's had a few years off from his tremendous debut. Sure, I like him and think he's talented but like Chris Young, you can't RELY on health. How do you cope with yet another fragile arm? How unlucky can the Mets be. If you have 4 players start the year known for being injury prone, I'd bet at least 1 could be healthy for 90% of the season.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Pedro Beato cannot be demoted. I like Beato but I don't like the amount of faith I'm forced to have in him. The Mets have to keep Beato with the major league club or return him to Baltimore. Beato looks VERY good "Stuff"-wise so... it's not a bad thing, but it does mean that the Mets need to be more lenient if he hits a rough patch. Where can you find solace? Beato is not going to be the difference between a winning and losing season. You can take that to the bank.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Tim Byrdak is the ONLY bullpen lefty. As I mentioned above, Capuano could shift into the pen, but for now... it's Byrdak and Byrdak and Byrdak for any and all lefty relief work. He's not been great and has Mike O'Connor waiting in the wings but I seriously want the Mets to stop relying on 1 guy to be the ONLY lefty. How do I cope with the fact that the Mets never learn to have multiple lefties? The problem is that the Mets have too many righties who demand time. I get by crossing my fingers that D.J. Carrasco will be sent to the minors.
What We Wish We Could Forget: D.J. Carrasco is going to be back next year. I am not a Carrasco fan. He eats innings with a side order of blowing the lead. Why is he even on the team? I'll tell you why. Carrasco signed a bleeping two year deal and is on the team as a fixture because he's paid more than the guys who better deserve spots. My hope is that the Mets will send him packing the moment they feel they have the flexibility to move Capuano into relief. That's what keeps me warm at night.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Ronny Paulino is a confirmed cheater. You know... at least when the Mets were bad I could always hold my head up high and say, "Yeah? Well at least we weren't cheaters." PAULINO! Now, let's point out that he didn't cheat as a Met, but that credability I used to enjoy is now forever in question. How can I deal with the crushing hypocracy of it all? Find a Yankee fan and ask them. They should be used to that sort of thing.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Brad Emaus is taking up a perfectly good bench spot. Brad Emaus was a giant offensive disappointment, wrapped in a larger defensive disappointment, wrapped in creamy nougat. He couldn't hit, which was bad, but he also couldn't field. He was supposed to be an OBP machine but all he seemed to be good for was an easy out ahead of the pitcher. How should I cope with my sense of disappointment in Brad Emaus? Well... moments ago he was DFA'd and Justin Turner was promoted to take his spot. Just wait, it won't take long for Justin to find something for us to hate about him.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Scott Hairston hit .210 last year. For all that I like Hairston as a human and a player, he's not a savior or a great guy on the bench. He DOES have power and he has been clutch, but he's just a touch on the... doesn't get a lot of hits side. He was on my fantasy squad last season as I figured he'd have a starting gig in San Diego. That didn't quite happen. How can you see a silver lining in Hairston? Well... he's wound up allowing Nick Evans to get some late seasoning in AAA. PLUS... he can play CF.
What We Wish We Could Forget: Willie Harris can't field with Citi Field's lights on. Harris hasn't been bad. His batting line is respectable and he's made some good plays. HOWEVER, there have been at least two that I've seen that look absurdly bad. Running in from left field he's twice been blinded by the spot-lights at Citi Field. What can we do when we see that? How about mailing Willie some shades or demanding the lights be dimmed for his benefit.

Maximum Value

2011-04-18T09:39:00.002-04:00

Different hitters are better suited for different spots in the lineup. As Terry Collins tries out various variations, I just wanted to see where the Mets might be MAXIMIZING the value of their players.

David Wright, 3B: Wright cannot lead off. He's a touch too strike-out prone to be a pure OBP guy. Though... if you look at him hitting second it's not so bad. He's fast and usually sees at least 3 pitches in an at-bat. Frankly, we all know that Wright is made for the 3rd spot. He's fast and hits a ton, but he's become as free swinging as a #4 hitter. This means that if not for Wright's legs... he'd probably be moved back to the #5 spot. (Max Value: 2nd/3rd/4th/5th)

Jose Reyes, SS: Reyes is a GREAT lead off hitter, but is that the "BEST" spot for him on the Mets? Well... yeah, it is. He could hit second, but nobody on the team is going to be better at moving on the bases and he's not the most disciplined swinger. Though I will say that Jose COULD be a #3 hitter (on the right team). Imagine if Boston could get Crawford and Ellsbury to hit. Carl and Jose hit similarly, if the Mets had Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury on the roster... yeah... I'd have to hit Reyes 3rd. (Max Value: 1st/3rd)

Carlos Beltran, RF: Beltran's legs are not what they used to be but he's still not Ike Davis on the base-paths. Beltran can't lead off and his power and so-so average don't lend themselves to the #2 spot. You could still hit Carlos 3rd (The Mets might want to try it) and the 4th spot still works to utilize his mix of talents, but what about late in the order. What about putting Carlos BEHIND Bay and Davis? It doesn't hurt a ton to have Carlos bat 5th or 6th, but maximum value isn't there. (Max Value: 3rd/4th)

Ike Davis, 1B: Davis has the speed to NEVER hit above 4th in a lineup. That's okay because he's got the power and hitting skill to hit 4th or 5th. Hitting Davis any earlier cripples your speed on the base-paths and hitting him later than 6th wastes his power. I don't really think it matters WHERE among 4, 5 & 6 you put Ike, but I think you HAVE to put him there. (Max Value: 4th/5th/6th)

Jason Bay, LF: When Jason Bay returns we could potentially think of him as a mix of power and speed. It's not lead-off speed, but he can swipe a bag if he gets into the right situation. Bay, like Wright is a bit of a free swinger and a touch streaky. Unlike Wright, his speed doesn't force him to the front of the lineup. His power (as a Met) doesn't lend itself to the clean-up role either. Bay would fit nicely in most roles from #5-#7. (Max Value: 5th/6th/7th)

Angel Pagan, CF: Angel is mired in an AWFUL slump, but let us pretend he's the Angel we know and love. THAT Angel Pagan is designed to hit in the lead-off spot or 2nd in the lineup. He's got the speed and bat to make those roles work. Terry Collins keeps throwing Angel into the middle of the lineup... I don't see it. Angel is not a good #5/#6 hitter. He's got some power, but demoting him to that spot is dumb. If he's not hitting for average in the front of the lineup, put him in the 7th or 8th spot until he comes around. (Max Value: 1st/2nd)

Daniel Murphy, 2B: Murphy has SOME speed but can't lead-off. Daniel can hit 2nd but really... he's not a front of the lineup guy. Terry Collins moved Angel out of the 2-hole and has tried Murphy out there. The issue is that Murphy is FAR better suited to hitting 6th or 7th than Angel. He's more of an RBI hitter than an OBP hitter so it makes sense for Murphy to be there to protect the back of the core.

Josh Thole, C: Josh Thole proved yesterday that he could be a #2 hitter ala Paul LoDuca. He has patience and can slap singles and put wood on the bat when he needs to. He's not fast but he does have considerable value in the #2 hole. In fact, Thole's BEST value might be there. Though he doesn't hurt you hitting 7th or 8th. Hitting 7th or 8th he's merely an annoying slap hitter in the latter part of a lineup. (Max Value: 2nd/7th/8th)

Willie Harris, LF: I REALLY see Willie Harris as ONLY an alternate but if he's playing there is one spot he's clearly best suited for. Harris is an ideal #2 hitter. He looks at pitches and can hit with people on base. In fact if Harris could not hit second based on value, I'd probably bat the pitcher 8th and him 9th. (Max Value: 2nd)

Brad Emaus, 2B: Emaus is supposed to be an OBP machine. He's supposed to make good contact too. He's also supposed to be a better fielder than Daniel Murphy. Can you tell I'm not an Emaus fan? Anyway, Emaus if he hit as advertised would make sense hitting 2nd or 8th. in the 2-hole he can see extra pitches and get on base for the core of the lineup. In the 8th spot he should at least be good for clearing the pitchers spot. I'm pretty sold on the Mets returning Emaus to Toronto before the end of May. (Max Value: 2nd/8th)

Met Lineup vs. RHP
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. Carlos Beltran, RF (S)
4. David Wright, 3B (R)
5. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
6. Jason Bay, LF (R)
7. Daniel Murphy, 2B (L)
8. Josh Thole, C (L)

Met Lineup vs. LHP
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. David Wright, 3B (R)
4. Carlos Beltran, RF (S)
5. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
6. Jason Bay, LF (R)
7. Josh Thole, C (L)
8. Brad Emaus, 2B (R)

Up This Week:

25 Other Things: 25 Things that might distract you from the foibles of the Met's 25 MLB players.

Generation K 2.0: Mejia, Harvey, Familia, Holt and others look to be what Isringhausen never was.

Bay It Ain't So: With Bay potentially back, let's start the micro-scope on his Met career.

Minority Report: Who has deflated my hopes and dreams?

Minority Report: Episode I

2011-04-14T10:10:00.007-04:00

Sometimes, when your team is not winning, you NEED to look at the minors for something positive. Sometimes, you can't find anything even there. My weekly Minority Reports will alternate between good news... and bad news. I'm starting with good news because... Met fans NEED good news.

Pitching:

AAA, Jenry Mejia (SP) - 2011... two starts down and Mejia is well on his way BACK to the majors. If I had to guess how Mejia will eventually fit into the rotation in the majors, it would be that Capuano would shift into a relief role and Mejia would take the #5 starter job. How soon might this happen? I keep hearing that Alderson is going to be more conservative than Alderson, but I'd say that mid-late May is in the realm of maybe. Depends on Mejia continuing to be awesome in all ways and Capuano/Byrdak continuing to struggle in their roles.

AAA, Dillon Gee (SP) - I am not Gee's biggest fan. The right handed Mark Cohoon isn't what I look for in a minor leaguer. Then again... neither is the left-handed Dillon Gee, but I like Cohoon and don't like Gee anyway. Gee isn't going to blow anyone away and his major league success is baffling. The big thing with Dillon is that he can eat innings. Gee will go out and keep the team (more or less) in the game. THAT is totally worth something. He's simply not going to suddenly be worth more than a #6 pitcher. He's not going to suddenly become an Ace and teams are not going to suddenly be clamoring to trade for him. Take him for what he is.

AAA, Jose De La Torre (RP) - At 25 years of age (now, he'll be 26 in October) he's reaching the make it or break it point in his minor league career. Jose first jumped out at me after his 2009 season in AA/AAA. 2010 he spent in AAA and had an equally nice line: 70.1 IP, 2.69 ERA, 80 K's and 34 BB's. What could be wrong with that? Not a whole lot. In 2011 he's made 4 appearences between 1 and 2 innings. He's keeping the ball on the ground AND maintaining his 9.00 K/9 that he's been good for since 2009. He'll be up with the Mets in 2011 at some point. Someone want to turn him into a lefty for me?

AAA, Michael O'Connor (RP) - He's 30 now and he'll be 31 in August, so... it's not like Mike is going to be a big star. That's okay though. He IS a lefty and he's been effective. I'm not just talking about his (thus far) perfect 2011. I'm talking about his eye-opening 2010. His numbers won't knock your socks off, but if Byrdak continues to struggle, O'Connor is the next in line to try to run with the LOOGY role.

AA, Josh Stinson (SP) - He's only 23 and he's had pretty decent success throughout his minor-league career. Let me couch that by saying he's never REALLY been outstanding, but he's never been awful. He's a big (6'4" 210lbs) righty who has pretty good control. The best news is that he's been generally healthy through his minor-league career. He's been as high as AAA and he could go back there soon. Stinson has a good shot at a call-up in 2011 but it might be as a reliever.

AA, Robert Carson (SP) - 2008 was Carson's "Break-Out" year. It was in pitcher friendly Savanah, so don't get too excited. At 22, he's still not old to be at AA and at this stage in development. He's another guy who looks like he might be in the middle ground between relief and starting, but the potential for a back-end rotation guy is there. Carson's first start was fine, but he'll need to keep it up for me to not forget him quickly.

AA, Mark Cohoon (SP) - Cohoon dazzled in Savanah last year. So much so, that the Mets had him skip the FSL and move straight to Binghamton. The experiment looked like a bad idea, but Mark turned things around in his final starts of 2010 and re-assured a lot of his supporters. Who does Cohoon remind me of? Besides Dillon Gee as a lefty? I suppose in a perfect world he could turn into Rick Reed. Mark Cohoon gets things done by forcing hitters to put the ball in play. That is a scary thought should Murphy be playing second and Duda roaming the outfield, but it's not like pitchers haven't had good careers with similar stuff. AND... he's a lefty, so... there's that too.

AA, Bradley Holt (SP) - Wait a second, I thought this guy was washed up and washed out. He was a total failure in 2010, right? Well... yeah... but that doesn't mean so much in my mind as long as he rights the ship in 2011. Let me start by saying he's had 1 start in AA in 2011 and he's never looked better at that level. His K's are down and BB's are up but, Holt could definitely re-establish a future with the Mets if he continues to pitch this well.

AA, Chris Schwinden (RP) - Who? Really... WHO? I have never heard of Chris before I did the research for 2011. He's... well, he's yet another starter/reliever that most farms are chock full of. I was going to ignore him and his 3 innings of work for 2011 but they were good innings so he made the list. Perhaps the only blog he's been on thus far. Hey Chris, keep getting 2 K's an inning and I'll keep putting you on my minor league reports. Deal?

A+, Jeurys Familia (SP) - Familia had a good 2008 and followed it with a good 2009 so last spring, people watched him. They REALLY liked what they saw. Frankly, he throws really REALLY hard. Most scouts like that sort of thing. 2011 has started off SWIMMINGLY for Jeurys, who will likely be moving onto AA in the next month or so. He's getting more K's, he's walking less players and... well... 13 innings and 2 hits isn't going to make anyone think he's not something special. Unlike Harvey, I think he's not in the running for a rotation spot until 2013 or later.

A+, Matthew Harvey (SP) - Matt was drafted LAST year and already Met fans are calling for him to come up to the majors. I wish I was kidding, but with the Mets needing a starter in the near future and Gee not available to come up people were saying, "Why not Harvey? Nobody has a scouting report on the guy." I listed Matt a few days ago and went Google diving for a photo, if you MUST see his face, check the archives. Harvey's 2011 has had 2 starts. In his first game, he only lasted 5 innings but struck out 9 and didn't give up a run. In his second start he lasted 6 but only K'd 8. This lowered his K/9 to 13.9 while his ERA hovered around a RESPECTABLE 0.00. He's pegged to move up to AA when Binghamton thaws.

A, Gregory Peavey (SP) - Another draft pick from last season, I like to think that Greg is related to Jake. Maybe they are... but nothing came up on my first sweep. Greg is in Savanah and has had 1 sparkling successful start and 1 not so successful one. I'll throw him up here and hope he gets back to those 5 inning, 8 K shutouts.

A, Yohan Almonte (SP) - Almonte became known last season as he pitched wonderfully in Brooklyn. Personally, I liked Cuan better but, let's not get into it. Yohan is going to have a K/BB somewhere around 4.00 and a K/9 somewhere around 6.00. That means he's not a blow-em away pitcher, but he's always had a good ERA and he just seems like he's got a shot. This year he's starting in Savanah and he'll need to continue to have a 3.00 or better ERA to keep my interest but... I think he can do it.

A, Ronny Morla (RP) - Morla looks a lot older than he is. That photo makes him look 30 when he was born in 1988. Now... being from Latin America, he might wind up being 30, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt. The reason I want to do that is that he's got a K/9 over 9 and a steady history in the minors since 2006. None of his numbers SCREAM at me, but having 7 K's in 5 innings of relief seems to fit his overall profile.

A, Chase Huchingson (RP) - He's tall and skinny and a lefty. He also has gotten more K's than innings pitched and he's only 22 (as of yesterday). I don't know him from Adam but I can tell you he went undrafted and got a small taste of the APP league in 2010.

Batting:

AAA, Ruben Tejada (SS/2B) - Tejada REALLY wants me to start having some faith in him. I'm not there yet, but I'm on the way. Firstly, he's batting over .300 (.346, but who's counting) which he'll need to do because he's got only 1 extra base hit. That being said, after 7 games he's stolen two bags and is well on his way to a 20-30 SB season. Will I take a middle infielder who can get on base and run? Sure I will. If Ruben keeps this up, he might make Terry think about giving him the reigns at 2B soon.

AAA, Fernando Martinez (RF) - Let's get this out of the way first. Fernando is injured... AGAIN! I don't think it's serious as much as it is one of those lingering ailments he always seems to find. Also... after 4 games he's only had 1 good one. Going 4-5 with a double is pretty DARN good, but I'm not going to get too excited or start demanding that he come up to the majors. Fernando needs to stay healthy once he's recovered or I think his time with the Mets will be drawing to a close.

AAA, Zach Lutz (3B) - Somebody smacked me when I said that Lutz had a bad glove. That is not true, he's got a fine glove and a good arm. he's also slugging .565 (as of yesterday) and looking like the offensive leader of the AAA team. That's pretty good considering that: Nick Evans, Lucas Duda, Fernando Martinez, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Justin Turner and others with higher acclaim are surrounding him. Zach will not be manning 3B for the Mets anytime soon, but I think that he's played and hit well enough to attract notice from teams who might be looking for a new 3B option.

AA, Kai Gronauer (C) - Zur Germans are coming! Hide the BEER! Kai Gronauer is probably in line to be the back-up/platoon-mate for Thole after 2011. Though Paulino could certainly change our tune. What I like best is that unlike F-Mart, he's getting hits consistently and not all at once. He's hit in 4 of 6 games he's started and that shows me that he's got potential to be useful in a major-league lineup. He's not Mauer, V-Mart or Posey, but he looks like he'll be useful.

A+, Pedro Zapata (CF) - You will hear people called prototypical center fielders. What this means is good defense, good speed and HOPEFULLY good contact. Pedro is all those things and looks like he might be developing a fairly good floor to his overall value. You will often hear things like Wilmer Flores has an extremely high ceiling but with no SURE position, his floor is still low. Zapata's floor looks like it would be a major league 4th OF. That isn't too bad.

A+, Francisco Pena (C) - Pena is big and his big-ness leads people to believe he has power. I might believe it too if he'd shown it yet. I'll be satisfied if he can continue to hit for average and stay healthy for the full year. With Kai Gronauer above him, I don't think he'll be rushed along... at least... he shouldn't be. He is also young, so he's not exactly due in the majors for a while. Maybe 2014? Keep him somewhat on your radar as he was once highly praised by scouts.

A+, Jefry Marte (3B) - This is Marte's best start... EVER. Maybe he's turned the corner? Probably just getting lucky though. I'm not sure he has the chops to cut it anywhere in the majors but he's VERY young so he could sure develop some of those tools in the minors. His 2010 was pretty solid, so if he has even a slightly better 2011 he'll be moving up to AA before he turns 20.

A, Sam Honeck (1B) - He's not a big-time prospect but hitting .476 with 3 BB's and 2 doubles is worth listing in my book. He played in Savanah last year and hit a robus .091... so yeah... good job and we hope to see you again on the good list.

A, Cory Vaughn (OF) - Aww... Greg Vaughn's son is totally adorable. Compared to Greg, that is. Cory displayed plenty of power in Brooklyn but lately he's mainly proving he can play EVERYWHERE. He's played LF, CF and RF for the Sand Gnats and he's played okay. He's also hitting near .300. My favorite stat is that he's walked 4 times and K'd 4 times... this from a power hitter? Well... he's more of an all-around hitter. Cory is blocked by a crowded bunch of talented OFs throughout the Met's system but I can't imagine he won't find his way moving onto Florida in 2011.

A, Javier Rodriguez (OF) - He's only hitting .261, but... he's got a double a triple and 2 HR's. So he's slugging .652 and that is pretty great. Javier was a top pick from one of our meager free agent heavy years. He had a nice year in 2010 and looks to be having an even better 2011. He's definitely a corner OF from what I hear but if he's going to keep getting extra-base shots, I won't complain.

Most numbers compiled as of 4/14/11

I'm One Sick Puppy

2011-04-14T09:15:00.003-04:00

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Know who said that? Albert Einstein. Think he was talking about the Mets and their fans? Probably not, he died in 1955. The definition makes a lot of sense for the Mets, because what could be more batty than expecting new things out of the same players? Ever hear: You can't teach an old dog new tricks? How about: You can't teach players who have played for 20+ years and reached the professional level to have sound fundamentals?

So, what? Am I saying that all Met fans are insane? You decide.

Mike Pelfrey will round into a front of the rotation pitcher

Mike Pelfrey is not an Ace. No, he's not. Mike Pelfrey is a major league middle of the rotation guy. I think that most people in baseball and even the Mets would agree. It's simply that the Mets had no "Ace" and anointed Pelfrey the best man left.

The issue with this is that Pelfrey is nearing his pay day. That is fine, but I worry about the label that the Mets have placed on their valuing of Pelfrey. He's not an Ace on 80% of teams... but on the Mets... Insanity: Mike Pelfrey deserves Ollie Perez money.

Bobby Parnell is the closer of the future

BP was responsible for an awful disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Well... actually... massive corporate corruption was responsible. Anyway, Bobby Parnell did not rupture and spill gallons of tar into the ocean, but he also didn't clamp down the role as setup man that he was expected to.

Take a look at this list: Duaner Sanchez, Heath Bell, Aaron Heilman and ... oh yeah... Jason Isringhausen. All of these guys convinced my insane Met Id (Read Freud Kids) that they were top relievers and capable of maybe someday closing. Sanchez had an accident, Bell was traded, Heilman imploded and Isringhausen was traded years before I really cared.

What does this tell us? The Mets cannot grow their own closers. They are perfectly capable of raising relievers and trading them before their greatest success, but they can't raise their own. Insanity: Bobby Parnell is more than a hard thrower.

Daniel Murphy's bat demands MLB playing time

Murph played half a glorious season as a surprising call-up who could play okay left field and get clutch hits. I loved Murph and got high on all the fumes of his hustle and go gettem attitude.

Murphy then displayed that he... could NOT play the outfield. Okay... that's alright, he could manage 1st base... except he doesn't have a ton of power and Met fans ranted and raved about how meek he made our lineup. Insanity: Murphy is more than an MLB bench player.

Jonathan Niese is an Ace in the making

My name is Phlavio Phega, and I thought that Niese was an Ace in the making...

Hi, Phlavio!

Anywho... Jonathan Niese is NOT a bad pitcher. I'd go as far as to say he could be a GOOD pitcher. What I regret saying is that he was a TOP pitcher. Sorry. My bad. Insanity: Projecting vast improvements in a starters second season.

See... I thought ALL of those things at one point or another. I don't think all of them now, though. Well...

I do think that Bobby Parnell could still be a good setup guy...
and Murphy's bat should be pretty sweet at second...
and Niese showed signs last night (when Tulowitzki wasn't up)...
Maybe...

Face it, I'm sick. I'm a Met fan, it's part of the package deal.

You Might Want To Check That Out

2011-04-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

When your "Check Engine" light pops up, what do you do? Are you like my sister and I? Do you ignore it until something actually seems wrong? Do you take it to a garage and have the work on it? Do you break out the jacks and take a look on your own? It's usually a good idea to check these things out. Before my father blows his own gasket, NO, my car is fine. I thought it would be a good thing to take a quick check on the Mets. Sure the car has only been on the road for two weeks but lets see how she's holding up.

Checking Your Oil

"Hey Dad, why do we check the oil?"

"Well son... do you remember how the engine in your first car cracked in half and burned out?"

"Yeah."

"That's why."

"Oh..."

For this analogy, what is the oil if the Met team is the car? Well a team's engine is powered by pistons and most cars have 4, 6 or 8. Most baseball teams have 5, and we call them starters. The goal is to keep these starters healthy so they can make 30+ starts a year and pitch 6-7 innings a game. You keep the starters healthy by giving them breaks and protecting them with relievers.

As you've heard the Mets have LOTS of relievers right now. Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, Taylor Buchholz, Jason Isringhausen, Pedro Beato, Tim Byrdak, D.J. Carasco and Ryota Iggarashi make up an 8 man bull-pen. The issue is that our starters, well.. Pelfrey and Niese... have been burning up too quickly and this has left the bullpen taxed.

The day off helps but I expect another oil swap in the next three days.

Testing The Shocks

Actually, the Mets have been pretty good in this department. Beltran is healthy, Reyes is healthy, Pagan is healthy and I haven't heard Luis Castillo complain about an injury for almost a blessed month (might have to do with him not playing on any one's team). The Mets have more than a few guys who you worry about their legs and their overall leg health. For now... all is quiet and quiet is good.

Replacing Break Pads

The key to defensive driving is your breaking. The Met breaks need work. They have lost at least two or three games because of sloppy defense and mental lapses. The odd thing is that I can't blame any of it on Daniel Murphy. That means that the Mets are getting gaffes from some of the surer hands in the field. (Well... one was Duda, but you get the point.) Terry Collins is supposed to be "Old School" and I hope that means he can get the Mets to be a little better about the basic defensive fundamentals.

Secret Weapon

Do we have a secret weapon in our arsenal. Can we push the "Go Go" button and flash from last to first on the supernatural chemical power of illegal engine enhancements? Ask Manny Ramirez.

Actually the Mets DO have some not-so-secret weapons they could try:

Jason Bay - Not the secret weapon I'd necessarily bank a season of success on, but he's better than Willie Harris or Scott Hairston. Jason Bay should provide and offensive boost to the lineup when he returns later this month. The key will be, seeing how much power and production he ACTUALLY provides. 2010 numbers will NOT cut it with me, the Mets or the Major Leagues.

Johan Santana - Santana will not be back until June (at the earliest) and that means that he's not a quick fix by any stretch. HOWEVER... if the Mets are still close in June/July then they have a pretty good "Go Go" button to press. The key will be that Santana is too valuable to hurt if 2011 is only a dream. They may want to save their Ace for 2012 and I can't blame them if they'd want to.

Jenrry Mejia - Mejia has only pitched 1 game this season but 6 innings without giving up a run is a pretty good sign. Only 3 hits, 2 walks and 6 K's are also pretty good signs. Mejia is going to come up for the Mets in 2011. The question is, WHEN? The Mets will NOT bring him up for a spot start. Not with Dillon Gee around and pitching pretty well. The Mets will wait until he's ready to hold down a job for keeps. I love the idea of bringing up Mejia when Santana returns. It takes the pressure off both of them and that would be nice.

Matt Harney - The people at MmlB are not going to be happy with me. They only read the blog when I beg them, so I'll just avoid doing that today. Matt Harvey is so far from the majors he doesn't have a head-shot with a team cap. Yet after two FLAWLESS starts in the minors (racking up 17 K's in A+) he looks like he's a pretty good "Fast Track" Candidate. He's 22, pitched in college, has great stuff and is blowing away the talented bats in advanced A. Even the conservative Minor League evaluator would project Harvey to move up to AA in 2011. Might this mean that he could see the Majors in 2011? YES, it might. This isn't Sandy Alderson's M.O. but you have to imagine that if Harvey has this level of success in Binghamton, the Mets will have to think about how close his major league future might be.

Do Mets Fans NEED Reasons To Drink?

2011-04-12T10:04:00.004-04:00

Alcoholism is generally a bad thing so please drink responsibly or not at all. Drinking and being a Met fan will sometimes lead to friends and family worrying about your worsening depression and inevitable suicide. Sure... you've learned by being a fan that the Mets are prone to give back every lead they are given, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It doesn't mean that you seek refuge in the forgetting power of alcohol, a substance designed to poison your brain cells... to death.

Yet, show me a baseball game without a drunken fan (I happen to be including little league in this) and I'll show you a game that isn't REALLY a baseball game. In fact... you are pobably watching cricket or polo.

Reasons to Drink: David Wright - Sure... Wright is a bastion of good hitting that keeps the Mets in the least bit relevant, but that doesn't mean he isn't frustrating. Break out the tequila and pour a round.

Drinking for every K would be bad for your liver. Instead drink any time that David has an AB without a K, Hit, BB or RBI.
Pour yourself a fruity cocktail when Mr. Wright extends his tongue to "balance" or whatever reason he has for sticking it out.
Drink a shot if you hear someone praise Wright's defense. He's about to commit an error.

Reasons to Drink: Carlos Beltran - People know that Carlos is not high on my list of Mets. He is supposed to be a good player and he's been okay this year so maybe I should cut him a break. I'm not going to, but maybe I should.

Drink a shot whenever the camera focuses on Beltran's media-crazed knee.
Drink a shot when people talk about Beltran's expiring contract and trade value.
Pour yourself a tall glass of something awful if someone speaks whistfully about Carlos' cursed Mets career.

Reasons to Drink: Jose Reyes - I love Jose and want him to stay but I also get frustrated by the guy. (Note... he's not a kid, unless I am.)

Time for a drink when Jose hits a homer. Celebrate it because he usually follows up displays of power by popping up for two weeks.
Drink a shot when the camera pans to Jose smiling like a happy Buddhist in the dugout.
Start that beer-bong going when Jose starts one of his epic 19 part handshakes. Start a second if you finish that one before Jose finishes his handshake.

Reasons to Drink: The Broadcast Booth - Click on the image above to link to a wonderful blog post on a Gary, Keith and Ron drinking game that inspired me to write this.

It's Far Too Early For

2011-04-11T11:17:00.002-04:00

Is it that time already? Time to get ready for 2012? Pack it in? Give up? Push off? Surrender? Is this World War II and did the Phillies realize the Mets only bothered to put up a wall around 2 thirds of their vulnerable border? NO! This is baseball and the first 9 games of the 162 mean about as much as Joe Maddon signaling to eject the umpires from the game. In a sport like... I don't know... football, where there are only 16 games... THEN maybe the first 9 are something worth judging the season on. Except that even in football you could play over 1 quarter of the season and it could mean nothing.

In 2009 the Giants were 5 & 0 after over a quarter of their regular season games had been played. Anyone remember how that year played out? Anyone remember how they finished? People... come back to me when they are all but mathematically out and then tell me the season is over. Of course... then I'll just tell you that the team needs to hire Jacques Lemaire.

Met fans are trained to be nervous and doubtful. Heck... every time we show the least amount of hope for a big year something goes horrendously wrong.

Look:

The pitching has been bad (Not all of it, but you get the point)
The hitting has been inconsistent (Not a surprise BTW)
David Wright is K-ing like his bonus is based on it
The Phillies are winning and leading the pack
But...

It's only April... and the Phillies still have an awful bullpen.

Up This Week:

Met Drinking Games - Fun For The Whole Family

Check Engine Light - Let's Run Some Diagnostics

I've Got A Fever - The Cure Better Be More Cow-Bell

Minority Report - How dem minors doin?

Duck Season! Wabbit Season!

2011-04-01T09:06:00.005-04:00

The season has officially started... so I... am going to take a break for a week. Sorry, it's bad timing, but it can't be avoided. In the meantime I'll try to give you plenty to think about... and avoid making any April Fools jokes.

Let us start with the Mets... Why? Well because this is a Met blog, that's why.

First, A Story:

I have a small number of friends who are as into baseball as me... strike that, I have ONE friend who is as obsessed with baseball as me... strike that, nearly as obsessed. Ross is a Yankee fan and I am a Met fan. Ross is one of the only types of Yankee fans I can stand. Sure he has that smugness that drives Met fans to murder but he's at least a fan through and through. When the Yankees are bad and miss the playoffs... he's still a fan. He cares about the Yankees from Opening Day... To Opening Day the next year. This story could be about Ross... but it's not.

This story is about Dave. In high school, Dave was a Met fan. That means that he and I could debate Ross on the various reasons that Robin Ventura was better than Scott Brosius. Since college etc... Dave moved to Boston and did what any Yankee hating fan would do... he got local and threw his support behind the Red Sox. This I forgive... heck, I root for the sox when the Mets are not involved in the equation. Anything is better than hearing about Mariano and Jeter.

I get a message from Dave that he's heading back to the mother land. (In this case that swampy state that I call home) He asks me if he should become a Yankee or Met fan now that he's coming home. THAT IS RIGHT! He asks... should I admit to never actually being a Met fan and become a scum sucking, martini drinking, fair weather, yuppy Yankee fan? Well... he had to have guessed how this would hit me. He might have also guessed that I'd blog about it... but I'm sure he regrets asking it now. At least... I hope he does.

What Color Do You Bleed:

Do you bleed blue and orange? I don't. If I did, I'd probably have mere seconds to live. It just couldn't be healthy. But... am I a Met fan through thick and thin? Absolutely. Ready for it, it's the Fan Test.

Fan Test:

Name your teams starting lineup. (If you failed to get through all 8 or 9... please go back to waiting for the NFL lock-out to end.)
Name the starting rotation. (Again... this is so basic that ANY fan should be able to do it.)
Name the closer. (Can't do it? Well we'll say that you are an EXTREMELY Casual Fan. Thanks for playing!)
Name the Manager. (Real fans will know this because they spend hours yelling at the guy for not pinch running Davis with the game tied in the 8th.)
Name the highest paid player on the team. (This is where we leave the realm of casual fan and enter the realm of ACTUAL fan. Actual fans know this guy because he's the first guy they blame when things go wrong.)
Name the General Manager. (Sometimes this is easier than naming the manager, but the GM is less important to a casual fan.)
Name the Owner. (This is easier or harder depending on which team you root for, if you get it wrong but know that you hate them... you're still allowed to go on.)
Name the backup catcher. (Every team has one. He's usually paid pennies and spends most of his time warming guys up in the bullpen.)
Name the team's top prospect. (We're getting into TRUE Fan territory here.)
Name the team's AAA, AA, and A+ facilities. (You've gotten through 10 questions. You are a True Fan. Congrats!)
Name the pitchers in the starting rotation of each of your teams divisional rivals. (Wait... this is getting hard.)
Name your teams pitching and hitting coaches. (This is getting hard. Can I just name the mascot?)
Name the first and third base coaches. (Really? Those guys?)
Name 5 of your teams top 10 prospects. (This is actually pretty advanced stuff but stick with it.)
Name the starting roster from your teams last championship. (You get a pass if you were not yet alive. It's not easy for me... I was 2 years old in 86. If you've come this far... You are a SUPER Fan.)
Name 3 top prospects from your divisional rivals. (Do people actually know that stuff?)
Name your teams last 3 top draft picks. (Why are they important?)
Name who on your team enjoys positive splits vs. left handed pitchers. (Oooo... statistics.)
Name the rest of those top 10 prospects. (Gee... I know that we have someone from Puerto Rico who can pitch... or something.)
Quote from memory the lengths of your teams 10 largest contracts and the dates they expire. (Can you do it? Are you an UBER FAN?)

UBER FAN, Super Fan, True Fan, Actual Fan, Casual Fan, Extremely Casual Fan or Non-Fan... enjoy the season. It's gonna be a long one. This is baseball... it's ALWAYS a long one.

Warning... Food Porn

2011-03-31T12:27:00.004-04:00

One thing no fan of baseball will deny about the Met's stadium is the great variety and taste of food choices available. Now... we won't get into a competition between Citi Field and say... Camden Yards but... we will get into an internal competition between the contenders AT Citi Field.

Fifth Place: Tacos

Now... call me biased because I'm not a fan of tacos in general, but I want something slightly easier to eat when in the confines of a stadium. Plus, when you factor in: Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa and other sauces you are eating a soupy mess and ruining your favorite jersey.

Fourth Place: Knishes

If the Wilpons really wanted to appeal to the Jewish community they'd offer Kosher Chinese food. Wait... maybe that's already in the works. Anywho... I have a friend who is a big fan of this starchy snack so I'll talk about it. It beats the taco in terms of stadium fare as it's got great portability. It loses handily in taste as... well... it hasn't got any. Sure you can dip it in mustard or ketchup but for my money give me fries. When is Citi Field gonna open a place that serves chopped liver and gefilte fish?

Third Place: Pulled Pork

Finally... something I actually like eating. My issue with the version at Citi Field is not the mess factor but the taste. I like my pulled pork saucy and there's... not so much. It is good, but hardly worthy of a second glance. If you want good pulled pork, go to Virgil's in time square.

Second Place: Italian Heroes

Not subs, not grinders and certainly never hoagies. This is as American as... well... half the stuff we claim to be American. Riddle me this though, if you were to be watching the game at home... what would you like to be eating. My guess is that more than one person will raise their hand for an Italian Hero.

First Place: Shack Attack

When cows are chopped up to bits and turned into ground chuck. They dream of being turned into a shack burger. You say, "So what? My stadium serves burgers." No, my friend, your stadium serves meat sandwiches that look like burgers. A shack burger IS what your BASIC burger is meant to be. Sure... we all have our tastes. Bleu Cheese, Barbecue with Fried Onions or my favorite Peking Duck Burger, (Burger Deluxe on Rte 23 North) but if we are being purists... we all know that a burger is meat + cheese + bun + lettuce and tomato and the pure carnal joy of chewing.

If you get the chance, check out the not stadium locations of Shake Shack. YES... you will need to wait in line. YES... the line does wrap half way around Madison Square Park. Just do it. Okay? Pick me up a "Great White Way" while your at it.

Anatomy of a Knuckler

2011-03-30T08:57:00.003-04:00

Now... I'm not a pro baseball player, or a pro athlete of any sort but I am still qualified to explain the intricacies of a knuckling baseball. For the layman, a knuckleball is a pitch that flutters around and breaks somewhat randomly. They are usually not thrown hard and are not common as they are very difficult to throw for strikes. The idea is to throw the baseball and put NO spin on the ball. Try it, it isn't easy to do.

In baseball, the usual method to achieve a good knuckle is to dig your nails into the ball, leave a gap between the ball and your palm and PUSH the ball towards home. I can barely throw a ball from a pro mound to the catcher with my noodle of an arm, so just imagine trying to do that without snapping your wrist.

I may not be able to throw a baseball and make it knuckle, but... I don't play baseball particularly well. I AM a pretty decent volleyball player. I can serve with top spin, side spin, deaden the ball or make it heavy. I can also serve a volleyball with NO SPIN and make it knuckle. The how of this serve is less important than the why. What purpose does it serve?

For that, you have to have had a knuckleball thrown at you. In volleyball, where the ball is larger and more forgiving, a knuckling serve will likely force the passer to hit the ball in such a way as to make the setter scramble. If that happens, his team will likely not get a clean spike off the serve. In baseball you need to time and aim your swing on a much smaller, harder and faster ball. In that last second, if the ball dips, you could ground out to the Short Stop, if it stays up, you could pop out to the catcher or if it does something REALLY odd, you could swing and miss all together.

Why doesn't EVERYONE throw them then? Well... here's the thing. First, they're wicked hard to throw. Second, they're mighty hard to disguise, so batters can see them coming. Third, mistakes are pretty dreadful. Ever seen a hanging knuckler? Ever gone to a batting cage and set it to the lowest setting? It's sorta the same thing. Do something wrong and the chance that someone is going to get a pretty good rip... is pretty good.

What makes R.A. Dickey and Tim Wakfield special? Is it the facial hair? Is it the everyman mentality? Is it simply that they can get a knuckling baseball to travel from their hand to a catchers mitt 60 feet away? Yeah... it's probably that one.

Brad Needs To Grow Eyes In Back Of Head

2011-03-29T08:54:00.005-04:00

Brad Emaus is OFFICIALLY the starting second baseman for the Mets. It wasn't my ideal candidate... he's not capable of turning double plays so good... but it was probably the second most desirable option I had going into the season. However... Brad may have won the job, but the Mets aren't exactly going to give him a lot of rope to hang himself with.

Brad Emaus - Known for his good eye and larger than average frame (for a 2B) Emaus projects to be a fine hitter. Considering options... having Emaus and Thole at the back of your lineup is pretty good. Both players hit for contact and will force pitchers to work. Emaus and Thole HAVE to be better at driving in runners than say... Luis Castillo, who in the best of situations was not the guy you wanted with runners in scoring position.

Daniel Murphy - Sitting on the bench with a glove made of stone, Daniel Murphy represents a left handed hitting option. He is a better overall hitter than Emaus (more prone to K and less to BB) but he can't TRULY field the position. What happens if Emaus doesn't hit for a month and Murphy looks like a beast off the bench? Can Terry Collins resist throwing Murphy out there to start? Can he handle the position well enough for Met fans to forgive the inevitable extra outs he'd be giving teams?

Justin Turner - Turner is the most likely person to be promoted, if Emaus failed. He can play the position pretty well and isn't a useless hitter. He will not be the PHENOMENAL hitter we saw in AAA last year, but he could probably hold his own in the bottom third of an NL lineup. While Turner is the most likely name you'll hear bandied about... he's the least exciting. There is a low ceiling on Turner and that isn't the end of the world but it also isn't something to write home about.

Ruben Tejada - Tejada is going to be playing SS in AAA preparing to compete to play SS in 2012. But... let us say that Reyes is not going to leave town. Then we no longer need Tejada at short. If he isn't needed there, then the Mets know his defense is up to snuff. His hitting... well... I'm less pessimistic than I was pre-spring. He hits well... situation-ally, meaning he can advance the runner and drive in runners in scoring position. He also can slap a single. What I NEED to see Ruben do, is swipe a bag. When he can do that, he's a major league starter and I put him pretty high in the mix.

Jordany Valdespin - For those of you who refuse to learn this name... be ready for next spring when he's the lead candidate to replace Reyes. Faster and more powerful than Tejada with a solid glove, he seems like he'd be ready RIGHT NOW to compete for that job that Emaus just won. There is a problem though... Valdespin can't take walks. Emaus is the OBP guy and that is what Alderson and his cronies are looking for. Jordany is probably going to be bumped down to AA by the sheer number of middle infielders the Mets have but he could easily make that jump to the majors if he gets hot.

Reese Havens - Wait a second, Reese Havens is supposed to be the Met's top 2B prospect... why is he down here? Well... while Havens spent last season mainly in recovery... Others stepped up their games. Reese is still a hitting machine who might be an ALL-STAR 2B in time, but the Mets want to wait and see. He is going to need to crush AA/AAA pitching for over a month to force this new regime to bring him up as early as May or June. I would imagine that Reese will get a chance to cut his teeth in 2011 but won't get a true shot at the lineup until 2012.

Joshua Satin - The man with the glorious eyebrows that you see to the left is Joshua Satin. A man without a position, who spends a lot of time DH-ing. He has played 2B, 1B and OF in recent years. He's also steadily risen through the ranks and displayed a good ability to hit. HOWEVER... I think I'm not alone in seeing Mr. Satin as another Daniel Murphy. A man who can be on the bench and play multiple roles but not someone who is going to be a major league starter anywhere.

Wally Backman/Tim Teufel - If all else fails... The Mets have a few second basemen in the minors that I haven't yet mentioned. These are veterans with proven success in Met uniform. They might be a little old, slow and surly, but I think that it's good to put them on the radar too... just in case.

Phantasy Baseball

2011-03-28T10:40:00.004-04:00

As you might know from being a friend or reading the blog, I play in a few fantasy sports leagues a year. I've run a fantasy baseball keeper league for the past three seasons and have played in various others. I'm not a Fantasy expert or anything but I have been pretty good about drafting players and making shrewd trades. Here are some fantasy notes:

Rotisserie vs. Head-To-Head: Neither is better but I definitely prefer one to the other. Rotisserie leagues tabulate your players on an on-going basis and it's always seemed too much like a Statistics class for me to enjoy it. Head-To-Head leagues give you weekly matches vs. other teams so... you can pretend your fantasy team is a real team with a real record.

To Keep or Not To Keep: I'm a big fan of keeper leagues. My own league is extreme, with 20 teams and 12 keepers, it's a bit TOO extreme, but I love it. If you are going to play with the same group of people year after year, give keepers a shot. It lets the fantasy element run through the off-season and that is half the fun.

Auction Leagues: I sorta love the idea of an auction league. It makes drafts so much more fun and it adds another element, should you be running a keeper league. I was in a draft last night and spent $4 on Adam Wainwright. I did this because it IS a keeper league and Wainwright's value is sure to sky-rocket above $4 in 2012. I also spent $9 on Logan Morrison... nobody's perfect.

No matter what type of league you try, be sure not to get too wrapped up in things and too upset when things go wrong. I know I've done that and it's just not worth it.

Up This Week:

Emaus Needs To Watch Himself - Brad Emaus is not safe in his role as starting second baseman. Which Mets wait in the wings to stab him in the back?

Hitting the Knuckler - What it's like to hit a knuckle ball.

I'm Hungry - Best food at Citi-Field.

Season Preview - Are you ready for some baseball?

I'll be on vacation next week so get it while it's hot.

Port St. Lucie 500

2011-03-25T10:06:00.004-04:00

We've hit the home stretch, with the season opener only 6 games away. The races are all drawing to a close and some are already done and over with. All that we're left with is the things we know and the things we don't.

The Bench:

What We Know:

Ronny Paulino - Ronny Paulino will be up as the Mets secondary catcher as soon as the league will let him. HOWEVER... after Thole's super impressive spring... he might see a VERY small share of the platoon.

Scott Hairston - Scott Hairston locked up his spot on the bench the minute he signed his deal. He's also had a good spring, but he might NOT be on the bench. If Beltran is out, he might be the starting RF.

Willie Harris - Harris might be platooning with Hairston in RF while Beltran is sidelined. Met fans will scream and rave for Duda though.

Daniel Murphy - Murphy's glove was not up to 2B full time, but he will see ABs with regularity and see time backing up Wright, Davis and the Second Baseman.

Chin-Lung Hu - Hu was another lock from the moment that he landed on the Mets. He's not a long-term solution but if he plays well he could sign a low multi-year deal to be a bench player.

What We Don't Know:

Lucas Duda - Lucas Duda is the fan favorite to step in for an injured Beltran. The issue is that Duda has options and Evans does not.

Nick Evans - Let us say that Beltran does start the year on the DL. Alderson might opt to have Harris platoon to protect Evans from the waiver wire. It doesn't make GREAT sense but it does make SOME sense.

The Rotation:

Mike Pelfrey - Mr. Psycho, he's not going to blow you away. Mike Pelfrey is going to be the Met's #1 starter and that is based mostly on last season's success. Many people worry if his spring training woes will be reflected in the regular season.

Jonathan Niese - The Nose, knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men... he can smell it. Niese looks like he could be a break-out candidate in 2011. That could be my rose tinted Lennon specs though.

R.A. Dickey - Everyman, you can't help but like him because somewhere in Dickey... you see a little of yourself... or who you wish you could be. Capuano said, this morning, that he doesn't know how anyone can hit Dickey's pitching. He hasn't been as great as he was last year but... he wasn't that great last SPRING either.

Chris Young - Green Giant, Ho ho ho... Young looks about as solid and steady as almost any starter I've watched this spring. I think that a healthy season could see him return to 10+ wins easily.

Chris Capuano - Mets lower rotation... It's Chris-mas! Of the Chris', Capuano is the lefty. You might be confused because both are fairly intelligent, both are Caucasian and both could have great careers outside baseball.

The Bullpen:

What We Know:

Francisco Rodriguez - Frankie looks REALLY good. So good... that I think the Mets will be forced into his option.

Bobby Parnell - Parnell has been mixed in his outings but his job is safe.

Tim Byrdak - With O'Connor and Perez gone, nothing stands between Byrdak and global domina- I mean... being the lefty specialist.

Taylor Buchholz - Buchholz looks like he might end up being the 8th inning guy.

D.J. Carrasco - Carrasco has been good enough to get a job by anyone's standards... PLUS he's got a two year deal.

What We Don't Know:

Jason Isringhausen - Is he healthy NOW? Will he be healthy TOMORROW? What about a week from Thursday? If the Mets think Izzy can stay healthy, he's going to get a job.

Pedro Beato - Beato is near a lock too. He's got a great arm and he's a rule 5 pick. I can't see a scenario where the Mets don't keep him.

Manny Accosta - Accosta has done everything right... but is looking in from the outside. Don't feel too bad as he's sure to get a job somewhere if the Mets need to put him on waivers.

Blaine Boyer - Boyer has pitched REALLY well. Who has noticed... well... quite a few people. I think he's a long-shot to make the bullpen though.

Second Base:

Brad Emaus - Brad Emaus only faked his death as he carefully manipulated things from the shadows. Proving Murphy couldn't handle the position was rough and it was harder to get the bear to fall and crush Castillo all the way onto the Phillies... but he did it. Now... well... Emaus has proven he's alive. He went 4 for 4 yesterday with multiple hits against Jaime Garcia... PLUS a HR. He's drawn the walks he was touted for and finally looks to be pulling away with the position... as he was expected to.

Luis Hernandez - Henandez is still technically in the race but it's once again a long shot and I, for one, am happy about that.

Phlavio's 25:

Lineup: 8
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. David Wright, 3B (R)
4. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
5. Jason Bay, LF (R)
6. Scott Hairston, RF (R)
7. Josh Thole, C (L)
8. Brad Emaus, 2B (R)

Bench: 5
1. Ronny Paulino, C (R)
2. Willie Harris, OF (L)
3. Nick Evans, 1B/OF (R)
4. Daniel Murphy, IF (L)
5. Chin-Lung Hu, IF (R)

Rotation: 5
1. Mike Pelfrey, SP (R)
2. Jonathan Niese, SP (L)
3. R.A. Dickey, SP (R)
4. Chris Young, SP (R)
5. Chris Capuano, SP (L)

Bullpen: 7
CL. Francisco Rodriguez, RP (R)
SU. Taylor Buchholz, RP (R)
SU. Bobby Parnell, RP (R)
MR. Jason Isringhausen, RP (R)
MR. Pedro Beato, RP (R)
LHSP. Tim Byrdak, RP (L)
LR. D.J. Carrasco, RP (R)

Thoughts: The lineup looks a lot better with Beltran in it, but even without his presence, it's pretty solid. The bench, in my opinion, is great. You have hitting and defense and presence from both sides of the plate. (Duda would improve that.) The rotation is fine... a little vanilla maybe, but in Citi-Field they should keep the Mets in the game. The bullpen looks like a REAL strength. NOTE: if the Mets are sellers, only Beato and Parnell are guys the Mets would need to hold on to.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

2011-03-24T12:07:00.003-04:00

There is something weird in the neighborhood, but I'm not sure Bill Murray can help the Mets this season. Perhaps it's enough that the Mets have contained some of their ghosts using proton packs and traps and some financial freedom from the Wilpons. Hopefully Alderson, DePodesta and Collins won't cross the streams. Why? Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. That's why.

The Gatekeeper: Zuul

Who holds the Mets 2011 in check? Is it Carlos Beltran and his whacky knee? Johan Santana and his rehab program? Jose Reyes and his walk year? No silly... it's Mike Pelfrey and his shaky confidence.

Mike Pelfrey is being called upon to Ace the Met rotation in the absence of Johan Sanatana. Th problem seems to be that he has forgotten he's a capable pitcher. Survey says yes but I'm gaining doubts every time I see Mike pitch. He's getting hit and getting hit hard. It's only spring but I'm a worrier.

The Key Master: Vinz Cortho

Who holds the key to Pelfrey and the Met's 2011 success? Is it David Wright's bat? Jason Bay's brain? Ike Davis' rugged good looks? Jonathan Niese enormous nose? R.A. Dickey majestic beard? Wrong again, it's Josh Thole.

Josh Thole is not only the most improved offensive player from 2010 but he's also going to be the secret to our success or failure as a team. I'm not talking about his improved power (might hit 8 HRs) or his improved defense. It's how he's going to handle the Met pitchers. I'm hoping he enrolled in some psychology courses because when Pelfrey's Super Ego and Id go at it... it's ugly.

Below Knee!

2011-03-23T10:39:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting here in Port St. Lucie with the lower 3/4's of Carlos Beltran's right leg. The upper 50% of which has been the cause for much consternation amongst Met fans. Carlos was not available for comment, but while I have his knee's attention, I thought I'd ask it some questions. The following, is an interview (through an interpreter) between me and the Mets right fielders knee joint.

Phlavio: Thank you for taking some time out from your busy schedule of teasing and taunting Met fans to meet with me.

Knee: No problem, I just had a cortisone shot, so forgive me if I seem a bit groggy.

Phlavio: How long have you and Carlos been working together?

Knee: Three months short of 34 years. For May and June of 1977 I was fairly confident I could make it as a solo career.

Phlavio: When did you and Carlos start having problems?

Knee: We'd argue on and off from time to time, but I decided to put my cap down in 2009.

Phlavio: What was the issue?

Knee: You know, I'm young for a knee, but I've taken so much abuse. I just wanted a chance to live the high-life. Not play second fiddle to Carlos' hitting and fielding.

Phlavio: So you sabotaged his baseball career for a turn in the spot-light?

Knee: I wouldn't use those words.

Phlavio: How would you phrase it?

Knee: I decided to become more outspoken about my needs.

Phlavio: How has that worked out?

Knee: Honestly the attention was great at first, but now I feel like I've become a bit of a scape goat. Everyone pointing fingers at me, Castillo and Perez for the decline of the Mets. Is it wrong for collection of tendons, bones and muscles to speak their mind at the expense of a baseball player and his team?

Phlavio: In my opinion... Yes.

Knee: Well, sorry.

Phlavio: Have you and Beltran come to an agreement?

Knee: We're in negotiations but I think that I still deserve at least 50% of the focus through the 2011 season.

Phlavio: What about after baseball?

Knee: We're thinking of auditioning to play Spider Man on Broadway.

Phlavio: Break a leg! Sorry, poor choice of words.

The Perfect Owner

2011-03-22T10:08:00.006-04:00

With Jeff and Fred being forced to pay for their friendship with a crook, the Mets are facing a change in ownership. I decided to nominate some of my own candidates for the position.

The Monopoly Guy:

Experience: Real Estate Tycoon

Finances: Collects $200 Just For Passing Go

Pitfalls: Winds Up In Jail

Random Fact: Won $10 In A Beauty Pageant AND Landed On Free Parking On Same Turn (Rolled Doubles).

The Monopoly Guy, with his top hat and suit would clearly bring some class to the Mets. He'd also bring Chance and Community Chest... so... pretty spiffy. If he were to buy the Mets:

We'd first see changes as small green homes would crop up at Citi Field
These would eventually be replaced by large red hotels
Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez would be replaced by a thimble and a shoe and a shoe
Team moved to Atlantic City

Lady Ga Ga:

Experience: Wore Meat To Award Show

Finances: Music Millions

Pitfalls: Trapped Inside An Egg

Secret Plans: Re-Design the Mets uniforms to include prosthetic horns and scales.

Ms. Ga Ga is not what everyone would like an owner to be. However, she might bring a youthful female element to games and boost attendance. If she were to take over the team:

Agents would have difficulty with her poker face
Players would get bonuses for exposing themselves publicly
Elton John hired as manager

Mr. Magoo:

Experience: Survivor Of Countless Blind Gage

Finances: Millions Of Cartoon Dollars

Pitfalls: Would Have No Clue What Was Going On

Random Fact: Without glasses looks quite a bit like my grandfather.

Mr. Magoo was just a bumbling old man who refused to admit he couldn't see anything. He happily walked through life, narrowly escaping death. If he were to buy the Mets:

He'd probably end up walking onto the field during a game
He'd probably end up playing in said game
He'd probably win the Mets the World Series
All while thinking he was online for Shake Shack

The Millionaire:

Experience: Managed To Create A Class System On Remote Island

Finances: Wealthy Enough Not To Have Skills

Pitfalls: Trapped On Island With Gilligan

Random Fact: Is played by the same actor as Mr. Magoo.

Mr. Howell would be an excellent owner. He's loaded... and he's somewhat trapped on an island... so he can't interfere with baseball operations. If the Millionaire owned the team:

Smoking jackets become mandatory
All concession drinks include little pink umbrellas

Darth Vader:

Experience: Dark Lord Of The Sith

Finances: Limitless Coffers Of Galactic Empire

Pitfalls: Hand Frequently Cut Off

Secret Plans: Stolen by rebels and currently stored on droids lost on Tatooine.

Darth... how I miss when you were not played by Hayden Christensen... ANYWAY! Darth Vader is the muscle and force behind Emperor Palpatine. He's also a hideously disfigured man with a breathing apparatus... like a portable iron lung. If Darth bought the club:

David Wrights specially designed helmet will look small in comparison
Agents mysteriously strangled during negotiations
Jawas massacred
Jose Reyes convinced that together they can rule the galaxy as father and son

Zombie George:

Experience: Ran The Yankees

Finances: He's Loaded

Pitfalls: Decomposition

Secret Plans: Other than, Brains... he doesn't say much, but my bet is that George Costanza's part of the picture.

George may have passed away, but he might still have more baseball sense than the Wilpons. So... we'll dig him up, dust him off and cast some voodoo magic on him. What's the worst that could happen?

Mass death
Zombie-Pocalypse
Mets Win World Series

8 Nights of Presents

2011-03-21T09:12:00.004-04:00

This off season has not been Christmas for Mets fans. We didn't get one GREAT-BIG present, like the Phillies, who got Lee. The Mets got lots of smaller gifts this off-season.

Night 1 - Omar Minaya Demoted:
October 4th 2010

The Mets started their off-season with the ability to make a number of additions via subtraction. The first I credit to the Wilpons. On October 4th Minaya was demoted from his role as GM and the Mets fans knew from that moment that things would change.

Night 2 - Mets Hire Alderson:
October 27th 2010

The Mets then went out and got a GM who was skilled at working on a budget. Somebody who would not extend bloated (long-term) contracts to aging players to find a quick fix. From here on out... it was Sandy's show and I think it's been a good one to watch.

Night 3 - Mets Hire Terry Collins:
November 21st 2010

The Mets opted to not back the fan favorite Wally Backman and instead go with the more moderate Terry Collins. What do I mean by moderate? The Mets wanted someone who would inspire the Mets and get them motivated, but Backman is a little TOO fiery and lacks experience.

Night 4 - Mets Sign Ronny Paulino:
December 7th 2010

Two reasons this makes my list. 1) Paulino is a good catcher and a strong hitter. 2) This said to me that the Mets were going to let Thole become the starting catcher. I really believe that Thole will be a PLUS player and that Paulino is the right type of COMPLIMENT player the Mets needed. Had we gone with Buck or Martin then Thole is back to being a backup.

Night 5 - Mets Sign Chris Young:
January 19th 2011

I harassed Matt Cerrone for weeks begging him for word on Young. I knew that he was the best of the realistic options for the Mets this off season. He had the best floor to ceiling ratio in terms of safety and potential for large reward. Thus far he looks like he could be the #2 pitcher behind Niese.

Night 6 - Mets Release Luis Castillo:
March 18th 2011

The Mets made a tougher call then you might think releasing Castillo. They didn't have a lock on who would replace him, he had had a good spring, and they will end up paying him millions no matter what. Yet the thing Alderson needed to do was to distance himself from Minaya's mistakes and move on to new blood.

Night 7 - Phillies SIGN Luis Castillo:
March 21st 2011

Now... Castillo is probably not going to drop a pop-up vs. the Mets and turn the tide of the Phillies season into the gutter. Though... he might. What this means to me in a metaphoric way, is that the Phillies have attached themselves to a player who has a lot of negativity attached to him and limited things he can bring to the table.

Night 8 - Mets Cut Oliver Perez:
March 21st 2011

I said the day that Alderson was hired, "He has to do two things to earn respect from Met Fans. Release Ollie and Castillo." Now... where Castillo was simply no longer helping... Perez actually HURT the team with his continued presence. I'll also admit that I was one of the people who didn't think the Mets over-payed for him when they signed him. HOWEVER, I've apologized for that already and have been calling for his release since last off-season.

Up This Week:

Dream Ownership: I fantasize about some fantasitcal Mets ownership options.

Shake Your High Knee: I'll interview Carlos Beltran's bum knee and get his take on Carlos' 2011.

The Key-Master: Who is the Vinz Clortho to the Met's Zuul?

And They're Off: Maybe by Friday I'll be able to call the rest of the races?

The Amazing Race

2011-03-17T11:15:00.011-04:00

It's time for yet another edition of my weekly update on the Races in Met's camp. Some of the races are still wide open and some of them are getting ever closer to to being squared away. This morning Dillon Gee, Boof Bonser, Ryota Iggarashi, Taylor Tankersley, Dusty Ryan, Raul Chavez, Russ Adams and Jason Pridie were assigned to minor-league camp. This doesn't really close the book on most of the races but it does on one.

The Rotation:

Locked and Loaded:

Mike Pelfrey - Mike Pelfrey is the opening day starter regardless of how bad he's looked this spring. Thus far he seems far too hittable and some fans are pointing to the death of his therapist as the root of the issue. Whether it is or not is open for debate but his spot in the rotation is not even open to discussion.

Jonathan Niese - If you read the blog, you know that I love Jonathan Niese above all other healthy Met pitchers... currently on the major-league roster. He looks like he's a front-end starter who is going to go places and that has me excited. I think 2011 could be a break-out year for Niese and his enormous nose.

R.A. Dickey - You can't not like Dickey. TRY. See? He's the man. What with his fast knuckler, slow knuckler and pirate beard. Dickey will be the work-horse of the Mets rotation for the next two years. Knuckle-ballers can through about 9000 pitches before getting tired so I think that's fine.

Chris Young - Chris locked up a rotation spot about a week ago. It was hardly ever in doubt. He's not only looked healthy, but he's looked like he's going to be a PLUS pitcher... not just an inning eater.

Chris Capuano - With Gee gone, Capuano has locked up that 5th starter job. I would prefer the freedom of using Capuano as an LRP/LOOGY but until Santana can join the rotation, the Mets can't afford to do that.

Outside, Looking In:

Dillon Gee - Gee was demoted this morning and I think that it makes sense. Gee will be up this season but given the choice of letting Gee build confidence in AAA and having him flop in the majors... I think the Mets made the right call.

Pat Misch - Poor Misch... I think there is ZERO chance he makes the team. When exposed to waivers he'll likely get snagged by someone who needs a pitcher in AAA in case of emergency. He's done nothing wrong... he's just out of options and the Mets don't need him.

The Bullpen:

Locked and Loaded:

Closer: Francisco Rodriguez - Frankie has looked VERY good this spring. I think he might look good enough that he could be trade-able this season. That's a dream within a dream as the Mets don't want him to have the option lock and could actually get something in return.

Setup: Bobby Parnell - Parnell has made me nervous at times but he's still got a powerful arm and an assured role. He might slide down to Middle Relief if Buchholz or Isringhausen get off to good starts.

LOOGY: Tim Byrdak - Byrdak has won the LOOGY job, despite Perez just entering it. If Ollie gets a role on the team, it won't be at the expense of Byrdak who has looked AWESOME.

In The Mix:

Middle Relief/Long Relief: D.J. Carrasco - I've listed the Mix in order of how likely I think it is they make the team... so this top 4 is a pretty likely bunch. I don't love Carrasco but his two year deal pretty much secure his job.

Middle Relief: Pedro Beato - Mets don't want to lose Beato, who was a rule 5 pick, so expect him to make the team. I think at the same time, he's probably less of lights out reliever than Buchholz or Isringhausen. He's also a very different breed of pitcher.

Middle Relief/Setup: Taylor Buchholz - Buchholz has been near perfect this spring and could compete to be Frankie's setup guy in April. I still think he gets into trouble with walks.

Middle Relief/Setup: Jason Isringhausen - Everyone is rooting for Izzy... accept maybe Accosta, Misch and Perez. He's been effective and I thin would be a great asset to the team with his diverse repertoire.

Middle Relief/Long Relief: Manny Accosta - I only see Manny making the team if Alderson is willing to eat crow on D.J. Carrasco. I like Accosta better. I think he's more talented and has had the better spring but the two year commitment on D.J. looms large.

Long Relief: Pat Misch - Misch is not a lefty specialist. He could be a righty specialist... but that would be a waste. What he is... is an effective innings eater. What he'll be is waived. Yankees might be a team looking to claim.

LOOGY/Long Relief: Oliver Perez - Perez has not yet failed as a lefty specialist but the fact he entered THIS competition late leaves him miles behind Tim Byrdak. His $12 Mil contract and ability to pitch multiple innings puts him a peg over O'Connor.

LOOGY: Mike O'Connor - I'm not a giant fan of Mike but he's had a good spring. Even so... Byrdak has been better and he's easier to part with than Perez.

Outside, Looking In:

Ryota Iggarashi - Iggy has been great at times this spring but I don't think he's destined to make it as a Mets reliever.

Dillon Gee - Gee is going to go to AAA before he'll go into the pen. The Mets don't want Mejia to be the only reserve starter at AAA.

The Bench:

Locked and Loaded:

Ronny Paulino - My money is on Nickeas to serve as the backup until Ronny is allowed to return to the lineup. However ones elligable... Paulino will be the powerful right-handed side of the catching platoon.

Scott Hairston - Hairston will be on the bench... unless Beltran is on the DL to start the season. If THAT is the case, he'll platoon with Harris or Duda in RF and another bench spot will open up.

Willie Harris - Harris is going to be the defensive replacement for the OF. He'll come in late in games to give Beltran and Bay a break and to make some of those heart-wrenching defensive plays he used to make AGAINST the Mets.

Daniel Murphy - The Mets don't see Murphy starting at 2B. I still say he'll get plenty of starts there given his bat. However Murphy will serve as a super-sub and should get at least 1 AB a game.

Chin-Lung Hu - Hu has a job as the backup middle infielder. Why the Mets can't have Hu win the second base job is beyond my grasp. Apparently Luis Hernandez is a better hitter... because nobody is a better fielder.

In The Mix:

Lucas Duda - Like I said, Duda's shot at the bench/platoon role is dependent on Beltran's health. Mets will not risk losing Duda to waivers so they will need to plan his landing points carefully.

Nick Evans - Evans is probably going to miss out on winning a job with the Mets and I think they'll end up losing him to waivers. Perhaps if the Mets decide to send Duda down and part ways with Emaus, Evans will find a spot on the bench.

Brad Emaus - The Mets DO want to keep Emaus but he hasn't done much to win that starting 2B job. If he doesn't win the job and Beltran is healthy it's hard for me to see the Mets keeping him. There IS a chance Toronto will sell him back to us.

Luis and Justin will not be on the bench...

Second Base:

In The Mix:

Luis Hernandez - Collins made me very unhappy when someone let leak that Hernandez was winning the race and he didn't deny it. Luis Hernandez is the SECOND best fielder and probably the second worst hitter in the competition. Give me Castillo, Emaus, Murphy, Turner or Chin-Lung Hu over Hernandez.

Brad Emaus - He had a nice double on Wednesday, but he's not exactly blowing anyone away. The Mets would like him on the team but will have trouble doing that if he doesn't win the job out of spring training.

Outside, Looking In:

Justin Turner - Turner is going to wind up in AAA which isn't the end of the world, but the Mets will need to squeeze a lot of second basemen into AAA and AA. Turner, Satin, Valdespin, Havens... Plus Flores and Tovar should be moving up from A+ before long. Justin survived another round of cuts and had a BIG day at the plate yesterday. Think of his chances being similar to the Devil's chances of making the playoffs. He can not afford to lose ground from here on out.

Daniel Murphy - The Mets don't see Murphy as a starting 2B which is a shame because I think he give the Mets the best chance of winning. EVEN WITH THE INEVITABLE ERRORS. He'll be on the team and get ABs but I insist on complaining.

Lurking in the Shadows:

Reese Havens - If Havens is healthy to start the season and hits well in AA or AAA (wherever he lands) the Mets might have another Ike Davis situation. Met fans will be calling for Havens to be promoted a lot. Expect it.

Jordany Valdespin - Jordany needs to learn the HARDEST lesson a minor-leaguer can learn. He needs to learn to take a walk. If he does that quickly... he could come up and play 2B THIS year. If he does that by the end of the year, he'll be in the Reyes replacement running. Or... at least the 2012 2B race.

JUST CUT!!!

Luis Castillo - Andy Martino's lovely article today about how Mets fans are racist for wanting to be rid of Castillo aside. The Mets knew that their best chances of winning were not WITH Castillo in the lineup. Sandy Alderson will address the media later today and I'm sure it will sound something like, "The Mets and Luis came to the understanding that the best thing for both sides would be to drop Castillo now. We wish him well blah blah blah..." This means that the heat is on between Emaus, Turner and Hernandez with not much time left. Castillo, I'm sorry that you got demonized by the fans of New York for an error that was entirely Omar Minaya's.

P.S. Sandy... you couldn't make this announcement at the same time as you announced that Gee and others were being sent to the minors?

Phlavio's 25:

Lineup: 8
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. David Wright, 3B (R)
4. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
5. Jason Bay, LF (R)
6. Lucas Duda, RF (L)
7. Brad Emaus, 2B (R)
8. Josh Thole, C (L)

Bench: 5
1. Ronny Paulino, C (R) [Mike Nickeas, C (R)]
2. Scott Hairston, OF (R)
3. Willie Harris, OF/2B (L)
4. Daniel Murphy, Util (L)
5. Chin-Lung Hu, MI (R)

Rotation: 5
1. Mike Pelfrey, SP (R)
2. Jonathan Niese, SP (L)
3. R.A. Dickey, SP (R)
4. Chris Young, SP (R)
5. Chris Capuano, SP (L)

Bullpen: 7
CL. Francisco Rodriguez, RP (R)
SU. Bobby Parnell, RP (R)
SU. Taylor Buchholz, RP (R)
MR. Jason Isringhausen, RP (R)
MR. Pedro Beato, RP (R)
LOOGY. Tim Byrdak, RP (L)
LRP. Manny Accosta, RP (R)

Carlos Beltran on 15-Day DL