Big News

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

8 Nights of Presents

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?

Academic Probation?

How well has the great guru of Money Ball, Sandy Alderson, done since taking over the Mets? I'll be looking at how well he's crossed the T's dotted the I's and make sure that he showed all his work. Hopefully I won't have to give him in school suspension for cheating off another GM's test.

A wise blogger pointed out the lack of need for a GM report card in Mid-March. I responded with the lack of need for blogging in general. Enjoy it for what it's worth.

Who He Got:

Chris Young - Young is getting an A+ from me. He was in-expensive and looks like he could be a front of the rotation starter again. He gives me confidence and that is HUGE. Sandy looks pretty smart. This deal gets an A for Sandy.

Scott Hairston - With Beltran likely to spend 50%+ of the year watching baseball... Hairston's ability to be a starter combined with being able to platoon him with Harris or Duda makes Sandy look smart again. He's got another A in my book.

Taylor Buchholz - This was a low-risk move but at the same time it looks like a solid one. Buchholz is currently fighting it out with Accosta, Isringhausen, Beato and others for a middle reliever job. Sandy gets a B but it won't hurt his average.

D.J. Carrasco - I understand why Sandy took D.J. but I'm not liking what I see too much. He seems to be hittable (not unlike Mike Pelfrey) and the two-year deal reminds me of Ryota Iggarashi's. Sandy Gets a C- from me.

Chris Capuano - When Capuano was signed I thought for sure he was going to be a lefty specialist / long man. If that's all he was... I'd give Sandy a B+. HOWEVER, it looks like Chris will be good enough to start so I'll up that to an A-.

Willie Harris - I don't love Willie Harris. Is he really better than Jesus Feliciano? I don't know. He has shown the ability to be clutch (vs. the Mets) and can play 2B in a pinch. I guess I'll give Sandy a B-.

Tim Byrdak - Byrdak is old and not the most exciting guy in the world but he is a heck of a LOOGY. That's a compliment... in case you are reading the blog and don't follow baseball... MOM! Sandy gets another A for Byrdak.

Chin-Lung Hu - One of the only trades Sandy made. It's a low-risk trade and it's also low reward. The biggest plus to it, is that the Mets can keep Ruben Tejada in AAA even if Jose Reyes gets hurt. So... B.

Ronny Paulino - Paulino is what he is, a catcher with some power who hits lefties pretty darn well. It was the perfect guy to get to platoon with Thole. Alright... John Buck's splits were even better but Paulino was still pretty good. B+.

Jason Isringhausen - Can we credit Sandy with this? Not really. Izzy came to the Mets and auditioned. All the same, Sandy will reap the benefits of happy accidents. If Jason stays healthy he's a 6-pitch reliever and a part of Mets history. B+.

Pedro Beato - Beato was Alderson's 2nd Rule 5 nab. He looks like he's also pretty slick on the mound. He has a hard fastball with a lot of movement. I could see Beato progressing into a setup guy and I think he'll stick with the team. A.

Brad Emaus - Emaus seemed like a great idea. He was a contact oriented hitters, who could play 2nd base and share some time with Murphy in the role. He hasn't hit that much this spring and is looking up and Castillo and Luis Hernandez. He did get a big double yesterday but color me un-impressed thus far. D+.

Sandy's Final Report Card

Math - Sandy has done his homework and selected guys who aren't big risks. He has made good additions and Met fans are hoping he's equally willing to make a few subtractions in the near future. He seems to check his work and make sure he hasn't made any miscalculations.

Science - Alderson has shown a willingness to experiment, but it hasn't worked out so great at 2B thus far. He needs to make sure he has a more stable control group in place in case his future experiments become volatile.

English - Sandy has proven he is good with the media. Not only in about how he handles his dealings but also with dealing with the intrigue surrounding the clowns who currently own the team.

History - Willie Harris always killed the Mets. Isringhausen was part of a failed second coming of Gooden and Seaver. The depth of the relief pitchers also shows that he's watched previous seasons of Mets baseball.

Gym - When his academics are put on the field there have been mixed results. He found pitching, but hitting seems less easy. Does this remind anyone of some of his earlier teams?

Overall: A-, Sandy has done a pretty great job doing a lot with not a lot of money. I'm excited to see what he can do with 30 Million to spend.

Extra Credit: I'm excited to see what happens with Sandy Alderson and a couple of trade candidates. Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, and even Mike Pelfrey, Chris Young and Chris Capuano. A lot of what Omar was bad at was not his off-season dealings but his inability to act on the fly during the season.

The players Sandy has brought in have yet to fully "evolve" as it's been put to me. This judgement is purely based on what they've shown thus far.

Over/Under:

If you play fantasy baseball, and I'd bet that if you are reading this, your either my mother... or you do, then you know that Yahoo and ESPN and CBS and every other fantasy sports web-site will predict before the season how players will do. These predictions come courtesy of ESPN.com and reflect the expert opinions of their fantasy gurus. Today's article is a diversion into where I see the Mets finishing... in relation to their predictions.

Jose Reyes, SS (S):

• Avg: .286 (Even)
  
• Slg: .441 (Even)
• Runs: 86 (Over)
  
• HRs: 12 (Under)
• RBIs: 56 (Even)
• BBs: 42 (Over... I hope)
• SBs: 36 (Over)

Jose's numbers from ESPN reflect him not having a healthy season. That might be fair but I think that we should be basing the predictions on Jose being healthy as he seems to be that now. His HR totals should not be above 10 if he's still a Met for the full season but at the same time, Jose can and will steal more than 36 bags. If he's traded... all of these stats change... but... I probably then have to hate him.

Angel Pagan, CF (S):

• Avg: .283 (Even)
• Slg: .417 (Even)
  
• Runs: 76 (Over)
• HRs: 9 (Over)
  
• RBIs: 62 (Over)
• BBs: 40 (Even)
  
• SBs: 30 (Under)

Angel Pagan is predicted to have an okay year but I get confused when his power numbers are lower than Reyes and his production of Runs and RBIs falls short of Jason Bay. I would also say that hitting 2nd all year would likely cut his freedom on the bases as the Mets don't want to take the bats away from Wright, Beltran, Davis and Bay with a caught stealing.

David Wright, 3B (R):

• Avg: .294 (Over)
• Slg: .517 (Even)
• Runs: 95 (Over)
• HRs: 25 (Over)
• RBIs: 100 (Over)
• BBs: 76 (Even)
• SBs: 19 (Even)

Prior to the injury plagued seasons of Beltran and Reyes and the move to Citi-Field, David Wright was a defacto top 10 fantasy pick. He's still somewhere in the top 20 but he's definitely dropped. The average has been hurt, but as I've written before, that is partially due to a lack of production and support (Beltran hasn't exactly been there to back him up so often.) The HR totals are predicted to drop and the Runs and RBIs stay in the good but not GREAT range and I disagree. If Beltran and Reyes are healthy and Bay is some version of what he USED to be, Wright has a BIG year.

Carlos Beltran, RF (S):

• Avg: .276 (Under)
• Slg: .469 (Over)
• Runs: 63 (Even)
• HRs: 18 (Over)
• RBIs: 68 (Over)
• BBs: 64 (Even)
• SBs: 10 (Under)

Say what you will about Beltran's knees. When he's been healthy... he hits. Though a .276 average seems a bit high. He's much more of a .250-.260 hitter. However hitting (all year) in the middle of the Mets order should net Carlos more than 68 RBIs as he's likely to hit closer to 25-30 HRs if he's healthy. HOWEVER... face facts and learn that Carlos Beltran will never reach double digit SBs again.

Ike Davis, 1B (L):

• Avg: .272 (Even)
• Slg: .473 (Over)
• Runs: 74 (Even)
• HRs: 22 (Over)
• RBIs: 75 (Over)
• BBs: 78 (Even)
• SBs: 2 (Even)

ESPN bothers me when I look at Ike Davis. They take his 2010 numbers and replicate them for a full season and call it a prediction. This assumes that Ike Davis has REACHED his ceiling after 1 year. It doesn't touch on the fact that he's a 30 HR threat or that he's going to be hitting behind Wright and Beltran (maybe Bay) and the fact he was a consistent producer in his ROOKIE year.

Jason Bay, LF (R):

• Avg: .268 (Even)
• Slg: .454 (Even)
• Runs: 85 (Even)
• HRs: 19 (Even)
• RBIs: 84 (Even)
• BBs: 74 (Even)
• SBs: 12 (Even)

If Bay is healthy and hitting 5th or 6th in the lineup all year... these numbers look accurate. This also assumes his 2010 was an aberration and that the Mets other players stay healthy. Most Met fans will gladly take these numbers from Jason Bay in his second year. Anything is better than what he did (while healthy) in 2010.

Daniel Murphy, 2B (L):

• Avg: .280 (Even)
• Slg: .445 (Even)
• Runs: 37 (Over)
• HRs: 7 (Over)
• RBIs: 38 (Over)
• BBs: 21 (Over)
• SBs: 4 (Even)

At first glance you might think I differ GREATLY with ESPN. That isn't totally true. We differ on ONE key factor. I see Murphy as the starting second baseman, and they see him on the bench. On the bench, their numbers are accurate but over a full season you can probably multiply a lot of those numbers by 2... even if he's platooning.

Josh Thole, C (L):

• Avg: .270 (Even)
• Slg: .382 (Even)
• Runs: 36 (Over)
• HRs: 5 (Even)
• RBIs: 36 (Over)
• BBs: 35 (Over)
• SBs: 2 (Over)

ESPN predicts that Thole and Paulino will be an even split. I can't agree less. Thole is a lefty and that will get him into more games alone. Add that Thole is the "Catcher of the Future" and that he hits for a higher average and is more consistent and I think we all know who is getting the lion's share of the playing time. The other issue I see is that ESPN over-looks the fact that Thole can run... for a catcher. He's not going to steal bases because of his speed, but because he has enough speed to take advantage of sloppy play.

Mike Pelfrey, SP (R)

• ERA: 4.00 (Under)
• Whip: 1.39 (Even)
• BBs: 68 (Even)
• Ws: 13 (Even)
• Ks: 113 (Even)
• IP: 207 (Even)

ESPN is pretty accurate with Big Pelf. I'm not sure if anyone in America looks at Mike and sees an Ace. I do see a pitcher who can keep you in games and maybe be looked at as a #3 pitcher. Even so... I don't see Pelfrey having a 20 win season for the Mets in 2011 and those 13 wins aren't a sure thing either.

Jonathan Niese, SP (L)

• ERA: 4.36 (Under)
• Whip: 1.46 (Under)
• BBs: 69 (Even)
• Ws: 11 (Over)
• Ks: 153 (Even)
• IP: 190 (Over)

Niese is the closest thing to an Ace that the Mets have this season. He can get K's at a decent clip and has shown the ability to be dominant. That ERA well North of 4.00 is a bit extreme from Jon as it seems ESPN predicts he should be getting worse with more time in the pros. I guess they view his tired arm issues as a sign he wasn't that good instead of a sign he'd thrown more innings then he had been used to.

R.A. Dickey, SP (R)

• ERA: 3.89 (Even)
• Whip: 1.30 (Even)
• BBs: 53 (Even)
• Ws: 10 (Over)
• Ks: 107 (Over)
• IP: 199 (Over)

Really ESPN? If there is one thing I've heard about knuckle-ballers it's that their arms get tired. ESPN doesn't see Dickey as the work-horse I believe he will be. He's not an Ace, nobody is saying that. He is a pitcher who can pitch deep into games. Also... if that slow knuckler is working that means he can be a fastball/change-up pitcher... except his balls dance a WHOLE lot more. If he can do that... the K's will follow.

Chris Young, SP (R)

• ERA: 3.88 (Even)
• Whip: 1.31 (Even)
• BBs: 53 (Even)
• Ws: 7 (Even)
• Ks: 77 (Even)
• IP: 102 (Even)

Now, I could take issue with Young's numbers being poor, but I can't expect ESPN to predict that Chris Young will pitch 200 innings. His arm just hasn't been that healthy. However, you can probably take this half-year estimate and do the math to come up with what his numbers would be as he reaches 150... 180 innings pitched. I like Young. It's hard not to. I'm hoping that he can just stay healthy.

Chris Capuano, SP (L)

• ERA: 3.81 (Over)
• Whip: 1.26 (Over)
• BBs: 23 (Even)
• Ws: 5 (Over)
• Ks: 64 (Even)
• IP: 85 (Even)

It seems that ESPN predicts Capuano AND Gee will both win that 5th starter job. I'll forgive them because it lets me not put Gee here. Capuano looks like the best option for 5th starter right now. He isn't great but he'll keep us in games. The thing with ESPN is that they adjusted his ERA and Whip to factor Capuano ALSO relieving. The more he starts... the higher the ERA and Whip. When Santana comes back, Chris moves to the bullpen or the Mets will simply have other injured pitchers for him to replace.

Johan Santana, SP (L)*

• ERA: 3.13 (Over)
• Whip: 1.25 (Even)
• BBs: 33 (Even)
• Ws: 7 (Over)
• Ks: 91 (Even)
• IP: 118 (Even)

Johan Santana will not pitch for the Mets until June (at the earliest) but he COULD get to 118 innings if he's back then. I'll point out that missing spring training and entering the year late, will not be the BEST FRIEND of his ERA but at the same time... if he getss those 118 innings, I think he'll get a few more wins. It all evens out.

I'm excited about the Mets season, even if it isn't one where my expectations are super high. I think that Collins and Alderson have the team on the right foot and if Santa's listening... maybe I even get new owners who know how to leave baseball to the baseball people.

Phantasy Island

Fantasy Baseball is about All-Stars... sure. You go out and draft a couple big stars to pad your lineup, but you win the leagues with bargains. Depending on the depth of your league (Mine has 20 teams and rosters of 25) those bargains can sometimes truly be from the bottom of the bin.

The Big Names:

David Wright - Wright is now a second rounder (Most standard leagues) but he's certainly not a bargain. Sure he's a 30 HR guy and 30 SBs aren't un-thinkable but unless Wright cuts his K's significantly. K's don't show up on all fantasy leagues but his K's have created a problem with his hitting. He walks less, scores less runs, drives in less batters. He needs to up his walks and cut his K's to get back into being a first rounder and unless he does, he's no bargain.

Jose Reyes - Reyes has become a slight bargain but people see a healthy Reyes and I'm sure that will contribute to him rocketing up the draft boards. He's in a contract year and seems to be playing at 100% and all of those good things. If you can get Reyes in the third round... He's a bargain worth taking but SOME people will take him in the second. BELIEVE ME, some will also take Reyes in the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds.

Ike Davis - Davis is NOT a fantasy star. In fact when ranking 1Bs he falls reasonably low: Pujols, Votto, Cabrera, Gonzalez, Teixeira, Fielder, Youkilis, Howard, Dunn, Mourneau, Morales, Konerko, Sanchez, Butler... Davis? However, Davis is young and capable of BUILDING on his 2010 performance with a strong 2011. Will Davis break into the top 10 at some point? MAYBE. I recall seeing him listed as a potential future 40 HR hitter at one point.

The Middle Rounders:

Mike Pelfrey - Mike is like Matt Garza lite. The difference is that Matt Garza should wind up being taken 3-4 rounds earlier. This DOES make Pelfrey a bargain but I actually think that the first Met pitcher to be looking for is Jonathan Niese. Pelfrey's numbers are just a little too vanilla for my liking. Niese, at least, has a little up-side and might become more of a Fantasy pitcher. Now... ESPN actually predicts fairly light numbers for Pelfrey so don't wait for him to go before looking at Niese.

Jonathan Niese - Like I said, Niese SHOULD be the #1 drafted Met pitcher. He has the potential to be a legit #2 pitcher in the league and has the closest thing (in the healthy rotation) to a fantasy performer. I see Niese as a 160-170 K pitcher but the question I have is can he get his ERA under 4.00. If he can, he's a definite fantasy rotation guy where Pelfrey and Dickey are not. Expect him to nod fade as much at the end of the season in 2011.

R.A. Dickey - Dickey had a magical 2010 and I don't see a reason for 2011 to be MUCH different. Sure he's got expanded pressure but as a later rotation or reserve pitcher, Dickey actually does pretty well. The Mets also seem to win when he pitches which is circumstantial but positive. I expect Dickey's numbers to be playable in 2011 which means that you should expect him to start being looked at around the 260th pick. If your draft isn't this deep, just keep an eye on him for the waiver wire.

Angel Pagan - Angel Pagan is the best fantasy option for the Mets outfield. That's right, I said it. Sure he won't hit 20 HRs but he's going to have a higher average and better overall numbers. Hitting between Reyes and Wright will do good things for both his Runs and RBIs and he has the best recent track record for health. With all this said, he's likely to be drafted after Beltran and maybe even Bay. Pagan is like Shane Victorino but won't be drafted as highly so when Shane goes... keep your eye on Angel.

Jason Bay - Air Canada was a bust for the Mets in 2010. He THEN ran into a wall and got a concussion. I like Bay as a person but do I like him as a player? Jason Bay is expected to rebound and hit 20-25 HRs and many more RBI's then he did in 2010. You will probably see him coming off the board FAR later than he would in any previous year and that makes him a bargain. Thus far in Spring Training, I'm not sold on him bouncing back all that much but he's worth the gamble over someone like say... Raul Ibanez.

Carlos Beltran - Carlos once belonged to the elite group so beware the draw to take him earlier. Sure, he's in a contract year. Sure, when healthy he's great. Health is a MAJOR concern. Beltran is moving to RF to spare his knee some of the ware and tear of CF. Realize that he's no longer giving you anything on the bases and that he's at best a 25 HR hitter and temper your expectations.

The Injured:

Johan Santana - This year, the question with Santana is not IF to draft him, it's WHEN. First, he's hurt and eying a return in June but could be longer with any sort of set-back. Second, he's already shown lower K's and might not return to the Mets while they are still in the running. With that said, you will still want him over MANY MANY other arms that are currently healthy. Where is that cut-off point? If the pitcher is likely to have an ERA under 4.00 and at least 140 K's take him, but that's around the point where a Santana gamble makes sense.

The Late Round Specials:

Chris Young - The new Met pitcher is impressing many this spring. I put him on the list and not Capuano because there is almost NO chance that Chris Young doesn't make the rotation. Young is a solid starter and has significant upside. This spring, he's shown improved velocity and the breaking pitches that got him big numbers a few years back. Not the kind of guy to build a rotation around... maybe not even the guy you want a guaranteed spot going to, but a guy to have in reserve.

Josh Thole - Thole doesn't have a lot of power, but he DOES hit. If you are in a head-to-head league and have a Utility spot or a catcher spot open, Thole is a guy to think about. He won't hurt your batting average and in a game of match-ups... that might be as good as a catcher who will hit 15 HRs and bat around .200. He's not Joe Mauer or Victor Martinez and his ceiling isn't sky high but you could do far worse in the later rounds.

Jenrry Mejia - Mejia WILL start the year in AAA but the Mets rotation is hardly set in stone and should injuries crop up or should players fizzle, Mejia is the young gun who would be set to come in and save the day. Now... prospects usually don't get drafted to the later rounds of even deeper drafts. Expect to snag someone with upside like this slightly earlier in a keeper league.

It's ACTUAL Baseball

Break out your graphing calculator... baseball is back! That means I can get down to the only kind of math that I can stand doing... Saber-metrics and Box-Score Analysis. Good news is that the Mets new pitcher might be able to check my work to make sure I carried the 2.

Notes:

O' Jenrry - Jenrry Mejia looked very sharp in his spring debut but I do have a complaint. He did seem to get ahead of hitters but he seemed to consistently let them back into the at-bat by letting the count go to full. I think that the Mets will certainly be thinking about him in the rotation sooner than later.

Beato My Own Drum - Pedro Beato got into trouble but also displayed his electric stuff. I think that he's certainly someone to watch.

Attention F-Mart Shoppers - I watched Fernando look like an eternal prospect and also... turn on a pitch and take it yard. Fernando by no means needs to WIN a job this spring but he does need to prove he can be healthy. He's likely to be called up if there are injuries but the key to his season is health.


Valdespin Cycle - Jordany was the player who impressed me the most. (Besides Castillo and Hu who I'm still trying my best to hate.) Valdespin looked sharp playing 2B and at the plate he really looked like he was far more developed then I thought he'd be. I would say he looked like he was ready to be in the running for the 2B competition.

The Young and the Tall - Chris Young is tall... we get it. I'm getting a little bored with people pointing it out. Can we trade for John Rauch so people stop mentioning it? Anyway... yeah... he looked like he might be good enough to sit closer to the front of the rotation... but it's early.

Ollie Still Ollie - Perez looked bad, but nobody was surprised. I'd say he get's one more chance to start and then MAYBE two chances to relieve.

What Might Ultim-Utley Kill the Phils - Utley's knee is hurt and he's looking at a cortisone injection. This isn't like Wainwright's injury but he will put some questions in regards to an offense that some writers mistakenly deem a given. Let's look at facts: Victorino is good but not GREAT, Rollins looked like a shell of his former self last year, Utley has health concerns, Howard has some health issues (don't buy that he's declining), Ibanez is old enough to be Brown's father, Brown is ENTIRELY un-proven, Polanco is a giant health risk, Ruiz is only pretty good and the bullpen isn't the best I've seen. The Phillies are hardly as much of a lock to hit as you might think.

This Week:

Prospect Review: Let's go over some of the names in Mets camp to keep your eyes on.

Phantasy Island: Are There Fantasy Bargains on the New York Mets?

Beast of the East: Let's look at the 5 NL East teams... shall we?

The Amazing Race: Updating Everyone on the 2B, Bench, Rotational and Bullpen races