What now? Four Thoughts on K-Rod.

K-Rod needs to go.  But knowing the Wilpon's track record, and the way the MLB Player's Union works. This guy isn't going anywhere.

First thought that comes to everyone's mind first is: "Void the contract!" Huge round-off chorus of that going around.
My second thought: "Can that happen?" Of course it can't happen! Given that the Player's Unions in all sports today will defend their players to death, and the soft nature of the Wilpon Family, it ain't happening!
My third thought: "Trade him?" No, this guy is more un-tradable than Carlos Zambrano! (But then again, he more tradable than Ollie at least... *shiver*) He has nasty stuff but he less control of his pitch than Jerry Manuel has control of "ummmm".
Fourth thought: "Drop him?" never. The Wilpons would never do such a thing. I don't think any other owner would cut him either, he's owed way too much to cut.

I wonder what would have happened had the Mets not signed K-Rod in the first place, who/what would that money have been used on? Derek Lowe? CC? More money to keep JJ the Putz and his broken elbow in New York? You tell me.

Is Renting Cliff Lee worth it?

I've been thinking about it, and would renting Cliff Lee really make sense at this point? We know that Cliff lee and his agent have said he is only wanting to be rented because he wants to test the free agent market. So, is renting Cliff Lee going to make a difference for New York?

Let's say, hypothetically, this is our team when we get Cliff Lee:

(Assuming Beltran is back at this point)

Reyes

Wright

Beltran

Davis

Bay

Pagan

Barajas

Castillo

Santana

Pelfrey

Lee

Niese

Takahashi

Do we have a chance to utilize renting him or are we just going to waste good and talented prospects for him? We'd be wasting such big Mets minors' name such as Wilmer Flores, Brad Holt, etc. Can this team use Lee to their advantage?

On paper, yes. A team would die to have some of this talent, let alone our lineup. On paper, our lineup is very heavy. If you throw around names such as Reyes, Wright, Beltran, and Bay, that is deadly. But after watching this team every day you see the flaws with all of them. Reyes pops up too many balls and seems to swing at the first pitch, Wright struckout as I wrote this sentence, Beltran would be coming off of a major surgery, and Bay is either hot or cold, just like the rest of the team.

This team is so streaky that you'd never know what's going to happen. Hell, Johan Santana chucks shutouts and the Mets can't get a measly run home while other games end them losing 8-6. There is never a coupe of people slumping and the rest of the team puts up numbers. It seems like this team is never just playing regular. A player is either hot, or a player is either cold. Why can't a Met player just play? It's ridiculous.

So, if we rent Lee and we keep up this .500 play, he'll most definitely leave. If he likes it here, likes the spotlight here and helps us get far, maybe he'll accept a contract that will lock him up in New York to continue success with the team. How likely is that?

Players must look at Johan Santana and really take into consideration if they want to risk spending a good chunk of their career trying to right the ship of a rocky organization. Who knows though, I guess we'll see this play out and go from there.

If I Were GM...

So, if I were GM I would make a lot of moves that would make sense. This club has more potential than a .500 team and everyone knows it. Making key acquisitions can change this all around and this is how I would do it. And this is in no particular order or importance:

1. Demote Elmer Dessens, promote Bobby Parnell.

Why is Elmer Dessens not in AAA? I don't think anyone can answer that. The only logical reason I can think of is that when they tried to promote someone, it got lost in translation and Elmer accidently came up and Omar was too chicken to say anything. I mean, why else?

Parnell can gas it up to the high 90s. That is a plus fastball that was able to throw past MLB batters last year pretty effectively but he was sent to the minors to work on his secondary pitches. But wait, isn't Jenrry Mejia IN the majors to work on his secondary pitches? Something doesn't add up.

2. Demote Gary Matthews Jr, promote ANYONE

Gary Matthews Jr. is batting .193 and has 1 RBI. That is not a player worthy of the major leagues. Why can't we promote something like Mike Hessman or Jesus Feliciano? Some say they're quadruple-A players and will not carry over their numbers to the bigs... So?? Will they hit better than .193? Would they not be so much better than 11/57 at bats?

The main argument I guess is that they can't play the outfield. If that is what is keeping GMJr on this squad then that is outrageous. Stick Tatis in the outfield, or even Chris Carter. This choice is obvious and is being handled very poorly.

3. Demote Jenrry Mejia after the All-Star break

I have recently accepted the idea of Mejia on the big league roster. If they see Jenrry as a top of the rotation starter, why not prep him by giving him big league batters to adapt against? He's done a great job and now that he's gotten his feet wet, my move would be to send him down. People were outraged when he was granted the bullpen role, but in all honesty, he is 20 years old. How can we say that this will mess him up when he probably won't be in a big league rotation until 2011, with 2010 being a stretch?

In my opinion, getting his feet wet with big league batters is a decent move to get him some of the action he'll be expecting when he is finally ready to fulfill the hype. We all know he's meant to be a starter and a 1-2-3 of Johan, Mike, and Jenrry will be nothing short of incredible.

4. Activate Beltran, Francoeur to the bench

Sorry, Frenchy, but when Beltran is eventually activated from the DL its bench warming or water boy duties for you. Frenchy won't even be a good bat off the bench due to his serious and almost concerning first pitch swing addiction. It almost looks like he just wants to swing at the first pitch and doesn't necessarily believe he got a good read on it.

Pagan has been real solid all season and I can't see him going back to the bench. I can see a RF platoon with Pagan/Frenchy with Jeff only hanging on due to his arm. I love Francoeur, he's a great guy and I love his passion, but I can't watch him struggle at the plate any longer. Hell, I can't even spell his last name.

5. Send Castillo to the DL, promote Reese Havens

I don't know if I'm breaking a certain Mets code, but I like Castillo. I'm not saying I love him, but he's been pretty solid this year and continuing his success from last season. He'll get on base, he'll steal a base, he'll give you average defense, he'll never strikeout. Watching him last night limping with that foot injury, yet also stealing a base, hustling down the line and making a couple of great plays really shows something to the fans. Nobody likes Castillo, but hey, he's not as bad as people say.

I want Castillo out, but he is a pretty solid second baseman for us. I say send him to the DL so he can get his foot a rest and promote Reese Havens. Havens can hit and field, so I think giving him playing time for the 15 or so days that Castillo will be on the DL will get his feet wet and prep him for a serious look he'll most certainly be getting next spring training. Worst comes to worst is he's not ready, and you promote Ruben Tejada or just give Cora the nod.

These are the moves that I would make right now if it were up to me. They don't seem outlandish and they don't seem like a stretch. I didn't add a Cliff Lee trade or a trade for another pitcher because that would be something that would take a while to accomplish, and these moves are meant to be active immediately.

Tell me what you think.. I think it's pretty reasonable.

Gross Over-reaction

I don't know how many Mets fans I have talked to who have said that the season is over already because the team has gone 4-10 in May and 18-20 overall on the season.
This is what I say to them:
This is basically the same team that had a 14-9 record in April.  This team is capable of doing that again at anytime even without Carlos Beltran.

Speaking of Beltran, when he finally does get back, the Mets become a much better team.  Those who disagree that a team can benefit from the addition of one player can look at the example of Ike Davis; the Mets won 8 straight game after his call-up much accredited to the bat and glove of Ike himself.  Beltran gives the Mets an actual #3 hitter, great center fielder, and a smart baseball player.  But for now, he is injured and we are forced to play Angel Pagan in center. (Which isn't terrible... imagine if Gary Matthews Jr. was our CF... I shiver at the thought)

Along with Beltran's injury there have been a few others, which happens over the course of a 162 game schedule (plus spring training and post-season games).

There have also been bad starts by pitchers, which also happens over the course of a season.
I'm not saying that Ollie Perez was just a victim of a a few bad starts, because there is something clearly wrong with him; whether it mental or physical, I have no idea, but there is something very wrong.  Although he may not show it now, Ollie is capable of being a very good pitcher.  I remember in '07 and '08 when Ollie used to have 6 to 8 starts where he would look like an ace, 10-12 looking like a #3 or #4 starter, and the rest made it look like he was throwing soft toss.  Everyone wishes they could see that Ollie again...

John Maine on the other hand, seems much more likely to turn it around.  He has the stuff to be good, but he needs to pick up the velocity and just let it go.  It seems like he's holding back when he pitches, and tries not to injure himself.  And that is something you just can't do, you can't pitch scared.  But once he gets past the injury in his mind, he will get back to being the pitcher that he once was.

The Mets will find a way to replace Ollie Perez (for probably the rest of the year) and Jon Niese (most likely for only one or two starts).  But I hope that way will be Dillon Gee getting called up and Takahashi starting for them.  But from a long term stand point what happens after Niese comes back? do the Mets option Gee back to Buffalo?  What about Raul Valdes or Jenrry Mejia?
We will all find out in time, but for now, we Mets fans must stay patient and quit over-reacting over a few losses!

Can Dillon Gee soon be replacing John Maine?

The 24 year old right hander Dillon Gee was selected in the 21st round of the 2007 draft and has been fantastic in his two AAA starts going 13 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, and 12 strikeouts.

One must assume if Gee's success continues at the AAA level, John Maine's job is in trouble. I would throw Maine in the bullpen and send Mejia back down. John Maine's career as a Met is over and I'm not sure if there's anybody on his side to bring him back for another year. I know it's only been two starts for Maine but with a team in last place coming off a miserable year, things have to change because they are clearly just not working.

And I know it's only been two starts for Gee too. People can argue that he's always hurt and never healthy, but so is Maine and so is the majority of the team.

I think the team should try to add Maine in a trade package at the trade deadline or before. I'm not sure who would take him, but if he's added in the right package I don't know who wouldn't. Let's hope because Maine is really giving Mets fans nothing to root for.

Who would replace Maine?

John Maine has been doing awful, no getting around that. If he's plunked from the rotation, who would take his place? We clearly didn't think about this before Opening Day, you know, if our starters weren't going to pan out to what everyone was raving about in spring training (because the previous years weren't clear enough). So, my question is, who would replace John Maine is he bombs his next start?

My first thought would be Jenrry Mejia, as if everyone's probably. If they wanted him up in the MLB bullpen, what's stopping them from wanting him in their starting rotation? If they're this high on him and eventually see him as a dominating starter, why not throw him in to the rotation? They'll say he's not ready, but is he really ready to be in the bullpen?

I can obviously scratch off Fernando Nieve for the starters role. Jerry's frequent usage for him late in games, and Nieve being effective, makes me wonder if he'll ever see another start as a Met again. I think if he can lock up the 8th inning and maybe Igarashi can lock up the 7th inning, our starters would only have to go 5 or 6 innings and that helps. But is 5 or 6 innings of giving up a reasonable amount of runs too much to ask of Ollie these days?

I think the next plausible choice would to give Hisanori Takahashi a go. He was fabulous in spring trainging when he started and Manuel might take that into consideration. Though much of the off season was to get a second lefty in the bullpen, I'm not sure if he'd pluck Takahashi as a pen lefty to stick him in the rotation but could easily just be a short term solution.

Maybe give Raul Valdes the nod? He's been talked about a lot and his name has been going around so maybe Manuel will give him the start. He's been highly effective in the bullpen, pitched 5 innings of 3 hit ball, giving up no earned runs and striking out 7. I'm not sure if Manuel wants to tamper with the rhythmn he has being effective in the bullpen, but that's his decision.

Let's not forget about Bobby Parnell, though. Sure, he wasn't sharp when he had a few starts in the 2009 season, but he's over his first season woes and has been fine tuning his splitter in the minors. Why can't Parnell be a starter? Yes, he was good in the bullpen with that fastball that lingers in the upper 90s but if he can improve his secondary offerings and harness a nice splitter, then age is on his side compared to the other contenders for Maine's spot if he loses it soon.

With the bullpen being completely lights out so far, I find it hard to believe Jerry will yank one of those guys without looking at other options. Due to a dominant bullpen early on in the season, maybe Mejia will be sent down to the minors or maybe stick him in the rotation (!). Maybe they'd bring in a free agent (Pedro???) or maybe just leave Maine in there and watch him embarrass himself every fifth day.

Time will tell. What are your thoughts?

Are Mets fan (and fans in general) too quick to call for the head?

Many fans, after a slow start of a team or player, become anxious about them.  This is a very very common occurrence, no matter the team or the player.  For example, as another blogger, Old Backstop made some interesting points about Fernando Tatis, the Mets' part time first baseman/utility man that I would like the point out:
Tatis is really with the Mets to be a pitch hitter/utility man who can make spot starts at first for Daniel Murphy.  He was never expected to be an all-star hitter, he was never expected to start more than maybe 30 games last season, ditto for this season.

People are saying that Bay should have been signed because he got off to a bad start.  Bad starts happen!
Same with Mike Jacobs, but he hit a home run today.  Although it may have come when they were 5 runs behind, it is a sign of good things to come.
I know the Mets have gone 2-4 to begin the season, and that they lost 2 of 3 to the Nats and Marlins, but it's the very beginning of the season, things change, players and coaches learn, players have bad days (like Johan did today).  Right now, things can only get better.  You can't expect everything to work at the start of the season; there is no way that will happen!

In the big picture, Beltran will come back in May, Murphy will come back soon, and Reyes has already come back.  These things will help the team get better.

To all Mets fans:  The Mets may have had a horrible year last year, but let things play out a bit.  It is a new season, game 2 of the Marlins series showed that.  They may not have won, but they showed fight.  They came back from a 6-0 deficit in the 7th inning to tie it in the bottom on they could win any game 8th.  They lost in extras, but this is a good start.  It reminded me of the '06 Mets; they had a chance to win any game they played, and they would fight when they were behind.  Last year, you may remember that when the Mets were down by more than 2 runs, it seemed like the game was over already.  That is not the case this year.  The Mets will have a chance to win any game at any time.  Look at it this way, the Mets have had 3 let down/unlucky seasons in a row, the ball is bound to bounce their way this year!

Our pitching thus far

So after 4 starts from our pitchers, three of them have been good. Santana threw a gem, Maine struggled, Niese threw good and Pelfrey threw great. This is great to see after such questions in the off season about the rotation.

Maine didn't look good out there, but we'll chalk it up to his first start and wait for the second to assess it. Really nothing else to say.

Niese had a great outing for his first start after surgery posting 3 ERs in 6 IP. People are saying he's going to be the most consistent pitcher behind Santana and I'd love to see him step up to that. Barajas speaks big of him and even compares his stuff to Cliff Lee (not as good as Lee's, but similar, etc.) The Marlin hitters apparently reacted to Niese's cutter positively after the game after being questioned about it.

Pelfrey threw great and his splitter just fell off the table to the Nationals. That pitch is fantastic and its great he has mastered it in a short amount of time. Though his control seemed off at times, he can definitely throw that for swings and misses.

Now the big moment is Oliver Perez. People were raving about Ollie in Spring Training, how he's throwing gas and being extremely effective but then he collapsed come game time. I'm curious about how this will play out if he's not effective...

If Santana, Pelfrey, and Niese are all effective and consistent, we can't just allow Maine and Perez to get rocked each outing. If 3/5 pitchers are working in a groove, those 2 other pitchers are going to get us loses and put us back in the division because if we keep the offense like what Franceour has been doing and what our bullpen has been doing, we're poised for a big year.

Spring Training update #1

The Mets as a team are now 6-2 outscoring their opponents 44-20. They seem to have great chemistry and work well together. They seem to be confident about this team and I don't know why we shouldn't either. Anything compared to last year will be progress. Sure, I'd love to win the NL East and make it deep into the playoffs. If we win the Wild Card and make it to the first round of the playoffs then I'd be content.

No one sees this team winning a World Series flat out this year. We're not the Red Sox, we're not the Yankees, and we're not the Phillies. I'd say, if everything goes right, we'd be a playoff team through the Wild Card. If we make these small steps forward in 2010, then 2011 could possibly be a success. By the way Spring Training is going, we have a very bright future ahead of us in Jenrry Mejia, Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Josh Thole, and Jon Niese (even though Mejia has stolen all the spotlight). Mejia is baffling batters and is perfect through 5.1 IP, F-Mart is hitting for power, Davis and Thole are red hot, and Niese (in my opinion) definitely penciled himself in for the 5th starter role after his last outing.

By the looks of everything, 2011 looks something like:

C Josh Thole

1B Ike Davis

2B Luis Castillo

SS Jose Reyes

3B David Wright

LF Jason Bay

CF Carlos Beltran

RF Fernando Martinez

1. Johan Santana

2. Mike Pelfrey

3. Jon Niese

4. Oliver Perez

5. Jenrry Mejia

As much as I love Jeff Francoeur, I see Mets management favoring Fernando Martinez over him for the RF job in 2011. What happens to Francoeur I do not know, but I wish we'd still have a spot for him.

Mejia is scheduled to pitch four innings in his next outing, clearly still being groomed as a starting pitcher (thank god).

The New Ollie Unveiling

Thanks to MetsBlog, today's lineup versus the Nationals is:

1. Gary Matthews Jr.

2. Luis Castillo

3. David Wright

4. Jason Bay

5. Daniel Murphy

6. Jeff Francoeur

7. Alex Cora

8. Omir Santos

9. Oliver Perez

I'm actually pretty excited to see Oliver Perez pitch. After all the hype given to us thus far from people who've seen him pitch, I'm curious and anxious to see it happen.

This is my first Spring Training game that I'm watching, so I hope I get to see a lot of people, such as Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Fernando Martinez, Jenrry Mejia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and others though I don't know how likely it is.

Scheduled to make pitching appearances is LHP Pat Misch and RHPs Hisanori Takahashi, Jack Egbert, Clint Everts, and Tobi Stoner.

Game time is at 1 PM on WPIX. Let's go Mets!

Mejia is a Stud

Jenrry Mejia bedazzled batters and wowed people who watched him pitch against the Marlins. He was absolutely electric. So, now that we see what he's capable of, what do we do with him next? Do we stick him in the pen? Do we make him our 8th inning guy? Do we send him back to the minors?

The answer is the last one. It would be so exciting to see Mejia in the bigs this year. It's such a tease to watch him pitch in these

Spring Training games and dominate the opposing batters, but he really needs to develop his secondary offerings and gain more experience. Even though he made fools of the batters that faced him, his command was off, which happens to be his flaw.

I'm all for the Mets giving Mejia MLB time, but do it slowly. I think he should be given a few spot starts during the year, then call him up in September. I think where he is now, with a good chunk of time in the minors this season, he'd be the favorite to win a rotation spot in 2011. His stuff is completely filthy and I'd love to see what he can do during a full major league game.

It's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen to Mejia after Spring Training. I really don't think he should break camp this spring, I can totally see him collapse when we try and have him convert from the reliever we made him this season to a starter we'd make him in 2011. It screams Joba Chamberlain all over it.

Even if this happens, he will gain a lot of positive media and notoriety as (by the looks of it) a shut-down set-up man. Is this a good thing?

2011 Looks Bright

Spring Training is upon us and some new faces have reassured us that our future at certain position voids might be filled as of 2011.

1B prospect Ike Davis continues to impress at Spring Training. He continues to turn heads and gain notoriety as the days go on. He'll likely start the year as the starting 1B in AAA with a September call up. Starting 2011, he'll more than likely become the starting first baseman. He's got raw power and being only 22 years old can only improve.

C prospect Josh Thole has also impressed people with his brief MLB debut last season. In 53 trips to the plate, he batted .321 with 9 RBIs. Though his only flaw is his below average defense behind the plate, he's only 23 years old and with a solid season as the starting catcher in AAA, he could be the starting catcher in 2011.

RHP Jenrry Mejia has been referred to as the next Felix Hernandez by some, and Mariano Rivera by others. He is a true stud and has been labeled as either being a dominant starter or a shut-down closer. To be honest, I'm all about grooming this kid to be a starting pitcher. Starting pitchers have always been difficult to come by for the New York Mets, and with this 20 year old kid destined to be our #1 ace of the future, its hard to turn that in for his talent to be wasted as a closer. His pitches have ridiculous movement and if he commands his pitches better and really works on the consistency of his delivery, he could very well be fighting for the #5 spot this time next year. In the meantime, I'm sure he'll get a call-up in September or maybe even a spot start earlier than that.

Possible 2011 lineup: (for humor purposes I left Castillo at second. Who knows who will be playing 2B at that point)

Reyes

Castillo

Wright

Beltran

Bay

Thole

Davis

Francoeur

That is a great lineup right there. If Thole and Davis continue to hit, which they will, we will have such depth as the Yankees or the Phillies with dangerous hitters in mostly all the slots.

Possible 2011 rotation:

Santana

Pelfrey

Niese

Perez

Mejia

Johan will be around 32 in 2011 and obviously won't be as sharp as he used to, though still the staff ace. Everyone below him needs to know that when he's eventually gone, someone needs to fill that void.

I think this season Pelfrey will find his groove and settle in as a good #2, though I don't know if he can fill the ace role when Santana is gone. With better defense behind him and more experience at the MLB level, I think this year will be a breakout year for Mike.

I think Niese will win the 5th rotation spot this spring and flourish. I think he'll establish himself with a positive rookie season and etching himself to fill the #3 spot in 2011. Will he fill Johan's void, probably not but he'll be a great #3.

I think Perez' history makes him unable to fill the ace role. Everyone says he looks fantastic this year in Spring Training, though who knows how long that can last.

And then there's Mejia. I think he's easily the favorite to win a rotation spot in 2011 being an organizational favorite. If he fine tunes his delivery and command with a full year in the minors, I think he'll be our #5 in 2011 then maybe our #2 in 2012 and possibly our #1 in 2013. Jenrry Mejia has the most upside out of anyone on this list and I expect him to deliver.

So, now that 2011 looks bright, I hope 2010 isn't a drag.

Eric Niesen K Reel

I found this video on youtube. It's a K Reel from Mets prospect Eric Niesen, who has been invited to Spring Training.

The Mets drafted Niesen in the 3rd round (99th overall) in the 2007 draft. As a reliever, his fastball touches the mid-90s. His slider is decent, and his changeup is below average. He is a small lefty and will be auditioning to become a left handed specialist in the bullpen or possibly even the left long man.

From this video, Niesen has some pretty nasty stuff. His fastball has some very nice tail action and his breaking ball looks wicked. Should he harness these, he'd be a nice addition to the bullpen.

We'll see how Niesen does in Spring Training. I'm not sure if he'll make the team, he didn't do so hot last season. He split time between A+ and AA, and the results were also split. He found his rhythm in A+ where he posted a 3.28 ERA giving up 57 hits, 21 earned runs, 49 strikeouts and only 5 homeruns in 57 innings of work. Now when he was bumped up to AA, he posted a 4.66 ERA giving up 75 hits, 43 earned runs, 6 homeruns, and 85 strikeouts in 83 innings. His strikeout rate grew when pushed into AA, but he didn't fair well against the batters. His combined A+ and AA ERA for 2009 was 4.09.

I think Niesen will start 2010 in A+ where he found his groove. I really don't see him making the team but who knows, maybe I'll be wrong.

Johan on Pelfrey's bright future

John Harper of the Daily News talks to Johan Santana who gives his feelings about the pitching staff behind him, Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez. It's a very optimistic view and gives some insight on how excited and confident he is for the 2010 season.

On Pelfrey, he says:

"He's got the stuff to be great. Man, if I had his stuff, oh, my God. That sinker that he throws at 95 [mph], it's unbelievable. It's a matter of consistency and being more mature, and I really believe he;s a more mature pitcher after feeling like he had to step in for me (late) last season."

I love this. Johan Santana, the ace of staff and two time Cy Young winner, is jealous of Mike Pelfrey's stuff. This says a lot for the kid and a lot about the mentality this team has. If Santana thinks Pelfrey "can be great," then I'm pretty sure he has a lot more insight on pitchers and what they'll develop into than any of us.

A lot of people are extremely rough on Pelfrey and I don't know why. Sure, I was frustrated with him last season but I think it should go unnoticed due to everything that happened. The team's core player and even back up player flat out collapsed. How could anyone succeed with such a blemish? With all the papers writing about it, news, etc. Hell, Sports Center even had their very own Not Top 10 just for the 2009 Mets. How could people tune that out and not let it get to their heads?

Santana also labels Perez as "hungry" and Maine "pain-free." The players seem very excited about this season, so why shouldn't we? It's so repetitive on twitter and these sites saying how this season is going to be such a waste and Omar sucks and I can't wait until 2011. You're hating on the team now but if we win or go deep you're going to praise them. Let's just start baseball and quit complaining. We have so many key players to win us a championship, so let's do it.

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Interesting Reads: Wellemeyer, 2010 opener, Race

Silvestricles of Caught Lookin' gives his opinion on Todd Wellemeyer.

Eli from Mets Underground predicts what the Mets 2010 opener will look like.

Tom Pich of MetsGuide writes a great article about race and how it shouldn't matter in baseball.

I have to agree with you, Tom. The argument that "the Mets only have one black player," who is newly acquired Gary Matthews Jr., is ridiculous. Why should a team sign a player because of his race? A player is signed so he can impact the team in a positive way, not just because they need another black player or another Latino player.

This Is Truly Rediculous

According to Metsblog.com, J.J. Putz never underwent a physical before being traded to the Mets.

Wow. Now that is ridiculous. How did this even happen? Why in the world would you not preform a physical on this big money guy and on trade of that magnitude?

In the a statement issued by the Mets they say: "In our review of the player’s medical records in the acquisition of J.J. Putz, we were aware that he had a bone spur before the trade." After "an additional exam and MRI" Putz was allowed to play in the WBC.

Didn't the Mets think of the possibility that the bone spur would flare up later in the season? And it did.

This should be the last straw for Omar Minaya and/or the Mets medical staff. But sadly it's not going to be, because it is the Wilpons' fault. It is doubtful that they will fire Omar, or find anyone who would replace him for that matter. It upsets all fans of the Mets that the management keeps getting beat down after beat down, but the management deserves it. They don't know how to properly run a Major League Baseball team. The Mets built a great new stadium, signed a great hitter in Jason Bay, have a great core of players, but don't know how to follow a plan.

Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel said that they wanted to build the team around pitching, speed, and defense. The only moves that support this are Henry Blanco, a very good defensive catcher, and Gray Matthews Jr. who is also a very good fielder and has some speed (94 career steals).

Ok, you could say that Ryota Igarashi qualifies for this plan, but he is a reliever. The Mets need starters and have signed only Josh Fogg, R.A. Dickey (faint reminder of Tim Redding, how sad...), and Kelvim Escobar, when Lackey, Sheets, Wolf, Duchscherer, and etc. were still available! How did this happen?

The Mets' management is dysfunctional. It is obvious, but it needs to said, this management needs a complete overhaul! New Owners, new GM, new manager, new everything! The only thing that should be left by the end are the core (Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Bay, Santana, and K-Rod) and a few complementary pieces (i.e. Francoeur, Maine, Parnell, maybe Feliciano?).

Yes, I am calling for it. I'm calling for an overhaul. It is about time, because this is truly ridiculous.

Poll: Most successful pair in 2010

Who is going to be the most successful pair in 2010?

• P Santana/Pelfrey
• 1B Tatis/Murphy
• OF Franceour/Matthews Jr.
• P Parnell/K-Rod
• C Santos/Blanco

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Parnell's story

Bret Strelow of the Salisbury Post wrote this article on Bobby Parnell and his college baseball attitude and time as a corner infielder.

I like Parnell a lot. He was a very effective reliever and showed that he can hold his own in a couple of his starts (even though the rest were forgetful). After JJ Putz flopped, he was penciled in as the set-up man and showed he can be effective late into games. He has a great fastball that has the ability to dial up to 100 MPH, but I feel he needs to work on his second offerings. If he has a great changeup to go with that great fastball he could be lights-out with some more training.

Parnell had a great full first season and I look forward to watching what he can offer in 2010 after he has some great MLB experience. In Spring Training he'll fight for the set-up role along with Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar.

Why John Smoltz Might Make Sense

The Mets did absolutely nothing to address their starting pitching needs this offseason and left themselves with no other options besides internal help (Nieve, Niese) or 43 year-old Johnathan Andrew Smoltz. Granted there are other options available but they would most likely help as much as you or I would.

You might say, 43 years-old, no way.
You might say a former Braves legend, no thank you
You might say after Tom Glavine, nah.

I say...why not?
What do we have to lose? He won't be here very long, he's 43. That would give the young guys more time to develop. He may have had a bad season...but the guy knows how to pitch, and he just does not walk people. Plus, he can't be much worse than Tim Redding, right? I wouldn't mind giving Smoltz a one year, incentive laden contract to try to fill the 5th starter hole. With this rotation he could probably even fit in as a 2nd if he performs well enough (step it up, Big-Pelf). He could be a mentor to not only the young guys in the rotation, but to the guys in the bullpen. Smoltz has 154 saves and was one of the most dominant closers in baseball. Who wouldn't love to have a potential hall of famer around. Plus, it would piss of Braves fans...and I love that.

If you can get anything out of this post its this: John Smoltz can not be as bad as Tim Redding.

Omar's Plan

So, Omar obviously has a plan. He knows what scrutiny he's under coming off these last few seasons, so just because these pitchers seem to be drifting away, there is obviously a reason.

I remember what Omar said when everyone mid-09 wanted to know what he's going to do with the core players that are hurt and who he is trying to bring it. He responded that he's not going to acquire a short stop because he's not going to get one as good as Reyes is. I believe that that thinking is being transferred over to this offseason's pitching.

Omar has some serious confidence in Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Oliver Perez. If he feels that they're going to be on in 2010, he's not going to bring in a starter who he feels will be worse than what he has.

Everyone is saying that Omar is letting all these free agents slip away. That is probably not the case. Omar clearly is working on a trade to bring over a pitcher to further strengthen our rotation. He would've obviously not allowed Sheets to slip if he didn't have a plan. Lackey slipped, but nobody saw the Sox stepping in. Everyone else didn't really catch our attention. Come on... Joel Pineiro? Jon Garland? Why spend money on Garland, who gives you a 4 ERA guaranteed, when its possible Pelfrey, Maine and Perez might give you more? Everyone wanted to take a shot on Sheets, who is also a gamble, so why not gamble on your three young pitchers?

Mostly everybody wanted Sheets. Sure, he can be electric but he is also a gamble. If you think about it, so are Pelfrey, Maine and Perez. He clearly doesn't wanna spend money on lightning in a bottle when he has three young pitchers who can be those guys. We all know that when Pelfrey, Maine and Perez are on, they're ON. Instead of spending $10 mil on a pitcher who could be dominant, he's relying on those who are in the rotation who could be dominate as well.

In regard to Lackey, he let that one slip. He all know we had no shot at Halladay, as well. No Mets fan wanted Pineiro, so we can't complain about that. The only pitcher left that is worth the money is Chien-Ming Wang.

Wang could be a great top of the rotation starter that we're looking for and I think Omar should seriously consider his talent in the Mets rotation. This might be our last hope for signing a free agent top-tier pitcher.

The Mets Have Issues.

Hello, everyone. This is my first post since joining the CheMETSry team. You may know me from Twitter as @PessimisticMet. At CheMetsry, not only are we diehard Mets fans, but we also all are Jets enthusiasts. Watching the Jets has only re-affirmed my deeply rooted Mets pessimism. By watching the Jets remarkable play-off run, I realized: this team is not only youthful, but they have a distinct plan for the future and have executed that plan. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the complete lack of direction of the Mets for the future, and also the present.

In light of the recent awful handling of the Beltran situation, it had me thinking: Who are the New York Mets? What is our identity? And more importantly what do we hope to accomplish in the future?

I look at this roster and my pessimism is reaffirmed. I just have little confidence going forward into this season. I will give you my qualms and issues about this team. Will the doubts I share be a little exaggerated—maybe. However my aim is to shed some light on the issues facing this team.

The Age Factor: Folks, the Mets are not getting any younger. David Wright and Jose Reyes are no longer their former 22 year-old selves. Now, at 28 and 27, they are by no means old. However they have entered the beginning of their “prime” years. Jose must prove that he can string together a couple of years without missing a lot of game time. We all know he has the talent but he should be able to do more. Wright has been great, but with the disappointment that was last year, it’s time for him to get back into MVP form. Can they return to their former MVP form? Can they stay healthy? Can Wright find a stylish way to pull off his Martian helmet?

Luis Castillo is an eye-popping 35 years old. The single hitting champion has lost multiple steps that have not only affected his speed, but his range defensively. It also doesn’t help when he can’t catch routine pop-ups to end games against your cross-town rival. It’s time the Mets get rid of Castillo. Did he have a good season last year? Well, yeah. But at 35, a guy who relies so heavily on his speed for his slap hitting approach will continue to lose speed. He is sub-par defensively and its time we got a fresher set of legs out there whose career slugging percentage is actually above .340. Let me put something into perspective for you. Luis Castillo had 12 doubles last year. 12. Orlando Hudson had triple the amount. Can Luis Castillo play like he did last year? Maybe, but I just don’t see it happening. Adam Kennedy is available…all I’m saying.

It’s time we realize that the injury to Carlos Beltran might keep him out of many games this year. As CheMETSry reported earlier, Beltran’s injury is potentially career threatening. At 33 years of age Beltran is no longer a kid…the end is potentially near. When Carlos is healthy he is an elite centerfielder—no questions asked. A gold glover who can hit 40 home runs and is the most successful base stealer in MLB HISTORY…what more can you ask for. It pains me to say it, but those days might be behind him. If this injury keeps him out this year Pagan may have to take on a role that could prove to be too big for him. Gary Matthews is also not a solution. Perhaps the tandem of them both could be effective. However, both of them combined will be nowhere near close to a healthy Carlos Beltran: not close at all. That worries me.

Here’s something that concerns me deeply. Mets fans/bloggers were very torn up about acquiring a power bat this offseason, and I mean Bay is certainly a power bat. However, with the loss of Beltran (who I believe will miss a significant amount of time) and the inability to get Molina (who I believe would’ve added some much needed pop to the order) is Bay enough? NO! Pagan, though I admire him as a player, is not Carlos Beltran, and Santos is NOT Bengie Molina. Just because you have 4 catchers doesn’t mean they are all going to produce. IF Beltran is out for a long time that makes the Daniel Murphy situation a whole lot more interesting. If we lose that power from center field, Beltran’s replacement, Santos/Blanco/Thole/Coste, and Murphy most likely will not make up for it.

Jason Bay is 32, getting older by the minute…but consistent. I will not judge him until I see him play. Looks like a solid pick-up…I question his defensive capabilities and his speed…but let’s let him play first.

Did you know Franouer is 26? Him, Murphy, and Santos are all relatively young. I love Francouer’s grit, attitude, and defense. What I don’t love is his OBP. Murphy has potential…but I just don’t know who he is. Is he a platoon player, or is he a legitimate major league first baseman? We’ll have to wait and see on him but I am not very convinced he can hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 RBI.

Where are the Mets going? I really can’t tell you. But for now we look like a team that has no backbone, no fire and really looks like they don’t want to win. We continue to seek out short-term stopgaps and continually overpay for them.

The pitching rotation is a complete mess. Johan Santana is worth every penny. I will give the Mets credit, that was one of the best trades I have ever seen. Besides him there are some serious issues. Mike Pelfrey is not a number 2 starter and should not be. It’s not a knock on him as a person, he’s just not a legitimate number two starter on a potential “play-off caliber” team. A 3.72 ERA was promising two years ago, a 5.03 this year was not. Maine has showed a lot of promise. Stay healthy. Perez, a guy who I should be the most pessimistic about, is actually the guy I am most hopeful for. This guy could be a dominant pitcher. His stuff, when on, is absolutely nasty and borderline unhittable. If his workouts are going well and he can limit his wildness and walks—watch out. I hope he can pull it together, and for the millions he’s receiving…he better.

This is the worst feeling I’ve ever had going into a season. Let’s see how it goes.

Fu-Te Ni?

According to Big Al of MLB Secrets, the Tigers may be willing to trade a left handed reliever. Should the Mets be interested in Fu-Te Ni? In 2009, he had a 2.61 ERA in 31 IP. He gave up 20 hits, 9 earned runs and 21 Ks. He is 27 years old and even though he has a wide, sweeping 74 mph slider, his fastball is at the pedestrian 86-88 mph range.

The Mets need another lefty in the bullpen. I'm not sure what their plan is though. If we sign Ben Sheets, then I would assume either Jon Niese or Oliver Perez would be sent to the bullpen, both being LHP. I personally would rather Perez in the bullpen. He has a nice K/9 rate that would be very helpful.

Should we have interest in LHP Fu-Te Ni?

Surprise! Mets get Gary Matthews Jr.!

According to ESPN Los Angeles.com, the trade goes as following:
Gary Matthews Jr. to the Mets for Brian Stokes, and the Angels pay 21.5 million of 23 million left on his contract.

My first thought: "wait, what?"
My second thought: "what a deal!"
My third thought: "oh wait, Brian Stokes... isn't he the guy who had a decent year last year, and was one of the Mets better relievers?"
Ok, that last one wasn't the exact thought, but Stokes did have the 3rd best ERA in the bullpen last year, behind K-Rod and Feliciano.

Obviously this was Omar trying to find a replacement for Beltran to start the season. I completely support that, he is a very good fielder, but an average hitter. The only problem is that the Mets have him for two years, so what do they do with him once Beltran gets back from the DL? Bench him? Trade him? Platoon him with Francoeur in right?? Put him in right and trade Frenchy?

Well, if Jerry Manuel (if he's still the manager by then) benches him he will be more upset with the Mets than he was with the Angels, I guarantee that!

If Omar Minaya trades him, we get some value in return, maybe a pitcher or second baseman? His value could go up if he does well. But if Omar does trade him, he shouldn't trade him until after Interleague play, because that way the Mets would have Bay at DH and GMJ in left.
Platoon him with Frenchy? What purpose does that serve? You tell me.

Trade Francoeur? Why trade a guy who has become a leader of your team when there are no other outspoken leaders on the team?

This may seem like a bit of a head scratcher because there are still options on the free agent market, such as Rocco Baldelli, Ryan Freel, Reed Johnson, but there aren't such great options, are they?

This is a very interesting trade, it makes me wonder what else Omar has up his sleeve. Is there a Ben Sheets signing in the Mets future? How long is Beltran REALLY going to be out? What happens to Luis Castillo? Does David Wright bounce back from the power outage of last year?

All of those questions will be answered in due time.
One question has been answered: "Who is going to be in center field while Beltran is out?" The answer: Gary Matthews Jr.

2 extra bits about GMJ:
1. Matthews is being paid a half a million dollars for being traded.
2. Matthews played in 2 games for the Mets (1 at-bat) in 2002, before being traded to the Orioles on April 3rd of that year.

A look at a strong rotation

The Mets' lack of a strong rotation got me thinking about another teams rotation, the Boston Red Sox. Their rotation sits currently at Beckett-Lester-Lackey-Buchholz-Matsuzaka. That is one hell of a rotation.

To have John Lackey sit at your 3 spot is unheard of. Buchholz was fantastic in 2009. He has #2 potential and he's at the 4 spot now. And a healthy DiceK is the best #5 anywhere.

Compared to the Mets? I'd take Santana over Beckett any day. I'd take Lester over Pelfrey now, but when Pelfrey improves then who knows. The rest are pretty clear cut... Lackey over Maine, Buchholz over Perez, DiceK over Niese or whoever will fill that fifth spot.

Sure, the Sox lost a bat in Bay but I'd rather have a strong rotation over a strong outfield. If the Mets add Sheets, which, after his audition went great, I think they really should, they could have a very powerful 1-2 punch with a possible great 1-2-3 if Pelfrey bounces back.

Sheets will tie the rotation together. Pelfrey will bounce back, Maine feels good, and Perez has been a workhouse this offseason fine tuning everything. Santana, a healthy Sheets, a bounce back Pelfrey, a healthy Maine and a sane Perez can be a great rotation. That could give us the depth in our rotation that the Red Sox have, its just the Red Sox rotation are basically all sure-things in which you basically know what to expect out of all of them. With the Mets, there will always be plenty of question marks.

Centerfield April/May

Now that Beltran will be out for April and probably most of May, who will patrol center in his absence? The obvious would be Angel Pagan. He has a career average of .281 and a .306 batting average in a full season with the Mets in 2009 with a .350 OBP.

My question is why not have a platoon with Fernando Martinez? He got his feet wet last season and although it wasn't the prettiest of sights, this kid needs to get some playing time if he'll ever live up to his super-prospect status. We all know Angel Pagan can play, we learned that from last season. So, honestly, why should the Mets care for him over their prized minor league talent?

F-Mart still has a lot of prove, including his health. This is a great time for Fernando to get a feel for the bigs and what he's made of. He's made some pretty good catches defensively last season, so he did show promise.

Why sign someone to play centerfield when Beltran (hopefully) will be back at the end of May? Give Fernando some playing time in a platoon with Pagan to give him some more major league experience. Who knows... maybe he'll surprise us.

Would you want Fernando Martinez to patrol CF with Pagan before Beltran gets back?

• Yes, I like that platoon.
• No, have someone else platoon with Pagan.
• No, sign an outside CF.

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Big Beltran News

In wake of yesterday's announcement about Carlos Beltran, I contacted sources that I have at the Hospital of Special Surgery in Manhattan. According to this source, Carlos' injury is career threatening and the Mets have known this for some time. The source went on to say that Carlos currently has very little cartilage left in his knee. Because of this lack of cartilage, the source says that he will never be able to play without pain again. This pain will severely limit his performance as a baseball player. This may be why the Mets are exploring the option on whether or not they should terminate the rest of the two years left on his contract.

Mets Poll: Future All-Star

Which of these young players will one day become an All-Star?

• Mike Pelfrey
• Jenrry Mejia
• Brad Holt
• Ike Davis
• Josh Thole
• Wilmer Flores
• Fernando Martinez

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Hudson > Castillo

There has been a lot of talks this offseason about the Mets' second baseman. There have been a lot of ideas thrown around and a lot of suggestions on what to do with that position. The idea that I most agree with that I don't think ownership will agree with is to sign Orlando Hudson and bench Luis Castillo.

This is a great idea. If we get Hudson, we would have a superb defense and offense. Now I don't know how they would like the fact of eating Castillo's contract on the bench, but I think it should be done. From what I've heard, Castillo is a downer in the clubhouse and Hudson is very positive. Plus, Hudson can produce offense along with his great defense.

Castillo has been an eye sore to the Mets for some time, and there needs to be a change. How would you not sell more tickets if ownership listens to you, the fan, and upgrade second base? This would be a smart idea for both on and off the field. The signing would bring new blood and a new face to the infield where he will be loved by us Mets fans instead of hated like Castillo.

Reyes-Hudson-Wright-Beltran-Bay-Francoeur-Murphy-Molina is a crazy lineup that gives us great depth. If I were Omar, I would definitely sign Hudson and bench Castillo. Castillo would be pissed and ask to be traded and Omar will tell me that he tried the entire offseason to trade him, so good luck.

I think I can speak for every Mets fan out there, Castillo needs to leave New York.

Interesting Reads: Molina, Marlins, PEDs

Tom Pich of MetsGuide says Molina could sign with the Mets within days.

Harris of Baseball From a Teen's Perspective wants to know what the hell is going on with the Marlins' payroll.

Silvestricles of Caught Lookin' writes about Molina and his now lower demands.

Eduardo Perez of Mets Underground writes about the baseball media and "misremembering" PED use.

Stop complaining about Pineiro

Okay, so I know Joel Pineiro isn't our first choice for offseason pitching but I'm not sure why everyone is freaking out over him. Sure, he had a career year last year and might not produce nearly as well next season but he is not an awful pitcher. Everyone is saying that he won't be as effective as he was last season. Okay, let's say he isn't as effective... then he'd pitch just as Jon Garland or Jason Marquis would've pitched. If he does produce, he'll give us strength in our rotation. It's basically a win-win...

A lot of people are saying they'd want Jon Garland over Pineiro, and were saying the same about Marquis. The thing is, they all have the same ERA which is around the 4.40s. Pineiro, a ground-ball pitcher at Citi Field, with a defense of Wright, Reyes, Bay, Beltran, Francoeur, and maybe even Hudson, can be very good. Plus, I think he has the most upside out of Garland and Marquis coming off a career year.

Yes, Dave Duncan was a factor in his success. But Dave Duncan did not pitch 214 innings. Dave Duncan did not win 15 games. Dave Duncan did not earn a 3.49 ERA. And Dave Duncan did not give up just 11 homeruns. Pineiro did. Pineiro will be fine in Citi Field and be sturdy.

Interesting Reads: Pineiro, F-Mart, McGwire, Sheets

Jeff S. of Mets Merized takes a look at Joel Pineiro.

Joseph Pascullo of the Queens Courier wonders if F-Mart should stay or go.

Eli from Mets Underground takes a look at Toy Story 3, the third part of the greatest series ever created (not really, but still).

Harris from Baseball From a Teen's Perspective looks at Mark McGwire and his career.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says the Cubs are eyeing Ben Sheets.

Should the Mets step in on Sheets? I want him, but I also don't. If he's healthy, he can be lethal. I just don't know if I'd want to bring in an injury prone player after what happened last year. Call me superstitious, I just don't want that domino effect to happen again.

Mike Pelfrey and 2010

I think everyone can agree that 2009 wasn't a good year for anyone. Pelfrey was the last starter standing by the season's conclusion, which was a forgettable one for Mr. Pelfrey and what was supposed to be a dominate season.

Pelfrey did fantastic in 2008 when he posted a 3.72 ERA. He was supposed to step forward in 2009 but with the catastrophe that went on, people say he actually went two steps backwards. I don't believe this at all as I believe 2009 was a major fluke. Plenty of things went wrong with last season and I think Pelfrey was a victim of it.

The team's defense could've been a big part of his down season. Also, his anxiety was probably in full-force due to his team deteriorating around him game by game or even inning by inning. I think that in 2010, with a healthy Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and the rest of the team including Wright, Bay, and Francoeur, he can finally take the next step forward that was meant for 2009.

If it were up to me, I'd pass on Pineiro and add Jon Garland as our #4 starter. I'd take a chance and actually keep Pelfrey in the #2 slot and I know a lot of people would argue that. Sure, I'd love Ben Sheets but with the question marks we already have with John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Jon Niese, I'm not sure if we can afford another one. If we got Sheets I'd be pretty happy, but I'm not sure if Omar is going to go through with it.

If Pelfrey can finally take the step forward from his 3.72 ERA in 2008, he can be the #2 starter we're looking for that isn't in the market right now. Santana-Pelfrey-Maine-Garland-Perez/Niese would be a satisfying rotation in my opinion, judging all goes well for them. Santana is dominate. Pelfrey, taking his step forward, can be on his way to dominance as well. Maine needs to stay healthy and give us quality starts. We know what to expect from Garland and will get many innings from him, we just have to produce some runs on his starts. Perez and Niese I put as interchangeable. They're both lefties that can be helpful in the bullpen. I'd personally give Niese the go instead of Perez at first because I want to see what he's capable of as a full-time starter. If he's iffy, switch him with Ollie Perez. Just see who works and who doesn't... trial and error.

So, there you have it. That's my case for Mike Pelfrey as our #2 starter for 2010. Please keep the hate mail to an extent or maybe disguise it just as constructive criticism.

Can Mike Pelfrey be a #2 starter in 2010?

• Yes, he can.
• No, he can't.
• Yes, but not in 2010.

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Interesting Reads: Mejia, Chapman, Arroyo, Harang

Silvestricles of Caught Lookin' wonders whether or not the Reds are more inclined to move their big salary players after the Chapman signing.

Amit Badlani of NY Hot Corner wonders as well if the Mets can get Arroyo or Harang instead of settling with Pineiro now that Chapman is in Cincinnati.

Alex Geshwind of Fantasy Bullpen break down Mets top prospect RHP Jenrry Mejia and compares him to Mariner's Felix Hernandez.

That last one gets me so excited. Geshwind says that even though his stuff is not where Hernandez' was at age 20, his stuff is still off the charts and "skill set has ace written all over it." He also writes that Mejia will be the heir to Johan Santana. Even though this is probably true, I'd love a Santana-Mejia-Pelfrey-Holt-Niese rotation eventually. Talk about home grown talent... if all these pitchers (besides Santana) grow into what they're projected to be, Holt, who has "top of the rotation stuff," would be an amazing #4. Who knows if this is possible or even when this is possible.

Interesting Reads: Endy, Tejada, Delgado, Sheffield

DJ Bean of Full Count takes a look at the Mets and Red Sox continuous interest in Latin-American players.

Tom Pich of MetsGuide wonders if there could be a Endy Chavez reunion.

Silvestricles of Caught Lookin' wonders if Miguel Tejada would play 1B at Citi Field.

Shannon Stark of Mets Police gives her 5 greatest Mets.

Luke Adams of MLB Trade Rumors takes a look many different players such as Felix Hernandez and his extension, Gary Sheffield's future and Carlos Delgado's main suiters, who are the Mets and Orioles.

Mets Poll: Stand-In Closer

[EDIT - 9:31 PM]

So I accidently deleted the poll. For all of you who didn't get a chance to vote, I posed the question of "If K-Rod goes on the DL, who would find the most success as the stand-in closer." The choices were Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano, Ryota Igarashi, Kelvim Escobar, and Fernando Nieve.

According to you, Bobby Parnell would find the most success in the closer role and I don't blame you. He certainly has closer stuff, it's just a matter of his command and location. He has a rocket of a fastball, hard sinker, and almost-there changeup. I'm a big fan of Parnell and hope he can refine his tools more in 2010.

I Just Love To Suffer

It's been a while since I have written on here because my loyalty to the Mets kills me as well as our former neighbors in the great home that was Shea stadium (R.I.P.) the New York Jets. The Jets this year have made the playoffs and to get away from Jason Bay, Molina, and how Minaya seems to have no sense of where this team is ultimately going I figured I'd write a little segment on the Jets.

This team seems destined to break our hearts. So much promise, so many "what ifs", so young, so talented. Will it be enough? After their trouncing of the Bengals last week, they roll into Cincy riding a winning streak of 5 out of their last 6 to rematch the same team. Hopefully I will make this a weekly Jets post if they keep winning. As I continue to be a long suffering Mets fan, I guess just add a long suffering Jets that will be disappointed until we can finally bring home a championship to a team that I actually like in New York. Dad, why didn't you raise me a Yankees and Giants fan?

So Saturday at 4:30, I will be there in my usual spot with my usual friends and family tuned into the television. To watch what I hope is the beginning of the end to my 20 years and counting of suffering watching these two New York teams continuously let me down and crush my dreams of one day going into New York City and watch my team ride floats in the Canyon of Heroes.

Interesting Reads: Prospects, Piazza, Tatis, FA RHP

Jason Pozarowski of MetsGuide takes a look at the remaining free agent RHP.

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog gives his top 10 prospects in the Mets' farm.

Eli from Mets Underground has a great (but kind of corny) Mets 2010 video.

Pat Andriola from the Hardball Times wonders what cap Piazza will wear in the Hall of Fame.

Roy Levine of the Bleacher Report wonders if Fernando Tatis will be a good match with the Yankees.