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.

The Yankees are vultures

Among the sea of big talent for next year's offseason, C Joe Mauer and LF Carl Crawford are two very big players. They will both command huge money, especially Mauer. Now, why on Earth didn't the Yankees go after a catcher or left fielder this offseason?

Yankees had plenty of opportunities to sign one of the big free agents left fielders this offseason, but decided to not stand in the way as Jason Bay went to the Mets and Matt Holliday re-signed with the Cardinals. They have expressed interest in Crawford before, so could they land him next offseason? The answer is yes, because they can land anybody. They could make David Wells come out of retirement if they wanted him to pitch for them. And with their luck, he'll toss another perfect game.

I'm not sure about Mauer, though. I know he's a Minnesota guy and loves it there, but its not like he's leaving to go to the Blue Jays or any other team. I believe Mauer would leave the Twins for the Yankees because he will be commanding an exuberant amount of money that is probably equivalent to Brian Cashman's children's weekly allowance. Unbelievable.

Whoever the Yankees want, they'll get. I think it's time for baseball to have a salary cap because this is just too much. Imagine what their lineup would be... Jeter Crawford Mauer Teixeira A-Rod Swisher Cano Johnson Granderson.

I know the Mets have the second highest payroll, but I wouldn't mind it. What's your opinion?

Suggestions

If you have any suggestions for Chemetsry, please send them to chemetsry@gmail.com. We would love to hear what you think. We are asking for constructive criticism, advice, and pointers to move towards what you what to see and read from our site.

MZ

Interesting Reads: Bisons, Bay, Snyder, Trades

Toby Hyde of the Mets Minor League Blog takes a look at the fresh meat the Bison's got.

Ed Leyro of Mets Merized tells why Jason Bay chose #44.

Anthony McCarron of the Daily News ponders what offseason trades Omar is thinking about.

Ed Ryan of Mets Fever says the D-Backs might move catcher Chris Snyder and the Mets should be interested.

Where will Clint Everts fit?

Earlier in the offseason, Omar Minaya signed 2002 first round pick Clint Everts to a major league deal. He is 25 years old and absolutely ripped the minors last year for the Nationals.

He was 8-1 with a 1.65 ERA last season. In 60 innings he struck out 68, gave up 49 hits and just 11 earned runs combined from A+, AA, and AAA. He had a 0.90 ERA in A+, 1.53 in AA, and 3.38 in AAA. Although he ran into some trouble in AAA, his strikeouts were still there. In 10 innings in AAA he struck out 11, though giving up 14 hits and issuing 10 walks.

I'm not sure why the Nationals never brought him up to the bigs while he was red hot, but now he'll get his opportunity with the Mets. Which brings me to my question... where does he fit on the major league team?

Will he be competing for a rotation spot? Possibly. Will he be competing for the set-up job? Possibly. Will he be thought of as a long reliever? Who knows. Ever since the signing you haven't heard anything from him or about him.

How many guys are we going to have in the bullpen? Parnell's fastball is too good to send back down, Feliciano is not going anywhere, Stokes showed promise last season, Igarashi and Escobar are obviously staying, so where does Everts fit?

In my eyes he could be a serious sleeper. Great job, Omar.

Interesting Reads: Castillo-Lowell, Delgado, 2010

Greg Pomes of Mets Merized says Omar got/is getting off to a great 2010 start, now what's next?

Eli Greenspan of the Daily Dish explains the Mets are still very interesting in Carlos Delgado.

In case you missed it, Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors discusses the possible Castillo for Lowell trade.

Stan McNeal of Sporting News gives ten things he wishes would happen in baseball.

Steve Popper of North Jersey gives his input to the Mets' offseason direction.

Also, Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog will update and reevaluate his Top 41 prospects very soon.

Castillo-Lowell trade rumor

DO IT.

Quick. Before Theo gets clean of whatever drug he's clearly abusing.

Luis Castillo will not be traded this offseason

I feel bad saying this, but he's staying in New York.

The reason: who wants an aging second baseman who is being paid 6.25 mil? There are not many teams who need a second baseman anyway. I would say that the only teams that really need are the Nationals, Dodgers, and Cubs (kind of).

The only trades that really jumped out at me were:
-Castillo and 2 mil cash to the Nats for Josh Willingham
OR
-Castillo and cash to the Dodgers or Cubs, for a low-to-mid-level prospect

The Willingham trade is most plausible because the Nationals have a plethora outfielders, and have Willie Harris as their second baseman currently (do you want Willie Harris as your second baseman? I sure don't...) If these trades don't go down (which they won't), you still have Orlando Hudson, Felipe Lopez, Ronnie Belliard, and Adam Kennedy still on the market. I doubt that any team would rather give up something for a guy who is breaking down than sign a younger guy, who can hit the ball out of the infield.

What should the Mets do? Cut Castillo and sign Hudson.

My Prediction:
-Castillo stays with the Mets FOR NOW
-Hudson to the Cubs
-Belliard to the Dodgers
-Lopez to the Nationals

One last prediction:
Castillo will not be traded this offseason, but he will be traded during the season to a team in contention. There is bound to be a second baseman who gets injured mid-season and will need a solid second baseman again. They will trade for Castillo.

Interesting Reads: Bay, Francoeur, Griffey

Mike Puma of the New York Post writes a little about Jason Bay's physical.

James Kannengieser of Amazin' Avenue asks what about a Francoeur/Pagan platoon in LF.

Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave Blues wonders if Ryan Church will be patrolling LF at Yankee Stadium.

John Frascella of the Bleacher Report wants to know why the Mets haven't shown much interest in free agent Jon Garland.

Danny Krieger of Mets Merized takes a look at the 2010 Braves.

In this post by the Boston Herald, this might be Ken Griffey Jr.'s last year in baseball.

Ridiculous Mets merchandise

Not sure if you guys were looking to get new Mets merchandise, but if you are you should definitely check out the Mets Player/Custom T-Shirt section, which contains personalized t-shirts by Omir Santos, JJ Putz, and Gary Sheffield.

Why would anyone pay $20 for these t-shirts? A) They're "personalized" by a back-up catcher, our old set-up man (if you even want to call him that), and the one and only Gary Sheffield and B) they look ridiculous! Jeez, come on Mets. Step up.

I meandered over to the Yankees' shop and only found this awful Nick Swisher one, and its not even half as bad at the Mets ones.

I then traveled to Mordor to see what the Phillies' had for their custom tees. I saw them selling a whole bunch of Roy Halladay gear and got depressed so I just clicked out of it.

Interesting Reads: Cora, Bumgarner, Fantasy Baseball

Michael Ganci of the Daily Stache takes a look at Alex Cora.

Eric Stashin of the Bleacher Report wonders if Giants' highly praised prospect Madison Bumgarner will make a fantasy impact in 2010.

Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com wonders what certain baseball related people's New Years resolutions are, such as Jeff Wilpon, Johan Santana, Bud Selig, and Jason Bay.

Mike Caprio of Keeper League GM takes a look at 10 players to watch for the 2010 fantasy baseball season.

Jimmy Hascup of the Bleacher Report takes a look at A's rookie Brett Anderson and whether or not he can be a top 45 pitcher.

Lawrence Barreca of Fantasy Football Maniaxs at the best third base options for fantasy baseball in 2010.

How the Mets rank

I came across this list by RotoProfessor that is the best position players according to how the next fantasy draft will turn out. He lists players for catcher, first base, second base, short stop, third base, outfield, starting pitcher, and closer.

No Mets player made it on the catcher, first base or second base list due to obvious reasons.

C

I guess the Brian Schneider/Omir Santos platoon at catcher wasn't enough for these guys to put on their list for catcher. Who would blame them? I don't even need to indulge further into the Mets' catcher situation.

Top 5 picks: 1. Joe Mauer, 2. Brian McCann, 3. Victor Martinez, 4. Miguel Montero, 5. Matt Wieters.

1B

Daniel Murphy probably wouldn't crack the top 50 list at first, so I wasn't shocked.

Top 5 picks: 1. Albert Pujols, 2. Mark Teixeira, 3. Miguel Cabrera, 4. Ryan Howard, 5. Prince Fielder.

2B

Luis Castillo did not make this list, even after his great 2009 season. I guess people see it as a fluke and I don't blame them. Who knows what's going to happen to Castillo. I hope he gets the axe, and we can sign Orlando Hudson. Not sure how likely that is, but hearing that Omar is trying to shop Castillo is a good sign.

Top 5 picks: 1. Chase Utley, 2. Ian Kinsler, 3. Brandon Philips, 4. Robinson Cano, 5. Ben Zobrist.

SS

It was obvious that Reyes made this list, even after his injury-filled season. He is an elite short stop who has tremendous talent. He landed number three on this list, beating out Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter. Jose Reyes is an electric player and I love watching him play. He brings great life to the lineup and a great vibe for the team.

Top 5 picks: 1. Hanley Ramirez, 2. Troy Tulowitzki, 3. Jose Reyes, 4. Jimmy Rollins, 5. Derek Jeter.

3B

David Wright is definitely a given here. He is a great all around player and is only 27. In his 6 years in the majors the last 4 named him an All-Star. I'm sure he'll get back to producing more and getting those home runs back. The lack of power from Wright has gotten some people talking, but I'm sure it was just the strange 09 season. Very excited to see David in 2010.

Top 5 picks: 1. Alex Rodriguez, 2. Evan Longoria, 3. David Wright, 4. Mark Reynolds, 5. Kevin Youkilis.

OF

The outfield picks were interesting. We have Carlos Beltran at number five beating out Grady Sizemore and Justin Upton. Jason Bay landed number eight while Matt Holliday landed number ten. They mention Beltran's knee and previous injury, but they said they wouldn't worry about it. He had over 500 at-bats every season from 2001-2008 and only twice having less than 554. They also mention he had 663 at-bats in 1999. Interesting how they projected Bay at eight and Holliday at ten, kind of makes me feel better about Bay and his signing.

Top 5 picks: 1. Ryan Braun, 2. Matt Kemp, 3. Carl Crawford, 4. Jacoby Ellsbury, 5. Carlos Beltran.

SP

For starting pitchers, they list the top 45. Santana is the only Met to make the list-- big shocker there. He was ranked number six, being beaten out by a lot of great pitchers including the newest Phillie, Roy Halladay. Hopefully we can trade for the 35th ranked pitcher projected here, Carlos "the Big Z" Zamrano. Let's hope Omar gets the memo or even reads any mets blog because they're all basically begging for it.

Top 5 picks: 1. Tim Lincecum, 2. Roy Halladay, 3. Zack Greinke, 4. Felix Hernandez, 5. CC Sabathia.

Closer

They ranked closer very interestingly, though Francisco Rodriguez landed the sixth spot. K-Rod was shaky at times during this season. His velocity was noticeably down and he couldn't find the strike zone in some instances. I believe this was a very off season for him. After coming off a record setting season with the Angels, I believe 09 could be chalked up to everything that happened during that season. He'll be back in elite form in 2010, I can assure you that. He brings this huge energy with him when he pitches-- I love it.

Top 5 picks: 1. Jonathan Broxton, 2. Mariano Rivera, 3. Joe Nathan, 4. Jonathan Papelbon, 5. Joakin Soria.

Honorable mention: 10. Andrew Bailey. He was a steal in my fantasy league. I picked him up pretty early on and never looked back. I loved him. He was lights out pretty much the entire season. He ended up winning the 2009 Rookie of the Year award and good for him. He earned it.

So, basically it comes down to our players. Based off this, we have the third best short stop in baseball, third best third baseman, fifth and eighth best outfielders, sixth best ace, and sixth best closer in all of the major leagues. I'd say that's very good.

In the positions we were excluded from (catcher, first base, second base, the rest of the rotation), we're not completely lost in. If we add a decent bat at first base that can platoon with Murphy, then that's an upgrade. Murphy held his own at first and was very good defensively. Platooning with someone who has a history at first is a major upgrade.

For second base, Castillo is not awful. He had a great season and maybe he can do it again in 2010-- who knows. He hit .302 and prospered. His defense was sub-par at times, so that has to be worked on. Other than that, he's not a horrible second baseman. It might be years ago, but he was a three time All-Star (02, 03, 05), three time gold glove winner (03, 04, 05), and led the majors in stolen bases in 2000 and 2002. He's obviously not what he used to be, but he still has a lot of gas left in his tank.

Okay, so the Brian Schneider/Omir Santos platoon didn't work out so well. If we sign any of the free agent catchers, it'll be an upgrade. We have our eyes set on Bengie Molina, and we have a good shot at acquiring him. I don't know why people are crying over this, as it is such an upgrade over the ZERO good options we have within the system right now. Sure, I wouldn't over-pay him and give him more than a year or two but it is a monster upgrade. He can hit and field great. He hit .265 with 20 homers and 8 RBIs in 2009, and .292 with 16 homers and 95 RBIs in 2008. He can add great pop to our lineup and can really teach our young pitching staff a thing or two.

As for the rotation, I don't know what's going to happen with it. If everything went our waythen Santana would be lights out, Pelfrey can step up and shut people down, Maine can get back to 06 form, Oliver Perez can finally dominate and Niese will become a great young pitcher. But not everything is what it seems and I'm sure every team has that with players. This is a huge season for Pelfrey. I'm not saying that it's not huge for Perez, Niese, or anyone else... but everyone expects Pelfrey to be the Messiah and live up to his expectations. 2010 will really show us who Mike Pelfrey is and what he's capable of. If you can't tell, I'm a huge fan of Pelfrey and love seeing Wright help him out. Wright seems to be a tremendous influence on him. In multiple interviews, Wright is positive that Pelfrey is not pitching to his greatest potential and wants him to break his shell.

I guess what I'm trying to say is... the Mets have a pretty good team with a solid core. The holes that we have either have to be filled or the people in them (i.e. the rotation) have to step up. If this happens, we are without a doubt a playoff team.