Totally off-topic...

Billy, WTF?!!?

Can someone please tell me what the fuck is wrong with Billy Wagner? He was the best closer in baseball a month ago, now he can't hold up a two run lead today and a three run lead yesterday.

Billy called out other guys a month ago for not pulling their weight. Well, I think somebody needs to call Billy out now.

This team is pathetic. It sickens me to watch but I can't look away.

Pedro's Back

I know I haven't written as much here as I planned to. I'm sorry for that. Basically, its because there's been increasingly less things to love about the Mets. They went through a stretch where they were god awful. Now they're in a run where they're playing fairly well. A horrible outing by Oliver Perez on Monday notwithstanding, the Amazins are started to look like a contender again. There's still a long way to go, but at least they're back on the right track.

A keep piece to getting back on that track may have come home tonight. Pedro Martinez pitched very well considering its his first game back from injury, only his second start of the season, and his father's deteriorating health. Willie probably left Pedro out there an inning too long, but he escaped unscathed. Pedro's pitches had great movement. He really seemed to be hitting his spots overall. He seemed confident and healthy. These are all excellent signs.

I am currently taking bets though as to whether or not he suffers another injury by the All Star Break.

Mets Lose Four Straight in Atlanta

I really hope I'm not the only one that's physically nauseous from that series in Atlanta. The Mets shouldn't have even bothered to get on the plane. They could have called Larry and just said "Sorry, Chip. We're not going to bother. Just take the four wins and we'll talk to you soon."

Something HAS to be done to shake this team up. Something HAS to be done to rattle the cage and say "THIS IS NOT F'ING ACCEPTABLE." Willie Randolph isn't the guy that's going to do that. But Joe Torre's never been that guy either. If this were '86, Hernandez would have called a closed door meeting and started throwing punches until everyone agreed that there would never be another series like this one. This is deplorable. I'm embarassed to be a Mets fan right now.

I was embarassed in September too, but not this bad. Because we're constantly reminded of September this year. EVERY announcer brings it up during every game. You can't open a New York newspaper and not see the words September and Collapse together. Thankfully, they also usually add Historic to make sure we don't forget exactly how bad it is.

The Yankees are in last place. I should be happy as a pig in shit. But the Mets are SO UNINSPIRED right now that I can't even gloat. Because unless someone starts kicking ass in that dugout, the Mets are headed for last place too.

Someone, anyone step up and be a leader.

Alou is on the DL AGAIN

From Mets.com: "The Mets placed left fielder Moises Alou on the 15-day disabled list before Thursday night's game with the Braves with a strained left calf.

"The Mets bought the Minor League contract of Raul Casanova to fill the roster spot. He will be used as a backup catcher and primarily in pinch-hit situations."

I really like Moises Alou. And I think the Alou family is one of the most respected family lines in baseball history. But maybe its time to look somewhere else for a solution in left field? Just throwing the idea out there. There's GOT to be someone out there that we can pick up who'll be able to play every day.

The Padres are hours away from a fire sale. Maybe they have someone to deal for next to nothing and cash? Uh, I just looked at their roster - that's a big No. There's got to be someone out there. Maybe give Angel Pagan and Endy Chavez a shot at platooning there. Having two four outfielders out there to fill in for Alou can't be too bad. Pagan's looked really good at times and Chavez is a premier fourth outfielder.

Fernando Martinez is a couple years away, so we can't push him. He's just not hitting enough in the minors to throw him into the Majors right now. He's hitting .280 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in Binghamton. That's not ready for the Majors.

Please Omar! Get on the horn and make something happen! Will the Sox take cash for Manny?

A Sad Day in Mets History; Mike Piazza Retires...

Check out the full story at SI.com...

Here's an excerpt from SI.com:

"Within the eight years I spent in New York, I was able to take a different look at the game of baseball," Piazza said. "I wasn't just a young kid that was wet behind the ears anymore -- I was learning from other veteran guys like Johnny Franco, who taught me how to deal with the pressures of playing in New York, and Al Leiter, who knew what it took to win a world championship." ...

"Last but certainly not least, I can't say goodbye without thanking the fans," Piazza said. "I can't recall a time in my career where I didn't feel embraced by all of you. Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and Miami -- whether it was at home or on the road, you were all so supportive over the years.

"But I have to say that my time with the Mets wouldn't have been the same without the greatest fans in the world. One of the hardest moments of my career, was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye. My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career and for that, I will always be grateful."

Getting Mike Piazza was the deal that made the Mets an actual ball club again. During those years in the '90s, we had kind of an awful team. '97 saw us break out a bit, but it was the acquisition of Mike Piazza in 1998 that put the Mets back on the map. He was the anchor that allowed Edgardo Alfonso, Rey Ordonez, and John Olerud shine. Piazza is how the Mets got to the Series in 2000. Piazza hit the home run to beat the Braves after 9/11. Mike Piazza made the Mets fashionable again. Current Mets like Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran, probably wouldn't be playing here if not for Mike Piazza. We would not have the best-ever anti-Chant for Chipper Jones if not for Mike Piazza (Larry. LA-rry.)

Mike Piazza will always have a very special place in my heart. Right next to Rusty Staub as one of all-time favorites. I'm sorry to see his career come to an end. He's always been a classy guy and a great ballplayer. Now I just hope he decides to go into the hall as a Met. Seaver needs company, Mike!

Yankees, Schmankees! Rounds 1 and 2 go to the Mets!

So two big wins against the Yankees this weekend have me feeling pretty good.

I'd be lying if I said that Santana giving up three home runs on Saturday isn't a little disturbing. But history says that Santana will be at the top of the league in home runs allowed and still pitch like Santana. I've got to break myself of thinking that he's not pitching well. Before he became a Met, I saw him pitch twice. He's been a boon for the Mets since arriving and he's pitched a lot better at times than his 5-2 record.

Oliver Perez looking horrible to me last night, but all of his numbers were right where they should be. He allowed 3 hits, one the two-run homer by Matsui in 7 2/3 innings. That's a very good outing. I don't know why I'm so pessimistic with these pitchers, but I've got to break out of it!

But the big story of the weekend was that Jose Reyes seems to be on his way back. He's hitting homers which is a little worrisome, but when he was super-hot early last year he was hitting homers too. Hopefully this will get him back on track and playing like the Jose Reyes of old!

Everytime I see him play, I think Luis Castillo is going to have a break-out game with the bat. He's always so focused at the plate and he's swinging at his pitches, etc. He'll always take the first one, but whatever. He's the best with 2 strikes. He's got more left in the tank that this, doesn't he? He just seems like he can't slap the ball the way he always has. Maybe he's slowed up just enough that the pitches he used to be able to wait on left-handed and line into left field he's hitting for groundballs? I hope not. I really like Castillo and he should turn it around.

I think I've said it here before, but if not I'll say it again: Ryan Church has been fantastic since joining the Mets. This was a trade that I thought was just a get-rid-of-Milledge deal, but Church has proven to be the real thing. He's better than average in the outfield, he's hitting for a good average, decent power, great in the clutch, great in any part of the line-up, hitting lefties, righties, everybody! He's still going to strike out a little more than I want, but whatever. Everyone on the Diamondbacks strikes out a TON and they've still got the best record in baseball. Great trade by Omar. Unless Milledge turns out to be Manny Ramirez, it was a solid trade. And even if he does, its still a good trade. The Mets, Omar and Willie are in a "Get it done NOW" year. If you have to mortgage the long-term a little to get guys like Santana and Church, then the New York fans will get over it. Its not like trading Seaver for no one.

Is Beltran Back?

I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Carlos Beltran looked very good today against the Reds. He played very well in both games and most important - he was raking the ball. Its the kind of day that he needed in a big way to get back to the hitter he really is. But this big step forward might not bring him all the way back and I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

The Mets starting pitching has been better than expected so far this year (IMHO anyway). Perez has had issues and Pedro going down again didn't help. But Figueroa has pitched as well as any fill in starter. Pelfrey's 2-3 record is not as bad as it seems. Maine's throwing the ball well. Santana is Santana.

The Bullpen's been suspect to say the least and the offense has been mostly dreadful. I felt great about the offense putting up 12 in the first game, but then they only managed one in the second.

Come the end of the season, the National League East leaderboard could and probably will look very different. I don't think the Fish have enough to hang around. I think the Braves will make a push if the other teams let them. Play the Braves soft and the Phils and Mets are in trouble. In the end it should come down to the Mets and Phillies again. Hopefully, the Mets pull it together with enough time left to beat out the Phils this year.

John Maine is Our Salvation

After two games where the Mets couldn't get out of their own way in LA, leaving runners on base left and right, they finally started knocking a couple of those guys in and they had a decisive victory to end the series.

Tuesday night, the Mets struck out the final six times batters came up with runners in scoring position. Including the final out of the game where impossible-to-strike-out Luis Castillo struck out. The Mets were sinking, sinking sinking.

Wednesday out comes John Maine. John has always been the losing streak stopper for the Mets. When the Mets are in a big slide, Maine comes in and pitches a gem to get the team back on track. He did it at least 4 times that I know of last year - including the second to last day of the season. John Maine is one of the MOST clutch pitchers the Mets have ever had. When things were going bad for the Mets, you used to be able to count on Al Leiter to come in and pitch a quality start. Even if he didn't have his best stuff in those occasions, he'd gut it out and keep the team in the game. John Maine is that kind of pitcher, but BETTER. I can't praise John Maine enough.

Good to see the guys hitting today! Hopefully we can keep this going! Lets Go Mets!

Weekend Game Recap from Arizona

Moises Alou did indeed return on Friday night in the desert. He looked good. They originally gave him a hit in his first at bat but later changed it to an error on Orlando Hudson. I thought it was a cheap hit at the time. Hudson clearly could have fielded the ball but just muffed it. He hit the ball hard all weekend and final got his first hit on Sunday. He looked good in left field and seems relatively healthy right now. I really think he'll be a boon to the Mets lineup. They need something.

Wright's fighting his way out of whatever funk he was in. He had the homer Friday and another on Sunday. Reyes looked REALLY good on Friday. And Ryan Church continues to impress me. I don't know what the general feeling in Mets Nation is about Church, but I think he's been a really good pick up. He's providing more right now than Milledge is in Washington. He's hitting lefties and righties. He strikes out a bit, but not TOO much.

I had an argument at the game Sunday with one of my buddies about Mark Reynolds. Its an argument as old as baseball. I like to think of it as the Dave Kingman argument. Here you have a power hitter (Reynolds) who's struck out 43 times in 106 at bats (as of Sunday's game) and leads the team in RBI. My buddies argument: "You want this guy on your team because he hits for power and drives guys in. So what if he strikes out for every out. As long as he's driving guys in, who cares how they get him out." My argument (the correct side of the argument, BTW): "A guy that strikes out a lot (Kingman, Bobby Bonds, PrestonWilson, Reynolds) won't help your team in intangible situations. You can't move a runner to third with a strikeout. You can't be a truly tough out if the pitcher knows he can get you on strikes (with exceptions - Adam Dunn)." There's only so much that you can do when you strike out. If you make more productive outs, then you're furthering the team without producing numbers. The grounder behind the runner, the fly ball that a guy advances on, can't happen if you strike out. Also, how many times can you force an error on a strikeout? If you hit it hard at the second baseman and he boots it (as Alou did in my previous comments) then your team has a chance to score on the error.

It seems VERY obvious to me that you would rather have a guy that strikes out less and hits as hard but with situations in mind (David Wright) than a guy that might hit 5 to 10 more homers and strike out 200 times (Reynolds).

Mark Reynolds 43 K's in 106 AB's projects to 215 strikeouts in 500 AB's. That would be the record plus 30. He's got the potential to do it. By comparison (and its not a fair comparison because one of these guys was a first ballot hall of famer, but it illustrates the difference nicely), Joe DiMaggio struck out 369 times in his CAREER. Never as many as 40 times in a season and Reynolds surpassed that in a month. He's got 173 K's in 480 AB's in his career. Yikes!!

Alou looks like he'll be back when the Mets hit the Valley of the Sun

So Moises Alou had his MRI yesterday on the ankle that turned bum at the end of his rehab and it turned out negative. So it looks like he'll be back soon. Possibly for this weekend's series here in lovely Arizona. I can't wait for the Mets to come into town. I've already got tickets to all three games.

Alou should give the Mets a nice little shot in the arm when he returns, but I stand by my recommendation in yesterday's posting: if you can get Xavier Nady for a decent price, do it.

Nady liked playing in New York, put up very good numbers here, and he's the kind of guy who fits into the roll we tried to fill with Brady Clark. Now, the only problem with bringing Nady in is that he would want to start. It would be hard to start Nady over a healthy Alou - Alou's bat still has more in it on an average day than Nady's. But if Nady would accept a backup/platoon role and maybe learn to play first base, it would be a tremendous help for the Mets.

In other news: Every time I think David Wright has broken out of this funk he falls down again. Last night's game winning single in the bottom of the eleventh might do something to wake him up. With Wright struggling, Beltran not at his best, and Delgado trying to remember how to hit, the Mets line up does not look as formidable as it once did. Now, all three of these guys should get right at some point this season - certainly Wright and Beltran will - but will they all do it at the same time?

Maybe visiting Arizona is the answer.

In the last three seasons, the Mets are 11-1 when playing at Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field. They've outscored the DBacks 97-28 in that time span and I've seen every one of these games in person save one in '06.

But this year its a little different. This year when the Mets come to town the DBacks will own the best record in baseball. They will boast one of the best pitching staffs in the league and one of the highest scoring offenses.

Personally, I predicted that the Diamondbacks would win 100 games this year. I think the National League West is a little overrated. I think the DBacks match up well against LA and San Diego. The Giants are the laughing stock of the league (having recently sent Zito to the bullpen). The only problem they really face is the Rockies.

The DBacks will have/have had trouble with the Rockies this year because they are very similar teams. Young players, good pitchers, solid to great defensive teams with strong futures ahead of them. The DBacks and Rockies could become a minor Red Sox/Yankees tandem here in the NL West if they keep their core players in tack. The rivalry won't have the history of Sox/Yanks, but they could dominate the division the way the Sox and Yanks have in the last decade. It should be a lot of fun to watch.

So if history holds sway over the current state of baseball, then the Mets can get back on their feet here in the desert. If not, they're in for a long weekend. Looks like: Micah Owings (who is SO fun to watch) against Maine, Webb vs. Pelfrey and Haren vs. Figueroa. Although my buddy swears its Santana/Haren on Sunday. I think it would have been if not for the rainout. Apparently they were talking about the Santana/Haren matchup yesterday on ESPN Radio. I don't see how the rotation winds up that way though. Maybe they didn't expect Santana to pitch last night? I don't know.

Alou is Hurt AGAIN and Nady's on the Trading Block

According to SI.com, Moises Alou's ankle is going to get an MRI today to see how bad he's hurt.

In a seemingly unrelated story, Xavier Nady is on the Pirates trading block.

How do we join these two stories, Omar? Make it happen! The thing that might keep this deal from happening is the mediocre talent the Mets have in the minors. Its hard to ship off prospects that you have to pretend are good and our prospects that ARE good we want to keep. Unless you can move one of our relievers (and they've all struggled this year) for Nady, I don't see it happening. But Omar's a creative GM. He'll find a way.

Stupid Fox Game of the Week

The Fox Game of the Week blacks out my MLB Extra Innings package, which is BS, so I missed the Mets game vs. the Braves today. Apparently they won and Maine pitched well.

The Mets need John Maine in a big way this year, especially with Pedro hurting again. Oliver Perez is basically a .500 pitcher right now. Until he gets the consistency he needs, he's going to be amazing some days and piss poor the others. As good as he's looked at times this year, his last start against the Nats he was not so good. So John Maine has to step in and be the number 2 behind Santana and number 2 pitchers win games.

Hopefully this good start gets Maine back on track to where he was the beginning of last year. Oh, and its great to see that Wright broke out of his funk.

More on Aaron Heilmann...

So people might think that what Heilmann did last night was what I was trying to point out. But its not. See last night Heilmann gave up a grand slam to a last place team. A team currently ranked 29th out of 30 in the SI Power Rankings. That's not the same at all.

Last night Heilmann made a bad pitch to a decent hitter and he clubbed it. I thought Milledge had a great at bat against Heilmann, laying off all but one change up in the dirt. Lopez put a good swing on a mediocre pitch and beat the Mets. Its upsetting, but these things will happen.

What I was trying to point out with my last post was a statistical anomaly that indicated Heilmann has trouble in a very specific situation. It was pointed out to me that I mentioned 15 situations out of 167 or so that Heilmann was in in 2006-2008. Yes, I agree. Its a small sample size, but its the only sample we've got. It was a very specific situation - as specific as say, hitting with 2 outs and a runner on second against a left-hander.

My point was that there are situations where Heilmann excels - tie games (last night was the exception), up by one, close games late - and some where maybe not so good (down by one late).

Anyway, taking one of two against a Nationals team that's reeling right now isn't going to help the Mets get ready for the Braves. Its very early in the season - still April in fact - but we've spent the whole month inside our division and have basically a .500 record to show for it. We need to get hitting boys! Pagan is doing great filling in. Church has looked good against righties and lefties. I've really been impressed. Wright was hot till they got to DC. Reyes and Wright sleepwalked through this short Nationals series. We need to get moving! Wake up guys! Wake up bats! And somebody figure out what to do with Delgado.

A little know stat about Aaron Heilmann...

So tonight, Aaron Heilmann came in with a one run deficit and for the third time this season turned it into a 3 run deficit.

I'm not going to say that Heilmann is bad. I'm not going to tell the Mets to trade him. That would be stupid. Aaron Heilmann is VERY GOOD in tie game situations. He's better than most closers in one run LEAD situations, but when your team (the Mets) is down by one, call in someone other than Heilmann.

I decided to look over the last two seasons. Heilmann has come into a game where the Mets were down by one 15 times since the start of the 2006 season. In 8 of those instances, he held the deficit to one. In the other 7 instances, he's added two runs to the opposing team's score. And its always two runs. Its eerie.

Thanks to Retrosheet.org by the way. Check this out:

5/23/06 - came in Phillies 6, Mets 5, left Phillies 8, Mets 5
7/23/06 - came in Astros 5, Mets 4 left Astros 5, Mets 4
8/22/06 - came in St. Louis 7, Mets 6, left with the same score
8/25/06 - came in Phillies 4, Mets 3, left with Phillies 4, Mets 3
9/22/06 - came in Nationals 3, Mets 2 and held it there
So he finished 2006 - 4 holds and 1 loss in the down 1 situation

5/1/07 - came in Marlins 3, Mets 2, left Marlins 5, Mets 2
5/3/07 - came in DBacks 4, Mets 3, left DBacks 4, Mets 3
7/1/07 - came in Phillies 3, Mets 2, left Phillies 5, Mets 2
7/28/07 - replaced Feliciano with score Nats 4, Mets 3 with runners 1st and 2nd, left Nats 6, Mets 3
8/21/07 - came in San Diego 5, Mets 4, left with the same score
9/20/07 - faced the Marlins 4, Mets 3, left with the same
9/26/07 - came in Nats 7, Mets 6, left with the same
He finished 2007 - 4 holds, 3 losses

That makes him 8 and 4 coming into this year.

4/6/08 - at Atlanta. Came in down 1-0, gave up the two run homer to Teixiera
4/8/08 - last home opener at Shea, despite Schoenweiss' best efforts the Mets are only down by one to the Phillies, 3 to 2. Walk, Bunt, Single, Walk, Double, and Heilmann turns that into a 5-2 deficit.
4/21/08 - tonight. He gives up a tough error to Lee, hits Ramirez, fights with Fukodome and losses (but fought him hard), gets DeRosa, gets Soto, and has Cedeno on the ropes when he gives up the base hit and they're down by two.

So he winds up 8 and 7.

Again, I'm not saying that Heilmann is bad. I'm saying get rid of him. I'm just saying: Maybe rethink using him down by 1.

Pedro's Down; Wright and Beltran are starting Hot...

So by now we've all seen it. Pedro was getting hit, he looks like he tries to be too fine on a pitch and he comes away from it grabbing his butt and leg. Well, he'll be out a couple weeks at least (I assume), and now we're looking at El Duque and Pelfrey in the rotation. There's some chatter about Claudio Vargas. I got to watch Claudio a lot over the years and especially during his time in Arizona. He's a solid pitcher but nothing special. If when El Duque comes back, he's anything like he was most of last year, I say go with Duque. But that's still a ways off. So for the first couple weeks, most teams don't need a fifth starter. The Mets though don't have a lot of off days to start the season.

I guess we'll see. There's nothing more we can do that wait and see.

The way the rotation is shaking out, it looks like it might be Oliver Perez for the home opener. I wouldn't mind that at all. I've never seen Oliver Perez live and in person. That should be fun. I guess it depends on how they treat Pedro's spot in the rotation. I don't imagine that they'd start their stop-gap starting pitcher solution for the home opener. I suppose you could pitch Santana on extra rest, but I don't think you want to screw with his rhythm. Again, I guess we'll see.

I actually just read something that suggested Jorge Sosa for the open spot in the rotation. Sosa did an excellent job as a fill in last year. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't use him. I don't think he's got the stuff - he throws 90% sliders - for an extended stay in the rotation. But that slider is good enough to get him through most line-ups twice or three times. Sosa out there for 5 or 6 innings should be a good sight better than a lot of other options.

How about David Wright and Carlos Beltran to start this season? Crazy hot. Wright was a MACHINE tonight and Beltran wasn't far behind. Wright hit the homer and so did Beltran but the umps took it away from him. It was clearly over the wall on the replay, but whatever.

Hooray for baseball!

THE SEASON IS HERE!

Oh yeah, baby. Here we are. The Major League Baseball season has officially started. The Saux started the season by splitting their series with the A's in Japan. Johan Santana made his first start as a Met yesterday and he looked pretty darn good. Sure, it was against the AAA Marlins, but still, he looked good.

It was good to see Angel Pagan getting it working yesterday too. Who would have thought that our Opening Day roster would include Angel Pagan and Brady Clark? That seems ridiculous to me. I'm kind of upset we let Ruben Gotay slip away, as I think he was an adequate backup. I'm guessing the Mets tried to get him to clear waivers, but Atlanta stole him away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crying myself to sleep at night, but he's better than some of our other back up options.

It just seems weird to me that they'd play game with Gotay but leave someone like Brady Clark who was a minor league invitee on the 25 man roster.

Anyway, the season's started and now I get to update this blog a LOT more often. Can't wait. Let's Go Mets!!

Spring Training's Almost Over - Bring on the Season

Boston and Oakland open the season tomorrow night!! Bring it on.

Yesterday my wife and I spent the day watching the Diamondbacks and Brewers at beautiful Maryvale Park in Phoenix. We managed to get 2nd row seats behind home plate for $20 each the day before the game. Nice. We had a great time.

I was surprised by how thin Eric Byrnes was and how BIG Chris Snyder is. I knew Snyder was big, but he was rather large. Made Prince Fielder look positively small.

Funniest Picture EVER

I don't know HOW I avoided this picture till today, but I guess I did.

God Bless Children. So innocent. So Pure. So Wise beyond their years.

Fernando Martinez the "Anti-Milledge"

Walter Villa over at SI.com wrote a great piece on Fernando Martinez. You can check it out at this link.

I REALLY hope Martinez pans out to be half the prospect the Mets are predicting. Its been a LONG time - like since Darryl Strawberry - since the Mets had a big time outfield prospect that really panned out.

Think of the clunkers we thought we going to be huge: Jay Payton, Alex Escobar, Roger Cedeno... It would be really nice to have a homegrown outfielder with big talent.

I hate to say it, but the Yankees built those great late nineties teams on a homegrown core (Jeter, Posada, Bernie Williams, Pettite, Rivera) and a few quality free-agents (David Wells, Paul O'Neill, David Justice). I feel like the Mets are almost to that same stage. Wright & Reyes are a great home-grown start. In Pelfrey, Joe Smith, and Fernando Martinez pan out, that will give us a base like the Yanks had in '96. You add quality free agents with a good number of years left in 'em (Beltran, Delgado, Santana, Oliver Perez) and the Mets could be as dominant as those Yankees teams.

That's a lot of "ifs", but as all Mets fans, I'm hopefully pessimistic. Inwardly, I always think THIS is the year. Outwardly, I tell everyone that we'll lose. That's our culture! Hopeful pessimism or Cautious Optimism.

Walking Wounded...

So the Mets are hurting. Literally.

Delgado is back in New York working on his hip. Ryan Church has a concussion. Also injured: Luis Castillo, Carlos Beltran, Orlando Hernandez, and (surprise surprise) Moises Alou.

I like Moises Alou. I thought it was a great idea when they signed him last off-season. I think this is a guy who can produce at a high level for the team. He just won't stay healthy.

My buddy Russ complained to high heaven when they signed Alou. "He's always hurt, he's too old." "Yeah but when he plays he hits well and he's fairly clutch." I'm starting to come over to his way of thinking. It's upsetting. But I don't know that Alou's body can hold up for another season.

If Fernando Martinez was a little further along in his development, I wouldn't be as concerned. But by Baseball America's estimation, Martinez won't be up till 2010. I've heard estimates as close as July 08. Everytime I look at a spring box score he's gotten a hit and scored. I haven't gotten to SEE him play though. I don't know how to judge his readiness.

There's a rumor about the Mets trying to get Marcus Thames. I think it would be a fabulous pick up, but I don't think we've got enough pieces to get him. Is there anyone on the free agent market to fit the Right-Hand Hitting, First Base Backup/5th Outfielder mold we need? I don't think so. If it was 3 years ago, I'd say Kevin Millar. But whatever that guy had I think he's lost by now.

There's nothing we can do but wait, I guess...

Rollins Reply and Wilpon Predicts "Deep" Playoff Run

From SI.com,

"Has anyone ever heard of plagiarism?" Rollins said, breaking into a laugh.

The NL MVP treated Beltran's in-your-face message that the New York Mets are the team to beat in the NL East like a take-out slide at second base.

He eluded it nicely, but mixed in a jab the way some middle infielders purposely land on a hard-charging runner at second base.

"Sequels are never good," Rollins said, crediting teammate Brett Myers with that statement first.

Also from SI.com,

"I expect to be in the playoffs and deep into the playoffs," Wilpon said Tuesday at the Mets' spring training complex. "That's our expectation."

The mild-mannered Beltran said earlier this spring that the Mets were the team to beat in the NL East -- similar to the bold statement Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins made last year.

"I like it when players speak their mind," Wilpon said. "Beltran's not the kind of guy that's out there every day making proclamations. It's very meaningful when Carlos Beltran says something like that."

Ready for 2008? The Mets are. And they're already bragging!

So after the biggest collapse in team sports history to end a season, mild-mannered Carlos Beltran starts talking trash in February. Pitchers and catchers had barely reported to Spring Training and Beltran - BELTRAN, the guy who barely says anything to the media - calls out Jimmy Rollins and says the Mets are the team to beat in the NL East in 2008.

While they have a potent offense returning and have done well to pick up Johan Santana, there is no reason to bring criticism upon yourself so early in a season. If Beltran comes out and backs up his statement the way Rollins did (who undeserving got the MVP over Holliday, but he was a solid #2 IMHO), then that's okay. But all you're doing at this point is getting the reigning NL East winners mad and begging for a fight all season.

ALTHOUGH, this is exactly the kind of swagger the Mets walked around with from 1985 to 1988 and I think we all remember those years. I could see Keith Hernandez making similar predictions were he still on this team.

Santana was a big pick up. I feel like we traded the whole farm to get him, but there wasn't that much down on the farm to begin with. With the exception of Fernando Martinez, I don't think the Mets have a prospect in the top 100. If Martinez pans out though, look out!

I feel good about 2008. You know the Red Sox are going to be there again. As always its the Mets I'm wondering about...