I am sitting here watching the Panama vs Puerto Rico WBC game and wondering why we have not signed Pudge yet.  He has already stolen a base and hit a HR, and looks to have thinned down a little bit from last year.  Even if he is the backup behind Schneider he can help improve all of our pitchers including Johan and K-rod.  He can DH when we play the AL and he can even give Delgado a rest against a tough lefty at 1b.  There is no downside at all to adding him to the roster, so Omar go get him!!!

Update: Pudge ended with a walk, single, double and 2 HR….

jewcer2k5 Free Agent Signing, Mets, Pitching, Pudge Rodriguez Free Agent, Johan, K-rod, Pudge

By: Josh Cohen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shea Stadium was built to house the Mets when the franchise started, and now the Mets are looking to have a fresh start in Citi Field.  Some people may have hated Shea, but it was one of my favorite places to watch a game.  There were no bad seats in the entire place and it had the feel of a baseball stadium.  The smell of popcorn, beer, sweat, tears, and all of the other great aspects of baseball.  There was a certain charisma about Shea that few stadiums in the majors share.  Now the Mets join the ranks of the Phillies, Cardinals, Padres and many other teams that have recently replaced the stadiums that they called home for so many years.  If you are a Mets fan you have seen all the comparisons already, all the measurements, the extra ammenities (money makers), the size of the seats, distance from the field and of course the lovely new price you get to pay to see “America’s Pasttime”. 

Shea Stadium was named after a man that fought with all of his might to bring a National League team back to the people of NY.  He wanted to get the stadium for the people that lost their teams growing up.  For the diehard anti-yankee fans and I personally would like to thank him for that.  Now we have Citi Field, brought to you by big business.  It is estimated that 13,000 people working for CitiGroup will lose their job because of the naming rights.  Now tell me how ridiculous that really is.  Just so a big business can write their name in huge letters on the side of a building 13,000 families will be without that income.  The trickle down effect will make it even worse and this is going to help lead to the long term demise of our economy.  Why not just go back, and give it to William Shea again?  Why let the man who helped make sure we had this team in Queens go forgotten?  No rotunda, not the grass itself, no high class seating named after him, and we all know the reason.  He isn’t paying any money so who cares!!!  If this is America’s past time, let’s let it be that.  Let’s fight to get the name back to what we all know and love.  Give me Shea all the time, forget this debacle corporate naming process that changes over and over.  Remember who brought us here and helped this growth into the team we love.

jewcer2k5 Mets, Shea Stadium, Uncategorized Citi Field, Mets, Shea, Shea Stadium

By: Josh Cohen

This is the start of what will become a Thursday ritual.  I will spotlight one Mets MLB player every Thursday starting today.  How can I not start this ritual without the biggest offseason acquisition the Mets made this season?  I am very close to saying the most vital acquisition we have made this decade and will explain as we go on.  

K-rod comes to us from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (still the most absurd name in all of sports).  Last year as we all know he set a major league record with 62 saves, and our management went out and did the right thing by getting him.  On the minus side, he pitched in 76 games and only threw 68 1/3 innings.  He is NOT the stop gag closer that will come in in the 8th inning, stop a rally and come back in the 9th and end it.  In that tiny inning count, he still K’s a ton of people, more than 1 per IP which is what you want from a closer, but as I’ve been reminded by some friends, he walks a lot of people (more than Billy Wagner).  Us Mets fans are gonna be tough on him, give him a chance.  He is what we need and let’s hope he doesn’t turn into another big FA bust!

What makes this possibly the biggest offseason acquisition of the decade?  You might say Pedro, Beltran, or Johan but why not a closer?  The Mets biggest problem over the past 3 seasons is they haven’t been able to finish anything off.  We are so close every year, but just miss that final piece.  We can get to the end but we can’t close the deal.  We had the best record if games ended after 6 innings (yes I am going to beat that into your heads).  This is the man we need, Wagner was obviously not the answer.  If he does what he was brought into do, and closes out 45-50 games and is lights out then he is it.  If he does his job like Johan did last year, then he is it.  He needs to prove it, but when it’s all said and done, if we make the playoffs this year, he is going to be one of if not the main reason we did it this year instead of the past 2.  

jewcer2k5 Francisco Rodriguez, Free Agent Signing, Uncategorized Bullpen, Francisco Rodriguez, K-rod, Spotlight

By: Josh Cohen

After a 46 pitch bullpen session today, Johan told reporters that he is eyeing Opening Day.  He felt no pain and it’s his goal to pitch that first game.

As a Mets fan I don’t know if I should be excited or nervous.  We all look back and see Mo Vaughn, Robbie Alomar, and all the other big ticket superstars that have been brought in and immediately broke down.  Is it really worth the risk to have him throw game 1 of the season???  Yes, as a Mets fan I want to see Johan on the rubber when the season starts, but I’d rather see him not miss any other starts.  Let’s get him 100% healthy, make sure he is fine, get some ST work in before we get our hopes up…

jewcer2k5 Johan Santana, Mets, Uncategorized bullpen session, Johan Santana, Opening day

By: Josh Cohen

According the Daily News, Pedro Martinez will not sign a contract based on mostly incentives.  Why should any team take a big, guaranteed risk on Pedro.  I mean, yes, he was great at bringing baseball excitement back to the Mets after his great days in Boston, but baseball contracts are what have you done for me lately.  He had an over 5 ERA last year and he is just getting older.  Pedro, we understand that you have made a lot of money, if you don’t want to play just retire.  Manny, realize no one is going to give you a long term contract, and that is 100% your fault.  Act like a man and you get treated like you.  Go out before people forget those great days that you guys had together!!!!

jewcer2k5 Free Agent Signing, Mets, Mets Contracts, Other MLB News, Pedro Martinez, Uncategorized Contract, Free Agents, Manny Ramirez, Mets, Pedro Martinez

By: Josh Cohen

Last year the Mets may not have even made the playoffs, but they probably had the best fantasy core in the league.  Adding the #1 closer from last year and losing no one else things aren’t going to change in Mets fantasy world this year.  David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Johan all project to be top 15 picks.  Beltran should go in the top 30 and K-rod will most likely be the first closer taken.  Here is what I see happening from the premier Mets in fantasy baseball this year.  All the draft pick projected rounds are based on standard 5×5 12 team roto style league.

David Wright (3b) $40 – David looks to secure his spot as the top 3b selected in most drafts this year.  At 26 years old he is looking to still improve from previous years and will probably increase his power this year and keep around the 20 SB number.  Yes he has the eye, speed, skill, power and stroke to go after 40-40 at some point in his career.  This year he will still be the main driving force behind this top offense in all of the majors.  Expect 35/120/110 out of him this year and for him to hit .310 with 25 bases swiped.  Premier of the premier.  If it is a keeper league you can consider him for #1 overall.

 

 

Jose Reyes (SS) $42 – Joseeeeee, Jose, Jose…..Let the man leadoff and do everything you want.  He can single handedly put you in the top 1/3rd of your league in SB, and add some power behind it.  We already saw that he added some pop with that nice 2 HR day in the Spring.  Still a nice young $25 years old, lets see him fill out some more and get back over the 20 HR mark.  Expect 18/75/120 as long as Manuel doesn’t move him to the 3 spot in the order.  Let’s hope he keeps getting more and more disciplined at the plate and finally break the .300 BA mark (hit exactly .300 in 2006).  With all of that expect him to steal over 60 bases again, and if Castillo hits behind him and is nice and patient like expected we can see him go back to 70-80.  Another top 5 pick and player you can feel comfortable building a keeper league around.

Carlos Beltran (OF) $30 – Beltran should have ample opportunities to be an offensive jugernaut on this team again.  He should easily reach 20-20 but that isn’t enough to get him into the first round as we saw a few years back.  Wright, Reyes, Johan and now K-rod should be able to keep the attention off of Beltran which will help him succeed.  He will be a top 5 OFer again this year and if you get him any later than the 3rd round you are getting a steal.  In keeper leagues his value might go down because of his age but I wouldn’t worry.  He is someone that can help you win and win now, 25/100/100 is easily within reach, and he should hit around .280 and swipe 20-25 bases again.  If you want to reach on him take him early in the third, if he is around after that grab him up and thank everyone in the league.

Carlos Delgado (1b) $16 - DO NOT expect the same first half from last year and DO NOT expect the same second half from last year.  Carlos will be in the middle of the pack when it comes to 1b this year but still should be a solid pick.  He is getting older and older and his skills will continue to diminish, and if you are in a keeper league I would say to drop him a few more notches because of that.  Safely look for 25/90/80 from him, and secretly hope for 30/110/90 while hitting around .265.

Johan Santana (SP) $37 – Let’s all get those early season worried about arm trouble behind us.  Since they pulled him back from the trip back to NY and are not worried about fantasy players shouldn’t either.  If your draft is soon then wait around and see if you can steal him.  Forget all of the people and naysayers saying he did not do what the Mets brought him in for.  He did it and the bullpen blew it.  With CC out of the NL, he is now far and away the front runner for the NL Cy Young.  He also proved last year, under the scrutiny of NY’ers, that he can go longer than 7 innings and wants the ball.  Let’s hope he starts the season off the same way and with the security behind him wins 20+ games.  Let’s go conservative on the predictions though…18 wins, 1.03 WHIP, 2.75 ERA, 210 K’s.  If he is there near the end of round one and you want to go pitcher he is a great pick.  If he sticks around to the end of the second round jump on him and don’t look back.

Francisco Rodriguez (CL) $27 – The gem of gems that the Mets could’ve hoped to get this offseason.  I know I’ve said this before and I will say it a lot, the Mets had the best record in baseball if the games ended after 6 innings.  K-rod is going to come in and clean up all of those games.  No I don’t think he will get to 62 saves again, I would be happy with 45-50.  Saves are the hardest category to predict because they have a lot to do with teams playing in close games, and with JJ Putz as the setup man we are hopefully not going to give up leads the way we have been in the past few years.  The ratios and K’s are much more predictable so he will give you 2.50 ERA, 1.2 ERA, and 75+ K’s.  Yes, he is a closer on one of the best teams in the NL so he will be drafted high.  If you are the type of person that likes to take closers, anywhere in the 6th-8th round is a solid spot to get him.  I would say if you draft him, make sure you grab JJ Putz at the end of the draft if you can just in case something happens to him, and to grab some vulture wins.

John Maine (SP) $8 – According to MLB.COM John Maine is working on bringing back his curveball.  And from what I have been reading on rotoworld.com he is really working it into a lot of his game work and side sessions.  What does this mean to you???  This means he will have that knockout pitch he has been missing.  The misery of seeing him dominate 5-6 IP and then look and he is nearing or already at 100 pitches will hopefully be over.  If he can get an out pitch instead of having the ball fouled off as much he will be a steal.  Look for him to have a career year this year but only take him if you can get him at a great value.  He is the type of late pitcher that can take you from the middle of the pack to the top if his curveball is what is expected.  Look for around 3.75 ERA, 1.25-1.30 WHIP, 180 K’s and 15-20 wins with this awesome bullpen.  Look for him to fall down to the 17th round or so.  If you want him, I do not think the 14th round is a big reach but if he makes it to 17 or later consider it a steal.

Oliver Perez (SP) $6 - We missed out on the CC auction, decided Lowe wasn’t worth it, and took back Ollie.  If you are a Mets fan you know how up and down he can be.  If he can keep his head in the game he is a stud but if he loses focus he is a dud.  This makes him another pitcher that can help lead you to victory in your league.  I would take him in the 17th or 18th round and he is a steal past the 2oth round.  In a roto style league you need consistency, the last thing you want to do is look deep into numbers and try to predict his bust games.  Over the long haul look for low 4 ERA, WHIP around 1.35, 175 K’s and about 13-15 wins.

jewcer2k5 Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Free Agent Signing, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, Other MLB News 2009, 5x5, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, Fantasy, Francisco Rodriguez, Johan Santana, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Keeper, Krod, Mets, Oliver Perez, roto

By: Josh Cohen

 

Who should be the Mets leadoff hitter this year…Luis Castillo or Jose Reyes???

Luis Castillo- Luis is looking to revive his career, not to mention ward off the boo birds that he was getting all of last season.  When he played for the Marlins he was one of the best leadoff men in the game and still has the ability to do it again.  He can slap the ball the other way, foul off a lot of pitches, and take pitches to build the pitch count and let all the hitters behind him see what that particular starter has to offer that particular day.

The biggest news for Luis is that he lost 15 pounds this offseason.  This will lighten the load on his knees which means he will be able to run more.  If he can slap the ball around, take pitches, get on base and can run he should be the leadoff man.  He has some value in the 8 hole because he will be able to clear the pitcher, but I’d much rather see him get on base and get driven in by the solid bats behind him.

Jose Reyes- Reyes has gotten so much better as a leadoff man under the tutelage of Ricky Henderson.  If he walks or hits a single it can easily become a triple in 2 pitches, but is he more valuable there or in the 3 hole driving in runs.  He has great gap to gap power and the potential to be a 20-25 HR threat down the road.  With his OBP moving up over .350 consistently over the past 3 seasons, he does have the ability to take the pitch, get on base, and obviously steal when it’s needed. 

                                                                                                                                                        

The two options seem to be either Castillo leading off with Reyes in the 3 spot or Reyes leading off with Castillo hitting second.  If you told me Reyes would be hitting second I would be ok with that.   The 3 spot is for your BEST overall hitter traditionally and Reyes doesn’t come close to that.  If Reyes hits 3 he will not be able to take full advantage of his legs either, because someone in front of him (Beltran) picks his running spots a lot more.  Ideally this would lead to Wright and Delgado getting more fastballs to swing at if Reyes is on alone or has a free base ahead of him.

Reyes leading off with Castillo hitting second makes the most sense to me.  Call me traditional but you want your most explosive runner on base and getting the chance to make something happen.  Castillo hitting behind him is very willing to take a pitch for Reyes to run on and will be able to bunt Reyes over if necessary.  This will lead to a ton of RBI opportunities for Beltran, Wright, and Delgado.  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.  Last year, the Mets had the best record in baseball if games ended after 6 innings.  They could obviously score some runs and get some leads last year.  With the additions in our bullpen we should just leave the lineup the same and get into that bullpen and win some games. 

jewcer2k5 Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Uncategorized Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, Jose Reyes, leadoff, Luis Castillo, Mets

It’s now been 3 years in a row that the Mets have blown their chance to do something big, and been marked chokers, under-performers, or whatever other insult the media can dig up.

After the 2006 NLCS, Mets fans were happy with the big improvement from the last 5 years, but disappointed knowing that the Mets had the series won easily and blew pretty much every game they lost. However, both the Mets and their fans had high hopes going into 2007.

In 2007, more big players came in, and the Mets were once again, identically like the year before, predicted to win the World Series. Once again, the Mets blew a season in which they should have gone far. Mets fans were starting to lose hope – The old players who had done well in 2006 were fading away because of old age, and the young players were getting older. The Mets had a 7 game lead in the National League East division, and ended up blowing the lead on the final game, with their “ace” going less than an inning and knocking the Mets out of the playoffs before the second inning.

In 2008, Omar Minaya and the New York Mets made an explosive move, signing Johan Santana. Finally, this was the year to get excited about. Mets fans were positive this year was destiny. However, the Mets got off to a rocky and vigorous start, and halfway through the year, were under .500. Willie Randolph was fired, and interim manager Jerry Manuel came in from the fiery bench coach to the pugnacious and aggressive manager that was going to put the Mets back in to place. It happened, and the Mets found themselves wi th a lead in the NL East going in to the final week. Once again, the Mets let their fans down. Again, for the second year in a row, the final game was the game that would decide the season, and again, it was to be played against the Marlins – the team that loved to hurt the Mets. The Mets came out and threw Oliver Perez, who was brilliant for his whole start. Then, it came to the bullpen. Joe Smith, Scott Schoenweis, and Luis Ayala all gave up runs that eventually blew it for the Mets. Just like that, the season was over.

Now, Mets fans are calling for change. The Mets need to get rid of their old players, and sign some big players. Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel just both recently got contract extensions, and Carlos Delgado is near signing. The two New York teams are in a bidding war for CC Sabathia, and many other big name players, such as Francisco Rodriguez are in the mix.

Here is an ultimate 2009 Mets Opening Day Team:

Starters

C – Brian Schneider – Although he didn’t have the best year this year, I’m confident he’ll have a good bounce back season. He is also a great defensive catcher and that’s mostly what teams should look at for catchers.

1B – Carlos Delgado – It’s impossible to not want Delgado back after this season. He was great in the clutch, got the whole crowd going, and got an MVP chant after every home run all of September. Unless there is something the Mets see in him that shows he won’t have a good season next year, I don’t see why not.

2B – Daniel Murphy – Murphy showed this year as a rookie that he can do anything at anytime. He ended the year hitting over .300, and was one of the few young players who had clutch hits every opportunity. He’s been an infielder his whole life, so putting him at second base wouldn’t be a hard adjustment for him.

3B – David Wright – Call him a choker, a loser, whatever you want. David Wright is a great baseball player and the face of the New York Mets no matter what. He puts up great numbers every year, and is still young – he will, I guarantee you, become a clutch player in September and October.

SS – Jose Reyes – Although he is sometimes annoying, very immature, and quiet in September, he’s an incredible ballplayer. He will not be leaving New York anytime soon.

LF – Eric Byrnes – After a bad performance in 2008, Byrnes is on the Diamondbacks trading block because Arizona wants to lower their salary. It’s already been rumored that they’d be interested in Castillo for Byrnes, which in my opinion would be a steal of a trade for the Mets. He’d be a perfect fit in New York, and a key asset for our team.

CF – Carlos Beltran – He may be quiet and have a lack of leadership, but he had many clutch hits for the Mets in 2008 and is one of the best fielding outfielders in baseball. It would be a horrible mistake not to bring him back.

RF – Fernando Martinez – The biggest prospect for the New York Mets should be ready to help open up Citi Field for the New York Mets in 2009. He has been well groomed in the minors, and has all the talents to be a star in the big leagues.

Bench

Infielder – Ramon Martinez – Ramon earned himself a spot on the roster in September of 2008, providing a clutch hit almost every time he came up to bat. Although he is old, he is a good bat to have.

Infielder/Outfielder – Fernando Tatis – Fernando Tatis surprised pretty much everyone and was one of the most clutch players in baseball until he got hurt. He hadn’t played in almost 10 years, but decided to make a comeback, and make the best of it. If he decides to come back, he’ll be a great player on the Mets bench, and someone who will hit 8th and 9th inning pinch hit home runs. Also, he will be a good player to have just in case Fernando Martinez doesn’t work out.

Backup Catcher – Ramon Castro – Castro will have another Ramon Castro year – he’ll hit .250 – .270, get 5-10 monster home runs, and have a few injuries throughout the year. However, he’s a great backup catcher, and could be starting on many Major League teams.

Outfielder – Endy Chavez – Chavez has had 2 of the best catches in Mets history, and despite a lack of a great bat, is a Met who will always be remembered as a great.

Infielder/Outfielder – Nick Evans – Evans had a pretty solid 2008 season, and unless he does not produce, should be on the team the whole 2009 season.

Starting Pitching

1. Johan Santana – Santana was absolutely incredible for the Mets. He did everything he could to get the Mets into the playoffs, and even played through an injury that nobody knew about. He would have had at least 20 wins if the Mets bullpen hadn’t blown so many games of his, and will definitely be the number one pitcher next year, even if CC Sabathia is signed.

2. CC Sabathia – This guy is in every single Mets fan’s dreams. The idea of having him as the second guy in a rotation gives every Mets fan the chills. If he could be the second guy in the rotation, and have a season like he had this year, the Mets could be World Series contenders.

3. John Maine – Ever since he came to the Mets in the Kris Benson trade, he’s been a dominant and clutch pitcher. He’ll be back in 2009, hopefully injury-free.

4. Derek Lowe – A clutch and winning pitcher, if the Mets could sign him, they would definitely be solidifying the pitching rotation.

5. Mike Pelfrey- After an awful 2007 season, Pelfrey finally proved Mets fans that he can be a great pitcher in the major leagues. Having him as the #5 starter would make the Mets pitching rotation incredible. Although a lot of Mets fans would miss Oliver Perez, Pelfrey is more consistent, and more valuable at this point than Perez, who will be asking for way too much money this off season.

Bullpen

Closer – Francisco Rodriguez – The best closer in all of baseball, K-Rod will be a free agent this season. The Mets have already been reported to have interest in him, and if he comes to the Mets, the bullpen problems should be over.

Setup Man – Brian Fuentes – Another Free Agent this season, having him as a setup man would make the bullpen incredible. He’s a great reliever, and could close if anything happened to Rodriguez.

Middle Relief – Brian Stokes – Stokes was great in relief this season for the Mets, and should be a good middle reliever for the Mets.

Middle Relief – Bobby Parnell – Parnell came up as one of the Mets top pitching prospects, and definitely showed the Mets why. He was solid coming out of the bullpen, and has great potential with an amazing fastball.

Middle Relief – Joe Smith – Since 2006, Smith has mesmerized his opponents with his side-arm delivery and great slider. He will have another solid season coming in in tough situations with runners on base, and getting many holds.

Lefty Specialist – Pedro Feliciano – Feliciano gets out lefties, and that’s what he does. He should only be used to face lefties, because when he matches up against righties, things usually go badly.

Long Reliever – Jon Niese – Although the Mets would love to give him a better roll, this is pretty much the best they can give him if they do sign Derek Lowe. If they don’t sign Derek Lowe, he will probably be the 5th starter. However, at the Long Reliever position, Niese will probably be very successful.

If these moves are made, the Mets have a very good chance at being one of the top teams in baseball. The two most important moves to make are signing Francisco Rodriguez and CC Sabathia – as our bats don’t need that much help, but our pitching does. A lot of Mets fans want Manny Ramirez to be signed, but with his attitude and age, he is not really the type of guy that the Mets really need. I’d be happy with the Mets signing him, but getting Sabathia and K-Rod should definitely be first.

I’m looking forward to seeing what moves the Mets make, and what players they pass on. I’m confident going into the Citi Field era and I think the 2009 Mets will be bigger and better than the old teams.

marcut Mets

1) Luis Castillo Is Hurt. It’s simple, our old and unproductive second baseman gets hurt and we get to see a young player, Argenis Reyes, who was a free agent a few months ago, give everything he has and do nothing but produce. Easley’s been great as a regular, and the second base position finally looks good.

2) Fernando Taaaatiiiiissssss. For a guy who talks like a mouse, he has quite a lot of power. Clutch hit after clutch hit comes after the bat of the infielder turned outfielder who last played in 2001, and he has given so much confidence to the Mets, and has also won 3 games for them.

3) Carlos Delgado. A month ago, we all wanted him dead, and booed him with every site. Well, now it’s finally kicking in. Carlos is pulling the ball, hitting home runs, and being clutch.

4) Mike Pelfrey. Another player who got the boo birds last year, has now turned his young career around. He’s throwing his sinker perfectly, and is really showing why some scouts have called him the next Brandon Webb. He was a huge part in the Mets pitching record of 3 or less hits 4 games in a row, and has provided big wins for the Mets.

5) Jerry Manuel. How can you not include Jerry Manuel in here? He is the mentor, the motivator, the developer, the character, and just everything you need in a manager that Willie Randolph didn’t have. He won’t take any crap, but at the same time he loves to joke around with the players. He’s perfect.

marcut Carlos Delgado, Fernando Tatis, Jerry Manuel, Mike Pelfrey Mets, Mets Bullpen, Mets Success

Mets ownership is counting on the addition of Johan Santana to not only bring New York that elusive National League Pennant, but will also translate into a packed stadium, night after night. As a fan, that will certainly make landing premium New York Mets tickets even more challenging. Fear not. Lone Star Stubs offers fans a massive inventory of baseball tickets to any ballclub in the bigs. There, you will be able to find great seats (or cheap ones) to every Mets game this season. When looking for great seats, be sure to check out LoneStarStubs.com.

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