Daily Archives: February 13, 2010
In a report for Newsday, David Lennon says despite Jason Bay being the Mets lone major acquisition this winter, and Carlos Beltran being out for the first part of the season, Jerry Manuel is still upbeat and sees opportunity with his current group of players.
Manuel told Lennon:
“I believe very strongly that the fans could rally around this type of team because we’re a little different…We ran well [last season] as far as stolen bases, but we just didn’t run them as fundamentally sound as we would have liked to…I think when you have speed and the ability to hit triples – maybe inside-the-park home runs – I think that could be a fun summer for the team. I think everybody at this time is optimistic. But I think we are also realistic that we can – if we do what we project we can do – I think we can have a great year.”
Lennon suggests the Wilpons decided to not spend beyond Bay in order to test both Manuel and Omar Minaya to see if they have the ability to do more with less before before deciding to invest further in the team.
…i don’t know whether thats true or not, but its certainly an interesting theory…like Matt and i have both said, there are no free agents or trades that can be made to help this team win if their core group isn’t healthy and producing…
For more on Manuel, check out Lennon’s report for Newsday here.
…its possible K-Rod is one of those players who does well, when the team does well…that’s not necessarily a good thing in terms of character, because i feel certain players, like K-Rod who has a ton of energy and emotion, need to step up and battle adversity when they have to in order to raise the level of play of their team…
…as long as Luis Castillo is on the team, i am going to support him and wish him well, despite his diminished skills…but i have to say, eli knows how to dig wounds deeper, and make people laugh at the same time…
…i don’t think there is any doubt Jose Reyes is vital to the Mets success this season, as i think he not only brings a tremendous amount of talent to the field, but the intangibles like the positive energy, the excitement, and the dynamics of his game are so important for the infield defense, the lineup as a whole, and the entire roster…he is a game changer and a difference maker, and i’m excited to see him on the comeback trail in 2010…
…in regards to Johan Santana, i find it surprising he was telegraphing his pitches, given his early season dominance last year, but this is one of the reasons, including not worsening a minor problem, why a pitcher should not be out there if he has pain…he is such a smart pitcher, and like Reyes, i’m looking forward to a fantastic year from Johan…
Joe Frisaro of MLB.com says the Marlins are not interested in signing free-agent 1B Carlos Delgado.
…based on the reports on his mobility at first base, i’d be surprised if he lands on a National League team…i also have to wonder, even as a DH, how long he will be able to rotate on that hip before he experiences pain…
…i think Matt from Caught Lookin’ makes a good point in his post here…i believe there are a lot of questions surrounding this team, the front office, and the organization as a whole coming into 2010, and whether or not 2010 is a success, there will still be a ton of questions…but i think i tend to forget that Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana all missed significant time last year, and that was the primary cause for their failures…it’s not to say that a healthy return for all of them will lead to a division title and a playoff berth, but these guys go a long way towards reaching that goal, and i do believe they will be in the hunt for either the division or the wild card, or both this season…
In a report for Newsday, David Lennon says the Mets have paid special attention to Oliver Perez this off-season, as they feel so much of 2010 depends on how he performs.
…at least the team and the fans can agree on something, i guess…
Lennon says while the Mets believe 2009 was an aberration for Perez, they have learned from their mistakes, making sure he has committed himself to baseball by visiting Perez once a month this winter at Fischer Sports Physical Therapy in Arizona, as well as his home in Mexico.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen told Lennon:
“In talking to Ollie, I think he was embarrassed by last year…He was almost like a triple crown winner that winter, meaning he got the big contract, he got married. Mentally, he probably slipped into cruise mode.”
…thats a pretty harsh statement, and Warthen was harsh of him in Spring Training last year as well, but it’s all fair…he showed nothing that would lead us to believe he could live up to the contract he signed, and it started in Port St. Lucie last year…i’m glad to hear he has made a commitment to this team, and supposedly he has fixed his mechanics with his windup specifically, but time will only tell with him…
Perez, who is already at Tradition Field ahead of Thursday’s reporting date for pitchers and catchers, believes he is in the best shape since 2004 after reporting to Spring Training out of shape last year, saying:
“I’ve been working since September and I’ve been counting the days until Spring Training. Right now, I feel ready.”
For more on Perez, check out Lennon’s article in Newsday here.
Peter Gammons, in a post to Twitter, asks: “if Jenrry Mejia, Jon Niese, Brad Holt, Ike Davis and Josh Thole are at Citi Field come August, how can the Mets organization be so bad?”
…i think Gammons makes a valid point, and i don’t think the Mets farm system is that bad, although it doesn’t appear to be very deep beyond the players he mentioned…i think the emphasis on the organization isn’t so much on the quality of the players on the farm, rather it’s the issues with management, the front office and decision making, and perhaps ownership as well…
…i think it’s important to point out while Omar Minaya made just one major acquisition this winter, he recognized the weakness in the free-agent market this year, and was wise in not over spending on guys like Joel Pineiro, and Bengie Molina, and making trades out of haste and losing their crop in the minors…it’s not to say they don’t need their services in 2010, because there are a ton of questions these players potentially could have answered this season, but i think they are in a better position for the future by not committing too many dollars and years to mediocre talent, and it puts the players Gammons mentions in his tweet in a better position to develop and become part of the Mets future, rather than capping their potential within the organization…
Yesterday, GM Omar Minaya told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post he is excited for Spring Training to begin, saying: “There’s going to be a lot of competition in camp. That’s something we’ve been trying to do.”
In addition, Kernan adds: “Never underestimate the value of competition. It makes a team stronger and tougher.”
…i’m torn on this…i mean, YES competition is always a good thing because it gives a player an incentive to perform, because there is the possibility he will lose his job…i worry when there is competition at so many positions though, because those tend to be question marks…i look at teams like the Yankees and Phillies and yes there is competition for bench spots, or a fifth starter, or both, but not at key positions, like the starting first base or center field job…i do think the competition at first base will be good, and personally, while i admire Daniel Murphy‘s work ethic and i will always root for him, i have to say i thought it was a great move when Minaya signed Mike Jacobs this past week…
Kernan also says the Mets are still interested in bringing back Carlos Delgado, but since they only want to bring him in on a Minor League deal, the chances of his return “appear to be history.”
For more on this, check out the New York Post here.
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