Daily Archives: February 21, 2010
Steve Popper of the Bergen Record believes Jerry Manuel was joking when he suggested Jenrry Mejia could be a candidate for the bullpen.
…i certainly hope so…i just don’t think there’s any reason to rush him to the majors at this point…
Original Post, 3:04 pm:
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says Jerry Manuel is impressed with prospect Jennry Mejia, and he could be a possibility for the bullpen in an eighth inning role as Manuel said that spot in the bullpen is wide open right now.
…i was really excited to see Mejia yesterday, and i was even more impressed with his electric stuff he displayed…he was very wild during the winter leagues this year and he is still SO young…i wouldn’t be surprised to see him go north with the team in april, but i just think it’s too soon for him and they should be a little more conservative in their approach with this kid, because he is a special talent…
According to Brian Costa of the Star Ledger, Jerry Manuel says there will be “wide-open competition” for the center field job, until Carlos Beltran returns.
Manuel said if he chooses to put Jose Reyes in the third spot in the lineup, it’s possible Gary Matthews Jr. could lead off should he beat Angel Pagan out for the starting center field job.
No matter what happens, Matthews isn’t concerned about what happens after Beltran returns, telling Costa:
“These are all things that are going to be a better question for whenever he comes back…Right now, I’m concentrating on starting the season and having an opportunity to play every day. I’m honestly not worried about what’s going to be.”
…i don’t know if i’d consider matthews a lead off guy…he doesn’t exactly put up a great OBP…i see him more as a bottom of the order guy – maybe a sixth or seventh-type hitter at this point…
For more on Matthews and the center field competition, check out the Star Ledger here.
NICE! I just found this 6X8 banner from Opening Day 2001, which will now hang in my office: http://www.metsblog.com/wordpress/dc3mw
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says Jon Niese is ahead of schedule, and leads the race for the fifth starter spot in the rotation.
Jerry Manuel told Kernan, regarding Niese, “that he’s good to go.”
…I was paying close attention to niese during drills yesterday and I didn’t see any hesitation from him, and he was able to move quick off the mound and in all directions during pitchers fielding practice…considering the severity of his hamstring injury, I’m amazed he is in such great shape so soon after surgery…
…personally, i think the Mets shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, at least not yet…while he looked SPECTACULAR yesterday at Tradition Field, i’d like to see him establish his health in game situations before Jerry Manuel tinkers with Reyes’ lineup spot…i think, no matter what, Reyes is best as a top of the lineup catalyst who can set the table for the middle of the order, and the mentality of a number three hitter is much different than that of a leadoff hitter, and we know how good Reyes is in the leadoff spot, when healthy…
…i think the value in adding Rod Barajas is with his defense, although he committed the most errors of any American League catcher in 2009…he is excellent at throwing out would-be base stealers, and he will add some pop, but won’t hit much outside of that…more importantly, it gives the Mets the opportunity to see what Josh Thole is all about with a full season at Triple-A…
In a post to Twitter, Rick Coutinho of ESPN Radio says RHP Sean Green has modified his delivery, and his sidearm motion is even more pronounced than it was last year.
…as I watched green last year, I noticed, when he was the least effective, that his delivery was more pararlel to the ground, rather than submarine…as he got more effective later in the year, he was coming from more of a submarine…I’m hopeful green has a more consistent season, but consistency with his delivery is a key for him…
In a report for the New York Post, Kevin Kernan says David Wright appears to be in much better shape this year, appearing much more defined than he has in prior seasons.
Kernan says Wright worked out with more passion this winter and changed his diet to include healthier foods.
…there are a lot of players, including Wright, who have shown up to camp this year in much better shape, and while thats great news, i have to wonder why players were showing to camp out of shape in recent years…the players also appear to be in a much more focused state of mind than they were in prior camps, and i think that can only be a good thing…
According to Kernan, Jeff Francoeur also believes Wright is in great shape this Spring, saying:
“David has really worked hard. He looks in great shape…I noticed that when he took his shirt off the other day he looked more cut, he looked leaner. I put David up there with the top 10 players in the game. A guy like that, if he’s challenged, you’ve got to believe that he is going to come back the next year and put a good year together.”
…i have no doubt David is going to have a big bounce back year in 2010…of all of the problems and concerns i have with the Mets coming into 2010, what he does is the least of my concerns, provided he stays healthy…
For more on Wright, check out Kernan’s report for the New York Post here.
According to Marty Noble of MLB.com, General Manager Omar Minaya has told both Mike Jacobs and Fernando Tatis they could be used as emergency catchers this season, and Jacobs ability to catch could improve his chances of making the Opening Day roster.
…it seems as though if anyone out there can catch, he can grab Minaya’s attention this winter…
Minaya told Noble “We could have two emergency catchers so Jerry wouldn’t have his hands tied late in a game.”
…i do understand why the Mets have built such depth at the position, and why they are looking at every possible angle for security at catcher…Brian Schneider was disappointing primarily because he spent so much of his time with the Mets injured, and with Ramon Castro being injury prone as well, it left a rotating door behind the plate with guys like Raul Casanova, and Robinson Cancel, who were simply not major league catchers and there was no certainty on a daily basis behind the plate, which ultimately, impacts the pitchers…i’m not sure how serviceable either Tatis or Jacobs would be behind the plate and i HOPE it doesn’t come to either of them…
Asked if he’d be willing to catch, Jacobs said “Hey, I’ll do it…”
For more on Jacobs, the catching and first base situation, check out MLB.com here.
In a post to Twitter, David Lennon of Newsday says Omir Santos is disappointed the Mets signed C Rod Barajas, who is likely going to be their number one catcher.
Santos told Lennon “…it’s out of my hands. They wanted a more experienced guy.”
…the mets primary concern with Santos was how he handled the pitching staff…I feel bad for omir, because he was a bright light in a dark sky last year for this team, but the mets felt they needed to upgrade, and with Barajas, they have upgraded at least defensively, so from that standpoint, I can’t argue with the move…
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