To watch the video, click play below, and to embed this video on your blog, click the radio button in the corner:

Also, Omar Minaya told reporters that Fernando Nieve will not be on the 25–man roster, according to Newsday.

In other words, the team’s Opening Day roster is more or less set, and will look as follows:

Brian Schneider, Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Church will be the team’s position players, with Ramon Castro, Marlon Anderson, Alex Cora, Nick Evans, Jeremy Reed and Fernando Tatis on the bench.

Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, John Maine will be the team’s starting pitchers to start the season, with Livan Hernandez jumping on board four days later in place of Evans.

Lastly, Francisco Rodriguez, JJ Putz, Bobby Parnell, Brian Stokes, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green and Darren O’Day will be in the bullpen.

WFAN’s Evan Roberts just said he and co-host Joe Benigno will soon discuss whether the Mets should go after Sheffield.

…now, why on earth would that make sense, and where in the world would he play… i think this is a terrible, and dangerous idea… i mean, he’s not going to start, and so can you imagine his personality as a bench player in New York City… wow…

Sheffield hit .225 with a 19 HR in 114 games for the Tigers last season, and hit .265 with a .378 OBP and 25 HR in 133 games in 2007.

He played in just 39 games in his final season with the Yankees in 2006, while struggling with a variety of injuries.

…please, let him go play in some obscure, non-contending town, where he can hit one more home run to reach 500, all while making a few bucks, waving to the fans, and fighting with that city’s only beat reporter… and keep him as a far away from Citi Field as you can…

To listen to WFAN online, go here.

The Dodgers and free-agent LHP Will Ohman agreed to a minor-league contract, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Original Post:

According to the Daily News, “The Mets have signed Japanese lefthander Ken Takahashi to a minor-league contract.”

The Blue Jays released Takahashi on Monday, after signing him to a minor-league deal in early February.

In December, NPB Tracker said the Mets were the front-runners to sign Takahashi, who was was 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA last season for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

…i believe the Mets will win more than 88 games, and i think the Phillies will win more than 87 games… i always see the Braves as one injury away from total disaster, and until the Marlins and Nationals show me they can run a full season, i will always doubt them…

…frankly, i am not sure of the point to this, since the division race will most likely come down to the last week of the season, again, anyway…

I have asked a variety of newspaper reporters, radio hosts, TV hosts, bloggers and others, to take part in my annual MetsBlog Under-Over Survey.

This year, I’d like to get your take as well.

So, at random times throughout the day, I’ll be posting an Under-Over question, with the first of the bunch below:

…in other words, as most fans, reporters and bloggers have been saying, the 25–man roster will likely be as follows:

Starters: Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, Daniel Murphy and Brian Schneider.

Bench Players: Ramon Castro, Marlon Anderson, Alex Cora, Fernando Tatis, and Jeremy Reed.

Starting Pitchers: Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez.

Bullpen: Francisco Rodriguez, J.J. Putz, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green, Robert Parnell, and Darren O’Day.

The final two spots will likely be Nick Evans on the bench, and one of Brian Stokes or Elmer Dessens, with Tim Redding on the disabled list.

Then, on April 11, Evans will likely be demoted to make room for Livan Hernandez, who will slot in as the fifth starter.

Dessens has thrown just one inning in two appearances since returning from the World Baseball Classic.

…it appears that dessens, Brian Stokes, Darren O’Day and Fernando Nieve are essentially competing for the final two spots in the bullpen, to be teamed with Bobby Parnell, J.J. Putz, Sean Green, Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez…

…i still rank them as o’day, then stokes and dessens, and then nieve… o’day gives a different look and pitch to both lefties and righties, plus he’s a Rule 5 pick, so i see him as being pretty close to a lock…

Last night, Manuel referred to Dessens as a ‘Darren Oliver type,’ noting how Oliver pitched both in short relief and long relief, and was capable of being a starting pitcher, in 2006; something Dessens can do as well.

…so can stokes, though…also, stokes is also out of options, i think…

According to Jayson Stark, of ESPN.com, the Mets expressed interest in Paulino before he was traded to Miami.

Left-handed batters hit .279 against Taschner last season; they hit .316 against him 2007.

Following today’s game, still, Jerry Manuel would not name anyone the team’s fifth starter.

“I like the young man who started today,” Manuel said, speaking about Dillon Gee, who allowed two runs in three innings today. 

“So, we have time… We still have a little time to make that announcement, or decision, to which way we’re gonna go.  What’s the hurry?”

Specifically, regarding Gee, Manuel said:

“I like him a lot… He’s very interesting to me… I really like when a young pitcher has a feel for a change up.  I’d say he has enough command of those pitches that I feel comfortable he can handle the next level.”

Meanwhile, Carlos Delgado was 2–for-4 with an RBI.

“I see a guy that even at this stage of his career, he has made some adjustments in a hurry,” Manuel said about Delgado.

Livan Hernandez will instead pitch in a minor-league intrasquad game, while right-handed pitching prospect Dillon Gee gets the start against the Marlins, because Jerry Manuel specifically requested to see more of him.

…well, that’s got to be exciting for gee… good luck, kid…

In four appearances this spring, the 22-year-old Gee allowed two earned runs and seven hits in six innings, while striking out four and walking just one batter.

…if i recall, manuel and the Mets were most impressed with gee’s ability to control his pitches and command the inning, at such a young age… i had one scout tell me he is reminiscent of Brian Bannister, though i think he was just trying to cite a younger Mets pitcher i might remember…

Gee was 8–6 with a 3.25 ERA for Single-A St. Lucie last season.