It's Time For Ike, For Real

Alright, it's time.  According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, here, the Mets are promoting Ike Davis.  Guess, I picked a good game to head out to CitiField for the first time this year.

In the article Rubin says, "Mets officials have resolved to promote heralded prospect Ike Davis to Citi Field this week, team sources told ESPNNewYork.com."

Ok, so I guess Carter gets bypassed again.  Sorry Chris.  One day Carter will get a shot and he will mash, the problem is when will he get that shot.  I would have liked to see Carter get a shot, but I think the team would have to believe that Ike is better overall.  So, I can't really complain...

In fact, I like Ike being promoted because, in my mind, he's a better option at 1B than anything else the Mets have at this point.  It's nice to see the team making a move here, but I think there needs to be a commitment to Davis now.  I don't want to see Ike struggle and then get sent down when Murphy returns.  To me, this move should be permanent and Davis should be given every opportunity to learn up at the major league level.  This needs to be a youth movement, not an appeasement move...

Tomorrow will be fun.  I hope Ike gets the start...

Adam Rubin Breaksdown Mets Roster, My Heart

Adam Rubin does a roster analysis of the Mets Opening Day squad as it stands today on his blog for the Daily News, here...

I think the most interesting thing Rubin says is about the bullpen and Sean Green and Bobby Parnell.  Rubin thinks they are in jeopardy of not being part of the 'pen opening day.  If this were to be the case I would be proud of this organization for once.  The Mets have a tendency to hold on to certain ideas a little too long, and if Green and Parnell aren't producing, they shouldn't be part of the 'pen, especially with the way Figueroa, Takahashi, Igarashi and even Calero and Nieve has been pitching.  I know Calero has only thrown once, but if he keeps it up, it's going to get harder and harder for Green and Parnell to make the opening day roster.

As for Rubin breaking my heart...

He says, "That leaves the last bench spot, which I believe is headed in Mike Jacobs' favor. The primary alternative is Frank Catalanotto, with Chris Carter likely ticketed for the Triple-A outfield with Fernando Martinez, Jason Pridie, Nick Evans and Jesus Feliciano."

I just don't get why Carter is getting the shaft here.  If he's hitting better than Jacobs, can play more positions at a similar level, bats left-handed, and has power...why can't he make the team?  The only reason I can think of can be drawn out of something Rubin says later in his post, "Look for Jacobs to even potentially chip away at Daniel Murphy's playing time as the season progresses, assuming Jacobs makes the club."  Rubin continues, "Manuel has been testing a 3-4-5 order of Wright-Jacobs-Jason Bay. Let's say the manager goes to that lineup the first Saturday of the season and rests Murphy, and Jacobs goes 3-for-4 with a homer. Manuel would go back to that lineup again quickly."

So I think I've figured it out.  The Mets have no confidence in Murphy... That's the only reason that Carter won't make this team, because they need a bench player who they feel can start at first if Murphy struggles.  And I don't think it takes much for Murphy to see that.  Putting that kind of pressure on Murphy might not prove to be beneficial to his development, or the teams. 

Either way, in this article Rubin puts out some interesting situations to watch out for...

Davis More Likely to Start in Minors Than Mejia

In an article for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports on the status of Jenrry Mejia and Ike Davis in regards to the opening day roster.  Rubin says of Davis, "the first-base prospect is far more of a longshot to make the Opening Day roster than righthander Jenrry Mejia, according to Jerry Manuel."  It seems as though Manuel is of the mindset that it's easier for young pitchers to adjust to the majors than young hitters.  Rubin quotes Manuel as saying, "It's a little bit more difficult to make that decision based on a position player unless everybody just has to be 100% in agreement that that's the right way to go.  I would say more young pitchers have made the jump than more young, unproven position players. I could be wrong, but I would think."

I would have to agree with Manuel here.  Especially in this circumstance, because as well as Davis has been hitting, his fielding has been suspect.  It's also tougher to consider Davis, because the Mets are still interested in finding out what they have in Daniel Murphy this season.  Meanwhile, Mejia has been flat out dominant and the Mets have a need in the set-up role that Mejia could fill-in immediately.  Considering all those things, I don't think Manuel's statement is that outlandish...

Also in the article, Rubin updates the status of K-Rod.  According to Rubin, K-Rod returned yesterday and threw a bullpen.  K-Rod is quotes in the article saying, "I was joking with (Johan) Santana: 'If I pitch as well in games as I did in the bullpen, he better get out of the way because that Cy Young is mine.'"

Also of note in the article, MLB has deemed the Mets waiver claim of Jay Marshall (the injured left-hander) void due to a pre-existing arm condition. 

Mets Open the Spring Today, Maybe

Today at 1:10 the Mets are supposed to end every Mets fan's misery and finally start to get rid of the taste out of last year, with their first Spring Training game.  It's hard not to get excited about this, especially considering how miserable last year was.  What's it Alexander Pope said, "hope springs eternal"?

Well hope is one thing, weather systems are another, as it seems like a higher power has decided to make it a close call as to whether or not today's game actually happens, potentially postponing Mets fans off-season torture one more day.  Adam Rubin is tweeting that the weather in St. Lucie isn't looking great, but they seem to be holding out hope.

If the game will be played, Metsblog.com put out some other pre-game notes, here.  In his pre-game post, Cerrone includes the starting line-up which will look something like this:

CF Gary Matthews
2B Luis Castillo
SS Jose Reyes
3B David Wright
LF Jason Bay
DH Mike Jacobs
LF Jeff Francoeur
1B Ike Davis
C Chris Coste

With Figueroa on the hill to start the game.

I'm most excited to see what Ike Davis can do, as I'm sure most Mets fans are.  But beyond that I'll also be interested in Reyes plate approach as a number 3 hitter, to see if it changed from when he was a lead-off hitter.  Oh yeah, and it'll be nice to see Bay and Wright hit back to back, which one would assume they'll be doing all season, just probably not in this order.

Either way....

Here's to hoping the rain holds out...