Willingham Has Johan's Number, Mets Fall to 2-4

Josh Willingham pounded Johan Santana today for 5 RBI's as the Mets lost today's game 5-2 (box score) and the series to the Nationals.

Johan didn't look good today and no one on the Mets hit with runners in scoring position.  It wasn't a good day, although there was a little late life from Jacobs, who hit a moon shot that his the facade of the second deck in right.  Oh yeah, and Jeff Francoeur got another two hits.  I dunno what HoJo said to him this spring, but it's looking like it worked...

By the way...Jeff Francouer jersey here I come...my man-crush has only grown.

Is the Mets Line-Up Better with Jacobs than Murphy?

Although I don't completely agree with the idea of Jerry putting Mike Jacobs as the team's clean-up man on opening day, I do think the Mets line-up is actually better with Jacobs than it is with Murphy.  And here's why...POWER.

Although, in theory, Daniel Murphy is more likely to put a ball in play than Mike Jacobs, Jacobs is more likely to bring the thump.  And after looking at the Mets opening day line-up and realizing that they actually look formiddable from a power standpoint, I noticed that I wouldn't have thought the same with Murphy in the line-up instead of Jacobs.

Jacobs has hit 17 homers or more in all of his four full major league seasons.  Granted, Murphy has a smaller sample size, his career high was only 12 last season and doesn't quite have the presence at the dish that Jacobs does.  Overall, I think it's fair to assume that Murphy's max is around 20 homers, which although would be a nice number for him to hit, is all projection.  Mike Jacobs has ACTUALLY hit 20 homers before.  In fact, Jacobs has hit over 20 twice in his four years of MLB service, with his high being in 2008 with the Marlins when he hit 32.  Not to overstate the obvious here, but that's a pretty big number.  And with Jacobs in that opening day line-up, the Mets have a line-up from 3-8 where every player is capable of hitting 20 homers, with the only potential stretch being Barajas who's career high was 19 last season.

So, while I do feel Murphy is a superior defender, with a higher batting average and might be the best first baseman for them in the long run.  Right now, while Reyes and Beltran are out, I like the idea that teams may fear the Mets line-up because one mistake to anyone from 3-8 in the order could be immediate runs.  That's something the Mets didn't have last season, and if you throw in Reyes and Beltran, it only gets scarier...

Roster Cuts, and Why These Moves Are Terrible

Metsblog reported yesterday that the Mets made some cuts after last night's game in St. Petersburg against the Rays, here.  According to Cerrone, Chris Carter, Nelson Figueroa, Kiko Calero, Bobby Parnell, Russ Adams and Elmer Dessens will not make the opening day roster.

The fallout from these moves bother me more than the moves themselves.  Here's my beef:

This most likely means Mejia will make the 'pen, which really bothers me because I think it will stunt his development as a starter. 

Ruben Tejada will now make the opening day roster, and then will be sent down within a week...stupid.

There is the potential of the Mets carrying three lefties in the 'pen, Takahashi, Valdez and Feliciano.  This is annoying because it's my understanding that if they all were to make the 'pen that Valdez would be the specialist while Takahashi is probably the long man, and Feliciano would split set-up duties, possibly with Mejia.  But if you're bringing the rookie north with you, wouldn't it be because you think he will ACTUALLY have an impact, as the set-up man.  Not just to say he was brought up.

And finally, the first base situation.  Now that Carter is out, which makes absolutely no sense to me, it seems like we're looking at a Tatis/Jacobs platoon.  That's awful.  Tatis is the worst.  Can't they go get Lowell now or something.  Anything to get Tatis out of a starting role. 

Carter and Figueroa got jobbed.  They both played well enough in the spring to make the team.  It's crap that they both didn't but worse that Carter didn't.  He was the best offensive force, arguably, the Mets had all spring.

That's my beef and I'm sticking to it...

Why Do the Mets Seem to Value Depth Over Ability and the Long Term?

All spring we've been hearing about the bench battles, and bullpen battles,  and how they will affect the Mets opening day roster.  Through all of this talk, one thing has become clear...

The Mets seem to value depth over ability and the long term.

The team seems willing to start the season with Mejia on the opening day roster, which makes little sense when considering the future of Jenrry Mejia himself.  If his stuff is so good, and top-of-the-rotation starters are so hard to find, then why is the team "starting the clock" on him and at the same time slowing his development as a starter, by putting him in the bullpen.  It seems counter-productive in the long-term...

Another player the Mets seem content on starting the clock early for is Ruben Tejada.  He's a guy who despite Jose Reyes' projected return 5 games into the season, is also strongly being considered for the opening day roster..WHY?  He'll just be sent down after a week.  Is it worth it?  Why not just bring up Russ Adams for a week and then pass him through waivers then?  Isn't Tejada's future worth more than Russ Adam's present?

At the same time, the Mets seem unwilling to keep "depth guys" off of the opening day roster, due to a fear of them not clearing waivers, or accepting minor league assignment.  These players include guys like Nieve, Figueroa, Mike Jacobs (before the Murphy injury) and Frank Catalanotto.  But then again, when it comes to Chris Carter, the Mets seem more wiling to let the guy go to Triple-A despite him being one of the best hitters this spring just because he has an option left.  It seems like him having an option trumps his ability to help the team.  Another mind-boggling concept.  I thought you want to put your best team out there, while protecting your future.  I guess I was wrong...

Overall, I think the thing I'm most confused about is how the team can reconcile the idea of starting some young players on the opening day roster when it doesn't make sense, and potentially putting veterans on who haven't earned it.  It seems like the logic isn't all there. 

Why should the Mets protect marginal players from waivers, while wasting options on their young players to fill temporary roster spots?  I don't get it.

I understand last year's lack of depth was a killer.  But I think last year was the exception not the rule.  And although it's great to be prepared, and have depth, it should not come at the expense of putting the best product on the field for opening day, and for the next couple opening days to come...

My Reaction to Omar on WFAN

Earlier today, Omar Minaya was a guest of Mike Francessa's on WFAN.  In this interview, which Matt Cerrone did a recap of here, Omar talked about a few of the burning questions as we head toward opening day, and the final roster cuts.

The first thing I want to talk about is Omar being willing to go with what he has at first base in Murphy's absence.  This means, to me, that Jacobs will be the guy and Tatis will be the back-up, unless Chris Carter makes the team, which Cerrone seems to feel won't happen (I agree).  I hope that's not the case but tend to agree that Catalanotto will probably fill the last bench spot. 

Okay, so I have no real problem going with Jacobs over Carter or Davis, mainly because I don't think Davis is ready and Carter isn't a full-time first baseman.  What I do have a problem with is this feeling that Catalanotto will make the bench over Carter.  I think Carter is a better hitter, and is almost as versatile as Catalanotto in the field, but not as good a fielder overall.  However, I think the logic that the Mets needed a lefty power bat off the bench should not have changed when Murphy went down.  Don't they still need a lefty power bat off the bench?  It's pretty obvious that Carter has more power of the two bench-bat options.

And the thing that bothers me the most is this idea that because people don't have options they will make the team.  I thought the Mets would want to put the most talent out on the field, not just make sure they don't lose guys on minor league deals just because of a fear of depth.  I guess that's just me...

And as far as the line-up without Murphy, I think the team now has more pop at first base.  It's just funny to me how the same people wondering why we had Murphy at the top of the depth chart are now the same complaining about the line-up without him.  It just makes no sense to me...

Another thing that I want to talk about is Omar's breakdown of the bullpen, as not having one set-up man.  I think this is more Omar staying behind Manuel because all we (bloggers and media) do is jump all over them when they're not on the same page.  I would have to assume that we're looking at either Mejia or Feliciano as the primary set-up guys.  If this isn't the case then Mejia should be at Binghamton learning to become a starter, anything less than that is a waste of this kid's talent.  I still think that at the end of the day Pedro Feliciano will be the one doing most of the heavy lifting in the eighth inning.

The last thing I want to touch on is Omar saying that Tejada will play, should he make the team.  I like that a lot, but when we they find time?  With Reyes returning 5 games into the season, I really don't see when Tejada gets any playing time.  Maybe this means that Catalanotto and Carter will make the team to start, and Cat will be the back-up at second for the first 5 games.  I know that's a risk, but a move can always be made if something happens to Cora or Castillo.  I also like the feeling that Tejada will be the second baseman of the future.  Well he's hit so far this spring, and can definitely work on his fielding, but regardless he looks good.

I'm just getting  tired of talking about the make-up of the team here.  Let's just get to it and play a game already...

Adam Rubin Dropping Bombs, My Take

Well, I wouldn't exactly call them bombs...But...

Adam Rubin has been tweeting a bunch, and here's what's going on...

First off, it looks like Murphy is more than day-to-day and will probably start the season on the DL.  Rubin says the problem isn't severe but could cost Murphy 2-6 weeks.  I am fully expecting even more Ike Davis re-call talk then we've already had, but to me, it just makes more sense to carry Jacobs and Carter now.  They can both play first and you can ride the hot hand, because I severely doubt the Mets are ready to try Ike, especially if only for a few weeks.  Let him develop, he will be awesome when he comes up, just let him get to where he needs to be first.  There is no reason to rush Ike. 

******While I was writing this, Omar confirmed Ike will stay in triple-A, which according to Rubin means 2 of 3 probably from Catalanotto, Carter and Jacobs.  Good idea, Omar.  So that basically means Carter or Cat for the last spot, considering Jacobs was just called the "front-runner" by Manuel.**********

Speaking of rushing prospects...

Rubin has also tweeted that Jerry Manuel seems to really want Mejia to make this team, saying, "Do I see a way that he doesn't make the team? Not today. ... There's going to be some interesting dialogue about that."  Rubin also says that there will be an eighth inning crew by committee as of now.  Jerry is really ticking me off here.  Look, I'm as excited with Mejia as everyone else is, but don't people want him to be a starter?  Doesn't that seem to fit the team better in the long-run?  I really think it's not worth messing with his development when we have an eighth inning guy who is capable but is never given a shot, Pedro Feliciano.  And I am especially curious about Jerry wanting Mejia up, if the eighth inning will be by committee.  As much as I am against Mejia being up, and messing with his development, if he's up then he has to be the eighth inning guy.  There is literally no reason to keep him around if he's going into middle relief, or will split time with Feliciano.  It's just not the best idea of the organization.   Let him become a stud starting prospect, because in the end, top-of-the-line starting pitching is harder to find than eighth inning help...


Rubin has also tweeted that if Jose isn't ready for opening day then Cora will start at short, which I'm fine with, especially considering how long he'll be out.  It just makes more sense than seeing Tejada be awesome and then having to hear people complain about how awful Castillo is, and how much better Tejada would be.  Good PR move... Sorry that was just some uncalled-for Castillo hate coming out...


No matter what, it's time to get excited, as opening day creep even closer...

Mets Defeat Marlins 6-3 Behind Homers From Bay, Wright and Carter

Today the Mets defeated the Marlins 6-3 (box score), and were aided by a little extra power.  Bay, Wright and Carter all homered for the Mets, Carter as a pinch-hitter, and all of those homers were hit off of Josh Johnson.  Those deep drives coupled with an RBI for Omir Santos, were enough to put the Mets over top today.  Jacobs also looked pretty good today going 2-4 from the plate with two doubles, although one of them was aided by the ball getting by the CF after an attempted dive.

With the news today of Murphy being day-to-day but being spotted with a limp, I think it may be fair to say that Jacobs should be tabbed as the Mets opening day first baseman.  Potentially with the idea of carrying both him and Carter on the roster to start the season.  Especially if the other option is bringing up Ike for a week.  I think I'd rather let him go down and get going in Buffalo and let the Mets rough it out for a week or so with Carter and Jacobs.  At least, that's what I think at this point...

Back to the game...On the hill Figgy looked good, going three innings and only giving up three singles.  Along with Figgy, all of Valdez, Parnell, Takahashi and Feliciano, threw scoreless innings of work.  And the thing I think the Mets got most out of today was that Feliciano and Takahashi were able to work around walks and have fine outtings. 

The only damage done today against the Mets were in Mejia's two innings of work, in which he gave up two hits and three runs, although all runs were unearned.  The biggest reason for Mejia's line was a fly ball dropped by Pagan that allowed two runs to score with two outs in the inning, after Russ Adams had already committed an error earlier in the inning.  Mejia then walked the next batter after the Pagan drop, most likely due to him feeling like he needed to strike everyone out, or else he'd be on the mound forever.

Mejia looked fine today, from a stuff standpoint, but seemed to lose his cool a bit when errors were made behind him.  While I realize that even the best pitchers do that sometimes, it can definitely be seen as an example as to why this kid needs more seasoning in the minors.

Meanwhile, Jose Reyes was playing in another minor league game and went 1-5 with a double for the second straight day.  Once again my dad was using his handheld home video camera to get Reyes' at bats over at the minor league game.  There's nothing I like more than watching games through a chain-link fence.  I'm kidding, I know that field isn't set up for that, and that's probably the best they can do, but either way, it's funny to watch that on a cable network...

Anywho...More Mets action tomorrow at 12:10 against the Nationals on SNY...

Mets Fall to Cards 2-1, Dynamic Line-Up Kept In Check By Carpenter

Today the Mets lost to the Cardinals 2-1 (box score) despite a good outting from John Maine, and probably the most potent line-up in recent Mets history.

Maine looked good today going 5 innings and only giving up 3 hits.  Unfortunately for Maine, and the Mets, two of those hits were solo homers, one by Brendan Ryan and the other by Pujols.  Outside of the homers, Maine looked good from what I saw, facing what looked like the Cardinals everyday line-up minus Molina.

Also pitching well today was, well, everyone else.  Only one other hit was given up when Maine left the game, and that was given up by Nieve.  Nieve and Calero both went an inning each, and Dessens and Felciano split the final innings, keeping the 'birds scoreless for the rest of the game.

At the plate, the Mets were luck to manage any offense off of Chris Carpenter with the lackluster line-up Jerry put out there today.  But they did manage 4 hits and a run, with the highlight being Frank Catalanotto driving in Tatis for the Mets only run with a double.  This hit was a big one for Catalanotto, showing that the final bench spot is still in play.  Also helping contribute to the final bench spot competition were Mike Jacobs and Chris Carter who both failed to get hits.  In-all-fairness Carter's only at bat was as a pinch hitter, while Jacobs got the start and went 0-3. 

More intrigue to come tomorrow, when...

The spring rages on tomorrow, with the Mets facing the Marlins at 1:05 pm in Jupiter...

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...

Things I Learned From Live Chat With Brian Costa

Earlier today, Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger had a really good live chat with Mets fans, here.

Here are the things I took out of the chat that I felt were most interesting:

- In response to my question regarding whether or not Carter was garnering consideration over Jacobs for the last bench spot, Costa said, "Sure, if he keeps hitting this way, he'll definitely earn strong consideration."  Since it was my question, I obviously think Carter should be getting consideration.  He's a lefty, he has power, he's mashing right now, he plays first base and outfield...At this point in time, I just don't see what Jacobs has over him. 

- In response to a question asked what the chances were of Castillo or Perez being traded this season, Costa said, "About the same as the chances of tomorrow's game in Fort Myers being postponed due to a blizzard."  I guess I'm not going to hold out hope that Castillo will get deal then...


- Costa feels that Wright's power will come back this year. He said, "Honestly, I don't see Wright's power as a huge question mark this year. I think last year was an aberration and he's too good to have another year like that."  I agree with Costa here, I'm not concerned about Wright.

 - In response to a question about Jerry using Mejia in an effort to save his job, Costa said, "Well, Jerry said he'd have to be a little crazy and a little desperate to do it, and what do you know, he's a little of both. Still, I have to say, Mejia has looked excellent so far."  I don't disagree here.  The kid has looked good enough that he probably can contribute on the major league level this season, but is it worth potentially stalling his development into a starter...That's the more important question.


- In response to a question regarding how much of a leash Murphy will have at first this year, Costa thinks, "Yes, Murphy doesn't have a ton of margin for error, but the Mets want to give him every chance to succeed. Plus, if the Mets are losing, I don't think Murphy is going to be the scapegoat."  That's nice to see that the Mets want him to succeed.  It's be nice to see that.  And I agree that if they're losing there will be bigger issues than Murphy that will attribute to that...


- Also note, Costa called Jeff Francouer's clubhouse demeanor, "Francoeur is definitely a good clubhouse guy. I don't think "the right attitude" is more important than good seasons from Maine, Pelfrey and Perez, and the return of Reyes and Beltran, but it helps."  I can't agree more.  Ever heard of the term loveable loser?  I really like Frenchy and what he brings to this team, but at the end of the day they need to win above all else.  And they need everyone healthy and contributing for that to happen. 


- Finally, and in my opinion, the most important thing I learned was regarding the Mets front office and how in-tune they are with their fans.  Costa made this comment, "Someone from the Mets will read this. Trust me, the Mets are keenly aware of everything that is being said and written about them -- in newspapers, on the radio, on TV and on blogs. They don't need me to tell them what fans are saying. You may feel like there's a disconnect because of what the Mets do or don't do, but they definitely hear everything that is being said about them."  Wow, to me this is huge for a couple reasons, both positive and negative.  On one hand, it's nice to know that the team cares enough about it's fanbase to pay attention to what's being said about them.  On the otherhand, Can they care too much about what people are saying?  I know this isn't exactly a fair point considering, the Mets almost seem damned if they do, and damned if they don't.  However, I do think it's good to pay attention to your fans and hear what they've saying because at the end of the day, this is a business and the fans are your customers.  You need them to be satisfied with the product or else your sales will go down.  BUT, they should only be listened to up to a point, because in all honesty, as much as fans love the game and think they know about it, the management are the professionals.  As a fan, I like to know that management knows more than me, and can run the team better than anyone else, because, hey, isn't that their jobs? Aren't they professionals for a reason?  I know the obvious/sarcastic response to this question, but seriously, as much as I like to think I know what I'm talking about, there's a reason I'm writing a blog for fun, and they manage a baseball franchise...

Mets Fall to Sox 8-2: Feliciano, Jacobs, Pridie Only Bright Spots

Not a fun loss for the Mets (box score).  This is one of those days you just wish never happened, with the bad news about Reyes, Pelfrey getting hit hard, Villanova losing...wait a second.  I think I'm having a rough day.  Either way, Mets fans aren't pleased with today's performances, unless your names are Pedro, Mike or Jason...

In the Mets 8-2 loss to the Red Sox today, the lone bright spots were Pedro Feliciano, Mike Jacobs and Jason Pridie.  Feliciano threw another scoreless inning while only giving up one hit.  Jacobs and Pridie went deep, while driving in and scoring the only Mets runs of the game.  Jacobs is in a tough battle for that last bench spot and today's performance was a nice response to what Chris Carter did yesterday.  As for Pridie, he's been pretty good this spring, and should provide some nice organizational depth for the Mets this season. 

As for the not-so-fun stuff...

Mike Pelfrey had a tough first inning, as the Sox came out swinging.  Pelf gave up 3 runs on the afternoon, all in his first inning of work, while striking out 4, and giving up 4 hits and a walk.  Also not having a great outing was Igarashi who gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in only one inning of work.

For the Mets, and myself, this was not a day to remember...

Regardless, I'm going to continue to campaign for Feliciano to be the teams primary set-up man, because just like Mejia, he too hasn't given up a run yet...

It's Early, But I Want Chris Carter on the Opening Day Roster

I know it's early, but it's hard to deny what Chris Carter has been doing at the plate so far this spring.  Carter has 3 homers in the past 2 games, and is currently hitting .625 with 8 RBI this spring.  I mean, not to get ahead of myself, but those are some pretty impressive numbers.  And please note that today, he went deep off of Derek Lowe and then doubled off of Saito.  Those are not minor leaguers...

It is believed that Mike Jacobs is the favorite to win the final bench spot for the Mets because he is a left-handed power hitter.  Call me stupid, but isn't that exactly what Chris Carter is?  Carter is hitting exactly .500 points higher than Jacobs, which I know is a ridiculous argument in spring training, but it should be worth some consideration.  Also, Carter is driving in more runs, and hitting more homers than Jacobs is.  Beyond that, Carter, although not a great fielder, is more versatile in the field than Jacobs.  Chris Carter is capable of playing the outfield as well as first base.  Jacobs on the other hand, is a first baseman only, who has limited value as an emergency catcher, and is no better at 1B than Carter.

At the least Carter should be garnering attention for the last bench spot on the team, as he really seems to comfortable at the plate this spring.  Maybe he's coming into his own as a ballplayer, maybe he's not.  At the least, the Mets should be looking seriously at him as a candidate for the last bench spot because, in all honesty, he might be more valuable than Jacobs...

Game On, But With One Hitch

According to Metsblog.com, here, it looks like we'll see some ball today after all.

The only catch is that the line-up has been changed. Metsblog.com reports that the line-up will be this:

LF Jesus Feliciano
SS Ruben Tejada
CF Gary Matthews
DH Mike Jacobs
3B Mike Hessman
1B Ike Davis
C Chris Coste
RF Jason Pirdie
2B Luis Hernandez

I can't say I'm as excited as I was when I saw the original line-up but Tejada, Matthews, Jacobs will be fun to watch.

And of course, it will be good to get a look at Ike Davis, who I've only seen play in college, and sporadic national television appearance in the minors.