Cutnpaste: - R.A. Dickey, Pedro, Nails, Ruben Tejada... and F-Mart

R.A. Dickey:



link  - The Mets haven’t had the best luck with “scrap heap” reclamation projects, but I believe R.A. Dickey has the ability to be a solid number three starter the rest of the year. Right now he is pitching like an ace (171 ERA+). Put it this way, Hall of Famer Phil Niekro had a career ERA+ of 115 and only one season (1967) of an ERA+ higher than where Dickey is now. He is obviously due for a bit of a fall, but where Dickey will land seems pretty good to me. At the very least in the same category as an aging Roy Oswalt. Put it this way: there are a lot of issues with the Mets, but R.A. Dickey isn’t one of them.

Pedro Martinez:


link  - But the three-time Cy Young Award winner had some choice words for his old team, chastising the Mets front office and owners Thursday, saying that the club he spent four seasons with "left me hanging" in 2009 when there was a chance to re-sign the righthander. Martinez eventually joined the Phillies last July and started Games 2 and 6 of the Fall Classic. "I think the word about not having me on the team didn't come from (general manager) Omar (Minaya). It was probably from up there - Jeff or Fred (Wilpon), or someone higher, maybe the scouting. They didn't pull me back," Martinez told the Daily News Thursday. "They left me hanging after I let go of so many teams. It's business. I know that baseball has a bad side. And that's the bad side of baseball - business."

Len Dykstra:


link  - Dykstra would foreshadow his status for getting big hits against the Braves during his Mets career. His .338 batting average is the best by a Met against the Braves, for those with at least 150 plate appearances against them. He hit .475 against them in a 40 at-bat stretch in 1986. Even after leaving the Mets, Dykstra's status against the Braves grew. It's one thing Phillies fans and Mets fans can agree upon, with the knowledge that Dykstra won a playoff game for the 1993 Phillies, beating the Braves with a late home run.

Ruben Tejada:


link  - All Mets fan will agree that although Tejada struggled at the plate, batting .212 with five RBI in 104 at-bats this season, he performed well in the field while filling in for the injured Luis Castillo and Jose Reyes. He might not be better than Castillo, but he deserves to be playing over him, so come September, would you rather see Tejada or Castillo? I'll let you be the judge

Fernando Martinez:

link  - Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+: .255/.322/.465 for Triple-A Buffalo, hampered by injuries again though he sustained power from last year. Needs better plate discipline. Still just 21. . .