MALLER - Even with his recent surge, the Mets will be hard-pressed to trade Carlos Beltran without swallowing a significant portion of the $18.5 million he is owed next year. With the possibility the Mets will eat $18 million to unload Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, expect Beltran back in Flushing. “If I’m healthy, I’m going to be able to have a good season,” Beltran said
Sept 2010 from: - NYFS - He had a bit of a disappointing year in his first taste of full season pro ball but at the age of 20 years old this kid has some intriguing potential. He’s got all those great tools you would love to see from a 2nd basemen. He’s got a lot of RAWNESS to his game that needs to be refined but it’s his RAW power from 2nd base that should keep him on everyone’s radar.
HBT - Currently the manager of the Mets’ Triple-A franchise in Buffalo, Oberkfell has quietly worked his way up the organizational ladder. A minor league manager since 1995, he has forged a record just under .500, culminating in his selection as Baseball America's minor league manager of the year in 2005. He’s a diligent and hard worker who has the patience to develop young players, but lacks the fire-and-brimstone gene the Mets would prefer from their next manager. Then there’s his connection to the rival Cardinals, which really shouldn’t matter, but will be brought up by critics obsessed with the new manager having a tangible connection to the Mets’ past. In many ways, Oberkfell deserves this job. He has paid his dues and enjoyed success along the way. It’s simply a question of the Mets being willing to overlook his lack of a headline name or personality. My guess is they will not.
9-26-10: - Mack on METSZILLA - First, let me remind your readers that I didn’t like this pick. That being said, I was wrong. Havens is a hitting machine. In addition, he has incredible power for an infielder. The Mets were rumored to having plans to convert him to a catcher when they drafted him because he was considered a liability in the field. The current Mets management plan to never play him again at any other position than second base. That’s how much they want his bat in a future Mets lineup. The problem now is his extended health, Yes, he has had a number of ticky-tacky injuries, but the current one is a big one. There’s a real good chance that he will have back surgery and might miss the entire 2011 season. We saw this kind of frustration with ex-3B prospect Shawn Bowman, who lost 2 1/2 years due to two back surgeries. Shit happens and not all of us are built the same. I don’t happen to believe that anyone comes back 100% from back surgery. I’ve had it myself and I’m less than 50%. The back is not a broken bone that can heal. I still list him the highest second base prospect because he has the most talent, but my guess… the Mets will never see Reese Havens play in Queens.
BP - In the scheme of the negatives of baseball it’s maybe two or three in position. I think that the gambling scandal, as epitomized by the Black Sox scandal in 1919, would probably be No. 1. I guess I’d put steroids either No. 2 or No. 3, and if it was No. 3 I’d say that the exclusion of African-Americans for six decades would be No. 2. You could argue that was the worst thing that baseball has ever done. Should there be asterisks next to Babe Ruth’s name because he never had to face Satchel Paige or play against Josh Gibson, who once hit 70 home runs in a season? When African-Americans were belatedly let into the National League in almost a quota system, one or two per team, they won the MVP nine out of 11 years. That tells you what was missing in baseball. So maybe I should say that the exclusion of African-Americans is No. 1, and gambling, as epitomized by the Black Sox scandal—it was rampant in other places—would be No. 2. That would put steroids at No 3.
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