Cutnpaste: - Piazza and Steroids, Optimism, Francisco Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran

Piazza and Steroids:

Why am I unearthing the “old” steroid issue and dragging Mike Piazza through the mud now? Partly because of the hypocrisy of the recent Hall of Fame voting, partly because Walnutz15 pointed out a relevant tidbit from yesteryear, and also because Murray Chass has reopened the can of worms. You may remember Chass — a former New York Times columnist — stirred up controversy by discussing Piazza’s “bacne”. This past week, Chass re-hashed the debate, pointing out that Piazza (along with several other suspected PEDs users) will be eligible for the HOF vote in two years. Interestingly, Piazza’s biography should be published right before the vote; my guess is that the book will clear Piazza of any wrongdoing, and position him as a legitimate HOF candidate. - metstoday.  



Optimism:

As I look at the drifting snow and feel the cold, the warmth I usually feel this time of year because of spring training has slipped away like me on the ice this morning. Spring training is a time for optimism and hope, but this year realistic hope is around .500 at best. But, we knew this with the hiring of Sandy Alderson, who told us there would be no big spending this winter and he hoped the team would be competitive. That probably means a lot of close games before losing in the late innings. - metsmerizedonline



Francisco Rodriguez:

The Mets have repeatedly mentioned that they have tens of millions of dollars set to come off the books next offseason. Sandy Alderson has said that the team will not immediately reinvest that money, instead opting to spread their cash out, ultimately maintaining a competitive roster over the long haul. However, if the Mets have success in 2011, it is reasonable to think that Krod may finish the 55 games necessary to trigger his 2012 option worth $17.5 million dollars, severely impacting the franchise’s projected liquidity next offseason. - metsfever.



Carlos Beltran:

Will always get knocked for his demeanor. Very similar to Kevin McReynolds, but “Big Mac” never put up Beltran’s numbers. By far the best defensive centerfielder in baseball during his Mets tenure, and has the bad knees to prove it. When you factor in his Gold Glove defense, 2006 (41 homers, 116 RBI. .275 batting average) might be the most complete season by a position player in Mets history. - nybaseballdigest.