Cutnpaste: Reese Havens, Jeurys Familia, Jose Reyes, Jon Niese, MLB

Limited to a little more than 200 minor league at-bats in 2011, New York Mets second baseman Reese Havens is an injury-prone prospect looking for an AFL bump. Havens has the potential to draw walks and provide above-average power. The Mets lack a long-term solution at second base, and Havens could work his way into the 2012 mix. - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/fantasy/shandler/story/2011-09-13/arizona-fall-league-prospects/50379482/1  

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - SP2: Jeurys Familia - With 22 GS this season, split between St Lucie (6 starts), and Bingo (16 starts with one remaining), Familia has shown why he is one of the four top pitchers in the Mets system. Frequently hitting triple digits with his fastball is no small feat for a young starting pitcher. And while the team is trying to bring him along slowly, how can they not start him at Buffalo next year, the way he has simply dominated the hitters in AA? The Mets will add him to the quickly filling up 40-man roster this winter, and he may force their hand at some point next season, and earn a call-up. He is too good to ignore, and with this kind of talent, anything is possible. Could this be the guy to throw the Mets’ first no-no in their history? He has the stuff.

Jose Reyes: The Mets' superstar shortstop has been their property since 1999 -- when he was 16 years old, and a big leaguer since 2003. Despite two disabled-list stints this season, Reyes is enjoying one of his best seasons of his career. He's been worth 5.5 wins above replacement this season, according to Fangraphs, which is 17th-best in the league, and second among shortstops. Sure, he's been an injury waiting to happen for much of his career, but that's really been all that's stopped him. When he's in there, he's an elite top-of-the-order player and an energizing force in the field and at the plate. With five home runs, 87 runs, 35 steals, a .377 on-base percentage and an NL-leading .335 average in 109 games, the 28-year-old has proven his worth when he's on the field. Since I've been born, with about two decades of Mets-watching, there hasn't been a more electrifying Met than Jose Reyes. Yet these could be the last games I witness with Reyes in a Mets uniform, if the Mets don't offer him a contract to his liking. This reason in and of itself is a reason to watch the Mets in September. It will be very sad if we all have to watch him torment the Mets next year in another uniform. http://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-mets/2011/9/9/2415542/five-reasons-to-watch-the-new-york-mets-jose-reyes-lucas-duda-johan-santana  

Jonathon Niese: 4.40 ERA – 3.36 FIP = 1.05 ERA-FIP (Not Ranked, N/A)- Jonathon Niese was another preseason sleeper, an idea first made popular by my good friend (and friend of the podcast) Marc Normandin, after putting together very good performances for most of the season before fatiguing during the final stretch. Niese made significant strides in his control and his ability to strike opposing batters out, but that has not been enough for this young lefty to improve upon his 2010 ERA of 4.20. Still, Mets fans can blame Niese’s poor strand rate (67%) and unlucky BABIP (.333) for this year’s performance, making this former 7th round pick a sleeper, once again, in 2012. Expect a bounce-back season for Mr. Niese next year - http://www.replacementlevelbaseball.com/2011/09/what-the-luck-september-2011-edition

At this point, I just don't think there are any reasons that Major League Baseball could trot out that would hold up to scrutiny. That's not to say MLB didn't have their reasons - obviously they did, and they were probably some sort of amalgamation of a business relationship with New Era, a fear of further teams trying to deal with tragedies, and a desire to honor the anniversary uniformly across the league. It's just hard to see how any combination of those reasons - or anything else they may have been considering - could outweigh the poor PR and just plain foolishness of the final decision. Bad call, Major League Baseball. - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15023