Mets: Frank Francisco, Michael Fulmer, Gary Carter, Matt Harvey

Frank Francisco - Let's welcome Frankie Frank to the team, especially since he saves us from the heartburn Captain Fastball was set to provide us. Now Bobby Parnell isn't even second on the bullpen depth chart. Suddenly, the team has a capable closer, and an obvious handcuff in Ramon Ramirez. It's the perfect setup for a late-draft strategy. Draft Francisco late and enjoy his dominance of the weaker league -- and his first time calling a non-bandbox home -- and keep an eye out for Ramirez, who will be interesting when Francisco takes his yearly vacation on the disabled list. He's going with the 234th pick (ranked 317th) and should rack up 30 saves and nice ratios. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/14/2795663/fantasy-mets

 2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - Starting Pitcher #4 : Michael Fulmer. The 44th overall pick in 2011, Fulmer is a high school righthander with a solid fastball/curve combination. For what it’s worth, he struck out ten of the 31 batters he faced in the GCL in his pro debut. He’s far away from the majors and doesn’t project as a front-of-the-rotation guy, but if things go well, he could be a mid-rotation workhorse. Grade: B

Howard Johnson remembers Gary Carter standing on the dugout steps in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series before he sparked the Mets’ famous rally against the Red Sox. “He said, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make the last out of the World Series,’ ” Johnson said after the Hall of Fame catcher died yesterday at 57. “And with Gary, more than just about anyone else, you believed him. He was the ultimate competitor.” And it was that fighting spirit that he brought to his battle against the brain cancer. “If you could mold yourself after one person, both as an individual and an athlete, it should be Gary Carter,” said another former Mets’ teammate, Wally Backman, now the manager at Triple-A Buffalo. “He was the guy. He was the perfect combination of a great player but an even better person. There was no one I would rather have as a teammate. … He was like a big brother to me.”  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/remembered_as_warrior_on_the_field_4OevssOLDncHIcP1reKDXO#ixzz1mdvhHs1U

Matt Harvey wants to take it slow this spring: Keep the expectations modest and hope for the best. Cracking the rotation is not an option for the Mets’ 2010 top draft choice, but showing the organization enough to maybe earn a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo isn’t out of the question. Whatever the case, Harvey is out to demonstrate that his struggles last summer, after jumping from Single-A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton, were more about nerves than ability. “I think I put a little too much pressure on myself moving up,” said Harvey, who finished 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 12 starts at Double-A. http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/harvey_measuring_his_expectations_2tuNFZ39HjzOMhhlLYXw6M#ixzz1mdwDPnt7