Captain Kirk Should Keep Jason at Bay

The Mets have had their fair share of injuries so far this season. None has been more of an impact to the team, the overall roster and the fanbase as when Jason Bay went down with a fractured rib. Why? It cleared the way for Kirk Nieuwenhuis (or Captain Kirk as I refer to him) to stay in Queens.


Capt Kirk was supposed to be groomed for the leadoff role and center field position in the minors this season after the team sent him back to AAA at the end of Spring Training. Instead, he was called back up when Andres Torres went down and impressed everyone.


He has a .310 AVG, two Home Runs and 12 RBI. More importantly, he has a .383 OBP. He just finds a way to get on and finds a way to extend innings for the team. He has 35 hits and 13 walks in 33 games. He has scored 18 runs.


When he gets on, he makes it count. Fans have embraced him and it is no coincidence that the team has done very well since his call up. When Bay went down, it was a no-brainer; he had to stay up with the Mets. Since Torres has returned, Capt Kirk has been getting comfortable in that number two spot in the order and making himself at home quite nicely in left field.


No one has missed Bay. The Mets are hopeful he will be ready to start a rehab assignment as early as next week. This brings up a tough question: should Bay ride the bench as the fourth outfielder when he comes back?


Bay is batting .240 with just 15 games played. He is in his third year of a four year contract that has been plagued with injury and nonproductive plate appearances. If anyone could use a change of scenery, it's him.


Trouble is that his contract is so big the Mets would not be able to move it. And to sit someone making all that money in place of a younger and better hitter, would be nearly insane.


A platoon may knock Capt Kirk out of rhythm and prevent Bay from getting his stride too. Therefore, it would be worse for both players. So we have arrived at a stalemate. What is more important; the value of a contract wasting away on the bench or the health of a young team?


It's easy to say the player with the big contract has to play. It's harder to have to guts to sit him. In this case, it very well may be better for all involved right now to sit him and let Capt Kirk start when Bay does return healthy.


While it may not be the best choice for their wallets, the Mets must realize it is the best option. Bay has not done well here and is not going to either. He has not shown any signs of turning it around to make that contract remotely justifiable.


Therefore, they have to just suck it up and come to the realization that they bought an over-priced lemon that will have to sit in the garage while they take the inexpensive newer model out for a spin. Such is the way of the Mets.


In the end, giving Capt Kirk that chance and showing him that support and faith, would be far more value to the team in the long run. It would boost his confidence and give him a chance to work on the facets of his game that need the most improvement at the major league level.


This could be more beneficial and pay off for the next decade as opposed to having him ride the pine or shattering his confidence by sending him back down to AAA for a player only expected to stay around another year after this one.


If the Mets wanted to make a statement and a commitment to their youth movement, their fans and the league that they are sticking with the younger players. they must choose Capt Kirk over Jason Bay when the time for decisions is upon is.


Hopefully, for all of our sake, they make the right decision.

I May Be Wrong, But… Roster Opening – RHH OF/Back-up CF

People are telling me that the Scott Hairston injury can easily prevent him from heading to Queens in April. Hairston is your right-handed backup outfielder, plus the only player currently on the 25-man that legitimately can backup Andres Torres in centerfield.

There’s not many options ( and don’t get hung up by these stats because there are so few at-bats right now):

RHH Juan Lagares – (.000/.000/.000/.000) – The Mets need to play this guy in center during the spring to see if he has the range.

RHH Vinny Rotinno – (000/.000/.000/.000) – definitely not a center fielder (and we have already learned this short ST season that he has limitations at third).

LHH Kirk Nieuwenhuis – .250/.250/.250/.500 – The Captain may bat left, but he’s the only possible centerfield replacement if Torres went down (it’s just too early to consider Matt den Dekker).

RHH Josh Satin – (.600/.600/.600/1.200) – this is the bat the Mets need, but he’s never played a game in center.

RHH Cesar Puello – (.500/.500/.500/1.0000 -played some center today in a split schedule game.

Summation:  Too early to call.

Mets: 2012, Andres Torres, Mike Cameron, Johan Santana

 We all know the Mets’ journey will be a tough one. This division is loaded and the expectations are low. But that can be a positive. And nobody understands that better than Collins. This Mets team has some talent when you talk about guys like Wright, Santana and Jason Bay. I also think Davis will have his “coming out party” in 2012 while youngsters like Duda and Daniel Murphy will continue their development. The Mets would not be the first team to benefit from an “Us Against The World” mentality. And they won’t be the last. The 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks and the 2010 Cincinnati Reds come to mind as well as the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/02/20/coutinho-terry-collins-is-right-mets-will-surprise-their-critics/

Two months after agreeing to terms on a Minor League deal with the Nationals, outfielder Mike Cameron announced his retirement Sunday. Cameron, 39, indicated to MLB.com in December that 2012 most likely would be his last season, and he wanted a chance to mentor a player like the Nats' Roger Bernadina. If Cameron had played this season, he could have been in a platoon situation with Rick Ankiel in center field. With Cameron out of the picture, the Nationals could have Jason Michaels replace Cameron http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120219&content_id=26754352&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=aw-7670951052344218254-996

One of the mysteries for the Mets going into Spring is what are they going to get out of Andres Torres. Torres is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2011 campaign after a great 2010 season. As of right now, he is the current starter in center for the Mets and is projecting to be the current lead off hitter. However with a few OF coming up through the minors (hello Captain Kirk), there will be pressure on Torres throughout the season to produce. Here are is 2011 numbers, followed by the Baseball Prospectus Projection MLB.com Projection: http://www.213milesfromshea.com/2012/02/20/projecting-andres-torres-vs-angel-pagan-2012/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Johan Santana (NYM – P) – The 32-year-old threw off a mound for the first time since the end of the 2010 season on Sunday. He is slowly making his way back from surgery to repair a tear in his left shoulder. Even with the progress, I would stay as far away from the 32-year-old as possible. The main reason to stay away is the operation he had to repair his shoulder has a horrible success rate. Kelvim Escobar had the surgery in May 2010 and hasn’t been back to the majors. Chien-Ming Wang was finally able to make it back to the majors in 2011 after his surgery in July 2009. Mark Prior also had the operation and his struggles to return to the majors is well documented. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/britton-santana-hudson-napoli-dl-on-the-dl/

Frank Gray - Mets Search Should be over for Lefty Bat

The New York Mets are reportedly searching for a left-handed bat for their outfield. They have Lucas Duda (lefty), Jason Bay (righty), Andres Torres (switch) and Scott Hairston (righty) already in the fold. Rumors have pointed toward names like Rick Ankiel and Raul Ibanez.

While Ankiel has recently signed with the Washington Nationals and Ibanez, among others, is still available, the obvious answer to this void is already in their system. His name is Matt Den Dekker. Between Port St Lucie and Binghamton, he hit 17 home runs last season.

He drove in 68 RBI and had 24 stolen bases. It's apparent that he has not hit in AAA yet, but he has improved his game from level to level. He will start in AAA to begin this year and eventually earn a spot in Queens at some point this season. They are looking for a dirt cheap veteran.

With that comes an injury prone player that may possibly end up getting hurt early and being replaced by a minor league player eventually anyway. Why not just skip this step. The Mets need to trust their farm system now. Give them a chance.

Perhaps they can make due with what they have until the All-Star break and then change things up a bit and call up Den Dekker. He would then add a fresh energy and enthusiasm to the roster. This is a player that has all the tools to be a success in the majors. The Mets need to let him.

Why waste the money on a bat that will only be around for a year or be utilized for half of the games in the season when they can simply promote one of their own who may most likely be ready for the show.

It makes more sense to save the funds for someone down the road when they need one player to boost their roster into a possible playoff push.

Matt Den Dekker can be that role player off the bench and backing up the starters with spot starts and late inning defense. The Mets merely have to give him the opportunity.

Frank Gray - Andres Torres, We Hardly Knew You.

The New York Mets traded Angel Pagan last month to the San Francisco Giants for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. At the time, it seemed like the centerfielder position was set. Last week rumors came out that the Mets were interested in free agent Cody Ross.

While reports this week point to Ross agreeing to terms with the Boston Red Sox, it still begs a question: where does Torres stand? It's obvious that the Mets are interested in a back up plan for that outfield position. Perhaps it's due to his injuries last season or his low AVG of .221 as a direct result of those injuries.

The Mets have said Torres is healthy, so why, then, consider another option?  Maybe they don't believe in him as much as they are admitting or maybe they aren't divulging all of the news on his health. Either way, there's something there that has yet to be revealed.

If he is healthy, he could perform admirably. Looking at his stats prior to his 2011, he hit .268, 16 home runs and had 26 stolen bases in 2010. Those are comparable to Angel Pagan's stats in that season, .290, 11 home runs and 37 stolen bases.

While it's certainly true that Pagan had the better year then, Torres wasn't too shabby. In fact, when considering he did it from the leadoff spot, those stats are inviting to a team that has a tremendous void at the top of their lineup.

Many fans may disagree and want to see the Mets go after another option. After all, they only have Jason Bay, Lucas Duda and Scott Hairston to go with Torres on the Major League roster. I believe that would be a mistake.

As opposed to Pagan, Torres is the type of player that clubhouses embrace. When he was healthy and productive in 2010, he was not just a spark in the San Francisco Giants lineup, but an important key in the playoff push and their eventual World Series victory. The fans there loved him.

Most Giants chat boards were filled last month with upset fans ranting over the trade. He was embraced in the community as well as the clubhouse. Isn't that the type of player a younger team should take a chance on having on board?

Rather than calling for the Mets to exhaust every minimally talented outfield option, perhaps it would be wiser for us to accept that Andres Torres is the option and embrace him as our opening day leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder. He might just surprise us.

Mets – Armando Rodriguez , Barry Larkin, Vance Wilson, Andres Torres, Mike Piazza

metsmerized  - 40. Armando Rodriguez (RHP) Signed as an IFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2007, Rodriguez  has good size and strength at 6’3″ and 250 lbs. He throws hard too, with his fastball sitting at 90-92 mph, sometimes hitting 94. The pitch exhibits some arm-side run, and sink, but tends to flatten out and elevate if he overthrows. He has a fringy slider thrown in the 78-81 mph range, that was pretty devastating to hitters in the South Atlantic League, but as he moves up to AA he will need to tighten the rotation, and add some sharpness to the break. His change-up is his weakest offering, thrown in the high 70′s, but with very little command. The deceleration on the pitch is not caused by his grip, but by his arm-speed which he tends to slow down when throwing the change, making it detectable to the hitter, and causing the pitch to elevate. The other factor working against Rodriguez, is that he is about to turn 24 years-old at the end of the month and he has yet to pitch above Advanced-A ball. Last year he pitched sparingly at St. Lucie, starting 16 games and hurling 75 innings. His record was 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA, 60 hits, 74 strikeouts, and 29 walks, with opponents hitting .218 off him, and a WHIP of 1.19. Although a starter since 2008, the Mets will move Rodriguez to the bullpen full time in 2012. Providing he does well, he could split the year between AA Bingo and AAA Buffalo, but the safer bet would be a big league ETA of 2014, if at all.

Barry Larkin, 47, a 12-time All-Star who retired in 2004, reminisced about his almost-football career, his near-trade to the Mets in 2000 and his pride in playing the position he considered occupied by baseball's best athletes. He recalled Michigan coach Bo Schembechler showing up at the school's baseball practice to boo Larkin after he decided to leave the football team. And how the potential New York Mets deal died with the lack of a three-year commitment "and they had some guy named Reyes coming up." http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/larkin-demurs-when-asked-how-steroids-will-affect-future-hall-votes/8348667474e325b0f64190d669ab2d09

In 2003, Vance Wilson's OPS? .666  In 1992, Howard Johnson's OPS? .666  In 1978, the entire Mets team's OPS? .666  This could only mean that Wilson, Johnson, and the entire 1978 Mets roster were sent by Satan to cause havoc on Earth. And cause havoc they did ... at least in Flushing. Those three teams ... 2003, 1992, and 1978 ... had a combined record of 204-281 (along with 66 wins in two of those seasons). This may very well mean that Satan needs to find better minions. But if you still think this is all mere "coincidence", consider that in games that he played in for the Mets, Angel Pagan ... that's Pagan ... had a record of 181-212. Now, add 204 wins, 281 losses, and 181 wins. Go ahead, I'll wait. http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2012-articles/january/manipulating-the-numbers.html

Few players — few people — are as genuine as Andres Torres. His attachment to the Giants literally flowed from him as he sobbed when manager Bruce Bochy telephoned him after the trade became official. An athlete’s attempt to express loyalty to his team can fall flat; too often, he’s actually reaffirming his bond to his paycheck, not his city or teammates. But Torres’ desire to excel for the Giants was sincere. I was agog in August of that charmed 2010 season when Torres professed his dedication to the team. It wasn’t so much what he said as how he said it, with each word dripping emotion: “I need to respect the organization for giving me this job. I want them to know I’m going to work hard, try to get better and help the team win.” http://chrishaft.mlblogs.com/2011/12/31/goodbye-2011-farewell-andres-torres/

There were lots of high-status years for Mr. Piazza, starting in 1992 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and ending 15 years later in 2007 with the Oakland A's. But arguably his greatest years (1998-2005) were spent in a Mets uniform. During that time Mr. Piazza helped his team reach the playoffs twice (1999 and 2000), broke Carlton Fisk's record for greatest number of home runs by a catcher (Mr. Piazza had 427 during his career) and made a deeply emotional two-run home run that secured a Mets victory in their first post-9/11 game. When Mr. Piazza left the team, Mets fans gave him an eight-minute standing ovation. "That's one thing that's remarkable about New York; once you get in with the fans they love you forever," he said.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203462304577138622912924912.html

Ignorance can be bliss for the Mets brass

The New York Mets are a team that is in transition. The only problem is that everyone knows it except them. Off the field, they added a financial consultant this week, but claim this is not an indication of a pending bankruptcy or sale.

On the field, they are just as oblivious. While teams around them in the division continue to get better, they make small, under-the-radar type moves to "tweak" their roster slightly. It's almost as if they feel their team is just a set up pitcher or two away from glory.

They added depth in the bench this past week by re-signing Scott Hairston and adding Ronny Cedeno. They made a big trade last month when they dealt Angel Pagan for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. In addition to this, they added free agents Jon Rauch and Frankie Francisco all in an attempt to secure that bullpen.

Depending on the report you believe, Johan Santana may or may not be ready anywhere between Spring Training and  the All-Star game. Ike Davis is returning healthy. along with Daniel Murphy and David Wright. This trio could be potent. In fact, the offense with them, Lucas Duda and an improved Jason Bay could score some more runs this year since the Mets brought the fences in a little more over this off-season.

With all of this, the Mets must be banking on a resurgence of health and improved play from their embattled roster and, therefore, must feel they don't need to make a big splash to improve things. With Sandy Alderson rebuilding the farm system and working with such limited funds, it falls on the executive administration to recognize that this team is in rebuilding mode.

If that is the case, they need to be doing more than trading a disgruntled outfielder like Pagan or refuse to re-sign a spark plug player like Jose Reyes. They need to admit they are rebuilding and trade other key pieces to their roster.

Players like Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy and David Wright are all players they have to dangle to other teams. They all have trade value and can get some good talent back for the club right now. The fact that they are not interested in dealing any of these players says that they want this team to be competitive this year. There's a very fine line there.

If they want a competitive team this year, they need to spend on more than a Scott Hairston or a Jeremy Hefner. They need to go after a Ryan Madsen or a Coco Crisp. They have to spend money on talent. Otherwise, they are publicly admitting they think they are "good enough". If that's the case, this Mets brass is delusional.

A team that finished 25 games behind the Phillies needs more than Ronny Cedeno. They need more than a healthy Ike Davis too. They need to be deep and talented at every position. That's not the case here. This roster still has holes on the depth chart.

If the Mets brass truly believes they are a healthy Johan Santana away from contention, then a baseball I.Q. test may be required. That and a senility test. Either way, they have to know they are not close to a pennant. If that is the truth, why not just admit they are rebuilding and go full force into that plan?

If they do that, the fans would respect them a little more for their honesty. Also, they would be in a better position to build their system up for the future based on the players they would be giving up. It would force them to use younger players that may be ready for the Majors as well.

Their main fear for not doing this would have to be that they think it will lose fans and cause seats to be even more empty. Last time I checked, an average Mets game last year had a few thousand empty seats. That really will not be as much of a factor as they think.

In the end, the Mets seem deliriously blissful to be digging in the bargain basement bin for their next bench or bullpen option. After all, they must be a lot closer to the playoffs than the rest of us think.

Three holiday wishes for the New York Mets

As the holidays are just a few days away, I got to thinking about what I would wish for as a Mets fan. I believe that's a trick question, though. This past season saw another visit to the injury ward for the Mets roster and the reemergence of the inept medical staff. In addition, the past season saw embarrassing headline after embarrassing headline.

In the offseason, it actually got worse. With the departure of Jose Reyes and free agent after free agent going to other teams without the Mets even considering them, Mets fans grew impatient. Last week, when the Mets finally made some moves, it was not really embraced by the fans as a whole. While many fans were happy to see the departure of Angel Pagan, many others were questioning the trade overall. The Mets actually won that trade, though. Time will tell on how good Andres Torres will be this season, but Ramon Ramirez was the centerpiece for a deal to strengthen their bullpen. Then, add Jon Rauch and Frankie Francisco to what they already have (Tim Byrdak, Pedro Beato and Bobby Parnell)and the Mets have solidified their biggest weakness. Most fans really haven't realized this. Most of them see that the team has lost Reyes and think that their offense will be bad because of it.


This is not going to be the case.

The offense will be fine. The combination of a change in dimensions and the returned health of Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy and David Wright will more than make up for what the new leadoff hitter will lack. With last season now a thing of the past and the offseason seemingly all but over as far as the Mets are concerned, we move onto 2012.

I have three wishes for the Mets for the upcoming year.

One, I would wish for a full and healthy recovery for Johan Santana. I don't care when in 2012 he returns as long as he returns to his full velocity and capabilities. The Johan Santana that we all know he is capable of being would do wonders for this starting rotation, the younger pitchers in the dugout and the bullpen's durability down the line this season.

Two, I would like the Mets to finally and publicly show the love to David Wright that he deserves. Let's face it. No matter how well the Mets do or don't do this upcoming season, this is a team building for the future. Every Mets fan knows that David Wright lives and breathes New York Mets baseball and has since he was young. His story is legendary within Mets lure. While the teams he has been on have not been the most successful, he is still a marketable image for the team and an excellent example to young players of what they should try to be on and off the field. Why let his contract talks stay on hold this season and risk losing another homegrown talent? The Mets need to sign him to one of those career long type of contracts. This ownership has been highly critical of him and the relentless rumors of trade possibilities have to be getting to him. He needs security to be happy and successful in Queens.

Finally, it is my wish that the Mets would resist the temptation of bringing up their young stud pitchers (Harvey, Familia, Wheeler, etc) too soon. By bringing any of them up this season at any point, they risk the proper development of the talent they have invested in. They have to use patience. As hard as it is to hear for fans, if we see any of them this year, it would be a bad move down the road. Even a September call up can be dangerous to the psyche and confidence if any of them get rocked in the big leagues.

With New Years Day just around the corner, I also have a resolution to add to these holiday wishes. I will resolve to be a more patient and rational fan this year. If all of these wishes come true, it will be an easy task to fulfill, but if just one of these wishes goes awry, it could become increasingly difficult to be patient. But I will try my hardest.

If you, as a fan, had Sandy Alderson's ear for a minute and could tell him what you would like to see the Mets do in 2012, what would you say? What would your wish be? What about your Mets resolution? Tis the season for wishing. Let's see how many come to fruition next season.

Josh Edgin, Tyler Pill, Jon Niese, Andres Torres, Dillon Gee

11-23-11: -  http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.js p?ymd=20111110&content_id=25949502&fext=.j sp&vkey=news_milb&partnerId=rss_nym -   Relief pitcher -- Josh Edgin, St. Lucie (25 games), Savannah (24 games): The power-armed lefty went 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA for the Sand Gnats, finishing 3-1 with a 2.06 mark across two levels. He fanned 76 in 66 innings and earned 27 saves. Edgin's 93-96 mph heater, the strongest of his three-pitch menu, wasn't what impressed his manager most. "No fear, he just went after hitters," Lopez said of the second-year pro. "That's the biggest thing he brings to the table." "He has a chance to move quickly," DePodesta added.

12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com  - I love the Baseball America comp of Cal State Fullerton RHP Tyler Pill to current Diamondbacks RHP Ian Kennedy. As amateur prospects, their backgrounds align really nicely: fastball reliant (Kennedy ranked in the top twenty of fastball usage, per Fangraphs) command righties capable of throwing at least three other pitches (curve, change, slider for Kennedy as an amateur; curve, change, cutter for Pill) for strikes at any point in the count. Kennedy’s success as a pro skyrocketed once he more or less ditched his ineffectual slider in favor of a much more promising cutter. Pill made that same switch as an amateur, so, if you’re on board with the comp, he’s ahead of the curve there. - Cal State Fullerton JR RHP Tyler Pill: 89-92 FB; very good 77-78 CB; plus command; quality 82 CU; great athlete; holds velocity well, 88-89 late; 6-1, 185 pounds

Niese, 25, would seem to be a Met you’d tab as a keeper at this point, and when teams like the Yankees and Red Sox want in, it should give the front office some pause to ask themselves why? Among all the starters in the current rotation (Johan, Dickey, Pelfrey, Niese, Gee), what pitchers stands out as a potential building block for 2014? Are we seriously going along with this plan of putting all our eggs in one basket with Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Famila who each have yet to have any success beyond Double-A and in the case of Wheeler, Single-A? Is this really the master plan? http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/12/14/niese-rumors-continue-to-swirl

Andres Torres, whom the Mets acquired with reliever Ramon Ramirez last week in a trade that sent Angel Pagan to the Giants, first must get his act together. Last year the center fielder hit only .221 with four homers and 19 RBIs in 348 at-bats, leaving some to wonder if his breakout 2010 season was a fluke.  The Mets plan to give Torres first crack at the leadoff spot vacated with Jose Reyes' departure. Torres' 95 strikeouts and 42 walks last season don't exactly scream "leadoff." http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/torres_might_be_mets_new_leading_MF4oRutakvq1Fufo9pYSgP#ixzz1gax9IfGQ

Seriously, what would be a “realistic” optimistic projection for Dillon Gee? In his first 15 games last year, covering 12 starts, Gee was 8-1 with a 3.32 ERA. That’s a significant part of the season and knowing that he’s capable of doing that, is it really a stretch to consider that he could pull a 2010 Pelfrey season (15 W, 3.66 ERA)? My take is yes – that type of season from Gee just isn’t in play, even knowing that we have our rose-colored glasses on and assuming everything goes right. I’ve said before that Gee’s pitching is what kept the 2011 season from being a disaster, as he came in and gave them a shot in the arm when they needed it the most. I just don’t see him duplicating that stretch ever again in his major league career.

Frank Gray - Mets Aren't Fruits or Nuts, They're Bargain Hunting

The New York Mets were recently described as the "fruits and nuts" of the league by Scott Boras. It was a description that resonated in a bad way with some optimistic fans. What he was saying is that they used to be big time spenders in the Winter Meetings and free agency but now they are reduced to making questionable and cheaper moves.

I don't think his analogy was all that bad, as it does hold a measure of truth, but I choose to think of the Mets in a different way these days. They're shopping in the giant, overloaded cheap bin of the store. Let me explain. Free agency is a lot like shopping.

These days, we can all relate to that. With the holidays upon us, it's a time to spend money we really don't have and don't want to part with on people we rarely see and will end up not liking the gift anyway. Sound familiar Mets fans?

A team decides to address needs. They don't have the money and their fans are not showing up to the brand new ballpark. So they go bargain hunting for the best deal they can afford. They have to buy so much for so little that there is no possible way they could know where to start.

When they get what they need the most, the people they are buying for (aka the fans) don't like it. They say "I loved Pagan, why those dumb owners trade him?". And "Frankie Frank? That's our upgrade?" They are relatively never satisfied. But to gain a better understanding of the presents, let's see where the Mets are shopping at, shall we?

They go to the big bin in the middle of the store. You know the one. It's bigger than your kid and almost bigger than you. It's overflowing with everything you can imagine: toys, games, makeup, appliances, remote controlled gadgets, etc. The really cool stuff (and the most expensive) is at the very top.

Sitting atop the massive heap of holiday joy. The Mets can't afford a $15 million toaster, so they dig deeper. There are movies, can-openers and stuffed South Park dolls in the next layer. The Mets can't afford a $10 million Cartman doll so they keep digging.

Finally, they get to the bottom of the bin. Everything is marked with a bright red "clearance" sticker. There's Halloween candy from 2009, cans of cat food with expiration dates from last month and box of band-aids. The Mets can afford a box of band-aids for around, oh let's say, $3.5 million.

This accomplishes two things for them. They have a present and they didn't break their piggy bank to get it. While fans would love for them to have gone after the toaster (a top player like Jose Reyes or Jonathan Papelbon) or the Cartman doll (a middle salary player like Grady Sizemore and Joe Nathan), the Mets had to financially settle with a box of band-aids (Frank Francisco or Jon Rauch).

These aren't bad purchases. They do stop the bleeding of a terrible bullpen, after all. But fans will always see this offseason as the day we lost our beloved Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan.

They will view Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez as the pink bunny suit in "A Christmas Story". Like Ralphie, fans will never like it or accept it, no matter the thought that went into it. Let's remember as fans that the Mets are in bargain hunting mode these days.

The era of breaking the bank for that brand new car with a big red bow on it are long gone. Of the last two new cars they bought, one is on the DL and the other can't hit home runs as frequently. While they are both good players, they aren't helping the team in their current state.

Don't look for the Mets to go down that road under its current administration. In fact, this Mets brass will be clipping coupons and diving into clearance bins. That's the way it's going to be for a while.

All we can do as fans is be thankful we're still getting presents.

Tapping The Non-Tender List

Firstly, to explain. When a player still has years of arbitration left, sometimes teams opt to allow them to hit free agency instead of negotiating a new deal. This is done primarily for money savings as you may see the Mets do with Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey, Ronny Paulino and Taylor Buchholz. The following players are on the edge of not being asked back by there teams and I think they might have value as Mets.

NOTE: Not all of these players will be non-tendered.


Hitters:

Jesus Flores - Back in 2008, Jesus Flores seemed like a pretty steady catcher. He hit for a pretty good average, had some power and used it to drive in some runs. In 2009, Flores hit some injury problems and by 2011 he had been supplanted as the starter for the Nationals. He'll only be 27 this season and might be a good alternative/platoon to Josh Thole.


George Kottaras - Is George a superstar? No. Is George a power catcher? Yes. I have always liked George Kottaras. Part of this is years of playing Baseball Mogul and watching him become a 30+ HR hitter. Kottaras is potentially good enough to be an everyday player and I'd give him a look.

Ian Stewart - Let us imagine that we trade David Wright and have lost Jose Reyes. The Mets will NEED NEED NEED offense. After Stewart's 2011... maybe I shouldn't list him. HOWEVER... I think I still should. Assuming we trade Wright and don't want Murphy AND Turner starting every day, Stewart is an option to add quite a bit of power back into the lineup.

Ryan Theriot - Purely if we DID move Reyes... I'd prefer Theriot as an everyday player to what I see as a BAD situation for Ruben Tejada. Before you ignore this and assume I'm just being my usual self with Ruben, think about being THE GUY who came in to replace REYES.

Andres Torres - So... for all those anti-Angel Pagan people out there. Here is a guy who I'd like to look at. He's got a similar tool set to Angel and might be a better fit. If he were non-tendered... I'd probably like him. WITH OR WITHOUT Angel being on the team.

Pitchers:

Tom Gorzelanny - Should Tom not be tendered a contract he becomes a reasonably attractive SP in general. I like the idea of Gorzelanny because he's a lefty and the Mets really could use another lefty in what will eventually be the post-Johan era.

Hong-Chih Kuo - has had issues since being hurt, but if there ever was a buy low candidate for a bullpen it might be him. If he can rebound to his 2010 numbers he could not only be the closer, but he might be better than most of the closers on the list.


Joe Saunders - HOORAY FOR BORING! Joe Saunders isn't a sexy pitcher, but he IS an innings eater who can be mighty useful to a team on a rebuilding year. He doesn't need to win 20 games... he just needs to go out and throw 6 innings every 5th game.

Kevin Slowey - Slowey... should he be healthy... could be another guy like Gorzelanny who draws some interest on the free agent market. Slowey has shown plenty of glimpses of stuff to make me think him capable as a #3 pitcher. That's not a terrible thing.

Chris Volstad - Alright... scoff. Volstad has been a HUGE... COLOSSAL... GIGANTIMOUS disappointment for the Marlins. Why would we want him? Well... when he isn't giving up HRs and hits to just about everyone... he's still gifted with stuff scouts like. Low Risk... High Reward?

Take a look and see who else the Mets should look at:

Non-Tender List