Baseball: Why Baseball, Henry Aaron, Johnny Hudson, Jonathan Papelbon, John Lannon

From childhood to adulthood, we all long to belong. Baseball can create that sense of community, even if it’s just for an inning or two. Our team is trailing by a run in the 9th, but we’ve got the bases loaded with only one out. The ballpark comes to life, and you look around and you realize that that guy way up there in the middle of the upper deck down the right field line, the guy who’s waving a pennant as if he’s carrying the colors into the face of the enemy, is thinking and feeling and hoping for exactly the same thing that you are. And when a single brings home the tie run standing up, and the winning run barely eludes the catcher’s tag in a swirling dust cloud at home plate, you are suddenly hugging strangers. The park empties, and everyone’s smile lights the way back to our respective cars. We wave to the people waving out their windows and blowing their horns. For an inning or an evening or sometimes, if we’re lucky, for a whole season, we are one http://seamheads.com/2012/02/01/why-baseball-2/

Cal Ripken may be known as the “Iron Horse,” but “Hammerin’” Hank Aaron was an iron man in his own right. He played 21 seasons in the big leagues (19 of them with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves organization). One of the all-time greats, Aaron has three Gold Gloves and a World Series title, but he is best known for holding the all-time home run record with 755. It was a record that stood from 1974 to 2006. He holds Major League records for most career RBIs (2,297) and career extra base hits (1,477). http://www.pitcchinfoundation.org/read/?post=1094

Variously referred to as “The Bryan boy,” “Bryanite,” “Bryan’s contribution to the major leagues,” “Bryan baseball star,” and “Bryan’s gift to the diamond,” John Hudson’s life and family centered around baseball…and Bryan, Texas. He was born in Bryan on June 30, 1912, and lived there his entire life. He remained there during baseball off-seasons and after his playing career ended until he passed away from cancer in 1970. The house he was born in remains occupied by descendants of the family. Located in east central Texas, Bryan was a town of about 4,000 residents when Hudson was born. Some 100 years later, its population had grown to just under 70,000, and it had become known as a twin city with College http://sabr.org/node/23811

Jonathan Papelbon has spent the last six years doing one thing and doing it well.  Closing games.  For the Red Sox, Papelbon saved 219 games in 247 chances.  Consider it even more remarkable that he did it in the Amercan League East (44 saves against Yankees and Rays).  However, I and many others feel that the closer needed a change of scenery and in 2012 he will open the season closing for the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Phillies present a great opprotunity for Papelbon at the age of 31.  First, he’s still with an organization dedicated to winning.  Even better, it’s the NL East.  Now, I’m not saying the NL East is a push over.  The Braves and Marlins will be a challenge for any pitcher. Still, it’s just not the AL East.  Along with facing new National League teams, Papelbon also aviods the dreaded DH.  That means, he will see more cold bats off the bench and that is definitely an advantage for the hard throwing right hander.

Nationals' left-hander John Lannan lost his arbitration hearing and was awarded a $5 million salary for 2012. Lannan requested a $5.7 million salary for 2012, but the three-person panel of arbitrators ultimately ruled in the Nationals' favor. The 27-year-old southpaw is coming off a career-low 3.70 ERA across 33 starts last season. He'll be arbitration-eligible for the final time next offseason. (poor baby…) http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/348565/baseball-headlines?r=1

Will Sandy give us something to talk about in Dallas? - Frank Gray

The Winter Meetings are upon us and that finally gives writers, and fans alike, the chance to talk about off season moves for the New York Mets. The Mets have done some of their best work there. They managed to sign Francisco Rodriguez in 2008, trade for J.J. Putz and Sean Green in 2009 and acquired Paul Lo Duca in 2005.

They are currently looking for a closer and some bullpen help. All have to come cheaper than the contracts they passed up for Joe Nathan (two years at $14.5 million or roughly $7.25 million a year) and Chris Capuano (roughly $5 million a year for two seasons).

They are looking at players like Octavio Dotel and Luis Ayala. These are good options, but they will certainly get into a bidding war for Ayala. It is already reported that six teams (including the Mets) are interested in his services. Those teams being Boston, the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and the Mets.

Who knows how many teams will get in on the bidding for Dotel? Other free agents still available, but expected to go quickly are Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco, Francisco Cordero and Brad Lidge, among others. A complete list of remaining free agents can be seen here.

The trouble with most of these pitchers is that the market has shown a high price range for closers and experienced relievers. Take the Philles signing of Jonathan Papelbon and the Marlins inking of Heath Bell as examples. Bell was signed for three years at $27 million with an option for a fourth year. Each year, including the option year is worth $9 million. The Phillies landed Papelbon for four years at $50 million or nearly $13 million a season.

Are the Mets ready to invest $9-13 million on a closer for three or four years? Not in the Sandy Alderson era they're not. I can't say I blame them either. While Francisco Rodriguez (also a free agent) was productive in his time in Queens, the argument can be made that he was hardly worth the financial handcuff that he placed on their payroll. His automatic option made him nearly impossible to trade. Is that a road the Mets want to go down again?

In the end, Milwaukee took him and gave the Mets a pretty good reliever out of the deal in Danny Herrera, well pretty good when he first came to the Mets anyway. The Brewers eventually worked out a restructure of K-Rod's contract that freed them of having to pick up the option, thus making him a free agent now. In an completely unrelated question, why couldn't the Mets have done that?

But I digress. The Mets are admittedly in a cash-strapped position and are not going to bid enormous amounts of money on free agents for the bullpen, regardless of their track record. GM Sandy Alderson has the right idea in that the Mets starting staff wasn't too bad, but the bullpen did a terrible job at holding leads the starters gave them.

It's the bullpen that needs the most help. Alderson wrapped up Tim Byrdak before the season was over and is apparently planning on focusing on this area during the meetings in Dallas. The question is whether or not they can find a solid contributor for an inexpensive price in this market.

The truth is, they will have to reach a little for a player that any other time they may get for a bargain. This off season, however, the players are in control of what they make. The market average has been set already. We can thank the Marlins and Phillies for that atrocity.

The Mets will be in the hunt, but they will be careful to not spend too much more than they can afford on one player. If they come out of these meetings with at least one reliever to add to their bullpen, not necessarily a closer though, it could still be a good thing for the team. The front office will at least look like they are trying and the team's biggest weakness will be made a little stronger.

There will still be time for them to obtain a closer after most other ones are signed up and the remaining players become desperate for a team to report to in the spring. That may be what Alderson is counting on.

For now, with the meetings upon us, at least we have something to finally talk about with these Mets. Instead of writing about how they are idle and waiting, standing by like some operator at a call center for an infomercial. At this point, any solid move is a plus.

Is Patience really a Virtue for the Mets?

The New York Mets are in waiting mode. They are waiting for a jury to possibly hear their Madoff case. They are waiting for the walls of Citi Field to be moved in. They are waiting for the right time to make a move on the free agent market.

The first one is inevitable. It will happen, it's a matter of time before the team sees the results of their labor; good or bad. The ball is rolling on the second one and so, it will eventually be completed. As for the third, however, the Mets hold that option squarely in their own hands.

They can choose to take part or not. They have shown little public interest in players this current off season. Names like Joe Nathan and Grady Sizemore have been kicked around with little fanfare.

While the whole of Mets nation holds their collective breath in anticipation for the Jose Reyes saga to reach a climax, many viable options in the free agent pool are getting hooked and reeled in by other teams. This is a disturbing trend.

After all, when GM Sandy Alderson was hired last season, he made it a point to avoid big free agency in the early stages. When the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies signed free agents and made big moves last year, he essentially said "good for them, they're not us, we have a different plan."

At the time that was admirable. The plan was to cut salary and relieve themselves of certain dead weight players that had become a detriment to the financial health of the team. He freed up salary. This season they have some money to spend.

It is debatable exactly how much, but all signs point to them having something to spend in order to wrap up a nice size gift for under the tree of Mets fans this holiday season. So far, though, they have held steadfast to their plan of discretion and patience. Patience is a virtue, as the old proverb says.

For further confirmation of this current status one needs merely to look at the local sources. According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) the Mets are still in "exploratory stage and aren't close to anything". Maybe it's the last part of that quote that has me so frustrated at this point of the off season.

I am well aware that the free agency period is only a few weeks old and has a few months still left. But the Mets stand idle while teams around them grow stronger and they watch players that would have been perfect fits for their system and their roster go elsewhere. That's the part that gets me.

Take Joe Nathan for example. He's a local product and a playoff-tested and proven commodity. He wanted far too much money in the end, but if the Mets had made a respectable offer he may have taken it for the chance to play for his home team. We may never know.

There was no real expectation for Jonathan Papelbon to land in Queens, but Grady Sizemore would have been realistic. The Indians did not overspend for a player just coming off of major surgery and trying to find his form.

If he regains his speed, that will be a great move on their part. Why couldn't the Mets have gotten into the bidding? He was a perfect transition from the Reyes era, should they lose him, to whatever the Mets were to try next.

In the end, there are still a ton of players available and this could become merely a mute point if they are able to sign a few good players in January or February when the athletes are itching for a team to report to.

But for the meantime, it is a fact that they are holding steady while their main competition gets better. That includes team that were better than them to begin with. This is perhaps a case where they need to be patient but public about their patience.

As more and more good players get gobbled up by contending teams, the fans will grow more frustrated and vocal. Don't they deserve to at least understand the philosophy of their team? They pay the big money salaries of these players and administration with their ticket sales and merchandise.

They should have a more open understanding of the mentality their team is taking on. It would appease millions of misguided and ignorant (as in not knowing) fans. They are waiting to see how things are going to shake out this off season. I understand that.

But is that a reason for management to go so quiet? Perhaps patience is a virtue, but silence isn't always golden.

Taking a Lap Around The Pen

The 2012 Mets are a bit of an enigma right now. Are they rebuilding? Are they trying to compete? Are they just treading water? One area I'm not terribly concerned with is the bullpen. Sure we don't have a closer and the most steady arm is over 37 years old... I think they'll be fine.

Current Depth Chart:

1. Bobby Parnell (R)
2. Manny Acosta (R)
3. Tim Byrdak (L)
4. Taylor Buchholz (R) [Non-Tender Possibility]
5. Pedro Beato (R)
6. D.J. Carrasco (R)
7. Daniel Herrera (L)
8. Josh Stinson (R)
9. Pat Misch (L)

What are we missing? Assuming that Byrdak and Herrera are both fine for 2012... a closer. The 8th inning can fall to a mix of Parnell, Acosta and Byrdak (Pressure lefties) and the Mets wouldn't be bad off. Carrasco can continue to be wonderfully mediocre and if he can't... Misch can be the long reliever (Or Gee, Schwinden, or Cohoon) and step in. That still leaves the Mets 1 closer shy of a bullpen.

And The Candidates Are:

1. Heath Bell (34) - We all remember the promise of Heath Bell when he WAS a Met. He wasn't yet a star. Seems all he needed was a little West Coast mellow to take his game to the next level. As a Padre he's been ELITE. There are two things working against Bell's contract: 1) He's 34 and 2) He's been protected by Petco. Even with all of that he's likely to be looking for $14 Million per year or more... and 3+ years. I can't see that happening.
   
2. Francisco Rodriguez (30) - Let's all groan at the idea of bringing Frankie back. Now let's grow up and realize that he wasn't BAD when not abusing the elderly and being injured. So... We re-hash a little K-Rod in the bullpen. Now... I don't think he's going to sniff $12 Million but I do think he'll be trying for 3+ years. I think a realistic offer would be 3 years and $28 Million (TOTAL). Would he even WANT to come back to Queens? I don't know.
   
3. Francisco Cordero (37) - Cordero has been pretty sweet for the Reds. At 37 and with a pretty good bullpen, I think the Reds are likely to allow him to walk. (Maybe not?) If Cordero is looking for a contract at 37 he'll be hard pressed to get over 2 years. I think 2 years at $10 Million per year is not a bad deal for a closer who has been as remarkably steady as Cordero has. Now that I've said that we'll watch him implode.
4. Ryan Madson (31) - At 31 he's still among the younger closers and I happen to think in terms of skill he's probably among the most talented. Prior to Phillies poorly budgeted signing of Jonathan Papelbon, I just have to worry over the projected price of what Madson would be. I also have this lingering doubt that Madson is a setup man and NOT a closer. His 2011 success aside, I have watched Ryan be thrust into the closer role a few times and fail. Phillies were talking 4 years and $44 Million. I don't think he'll get that but I think 3 years and $27 Million should be easy.
   
5. Frank Francisco (32) - Francisco is never the guy you WANT to have as your closer. Teams always seem to look at Frank as the ideal 8th inning guy, who gets THRUST into closing situations and can handle himself. I look at his numbers and I see him as the poor man's Francisco Cordero. He's got pretty good stats (Not great) but gets the job done. He'll likely be shooting for 3 years and $20 Million which isn't too bad for a pitcher like this.
   
6. Matt Capps (28) - Capps is one of the interesting names on this list. For one thing... he's only 28 and has 4 years before I typically worry about arms declining. For another he's been a successful closer. His 2011 will likely keep his overall value pretty reasonable but I do think he'll earn over $6 Million a year and seek a contract 2-3 years in length. Given his age, durability and success... he'll likely get it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets had him on the radar.
   
7. Joe Nathan (37) -Now... I think this WILL be Alderson's #1 target... BUT I also think there will need to be a safety net. He's 37 and coming off a BAD season (after being hurt for a long time). It kinda reminds me of the J.J. Putz situation but hopefully we'd get the second year back numbers. At 37 and coming off a bad year he's only going to want/get a 1 year deal and even inflating the price to match his former stuff... $8 Million? I can live with that.
   
8. Jonathan Broxton (28) - Allow me to introduce the safety net that EVERYONE wants. Broxton needs a change of scenery and that's fine. I'd LOVE to get he and another risky closer a shot in Queens... I really would. I simply think that because he's 28 and has a REAL upside, if he can regain his footing. He will want a 1 year deal with a player option. He will get over $6 Million from some team. I don't think the Mets would be willing to pay that for an insurance policy.
   
9. Jon Rauch (33) - Now... the safety net I think the Mets COULD afford. You can give a guy like Jon Rauch multiple years because at best... he's a closer and at worst... he's a setup guy. ALSO... if Chris Young and Jon Rauch are on the same team we'd have the tallest pitching staff in the majors. 2 years and $10-12 Million. Whether he's our closer or our setup guy/insurance policy I think I'm willing to do that.

Then The Phillies Ruin EVERYTHING:

Jonathan Papelbon (31) - Signs a 4 year $50 Million deal that throws all of my numerology out of whack. Sure... it adds Ryan Madson into the mix but it also pumps up closer values a good bit. Bell (Who would still be a better signing then Papelbon should get more annual money than Jonathan (at 34 I don't know about years). The deal is bad for the Phillies and I'm happy they made it on one hand but on the other... it adds $1-4 Million to each one of my projected yearly salaries.

Hot Stove: - Hiroki Kuroda, Jonathan Papelbon, Carlos Zembrano, Yu Darvish, Joe Nathan

Hiroki Kuroda: 13-16, 3.07 ERA, 1.21 WHIP  Kuroda has won 41 games since joining the Dodgers in 2008 and last year was his finest season in terms of wins, innings pitched (202) and strikeouts (161). Kuroda has indicated he would like to stay in Los Angeles even with the team’s ownership situation in flux. He is 37, so it would also be hard to imagine many other teams bending over backwards to give him much more than the $47 million he has been paid the last four years. http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1019347--mlb-free-agency-fire-up-the-hot-stove

Ryan Madson will not be celebrating his reported eight-figure deal deal alone. [Madson] has to be pretty happy with the reported four-year, $44 million deal he's set to receive from the Phillies, but he's not the only one. Jonathan Papelbon can't be too torn up by the deal, either. If Madson is worth $11 million a year, Papelbon -- slightly younger with better stats and more experience -- should be looking at at least $13 million per season. Of course, there's going to be one less big-money team bidding for his services, but there should due enough out there that allows Papelbon to cash in as the market's top free agent closer. http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/316872-price-for-papelbon-may-reach-13m#ixzz1dEKRTyzN

Theo Epstein and Co. have already started ruling by new math -- addition by subtraction. While adding players is a top priority, subtracting players such as Carlos Zambrano is also extremely important. ... [610 Sports Radio] in Kansas City spoke with Royals GM Dayton Moore who indicated that he would consider taking on Zambrano if the deal made sense for his club. "We would have to be interested. We would have to explore it because that's what you should do. You should explore every opportunity. Carlos Zambrano is a heckuva competitor," said Moore. "Carlos Zambrano has had a lot of success in the major leagues. Carlos Zambrano is actually a very pleasant, easy going, classy person off the field."  http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/316871-theo-unloading-zambrano-on-royals#ixzz1dEMNUkWt

Darvish has avoided the notorious overwork that plagued Matsuzaka’s amateur and early pro careers. Like Matsuzaka’s teenage years, young Darvish pitched at Koshien, Japan’s national high school baseball tournament. Unlike Matsuzaka, he doesn’t quite have a 250-pitch, 17-inning complete game on his resume. Darvish’s longest outing was a 166-pitch game that he lost on a walk-off home run in the 10th inning. Also, unlike Matsuzaka, Darvish was eased into his pro career: he threw 94.1 innings and 149.2 innings in his first two pro years. Matsuzaka, by contrast, threw 180 innings as an 18 year-old rookie — 347.2 in his first two seasons — and set a career high with 240.1 innings in his third. In essence, Darvish has fired fewer bullets http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/11/08/yu-darvish-scouting-report

He’s local guy, who has made it clear he would play for the Mets; and so I could definitely see him with this team next season (though the Twins could still try to re-sign him, despite declining his option), as he also fits the mold of someone looking to re-establish his footing as a closer. Joe Nathan is a sinker/slider pitcher, who would typically live in the mid-to high-90s with his two fastballs. However, he struggled with his velocity in 2011 after missing the entire 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery. He also missed about a month this past season with a right flexor muscle strain; and, along with his diminished stuff, I wonder how much he has left in the tank at this stage of his career  http://www.metsblog.com/2011/11/09/20-experts-say-joe-nathan-over-k-rod

Hot Stove: - Mike Gonzalez, Yu Darvish, Ryan Madison, Jonathan Papelbon, Jair Jurrjens

Mike Gonzalez (34) – A lack of command has hurt Gonzalez over the past few seasons, but he has been highly effective against lefties over his career, posting a 2.82 xFIP against 516 total lefties faced. As long as teams view him as a lefty-on-lefty guy capable of facing the occasional right-handed batter, he should find more than one offer. http://www.bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/2011-articles/november/2012-free-agent-primer-top-10-left-handed-relievers.html

Yu Darvish: I delved into the Darvish Dilemma in a post last week, so no need to rehash the entire thing. Suffice it to say, the Japanese right-hander is going to cost a whole lot of money. He may live up to the hype and establish himself as a front-line starter in the majors, but he'd be the first Japanese pitcher to do that since Hideo Nomo. http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/nationals-talk/post/Whom-might-Nats-pursue-in-free-agency?blockID=587468&feedID=6358

Ryan Madson – Philadelphia Phillies - If he stays with the Phillies he will be their closer next year. Being the closer for the best team in the National League? That’s a tough job to pass up. After Papelbon he’s the best closer on the market, plus he’s a Scoot Boras client, so he’s going to demand some money. He might price himself out of the Phillies range, which is where the Mets might be able to swoop in and steal him. He’s thrived in the role of being a relief pitcher and the last two seasons he’s been brilliant, with a 2.55 ERA in 2010, and a 2.37 ERA with 32 saves in 2011. Plus in 60.2 innings he walked just 16 batters. That would be a nice change from Francisco Rodriguez, he seemed to walk 16 batters every week. http://mets360.com/?p=8342&mid=51

How much is too much when it comes to relief pitchers? With Jonathan Papelbon set to test the free-agent market, that question becomes central to the offseason plans of the Boston Red Sox. It was easy to envision 2011 as Papelbon's final season in Boston given his apparent regression and Daniel Bard's emergence. However, Papelbon allayed fears of his decline, posting the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. He reestablished himself as a dominant late-inning presence, while Bard faltered late in the season.  Now, the Red Sox must decide if they can afford to let Papelbon go -- or how much they can afford to pay him. http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7189119/is-jonathan-papelbon-worth-15-million

Jair Jurrjens is a good example of a bad-good pitcher, in that his peripherals rarely match the shininess of his superficial stats. His career ERA is nearly a half-run better than his FIP, and his FIP is more than a third of a run lower than his xFIP. More succinctly, Jurrjen’s career ERA- is a very-nice 83, while his career FIP- is a slightly above-average 95 and his career xFIP- is a slightly below-average 102. One of the main reasons his FIP and xFIP don’t match his ERA is because of his strikeout rate. Jurrjens has never had a league-average K/9. This year, it was even lower than usual, as his K/9 dipped all the way to 5.33, nearly two strikeouts below the league average. This is likely attributable to the drop in velocity he experienced this season. Jurrjen’s average velocity has declined in each of his five big-league seasons, but until 2011, the drops were miniscule and not a cause for concern. But this season, his average fastball lost two miles per hour. Jurrjens did spend time dealing with a right knee injury, and the ability to push off the rubber may partially explain the drop in velocity, but it’s doubtful that it explains it completely. In looking at his velocity charts, we can see that the top velocity range of some of his 2011 starts don’t even reach the average velocity of some of his 2010 starts. That is a troubling sign, as is the overall drop in velocity over the years. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/jurrjens-isnt-worth-a-top-prospect

Yet Another Alternate Approach

So far...

Plan A: Resign Reyes AND Sign Sabathia, Wilson or Darvish

While this might cost more money than anyone is willing to believe the Wilpon's would invest, it also is the simplest. You maintain the hitting talent on the team establish a new anchor for the rotation and have the base in place for the emergence of Generation 2K in 2013 and 2014.

Plan B: Trade Davis for Pitching and Sign Albert Pujols

People doubt the ability to trade Davis for a TOP pitcher and I agree to an extent, but with his low price tag and some players like Kershaw and Price rapidly losing their status as "bargains" it's not OUT OF THE QUESTION. Then, of course, the Mets are replacing the fans lost by parting with Reyes with Pujols frenzy. At least the team is changing the field's dimensions so getting a slugger is no longer impossible.

Plan C: Sign Reyes and Trade David Wright

Most ways that this option gets cut, the Mets end up with a bevy of prospects and a dismal 2012. That isn't the end of the world. The Mets HAVE talent working its way rapidly to the majors and getting more would increase the chances of finding success when they do.

So... now I have to come up with a Plan D. I suppose this will be easier than Plan E and F etc... but it's becoming a bit daunting. So I'm going to go with something that is hardly revolutionary.

Step One: Remains re-signing Reyes. The kid (can I call him that? Probably not legitimately) means too much to the team and its fans to replace. It sures up the front of the Met lineup and means that the speedy 1, 2, 3 of Reyes, Pagan and Wright is still in place. It also means not having to replace Reyes from a free agent scrap-heap or through a not-so-amazin' farm system of SS's.

Step Two: Closers Closers Closers
I like Bobby Parnell... but I can't tell you that I'm confident he'll EVER be the closer of the future for the Mets. He's got stuff and that is great, but without confidence it doesn't have meaning and that is what counts. So... as Alderson may have indicated already, I think the Mets spend some bank on getting a closer. Now... the first name I list in this capacity is familiar. Heath Bell: he's solid, has a history with the Mets and hasn't exactly looked like much of a "FLUKE" pitching for San Diego. Frankly... Bell scares me, he just seems like the kind of guy who will succeed EVERYWHERE but Queens. I don't have a rational reason for thinking this. So... that brings us to the NEXT option. Jonathan Papelbon: He's a big flashy name who has had success on a BIG-MARKET team and knows about performing on a big stage. He'll come with an unfortunate price tag, but we can't do much about that. There are other closers who would work: "The Return of" Francisco Rodriguez, Matt Capps, Brad Lidge, Francisco Cordero, Frank Francisco etc... Getting a closer shouldn't be hard but that isn't all I want the Mets to do.


If the Mets can't afford to improve their rotation in a significant way... we NEED to have one of the best darned pens in baseball. That means signing a big impact bullpen arm. For THAT job, I nominate Jonathan Broxton. I once had Broxton as the #1 fantasy closer... I suppose I had Gagne there too. I don't believe Broxton will be given the chance to close for a new team, but I DO believe he'll get a decent contract. I'm willing to have that team be the Mets because if we need to toss Big Pelf out there once every 5 games... I want to have guys who can get me through, not only the 8th and 9th but the 7th, 6th... and even 5th. (I have a lot of faith in our starters... don't I?)

Lineup:
1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. Angel Pagan, CF (S)
3. David Wright, 3B (R)
4. Ike Davis, 1B (L)
5. Jason Bay, LF (R)
6. Lucas Duda, RF (L)
7. Josh Thole, C (L)
8. Ruben Tejada, 2B (R)

Bench:
Ronny Paulino, C (R)
Fernando Martinez, OF (L)
Daniel Murphy, Util (L)
Justin Turner, IF (R)
Nick Evans, Util (R)

Rotation:
Johan Santana, LHSP
Jon Niese, LHSP
R.A. Dickey, RHSP
Mike Pelfrey, RHSP
Dillon Gee, RHSP

Bullpen:
Heath Bell, RHRP
Jonathan Broxton, RHRP
Bobby Parnell, RHRP
Manny Acosta, RHRP
Pedro Beato, RHRP
Tim Byrdak, LHRP
Daniel Herrera, LHRP

This is my least favorite option thus far and I'm sure that you can see why. This team is not a fortuitous improvement over the 2011 Mets. ALTHOUGH... if Davis and Wright stay healthy all season and Jason Bay can continue some of the late season hitting he's shown then maybe it's all the Mets need. With Farvey and Familia potentially available for mid-late season call-ups and Collin McHugh and Chris Schwinden ready replacements for injuries... maybe all the Mets NEED is a little more gas in the bullpen tank.