… feel much better now!

Other than maybe Baxter (and the jury is out on him), the Mets don’t have one major league quality outfielder.

I’m very hurt by that statement. What about me and all the others who have been saying the same thing! Did Metsie pay you off something just to give him the credit we all deserve?

Metsie, you know I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a little fun at your expense along with TJ.

We all know that SA had no intention of signing any FA’s cause his talk with Francesca plus Wilpons words show that he wants to win but if you don’t make any “investments” as the State of The Union speech last night encouraged all Americans you need to do to get better, that it is essential, then how can you get better?

I believes as many have speculated and have opined that SA was brought in to get Wilpons house in order after their poor choice of “investments”, there’s that favorite word hear at camp connected to FA signings, MLB “made” Fred/Jeff bring in SA to stop the bleeding and have him apply some of that Oakland A’s mgmt style ointment to Mets.

Reading other blogs, though some think the 2014 season being the target, it seems that most believe that building up a team with the same approach that Frank Cashen used to is the right way, and I think that is right because that team was good for many years and if not for injuries to pitching and Docs off field issues Mets could of and IMO should of won another WS.

Anyway if SA is doing this then he needed to talk this talk from day one and not talk in “possibilities”, “if still contending”, “we are not giving up on this season”, then maybe fans wouldn’t be p****d off when you can’t get a straight answer from him.

Sheesh it is frustrating to hear the FO line change, bend but still go back to, no money is going to be spent, period!

I am with you on the frustration of no RH OF bats, Hairston provided RH power off the bench and when he started plus he was a good team mate on Mets so signing him to two year deal was a problem because…….Chicago is a team re-building under Epstein but having a veteran RH power bat on bench and OF is desirable and a major need for Mets so SA got involved in the Bourn distraction, and let a possible RH power bat that could have been a bridge to up and coming RH bats in minors.

You give a inconsistent relief pitcher a 2 year in the money range possibly for signing Hairston, I know it was last year, but won’t give a 2 year deal a proven, in NY, bat that would of helped take some pressure off of young OF’ers for Mets but then again, Hairston was probably considered “spending” not “investment” in the vernacular of Wilpon’s speaking through Sandy Alderson.

Wow what a downer.

Carlos Gomez will likely be a free agent. He’s interesting, but hardly a difference maker. Its difficult to envision the difference-makers, the power hitting outfielders, that will be available on the trade market.

https://twitter.com/JoseCanseco/statuses/301760565804675072

Baxter showed incredible patience at the plate and was teeing off as a pinch hitter, but then started playing more regularly and, as often happens with the guys who have big lefty/righty splits, he got exposed. He is best suited to the bench.

Brown is your Hairston replacement. He mashes lefties but doesn’t do bupkis against righties. There is a role for him on the team. Think of him as the righty counterpart to Baxter.

The rest of the suspects — Patterson, Byrd, Wilson, etc. — are warm bodies. One or two may catch on with Las Vegas to take over the Fred Lewis role as emergency veteran backup player in the event of an injury.

Lutz and Satin have nothing left to prove in AAA but their paths are blocked to the majors. See ya!

The wildcard in all of this speculation is Jordany Valdespin. He has a rare combination of power and speed, plus in his impressive winter league campaign he showed patience and a good eye at the plate. WHERE you play him is the challenge. He plays shortstop like Roger Cedeño played outfield. Unless you flip Murphy in a trade the infield is set. He hasn’t had enough reps in the OF to start there (particularly being buried in Collins’ personal doghouse), so with an option left I foresee him in AAA, too. There he should be playing the OF every day assuming they want to see if Havens can handle 2B and Flores 3B. You could play him at SS but that would serve best only to increase his trade value. The outfield may have den Dekker in CF, Nieuwenhuis in one of the corners. That might leave the other corner open for Valdespin.