still, even though he will start in Vegas, would not shock me at all if a month into the season, Byrd is pulling a GMjr. and getting released, while they call up Brown who is crushing the ball in Vegas.

what that means is that you can split ST into 2 halves, so roughly Feb and march. In the first half, it is really about getting rust off, timing back, stretching out, etc. And that is where odds are guys that played all winter will shine.

once you hit into March, guys are more dialed in, you are seeing more ML guys, and they are starting to get ready for the season (trying harder). You often see the SPs starting to look normal here, and pitch much deeper.

so IMO you should look at what a guy is doing now to help weed out the mirages. And when you do that, Duda has actually been very productive in March so far (a 1.000+ OPS, decent enough D (for him) and a couple of HRs. Spin also is cranking along, not slowing down.

Byrd, however (and cowgill too I believe) has been tailing off for the most part.

so a big part of the decision now comes down to who looks dialed in and “hot”.

bottom line though with this group, odds are they all get decent PT out of the gate, and the ones that show anything will keep getting it. And Byrd looking like Byrd would not surprise me at all.

cf – Cowgill/Kirk
2b – Valdespin/Turner
3b – Wright
1b – Davis
c – d’Arnaud
lf – Duda/Brown
rf – Brown/Baxter
ss – Tejada/Quintanilla
Pitcher

Bench: Buck, Baxter, Turner, Quintanilla, Kirk

We should revisit trade of Murphy for Gregerson, who’s pitching stats are outstanding:

http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=502381#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=2&season=2013&level='ALL‘

Bullpen: Parnell, Gregerson, Lyon, Burke, Hawkins, Feliciano, Carson

Rotation: Harvey, Niese, Wheeler, Marcum, Gee (Hefner, Laffey in ready reserve)

NOTE: Rotations and bullpens are never static. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Edgin, Gorski, Familia or Mejia break through.

In that vein, keep an eye out for Andrew Brown – he could be the team’s best outfielder and is not even in the conversation at present. In the last 2 season, Brown has hit 49 home runs and he plays the corner outfield positions with ease. He has a cannon for an arm, keeps his throws down and on target. Here’s a series of videos you may wish to see:

http://mlb.mlb.com/search/media.jsp?player_id=518500

Last year, he hit a ball OUT of Coors Field. Currently, he’s beginning to rack up ABs, but he’s been given very few opportunities to start, if any. The sooner Met brass appreciate his high ceiling, and the more opportunities he gets, the better his bat will look in the 6th or 7th slot.

he can probably extend his career another 8 years if he just stayed on as a DH…

if he did that, he has an outside shot at 3,000

meaning he’ll probably do it in the Bronx and forever be remembered as a Yankee

Who were are last several right fielders?
Ryan Church
Jeff Francour
Carlos Beltran
Lucus Duda
and now…………
Marlon Bryd

Lets just work through this now or a second….
Ryan Church had the head injury and never developed….ok I can see getting rid of him
Jeff Francour- production did not match salary?? Attitude? ok. questionable trade to Texas but
Carlos Beltran- !!!! This is This bothers me! Why NOT take the option for 1 year in rf?? Why? Because the Wilpon’s DO NOT want another productive player..
so…. we get Lucas Duda under the guise of “Oh WOW! new exciting young talent all sorts of power potential!!” *see Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Fernado Martinez??
and now that it is obvious Duda is not a major league starting player bring on……
Marlon Bryd
I’ll say it once again… When the Wilpon’s have rehabilitated their finances we will get a competitive team. I began saying that 3 years ago… we have 3-4 more years to go…
Does taking projects like Brandon Nimmo on the draft rather than more talented, developed talent make more sense now?
Brandon Nimmo is not going to be a 6 yr player BEFORE the Wilpon’s have rehabilitated their fiancees Matt Harvey might. Wheeler might if he comes up this year…..
Put all the pieces together and the Wilpon’s seem to make more sense.

BTW, PLATANO POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I doubt it had anything to do with that

I wonder if they were aware of his name being on that list from the “anti-aging clinic”. Not that his name being on some list is proof of anything itself, but maybe they asked questions and got answers they didn’t like.

Think about it: the journeyman who hits .440 in ST. Who are the pitchers he’s faced? And even the studs…are they throwing the stuff in March that they will be throwing in May or August?

I guess these players need to check with MLB on anything they put into their bodies.

I’m still a little curious how someone like Byrd tests positive, but others that have consistently been linked to steroids and/or PEDS (*cough ARod cough*) somehow never fail a drug test.

Byrd has the reputation of a very hard worker. Lets give him first shot to hold RF and if he breaks down or flops cut bait.