Just ask yourself this……What is out of character? Johan criticizing the front office, or the Mets publicly embarrassing a player? We’ve seen one before, and one is totally out of character.

Hope you are not referring to me since it was me whom you quoted. I have taken a neutral position on this despite my deeply rooted non-respect for this front office not because it is trying to fight to retain ownership by the actions it has taken but with the double-talk and carefully orchestrated deception to paint a completely different picture as to why they are taking the steps they are – and that included the smear campaigns.

I’ve presented my thoughts as could be advocated by both parties and then as a third person seeing it a combination of both. I’ve even suggested what some would call a conspiracy theory that the Mets knew all along of Santana’s physical ailment but wanted it kept quiet so not to affect the sale of season ticket plans as long as possible (like they did with Johann, Beltran, Reyes, Bay, Church and others in the past) and now that they cannot hold back the news any longer, they are trying to focus the heat squarely on Johann in order not to appear devious in their own way.

Again, that is only one theory and though it is tough to resist – I am not going to proclaim it or take sides because there is indeed too little information.

That’s why I emphasize the most important lesson to be learned – that if the organization was led to believe that Johann was in pitching shape (and I never said that was the case) – that it is a case of the boy who cried wolf – the front office has been caught in so many lies and deception for their own business interests that this time few believe they might have been the ones caught up in being led to believe something that wasn’t exactly true.

Again, after being frank about my contempt for this front office, I can only hope that your remarks were not meant for me simply because I wanted to show my objectivity and not appear to be simply anti-Alderson whenever the opportunity arises to badmouth him.

But one would still think that the Mets and Santana would be in touch with each other so everyone was on board knowing he was taking a full break this off season.

“Santana told Rubin he and the team were in alignment on his conditioning program ALL WINTER and it was them who told him to go home and rest in August.”

“They told me to relax and go home and just take some time off. And that’s what I did. And then I started getting back in my conditioning and all that, but not into pitching,” Santana explained.

Santana said it takes time to build up the proper pitching strength in order to get into a full throwing program – since he did not throw all winter, he simply wasn’t prepared to go through normal cycles at camp and the arm fatigue is a result of that.

Funny how you left all of that out…..

Are you becoming to Santana what Chass was to Piazza?

I don’t blame him for taking his time, he should, but if he never insisted to pitch in the WBC then this would not be as much of a problem. It is more or a less just a media driven circus cause well,that’s their job. I find it hard myself to be angry at someone who is paying me 30 mill for this year to play a game. Must be a tough life.

I hope I’m wrong. But as a fan, my expectations for Santana’s contribution is close to zero.

On the other hand, I have ridiculously high expectations for Niese and Harvey. I think we’re looking at two guys are going to battle each other for supremacy of the staff and both finish top 8 in the Cy Young voting.

Perhaps it’s more that neither recognized how weak his pitching arm would thus be coming to spring training. Even so, then why the internal friction?

That’s just it Joe, what IS he capable of anymore?

“Coming back from not throwing or facing hitters and competing since August is not easy to do,” Santana said. “I didn’t know what to expect. You’ve got to go out there and do it and see hot it feels and that is what we were doing.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/metsblog/santana_on_the_same_page_with_mets_htKdNvr7xoqzCDEix6irfM

Joe D ?

I think he is still pissed that the Mets didnt want him to play in the WBC. (He’s not ready).

Go Mets!!!

Was he in pitching shape? NO

So Santana and “some” are still getting their drawers in a bunch over the truth now. WOW

Wanted to add to that possible conspiracy theory – with the cat now out of the bag, it’s no longer a case of trying to deceive the public about Johann being ready for opening day as it is now creating the image of either not knowing or being told something altogether different and making Santana the fall guy so to take the heat away from them.

Far fetched indeed and I’m only playing devil’s advocate here for none of us know what has actually transpired. But as mentioned before, it could be them fully being caught off guard – after all, Johann is a professional who has earned the right to be his own judge on his off-season training – and a matter of their past now coming back to bite them.

Know I previously mentioned this, but no matter who is responsible for the public friction (be it the front office, Johann or a combination of both) what is of importance is that Sandy and those he works are responsible for creating this serious public doubt in their character due the deceptive manner they had conducted themselves publicly the last few years.

My feelings about this front office are well known yet when the story broke I did say that the original text by Sandy did not appear critical at all but indeed just an explanation about Johann’s condition and I would give Sandy a pass on this unless more information was uncovered to prove otherwise.

But I would not categorize having doubts as total conspiracy theory, either. As we know, the front office was telling us about Johann was to be the opening day starter – the same front office that in early in 2011 told us that we might be surprised at how soon Santana would be back – while all the time it understood if he would be back at all, it would not be until mid to late August.

So it might very well be that they were completely caught off guard by what they were led to believe by Johann – or it could also be they were aware most all of the winter that Johann had a serious problem getting his pitching arm in shape because and, just like those early months of 2011, wanted to paint a different story so not to hamper season ticket plans by even hinting they still had an injury plagued Johann.

Who knows? It might not be nothing more than a clash of egos and personalities. Yet, if nothing else, it’s their lack of integrity from the past coming back to bite them now. That’s going to remain a problem much longer than whatever happens with Santana’s arm.