Today, Sandy Alderson did a live chat on Mets.com taking questions from fans through Twitter.

I decided to give it a shot, so I asked Sandy if it was possible that Zack Wheeler could be called up to the team come the All-Star break?  Much to my surprise, he answered, and as you’ll see in the video below, it was the first question he answered..

According to Alderson, it’s very possible that the Mets’ top pitching prospect will join the team by the All-Star break.

Alderson said that currently he has a solid 5-man rotation, but he assumes that everyone going into the season might not be healthy by the middle of the year. The Mets general manager said its feasible that Wheeler will be called up around the All-Star break.

Sounds like a logical response. Plus the addition of Shaun Marcum will certainly keep the team from rushing Wheeler to the majors.

You can check out the full video from MLB.com by clicking on it below to launch and play.

With spring training almost a month away, the Mets are running out of time to fill voids left in the outfield, bullpen and starting rotation.

Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger reported this morning that the Mets and Carl Pavano are in preliminary discussions on a potential deal, and that the interest is mutual.

A lot of fans are probably not thrilled that the Mets are looking at the former Yankee to fill the void in the rotation. But by looking at his stats from the last several years, it seems like it might not be a bad idea.

From 2009 to 2011, Pavano was able to get his career back on track with the Twins and was able to pitch 200 innings or more each of those seasons. Most importantly, he stayed healthy.

That said, the 36 year old right-hander, is coming off an injury-shortened 2012 season with the Twins in which he posted a 6.00 ERA over 11 starts, totaling 63 innings. He suffered what was called a bone bruise on his right humerus bone and made his last appearance of the season on June 1.

He is believed to be healthy now, and even last year, he exhibited his trademark strong control and K/BB rate which has always made him appealing.

The Mets really need someone who can eat innings now that R.A. Dickey is gone.  Pavano can fill that role and perhaps be effective and dependable in pitching-friendly Citi Field.

Of course, like Chris Young before him, the only way I see him pitching in New York again is if he would be willing to accept an incentive-based deal.

I am very happy that David Wright will be a New York Met for the rest of his playing days.

For a while I was quite skeptical that a deal would materialize, considering all the inaccuracies and inconsistencies that were being reported by sources. But the two sides worked diligently through the night until the wee hours of the morning to come to an agreement before the Winter Meetings kickoff in Nashville on Sunday. In that sense, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and move on knowing that our franchise player is set to finish his career with the Mets.

One of the great aspects of this deal is how the deal is reportedly structured. As was reported yesterday, Wright wanted the bulk of his contract paid in the middle portion of the 8-year deal so that the Mets would have money to spend on free agents in the early years, while also not becoming a burden in the latter years.

This is something that I found to be both extraordinary and excellent since this will afford the Mets greater flexibility at a time when they need it most. It showed that Wright does place a premium on “winning” and that it wasn’t just about cashing in.

Initially, the $138 million dollars seemed a bit too rich considering Wright will be entering this deal at age 30, but with the team-friendly structure as well as some money being deferred, it certainly makes this deal better than it first appeared.

With his future and legacy now in place, it’s now likely that Wright will be named the team captain. Wright has always demonstrated his leadership for quite some time now and has the respect of everyone in the clubhouse. There is no doubt now, that this is Wright’s team and all that is now needed is the official “C” on his jersey.

In closing, despite all my doubts, the Mets and Wright not only got a deal done, but one that is beneficial and satisfactory for both sides. It was well worth the wait.

Now it is time for R.A. Dickey to get his deal done.

As we all know, 2012 was once again another season of disappointment.  I frown just thinking about it.  But regardless of what happened this season, there were some positive moments that we can look back on years from now.  Not only did the Mets finally get their first no-hitter this year, but they also got one of the best pitching performances in the last 20 years from a knuckleballer they call R.A Dickey.

If anyone would have said that R.A Dickey would win 20 games and have a great chance of winning the NL Cy Young Award this season, they would have been called a bumbling idiot or had them committed  This was something that no one expected at all.

Dickey’s story has certainly touched a ton of people in the baseball world, myself included.  With what he had to overcome both mentally and physically to reach the majors, and succeed in the process, he is truly an inspiration to future generations of little leaguers, major leaguers, and everyone in between.

After hearing him reveal to the media that he had battled a torn abdominal muscle in his stomach for the majority of the season, it not only added to his case for Cy Young in my opinion, but it also added to his incredible persona. His story is now a special part of Mets lore.

Last night, Clayton Kershaw limited the San Francisco Giants to one run in eight innings to finish the season with a 2.53 ERA. Dickey finishes second with a 2.73 ERA. Kershaw also had eight strikeouts, giving him 229 for the season, one shy of Dickey’s league-leading 230 and his 20 wins.

But no matter the outcome of the Cy Young Award, R.A Dickey gas been an inspiration for us all this season. His never-give-up mentality and his competitive spirit has allowed him to return to the majors and do it with a vengeance.

I can remember when I heard about R.A Dickey being called up to the Mets.  When I heard the news, it felt like an ordinary call-up.  Nobody knew who this guy was and I felt that he was going to be a short-term option in the rotation.

Little did I know, Dickey would go on to become one of the league’s best starting pitchers two years after his call-up to the team.

R.A currently leads the Majors in wins (11), and WHIP (0.99).  Dickey is also tied for the major-league lead in ERA (2.00).

As we near the end of the first-half, there has been talk of R.A starting the All-Star Game for the National League.  He has also been part of the Cy Young discussion.  Thats how surprising this guy has been.

The main reason why R.A Dickey is at the top of the baseball world is because of his control of the knuckleball and how he uses speed and movement on the ball to fool hitters.  After watching his last start against the Orioles, Dickey’s knuckleball had great movement and control.  He mixed up the speeds on his pitches.  At times he threw knucklers in the range of 60 to 80+ MPH.

Even though his knuckleball is the main part of his success you also have to factor in the Met offense.  I say this because even though Dickey was very consistent throughout the 2011 season, he did not have the offense behind him to earn wins. Thats how he ended 2011 with an 8-13 record.  This year has been totally different in that area offensively.

At this pace, R.A Dickey could win 20+ games and have more than 200+ K’s.  That would be pretty darn impressive for a knuckleball pitcher.  I don’t think we’ve a dominant performance like this since Phil Niekro.  If R.A keeps it up, he will get that and then some.  Only time will tell.

Could R.A Dickey reach the 20 win plateau?  Will he be the National League’s starting pitcher at the 2012 MLB All-Star Game in Kansas City?   

When Kirk Nieuwenhuis was called up on April 7th, I’m sure a lot of people weren’t expecting Captain Kirk to have an major impact on the team going forward into the season.  Guess what? He has. Luckily, he has done all that and more for the Amazin’s.

Not only has Nieuwenhuis provided the Mets with some key hits offensively, but his defensive ability has really shined and boosted the Mets outfield defensive alignment.

With Jason Bay set to be activated today, could Kirk’s playing time become reduced and somewhat limited?

With Andres Torres starting to swing a hot stick offensively, and Lucas Duda currently the team’s top power source, Terry Collins has a tough call to make in terms of his outfield alignment going forward.

Sadly, I believe Kirk might be one of the guys on his way out.  If he is not going to be in the outfield almost every night, he would more than likely be a bench-warmer.  If Kirk is only going to be used in defensive switches and pinch-hitting situations, it would be wise for the team to send him back to AAA to have him roam the outfield for the Bisons and play everyday.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis has the skills and the ability to become the Mets full-time center-fielder in the near future.  It’s only a matter of time.  He does have some pop to his bat, and has good range in the outfield.   But as much as I don’t want to see him go, tough decisions will be made and I think Kirk will be prominent in those discussions.

After the Mets lost another frustrating game against the Marlins today, Terry Collins spoke about the possibility of removing Frank Francisco from the closer role.

“We’ll address it. I have eight options.  But, I’m not going to address that right now, when emotions are running high.”

Before I get into the whole Frank Francisco situation, I am impressed with how Terry Collins spoke openly about removing the right-hander from the closer role.  He spoke from an honest perspective, but at the same time he didn’t want to create a controversy after the game. I’m glad that he is going to at least look into the issue.

The Mets cannot afford to lose more games this way. If they are going to become a playoff contender this year, this team needs to limit mistakes and protect leads late in games.  

If Collins does decide to remove Francisco from the closer role, I would imagine relievers Jon Rauch and Bobby Parnell would get the first crack at replacing him.

Rauch has experience closing games in his career, but Parnell has worked very hard and has stepped up his performance this season to become the team’s most valuable reliever.

Parnell was given the opportunity to close last season, but struggled with control and was hit hard.

What are your thoughts?  Who would you like to see close for the Mets if Francisco is removed from the role?

The Mets suffered a huge blow to the starting rotation when it was learned that Mike Pelfrey would be out for the remainder of the season (and a good chunk of next season) due to a partial tear of his UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) in his pitching elbow.  Because of the tear, Pelfrey is now having Tommy John Surgery and will require a full year to recover before beginning rehab.

With Pelfrey out, the Mets called up Chris Schwinden to replace him in the Mets rotation. Schwinden is a good call-up for a temporary role in the rotation, but I feel as though he may not be the answer in the long-term. Last night, once Rockies hitters got a second and third look at him, they touched him up pretty good,

During the broadcast last night, Gary Cohen talked about the possibility of calling up top prospects Matt Harvey or Jeurys Familia to fill Pelfrey’s spot in the rotation. But I don’t see the Mets calling upon any of the top prospects until September and that’s assuming they prove to be up for the task.

The Mets have taken their time developing these pitchers and they will be up with the big-club soon enough, but there is no way that the team would simply rush them now in an act of desperation.

One option the Mets should consider is Chris Young.

The Mets right-hander is currently rehabbing in Florida with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and many believe that he will become available to pitch by the end of May or early June.

Young could bring a steady veteran presence to the rotation if he can return to the form we saw early last season before the injury. He may soon be ready to give the Mets some much-needed quality starts, and together with Santana, Niese and Dickey, could give the Mets a pretty solid top four as they head into the dog days of summer and try to stay in the thick of things.

Before Opening Day, there was a ton of negativity surrounding the Mets.  Regardless of the positive resolution to the Madoff lawsuit, fans and the media alike continued to be negative about the team and the Wilpons.

With the team now going into their second series of the season against the Nationals, Mets fans actually have something to be very happy about.

The Mets swept all three games against their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves.  Guys like David Wright, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, and Ruben Tejada all stepped up big time for the Mets.  David Wright and Lucas Duda provided the power (3 HR’s combined), while Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy did their job as table setters and got on base 12 times including plenty of key hits as well.

As for the pitching staff, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, and Jonathan Niese stopped the Braves dead in their tracks.  Johan provided the team with 5 shutout innings on Thursday, Dickey provided the team with 6 quality innings on Saturday, and Niese came close to making history with six no-hit innings yesterday before tiring in the seventh.

The newly revamped bullpen also did their job as Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, and Ramon Ramirez shut down the Braves. Francisco earned a save in all three games of the series.

I understand the Mets have only played 3 games out of 162.  I understand we have a long way to go before October.  However, if this Mets team can stay healthy, who in the world knows what this team can accomplish. (Projections aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, that’s why you play the games, Joe D. says). This team performed far better than what most analysts predicted, no question about it.

Overall, if the Mets can stay healthy throughout the season, who’s to say this inspired play won’t continue? With the additional wild card spot in play this year, meaningful games in September may not be as far-fetched as we think.

As we all know, David Wright’s contract technically ends this year (However, there is a option for 2013).  Speaking of Wright’s contract, Mike Puma of the New York Post spoke with Nationals 3rd Basemen Ryan Zimmerman about Wright’s contract with the Mets.  Zimmerman told Puma that the Mets should resign David Wright.

“He enjoys being here.  They gave him an opportunity, and anytime you’re a loyal person like he is, anyone who gives you an opportunity to come up and treats you well, obviously you would like to be here.”

Zimmerman was not the only person to talk about Wright’s contract.  Puma also spoke with former Mets manager (and current Nationals manager) Davey Johnson about Wright’s contract.  When asked about Wright’s contract, Johnson questioned the team’s future direction.

“What’s David Wright’s future?  Did they extend him or what are they doing?”

David Wright has had his share of career highs, as well as lows, in his career with the Mets. I agree with Ryan Zimmerman that David Wright has been very loyal to the Mets, but I wonder if that’s enough for the Mets to keep him?

I’m afraid that the team may go down the same road with Wright, as they did with Reyes.

I expect the Mets to put him on the trading block and see what players they could potentially receive in return for Wright.  If he is having a great season, then I expect his trade value to increase, and I expect him to be traded for the best players this club can get.  If he has another season of struggles and injuries, then who knows?

Wright’s future with the team is going to depend on how he performs in 2012.  If he has a great season, he’ll either be traded, or the Mets will talk about a contract.  We’ll see what happens.

Before yesterdays outing against the Detroit Tigers, Mets fans alike were seeing a healthy Johan Santana coming back strong and healthy.  His stats from his first two outings were telling us that things were going well and maybe we might soon see the Santana of old (calm, cool, and dominant).

In his first two starts of the spring, Santana had a 0.00 ERA with 2 K’s, and a WHIP of 1.07 in a combined 4.2 innings.

Yesterday, Santana had his first bad outing of the spring. In 2 2/3 innings of work against the Tigers, Santana allowed 4 runs on just 4 hits. He had control issues, he was cutting his fastball, and he did not execute his pitches as much as he wanted to.  On the brightside, Santana had better velocity, and threw 45 pitches (of his total 65 pitches) for strikes.  Thats encouraging at least.

After his outing against Detroit, Santana spoke to reporters about his outing and said the following.

“Today was a challenge. You have a good ball club on the other side, … I was trying trying to make sure I felt fine, more than anything. … It’s all about how I feel. I think that’s more important right now. As far as velocity, there is still room for improvement. I don’t know what that will be. But, as long as I feel good when I throw my fastball, that’s what I’m looking for. I felt fine.”

Every dog has its day, but that was not the case for Santana.

Lets fast forward to today. A day after the outing, manager Terry Collins is now undecided about whether or not to tab Santana as his opening day starter, this according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Also, Collins went on the defensive about statements he made about Johan Santana (that he made last month) and stated that what he said about Santana previously was “a hunch”.

Collins told the Daily News the following this morning (From Martino’s article)

“I have not decided who is pitching Opening Day. Now, my point is, right now, as we get through spring training, we may have to make adjustments. If Johan is, ‘Hey, look, I’ll be ready,’ but maybe he needs to pitch game two or game three or game four, we will adjust.

Terry Collins should choose his words carefully next time.  Thats all I have to say about it.

In light of Collins’ comments, should Johan Santana be the Mets opening day starter?

If I were to give a realistic opinion, I believe we’ll see someone other than Johan Santana be the starter on Opening Day.

I’ve said before that I really want Johan to be the Mets starting pitcher on April 5th.  However, Santana should go on a rehab assignment for the first month of the season. That way, he can work on increasing his velocity, he can continue to perfect his pitches, and get more starts under his belt before Mets management considers the move back to the starting rotation.

What are your thoughts on the news from Terry Collins?  Should Johan get more work in before being called up?  Should he be the opening day starter?

MLB Trade Rumors reported yesterday that its likely that Chris Young will return to the Mets for the 2012 season.

Despite pitching in only 6 games, Young was on track to have a great season.  Before tearing a capsule in his throwing shoulder, he was 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA. I like Chris Young.  When he was healthy, he gave the Mets some quality starts.

Now that we are hearing about Young wanting to return, I have two concerns regarding the Mets and Young reuniting for the 2012 season.

Would Chris Young be willing to go to an extended spring training?

The more time that goes by without the Mets agreeing to a contract, the more likely an extended spring training becomes an appropriate option.

With Chris Young coming back from yet another injury, would he be willing to accept a minor-league contract?

I’m not an insider, but I’d be willing to bet he’ll get a minor-league deal regardless of his insistence on a major-league contract.

For the right price, I think Chris Young returning to the Mets would be good for both parties.

1. He gets a shot to come back strong in 2012 and sets himself up for a nice multi-year deal next offseason.

2. The Mets wouldn’t have to give up too much money and could get some much needed quality starts in the second half.

It’s a win-win for both parties.

Ever since Matt Harvey pitched in his first game in St. Lucie last year, expectations have been high on the University of North Carolina product whom the Mets selected with their first round pick in 2010. Lets fast forward to 2012. Harvey, who is in big-league camp as a “non-roster invitee”, is impressing everyone whose caught a glimpse of him including the likes of the entire Mets coaching staff and front office. Warthen, Collins, Backman and other all marvel at the life on his fastball and the overall quality of his secondary pitches and believe he isn’t that far removed from being major league ready and able to help the Mets. Some of the Mets players have openly come out and said they think he’ll be with the Mets sooner rather than later.

Former Mets and SNY analyst Bobby Ojeda talked to Matt Cerrone (video link) about Matt Harvey after his recent batting practice session.

Ojeda said that Harvey has a clean delivery that will allow him to stay healthy throughout his career. However, Ojeda also remarked that Harvey is nowhere near ready to be a Major-Leaguer. He strongly believes that the highly regarded pitching prospect needs to accumulate more innings in the minors, rather than being called up and pressuring him and putting too much on his plate so early in his pro career. He thinks that calling him up too soon can jeopardize his development and cause him to lose confidence because of too mistakes on the mound.

I can totally understand why so many are excited about Matt Harvey coming up the ladder, but as much as I want to see him hurling for the Mets in 2012, I am going to have to agree with Bobby Ojeda on this one.

Guys like Jason Bay and Terry Collins believe that Harvey will be up with the big-club at some point this year, but in my opinion the Mets CANNOT afford to rush him. Do I need to remind you of what happened when Omar tried that with Mike Pelfrey and Fernando Martinez?

Matt Harvey (along with Zach Wheeer) are part of future for this ballclub. Rushing either of them for some short term gain or just to create some buzz is probably a bad idea. Let them continue to develop and promote them accordingly as they each master each minor league level they are assigned to. Let their own performances push the envelope as to when they are ready for their major league debuts and lets not derail that process with any outside interference based on some early spring buzz.

What do you think? Should the Mets continue to take things slow with Matt Harvey, or should they bring him up sometime in 2012?

Over my 19 years of existence, I have watched thousands of archived baseball games.  Whether they are on TV or the Internet, it was always interesting to watch old games from back in the 60′s, 70′s, 80, and 90′s.

However, it was always the regular and post season games of the 1986 Mets that I enjoyed watching the most and found the most exciting. It wasn’t just because they were my favorite baseball team, but because of how some of the players, especially Gary Carter, played the game. Kid and Mex were on completely different levels than everyone else.

I wasn’t old enough to experience the 1986 World Series, but thanks to the availability of video footage, dvd sets, and even SNY Mets Classics, I’ve see Gary Carter play in his prime and I knew immediately that what a special player he was.  I’ve seen enough of Gary Carter to know what a threat he was at the plate and his awesome power especially for a catcher. Defensively his pitchers loved him and he had a cannon for an arm – one of the best arms I’ve ever seen on a catcher. He was a complete ballplayer and a bona fide star.

Two things that really struck me with Carter and that I will always remember about him was his attitude and enthusiasm for the game. No matter the circumstance, no matter what happened during the game, Gary Carter would always show a smile, he just loved to compete. But don’t let that smile fool you, he was as tough as nails.

As for his most memorable game, I will always remember the hit that started one of  the greatest improbable comebacks in World Series History.

We’ll miss you Kid.

Update:

Sandy Alderson continued to make light of the Mets’ money problems on his new Twitter account Friday.

“Bought 4 like-new tires at chop shop across from Citi,” the Mets GM wrote. “He threw in free wiper fluid. Better than [Zach] Wheeler deal!”

Original Post

As alot of you know by now, GM Sandy Alderson has officially joined Twitter.

I was reading Matt Cerrone’s response to Alderson joining the Twittersphere this morning, and I wanted to write this in response to his comments about Alderson.

In Cerrone’s response, he stated the following.

I think this is great. I don’t know him well, but I’ve talked to him enough to know he has a great sense of who he is and the realities facing the Mets, he is mostly understanding of media, and he has a very funny, dry sense of humor. From what I can gather, I wouldn’t expect him to have a lot of one-on-one interaction with Mets fans at first, nor do I expect a lot of Tweeting. Instead, I expect him to pepper comments here and there, at moments when he feels it is warranted. And why not? I mean, if reporters and fans can use social media to frame him and the team negatively (sometimes fairly, sometimes not), then he and the team should use those same channels to respond.

Matt is right on with his statement regarding the amount of tweeting Alderson will probably be doing. I don’t expect him to tweet much because of the negativity that the Mets fans have with this front office right now. I don’t expect him to do 1-on-1 conversations with fans either – like you see with Justin Turner and R.A Dickey. If that were to happen, we know how that would end up.

In response to the general question of whether or not it was a smart idea for Sandy Alderson to start tweeting; I don’t know if I would say it was a good idea for Alderson to join Twitter, I think it was smart, but at the same time I do think that because he’s not going to tweet a lot, the question of whether it was a smart idea or not won’t matter much at all.

After giving his thoughts about the idea of Alderson tweeting, Cerrone gives advice to the Front Office on getting on Twitter.

My advice: Let different members of the Front Office jump on from time to time to write and answer fan questions. For instance, have Paul DePodesta jump on and talk about the farm system, etc… In this day and age, especially considering how disconnected and frustrated Mets fans are feeling, I think it would be nice for us to have this level of occasional communication with the people trying to make the situation better.

I don’t know if Matt is talking about Paul DePodeesta and other members of the Mets front office getting their own Twitter accounts, or by just tweeting from the official Mets account, but in either case I don’t necessarily think its a bad thing.  I personally think they would be better off without their own accounts for the sake of the negativity and trolling, but then again it would be interesting to see how they would respond to fan questions about the day-to-day operations of the front office, and how they go about things.

What do you think?

With the uncertainty of Johan Santana being ready for Opening Day, the idea of R.A. Dickey being the Mets opening day starter are starting to take shape around Metsland.  Dickey was at the Munson Dinner last night where he addressed that possibility with reporters.

I certainly hope that’s not the case. My first reaction would obviously be that I would be honored to do it, but it would be by default, because Johan is our ace. Hopefully he can come back and do what he has always done. If the gauntlet is passed for even a moment, I will try to accept the challenge the best I know how.”

I really like the idea of Dickey being the Mets Opening Day starter. Out of everyone on the Mets starting rotation in 2011, Dickey was probably the Mets’ most consistent pitcher for most of the season.

I understand Dickey is getting up there in age, but the fact of the matter is, he is the Mets best pitcher until Johan Santana proves otherwise or Pelfrey and Niese really step up big. If for some reason Santana is not able to go on Opening Day, I think Dickey will do just fine and possibly even thrive in that role.

Countinho stated that in order for Pelfrey to bounce back for the Mets this year, he needs to go back to his “old” roots.

I agree with Rich because the old way of pitching for Mike Pelfrey was what gave him the confidence to go out and be the pitcher he was in 2010 when he won 15 games and posted a 3.66 ERA.

I also think that for Pelfrey to have success this season, he needs to throw pitches all around the strike zone and not just in the middle of it.  Thats what got him in trouble. It may not be a bad idea for him to minimize nervous glitches like the glove-biting and the hand licking which hitters pick up like sharks sensing blood in the water.

He also needs to work on his cutter which as Rich said, is a big thing for him.

Pelfrey didn’t have a veteran presence in Johan Santana, and the fact that he had all the pressures of being the Mets ace was just too much for him to handle and his performance suffered because of it.

Hopefully with Johan coming back and the emergence of Dickey, Pelfrey can get that monkey off his back and just focus on his pitching. If he can overcome the problems he had in 2011, it could make the Mets rotation a lot more competitive than what many fans are expecting.

One of his responses really caught my attention.  When Gammons talks about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and their chances of getting into the Hall of Fame, he stated that even though they allegedly took PED’s, “the Hall of Fame cannot be the Hall of Fame without them”.

In upcoming ballots, the BBWAA is going to have to make some very tough decisions as to who gets in and who doesn’t.  I’m sure Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio will get in the Hall of Fame (regardless if they don’t make it in the first time around).  That part might be the easiest for the BBWAA to figure out.

However, when you get down to guys like Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and deciding on their eligibility it wom’t be so easy.

Electing players who have been linked to steroids will only send the wrong message to young aspiring ballplayers.

As a baseball fan, you want to see the guys who truly deserve to be in the Hall immortalized.  The players in the Hall of Fame have had remarkable careers and one thing separates them from the rest – they played the game, and played the game the right way.  No drugs, no gimmicks, no BS.

If you were to elect guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa into the Hall of Fame just because of their gaudy statistics and completely ignore their PED use, then the integrity of the Hall would be tarnished. That’s not how the Hall should honor excellence in the game.

I know its a very tough decision for the BBWAA, but by electing guys who have alleged ties to steroid and PED use, it will only send a wrong message.

Do you think writers should elect guys who allegedly took sterioids?  If so, why?  Do you think it will send the wrong message to future players/fans if they were elected?

Happy New Year Everyone!  With not a whole lot to talk about today, I’ve got something to talk about.  Where will Prince Fielder land?

It’s really surprising to see that Fielder has not signed yet.  We expected Fielder to ramp up his negotiations after Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels. However, it appears that he has slowed down in his pursuit of a new team.

According to Fielder’s agent Scott Boras, the process of getting Fielder acquainted with MLB general managers and owners has been time consuming.  Teams like the Cubs, Nationals, Orioles, and the Mariners are interested in his services.

The team that signs Fielder will no doubt receive one of the best offensive players in Major League Baseball today.  Fielder has the ability to hit bombs and when I say bombs, I literally mean bombs. He’s an RBI machine and also one of the most versatile players in the game.

At the moment, it appears that the Orioles are the favorites to land Fielder. Reports say that the Orioles are willing to go 8-years on a $160 million dollar deal.

There have been rumors that Fielder could sign a short-term contract of around 3-years, but I disagree – not with Scott Boras running the show.

As far as other teams go, it’s been very quiet. The Cubs have expressed interest in Fielder, but some say he might even end up with the Nationals.

GM Mike Rizzo has already said that Adam Laroche will be the team’s first basemen in 2012, so if Fielder signs with the Nats, then there could be some drama coming (just like what happened with Hanley after the Reyes signing).

If Baltimore is the only team willing to give Fielder a huge contract, then I expect he will sign there and forego and probable post season runs.

Things might change, but at this point it’s looking good for the O’s.

Who do you think will land Prince Fielder?

Former Met Carlos Beltran is receiving interest from several teams including the Red Sox, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Rays.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Beltran is being extensively looked at by the Cardinals as an offensive alternative.  With Albert Pujols now in Anahiem, the Cards are looking at everyone in order to replenish their offense.  If the Cardinals pickup Carlos Beltran, then its going to be interesting to see if he still has gas left in the tank (as far as the knee is concerned).

It would make more sense for Beltran to join an American League team as a DH.  If the Cardinals got him on more than a 2-year deal (which may be the most he will get), then they are out of their mind.

Do you think the Cardinals will grab Beltran?  Does he make more sense as a DH in the AL?  What are your thoughts?

Thoughts from Joe D.:

I think it’s a good move for the Cards. Berkman goes back to first base where he belongs and a 3-4-5 of Beltran, Holliday and Berkman is still pretty impressive.