Author: Jim Mancari

From Left Field: What Could Have Been If Mets Signed Jose Reyes

I was listening to WFAN this morning, and Evan Roberts brought up an interesting point. He said that the Mets two gaping holes right now are shortstop and leadoff hitter. Hmm, not too long ago, the Mets had arguably the best in the game at both: Jose Reyes. But of course, we know what happened there. Granted, based on the Mets financial situation at the time, keeping both Reyes and David Wright...

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From Left Field: Bullpen Needs At Least One More Addition

National League teams traditionally field a seven-man bullpen. So let’s take a look at what the Mets currently have assembled: Bobby Parnell (closer), Vic Black, Jeurys Familia, Scott Rice, Josh Edgin, Gonzalez Germen and Carlos Torres (Long man). If the team had to start the season with this crop of pitchers, I guess it would not be terrible. There is a decent mix of power and finesse arms as...

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2013 Organizational Review: Brooklyn Cyclones

Normally, the lower levels on the minor leagues serve the purpose of developing young players fresh out of the June MLB draft and to get them accustomed to life in professional baseball. But for the Brooklyn Cyclones, making the playoffs has basically been a perennial feat. However, the 2013 summer short season ended without a postseason berth for the Cyclones for just the fourth time in the...

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From Left Field: Why Does Frank Thomas Get A Pass In Steroid Era?

Growing up, my two favorite non-Mets were Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas. So when the Big Hurt was voted into the Hall of Fame yesterday, naturally I was very happy for him. But I can’t help but wonder: In an era dominated by performance-enhancing drugs and the fact that many voters have been skeptical to cast votes for any players during this era, how could Frank Thomas be elected and not...

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Could Rangers and Tigers Blockbuster Deal Impact Mets?

I’ve seen a few blog posts out there in which a team analyzes how the recent Tigers-Rangers blockbuster deal impacts their individual team. For example, how does this deal affect the Boston Red Sox? Or the White Sox? Or the Rockies? So here’s the Mets’ view of the situation. Let’s look at the facts: The Mets need a shortstop, and even after the blockbuster deal, the Texas Rangers have t With Ian...

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