Sandy Alderson told reporters today the Mets Spring Complex, that left-hander Johan Santana‘s first Grapefruit League start would be pushed back by as much as two weeks. Alderson said that there was no structural issue and that it is just a matter of building up strength in Santana’s arm. Initially, Santana was scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League appearance on March 2nd, but a lack of velocity during his last bullpen session raised concerns. The [...]

The idea has been beaten to death: The Mets bullpen is the worst in baseball and has been the major reason for the team’s skid to open the second half. But looking a little deeper, it may not totally be the bullpen’s fault. In fact, the pen, mainly Jon Rauch, Josh Edgin and even Manny Acosta since being recalled, has actually been somewhat decent recently. Granted, the bullpen certainly has contributed to the second-half slide, [...]

Everywhere you look, baseball analysts and fans alike are saying the Mets will need a significant bullpen upgrade in order to make a playoff push. Though Sandy Alderson brought in Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez, it may take a different cast of characters to get the job done consistently in the late innings. Yes, the starting pitching has been terrific, but especially down the stretch, the Mets need to be able to close [...]

Two months into the season, the Mets have used an inordinate amount of players thus far. This has been due in part to injuries, but it has also been the product of the Mets organization’s unwillingness to deal with mediocrity. Jack Egbert, the “power-hitting” Jeremy Hefner, Chris Schwinden, Rob Johnson, Omar Quintanilla, Jordany Valdespin, Vinny Rottino and even Kirk Nieuwenhuis all started the year in the minors and weren’t expected to be big-time contributors this [...]

On the whole, baseball is a simple game. The pitcher takes the ball and throws it over the plate, while the batter either watches it go by, puts the ball in play or swings and misses. Pretty simple, right? Well, our beloved Mets have of course found a way to skew the most basic facet of the game: throwing strikes. Both the Mets’ starters and relievers have struggled with walks in the early going, which [...]

The New York Mets are in serious trouble. Any fan watching the early games could have told you that, though. However, they are in worse shape than I ever thought they’d be in. Through the first ten games, their pitching as a whole has been absolutely horrendous. I’m not going to lie and say I expected Pelfrey to pitch like an ace. However, he’s not only not pitched like an ace, he hasn’t even pitched [...]

The Mets selected Pedro Beato with their second pick in the Rule 5 Draft. He projects as a middle reliever and might be able to have an immediate impact on the major league roster. Beato was actually drafted by the Mets in the 17th round in 2005 but did not sign. The following year, the Orioles selected him with the 32nd overall pick and were able to sign him. The Mets brought in D.J. Carrasco [...]

While the Mets starting rotation will likely contain several question marks, the bullpen appears to be a revolving door at this point. Two vital pieces from 2010 are likely out, with Hisanori Takahashi heading out west and Pedro Feliciano testing the FA market. Following the non-tender deadline, many serviceable bullpen arms will become available. Some of these candidates may come on the cheaper side and on short term deals, both aspects the Mets would be [...]

The Mets get swept by the Braves as they lose 6-3. Dickey got tagged for six runs and ten hits in six innings. The bullpen didn’t help much either as they gave up two runs. The offense didn’t do much either, other than David Wright’s 24th homerun of the season. Game Summary R.A. Dickey got blasted today in the final game of the Braves series. He got beat up for four runs on ten hits [...]

Mets lose to the Braves 4-2 despite another great start by Dillon Gee. Gee pitched seven great innings, only giving up three runs. The offense faltered as they only scored two runs on two solo homeruns. Game Summary Dillon Gee pitched another good seven innings of work, but the offense faltered in keeping Gee perfect. Seveb innings pitched for Gee with only giving up three runs on six hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Gee [...]

Mets take the series opener against the Pirates with a 1-0 win in ten innings. Gee pitched another great start while the bullpen kept it together again. The offense fell silent again with the exception of Nick Evans’ walk-off RBI hit. Game Summary Dillon Gee continues to impress with another great start tonight. Manuel wants to limit him with innings but he still made it to over 100 pitches in the game. Gee was dominate [...]