The Howard Hughes Corporation and Play Ball Owners Group form the new ownership group and our beat writer is on the way to the park right now where they are expected to make an official announcement.

This is all part of what MMO’s Rob Silverman reported over the winter about the move to a new, $65 million stadium called The Ballpark at Summerlin Center that will be located in the suburbs of Las Vegas.

The Mets have a two-year player development contract with Las Vegas that will remain in place regardless of the change in ownership.

We’ll tell you more after the press conference.

It was so weird because I was in the middle of setting up phone interviews with Collin McHugh and Zack Wheeler and speaking to Jim when it suddenly sounded like Grand Central Station poured into his office.

“Hold on. We’ve just been sold, Joe.”

I was like huh???

Should be a doozy of a game for Rob tonight.

Rafael Montero Looks Intimidating (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

Some people believe that we were put on this planet to serve a purpose. They believe that we were all put here for a reason. Well if that is the case, Rafael Montero was put on this planet for one reason: to pitch.

Montero was going through the Trenton Thunder lineup with surgical precision tonight, prompting this tweet from Trenton’s beat writer and former MMO Alumni Matt Kardos:

In my three seasons of covering minor league baseball, tonight’s effort by Rafael Montero is the most impressive that ive seen

— Matt Kardos ⚾ (@mattkardos) May 8, 2013

Montero was incredible over six innings of work, striking out five consecutive hitters at one point. Montero was painting the corners and was working quickly. He was in a rhythm, and the Trenton hitters were doing very little to break that rhythm. They let Montero work at his own pace, and it was a major advantage tonight. The difference in the major leagues, when Montero gets there, will be that hitters will step out of the box to break his rhythm.

Through his first six innings of work, Montero had thrown 74 pitches, 55 for strikes. He gave up one hit, one walk, while striking out eight. It wasn’t until the seventh inning where Trenton started to get to Montero. Montero started the inning off by giving up a lead off walk, and it seemed to spiral after that. He ended the game giving up three hits and three earned runs.

The most impressive thing about this start by Montero is that it came off the heels of his worst start of the year. As I stated in this morning’s morning report, this game was an important test for Montero. The entire Mets organization was watching to see how he would respond after last week’s start where he gave up ten runs. Paul DePodesta commented recently that Montero needed to face some adversity. This was Montero’s first taste of adversity, and he passed this test with flying colors. How these young pitchers bounce back after bad starts is a big step in their development. Montero showed everyone that he was for real tonight.

Montero is special. Watching him work through those first six innings was a sight to see. I know most people were watching Matt Harvey dominate the Chicago White Sox, but this kid Montero, he’s pretty good too. I try to avoid comparing prospects to established superstars and all-time greats. I know Montero has drawn some comparisons to Pedro Martinez. I have tried like heck not to accept that comparison, but the truth is, I’m starting to see it.

He knows how to pitch, and he knows how to get batters out. The way he works the ball on the corners is completely masterful. The way he gets hitters to chase pitches out of the zone is equally impressive. Montero is scary good right now, and he’s only going to get better.

Here are some quotes from Matt Kardos’ post game interviews after yesterday’s game:

Montero on bouncing back strong after a bad start last week: “I feel happy because I am progressing as a pitcher and that is big for me.”

Montero on if he ran out of gas in 7th: “I haven’t gotten tired so far this year. I just have a pitch count and that’s why they took me out.”

Montero on the go-ahead hit by Slade Heathcott: “I don’t think it was a bad pitch, he just put it in play and you have to give props to the hitter.”

Thunder Manager, Tony Franklin, on Montero: “Montero is very good, the kid has some very good mechanics that allows him to throw the ball well.”

Slade Heathcott on Montero: “He filled the zone up. That’s the toughest thing. I think at one point he had something like 60 strikes and 20 balls. I think he was anywhere from 90-95. Nothing overpowering, his slider was decent but he filled the zone up & worked both sides of the plate.”

I really can’t stress enough how impressive Montero was yesterday. It was easily the best start I saw from a pitcher this year. Most people were busy watching Matt Harvey, and didn’t get to watch Montero, and the box score doesn’t give Montero any justice.

Watching Montero attack the hitters and be able to put the ball where he wanted made it look like he was a man among boys — he just looks like he doesn’t belong (in a good way). He has fluid and smooth mechanics that almost seem to lull the hitters to sleep at the plate. Before they know it, Montero’s 94 mph fastball just went by and nipped the black ever so slightly…Strike Three! This guy is the goods.

Most importantly, Murphy said that both his knees are feeling good in anticipation for spring training.

“I’m done with my rehab, and now we’re really into the strengthening phase,” he said. “I always have that one cut that I need to make to trust it again, and I had that a couple of weeks ago.”

Santa Murphy spread some holiday joy.

Heading into spring training, it seems that it will be Murphy manning second base for the Mets. Ruben Tejada will shift to shortstop due to the departure of Jose Reyes, so Murph becomes the man at second.

Though he’s concentrating on getting as much work in at second base as possible, that doesn’t mean that he’s not going to work at other positions. Also, being the frontrunner to win the second base job doesn’t mean that he’s not going to work.

“I still got a lot of work to do at second base, and there’s a lot of room for improvement,” Murphy said. “My understanding is that I’m going into spring training as a second baseman with a good chance to win the job.”

He said he definitely needs to work more on the double play, but he feels much more comfortable now after working at it the past year than he did last year at this time.

Regarding the new dimensions at Citi Field, Murphy said he didn’t think it would turn him into a better power hitter.

“I’m going to try to hit the ball as hard as I can as many times as I can,” he said. “If it happens to run out of real estate, that’s kind of a bonus for me.”

Murphy also addressed his injury history in that it was mostly bad luck. While he takes the blame in that he must put himself in a better position, he admitted the first injury was from a dirty slide. As the offseason progresses, he will focus on the double play pivot extensively.

The team has discussed briefly the possibility of having Murphy lead off, now that Reyes and Angel Pagan are gone. Murphy said that he would only lead off once per game and would let the circumstances of the game dictate his approach.

Speaking of Reyes, Murphy said it will be strange to play against Jose after being his teammate, but the game itself comes before personal relationships with opponents.

“When we play him…he’s on the other side now,” Murphy said. “He’s a Marlin now. As far as I’m concerned once the bell rings, you’re on the other side.

He did say that he’d have Reyes and his $106 million pick up the tab if they go out to dinner in Miami.

Rather than worry about his individual stats, Murphy has one goal: 95-100 wins. Though that may be a tall order this season, he’s excited with the potential of this team.

“I want to win a pennant, and there’s no better place to win it than New York City so it’s about time to get to it, I think,” said Murphy.

Believe or not, Murphy is the fourth longest-tenured Met behind Johan Santana, David Wright and Mike Pelfrey. However, he said he still feels like one of the younger guys and is looking forward to playing with a young new core.

Murphy was recently mentioned in trade rumors with the Dodgers showing interest. He took this as a compliment in that other teams are interested in his talents.

But he is committed to the Mets and thinks that if the team stays healthy, they can put the negative stigma of the past few seasons behind them.

As spring training approaches, Murphy hopes to transform himself into what he considers an above average first baseman to a competent second baseman.

First, he spoke about the new changes to the outfield wall at Citi Field. He said that it wasn’t one particular event that sparked the change, but that the constant “consternation and criticism” triggered the decision.

The team recognized that they had the power to make a change and went ahead with the plans.

Construction on fences at Citi Field

“I was happy that there was some hope this year to think about changing the ballpark,” said Alderson.

However, Alderson does not want to depress one part of the roster just to cater to the new ballpark dimensions. He said he hopes the attitudes and frame of mind of the hitters will improve once the changes are complete.

“I think more scoring makes more sense because it’s more entertaining,” he said. “A little more offense will not only be a plus for the players but also the fans.”

Alderson went on to discuss that he has no regrets in the way the Jose Reyes situation was handled. The Miami Marlins were aggressive players the whole way, and the Mets were not in a position finically to make a deal.

“I don’t think we ever had a shot at signing Jose if we made the first offer,” Alderson said.

Despite losing out on Reyes, Alderson said he was very pleased with being able to bolster the bullpen with Jon Rauch, Ramon Ramirez and Frank Francisco. He also still likes some of the bullpen pieces the team currently has, and it should all make for a good combination.

“We weren’t looking to bring in three,” said Alderson. “We were looking to bring in two. We’re happy we got the three, so what was a weakness is a modest strength for us right now.”

Meanwhile, the team’s depth at catcher has been waning, and Alderson is aware of this. But rather than spend the limited funds the team has on a catcher that would not significantly improve the current roster, the team will use those funds on other needs.

“At least for the time being, our catching situation is going to be a year-to-year proposition,” said Alderson.

Sandy Alderson talks to the media

Finally, Alderson addressed the Angel Pagan trade, which netted the Mets Ramirez and Andres Torres. He said the trade happened very quickly—within a matter of hours. He did say that both Fernando Martinez and Kirk Nieuwenhuis may still not be ready to assume full-time duty or even bench roles with the big club.

There may be a few minor moves that Alderson makes before spring training, but being cash-strapped has certainly taken its toll on the ball club.

David Wright answers questions at the Mets 50th anniversary announcement

David Wright was one of three Mets players selected to represent the team at the announcement of the 50th anniversary season Nov. 16 at Citi Field. I was on hand to cover the event for Metsmerized.

Wright discussed a multitude of topics, while noting that he likes the team’s new uniforms and that his back is feeling very good after missing time last season due to injury.

He said it’s been an honor to be a Met and that many great players have came before him. Growing up as a Met fan in Virginia, playing for the Mets has carried much more significant weight.

Wright remembers emulating Darryl Strawberry’s swing and Doc Gooden’s delivery in his backyard. He said his favorite Mets memory is Mike Piazza’s healing home run after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Wright wants to be remembered, but he feels he must win something first in order to do so.

David Wright talks about wanting to leave a legacy in New York by Jim Mancari

He also addressed the fences moving in at Citi Field. As a hitter, he’s definitely in favor of making the ballpark more hitter-friendly, but he thinks the change can also help the pitchers since the outfielders will be able to track down more would-be extra-base hits. The next step is for the Mets (just the Mets, of course) to hit some home runs to show this was a good change.

Wright has heard the trade rumors, but he said that comes with the territory. If it happens, it happens, he said, but he is currently preparing to be the third baseman for the New York Mets and would be surprised with anything otherwise.

“I don’t make those decisions,” Wright said. “I learned at a young age especially being in New York that those rumors are going to circulate. I’ve made it very clear that I enjoy playing here, but ultimately that’s a decision that I have zero control over.”

But in the meantime, Jose Reyes is testing the waters of free agency. Wright understands the business side of the game and that tough decisions have to be made every offseason.

“Jose’s a great player,” said Wright. “Obviously nothing is official. The organization values him the way I value him. I think he’s one of the premier players in baseball. What he brings to the team is more than what you just see on the field.”

Reyes has been rumored to have received a six-year, $90 million contract offer from the Miami Marlins. He seemed to hit it off with the Marlins brass when they met.

“He’s [Reyes] become almost like a brother to me,” said Wright. “It seems like we’ve been together forever. It would be weird seeing him in a different uniform.”

Though Wright would love to see Jose back in a Mets uniform, he acknowledged that Reyes has earned the right to test the open market based on his performance, especially coming off a season in which he won the batting title.

Wright has been staying in touch with Reyes via text messages the last few weeks, but none are related to baseball. Reyes seems in good sprits, according to Wright.

Based on Reyes’ track record with the Mets, Wright hopes the Mets will at least be given a chance to sit down with Jose and present a counter offer to whatever he has received. Though he might be overly optimistic, Wright said his gut feeling is that Reyes will be wearing “orange and blue” in 2012.

Don’t we all hope he’s correct?

As for the rest of the offseason, the team will have a large chunk of payroll coming off the books. Wright feels confident that General Manager Sandy Alderson will do what’s best for the team from an organizational standpoint.

“You want to sign good players, but also you have to have a plan,” Wright said. “Just because you have some money left over, you can’t just go out there and start handing out these big, long, crazy contracts. That’s kind of what got us into a little bit of trouble.”

With a year left on his contract and a team option for 2013, Wright is aware that anything can change at any time. For now, he will remain focused on rising up the challenge of fielding a competitive team this season.

If Wright can lead the Mets to a World Series crown sometime in his tenure, he will be a staple in the team’s next 50 years of existence.