Opportunity could be knocking for Matt den Dekker if Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ knee injury turns out to be more serious than just a bruise. We’ll know more on that later today.

The Mets will consider all their options if Nieuwenhuis were to miss any significant time, but one could make a strong argument that den Dekker could have a leg up on his competition because of his stellar defense which can impact a game as much as a solid bat. His glove-work is that good. Here is what I wrote about that this weekend…

Original Post 3/2

If you have been watching the Mets at all this spring, one thing has become evident – Matt den Dekker deserves a shot to be the Opening Day centerfielder.

Throw the offensive stats out the window for just a second and ask yourself who you would want out there chasing down fly balls. After seeing a few highlight reel catches already this spring, it becomes more and more evident who should get the nod.

Now let’s take the spring stats into consideration. Here is a breakdown of how the Mets outfield competition is playing out so far this Spring:

(Games played through March 1 – Note: Nieuwenhuis should read six strikeouts.)

The common argument when looking into spring training stats is that they should be taken with a grain of salt. In other words, don’t put too much weight into whether a player gets off to an extremely hot start, or an extremely cold start.

While that argument holds some validity, because spring stats are not factored into any regular season awards and does not factor into the race for the pennant, when you have a situation like the Mets have, where it’s an open audition for an outfield job, spring stats will definitely impact the decision of who is standing in the Mets outfield on opening day.

With that being said, looking at the stats shown above, only a couple of guys have gotten off to hot starts in the outfield–and one of them (Valdespin), has yet to get any reps in the outfield.

Den Dekker’s spring stats are comparable to the other players vying for an outfield job with the exception of Collin Cowgill and Marlon Byrd. However, defensively, den Dekker sticks out like a sore thumb amongst his colleagues, and I mean that in a good way.

Terry Collins should be looking at ways to strengthen the team’s defense up the middle, and the best way to do that right now is by having den Dekker out there. Having a defensive player like den Dekker in center will make the pitching staff that more effective. Having a gold glove caliber outfielder in center will also take the pressure off the other outfielders, and help cover some of the defensive gaps that may exist when Lucas Duda or Byrd are out there with him.

Den Dekker has made a living making highlight reel catches.

Having solid defense up the middle will also let the pitchers pitch the way they want to pitch. If a pitcher has too little confidence in the defense behind them, they will try to strike every hitter out. This inevitably leads to more walks as they try to nibble corners (unless they are a power pitcher) because they are afraid to let the hitters put the ball in play. So by having a defender of den Dekker’s quality in centerfield, pressure is not only taken off of the other outfielders, but the pitcher as well.

If den Dekker can perform offensively as well as the other outfielders on the roster, then why not just have him join the team right out of spring training? Right now, is there any reason to believe that he can’t perform as well offensively, or maybe even better than the other outfielders on the Mets roster?

I did my weekly MMO Prospect Pulse on Matt den Dekker, and while I noted I wasn’t sure he would ever be a .300 hitter at the major league level, I do think he has the potential to be a 20/20 player; a 20/20 player that can win a gold glove. Maybe we are starting to see why the Mets may have not pulled the trigger on Michael Bourn after all.

The only argument I can see being made about den Dekker being given the keys to the centerfield job with the Mets this year was his performance when promoted to Buffalo last year.

However, as I noted in last week’s feature, it has been a trend across his career thus far to go through an adjustment period when promoted. During that adjustment period, his offensive stats tend to take a dip. However, after the adjustment period, his offensive numbers are at an all-star level. Mix that in with that solid defense, and there is only one man for the job this year in centerfield.

There is no reason to start den Dekker at Las Vegas this year. Throw him in centerfield, bat him in the eight hole of the lineup where he will experience minimal pressure, and let him do his thing. He will figure it out. The best thing for his development would be to let him adjust to the major league pitchers and the major league level while taking advantage of that ridiculous defensive skill set.

The Mets need den Dekker’s glove in centerfield, and when his bat comes around, they will be able to use that too. But the Mets have to stick with him. They can’t send him down to Las Vegas if he starts to go through an adjustment period at the big league level. Let the kid figure it out and entertain us with some jaw dropping catches while he’s in the process.

Enjoy this recent den Dekker highlight-reel catch from last week’s Grapefruit League action!

In case you missed it, check out my exclusive MMO Prospect Pulse on Matt den Dekker.

Follow MMO Minor League Analyst Mitch Petanick on Twitter at @FirstPitchMitch for even more Mets Minor League and prospect coverage.

Updated by Joe D. on 2/27

We may hear those words blare over the Citi Field PA system one day in the near future during a Mets game… Maybe…

Whether or not Wilmer Flores should be handed an outfield glove has been debated quite passionately on MMO many times over the last several months. We’ve all debated the pros and cons of such a move, and obviously so have the Mets.

As Andrew Keh of the New York Times pointed out, Flores has continued to distinguish himself as one of the more promising hitters in the Mets’ organization, but he is a player who, at the moment, seems to lack an obvious position. That said,, everything keeps pointing to the outfield.

“It’s an obvious question,” General Manager Sandy Alderson said Tuesday morning, “and we’ve considered it. Our focus is developing him as a hitter, and that’s not something we want to interfere with.”

As for Flores, he keeps saying the same thing each time he’s asked, “Sure, why not? I’ll play anywhere they ask me to play.”

Look for Flores to get some playing time in the outfield this month and next as well. It may only be an experiment for now, but it’s becoming quite clear the team is not looking to trade him and view him as a keeper. That means a position change will have to be coming…

Stay tuned…

Original Post 2/26

Last night was the first time most Mets fans got the chance to see Wilmer Flores play second base, including myself. Seeing Flores at second base was one of the main things I was focused on during last night’s game against the Washington Nationals. I’m sure other fans were focused on Flores as well, as talks about running Daniel Murphy out of town began as soon as the Mets announced that Flores would be taking reps at second base this spring.

Making the jump from third base to a middle infield position is generally a very difficult one. The switch from the middle infield to third base is much, much easier. Flores, has now made the switch from the middle infield to third base, and now back to the middle infield.

The reason why the switch from third base to the middle infield is difficult is because the positions are fundamentally different. Sure, you mechanically field the grounder the same way at third base as you would any place on the diamond, but aside from that, just about everything else is different—different reaction times, different angles off the bat, turning the double play is different, different footwork, and different positions to be on cut-offs.

Two of the main things I watched for last night was to see how Flores approached grounders hit in his direction, and how he turned the double play.

Third base is a position where the balls are generally hit sharply, so the player usually waits for the ball to get to him, rather than charge and play the ball. They may have to move laterally, but generally don’t move in on the ball unless it is a weakly hit grounder or bunt—hence being called the “hot corner.” At second base it’s the complete opposite. If the player waits for the ball to get to him, in other words, let the ball play him instead of “playing the ball,” the most routine grounders will turn into infield hits. I wanted to see if Flores took that with him to second base, because playing third base for the past couple of years could have re-programmed him mentally. Flores did a good job of “playing the ball,” and it looked as if his instincts from when he was a former shortstop are still there.

When turning the double play, Flores looked smooth. I was watching for Flores’ pivot, and how he received the throws from the shortstop. There are a couple of different ways for a second baseman to receive the toss on a double play from the left side of the infield. They can use a timing play where they try to time the toss from the left side, and come across the front of the bag to get more momentum on the throw. The other way is to wait at the bag, which generally leads to the second baseman making a flat footed throw off the back foot. Flores arm is definitely strong enough for the latter, and he demonstrated it in last night’s game.

It’s only one game, but Flores had a successful night at second base. It seems the instincts are still there from when he used to play shortstop, the arm strength is there, and now we have to see how his range is on some more challenging ground balls. Everyone will be keeping a very close eye on Flores at second base this spring, the bat is definitely there, and it seems like he may have found a home defensively.

To read previous editions of this feature, go to our MMO Prospect Pulse Archives.

Follow MMO Minor League Analyst Mitch Petanick on Twitter at @FirstPitchMitch for even more Mets Minor League and prospect coverage.

There is only one player that can save the Mets bullpen and bring us back to the glory and dominance that was experienced in the mid 1980s.  The following quote was cleaned up for our younger audience:

When I was 19 years old, I changed the face of professional baseball. I was handed the keys to the kingdom, multi-million dollar deals, endorsements. Everyone wanted a piece of me. Just a man with a mind for victory and an arm like a cannon. But sometimes when you bring the thunder, you get lost in the storm.

Fans of this player know exactly who I’m talking about.  It’s Kenny Powers.  That’s right, the Mer-Man himself.  He’s exactly what the Mets need coming out of the bullpen to gain back that bad boy image they were notorious for in the mid 80s.

Ask anybody out there, and they’ll tell you that the foundation of a great baseball player starts with an understanding of some basic fundamentals. Running, stretching, physical conditioning. These are the things that prepare your body for the many challenges a baseball player faces. I heard that crap thrown at me all my damn life. You know what Kenny Powers says? Fundamentals are the crutch for the talentless.

Even if the bullpen still stinks, we will be entertained.  I will close this out with another quote from the famous Kenny Powers, and if any one else has any better ideas on how to fix the Mets bullpen woes please share in the comments section below

So, in closing, I’d like to give big ups to God, Buddha, L. Ron, whoever. Hell, maybe I just need to thank me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through all my adventures and conquests, it’s that some people are just wired for success. I had no choice when it came to being great. I just am great. I’m not trying to sound cocky or full of myself, but Kenny Powers has a sneaking suspicion that no matter what comes his way he will always be great. Because that’s just the way stuff works sometimes. This has been based on a true story. The end.

Now before I begin, I’d just like to express my gratitude to him not only for doing the interview but also for his speedy responses.

For the past few weeks all the buzz around baseball has been focused on Hot Stove talk. So I figured why not change things up a bit and talk to a player about baseball in general.

For those of you who are not familiar with him, McClung is a six year veteran in the big leagues and has pitched as both a starter and a reliever for both the Tampa Bay Rays (2003, 2005-2006) and the Milwaukee Brewers (2007-present).

His best year statistically was in 2007 when  he went (6-6) with an ERA of 4.02 in 105.1 innings pitched.

McClung is one of the growing number of MLB players that maintains a Twitter account to interact with his fans on a personal level.

What is pretty unique, in my opinion, is that this interview was conducted entirely over Twitter, which means that both my questions and his responses had to be 140 characters or less (although in the interest of improving readability I have spelled out some abbreviations that were used to accommodate such a small amount of space).

For more on McClung’s use of the popular social media website check out his interview with OnMilwaukee.com’s Andy Tarnoff.

Now without further adieu here is my exclusive Twitterview with Seth McClung:

PH: Throughout your major league career you’ve been a starter and a reliever which role do you prefer and why?

SM: Starting, but I am always one to put the team before myself. I want to win more than anything, therefore I will do what I am asked to do.

PH: The Brewers came so close to winning it all in 2008. What needs to happen for the team to return to the post-season in 2010?

SM: The team that shows up to camp just needs to work hard, I’ll promise to do that and do my best and we will see what happens.

PH: During your years with the Tampa Bay Rays, the team struggled. Could you have imagined them turning it around and reaching the World Series as quickly as they did in 2008?

SM: I always thought that I would be on the team when they did it. I knew they had talent, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast for them.

PH: What was it like watching the players on the New York Mets become so decimated by injuries? Have you ever seen anything similar to that in your career?

SM: It was a hard year for them, but I really didn’t pay that much attention to their fate though.

PH: In your opinion who is the toughest hitter in the National League to get out while you’re on the mound? In the American League?

SM: It’s the big leauges buddy. They’re all tough!

PH: Baseball bloggers these days love to talk about sabermetrics. What’s your personal take on them? Do you look at sabermetric stats when preparing to pitch?

SM: There is a place for numbers, but the only one I care about is the zero at the end of the inning. It’s easy to over evaluate.

And that concludes my candid interview with Seth McClung of the Brewers. Once again I would like to personally thank Seth for doing the interview with me.

It all started when George Willis’ column in yesterday’s Post reported that the Mets planned to erase Dwight Gooden’s autograph from a wall at Citi Field — and it induced a public outcry that forced the team to change its mind. 

That article was our featured story yesterday morning as we penned our own outrage over the incident and did our part by getting the news out to over 22,000 of our Feedburner subscribers and Myspace friends, urging them to put some pressure on the Mets.

The story captured more steam when Peter Botte of the NY Daily News printed some remarks from Dwight Gooden who was saddened and dismayed by the Mets stance on what was supposed to be a nice gesture for the fans.

“Last year when I came to say goodbye to Shea, the ovation the fans gave me made me want to come around more, but when things like this happen, it makes me feel like maybe the Mets don’t want me around,” Gooden said. “Maybe I shouldn’t be, I don’t know.”

You can read the entire story right here.

Yesterday, we also suggested that the Mets not only keep what they first labeled as graffiti, but have other former Mets sign the wall as well and create a cool attraction for the fans and a fitting tribute to the Mets past.

Thanks to both Botte and Willis and the public outcry they created, the Mets caved in and only hours after saying that Dwight Gooden’s autograph would be erased, Jay Horwitz changed his tune and said the following.

“We got a lot of calls on this and it was a topic on [sports radio] all day, so we’re going to listen to the fans,” Mets PR chief Jay Horwitz said last night.

According to Horwitz, the section of the Ebbets Club wall with Gooden’s autograph will be removed and put behind fiberglass at a to-be-determined spot in the park more accessible to fans.

The Post was quick to report the Mets new found appreciation of  Gooden’s autograph yesterday evening when they spoke to Jay Horwitz and finally put the firestorm out for good.

I just love happy endings and I can see the new Mets Wall of Fame becoming almost as big an attraction as the Homerun Apple.

A great job by all Mets bloggers, the media, and Mets fans for getting the Mets to do the right thing, and a big thank you to the NY Post who first brought the issue to all of our attention and kept putting the pressure on until the Mets finally came to their senses and relented.

Ever since the final out of the 2008 season, we’ve been hard at work planning and finally implementing a new look, as well as a more efficient and stable platform.

As our popularity grew over the years, it became apparent that we needed a platform that could handle the increased traffic while at the same time delivering a state of the art design that would make visiting our site a more pleasurable experience for our wonderful readers.

None of this would have been possible if not for the hard work of Kelly Horn our Site Administrator and Graphics Designer. In the last 24 hours I have drove her crazy, but she’s as tough as nails. I also want to thank Greg Swaney from our hosting service Nexcess for his assistance during this entire process.

Tonight was huge first step, but there are plenty more to come in the next two weeks. Until then, we hope you stick with us and enjoy the ride.

Thank you so much for all of your support. It has been a pleasure interacting with all of you.

You are all the greatest Mets fans in the world and it’s all of you that make this site what it is.

Enjoy the game tomorrow.

Yours Truly,

Mets Merized Online