The July 2012 promotion of the Mets’ second best pitching prospect was met with much fan fair.  Harvey promptly rose to the occasion in the eleven strike out win that was his debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  For an encore, he went on to post an ERA well under three in ten starts comprised of almost sixty innings pitched.  For certain it looked as though the Mets had another quality starter on their hands, but no one could have anticipated what Matt Harvey had in store for the Mets and their fans in 2013.

Entering last night, Harvey’s 2013 campaign featured a 4-0 start which saw him yield more than one earned run on only one occasion over six starts, in route to the National League Pitcher of the Month award for the month of April.  Coming off a full seven day’s rest, Harvey spent Monday night victimizing the White Sox lineup in route to nine scoreless innings of one hit ball with twelve strike outs and exactly zero walks.  This saw Matt drop his ERA to an impressively low 1.27 while assuming the league lead in strike outs with 58.

The stats are impressive enough, but they are easily trumped by the undeniable presence that Harvey brings with him to the bump every night.  Each start celebrated as “Happy Harvey Day” on various social media forums, the fans have fully accepted Matt as the absolute ace of this staff, no questions asked.

Harvey’s rise to what will soon be, if it isn’t already, super-stardom, will make it that much harder for those that come behind him, namely Wheeler.  Having been billed as possessing the best repertoire in the system, its hard to believe that Wheeler can match the ridiculous change-up and slicing slider that Harvey has used to carved through opponents thus far this season.  While the Mets will need Wheeler to be a productive member of the rotation in short order if they hope to stay in the hunt this summer, Matt Harvey has made most, if not all fans forget that someone other than he may be the savoir for the Mets pitching woes.

Recent history has seen pitchers as unproven as Mike Pelfrey toe the rubber as the team’s ace.  Those days, at least for the time being seem to be behind us.  Having been drafted by Omar Minaya in 2010, Harvey will be ineligible for free agency until the 2019 season at the earliest and now represents the youth movement envisioned by Mets general manager, Sandy Alderson.  The franchise will need others to rise through the ranks in order to realize Alderson’s vision, but regardless of whether those who will soon follow his path are able to do their part, Matt Harvey is here and the Mets have their ace.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

Matt Harvey has been compared to some of the biggest names of the game both past and present. Whether it’s because of his lethal arsenal, his no-nonsense demeanor on the mound, or just his determination to keep getting better. In 14 starts he is breaking down long-standing records with such ease.

While expectations and pressure like that would crush most young players, Matt Harvey thrives on it. I was especially taken by his reaction on Friday night when fans at Citi Field roared with the chants of “Har-Vey’s Better! Har-Vey’s Better” with every pitch Stephen Strasburg threw.

It was amazing to watch both pitcher’s reactions as the SNY camera crew went to a split screen. There was Harvey sitting on the bench – looking all business and wiping his face with a towel. He was immune to what was happening on the field and didn’t allow himself to be captured by the moment. On the mound however, you could tell Strasburg was being rattled.

Pressure and expectations is a crazy thing. For many players it’s their death knell, but not for Harvey. This kid has ice running through his veins.

There’s more to Harvey than meets the eye and it may take years until we figure out what makes him tick. Baseball has always been a game of comparisons, but most often the comparisons are unfounded and the expectations are never met. So far, it looks like Harvey will be the exception to that rule. Gregg Jefferies never did become the next Ty Cobb, and the teenage hitting machine Fernando Martinez never did become the next Roberto Clemente.

“A lot of guys can throw 98,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “I like his competitive make-up. … Fear of failure is not in Matt Harvey’s make-up.’’

You know what else stood out from Friday night? Harvey’s comments after the game.

“I’ve got a long way to go,’’ Harvey said. “I appreciate the fans and the support and all that. But we’re here to win. We’re the New York Mets. It’s not just one guy out there. Every time I take the ball I’m trying to win for the team.”

Spoken like a true leader…

And for those of you who keep saying you want to see how Harvey would react in a tough situation, how does the the bases loaded with nobody out against the team who won more games than any other team last season sound? Is that challenging enough for you?

Harvey worked out of the jam with ease. “That’s a tough lineup, he said. “At any point it felt like it could unravel and things could have gone the other way.’’

However it didn’t unravel. Harvey bore down like a warrior and slammed the door on their offense. ”That’s the mark of an ace right there,’’ Collins said. “That’s why we can’t say enough things about him. Games like this can lead to a great season.”

Can you believe that there are still some Mets fan who haven’t bought into Harvey yet? It’s true. I’ve seen the doubts and speculation right here on our comment threads. They remain cautiously optimistic waiting for the bubble to burst. It’s hard to believe that 14 starts or basically a half season, and non-believers still abound.

I’m seeing some of the best raves and optimism about Harvey from non-Mets and rival fans. One Yankee fan told Me, “I can’t believe you got, Harvey. You’re so freaking lucky.”

David Price and Curt Schilling are also on the Matt Harvey bandwagon. So are Michael Kay and Mike Francesa. So are Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman. So are R.A. Dickey, Jon Lester and Justin Verlander.

So am I and most of MMO. I actually have been since day one.

I’ve seen a meteoric rise like one this twice before as Met fan. The first time was with with “The Franchise” Tom Seaver, and then two decades later I saw it again with “Doctor K’ Dwight Gooden. I became emotionally invested from day with those two Mets icons too, just like I am now with Harvey. As a Met fan, I always did take “Ya Gotta Believe” very seriously. Times have changed, but I’m still old-fashioned that way.

Baseball is such a great sport. There is something for everyone, offense, defense, strategy, statistics, history and pitching. I’ll take a well pitched game over a slugfest any day. When you look at the Washington Nationals starting rotation, you just got to love what you see: Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez (one of my favorites), Jordan Zimmermann, and Dan Haren. This is a team with the potential go on a super long winning streak. Looking at this series, we knew Friday night’s Stephen Strasburg vs. Matt Harvey game was going to memorable, then looking at Saturday & Sunday, the Nats had the edge in the pitching match-up. But the Mets were better, taking two of three which is why you have to play the games. Nobody ever wins anything on paper. Here are the 3 & 3 from the series.

Matt-tastic: On Friday night Matt Harvey was yet again spot on, raising his record to 4-0. Harvey gave up one run, and struck out seven, in 7.0 innings of work, besting Stephen Strasburg. The atmosphere at Citi Field was electric on Friday with the fans chanting “Harvey’s Better!” You got to love it. I said it before and it bears repeating – Matt Harvey’s starts are Must See TV.

Duda & Davis Duplicate Dingers: Lucas Duda and Ike Davis both went yard in Friday night’s win not once, but twice! It makes you want to dream about how awesome life would be if they just did that on a more regular basis. Especially Davis who is still struggling and whiffed three times the very next day.

Gee Gets An “A”: In the last 3&3 we got on Dillon Gee, so we’re more than happy to bump him up here, for his great start on Sunday afternoon. When the Mets needed a guy step up, Dillon did just that, tossing 5.2 shutout innings in the Mets 2-0 win over the Nats. Keep up the good work Dillon.

Another Laff-able Outing: Aaron Laffey, we hardly knew ye  After blowing the Mets lead on Saturday afternoon after coming out of the bullpen, the Mets finally had enough of Laffey and designated him for assignment. The Mets recalled Robert Carson to replace him and we hope he proves to be an upgrade. As we mentioned last time out, Laffey has looked overmatched during his short tenure with the Mets. Good luck to him.

No Washington Leadership: Not our elected officials, but on the field for the Nats. Watching Gio Gonzalez struggle Saturday afternoon, I kept waiting for one of the infielders to talk to him, and try to calm him down. It didn’t happen. The great 1986 team that Davey Johnson managed had two on-field leaders with Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. In recent times we’ve seen David Wright go to the mound and get on big Mike Pelfrey and even Jon Niese. I just don’t understand why Adam LaRoche didn’t try to break the funk Gonzales was in. It worked out great for the Mets though.

Dodger Danger: A struggling L.A. Dodger team comes into Citi Field this week. It seems to me that struggling teams get healthy fast against the Mets. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time. Here’s to seeing the Mets kick the Dodgers while they are down.

It was a great weekend series for the Mets, taking two of three, especially after being swept in Denver. Until next time, Lets Go Mets!!!

The impression is the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to Mets’ starters, and this isn’t new. Pitchers tend to be divas by nature, but it has gone to another level with the Mets.

Clearly, free-agent Shaun Marcum did not report to spring training ready to go by telling Collins and GM Sandy Alderson he only needed four starts to get ready. He was allowed to set his own pace, but obviously didn’t have the track record to deserve it.

Marcum received cortisone injections in each of the last three years, and last spring was down for nearly three weeks. Without question, this is a guy who should not be setting his own program.

Marcum vows 200 innings, a level he’s only reached once since 2005. His lifetime 57-36 record was why Alderson gave him the benefit of doubt, but his 124 innings last year should have accounted for something.

Wasn’t Marcum’s history and workout program discussed? If it was, then why agree to this?

Santana does have the resume to set his own program, but abused it when he threw off the mound without Collins’ knowledge the first week of March.

The Mets said they monitored Santana in the off-season, and told him to go easy since he rehabbed the previous two winters. Something was lost in the communication as Santana wasn’t ready when spring training began and will open the season on the disabled list.

Collins said Santana knows his own body, but here’s a guy who hasn’t worked an inning all spring and at the beginning wanted to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Had he done so, the results could have been career threatening.

Early in camp, after Alderson questioned Santana’s conditioning, the lefthander, angry with the Mets and media, threw off the mound without his manager’s knowledge. Collins wasn’t happy then and now must be fuming because Santana has done little since and has no set timetable. One must wonder how much that stunt set him back.

There are other examples of how the Mets let their starting pitches get away with setting their own routine that ended badly.

In 2009, Mike Pelfrey refused to go on the disabled list and miss a start and insisted on the start being pushed back. To placate him, the Mets brought up a starter from the minors, but to make room released reliever Darren O’Day, who only proved to be a key in the Rangers getting to the World Series twice.

O’Day has worked 247.2 innings in his five-year career with 217 strikeouts, 63 walks, a 2.73 ERA and 1.058 WHIP. The Mets don’t have anybody with that production in their current bullpen.

The Mets also let Pedro Martinez march to his own tune with mixed results for several years. Is Pedro pitching today? What’s going on with Pedro? It was like that every spring.

The Mets did everything they could, including alienating a future Hall of Famer, Tom Glavine, to placate Martinez and his whims.Of course, don’t forget Oliver Perez, whom former GM Omar Minaya signed to a disastrous three-year contract. The height of the absurdity is when Perez refused a minor league assignment – as was his contractual right – to work on his mechanics.

Consequently, the Mets carried him the rest of the season rather than release him and eat his contract, which they eventually did the following spring.

Funny, the Mets once had the stones – but no brains – and traded Tom Seaver, who wasn’t happy with his contract. Now it seems they don’t have either, as the trend is obvious, from Alderson to Minaya, and with each of the managers, to let some starters dictate to them how things would be and it turned out for the worse.

Will it be that way in 2013 with Marcum and Santana?

The Mets made it official this afternoon and named David Wright the team’s captain, joining a select group that includes John Franco, Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter.

“This is probably one of the proudest days of my career so far,” Wright said. “I’m honored and very proud to be on that short list of guys that have been considered captain of this franchise. For me, it’s a dream come true, to say the least.”

There has been speculation for years – as far back when Willie Randolph was manager – and intensified  this winter when Wright was signed to a $138-million eight-year extension. Manager Terry Collins said at the start of spring training it was something he was considering, but needed to run it through GM Sandy Alderson and COO Jeff Wilpon, as well as poll the clubhouse.

It was a foregone conclusion the announcement would be made prior to Opening Day. According to ESPN, Wilpon said the second Wright signed the contract there was nothing else to think about.

“When you commit that kind of money and resources that we have to a guy like this, you want to make sure he’s the leader,” chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said. “And he’s proven to be that.”

During the Randolph era, the manager said the promotion might be awkward because that team was loaded with veterans such as Carlos Delgado – who became a mentor to Jose Reyes – Carlos Beltran, and pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez.

At the time, Randolph said there wasn’t a need for a captain because of the veteran influence. Then came the Jerry Manuel era, but the team was so bad it seemed like a futile gesture.

Even so, Wright was always the face of the franchise, and the one player the media sought out for analysis on the Mets or anything else relating to baseball.

Wright will not wear a “C” on his uniform, but his leadership has been obvious in the clubhouse for years. Once, Reyes wanted to stay in a game, but was clearly hobbled. Wright, knowing an injured Reyes could be a liability told the manager, then Manuel.

Wright has worked closely with the pitchers and was one of the few players who could reach Mike Pelfrey when he was losing concentration. He often goes to the mound when a rattled pitcher needs to catch his breath.

With the Mets moving in a youth direction, there was no veteran presence other than Wright, who, as an All-Star had the talent to back up the promotion.

At the start of camp, Wright said being captain would be an honor, but wanted it through his teammates and not an edict from ownership or management.

“This is where I wanted to start my career and finish my career,” Wright said. “I feel very comfortable and very confident in this role.”

Today was just a formality. Wright has captained this team through good times and bad for the last five years. From the moment Wright was first called up, he has shown himself to be a leader in every sense of the word and has done so with integrity and honor.

He was never one to run and hide after an awful loss or those forgettable collapses in 2007 and 2008. Instead he  stood front and center in front of his locker and was always willing to take the bullet for the team.

As the years wore on, Wright eventually assumed the role of team ambassador, and no player in franchise history has done a better job despite the the negativity he was forced to navigate in. Despite it all, he always stood strong and wore his team colors proudly.

His record of accomplishments speak for themselves and he leads the team in over a dozen different offensive categories, many of which will likely never be broken.

Wright is too modest to wear the “C” on his uniform like all of his predecessors have. Instead he gets the “C” for class by all of us here at Mets Merized Online.

A heartfelt congratulations to David Wright – Our Captain.

Contributed to by John Delcos.

Andy Martino of the Daily News, asks a thought-provoking question in his column this morning:

Would you have rather traded Jonathon Niese, instead of R.A. Dickey, to Toronto for Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard?

Turns out that the Mets had that choice according to  Martino.

While Niese faced Team Venezuela Wednesday in Port St. Lucie, two people with direct knowledge of last December’s deal told me that the Blue Jays were willing to send the same package to New York in exchange for Niese.

“Toronto has loved Niese for years,” one source said.  “They absolutely would have done that.”

The view from here has always been that the Mets should have retained Dickey, and found another way to stock the farm system, but we’ll give equal time to the other perspective. Niese is much younger, lefthanded, and working under a team-friendly contract.  At 26, he probably has more years remaining in baseball than the 38-year-old knuckleballer.

That’s kind of difficult to answer. On the one hand you have the reigning Cy Young winner who may be one of the top five pitchers in the game right now, while on the other hand you have a reliable number a solid mid-rotation pitcher who is much younger and has a team friendly contract with four more years remaining on it.

Of course the contract extension Dickey signed is also a huge value considering what other pitchers of his caliber earn.

There really is no wrong answer here, and either way it’s a great deal for the Mets.

But looking at the team now and the lack of a reliable ace it wouldn’t be far-fetched to have kept Dickey and the veteran leadership that comes along with him.

Ironically, if Johan Santana isn’t ready to pitch on Opening Day, it just may be Niece who gets the nod. Hopefully, things go better for Niese than they did for Mike Pelfrey when circumstances forced him into a similar situation.

What do you think?

What pitcher won the most games for the Mets without ever winning a game for any other major league team in his entire career?

I posed this question to several Mets’ fans and only one came up with the correct answer without researching it. Can you?

One of the better guesses was Mike Pelfrey who won 50 games with the Mets and has yet to appear with another major league team. But Mike is now a member of the Twins and unless he somehow winds up back with the Mets before winning a game elsewhere, won’t have a chance at the record.

Another pretty good guess was Sid Fernandez, but El Sid managed to get in a few wins for Baltimore after his tenure as a Met was over.

No, the answer is…

Husky righthander Craig Swan who was the ace of the Mets’ staff during the down years of 1978 and 1979.  Although he pitched for the Mets for all or part of 12 seasons, various injuries and ailments had him in and out of the rotation most years. Originally drafted in the third round of the 1972 amateur draft out of Arizona State, he had a few shots with the Mets before staying up for good in 1976. Although Swan never became the star pitcher Mets’ fans were hoping for, there were several notable highlights in his career.

In 1978, he led the National League with a 2.43 ERA while going 9-6 for the last-place Mets. The following year, he pitched 251 innings, winning 14 games for the Mets who again finished last. He also came back from a torn rotator cuff injury in 1982 to post an 11-7 record before injuries sidelined him again. Yet, possibly his most unique achievement is that he still holds the record for most career wins by a Mets pitcher who never won a game for any other major league team with 59. He did have a very brief late-career stint with the Angels, but didn’t win a game with them.

An interesting anecdote about Swan involves his potential trade to the Angels in 1979. The Mets were discussing dealing Swan and Elliott Maddox for veteran first baseman Willie Mays Aikens and a young minor league infielder named Dickie Thon.

After Mrs. Payson’s death, her daughter Lorinda De Roulet became principal owner and Chairman of the Board. Mrs. De Roulet, hardly a baseball expert, reportedly vetoed the deal when she remarked “We can’t do that. Thon is just a baby”. Thon of course wound up in Houston where he became the regular shortstop for several years.

Swan who was always seemingly receiving treatment for one ailment or another had his career shortened by arm trouble. One of the many treatments he underwent in hopes of resurrecting his career was Rolfing or Structural Integration. Swan was so impressed by the technique that he went to school to learn it and today is a highly successful licensed Rolfing practitioner in Connecticut.

I’ve booked my hotel for Port St. Lucie and beginning on March 5th, I will be reporting live from Mets Spring Training exclusively for MMO. I’ve been busy this entire week coordinating many things with the New York Mets and Joe D. and we have some nice things in store for you.

We’ve already lined up some exclusive player interviews and plan on bringing you some new video analysis, a daily report, live blogging and tweets, and of course plenty of images, observations and insights about the team. I’ll be hooking up with a couple of other writers from the MMO Minor League Team as well, so you can also expect plenty of live prospect coverage coming your way beginning next week.

Several things to look for in today’s Mets intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie. You don’t get answers in a game like this, but you can get a first impression or something to build on.

Here’s the players I am interested in and why:

Kirk Nieuwenhuis: Leading off for Team 1. Nieuwenhuis is getting the first chance to win the leadoff job, which is definite hole.

Jordany Valdespin: Playing second base for Team 1 and batting second. Valdespin is ticketed to open the season in the minors, but that could change on how well he plays second base and how Daniel Murphy recovers from a ribcage injury.

Andrew Brown: Playing left field for Team 1. He has a chance to stick as a reserve in the Mets’ undermanned outfield.

Wilmer Flores: A top prospect playing second base for Team 2. Opportunities often come out of injuries and if Murphy’s injury is worse than expected Flores might become an option. Even so, he should see major league time this summer.

Travis d’Arnaud: The catching prospect and key to the R.A. Dickey trade in the eyes of the Mets will be the designated hitter and bat seventh for Team 2. The ceiling is high for him, but he’s coming off knee and back issues.

LaTroy Hawkins: A veteran who is trying to stick in the Mets’ bullpen. At one time Hawkins could deal. The Mets want to know how much he has left.

Greg Burke: A submariner trying to make the bullpen. There will be a huge turnover in the pen and Burke could be a survivor.

Pedro Feliciano: Once a Met stalwart in the pen, the team burned him out and he couldn’t pitch for the Yankees. He’s getting a last chance to salvage his career.

There are others, of course, but these tweak my interest the most.

METS NOTEBOOK:

Zack Wheeler gets the ball for tomorrow’s exhibition game against Washington. He’s gotten rave reviews so far, but it has only been batting practice, Barring an injury, Wheeler isn’t expected to make the team coming out of spring training. He has a huge upside, and the Mets won’t rush him as hey did Mike Pelfrey and Jenrry Mejia.

Speaking of Mejia, he’s in camp now and is expected to be a starter in the minor leagues. But some in the organization still see him as a reliever. If that’s his eventual role that’s what he should do now in my opinion, and stop screwing with this kid’s head.

Reliever Frank Francisco will resume throwing on Monday according to Terry Collins after suffering a bit of a setback recovering from surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow last December. The Mets seem poised to make Bobby Parnell regardless.

Lucas Duda isn’t working on a new stance, but he is trying to minimize some of the many unnecessary movements with his swing and make it less complicated.

More later…

For better or worse, Michael Bourn fell off the New York Mets radar Monday when he agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal with the Cleveland Indians.

Mets/MLB beat writer Anthony DiComo suggests, if history is any indication, Sandy Alderson committed an error.  DiComo wrote:

The 11th overall Draft pick has a bizarre history of busts relative to the picks around it. Of the 48 players in history taken 11th overall, only five have amassed more than 10 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), according to Baseball Reference … 17 of the 48 players never made the Majors …

Couldn’t that be said about the eighth pick? How about the six pick? Or, the 12th pick? DiComo’s logic is founded on coincidence, not any legitimate connection that the 11th pick is cursed. If there is truth in this logic, there is legitimacy in black cats, walking under ladders and idea that a Billy goat holds the key that unlocks the Cubs future hopes of winning a World Series.

Nonsense.

Metsmerized Online writer Connor O’Brien takes a more common sense approach, claiming the Mets suffered from “lack of preparedness.” Alderson was “too passive,” he wrote. The Mets GM needs to be “more aggressive.”

To those three claims: Maybe. OK. I guess.

Doesn’t Alderson’s inaction reflect a consistency in his approach? Since 2010 the Mets GM has systematically dismantled and rebuilt the organizational infrastructure. In are: J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta. On the field, Ruben Tejada, Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Matt Harvey, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jenrry Mejia, Josh Edgin, Jordany Valdespin, Zack Wheeler (eventually), Travis d’Arnaud (soon). Out are: Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, Angel Pagan, R.A. Dickey, Scott Hairston, Mike Pelfrey. (these lists are not exhaustive)

Younger, talented, building success from within, or as the Mets GM said, “We’re going to strive for consistency, but above all, excellence.”

This was the promise, right?

“I’ve always had a preference for holding on to our own talent and seeing how far it can go,” Alderson told the media at Citi Field in November 2010. “If it succeeds and realizes its full potential, we benefit. If it doesn’t, I think we’ve still made the right decision in terms of our fan base.”

Instead of analyzing decisions we can’t control, how about we ask a really intriguing question: Who will the Mets select as the 11^th overall pick in the June 2013 MLB Draft? Imagine being that guy!?

The good news: That guy will be fresh out of high school (or college) and he will have the distinct honor of calling himself a first round pick in the MLB June Draft. There’s a story for your grandchildren one day.

The bad news: Will that guy have to live in the shadow of Alderson’s decision to keep the draft pick instead of signing a legitimate MLB center fielder? Will he feel pressure? New York alone has wilted the careers of both young and established veteran ballplayers, but this scenario will create a new level of expectation for No. 11.

The jury is out – and will be for a couple years – on whether or not Sandy Alderson made the right call on letting Bourn slip away for the price of a first-round draft pick.

Still, I wouldn’t want to be that guy. Would you?

So by now, everyone has heard the news that Mike Pelfrey will not be tendered this off-season. This allows him to freely seek employment with other teams. The day this was announced (Tuesday I believe), I happened to be listening to the Boomer and Carton Radio Show while I was driving in my car. Boomer said something that immediately resonated with me, and probably many other Mets fans that were listening at that time. He said (and I’m loosely quoting) “couldn’t you see Pelfrey signing with the Braves and winning 17 games.” It’s funny he said that, because as Mets fans, I feel like we are always afraid of being burned like that, and that was almost the first thought that popped into my mind.

Regardless of where he signs, the Mets did make the right decision with Pelfrey. Even with the advances in modern medicine these days, Tommy John surgery is still very serious. Nowadays, it seems like pitchers bounce right back from Tommy John, and may even come back stronger than before the surgery. The Mets just aren’t in a position to take a financial risk at this point. And regardless of the medical advances, it’s still considered a risk to sign someone fresh off of Tommy John surgery.

Pelfrey looked great at the beginning of 2012, so if the Mets are able to resign him at a discount, I would be all for it. There has been a lot of discussion about how promising our starting rotation looks at this point, and if there is even room for Pelfrey at this point. Let’s not forget, there are also still question marks as well. Can Santana make it through the season healthy? Will Gee come back and continue to build off of his 2012 season? Will Niese continue to progress? Will Harvey continue his meteoric rise to super stardom, or will he come back down to earth? Can a knuckleballer sustain the level of success Dickey experienced in 2012 across multiple campaigns?

Those are all very real questions facing the Mets this off-season. Right now, we are going to cross our fingers and hope that the answers to all those questions is yes. However, the reality of the matter is you can never have too much pitching. Having a lot of solid pitching in baseball is like having oil in the global economy – not everybody has it, but it is a necessity that everyone wants, and is willing to pay for it. Good pitching can fill the offensive holes in teams by holding the opposing teams to a minimal amount of runs, and leaving their team with less work to do. And the Mets sure do have a bunch of offensive holes, which means they either fill those holes with offensive players, or stockpile solid pitching.

The Mets should attempt to bring back Pelfrey in 2013, and I think they will. There are still a lot of question marks surrounding this pitching staff, so adding some insurance isn’t such a bad idea – albeit, a guy coming off Tommy John isn’t exactly insurance, but he could provide some bullpen help and also help out the starting rotation if one of the starting five have to visit the bullpen. That being said, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see Pelfrey sign with a different team, and end up winning 17 games.

By the way, is anyone else concerned that the most exciting news this off-season for Mets fans has been that the Mets have decided to bring back a blue and orange alternate jersey?

It seemed as if Pelfrey had figured things out through the early part of the year.  He looked good in his first three starts of the season. Interestingly enough, the only times that Pelfrey has posted an ERA below 3.75 have been in even numbered years. 2008 and 2010 were Pelfrey’s two best years in the majors and 2012 was looking like it could be a good year for Pelfrey.

Last winter Pelfrey was a non-tender candidate and he will likely be one again this year as he will be due a raise from the $6.8 million that he was making this season. The Mets are not going to give him more than $7 million as he comes back from Tommy John surgery and rightly so. It would make a lot of sense for the Mets to non-tender Pelfrey this winter.

The team will certainly look into bringing their former first round pick back next year at a much lower salary. This could present the Mets with a chance to sign Pelfrey for a few years at a much lower salary than he would have cost them otherwise. However, other teams will certainly have an interest in Pelfrey too.

One of the key factors in the decision to bring back Pelfrey next year will likely be the progression of Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia. If two of these pitchers prove that they are ready for the majors then the Mets might choose to let Pelfrey move on.

It has certainly been an up and down career for the big right-hander and the next time Mets fans see him on the mound, Pelfrey might be wearing an unfamiliar jersey.

As has been a recurring theme in the Mets last few years, the injury bug has hit and its done a drastic reshaping on the entire roster in a matter of three weeks. How will the Mets manage to handle the loss of key players, with the addition of new, younger players who are talented, but untried at the MLB level.

With the rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, the Mets have three new players occupying their team and two of them are riding the pine at the moment. The new look bench at the moment replaces a good defensive player (Cedeno) with a player with endless potential and growing versatility/hitting prowess which would be 2B/SS/CF Jordany Valdespin. Valdespin had a breakout year between AA and AAA in 2011, hitting .294 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI and 37 SB’s. ‘Spin’s biggest flaw thus far has been an inability to draw walks. However, this season in 78 AB’s at Buffalo, Jordany had a 5/7 BB/K ratio which shows signs of improvement in either pitch recognition or contact ability. While he does have versatility on his side, with Cedeno on the shelf he will be seeing most of his time in the infield.

Jason Bay (slight rib fracture) was placed on the DL Tuesday, and to fill his spot came 25 year old Buffalo Bisons 1B/3B Zach Lutz. While Lutz does not fill the extra outfield spot, Lutz does provide the Mets with another right-handed bat, and a power bat at that. Zach has always posted good ISO numbers when he has played, and across four levels in 2010 put up 19 HR in 309 AB’s. Power like that doesn’t grow on trees, but when you play two positions occupied by David Wright and Ike Davis, that will not be the quickest trip to the big show. The knocks on Lutz are inability to consistently make contact, striking out in nearly 25% of his at-bats. However, the only RH options on the bench have been Scott Hairston, Mike Nickeas and Ronny Cedeno. With Bay’s injury, Hairston & Mike Baxter will be part of a platoon until the return of Andres Torres. The complex situation right now is Torres rehab, because once he returns it becomes a guessing game as to who stays and who goes.

With the bench as it stands, it will consist of Mike Nickeas, Jordany Valdespin, Justin Turner, Zach Lutz and one of Mike Baxter or Scott Hairston depending on the pitching matchup. The only downside in this is the bench will be leaning heavily on power to the right side, with the left side being more of a contact based approach.

Logic would say the first bat off the bench against lefties for power will be Hairston, and the first bat up against righties will be Baxter due to contact. While this bench provides more versatility and offensive prowess with Lutz and Valdespin, taking 15+ years of MLB experience off the team does hurt it. Hopefully, this two-week tryout can provide the Mets a sense of where the future lies with these two players.

Through the use of the scorecard, let’s take a look at how Kirk Nieuwenhuis did this week:

This week, rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis got the Player Of The Week honors. While not bringing in many runs (2 runs batted in), he scored 7 and got on base quite a bit. He put himself in scoring position right away with two doubles and also had a home run.

Honorable Mentions

These players, although not winning the Player of the Week award, had a very strong showing this week and deserve to be recognized. We will also show how strong a showing they had through the use of the scorecard.

David Wright

Jason Bay

Daniel Murphy

Mike Pelfrey

Dillon Gee

Not So Hot

The Not So Hot area mentions a few players who did not have a good week this week.

Johan Santana

Frank Francisco

R.A. Dickey

Lucas Duda

Player Of The Week Scoreboard

This area shows the scoreboard of the Players of the Week, and who has won already this season and how many times.

David Wright – 1

Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 1

Trivia

To finish off the Player of the Week announcement each week, I’ll be asking you a trivia question. The answer will be announced during the next Player of the Week announcement, as well as the first person who answered correctly. Another question will then be asked. Last Week’s Answer is: Rick White. No one got the answer correct. So here is this week’s question:

Who did the Mets beat for their first win?

One thing the Mets may want to try is to move him to the bullpen. Give him the long-relief role, that way he can still eat innings for the Mets. In most long relief situations, he would be entering the game with a sizable lead or with the team down. That would likely take some pressure off of him and allow him to just focus on pitching.

Another idea is to send him down to the minors, if he would accept it. Hopefully, he won’t pull an Oliver Perez.

Sending a struggling pitcher down to the minors has worked before for the Mets. Remember Steve Trachsel? He did very well after returning from that minor league assignment.

It’s definitely worth a try in my opinion. Plus, even if it doesn’t work out, during the time Pelfrey is down, that gives the Mets space on the roster to have another pitcher, one who isn’t struggling.

Of course we can simply give up on him completely, but I don’t suggest that just yet. They can try to trade him and see what teams will give up for him.

I think the Mets should at least try to explore the possibility of sending Pelfrey to Buffalo to work on things. If he’s as talented as everyone says he is, he probably won’t be there long. And it could be great for his confidence.

Now for some of my thoughts about recent Mets events.

Johan Santana did pretty well in his first spring start. Although he didn’t hit 90 (according to the stadium’s radar gun), he has time before the regular season to get back into the 90′s.

I don’t like the Frank Francisco signing. I don’t have a particular reason why, it’s just a feeling I have. I don’t feel he is the right choice to be the Mets closer. Joe hit on some of his troubling trends. He could very well may be the solution for them, but I just don’t think he is.

I believe Mike Pelfrey‘s time as a Met will be ending sometime soon. By that I mean either this year or next. He isn’t being efficient enough for them, and his production isn’t helping them either. However, here’s an idea that might change that… Try moving him to the bullpen. They moved Oliver Perez to the bullpen when he wasn’t working out as a starter, why not try moving Pelfrey? While it didn’t work for Perez, it could work for Pelfrey.

Even though Hojo’s Mojo said that the Mets liked what they saw from C.J. Nitowski, I am wondering if he is even worth bringing in. Especially considering he hasn’t pitched on a Major League team since 2005. That raises some major doubts. If you remember, he played for the Mets before. In 2005, he pitched 5 games with the Mets, had an ERA of 0.00 and a record of 1-0. I just think the Mets would be making a huge mistake in signing him if they did.

Update: According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, if the White Sox cut payroll as expected, it’s likely that either John Danks or Mark Buehrle will not return in 2012.

Looking at the free agent market for starting pitchers can be quite depressing. As of this writing it’s not known whether C.C. Sabathia will be a free agent. The next best free agent pitcher after C.C. assuming he opts-out is C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers and it’s widely believed Wilson will command a hefty price. Wilson is a good pitcher, but I don’t think he’s worth the money he’s going to command on the open market. I also think his big mouth and his troubles in high pressure situations make him a pitcher the Mets need to avoid. I also think that Nolan Ryan who reportedly loves Wilson will spend the money to keep him.

So with that in mind I looked at the free agent pool and one pitcher I like that will be available is Mark Buehrle.  Now the Mets need a true ace but we’re not getting that this off season so we have to look elsewhere and Buehrle would be a nice pickup. Looking at Buehrle’s numbers they don’t set the world particularly on fire but they still do impress. Buehrle since 2000 has averaged 223 innings pitched per year. Since 2001 Buehrle has averaged 15 wins per season. Buehrle has pitched a no hitter and a perfect game in his career not to mention winning two gold gloves later in his career. Most importantly Buehrle does not have much of an injury history and I believe in the National League he can win 15-18 games.

Adding Buehrle also adds a much needed veteran arm for this rotation. We all know Santana expects only the best from himself and coming back from an injury that cost him the entire 2011 season he will be putting more pressure than usual on himself to perform like the Santana of old. I think having a veteran who is a proven winner throughout his career in the rotation can only help lessen some of the pressure that will be placed on Johan by himself. This can only help strengthen the rotation.

Buehrle will be a smart option for this team. He has big market experience as he has pitched in Chicago his entire career. Buehrle doesn’t have the greatest post season numbers but does have a World Series ring. I believe a 3 year deal would be wise to offer Buehrle. Perhaps you throw in a team option for a 4th year, though I think that is a bad idea, I rather give him some incentives to make him more money throughout the 3 years. A rotation of Santana, Niese, Buehrle, Dickey and Pelfrey and/or Gee is not the prettiest and obviously can’t compete with the Phillies, but it’s much better than what the Mets put out this past season.

The man people call “Big Pelf” was tabbed the opening day as soon as Terry Collins was named the new skipper.  He was really the choice by default because other than Dickey coming off his first good season and Niese improving there was nobody else who could don the opening day starters cap.  What we got instead of an “ace” was a disaster, and not a man named “Big pelf”, but a man named “small pelf”.

Pelfrey is in the midst of his worst season as a pro to date.  He has entered his prime at age 27, and the big righty seems to be going backwards.  Despite all the hype and all the hope and projections, his career numbers prove he is a .500 pitcher.  This season he has been just way to inconsistent.

He has always be a hittable pitcher with a career batting average against of .282.  However this season he is not only getting hit, but he is getting hit hard with regularity.  His season WHIP of 1.45 is just pathetic and he has already given up a career high in home runs with 19.  He is 50-52 in 142 games started for the Mets and has a career ERA of 4.38, not quite top of the rotation numbers.

Pelfrey made almost $4 million this season and is up  for arbitration again this winter, you have to start the ask the question of whether he will be here next season?  Not to mention the fact that his agent is Scott Boras and Pelfrey will be a free agent after the 2013 season.  There is no doubt Boras will command big money for his client and will pump out numbers that project him to be better than he will ultimately be.   We as Mets fans know that Mike Pelfrey is not worth $10-15 million a year which is what Boras will most likely get for him on the open market.

With so many young pitchers such as Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and Zack Wheeler on the horizon, there is no room for Pelfrey going forward if he is going to pitch like this.   I think it’s time to cut the cord.  Sandy Alderson has not ties to him as he was drafted by Minaya’s regime.

Sandy has his own plan and I have to imagine it does not include a sinker ball pitcher who doesn’t throw a sinker ball.  I am also sure it does not include a pitcher who licks his hands more than he gets outs.  The writing is on the wall as Alderson begins to make this team his own, and with the way Pelfrey is struggling he may be one of the first pitch himself out of town.

Mike Pelfrey had another poor outing, but the offense spearheaded by Lucas Duda’s second home run in two days rallied to snatch a win from the Nationals, 6-3.

Game Notes

Mike Pelfrey took the mound, and as has been a recent theme has not had his best stuff, and when he runs into that one bad inning, it doesn’t end. Pelfrey threw 106 pitches over 4 and two-third innings, giving up three runs on five hits, including five walks and three strikeouts. Pelfrey seemed to struggle with control all game, and took a beating pitch-wise in the fourth inning when he allowed all three runs. Pelfrey seems to just struggle with the mental aspect of the game at this point in his career.

The bullpen today came through in a big way, pitching four and one-third innings of scoreless relief. Ryota Igarashi pitched a clean third of an inning, Josh Stinson went two allowing one hit and one walk while demonstrating his top-notch fastball/slider that could have him in Flushing next year. Jason Isringhausen continued his effective campaign, allowing a hit in one inning. Bobby Parnell, after yesterdays meltdown picked up his fifth save of the season, walking one batter.

A big question/food for thought – why not reduce the role of Ryota Igarashi in the pen, and allow someone who may be pitching for the Mets next year a shot?

The offense today struck early, with Ruben Tejada hitting a two-RBI single in the third inning. After a few quiet innings, Lucas Duda went out and hit another big home run, this time to right center. Willie Harris then hit a two-RBI single, scoring David Wright and Angel Pagan. Mike Nickeas capped off the scoring with a sacrifice that some aggressive baserunning by Jason Bay turned into an RBI sacrifice.

The offense hasn’t been an issue in most of the Mets recent losses, so knowing one side of the equation is working is a positive going into the offseason.

David Wright – 2 for 4 with a run and no strikeouts. Since his return from the DL, David has been driving the ball and has cut his strikeouts dramatically.

Josh Satin – 1 for 2 with a strikeout. Josh got his first MLB hit today playing 1B, congratulations.

Ruben Tejada – 1 for 5 with two RBI batting out of the leadoff spot.

Turning Point

While it only tied the game, the Lucas Duda home run was definitely the momentum swing the Mets needed in the sixth inning.

Game Ball

The entire Mets bullpen gets today’s game ball due to their quality effort covering nearly half of the game only allowing two hits and two walks in four and one-third innings.

On Deck

The Mets will travel to Florida to begin another series against the Marlins. Chris Capuano will take the mound for the Mets, opposing Javier Vazquez. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

Mike Pelfrey pitched a solid game, but left runners on and the bullpen couldn’t hold in the Mets 6-0 loss against the Marlins.

Game Notes

Mike Pelfrey went six innings, and looked to be having one of his better starts in recent memory. Pelfrey allowed four runs on six hits, walking four and striking out three. While the control didn’t kill him today since he minimized the hits and didn’t allow an extra base hit until the seventh inning, it wasn’t as sharp as one would expect. Pelfrey was victimized by the Marlins hitting the balls where the Mets weren’t.

Tim Byrdak came out to clean up Mike Pelfrey’s mess, and allowed a hard-groundout, a walk and a two-RBI single that found its way passed a diving Nick Evans. Ryota Igarashi finished up the inning, getting a pop-up, allowing a run to score (run charged to Byrdak) and then getting the man who led off the inning, Mike Cameron to pop out to end the inning. The bullpen held for the eighth, and in the ninth D.J. Carrasco gave up a solo home run to Mike Stanton.

The recent pitching of the Mets carried them, and today it failed them in addition to the lack of an appearance from the…

Offense, which consisted of three hits before the eighth and a few walks. Not having an extra base hit on the day of the game will definitely make it hard to score runs. The Mets put up a chance to rally in the eighth, but with the bases loaded Lucas Duda struck out against hard-throwing lefty Mike Dunn

Lucas Duda – 0 for 4, two strikeouts. Tough day, Lucas.

Jason Bay – 0 for 4 with a strikeout in return from strained shoulder. Like he never left.

David Wright – 2 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. Did make a boneheaded read on the wheel play. Apparently forgot, nobody covers first.

Josh Thole – 2 for 3 with a strikeout. Thole continues to hit, they are singles but still hits. His only issue? He has practically no chance at throwing out runners in almost every situation.

Turning Point - 

The Marlins sixth inning, when a double, a walk and a failed wheel play put the game into dangerous territory.

Goat Of The Game: Its a tie between Mike Pelfrey/The Wheel Play/Byrdak/Iggy.

On Deck

The Mets will look to finish up their series against the Marlins, sending Chris Capuano to the mound to face-off against righty Chris Volstad. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

For angry thoughts about this game and other Mets related news, follow me on Twitter @TheSeanKenny

Mike Pelfrey had one of his usual one inning explosions, and the Mets offense couldn’t hit with RISP in their 6-1 loss to the Brewers

Game Notes

Mike Pelfrey took 86 pitches to get through two difficult innings, and three fairly clean innings. Pelfrey’s final line was five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking four and striking out four. Pelfrey didn’t seem to have good control at all, but a nearly three hour rain delay can have that effect on pitchers, especially ones like Pelfrey. Pelfrey couldn’t get Prince Fielder out, and Fielder killed the Mets

D.J. Carrasco didn’t help the situation much, allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out one. Carrasco has been exactly as advertised, a middle-reliever, nothing more. A wild pitch helped score a run, and the Mets bullpen will need some work in the offseason considering Igarashi & Carrasco may not be viable options. Iggy & Byrdak each pitched a clean inning, walking one and striking one

The Mets offense managed some hits off of Brewers starter Shawn Marcum, but couldn’t manufacture the runs from second home. The Mets only drew one walk, but that is more a product of Marcum pitching in the zone and trying to limit damage. The defense continued to vex the Mets, as a David Wright error in the first lead to a run, and caused Pelfrey to throw more pitches. Angel Pagan tried his Jose Reyes impersonation in the first, only to be thrown out trying to steal.

Angel Pagan – 3 for 4 , good day for Angel but still skeptical on whether or not he fits on the 2012 Mets.

Ruben Tejada – 2 for 3, good bat Ruben. Now if only you could hit a few doubles.

Harris, Wright, Duda,Baxter, – 0 for 14 with two K’s and a walk. Yet again, can’t win when your 2 through 5 hitters don’t manage a hit

Turning Point

Pelfrey’s exploding fifth inning. When it happens, its like a re-run of a TV show. You’ve seen it, but you watch it anyway just to make sure its the same

Game Ball

Angel Pagan – 3 for 4, best day of any of the Mets hitters/fielders/pitchers. Maybe half a ball for the groundskeeper?

On Deck

The Mets will play a 4:10 P.M. game today, and send Chris Capuano up against the Brewers’ Randy Wolf at Citi FIeld.