Chris and Jenson will take a lighthearted look at the New York Mets each Monday in their Mets Weekly videos which will be featured exclusively on Metsmerized.

Win or lose, the two of them do a nice job of quickly recapping the week that was for the Mets in their own unique and entertaining style. We know you’ll enjoy them and come to look forward to each new episode…

Follow Chris and Jenson on Twitter at @themetsweekly and you can subscribe to them on YouTube at youtube.com/themetsweekly.

Some readers have become accustomed to the great minor league coverage here on Mets Merized Online over the past couple of months. Truth be told, the reason you have seen such an abundance of coverage lately was because we have been gearing up for something big…

INTROUDUCING METSMINORS.NET!!!

MMO, was the first site to provide daily Mets minor league recaps in 2005, years before everyone else decided to join the party.

After almost ten years of providing more prospect interviews and the most comprehensive coverage of the Mets minors you could find anywhere, we decided it was time for a new site dedicated solely to Mets Minor League coverage.

In addition to individual daily recaps for each affiliate, we plan on providing you with over two dozen regular weekly features, detailed original player analysis, updated prospects rankings, a weekly Top Prospect Watch, daily updated statistics, exclusive player interviews, photo galleries, video and audio features, and so much more.

In addition to the Mets minor league coverage, we have also assembled a five man team who will also focus solely on the MLB Draft.

In short, our powerhouse staff is committed to providing Mets fans with a very unique and ultimate experience – a total experience that will be unmatched.

Our goal is to be the best, and we are dedicated to achieving that with hard work, real insight and analysis, and an incredible stream of non-stop coverage that you, the Met fan, truly deserve.

We reached out to the New York Mets and they are excited for us, and so are all of the players who have already reached out to us. And just like MMO revolutionized how Mets minor league coverage should be, MetsMinors.net is now ready to reach even greater heights and set the bar higher.

Thoughts from Satish Ram

So the Mets Minors Initiative, much like the Avengers Initiative, is out to do something special – and save some lives. You might be ready to call me over dramatic, but the amount of young talent the Mets have knocking on the door in their minor league system is a breath of fresh air compared to the current major league product.

Covering the minor leagues is a different animal than I’ve been used to - but I have to say I’ve loved every second of it. I took a lot of pride in being able to contribute whatever I could to the Metsmerized Minor League coverage – and MetsMinors.Net will be no different. I have no less than the utmost confidence in my two partners, Mitch and Matt, and the entire team that composes MetsMinors.Net.

I also want to extend a little thank you to all of our consistent and educated readers here at MMO and I hope that you follow us over to our new companion site, where we will aspire to provide you with the absolute best in Mets Minor League coverage.

Thoughts from Matt Musico

I’m incredibly excited to join the MMO family, and more specifically, MetsMinors.net. I’ve been searching for a while to find a site that covers the minor leagues in detail, and I didn’t think I’d actually end up being a part of it. This will be a great site that will be a one-stop shop for everything with regard to the Mets minor leagues.

When I officially joined the initiative, I was stepping out of my comfort zone because I’ve never covered the minors in much detail, but working with Mitch and Satish have helped me adjust to my new role. I speak for us all when I say that we appreciate everyone who will be crossing over to read us in addition to all of the great content here on MMO.

Your support and desire to get more minor league coverage helped make this happen, and we’re dedicated to bringing you everything that you’re asking for!

So whether you are a fan who just wants to keep up with the big name prospects, or a fan who loves following everyone in the Mets minor league system extensively, MetsMinors.net is the site for you.

As our slogan says:

The Future of the Mets Begins Right Here!

A year ago today the Mets were 18-13 and tied for the lead in the second wild card spot, but by the All Star break they found themselves a half game out of the wild card hunt at 46-40.  By the time August 1st rolled around the Mets were descending further out of the playoff picture at 8.5 games back and would eventually end the season at 14 games out of a Wild Card berth. If you looked at the team you felt they never had a chance to gain any wild card spot.  But the opportunity was there if they just played hard enough, or had the talent to compete.

The Mets with all their pitching and hitting woes will keep them from even considering making the playoffs, but you have to wonder what is going through the minds of the Wilpons. I mean they play in NY, so why wouldn’t they want to provide a good product on the field? Why wouldn’t they want to have a winning team?  Winning baseball fills the stands, excites the fans.  In the hunt for one wild card spot gives hope, but now with two spots to grab, it should force a team to do whatever they need to, to reach the goal. Why settle for just mediocre baseball, don’t the fans deserve better? It just doesn’t make sense to me.  If a playoff run is not in the plans for 2013, is it in the plans for 2014? Will better moves be made or are the owners still recovering from bad investments? We the fans hold our end of the bargain, we buy tickets to the games, we buy merchandise and all we ask for is a team that will compete for the playoffs, a team that is exciting to watch and will continue to get better not worse.

What is funny is that before I started writing for MMO, I saw the glass as half full.  I would watch the Mets from my home in Florida and never really understood why things weren’t happening for us. But with the great followers that our site has and the knowledge of our writers, it has shown me a different side to the one and only team I have rooted for my whole life. Was I that blind to the reality of Mets baseball, could only a month of following and writing for MMO truly show me a different side of the game or the business part of it. I couldn’t be that naïve could I?

We all want a winner, we want an organization that will do whatever it takes to put a great product on the field, to have a team that will compete with just about anyone.  In my earlier post “The Youth Movement has Fully Begun at Citi Field”, I felt good about watching the young studs call Citi Field their home, it felt like the right thing to do.  Start from the bottom up and build a championship team, but that just doesn’t seem to be what is happening here.  I mean, I am not giving up on my team, I have seen the good times and a lot of bad times, but in the end, I am a fan, I bleed Orange and Blue, I suffer through the rough seasons with the hopes that they will finally get it together, but with how Jordany Valdespin has been treated, with how the pitching staff has just been patched together and the talent on the field nothing near what a fan would want to see, it just boggles my mind how the Mets wouldn’t do all it needs to do to try and put a team together worthy of a playoff run.

Back in the 80’s the team that finished second, went home, there weren’t any extra games for them to try and get in the playoffs.  If you won 90 games and finished second, you received nothing and the season was considered a failure, but now with the two wild card spots, more opportunities are there so are they willing to do what it takes to try and make the playoffs. I am really not sure these days.

Spending the money doesn’t guarantee anything, as the 2012 Miami Marlins and so far the Toronto Blue Jays have shown, but making an effort to put a talented and winning team on the field does make a difference in the mindset of the fans. We want a winning team and I just feel that as fans we deserve one.

The concept of fault lines in the media is something we all witness on a daily basis, but rarely recognize. Fault lines are a tool that help shape the perception of ourselves, others and events around us. The ones most are familiar with are culture and gender, but they can also contain factors of age, socioeconomic status and geographical location of the subject.

Some of these categories can help us in understanding the enigma that is Jordany Valdespin.

As I surf around the web at the plethora of voices representing the Mets, I can’t help but notice one underlying theme: Valdespin bothers people. That’s fine. This is nothing new. We’re all entitled to our own opinions, myself included.

Valdespin was the subject of another Mets controversy when he didn’t attend a batting practice session before Friday night’s game in Atlanta. Here’s what we know from recent reports:

• Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork reports Valdespin was asked to attend batting practice before Friday night’s game and did not show up.
• Rubin also reports that Valdespin said to ESPNDeportes’ Marly Rivera that he had been told not to attend by a coach.

The rest is speculation. It’s safe to say general consensus is that Mets fans and media are upset. Rubin went on to say that “team insiders” said the Mets were “irked” by the incident.

“Anyway, it is all part of the Valdespin package,” Rubin writes.

Let me come full circle in regards to fault lines. I’m 24 years old. Valdespin is 25. I’m not here to speak on behalf of Valdespin because we’re a year apart in age, but let me present this analogy:

If one of my professors told me that coming to a class was voluntary, I might not go. That shouldn’t besmirch my academic track record or define who I am as a student. That doesn’t represent the Nelson “package.” I currently hold a 3.7 GPA and consider myself a good student. That doesn’t mean I’m going to show up to every extracurricular activity that’s asked of me. I have a life outside of school.

I’m willing to acknowledge that there’s a difference between going to college and playing baseball. I pay for school and Valdespin gets paid to play baseball, but the principle is the same. We both possess lives outside of what we spend a majority of our time doing. We shouldn’t immediately make a decision about Valdespin because of media priming. If you ask me to attend something voluntary, there’s a chance I might not go.

Maybe Valdespin felt the need to rest a nagging injury. Maybe he wanted to hang out with his friends. Maybe his dog died. Who knows? My point is that this seems more like a matter of opportunity cost than being mature. I’ll do my best to attend most extracurricular activities, which we have no reason to believe Valdespin doesn’t as Michael Baron of MetsBlog writes:

“Now, Valdespin has participated in early batting practice many times since joining the Mets last year, and he has done so on the road as well.”

But sometimes I need a break from the grind. Baron also writes:

“Perhaps if he conformed to the culture and practices of the team consistently, he would reap the rewards of his performances and talents and be respected a little more as well…”

This is where the cultural fault line comes into play. If I own a store and want someone to show up to work then I tell them to show up. I don’t turn it into a test and then get upset when the person doesn’t pass. That’s not an acceptable culture by any rational standards.

I’ve spent a lot of time tutoring international students around my own age and most take instruction quite literally. A coach told Valdespin not to come to practice so he didn’t go. That’s all we have to go on. Apparently that makes him immature. That seems a bit unfair. I would even venture to say that it’s immature of the Mets to be upset that Valdespin didn’t pick up on a hint that they think he should have taken.

At the end of the day, many who think unfavorably of Valdespin won’t read this. If they do, they’ll quickly click away. It’s called the cognitive dissonance theory and it basically means that people will go out of their way to imbibe information that conforms to their already established belief systems to prevent conflict of thought. It just seems like El Dramático gets thrown under the bus quite often and if I or other MMO contributors don’t step out and say something, he’ll fall victim to the throws of negative media. Such is the world we live in, I suppose.

What are your thoughts on the portrayal of El Dramático?

Rafael Montero by MMO Contributor and Photographer Gordon Donovan.

Updated by Joe D. on 4/24

It’s almost word for word from what Mitch wrote yesterday, but here is what VP of Player Development Paul DePodesta had to say about Rafael Montero:

“His fastball is very advanced right now, but the secondary pitches need to continue to get better,” DePodesta says.

“He just needs to face better hitters, and he needs to face some adversity. And I think he will… We’ve already sped the development of the player up quite a bit, and he has responded to it very well.”

Can a pitcher make the jump from Double-A to the majors?

“It all depends on the individual,” DePodesta says. “There are guys who can make that jump from Double A to the big leagues with little or no time at Triple-A, and there are guys who need some or even significant time at Triple-A.”

By the way, we are actually chasing down Paul DePodesta at Citi Field. Got off the phone with John and told him to seek him out and emailed him 4-5 questions to ask.

Stay tuned…

Original Post 4/23

In case you missed the feature on MMO about Rafael Montero on Saturday, I posed the question on whether or not it was possible that Montero actually makes it to Flushing before Zack Wheeler:

“Never thought I would be pondering this question, but if Montero keeps up this pace, is there a chance that we will see him in Citi Field before Wheeler?

The answer is yes, it is a definite possibility.”

That was written after another dominating performance by Montero, where he struck out six batters and walked none. That brought his season totals to 27 Ks and one walk. I couldn’t do that in a game of MLB The Show, and here is Montero, putting these numbers up in real life.

Once he got to Double-A, his numbers were supposed to dip a bit as he made an adjustment to a higher level of hitters – the complete opposite has taken place. He has made the jump up to Double-A look as if it was a step down. And how should the Mets reward Montero if he continues this utter dominance? How about a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas?

Heck No.

The last thing the Mets should do is promote Montero to Las Vegas. The only reason why he would have to stop in at Triple-A, would be if he needed to continue working on mastering the strike zone. The difference in facing Double-A hitters and Triple-A hitters isn’t great – and actually very similar to the difference between Low-A and High-A ball hitters.

Montero has already mastered the strike zone. Montero is already a great pitcher.

He needs a few more starts in Double-A, but if he continues this dominance then you bump Montero straight to Flushing with no layovers in Vegas.

Why send this dynamite talent to a notorious hitter’s league?

There are no written rules that say that a pitcher needs X number of starts at Double-A, followed by X number of starts at Triple-A before they are ready for big league action. A pitcher tells you when they are ready by showing sheer dominance, and that is exactly what Montero has shown.

I still find it funny that Metsblog had Montero labeled as “raw” during spring training. Raw pitchers do not have a 27:1 strikeout to walk ratios. I guess “raw” is a term to use when an analyst has never heard of a guy and has no clue what they are looking at. Montero is not raw, he may be the most polished pitcher in the entire Mets system right now. Going back to his last season, the fireballing righty has struck out 137 batters while walking only 20.

Had Wheeler shown this dominance at any level, then we would be having the same discussion about him. However, Wheeler is a “thrower” at this point, using his overpowering stuff to get hitters out, but he hasn’t mastered the art of pitching yet. When he does master it, watch out.

Montero’s stuff is electric – Wheeler’s stuff is better. That’s a scary thought.

It’s now been over seven years since that promising Opening Day in 2006, which was only day one of a season that took the Mets just a big swing away from the National League Championship trophy, and a visit to the World Series. With the exception of a few R.A. Dickey masterpieces, and a special no-hitter, there hasn’t been much cheering in Flushing since that magical run in 2006.

The Metropolitans are a team that has always been known for its pitching, with ace Cy Young winners like Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden leading the pack, career years from David Cone, and the aforementioned Dickey, are just compliments to the team’s rich pitching history. All of those Mets aces brought with them to the stadium every fifth day, great stuff, a great baseball mind, and of course big crowds.

With an ace, comes a crowd. With Matt Harvey, come the masses. He is in a word, phenomenal, and perhaps even more important to Flushing than the wins he brings, is the spirit he brings to the ballpark.

Matt began his pro career as a first round draft pick for the Mets in 2010, but hasn’t always been looked at as the ace type he has recently shown to be. Just last season before he arrived in Queens to play with the big boys, scouts as well as others around the organization, and around the league, had doubted Matt’s ability to be a front end pitcher.

Unlike his early success this season, Matt, although he performed well, did not dazzle as he has thus far in 2013. He finished the 2012 season at 3-5, with a 2.73 ERA; impressive, yet not startling.

Any bit of doubt that had yet to evaporate going into this baseball season, was gone after Harvey’s very first start of the year. If the season were to end today, the Cy Young Award would most definitely be spending a second consecutive year in the Big Apple, and it would say Harvey all over it.

The good doctor, Mr. Dwight Gooden has already given the Mets 24 year old ace his blessing. Gooden tweeted to his 35,000+ followers on twitter Saturday, that the Mets now have “The Real Deal” in town, and Gooden likes what he sees.

Citi Field has a very different aroma on “The Real Deal” days, instead of Amazin’ fans chowing down on some delectable delights during innings, Mets fans are paying close attention to each and every time Harvey serves up one of his out pitch – that devastating high fastball.

The fans rise on each two strike count, and they get behind their, so far, 4-0 ace every time he needs that extra bit of adrenaline from the Citi Field faithful. He is certainly a special player to say the least, and there is absolutely no doubt from anyone in baseball that there is much more from Matt “The Real Deal” Harvey, yet to come.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader, Michael Feldman. Follow him on Twitter at @michael4ny. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 16,000 Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

The day started off on a sour note. I had my weekend MMO press credential clipped to my tie as I walked up to Target Field to see the Mets take on the Twins. I arrived on time for the pregame press conference only to be confronted by a big no-nonsense Security Guard at the entrance to the Met clubhouse. I explained to him that I was with Metsmerized Online, that I had a press credential. Didn’t matter. My credential included a field pass and access to the press box but not the clubhouse. “See, right there,” he said pointing to my card. “But I got in last night,” I said. “Terry Collins said we should be back at 11:45.” He just shrugged his shoulders. I felt like I did in the third grade when I couldn’t go on the field trip to the zoo because I forgot to get my permission slip.

I decided to walk out onto the field and calm down. Watching the groundskeepers on this frosty April morning prepare the field was about as soothing an image as I could ask for under the circumstances. I’d take it in stride and do what I could outside of attending the press briefing I thought. I went back up to the press box and started sorting through some pictures and chatting with some of the Minnesota press corps. They were about as nice a group of guys as you could assemble. Maybe they knew I’d been left out and were trying to cheer me up, or, maybe it was a Minnesota thing. People in Minnesota sure can be nice. I saw that the Mets had gone back out to the field and figured I’d head out and take some photos.

I went down the elevator into the bowels of Target Field (sub level -2!) with food prep people and racks and racks of cotton candy lining the long circular corridor … I turned down a door marked “Field Access” and walked up beside the Met dugout.

I could see David Wright signing some autographs, Justin Turner clowning around with his bright red beard, different groups of players stretching. Eventually one of the conditioning coaches came out and guided the majority of the team in what looked like some sort of abbreviated stretching routine. It reminded me of boot camp only the salary here was probably a little better.

At that point I notice Sandy Alderson walk up from the dugout. He looked around and started up a conversation with Jay Horwitz. I thought here’s my chance, go up and ask for an interview. I paced around awkwardly and finally just walked over and introduced myself and my affiliation with MMO, and asked Sandy if he could answer some questions.

Amazingly, he agreed, which took me completely off guard – I was expecting him to say “Sorry, no time.” I’d gone into this way too quickly. My mind went blank. He looked at me, waiting. “Hmm lets see,” I said, trying to stall. C’mon brain, DO something, THINK … a question, ANY question. I was about to blurt out “So how about this weather?” when all of my many Mets related questions came flooding back. It’s a good thing too because I think Sandy was about to walk away, most likely thinking they’re missing one at the funny farm.

I held up my handy iTouch video recorder and began. My first question was about the Stanton rumors which he responded to by cutting me off with a simple emphatic, “No.” No? I thought? That’s it? No to what, the question, or did he reconsider granting the interview? Another awkward pause. Fortunately I gathered my senses and asked for clarification. When it was all said and done he’d graciously answered every question. What a great guy I thought as I walked away. I couldn’t wait to watch the replay when I looked down at my recording device and noticed … I hadn’t pressed the record button.

I felt dizzy, the stadium was spinning around me as the blood rose to my head and I started to sweat. I went up and down the steps searching for the video in vain but it was not there, it would never be there. I wanted to punch myself in the face 26 times and then I wanted to bang my head against the concrete wall another 17 times or so until I’d pass out, but I didn’t because the security guards were eying me suspiciously by then. Maybe I could find an out of the way empty room where I could scream for about 10 minutes. I couldn’t believe it. My one chance and I’d blown it spectacularly.

I dragged my sorry self back up to the press box running the interview over in my head. Maybe I could go back and ask him for another interview? HA! He’d really think I was crazy. “Excuse me sir, but I forgot to press this big red button the first time, could we do the whole thing over again?” Yeah, not happening. The day was turning into a nightmare, with my luck Harvey would get shelled and blow his elbow out.

I went back up with the same dejected look on my face that I had after I’d missed the press briefing.They must have thought jeez why are these Mets people so sad? I told a couple of the guys about the video and, surprisingly, they said “yeah, it happens.” Which made me feel quite a bit better. “Get it down on paper.” They said. So I did.

By the time I was done the game was about to start and I thought the written interview and commentary afterwards wasn’t half bad. There were a lot more people around by then and there was a buzz in the air. I got up to use the rest room and turned a corner too quick nearly running into Keith Hernandez. I looked up and thought, wow, it’s Keith Hernandez … look like you belong Matt look like you belong … I nodded my head in greeting and he looked at me suspiciously, like he knew what I was up to or something (I swear I’m not making that up) … I think maybe he was messing with me. Keith is an interesting guy … he should run for Mayor.

The day turned out to be a pretty good day after all. Harvey was again unbelievable, pitching a no-hitter through six and two-thirds innings. The Mets won 4 – 2. Jay Horwitz talked to the uptight security guard and got me into the post game briefing, and the Mets had saved me yet again from my own foolishness.

At the start of the season, the Mets were desperate for starting pitching. R.A. Dickey was traded, which turned out good for the Mets since he is getting rocked in the American League. Johan Santana is out for the season with another injury. What else is new? So what would the Mets do now? Would the ace of their staff really be Jon Niese, who has won 37 big league games in his career or would somebody else step up?

Cue Matt Harvey.

At first, all the hype was unbearable. Tuning into WFAN 660 AM, the Mets fans were in their glory after his first start. “He’s the next Tom Seaver!” and “ By the end of the year, he will be the best pitcher in New York!” and “Cy Young contender!”

Really? After one start, come on. The media, along with the fans were building this kid up, so I had to check him out for myself.

I tuned into the game when he started against the Phillies. I figured against a good lineup, and pitching in a hitters ballpark like Citizens Bank Park, we will see what this kid is really made of. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this kid is legitimate.

With an impressive four pitch repertoire of a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup, he mowed down the Phillies hitters one by one. Recording an impressive nine strikeouts in seven innings while only surrendering three hits and one run, Harvey dominated the Phillies.

One particular pitch that opened my eyes to Harvey’s outstanding ability was a pitch he struck out Ryan Howard on. High heat. Even though Ryan Howard is a proven power hitter, Harvey was not afraid to challenge him with his fastball. In a full count, Harvey blew a 98 mph fastball straight by Howard towards the end of the game.

As Harvey was coming off the mound, it looked like he was saying something in his head, something like, “Yeah, get used to that because I’m here to stay.”

At 24 years of age, Matt Harvey, in his first three starts, has put together Cy Young numbers:

22.0 Innings, six hits, two earned runs, six walks, 25 strikeouts, 0.82 ERA, 0.55 WHIP

I don’t care if you’re a 10 year veteran or a rookie, those numbers are impressive.

But can he sustain this success throughout the season? From watching him pitch, I see no reason why he cannot continue to pitch at this level for this season and seasons to come. Barring his health of course; sorry for jinxing it Mets fans.

His mechanics are impeccable, he is not afraid to challenge hitters, his command is flawless and he certainly has the pitches to compliment all of his other intangibles. The mid 80s to low 90s tight slider, the 12-6 curve that drops off the table in an instant, the low 80s changeup that moves away from hitters and a ridiculous high 90s fastball that cuts in on and away from hitters puts this Harvey ahead of his class.

For now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the Mets’ future. Harvey, with his Cy Young type stuff, could easily be an ace for this organization for a very long time. Let’s just hope he does not fall into the Mets jinx like Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana and many other Mets before him.

Go visit the GrandstandGazette.com for more great sports content.

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader, Christian Fazzini. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 12 thousand Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

Sandy Alderson and Jay Horwitz chat before start of today’s game. (Photo: Matt Balasis, MMO)

Updated by Joe D. on April 15 at 12:00 PM

The reaction to Matt’s interview with Mets GM Sandy Alderson has been stunning. Over 25,000 different visitors have read the post and as I was telling Shannon of Mets Media Relations, it’s been talked about on WFAN and posted or linked to on over two dozen mainstream sites including MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, USA Today, MetsBlog and the Daily News to name a few.

In all fairness, regarding the Giancarlo Stanton rumor which originated with Andy Martino of the Daily News, and was covered on MMO in a post that eclipsed 300 comments, Martino offered a reply to Alderson’s denial that there were any recent conversations and wanted to add his comments here:

Just updating our item from last Thursday on the Mets’ interest in Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. Two pieces of news trickled out over the weekend that both confirmed the Mets’ end of the story and moved forward the Marlins’ end beyond what we wrote.

In the original column, I reported that Sandy Alderson and Marlins GM Larry Beinfest spoke at a minor league game in Jupiter, Fla. This was probably early March. One good Mets source told me that two discussed Stanton, and that “there was heat there.” He was not talking about the temperature in Florida, but his team’s strong interest in the young slugger.

But another Mets person, also reliable, said he wasn’t sure if Stanton came up in the conversation that day. Alderson did not return a phone call seeking clarification, so I wrote what I knew to be accurate: One source said they talked Stanton, one said they talked about something or other. Regardless, we know the Mets are eyeing Stanton in their search for a marquee outfielder.

This weekend in Minnesota, Matt Balasis of Mets Merized Online spoke to Alderson. The GM, in a backhanded way, acknowledged that the teams had talked during spring training (he also said there was nothing happening now. To be clear, I never reported, suggested or implied that the teams were talking now).

To be clear, Alderson said they haven’t talked since “early spring training”. So we are talking about well over a month ago. Also, as Matt tells it, the exchange as it took place told more than just the words alone:

I wish I had video footage of the interview. When I mentioned Stanton for Wheeler and D’Arnaud he scoffed and just said “No,” then there was an awkward pause.

I followed up and said, “So there’s nothing to the rumors?”

And that’s when he said they hadn’t spoken since early spring. He was very, very clear that there was nothing to the recent rumors.

Anyway, both Andy and Matt added more context to the story regarding the Stanton rumor. Though while it was incredibly fun to consider, it was never nothing more than a longshot at best and one that ran out of steam over a month ago.

Original Post by Matt Balasis on April 13 at 8:00 PM

I had a chance to chat with Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson today during batting practice before the game at Target Field. I thought he gave me some very interesting answers on a number of different Mets topics. My thoughts follow the interview. Enjoy…

MMO: On the Stanton rumors, they’ve been all over the news, are there any truth to them?

Sandy: No, no we haven’t had any conversations with them since early spring.

MMO: Will adding players and payroll at the break be based on how well the team is doing or whether revenue is up?

Sandy: You mean adding players? If we feel the team is doing well we will add players.

MMO: Adding payroll, will you base that decision more on revenue or performance or both?

Sandy: Performance, but if we are winning, revenue will be up.

MMO: How do you feel about organizational depth as a whole? This is an organization that’s had poor organizational depth for a long time.

Sandy: It’s getting better. We are starting to see some effects of improved depth and we should be seeing more in the near future.

Sandy Alderson watching his team take batting practice before today’s game. (Photo: Matt Balsis, MMO)

MMO: If Buck keeps hitting the way he has been, how will you handle it when D’Arnaud comes up? Will you keep playing Buck or will he take on more of a mentor’s role?

Sandy: We’ll find a way to play both of them.

MMO: Any chance you will trade Buck?

Sandy: No. We are not trading Buck.

MMO: How do you feel about the bullpen, this team has struggled with bullpen depth for the greater part of the past decade?

Sandy: The Bullpen seems to be doing well, we still have Fransicso rehabbing and Familia down there so we feel we have some good depth there.

MMO: How do you feel about the team’s performance as a whole?

Sandy: Well it’s only been 10 games.

Thoughts from Matt

I got the sense that there is nothing to the Stanton rumors at all. A lot of the press around me seem to agree as well. Totally unfounded …

Overall I get the impression from watching Sandy interact around his players that while he does appear to be a consummate professional and an exemplary administrator, this is not the uncaring hatchet man he’s been accused of being.

The players joked around a lot (especially Justin Turner) with Horwitz and Collins, but with the exception of a short exchange between Wright and Sandy, there was little fraternization between Alderson and the players.

Nevertheless, he was intent and focused on the players and I would venture to say passionate even, which came out more during the interview when it was obvious the guy cares about this team.

As fans it’s probably difficult for us to distinguish between the job’s specifics and the person. A good General Manager can’t get too attached to his players, a good GM will deal a player when it improves the team.

As much as many of us have lamented the loss of some of our favorite players, this young season has been a case in point for why big long contracts and players whose game is dependent on their legs are risky propositions.

We want to thank Sandy for being gracious enough to answer a few questions for us. It was a pleasure to hear him respond to so many of the questions on many Mets fans minds. We appreciated the time he took to answer them.

I’ll be back at Target Field again on Sunday, and hope to have more video, pictures and maybe a surprise interview or two.

Early afternoon at Target Field.

Jon Niese taking an early jog around the the park.

Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson watching batting practice at Target Field.

Marlon Byrd is waiting for his turn to take some hacks.

None of the players goof off whenever Jay Horwitz is close by.

Justin Turner says, “Hey you’re Metsmerized… I know you guys!”

Sandy glares right at me and says, ”There’s those crazy guys from MMO again.”

Here is a video I shot from Terry’s presser and a clubhouse interview with John Buck.

More to come later, guys….

NL Cy Young Award

Clayton Kershaw

In the most decisive of our award, we present to you Clayton Kershaw as our 2013 Cy Young Award Winner with ten votes coming from our writers. In second was Stephen Strasburg with five and his juicing teammate Gio Gonzalez came in third with just a single vote.

National League MVP

Joey Votto

Joey Votto takes home his second MVP Award in 2013, tallying seven votes. Buster Posey, Bryce Harper and Matt Kemp all got two votes. Wright, Phillips, McCutchen, and Bruce also received nods.

NL Home Run Champion

Giancarlo Stanton

With seven votes, Giancarlo Stanton takes the National League Home Run crown. In a close second with five votes was Mets first baseman Ike Davis (hopefully he can have a better first half in 2013) and in third was Jay Bruce with two votes.

NL Batting Champion

Andrew McCutchen

Sparkplug of the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen wins the Batting Title in 2013 with seven tallies. Joey Votto came in second with five votes. David Wright, Buster Posey and Allen Craig each received a vote as well.

NL Stolen Base Leader

Ben Revere

With six votes, Ben Revere is our 2013 NL stolen base king. Everth Cabrera and former-Met Carlos Gomez came in at second with two votes a piece.

NL Rookie Of The Year

Zack Wheeler

Your 2013 NL Rookie of the Year is your very own Zack Wheeler! Wheeler took in five votes to best the likes of teammate Travis D’Arnaud, Jedd Gyorko, Oscar Taveras and Adam Eaton who each received two votes. Let’s just hope he’ll be up sooner rather than later for New York.

NL Comeback Player

Tim Lincecum

By a slim margin, Tim Lincecum is our 2013 NL Comeback Player of the Year. Lincecum had five votes with both Ryan Howard and Troy Tulowitzki coming in at second with four each.

So there you have it, our 2013 National League award winners. Keep an eye out for more of our predictions in the coming week as we’ll have our Mets predictions,  World Series predictions and plenty more! Stay tuned and feel free to comment with your NL predictions, but in the meantime, here is how each of our writers voted individually:

Joe D.

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP: Buster Posey
NL Homerun Champ: Bryce Harper
NL Batting Leader: Andrew McCutchen
NL Stolen Base Leader: Ben Revere
NL ROY: Zack Wheeler
NL Comeback Player: Tim Lincecum

Paul Zinn

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg
NL MVP – Bryce Harper
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Andrew McCutchen
NL Rookie of the Year – Travis d’Arnaud
NL Comeback Player – Ryan Howard

Clare Laferty

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg
NL MVP – Buster Posey

Michael Barrett

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg
NL MVP – Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Joey Votto
NL Stolen Base Leader – Billy Hamilton
NL Rookie of the Year – Oscar Taveras
NL Comeback Player – Tim Linceum

Vinny B.

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP -Joey Votto
NL HR Champ – Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader – Joey Votto
NL Stolen Base Leader – Ben Revere
NL Rookie of the year – Zack Wheeler
NL Comeback player of the year – Ryan Howard

Matt Balasis

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – David Wright
NL Homerun Champ – Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader – David Wright
NL Stolen Base Leader – Ben Revere
NL Rookie of the Year – Oscar Taveras
NL Comeback Player – Carl Crawford

Joe Spector

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Matt Kemp
NL Homerun Champ – Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader – Buster Posey
NL Stolen Base Leader – Everth Cabrera
NL Rookie of the Year – Zack Wheeler
NL Comeback Player – Troy Tulowitzki

Jessep

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ – Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader – Andrew McCutchen
NL Stolen Base Leader – Ben Revere
NL Rookie of the Year – Adam Eaton
NL Comeback Player – Troy Tulowitzki

Rob (Tie Dyed)

NL Cy Young – Gio Gonzalez
NL MVP – Brandon Phillips
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Andrew McCutchen
NL Stolen Base Leader – Carlos Gomez
NL Rookie of the Year – Julio Teheran
NL Comeback Player – Ryan Howard

Connor

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Allen Craig
NL Stolen Base Leader – Ben Revere
NL Rookie of the Year – Zack Wheeler
NL Comeback Player – Troy Tulowitzki

Clayton Collier

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Jay Bruce
NL Homerun Champ -Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader – Joey Votto
NL Stolen Base Leader – BJ Upton
NL Rookie of the Year – Zack Wheeler
NL Comeback Player – Ryan Howard

Gerry Silverman

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen
NL Homerun Champ: Jay Bruce
NL Batting Leader: Andrew McCutchen
NL Stolen Base Leader: Ben Revere
NL ROY: Christian Yelich
NL Comeback Player: Tim Lincecum

Adam Rossi

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg
NL MVP – Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ – Jay Bruce
NL Batting Leader – Joey Votto
NL Stolen Base Leader – Matt Kemp
NL Rookie of the Year – Travis d’Arnaud
NL Comeback Player – Michael Young

Dan Valis

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Matt Kemp
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Joey Votto
NL Stolen Base Leader – Carlos Gomez
NL Rookie of the Year – Jedd Gyorko
NL Comeback Player – Troy Tulowitzki

XtreemIcon

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP – Bryce Harper
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Stolen Base Leader – Everth Cabrera
NL Rookie of the Year – Jedd Gyorko
NL Comeback Player – Tim Lincecum

Gregg Hopps

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg
NL MVP -Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ -Ike Davis
NL Batting Leader -Andrew McCutchen

Jim Mancari

NL MVP – Joey Votto
NL Homerun Champ – Giancarlo Stanton
NL Batting Leader – Andrew McCutchen
NL Stolen Base Leader – Denard Span
NL Rookie of the Year – Adam Eaton
NL Comeback Player – Tim Lincecum

I’ve been reading many pieces in the national and local press suggesting that 2013 stands to be an especially fallow year for the New York baseball fan. The reasoning behind this assertion is based almost entirely on two assumptions:

1. The Mets will continue to tread the path of mediocrity with little or no hope of securing a post-season berth.

2. The Yankees, with their roster gutted of talent by injuries and free agent defections and having entered the new Hal Steinbrenner era of suddenly tightened purse strings, will likely join the Flushing crew in the steerage section of this year’s cruise to October.

As a lifelong Met fan, I have had to deal with the reality of a Yankee-centric world view for what seems like ages. Yes, the Bronx outfit has the history, the pageantry, and the 27 championships that every Yankee fan loves to flog us with, but is it right to assume that if one club faces the possibility of a down year and the other is engaged in a rebuild that the fan expectation should be the same for both? I think not.

A comparison of the two teams’ rosters and short-term outlook reveals a startlingly different dynamic at work. The Yanks, having sworn to hold the line at a payroll of $189 million and carrying the albatross of A-Rod’s contract for years to come, find themselves with an aging, patchwork roster and a farm system that lacks sufficient talent at the higher levels to compensate. To a degree, this is a natural outcome of having competed so well for long. Looking to seize the opportunity to “win now” during their impressive run, the Yanks quite understandably swapped many of their better prospects for the pieces that are now characterized as over-priced and under-productive.

The Mets by contrast look to me to be a team ascendant. Yes, my faith in the Alderson plan has been tested at times, and my frustration at having so many articles on my favorite team take the form of cautionary tales in the financial section rather than headlines on the back pages is still fresh in my mind. Still, I think that there is every reason to be optimistic about the present for this team, as the backbone of the rotation looks to be taking shape in the season just ahead. The relative youth at core of the lineup, soon to be bolstered by what portends to be one of the better catching corps in the game gives me hope. And not the kind of hope that springs from a hollow wish for a miracle, but rather the kind that recognizes a strategy that has worked both recently and in the past. Essentially, a strategy that reflects the belief  that “pitching wins pennants.”

Given the relatively low levels of the Mets’ current payroll, should we not expect that money will be spent to strengthen the roster if the need and opportunity arise? Yes, we’re all skeptical of the Wilpons’ declarations of solvency and of Sandy Alderson’s purported “choice” to hold back expenditures on previous occasions, but as the current edition of the team continues to take shape, I believe that even a Johan-less rotation that features Niese, Harvey and Wheeler by mid-season will be one to be reckoned with. Management knows that fans will come out for a team that wins often enough, even if they do not necessarily figure to land in the playoffs that year. A COMPETITIVE team is what we all yearn for, at base, because that is what gives us a reason to believe. I see this year’s team as rating the decision to pull the trigger on a few possible moves if circumstances dictate it.

So please, do not lump the Mets in with the Yankees oh mighty sports press. The Citi Field squad may not boast the apparent thunder of the Braves or Nats, nor the free-spending ways of the Dodger brass, but they elicit some positive adjectives that sound like they come from an ad for a local natural foods store: “home grown,” and “organic.” The old-fashioned approach of building a team from within and letting its farm system form a base for fan loyalty has worked before and worked in Queens (let us not forget the success of the Frank Cashen regime).  Those who say that one cannot use a patient approach in New York have often found themselves with no choice once other strategies have failed. I think that the Mets’ position at this point must look positively enviable from a Yankee’s perspective.

We want to welcome Gerry to the MMO staff and most of you may remember him from his MMO Fan Shots. We’re glad to add him to our team and you can look forward to some more great pieces from him in the future.

American League Cy Young Award

Felix Hernandez

Big King Felix took the Cy Young Award with five votes from our staff. In second was Justin Verlander with three and third was Chirs Sale with two. Jared Weaver, the imperfect Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Josh Johnson all had one vote a piece.

American League MVP

Mike Trout

Mike Trout took home seven MMO votes to take our MVP award, and to think, he could have been a Met . Albert Pujols was second with three and the new Jay-Z client Robinson Cano was third with two.

AL Home Run Champ

Jose Bautista

Brief but former Met Jose Bautista received six votes to become our preseason home run king. Prince Fielder was second with three tallies.

AL Batting Champion

Mike Trout and Robinson Cano

We have a tie! At four votes a piece, Mike Trout and Robinson Cano were voted co-batting champs. Miguel Cabrera was behind them at three. Josh Hamilton and Joe Mauer had two.

AL Stolen Base Leader

Mike Trout

I’m starting to see a theme here, something seems a little fishy. Mike Trout leads the American League with five votes. Michael Bourn with his new Indians at four and former-met speedster Jose Reyes in third at two picks.

AL Rookie Of The Year

Wil Myers

Now Tampa Bay Rays prospect Wil Myers is our choice for ROY at seven votes. Trevor Bauer had three, and Jurickson Profar and Dylan Bundy nabbed two a piece.

AL Comeback Player Of The Year

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera gets our nod for Comeback Player at five tallies. Jose Bautista had himself four votes. Lance Berkman, Jacoby Ellsbury took home two a piece, hell even Jason Bay got thrown a bone from Jessep!

So that’s our 2013 A.L. Award predictions, hope you enjoyed… We’ll have the National League posted later today. In the mean time, here is how our staff voted individually. Feel free to comment with your own AL predictions!

Joe D.

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

AL MVP: Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ: Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader: Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader: Mike Trout

AL ROY: Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player: Jacoby Ellsbury

Paul Zinn

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Robinson Cano

AL Homerun Champ – Albert Pujols

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year -Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Clare Laferty

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Mike Trout

Michael Barrett

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Mark Trumbo

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Mike Trout

AL Rookie of the Year -Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Vinny B.

AL Cy Young – Jered Weaver

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL HR Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader -Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Desmond Jennings

AL Rookie of the year – Will Myers

AL Comeback player of the year – Lance Berkman

Matt Balasis

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Jose Bautista

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Joe Mauer

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Joe Spector

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Brett Gardner

AL Rookie of the Year – Dylan Bundy

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Jessep

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez

AL MVP – Prince Fielder

AL Homerun Champ – Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader – Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Altuve

AL Rookie of the Year – Trevor Bauer

AL Comeback Player – Jason Bay

Rob (Tie Dyed)

AL Cy Young – Chris Sale

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Billy Butler

AL Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Connor

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Miguel Cabrera

AL Homerun Champ – Adam Dunn

AL Batting Leader – Joe Mauer

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Dylan Bundy

AL Comeback Player – Eric Hosmer

Clayton Collier

AL Cy Young – Matt Harrison

AL MVP – Robinson Cano

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Miguel Cabrera

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Victor Martinez

Gerry Silverman

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

AL MVP: Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ: Prince Fielder

AL Batting Leader: Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader: Mike Trout

AL ROY: Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player: Jacob Ellsbury

Adam Rossi

AL Cy Young – Yu Darvish

AL MVP – Mike Trout

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Mike Trout

AL Stolen Base Leader – Mike Trout

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Jose Bautista

Dan Valis

AL Cy Young – David Price

AL MVP – Jose Bautista

AL Homerun Champ – Jose Bautista

AL Batting Leader – Josh Hamilton

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

XtreemIcon

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

AL MVP – Evan Longoria

AL Homerun Champ – Josh Hamilton

AL Batting Leader – Josh Hamilton

AL Stolen Base Leader – Emilio Bonafacio

AL Rookie of the Year – Wil Myers

AL Comeback Player – Mariano Rivera

Gregg Hopps

AL Cy Young -Josh Johnson

AL Batting Leader -Mike Trout

AL Comeback Player -Mariano Rivera

Jim Mancari

AL Cy Young – Chris Sale

AL MVP – Albert Pujols

AL Homerun Champ – Albert Pujols

AL Batting Leader – Robinson Cano

AL Stolen Base Leader – Michael Bourn

AL Rookie of the Year – Jurickson Profar

AL Comeback Player – Lance Berkman

The roster is set. The grass is cut. Citi Field is ready for a near-sellout crowd as the New York Mets begin their 2013 season taking on the San Diego Padres. To kick-off the Opening Day festivities, the Mets have planned quite a pre-game ceremony for those lucky enough to be in attendance.

The Mets will honor heroes and volunteers who have played an integral role in the response to Hurricane Sandy in a pre-game, on-field ceremony that begins at 12:30 p.m. More than 500 first responders will be honored and the Mets have donated 1,000 Opening Day tickets to citizens who were heroic in their response to Sandy, and those who were affected by the devastation. A nice move by the Mets to dish out so many Opening Day tickets to those who have helped to restore our area following Superstorm Sandy.

Throwing out the ceremonial first-pitch for the Mets will be none other than “Le Grand Orange” himself, Rusty Staub. You saw Rusty on his Google Hangout last month that included MMO’s own Stephen Hanks. The hangout took place in an effort to raise awareness for his charity, the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children’s Benefit Fund, started by Rusty in 1985 to help the widow’s and children of New York first responders killed in the line of duty.

“It’s a thrill to represent my teammates from the 40th anniversary of our N.L. Championship club,” said Staub. “It’s particularly special given the others who will be on the field that day — the heroes in the Sandy relief effort. I was born in New Orleans and saw what storms can do to a region.”

In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Rusty turns 69 today! Perhaps we should sing Happy Birthday to him prior to his first pitch!

Will let Rusty Staub throw out first pitch instead of me. Said I can catch pitch though. He is making me wear an an orange wig in his honor.

— Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR) March 30, 2013

We’ve seen a number of antics by Mets Vice President Jay Horowitz this winter thanks to his Twitter account, wonder if we should expect “Le Jay Orange” come game time.

Emmy Rossum, singer, actress and star of Showtime’s Shameless, will perform the National Anthem backed by 50 choir members from the Scholars’ Academy School Chorus from the Rockaways.

Keith Carradine, Allison Case, Kathleen Monteleone and David Larsen — stars in the popular Broadway show “Hands on a Hardbody” — will perform God Bless America. The popular show opened on March 21 and is based on the 1997 documentary of 10 hard-luck Texas who fight to keep one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it.

Standing Room Only tickets start at $45 and are on sale at Mets.com. I will have a place to sit for today’s game! Way up in the 500′s!

Finally, the phenomena known as the Harlem Shake has invaded Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and now Flushing with none other than Jay Horowitz getting things started. My favorite part has got to be at the 0:33.

Hope everyone is ready for some Mets baseball!!! I can hardly wait! MMO will have nine of our guys (myself included) on hand at Opening Day to give you all the sights and sounds of Opening Day! Let’s go Mets!

Johan Santana has decided that he will continue his career and has elected to undergo surgery to repair the torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder, according to the team.

This essentially means that Santana will miss all of the 2013 season.

With no insurance to save them, the Mets will owe Santana $25.5 million for the rest of this season and an additional $5.5 million to buyout his 2014 option.

Apparently, pitching coach Dan Warthen has been trying to reach out to Santana though he’s been unsuccessful. He says he’s “sick over what happened.”

I think we all are.

Original Post 3/29

Sandy Alderson has announced during a conference call last night carried on SNY, that Johan Santana has a probable re-tear of his anterior capsule in his left shoulder and will likely miss the rest of the season.

The team said Thursday that the two-time Cy Young Award winner probably has re-torn the anterior capsule in his left shoulder and likely will need a second operation that would sideline him for the entire season. Santana missed 2011 following his first shoulder surgery.

“I am not a doctor, nor am I a medical historian, but these injuries are very difficult to recover from after one surgery, and I’m not sure what the history is of recovery from a second more or less identical surgery,” general manager Sandy Alderson said on a conference call.

Santana had surgery on Sept. 14, 2010, and did not make it back to the majors until last April 5. He went 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts last year and threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on June 1 against St. Louis.

He went on the disabled list for three weeks because of a sprained ankle and didn’t pitch after Aug. 17 because of lower back inflammation.

Santana hasn’t pitched in any exhibition games during spring training because of arm weakness, and he threw his last bullpen session in early March without the team’s permission.

“We don’t know when it happened, how it happened,” Alderson said. “But what we do know is that at some point symptoms appeared and they worsened rather than improved.

Santana is due $31 million between this season and his buyout, and according to Adam Rubin, his 2013 salary is not insured.

Alderson said the Mets do not know when the injury first occurred and that he will not pursue additional pitching to replace Santana for the season.

Santana was examined by  Dr. David Altchek, who consulted with Dr. James Andrews, in New York. Santana will now take the weekend to mull over his options as no surgery date has been scheduled.

Neither he or his Peter Greenberg offered any comment or have yet to address the media yet.

Thoughts from Joe D.

Well ever since December I’ve suspected something was wrong. He did not keep in touch with the Mets trainers. He failed to appear at several events he was scheduled to be on hand for. He showed up on the exact second of the reporting deadline and not a second earlier. He was pitching on the backfields rather than doing regular bullpens. The front office were monitoring his activity. Lots of wrong signals.

As John and then myself agreed, it looked like Santana was all wrong right from the start. And his stunt of going on the mound and pitching all-out to prove he was healthy, could have been career suicide. Guess what? It was.

So now what?

Nothing, that’s what.

The Mets lost two aces from the 2012 season, Zack Wheeler will not be called up early and probably the end of May and only if he’s pitching well.

Kevin Burkhardt says the Mets should call him up and that he’s ready for the majors. Unfortunately, Kevin is a roving reporter for SNY and not a pitching coach, so comments like that only confuse the fans.

All told, Santana is owed $31 million dollars. Wow… No insurance. Double wow…

He will have been paid $142 million as a Mets for a total of 109 starts.

The Binghamton Mets and Springfield Cardinals played to a scoreless tie today in minor league action. While there may not have been much offense in the game, the pitching was very impressive, as Domingo Tapia and Jacob deGrom combined efforts in the shutout.

Tapia got the start, going four innings and allowed just one hit. MMO had both Tapia and deGrom pegged to start the season at High-A ball with the St. Lucie Mets. However, they were both named to the “Group 2″ starters, who traditionally start the season with the Binghamton Mets (AA).

DeGrom (17) and Tapia (8) were both listed in the most recent top 25 prospect list by MMO, and are two reasons why the Mets are boasting that they have the one of the strongest crop of young right-handed pitchers in baseball. Neither Tapia nor deGrom were listed on the recent list of top right-handed pitching prospects by Baseball America, but if they keep pitching the way they did today, it won’t be long before the men or women that make these lists start taking notice.

With names like Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Luis Mateo, Rafael Montero and Michael Fulmer already giving the Mets a reason to be excited about some young and promising right-handed pitchers, deGrom and Tapia are just two more reasons why the Mets are smiling. You will never hear anyone complain about having too much pitching, and the Mets are definitely stocked in that category right now. The biggest problem will be trying to figure out what to do with all these great arms if they all pan out.

The Binghamton Mets have six more games scheduled in spring training before they kick off their regular season action on April 4th, against the Akron Aeros.

AL East At A Glance

New York Yankees: A lot of writers and analysts are picking the Yankees to finish third, and in the most wide open division in baseball, it’s certainly a possibility. The injury to Curtis Granderson will keep him out till May, Mark Teixeira’s injury could possibly require season-ending surgery, and Alex Rodriguez will be out till the All Star break at best. However, the Yankee won 95 games in 2012 without Mariano Rivera, Brett Gardner and a plethora of DL stints for normally dependable starters, including C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. With Kevin Youkilis an upgrade over A-Rod, the steep decline of Mark Teixeira in recent seasons and Granderson’s comparatively short absence, I don’t see the Yankees as short-handed entering 2013 as they were in 2012. The only apparent downgrade was at the catcher spot, and if Ichiro can come close to replicating his 2012 Yankee numbers over an entire season, they won’t miss Nick Swisher too much. A lot of ifs, but who can in good conscience can count the Yankees out?

Tampa Bay Rays: Admittedly an optimistic prediction, the fate of the 2013 season rests on the shoulders of super prospect Wil Myers. Replacing BJ Upton won’t be easy because of the multi-faceted game he brought to the table, and we can put the speed question to bed right away. But Myers has shown some pop, and could fill out to be an eventual 25-home run candidate, and he’s probably already a more disciplined hitter than Upton is and will definitely hit for a higher average immediately. Additionally, scouts think very highly of his defense. He may not replace Upton right away, but he’ll come close and could enjoy a big second half after his first taste of the majors. When you add in a healthy Evan Longoria, a more mature Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb and Matt Moore, with Chris Archer knocking on the door and one of 2012’s top bullpens, the Rays are going places.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays are probably the consensus pick in this division, and it certainly wouldn’t shock me if they won 95 games, but we’ve seen this movie a million times before. The Jays won the 2012 offseason after raiding the Miami Marlins and acquiring the NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, but those same Marlins who tore down their team won the 2011 offseason. The Angels made a huge splash for 2012 and missed the playoffs also. The Jays also added Melky Cabrera who was in the midst of a career year until he was busted for PEDs. Just two clean years prior, he was statistically one of the worst hitters in baseball. If Dickey can successfully move to a notorious hitter’s park and a tougher offensive division, if the turf in the Rogers Centre doesn’t wreak havoc on Jose Reyes’s already-fragile hamstrings, if Cabrera doesn’t revert back to his pre-PED days, if Josh Johnson can finally stay healthy, if Edwin Encarnacion can come close to replicating his out-of-nowhere MVP-caliber 2012 and if Jose Bautista can avoid an extended DL stint, then the sky’s the limit for the 2013 Blue Jays. Like the Yankees, there are more if’s than you should be comfortable with, but unlike the Yankees, there’s not a lot of proven track record.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox had a roller coaster offseason, inking one of the worst deals of the winter when they signed Shane Victorino to a three year, $39 million contract. They attempted to compound that by offering an identical contract to platoon DH Mike Napoli, but a physical issue halted the deal and it was renegotiated to a far more comfortable $5 million base salary. Ryan Dempster will likely also flop. However, they did add underrated catcher David Ross and overhauled their bullpen. Jacoby Ellsbury has MVP potential if he’s healthy, and at the moment he is. Clay Buchholz returned from injury rusty at the beginning of 2012, but shook it off in the second half and had a very promising series of starts to close the season. Jon Lester is too good to repeat his 2012 faux pas. The Red Sox will win around 85 games and that’s not going to be enough this season.

Baltimore Orioles: Their mirage season in 2012 will fade and reality will set in for the 2013 Orioles. They are an improved team than the group who hadn’t won more than 70 games since 2005 prior to last season, but their unsustainable record in one-run and extra-inning games could conceivably shave ten wins off their total alone. Add how notoriously fickle a bullpen can be, and the league-leading group from 2012 could come back to earth. However, Dylan Bundy is the game’s best pitching prospect and already had a small taste of the majors. Manny Machado is no longer a prospect, but one of the game’s top young players. Nick Markaikis should be healthy in 2013 and it could finally be Brian Matusz’s time. The Orioles won’t win 85 games this year, but they certainly won’t be pushovers.

Projected Standings

XtreemIcon: Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles

Jessep: Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox

Joe D: Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox

Top Sleeper

XtreemIcon: Colby Rasmus, Toronto

Jessep: Chris Davis, Baltimore

Joe D: Will Middlebrooks, Boston

Top Rookie

XtreemIcon: Wil Myers, Tampa Bay

Jessep: Wil Myers, Tampa Bay

Joe D: Dylan Bundy, Baltimore

Top Pitcher

XtreemIcon: David Price, Tampa Bay

Jessep: Brandon Morrow, Toronto

Top Hitter

XtreemIcon: Robinson Cano, New York

Jessep: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay

Joe D: Robinson Cano, New York

Up Next: American League Central

Isn’t it amazing what kind of a player David Wright can be when he’s actually surrounded by some legitimate major league talent?

Currently, Wright is enjoying some of the most spectacular baseball he’s ever played in his career, and why not? We’ve all seen what the Mets All Star third baseman could do before when he had great protection in the lineup.

It was no coincidence that Wright had his best two seasons as a Met when both Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran were lethal weapons for the Mets, before each of them got hurt and became less effective.

Back then, we saw what “Captain America” was capable of, and things haven’t been the same since Dos Carlos were last seen together in a Mets lineup with David Wright.

It’s been a grind for Wright since the 2009 season. Sure, he’s had his moments and even a couple of tremendous halves on two occasions. But not nearly the kind of consistent seasons we saw from Wright during the three year stretch spanning 2006-2008.

I believe that on Omar Minaya’s part, he understood that Wright needed that protection and while Jason Bay ended up being a complete and colossal bust, nobody could have predicted the AL’s leading home run and RBI man would collapse the way that he did once he joined the New York Mets. Then the money ran out.

Wright now enters the 2013 season with way too many question marks in the lineup. Lucas Duda is 27 and is still a project just as he was two years ago. Ike Davis has yet to put together two good halves and form one solid season. And it looks like Collin Cowgill and Marlon Byrd may log a lot of playing time this season if we are to believe the daily reports from the Mets’ beat writers and some of the things Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins have said.

That’s a far cry from the likes of Eric Hosmer, Ryan Braun, Joe Mauer and Giancarlo Stanton, who are some of the players that are sandwiching Wright on Team USA’s power-packed, star-studded lineup.

So while some of us look upon what Wright is doing with astonishment and excitement, lets understand what we are really seeing here. These amazing moments are most likely not a portent of things to come during the Mets 2013 regular season. I urge and caution all of my fellow Met fans to reign in any gaudy expectations your mind may have already conjured up and dial it back a few notches.

Go ahead and savor what David Wright is currently doing in the World Baseball Classic and relish every moment. Be proud of what Wright accomplishes with every mighty swing of his bat. But don’t forget that it’s only March 14, and that the real baseball season begins on April 1. That is when reality will sink in for most of us, but mostly for David Wright as well. He returns to a lineup devoid of the type of talent he surrounds himself with now.

So enjoy the spectacle we have before us while it lasts, and Go Team USA!

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader, KMaxx.

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Adam Baker, an incredible man and once writer for MMO, passed away about two years ago now. Joe D. and myself found out around March 11th that he had passed away, a little over a week after the tragic event, and the news hit us hard. I still remember the whole time period vividly and I remember Joe’s emotional post on the subject. 

I tried to stay strong on the subject… I really did, but a few days later in school, I was sitting alone re-reading that same post by Joe when I burst into tears. My mentor, a man I had cherished as a father figure and dear friend, was gone. I never even had a chance to say goodbye. It just was not fair. But Adam, a source of eternal positive feelings, would not have wanted me to be so sad.

It was against everything he believed in. He was able to make so many people happy and quite frequently as well – it did not even seem like he had to try…it all came natural to him. His great sense of humor always had me chuckling at something, as he was frequently calling me a mack daddy or making some fart joke. He also had a way of reassuring me that everything would always work out…there are often days where I could still use that.

From a man who had enough reason to be a sad and bitter creature, it was inspiring to me to see that he not only generated optimism out of nowhere – but spread it to those around him. He touched many people, and often went out of his way to make special gestures to make them smile. I remember one day specifically, when I was feeling rather sour, and Adam messaged me with a photograph. He had created me as a starting pitcher in his MLB: The Show Game… and to this day, I still have a blurry .JPEG of a starting pitcher with the last name “RAM” on the back.

Speaking of jerseys, Big Daddy Baker was buried in a Mets jersey… the man was a Mets fan all his life and he took it to heaven with him. Heroes do not always wear baseball jerseys, but this one did. In fact, the only reason I write here on MMO today was his encouragement. He pushed me to reach out to Joe D., seeing something in me that I still to this day fail to see in myself…and it eventually led to my placement as a contributing writer on the site.

When he first passed away, I really could not find a way to explain what I felt. Yet when it all hit me, I could have written a book on not only how much it affected me…but how thankful I was. I was lucky to have such a wonderful human being in my life – and even luckier that he effectively took me under his wing and guided me to success. He read every single one of my early posts and fed me encouragement to keep going… I just hope he would have been proud of me today.

Adam, I miss you man… I really do. You gave me so much happiness, introduced me to Scrubs (which brought me more happiness, mind you), and 10,000 words would not be enough for me to express my gratitude for everything. I need some of your positive ideas around here to give me a reason to spread hope again. You kept me optimistic and you found things to believe in with the Mets that made everything seem better. The 2013 season approaches quickly, and I had, for a split second, wondered how I felt about the whole ordeal.

But it did not take me long to remember you, old friend. So I will watch – and I will write too. Not only do I owe you that much, but…it’s baseball season. How could I hate baseball? We could have lost every game and you and I would have still found a reason to watch, right?

People like you make me proud to be a Mets fan – you were the gold standard. As you rest peacefully, I hope they gave you something better than SNY in heaven…because I know you’d still be looking for a way to watch the Mets. With misty eyes, I know that I am by far not the only one who remembers you – and remembers you so fondly. So on this day, Adam Baker, I thank you once again because if I know you, you’re still looking out for me..

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives…so by my count man, you were the most important person in the world. I miss you today, I missed you yesterday, and I will miss you every day going forward…and not as Perseus or anything like that – as Satish Ram, the once 14-year old boy that you inspired so long ago.

According to Miami owner Jeffrey Loria, is “absolutely not available.” But despite Loria’s insistence, we all know everyone is available. It just depends on the price. Or as one Marlin operative told me the other day:

“I understand Jeffrey’s getting killed in Miami over blowing up the team this winter and why he doesn’t want to trade Stanton. But how much more can we get killed? The fact is, this is the right time to trade Stanton. He’s never going to have more value than this. He’s already had some injury issues, and we’re never going to sign him to a long-term deal.”

We’ve discussed the scenarios about what it would take to acquire Stanton from Miami just last week on MMO.

The majority agreed it would take both of our top prospects to get him; Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud. But it was kind of split as to whether the Mets should do it or not.

Last week, Sports on Earth wrote that the Mets were one of only four teams in baseball that had the pieces to snatch the superstar away from Miami where he seems very unhappy since they blew the team up.

I would be very shocked if Stanton were still a Marlin after the trade deadline.