Matthews Jr., or GMJ for short, came over from the Los Angeles Angels for Brian Stokes, shortly after Carlos Beltran hit the DL.

GMJ has an unremarkable .190/.266/.241 line in 65 plate appearances, following a good Spring Training.

Omir Santos has been horrific since moving to the minors after the signing of Rod Barajas forced him out.

Santos holds an .074/.167/.111 line in eight games since being demoted from AAA Buffalo.

BTW: I know you’re wondering how Brian Stokes is doing in Anaheim. Let’s say that the trade has no winners. Stokes has a 7.31 ERA and 2.50 WHIP in 16 IP.

Adam Rubin writes that the Mets chose Santos over Jesus Feliciano because backup Henry Blanco is banged up. He writes that Feliciano will be called up as soon as Henry Blanco is alright.

Making The Grade

According to Adam Rubin, Bobby Parnell and/or Sean Green could be in at least a little trouble in making the club. Or at least in a competition. If Jenrry Mejia and/or Hisanori Takahashi sneaks into the bullpen, one or two reliever incumbents could find themselves in the minors … or traded. This is the best part of spring training for me. I love watching these battles unfold and this particular one could be very interesting. I said it back in January that Parnell might not be a lock for the bullpen, and obviously neither was Brian Stokes over whom too much was being made of. I’m not sure Mejia will be the one Parnell and Green should worry about. I still believe that in the end, both Takahashi AND Nelson Figueroa make the team, and that Parnell and Green will be elsewhere come opening day.

Another Texas Rangers Rumor

According to MetsBlog, Matt Pignataro of Seven Train to Shea believes that the Orioles and Rangers are very interested in C Omir Santos. I don’t see it, much like I didn’t see them trading Nelson Cruz to the Mets or anyone else. I do believe the Dodgers have more interest in Omir than they are letting on, and don’t count out the Yankees or Cubs either. In the end, I put the odds of Santos being traded at less than 50%. Unless you’re the Omar led New York Mets, the catching position is something that most teams get sorted out pretty quickly in the offseason, because as the great Casey Stengel once said, “without a catcher you’ll end up having a lot of passed balls”. Or something like that… Plus dedicated Metsmerized readers already know my stance on sources in the Twitter age. I need more than 140 characters to convince me of their veracity.

Who Is Chris Carter?

Well, in short, he’s the guy the Red Sox gave up in exchange for two first round draft picks and the services of Billy Wagner for their stretch run. He is also the guy who homered twice in the 9th inning as the Mets trounced the Marlins 11-2. One was off Seth McClung and the second came off of Chris Schroder. Ummm… who? Alrighty then… One last thing you should know, Carter is also the guy that has a snowball’s chance in hell of making the Mets opening day roster. That’s all you need to know. As for what the Mets think of Chris Carter? The Gary Matthews trade and Mike Jacobs signing tells you all you need to know. Pack plenty of sweaters my friend, it’s still freezing in Buffalo in April.

By the way, check out our newly redesigned Myspace page and add us as a friend. Since March of 2005 when we first began, we have grown to over 20,000 followers!

Adam Rubin of the Daily News writes that the Mets could deal one of their surplus catchers and that teams are calling the Mets to inquire.

I’m asked a lot how the Mets plan to fit six catchers with major-league experience in their system. Answer: They can’t. Barajas and Blanco clearly will be the big-league catchers, barring injury. Josh Thole is the primary catcher at Triple-A Buffalo. I’m told the Mets probably can fit three catchers with the Bisons, especially since Chris Coste can play other positions while mentoring Thole. That means that Omir Santos or Shawn Riggans could be involved with a trade this spring. We’re not talking a blockbuster, but a team official tells me they’re already getting calls about the excess catching.

Last week, I suggested that the Mets could trade Omir Santos and that the Tigers, Twins and Indians could be interested in a solid backup like Santos. 

Santos, 28, emerged as a solid catcher when Brian Schneider was injured last year. He batted .260 and had some clutch hits. His game-winning homerun off Jonathan Papelbon at Fenway Park was one of the few highlights of the 2009 season.

The Mets spent their winter signing Coste and Blanco and let other catchers (most notably Bengie Molina) sign with other teams.  As a result, Santos will now be expected to handle the pitching staff of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts as well as performing a few Omir-acles of his own at the plate.

Can Santos be counted on to repeat his unexpected 2009 performance this year now that more is being asked of him?  Let’s review a few things from his past to see what we can expect in the future.

In 2008, Omir Santos was called up to the major leagues by the Baltimore Orioles for his first cup of coffee in the big show after being a career minor leaguer since 2001.  His stay in Baltimore was short-lived as he became a Met in 2009.  It was in New York that Santos got his huge break when Brian Schneider got injured, forcing the Mets to call him up for what was supposed to be a short stay.

However, something happened on the way to Citi Field.  On a team full of fragile players and underachievers, Omir blossomed into a pretty decent (and clutch) hitter.

Perhaps the most dramatic home run of the 95 hit by the Mets in 2009 came off the bat of Omir Santos.  On May 23, he hit a two-out, two-run HR in the ninth inning off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.  The umpires originally claimed that the ball had not left Fenway Park, bouncing off the top of the Green Monster and staying in the field of play.  That left Santos on second base and Gary Sheffield on third.  However, upon viewing the replay, the call was properly reversed and Santos was credited with a home run.

Because of Santos’ unexpected clutch hitting, the Mets decided to trade Ramon Castro to the Chicago White Sox, allowing Santos to remain on the major league roster.  His final numbers for the 2009 season included a .260 batting average, 7 HR and 40 RBI in only 291 at-bats.  He also added 14 doubles.

Now the question the Mets must ask themselves is whether or not those numbers will translate into a better season in 2010 if Santos gets the 400 at-bats usually reserved for a #1 catcher?  Unfortunately, looking at his minor league stats, the answer might be no.

In 2,229 career at-bats for various minor league teams, Santos could only manage a .258 average, with 32 HR and 260 RBI.  He hit .260 for the Mets after not being able to do that against MINOR LEAGUE PITCHING in eight-plus years.

Can the Mets expect more Omir-acles from Santos in 2010?  Probably not.  He won’t be facing Jonathan Papelbon this season and due to the lack of quality catching depth on the team, it’s unlikely he’ll get sent back to the minors.  If Santos repeats his 7 HR, 40 RBI performance in 400 at-bats, that should be considered a success for him.  But I’m not counting on it.

The Mets would be better off signing a more experienced catcher who could handle a pitching staff that can be, shall we say, a little erratic at times.  (see Maine, J. and Perez, O.)  Given 400 at-bats, any catcher can hit seven home runs and drive in 40 runs.  But with the problems the Mets could have with their starting pitchers, it may be more important to go with a catcher who can help the Mets more with his handling of the pitchers than with his handling of the bat.  If the Mets give that much playing time to Omir Santos, they’d better hope he can handle the Four Rainouts portion of Johan Santana and The Four Rainouts.  If he can’t, the band might not get another gig at Citi Field.

For those of you who don’t subscribe to ESPN Insider, here is what the two evaluators concluded,

“I think Santos is more like an up/down guy for a good club… Santos is decent emergency protection at AAA for a good club and a backup catcher for a club that isn’t going to contend.  He can run into a fastball, but the more action he sees, the more that his aggressive approach at the plate is likely to be exposed at the big league level.”

“You’d think they’d be more than willing to give Josh Thole a shot to see regular at-bats”, said the other evaluator, “at least he has some upside.”

Gimme a freaking break Buster… Was this your idea of solid investigating reporting? What have we learned that we didn’t already know?

Did we really ned you to seek out two evaluators to tell Mets fans that Omir Santos is best suited to be a backup catcher?

What a waste of your time and ours on something that we already knew that ended up adding nothing to the discussion.

Why didn’t Buster ask those talent evaluators about new Blue Jays starting catcher John Buck who has allowed 100 stolen bases in the last two seasons?

John Buck sports a .16 caught stealing rating and had a woeful .976 fielding percentage last season, not to mention his career .235 batting average.

The Mets are only paying Omir Santos $400K… why not compare that to the $2 million dollars John Buck is getting this year?

Also, after beating up the Mets for pursuing Bengie Molina, where’s the follow up article pounding the Giants for re-signing him? What’s that old saying… “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

It looks like ESPN is beginning to take on the same fair and balanced approach as FOX News, and the Mets have become the FOX equivalent of Bill Clinton these days, with Olney taking on the part of FOX News contributor, Joe the Plumber.

The need for good health takes precedent over all our off season moves. We as fans should not forget that this team was pretty good until the parade of injuries that beset this ballclub last year.  Good health is an imperative this season, and except for Carlos Beltran’s setback, our team seems healthy for the first time in a long time. 

Seeing our Mets on the field whether in photos from the Port St. Lucie mini-camp, or video feeds on SNY, provides fans with the first glimpses of spring.  Personally, I don’t need to see a robin or wait for the groundhog.  I see Johan throw and Ollie looking to be in great shape, and the cold winter seems to melt away bringing spring ever so closer.

Although player procurement continues and additions will in all likelihood also continue, let’s see where we are now.

Going around the diamond, lets take a look at each position.  At the end of each we will say whether the glass is half full or half empty or hope for the best…

Position Players

Daniel Murphy - Murph was essentially a square peg in a round hole last season. He was thrown to the wolves in LF. His defense most assuredly was deficient.  His bat work, supposedly the strength of his game suffered. When he became the first baseman after Delgado’s injury and other player’s ineffectiveness, he settled down. He markedly improved in the second half last year both offensively and defensively, most importantly, he’ll only be 25 on April Fools Day. Glass half full.

Luis Castillo - Luis had an excellent bounce back year for the Mets. Offensively, he is just a singles hitter now, but is the best bunter in the game as well.  Defensively, he needs to improve his footwork around the bag.  Luis shouldn’t be admonished for his lack of range, rather, the coaching staff should be chided for not realizing that Luis has lost a step and using better positioning to enhance the range Luis does have left.  He came into camp last year in fabulous shape. Let’s hope he’s in great shape again. Hope for the best.

Jose Reyes - Jose was injured most of the season. When healthy, Jose is one of he best weapons in the game offensively. Essentially, Jose is the most important Met. As Jose goes, so go the Mets. His ability to turn singles and walks to doubles, and doubles to triples, is almost as important as the power that Beltran, Wright, and Bay provide. He has that smile and that infectious enthusiasm that makes Jose who he is. His glove is an asset. With better concentration, it’s easy to foresee Jose winning a gold glove in the future, maybe this year.  Jose may have a chip on his shoulder to prove his leg injuries are behind him.  That’s a good thing. Motivation is a wonderful tool.  Glass half full.

David Wright - David had an off year in 2009. We all know it. Just having Jay Bay in the lineup for protection will make him better offensively. Defensively, David needs to rededicate himself to improving his footwork and his throwing. The “team leader” mantra, I believe, weighs too heavily on him at times. This soft spoken star is not yet ready to lead regardless of the fans and media prodding. CitiField stadium got into his head as well. He will bounce back after a winter to relax and refocus his hitting approach. He’s only 27. Glass half full.

Jason Bay – Jason had a wonderful season in Boston offensively.  The Mets say his swing will translate to strong power numbers at Citi. His defense was questioned, but this is a guy who had no errors and 15 assists. He may not have the best range, but he works hard and gives his best effort every night. He’s easily the best LF we’ve had since the days of KMac in the ‘80’s. Arguably, the best LF we’ve ever had.  Glass half full.

Carlos Beltran – Carlos was injured much of last season.  But when healthy, was there any doubt he was the Mets best all around player? Offensively, he was hitting for a high average. His glove was as good and as gold as ever.  He returned in late ’09 and seemed okay. Then came knee pain in December during workouts. Then came surgery after subsequent examinations proved the need was real. Carlos knee problems are not going away. He, right now, cannot be counted on for a contribution until probably mid-May or June at the earliest. (Don’t kid yourself, the Mets are worried about Beltran hence the GMJ acquisition) Glass half empty.

Jeff Francoeur – Frenchy was a bright spot after being acquired from Atlanta for Ryan Church. His professionalism and enthusiasm were infectious in the Met clubhouse. He played well both offensively and defensively.  Howard Johnson should receive kudos for helping “Frenchy” with his swing.  A solid all around player who appears to have been invigorated by his liberation from Atlanta where he was born, raised and played.  If this guy reverts to his form of his first 2 years, the Mets and we fans will jump for joy.  Glass half full.

Omir Santos – Omir was a total surprise for the Mets. After showing surprising hitting acumen, he forced the Mets into dealing Ramon Castro and defensively seemed to hold his own.  Rumors persist of the Mets being unhappy with his game calling. The signing of Henry Blanco proves the Mets belief in the need for better defense and game calling. Hope for the best

The Bench - With the bench, usually it’s better to wait to evaluate when the roster is set at the conclusion of Spring Training, but here’s the “for sure” guys at this time…

Angel Pagan - Angel will either be the starter for Beltran till he returns or be packaged for a starter if performance or health in the rotation dictates such a move. The guy was a revelation offensively, and was pretty good defensively too. His base running gaffes are a joke; the coaching staff and Angel must be better prepared and teach him situational baseball better than he’s been taught.  His 22 doubles and 11 triples in a little over half a season were outstanding. He’s a quality player who may be a late bloomer. Glass half full.

Gary Matthews Jr. – Junior is insurance against a prolonged injury to Beltran. Don’t be fooled however, if Pagan is needed in a trade for a starting pitcher during the spring GMJ will be starting in CF till Beltran is ready, or Fernando Martinez will be the starter and Matthews Jr. will stay in the role best suited for him. Let the arguments over his acquisition end. For a 4th or 5th outfielder, he’ll do fine. He’s a better choice than Cory Sullivan or Jeremy Reed.  Glass half full.

Henry Blanco – Henry is still a superior defensive catcher but is still 38. Offensively, Henry is a great defensive catcher, enough said.  Blanco’s expertise may be in helping Josh Thole and Omir Santos learn to call a game better. He’s definitely an improvement over Brian Schneider, especially defensively. Glass half full.

Alex Cora – Alex was brought back as much for his leadership and intangibles as his baseball skills. He is a pretty decent utility man. Last year he was overexposed, of this there can be no doubt. If used judiciously to rest Reyes and Castillo, he will prove to be acceptable. Glass half full.

The Rotation

Johan Santana – Johan is simply one of the top starters in the game. Injuries are the only thing that can stop a future date in Cooperstown. He’s now healthy and the undisputed leader of this pitching staff. Glass half full.

Mike Pelfrey – “Big Pelf” was a bit of mystery in ’09 after a breakout ’08. Pelfrey has excellent stuff but needs to mature mentally.  He really just needs to stop worrying about painting the corners and trust his stuff.  If he gives up a hit or a fielding error occurs behind him, he goes to pieces. This lack of mental maturity is as much to blame as anything. His body language on the mound last year screamed of the player putting too much pressure on himself.  Still, he is only 26, and will improve.  Glass half full.

John Maine – John has a problem. He’s his own biggest critic. He needs to stop analyzing every pitch in every start and just go out and throw. His high pitch count early in games may be attributed more to the movement on his pitches than missing his spots. He’s healthy this year and feeling good. Perhaps he’ll have better mechanics with no more pain; in turn this will improve his pitch location and reduce his pitch count, which will reduce the stress on his arm, which also helps the pen. John is still only 29. Glass half full.

Oliver Perez – “Ollie” is healthy now and seems more mature and focused in his interviews. After a lost season and the heaping helping of criticism he received, maybe he’s finally begun to mature, as his off season workouts may indicate. Ollie has great talent, a rubber arm, and the attention span of a gnat. He needs to find his proper arm angle and replicate his delivery consistently, start after start. If he does so, he’ll be in the mix for “comeback player of the year”. He is still only 28. Glass half full.

Fernando Nieve – Fernando showed great promise in his few starts for the Mets. He was 3-3 2.95 ERA. If he can throw strikes consistently, he has enough ability to stick either as a number 5 or long man in the pen. Nieve throws hard and has a power arm. He is only 27. Hope for the best.

Jon Niese - Jon has ability. Jon Niese is ready. Niese who had mastered a cutter last season was brought up to plug the injuries for the major league staff. He was bitten by the same injury bug as quite a few of his teammates, tearing his hamstring tendon.  Niese appears to have turned a corner in Triple AAA last season. He’s lefty, and he’s only 23. If his injuries are behind him, he’ll contribute in 2010. Maybe not right away, but at some point for sure. Glass half full.

The Bullpen - The bullpen, like the bench, usually changes but a quick evaluation of those that will probably be there is worth a look.

Francisco Rodriguez – “Frankie” is still a great closer. He did struggle a bit the second half of last season, but can that be attributed more to the teams standing or is Frankie losing something? I think Frankie needs the adrenaline rush of a pennant race to become effective again. Closing in meaningless games seemed to affect him mentally. His WHIP was only a tick higher. His ERA was a full run and a half higher over the previous season. Lest we forget, most players have a near 1 year adjustment period in New York. Ask Carlos Beltran. Frankie is only 28 this season. Let’s hope for the best. Glass half full.

Ryota Igarashi - Ryota is a reliever that has a power arm and wicked splitter. The soon to be 30 year old can be viewed throwing over at YouTube. He appears to have a fastball that explodes up and in to right handed batters. His split is obviously his “out” pitch. Hope for the best.

Kelvim Escobar - Kelvim is coming off shoulder surgery. He’s been a starter out in LA for the Angels, but will be a reliever in NY as he was early in his career with Toronto. Escobar has always had good movement on his pitches. Now pain free, he’ll be more effective as a setup man at this point in his career. Hope for the best.

Sean Green – Sean had an uneven, inconsistent year with the Mets. Another player who was overexposed last season due to injuries, He did terribly early, and made adjustments later in the season.  Sean is a situational reliever, not a setup man. If used as such, He should prosper. Hope for the best.

Pedro Feliciano – Pedro was very good last season. The soon to be 34 year old was used in 88 games and threw 59 + innings. His WHIP was only 1.16. Most important is his status as our primary LH reliever.  A quality pitcher, the Mets need another season like last year from Pedro to return to their winning ways. There is no reason to think Pedro can’t be successful again as long as he’s not overused. Glass half full.

Bobby Parnell – Bobby” had an up and down season last year and was force fed on the major league level. His true calling appears to be as a reliever. He just doesn’t have enough quality pitches beyond his fastball to be considered a starter.  He does throw very hard. I watched games where he hit 99 on the JUGS gun. If he had better movement with that pitch and learned a splitter, Bobby could be devastating as a short reliever. Glass half full.

If you look at things objectively, the Mets could be very good this year.  Or bad again. It will depend on health and bounce back seasons from almost everyone on the team.  Younger players need to progress, and veterans need to return to form.  Indeed, hope springs eternal optimism, especially in baseball, especially with our Mets.

It looks like both Jerry Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen were very unhappy with the Mets catching situation last season and they were the motivation behind the recent Henry Blanco and Chris Coste signings. Both complained to Omar Minaya and felt the catching situation needed to be seriously addressed.

Hubbuch’s article, which is a must read, has this very revealing quote from Warthen,

Asked by The Post late in the year how he felt about the catchers’ defense and handling of the pitchers, Warthen pursed his lips and said: “Next question.”

Wow, how’s that for an answer? It speaks volumes huh?

Warthen was none to happy with Brian Schneider either, particularly his game calling.

Warthen held them partially responsible for the staff’s 4.46 ERA — 12th in the league — and the whopping 616 walks that were just three shy the franchise record.

I actually thought Omir Santos did a solid job as a backup catcher, but what the heck do I know. Although I’m always chock full of opinions, I don’t consider myself to be an expert. If Manuel and Warthen felt this bad about him, I trust their judgment and join them in ushering in the Henry Blanco and Chris Coste era.

Despite his age, the 38-year-old Blanco is considered one of the top defensive catchers in the game, although don’t expect much in the way of offense.

Apparently, Blanco will backup for the Mets, while Coste will backup and mentor Josh Thole in Class-AAA Buffalo. The hope is that Thole will then be able to take over full time for the Mets in 2011. Incidentally, Thole his having a tremendous campaign in Venezuela where he is batting .367 to lead the league.

The Mets still consider the starting catcher spot open and still have their eyes on Bengie Molina who became so much more attractive when he was not offered arbitration by the Giants. My question is, if the plan is to have Thole start in 2011, why would we offer Molina anything more than a one year deal?

Many people in the know have Molina pegged for a 2-3 year deal.

What are your thoughts?

By the way, Bart Hubbuch is one of a handful of Mets beat writers that do a fine job of interacting with Mets fans via Twitter. He also has a great Mets blog that he frequently updates and so much of what we analyze on our site comes from him and a bunch of other great beat writers including Adam Rubin, Steve Popper, Brian Costa and all the guys at Newsday. I’d have nothing to rant and rave about if not for their terrific work.

Minaya has his priorities twisted. You fill in the blanks after you land the Great White, not aspire to bag a school of (dropout) minnows. He is a lousy fisherman and I am not alone in losing faith in the Mets fearless (clueless?) leader.

How else can a die hard Mets fan rationalize his first three signings: Alex Cora, Chris Coste, and Henry Blanco? Then again, what do I know? Perhaps the line was as long as the ones that formed in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday. Perhaps Cora, Coste, and Blanco was much coveted door busters that Minaya sacrificed sleep over.

Speaking of snoozing, wake me up when he gets into the War and starts bidding on World Class talent, such as John Lackey-a must have for a team in need of an innings eater and bulldog. Not a trio of players that surely will still be in the bargain basement bin in February.

Moreover, Minaya’s rancid negotiating skills, the ones that overpaid by $20 million dollars for a nearly washed up second baseman, has reared it’s ugly head again by dolling out twice as much for Cora than the market could possibly bear (inked for the outrageous amount of $2 mill for someone who had both thumbs surgicaly repaired. Makes you wonder if Jeff Wilpon pays an iota of attention when he signs the checks).

What the heck was the rush to overpay for Cora?

Minaya should have been at Lackey’s doorstep at 12:01 when free agency opened, and bulled him over with a SUV fully loaded with greenbacks. He had his chance to set off a howitzer and instead pulled out his pea shooter. My fellow Mets fans, he is not fit to lead us into the new decade.

How about the fact, according to our esteemed Joe D., he doubled Blanco’s stipend after a retched .235 season? And Coste, a career minor leaguer, but fine author, is a catch that should have all Mets fans rushing to the liquor cabinet to rejoice with a celebratory libation.

You build a team with stars and impact players, not with leftovers. It is hard to believe Minaya is still steering our ship-albeit aground.

Anyone seen Steve Phillips lately?

Did Santos’ season really justify the award? First let’s take a look at his statistics:

281 At Bats
.260 Batting Average (73 Hits)
7 Home Runs
40 RBI
28 Runs
0 Stolen Bases
.296 On Base Percentage
.391 Slugging Percentage
.287 Batting Average on Balls in Play

I know Wieters did not come close to expectations, but Santos’ performance is far from tantalizing. While he had his moments early in the season delivering some big hits for a Mets team that was desperate to grasp onto anything, Santos’ second half left little to be desired.

He hit just .250 with 3 HR and 16 RBI over 128 AB, exposing him a bit for what he truly is, a 28-year old career minor leaguer. While people want to get excited when someone like him shows signs of success, having held on for so long, there is a reason he didn’t get his first taste of the big leagues until 2008, his eighth year of professional baseball (he was drafted in the 21st round of the 2001 draft by the New York Yankees).

We are talking about a player who was a career .258 hitter over 2,229 minor league at bats, hitting just 32 HR. In fact, he only had two seasons where he surpassed the total he hit last season: he hit eight between two levels of Single-A in ‘02 and 10 at Double-A in ‘05.

It would just make no sense for the Mets to look for a catcher to platoon with that type of performance. Exactly what do they think they are going to get? After all these years do they expect him to suddenly figure things out? Do they think he’s going to become a slugger? Or even someone who can post a decent average?

Santos is none of those things, and by now we all need to realize that. What he showed in the second half is the type of production he has been showing since he was an unheralded draft choice many moons ago.

Does keeping him around in order to be the second catcher make sense? Absolutely, but if the Mets enter 2010 with expectations of him making any type of impact at the plate they are making a major miscalculation.

As far as fantasy owners are concerned, even those in two-catcher formats should be keeping their distance. He just doesn’t have the potential to be of much value to anyone, even if he is splitting time and getting a fair share of at bats.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on Santos? Do you think he could contribute offensively for the Mets in 2010?

For more Fantasy Info visit me at rotoprofessor.com.

After missing out on any off season hardware including any Gold Glove or Silver Slugger awards, the Mets manged to pull one out of the hat when catcher Omir Santos was named to the Topps All Star Rookie Team.

Omir Santos hit .260 in 96 games for the Mets last season with 7 homers and 40 RBIs, beating out the Orioles Matt Wieters who was the early season favorite for the Rookie of the Year award.

Omir provided Mets fans with one of the most memorable moments of the 2009 season when he stunned the Boston Red Sox with a game winning homerun off closer Jonathan Papelbon. With the Mets down to their last out, Santos jumped on the closers first pitch for a dramatic two-run homer that led the Mets to a 3-2 victory. 

Congratulations to Omir who will most assuredly return next season as the Mets backup catcher.

Here is the complete 2009 Topps All Star Rookie Team.

• 1B Travis Ishikawa, Giants
• 2B Chris Getz, White Sox
• 3B Gordon Beckham, White Sox
• SS Elvis Andrus, Rangers
• OF Chris Coghlan, Marlins
• OF Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
• OF Nolan Reimold, Orioles
• C Omir Santos, Mets
• RHP Tommy Hanson, Braves
• LHP J.A. Happ, Phillies

Each Rookie All-Star will get an nifty image of a trophy on their 2010 Topps baseball card similar to this one. I’m almost certain that the players themselves do not get an actual trophy, so I don’t know if this actually qualifies as post season hardware, but it’s still a pretty cool honor.

The Mets are still considering several options for their starting catcher vacancy, with Bengie Molina and Rod Barajas among the most talked about. Trade option also include the Pirates’ Ryan Doumit whom I feel would be the best fit for the Mets.

All I keep hearing about the Mets going after a starting pitcher, a leftfielder or a first baseman. Please tell me that Omir Santos is not our starting catcher in 2010.

Although there’s not much to report in the way of rumors or comments from the Mets, I find it very hard to believe that the Mets game plan is to go with Santos as their everyday catcher. I’ve read some speculation that they may save money and go with a Santos/Thole platoon, but I find that very difficult to believe. Thole will most like spend the entire season in the minors in 2010 in the hopes that he will elevate his defensive skills which are way below average right now. For more on Thole, read this post from Eric the Rotoprofessor. Santos is nothing more than an above average backup catcher.

I expect the Mets to inquire about Bengie Molina and Rod Barajas once the free agent signing period begins. Marty Noble also adds Yorvit Torrealba to the mix to complete the trifecta, but I believe Omar burned that bridge a long time ago. Although there is not much talk about the Mets acquiring a catcher, it’s only because the other needs are more pressing, but I assure you that the Mets will find someone that will help lure a top of the rotation starter to the Mets. I read an interesting opinion about how Bengie Molina may help the Mets get some leverage in acquiring John Lackey because they were battery-mates when the Angels won the 2002 World Series.

Who are the Mets’ arbitration eligible players and will they be tendering all of them?

According to Cots Contracts, the following Mets are arbitration eligible: Pedro Feliciano, Jeff Francoeur, Sean Green, John Maine, Angel Pagan, Tim Redding, Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan.

Feliciano, Pagan and Francoeur are in no danger of being non tendered. However, Redding, Green and Maine are probably 50/50 with John Maine having the best shot of being tendered or working out a contract with the Mets. I don’t see either Reed or Sullivan coming back next season except with minor league contracts, especially if the Mets sign a new leftfielder which I believe they will do.There’s also a strong possibility in my opinion, that we may see outfielder/first baseman Chris Carter make the team if he has a strong spring training.

Why is your site so erratic in reporting Mets news and trade rumors?

We don’t see ourselves as reporters, but simply as a group of very passionate Mets fans who have strong opinions on various Mets news. As far as I’m concerned, we already have one great site that reports all the Mets news and never misses a beat and that’s MetsBlog. We do make a strong effort to cover all the major Mets news as it happens, but rather than reporting it, we instead enjoy analyzing it and sharing our views with our readers. As for trade rumors, we do frequently analyze some of the more serious rumors, but mostly we’ll take a pass on them unless it’s from a reliable and legitimate source and doesn’t smell like speculation.

One thing that I’ve noticed since Thole came up is how Brian Schneider has been talking to Thole every game in the dugout.  We also hear reports that Schneider is helping before the games and after.  Schneider has shown great character knowing that it’s highly likely that Thole will replace him shortly as the Mets catcher.  It’s something I think has been missing on this team for awhile.

To be honest it’s way too early to judge Thole, whether he can play here at the big leagues or whether he’s not ready yet.  Personally I would not mind if the Mets decided to let Thole play in the minors, at least to start the 2010 season in Triple A.  He has yet to play at that level, he’s still adjusting to being an everyday catcher so more experience would only benefit him in the long run.

Since the Wilpons refuse to spend anymore money on this team and the GM is inept at developing talent where does that lead us catcher wise in 2010?  Obviously Omir Santos will be on the team but he’s a backup catcher, who will be our everyday catcher?  Victor Martinez will be a free agent unless the Red Sox sign him, but I doubt Omar or the cheapskates Wilpons are going to spend for him. 

What about bringing back Brian Schneider for the 2010 season with an option for a 2011?  He has shown that unlike most people in this club he is selfless in how he has been helping Thole.  Watching Sunday’s game as good as Pelf was you also have to credit Schneider with that win.  Pelf in his previous starts before Sunday was too much in his own head, actually you can say that about him this whole season.  Knowing that I was going to talk about this I re-watched the game yesterday afternoon on an encore showing from SNY and I noticed a few things that I missed from Schneider on Sunday.  After every pitch whether the umpire called it a strike or a ball Schneider gave Pelf a nod on the pitch.  A few pitches Pelf threw were really nasty, Schneider put his glove out to Pelf encouraging the young pitcher.  And when Pelf did give up a run Brian ran right out there to the mound and reassured Pelf on what a good game he was having.

That is signs of a veteran catcher.  That comes with experience which is something that Santos and obviously Thole don’t have yet.  Schneider has done a good job with the younger guys on the staff in the last 2 seasons.  I know he’s below .200 on his avg but he’s going to have a really rough time finding a team willing to give him a contract, he’s going to have to settle for less, he seems to like it here with the Mets, the Mets could sign him for cheap and have a valuable teacher behind the plate.

Thole can play at the Triple A club until about the All-Star season at which point if he’s having a good year in Buffalo he will be called up, the Mets can trade Schneider away to a team for a marginal at best minor league guy like they did with Castro and Thole will play everyday.  Schneider won’t cost much so the Coupons Wilpons can spend their money on getting a first baseman as well as a left fielder and a set-up guy instead of a catcher since we do have Thole waiting in minors.

Do you guys think I’m off my rocker in suggesting this?  Do you guys want to see Thole start at Ebbets Citi Field next year, assuming of course Citi Field is still standing next year or do you think we should go after a different catcher?  Sound off Met fans.

If you ask anyone connected to the Mets they’ll most likely say Josh Thole and Omir Santos, a tandem I dubbed Tholmir.

This makes sense, both players are young and their combined salaries most likely wouldn’t even crack one million dollars, which is perfect for the suddenly cost-cutting Wilpons.

Lately, the only positive hype surrounding the New York Mets, besides injuries and surgeries has been the talk of calling up catcher, Josh Thole. And for good reason, since the beginning of last season Thole has done nothing but hit at the minor league level.

The Mets selected the 23 year old catcher in the eighth round of the 2005 draft, which was the same draft where they picked Mike Pelfrey.

Last season, in Class-A+ ball, Thole hit for .300, which is impressive since in his prior season he only hit .267. This year, his progression continued and he hit .328 at the Class-AA level, which features generally better, more major league-esque pitching.

He is also said to have a great demeanor when it comes to the game and is extremely hard working and passionate about what he does.

However, when I read articles by some of the game’s best beat writers I get the sense that he is being overvalued. There are some who suggest that Thole could be the best catcher the Mets have had since Mike Piazza departed the team back in 2005. And the truth is, he very well could be the next big thing.

Personally, however I am skeptical a bit skeptical about how Thole will perform at the big league level. Consider this, Thole grew up in rural Illinois and learned to play baseball in a barn. Now he will be expected to perform in front of thousands and thousands of New York fans, who are not always the  most forgiving when it comes to a player’s shortcomings.

Also, Thole is not a power hitter by any means. This is evident by the fact that he only hit one home run in 384 at-bats this season. According to Eric Simon over at Amazin’ Avenue, who profiled Thole yesterday. The article also points out that Thole does not hit very many line drives, which begs the question is his high average sustainable?

Even more surprising is that using a computer generated statistics, Simon shows that Thole projects as only a .254 hitter in the big leagues. That’s less than what Omir Santos is currently hitting.

In all fairness, projections are not always all that accurate and it’s entirely possible that Thole could blow those away.

If anything it concerns me that Thole will hit .300 in the final month of the regular season, and that will be enough for Mets management to warrant starting him next year.

The last Met player that was thrust into a starting role following success in such a small sample size was Daniel Murphy, and he’s had his share of troubles at the plate and on the field this season.

The other half of the Mets projected 2010 catching tandem is Omir Santos. One of the few feel good stories this year, Santos came from out of nowhere to become a pretty decent backstop in the big leagues.

His hit for a .263 batting average and clubbed six home runs, which isn’t anything to sneeze at. He’s even had some clutch hits, including one dramatic go-ahead home run off of Jonathan Papelbon earlier this season.

To me though, Omir is more suited to be a backup at the big league level as he has gone through a pretty brutal slump from mid-June that lasted into early July.

My suggestion for the Mets would be let Thole spend a month in the bigs and see how he handles it. Then in the off-season, try to acquire a veteran catcher that is capable of starting like Ramon Hernandez. This would enable Santos to slide into a backup role, which is better suited for him. This would also allow Thole more time in the minor leagues to collect more playing time and allow Mets officials to see whether or not he is the real deal.

We can all agree that the Mets are set at a few positions for next year: Shortstop, Third Base, Center Field, the Top Spot in the Rotation, and the Closer’s role.  What the final two months brings the Mets is the opportunity to see what the other positions are: holes that need to be filled, or spots that will do just fine.  Daniel Murphy has been playing First Base for a few months now, and while his bat has been in an extended hibernation for this year, his defensive abilities and aggressiveness have shown through.  Many Mets fans are clamoring for a free agent signing to come to Queens next year to boot him from his spot, and these final months of the season represent his chance to prove he belongs.

We know Castillo’s not going to be replaced unless we find someone to eat his contract, but he has a chance to continue to prove his worth to Met fans and quiet us from begging for his removal like we did last year.  He’s been on fire over the last little while, and should he continue that through the end of the season, I’m sure we’ll all be more comfortable with the future of our Second Baseman.

Left Field is a bit of a wild card.  Angel Pagan has looked electrifying at times, and downright disastrous at others.  His baserunning blunders have left us agape, as have some of the routes he’s taken to fly balls.  But his abilities and sometimes-clutch performances could have him playing leftfield full-time for the Mets in 2010.  His biggest issue since the Mets acquired him from the Cubbies has been staying healthy, and while a two-month stint in the Majors with no issues isn’t a sign that he’s past the bug, it certainly couldn’t hurt.  Interestingly enough, I feel that Angel being accepted as our everyday Left Fielder relies more heavily on our Right Fielder than it does on his play, and that’s the reason that I didn’t put Right Field in as a “set” position above.

Jeff “Frenchy” Francoeur has looked nearly like his old self in a Mets uni, and no one seems happier with Frenchy donning the Orange and Blue than he is.  What we are looking for from Francoeur in these last weeks of the season is whether he can return to his 2006 form (kinda strange, no?) and show a homerun swing.  In 2006, Francoeur hit 29 home runs, and while it’s not the 38 that Delgado hit in 2006 and in 2008, it would certainly make the Mets more of a deep-ball threat if Frenchy can somewhat replace Delgado on the power end next year.  If he does (and with 5 HRs in 28 games as a Met entering today — a pace of 29 HRs per 162 games — he’s well on his way), the Mets may not need to fill that power gap in the lineup by replacing Angel Pagan in LF.

Which brings me to Catcher (you’ll see the connection in a second).  Our catcher’s spot has not seemed fantastic, but somehow it has been.  While he may not be The Answer, Omir Santos has filled in very nicely behind the plate this year, and our catcher’s spot as a whole has been near the top of the Majors in RBI this year.  However, our current tandem of Schneider and Santos have combined for just 9 HRs this year, which would qualify as the 14th-most amongst ML catchers if they counted as 1 person.  However, two of the catchers near the top of that list could be available in the free agent market next year.  31-year-old Victor Martinez and his 17 HRs will hit the market if the Red Sox decline an option worth nearly $8MM, and 31-year-old Miguel Olivo and his 16 HRs will hit the market if his mutual $3.25MM option is not picked up by the Royals or if he chooses to leave KC.  What Santos needs to do (more-so than Schneider, who is a free agent after this year) is prove that we need him more than we need Angel Pagan in the field and in the lineup.  The odds of us going after a big-money free agent hitter may not be all that great with the Coupons running the gig, but if we did, it may come down to a Catcher or a Left Fielder.  Omir does not have the greatest bat, and his 44 home runs career at every level combined prove that, but he can prove his worth calling games and defensively.

Now we come to the rotation.  We know Johan’s a lock at #1, so the next little while is all about Big Pelf and Ollie Ollie Auch Sind Frei can show, more-so with Ollie.  Right now, we have a bona-fide #1, and a bunch of #3/4 pitchers.  Right now, our rotation for next year looks like it could be Johan, Pelfrey, Ollie, Maine, and Jon Niese, assuming Mainer manages to regain his arm strength.  However, none of the bottom 4 of that rotation has shown the abilities to pitch in the 2-slot.  With Maine and Niese both hurt, it’s up for grabs between Perez and Pelfrey.  We need to see one of them step it up consistently through the end of the season to prove their worth as a #2, or we will know what hole needs to be filled first.

And finally the bullpen.  While a weak spot in recent years and not the unbelievable force that many of us felt it would be this season, what we should be focused on is the performance and the comebacks of Billy Wagner and J.J. Putz.  This last section of the season is their chance to prove that they are worth the money to set up Frankie Rodriguez in 2010 should they choose to accept that role for another year.  It’s also a chance for Bobby Parnell (should he be rightfully returned to the bullpen) to show if he has what it takes to setup Frankie and free up the money to fill other holes.  It’s also a chance for some other guys to prove that they can join Pedro Feliciano as middle- and long-relief pitchers next year and don’t need to be replaced.

While many are on “Minaya & Manuel Watch” for the rest of the year to see if they deserve to return in 2010, I’m more interested in seeing how the players treat the end of a disappointing season.  That’s why I’ll be watching every chance I get, 1st place or last, for the rest of 2009, because our performance may not matter, but it certainly counts.

After a rough first inning, Niese settled down and pitched beautifully for six additional innings.  The offense came alive and the long ball returned to the Mets as they defeated the Astros 10-3 at Minute Maid Park.

After three first inning runs against Astros’ starter Russ Ortiz, Houston came back with a run of their own by drawing two walks followed by an RBI single by Pudge Rodriguez.  That was the extent of the Astros’ offense tonight as Niese dominated them for the next six innings.

The Mets launched three home runs to support their neophyte starter.  Solo homers by Omir Santos and David Wright (the sixth for each player and Wright’s first home run since June 30 in Milwaukee) and a three-run homer by Jeff Francoeur (his seventh) were more than enough for Niese, who pitched seven strong innings, giving up one run on four hits, while walking two batters and striking out three.  The power surge by the Mets over the past two games (half of their eight home runs hit in July have come in the past two games) is enough to put Con Edison on their toes.

Jeff Francoeur continues to swing a red-hot bat since being traded to the Mets two weeks ago.  He now has 12 RBI in his 11 games as a Met, to go along with a sizzling .333 batting average (15 hits in 45 at-bats).  The man he was traded for, Ryan Church, is only hitting .200 (6 for 30) with four RBI.

Once Niese’s night was done, Sean Green pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth, giving up a two-run homer to Hunter Pence before getting out of the inning without any more runs scoring.  However, he did need 30 pitches to get through the inning in a non-save situation.  Hopefully, the Mets can repeat tonight’s fireworks in tomorrow’s series finale so that Rodriguez won’t have to be pressed into service again.

Although the offense lit up the scoreboard, Jonathon Niese was the big star against the Astros.  His dominant performance, especially after his rough first inning, gave the Mets something to smile about.  With a few more outings like this one, Niese may find his way onto the staff permanently.

Tomorrow is the rubber game of the series, with Livan Hernandez going up against Brian Moehler.  If the Mets can continue to slug the ball like they did tonight, Livan might not need to be at his best to pick up a win.  Of course, a Niese-like performance by Hernandez would be quite welcome as well.

Mets First Half MVP

Griffin – Gary Sheffield, most homers and has been a huge part of team

Russell Z – Johan Santana

Satish – David Wright – I was reluctant to choose Wright because it seemed as if he didn’t do much this year, but he does deserve some credit for his new-found ability as a leadoff hitter. (His OBP is .410 and he has 20 steals!)

Greg P – Gary Sheffield - Who would have thought?  He kept the Mets in contention in June.

Kelly - Carlos Beltran 

Mikey J – Frankie Rodriguez

Ed – Francisco Rodriguez

Gregga – Johan Santana

Joe D – Frankie Rodriguez – He had a hand in 25 of our 42 wins. He’s as good as advertised. 

Best Moment

Griffin - A tie between  Sheffield’s 500th homer (one of the best moments I have experienced at a game) and my first game at CitiField.

Russell – Omir Santos game winning home off Jon Papelbon.

Satish – Omir Santos game winning home off Jon Papelbon.

Greg P – Omir Santos game winning home off Jon Papelbon.

Kelly – Omir-Acles!

Mikey J – A tie between Sheffield’s 500th homerun and Omir’s homer off Jon Papelbon.

Ed – It hasn’t happened yet.

Gregga – The fans cheering for the Apple to come up during the 7th inning of Sunday’s game.

Joe D – Opening Day – Santana was brilliant, Putz was perfect, K-Rod blew them away, and our new left fielder Daniel Murphy got the game winning RBI. Everything went according to plan, but it was all downhill after that.

Worst Moment

Griffin - Luis Castillo’s dropped popup off the bat of A-Rod. - Being there made it 10X worse.  One of the worst moments in my entire life.

Russell – Luis Castillo’s dropped popup off the bat of A-Rod.

Satish – Luis Castillo’s dropped popup off the bat of A-Rod.

Greg P – A tie between Castillo’s dropped popup and Ryan Church missing third base.

Kelly – Luis Castillo’s dropped popup off the bat of A-Rod.

Mikey J – Luis Castillo’s dropped popup off the bat of A-Rod.

Ed – Two words: TWO HANDS! Castillo’s game ending dropped popup.

Gregga – Reyes pulling up lame into third base.

Joe D – Oliver Perez – Seeing our $36 million dollar man get yanked from the rotation and banished to the bullpen was pretty deflating.

Biggest Surprise

Griffin – TIE Cora and Santos

Russell – Gary Sheffield

Satish – Gary Sheffield

Greg P – Gary Sheffield

Kelly – Trading for Francoeur, I didn’t see that coming.

Mikey J – Omir Santos

Ed – That people are still coming out to the ballpark in droves.

Gregga – Daniel Murphy’s defense as a first baseman.

Joe D – Our Bench – I never expected Alex Cora, Gary Sheffield, Omir Santos, Jeremy Reed and Angel Pagan to step in and perform as admirably as they have under such extreme circumstances.

How We Graded Them

What best and worst moments will you take away from the first half?

Tomorrow, we unveil our second half predictions!

After being shutout by the Reds on Friday, the Mets returned the favor tonight and shut the Reds out 4-0 on the strength of a solid performance by Johan Santana and some clutch hitting by Jeff Francoeur!.

The Mets got on the board in the first inning when our new rightfielder Jeff Francoeur singled with the bases loaded to plate Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo and put the Mets up 2-0. I had hoped before the game that Frenchy would have a solid debut, and It was thrilling to see him pay early dividends and pick up the game winning RBI in his first at-bat as a Met and getting a standing ovation from the Mets faithful. I was hoping that the Reds would test his powerful arm, but alas they were too chicken shit (or maybe they are just smart). Frenchy went 2-4 on the day and looked damn good in his new Mets garb!

Omir Santos, another favorite of mine, had a great night and busted out with three hits and drove in the third run of the game later in the first inning. He also did a fine job calling the game and framing the pitches for Johan.

Angel Pagan batted leadoff went 2-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in the sixth inning, including a steal of third. He brings a certain level of energy to the lineup, and defensively he has made some dazzling plays including a nice grab of a 404 foot bomb by Brandon Phillips. Welcome back Angel!

Johan Santana finally got an early cushion to work with and had a great game tonight as he pithed seven scoreless innings allowing just five hits and a walk while striking out five. He look relaxed out there tonight as opposed to his last few starts where the stress seemed to be getting to him. There was no screaming in the dugout afterward, just a big smile and a round of high fives. For Santana it was his 10th win of the season and I’m still thinking he’ll get 20 wins for us this season. He also lowered his ERA to 3.07 which ranks  

Pedro Feliciano and Frankie Rodriguez finished up for Johan with two scoreless innings to preserve the shutout and get the Mets back on the winning track.

The Phillies won so the Mets gain no ground, but I’m thinking they just gained a little more confidence than they had 24 hours ago. And I know you’re wondering, but as of this writing, Ryan Church was hitless in his Braves debut with four runners left on base. Braves are up 4-3 in the 6th inning.

Mike Pelfrey takes on Aaron Harang in the rubber game tomorrow at 1:10 PM.

I saw way too many white flags waving in our comments since yesterday. Come on everybody, don’t give up now… Ya Gotta Believe!

Lets Go Mets!

Baseball analysts (notably ESPN) have been saying that it is a buyers market (for trades) this year – as teams out of contention look to unload salary for economic reasons – and that the Mets can take on one high priced salary – what would be the best way for them to address the current crisis?

Let’s examine that question by looking at the Mets performance so far position by position.  We’ll break this post into two parts – and since it HAS been a depressing weekend – let’s start off with the good:

The Good

Third Base

The sole surviving bright spot in the Mets lineup is David Wright.  For all the statistical strangeness of his 2009 season – it’s hard to argue with his BA, run production, OBP and base stealing proclivity.  We would obviously love to see his HR totals increase in the 2nd half – and to see a decrease in strikeouts (especially of the looking variety) – but really – David Wright has not been part of the problem this year.

Center Field

Assuming Carlos Beltran‘s return in the 2nd half remains on schedule – he is on pace for one of his best offensive seasons except for his HR totals (and his SB totals of the past).  He is the best defensive player on a bad fielding team as well as a reliable and productive bat in the middle of the lineup.  While his return won’t solve all our problems – it would be a huge boost to get him back sooner rather than later.

Closer

K-Rod has had a few hiccups recently but by and large has been extremely reliable.  His ability to throw any pitch any count has been incredibly impressive – and bodes well for his value remaining consistent over the life of his 3 year deal.  Try to imagine this season without him – adding closing inconsistency on top of everything else…

Ace

Santana obviously is going through a rough patch – but I think we’ve seen the worst of it.  He’s proven to be a staunch competitor in his short time as a Met and when (if?) we need him down the stretch – he will be there.  ‘Nuff said.

Left Field

Gary Sheffield‘s signing was to provide the Mets a right handed bat off the bench as a spot starter and pinch hitter.  Instead injuries have forced him to be a key part of the lineup – and thankfully he’s been up to the challenge.  Sheff’s been our biggest power bat (not saying much) – providing solid run production and OBP in Left Field.  Imagine where we’d be without him?  Of course it would be better to give him some rest from time to time that didn’t include Nick Evans or Fernando Tatis replacing him – but let’s appreciate what we’ve got.

Catcher

Omir Santos has been a great find – providing a solid bat and defense that’s made Ramon Castro both forgettable and expendable.  Schneider’s been better since coming back from the DL – even flashing some power with a couple of HRs at Citi in the last month.  Overall – Mets catchers have combined to give them top 10 offensive production in the Majors.  Who’d a thunk that?

Setup

JJ Putz looked great early in the season – but faltered and eventually succumbed to injury that will make him a minimal factor for the one year we have him.  Thankfully Sean Green has stepped up – and aside from a few recent tough outings has displayed reliability over the past month that belies his overall 5.00 ERA.  His K/BB rate now hovers around that key 2:1 ratio and he has earned his position as 8th inning reliever.

In addition – Pedro Feliciano has provided as always a solid and dependable lefty that can be used in key situations.  His ability to pitch consistently and effectively over the last few years and especially in 2009 have been invaluable.

#2 Starter

Begrudgingly we’re going to add Mike Pelfrey to this list.  To date he has not performed in line with the 2nd half of 2008 when he seemed to be turning a corner performance wise.  However Pelf is even more efficient this season in inducing ground balls – sporting a 2:1 GB/FB ratio.  In addition he’s shown some flashes that may lead us to believe that the best is still ahead for the big sinkerballer.

Part II – the Bad to come later this week.  Brace yourselves – will try to time it’s post with some good news (a win maybe?) to soften the blow.

Wow, really?

Omir Santos leads the pack with 22, followed by Ramon Castro who knocked in 13 runners before being traded, and Brian Schneider is holding up the rear with 10 ribbies.

Santos is seventh in the league, but when you take a closer look it gets a little interesting. Omir amassed his 22 RBI’s in just 117 at-bats.

Bengie Molina who leads catchers with 40, needed 239 at-bats to achieve the honor. Ivan Rodriguez follows with 29 in 194 at-bats, then comes Ramon Hernandez who has 28 in 215 at-bats.

Another thing that is both interesting and somewhat depressing as well, is that the Mets catching position has accumulated more RBI’s than any other position on the team.

More RBI’s than left field, third base, first base, center field, right field, etc.

A testament to our great catching tandem? Or an indictment on our offense?

I’ll let you decide…

OMG!!!

Just as I published this post, Brian Schneider hit a 3-run bomb!!!

Make that 48 RBI’s for Mets catchers!

Alex Cora – SS
Daniel Murphy – 1B
Carlos Beltran – CF
David Wright – 3B
Gary Sheffield – LF
Ryan Church – RF
Brian Schneider – C
Luis Castillo – 2B
Nieve – SP

Alex Cora and Daniel Murphy are batting in the 1 and 2 spot against a guy who lefties have a hard time against does not make a lot of sense to me.  Cora has done a fine job at the top of the lineup and should be there tonight but why not put Luis Castillo who is a switch hitter behind Cora in the lineup?  Also why not put Omir Santos who bats right and regardless is a better hitter than Schneider anyway in the game tonight? Murphy earned a shot after the series in Baltimore, but maybe Tatis should have started tonight.

I don’t understand, with the stats that I mentioned that Jerry would put out this lineup.  Manuel’s decisions continue to befuddle me.  I think that the way he’s managing the team right now he’s managing them right out of contention.