Philadelphia recalled left-hander Joe Savery to temporarily take Halladay’s place on the 25-man roster. A replacement for Halladay’s spot in the starting rotation will be named before Friday’s game in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. Candidates to make the start include Triple-A left-hander Adam Morgan and right-hander Tyler Cloyd.

After allowing nine runs in 2 1/3 innings in a 14-2 loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, Halladay revealed that his shoulder had been bothering him.

“It started the morning after I pitched against Pittsburgh [on April 24],” Halladay said Sunday. “I woke up and didn’t really think anything of it. It was just kind of regular soreness. This kind of progressed over the last two weeks or so. It’s right-shoulder discomfort.

“This is something new this spring. I felt good all spring. I felt good all year. I just got up after that start against Pittsburgh and had soreness in there and wasn’t able to get rid of it.”

Matt Harvey went out last night and dominated his second game in a row and did it from the opening pitch to his last batter of the game. For a Mets team that no one is picking to do anything this season, they might just surprise some people with their young powerful arms. Harvey in the 7th inning, had his fastball clocked at 98 mph, which took me back to the nights that Doc Gooden was just as impressive. And Gooden did it for a full season which he was awarded the Cy Young award in 1985 with an impressive 24 wins and only 4 losses and a 1.53 ERA.

This season may not end the way it has started, but the excitement that Harvey has shown through his pitching has allowed fans to start to dream. It may only be two starts, but if Mets fans can’t get excited of what could be, then why are we considered fans. It all has to start at some point, and these games will be confidence boosters for Harvey down the stretch. Every game that Harvey pitches in is another experience he will gain and the more he pitches well, the better he will be.

At 5-2, the Mets are just a game behind surging Atlanta, and they haven’t faced the crème of the crop of the National League, but good teams take care of business and beat the teams that they should and just like last night, the Mets came out and surprised the naysayers by beating an old nemesis in Roy Halladay. Well not just beat him but knocked him out of the game, which is a great confidence boost for a young Mets team still looking for their true identity. And for Matt Harvey to out-pitch Halladay, it makes you wonder if the comparisons are not just wishful thinking. Best quote of last night “Matt Harvey reminds me of a young Seaver”, courtesy of my Dad.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER!

Team News and Notes

Atlanta Braves (6-1)

The Braves currently sit in first place in the NL East, and new addition Justin Upton is a major reason why. The 25-year-old has batted .423/.448/1.192 to start the season, with six bombs and eight RBI. The other half of the Upton brothers, B.J., has struggled to hit himself out of a barn batting just .120 to date. On the mound, the wily veteran Tim Hudson is back to work with a record of 1-0, and a 3.27 ERA to start the year. Paul Maholm hasn’t given up a run in 12 2/3 innings, and Mike Minor was solid in his first start as well, while youngster Julio Teheran struggled.   

Washington Nationals (4-2)

Bryce Harper was the story during the opening week as he belted three home runs, including two on Opening Day. Stephen Strasburg fired seven shutout innings on Opening Day, but got roughed up for six earned runs in his second start. Gio Gonzalez, Ross Detwiler, and Jordan Zimmerman all went six innings in their starts and allowed just one earned run combined. 

Philadelphia Phillies (2-5)

Opening Day starter Cole Hamels got pounded over his first two starts of the season, giving up an astounding 13 earned runs over his 10 innings of work. Conversely, Cliff Lee twirled an eight inning gem, allowing just two hits and striking out eight in his first start. Ryan Howard has started out slow, batting .148 with 10 punch-outs in just 27 at-bats. Chase Utley, on the other hand has burst out of the gate on fire. The second baseman is batting .370/.400/.630, with one home run, seven RBI and two doubles. Lastly, are we seeing the beginning of the end for Roy Halladay? The righty has seen a drop in his velocity, and has an unsightly ERA of 14.73 over his first two starts of 2013. 

Miami Marlins (1-6)

The Marlins have stumbled out of the gate, and did not score a run until the second inning of their third game of the season. Giancarlo Stanton has struggled with little support around him, and is batting .174/.367/.261 with no home runs or RBI, and just one run scored. Jose Fernandez made his debut against the Mets on Sunday, and dazzled for the first five innings, striking out eight, but received a no-decision.

Injury Report

Nationals: Adam LaRoche is currently day-to-day with a stiff back. Reliever Christian Garcia is on the DL with partial tear in his forearm tendon.

Braves: Jonny Venters (elbow) was shut down for four weeks on April 2, and may be out for the first two months. Brandon Beachy (Tommy John surgery) and Brian McCann (offseason shoulder surgery) were placed on the DL on March 29, both retroactive to March 22.  McCann may start a possible rehab assignment by mid-April, and could be activated by late April, while Beachy could return by midseason. Freddie Freeman was placed on the DL with a strained oblique on April 7, and may need 2-3 weeks to recover.

Phillies: Delmon Young (ankle) played the outfield for the first time this spring on April 1, with the hope that he returns sometime in May.

Marlins: Casey Kotchman was placed on the DL, retroactive to April 4, with a strained hamstring. Logan Morrison is currently on the 60-day DL, as he recovers from a torn patella tendon that required surgery last September. Henderson Alvarez and Nathan Eovaldi are both on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. Alvarez has resumed a throwing program, and could return by early May, while Eovaldi is out indefinitely.

Upcoming Schedules (4/8-4/14) 

Nationals: (CWS, 4/9-4/11), (ATL, 4/12-4/14)

Braves: (@FLA, 4/8-4/10), (@WSH, 4/12-4/14)

Phillies: (NYM, 4/8-4/10), (@MIA, 4/12-4/14)

Marlins: (ATL, 4/8-4-10) (PHI, 4/12-4/14)

Suspensions

Carlos Ruiz: The Phillies backstop will continue to serve his 25-game suspension to start the season.

Is Justin Upton the heir apparent to Chipper “Larry” Jones?

When the Blue Jays forced Sandy Alderson to take John Buck‘s $6 million dollar contract as a condition of making the deal for Travis d’Arnaud, many people including me groaned. I loved the fact that Buck could actually catch (unlike Josh Thole) and would be an asset overall, but six million samoans for Buck was simply too much for me to swallow.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and Alderson sure lucked out on this one despite holding his nose and agreed to take Buck in that Dickey deal.

Fast forward to April 9, 2013…

Through seven games, Buck is now batting .375 to lead the Mets and throw in three homers (tops on the team) and 12 RBIs (tops in the NL). Somebody get me a shot of Chivas…

Are there still a lot of skeptics out there? Of course and rightfully so, but that doesn’t faze the Mets catcher one bit.

“I don’t really care,” he said. “I figure if I just keep doing what I’m doing, they can be surprised at the end of the year.”

Before joining the Mets, Buck was merely a career .236 hitter over his nine years in the majors. He has bounced around from team to team and has logged time with Kansas City, Toronto and Miami before hitting the streets of Flushing.

The power however, shouldn’t come as surprise to anyone as Buck has belted 15 or more homers three times in his career. But what’s happening right now? This is a first…

Last night, he blasted a three-run shot off of the once great Roy Halladay and clinched the win for the Mets. But it’s not just his bat that has been impressive. Mets starters have the second best ERA in the majors when he’s behind the dish and calling the game. He’s been the complete package for the Amazins.

I have always said that Omar Minaya struck gold when he picked up R.A. Dickey off the scrap heap. John Buck could end up becoming Sandy Alderson’s first real nugget and ironically, he didn’t even want him in the first place.

As I said, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

MATT HARVEY: TRUE BLUE METS PHENOM!

Starting Lineup

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF
2. Daniel Murphy 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Marlon Byrd RF
6. Lucas Duda LF
7. John Buck C
8. Ruben Tejada SS
9. Matt Harvey RHP

Game Notes

David Wright played his 61st consecutive game without an error yesterday, extending the franchise record for third basemen…It is also the longest current errorless streak by a third baseman in the majors.

John Buck is tied for the National League lead with nine RBI…Buck tied a team record with nine RBI in his first five games with the team…Mike Jacobs also had nine RBI in his first five games with the club in 2005…Buck did not record his ninth RBI until May 13 (in his 25th game) last year.

Daniel Murphy ad five RBI in the three-game series vs. Miami, including two home runs, including a solo blast on Sunday… Murphy did not hit his second home run of the season last year until June 27 (his 74th game when he actually hit first two home runs of the year at Wrigley Field)…Murphy has collected an extra-base hit in three consecutive games.

Mets starting outfield of Collin Cowgill, Lucas Duda and Mike Baxter combined to go 0-for-10 on Sunday, but Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Marlon Byrd delivered clutch hits off the bench in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Mets to a 4-3 walk-off win.

This season, Mets starters have combined to post a 1.98 ERA (five earned runs/36.1 innings pitched), ranking second in the majors behind Los Angeles-NL (1.32)…Jon Niese, Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Aaron Laffey have combined for 31 strikeouts in the club’s first six contests, the sixth-most among National League clubs.

New York’s bullpen tossed 4.2 scoreless innings yesterday to help preserve the win…The Mets has a 3.57 ERA (seven earned runs/17.2 innings), ranking 15th in the majors. Scott Rice earned his first major league victory yesterday, pitching a scoreless inning…Rice spent 14 years in the minors prior to this year.

Game Preview

The Mets start their first road series of the year in Philadelphia tonight. The Mets are fresh off of winning their first two series of year for the first time since 2006 and their first walk off win of the year. Aaron Laffey allowed a lot of hits in the first 4.1 innings and somehow only 3 earned runs. The bullpen took over after that and didn’t allow a single run and the Mets were able to stage a rally in the ninth inning. The Phillies have gotten off to a rocky start dropping their first two series of year with a 2-4 record. Tonight Matt Harvey looks to repeat his first performance as he goes up against Roy Halladay.

Matt Harvey picked up the win in his first start not allowing any runs in 7.0 innings while striking out 10 batters and only walking 2. Last season he was 3-5 over 10 starts and 59.1 innings. Last season he faced the Phillies twice, picking up a win in 13.1 innings of work allowing only 3 earned runs while walking 5 batters and striking out 13. The Phillies have the following numbers against Harvey:

Howard 0-5
Rollins 2-5, 2B, HR
Utley 1-5
Mayberry 0-5
Nix 1-3, 2B
Brown 0-2

The Mets batters look to do battle with Roy Halladay tonight who could be in a rough spot. He struggled early on Spring Training and it looks like some of his pitches have become flat. That struggle (11 ER in 16.1 innings at Spring Training) continued into the season as Roy allowed 5 ER over 3.1 innings against the Braves. He only pitched against the Mets once last year allowing 2 ER over 7 innings, and he normally does well against the Mets who have the following numbers against Halladay:

Wright 4-24, 2B, 3B
Buck 4-22
Davis 5-22, 2B
Byrd 5-16, 2 2B, 3B
Duda 0-9
Murphy 2-9
Tejada 0-8

Let’s Go Mets!

But, there is some juice here, enough to where there is some light.

The Mets began the season with little hope of cracking last year’s 74 victories, but the first week created a sense there might be something to the summer if nothing more than another collapse in the making.But, wouldn’t you rather have a duplicate of last season – a good start followed by a fall – rather than no season at all?

Following a baseball team is all about hope, and maybe the Mets will break your hearts again. While hoping for October is outlandish, hoping for an enjoyable summer, where meaningful games are played, could be possible.

It is hard in baseball to look at a schedule, circle a date and think, “that’s a win.’’ There are many variables in baseball that make it difficult, but looking at their upcoming 10-game road trip, it isn’t hard to fathom an opportunity to make April interesting, and with it, maybe the entire summer.

The Mets open a three-game series tonight in Philadelphia behind Matt Harvey, who every time he pitches, has his teammates believing.

“It’s exciting to see him pitch,’’ David Wright said. “He pitches with a lot of poise. We believe we can win every time he goes out there.’’

The Phillies aren’t the monster they used to be, and their starter tonight, Roy Halladay, is in decline. Philadelphia, ever grateful for the Marlins, has been slow out of the gate.

As bad as they were last year, the Mets were 10-8 against the Phillies, including 7-2 in their park. Confidence can be a fragile thing, but the Mets know they can win down there.

Following Harvey will be Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner against Cliff Lee and Kyle Kendrick, respectively.

After Philadelphia comes Minnesota. The Twins enjoyed a strong run from 2002-2010 when they made the playoffs six times, but they’ve had two down seasons.

If the Mets should pattern themselves after any team over the past decade, they would do far worse than emulate the Twins, who have fielded fundamentally strong teams with good pitching while on a limited budget.

The probable for Minnesota are: Jon Niese, Aaron Laffey and Harvey.

The Mets conclude their trip with four games in Colorado, which is three years removed from the playoffs and five from the World Series.

The Mets haven’t enjoyed much success against the Rockies, but their park is one where pretty much anything can happen.

As of now, Gee, Hefner, Niese and Laffey will start against the Rockies.

By no means is this an easy stretch, but coming home even or 6-4 is doable, before series against Washington, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Circle your calendar: April 19 at Citi Field, Harvey against Stephen Strasburg.

For a young guy like Matt Harvey working on a pitch, those teams don’t have to worry about the film as they can see him first hand. I’ve always wondered if that’s a disadvantage to the pitcher.Johan Santana once made his final exhibition start against a minor league team rather that against the Marlins, a team he would face in the first week.

Harvey is busy working on his change-up, which was flawless in his last start. He has no choice but to keep throwing against a team he could face five times this season.

“It’s usually the last pitch that comes around,’’ he said. “Everything went well with all my pitches the other day.’’

Considering he worked into the fifth and didn’t give up a hit, that’s kind of an understatement. While nobody expects no-hit ball every time out, the expectations for Harvey are enormous. When talking about Harvey’s low pitch count, he said that’s imperative if he’s going to pitch over 200 innings.

That’s one of the things that first struck me in talking with Harvey. He’s very unassuming and keeps an even keel, both on and off the mound. I covered Mike Mussina for years, with Baltimore and the Yankees, and I see similarities in their demeanor and confidence.

Mussina didn’t let things rattle him and had a methodical plan of doing things. Harvey is the same way in that he knows what he wants, and just as important, knows how to get it.

It is premature to say Harvey will have a career like Mussina, or Roger Clemens, or a Roy Halladay. But, spring training is for imagining such things.

Speaking of Clemens, Dan Martin of the Post has a very interesting piece where he got Frank Viola to compare Harvey to Clemens. Viola, a former Met, was Clemens’ teammate for three years in Boston.

Said Viola: “On the field, you knew Roger was the man and he showed you why he was the man. Matt’s the same way.’’

Let’s hope the comparisons end there.

Thoughts from Joe D.

I’m usually the one that tells fans to temper their expectations, but not where Matt Harvey is concerned.

While one of my colleagues said Harvey will never win a Cy Young Award, I envision more than just one for this kid.

I have seen his determination and I have witnessed the fire that burns within him.

I have seen him stare down some of the biggest and most feared hitters in the game without so much as breaking a sweat.

Matt Harvey has got the stuff to do it, nobody disagrees there. But more importantly, Harvey has got that edge  - that “Eye of the Tiger” – that fearlessness that sets him apart from everyone else… You all know what I’m talking about…

Harvey, the next big thing? Hell yeah, I can see that…

It was without a doubt, the best performance of his All-Star career.

Halladay struck out 11, then got pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino to ground out to end it, and even though there were a couple of good plays behind him, Halladay didn’t need any great defensive work in this gem, it was pure perfection from baseball’s best pitcher.

I always thought the Mets would finally get that no-hitter, the one that has eluded the franchise for 48 years, after they traded for and the signed current ace Johan Santana. However, that would be kind of difficult to do considering the Mets reluctance to have him throw more than 100 pitches, pulling him even when he’s hurling a shutout like they did on Friday in a 0-0 game. It’s a topic I already spent too much time delving into yesterday.

Maybe, one day this year, God willing, we might get treated to a complete game shutout, or heck just a complete game. But given the hard stance of current management on pitch counts, don’t hold your breaths.

Remember when the big question during spring training was who was the better pitcher, Johan Santana or Doc Halladay? Last night we got our answer.

Riding an eight game winning streak, including a series opening thumping of the Phillies on Friday night, the Mets had to feel pretty good about climbing from last to first in two week’s time.  But the Phils and their new, shiny ace, Roy Halladay, flustered the Mets’ hitters and their bats made short work of Mike Pelfrey’s scoreless innning streak, roughing him up for six runs in just four innings, on the way to a 10-0 rout.  If that wasn’t enough, the Mets sent their ace Johan Santana to the hill against lefty slow-baller Jamie Moyer on Sunday night, and staked him to a 5-2 lead.  But guys like Victorino and Utley hit home runs against Johan, turning a 5-2 advantage into an 11-5 loss.

My blood starts boiling when I think of guys like Victorino and Utley and how they torture us, but you have to admit they sure can play baseball.  And they went deep on one of the best pitchers in the game, even if he has lost some of his velocity.  What this all does, if nothing else, is it reminds us just how far the Mets have to go to be real contenders.  We can let the 10-0 game go, because everything was going right for 8 games.  But that game Sunday is a game we should have won and didn’t.  And it might come back to bite us in September.

Granted, many of us thought the Mets would wallow near the bottom of the division all season, and they sparked an amazing turnaround against the suddenly mediocre Braves, Cubs and Dodgers.  So the fact we’re even talking about September and the fact that the Mets sit just 0.5 games back of the Phillies on May 5 after a horrendous start is still pretty remarkable.  However, Omar Minaya needs to realize that he’s still a few steps behind the Phillies, and should bolster the starting rotation now to help keep his team in contention.  He sure owes us that much, and owes it to himself.

You’ve got Strasburg, who is projected to reach the big leagues as early as July of this coming season.  Then you have Florida’s Josh Johnson, the Met Killer.  And Philly, despite trading away Cliff Lee, replaced him with the perennial all-world Roy Halladay.  The Braves are the only NL East team without a so-called “ace” (or in Washington’s case, potential ace) at the top of their rotation.

Sure, the Nationals and their fans have earned the right to have the type of dominant pitcher that comes along a few times every decade.  Strasburg is being compared to a young Pedro Martinez, and that’s really saying something.  But Johan had another elbow surgery, he’s a year older, and the Mets’ rotation behind him has more question marks than ever.  So every time we see a guy like Strasburg or Johnson or Halladay join a rival team or get called up, it’s effectively and by association making the Mets a little worse.

I’m curious what you all think, so feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions on this matter below.

Halladay got the Grapefruit League schedule unde way with two near-perfect innings in the Phillies’ 3-2 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday.

The 32-year-old Halladay threw a pair of  innings while striking out three. As we all know, Halladay was at the front of a blockbuster four-team set of trades in December between the Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

“I was excited for it,” said Halladay, “You anticipate it, but once you get into the game, the game is always the same. Your approach is the same. I looked forward to it, especially early on. It’s as much fun for me as it is for everyone else.”

Halladay allowed just one baserunner in his first outing with the Phillies. New York’s Jamie Hoffmann, playing first base after Nick Johnson was scratched before the game with a back ailment, reached on an error by Philadelphia third baseman Placido Polanco with one out in the first.

Halladay struck out the next batter, Jorge Posada, before getting Robinson Cano out on a fly ball to end the inning. Halladay struck out Nick Swisher and Randy Winn to begin a 1-2-3 inning.

“He’s filthy,” said New York ace CC Sabathia.

I realize that this was Halladay’s first game of the spring and that he only pitched two innings so I’m not going to jump the gun and say that Halladay is going to pitch well when he plays the Mets, or that he will even have a good season because we don’t know that yet, but what I will say is that the Mets and the rest of the National League East will have their hands full with Roy Halladay, especially when the game is on the line.

Take off your Mets blinders momentarily, and tell us who you think is the best pitcher in the NL East.

I decided to add some other worthy candidates just to make it a little more interesting.

The stats I used are from the 2009 season and are meant to provide some additional depth. Remember that some pitchers may have spent time on the DL or in the minors, so do consider their overall body of work as well as reputation and whether they are on the downside, upside or prime of their careers.

I eliminated wins because it’s not really an indication of how good a pitcher really is. I added strikeouts per nine innings ratio and strikeouts to walks ratio as it makes it easier to compare pitchers who may not have had similar innings pitched.

If you could have just one of these pitchers on your team right now, which one would you choose?

Who is the real Beast of the NL East?

Usually around this time of year, once the Super Bowl has been played and sports docket is less than fulfilling for most of us, I start to get that itch for baseball.  I can almost smell spring when having visions of baseball, either at the ballpark or on TV.  And it’s usually accented with the hope that my team, the Mets, are going to head into the season as contenders again, hoping for their first world championship since 1986.

But alas, I feel more than a twinge of apathy right now.  Omar Minaya has once again given us false hope, as he signed modest slugger Jason Bay but then made no other significant moves.  Well, unless you consider Kelvim Escobar, Henry Blanco and Gary Matthews, Jr. significant.  I’m sorry Omar, but with each marginal move, you are increasing my own margin of apathy.

That doesn’t mean I won’t root for the Mets.  After all, when fandom is in your blood, you can’t ever remove it.  But beyond the fact that this Mets team has as much chance to contend as the ’62 Mets, is the fact that I almost would rather not watch it all unfold.  Clearly there are better things I can find to do with my time, and the fact that I’m saying that and writing that really bums me out.

Would I feel differently had the Mets added the likes of Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay or Matt Holliday?  Probably yes, but even if they somehow added all three of those guys without magically depleting the farm system, there would still be holes, and that’s not good.  It’s not good for the Mets, their fans, or my apathy.

I preferred Bay as I believe he is better suited for hitting at Citi Field than Matt Holliday.  Bay is not strictly a power hitter and in Citi he can hit doubles and drive in runs as well as knock the ball out of the park.  The Mets lineup if healthy and back to 100% has now become a very formidable one.  This potential lineup is better than the 2006 team that just missed out on the World Series.

Bay’s signing is a great way to start 2010 but there is still work to be done.  The Mets need a catcher and it looks like this game of chicken between the Mets and Bengie Molina is going to continue into the new year.  I applaud the way the Mets are handling these negotiations with the veteran catcher.  Molina needs to lower his expectations as 3 years is just out of the question.  I know the Mets would like a 1 year deal with an option for a 2^nd but if you look at what other free agent catchers have gotten that is not going to be enough.  The Mets need to offer Molina a 2 year guaranteed deal, if he doesn’t want that walk away and go after another catcher.

Now that the Mets have Bay in left field the biggest concern is pitching.  This year’s free agent class is very weak for pitching.  The best pitcher on the free agent market was John Lackey and he is signed.  The best pitcher on the trading block was Halladay who we all know was traded to the Phillies.  My pick for a 2^nd tier pitcher was Jason Marquis who is now off the market so the Mets need now to be aggressive and go after the better remaining pitchers on the market.  I don’t believe the Mets will trade so looking at the free agents still available I’m thinking the Mets are going to go after Joel Pineiro.  Pineiro record last year was 15-12 with an ERA of 3.49.  He pitched 214 innings, the first time in his career he pitched over 200 innings.  I do feel that the Mets or any team that sign him is going to overpay for his services, that’s the way the market looks right now.

There are pitchers out there coming off of injuries that could be good for the Mets such as Chien-Ming Wang.  Wang as we all know pitched for the Yankees before being non-tendered last year.  Wang had won 19 games two years in a row before hurting his ankle rounding bases that ended his 2008 season.  Wang came back last season and the results weren’t pretty.  He struggled for the entire season, some thinking that the injury to his ankle forced him to change the way he pitched which resulted in him getting knocked around all last season.  Wang was sent down to Tampa to work on his mechanics and it was discovered that he had weakness in both his hips and was put on the DL.  Eventually Wang would get shoulder surgery ending both his 2009 season and his tenure with the Yankees.  Wang could be very good for the Mets but I suspect after last season the Mets are staying away from guys with injury history and won’t attempt to sign him.  I understand the thinking and if Wang does have a good season with whatever team signs him I won’t hold it against the Mets.  Wang is a big risk to a team that has really no depth in the rotation, not performing or getting injured would really hurt the Mets and they can’t afford that.

Overall Bay’s signing is a great way to start 2010 but there is still work to be done.  I believe that Bengie Molina will eventually be our starting catcher and the pitcher that the Mets do sign will not be met with 100% satisfaction whether it’s Pineiro or Sheets or Wang or whomever.

Dirt was thrown at everybody from the ownership down to and through the medical staff, the Minor League organization and most obviously the Manager Jerry Manuel and the General Manager Omar Minaya . Nobody was as critical of these two so called professionals than me. I gave them some credit for their valiant try to finish on top in 2008 and even went so far to say that the team overachieved in getting down to the last day to decide their fate for the playoffs.

I wrote at least four articles on websites for the Mets to resign Pedro Martinez. Their rotation was a disaster coming out Spring Training and although I like and enjoy the World Baseball Classic it’s timing last season couldn’t have been worse for the Mets as 17 players left camp to play for their countries. Was it a big surprise that so many of those players who did go to the WBC come down with critical injuries during the season? I will address the WBC situation at another time.

The Mets fans and media as well wants the Mets to make a splash in the off season for two reasons. One, many of us feel the Mets still need help in a few areas including left field, second base, and adding depth to an already suspect rotation. The second reason for the need to make a splash is for the Mets ownership to show the fans that they willing to do what it takes to pay for high quality free agents and compete with the other big money teams in pursuit of these players.

For all accounts prior the the winter meetings the Mets were going to be all in on pitcher John Lackey, as well the two top outfielders, Matt Holliday and Jason Bey in the free agent market. What they didn’t expect was these players just might not want to come to Citi-Field and have their offensive numbers wind up somewhere around mid-toilet.

Do I want the Mets to pick up either Matt Holliday or Jason Bay? Of course I do. Do I now think they are going to get either one of them? The answer is No. There are lots of secondary outfielders out there that have power and lack defensive skills necessary to play in a big ball yard. On the flip side there are excellent gloves that could make the starting outfield the best defensive unit in baseball but they can’t hit their weight.

So, what are the Mets to do? In what appears to be in a no win scenario, I am going to propose a plan which is going to be vastly unpopular with my guess being around 97% of Mets fans and media coverage out there.

Let’s talk specifics. I believe the club needs both youth and experienced veterans who are willing to run through walls if necessary to get the job done. A guy who can hit .280, knows how to move a runner from first to third, can steal a base, lay down a good sacrifice bunt and willing to bust up a double play. When a veteran like Alex Cora with two busted thumbs does that, guys like Fernando Martinez take notice. There are plenty of those gritty type players out there that won’t bust the Wilpon bank, but will put people in the seats into a ballpark that will lose many visitors if 2009 is even remotely duplicated.

Let’s break this down and remember you’re not going to to like it. I think Daniel Murphy has the potential to be an excellent defensive first baseman, hit third in the order and remind people of Keith Hernandez. Will he do all this in 2010? No. The answer here is to re-sign Carlos Delgado. I can hear the screaming starting now. Carlos Delgado is as proud a man than just about any ballplayer I have watched for the past 60 years. No clearer indication of that was in 2008 when finally recovered from a wrist injury where he compensated not to re-injure his wrist, He put on a second half performance the likes of which hasn’t been seen south of the Bronx in a very long time.

He started off 2009 where he left off the previous fall and if he had played a full season his numbers would have duplicated 2008. But of course that never happened. Carlos is exactly like Pedro. He feels his mission in New York will not be complete until he has a ring. Have him play 130 games at first base and let the Super Sub Daniel Murphy fill in not only there, but he can be occasionally back up David Wright, and yes even stick him in left or at second for a game or two. Could it be any worse then having Tatis at those positions?

Next, at second base we must say goodbye to Punch and Judy, Luis Castillo. Having as good a year that was possible for him, he now has value for some teams who need players who can get on base. My problem with Castillo believe it or not was not his bat in 2009 but his defensive play at second base. It was, to put it in one word, awful. He has lost his range and played the game with his head not always on his shoulders. He did prove his point and gave the Mets a spark they needed last year and for that I hope another team sees value in him. If Orlando Hudson is available and he’ll take a two year contract then by 2012 Reese Havens should be ready for Major League play.

I’m not at all concerned about the left side of the infield. I expect David Wright to have that bounce back year and with his partner Jose Reyes getting on base, stealing bases and keeping everyone on the edge of their seats we will once again see the old David Wright smashing the ball all over the yard. Jerry Manuel however has to be smart and not change where he places David in the lineup. If it’s 3rd then keep him there. If it’s 4th or 5th, then keep him there. One of Jerry’s biggest shortcomings last year was juggling that lineup so badly everyday that no one knew their role.

The catching situation is already out of hand and it looks like their next move is to have an open casting call for all catchers to try out for the Mets. Right now they have four catchers. Santos, Thole, Coste, and Blanco. Wonderful, and Bengie Molina is trying to secure a three year deal at 35 to be the next catcher. Oh my!

I say right from opening day to go with the youth, and platoon Santos and Thole and if either one of them breaks out of the gate fast let’s stick with him. Thole in his short stay looked no better or no worse than the more heralded Matt Weiters of the Baltimore Orioles. Thole should and could be the Mets catcher for the next ten years.

I would have no problem with a one year deal for Pat Burrell or Marlon Byrd or Johnny Damon or any number of other second level left fielders. Personally I would like to see, if healthy, Fernando Martinez in left field on opening day. He has been our top prospect for 5 years, and now may be a good time to see what he’s got for us or to showcase him as major trade bait.

Beltran and Francoeur can roam the outfield for the next 4-5 years and provide the power and defense we need in spacious Cit-Field. Angel Pagan is a very serviceable 4th outfielder and some may argue that he deserves a starting spot in left field for opening day. Personally I’d rather see Martinez there.

So here is my opening day line up.

Reyes                    SS
Hudson                  2B
Beltran                   CF
Wright                    3B
Delgado                 1B
Francoeur              RF
Martinez                 LF
Thole                     C
Santana                SP

If you’re already mad at me and think I’m ridiculous you’re really not going to like this. There are only two starting pitchers out there in the free agent market that I would even entertain a look at. They are Joel Pineiro and Ben Sheets. When healthy, and I think we can say that about any pitcher, these two guys could do a great deal to solidify the staff. I’d also keep on eye on Wang, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. But let’s say the Mets don’t get any of these pitchers for whatever excuse they come up with, then this is a do or die year for the Mets rotation.

Santana can’t make 162 starts so where does that leave us? I believe John Maine is more of a number 2 than Mike Pelfrey. I would push Pelfrey down to the 4 spot and allow Oliver Perez to move to the number 3. If I am sure of one thing this off season it is that Oliver Perez will come to camp in the best shape of his life. He has been working vigorously in the off season on both his physical and mental sides.

That leaves the number five spot open to some very healthy competition for Jonathon Niese, Bobby Parnell, Pat Misch and Fernando Nieve. Once again I believe we could do no wrong signing Pedro Martinez to a two year deal. I think he certainly proved himself down the stretch for the Phillies and he can not hurt this team. His veteran leadership in the Mets clubhouse can not be measured. This rotation last year before the season started was picked by many to be enough to compete with the Phillies for the NL East.

With Roy Halladay now just 90 miles south and for the Mets to have to face him at least 4-6 times a year is an uphill battle at the least but in a head to head with Johan Santana I’ll take my chances.

Finally, if the Mets get out of the gate slowly I would look to replace Jerry Manuel after 40 games. As much as I feel that he caused many of the on the field problems for 2009, I am willing to give him just enough rope to hang himself. And as far as Omar is concerned, unless some miracle can be pulled out of a hat, this will be his final year for sure.

On paper, it looks as if the Phillies improved themselves drastically by adding arguably the best American League pitcher of the past few years.  However, while I was focusing on the Phillies/Blue Jays part of the Halladay trade, my one-track, fourth-place mind failed to realize that to make this deal, the Phillies had to deal Cliff Lee to Seattle.  Lee is a younger lefty who not only had playoff experience (unlike Halladay) but excelled in the postseason (4-0, 1.56 ERA in the 2009 playoffs).  In addition to losing Lee, the Phillies also parted ways with Kyle Drabek, who was supposed to be a major part of their future.

I’m trying to envision the Phillies’ rotation for the 2010 season and I see Roy Halladay leading the staff, followed by the following pitchers:

Cole Hamels:  Hamels has question marks after last season’s inconsistent performance.  He has been overworked at a young age due to extended postseasons.

Joe Blanton:  Blanton gave up more hits than innings pitched last year and was one of only four pitchers who gave up at least 30 HR in 2009.  However, every other pitcher who gave up 30 HR made at least 33 starts.  Blanton only made 31.

J.A. Happ:  Happ is a good young pitcher, but faltered down the stretch and in the postseason.  After his last start in August, he made five more regular season starts.  In those starts, his ERA was 4.84, his WHIP was 1.66 and opposing batters hit .344 against him.  It got worse in the playoffs, where his ERA was 5.68 and his WHIP was an ungodly 2.21.  There are clearly some durability issues here.

Jamie Moyer:  The man is so old, he got misty eyed when the Phillies played the Yankees in the World Series because it brought back childhood memories of the 1950 Phils-Yanks World Series matchup.  His 2009 ERA was just south of 5.00 and his 25 starts were his fewest since 1996, when Todd Hundley was setting catcher home run records for the Mets.

The Phillies can also turn to Kyle Kendrick and Antonio Bastardo, who are ready to step in whenever Moyer needs to take a nap.

The Phillies’ rotation doesn’t look too different from the staff the Mets currently employ.  We have a bonafide #1 starter in Johan Santana, followed by Question Mark (Mike Pelfrey), Question Mark (John Maine) and Off The Mark (Oliver Perez).

The glaring difference between the Mets and the Phillies is very clear.  It’s all about each team’s offense. The Phillies slugged their way to the World Series by hitting a league-leading 224 home runs in 2009, including more home runs with men on base (96) than the Mets had home runs (95).

Fine, so the Mets didn’t get an ace pitcher who could complement Santana in the rotation.  But their rotation is still comparable to the Phillies’ starters, even more so if they can add Jason Marquis or Joel Piñeiro.  If they want to have a chance in the National League East, they’ll need to sign a big bat or two and hope for a return to form by the injured hitters.

Sadly, there may not be enough big bats left out there other than Matt Holliday and Jason Bay and both of them play the same position.  If Daniel Murphy leads the Mets in home runs again, it won’t matter what our pitching staff looks like. It’ll be another postseason where we root for certain teams to lose instead of rooting for the Mets to win.

But here is where I’m having a hard time….I read a report in USA Today a few days ago about the winners and losers of the winter meetings.  The Mets were not considered to be a winner or a loser.  Think about that.  By being neither, the Mets have cemented themselves as being apathetic and non-committal to the whole hot stove process.  And if you are not intent on improving your team, you are destined to lose more games than you win.  It’s that simple.

And then this morning, I read this piece on Yahoo Sports about Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, he of the 97 mph fastball.  Dude had a throwing session yesterday in which big league scouts were on hand and here are the teams they mentioned that sent a representative: Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, Nationals, Marlins, A’s and Orioles.  Of course, there were 15 teams represented in all, so there is no telling if the Mets did indeed send someone, but the writer didn’t mention them.  That’s either because the Mets did not care enough to send a scout, or because the writer did not care enough to mention the Mets.  Either way, it’s adding more fuel to the apathy fire.  Because really, why wouldn’t you go overpay like crazy for a guy like Chapman, who not only throws 97 mph, but is a LEFTY who could neutralize those big bats of the Phillies.

I think the version of the Mets you see now is what you’re going to get in April, plus maybe the return of Carlos Delgado.  And wow, what a heartwarming thought that is during the hot stove league season.

In related news, the Mets have announced the signing of Jack Squat.  Squat hasn’t done much in the past and might go unnoticed in the Mets clubhouse, but that is due to the fact that no one ever knows he’s there.  Since he wasn’t a Type A or Type B free agent, the Mets pounced on Squat since they knew he would sign for next to nothing.

I have to joke about this because if I didn’t, I’d be crying.  The Mets are just twiddling their thumbs watching players they should have acquired not only sign with other teams, but get traded to teams that will have a great impact on where the Mets will finish in 2010 and beyond.

Not only are the top pitchers being signed and/or traded to other teams, but now the Mets might have to overpay for pitchers such as Jason Marquis and Joel Piñeiro so that they don’t sign with other teams.  I have nothing against either pitcher, but what if Santana gets hurt again like he did at the end of the 2009 season?  Neither Marquis nor Piñeiro is good enough to be the ace of a staff the way Halladay and Lackey were with the Blue Jays and Angels, respectively.

The 2010 Mets with a staff of Santana, Marquis/Piñeiro, Pelfrey, Maine and some $36 million pitcher looks a lot like the 2009 staff, meaning mediocre at best.  Of course, on the bright side, the Red Sox might not be able to afford Jason Bay now that Lackey will be getting a couple of bucks from them.  Unfortunately, Jason Bay can’t pitch and now that Halladay and Lackey appear to be off the radar, there is a dearth of ace-type starters for the Mets to consider.

The Citi Field press conference room is resembling a ghost town.

Let’s just put it this way.  The way the Mets have gone about this offseason, it looks like they’re taking the “let’s take our time and see how this all plays out” approach.  What might have worked in the past is not working this time around.  Omar Minaya can’t let other teams, especially his main rivals, scoop up player after player while he waits intently in the Citi Field press conference room for the player introduction that’s not going to happen.

While teams like the Phillies and Red Sox are giving their fans awesome stocking stuffers, Mets fans are just getting lumps of coal in their stockings.  At least we’ll be able to use that coal to heat up our stoves because it sure looks like the Mets’ hot stove isn’t using it.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is in Philadelphia and possibly negotiating a long term deal in anticipation of a blockbuster deal that will make Halladay a Phillie.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay and his agent have checked into a Philadelphia-area hotel, according to two Inquirer sources.

It is not known if a trade sending Halladay to the Phillies is imminent, but if Halladay and the Phils are negotiating–as is indicated by the pitcher’s presence in Philadelphia–that would suggest that the Phils and Blue Jays are far enough along in talks for Halladay to discuss a potential contract extension with the Phils. Halladay has one year remaining on his contract before becoming a free agent.

The Phillies have been after Halladay since last season when they were actively involved in trade talks at last season’s trade deadline.

Obviously this is a big move for the Phillies who get one of baseball’s best starting pitchers for a long term deal in Halladay, in exchange for Cliff Lee who had only one year left on his contract.

This news is breaking and evolving quickly so I’ll try to keep updating this post with any new information as it comes in.

Wow… The dominoes are falling fast and the Mets are still sitting on the sidelines waiting for responses to below market offers that will probably be rejected.

“They’ve been very aggressive,” one baseball source said about the Phillies’ pursuit of Halladay. “They’re putting together a package, even if they need another team. They’re trying to find the players [on other teams] the Blue Jays want to get it done.”

The Phillies, who already have the National League’s best offense, would arguably have the league’s best 1-2 pinch as well with both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay atop their rotation.

The article includes a quote from Brewers GM Doug Melvin who called the Phillies the powerhouse of the NL and prompted Verducci to say,

After almost a decade in which democracy ruled in the NL, Philadelphia is becoming the Yankees of its league: the king who wants more. Already the two-time league champion, the Phillies, given their aggressiveness and stockpile of young talent, are emerging as the favorite to land Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

As most of you know, the Phillies worked tirelessly to get Halladay at last season’s trade deadline, but their reluctance to part with prized prospect Kyle Drabek was a deal-breaker. That’s no longer the case as the Phillies are now willing to part with Drabek who the Jays covet.

Halladay lives ten minutes from the Phillies spring training home in Clearwater, Florida, and the thought of that is very appealing to him. Halladay, who has a full no trade clause, has indicated that he would approve a trade to the Phillies.

One team that Halladay would not approve a trade to is the New York Mets. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, a source told him that Roy Halladay would reject a trade to the Mets.

One of the consequences of the two collapses and a season marred by injuries and dysfunction is that so many players have such a negative perception of the Mets. There’s a feeling of bad karma that most players would rather not get involved with. It’s something the Mets have had to deal with many times before in their history including as recently as 2002 – 2004. To overcome this, the Mets have had to frequently overpay for players, much like they did with Pedro Martinez.

We’ll see the Mets do a lot of overpaying this off season.