Veteran columnist Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, delivers another solid player profile from Port St. Lucie where he’s been reporting from the last few weeks.
This time Kernan catches up with lefthander Jon Niese who is glad to still be a Met and says he was told he would not be traded.
“They told me they didn’t want to move me,” Niese said. “I’d love to stay. I don’t see myself going anywhere.”
Niese feels the team has made some great progress and that they’ll be taking things to a new level this season.
“I think we have a really good shot. Obviously, there’s a lot of competition this year in the East. It’s going to be a tough division. But I think we have all the tools to really compete.”
“I think if we keep making the jumps and guys are getting more experienced and we’re getting the right pieces in place, we’re kind of finding an identity on our team, and I think that’s key.”
Niese, 28, told Kernan his body and arm haven’t felt this good since 2008 and he’s ready to go. He also praised GM Sandy Alderson and the job he did rebuilding the team.
“Sandy [Alderson, general manager], he has kind of a method to his madness. He didn’t bring everybody in at once, he kind of built it up year by year, understanding that our pitching staff was going to be built up.”
Niese and his fellow pitchers told Kernan they promise they will put up a fight in the NL East.
