OK so football is over, and it's time to get the 2009 New York Mets thread started!!!

News came out today that Ollie is signed for 3 years. I know he's up and down, but I'm comfortable with this signing. I still think that there is room for maturity with Perez and long-term with Manuel at the helm, it will be good for us.

Great job with the bullpen upgrades. K-rod and Putz will anchor the last two innings for us. Addition by subtraction in getting rid of Heilman. I'll miss Joe Smith, but overall I think we are in a much better position with the bullpen this year. Key will be to use guys wisely so they don't tire out by Aug/Sept.

Rotation looks good with Santana, Perez, Maine, Pelfrey and Redding. Also have Niese and Garcia waiting to spot start or fill in if there is an injury.

No real changes offensively. If Church is healthy all year, then that's already an upgrade. Left field should be better with a Murphy/Evans platoon. Second base is still a black hole with Castillo, but at least we should get good defense there.

I'm getting excited for the upcoming season. Spring training starts soon!!!

LETS GO METS!!

josh

josh, are you the one who does the marketing slogans for the mets?

Los mets?
Next Year is Now

I'm not as down on Castillo as everyone else seems to be. (js1, are you already assuming Tatis's resurrection was a one-year fluke?)

If there's a way to sign Manny for just 2 years, I would do it.

Perez beats the alternatives; his second half of '08 was quite good.

Castillo needs to go. That is all.

ouch....i almost failed marketing in college...i had to *beg* the prof for some extra credit so I could get a c-

this guy that I used to work with in NJ had a son who did work in the marketing department of the Mets....i talked to him once about it....he said it seemed pretty cool...plus he hooked me up with the bob murphy tribute stuff after he died since I wasn't able to make it to the game where the fans got the videos!

josh

So now that Manny has rejected the Dodgers latest offer, maybe it's time for the Mets to go after him. Despite Manny being Manny, you can't argue with his numbers. Sign him for two years.
As for the pitching, even though the Mets have greatly improved the bullpen, I'm still not sold on the starting rotation after Santana. There are just too many question marks and not enough consistency from the other starters.

jeezus christ, give manny his money NOW!

FREAKING WILPONS!

How many major league teams have 2 or 3 consistently good starters? Not many. Accounting for injury risk, the Yankees may not.

Good point Bill, take a look at the Yankees rotation who many would argue have the "strongest". Burnett is injured at least once a year, Wang is coming back from season-ending surgery, CC is eating himself to death. The only one with a semi-clean bill of health is Andy Pettite.

Count me with the "No on Manny" group...I just think there's too much downside. Of course, I'm seriously counting on Church being healthy and his early-2008 productive self. I hope I don't regret that later!

It can't be easy for the Wilpons, not knowing the status of their $400 mil deal with CitiGroup, which seemingly changes from hour to hour if you believe the media. Maybe caution is merited in this case.

Finally figured out what "Next Year is Now" reminds me of...that horrid American Idol song Jordin Sparks was forced to record, "This Is My Now."

Except for hottie David Wright, is there really anything on the Mets worth liking?

^
Bite your tongue young man.

You mean like Wright does???

how about the best pitcher in baseball and the best centerfielder in the NL, Crew Chief?

That's a matter of opinion, Bill. I'd still take Wright, though.

I think someone is a little bitter that his team hasn't won in 100 years.

Here's to another 100

Huh? I didn't know 2005 was a hundred years ago. Obviously math wasn't your strong suit, was it?

You're a Sox fan? I swore you rooted for the Cubs.

Bite your relocated tongue!

Interesting comments from Jose Reyes yesterday, when questioned about Cole Hamels' characterization in the off-season of the Mets' as "choke artists," as well as their ribbing of him on his home run bravado. Reyes responded by questioning why the Phillies' appear to be obsessed about the Mets, after all, it was they who won the World Series. "Stop worrying" about the Mets, Reyes advised. The Mets, he added, concentrate on themselves and only on Philadelphia, when they play each other.

Now, I must admit, let's hope, as a friend said, that the Mets put action into words and get past their performances the last two seasons, but I have to wonder whether Reyes is onto something. Do the Phillies, despite a terrific performance last year, still second guess their own success? Might they believe in the deepest recesses of their thoughts, that the Mets, are in fact, the better of the two teams?

Ah...jealousy, as Shakespeare well knew, 'tis the green-eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds upon!

anyone else find Manuel's plan to bat Castillo leadoff and put Reyes third 100% insane? A good summary:

http://blog.nj.com/mets/2009/02/jerry_manu..._my_patien.html


It's a good idea to bat the guy WHO GETS ON BASE first! Over the year he gets the most plate appearances!

Does this sound like someone who's worried?

YAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNN

"Stepping it up" remains college football-caliber bullsh*t.

According to Ryan Church, Jerry Manuel is assuring him that right field is his, despite the reports in the morning's newspapers. It's a good move to put Daniel Murphy in left field! He's earning that spot!
Moves


Rather interesting insight into the Mets and Phillies
Trading Insults

Santana's elbow stiffness putting his Opening Day timetable in doubt. Nervous?

Totally overblown by the media I think. He's not going back to NY to be tested, he already isn't playing in the WBC, just let him do his thing for Spring Training. I'm confident he'll be the Opening Day starter.

I HOPE it's being overblown by the media and not minimized by Santana. Is anybody in the US actually interested in this world baseball stuff or is its only purpose to get the world more interested in MLB? I couldn't care less what happens and I wouldn't think MLB managers are crazy about it.

Livan Hernandez had a decent outing this weekend. I'm not at all convinced.

Promoting baseball is the WBC's main purpose, and I think that's a worthy goal. If there is still MLB in 50 years, it will be multicontinental in some respect, I think.

of course i'm nervous.

without santana, mets won't have a lead to blow in september.

Yesterday the word was that Santana was going to be held out of his opening day start. Now they're saying he will make that start. It seems to change day-to-day depending on how he feels.

Duaner Sanchez released; they mustn't have liked what they saw. Will Ohman rumored to be Mets' quarry.

i'm sure they didn't like sanchez's 85 mph FB.

so long, dirty.

If it weren't for that one cab ride, who knows what Dirty could've turned into.

Looks like Livan has won 5th starter slot. WORRY.

http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2009/03/u...rphy_solid.html

gary sheffield is a met.

low risk, high reward.

He is almost certainly a has-been. But he's "famous," and that's a weakness of Minaya's.

CITI is so freaking beautiful. GORGEOUS and STUNNING at night. lots of great food too. shake shack and blue smoke are the shit. lots of hunky men too. as always.

LET'S GO METS!!!!!!

I think C*t* Field may be ruined for me: waiting at the front gate Saturday morning, I saw Fred Wilpon enter with LARRY KING. So scary!

The park is basically Philly/Safeco/Jacobs below sea level. I'll reserve further judgment for a day when 40 mph winds aren't blowing through the food concourse.

Wright lobbied Sheffield to sign!? He can sleep alone this week.

1-0 Nice way to start the season.

Highlights:

Santana striking out 7, even though his change-up wasn't very effective due to the nasty weather. No hitting the Reds for 5 innings was nice too.

Murphy hitting the HR for the first run.

The retooled bullpen doing what Omar intended. Shutdown.

Sweet plays by Church by keeping with the fly ball that popped out of his glove, caught it again and then doubled up the man who was on first. And Wright's diving catch to his left. Very nice.

The Mets left too many men on base and plenty of chances to blow this game wide open. Gotta fix that immediately.

Congrats guys, go get'em on Wednesday.

well, it's only 1 game, but the bullpen looked so much better than last year's.

nice 2-1 win.

GO METS!

Daniel Murphy is the man!

Let's go Murph!
Daniel Murphy Drives in Both Runs...

murphy says he's playing baseball tomorrow (off-day).

the dude is ready to go! love his deep voice too.

I have a feeling Murphy will turn into one of the players the fans will love like Wright and Reyes. Hustles, never takes a day-off, decent fielder, patient hitter, what's not to love about this kid? ROY?

unfortunately, he's one AB too many to qualify as a rookie.

Messy game yesterday, but a win nonetheless. Pelfry needs to do much better!

I dunno...that new bullpen sort of looked...repeat after me...just like last year...

No, you fail Joe. Also, if it wasn't for a Braves bullpen meltdown, you'd be looking at 0-3.

3-3 road trip.

opening day tomorrow at CITI FIELD. hope they do MUCH better.