2009 MLB Preview: New York Mets
Beefed up pen has New York Mets the team to beat in NL East
The Mets have always played second fiddle to the Yankees in the Big Apple, and two straight September collapses have put them playing catchup in the NL East to the Phils.
Anyone thinking of picking up some futures on the Mets this year? If you haven’t plunked your hard-earned money down yet, let me save you some grief. I’ve already put the jinx in on the Mets by buying a small ticket on them winning the NL East.
Several of my close friends are Mets fans, and after my futures tickets have jinxed them two years running they offered to pony up some cash to keep me from wagering on them this year. I wouldn’t have anything to do with it, partly out of having fun with my friends and partly because I really, really, really think they will win the division this time around.
There, if that doesn’t put the voodoo on them and send them down in flames with a losing record this year, nothing will.
Seriously, the Mets have about as few questions entering spring as any other club this year. Of the 25-man roster they will leave their facility in Port St. Lucie with, 16 of those spots are etched in stone already, including what should be their starting eight in the field. Add in four of the five starters and the four relievers most likely to get the bulk of the 7th-, 8th- and 9th-inning work, and New York’s ‘other team’ appears pretty well set to try and wipe away the memories from the collapses down the stretch the past two seasons.
After addressing the team’s most pressing need, the bullpen, this winter, GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel both feel they have the team to win the NL East this time around. One of those new acquisitions, record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez also thinks the same and his comments shortly after arriving from the Angels are already pinned up on the bulletin board in the Phillies’ locker room.
Minaya and Manuel both hope K-Rod’s right arm can back up his mouth. If not, Minaya and Manuel will be joining millions of other Americans in the unemployment line this year.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
Winning 89 games really isn’t failing, but that number also wasn’t enough to gain a spot in the playoffs. How the Mets were able to win 89 games is pretty easy to understand once you learn their offense was second in the NL in runs scored (799), second in walks drawn (619), second in stolen bases (138), third-to-last in striking out (1,024), fourth in batting average (.266) and fourth in on-base (.340). New York also finished in a three-way tie for the second-best fielding percentage (.986) in the National League, committing the second fewest errors in the Senior Circuit behind Houston.
Now you know how they won 89. Can you guess how it was they didn’t make the playoffs?
The eight regulars in the field will be Brian Schneider behind the plate, Carlos Delgado at first with Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes and David Wright around the horn to fill out the rest of the infield, Carlos Beltran in center, Ryan Church in right and Daniel Murphy in left.
Let’s start in the outfield where Beltran is a household name, Church is fairly well known and Murphy is the guy many may not know much about. He was drafted out of Jacksonville U. back in the 13th round of 2006 as an infielder, primarily third base, and has made a pretty fast ascent through the Mets’ system. With David Wright at third base, there wasn’t much chance of him making it to New York at that slot, so the club tried him in the outfield as well as a bit at second last season while with the farm club in Binghamton and the reports were favorable.
He impressed Manuel enough in 49 games last season to get the left field job entering this campaign. But keep in mind that 2B experiment since Castillo has proven to be less than an everyday player.
Church was half of the compensation – Schneider the other half – New York received from the Nationals for Lastings Milledge before the 2008 season, and he got off to a great start with the Mets. But then a couple of knocks to his noggin cost him about seven weeks and he dropped off at the end of the year when he returned from the DL.
Fernando Tatis will apparently be the backup for both Church and Murphy, while also listed as the No. 2 third baseman behind Wright. After playing just 28 games in the majors from 2004-07, Tatis returned to the bigs in strong fashion playing both outfield and infield corners and hitting nearly .300 with 11 homers in his utility role. Manuel would like to get him more at bats this year, in the 350-400 range, if possible.
The battle for the last outfield slot is between Jeremy Reed, Angel Pagan and Cory Sullivan at this time. It’s possible two could stick, but only if two really show something this spring.
On the infield, Castillo is the only name that warrants much attention since Delgado, Reyes and Wright are known commodities. If Castillo has to sit much this time, he could find it tough to get back in the lineup. New York has Alex Cora to back up both middle-diamond slots, plus possibly Murphy which would help Manuel get Tatis more ABs.
PITCHING
In case you were still wondering how the Mets missed the playoffs after hearing those offensive rankings in 2008, then wonder no longer since New York’s shortcomings were on the mound. Now many will point straight to the bullpen, and with good reason. But I will stop short of just pointing a finger at that group without also casting at least a raised eyebrow at the rotation.
Johan Santana was not part of the problem on the mound. Yeah, sure, he had some off games and stood just 8-7 at the All-Star break before hanging marks in the Win column his last eight decisions of the year. But he pitched well enough to have won 20. For example:
New York inked Freddy Garcia to a minor league deal in hopes the veteran right-hander would come in and sweep them off their feet to claim the No. 5 slot in the rotation. So far this spring, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Right now the job appears more likely to go to right-hander Tim Redding or lefty Jon Niese. Oh, and there’s been a Quarter Pounder sighting, er, Livan Hernandez sighting in Port St. Lucie this spring as well.
Adding Rodriguez and J.J. Putz to the bullpen will make a difference for the Mets this year. Having two bona fide closers will make any relief corps better and help a manager like Manuel cut down on his antacids. But if they’re abused – Maine, Perez, are y’all listening – then it will only add to the mess if New York fails once again to make the postseason.
As important as those two are, it will be the work of Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green and others that will figure into the results equally. Also keep an eye on Bobby Parnell this spring as he could sneak into the No. 5 starter mix or become an unexpected pleasure out of the pen.
SCHEDULE
New York has a pretty fair schedule in their first season with the new ballpark. They will open on the road with six games split between Cincinnati and Florida, but then come home with just one road series the rest of April. The four home series they will have to break in the new park are against the Padres, Brewers, Nationals and Marlins, giving the Mets a very good chance to christen the new Queens grounds with a winning record.
New York averaged 89.8 wins in five simulation runs, topping out on one run at 94 and hitting bottom with an 83-win mark. Now remember, the projections on this team a year ago were pretty spot on, coming in with an 89.2 average, so with the bullpen improved, it’s difficult to imagine the team would take a step back this year without several key injuries. I like them to reach the 90-win mark
That means I must like the Over at The Greek where the break is set at 88½ (-110 both ways). Yes, I do, but I probably won’t play it since I have my one required Mets future already with them winning the NL East.
Over at 5Dimes, the betting odds find the Mets at +875 to win the World Series, the top favorite in the NL for that wager at 5Dimes. New York is +375 to win the National League (second to Cubs), and the +135 favorite to win the NL East.
The Mets have always played second fiddle to the Yankees in the Big Apple, and two straight September collapses have put them playing catchup in the NL East to the Phils.
Anyone thinking of picking up some futures on the Mets this year? If you haven’t plunked your hard-earned money down yet, let me save you some grief. I’ve already put the jinx in on the Mets by buying a small ticket on them winning the NL East.
Several of my close friends are Mets fans, and after my futures tickets have jinxed them two years running they offered to pony up some cash to keep me from wagering on them this year. I wouldn’t have anything to do with it, partly out of having fun with my friends and partly because I really, really, really think they will win the division this time around.
There, if that doesn’t put the voodoo on them and send them down in flames with a losing record this year, nothing will.
Seriously, the Mets have about as few questions entering spring as any other club this year. Of the 25-man roster they will leave their facility in Port St. Lucie with, 16 of those spots are etched in stone already, including what should be their starting eight in the field. Add in four of the five starters and the four relievers most likely to get the bulk of the 7th-, 8th- and 9th-inning work, and New York’s ‘other team’ appears pretty well set to try and wipe away the memories from the collapses down the stretch the past two seasons.
After addressing the team’s most pressing need, the bullpen, this winter, GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel both feel they have the team to win the NL East this time around. One of those new acquisitions, record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez also thinks the same and his comments shortly after arriving from the Angels are already pinned up on the bulletin board in the Phillies’ locker room.
Minaya and Manuel both hope K-Rod’s right arm can back up his mouth. If not, Minaya and Manuel will be joining millions of other Americans in the unemployment line this year.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
Winning 89 games really isn’t failing, but that number also wasn’t enough to gain a spot in the playoffs. How the Mets were able to win 89 games is pretty easy to understand once you learn their offense was second in the NL in runs scored (799), second in walks drawn (619), second in stolen bases (138), third-to-last in striking out (1,024), fourth in batting average (.266) and fourth in on-base (.340). New York also finished in a three-way tie for the second-best fielding percentage (.986) in the National League, committing the second fewest errors in the Senior Circuit behind Houston.
Now you know how they won 89. Can you guess how it was they didn’t make the playoffs?
The eight regulars in the field will be Brian Schneider behind the plate, Carlos Delgado at first with Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes and David Wright around the horn to fill out the rest of the infield, Carlos Beltran in center, Ryan Church in right and Daniel Murphy in left.
Let’s start in the outfield where Beltran is a household name, Church is fairly well known and Murphy is the guy many may not know much about. He was drafted out of Jacksonville U. back in the 13th round of 2006 as an infielder, primarily third base, and has made a pretty fast ascent through the Mets’ system. With David Wright at third base, there wasn’t much chance of him making it to New York at that slot, so the club tried him in the outfield as well as a bit at second last season while with the farm club in Binghamton and the reports were favorable.
He impressed Manuel enough in 49 games last season to get the left field job entering this campaign. But keep in mind that 2B experiment since Castillo has proven to be less than an everyday player.
Church was half of the compensation – Schneider the other half – New York received from the Nationals for Lastings Milledge before the 2008 season, and he got off to a great start with the Mets. But then a couple of knocks to his noggin cost him about seven weeks and he dropped off at the end of the year when he returned from the DL.
Fernando Tatis will apparently be the backup for both Church and Murphy, while also listed as the No. 2 third baseman behind Wright. After playing just 28 games in the majors from 2004-07, Tatis returned to the bigs in strong fashion playing both outfield and infield corners and hitting nearly .300 with 11 homers in his utility role. Manuel would like to get him more at bats this year, in the 350-400 range, if possible.
The battle for the last outfield slot is between Jeremy Reed, Angel Pagan and Cory Sullivan at this time. It’s possible two could stick, but only if two really show something this spring.
On the infield, Castillo is the only name that warrants much attention since Delgado, Reyes and Wright are known commodities. If Castillo has to sit much this time, he could find it tough to get back in the lineup. New York has Alex Cora to back up both middle-diamond slots, plus possibly Murphy which would help Manuel get Tatis more ABs.
PITCHING
In case you were still wondering how the Mets missed the playoffs after hearing those offensive rankings in 2008, then wonder no longer since New York’s shortcomings were on the mound. Now many will point straight to the bullpen, and with good reason. But I will stop short of just pointing a finger at that group without also casting at least a raised eyebrow at the rotation.
Johan Santana was not part of the problem on the mound. Yeah, sure, he had some off games and stood just 8-7 at the All-Star break before hanging marks in the Win column his last eight decisions of the year. But he pitched well enough to have won 20. For example:
- In his second start of the year at Atlanta, Santana worked seven and allowed one run. He left trailing 1-0, the offense could not solve John Smoltz and four Braves relievers, and a 2-run homer by Mark Teixeira in the eighth off Aaron Heilman gave Atlanta a 3-1 win and hung the loss on Santana.
- At home against the D-Backs on June 12, Santana posted zeroes for six innings and left with a 2-0 lead that relievers Joe Smith, Billy Wagner and Heilman (again) turned into a 5-4, 10-inning win for Arizona.
- In Philly on July 4, the Mets can only scratch two runs off J.A. Happ, not exactly a candidate for the Cy Young last season. Santana works eight and gives up just two. Duaner Sanchez gets charged with the loss when the Phils push a third run across.
- At home against the Phils on July 22, Santana goes eight, allows two runs and leaves with a 5-2 lead entering the top of the ninth. Six runs and four New York relievers later, Philadelphia takes home an 8-6 win.
New York inked Freddy Garcia to a minor league deal in hopes the veteran right-hander would come in and sweep them off their feet to claim the No. 5 slot in the rotation. So far this spring, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Right now the job appears more likely to go to right-hander Tim Redding or lefty Jon Niese. Oh, and there’s been a Quarter Pounder sighting, er, Livan Hernandez sighting in Port St. Lucie this spring as well.
Adding Rodriguez and J.J. Putz to the bullpen will make a difference for the Mets this year. Having two bona fide closers will make any relief corps better and help a manager like Manuel cut down on his antacids. But if they’re abused – Maine, Perez, are y’all listening – then it will only add to the mess if New York fails once again to make the postseason.
As important as those two are, it will be the work of Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green and others that will figure into the results equally. Also keep an eye on Bobby Parnell this spring as he could sneak into the No. 5 starter mix or become an unexpected pleasure out of the pen.
SCHEDULE
New York has a pretty fair schedule in their first season with the new ballpark. They will open on the road with six games split between Cincinnati and Florida, but then come home with just one road series the rest of April. The four home series they will have to break in the new park are against the Padres, Brewers, Nationals and Marlins, giving the Mets a very good chance to christen the new Queens grounds with a winning record.
- 26-24 (Home-Away) through May; 66-66 through August
- 25 of first 50 games vs. NL East, including six each at home vs. Nationals and Marlins
- 6-3 (Home-Away) vs. Cardinals; 6-9 vs. AL. Depending how you look at it, that extra road series against the American League is either at Boston (May 22-24) or at Baltimore (June 16-18). Both trips are relatively short from New York, much easier than if the extra interleague road trip was to Seattle, Los Angeles or Oakland.
New York averaged 89.8 wins in five simulation runs, topping out on one run at 94 and hitting bottom with an 83-win mark. Now remember, the projections on this team a year ago were pretty spot on, coming in with an 89.2 average, so with the bullpen improved, it’s difficult to imagine the team would take a step back this year without several key injuries. I like them to reach the 90-win mark
That means I must like the Over at The Greek where the break is set at 88½ (-110 both ways). Yes, I do, but I probably won’t play it since I have my one required Mets future already with them winning the NL East.
Over at 5Dimes, the betting odds find the Mets at +875 to win the World Series, the top favorite in the NL for that wager at 5Dimes. New York is +375 to win the National League (second to Cubs), and the +135 favorite to win the NL East.
