New York Sports Fan Blog

Everyone knew that the Yankees were going to trade top catching prospect Jesus Montero. But no one knew it would simply be a one for one swap.

Brian Cashman took a gamble in trading the mighty Montero for Michael Pineda, a good pitching prospect, but one who has yet to prove himself as Major League ready.

As a Mets fan, by nature it is hard for me to say anything positive about the Yankees, and I laughed when I first heard about this trade, thinking, “Wow, Cashman is a fool.” But after looking further into it, this may have been the move of the decade for the Yankees.

With a starting rotation that was less than stellar in the last few seasons, the Yankees have been looking to get younger with regards to starting pitching, as they have been letting Ivan Nova pitch more than expected. The Yankees kept this train of thought by trading for Pineda, the 6’8 290 pound right hander from the Mariners that makes CC Sabathia look like Steve Urkel.

The question is, who will have a bigger impact in 2012, Pineda on the mound for the Yankees? Or Montero at the dish for the Mariners? Montero showed massive power in his short stint with the Yankees, making the short porch in right field his friend rather quickly. It was a tough call to trade Montero at all due to his strong swing, but most fans knew it had to happen in order for the Yankees to upgrade their rotation (not to mention dumping AJ Burnett off on the Pirates).

The Yankees also are not lacking in the power department. With big bats like Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez holding down the heart of the order and Curtis Granderson providing a spark no matter where he is placed in the lineup, Brian Cashman felt that Montero was worth giving up for a good pitching prospect, and they got a good one.

Pineda has been clocked in the high 90’s, even topping 100 mph on his fastball several times. Many scouts say he has the potential to make an immediate impact this season for New York, and could even end up being the team’s number one starter by season’s end. CC Sabathia might have something to say about that, of course, but the fact that Pineda has a similar build and a very live fastball could create one of the best 1-2 pitching punches in the American League. With new free agent Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, and either Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia behind them in the rotation, the Yankees pitching staff could be poised to help the Bronx Bombers to the World Series for the first time since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for their 27th championship.

Overall, Pineda appears to be the real deal. Trading proven hitting talent for pitching is always a gamble, as pitching is never a sure thing in this day and age, but the Yankees appear to have reeled in an ace.

In 2006, the future of the New York Mets seemed to be bright. But after 2 consecutive seasons of relinquishing the division lead at the end of the season, followed by a year plagued by injury in 2009, the Mets hopes of winning have dimmed dramatically.

The Wilpons finally cut GM Omar Minaya loose after the 2010 season, and brought in Sandy Alderson, whose resume is quite impressive from his time in Oakland. But the Mets only made small moves in 2011, and the team finished below .500 yet again.

This past offseason, Mets fans’ worst nightmare came true. Jose Reyes signed with the Marlins as a free agent, bringing to an end the idea of he and David Wright leading the Mets to a World Series. Although this was a devastating loss, one can’t help but understand Alderson’s reasons for not resigning the star shortstop. The team is in massive debt, and even with Reyes on the roster, the Mets still could not find a way into the playoffs for four consecutive seasons.

Now that the dust has settled, it is time for the Mets to look to the future. 2012 could be a surprising season in Flushing, as the starting rotation appears to be pretty solid heading into spring training. Coupled with some big bats in the lineup and some new arms in the bullpen, the Mets could have the potential to make some noise this season.

The acquisition of Frank Francisco as the new closer was a huge move, and the rest of the bullpen is relatively set, with arms like Jon Rauch, Tim Byrdak, Ramon Ramirez, Bobby Parnell, and Jason Isringhausen. This group could provide the Mets with some much needed help late in games, a problem that has plagued the team over the past 4 years.

The starting rotation is shaping up to look like one that could contend. With Johan Santana returning from an injury that kept him out for all of 2011, the rotation immediately gets an injection of talent. Behind Santana, the Mets will start Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey, and Dillon Gee, all of whom now have significant tenures in the major leagues, and could certainly pitch the Mets to a solid number of victories this year.

But they won’t be able to do so without run support. This is the biggest question for the Mets entering 2012. Will they be able to score? Moving the fences in at Citi Field will help, but it will also help the opposition, so what should we expect to see? The answer is unclear, but the offense currently on the roster certainly has potential to score.

Andres Torres most likely will lead off, replacing Jose Reyes in the order and Angel Pagan in center field. Torres is a fast runner who can get on base consistently. David Wright should be back to his old self once again, and we can expect him to hit at least 30 home runs with 100 RBIs. The question marks lie behind him in the batting order, however. Young first baseman Ike Davis is coming off an injury, but his power certainly should not be overlooked. The man has put several balls onto Shea Bridge in right center field, and will only get better with experience. If he can hit well in the cleanup spot, it should give Wright some pitches to hit.

Behind Davis, the struggling Jason Bay will need to find his offense again in order for the team to be successful. If he can regain even close to the production that we saw during his time in Boston, the Mets could have the opportunity to sport quite a dangerous hitting attack.

At the end of the day though, they are still the Mets. They still have many pieces to add in order to fill out the lineup, but the farm system looks promising and the future may not be as dim as many fans once thought.

Despite missing the postseason for the fifth consecutive season, 2011 was a success for the New York Mets. A change in club culture has set the Mets on the right path to have success in the near future. Entering the season, the club’s pitching staff was in complete disarray and there were question marks all around the diamond outside of David Wright and Jose Reyes. Even they weren’t rock solid with their injury history in recent years. The Mets managed to hang around .500 for a majority of the year despite not having Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and Jose Reyes for stretches. The result was optimism  at the end of the year when they finished 77-85. The emergence of some young players on the team shows signs of a new beginning. New General Manager Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins definitely put their stamp on this Mets team. Alderson made some crafty moves in acquiring Chris Capuano be an innings eater and prized young arm Zack Wheeler from San Francisco in a trade for Carlos Beltran. Collins managed wonderfully, getting the Mets to play hard and focused throughout the season, something not associated with the organization in recent years.

With Collins at the helm, Jose Reyes enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. Reyes had over 10 triples by July and was lead the league in batting. He may have finished with better numbers had a reoccurring hamstring injury not forced him to miss extended time. Several young players had breakout seasons for the Mets. Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy were tearing the cover off the ball, but both had their seasons end prematurely with injuries. A position must be found though for Murphy as he continues to struggle wherever they put him on the field. Also providing a spark were middle infielders Ruben Tejada and Justin Turner. They often worked counts, got on base at the top of the lineup, played sound defense, and filled in for Reyes admirably when he was on the shelf. Lucas Duda also found his stroke, but it remains to be seen where he projects in the field (outfield seems most likely). David Wright missed a prolonged period of time due to a stress fracture in his back, but came back strongly at the plate when he finally returned.

The main focus for the 2012 Mets is ensuring that the dynamic Jose Reyes is penciled in at shortstop and leading off for the foreseeable future. Tejada is a decent replacement, but he is no Reyes by any means. The Mets are strapped for cash because of owner Fred Wilpon’s involvement with ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, but Reyes should be brought back by any means. Returning some injured players to health coupled with further development of young players could make this lineup a very potent one (especially with the fences at Citi Field being brought in). Upgrades in the starting rotation and bullpen are a necessity if this team really wants to compete, but financial limitations may postpone that for another year or two.

Bright Spots: Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Jose Reyes, Ruben Tejada, Justin Turner, Chris Capuano, Ike Davis

Disappointments: David Wright, Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, Josh Thole, Bullpen, R.A. Dickey

Serious question. I just want to know where we stand right now. I also don’t want to be the first to throw in the towel if we still think a miracle is possible and we can finish above .500 this year. On the other hand, I’m slowly starting to lose track of how many players we have on the disabled list, and I’m recognizing less and less of the players that are taking the field for us every week. As a side-note, the Mets would absolutely dominate the all-injured MLB Playoffs if they started today. No question. David Wright? Ike Davis? Chris Young? You might as well throw Carlos Beltran in there — he’ll be back there any day now. There’s also that pretty decent pitcher you might have forgotten about. Johan Santana? I think that’s his name. Now that’s a dominant team. They’d probably sweep every series on their way to the DL Championship. I don’t know about you but all I’m hearing right now is parade.

On a more serious note, whether the Mets (and their fans) are still hoping the team can right the ship and at least contend with the Marlins and Braves or stay within 10 games of the Phils, the truth remains that some significant changes will be made to the team in the very near future. Or at least they should be made.

For starters, why Jason Bay is scheduled to make $16 million next year is completely beyond me. If it wasn’t for the ridiculous amounts of injuries we’ve had, and the bad luck that has made it so that Bay hasn’t been one of those injuries, he probably wouldn’t have played in half of the games he has so far this season. In fact, nothing would make me happier than to see Bay get sent down to the minors. And not Triple-A; I’m talking Class-A Short Season. Aberdeen Ironbirds if possible. That’s how hard it is to watch this guy play right now. While I’m at it I’m going to encourage you to buy this Jason Bay bobblehead. It’ll be worth a ton in a few years when Bay is out of the majors, and I’ve been told $2 of each sale goes directly to him, which he’ll probably need after he has to give back his salary from the last few years after failing to hit 20 total home-runs in 3 seasons. Please help him out.

Sadly, nothing I have said above about Jason Bay will actually happen. What is going to happen, however, is that the Mets will trade one of their key pieces, if not a few of them. It seems like the favorite to be traded, whether mid-season or in the off-season, is shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes has been the only bright light in what has been a bottomless pit of darkness of a season so far (okay maybe not. Justin Turner has definitely been a nice surprise), and could even be in the early MVP discussion if he was on a better team. He also represents the player New York would probably get the best value for, as a handle full of teams would be interested in his speed, defense, and hitting. Even David Wright, the Mets poster boy and management’s very favorite has been rumored to be on the trading block, as it’s believed that Wright’s poor hitting would significantly improve in another ballpark (not too convinced about that one…) and on a team where he wouldn’t be expected to be “the guy.”

Personally, I’d rather see Wright go, as I think (and think that most would agree) that what Reyes offers at the plate and in the field is irreplaceable. Wright on the other hand — a talented hitter who seems to go through more slumps than your average “star” player and isn’t terribly clutch — can be replaced. It goes without saying that I would also like to see Beltran go. We could even package him in with Wright as a free giveaway. With a “please take this off our hands before it crumbles in a heap of dust” sign attached to him. Unfortunately, I think Reyes will in fact be the one to be traded. Which is why I just ordered this signed baseball that I plan on keeping in my pocket for the rest of my life, no matter how weird it makes my pants look. Most importantly, what I hope the Mets do is make up their mind about what direction the team is going in. If management wants to rebuild, I am all for that. We have some good young players to build around, and obviously a few pieces we could trade for more prospects and young talent.

What I’m most tired of is this team giving huge amounts of money to injury-prone, washed-up, or underachieving players while our “star” players sit on the bench injured all year while a bunch of no-names run around losing to the Pirates and making me the laughing stock of my Yankee-fan friends. Can you feel the frustration yet?

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The Mets got exactly what they expected out of Johan Santana in their season-opening win over the Marlins on Monday.

Now comes the hard part: Seeing what the other four-fifths of the starting rotation will give them.
And that starts tonight, when John Maine takes the mound against Florida at Citi Field after yesterday’s off day.
“You always want to get the year started off strong,” Maine said. “It’s the same thing every season. Your first couple of starts, you’re anxious and you want to get off on the right foot. No matter what you’ve been through to get there, that doesn’t change.”

Click here to read the full article – By DAN MARTIN of New York Post

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All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes has been told to rest and refrain from athletic activity for two to eight weeks until his thyroid levels normalize, another blow to the New York Mets before Opening Day.

Center fielder Carlos Beltran already is expected to miss the first month of the season following right knee surgery Jan. 13. Reyes likely will be starting the season on the disabled list as well.

“It doesn’t look good right now.” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Thursday. “We will have to prepare for that.”

Reyes has been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, and his levels were elevated after he exercised Monday and Tuesday. Although he initially thought he might be able to return after a few days, he will have to stop working out and will remain at home.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez returned to New York Mets camp on Monday after being hampered by conjunctivitis for more than two weeks.

Rodriguez had been told to stay away from the team until the pink eye cleared, but the contagious infection took longer than expected to improve. He was sick when he reported to New York’s spring facility, but it went undiagnosed until just before full-squad workouts began Feb. 25.

The right-hander said he went to the doctor on Friday and was cleared to return Monday, although he still is infected. He continues to take eye drops and isn’t allowed to wear contacts yet.

“It feels much better,” Rodriguez said. “It’s still a little uncomfortable, but it’s good to be around. I was cleared to be around the guys, so it’s fine.”

While away from the team, Rodriguez was limited to playing catch with his brother, Edward, in the driveway of the closer’s home. But Rodriguez is not worried about his progress. He said he probably only needs one bullpen session before pitching in a game, and is looking forward to getting back into a regular routine.

Rodriguez last stepped on a mound about a week ago when he emerged from hiding for a light bullpen session.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

After missing most of the 2009 season with persistent leg injuries, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is ready and raring to go for 2010.

Reyes, who appeared in only 36 games last season, showed off the progress he’s made in regaining his health on Monday, running sprints at a Long Island athletic training facility and pronouncing himself ready for spring training. He said he’s been running at full speed without pain for several weeks and feels great.

“I’ll be ready in 2010. Be there, it’s going to be a show,” he said, according to the New York Post. “I can do everything I did before on the field … I can’t wait to hit a triple.”

Reyes was hampered last season by what was at first believed to be tendinitis in his right calf, which forced him out of a game against the Atlanta Braves in May. The injury was later diagnosed as a torn right hamstring tendon.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com on Friday.

Matthews will combine with Angel Pagan to hold down center field while Carlos Beltran recovers from offseason knee surgery.

It’s believed the Angels will pay most of the two years and $23 million remaining on Matthews’ contract with the Angels.

SI.com was first to report the completion of the trade.

It’s not immediately known who the Angels will receive in return for Matthews, but a source told ESPN.com that it will be a low-salaried pitcher off the major league roster.

Matthews, 35, is a .258 hitter in 11 big league seasons. His best year came in 2006, when he hit .313 with 19 homers and 79 RBIs for the Texas Rangers.

Click here to read the full article – By Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com