Kuzul

So we all have read that Johan Santana won’t be with us the first half of the season. This is a tough pill to swallow for New York Mets fans and to be completely blunt about it, I’m tired of the pessimism surrounding the New York Mets for this upcoming 2011 season from media and fans alike.

The world is not over! The season hasn’t even begun yet! It’s only December!

For my own piece of mind, here is what we are looking at for the 2011 starting rotation, and honestly, it’s not as bad as many of us think it is. Actually, it’s not that bad at all…

Mike Pelfrey

He’s got solid stuff, we know it and he knows it. Big Pelf just needs a little push over the edge to have the breakthrough year his 6’7” frame is capable of having.

He was definitely the best pitcher on staff last season, going 15-9 with a 3.66 ERA and that is including his horrible 0-3, 10.02 ERA July. Take that month away, and we would be looking at the 11^th best pitcher in the NL going 15-6 with a 2.95 ERA.

Pelfrey has already shown that he can pitch like an ace, which makes 2011 that much more important for him.

Already tabbed the Opening Day starter by manager Terry Collins, Big Pelf has the rare opportunity to carry this pitching staff on his shoulders and lead them to a successful 2011 campaign.

Expect big things from Big Pelf in 2011.

Jon Niese

Niese had a solid first full-season under his belt and will definitely learn from 2010.

He was red hot to open the season, but then simmered cool the last half; no different from any rookie pitcher during their first full season in the big show.

He pitched 173.2 innings, the most he ever has, and only gave up more than five runs in five of his 30 starts, which is something Niese should be proud of.

He entered into uncharted territory late last season with the innings and amount of wear and tear on his arm, so that’s something pitching coach Dan Warthen must work on with Jon: the stamina to make it out there every fifth day for 162 games.

Look for Niese to capitalize in a more important No. 2/3 starting role on the Mets staff this season, as he uses his new found experience to gain the edge on opposing batters.

R.A. Dickey

The true shining spot of the 2011 New York Mets, Dickey resurrected his career at the age of 35 in 2010, and is now on the lookout to prove that last year was not just a fluke.

He can single-handedly command a game when he is in command of his knuckleball, as we saw last season, and we can expect for his ceiling as a knuckleballer to be higher this season.

Ownership is said to be on the verge of signing Dickey to a long-term extension (rightfully so), which should give the knuckleballer some piece of mind to go out every fifth day and leave it all on the field.

This time last year, Mets fans and management alike had no idea what to expect from R.A., and we sure weren’t expecting what we got in 2010. So there is no telling why he can’t replicate his success and translate it to a better year in 2011.

Dillon Gee

One bright spot for the Mets last year was September call-up Dillon Gee, who pitched well in Triple-A Buffalo before making it to the big league squad.

From what we saw of Gee, he could certainly bode well for the Mets as a fourth or fifth starter, especially after facing NL East rivals so early in his major league career.

He pitched well against the Phillies, going seven innings of five hit ball and only letting up two runs for the win. He also pitched strong against the Braves, again going seven innings, giving up six hits and only three runs, but getting the tough-luck loss.

He could be the potential workhorse and innings-eater the Mets need out of the back end of the rotation, and with the bullpen as shaky as it seems to be on paper, we sure could use Gee for all he’s willing to give.

Boof Bonser/ Pat Misch

Two options to round out the pitching staff is newly signed Boof Bonser, who got an invite to spring training after inking a minor league deal, and internal option Pat Misch.

The former first-round draft pick, Bonser is on the lookout for a bounce-back season after failing to meet expectations last year, split between the Red Sox and Athletics. He was somewhat reliable out of the bullpen, but wishes to get back to the starting rotation where it all began. The Mets plan to give him that wish during spring training.

Pat Misch is also another interesting name that has filled in for the Mets as a spot starter, but hasn’t blown anyone away. He is an effective pitcher against righties, but less successful against lefties, which seems to fit better in the bullpen. Nonetheless, he will get his chance.

Jeff Francis/ Chris Young/ Free Agent

We all know that Sandy Alderson and company haven’t really been that active in the free agent market, despite what many of us believe our team needs are. But they have already stated they WILL get a free agent pitcher to shore up the starting rotation, and I believe them.

Chris Young, Jeff Francis, Brandon Webb or any of the above would be an affordable reclamation project that could prove worthwhile if they ink a one-year deal. Doing this would insure that they would try to reestablish themselves in the league to score a larger contract next winter.

With half their starts in pitcher-friendly Citi Field, any of these pitchers would do well by signing with our New York Metropolitans.

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If you’re a New York Mets fan, you might want to commit this name to memory for future reference: Cesar Puello.

At the fresh age of 19-years old, Cesar Puello has made his way to the top of the Mets farm system, most recently being named the Mets No. 3 top prospect by Baseball America.

Even though Puello won’t make an impact on the team in the foreseeable future, he has the potential to become a star at the major league level in the Mets outfield, and here some reasons why:

Body-build

For a young guy, Puello is bigger than most teens I’ve ever seen, excluding myself though. He’s listed at 6’2”, 195 lbs, but he plays like he is much larger.

He has a ripped, muscular physique that will only fill out with age and experience at the professional level. Puello is said to possess above average speed, with a strong swing, and an above average arm from the right field.

He has shown a surge of power during batting practice, easily driving balls over the left –field wall, but at this stage in his career, he has yet to translate that swing to any games.

In the batter’s box

Since the beginning of the season, Cesar has reworked his swing with the help of the Savannah Sand Gnat coaching staff, and it seems to have been working for him. 

Early in the year, Puello’s swing was a raw as it could get; leading the Gnats in broken bats symbolizing the amount of times he was getting jammed inside and hitting the ball off the label and not on the sweet spot.

He held his hands near the center of his chest with his shoulders slumped forward, creating too much time to get ready for the coming pitch. Standing this way, he had to bring his hands back loaded and his shoulders more relaxed before the pitch reached home plate, which is a lot to ask of a A league ball player.

In May, he re-tooled his swing by taking a little step off the plate, relaxing his shoulders and keeping his bat rested near his back shoulder. This created an easier opportunity for Puello to see the pitch and attack it accordingly.

In his first full season in the minors, Puello recorded a respectable .292 average, 22 doubles and a .734 OBP all gearing him for greater improvements in the future.

In the field

A natural outfielder, Puello’s plus speed makes it capable for him to cut off shallow bloops and chip shots to right. He retreats well on fly balls by covering a lot of ground in right field, while also being able to reach a ball fast in the gap to use his arm to make plays.

His arm is a major weapon, helping him be one the top 15 outfielders in the league with eight assists. That number would be much higher if it weren’t for his reputation around the league causing teams to challenge him less later in the season.

On the bases

Puello is a surprising speedster who loves to run.

“I want to steal more bases,” said Puello after a Gnats victory, “I like to be dirty. I like to slide. When I slide, I get that special feeling.”

I guess he really likes that ‘special feeling’ by looking at his 83% success rate on the base paths, good for second in the SAL with 44 stolen bases and having been caught only nine times all year.

By the numbers

Mind-set

Puello is the epitome of the young ball player coming to a foreign country to play the sport he loves. His English has come a long way in the one-plus years he has been in America and it is only getting better.

With such a determined mind-frame, the possibilities for this kid are literally endless. Be on the look-out for his name in the coming 2013 and 2014 seasons.

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Even a case of short-term memory loss can’t erase the memory of Jason Bay’s first season as a New York Met. Granted, it wasn’t a full season due to the concussion he sustained at Dodger Stadium, but it’s just too early to call Bay a free-agent bust.

“Last year, for all intents and purposes for me, was a lost year, as far as production and injury,” Bay said Tuesday at the Mets annual Christmas party.

His season ended on July 25, when concussion-related headaches and pains kept him out the remainder of the year. But as he implied on Tuesday, he is feeling much better and seems to have put his problems behind him to focus on a productive 2011 campaign.

“Since about the last week of the season, I didn’t have anymore issues,” said Bay, who also told reporters that he hasn’t exactly resumed baseball activities, but the workouts he goes through are much more strenuous than anything on the field.

So by all accounts, Bay is back.

Last season’s aberration in production can quickly be blamed on the transition to the bright lights of the Big Apple. Much like the situation with Carlos Beltran five years ago, Bay was our off season headliner who had every bright light fixated on him.

The similarities between the two could speak to how well Bay will do this upcoming season:

Beltran’s last year before joining Mets: 599 AB, 38 HR, 104 RBI, 42 SB, .267/.367/.548

Beltran’s 1st year with Mets: 582 AB, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 17 SB, .266/.330/.414

Beltran’s 2nd year with Mets: 510 AB, 41 HR, 116 RBI, 18 SB, .275/.388/.594

Bay’s last year before joining Mets: 531 AB, 36 HR, 119 RBI, .267/.384/.537

Bay’s 1st year with Mets: 348 AB, 6 HR, 47 RBI, .259/.347/.402

Looking at these stats, I am not expecting Bay to set a franchise record for home runs, but I do expect to see Bay have a bounce-back season that will look similar to the player he has been his entire career, not just in Boston.

Bay has made his name by cracking 25-35 home runs and driving in 100+ runs, so there is no question, when fully healthy, he can do this again for the Mets.

Predictions don’t really mean much in December unless they come true this summer, but with a healthy Bay, and a more mature and healthy cast around him, it’s not hard to objectively predict Bay to hit 25-30 home runs, drive in 100+ with a .280+ average in Citi Field.

What do you think?

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It took a few weeks for ownership to finally hire a GM, and even longer for the GM to hire a manager, so it only makes sense that there is an aura of suspense around who Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins will choose to close out their coaching staff.

In a conference call with bloggers last Friday, Alderson made it clear that new coaches had already been identified; he was just waiting for the right time to make the announcement.

And it appears that the time has come.

The Mets will hire Dave Hudgens to replace Howard Johnson as the hitting coach. Hudgens has previous ties with the Mets—drafted by the team in 1975 as there fifth overall pick, but did not sign—and has a prior relationship with manager Terry Collins.

It may seem odd that the Mets decided to go with a hitting coach who only has one hit in seven at-bats during his Major League career, but Hudgens was hired more for his baseball knowledge and discipline than his actual experience.

He has previously served as the Cleveland Indians Minor League field coordinator, the same job Collins held last year with the Mets, and is currently managing Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League where he has Mets starting catcher Josh Thole on the roster.

Ken Oberkfell has won the position to be Collins’ bench coach, and it was a good decision on behalf of the Mets.

We all have heard how “fiery, intense and passionate” Terry Collins is for the game of baseball, so the Mets made a great move by bringing in a bench coach who is a little more even-keeled and calm to balance out the rest of the coaching staff.

Oberkfell has been serving as the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, Buffalo Bisons, manager for the past two seasons and has also been managing in the Mets organization since 2002, so he should know the Mets system and players from bottom to top.

He is keeping his managerial skills fresh this winter by managing Los Leones de Escogido in the Dominican Winter League and was also a candidate for the Mets managerial vacancy, so he is a great choice overall.

To replace Jerry Manuel’s best friend Razor Shines as first base coach, the Mets chose Mookie Wilson who will be serving his second term at the position.

He was manning the first base box for the Mets from 1997-2002 under then-manager Bobby Valentine, and as Bobby V. exited stage right, so did Wilson.

Mookie, now 54 years old, played 10 seasons for the Mets and is the lone Major League level representation of the ‘86 Mets World Series run.

Last season was his first year back with the Mets after spending four years in a private business, and he excelled at his position of Minor League outfield and base running coordinator.

In a role that largely goes unnoticed to Mets fans and at the Major League level until Francisco Rodriguez had an altercation with previous coach Randy Niemann last season, the Mets chose Jon Debus as their bullpen coach.

Debus has the experience to qualify him: 10 seasons in the Dodgers minors as a catcher, managerial experience at the Minor League level, 2005 Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen coach, and not to mention he followed Collins to Japan during the skipper’s short tenure with the Orix Buffaloes.

Collins has nothing but nice and complimentary words to say about Debus, but most notably, Collins credits Debus with helping develop and mature Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin into the All-Star he is today.

These new additions round out the coaching staff that already includes pitching coach Dan Warthen and third base coach Chip Hale who remains on staff from the Jerry Manuel era.

Now, we just wait for this announcement to become public so Alderson and company can finally stop worrying about the behind-the-scenes make-up of the New York Mets, and start to worry about the state of the team on the playing field.

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As a mark to the end of the Winter Meetings, the Rule V Draft occurs each year between GMs to prevent teams from stockpiling talent in the minors that other teams could use on their major league roster.

This year, the New York Mets added two names during the Rule V Draft: Orioles pitcher Pedro Beato and Blue Jays infielder Brad Emaus. The latter of the two seems the most intriguing pick-up by Sandy Alderson and company.

Emaus was claimed by the Mets from the Blue Jays, and I fully expect him to compete with Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada and Justin Turner for the Mets’ second base job in spring training.

Emaus hit .290 with 32 doubles, 15 home runs and 75 RBI in 125 games with double-A New Hampshire and Las Vegas last season, and as the Mets lack better options at second base, he is sure to be in the mix this spring for the starting job.

In the most realistic situation, Emaus does stay on the Mets’ 25-man roster to protect him from being sent back to the Blue Jays, but he will most likely play off the bench, with spot starts at second, third and first base. He will be the newer version of what we used Fernando Tatis for, just younger, with more power and better range. Overall, he is an incredible upgrade from what we had.

In all honesty, I’d like to see Emaus make the team as the No. 2 second baseman behind starter Daniel Murphy. Murphy is a complete question mark and we don’t known yet how he will perform on shaky knees, so the confidence management has showed in Emaus is comforting to know that there is a legit backup.

Ruben Tejada should in all likelihood stay in triple-A where he will get the seasoning and hitting work he needs to be an everyday player at the major league level. With the impending Jose Reyes trade talks, it would be the best bet for the Mets to produce a viable backup option if and when Reyes were to be traded.

That leaves us with Justin Turner, whose name has been coming up in recent talks about the second base job. He has many highly regarded ex-players backing him, including current Escogido coach Moises Alou and former Bisons skipper Ken Oberkfell, who say Tuner is a “gamer” and “an everyday player.”

This all bodes well for the former Baltimore Oriole, who didn’t make the team out of spring training last year. Turner is out of minor league options, and should be right in the middle of the competition for the Mets second base job, or at least the Mets’ backup middle infielder job.

By and large, the status of the Mets’ second base job is this group of players job to lose. Any one of these guys has the same chances of outperforming one another, and the decision should go down to the last weeks of spring training. I look forward to seeing how Terry Collins and Alderson figure this one out.

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The New York Mets and free-agent reliever D.J. Carrasco have agreed to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

The deal is pending a physical, but it will more than likely transpire.

Carrasco was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks last week and was rumored to have six to eight teams looking to acquire his services, but it was the Mets who prevailed and signed the right-handed reliever.

With the loss of Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi, the Mets bullpen is in serious shambles. Carrasco’s presence will certainly help bridge the gap from starter to Francisco Rodriguez, but more help will be needed.

Carrasco posted a 3.68 ERA, 7.5 K/9 innings and a 47.5 percent ground ball rate split between the Pirates and D-Backs, all stats looking to translate well into spacious Citi Field. 

From what has been made public, he is an interesting pitcher to watch that reminds fans of former Met, Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez. He switches up his delivery for different pitches and is creative at finding ways to change his motion and life on his pitches.

Carrasco is also said to have a rubber arm and he has no problem pitching many innings or deep into games—something the Mets will look to use.

Overall, with the pick up of Carrasco and Ronny Paulino as Josh Thole’s back up during the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Mets GM Sandy Alderson seems to be making a “splash”in his own old school way. 

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Marking the first Major League player addition to the New York Mets roster under new General Manager Sandy Alderson, the Mets signed free agent catcher Ronny Paulino.

Paulino will join the Mets to serve as backup to Josh Thole, who recently received the vote of confidence to start everyday from both the GM and from manager Terry Collins.

Paulino was non-tendered by the Florida Marlins and will have to sit out the first eight games of the 2011 season to complete the remainder of a 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Overall, his 2010 numbers don’t justify the importance he had with the Marlins. Hitting .259 with four home runs, Paulino proved to be a workhorse that stepped up for the team when starting catcher John Baker went down due to injury.

This story originally broke with many sources refuting it, saying the Mets are “working through a list” of free-agent catchers, but according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes, a deal was finally worked out as per his twitter account.

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed as of yet, but considering the rationale behind the signing, Paulino will receive a one-year deal worth around $1 million.

It was thought the Mets would sign a more experienced, veteran catcher who had some years under his belt. Names like Russell Martin, Henry Blanco, or Gerald Laird come to mind. But the signing of Paulino with five full big league seasons makes much more sense.

They get the veteran to mentor young Josh Thole, while also getting a productive bat off the bench who can also start every other day.

Like we saw with Henry Blanco and his diminishing production last year, a viable back up is needed when working with young players who continue to grow and develop at the Major League level.

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As the year of “Perpetual Pedro” and surprising consistency from Hisanori Takahashi is over, the New York Mets are once again on the look out for bullpen help this upcoming season.

Free-agent names have been floating around, but as per GM Sandy Alderson, “You shouldn’t expect us to come back with a high-profile trophy.”

So this leaves the Mets to look within the organization to construct next year’s bullpen.

Guys like Ryota Igarashi, Pat Misch and Manny Acosta will be asked to step up and prove they are deserving of a spot in the pen, but an interesting name to go along with this group is fan favorite Oliver Perez.

Hearing his name being brought up in discussions about next years team does make me uneasy, as I just want to see the team cut their losses and let him go.

But if Perez can demonstrate the pitching that Minaya once thought deserving of a three-year, $36 million contract, then I guess management will have to give him a look.

But to be perfectly honest, why will this year be any different from the past?

His 2010 season was atrocious, going 0-5 with a 6.80 ERA. He has only reached double-digits in the wins column three times in his nine-year career and he has been getting shelled this winter playing in Mexico.

He is a total loose cannon on the mound which causes the wheels to come off very quickly and that’s the last thing our bullpen needs.

I realize I am just stating the obvious and if anyone was barely familiar with the Mets they would understand this also. But giving the terms of his contract, and the year remaining, it only seems right to see what Ollie’s got for 2011.

By no means am I saying that there aren’t better options available outside the organization, because there is a slew, but with the evident lack of funds the team is working with, Ollie could be our Opening Day lefty-specialist…until the inevitable implosion.

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As the 20th manager in New York Mets history, Terry Collins gave the impression during his introductory press conference that he wanted to start from scratch with his newly inherited team and go back to the basics.

He said that as the game changes, players are spending less time learning and developing at the minor league level, and now the major league level is where players need to be taught the fundamentals of the game. 

In order for Collins to begin his new philosophy of coaching, he needs the assistance and back up to help execute his plan and return a winning ball club to the field.

The GM and manager have finally been hired and now its time to fill in the holes on the coaching staff. Here are some possible solutions to fill the void at each position for the New York Mets.  

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I would like to start by saying congratulations to Terry Collins for winning the New York Mets vacant managerial position. He competed against three very deserving candidates and managed to come out on top. Therefore, I say good luck over the next two years.

That’s also an interesting point. Terry Collins reportedly will only be signing a two-year deal, through the end of the 2013 season.

If I didn’t know any better, I could conclude that Sandy Alderson did this on purpose. As the Mets “rebuild” the next two years under the veteran Terry Collins, recent position snub Wally Backman should be waiting in the wings to take over a winning ball club.

Wally Backman was obviously the fan-favorite to win the job, but Alderson went with the Paul DePodesta and Fred Wilpon-backed Terry Collins, which could turn out to be very beneficial for Backman’s chances of landing the job when Collins contract expires.

While Collins worries about the present situation and bringing the Mets back to winning form, Backman will inherit an already rebuilt team, if he gets the job in 2013.

First-time manager Backman wasn’t ready to take over the position and Alderson knew it. The decision to go with Terry Collins during this stage of the Mets rebuilding process was the right move by Alderson. When Backman gets the job, he will be under less pressure to immediately preform well if the team already has a recent history of winning baseball. 

As long as Backman doesn’t leave the organization altogether and he’s already stated he wants to remain loyal to Jeff Wilpon for giving him another chance, good things could come for him.

Backman’s fiery personality and in-your-face attitude is perfect for the future of this ball club. However, before we can use a manager like that, we need to begin winning again. As Collins starts to piece back together this team, he bridges the gap to the 2013 New York Mets,when Wally Backman will be in the home dugout calling the shots.   

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