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Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez: When Should the New York Mets Cut Them?

New York Mets fans have been begging for Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez to be shipped out of Queens for a while now.  Both aging players have two of the worst contracts in the league, clearly not living up to their worth, and it will be almost impossible for the Mets to find a team that would take them in a trade.  That leaves the Mets with one option: cut both players.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson has made it clear that he doesn’t see the two players in the team’s future.  The only way that either of these two players will stay with the team is if they have a fantastic spring training.  It must be nothing short of fantastic though.

Alderson has a short leash with these two and will not give them any second chances.  That raises the question of when Alderson should cut them.

Some people want them gone as soon as possible, but I don’t agree with that.  I think that Alderson should see how they look in spring training.  Two of the Mets’ biggest holes are second base and a lefty reliever.  Castillo and Perez fit those roles.

Don’t think I’m crazy when I suggest this, but those two guys may be able to fill those spots nicely.  If they have a perfect spring training then I think that they should be kept on the team.  But, I mean perfect—one slip-up and they’re gone.

Let’s get a little more realistic, though.  Both players are due a lot of money, and even if they do shine in spring training, I’m not sure they can keep up that pace in the regular season. 

Here’s what I would do if I was Alderson:  If they both have perfect spring trainings, then I would keep Castillo and try to trade Perez.  If nobody wants Perez, then just cut him.

Oliver Perez has shown that the Mets can’t trust him and I don’t think that he deserves another chance.  He has already received too many.

The two players can save Alderson a headache and just go out there in spring training and stink it up.  Sandy would then just cut them and forget it.  That would set a great tone for the team and let them know Alderson expects them to compete.

My final answer is that the Mets should cut Castillo and Perez the second that they start to falter.  I respect both men as people, but not as players.  If and when the Mets cut them, then I will be happy, but I also hope that they will find success elsewhere and have good lives. 

Either way, they still need to be gone at the first sight of bad play.

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2011 New York Mets: Are Reports Of Wilpons Selling Off 25 % Really a Bad Thing?

A big fuss has recently been made about the Wilpons statement that they might sell of around 25 percent of the New York Mets. Without getting into too many details, most of this has to do with the Bernie Madoff scandal.

Many people around baseball are making a big deal out of this.  That must be the result of a slow sports week in New York.  This should not ever be a top story.  In fact, the Steinbrenners only own 32.9 percent of the Yankees.

The New York Mets are one of only a few teams that have so much owned by one family.  The Wilpons own around 99 percent of the team.  Even if the Wilpons do sell of part of the team than it won’t really have a big effect on the team.

The Mets are looking for a person that will most likely not have an opinion on the team’s actions; all they will do is help the Mets’ capital.  The Wilpons will also still own the majority of the team.

They made it clear that they will not be selling off the whole team anytime soon.  The Wilpons will most likely be the Mets majority owners for a long time.

If they do sell off around 25 percent of the team then it might even be a good thing.  It could help the Mets financially  allow the team a little more flexibility with money.

This is not the time to be worrying about this nonsense.  Spring Training is right around the corner and hopefully Mets fans began to hear more and more about that.  There is nothing to worry about for the Mets right now except for how they will play this season. Here’s looking to Spring Training and real baseballit can’t come any sooner.

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Jose Reyes: Will He Have a Huge Season In 2011?

Jose Reyes is one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball.  His combination of speed and personality makes him one of the most exciting baseball players to watch. 

When healthy, Reyes is exciting to watch.  The problem is that he hasn’t been 100 percent in a while.  Whenever a player like Reyes isn’t 100 percent healthy, it definitely affects his playing ability.

Reyes has recently had health problems, but he is now 100 percent and ready to have a great season.  Reyes had been extremely healthy until the past two years, and 2009 was the worst for him. 

Leg injuries plagued him throughout the season as he only played in 36 games.  He made a recovery going into 2010, but other injuries caught up with him.  He was ready to go but then had a thyroid problem.  You could just see the sadness in Reyes’ face.

He was so excited to get back to playing the game he loves, but he had it taken away from him once again.  Despite his minor injury problems in 2010, he made a good comeback.  He started off very slow, but once he got back into the groove of things, he was on fire.

But with his luck, he suffered another minor injury after he heated up.  He came back soon enough and capped off a solid season.  He played in 133 games in 2010, almost 100 more games than he played in the previous season.

How will Reyes be able to shake off his recent injury bug? 

No one knows the exact answer but Reyes is doing everything possible to prepare himself for the 2011 baseball season.  People close to him say he looks great and Reyes himself says that he is 100 percent. 

I believe him because he has showed that he can be healthy and play almost every game in the season.  It’s not like Reyes has never been an extremely healthy player.  He’s only 27, and I believe that his prime will start this season.

This is Reyes’ contract year but he said he doesn’t want to worry about that.  All he’s concentrated on right now is having a huge season. 

Reyes has a great work ethic, and when he’s healthy, he can wreak havoc on opposing teams.  Whether it’s at the plate, on the basepaths or on defense, Reyes can hurt the opposing team.  He is a dynamic player the Mets are happy to have.

New manager Terry Collins has high expectations for Reyes.  Collins has already told Reyes to be himself and play the game how he always has.  Collins plans “to set Reyes loose” this season.  He will take advantage of Reyes’ speed, and I think they will work together perfectly.

When Reyes is healthy he is one of the best players in all of baseball.  The only question for Reyes is if he will be healthy or not.  Mets fans should be happy because Reyes is back. 

Reyes will have a huge season in 2011 and compete for the NL MVP.  I am really confident in him coming into 2011.  Brace yourself Mets fans because Reyes is going to give us a very exciting season.

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New York Mets: Can They Be Legitimate Contenders In 2011?

There is a lot of potential in the 2011 New York Mets.  The Mets have recently been one of the most talented teams in the MLB, but they haven’t been able to put that talent to use and win.

Coming into 2011, many people don’t see the Mets as a threat.  I believe that this might actually help the Mets in 2011.

The Mets were expected to do great in 2007, 2008, and 2009.  In each of those years they failed to make the playoffs.  The Mets showed that you play the games for a reason.  No matter how good any team looks on paper, they still have to play all 162 games in the season.

It is true that the Mets weren’t expected to do much last year and they didn’t.  They finished with a 79-83 record and failed to reach the playoffs for the fourth straight season.  However, 2011 is very different than 2010.

The Mets now have a new general manager and manager.  Sandy Alderson was named the Mets new general manager early in the offseason, and he has put together a decent offseason for the Mets.

The Mets haven’t made any blockbuster moves but with their financial restrictions it was impossible for them to make runs at top free agents like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. 

Despite not being able to sign big name free agents like they have in the past, the Mets were forced to make many minor signings.

D.J. Carrasco, Ronny Paulino, Taylor Bucholz, Chris Capuano and Willy Harris are some of the players that the Mets have signed this offseason.  It is no secret that those players aren’t major signings, but all of them are low risk high reward players.

Every single one of those players has a great contract and a lot of potential.  Sandy Alderson has had an impressive offseason and he’s doing as much as he can.  These moves are good moves for the team, and there’s buzz that the Mets will soon sign former Padres pitcher, Chris Young.

If the Mets sign Chris Young, then that will make him the big signing this winter.  Young has a mass amount of potential and he’s a fly ball pitcher.  His game will fit perfectly in the spacious Citi Field.

In 2006, Young went 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA. In the next two years after that, Young had ERA’s in the three’s.  He also made the All-Star team in 2007.  Young looked like he was the emerging ace of the Padres pitching staff but his career fell apart in 2009.

Injuries screwed up Young’s career and he is trying to get it back on track with the New York Mets.  It seems like it’s only a matter of time before the Mets and Young agree to terms on a contract.  That could be a huge signing for the Mets.  Young has a lot of potential, and he will most likely be signed to a one year deal worth around $2 million. 

The offseason is coming to a close, and Spring Training is right around the corner. 

I can honestly say that this is the most I’ve been looking forward to Spring Training in my life.  It might be because a new era of Mets baseball is about to begin, I’m also looking forward to see new manager Terry Collins work with the players.

When the Mets named Terry Collins their new manager, the team got mixed reactions from the fans.  I liked the signing and I believe that Terry Collins can lead this team to the playoffs.  He is a no-nonsense guy who concentrates on fundamentals and recognizes the task at hand.  Collins recently said that this is how he visions the Mets’ lineup come Opening Day:

1. Jose Reyes

2. Angel Pagan

3. David Wright

4. Carlos Beltran

5. Jason Bay

6. Ike Davis

The seven and eight spots will be the second basemen and catcher, but Collins has yet to decide on who will start at those positions.

As for the rest of the lineup, I think that it can be great.  There are plenty of “ifs” in this lineup, but if they work out, then it could be fantastic.

If Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran stay healthy, Pagan and Wright build off their great season last year, Jason Bay has a bounce back season, and Ike Davis avoids a sophomore slump, then this team can be in business.

Those are plenty of ifs but we’ve seen crazier things happen.  The main key to success would be their health and pitching.

The Mets have recently had many injury-riddled seasons, but if they can get back to their healthy ways, then they will compete without a doubt.

The pitching rotation currently looks like this.

1. Mike Pelfrey

2. Jon Niese

3. R.A. Dickey

4. Chris Capuano or Dillon Gee

5.

If the Mets sign Chris Young, then he will most likely be the number four starter and Gee and Capuano will compete for the number five spot.  With Johan Santana out for the first half of the season, the Mets will need a pitcher to step up.

The team is currently lacking a true ace, but I think that Mike Pelfrey can fill that void.  Pelfrey was stellar in the first half of the year last season.  He had a little bit of a rough going in the early second half, but got back on track and finished off the season strong.

Pelfrey has a lot of potential and if he can consistently perform like he did in the first half of last season then he will establish himself as the team’s ace in Santana’s absence.

Jon Niese and R.A. Dickey both had breakthrough years last season.  Although Niese is a young prospect and Dickey is a 36-year-old knuckleballer, both of them can have the same affect on the rotation. 

It seems as if Dickey revived his career last season with his knuckleball.  He finished the season with a 2.84 ERA, that was among the best in the MLB.  If Dickey is nearly as good as he was last year then that will greatly improve the teams playoff chances.

Jon Niese is 24 years old and he turned in some stellar performances last year.  Niese has a devastating array of pitches and if he continues to mature and get better then he will establish himself as a longtime top of the rotation starter for the Mets.

If the Mets sign Chris Young then I would assume that he would start the season off in the four slot.  If Young performs up to his potential then he would be one of the best number four starters in the league.

The number five spot is a toss up between Capuano and Gee.  It all depends on which player impresses the most in spring training.  The player that impresses Terry Collins the most will win the job.  Both of those players have enormous potential but they have been inconsistent in their careers.  If they play at the top of their game then they will be great.

As for the bullpen and bench, they are still being pieced together and I expect nothing more than for them to be above average, but that might be all the team needs. 

It all comes down to this, the New York Mets success is going to reflect their health in 2011.  If the Mets can stay healthy in 2011 then they will compete.  I believe that the new culture around this team will positively affect every aspect of the team.

The Mets desperately needed a change, and they got one.  I’m looking forward to a great 2011 season for the New York Mets.  This team has too much potential to not be realized by their fans.  The games are played for a reason, and the Mets will do their best to prove that in this upcoming season.

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Is Their Reason For Optimism For The New York Mets In 2011?

Not much is expected from the 2011 New York Mets. 

Actually, there aren’t many reasons to believe in this team. 

From a fan’s perspective the Mets has constantly let us down, so why will 2011 be any different?

That is the ultimate question. 

Before every new baseball season I’ve wrote articles stating my case on the New York Mets.  Ever since 2007, I confidently stated that the Mets would make the playoffs.

In each of those four seasons the Mets didn’t play in the postseason.  So that means that I’m 0 for 4 in predicting the New York Mets’ last four seasons.

And yet here I am, stating my cause once more.  I’m gonna say it once more, I believe that the New York Mets can make the playoffs in 2011. 

Call me an optimistic homer, but this is my honest opinion.

My honest opinion hasn’t meant much in the past four years, but it’s a different year and anything can happen. 

The Mets are a perfect example of why predictions don’t mean much.  Many predicted the Mets to go all the way in 2007 and 2008. 

That didn’t happen. 

No matter how good or bad a team looks on paper the games must be played.

The games are played for a reason.  All 162 games impact the season, and in those 162 games anything can happen. 

The Tampa Bay Rays can make it all the way to the World Series after being the worst team in the league. 

The San Francisco Giants can surprise the world and win a World Series.

I can go on and on, but I think you’re getting the point.  Not many people predicted those teams to do what they did, perhaps a few optimistic homers predicted their respectable teams to do what they did.

Spring Training is approaching and it is the perfect time for fans to believe in their favorite teams. 

When Spring Training comes every team starts off in first place. 

The new season resembles a blank slate.  Anything can happen, and that surprise team can be the Mets or any other team who is not expected to do much. 

So is their reason for optimism for the Mets in 2011?

The simple answer is yes.  Believing in your team has never hurt, a new season is approaching and it’s the perfect time to believe in your team. 

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Brandon Webb: Can New York Mets Afford To Roll Dice on Former D-backs Pitcher?

Big name free agents are flying off the market at a rapid pace.  Almost every big name free agent has agreed to terms with a team.

The free agent class of 2010 was very top heavy.  It lacked depth, especially in the pitchers market.  After Cliff Lee signed with Philadelphia, that made Carl Pavano the new top free agent pitcher.

Pavano has recently had a couple of solid seasons, but I don’t think that he is anywhere near worth the money he is asking for.  I could talk a lot about Pavano, but the team that we are focusing on has no interest in him.

The New York Mets are in desperate need of another starting pitcher.  With Johan Santana injured and Hisanori Takahashi gone, there are some holes in the Mets rotation.

As of now the Mets rotation looks like this.

1. Mike Pelfrey

2. R.A. Dickey

3. Jon Niese

4. Dillon Gee

5.

That leaves one spot for the Mets to fill.  Some of the names that have been mentioned are Jeff Francis, Chris Young, Freddy Garcia and Brandon Webb.  The team is probably looking at other pitchers too, but these are currently the main candidates for the job.

The sexiest name on this list is most likely Brandon Webb.  Two years ago, most people foresaw Webb as being one of the premier pitchers in the 2010 free agent market.  It didn’t work out like that.  Webb’s career has been in a landslide the last couple of years.

Injuries have riddled his past two seasons and that leaves him where he is now: a gamble for teams to take.  Webb is an amazing talent and there’s no denying that. 

In 2008, Webb went 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA.  He placed second in the Cy Young voting and made the NL All-Star team.  Webb was looking at getting big bucks this offseason, but things took a turn for the worst.

After that stellar season, the injury bug hit him.  Webb started one game all of 2009, and didn’t even make an appearance in 2010.

That brings us to where we are now.  Many teams are looking at Webb.  He can turn out to be a great signing for a team that can get him at a discount price, but he can also turn out to be a horrible signing for a team that has little money to spend. 

The Mets are one team that have very little money to spend.  It is estimated that they have about $5 million to spend for the rest of the offseason.  That is just enough for the Mets to sign another pitcher to round out their rotation.

The question is who will the Mets sign, and will they have enough money to sign some pitchers? The Mets will try their best to work out discount deals with the four previously mentioned players, but it will be hard to make Webb lower his asking price. 

There are many options for the Mets right now, and their front office is currently weighing those options.  One of the biggest questions is if the Mets will make a serious run at Webb, and if they will be able to sign him or not.

If Webb and the Mets work together, then they might be able to work out an incentive-laden contract with a base salary around $4.5 million or $5 million.  Many things would have to go right for that to happen, but let’s play what if. 

What if the Mets can get Webb for that kind of contract? Should they take a chance with him or pass up the opportunity? 

I think that every team in the MLB would love to have Brandon Webb on their team.  Talent like his just doesn’t fly away over night.  But there is plenty of downside to this for the Mets.  Maybe not so much for other teams, but the Mets have to be extremely cautious with Webb.

If the Mets sign him and he doesn’t perform well or gets injured, then it will be a very bad situation for the organization.  The Mets pretty much get one chance to sign a pitcher this offseason, and they have to get it right.

They have little money to spend, and they can’t afford to screw up.  Brandon Webb is a talented player, but I think that he is too big a gamble for the Mets to take.  With that said, if the Mets do sign him I certainly won’t be disappointed, because I trust Sandy Alderson’s judgement on players. 

But with the knowledge that I currently have on this situation, I would say to stay away from Webb.  He is a talented player, but the Mets are in no position to be taking gambles.  The team has to play it safe for now. Too bad the Mets have to be in this position.

I would’ve loved it if the Mets had the money to take a chance on Webb, but we all know that this is just the way things are going for the Mets.  Have confidence in Sandy Alderson though. He will make the right move after this is all said and done.

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Cliff Lee To the Phillies: Not As Bad As It Looks for the Mets and Their Fans

As everyone has heard, Cliff Lee returned to Philadelphia.  The Phillies have added another star player to their already great team. 

When news broke, Mets fans’ stomachs turned.  As if Mets fans haven’t had it hard enough, the pain just keeps coming.  The Phillies have won the NL East Division four years in a row, and it seems like that trend will continue.

The Phillies have one of the best pitching rotations in recent history, and we all know that pitching usually wins games.  Even though this situation seems so bad for Mets fans, it really isn’t.

I am an optimistic Mets fan and some of you pessimistic fans might be sick of me, but hear me out.  Looking at the glass half-full is always the positive thing to do.

The negatives currently outweigh the positives by a lot.  2011 currently looks really bad for the Mets, but there’s a reason the games are played.

I remember when in 2007 and 2008, the Mets looked amazing on paper and were predicted to go all the way by some people.  Phillies fans were hanging their heads with same worries that us Mets fans currently have.

We all know how those “great” Mets teams performed.  They looked good on paper, but that means absolutely nothing.  The games are played for a reason.  No matter if you are a stacked team on paper or you are flat out garbage, every team goes into a season wanting to win a World Series.

The Mets are not nearly as bad as their fans are making them out to be.  They have a fantastic lineup when healthy and good fielders. If Sandy Alderson can pick up some pitchers, then the Mets would be set. 

Alderson has a direction that he wants the team to go in, and Mets fans should be grateful for that.  In the Mets’ recent history, they didn’t really have direction.  The 2011 season is not a rebuilding season at all for the Mets; they are going into this season with their eyes set on winning the World Series.

Going back to the Phillies.  I’ll be the first to admit that the Phillies have a fantastic team going into 2011, and probably 2012, but what about the years after them?

The Phillies have one of the oldest teams in the MLB and a lot of their money is tied in aging players.  Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will be making around $20 million a year for the next five years.  The contracts might be back loaded but the money will be paid no matter what.

Halladay and Lee aren’t young, and recent baseball history has showed many old players’ abilities decrease dramatically.  These two contracts could end up hurting the Phillies. 

The Phillies have also totally destroyed their farm system to get what they have now.  The Phillies will be great the next two years but problems will begin to surface after that. 

Just when the Phillies’ demise begins, so will the Mets uprising.  Mets fans shouldn’t be worried.  Alderson has a long term plan for this team and it is being carried out as we speak.  Just remember one thing for this upcoming season: the games are played for a reason.

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New York Mets: Why Terry Collins Is the Right Man for the Job

The buzz around the New York Mets is that the club’s new manager will be Terry Collins.  All signs are pointing to Collins.  It is said that he is the current front runner for the job, and with Clint Hurdle going to the Pirates, it looks like Collins is a lock for the Mets.

This news has caused many Mets fans to get upset with the organization again.  Fans hopes were high when Sandy Alderson was hired and when a new Mets’ front office was assembled.  Things were going great for the Mets; the next step was to get a manager.

Fans had names like Wally Backman, Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre in mind.  They wanted a game changer, someone who would bring instant credibility to a slumping franchise.  In a perfect world, the fans would have got who they wanted.  But this isn’t a perfect world.

The Mets currently have limited resources, and that means they can’t spend a lot on their next manager.  Guys like Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre are fantastic baseball minds, but they would have demanded too much money. 

As for Wally Backman, he is still currently in the race.  People close to him have said that he is expecting to get called back for a second interview.  The Mets fans have voiced their opinions on who they want to be the next manager, and the majority wants Backman.

There’s one problem, though: The fans don’t make the choices.  Sandy Alderson does, and Sandy Alderson doesn’t like Backman as much as the fans do.  Alderson has made it clear that he envisions a manager to be an extension of himself.

Alderson does not want to put up with huge egos.  He wants a quiet manager who will manage the game the way he (Alderson) wants it to be managed. 

That leaves us with the final candidates: Terry Collins, Bob Melvin and Chip Hale are reportedly the last three candidates for the job.  As mentioned earlier, Collins currently is the front runner of the pack.

None of these three guys are sexy picks, but Sandy Alderson has seen something in each of them.  Something that the fans can’t see.  Alderson is the man conducting the interviews and he sees first hand what these men intend on doing with the team.

Obviously, Alderson sees potential in these final three candidates.  He has a plan for this team and he intends on carrying that plan out.  In the recent past, the Mets have not had long term plans to follow.  The Mets mindset was that they would just patch up their holes and then move forward.

That plan didn’t work out.  Season after season, the Mets plan became more and more flawed.  Fans lost confidence in the front office and here we are now.  The Mets have a totally new front office and they are doing things different.

Surprisingly, the fans aren’t in favor of what the new front office is doing.  This team was in need of a change and it got that change.  New men are running the organization now, and they aren’t just any regular people; they are baseball masterminds.

Mets fans haven’t grasped the idea that they should trust in what the organization is doing.  The team is now run by very smart baseball minds and they know what they have to do to bring this team back to the playoffs.

It was obvious that things weren’t working out for the Mets.  Therefore a change was in need.  The organization got the change and the fans are taking that for granted.

The Mets should be doing things differently and they are.  Changes are being made and most of them are great changes.  I don’t care who the Mets name as their new manager, because I trust the organization will make the right move. 

As of now, all Mets fans should believe in this team.  It will only become reasonable to lose faith in this team once again if they are performing poorly.  That’s not the case right now and every single fan should be behind the team.

The more you think about, the more it seems that Terry Collins is the right man for the job.  He worked with the organization last season, so he is already familiar with the team.  That eliminates a crucial learning curve.  He also is a proven manager.  He has experience as a manager in the MLB and out of it.

People say that Collins’ experience isn’t a factor because his last manager job in the MLB was in 1999.  They say the game has changed a lot since then, and he isn’t ready to return to managing.  That argument is foolish because since 1999, Collins has been managing many teams.

Collins has managed in Japan for a few years and even managed Team China in the World Baseball Classic.  Collins must have learned many things in his time managing those teams.  This guy is a lot more ready for this job than the fans make him out to be.

He also has some fire, and it’s just the right amount.  There’s a fine line between being fiery and being crazy.  Collins doesn’t cross that line, he is just fiery enough and Sandy Alderson likes that.

Collins won’t make a fool of himself in post game conferences.  He’s not a big ego, and Alderson likes that.  Alderson is a smart baseball mind and Collins will be an extension of him.  I have no problem with Sandy Alderson’s theories managing the team.  Alderson is extremely smart when it comes to baseball.

Lastly, I think I have to mention this.  To put all of the managerial candidates on an equal playing field, Collins had a DUI in 2002.  Wally Backman also ran into problems with the law, so I felt that it would be foolish of me to leave this information unmentioned. 

This part of the story that was in the Augusta Chronicle. 

“Former major league manager Terry Collins was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.The 53-year-old Collins, in his first year as minor league field coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was stopped by police on the 3100 block of Washington Road, a major Augusta thoroughfare, around 2 a.m. Collins, who managed the Astros (1994-96) and Angels (1997-99), was also charged with operating an unsafe vehicle and driving without a license on his person.”

This may seem like making matters worse for an already unlike candidate for the Mets manager job, but this will actually show Mets fans something very important.  It will strongly suggest that Sandy Alderson’s opinions are strong about Terry Collins and that his decision is only baseball related.

I would suspect that a guy like Terry Collins wouldn’t be so highly touted, but Sandy Alderson must see something in him.  Alderson has made it clear that he believes that Terry Collins might be the right guy for the Mets manager job.  He believes in Collins, and that’s a great sign for Mets fans.

The team is in need of change and they are getting it.  Mets fans should be encouraged of what is currently going on with this organization.  As of now, no Met fan has any reason not to trust in Sandy Alderson.  It’s time for Mets fans to rally behind the team and trust that every move made is the right one.

 

 

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Message To Sandy Alderson: Don’t Listen To The Fans’ Opinions On The Next Manager

Terry Collins is reportedly the front runner for the Mets’ manager job. It is currently his job to lose, and a lot of Mets fans aren’t too happy to hear that. They simply don’t want Collins because he is not a sexy name like Bobby Valentine or Wally Backman.

The Mets have just began a new era and things are going smoothly. In the past four years, when Omar Minaya was the Mets’ general manager, one of the team’s biggest problems was that they made a splash just to make a splash. 

They also signed/hired some people just because the fans wanted them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong believer that fans have a lot of knowledge about their favorite team. I believe that die hard fans know what’s best for their teams, most of the time. 

I’m a die hard Mets fan and I’ve seen suggestions of mine not carried out by the team, only to have the certain player do great on the team that signed him. I have also had times where I misjudged what the team should do and they didn’t do it.

At the moment they didn’t do it, I was mad, but it showed that they made the right move. Sometimes people are right and other times they’re wrong and right now, in this new era for the Mets, we fans have to trust the new front office. 

Although Terry Collins isn’t who most fans wanted for the manager position, we have to trust in the organization. These guys are paid to make the right decisions for the team, and they are extremely smart. Interviews have been carried out and they must have seen something in Collins if they are seriously considering him for the job. 

Collins hasn’t managed in the majors for a long time. He used to manage the Houston Astros and Los Angels of Anaheim. In his total of five years managing the teams, he finished in second place every season. 

Near the end of his managing tenures, he became unpopular among the players. He was fired and here he is now, a serious candidate for the Mets’ manager job.

I’ll be one of the first Mets fans to admit it, Terry Collins is not a sexy pick and I have no idea why he is currently one of the final candidates for the Mets’ manager job. But as I think about it more and more, my mind is put at ease.

I have a renewed trust in the Mets. I trust that the team will make the right moves and lead the team back to the playoffs. I haven’t trusted this organization this much in a long time.

The Mets finally have a sense of direction. The organization knows where they want to go, and Sandy Alderson is at the helm of that. Collins currently works within the organization and that is a plus. That eliminates a crucial learning curve for him if he gets the job.

That doesn’t mean that he is the right man for the job, but it does mean that he deserves a look. He got a look and he supposedly caught Alderson’s attention. It’s a new era for the Mets, and Mets fans are still adjusting to it.

As of now, I think it’s comfortable to say that Mets fans can sit back and enjoy the show. Alderson deserves the fan base’s trust. He has done nothing wrong so far, and he actually has done everything great so far. A long offseason is in front of us, and I’m comfortable saying that I trust in Sandy Alderson to make the right moves for the team.

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How Should the New York Mets Handle Carlos Beltran?

There is currently a lot of things going on with the New York Mets. It is a new era and a time for renewed hope as a Met fan. New general manager Sandy Alderson is bringing a fresh perspective to the team, and he has already assembled one of the best front offices in all of sports.

Although Mets fans are excited for the team and its future, there are still many questions surrounding the them. One of the biggest questions is how the Mets should handle Carlos Beltran

Beltran is a fantastic center fielder in the last year of his contract. He has recently had a couple of injury-plagued seasons. Many fans wanted Beltran out as soon as possible, last year. After his whole surgery without permission from the team fiasco last year, Beltran hasn’t been a fan favorite.

Although things, currently, aren’t looking bright for Beltran, he still has some things to look forward to. 

There is no doubt that he has a great amount of talent. He is one of the best outfielders in the game, and he’s the definition of a five-tool player. All that depends on if he’s healthy or not. 

Health will be a major concern for him in this upcoming season. He is most likely going to start getting prepared for the upcoming season in about a week or so. 

Sandy Alderson currently visited with Carlos Beltran at his gala. It is believed they have discussed the possibility of Beltran moving to right field for next season. 

Angel Pagan emerged as a star in Beltran’s absence last season. Pagan is a young and fantastic fielder. Beltran is getting older and didn’t show his gold glove talent in the field last season. Although this is an interesting topic, this is the least of Beltran’s concerns. 

Beltran is thinking about where he will be for the 2011 season. Many fans have their opinions on what to do with him, and all of them could work out for the team, but there is a great way to handle this.

Beltran is currently in the last year of his mammoth contract. I think that the Mets should keep him for the upcoming season and have him play in center field. 

While playing, the Mets should hope that he does great, and they should be in contact with other teams who are interested in him. Beltran can get the Mets a few top prospects in a trade deadline deal.

If he flashes some of his former greatness, then almost any baseball team will want him.  The Mets can use some more prospects and this is a perfect opportunity for them. 

If they were to trade Beltran now, then they would most likely have to eat a lot of his contract, and they most likely won’t get any top prospects.

The Mets should handle this situation very carefully. This can be a crucial part to their future. As of now, the Mets are hoping that Beltran is getting in shape for the upcoming season. He’s going to need to be in his best shape to impress other teams. This should be an interesting situation to keep your eye on.

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