Kuzul

In part eight of the greatest Mets in team history, we move onto outfielders.

The Mets have certainly had their fair share of talented outfielders. Whether it be power, speed or defense, many Mets outfielders have excelled in at least one or two aspects of the game.

Jason Bay, Angel Pagan and Lucas Duda are the current starting outfielders for the Mets. All three have been disappointing this year, but hopefully, they will improve soon.

With this being said, here are the top ten outfielders in Mets history.

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The 2011 MLB Trade Deadline is just over 24 hours away, and some big moves have already happened. This week alone, the New York Mets traded Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants, and last night, Hunter Pence was traded by the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Today, the Milwaukee Brewers made a move as they acquired utilityman Jerry Hairston, Jr. from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Double-A prospect Erik Komatsu.

Yet, the biggest name on the trade market that still appears to be floating around is that of Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. Earlier today, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian tweeted that the New York Yankees were “all over” the right-hander. This is certainly an interesting development as it was rumored earlier this week that the Rockies’ asking price for Jimenez was too high for Yankee GM Brian Cashman.

Still, with the Boston Red Sox reportedly interested in Jimenez, don’t be surprised if the Yanks end up making a deal for Jimenez as the deadline approaches. The Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays have also shown interest.

It’s sure to be an exciting weekend, folks. Stay tuned for more updates on deals involving your favorite teams and players over the next two days!

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It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

The Mets were supposed to play the first half of the season, find themselves far out of contention, and start trading off players.

Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran were supposed to be traded because the Mets simply had no reason to hold onto them. After all, why resign players for big money when there are so many reasons to start a rebuilding process?

Contending teams pick apart the basement dwellers for spare parts. That’s how baseball works.

But now the Mets find themselves at the .500 mark (22-22) for the first time since they were 4-4 on April 9.

Even with Ike Davis, David Wright, Angel Pagan, and Johan Santana on the DL, and a roster comprised mostly of Buffalo Bisons, this Mets team finds ways to win baseball games.

This Mets team comes from behind, wins games in spite of poor pitching, and isn’t intimidated by seemingly superior teams.

Even Mets fans have to feel comfortable when guys like Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy come to the plate with runners in scoring position and the game on the line.

Last night, the Mets got a go-ahead solo home run from Murphy and a two-out RBI double from Turner as the Mets took the Subway Series opener against the Yankees, 2-1.

It’s not the high-priced talent making the difference; it’s the youngsters taking advantage of the opportunities provided to them by injuries.

If this inspiring play continues, Sandy Alderson may have to rethink his plans for this season.

With their farm system in need of an overhaul and an inability to spend big money, Alderson was faced with a difficult task: Trading off his popular players for an infusion of prospects, and hoping that an already disillusioned fanbase keeps showing up to games afterwards.

But will Alderson still trade Reyes or Beltran or Francisco Rodriguez if the Mets are actually contending?

Given the team’s performance over the last few weeks, it’s not unreasonable to think a Wild Card berth might be in their future. Heck, even the division isn’t out of reach.

The Phillies, despite their powerhouse rotation, isn’t without their flaws; the Florida Marlins are playing their best baseball in years, but always seem to fade down the stretch and they just placed Josh Johnson on the 15-day DL; and the Atlanta Braves have been up and down all season.

Can the Mets take advantage at this point in the season and make a quick push up the standings?

They’re only five games out of first place and three and a half in the Wild Card standings.

For now, the Mets are contenders.

If it’s the same (or even better) when the trade deadline rolls around, will Alderson still shop his players or will be convince the Wilpons that opening their wallets to resign Reyes or allow K-Rod’s $17.5 million option for 2012 to vest is a good idea?

Watching guys like Turner and Jason Pridie come up from the minors and have a positive impact on the team makes you think that perhaps the Mets would be successful if they gave more of their prospects a chance to play.

And they do have promising pitchers like Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia making their way towards the major leagues.

There are reasons for optimism within Mets Land.

But just like it would be a good idea to keep this team together if they’re contending, the opposite is true.

The Mets are winning games without their best players, meaning that it’s possible to put a winning product on the field even without their All-Stars.

Wright would fetch the highest haul of prospects in a trade since he’s under team control through 2012.

The Mets can win without Wright. They’re 3-1 since Wright landed on the DL.

Could it be Wright, and not Reyes, who gets traded this season?

No matter what the standings say, Alderson has some tough decisions to make.

He can ignore the Mets’ record and still trade off his most valuable pieces to build a winner for the future, not keep one for the short-term.

He can spend what little money the Mets have and keep this group together, letting the chips fall where they may, and Reyes and Beltran walk away at the end of the season.

Who would’ve guessed that the more the Mets win, the more likely the might lose in other ways?

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Even just 17 games into the season, it is fairly clear that the Mets are in big trouble. The team is sitting at 5-12, already 5.5 games behind the Phillies. It is not as if the Phillies are even playing their best baseball of the season yet. They are still without Chase Utley.

The Mets have already jettisoned their Opening Day second baseman, and the team has placed Chris Young on the disabled list. It appears that Bobby Parnell may also need to be placed on the DL.

There is a lot that must be done for the Mets to be competitive this season,but it seems like that is not a possibility. It is very early, but the team may need to look towards the 2012 season. At just over a tenth into the season, it is not too early to begin to look to the future.

The first thing that the Mets need to do is allow for Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner to have a competition for the second-base spot for the rest of the year.  It may turn out that one of these two players is the Mets’ long-term solution at second base. Turner is once again having success in the minors as he is currently hitting about .300. Murphy has struggled a bit in the majors this year, but his defense looks improved.

It is important that Terry Collins actually gives both players time to try to prove themselves. The Mets made a mistake giving up on Brad Emaus so early. Emaus was only allowed to have 37 at-bats with the Mets. If Emaus had just three more hits in those at-bats, he would have been hitting .243 as opposed to .162, and he would still be on the Mets roster.

Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson need to make sure not to make this same mistake again and get rid of a player too early. They should allow for Murphy and Turner to get at least 120 at-bats a piece before they make any decisions.

The concept of trading Jose Reyes and even David Wright will be floated around a lot during this year. This cannot be done.

There is talk that Reyes is not valuable enough to the team right now because he struggles to post a high on-base percentage. Take a look at the Mets lineup right now. There are many holes offensively. If Reyes were moved, then who would replace him? It would likely be Ruben Tejada. He is outstanding defensively, but he is a black hole offensively. That is not something that the Mets can afford to have. The team should look to re-sign Jose Reyes this year because he is a valuable asset.

David Wright obviously has a massive amount of trade value and could bring the Mets back some outstanding prospects. The problem is that Wright is still young and is a top-five third baseman. It is incredibly difficult to justify trading him unless the Mets get an incredible return. He is part of the core with Jose Reyes and Ike Davis that Sandy Alderson should keep together for the next few years.

The Mets need to evaluate the assets that they have that could actually bring back value in a trade. These assets include Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets should look to move these players and bring back young major league-ready pitching prospects. The Mets rotation is currently one of their biggest weaknesses.

In addition to making these moves, the Mets should call up some of their younger players starting around early June and give them significant playing time in the majors this year if they have proven that they can hold their own in at least Double-A. If this year is lost, then the team should look forward to next year. Players tend to struggle a bit in their first season. By giving players that can help the team in 2012 some MLB experience, this will help prepare them for the 2012 season.

Players such as Jenrry Mejia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Zach Lutz, Fernando Martinez (if healthy) and Josh Satin among others have the potential to play a role on the Mets roster in 2012. They should be given a chance to compete against major league competition if they have proven that they can handle the minors. If the Mets are still playing this poorly in June, the team has nothing to lose.

The season is still young, but if the first few weeks have been any indication, it will be another long year for the Mets. There was hope coming into the season, but it has quickly faded. Changes will need to be made this year, but it is just a matter of when. The team should look to prepare itself for 2012 and the future if its early struggles continue.

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I saw this today on ESPN.com and just couldn’t help but comment on it: 

“There’s nothing the Mets would love more this spring than to have Carlos Beltran play well enough to make himself tradable in July. So scouts are already bearing down on him just in case.

But when we asked one of those scouts if he could see himself recommending that his team trade for Beltran, his answer said it all:

‘Noooooo. I’m rooting for him, because I feel bad for him, seeing a guy who was once a great player limping around with a brace on his knee…But would I recommend him? No— because I don’t want to get fired.'”

So, these scouts feel bad for the guy because he’s limping around on a brace?

Last I checked, Beltran is brace-free and is hitting .256/.326/.513 with two home runs in this early season.

Now granted, that’s not going to get you any undisputed All-Star votes, but from a guy that we barely saw in 2010, I’ll take that kind of production any day of the week.

Beltran is due $18.5 million in 2011 and despite moving to right field and playing mostly part-time, he’s doing fairly well for “a guy who was once a great player limping around with a brace on his knee.”

I’m not going to refute anything a scout says because, well, they’re a scout and they’re paid to make these assumptions. But from a die-hard Mets’ fan point of view, Beltran has reached his expectations and could potentially overachieve them as the season prolongs.

What makes everything even more promising? Beltran finally believes in himself, believes in his knees and believes in his abilities.

Talking about playing in all three games of the Mets vs. Braves series, one of them being a doubleheader, Mets manager Terry Collins told ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin, “I talked to Carlos last night and he told me, ‘I want to play all three.'”

Collins also went on to say, “I think there will be a time [when] he’s a seven-day-a-week player.”

All pretty promising if you ask me. It all makes it that much easier for Carlos to find a new team after the 2011 season, when his contract is up with the Mets.

While there is still the chance of a midseason trade on the horizon for Beltran and the Mets, it seems too slim of a chance to get your hopes up.

For that, I wish Carlos all the best during his last season with the New York Mets and with his future in the MLB.

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If there’s one thing you can say about the New York Mets, it’s that they’re consistent.

Consistently bad that is.

After a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies last night at Citi Field, the Mets fell to 4-7 and have just one win in their last seven games. Their 3-1 start to the season seems like a distant memory right now.

And there’s no shortage of problems.

Their starting rotation, without Johan Santana, has produced just four wins in 11 starts this season. R.A. Dickey and Chris Young are both tied for the team lead with one win apiece. Mike Pelfrey, the team’s No. 1 starter by default, sports an ugly 10.80 ERA in three starts.

Jon Niese has pitched well at times, but is this year’s version of Oliver Perez. He’s been able to shut down opposing teams with an excellent curveball, but just cannot avoid the big inning. In last night’s start, Niese served up a three-run homer to Troy Tulowitzki to put the Rockies ahead 4-3.

Throw in Chris Capuano and his 6.75 ERA and the Mets are 13th in the NL in starter’s ERA (5.59).

A shaky bullpen doesn’t help either. Despite averaging more than five runs per game, the Mets have been unable to get ahead and stay ahead in games. Their bullpen is 15th in the NL in ERA (4.83), 14th in BAA (.309), 15th in runs allowed (24) and leads the league with 21 walks. Closer Francisco Rodriguez already has three blown saves this season.

At this rate, the Mets won’t have to worry about K-Rod’s option vesting (he gets $17.5 million if he finishes 55 games this season) because he’s not going to get any chances to pitch with a lead.

Things are getting out of hand, if they haven’t already.

And as the team inches closer and closer to irrelevance, and the trade deadline, just how many players could become available?

It’s no secret that the Mets have some serious financial problems. The lawsuit stemming from their involvement with convicted swindler Bernie Madoff isn’t anywhere near finished and the Mets are on the hook for more than $1 billion.

Team owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, as well as team president Saul Katz, are trying to sell a minority stake in the team but many insiders believer they’ll have to sell the whole team to get out of this mess.

General manager Sandy Alderson has come out and stated publicly that the team’s payroll is “significantly” higher then he’d like. He claims it’s because he wants “flexibility”, but the issue of having to pay players is also a big reason. The Mets have already received a $25 million loan from MLB commissioner Bud Selig, and were denied a second (though Selig denies they asked a second time).

So if they’re not winning on the field, and they can’t take on big contracts, or write them, the Mets have some serious issues to face.

Two players, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, are both entering the final years of their contracts. Beltran has moved from centerfield to right field in order to spare his surgically repaired knee and manager Terry Collins has held him out of the lineup in day games after night games.

Reyes is trying to show that he’s 100 percent healthy for the first time in two seasons. Watching him so far, Reyes definitely seems like he’s ready to have a big season. The only question is how much of that season will be with the Mets.

Reyes is batting .327, with a team-high 17 hits. He’s not getting on base enough though, with just one walk in 52 at-bats this season and a .340 OBP. But his legs are finally healthy and he’s been able to leg out two triples this season.

But therein lies the problem for the Mets. The healthier Reyes is, the more he’s going to cost. If Reyes has a big season, he’s easily a $100 million player and teams will be lining up this offseason to sign him unless the Mets can get a deal done mid-season.

Reyes has said he’s willing to negotiate, but wont do so until mid-season. Unfortunately, he might have to give the Mets a big discount to stay in New York.

Mid-season trades for Beltran and Reyes are not only possible, they’re likely.

But who else could become available?

Pelfrey has had success with the Mets, but this season has been a disaster for him. Last season, Pelfrey set career highs in innings (204) and wins (15), as well as a carreer-best 3.66 ERA.

The Mets signed Pelfrey to a one-year, $4 million contract this offseason, avoiding arbitration. But Pelfrey is not a No.1 pitcher. Normally a contact pitcher, Pelfrey has been unable to keep the ball on the ground and doesn’t have the stuff to get strikeouts.

Next year’s free agent class is severely lacking in the starting pitching department. Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson are the best two pitchers available, but the White Sox are widely expected to re-sign Buehrle this season.

If the Mets were to make Pelfrey available, teams would be lining up around the block. It’s difficult to trade young starting pitchers, but the Mets don’t have much reason to hold onto him either. Not to mention his agent is Scott Boras, so who knows how much Pelfrey will cost to resign even if they want to.

Packaging Pelfrey with an aging Beltran wouldn’t be a bad idea, considering Beltran alone might not fetch much from interested teams.

K-Rod is also a player to pay attention to at the trade deadline. If it doesn’t seem K-Rod will reach the 55 games finished mark at mid-season, a team in need of a closer (like the White Sox) could decide to take on his contract, as long as there’s no risk that his option will vest.

Despite his struggles with the Mets, K-Rod is still an effective closer, just maybe not with the Mets. Bobby Parnell would appear the heir-apparent, but he hasn’t shown the ability to handle his eighth inning duties, never mind the ninth.

Alderson has said that the Mets don’t have any untouchable players, though they most likely wouldn’t be trading David Wright or Ike Davis.

But there’s a few things to consider here. First of all, the Mets haven’t won anything with Wright. Despite having a solid core of players on paper, the Mets have collected just one division title and fell just one win short of the World Series, in the time Wright has played the hot corner.

Is it possible that the Mets just can’t win with him? It’s unfair to single Wright out, since he’s easily the Mets best offensive player almost every season, but he’s struggled in clutch situations and his strikeout rates have been steadily increasing.

Over the last three seasons, Wright is batting just .269 with runners in scoring position and just .228 with runners in scoring position and two out. His strikeout rate increased from 18.8 percent in 2008 to 26.2 percent in 2009. Last season, that rate jumped up again to 27.4 percent.

Despite those struggles, Wright has driven in 100 runs or more in five of the last six seasons. He’ll hit 25 home runs and he’ll steal 20 bases, but how many more reasons can the Mets think of to hold onto him?

The players the Mets would most logically trade would bring in solid prospects, but no one would bring in more than Wright. He’s under contract through the 2012 season and the Mets hold a $16 million option for 2013.

A five-time All-Star with power, speed and Gold Glove-caliber defense would have teams offering up their best prospects. Yes, it’s hard to trade your best player which would send fans everywhere running for the hills.

But does it seem like the Mets will be able to surround Wright with enough support to win anything significant (a division title) within the next two years? None of their prospects have looked good in limited time in the majors, and unless the Mets reverse their policy of not spending over slot on draft picks, there isn’t anything better coming down the pipe.

As Alderson said, it’s unlikely the Mets would trade Wright. But should they listen to offers? Absolutely.

The Mets play a double-header today to finish their series with the Rockies before heading to Atlanta for three with the Braves. Who knows? By the end of the day the Mets could be 6-7 and things might not be so bad.

But if they continue to struggle and find themselves in the basement at the trade deadline, there shouldn’t be any untouchable player or a name left off the “available” list. The Mets are a franchise in transition. An uncertain present and an even more uncertain future will make life tough.

And drastic times call for drastic measures.

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When players are on the final year of a contract, it’s not uncommon for them to have some of the best years of their career. Whether it be because players are more motivated, are more focused on their performances or because they simply work harder, it always seems that the biggest seasons come when it’s a walk year. 

In this article I will look into who are the best players, at each position, that are on a contract year. 

NOTE: Players that have options are NOT included on this list (regardless of whether their options are likely to vest/be picked up or not). 

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Last night against the Washington Nationals, Carlos Beltran broke out in a big way. He slugged two home runs against Tom Gorzelanny and scored a third run off of an error to help lead the New York Mets to victory. This is something the team, and fans, need to see more of during the duration of the season.

After two injury prone seasons in which he total only 145 games, Beltran has become the forgotten man in the middle of the lineup. However, he is one of the best players in the league when healthy. In his six years with the Mets, he has made four All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. Still, most fans will consider his contract a disappointment.

This season, he still feels he needs to prove himself worthy. He will be making $19 million this year and, unless agent Scott Boras pulls his greatest magic act yet, he is due for a hefty decrease in salary next year. The only way for him to help his case is on the field. This means not only performing his best, but also physically playing as many games as he can. There is very little market 35-year-olds who can’t play more than half of a season (unless your name is Moises Alou).

This is how the Mets and Carlos Beltran can help each other. If he performs well in the cleanup spot in the lineup, it will help the team towards their playoff push. While there are questions surrounding the team’s pitching staff, the lineup should be a strength for this team, and Carlos is as important to its success as anyone.

Meanwhile, if does perform well and the team “plays meaningful games in September,” other teams will definitely take notice. They will see a player who graciously changed positions for the benefit of the team, and performed well to help his team win. There are plenty of openings in Major League Baseball for players like that.

The other side of the coin is if he plays well, but the team around him does not. This will still help both sides. With very little chance the Mets re-sign him after the season, he is a perfect trade candidate at the July 31st deadline. If Beltran is playing to his full capabilities, the Mets will be able to unload him and receive some quality prospects in return.

Worst-case scenario, Carlos’ bothersome legs come back to haunt him and he is unable to remain on the field. He will remain with the Mets until the end of the season, where he will be lightly recruited around the league and the Mets will receive no compensation. When Omar Minaya signed the All-Star before the 2005 season, the contract stated the team could not offer him arbitration, and therefore no receive draft picks in return for losing him.

More likely than not, Carlos Beltran will not finish the season with the Mets. The only chance he has of staying is if the team were still alive in the playoff race, at which point they would gladly keep him. In any scenario, the only way both sides will benefit is if Beltran is on the field and doing what he does best.

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The New York Mets open the 2011 regular season tonight against the Florida Marlins with Mike Pelfrey set to oppose Josh Johnson.

Heading into this season, the Mets have a lot of questions that need answers. Can the rotation step up without their ace, Johan Santana. Will Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran stay healthy? How will the bullpen perform without Pedro Feliciano, their most reliable reliever last season?

We’ll start to get those answers tonight.

That said, here is your Mets 2011 season preview.

Starting Lineup

Jason Bay starting the season on the DL with a rib injury isn’t a good sign. Willie Harris will get the start tonight in left field, batting second and pushing centerfielder Angel Pagan to the fifth spot in the batting order.

Jose Reyes, entering possibly his final season with the Mets will be in his customary leadoff spot, and as all Mets fans know, as Reyes goes, so go the Mets. Last season, Reyes played in 133 games, batted .282 with 11 home runs, 83 runs scored and 30 stolen bases.

When Reyes is healthy, he’s one of the most electrifying players in baseball. This season, he’ll have to be if the Mets want to contend. David Wright had a great season in 2010, coming back to hit 29 home runs after hitting just 10 the year before. Along with Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay, Wright is the centerpiece of the Mets lineup.

Bay is eligible to come off the DL on April 9, so hopefully manager Terry Collins won’t have to wait any longer than that, but right now, fans need to cross their fingers. Once Bay returns, Reyes and Pagan will form an excellent one, two punch of speed and on-base percentage.

Rule 5 pick Brad Emaus is the most intriguing player heading into this season. A relative unknown, Emaus earned the second base job after the Mets released Luis Castillo and Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner failed to impress Collins in spring training. Along with catcher Josh Thole, the Mets will have one of the best offenses in the National League if they can stay healthy.

Starting Rotation

Mike Pelfrey steps in as the Mets No. 1 starter in the absence of Santana, who continues his way back from shoulder surgery. Last season, Pelfrey has the best season of his career, finishing the season 15-9 with a 3.66 ERA. He was amazing in the first half, starting out 10-2 with a 2.68 ERA, but he faded in the second half, posting an ugly 10.02 ERA in the month of July.

Jon Niese enters as the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation. In his first full season, Niese threw a career-high 173.2 innings, finishing 9-10 with a 4.20 ERA. He led the team in strikeouts with 148.

R.A. Dickey was one of the best parts of the Mets 2010 campaign. After failing to make the team out of spring training, Dickey was called up in May and was more than impressive, leading the team with a 2.84 ERA in 26 starts. A full season from Dickey should give the Mets a formidable front of the rotation.

Rounding things out, reclamation projects Chris Young and Chris Capuano look to restart their careers. Both have been dominant pitchers in the past, but have had to battle injuries in recent years. Young made just four starts for the San Diego Padres last season, finishing 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA. In spring training, Young won two games and posted a 1.84 ERA.

If he can stay healthy, Young could be the best offseason addition made by any team this offseason, and that includes the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox.

Capuano missed all of the 2008 and 2009 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. He hasn’t made a full season’s worth of starts since 2007. In 2005, Capuano won 18 games for the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing with a 3.99 ERA.

If the Mets can get 50 starts total out of Young and Capuano, the rotation will certainly be a strong point. And if the Mets can stay near the top of the division until Santana returns, they can make a late push and perhaps capture a wild-card spot.

Bullpen

The bullpen is an area of strength for the Mets this season, as it was last year. The biggest difference is the loss of Pedro Feliciano, who made a league-high 92 appearances for the Mets last season. The reliable lefty is replaced by Tim Byrdak this season, tasked mainly with keeping the big left-handed bats of the NL East in check. Collins decided against carrying two lefty relievers, so we’ll see if that decision works out or hurts the Mets down the line.

Blaine Boyer, Taylor Buchholz, D.J. Carrasco and Bobby Parnell will form the path to closer Francisco Rodriguez. Parnell will serve as the Mets eighth inning man, but Buchholz could also see time in that role.

Parnell was excellent last season, posting a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings. If Rodriguez is not with the Mets next season, Parnell seems poised to take over the closer’s duties. 

Buchholz is another of the Mets low risk/high reward additions this offseason. In 2008, Buchholz was excellent for the Colorado Rockies, throwing 66.1 innings of relief and posting a 2.17 ERA. Since then, Buchholz hasn’t quite been able to put those kind of numbers together again, mainly because of injuries, but if he can find that success again, he could be the best reliever in the Mets bullpen.

The Mets are in a tricky situation with closer Francisco Rodriguez. If he finishes, not saves, 55 games, his $17.5 million option for 2012 will vest, leaving the Mets on the hook for a lot of money. The MLB has already visited general manager Sandy Alderson, who assured them the team will not try to prevent K-Rod from vesting his option. If the Mets are contending, the might not be able to avoid it. If they fall out of it, K-Rod could be one of the players the Mets will look to deal.

K-Rod was excellent in spring training and seems to be in midseason form already.

Bench Players

The Mets have a lot of versatility and power on this bench this season. Lefty Daniel Murphy was a lock to make this team in some capacity when spring training began. He was a contender for the starting second base job, and though he hit very well, his defense proved to be an issue. Murphy will serve as an excellent pinch hitter and is also capable of starting at three different infield positions and the outfield.

Scott Hairston and Willie Harris are both excellent additions to the team. Hairston showed a lot of pop in spring training, leading the team with four home runs. Harris is best known for his excellent defense, making a habit out of robbing the Mets in the last few seasons. He’ll get the start in left field tonight with Jason Bay on the DL.

Chin-Lung Hu will be the Mets versatile defense infielder, able to play both shortstop and second base. Backup catcher Ronny Paulino will serve the remaining eight games of his 50-game suspension handed out last season for performance enhancing drugs. Mike Nickeas will take his place until he can return.

With Bay on the disabled list, the Mets added Lucas Duda to the 25-man roster. Though Harris gets the start tonight, Duda will get the majority of the play while Bay recovers. A September call up last season, Duda started his major league career in a 1-for-33 slump, but finished the season 16-for-52 (.307 BA) with four home runs.

2011 prediction

The Mets are a team that, if they can stay healthy and get solid production, the Mets can surprise some people. Almost nobody is picking the Mets to make much noise this season mainly thanks to the questions surrounding their finances. If the Mets find themselves out of contention this season, guys like Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, both of whom are entering their final seasons under contract, may find themselves on the trading block.

On the opposite side, if Reyes has a good season, he could become too expensive for the Mets to resign.

With the strides made by the Phillies, Braves and Florida Marlins, the NL East is a tough division. “Health” will be the key word for the Mets all season, but I think they’ll get solid production from their starting rotation, especially Chris Young, as well as bounce back seasons from Bay, Reyes and Beltran. Throw in a solid bullpen and the Mets should be in good shape.

2011 record: 83-79, fourth in the NL East

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Adam Rubin has a good source reporting the Mets have placed Nick Evans, Pat Misch and Luis Hernandez on waivers.  All three players have 48 hours to either clear waivers or be claimed by another team.

The 29-year-old Pat Misch is likely to clear waivers after a mediocre at best spring training.  He did a great job filling in for the Mets at the end of last season and posted solid numbers all around in the minors.  Still a team is unlikely to waste a spot on the 40-man roster for Misch.

Misch also has the option to opt out of his contract if he clears waivers, although I don’t see him exercising this option for a few reason.  He already knows what to expect while pitching in Buffalo, and he also knows there are a lot of question marks dealing with the health of the major league pitching staff and he could find himself up on the big club at some point.

The one team who expressed interest in Hernandez has already acquired a similar type of player in Alberto Gonzalez so who knows if he will be claimed, but I am not going to spend any time at all worrying if an easily replaceable defensive specialist is lost through waivers.

The player I am most anxious about potentially losing is 25-year-old first baseman/outfielder Nick Evans.  Evans is a former top prospect who has almost faded into irrelevance in the Mets organization because of a combination of age, no true position and other players in the organization overtaking him leaving no room for him.

This fade to irrelevance was not Evans’s fault.  Last year Evans did nothing but hit. He combined to hit .300 with 23 home runs with 80 RBI in just 125 games while putting up solid numbers in 26 at-bats in the majors.

This spring he received the most at-bats of any player on the Mets and hit well posting a .333 batting average and showing some modest power with a .420 slugging percentage.

The accumulation of his minor league career and a spring that was just good enough to open eyes is enough for me to believe a team is going to take a chance and claim him.  I understand he had to be placed on waivers at some point if he wasn’t going to make the opening day roster and that there just isn’t a place for him, but it will sting if he goes somewhere else because he has a chance to become a solid regular.

Lucas Duda/Scott Hairston will now be your starting right fielder if Carlos Beltran is unable to go opening day.

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