Category: Roster

Mets’ John Maine and Hisanori Takahashi

New York Mets starting pitcher Hisanori Takahashi delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of their MLB interleague baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland June 12, 2010. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsAs the Mets, winners of 19 of their last 25 games, continue to get solid outings from Japanese import Hisanori Takahashi, the future of John Maine becomes more of a question mark with the team. Friday night as Takahashi held the Yankees scoreless over 6 innings of work, John Maine was busy making his second rehab start in Buffalo, lasting 4.1 innings. Maine walked 3 and struck out 4 while throwing 88 pitches and allowing an unearned run, according to the Daily News. The high pitch count suggests more of the same from Maine upon his return.

John Maine’s case has been extremely frustrating recently as he has been forced to combat his surgically repaired right shoulder. We’ve seen his fastball dip from the mid 90’s to the mid to upper 80’s. Maine’s loss of velocity has seemingly gone hand in hand with his poor attitude on the mound and his stubbornness with manager Jerry Manuel and pitching coach Dan Wharthen.

I miss the John Maine of 2007, the pitcher who won 15 games and averaged 8.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. I miss seeing him run that rising fastball up the ladder. Jerry Manuel has already said that Maine will reclaim his role as a starter when he returns to the club. Continue reading “Mets’ John Maine and Hisanori Takahashi”

What to do with Angel Pagan?

New York Mets center fielder Angel Pagan reacts after he dove to catch a drive by Philadelphia Phillies batter Carlos Ruiz in the seventh inning of their MLB National League baseball game in New York, May 27, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsMets fans have seen the best of Angel Pagan this season. After 65 games this season Pagan has been the most clutch and consistent Mets player this season.

This begs the question, what do the Mets do with him when Carlos Beltran comes off the disabled list?

Beltran has yet to start his rehab assignment on June 16th, but the Mets are hoping to have Beltran back by mid- July and when he does come back manager Jerry Manuel has a tough decision to make.

Right now the Mets have a good problem. Does Manuel move Pagan to right field and bench Jeff Francoeur? Does he bench Angel Pagan and get some late game spark off the bench? Does he use Francoeur and Pagan in a platoon? Continue reading “What to do with Angel Pagan?”

Video: Johan Santana Post-Game June 15, 2010

Here’ some video from ESPN of Johan Santana meeting with reporters in the locker room after getting the win against the Indians. It certainly wasn’t the best game he pitched recently, giving up 4 runs over 7 innings, but the Mets owed him some good run support.

You can read the game recap from last night and see the box score link at the bottom of the post.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

Mets’ Angel Pagan: A Refined Talent

Angel Pagan
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

Entering the 2010 campaign, the ceiling of Angel Pagan was seemingly an enigma. A talented outfielder plagued by injuries and bone-headed on the field mishaps, all we could really be confident about was that Pagan was a better alternative in center field than the great Gary Matthews Jr. Up to this point though, hitting in a line-up that lacks a true identity, Pagan has been an offensive propeller for the Mets.

So far this season, Pagan has proved all of his critics wrong. Boasting a solid .283 BA, he’s hit in all different slots of the Mets lineup and is well on his way to scoring 100 runs on the season. Pagan has also proved that he’s more of a threat on the bases this year with 12 swipes in 15 chances. He was gunned down a third of the time last season by opposing catchers. Continue reading “Mets’ Angel Pagan: A Refined Talent”

Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana

FLUSHING, NY - JUNE 23: Shortstop Edgardo Alfonzo #13 of the New York Mets watches the flight of the ball during the MLB game against the Kansas City Royals on June 23, 2002 at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Mets won, 5-4. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe Mets are off today so I thought it was a good time for some links. It still seems like a dream that they could actually win a series on the road, much less sweep one, but sweep the Orioles they did. They’re on the way to Cleveland to start a series there on Tuesday. Here are the links

Carlos Beltran has been working in Port St. Lucie to return from knee surgery. He’s been playing some center field in squad games and plans to return “soon”. Despite Jerry Manuel’s comments about Beltran coming back to DH next weekend in the Bronx, the Mets says that’s not happening.

John Maine made a rehab start for the Binghamton Mets in Trenton yesterday. His fastball topped out at 88 mph and he’s expected to make another start on Friday for Buffalo. It’s going to be very interesting to see if Manuel believes that Maine should walk back into the rotation and supplant Hisanori Takahashi. Personally, I think Maine belongs in the bullpen.

In other injury news, Fernando Martinez is back with Buffalo and went 2 for 4 with a home run yesterday. Continue reading “Mets Links: Beltran, Maine, Santana”

R.A. Dickey and Jason Bay Over-Under

NEW YORK - JANUARY 05: (L-R) General Manager ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The offseason leading into this spring might have been the most stressful I can remember. There was an eery silence coming from Jason Bay and his agent and Bengie Molina was still balking at the one year deal on the table. The holiday season had Mets fans begging for some free agent to sign or for Omar Minaya to pull off a trade with The Reds. Just when the tension became unbearable…it happened. The news hit that Minaya signed R.A. Dickey to a minor league contract.

At that moment, I thought Mike Francesa’s phone lines would burst into flames due to raging Mets fans. We were opening our windows at work and screaming in frustration. I was ready to move to some country that had never heard of baseball. Everyone understood the necessity of acquiring some depth. It just would have been nicer to know Jason Bay was locked down before Alex Cora was counting his millions. Continue reading “R.A. Dickey and Jason Bay Over-Under”

Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez – Same Injury, Same Agent

Jun. 08, 2010 - Washington, DC, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - epa02192870 Sports agent Scott Boras chats on the phone prior to his client Washington Nationals' pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg making his Major League Baseball debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, in Washington, DC, USA, 08 June 2010. Boras helped Strasburg sign a record 15 million US dollar contract as the Nationals' top draft choice a year ago, and Boras is also the agent for the Nationals' top choice this year, 17-year-old Bryce Harper.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsOne of the comments on my last post inspired me to write this one so keep the comments coming:

Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez share the same agent and have the same injuries. Here are some interesting facts:

Back in 2000, injuries limited Carlos to only 98 games while with the Kansas City Royals and he lost the starting centerfield job to Johnny Damon, another Scott Boras client. Yes, you guessed it! The injury was a “bruised knee”. In July of that year Carlos refused a rehab assignment in Florida on the advice of Scott Boras. Kansas City management then suspended Carlos for almost a month and when he came back he ended up rehabbing in the minors anyway.

I know this was 10 years ago and should be ancient history but is it?

Back then Carlos’ desire to play for the Royals was questioned by teammates and management alike. These same questions could now be asked again of Beltran and of Perez.

Fast forward to 2009 where Boras has advised Beltran to have surgery on the same knee without consulting the Mets and now another of his clients, Perez, is also out with a similar mysterious right knee injury. Continue reading “Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez – Same Injury, Same Agent”