The 2011 New York Mets Season is already under alot of scrutinty. Many NY fans lack patience. I tend to look at each and every new season as a new toy. At first, the toy will be shiny and clean and you will be quite leary to play with it in order to prevent scratches, dings and dents. Lets take a look at our new toy in 2011..
Current NYM Players Coming Off Injury
INF/OF Daniel Murphy - Is coming of a torn MCL, lets not forget he led the NYM in HR in 2009, he was also a doubles machine. I expect him to win the starting 2B job in spring training, if not he will be an excellent bat to have coming off the bench on days when our star players need rest or late in games.
CF/OF Carlos Beltran - Beltran has not had a full season since 2008 when he played in all but one of the Mets games. 2011 is a contract year for him and there have been rumors of a possible trade. If the NYM are contending this year, I would not expect to see Beltran traded. Statistically, he is one of the most polished players in the game at his position, but just like any other player on the Mets roster in 2011, you must prove your worth. Same goes for Carlos. He might lose his CF position to Angel Pagan and be forced to shift to RF.SS Jose Reyes - Just like Beltran, Reyes is in a contract year and he has not been fully healthy in the past two seasons. 2011 is a huge year for Jose. After seeing Carl Crawford sign with the Red Sox for boat loads of money, Reyes will be seeing $ signs if he can improve upon his productive season that he turned in last year.
LF Jason Bay - After Omar Minaya passed on Matt Holliday and handed Jason Bay a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract, Jason Bay came to NYC and found out just how harsh the playing conditions at Citi Field are. In 2009, Bay mashed 36 HR's and managed to only hit 6 in 2010. His concussion obviously had an effect on his stat line, but if Bay is fully healthy in 2011, he has the potential and the track record that will show you he can be a force in the middle of this stacked lineup, if healthy.
SP Johan Santana - Santana underwent surgery in September to repair a tear in the anterior capsule in his left shoulder. It was thought he may be sidelined until June, but this could be a sign he'll return sooner than expected. The NYM are cautiously optimistic about Santanas return to the mound in 2011. There is no exact date set for his return, but he could be a HUGE addition to the rotation when the All-Star Break rolls around.
New Position Players
C Ronny Paulino - Paulino is strictly a back-up to the starting catcher, Josh Thole. He mashes southpaws to the tune of .358 AVG /.896 OPS. I'm sure this was a pick-up designed to fill the void when it comes time to face the great left-handed pitching in the NL East. Nice Pick-up for 1 year and 1.3 million.
2B/INF Brad Emaus - Was plucked from the Blue Jays Organization during the Rule 5 draft by Assistant GM J.P Riccardi. Emaus had a disappointing 2009, but had a bounce-back season in 2010, hitting .290/.397/.476, mostly for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has a high career OBP and these are the types of players that Alderson and Co. absolutely love. More to come on this guy throughout spring training.
SS/INF Ching-lung Hu - was acquired from the LA Dodgers in exchange for Mike Antonini, 25, who split the season between Double-A and Triple-A, with a composite 8-12 record and 4.49 ERA. Hu is the first Taiwnese born player to hit 2 HR in history. He also has an extensive MiLB Awards record: Click Here. My expectations about Hu are not very high, but I hear he has a good glove.
LF/OF Scott Hairston - Hairston spent the 2010 season in San Diego, where he hit .210/.295/.346 in 336 plate appearances. The 30-year-old, who played all three outfield positions last year, has a .278/.331/.498 line against left-handed pitching in his career.
LF/OF Willie Harris - I know this guy, he's the one robbing all those liners in the gaps when the Mets played the Nationals. Well, now hes on our side, vying for a shot at the Mets Opening Day Roster. Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com first reported the agreement. The utility player will have a good chance of making the team's Opening Day roster, Rubin writes. Last year, the 32-year-old posted a .183/.291/.362 line with 10 homers in 262 plate appearances. To me, hes definetly going to have to earn it, theres some stiff competition within the Mets system.
New Starting Pitchers
RHP Boof Bonser - Was signed to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training back in December. His career numbers dont jump out at you, but he provides some much needed depth within the system.
LHP Chris Capuano - Capuano is a former 18 game winner, coming off his second TJ surgery, the lefty is expecting big things this year after having a full off-season to recover and get prepared. Signed for 1 year and 1.5 million. Has many incentives in his contract that can bump it up to 4.5 million if he starts 32 games and pitches 200 innings. Nice pickup.
RHP Chris Young - Chris Young was my favorite signing of the NYM off-season. Young is a monster at six foot ten, and 280 ilbs. Not only is he big, he is smart, very smart and he misses bats. Take a look at this video..
New Relief Pitchers
RHP D.J. Carrasco - there have been rumors of D.J. Carrasco being used in the rotation, Mets Fever says not so fast. He will be a middle reliever for the Mets in 2011 and last year he posted his third consecutive season with an ERA under 4. Look up my more detailed post abour Carrasco for more.
RHP Pedro Beato - Originally drafted by the Mets in 2005, a deal never got reached. He signed with the Orioles in 2006 as a 1st round draft pick and had a 2.12 ERA as a sinker-baller in AA. In order for the Mets to keep him in 2011, he must stay on the 25 man roster. So if he does good in spring training, we have a steal, and if he doesnt do so good, he will be back with the Orioles and forgotten by Mets fans.
RHP Taylor Buchholz - In 2008, Buchholz was one of the most dominant relievers (2.17 ERA) with the COL Rockies. He was unable to return until 2010, where he got bounced around the league and finally cound a home with the NYM. Another nice pickup.
LHP Taylor Tankersley - A former first round pick with the FLA Marlins, he was used as a lefty-specialist and will most likely serve that role if he makes the team out of spring training. Another low cost/high upside signing.
Prospects Who May See MLB In 2011
OF Fernando Martinez - It seems as if F-Mart has been around forever, but he just keeps getting unlucky and having major set-backs with injuries. Martinez will most likely start 2011 in AAA Buffalo but if he gets hot and one of our OF gets injured, he could explode onto the MLB scene barring a major injury and continued development of his OBP and SLG.
2B Reuben Tejada - Had a productive rookie season with NYM last year, but Terry Collins has already said that he thinks Tejada would benefit from a full season at AAA Buffalo. Defensively, Tejada is fine, but he needs to learn how to drive the ball at the MLB level. Look to see Reuben in September of 2011.
Prospects Waiting For A Chance
RP Manuel Alvarez
OF/1B Lucas Duda
1B/OF Nick Evans
3B Zach Lutz
2B Justin Turner
2B Jordany Valdespin
Conclusion
Like I was saying about the new toy idea, Sandy and Terry could take the "lets not get it dirty" approach, but if he really wants to see what he has on this roster, he will need to get down and dirty, if he makes some dinks and dents, then by all means, please repair them. Send off the useless players, and trade or promote some good ones from the minors for the MLB roster. That is exactly what Omar failed to do during his tenure in NYC. This may not be the most expensive toy, but 2011 might actually be the best chance at winning since the 2006 heartbreak.
