During the postgame press conference yesterday, Mets manager Terry Collins stated that the first baseman who started against the Reds today would be the man to get the most ample opportunity — at least 60 at-bats — to win the job.
Who will it be?
Buzz
Why the Mets Want to Trade Luis Castillo
There is an excellent column written by Ben Shpigel in The New York Times explaining why the Mets want to trade Luis Castillo.
Shpigel lists a number of statistics supporting the desire to move Castillo, but it’s doubtful anyone in the Mets front office would understand the ones cited, much less use them in decision-making. So we’ll focus on the real reasons Omar Minaya and co. are hell-bent on trading the second baseman.
The Price for Roy Halladay
According to a “high-ranking official” cited in an article by The National Post, the Toronto Blue Jays will take as much time as needed to trade Roy Halladay — if they trade him at all.
Would they actually keep Halladay through 2010 and allow him to leave via free agency next winter?
Manuel Motivated – Minaya Next?
So far, the Mets are making good on their promise to overhaul the entire organization, from top to bottom.
It is no coincidence that a number of former managers — such as Bob Melvin and Eric Wedge — were considered for Jerry Manuel’s coaching staff, nor that at least two possible replacements for Manuel (Wally Backman, Terry Collins) have been hired for ancillary positions in the organization.
Such moves and considerations make it crystal clear that Manuel is on the hot seat, and will be under a magnifying glass from the beginning of spring training. Some might call it “motivation”.
But Manuel is not the only one on the hot seat — his boss Omar Minaya may be similarly “motivated”.
Jason Marquis Far from a Perfect Fit
A while back, Jason Marquis began to lobby for a Mets contract offer through his friend and advocate Jeff Francoeur. Now he’s made a full-blown pitch, suggesting to Bart Hubbach that he and the Mets are a “perfect fit”.
As we’ve discussed earlier, Jason Marquis needs the Mets involved if he’s to obtain a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract from an MLB team. It’s that simple. The Mets are known to overpay free agents year in and year out, particularly when they have an urgent need to fill. This year, the onus is on the Mets to find at least one reliable and durable veteran starting pitcher, and Marquis not only fits that bill but is coming off the best season of his career.
In many ways, I like the idea of Marquis as a Met. He would fit in nicely as
The Hot Stove Season Opens
The Hot Stove Season is underway, and already we have a flurry of buzz and rumors. One whirlwind post from Adam Rubin is chock full of information (or misinformation, take your pick), which I’ll break down here.
Is Adrian Gonzalez Worth It?
This winter will be abuzz with rumors surrounding San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Some think his breakout 2009 season is a fluke, while others believe he’s on the brink of superstardom. In a well-researched article, contributing stathead Matt Himelfarb answers the question: Is Adrian Gonzalez worth it?
Will Holliday or Bay Affect Francoeur?
The Matt Holliday / Jason Bay buzz is heating up, with the latest news that the Red Sox will not attempt to re-sign Bay but may go after Adrian Gonzalez instead. Further, word from San Francisco is that the Giants don’t have the ducats to pursue either of the free-agent outfielders — which if true narrows the market. Add in the fact that Jon Heyman tweeted that the Mets will pursue a “big-ticket LF” and it would seem that Omar Minaya and co. will be part of the bidding for one or both of Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.
But how will such pursuit affect Jeff Francoeur?