Alex Nelson at MetsGeek has a nicely detailed, must-read rundown on the Mets’ draft picks, including which remained unsigned — including top pick Steven Matz (today is the deadline). Included also is an intriguing summary on #5 pick Damien Magnifico :

Magnifico has a great arm, quick, but he’s extremely raw. He can throw 97, but the fastball’s straight, and he has little projection, standing only six-foot one. On top of that, he has no secondary pitch to speak of. And on top of that, his command is a problem. What we’re probably talking about here is a total overhaul, a major project, and when you overhaul how a pitcher throws, there’s always a chance he walks away throwing softer than he used to. Given his lack of a track record, I’d walk away from this one. Hate to lose that name, though.

I like that name too. I wonder how much “projection” one needs if he’s already throwing 97 MPH, though — and why is “only six-foot-one” the limiting factor? MetsGeek is usually the site that leans on modern sabermetrics, but in this case Alex sounds like he’s regurgitating a fallacy held by traditional / old-school scouts (that height somehow equals velocity). For every Randy Johnson there are one or two Lee Guettermans and Chris Youngs — as well as one or two Pedro Martinezes and Billy Wagners.

Over at OnTheBlack, Kerel Cooper wonders whether the Mets wounded should return this year. Good points brought forward — on the one hand, you want everyone to get 100% healthy for next year. On the other, it would be nice to see people come back — even if only for the last week of the season — so you KNOW they’ll be OK in 2010.

TheRopolitans has a sneak peek on what the 2010 Mets uniforms will look like.

Speaking of uniforms, Matthew Artus gives his opinion on the continued availability of Mike Piazza’s number.