For once, let’s forget about the Mets’ starting rotation and focus on a positive: the continuity of the regular lineup from last year to this year.

It may seem like a small detail, but in fact it may be significant that the 2007 lineup will look very similar to the 2006 lineup. Let’s look at the starting lineup in the last game of 2006, game seven of the NLCS:

1 Jose Reyes SS
2 Paul LoDuca C
3 Carlos Beltran CF
4 Carlos Delgado 1B
5 David Wright 3B
6 Shawn Green RF
7 Jose Valentin 2B
8 Endy Chavez LF

Now let’s look at the “penciled in” 2007 Opening Day lineup:

1 Jose Reyes SS
2 Paul LoDuca C
3 Carlos Beltran CF
4 Carlos Delgado 1B
5 David Wright 3B
6 Moises Alou LF
7 Shawn Green RF
8 Jose Valentin 2B

It doesn’t take a genius to see that the Mets are returning a nearly identical lineup, the only difference being the addition of Moises Alou. This may prove to be a good thing for the Mets, because the last time the lineup in Shea looked as similar from one year to another was 1985 – 1986.

In this day and age, as a result of free agency and contract shedding, most teams experience some turnover from year to year. It is rare for a team to return the same infield in consecutive years, for example. Looking at the NL East, the only other team that has similar continuity is the Florida Marlins — though they have a new manager.

There are a few reasons why continuity can be an advantage for the Mets. First and foremost, by playing together, players become more comfortable with each other and have a good understanding of each others’ talents. Learning to work together takes time, and the more people work together — in any sport, job, or project — the better they get at achieving the end goal. Players learn to trust each other, anticipate each others’ actions, and rely on each other for support — not unlike a family. It’s a lot easier to “pick up” a guy you’ve been playing with for 200+ games, than a guy just joining the team.

Secondly, the Mets last year formed a strong bond as teammates, succeeding all season and then losing game seven of the NLCS. They experienced the best and the worst together, and therefore go into 2007 with similar feelings — feeling the confidence that they know how to win, simultaneously tasting that bitter defeat vs. the Cardinals. Outside of Alou, the entire starting lineup will have an extra special motivation to get back to the postseason and turn things around, after getting so close. They also have the knowledge of the preparation necessary to get that far with their collective skills. In contrast, last year the Mets were learning how to win together, under Willie Randolph. This year, there is no learning about each other, only execution. They know what to expect, and what adjustments are necessary to win.

For example, though Shawn Green only played a month as a Met last year, he learned very quickly that he didn’t need to be the “main guy” in the lineup — something that had been expected of him every other place he’d been. He learned that by shortening his stroke, taking more pitches, and being more of bat control guy, he’d be much more important to the Mets’ offense than if he was swinging for the fences. Similarly, Carlos Beltran learned that if he didn’t get the big hit, Carlos Delgado was behind him to do it. As a result, Beltran laid off bad pitches and set a career high for walks. In the field, Delgado may not have been a Gold Glover, but he did learn the the way his fellow infielders threw the ball, and by the end of the year was better able to anticipate how each player’s ball sails or dips. It may seem like a little thing, but knowing whether a shortstop’s throw tends to tail one way or the other, and its speed, can be the difference in a ballgame. In the same vein, Jose’s Reyes and Valentin can only improve their double-play execution by continuing to play together. Last but not least is Paul LoDuca’s emergence as a leader behind the plate, earning the respect of both the pitching staff and the players on the field.

In a lot of ways, the 2006 Mets were very much like the 1985 Mets. The ’85 Mets had just turned a corner, and the core of a championship team was assembled — but it took them a year to learn about each other. Still, they won 98 games during that learning process, losing a bitterly fought battle for first place in the final days of the season to — who else? — the St. Louis Cardinals. The exact same lineup returned in 1986, though as the season wore on, two key changes took place: Ray Knight experienced a renaissance and replaced Howard Johnson at 3B, and rookie Kevin Mitchell displaced George Foster. In 2007, we already have Alou in the spot vacated by Cliff Floyd, and there’s a possibility that Lastings Milledge or Ben Johnson push Shawn Green out of RF. Or maybe Green has a Knight-like rejuvenation. The point is, the Mets were very successful in 2006, and are returning essentially the same squad in 2007. Yes they’re a year older, but they’re also on year two of togetherness. While every other team in the NL East is learning about each other for the first 75-100 games, trying to figure out what works, the Mets are building on the foundation built in 2006. Assuming they have no major injuries, the continuity of the Mets can be looked upon as an advantage over their opponents.

Lastings Milledge has entered the building.

The heralded, cocky, misunderstood, enigmatic, immature, tremendously talented Milledge reported to Mets spring training today, one day before the rest of the position players are expected to show up. Though it’s nice that he showed the initiative to arrive one day early, there are already folks on his back for not getting here perhaps a week sooner.

We don’t know why Lastings arrived a day early, as opposed to a week early or right on time. This is what we do know:

1. He is enormously talented, particularly with the bat. His bat speed has been compared to Gary Sheffield’s.

2. Milledge did not exactly have an auspicious debut in 2006. Though he showed flashes of brilliance, overall he looked raw, unpolished, and often overmatched — not just at the plate but in all areas of his game. He made baserunning blunders and costly defensive mistakes, the most glaring ones in Fenway Park. Granted, the Green Monster is difficult for anyone, but his misadventures there were the tip of the iceberg, and magnified his issues in the field.

3. The Mets’ brass requested that he play winter ball to help accelerate his development. He denied the request.

4. The Mets signed Moises Alou early in the offseason to be their starting left fielder.

5. The Mets traded for 25-year-old Ben Johnson, a former slugging prospect of the Padres who plays all three outfield positions and has two years in the big leagues. He is expected to make the team as a backup outfielder and occasional starter.

6. The Mets also signed David Newhan, a speedy utilityman. Though he also can play all four infield positions, he is officially listed on the roster as an outfielder.

7. The Mets invited two more outfielders to spring training: former All-Star slugger Ruben Sierra and former Marlins’ first-round pick Chip Ambres.

Again, we don’t know Milledge’s reason for arriving one day early, and we have no idea why he refused to play winter ball. There could have been family issues or some other legitimate personal reason.

However, the Mets have made it very clear that they believe he needs to get more at-bats, and play in more games. They feel that although he is skilled, he needs to further develop and polish those skills before he is ready to contribute to the Major League team.

Further, the Mets have acquired several more experienced players to compete for roster spots and add outfield depth. It’s already a given that, barring injury, Carlos Beltran will start in centerfield, and Moises Alou in left. Though there are some who think Shawn Green’s RF job is up for grabs, the reality is that Green is currently penciled in as the starter, and it is his job to lose. Additionally, Endy Chavez is more or less guaranteed to be the fourth outfielder. Whether or not the Mets carry a fifth outfielder may have something to do with David Newhan and fellow utilityman Damion Easley. Easley signed a Major League contract early in the offseason, so there’s speculation that he will be given every opportunity to win a roster spot. At the same time, the Mets are intrigued by Newhan’s versatility and speed. If the Mets carry both Easley and Newhan, there might not be room on the roster to also carry a fifth outfielder.

Now, again, we don’t know about Lasting Milledge’s personal issues. But, if I’m Lastings Milledge, and I want to make the big-league team in 2007, I’m paying attention to these roster moves. It looks like I’m getting squeezed out. At best, it looks like the only chance I have of making the team is to not just impress Willie Randolph in the spring but to flat out blow him away.

To do so, Milledge will have to, of course, hit well. But more importantly, he’d have to prove beyond doubt that his skills, on April 1st, will be more valuable to the team than those of Ben Johnson, David Newhan, Damion Easley, Chip Ambres, and Ruben Sierra. In fact, he might have to prove he’s also better, right now, than Shawn Green — because it’s doubtful the Mets will carry him on the roster to sit the bench. That’s a tall order, one that will require him to show vast improvement in his running game and his fielding prowerss, in addition to consistency with the bat.

The point is, the competition is stiff, and highly motivated. Chip Ambres, for example, was once a can’t-miss prospect that has become a non-prospect and is not far from being out of baseball altogether. He probably has no chance to make this team, but you can bet he’s going to be hustling his butt off and doing everything he can to impress someone. Ben Johnson was given a taste of bigs the last two years, used as a reserve guy by the Padres. He’s at a point in his career where Xavier Nady was last year: either win a big league job now or be forever tagged as a backup or a “AAAA” player. Ruben Sierra’s situation is mysterious. If he’s really being given a chance to make this team, it is probably the last one he’ll get in his life.

How often does a player improve his skills on a baseball field by doing nothing? Rarely, if ever. Maybe if we knew he spent all winter in his own hitting tunnel, or with a personal baseball trainer, or up on a mountaintop with a yoga guru to clear his head, we as fans might feel better about Milledge’s chances to make the team. We’d certainly feel better about his attitude and his motivation to make the team.

It certainly doesn’t help his case that he’s often mentioned in the same breath as David Wright and Jose Reyes, when people talk about the youthful core of the team. Unlike Milledge, Wright and Reyes were successful almost immediately upon entering MLB — though Reyes did have a few hiccups. In addition to their early success, Reyes and Wright are seen as players who made it to the bigs as a tribute to both their talent and work ethic. Fittingly, Reyes and Wright reported to Mets’ camp a week early, with the pitchers and catchers. Both players had outstanding seasons in 2006, are guaranteed to be in the starting lineup, and signed long-term contracts. However, they still felt it important to get a head start on the spring and get extra work on their skills. With Wright and Reyes setting the bar that high in terms of effort, Milledge in comparison looks like an unmotivated, lazy bum.

Of course that’s not true. If Milledge were a lazy bum, he would not have made it this far. But to succeed in the eyes of Mets fans, he has to measure up to Reyes and Wright. (Interestingly, if Reyes and Wright decided to show up today instead of a week ago, Milledge might be seen in a more favorable light.) If Milledge had played winter ball as asked, showed up a week early, and then struggled this spring, that’s OK, because at least we can see him trying, and putting forth a good effort. In contrast, if Milledge does not impress this spring, people will immediately point to his work ethic as the reason he doesn’t match expectations.

Personally, I don’t know which way Lastings will go, but he’s already off on the wrong foot in the view of many fans. It will help his case if the media starts writing about him taking extra swings in the batting cage, or staying after hours to shag more fly balls, or spending time with Rickey Henderson to work on his approach at the plate. If we don’t read those kinds of things, then it looks like Lastings will need to have that .400 spring — or something close to it — to remove the “bad attitude” label. It’s funny how a batting average measures not only your skill at the plate but also the public’s perception of you as a person.

I’m dating myself here, but anyone remember Donovan? The song (not the soda) Mellow Yellow? He also sang a song that went, “goo goo, goo goo Barabajagal, was his name now …”

It may be a stretch, but one day at Shea you may hear that song being played when a pitcher emerges from the bullpen — Marcos Carvajal.

It’s a stretch for two reasons: first, “Barabajagal” doesn’t rhyme well enough with Carvajal, and second, this young righthander is an enigma.

Marcos Carvajal was recently placed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a team that is starving for quality young pitching. When you’re starving, you don’t throw a steak off the table. But you do throw out a rotten apple.

That’s not to say that Carvajal is a rotten apple. In fact we know very little about him, other than a scant scouting report that’s been circulating that goes something like this: “live arm, a mid-to-high 90s fastball, a decent slider and nasty change-up.” Hmmm … if he’s that skilled, why he is getting dropped from the Rays and passed over by nearly every other MLB team?

It’s simple: spring training has just begun, and 40-man rosters are more or less set at the moment. Most teams aren’t looking to make any changes to the 40-man until their players report and they get a good look at what they have. Because of the Rule 5 draft, many players with no chance of making their big league club were added to that 40-man, for no reason other than to keep them from being drafted by someone like Kansas City or Tampa Bay. The Rays added Carvajal to the roster for exactly that reason; he had some MLB experience, can throw 95+, and therefore there was an outside possibility someone would be willing to put him on their 25-man roster for the season — someone like the Royals, who by trading Ambiorix Burgos to the Mets and Andrew Sisco to the White Sox had an opening in their organization for a young flamethrower. So the Rays protect Carvajal during the winter. But then a few days ago they make a trade for a player that must go on their 40-man, Jae Kyuk Ryu. Ryu is more or less penciled into the Rays’ bullpen, whereas Carvajal was projected to start the season in the minors. To make room for Ryu, they drop Carvajal, figuring that no one will notice, and if they do, they won’t drop a valuable player from their 40-man to clear a spot. GMs really think this way, because it’s very common to get away with such a move. The Mets, however, happened to have Steve Schmoll wasting a space on the 40-man.

If the Mets are lucky, this will turn into something similar to the stories of Bobby Jenks and Derrick Turnbow — two young, enigmatic flamethrowers cut loose (ironically, both by the Angels) and available to all of MLB. Both not only made their new teams but established themselves as the closer. While it’s doubtful that Carvajal will unseat Billy Wagner anytime soon, it is not completely outside the realm of possibility that he becomes a factor somewhere in the Mets’ bullpen within the next year or so.

Only 22 years old, he still has plenty of time to refine his trade. Strangely, though he’s only been a professonial for four years, he’s already been traded four times and selected as a Rule 5 pick once. Some people might look at his annual change of scenery as a negative, but in fact it is a positive. When you are a young player in the minors, and teams are trading for you, that means you have value. It’s when no one wants to trade for you, that it’s time to reconsider your career. In other words, Carvajal has been passed around as a valuable commodity — the baseball player version of cash.

In the middle of all this passing around, Carvajal did manage to get into 39 games for the Colorado Rockies in 2005. He was in way over his head, but managed 47 strikeouts and 21 walks in 53 innings, posting a decent 1.38 WHIP. Not bad for a guy who probably should have been in high class A ball. In fact, his situation is similar to Ambiorix Burgos, another tremendously talented arm who had no business closing games for Kansas City the last two years, but nonetheless did an acceptable job.

So where does Carvajal fit into the 2007 opening-day bullpen? He doesn’t. And for that matter, Burgos might not, either. However, both could easily fit into the plans late in the season, and definitely will get an opportunity in 2008 — assuming their development continues to advance. The Mets traded away two triple-digit relievers — Matt Lindstrom and Henry Owens — to pry Jason Vargas from the Florida Marlins. However, both of those men were approaching their late 20s, thereby getting very close to non-prospect status. There is little room in the Mets’ bullpen for inexperienced arms, so it made sense to trade them while they still had value. Conversely, by acquiring both Burgos and Carvajal, the Mets not only have potential additions to their bullpen — with big-league experience — but they also have valuable trade chips for the next 3-4 years. As long as Carvajal stays healthy, he’ll keep his status as a commodity, and possibly help the Mets land a big-name pitcher at the trading deadline this June.

Or, he could become the next Bobby Jenks. Perhaps all it takes is a different set of eyes (Rick Peterson’s ?) to spot something that unleashes his true potential. At best, he’s another Jenks. At worst, Carvajal is a trading chip.

The best part of this pickup is the cost: Steve Schmoll. Schmoll has some MLB experience as a sidewinding funk thrower, the kind that Willie Randolph loves to have as an option in his bullpen. However, Schmoll hasn’t shown enough to warrant confidence from the Mets’ brass; they see him as a situational ROOGY at best. To make room on the 40-man for Carvajal, the Mets had to DFA Schmoll. If they lose him, big deal — he had almost no chance of cracking the Mets’ crowded bullpen this year. Further, Steve Schmoll is what he is — a 27-year-old tweener or “AAAA” pitcher. No amount of tweaking or experience is going to make him remarkably better than he is right now. Put simply, Schmoll is not turning into the next Dan Quisenberry. Carvajal, on the other hand, could be another Jenks. Further, there is a very real possibility of Schmoll going through the ten days of assignment, becoming a free agent, and re-signing with the Mets as AAA filler. So in the end, the pickup of Marcos Carvajal is an extremely low risk, high-reward move. Kudos to Omar Minaya and co. for keeping their eyes peeled and an ear to the ground in grabbing another golden arm.

Last year, right before Opening Day, I made some predictions about the 2006 season. Some were close to right on, some were completely off the mark, on the whole I was far from making people forget Nostradamus, or the local weatherman, for that matter.

But, predictions are fun for me to write, and fun for you to throw back in my face sometime in the future. So here I go with some pre-predictions … my predictions of what will happen in Mets’ spring training 2007…

1. John Maine will develop a split-finger fastball, add it to his repertoire, and as a result enjoy the strongest spring of all Mets’ starters — thereby earning the #3 spot behind Tom Glavine and El Duque.

2. Oliver Perez will continue his inconsistent ways, but show enough to earn the fourth spot in the rotation.

3. The identity of the fifth starter will remain a mystery on Opening Day. Jason Vargas is the frontrunner, but Chan Ho Park shows enough to be of value as a long man and/or trade bait. Vargas is sent to AAA for a few more starts while the Mets continue to weigh their options, as a fifth starter won’t be needed until mid-April.

4. Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber both impress, but also prove to need more seasoning. The emergence of Perez, Vargas, and Park paves their way to New Orleans.

5. Both Juan Padilla and Ambiorix Burgos make the Mets roster by the skin of their teeth, as the Mets choose to carry 12 pitchers. Jon Adkins and Jorge Sosa are DFA’d.

6. Lastings Milledge belts a few home runs, but bats only .250 and struggles on defense, prompting assignment to New Orleans.

7. David Newhan becomes a favorite of Willie Randolph, for his sparkplug play and versatility. His hustling and contact hitting earn him the 25th spot on the roster as the Mets’ utilityman.

8. Ben Johnson and Damion Easley also impress Randolph, though he’ll have to cut one or the other. Johnson looks like the odd man out when Easley is used in the outfield in the last games of spring training, and looks capable.

9. Just days before Opening Day, the decision becomes unnecessary when Julio Franco abruptly announces his retirement as a player — but stays on as a coach.

10. Easley sprains his ankle chasing a foul fly ball in left field and is placed on the 15-day DL. Johnson makes the team and Franco is reinstated to the roster as a player.

The Hot Stove season is finally over, and we can now stop speculating and wondering about things we can’t see. Spring training has arrived, pitchers and catchers are reporting to Port St. Lucie, and all is right with the world.

As spring training opens, the Mets have been indirectly blessed by the circus tent that just went up in Tampa. The regular-season crosstown Yankees have myriad issues swirling around Legends Field — most notably the absence of Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera’s lack of a contract extension, A-Rod’s opt-out clause, and Joe Torre’s tenuous status as manager.

Isn’t it great to be a Mets player in Port St. Lucie right now, with all the NY media pressure and tough questions being asked 3 hours away, on the other coast of Florida? Further, isn’t it wonderful to be a Mets fan right now, our only worries centered on the starting rotation? The Tom Glavine issue seems years ago, Willie Randolph is locked up through 2010, the starting lineup is set, and we’ve already written off Pedro for the bulk of the season. We can sit back and watch nine candidates fight over 3 spots in the starting rotation.

OK, there was a little mouse fart when camp opened … Aaron Heilman was approached about the subject of starting. He answered truthfully (he still wants to start someday) but also stated that he knows his role is in the bullpen this year and he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win, blah blah blah. So the only bit of controversy has already been addressed and put to rest — long before the rest of the of the team shows up this weekend. No disruption. Nice.

The only other potential controversy — barring a surprise injury or other unforeseen circumstance elsewhere — is the rightfield situation. If by chance Lastings Milledge or Ben Johnson blast balls over the fence and hit about .400 on the spring, then there MIGHT be questions surrounding Shawn Green’s role on the team. As much as some fans may love Milledge or Endy Chavez (or hate Green), the reality is that Shawn Green has been penciled in as the regular rightfielder, batting seventh. It would take a mammoth effort by someone else, a horrific showing by Green, or an injury, for Willie to erase Shawn from the lineup. As talented as Milledge is, he’s still raw, and needs to play more games, get more reps — in AAA (he certainly didn’t help his situation by opting out of winter ball). Chavez will get his at-bats spelling all three outfielders, so his role is set. Johnson may not even make the team.

That said, the attention will be on arms — young and old — vying for spots behind Tom Glavine and El Duque. Many folks have already penciled in John Maine and Oliver Perez into two of those slots, but I’m not so sure it’s that cut and dried. Yes, Maine and Perez looked impressive in the postseason. However, Perez had a 6.55 ERA during the regular season, with performances varying from outstanding to awful to everything in between. And though Maine had a monthlong stretch of quality starts, he relies on a shallow repertoire that makes him vulnerable after going through a lineup the second and third time. Emotionally, Perez and Maine are the favorites, but realistically, they’ll have to fight just as hard as the other seven candidates to win their job.

It should be dogfight, and one that is fun to watch, mostly because of three exciting young arms in the picture. That’s right — THREE. Everyone is pumped about Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber, but there’s also Jason Vargas to consider.

Ironically, Vargas comes in as the unknown quantity, despite he has two years in the big leagues while Pelfrey and Humber have almost no MLB experience. Pelfrey’s four games and Humber’s 2-inning cameo were a tease to Mets fans, who have been ripe for a home-grown farmhand to dominate the hill since the departure of Scott Kazimir. It’s part of Mets history — Seaver, Koosman, Gentry, McGraw, Ryan, and Matlack started it in the 1970s, then later Gooden, El Sid,
and Darling furthered the the tradition of arms from the Mets’ farms (yes I know Darling came from the Rangers, but he also spent two years in Tidewater). The ability for the Mets’ minor league system to produce solid, sometimes spectacular pitchers is a source of pride for an organization whose history pales in comparison to the crosstown Yanks. As a result, Jason Vargas is a mere reject of the Marlins, thrown into the same pool of interest as Aaron Sele, Chan Ho Park, and Jorge Sosa.

However, Vargas is only 24 years old — a few months younger than Humber, in fact — and climbed quickly through the ranks before failing miserably last year. Perhaps he moved too quickly to the bigs; imagine if Mike Pelfrey had begun last year on the Opening Day roster, and remained there to the end of the season. His numbers likely would not be outstanding, and most would say he was rushed. Similarly, Vargas began 2005 in low A ball, jumped quickly to high A, then to AA, then to the bigs, just one year after leaving Long Beach State. Pitchers don’t move up that fast unless they are special; similar points of comparison are Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, and Mark Prior — not bad company. So there’s no question about Vargas’ talent level; the question is what happened in 2006, and is it something that is easily fixed?

Supposedly he made some mechanical tweaks in the offseason. If so, and the result is that he comes into camp as the pitcher the Marlins rushed into their rotation in 2005, then Vargas might be the frontrunner for not the #5 spot but the #4 spot in the rotation. Yes, it’s a big “if” but not inconceivable. The point is, don’t be too quick to count out Jason Vargas from the equation — he may very well be the best of the bunch, at least right now.

It’s amazing how quickly — and with such finality — New York fans can get down on a particular player.

In a town that boos the greatest baseball player on the planet (perhaps of all time), even after winning the AL MVP, it shouldn’t be surprising that New York Mets fans and media are down on Shawn Green.

The question is why? What did Green do, or not do, in the mere 34 regular-season and 9 postseason games he played as a Met?

I could maybe understand it if the price for Green was a top prospect, such as Lastings Milledge or Mike Pelfrey, or if he came in with a bad attitude or a Dave Kingman-like demeanor. Or if he jogged around like a prima donna. But instead, the Mets gave up a mediocre minor league prospect, he came in happy to be a Met, hustled all the time, and fit right in with his new teammates.

Lets see … he batted .257 with 4 HRs, 9 2Bs, 15 RBI, and 14 runs in those 34 games as a Met. Not outstanding, but not terrible, either. Then he batted .304 with a .407 OBP and 4 RBI in the postseason, including some big hits in key situations. As a Met, he had good at-bats, often getting into deep counts. He ran the bases well. His defense was somewhere between adequate and ordinary; his most embarrassing occurrence in the field was his too-big hat flying off his head on nearly every fly ball — something he joked about.

Oh, wait, no, actually his defense was awful, right? Dreadful. Horrendous. Disgusting. Or at least, that’s what the media and most rabid, perfection-seeking fans will tell you. They even have the “stats” to prove it.

Let me tell ya somethin’ about stats … as the great longtime minor league official Bobby Bragan once said, “Say you were standing with one foot in the oven and one foot in an ice bucket. According to the percentage, you should be perfectly comfortable.”

Go ahead and follow that link … I’ll offer it again – it is the Baseball Think Factory’s defensive leaders by position for the American League and National League. I encourage you, because I do want you to see that Shawn Green was statistically ranked as the fifth-worst defensive right fielder in the NL last year (just ahead of, ironically, Moises Alou). However, I also want you to look at where that same system ranked Andruw Jones (second-to-last among CFs), Aaron Rowand (third-to-last), Garry Matthews Jr. (second-worst AL CF), Torii Hunter (fifth-worst), and Melky Cabrera (second-worst LF).

So if we’re going to go purely by the numbers, I’m feeling confident that we have a right fielder that ranks right up there with Torii Hunter, and is better than the likes of Andruw Jones and Garry Matthews Jr.

Truth is, Shawn Green’s defense is not what it used to be. At one time, he was one of the better corner outfielders in the game, and strong enough defensively that the Arizona Diamondbacks used him in centerfield for 41 games as recently as 2005. His range has diminished a bit, and his arm is not the rocket launcher it once was. But he can still play well enough in right field to be an asset, rather than a liability. The problem, however, lies in two specific balls off the bat of Scott Spiezio. The first would have been a homerun, had Green not jumped up at the right time and deflected it just before it went over the wall. Unfortunately, he did not catch it, and Spiezio ended up with a triple anyway. The second, a perfectly-placed Texas Leaguer that Green may or may not have misjudged. He dove for the ball but it bounced off his face. He did the right thing by keeping it in front of him, but it still rolled around long enough for Spiezio to get another triple. (Interestingly, Endy Chavez misplayed at least two balls in the same game, yet he is forgiven — probably because he later made the second-greatest catch in the history of postseason baseball.) Since these two plays came at key moments in the postseason, coupled with the fact that the Cardinals were continually hitting balls into the right-center gap — thus, you were seeing Green constantly chasing after the ball — people judge him as an awful outfielder.

The same people that judge Green on those three plays also have erased Oliver Perez’s 6.55 ERA, based on 12 innings pitched in the postseason. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe Shawn Green should have caught some of those line drives in the gap. Maybe he should have come down with the ball in his glove on both of those Spiezio hits. But I think even Mike Cameron would have had some difficulty in those situations.

Personally, I think it’s silly to dismiss Green because of his defense, but if you do that’s fine. Overall, he’s still a solid option to start in right field, and should do just fine batting seventh in the Mets’ powerful lineup.

There’s something in particular that many Mets fans and pundits miss when it comes to Shawn Green: he is a BALLPLAYER. Some people don’t know what that means, so I’ll explain. A ballplayer knows how to play all aspects of the game, and is equally adequate in every facet. That means a player may not be fleet of foot, but he’ll cut the bags perfectly, hustle, know when to take an extra base on an outfielder, and know how to get a good jump. A ballplayer uses his mind as well as his body. He understands what preparation means, and does all he can to gain an edge on the opposition. So he’ll see things others may not, such as a pitcher telegraphing his pitches, a catcher falling into a pattern of game-calling, or a fielder cheating one way or the other. A ballplayer plays the game hard, all-out, all the time, and through pain when necessary. He also knows his limitations, and is constantly making adjustments.

That last point Shawn Green is certainly past his prime as a superstar slugger, and his skills have diminished. But he still exhibits all of the traits mentioned above. Yes, he’s lost some range in the field, but I guarantee he will do a better job of positioning himself from batter to batter, and pitch to pitch, to make up for it — and you’ll never see him lazily trot after a ball. He’ll also be sure to take better angles toward balls in the gap, and make accurate throws to the correct bases, all the time, and hit the cutoff man when necessary. Yes, these are small, boring things, but if you pay attention to MLB games you’ll be surprised to see how many times big league outfielders misplay balls off the wall, or overthrow a cutoff man. The little defensive plays don’t make ESPN’s web gems, but they’re just as important as the diving, sliding, sno-cone catches that make the highlight reel.

Similarly, Shawn Green is well aware that his bat speed is not what it used to be. He’s just as aware that he doesn’t need to be middle-of-the-order slugger in the Mets’ heavy-hitting lineup. In the limited time he played last year — September and October — he already started to cut down his normally big, loopy swing, worked the pitcher, slapped the ball the other way, and performed well as a situational hitter. Sure it would be great if he could blast 35 jacks again but he’s not that hitter any longer, and batting seventh he doesn’t need to be. His new approach is perfect for his new role, and his presence doing all the little things at the bottom of the lineup will pay off in spades for the top of the lineup. For example, his ability to take pitches and go deep into counts help wear out a pitcher. Similarly, his ability to put the bat on the ball and go the other way makes him ideal for executing the hit-and-run — those are also skills put to good use with a man on third and less than two out. Further, now that he’s not swinging for the fence, I can see his average staying up around .280 – .290. If he can hit at that level, work counts, prolong innings, and drive in runs, I don’t care if he goes the whole season without a tater — the home runs will be a bonus. We don’t need bombs from the bottom of the order, we just need people to push the lineup back toward Jose Reyes et al.

Some people are so down on Shawn Green they’re convinced that he won’t last the season as a Met. I for one, am hoping he does. He’s a solid, heady veteran and team player who plays hard, gets big hits in the postseason, and does all the little things you need to win. Isn’t that exactly the type of guy you want on your team?

By now you’ve no doubt found out that the Mets have signed yet another c(h)an of paint to throw at the wall — Chan Ho Park.

Last year, a few days before pitchers and catchers reported, the Mets gave a flyer to another righthander who had success in the past — Jose Lima. Hopefully Park will be able to give us a better show than what LimaTime! presented.

There are at least a few reasons Chan Ho Park can please us more in 2007 than Jose Lima did in 2006. First of all, Lima’s terrible performances have set the bar pretty low for all spring training invites — we’re not expecting much. Secondly, Park should be a lot quieter, keeping a much lower profile than Lima. Lima’s colorful personality — which often matched his just as colorful hairdos — was a strike against him from the get-go. It’s hard enough to compete in MLB with decaying skills; to attract attention to yourself at every turn only compounds the situation.

Park may also have some talent — something Lima lost a few years ago. Though he’s the same age as Lima (34), he’s only had an ERA over 6 once in his career, and that in an injury-shortened 2003 season. In contrast, Lima’s ERA through the years has been on a rollercoaster ride from the time he broke into the bigs in 1994 — from one year to the other his numbers alternated between good and godawful. Even after winning 21 games in 1999, Lima returned the next year to post a 7-16, 6.65 ERA at age 27 — presumably a prime year in his career.

In contrast, Chan Ho Park put up fairly consistent numbers while healthy and performing in a pitcher’s park (Dodger Stadium) in the National League. His career hit rock bottom after four things changed: 1. his salary rose to meteoric heights; 2. he moved to the American League; 3. to a hitter’s park; 4. and became injured.

A long-term, multimillion-dollar contract seems to be the kiss of death for starting pitchers (see: Park, Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle, Carl Pavano, Don Gullett, Catfish Hunter, Wayne Garland, etc.). There may be some explanation to it … for example in some cases perhaps the pitcher tries harder to justify his contract, and pitches through pain he normally wouldn’t — thereby causing injury. Maybe that was part of Park’s problem — the mental side of owing up to his side of the bargain. We know for sure that the Ballpark at Arlington did not help his case, nor did the addition of the DH instead of the automatic out at the end of the lineup. There’s no doubt Barry Zito and his agent Scott Boras — formerly Park’s agent — took a good long look at what happened to Chan Ho Park while they considered the Rangers’ contract offer this past winter.

After his first few years in Texas, Chan Ho Park had no chance to win — not games, not fans, and not forgiveness. His situation is much like Pavano’s is now in the Bronx; Pavano will have to win back-to-back Cy Youngs to justify his contract to the NY fans and media. It was next to impossible for Park to start over while still in Texas, but his contract was too overbearing and his health too fragile until the fourth year of the deal, when he was finally unloaded to San Diego.

Interestingly, he began to rebound while still in Texas, going 8-5 in 20 games before finishing 12-8 on the season between there and San Diego. His ERA though, was too high — 5.66 in Texas and 5.91 with the Padres. Last year, he started 21 games, went 7-7, and posted an okay 4.81 ERA. One encouraging note: he did pitch one complete-game, 2-hit shutout (though he didn’t get a decision; the game was won in the 11th), and went into or past the seventh in five other starts. His biggest issue — even during his successful years as a Dodger — has been control, and last year he struck out twice as many as he walked for only the fourth time in 13 years. Is it too much of a stretch to call this encouraging?

Let’s face it — we as Mets fans are going to squeeze every little nugget of a positive stat as much as we can when it comes to our anemic starting rotation candidates. We’re remembering Oliver Perez’s gutty performances in the postseason and his magical 5-hit shutout vs. the Braves, and forgetting the 3-13 record and 6.55 ERA of last year. While it’s true that Perez has youth on his side, his situation is not unlike Chan Ho Park’s — or Jorge Sosa or Aaron Sele’s, for that matter. All four pitchers at one time, just a few years ago, were at the top of their game — even if it were only for a season or two. Standing back, and away from your emotional role as a Mets fan — which means forgetting Oliver’s 11 2/3 innings in the postseason — you must admit that Park, Sosa, and Sele have just as much a chance to recapture their former greatness as Perez. You may argue that Sele and Park are in their mid-30s, but that’s not a strong enough reason to dismiss them. For every Jose Lima and Scott Erickson, there’s a Jamie Moyer, Tommy John, Luis Tiant, or Roger Clemens who was able to find or recapture the magic in his 30s.

Anything can happen, so who’s to say Chan Ho Park won’t be the one to rise from the dregs and capture a regular spot in the rotation?

Five more agonizing days till pitchers and catcher report to Port St. Lucie …