On December 14 , when the initial offer was made to Kelvim Escobar, I wrote…

“As a bullpen arm, Escobar could be a good low-risk, high-reward player, something the Mets will probably see a lot of in spring training.”

Two months later , when we found out he had a “sore shoulder,” on February 17, I wrote…

“And so signals the [...]

My father and I just shook hands, sealing the bet. The stakes: Ten whole dollars. What we wagered on: Whether or not the Mets will finish the season in last place. He has them in the cellar, I do not. Last year, the Mets finished a full 11 games ahead of the Washington Nationals for last place in the NL [...]

This list was culled from MLBTR.  Their ages are (in parentheses). Starting pitchers Brandon Backe (32) Cha Seung Baek (30) Kris Benson (34) Paul Byrd (39) Bartolo Colon (37) Adam Eaton (32) Mike Hampton (37) Braden Looper (35) – Type B, not offered arb Noah Lowry (29) Pedro Martinez (38) Eric Milton (34) Odalis Perez (33) Sidney Ponson (33) Mark Prior (29) Jason Schmidt (37) John Smoltz (43) Jarrod Washburn (35) My question: Would you sign [...]

Couldn’t this have been solved with a phone call?  Everyone has a cell phone these days, ya know. (Aside: Seinfeld is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest shows of all time.  But if the characters had cell phones, the show would have been completely different.  Just think about it next time you’re watching the show.) [...]

Via JSchil’s Blog…

Watch a master at work and stand in awe. Before each start Johan Santana, the Mets’ ace, struts past his teammates, smacking and fist-bumping and shimmying, as if performing a dugout Macarena, personalizing shakes for each teammate while throwing fake pitches. The innovation is ongoing (his shakes often change from week to week) and the complexity [...]

It’s funny because it’s true. Here’s the second installment of Jeff Wilpon’s video blog from 12 Angry Mascots…

From the Mets…

The additional blood tests confirmed that Jose Reyes’s thyroid hormone blood levels are elevated and he is hyperthyroid. Mets Medical Director Dr. David Altchek last night spoke with Jose and his representatives. As prescribed by the doctors and specialists, Jose’s treatment plan is to rest, refrain from athletic activity and make changes in his [...]

The mad minds behind 12 Angry Mascots are launching a Jeff Wilpon video blog called The WilVlog. Below is the first installment. They plan to post every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few weeks. This should be fun. (Driving to Atlantic City for the next few days.  Might have Internet, might not.  If not, talk to you on Friday!) [...]

I did a quick Mets and NL East Q&A with the Phillies blog Macho Row . Here’s a quick sampling…

How hot is the water that general manager Omar Minaya is sitting in? Is the pressure on Minaya to get the team back to the playoffs at a point where this is a make-or-break season? Sizzling. I’m not sure this is [...]

“With the question marks we have at two, three and four, each day those guys go out and throw strikes and compete is a big plus for us .” -Jerry Manuel on the starting rotation At least he admits they are question marks.  But no question mark at five?  Isn’t that the biggest question mark of them all? [...]

Because I will be out most of the day, I’ll post my fantasy baseball team for you to enjoy/laugh at… Ryota’s Toyotas – “Putting the pedal to the metal!” Batters Victor Martinez – 1B/C Prince Fielder – 1B Brandon Phillips – 2B Chone Figgins – 3B Marco Scutaro – SS Carlos Beltran – OF Nick Markakis – OF David DeJesus – OF Corey Hart – OF Martin Prado [...]

“If we were to speak today, and not having much history with him, I would say that he would definitely be one of the 11 or 12 pitchers that we take.” -Jerry Manuel, not on Jenrry Mejia, but on Hisanori Takahasi

Woah, woah, woah. It’s been four games, everyone.  Let’s calm down a bit. Yes, Fernando Martinez is hitting .667 / .667 / 1.333, but he’s only had 12 ABs.  Yes, he went 4-4 yesterday.  Yes, he hit two home runs. There is no doubt in my mind that Martinez will break camp and head to Buffalo to get regular [...]

It’s (early in) spring training, where stats don’t matter and no one cares about wins, so let’s have some fun with stats from a handful of games. Jason Pridie and Ruben Tejada are tied at the top with 10 AB a piece. Luis Hernandez leads the team with 11 PA. Russ Adams leads the team with a 1.000 OBP.  [...]

“If we continue to see that, we have to have some strong conversations.” -Jerry Manuel on Jenrry Mejia

The Brooklyn Cyclones will be giving this jersey away at their “Jersey? Sure!” Night on July 21… Why, why, why must my home state have such a bad rep? All I can do is shake my head.

Here is the lineup we’ll be able to watch today as the Mets split-squad plays the Marlins in Port St. Lucie.  The other half traveled to Jupiter to play the Cardinals. Angel Pagan – CF Luis Castillo – 2B David Wright – 3B Jason Bay – LF Daniel Murphy – 1B Rod Barajas – C Jesus Feliciano – RF Luis Hernandez – SS Kai Gronauer [...]

Jose Reyes has once again been scratched from the Mets lineup and is en route to New York for tests. According to Adam Rubin , Reyes may have an out of balance thyroid. It’s worrisome that Reyes has yet another problem, but if it is a thyroid issue, that is usually easily rectified.  A pill treatment can usually solve [...]

Enrique Nomar “Kiko: Calero , who last pitched with Florida last season, appeared in 67 games with a 1.95 ERA and a 1.100 WHIP in 60 innings.  He surrendered 36 hits and one home run, while walking 30 and striking out 69. In 302 2-3 career innings, Calero has a 3.24 ERA and 1.196 WHIP.  He notched 3.7 BB/9 [...]