What had been an obvious conclusion in the dispersal of Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan to the outfield came to pass Monday, when the Mets announced that Pagan would be the center fielder, and Beltran moving to right field. The reason that needed to be the choice is simple: Pagan is the better fielder at […]

There were reports this weekend of much weaker than expected Mets season ticket sales. I don’t think that should be a surprise after how last season ended, the lack of a big free agent catch, and the negativity surrounding the Madoff scandal. However, winning will change things very quickly. Remember, before Mike Piazza‘s arrival in […]

Angel Pagan had a career year in 2010 hitting .290 with 11 homers and 69 RBI. He goes into 2011 as one of the three starting outfielders, and most likely, the future centerfielder that will replace Carlos Beltran. One of the tools in his repertoire was the ability to bunt for base hits. In the […]

Adam Rubin wrote a fascinating piece describing, for the first time, how the Mets plan to decide who plays center field: Carlos Beltran or Angel Pagan. In his piece, Rubin describes the process, as told to him by Mets manager Terry Collins, this way: Collins indicated Wednesday at Citi Field that the logical plan is […]

It was a small, but passionate crowd in Brooklyn last night for the Cyclones must win Game 2 against Jamestown in the NYPL semifinals. It was one of the better games I have seen in Brooklyn in a long time. A seesaw battle that saw the fans express a range of emotion, including some frustration […]

It has been a breakout year for Angel Pagan. He’s gone from enigmatic to a talented member of the core. As a matter of fact many would have predicted Lastings Milledge or Fernando Martinez being in Pagan’s position at this time. I started to think about what Pagan’s ceiling is and who he compares to […]

The conundrum inherent in supporting the New York Mets was never clearer than last night, when Jeff Francoeur hit a home run that ultimately beat the Atlanta Braves. Yes, Mets fans were happy to win what amounted to a vital game, as are all contests against Atlanta. Doing so against Billy Wagner didn’t hurt, either. […]

It appears that Carlos Beltran is doing well in his rehab stint and some believe he very well could join the team as early as Monday. Whether that happens or not is unimportant, since the reality of the situation will be the Mets have 3 spots for 4 outfielders in the near future. One of […]

If not for Lebron James and 2010 NBA free agency talk it would be “all Cliff Lee all the time” throughout the city. I have to admit the twists and turns of rumors, opinion, and innuendo are fun, but starting to tire me as we head into the meat of the baseball schedule. Two interesting […]

We all know the Mets interest in Cliff Lee, but to date all we have heard is what they don’t want to give up in a deal. Yesterday, NYBD talked to a league source that indicated parameters of a deal would include Josh Thole, Angel Pagan, and a prospect for Cliff Lee. At this point […]

Earlier today contributor Joe Demayo was told by an NL source that Jenrry Meija is a “must” in any deal for Cliff Lee. NYBD also reached out to a National League executive who said there should be “no reason” for the Mets, or any other team, to give up top talent for Cliff Lee because […]

There is a great blog by Larry Granillo called Wezen-Ball. One of the cool features of the site is a Tater Trot Tracker that times each and every home run trot throughout the season. It tells us who “styles” around the bases (normally that is David Ortiz) and who can’t wait to touch home plate. […]

With the advent of advanced metrics easily available to the layman you can have some fun with numbers from time to time. Although I have been critical of the stat WAR (Wins Above Replacement) when evaluating a players true value on the field, I do believe it can help give you a sense of the […]

Mark Simon of ESPN NY wrote about the value of Mets centerfielder Angel Pagan over the weekend. If the All Star starters were selected by using Wins Above Replacement (WAR), then Angel Pagan would be the NL centerfielder. Hard to believe, as Pagan didn’t even start on opening day for the Mets. It got me […]

The Mets received more bad news with respect to Carlos Beltran earlier this weekend. At this point it would be optimistic to get Beltran back by the All Star Break, if at all and, as Joel Sherman pointed out, how much could you expect from Carlos if he returns? It has gotten to the point […]