Yesterday’s loss to the Nationals was both punishing to the standings and aggravating to those who witnessed it. You can forgive K-Rod for getting beat by someone like Adam Dunn, but when below league average hitters like Willie Harris and Cristian Guzman are the catalyst for a rally you have to draw the line. Those […]

Lost in the Mets winning streak is the development, or should I say regression, of the bullpen over the last few weeks. It’s apparent that Jerry Manuel will eschew traditional bullpen roles and play the hot hand, which has led to multiple eighth inning men and burnt out relievers. Fernando Nieve‘s disappearance is probably just […]

As the Mets woke up in sunny San Diego to wrap up a month that saw them go 4-12 on the road so far, they have the look of a team that has mastered the art of winning ugly and losing pretty. At 26-26, the roller-coaster ride has seen the team take on a ‘damn […]

Yes, the Bronx is Burning is back and this time it’s playing at Citi Field. Check out David Waldstein’s NY Times column today and the report from the fans on Sunday night about a confrontation between Francisco Rodriguez and bullpen coach Randy Niemann. Francisco Rodriguez, and its bullpen coach, Randy Niemann, had to be separated […]

First, it appears the Texas Rangers are interested in Mets starting catcher Rod Barajs and our good buddy Matt Pignataro, who works out in Spokane, confirms such interest. Right now Barajas is playing over his head (OPS of .871) in what is thus far a career year. Should the Mets deal high with Barajas and […]

There’s been much discussion, including in this space, on how Jerry Manuel is systematically turning his bullpen arms into gruel. So how should he be using his bullpen in the near future? Okay, let’s start with a few stipulations. 1. Hisonori Takahashi is probably in the rotation for some time. 2. Ditto R.A. Dickey- hamstrings […]

Jenrry Mejia pitched in another low leverage situation last night. After the game I heard on WFAN that Jerry Manuel said sending Mejia down to the minors to develop as a starter is something the team would consider. It’s a well known fact that Manuel pushed to have Mejia on the ballclub because he felt […]

There are things that Jerry Manuel does far better than Willie Randolph. He recognizes lefty and righty matchups. He doesn’t stubbornly cling to what isn’t working. And he gives a far better interview. But Jerry Manuel’s use of the bullpen is destroying whatever chance this team has at being competitive later in the year. Specifically, […]

Jenrry Mejia had his first opportunity to grab the eighth inning and failed on Sunday. It may be hard to judge Mejia on his performance as the windy conditions wrecked havoc with just about everyone on the field, but Aaron Rowand’s wind aided homer partially was due to Mejia poor command. Walking hitters and falling […]

One of the developments of the disappointing loss to Cincinnati on Monday was the performance of Fernando Nieve. Ironically, it was on the same night the Mets announced Kelvim Escobar would miss the entire season. If there was one positive aspect of the offseason it was the way Omar Minaya handled the bullpen. The prior […]

I originally circled this Thursday, April 29th as a day that we could see a possible managerial change with the Mets. This was two weeks ago as they embarked on a six game road trip after playing some lifeless baseball on the opening home stand. Even as late as a week ago it appeared that […]

I have been on record thinking the Mets are not as bad as everyone believes through the first two weeks of the season. Yes, there are concerns about the message being sent down by Omar and Jerry, but the release of Mike Jacobs is a start towards putting the best lineup on the field. The […]

I spent this Opening Day (yes, always capitalized, in honor of the national holiday it should be) at home with my wife and brand-new daughter. Seven-day-old Mirabelle was dressed in a David Wright shirt, which turned out to be a far better choice than the Mike Jacobs alternative. Anyhow, here are some preliminary observations, keeping […]

In a move that surprises me a great deal, Marty Noble reports that Nelson Figueroa may have secured a spot on the roster out of the bullpen. It appears that Jerry Manuel and Dan Warthen view him as a “staff saver” who can eat innings. On a staff with so many question marks he will […]

According to MLB Trade Rumors Pat Misch, Nelson Figueroa, and Fernando Nieve are out of options this spring. Essentially they make the team or will be placed on waivers. If you wait till later in the spring the chances of them clearing might be good, but the state of MLB pitching makes it likely you […]