213 Miles From Shea

This has been a very, for lack of a better word, bipolar month for the New York Mets. On one hand, there is much optimism with the Mets simply because it is Spring, and hope Springs eternal. However, it also has been a confusing, angering, desperate month for the Mets as there have been increasing signs of involvement between the Wilpons and Madoff, and team debt. There have been a lot of different ways to look at this ugly situation, but one way that really shows it unfolding is to take a tour back through the NY Daily News back pages and watch as the story slowly became public.

We first travel back in time to January 29th, when we first learned about the debt problems that were facing the Mets. This was when the story was first starting to break that the Mets were looking to sell a minority claim in the team, but the details were first murky.

We then started to learn a little more about what was going on, and that we were now in a money scandal with the Madoff case….again. Of course depression started to kick in, and the NY Daily News couldn't help but also reuse a quasi famous image from the Mets end of the season collapse.

Questions then started to fly. How long did management know this was going to happen? Did Sandy know when he signed with the team?

Then of course rumors started to fly, like can Piazza help us out? Can our own hero make this all go away?

This was followed by the Wilpons snapping back at the entire case.

And we leave the most recent image, the Mets finally heading down to Florida in order to put this financial fiasco in the past and to actually play the game of baseball.

Josh Stinson has been with the Mets organization since 2006, and he will be only 23 years old next season. Josh was drafted out of high school by the Mets and has been with them ever since bouncing around the minor leagues and developing his role. He was first a starter, one that received high accolades in the Rookie league and then became a reliever and as of last season played both roles. Statistically his best ERA was his first 40 innings in 2006 when his ERA was 1.76. His last couple of seasons have had some high points and low points:

2009 – 50 G, 1 GS, 78.2 IP, 2.86 ERA, 84 K, 29 BB, 2.90 K/BB, 9.6 K/9

2010 AA – 32 G, 14 GS, 110.1 IP, 4.24 ERA, 68 K, 50 BB, 1.36 K/BB, 5.5 K/9

2010 AAA – 4 G, 4 GS, 28.0 IP, 2.57 ERA, 21 K, 8 BB, 2.63 K/BB, 6.8 K/9

Those 2009 relief numbers are fantastic. Those 2010 AA numbers are not so great, but good. Those 2010 AAA numbers as a starter are great.

So what does this mean?

Stinson is probably an outside chance to make the top 25 roster out of spring training this year, unless of course he has an amazing Spring. That being said, I am really curious to see how they use him in Spring and if they bring him to the minors this season as a starter or a reliever. He is going to be a story to watch this upcoming season.

Sigh…was this how my parents felt during Pokemon and Tamagotchi's?

If you don't have kids, work with kids, engage in popular culture, then you probably have never heard of Silly Bandz. Consider yourself sane then. Silly Bandz is a recent fad that I believe spiked last year, but is still carrying on, for some reason. I don't understand it. And I probably shouldn't try to understand it, but I waste my time anyway.

Well I have been pretty vague. Silly Bandz are essentially bracelets that when they aren't on a person's wrist, they form some sort of shape logo, etc. Kids are supposed to collect and trade them, and of course buy lots of them. They make them in theme sets like sports, music, dinosaurs, cars, etc. And they come in lots of colors. They aren't marketed only for children either. When I was at my Fraternities National convention this past winter, they gave us each a pack of APO themed Silly bandz that formed our letters, our shield and a few of our logos.

When there is money to be made, the MLB is usually on it. Cue Mets Silly Bandz! I mean…logo bandz, whatever. Yep, you can get the interlocking NY, the Mets, Mr. Met, homeplate, and of course, the MLB logo, because it has to be spread somehow.

This isn't the first time the Mets have been involved with this. Last year as a promotion, the Brooklyn Cyclones gave out Bandz to their fans at a game.

Can you believe this series is almost done? Including this article there are only three more to go!

Anyway today we take a look at Jordany Valdespin, who, unless there is some crazy situation that happens at camp, will not be making the team out of camp this year. Valdespin remains one of the candidates however for a later takeover of second base, as a player who could be there in the future for the long term. Of course he seems to have at least two major obstacles in his way. The first would be Dan Murphy. However the real block for the future seems to be Ruben Tejada, who if he finally gets a bat seems like the logical choice. Anyway, here are some stats:

2010 – 382 AB, .272 BA, 48 R, 104 H, 24 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 17 SB, 12 CS

2009 – 258 AB, .298 BA, 40 R, 77 H, 12 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 13 SB, 6 CS

He puts up some interesting numbers, he just hasn't succeeded yet at the higher levels (like AA or AAA). Now Valdespin is not completely banished. Tejada is also a very capable shortstop and that might be a more natural position for him. In the scenario between Reyes and Flores, if that ever occurs, that would be Valdespin's opportunity to jump into the picture.

He has some attitude issues and he has some talent. It should be an interesting season watching him develop.

Today we look at a player who was added to our 40 man at the end of the 2010 season for protection in the rule V draft. Zach Lutz, the 25 year old third basemen, has had some interesting numbers in his time in the minors, and while he is obviously blocked at the major league level by Wright (and from a back up role by Murphy among others), he seems to be an interesting piece that may play a role later for the Mets, or as a trade piece. Anyway, Lutz was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 draft and since then has played in the Mets minors system. Last season he actually played in 4 different levels in the Mets system due to rehab for a stress fracture. Here are some stats:

2010 Minors Total – 268 AB, .287 BA, .380 OBP, .571 SLG, 47 R, 77 H, 19 2B, 19 HR, 55 RBI, 36 BB

2010 Binghamton – 225 AB, 66 G, .289 BA, .389 OBP, .578 SLG, 42 R, 65 H, 14 2B, 17 HR, 42 RBI, 33 BB

So as you can see from the above, there are some very interesting power numbers developing with Lutz. Last season he hit as many doubles as he did homers, and he had a good amount of walks, highlighted by his better than average OBP. He is an intriguing player, there just doesn't seem to be a place for him, and he's a little too old to be considered Wright's replacement in the future.

Chin-lung Hu is one of the players in camp trying for one of those final bench spots. Hu, who will be 27 this season, would be a historic player for the Mets organization if he gets any Major League playing time. He will be the first Taiwanese player to put on the Mets uniform and he will be the player with the shortest surname to put on the Mets uniform (when he put on the Dodgers uniform, he became the shortest surname in Major League history). Anyway, Hu is an infielder and looks to fill a role similar to Chris Woodward a few years back.

Hu first landed in America in 2003 in the Rookie level team for the Dodgers. In 2006 he got more international baseball experience as he played for the Chinese Taipei in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He has had brief major league experience each year from 2007 to 2010, but hasn't had much success (or really that many AB's):

Career – 173 AB, .191 BA, .241 OBP, .283 SLG, 33 H, 4 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI

The Mets acquired Chin-lung in December when they traded Mike Antonio to the Dodgers. While Hu's numbers are absolutely nothing to write home about, his minor league numbers are something to consider:

2010 – 208 AB, .317 BA, .339 OBP, .438 SLG, 66 H, 11 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI

Those numbers aren't bad at all. Like all of the middle infielders that have been or will be featured in this profile series, it is really hard to make any sort of concrete prediction about Spring because of the amount of players trying for either starting second basemen or backup infielder. It should make for a fun Spring though.

Today we look at another rule V draft pick the Mets have coming into camp in Brad Emaus. On the surface, before looking into his bio or stats, we know that Emaus has some sort of advantage coming into camp due to his rule V status. He must make the 25 man in order to stay with the Mets organization. He seems to be Murphy's main competition for the second base job, and if he doesn't get it, he looks to be the leader for back up infielder.

Emaus was originally drafted by the Braves out of High School but elected to go to college (Tulane University) and was then drafted by the Blue Jays in the 11th round. He has been a promising prospect to some degree (A three star prospect according to Baseball Prospectus) but the Blue Jays couldn't get him on the 40 man, and now the Mets have him. The will be 25 year old has put up some good numbers, not jaw dropping, but not bad either, in the minors which is why the Mets are intrigued by him. Also he plays second base, which has been an empty position for a while now. Anyway here are some numbers:

Career Minors – 1559 AB, .276 BA, .364 OBP, .426 SLG

2010 – 445 AB, .290 BA, .397 OBP, .476 SLG, 32 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 75 RBI, 13 SB

His numbers from last season look pretty good. Depending on how camp unfolds, it really could turn into a wide open competition with Murphy. The aspect that I am holding onto the most with Emaus is he shows between himself, Turner, Muprhy, and Tejada we have options at second base. Which is good for the future (which really seems to be long to Tejada once he gets a bit older).

DJ was drafted in 1997 by the Baltimore Orioles. He was then a member of the Indians' system in 1998 and then a member of the Pirates between 1999 and 2002. He broke into the majors in 2003 with the Royals and stayed with them in 2005. The rest of his story will be revealed later.

The 34 year old Carrasco looks to fill a need in the bullpen as a right handed pitcher who's career really has been a tale of two different pitchers. In his first three major league seasons, he was a combination of a starter and a reliever (actually pretty much only a starter in 2005) and had a really average ERA. He then left in 2006 and pitched for Japan, followed by a year in the minors in 2007. 2008 started the second half of his career as when he came up he was a pretty good reliever. Since 2008, his numbers started to go down:

2008 – 1-0, 3.96 ERA, 38.2 IP, 14 BB, 30 K, 7.0 K/9, 2.14 K/BB

2009- 5-1, 3.76 ERA, 93.1 IP, 29 BB, 62 K, 6.0 K/9, 2.14 K/BB

2010- 3-2, 3.68 ERA, 78.1 IP, 34 BB, 65 K, 7.5 K/9, 1.91 K/BB

In 2008 he was with the White Sox, and was with them until January 2010, when he signed a contract with the Pirates. Then in December he signed a contract with the Mets.

DJ looks to be a critical new addition in the bullpen, since the entire bullpen seems to be a question mark anyway going into this season. He is also the member of a very small group players the Mets gave more than one year too. He looks to be a pretty solid pitcher as the last three years suggest, and fairly consistent as well. Since he has a two year deal, it is pretty safe to assume he has a spot in the bullpen going in, but once again, if he struggles out of the gate, there seems to be a good amount of pitchers behind him that are ready to step up.

Without much introduction, bam:

Probable Line Up (All Star Years):

1. Reyes (3)

2. Pagan

3. Wright (5)

4. Bay (3)

5. Beltran (5)

6. Davis

7. Murphy

8. Thole

9. Starting Pitcher

The most solid part of this lineup is the first three positions. I'm fairly confident that will be the order for the vast majority of the season. Reyes should definitely be first. Pagan should be second due to his speed, his variety of hits, and more importantly, he is one of the better hitters on the team. Wright could be clean-up, but the Mets have so many players could be power hitters, Wright is fine in the third spot. Also, I would say that Wright is the best all around hitter on the team, and that is where the third batter goes.

Spots 4-6 are murky. Honestly, it could be Beltran-Bay-Davis, Beltran-Davis-Bay, etc. Ultimately, the order should go in the way of the best hitters. I have Bay at 4th because I think he has the best shot of getting the most homers. What is difficult is Beltran and Wright are sometimes interchangeable, which is why I have Beltran at 5th right now. Thus, Davis is 6th, just because he's the youngest right now. If he shows a month in, weather its Spring Training or April, then he should be moved up in the lineup.

Finally, at the back end we have Murphy and Thole. Honestly they could be switched as well.

The one thing I really relearned from doing this, I forgot how good the Mets lineup looks on paper. When the team is healthy, and batters bat the way they are supposed to, this could be a really good lineup. Also, addition by subtraction of Castillo is awesome.

Chris is part of the new set of players that Sandy brought in with some extra intangibles. Chris was the valedictorian in his High School and graduated from Duke University with a degree in economics. The very quick story on Chris is he has had success in his career, being a one time All Star, but he also had Tommy John surgery twice (once in 2002 and again in 2008).

Anyway some background. In 2003, he made his debut with the Diamondbacks. After his first season, he was traded to the Brewers as part of that massive Richard Sexson trade. He remained with the Brewers until this past offseason, where he signed a deal with the Mets. Due to injuries, he actually missed both the 2008 and 2009 season at the major league level, but when he returned last year, in a small sample he put up some good numbers:

Career – 46-52, 4.35 ERA, 777.2 IP, 2.45 K/BB, 7.4 K/9

2010 – 4-4, 3.95 ERA, 66.0 IP, 2.57 K/BB, 7.4 K/9

Anyway, his career numbers and 2010 numbers are pretty solid. For a back of the rotation pitcher, which he is now, I would take those numbers in a heart beat. The challenge for Capuano coming into camp is first he must be better than Dillon Gee, who if he comes out strong, has a good chance of grabbing that last spot and then second, if he makes the rotation of camp, he must be strong in the first half of the season if he wants to stay in the rotation once Johan Santana returns. Capuano though will make a good addition to the pen as a long man and spot starter.

He is one of our question marks, but he is one that we can put a good amount of hope into.