Saturday, August 13, 2011

Mets Are Snakebitten, Baby

The Mets lost their fourth straight tonight, losing to the Diamondbacks by a score of 6-4.



  • Mike Pelfrey went four innings before leaving after getting hit in his right elbow on a line drive. Before leaving, he allowed three runs on four hits, while striking out three.  X-rays were taken on his right elbow and came back negative. He is listed as day-to-day.
  • D.J. Carrasco came in to pitch the eighth inning and gave up a three-run home run to Ryan Roberts.
  • A majority of the Mets' hits tonight came from Ronny Paulino, Mike Baxter, and Ruben Tejada. All three went 2-4 at the plate. Baxter had an RBI, while Tejada had two.

Next Up: The Mets play the final game against the Diamondbacks Sunday afternoon. Chris Capuano takes the mound for New York. Game time is 4:10 p.m.

Mets Look To Rebound Against Struggling Hudson

August 13, 2011

8:10 PM ET

Chae Field, Arizona

TV: WPIX

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.53 ERA)

Pelfrey allowed four runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings of work in his last start. In his career, Pelfrey is 1-5 with a 5.82 ERA against the Diamondbacks.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Starting Pitcher: Daniel Hudson (11-8, 3.83 ERA)

Hudson has been struggling as of late. In his last start he went just three innings and gave up seven runs on eleven hits to the Astros. Against the Mets, he is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA.


METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Harris-2B, Wright-3B, Duda-1B, Bay-LF, Paulino-C, Baxter-RF, Tejada-SS, Pelfrey-RHP

Mets Morning News: Davis Tired Of Playing Waiting Game, Turner'sInjury, Pelfrey Doesn't Believe

Ike Davis told reporters on Friday that Labor Day will have to be the day the Mets make their decision on whether or not the first baseman has surgery or not.
"Labor Day is basically the cutoff day when I would have enough time to be healthy if I did have surgery for the next year," he said. "Around Labor Day, that would give me enough time to get back on the field. Around that day is when I’m going to try to start running again, see if this rest helped me or not and go from there."
He later added:
"I’d rather not have surgery. I would like to avoid it, but if I can’t get better without it, I have to have surgery. To tell you the truth, I wish — obviously that I didn’t have to — but also, just waiting to have surgery and rehabbing to have surgery, it would be nice to just get it done if I have to have it done. The waiting game is kind of getting old."
Don't expect to see much of Justin Turner on this road trip. Turner has been battling a right quad injury, and manager Terry Collins has decided to give him a break.
Turner suffered the injury roughly two weeks ago when the Marlins' Logan Morrison crashed into his quad on a double play and he's been fighting through it since. The worry now is that if Turner keeps favoring it, the problem will further put a strain on the hip and maybe his groin as well.
Finally, in an attempt to maybe stir up some trouble, the NY Post has Mike Pelfrey admitting he didn't have much hope for this 2011 team.
"It's unrealistic for anybody at the end of last year to come in and say, 'The Mets, this is a one-year thing, next year we're going to win it all. It's unrealistic."
Pelfrey then said:
"The way this year has gone, [the fans] probably don't want me back."
Got that right, Pelfrey.

Mets Rally Late, But Come Up Short

The Mets fell behind early, and despite a late inning rally, lost to the Diamondbacks by a score of 4-3.



  • Once again, Dillon Gee did not have his best stuff on the mound. He went five innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out three and walking one. He gave up a home run to Justin Upton in the first inning. He got into trouble in the second inning, giving up three runs on back-to-back doubles to Cody Ransom and Ian Kennedy.
  • Jason Bay had another nice day at the plate. He was 3-4 with an RBI and one run scored.
  • The Mets tried to rally in the later innings, with Jason Pridie driving in a run in the eighth inning and Willie Harris bringing home another run in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly. Old friend, J.J. Putz, was able to get David Wright to ground out to end the game.
  • The Mets were 1-10 with runners in scoring position, and left nine men on base.

Next Up: The Mets and Diamondbacks play the second game of their three-game series Saturday night. Mike Pelfrey gets the start against Daniel Hudson. Game time is 8:10 p.m.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Meet The Met: Albert Cordero

The Mets knew they had a great defensive catcher. What they have learned, is that Albert Cordero has the potential to be a lot more than that.

Last season, as a 20 year old with the Kingsport Mets, Cordero had a solid season. He hit .282, with a .469 SLG and only struck out 10.7% of the time. However, the main reason he was even on the Mets radar as a prospect, was because of his defensive abilities.

He is considered to be the best defensive catcher in the organization. Last year he threw out 43 percent of potential base-stealers, has quick feet, and receives well. As a catching prospect, it is even more important to be good defensively because there are major league catchers who aren’t necessarily hitters; just ask Drew Butera of the Twins, and Jeff Mathis of the Angels.

Mets Head To The Desert To Take On First Place Diamondbacks

August 12, 2011

9:40 PM ET

Chase Field, Arizona

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (10-3, 3.93 ERA)

Gee gave up five runs in five innings of work in his last start against Atlanta. He also gave up three home runs in that game. Against the Diamondbacks, he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy (14-3, 3.20 ERA)

Kennedy has been outstanding this season. In his last six starts, he is 6-0 with a 2.63 ERA. Kennedy is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in his career against the Mets.


METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Harris-2B, Wright-3B, Duda-1B, Bay-LF, Thole-C, Pridie-RF, Tejada-SS, Gee-RHP

Something Wonderful Has Happened...

Well...maybe not wonderful. I do, however, look forward to reading his philosophical words of wisdom.



R.A. Dickey has joined Twitter. I was skeptical at first, but the Mets confirmed that the account belongs to the Dickster himself.

Happy tweeting, R.A.

Mets Morning News: Collins Done Giving Speeches, Acosta Available, DudaIn The Outfield

Following Thursday afternoon's loss, manager Terry Collins had this to say:
"I can’t keep giving speeches. I can’t keep giving these guys pep talks. This is the big leagues. These are men. They have to realize what they’re facing. They have to realize what it takes to play here 162 times. They know exactly what they’re looking at. They know it’s the steepest climb of their life. ...

"As I’ve said before -- and I don’t necessarily mean young players -- there’s a lot of guys playing for jobs here, on this team. I want 25 guys next year that are willing to give me all they have 162 nights."
In other words, the entire team has been warned, and I don't think Collins would hesitate to cut or bench anybody from the team next season.

Half of Manny Acosta's fingernail on his left pinkie was torn off on the comebacker Tuesday night. An x-ray showed that nothing was broken, and he will be available out of the bullpen.

Following Thursday's game, Collins said that Lucas Duda could be sent to the Instructional League at the end of the season to work on playing right field.
"I still believe that’s why you have spring training. He’s played enough outfield, especially the last two years, that we’ll have time. The worst-case scenario, at the end of this year if we’re not in the postseason, we say, 'Hey, look, we’ve got to get him ready for the outfield,' I’ll send him to the instructional league for two weeks. What the heck? Let him go down there and get fly balls every day."

Thursday, August 11, 2011

That Was A Crappy Way To End A Homestand

The Mets lost to the Padres this afternoon by a score of 3-2.



  • Jon Niese went 7.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking two. He gave up a home run to Cameron Maybin in the sixth inning. He allowed the Padres to tie the game in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Luis Martinez. Niese had a chance to get out of the eighth inning unscathed, but with two outs, he was let down by his defense. Ruben Tejada made a costly fielding error which allowed Maybin to score the go-ahead run for the Padres. Tejada made two errors in the game.
  • The Mets scored two runs in the third inning on a double by Lucas Duda. They were held to just three hits all afternoon. The other two hits belonged to David Wright and Jason Bay.
  • David Wright now holds the franchise record for total bases with 2,048.
  • The Mets were 1-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men on base.

Next Up: The Mets head to Arizona to begin a three-game series with the Diamondbacks Friday night. Dillon Gee will start for New York. Game time is 9:40 p.m.

The Ultimate Mets Lineup

The 2011 Mets are hovering around .500 right now, and they will probably finish the year around .500 too.  Fitting, given that this team has been oddly snakebitten.  Jose Reyes was in the middle of his best offensive season and is now on the disabled list for the second time with a recurring leg problem.  Daniel Murphy joins him on the DL after establishing himself as a starter with a breakout year.  Last year's breakout Ike Davis hasn't seen the field in months, and won't until next year.  Ace Johan Santana will be lucky to see game action in 2011, and may never be the same after shoulder surgery.  David Wright has been hitting well since missing time, leading one to wonder how he would have performed over a full season.  Ditto for the departed Carlos Beltran.

So I decided to perform a little experiment.  What if everyone on the 2011 Mets had performed at the peak of his career? What if every starter had his best historical season - forget that, how about taking every Mets star from the last decade, sticking them on the field and seeing how they would perform at their absolute apex.

The ultimate Mets fantasy team of the 2000s, instead of the also-ran 2011 edition.

Mets Try To End Homestand On A Good Note

August 11, 2011

12:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Jon Niese (11-8, 4.12 ERA)

Niese hasn't made it past the sixth inning in his last three starts. He has been giving up one bad inning in each of those starts. Against the Padres, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Starting Pitcher: Cory Luebke (4-6, 3.06 ERA)

Luebke struck out a career-high nine batters in his last start. He allowed one run on five hits in seven innings of work to span a three game losing streak. Luebke has never faced the Mets in his career.

Mets Morning News: Why Izzy Is Valuable, Pagan's Back, Dickey's UphillBattle

The Daily News writes, "Bobby Parnell's terrible ninth inning against Padres a reminder why Jason Isringhausen is valuable." About his disastrous ninth inning appearance, Parnell said:
"I left the ball over the middle of the plate. I left 'em up, over the plate. Just a bad day."
Angel Pagan is expected to be back in the lineup in the next day or so after leaving Wednesday night's game with lower back spasms.
"Hopefully, I’ll be good for (today)," Pagan said. "I just don’t want to be out for too long."
Jeff Roberts of The Record writes that life on and off the field for R.A. Dickey has always been an uphill battle.
Dickey's story began with a difficult childhood that included his parents' divorce, his mother's alcoholism and Dickey often living with friends while he attended Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Before we delve into each minor league team, the big news today is Jordany Valdespin’s promotion to AAA Buffalo from AA Binghamton.

All this kid has done this season is hit, and he has gotten better every month. After starting the year left off of just about every high profile Mets Top Ten Prospects lists, his development has virtually come out of nowhere. The irony with him is that he happens to wear jersey number seven, and plays short stop. So who knows, with an outstanding finish to the season and a strong Spring Training, we may still have a number seven at SS next season, just not the one most Mets fans are hoping for.

Let's Just Forget This One Ever Happened

There was no late inning magic at Citi Field tonight. The Mets couldn't come up with their third comeback win in a row, losing to the Padres, 9-5.



  • R.A. Dickey went six innings, giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out one and walking one. Dickey struggled early, but eventually went on to retire 11 in a row before he left in the sixth inning.
  • This team was just an overall mess tonight. The big base running snafu of the night was with Ruben Tejada tagging from third base, attempting to score on a shallow fly ball to left field. Tejada did not slide into home plate and was called out. Call it inexperience. Call it a mistake made by a young player. I call it a dumb play. This is not a mistake you make because you are young. You learn to slide on these plays in Little League.
  • Then there was the ninth inning. What a disaster. Bobby Parnell came into pitch the ninth, and went on to allow three runs to score. On a ground ball to first base, Parnell missed the bag. He was then unable to pick-off Jesus Guzman at third base. That would come back to bite him, because few batters later, Guzman stole home.
  • There were some highlights. Josh Thole was 4-5 at the plate with two runs scored.
  • In the fifth inning, David Wright tied Ed Kranepool for the franchise record of 2,047 total bases.
  • Angel Pagan left the game in the fourth inning with lower back spasms.

Next Up: The Mets close out their series with the Padres Thursday afternoon. Jon Niese will take the mound for New York. Game time is 12:10 p.m.

Mets Look To Keep Magic Alive Against Padres

August 10, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (5-10, 3.72 ERA)

Dickey pitched well enough to lose in his last start, going seven innings, and giving up just two runs. He hasn't been getting support from his offense, hence the losses. This will be Dickey's first start against the Padres in his career.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Starting Pitcher: Aaron Harang (10-3, 3.91 ERA)

Harang is leading the Padres with ten wins so far this season. In his last start, he allowed four runs on 13 hits over five innings of work. Against the Mets, Harang is 2-3 with a 6.11 ERA.

METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Turner-2B, Wright-3B, Duda-1B, Bay-LF, Baxter-RF, Thole-C, Tejada-SS, Dickey-RHP

Mets Morning News: Davis & Santana Updates, Izzy's A Little Nervous, &Rain Out Information

Ike Davis received a second opinion on his ailing left ankle on Tuesday. It was decided that the original plan of sitting for another 3-4 weeks will continue.

According to manager Terry Collins, Johan Santana no longer has discomfort in his shoulder.

Jason Isringhausen admitted after last night's game that he might be a little nervous when he enters his next game to try and get career save number 300.
"Maybe beforehand I’ll be nervous," Isringhausen said. "But no more nervous than I was tonight. Any time I have a one-run lead, I’m always nervous. I’ll treat it as another game, and we’ll go from there."
The Mets announced that the Mets-Marlins game that was rained out on August 3, has been rescheduled for August 29. That game will be part of a single-admission doubleheader starting at 4:10 p.m. Only tickets marked "Monday, August 29 – Game 65" will be allowed for admission to the doubleheader. You CANNOT use your ticket from August 3 to enter that day's game. Tickets marked August 3 may be exchanged for tickets of comparable price and location to any home game before August 3, 2012.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

We Believe In Comebacks? Mets Rally Late To Beat Padres

The Mets came from behind once again tonight to beat the Padres, 5-4.



  • Chris Capuano started off strong, but faded in the middle innings. He managed to get through six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits, while striking out three and walking one.
  • The Mets got on the board in the fourth inning on an RBI double from Scott Hairston, and a sacrifice fly from Ronny Paulino.
  • Trailing 4-2 in the  bottom of the eighth, the Mets rallied to score three runs in the inning. Angel Pagan got things started with his sixth home run of the season. A few batters later, Nick Evans' sacrifice fly scored Justin Turner to tie the game. Then, with the bases loaded, Padres reliever Josh Spence walked Ruben Tejada to force in the go-ahead run.
  • Lucas Duda deserves an honorable mention for his sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning. No one was expecting it, and it was perfectly placed.
  • Manny Acosta left the game in the eighth inning after getting hit in the pinky by a line drive.
  • Jason Isringhausen recorded career save number 299. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to get his sixth save of the season.

Next Up: The Mets and Padres meet up for game three of their four-game series Wednesday night. R.A. Dickey gets the start for New York. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Mets Hope Rain Holds Off For Game Two With Padres

August 9, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Chris Capuano (9-10, 4.44 ERA)

Capuano was in line for his tenth win of the season in his last start, giving up two runs in six innings, but the bullpen couldn't hold it. Instead, he will go for win number ten tonight. Against the Padres, he is 4-2 with a 3.29 ERA.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Starting Pitcher: Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.98 ERA)

LeBlanc will be with the Padres for the remainder of the season, filling in for the injured Dustin Moseley. In his last start, he gave up three runs over six innings, while striking out three. LeBlanc is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA against the Mets.

METS LINEUP:

Pagan-CF, Turner-2B, Wright-3B, Duda-1B, Bay-LF, Hairston-RF, Paulino-C, Tejada-SS, Capuano-LHP

The Best Mets Pickups Of The Last 15 Years

I had a lot of fun breaking down the worst free agent signings and worst trades in Mets history last week, so I decided I’d do the opposite this week.  Today, I’ll highlight the best Mets transactions of the last 15 years, and Thursday I’ll put together my dream team for best Mets lineup of the last decade-plus.  Thanks again to UltimateMets.com for all the transactions.

Mets Morning News: Dealing With Reyes' Injuries, Tejada's Chance, DavisSeeks Second Opinion

Jose Reyes was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild pull of his left hamstring. General Manager Sandy Alderson conceded that whatever team signs Reyes, including the Mets, will have to accept that he will probably land on the disabled list once again some time in the future.
"As with all players, you’ve got to accept certain aspects of their performance, their makeup, their physical characteristics — and evaluate accordingly."
About Reyes, Andy McCullough writes:
This is who he is. He will swing often. Trips on the disabled list will occur. Alderson must decide how many years and dollars he can commit to player like that — one so capable of brilliance yet so prone to bad luck with his health.
With the latest injury to Reyes, Ruben Tejada will see more playing time. Manager Terry Collins will keep a watchful eye on Tejada as he and the team try to decide if the young shortstop can be an everyday player.
"We have to be realistic and approach it that way," Collins said before the Mets rallied for a 9-8 victory over the Padres last night at Citi Field. "We have to say, 'Is this a guy that we think could play every day for us in the future?' "
Ike Davis will travel to North Carolina today to meet with a foot specialist about his injured left ankle.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Mets Rally To Beat Padres In Walk-Off

The Mets came back to score five runs in the final two innings to beat the Padres, 9-8.



  • Mike Pelfrey went 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits, while striking out four and walking two. Pelfrey stumbled in the first inning (literally, he fell while trying to throw a pitch), giving up an early run. He settled down and was cruising until the sixth inning, when he gave up three runs and allowed San Diego to tie the game.
  • Lucas Duda had the game winning walk-off hit in the ninth inning. Duda finished the night going 3-5 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.
  • David Wright was 2-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
  • Jason Bay hit his 200th career home run, becoming the third Canadian-born player to achieve such a feat. Canada must be so proud tonight.
  • Mike Baxter doubled in his first at-bat since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo, and drove in his first RBI. It was a questionable call by the score keeper seeing as the ball was misplayed, but we'll take it.
  • It wasn't all good news for the Mets tonight. Ryota Igarashi was completely ineffective out of the bullpen. Shocking. After coming in with two runners on base in the eighth, Igarashi went on to allow four runs to score.
  • Finally, Heath Bell still can't pitch in New York.

Next Up: Chris Capuano will take the mound for the Mets Tuesday night as they continue their series with the Padres. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Mets Send Pelfrey To Mound To Turn Things Around...Hopefully

August 8, 2011

7:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.48 ERA)

Pelfrey made two starts against the Padres last season, and allowed just two runs over 17 innings. In his career, he is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA against San Diego.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Starting Pitcher: Tim Stauffer (7-8, 2.96 ERA)

In his last 11 starts, Stauffer has a 1.97 ERA and has held the opposition to a .227 batting average. In his last start, he went 6.1 shutout innings. Against the Mets, he is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA.



METS LINEUP:

Pagan - CF, Turner - 2B, Wright - 3B, Duda - 1B, Bay - LF, Harris - RF, Paulino - C, Tejada - SS, Pelfrey - RHP

NOTE:

Jose Reyes has officially been placed on the disabled list. Mike Baxter will take his place on the roster.

Mets Morning News: Injuries, Keeping Reyes On The Field, Signing Nimmo

According to ESPN New York, Daniel Murphy suffered a Grade 2 tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and is done for the season.

Jose Reyes was diagnosed with a mild pull of his left hamstring. As of right now, it  is not clear whether or not he will land on the disabled list.

Kevin Kernan of the NY Post writes that if the Mets are to re-sign Reyes, they better find a way to keep him on the field.
Baseball is a game of left turns and Reyes continues to have problems with his left hamstring. That is the same injury that caused Reyes to miss a good chunk of baseball earlier this season, and leg injuries have been his downfall throughout his career. Hamstrings have been his hang-up.

The bottom line is Reyes has to find a way to stay on the field and keep his legs under him. He does no one any good on the bench. Reyes was limited to 36 games in 2009. Leg injuries kept him to 53 games in 2004. He has changed his running style, but clearly there are problems.
General manager Sandy Alderson does not seem worried that first round pick Brandon Nimmo has yet to sign.
"We've got seven out of 33 in the first round signed. Most of them are going to sign on the last day."

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Mets Lose Game, Series, Reyes, and Murphy

In one of the most ridiculous games I've watched all season, the Mets lost to the Braves, 6-5.



  • Jose Reyes left the game in the second inning with a hamstring injury. Following an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery, he was diagnosed with a mild pull of his left hamstring. This is the same injury which sidelined him for three weeks a few weeks back.
  • Daniel Murphy injured his left knee after covering second base. He had an x-ray at Citi Field, and it came back negative. He will be getting an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Ruben Tejada has been called up from Buffalo to replace Murphy who is headed for the disabled list.
  • Dillon Gee struggled through five innings of work, giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out four and walking three. Gee allowed THREE home runs.
  • Today's game was like Little League. Everyone got to play, and everyone had to be prepared to play any position. At one point the infield looked as follows: Lucas Duda at first base, Justin Turner at second base, David Wright at shortstop, and Nick Evans at third base. Four different guys played second base throughout the game: Turner, Murphy, Scott Hairston, and Willie Harris.
  • Lost in all of the day's mess was that Jason Bay had a nice day at the plate. He was 3-3 with two walks and three runs scored.
  • Willie Harris, who replaced Jose Reyes, was 2-3 with two RBIs.

Next Up: The Mets welcome the San Diego Padres to Citi Field for a four-game series beginning Monday night. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Gee, Mets Go For Series Win Over Atlanta

August 7, 2011

1:10 PM ET

Citi Field

TV: SNY, TBS

RADIO: WFAN 660


NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee (10-3, 3.69 ERA)

In three starts against the Braves this season, Gee has two wins and a 0.54 ERA. In his career, he is 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA against Atlanta.

ATLANTA BRAVES 

Starting Pitcher: Mike Minor (1-2, 4.59 ERA)

Minor gets the start in place of the injured Jair Jurrjens. This will be his first Major League start since June 21. Against the Mets, he is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA.


METS LINEUP:

Reyes-SS, Turner-2B, Wright-3B, Hairston-RF, Bay-LF, Pagan-CF, Paulino-C, Evans-1B, Gee-RHP

Mets Morning News: Contract Extension, Shuffling The Rotation, MovingThe Walls In

Despite the "super job" that manager Terry Collins has done with the Mets this season, there has been no discussion of a contract extension. General Manager Sandy Alderson stated:
"That's something we'll not even think about until the end of this season."

According to The Star-Ledger, as the season goes on, Terry Collins plans to shuffle his starting rotation, allowing pitchers to get an extra days rest.
"There’s the possibility that we’re going to give guys an extra day in the month of September to help them reach the finish line...There’s always the chance of the fatigue factor as you’re getting later into the summer, but I don’t think it’s major because the longest stretch we have, we just completed."
Speaking of the rotation, according to David Lennon of Newsday, the 2012 starting rotation will look an awful lot like 2011's.
"You know those guys [Phillies starters] are going to be there," Alderson said, "and we want to match up as well as we possibly can. But it’s about all of the elements of the team, not just the starting rotation."

That’s why Alderson isn’t targeting that area for a major upgrade this offseason, with the plan of investing those resources elsewhere. The GM will need to devote most of his offseason budget for the fund to re-sign Jose Reyes. Whatever might be left over will have to be spent on bullpen help.

"Right now, except for some concern about the depth of our rotation, it’s a fairly solid part of the team," Alderson said. "The bullpen is probably our bigger concern. With the rotation, we don’t have guys that have been dominant per se. But they’ve pitched well, they’ve pitched consistently, and for the most part, kept us in ballgames."
GM Sandy Alderson admitted to the New York Times that it may be time to begin thinking about moving in the walls at Citi Field, although, the decision would not be based on the current Mets team.
"It is probably something we need to think about. It’s not something we need to decide with regard to the team we have now...It’s something we need to decide with regard to the team we want to have in the future."
Alderson did change the dimensions at Petco Park after his first year with the San Diego Padres.