Well, the new Phillies closer is going to miss 3-6 weeks as he tore his meniscus while throwing BP on Saturday.  That could put a crimp into the Phillies’ plans as he won’t be able to really get ready for the season until around the time when spring training is over.  He should be able to start rehab for the knee about a week after he has the surgery (Monday).  Lidge says

“The recovery time is three to six weeks where I can actually pitch in games, so I think I can be ready.”

While that sounds good for the Phillies, and I do not know his off season routine, it sounds too optimistic.  My take on it is that he will not be able to develop his arm strength during the usual spring training time and as such, it will probably delay his regular season Phillies debut.

The pop of a ball being caught in a glove, the idle chatter as pitchers and catchers warm up — it can mean only one thing…Spring Training has begun!

Johan Santana has already reported and performed a weather shortened demonstration observed by Rick Peterson.  Sanchez has apparently dropped 25 lbs and is in throwing shape already.  It was a great day for Met baseball and not everyone is there yet!

Let’s Go Mets!

has projected the Phillies as the NL East winners.  Pack it up guys…don’t bother reporting to spring training

Check out his article on MLB.COM called Baseball Perspectives.
Hey, I am the first to say that the Phillies are the team to beat but not because they’re overloaded with talent!  It’s just a simple thing called the NL East Championship — they won it.  That makes them the team to beat but not necessarily the best team in the division.  Really though…ask yourself — were the Phillies the better team last year?  I know…the division finish should tell the story, or does it?  I think it was just a collapse of monumental proportions.  It was something that fed on itself.  The Mets squandered two huge division leads with poor play and some lackluster pitching performances capped off by a season finale like no other by the veteran, Tom Glavine.  Molony lists Santana as having the “…exception of replacing Glavine…” Um, I kind of think that he’ll do that and far, far more.  They’re two different types of pitchers or more appropriately put, two pitchers in different stages of their careers.  Glavine had better stuff, obviously, earlier in his career and has become even more or a ‘pitcher’ than he was in his youth.  Although you have to remember, he never was a really hard thrower but instead lived on the corner and beyond with his pitches — something that has changed in today’s umpiring.  With the tightened strike zone, he’s ultimately a lesser pitcher now than he ever was.  When he’s forced to pitch over the plate, he gets rocked.  Hell, he can’t break a pane of glass with his fastball.  As a matter of fact, I had gone to a Yankee vs. Met game at Shea where the guy who threw in the first pitch won it by throwing a ball in the mid 80’s…it was faster than Glavine’s FASTEST pitch all day.  I was laughing with the Yankee fan who sat next to me (the Yanks lost that one).

Really, though, are the Mets the lesser team in the NL East?  Absolutely not.  They’re going to be there in the end and, dare I say, they’ll be on top when the dust settles.

Looks to be 6 years 22m with a total contract of about 150 million!
See you opening day, Johan!

More to follow

The AP is reporting that Pedro Feliciano and the Mets have agreed to a one year deal worth 1.025 million dollars.  It’s an increase of $423,000…not bad.  I wish I could throw a ball as well as Pedro…$423,000 is a nice chunk of change for a raise!

- Jeff

Johan Santana
With the 5:00 deadline just passing, the Mets have asked for a 2 hour extension.  MLB has granted it, so they’ll have until 7:00 PM to get this thing hammered out.

Stay tuned!

and I just cannot wait for it to be over.  Don’t get me wrong, I like football.  I never miss a Super…um I mean big game…But when it’s over, the countdown to the baseball season begins.

With that in mind, here’s the countdown until pitchers and catchers report:

According to MLB.com’s Ken Mandel, J Roll said this: 

“I think it’s very reasonable for us to win 100 games,” Rollins said, on Monday, an opinion that isn’t likely to change based on Tuesday’s news. “We won 89 games last year, and we can pick up 11 more wins, and we can do that with those new arms. We want to go deeper in the playoffs. Last year, at first, we had a hunger to reach the playoffs and get there. Now, we want to go further.”

J. Roll is still convinced that the Phillies are the team to beat — and I agree.  Hey, they won the division last year.  Unlike his proclaimation prior to the ‘07 season, if he said it this year, he’d be right.  If not for the absolute collapse that just fed on itself like a black hole, swallowing up all the positive vibes, the Mets would’ve beat the Phils handily.  But, as they say, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts….Two squandered double digit leads later, the Mets were eliminated from the post season.

I think this really helps put the Mets back up there as one of, if not the, best teams in the NL East — regardless of what Shane Victorino or Jimmy Rollins says…

Looks to be a reality!  It’s according to Marty Noble on Mets.com.  I am not thrilled with the loss of Gomez, Humber or Mulvey but for a pitcher of Santana’s caliber, it’s not unreasonable.  It would go a long way to shoring up the rotation – Santana, Martinez, El Duque & Maine - Perez depending how you want to round it out.

I’ll be sad to see Gomez go.  I really believe he could’ve been something under the Mets banner.  He has a ton of ability and with another season in the minors he could’ve been a ML caliber player.  Unfortunately, I think this trade makes the Milledge trade look like even more of a waste.

Well, it’s not exactly a done deal as it’s pending a physical & a contract extension, but it looks like he could be on the team next year.  It’s, by far, the biggest move this winter by any team.  I am glad that Pelfrey & Martinez weren’t in the mix. That would’ve been too much. This is more than acceptable when you consider what you’re getting in return — proven ‘best pitcher in baseball’ sort of stuff. He’s moving from the AL to the NL as well so his numbers could actually improve! Looks like Omar’s done it again! What do you guys think about it?

Well, Heilman is going to be in the pen for another year, at least.  He’s a much needed piece of the puzzle that is the Met bullpen.

Valentin will return to the Mets as a minor leaguer.  Hopefully he can help out Anderson Hernandez keep his head in the game.  If Hernandez could learn how to hit ML pitching, he’d be the second baseman of the future.  Think of that DP combo.  Hernandez let his defense fall off last year.  Let’s face it, if you can’t hit, you sure as hell better be able to field (Rey Ordonez).

Get your Spring Training tickets!
They go on sale today.  Wish I could get there…maybe next year!

 - Jeff