Though we’re right on the precipice of the 2010 baseball year, I continually find myself looking ahead to 2011.
Next season for the Mets doesn’t look too bright. With “injuries” to two starting position players
likely keeping them out for Opening Day and beyond, the team will have to struggle to get out of the gates.
With a dead-man-walking manager, a slow start will likely cost him his job. With a poor season, there very well may be a new general manager come December.
A new manager and a new general manager, both looking to make a splash, win over fans and get off to a hot start in 2011, will do anything and everything to make the team as good as it can be.
And just look at the possibly roster come 2011…
Here are the players in their walk year: Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez, Francisco Rodriguez (2012 option), Jose Reyes (if the Mets pick up his ‘11 option) and Luis Castillo.
Obviously, guys like Johan Santana, David Wright and Jason Bay are under contract well beyond 2011.
But what really excites me is the possibility of the young players making big impacts.
Guys like Josh Thole and Ike Davis are already penciled into my ‘11 Opening Day lineup/roster. Very different players, but both at key positions to make an impact on both sides of the ball.
Fernando Martinez, if he can stay healthy, may be manning right field to start the ‘11 season. Jenrry Mejia, hopefully continuing his work in the minor leagues as a starter, may be a bit closer to being major-league ready.
Though that might be a bit of a pipe dream to hope all four are perfectly fit for major league duty in only one more year of minor league duty, it’s a dream I will hold on to through this year.
Those four prospects, the cream of the crop of the Mets minor leagues, plus the Mets under contract, and a very strong free agent class next offseason have me dreaming big. We’ll just have to wait through the 2010 season first.