“I figured I’d talk to him,” Church said. “I knew all I had to do was talk to him. He’s very approachable. He’ll tell you how it is. He came up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ You’re getting prepared to be the everyday right fielder for the Mets.’ That’s what my whole goal is.”Good.
All off season, the Mets were touting their left field platoon of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis. Now, before any sort of spring training game, Jerry Manuel has tabbed the young Murphy as the starter in left, for now."I kind of see Murphy being a little better hitter right now, so Tatis could go that way," Manuel said, referring to Tatis being used in right field against southpaws. "It all depends on how well they're doing. If they're not getting hits, they're not going to play."Bottom line: Murphy will be a starter, Church might have to split time with Tatis.
But what this also says to me is that Fernando Martinez is on the clock from the outset of the season and if the touted prospect ever stays healthy long enough to prove he is the real deal then Church's day as a Met are going to move toward extinction.So, for now, the Mets have Murphy in left, Church in right and Tatis back on the bench. This makes sense to me.
Redding said the surgery was to repair a stress fracture in the second toe on his right foot, a problem that bothered him throughout the season in Washington.And the Mets signed him for $2.5 million.Redding has been able to throw off flat ground from 100 feet and said he is hopeful of being able to throw off the mound by the end of next week. Manuel, on the other hand, said he did not know when Redding would be allowed to throw again. "We're taking it slow with him," the manager said.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen said the Mets are taking it slowly because of the length of spring training, and Redding is on target to make his first Grapefruit League appearance March 8.
(Circles are mine.)
In all seriousness, this is not a laughing matter. Hopefully everything works out for everyone involved, not just the players.Pelfrey told the New York Daily News that he is also having problems with cash flow.
"My stuff got frozen, too," he said.
Agent Scott Boras, who represents all three players, told FOXSports.com that his clients have no reason to worry about losing money. Damon is due $13 million this year from the Yankees, while Nady is set to earn $6.55 million.