The Jose Reyes overkill post

We are all very, very excited that Jose Reyes is back.  How do I know this?  Well, let’s just take a look at all the posts over the last 24 hours that mention the Mets shortstop in the headline…

Newsday

• Jose Reyes and David Wright back together
• More Wright and Reyes
• Reyes, Santos, Thole and now Barajas?
• Another Reyes-Wright photo
• Jose Reyes back to normal?
• Another photo of Jose Reyes
• Photo of Jose Reyes

Daily News

• Jose Reyes is back in swing of things as he trains with New York Mets in Port. St. Lucie
• Video: Reyes on rebound for Mets
• Reyes in pictures

NY Times

• Reyes Is Revved Up and Ready to Run

NJ.com

• Jose Reyes says he could return from injury as a better player than before
• Healthy Jose Reyes arrives at NY Mets spring training

MetsBlog

• Read: Jose Reyes, Impact and Batting Third
• Video: Jose Reyes from PSL
• Notes: from PSL, about Reyes, Jacobs and Murphy
• News: Jose Reyes, and Chipotle, in St. Lucie

Mets Merized Online

• Reyes Batting Third And Other Astonishing Tales

Hardball Talk

• Jose Reyes' hamstring is feeling 'normal' again

Now, these are just the times Reyes was mentioned in the headline.  There were about 20-25 other articles where he was mentioned, just not in the headline.

Also, there are just from the blogs in my Google Reader.  I can only imagine how many others are out there, just from the last 24 hours.

Rosenthal: Mets making “a hard push” for Barajas

Update – 10:13 a.m.: Jon Heyman says the Mets have offered a minor-league deal.

Original post: Ken Rosenthal, citing anonymous sources, says the Mets are negotiating a one-year deal with free-agent catcher Rod Barajas.

Barajas, according to Rosenthal, would get the bulk of playing time over Henry Blanco, Omir Santos, Josh Thole and Chris Coste.

Last season with the Blue Jays, Barajas hit .226 / .258 / .403 and posted a .661 OPS.  He hit 19 home runs and drove in 71.

Behind the plate, he threw out 34 percent of the runners who attempted to steal against him.

Verducci on Pelfrey and the Verducci Effect [Quote]

“At this time last year Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey tried to convince me why he should not be on my 2009 list despite his 48-inning jump. He was a big guy, he said, who learned to be more efficient with his pitches. What happened?
His ERA shot up from 3.72 to 5.03.”

-Tom Verducci

The Murphy/Jacobs conundrum

I really don’t know what to make of this situation.

On one hand, I think Daniel Murphy should have the clear advantage as he hits for a better average, gets on base at a better clip and flashes much better leather (though not ideal).

On the other hand, a much, much weaker hand, Mike Jacobs hits for power.  That’s about it.

And it seems that these two are directly competing with each other and no one else.  Chris Carter won’t be a factor and Fernando Tatis is the likely pair with Murphy or Jacobs to bat from the other side of the plate.

Murphy and Jacobs will duel it out in spring training for (at least) half the time at first.  No joke.

Also, as Adam Rubin noted this morning, Jacobs will either make the team or be released/traded/cut.  The only other spot for him would be as a backup/DH-type off the bench, and frankly, he’s not a very good pinch hitter.

This Jacobs signing really makes little to no sense to me.  Murphy should be the heavy favorite barring an abysmal spring training.  Rob Neyer doesn’t quite understand it, either.

But here we are, days away from pitchers and catchers reporting and I’m playing out situations of Jacobs being the first baseman in 2010.

Is there a chance Jacobs makes the team and is paired with Tatis at first base?  Sure.  Do I expect it to happen?  No way.

Snow logo [Photo]

In stark contrast to players arriving in Port St. Lucie for Spring Training, good friend of The ‘Ropolitans, Ben, sends in this photo…

Don’t worry.  Baseball, and warm weather, will be here soon enough.

Ex-Mets: Endy catches on in Texas

Endy Chavez, of “The Catch” fame, has inked a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.  The deal is worth up to $1.25 million, says Jon Heyman.

Many fans wanted Chavez back, but honestly, there was no room.  The Mets have enough fourth (or fifth) outfielders right now.  He will forever be etched into Mets lore, though.

Aside: Two men named “Jon” in one article.  Weird, isn’t it?

Link: Photos from Port St. Lucie

Adam Rubin passes along photos from unofficial spring training in Port St. Lucie.

Yes, baseball is back!

But no, Sandy Koufax is not an option for fifth-starter.

Results: How many games will the Mets win in 2010?

After 785 votes, the results are in.  The majority, over 56 percent of votes, have the Mets winning between 81-90 games this season.

If they do end up landing in that bracket of wins, at least at the higher end, they would have a shot at making the playoffs.  (The Twins made the playoffs last year with 87 wins, so it’s possible.)

Later in the week I’ll have another poll on where you think the team will finish.  I’m really interested to see the results of that one.

Who is already in camp?

According to Adam Rubin’s tweets…

• Mike Jacobs
• Josh Thole
• Daniel Murphy
• Jon Niese
• John Maine
• Carlos Muniz
• Bobby Parnell
• Sean Green
• Mike Pelfrey
• Ryota Igarashi
• Pat Misch
• Hisanori Takahashi
• David Wright
• Eddie Kunz
• Sandy Koufax

…are all in Port St. Lucie today.

Poll: How many games will the Mets win in 2010?

Short, simple and to the point: How many games do you think the Mets will win in 2010?

Vote below and leave your thoughts in the comments section…