3/3/08

Middle relief for sale

With the overwhelming talent of bullpen talent in spring training for the Mets, it comes as no surprise there are a few names with "For Sale" signs attached to them.

According to Adam Rubin in the NY Daily News, GM Omar Minaya has alerted some teams that Jorge Sosa and Scott Schoeneweis are available.

A trade would create room for a guy like Steven Register, who has to make the 25-man team or go back to Colorado with $50 grand because he was a Rule 5 draft pick.

Schoe picked it up at the end of last year, especially when he was used in the correct situation for his abilities. Sosa is sometimes great, except for when the bases are loaded. I think he could help the team out, but his name hasn't been thrown around that much during ST.

3/2/08

Photo of the Day: Pagan


Angel Pagan knocks in two runs in todays game against the Dodgers.
Pagan is batting .412 through the first 5 games of spring training.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Gotay latest to go down

Ruben Gotay, who will either make the team, get traded, or be released due to his lack of options, twisted his right ankle while sliding into home plate in the 9th inning of today's game against the Dodgers.

Gotay cannot put pressure on the ankle, and is expected to miss at least a few games.

He will be examined tomorrow in Port St. Lucie (What? No trip to New York for an MRI for Gotay?) and hopefully return to play soon.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Game Recap: Mets 6 -- Dodgers 5

In Oliver Perez's first start after going to arbitration and receiving a $6.5 million contract, he got no help from his defense in the first inning, but the Mets pulled out a win over the Dodgers 6-5 today in Vero Beach.

Perez started today's game, getting roughed up for 3 runs in the first inning. Perez went 2 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 (questionable) earned runs. Perez walked one, and failed to tally a K. Misplays and miscommunication between Michael Abreu, Ruben Gotay and Fernando Martinez helped the Dodgers scored 3 in the first.

Perez didn't look too good, but hey, it's early, right?

Aaron Heilman pitched the third, allowing only one hit while striking out one. Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith each pitched an inning, allowing one run a piece. Schoe allowed 3 hits while striking out one, and Smith allowed the run on two hits.

Smith has been getting roughed up in the games so far, which doesn't look too good for him for the bullpen.

Ruddy Lugo, Stephen Register, Nate Field and Joselo Diaz finished out the game, with only Lugo allowing a hit. Lugo tallied 3 K's, striking out the side. Register struck out one, Field struck out two, and Diaz struck out one. Both Diaz and Field walked one each.

The offense picked up a bit today, tagging LA pitchers for 6 runs on 10 hits. Anderson Hernandez and Ruben Gotay both went 2-5, and scored one run. Gotay also added an RBI.
Brady Clark went 1-4, scoring once and driving in one.

Gotay limped into the clubhouse after the game, and its been reported he sprained his right ankle while sliding into home plate. He is unable to put pressure on the foot, but hopes to be back in a few days. A lot of guys are going to get their chance to prove themselves with all of these injuries going around.

Anderson Merchado went 1-2 with a walk, and scored twice. Fernando Martinez also picked up a hit. Angel Pagan continues to deliver, going 3-5 and drove in 3 runs. Pagan also snagged a stolen base, when he took second base in the 5th inning. He's batting .412 so far in spring training.

The B-squad went out and performed fairly well after a few first inning defensive mishaps. It's nice to see the young guys get their shot, and they will continue to play with all the injuries to the veterans.

Line-up vs the Dodgers

The Mets will head to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL, to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1:05 p.m. game.

Here is the line-up:

METS
SS Anderson Hernandez
2B Ruben Gotay
LF Brady Clark
CF Angel Pagan
C Ramon Castro
RF Fernando Martinez
1B Michel Abreu
DH Robinson Cancel
3B Anderson Machado
LH Oliver Perez

Now this is what you call a patched together line-up.
With all the preexisting injuries and the ones the Mets suffered over the past few days, Willie Randolph is lucky the team invites a whole slew of players to spring training.

I'm excited to see Perez today. I wonder if he'll experiment with any arm angles and anger Rick Peterson.

I'll add the pitching list once it's made public.

Again, I won't be able to track the game, so the recap will be a bit sparse.

Quick note: Adam Rubin, in his blog for the Daily News, has an interesting tidbit about Ruben Gotay.
From Rubin:
Scouts suggest the Mets may be concerned about Ruben Gotay's range and expect the team to shop for a bona fide backup shortstop this spring.
Should be interesting to see what Gotay does this preseason to either prove his spot on the team or raise his stock for a trade elsewhere.

Also, check out this great Fernando Martinez article, also by Rubin.

3/1/08

Photo of the Day: Church and Anderson


First baseman Marlon Anderson and right fielder Ryan Church collide while chasing down a shallow pop up from Andruw Jones.
Church has been diagnosed with a concussion and will be out for 2 weeks.

(Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Game Recap: Mets 1 -- Dodgers 0

The Mets staff combined to pitch a two-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Ryan Church and Marlon Anderson collided and had to leave the game in the Mets first win in spring training.

Anderson and Church collided while chasing an Andruw Jones shallow fly ball. Both players remained on the ground for some time, and when Church got to his feet was wobbling and needed to be helped off the field. He was diagnosed with a concussion while Anderson is said to have a contusion on his chest.

Jon Niese made the start for the Mets, walking one and striking out three in 2 innings of work. Niese, who will probably start in AA is said to be one of the Mets top pitching prospects after the Johan Santana trade.

Niese is said to have a sick 12 to 6 curve ball, which is especially surprising from a left handed pitcher.

Jorge Sosa, Willie Collazo, Brian Stokes and Matt Wise each pitched an hitless inning of work. Only Collazo allowed a base runner, walking one. Sosa, Stokes and Wise each tallied a strike out. Wise earned the win for his work in the 9th inning. Pedro Feliciano allowed the only two hits for the Dodgers in the 4th inning, he also struck out one.

I'm unsure of Wise, especially with younger guys like Stephen Register in camp, but with more performances from the bullpen pitchers like today, it's going to be a mighty tough choice for Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya.

Brady Clark was the hero of today's game, who got plunked with the bases loaded in the 9th inning to drive in the winning, and only, run.

With Carlos Delgado heading back to NY for an MRI on his right hip, I think we can see a spot for Clark to get more time while Anderson and Easley fill in at first to keep Delgado fresh through ST. Clark will get his chance to see if he can catch on with the team.

Angel Pagan picked up half of the teams hits, going 2-3 on the day. Ruben Gotay walked twice today. Ezequiel Carrera also walked twice for the Mets, and according to Mets Today, made a "Endy-like, game-saving catch in the 8th to keep the Dodgers from scoring."

Another fairly stagnant day from the offense, but good to see some uncommon guys tallying up numbers in the box score and making plays in the field.

Church and Anderson collide

In the top of the 4th inning, Marlon Anderson and Ryan Church collided in shallow right field. Church doesn't "remember anything about anything."

Both players were attempting to track down an Andruw Jones shallow pop and collided. Each player remained on the ground for a significant period of time. When Church came to his feet, he wobbled around and had trouble standing.

He was taken to the hospital for a CT scan, and was diagnosed with a concussion. Anderson is said to have a contusion on his chest. Adam Rubin quotes Anderson as saying, "No blood. Soon as he hit me, though, a little bit of what I had for lunch came out of me."

Line-up vs. the Dodgers

The Mets will take on the Joe Torre and the Los Angeles Dodgers today in Port St. Lucie at 1:10 p.m.

Line-ups for todays game:

METS
SS Jose Reyes
1B Marlon Anderson
3B David Wright
LF Moises Alou
RF Ryan Church
CF Angel Pagan
DH Ramon Castro
C Salomon Manriquez
LH Jonahan Niese

It's going to be extremely strange to see Torre in Dodger blue. I'm pretty excited to see Niese today, his 12 to 6 curve ball sounds nasty.

Seeing Anderson at first will be interesting, I have a sneaking suspicion after this mornings report, we'll be seeing him there a lot. Pagan is an intriguing one too, I think he'll be making the team over a guy like Brady Clark.

I may or may not be able to watch the game, so the recap will be a little patchy.

Here comes the injury bug: Delgado and El Duque

In a season where he is trying to bounce back from putting up his worst numbers, Carlos Delgado is already getting checked out for an injury.

According to Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post, Delgado was sent up to New York after experiencing pain in his right hip. This is the same hip that sidelined him down the stretch of 2007.

Delgado is said to be back in camp tomorrow.

Here we go again with the injuries. I'm still fairly confident Delgado won't have as dismal of a season as last year because he played a lot with injuries. With this injury popping up so soon in spring training though, I may not be so sure.

Update: David Lennon is reporting that Delgado was diagnosed with "impingement of the right hip" and should be ready to play again in a few days.

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Orlando Hernandez continues to struggle with his injured foot, falling further and further behind the rest of the staff.

El Duque attempted batting practice on Friday, but was not confident enough to push off at full strength and get velocity on his pitches.

Adam Rubin has El Duque quotes as saying, "I'm not worried, but I'm worried. I have a lot of time still - one month. But now, it's no good. I'm not feeling comfortable on the mound."

"It's no good." That is not what I want to be hearing from you, Duque. In my eyes, we're going to see another bullpen pitcher on the roster for the first two weeks of the season until the Mets actually need a 5th pitcher (due to scheduling, the Mets could start the season with only 4 starters).

Once those two weeks are up we'll see where El Duque stands on his injury and ability, and if not, Mike Pelfrey will make it up to the team much sooner than we expected.