Down on the Farm

AAA Buffalo WON 6-1

• Jesus Feliciano - 4 for 5, R, 2 RBI, K
• Justin Turner - 1 for 4, BB
• Daniel Murphy - 2 for 5, R, 2B, RBI, K
• Mike Hessman - 1 for 5, 2 K
• Mike Jacobs - 2 for 4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
• Josh Thole - 0 for 1, 2 R, 2 BB
• Ruben Tejada - 1 for 3, R, BB
• Dillon Gee - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
• Bobby Parnell - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, SAVE

AA Binghamton WON 2-1

• Kirk Nieuwenhuis - 0 for 3, RBI, K
• Nick Evans - 1 for 4
• Eric Campbell - 2 for 4, R
• Reese Havens - 1 for 3, R, 2B
• Brad Holt - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Scott Shaw - 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Roy Merritt - 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A+ St. Lucie Lost 9-6

• Joey August - 2 for 5, R, SB
• Stefan Welch - 0 for 3, RBI, 2 BB, K
• Brahiam Maldonado - 1 for 5, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K
• Sean Ratliff - 1 for 3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K, 2 SB
• Josh Satin - 2 for 5, 2B, RBI
• Richard Lucas - 0 for 3, RBI, BB, K
• Juan Centeno - 1 for 4, BB
• Scott Moviel - 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (why does he have a starting rotation spot when there are at least 3 SP's from Savannah who could do better and have more upside?)
• Jimmy Johnson - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A Savannah Lost 4-0

• Juan Lagares - 0 for 4, 2 K
• Wilmer Flores - 1 for 3
• Jefry Marte - 1 for 4
• Rafael Fernandez - 1 for 4, K
• Kai Gronauer - 0 for 4
• Nick Santomauro - 1 for 4
• Alonzo Harris - 0 for 3, K, E
• Brandon Moore - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
• Brandon Sage - 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Down on the Farm

AAA Buffalo WON 4-1

• Jesus Feliciano - 2 for 4, 2B, BB, K
• Mike Jacobs - 1 for 4, RBI, K
• Mike Hessman - 0 for 4, K (0 for 12 in his last 3 games)
• Val Pascucci - 0 for 3, BB, K
• Josh Thole - 1 for 3, 2 R, 2B, BB (hitting better plus showing more pop)
• Ruben Tejada - 1 for 3, BB
• D.J. Wabick - 1 for 1, RBI
• Dillon Gee - 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (nice to see another strong start)
• John Lujan - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, SAVE

AA Binghamton WON 3-1

• Captain Kirk - 1 for 4, R, HR, RBI
• Nick Evans - 1 for 4, R, K
• Eric Campbell - 0 for 3
• Brahiam Maldonado - 1 for 3, 2B, K
• Chris Schwinden - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (nice AA debut)
• Manuel Alvarez - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (nice to see him promoted to AA after his performance at St. Lucie)
• Josh Stinson - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, SAVE (not his AA debut, but a guy I like if he could just cut down on base runners allowed)

A+ St. Lucie WON 5-2

• Wilfredo Tovar - 2 for 5, R, 3B
• Joey August - 2 for 4, R, 2B, RBI, SB
• Daniel Murphy - 1 for 3, RBI, BB
• Stefan Welch - 1 for 4, R, 2B, 2 K
• Richard Lucas - 2 for 4, R, HR, 3 RBI
• Robert Carson - 6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jimmy Johnson - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

A Savannah Lost 7-6 (11)

• Juan Lagares - 0 for 6, R, SB
• Wilmer Flores - 1 for 5, BB, K
• Jefry Marte - 2 for 6, R, 2B, K
• Kai Gronauer - 3 for 6, R
• Nick Santomauro - 1 for 5, 2B RBI
• Cesar Puello - 0 for 4, K
• Alonzo Harris - 1 for 4, R, BB
• Mark Cohoon - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Erik Turgeon - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (ERA now stands at 1.16)

Down on the Farm

What a day for the entire organization!

AAA Buffalo WON 11-7
Jason Pridie - 4 for 5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, SB (can he replace GMJ?)
Josh Thole - 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB
Fernando Martinez - 2 for 4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
Chris Carter - 0 for 5 (average down to .214)
Ruben Tejada - 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B, K
Pat Misch - 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Kiko Calero - 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Manny Acosta - 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA Binghamton WON 15-3
Kirk N+10 - 5 for 6, 4 R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI
Nick Evans - 1 for 5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Zach Lutz - 0 for 5, R, BB, 3 K
Lucas Duda - 3 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
Jose Coronado - 1 for 5, R, HR, 4 RBI, K
Brahiam Maldonado - 2 for 4, R, 2B, BB
Scott Shaw - 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

A+ St. Lucie WON 7-5
J. Valdespin - 2 for 4, R, BB, K, CS, E
Sean Ratliff - 1 for 4, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K
Stefan Welch - 1 for 4, R, 2B, K
J. Familia - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (his K numbers have been strong, the runs have been ugly)

A Savannah WON 11-3
Juan Lagares - 3 for 6, 2B, 3B, K
Wilmer Flores - 3 for 5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, BB, K
Kai Gronauer - 4 for 6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB (now batting .394)
Cesar Puello - 2 for 4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB
Alonzo Harris - 1 for 5, R, 3 K
Mark Cohoon - 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Erik "Pierre" Turgeon - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

LINK: Listen to the Josh Thole Interview

Thole answered a bunch of softball questions, but it was a good interview nonetheless.

He answers the Rod Barajas question very tactfully, saying whether or not Barajas was here, it wouldn't change his workouts and his approach.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Could The Mets Offense Really be This Good?

Looking at the Mets lineup, or the potential Mets lineup, there is definitely some reason for excitement.

In this analysis I looked back at the 2007-2009 seasons, viewed the player performances at Citi Field, looked at the stats and trends vs lefty's and righty's, and made a few assumptions based on the most likely starters and the published timetable for the return for Beltran.

Using an earlier article I wrote, we have the two-headed monster of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis at first base.

I also think Josh Thole is going to win the primary catcher job and turn over partial duty to Santos or Blanco or whomever else looks the best in Spring Training.

Now many people have contacted me to tell me I'm crazy for thinking Thole wins the job, but read what Minaya said about the young catcher, and then think about Thole's bat in the lineup.

"I think Thole is going to compete for a job in spring training," Minaya said. "We'll see how he plays coming off a very good year. He led the league in hitting in Venezuela (winter ball). With Thole, where is he? Do we rush him? Does he take the job?"

Now obviously Angel Pagan is not going to bat cleanup, and Castillo will more than likely be shuffled around again, so the positions of the lineup are where the player, or duo, will likely get the majority of their at-bats in 2010.

So with that said, let's look at our lineup:

	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Reyes	688	113	204	37	19	16	68	66	82	56	15	0.297	0.358	0.475	0.833
Castillo	546	87	157	16	5	2	40	73	60	20	6	0.288	0.387	0.346	0.733
Wright	604	104	196	42	1	30	107	94	115	24	5	0.325	0.416	0.546	0.962
Pagan/Beltran	606	116	172	35	8	27	112	92	96	25	3	0.284	0.376	0.500	0.876
Bay	531	98	142	29	3	32	114	83	152	10	3	0.267	0.384	0.537	0.921
Murphy/Tatis	598	86	162	32	1	17	86	72	104	8	1	0.280	0.350	0.450	0.800
Francoeur	642	84	188	34	0	19	91	42	129	5	2	0.293	0.338	0.444	0.782
Thole/Santos	500	61	135	25	2	8	65	50	71	4	3	0.288	0.342	0.383	0.725

Not too shabby! A nice mix of power, speed, average, OBP and an absolute ton of doubles.

Adding Jason Bay was a terrific move. If the players in front of him all stay healthy and produce, the Mets will not have trouble scoring runs.

Sure, there are a ton of "ifs", but as we all know, hope truly does spring eternal.

90 Days Until Opening Day

Last year's opening day was the fulfillment of a long winter of hope, and a spring training in which many believed the Mets would fight for a World series title.

I'm sure you remember the Sports Illustrated prediction.

Instead it turned into what many believe was one of the most frustrating seasons in team history.

2009 Opening Day lineup

J Reyes SS

D Murphy LF

D Wright 3B

C Delgado 1B

C Beltran CF

R Church RF

B Schneider C

L Castillo 2B

J Santana P

For 2010, 2/3rds of the outfield is new, with an enormous upgrade in LF, and a pretty good upgrade in right. Francoeur is likely to put up solid offensive numbers, good defense, and play nearly every day while bringing his energy and enthusiasm to the clubhouse.

There will be a new catcher, though it's yet to be determined which combination of players will fill that key role in 2010. I've stated here many times that Josh Thole is the guy, and we should accept some defensive growing pains for the productivity we desperately need at the bottom of the order. Thole is a "rally enabler".

The remaining questions revolve around Delgado and possibly Castillo, but there is certainly a good chance both players have their final Met year this season.

While many are clamoring for Daniel Murphy to continue in a starting role, I'd personally like to see him in the minors for a full season, though he'll likely fill a slot on the bench with a decent amount of games at 1B if Delgado is signed.

What If the Mets Players Return to Form?

Looking at the Mets lineup, or the potential Mets lineup, there is definitely some reason for excitement.

For kicks, I looked looked back at the 2007 to 2009 seasons, and picked the best year for each player in our potential lineup.

In this analysis there are more than a few assumptions, so please don't take this for anything more than it is.

I think Carlos Delgado will be back, so I penciled him in at 1B.

I also think Josh Thole is going to win the primary catcher job and turn over partial duty to Santos or Blanco or whomever else looks the best in Spring Training. Now for Thole's stats I used a very scientific method...they are totally made up, and they are conservative.

So with that said, let's look at our lineup and the best season from these guys over the last three years:

	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Reyes	688	113	204	37	19	16	68	66	82	56	15	0.297	0.358	0.475	0.833
Castillo	486	77	147	12	3	1	40	69	58	20	6	0.302	0.387	0.346	0.733
Wright	604	113	196	42	1	30	107	94	115	34	5	0.325	0.416	0.546	0.962
Beltran	606	116	172	40	5	27	112	92	96	25	3	0.284	0.376	0.500	0.876
Bay	531	103	142	29	3	36	119	94	162	13	3	0.267	0.384	0.537	0.921
Delgado	598	96	162	32	1	38	115	72	124	1	1	0.271	0.353	0.518	0.871
Francoeur	642	84	188	40	0	19	105	42	129	5	2	0.293	0.338	0.444	0.782
Thole	400	50	115	25	2	3	45	40	50	4	3	0.288	0.352	0.383	0.735

Not too shabby! A nice mix of power, speed, average, OBP and an absolute ton of doubles.

Of course this is a dream world, but it also presents us with hope of what could be.

Adding Jason Bay was a terrific move. If the players in front of him all stay healthy and produce, the Mets will not have trouble scoring runs.

Sure, that is a lot of "ifs", but hey, it's January, 20 degrees outside, and the possibilities are endless.

Thole Time--It's a Young Man's Game

With all the hand-wringing going on over which putrid veteran catcher to sign, the Mets should go with Thole and Santos.

The more I think about Josh Thole, the more I like the idea of him as the primary starting catcher in 2010.

First off the guy can hit--just flat out rake--he sprays the ball to the gaps and is a great fit for Citi Field. He killed it in Venezuela after hitting .321 with the Mets as a September call-up.

The reason most fans don't want to see Thole as the starter in 2010 is his defense. But truth be told, his defense has improved, and one more year in the minors vice a year in the majors is of marginal difference.

Let's get his bat up here now.

Would Thole and a .370 OBP be preferable to Molina and a sub-.300 OBP? (he had a .285 OBP last year in 491 at-bats)

Could the Mets use more energy and enthusiasm?

Can't you just see Thole bonding with Beltran, Wright, Bay, Francoeur, and our young starters?

Look at Thole's last 7 games as a starting catcher with the Mets in 2009--the team went 6-1 with an ERA of 3.00.

Thole can be our Jason Kendall or Butch Wynegar--if we're lucky he can be our Ted Simmons.

All of these guys were catching and playing major roles for their clubs in their early 20s.

It's Thole time.