Hello Ace

Here are the leaders in Wins among MLB starters:

Starting Pitchers
RK	PLAYER	TEAM	GP	GS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	W	L	SV	HLD	BLSV	WHIP	ERA
1	Ubaldo Jimenez	COL	10	10	71.1	42	7	7	24	61	9	1	0	0	0	0.93	0.88
2	Mike Pelfrey	NYM	11	10	63.2	57	18	18	26	44	7	1	1	0	0	1.30	2.54
	David Price	TAM	9	9	59.2	45	19	16	23	46	7	1	0	0	0	1.14	2.41
4	Andy Pettitte	NYY	9	9	58.1	53	18	17	18	36	6	1	0	0	0	1.22	2.62
	Derek Lowe	ATL	10	10	56.0	59	35	33	28	33	6	4	0	0	0	1.55	5.30
	Roy Halladay	PHI	10	10	77.0	73	23	19	12	59	6	3	0	0	0	1.10	2.22
	Barry Zito	SFO	10	10	67.1	55	23	22	26	40	6	2	0	0	0	1.20	2.94
	Jon Garland	SDG	10	10	60.0	51	21	14	29	38	6	2	0	0	0	1.33	2.10
	Carlos Silva	CHC	9	9	53.2	54	23	21	11	31	6	0	0	0	0	1.21	3.52
	Adam Wainwright	STL	10	10	72.0	52	20	19	19	69	6	3	0	0	0	0.99	2.38

Mets Rookie Crop Shines Through

The Mets have a ton of rookies, and though some of them have experience elsewhere, in MLB terms they are rookies.

The current crop is as good as any the club has had in recent memory.

• Hisanori Takahashi--4-1, 2.13 ERA, now in the starting rotation
• Ike Davis--.866 OPS, anchor at 1B, batting cleanup
• Jennry Mejia--3.43 ERA, key setup man
• Jonathan Niese--4.79 ERA, lefthanded starter
  
• Raul Valdes--2.86 ERA, long man +
• Ryota Igarashi--1.38 WHIP, setup man with "8th inning guy" potential and 95 mph fastball
• Chris Carter--.313 Batting Average, primary lefthanded pinch hitter

Of the traditional rookies, Ike Davis has shined brightest, stabilizing both the defense and anchoring the offense with a heady professionalism seen in players a decade his senior.

The pitchers have made the biggest contributions and now comprise 40% of the starting rotation.

Takahashi has been nothing short of spectacular, and Jonathan Niese comes back from injury looking to re-fire what was an excellent start to his season.

The rookies have made the biggest contribution in the bullpen.

Jennry Mejia, the youngest player in the game, is learning on the fly, and he has met the challenge both in pressure and non-pressure situations.

The "older rookies", Ryota Igarashi and Raul Valdes, are big contributors, and both have the experience and the stuff to get hitters out late in the game.

Chris Carter brings fire, passion, and a strong lefthanded bat.  He has come through in key RBI situations and is limited only by his weak defense and the fact that there just aren't that many at-bats for him--yet--in this lineup.

All in all a terrific rookie class that contributes on a nightly basis.

While the Mets didn't make many big splashes in the off-season,  the little splashes are doing just fine.

Phillies Receive Three Extra Home Games

From this link:

The Phillies will have the rare fortune of playing 84 regular-season games on their home field this year.

 The Toronto Blue Jays and Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that they have moved the June 25-27 series against the Phillies from Rogers Centre in Toronto to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia because of the G20 Summit.

"After reviewing all of the options with the parties and taking all of the security considerations into account, it was determined that the best course of action is to play the series in Philadelphia," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I appreciate the cooperation of the Blue Jays, the Phillies and all of the parties who have helped resolve this challenging situation."

The G20, which hosts many of the world's political and financial leaders, is scheduled to be held June 26-27 at the Metro Convention Center, and there are massive security and congestion issues with the two sites just feet away

David Wright is Driving Me K'razy

12 Ks in his last 8 games.

3rd in MLB in strikeouts.

But...he has a fantastic .963 OPS.

But...he is striking out 33.9% of the time.

But...he has a .415 OBP and is second in MLB in walks.

Medic!!!

The guy is too good to be a 150 strikeout player, but he is certainly well above that pace for 2010 after striking out 140 times in 2009.

Wright is easily the best player on the team, but these K's are enough to make you batty.

Is It Time to Talk About Feliciano as an All-Time Great Met?

Pedro Feliciano came in last night and did what he seems to do every night--pitch, pitch well, and walk off the mound.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

As Gary Cohen is so fond of calling him, he really is Perpetual Pedro.

You won't find any Feliciano jerseys in the stands, his baseball card is worthless, he doesn't make the big bucks, and he can still walk around in the mall and hardly get noticed.

But he is a star for us.

In the last 4 seasons Pedro has averaged 79 appearances per year, and he has led MLB in appearances for the past two seasons.

For his career he has a sterling 3.21 ERA, and his ERA from 2006 through now is 2.92.

I asked on Twitter the other night, "Is it time to start calling Pedro an all-time great Met?"

The answers came back quite varied.  Some folks agreed, and others compared him to an NFL punter, ie, a specialist.

If we look at his career numbers we can see that he's actually faced righty's more than he's faced lefty's.  To be specific, he's faced a righthanded batter 743 times, against 645 for lefthanders.

But now comes the rub--

Righthanded batters hit .269 with a .781 OPS against him, whereas he dominates lefty's to the tune of a .210 BAA and .571 OPS.

That said, overall he has been outstanding.  His combined totals show a pitcher who gets guys out.  His combined BAA is .241 and the OPS against is only .683.

Looking at the top 5 Mets pitchers in appearances, we see Pedro already in 3rd place, just 19 games behind Tom Seaver.  He is 313 games behind John Franco, the all-time leader.

So while Pedro is not a dominant starter, or a closer of renown, he certainly is one of the premiere set-up men in the game.  He might just be the best set-up man the Mets have ever had, or at least in the top 2 or 3.

Though he developed primarily in the Dodgers farm system I'll call him a homegrown Met as he pitched extensively at Norfolk before honing his craft enough to stick in the big leagues.  I'll also add in the fact that he's only pitched for the Mets at the major league level.

Bottom line:  He may not truthfully be an all-time Met great right now, but he's certainly getting there.  In my book he is an "all-time good Met", and that is more than enough to satisfy this Mets fan.

Player	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER
J Franco	48	56	3.10	695	0	0	0	276	702.2	683	279	242
T Seaver	198	124	2.57	401	395	171	44	1	3045.1	2431	953	870
P Feliciano*	20	13	3.21	382	0	0	0	4	322.2	292	129	115
J Koosman	140	137	3.09	376	346	108	26	5	2544.2	2281	994	875
J Orosco	47	47	2.73	372	4	0	0	107	595.2	480	207	181

Our Homerun Problems are Back

I don't want to be the Debbie Downer of the bloggers, especially since the Mets are playing some inspired baseball of late.  That said, the offense is not anywhere close to where it needs to be, and I keep thinking that the house of cards can tumble down as quickly as it was raised this past week.

In a continuing theme, I'll once again look at homeruns as one indicator of offensive ability.

In March of last year, before the season began, I wrote a piece called "Jerry Has It Wrong on Power."  I wrote it because I was alarmed at the stance Jerry took on the offense during spring training in terms of how the Mets would generate enough runs to compete in the NL East.

In 2007 the team hit 177 homeruns and finished with an 88-74 record.  In 2008 the Mets hit 172 homeruns--124 homeruns in wins against only 48 homeruns in losses.  They finished second that year, with an 89-73 record. 

The 2008 homerun totals equate to  1.39 HR in each win against only .66 HR in a loss.

In 2009 the downward trend appeared, and the Mets had an awful season, finishing 70-92.  The Mets hit 95 homeruns total last year, 57 in their 70 wins against only 38 in their 92 losses.

This equates to  .81 HR in each win against only .41 HR in a loss.

And that brings us to 2010 and my worry of a repeat of an inability to have a sustained offense during the inevitable downturn in pitching.

The Mets are currently 24th in MLB in Hrs with only 13 on the season.

In their 10 wins they have 8 HRs.  In the 9 losses they have only 5.

This equated to .80 HR in each win against .55 HR in each loss.

Let's look at the last three seasons and see if there is a trend:

2008: 1.39 per W/.66 per L
2009: .81 per W/.41 per L
2010: .80 per W/.55 per L

It's a very simple level of analysis, but I believe it's worth paying attention to as the season progresses.

Bottom line is the sluggers need to slug, and they need to do so with some level of consistency.

The Mets starting pitching and bullpen have been very good thus far, but for the team to truly get to the next level, they need to channel their inner Kingman.

VIDEO Link: Ike Davis First Homerun

Big congrats to our boy Ike Davis, who is sponsored as the official player of NY Sports Dog.

For those that haven't seen it yet, the video of the majestic blast can be seen here.

Jason Heyward can watch it this morning as he ponders his three Ks over a juice box and some Fruit Loops.

Ike is the money man.

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Mets Stats of Note: It's the Offense (Again)

Let's take a peek at where the Mets stand against the rest of baseball.

Thus far in 2010, the Mets:

• Have allowed the fewest Stolen Bases in baseball, 3 steals against 3 caught.  Contrast this with the Red Sox who have allowed 34 steals and only 1 caught stealing.
• 9th in Team ERA at a solid 3.47.
• Struck Out the second most batters--testament to some very strong pitching early in the year.
• 12th in Batting Average Against--just .247.
• 22nd in Homeruns with just 12 on the season.  After a spring in which balls were flying out of the park, we are once again seeing a shortage of power.
• 25th in Team Batting Average at a paltry .229.   The Dodgers lead all of baseball at .311.
• 27th in OPS...ugh.
• 27th in Extra-Base Hits with only 35.  Toronto has 67 to lead MLB.
• Struck Out 5th most--a maddening 120 Ks already on the young season.  Medic!

Ike Davis Money Shot of the Day

Ike Davis is now batting a crisp and cool .400.

Last night Ike stroked his first major league double en route to a 3 for 4 night with 2 runs scored.

Tonight Ike will arm wrestle Braves sensation Jason Heyward before the game for rookie bragging rights.

After the game Ike will drink a beer, while the 20-year old Heyward will have a juice box and pout in the corner about missing his mama.

Hundred dollar bills ya'll.

First Pitch Frenchy is Back

Jeff Francoeur is in a slump--that's actually putting it mildly.

Frenchy is oh for his last 25, and is swinging at the first pitch in over half his at-bats during that time.

For proof of this we only need to look at the stats.  After seeing almost 4 pitches per plate appearance over the first week of the season, he is now at 3.07 pitcher per PA for 2010, seeing less than 3 pitches per PA during this slump.

The 3.07 is lower than his woeful career average of 3.38, and much less than the MLB average of 3.78.

His actual first swing percentage on the year is 46%, compared to 28% for the rest of baseball.  And again, prior to the slump he was in the mid-30s, meaning his is swinging at almost 60% of first pitches over the past few games.

That is unacceptable.

I would rather see him come to bat 4 times in a game and not take the bat off his shoulder than continue to flail at the first offering and make out after out.

He needs a day off and a smack in the ass.

Games through April 21, 2010
DATE	OPP	RESULT	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	AVG
Apr 5	FLA	W 7-1	2	0	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	.500	1.000	1.500	.500
Apr 7	FLA	L 7-6	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.444	.500	.944	.333
Apr 8	FLA	L 3-1	4	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	.462	.600	1.062	.400
Apr 9	WAS	W 8-2	4	2	2	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	.471	1.000	1.471	.429
Apr 10	WAS	L 4-3	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	.500	.944	1.444	.444
Apr 11	WAS	L 5-2	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.538	1.000	1.538	.476
Apr 13	@COL	L 11-3	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.500	.880	1.380	.440
Apr 14	@COL	L 6-5	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	.514	.929	1.443	.429
Apr 15	@COL	W 5-0	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.513	.875	1.388	.438
Apr 16	@STL	L 4-3	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.535	.857	1.392	.457
Apr 17	@STL	W 2-1	7	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	.451	.714	1.165	.381
Apr 18	@STL	L 5-3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.436	.667	1.103	.356
Apr 19	CHC	W 6-1	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.407	.612	1.019	.327
Apr 20	CHC	W 4-0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	.381	.566	.947	.302
Apr 21	CHC	L 9-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.358	.526	.884	.281
Monthly Totals			53	11	16	3	1	3	8	8	6	0	0	.381	.566	.947	.302
			AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	AVG
Totals			57	11	16	3	1	3	8	8	6	0	0	.358	.526	.885	.281

PED Player Update: It's a NL Pitcher

Still not named, but here is the update from Craig Calcaterra:

A Major League PED suspension is imminent
UPDATE:  I have learned that the player to be suspended is a National League pitcher.

So here is what we know...

1. Not a Met
2. Mid, Not "Big" Name
3. Pitcher
4. National League
5. Not Chico Escuela

My guesses:

Jason Marquis, Wandy Rodriguez, Brad Penny, Carlos Silva, Bronson Arroyo 

Why do I hope it's a Philly?

Shedding Optimism

From Andy the Lawyer

Clearly, Jerry Manuel isn't a good tactical manager and he makes some outrageously dumb decisions (including at least 2 or 3 last night) but I still think the roster, as constructed by Omar/Wilpon, was simply never going to be a team of any quality. Doesn't mean Manuel shouldn't be fired (he should) but lets not delude ourselves into thinking Bobby V. would get this set of personnel to the playoffs.

There are a variety of ways to have a winning team in baseball, and the Mets right now aren't good at any of them. You can win with a huge offense (like the 2006 Mets did, and like the Phillies do now), or you can win with very good pitching (like the 2000 Mets did). The current Mets team, as constructed, has neither.

As to offense, I've posted this elsewhere, but people really fail to acknowledge that good offensive teams don't have just 1 or 2 good hitters, they have above-average major league hitters up and down the lineup. Here are the comparisons of the Mets PROJECTED (keep in mind, this is based on a lineup with Beltran back) #2 and #6 hitters - hardly the "core" of the team - compared to the big offensive clubs - based on career OPS:

Yankees: Johnson (.849 OPS), Posada (.862 OPS)
Boston: Pedrioa (.830 OPS), Beltre (.779 OPS)
Philly: Polanco (.765 OPS), Ibanez (.825 OPS).

Mets: Castillo (.722 OPS), Franceour (.749 OPS).

Just for comparison, in 2006 the Mets #2 and #6 hitters typcially (although that year alot of guys batted 6th) were:

Lo Duca (.746 OPS), Green (.850 OPS)

And in 2000 (when the Mets were carried by their pitching and had a below-average offense, not their offense) their #2 and #6 hitter typically were:

Derek Bell (.757 OPS), Todd Zeile (.769 OPS)

So even in a year when the Mets offense wasn't very good, they STILL had better depth in their lineup than they planned to have this year, even going into spring training.

Now, as to pitching, its much simpler. In both 2006 and 2000, the Mets starters were 3rd best in the NL in runs allowed, giving up only 4.51 and 4.56 runs per game respectively (can't find a way to isolate starters ERA compared to the rest of the league that year on Baseball Reference).

This year, we went into the season looking at a rotation that included a multiple Cy Young winner (Santana) and then 4 guys who can safely be considered the worst 2-5 of any team with a 100 million dollar payroll.

Maine's career ERA is about the NL league average, but when you factor in his injury history and his last 3 years, its hard to see how reasonable it was to expect to match that. Ollie Perez has been a below average MLB pitcher for his career, with an ERA over 5.00 in 6 of his 9 MLB seasons. Pelfrey had an ERA over 5.00 in 3 of his 4 MLB seasons. Neise is essentially a rookie given his lack of MLB experience.

In short, the Mets front office put together a team that focuses on its "highlights" (Santana, KRod, Wright, Beltran, Reyes) while surrounding those highlights with players who are signficantly below the league average. That's not how winning teams are built - they have depth in the lineup and the rotation, and they don't stop adding pieces just because they believe they have found an ace, a closer, and the 3-5 spots in the lineup.

The Mets "core" may still be good, but a baseball team is not assembled by finding 5 good players and surrounding them with crap.

Rare Must-Have Mets Gear--Act Quickly--12 Pairs Only!

Yes, you want these kicks--there are only 12 pairs available, and they will be sold in one location.

From the website:

• Raffles are being given out now till Sunday 6pm.
• Call shop or come in for raffle number… 718-369-7477
• The packs goes on sale Monday April 5th 11am.

Premium Goods
347 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.369.7477

Vault by Vans and Major League Baseball are teaming up to celebrate the renewal of our national pastime with the Opening Day Collection. Available at select Vault accounts, Vans has created a special classic sneaker style for the corresponding hometown team. Just 12 pairs of New York’s Era LX and a matching limited edition Majestic Authentic Jersey will go on sale Monday, April 5th, only at Premium Goods in Brooklyn. More teams and store information will be announced in the coming days.

Keep ex-Met Lenny Harris in Your Thoughts and Prayers

Former Met and always fan favorite Lenny Harris had quadruple bypass surgery.

From mlb.com:

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

03/21/10 2:42 PM ET

PHOENIX -- Minor League instructor and former Dodgers player Lenny Harris, baseball's all-time pinch-hit leader, is in stable condition at a local hospital after undergoing emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery Saturday, a baseball source confirmed.

Harris was stricken with chest and arm pains Friday, but did not suffer a heart attack as there was no heart damage. In a Saturday operation, doctors found blockages in four arteries, with one 95 percent blocked. 

Harris, 45, is in his second season as the senior hitting coach at the Dodgers' Camelback Ranch-Glendale complex, working mostly with Minor League players. Harris returned to the Dodgers after serving the 2008 season as the Major League hitting instructor of the Washington Nationals.

Harris had an 18-year Major League career that included stints with the Reds, Dodgers (1989-93), Mets, Rockies Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cubs and Marlins. He's the all-time pinch-hit leader with 212.

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The Myth of Mike Pelfrey's Sinker

From my friend and NY Sports Dog Contributor Andy the Lawyer...

Mike Pelfrey had his most effective outing of the spring today, pitching 4 innings and giving up 4 hits and no runs. Notably, however, his groundout to flyout ratio was 3-7, meaning that he really wasn't inducing groundball outs. For several years, the Mets pitching coaches have talked about Pelfrey as though he could be a poor-man's Brandon Webb, inducing groundouts and doubleplays and being effective despite not having great strikeout numbers. But is that really who Mike Pelfrey is?

His numbers do not suggest that he's really a sinkerball pitcher. While his ratios are slightly more groundball oriented than the average major leaguer, they are nowhere near what you see in guys who can "pitch to contact" and induce a lot of ground ball outs. For comparison's sake, here are Mike Pelfrey's career ratio numbers (Groundball/Flyballs and Groundouts/Airouts) compared to Brandon Webb (probably the most prominent sinkerball pitcher in the game), Derek Lowe (a very good front rotation sinkerball pitcher), Aaron Cook (a decent sinkerballer), and the league average:

Pelfrey (career)
GB/FB 1.01 GO/AO 1.43

Webb (career)
GB/FB 1.82 GO/AO 2.91

Lowe (career)
GB/FB 1.69 GO/AO 2.69

Aaron Cook (career)
GB/FB 1.36 GO/AO 2.21

League Average
GB/FB 0.78 GO/AO 1.06

Pelfrey's number aren't terrible, but they are hardly indicative of a guy who can make a living pitching to contact. Pelfrey is only about 20% more likely to induce a ground ball than the average MLB pitcher. That's not a true "sinkerballer" - at least its not a portrait of a guy who can not strike anyone out but still be effective.

Maybe Pelfrey can improve in this regard, but I just don't see it. The real sinkerballers almost have a downward break on their ball - not quite a splitter movement but something close to it. Pelfrey's fastball is straight - it has a slight downward movement because he's tall, but hardly enough that it prevents batters from putting it in the air.

If Pelfrey is going to be a front of the rotation starter, he is going to need to improve his K rates and lower his walks - in short, get an "out pitch" (perhaps his new splitter will be that pitch) and improve his control. It is NOT going to be because he pitches to contact, as its very unlikely that we will see a major jump in his groundball/flyball ratios. Maybe he is doing that this spring - he notably issued no walks and struck out two in his 4 innings of work today. Certainly the Mets rotation needs him to be a #2 or #3 starter to make a playoff run this season.

10 Things to Know About Chris Carter

Chris Carter went deep today...he went deep twice...he went deep twice in the 9th inning!

So what do we know about Carter?

• Went to Stanford
• He is extremely intense, quirky, and he plays very, very hard
• .306 lifetime BA in 6 minor league seasons with 126 homeruns in 726 games
  
• Seen as a "major league hitter that plays weak defense"
• 2008 International League All-Star
  
• Can play 1B and corner OF
  
• In 2009 he made the Red Sox out of spring training as the 5th outfielder
• Listed as 6 feet tall and 230 Lbs and doesn't allow anyone to touch his bats
  
• Red Sox acquired him as a PTBNL in the Willy Mo Pena deal
• Uses Hulk Hogan music as his theme song before each at-bat

UPDATE: Carter went deep again--3 HRs in his last 3 ABs.!

Want to be a Major League Mascot?

Well, you can...the Kansas City Royals are looking....for you!

And by the looks of it, there are some fringe benefit possibilities.

Sorry, there are no openings for Mr Met.

Mascot - Kansas City Royals (Kansas City, MO)

MASCOT
(Full Time)

JOB SUMMARY:
Assist Sr. Director of Event Presentation & Production to ensure that all elements of the Mascot Program are implemented correctly and follow the company’s values. Mascot Program includes all appearances, game operation duties and general administration as well as training alternate & assistants involved with the Mascot Program.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Responsible for performing at two hundred (200) appearances throughout the fiscal year (November 1- October 31)
• Work with Sr. Director to ensure that the Alternate Mascot is correctly and thoroughly trained in a manner consistent with the character and has been given the tools with which to perform to their fullest extent
• Participate in league initiatives (i.e. All-Star) or any other appearances as deemed necessary by the Sr. Director.
• Perform as Sluggerrr at all Royals home games (81)
• Work with Sr. Director to create, develop and implement mascot skits performed at Royals games
• Work with Mascot Appearance Coordinator to ensure that all props, signs etc. are kept up in a manner suitable for showing at games and appearances
• Maintain office hours as scheduled by Sr. Director. Use office hours to work on developing the character’s craft (props, shooting drills, skits/video features etc.)
• Attend weekly EPP staff meetings and any other meeting as requested by Mascot Appearance Coordinator &/or Sr. Director
• Assist in any additional duties assigned by the Mascot Appearance Coordinator &/or Sr. Director

REQUIREMENTS:
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must be at least a high school graduate (college degree preferred)
• Must have at least two years experience as a mascot at the college or professional level
• Must be a creative performer
• Must possess a basic knowledge of Major League Baseball
• Ability to support & grow the Mascot Character/Program
• Must be 6’-6’4” tall in order to fit costume properly
• Must provide a DVD or link to view a video highlight & photo while performing

EOE

Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:

1. Are you at least 18 years old?
2. Do you have at least 2 years experience as a mascot at the college or professional level?
3. Are you at least 6’ tall?
4. Can you provide a DVD or link to view a video highlight & photo of your performances?

Apply for this position | Go back job listings

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Aroldis Chapman is a Cincinnati Red

Updating our earlier news, it is now appearing more likely that Aroldis Chapman will be a Cincinnati Red.

Besides our sources, the Reds themselves are announcing the news stating, "MLB.com has confirmed from a National League source that the team involved is the Reds."

We are also hearing this elsewhere, such as from Jeff Blair of Toronto's Globe and Mail, who also confirmed that Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract with the Reds.

He writes:
The Cuban left-hander drew bids this winter from baseball's biggest spenders and several surprise teams, but the Reds stepped forward and grabbed him with an overwhelming offer. Chapman's fastball has been clocked in the triple-digits but he has no major league experience and his first year in the show may be an adventure.

No word on whether the similarities in hats had anything to do with his decision.

Again, none of this is 100% confirmed, but it is the latest news.

We'll update when more news comes in.

It's Official: J.J. Putz to Miss Season

He has frayed ligaments in his forearm (Ulnar) and potential further damage to his repaired and still injured, elbow.

While he won't require surgery, he will need time to heal.

As excited as we all were in the off-season when we acquired Putz, his year, much like the Mets of 2009, has been one for the crapper.

I only hope Putz can come back healthy in 2010 to be the pitcher he once was.

With Billy Wagner gone, it's like the call for the old sage in Star Wars...

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

Get healthy JJ...in fact, get healthy ALL of you....we need to kick ass in 2010 to make all of this 2009 bullshit worth it.

10 Things to Know About Chris Carter

Like you, I've been hunting around the Net for Chris Carter stuff....the guy is quirky to say the least!

He can also hit and has power--we could see 100 at-bats for him the rest of the year as the Mets give him an extended big league look.

Here is a smattering on Carter...

• Went to Stanford
• He is extremely intense, quirky, and he plays very, very hard
• .301 lifetime BA in 6 minor league seasons with 124 homeruns
• Seen as a "major league hitter that plays weak defense"
• 2008 International League All-Star
  
• Can play 1B and corner OF
  
• Made the Red Sox out of spring training as the 5th outfielder
• Listed as 6 feet tall and 230 Lbs and doesn't allow anyone to touch his bats
  
• Red Sox acquired him as a PTBNL in the Willy Mo Pena deal
• Uses Hulk Hogan music as his theme song before each at-bat