Would a 2010 Youth Movement Be More Fun?

With the same tired, one dimensional or injured names being thrown around, (Ryan Garko, Ben Sheets, Carlos Delgado), along with the recent signing of Gary Mathews, Jr, it's becoming more and more apparent that 2010 would be a lot more fun if we could all just take a breath and resign ourselves to the fact that watching a bunch of young guys play baseball would be a lot more fun than trying to hope for a miracle on an injured arm, an older fading never was, or a broken down former star.

Let's play Thole, Nick Evans, Daniel Murphy, even Ike Davis to platoon with Murph.

Why not have Chris Carter as the 4th outfielder?

Let Angel Pagan play CF for as long as it takes to get Beltran back.

Let's look at our "youth team" to start the season and a lineup that could work well:

SS-Jose Reyes (26)
CF-Angel Pagan (28)
3B-David Wright (27)
LF-Jason Bay (31)
RF- Jeff Francoeur (26)
1B-Daniel Murphy (25) and Ike Davis (23)
C-Josh Thole (23)
2B-Luis Castillo (34)

The same can be said of the pitching: Tobi Stoner, Dillon Gee, Jonathan Niese, Jay Marshall, all young and talented. Ollie Perez is still only 28 heading into the season, and I expect Big Pelf to have a superb year.

Here is a simple question--would you rather watch Ike Davis or Fernando Tatis in 2010?

The Mets don't need to go into 2010 with any lofty expectations, because every realist out there knows that this is likely not the year, nor is it the team that should expect to win right now.

That said, it is a team that can win, and by playing the younger talent, you'll likely get an inspired brand of fun baseball that would be competitive without breaking the bank. You also just might be surprised at the results.

It's the kind of thinking that would set up the more legitimate possibility for 2011 and beyond.

Play the kids now.

1B Search - Team 2-5

Oakland - 13 wins

Jason Giambi - 38 yrs. old - .204 - 1 yr./5.25mil

Bobby Crosby - 29 yrs. old - .236 - 5 yrs/12.75mil - 2009: 5.25mil

Arizona - 14 wins

Chad Tracy - 29 yrs. old - .193 - 3 yrs./13.25mil - 2007-2009 (4.75mil)

Colorado - 14 wins

Todd Helton - 35 yrs. old - .347/.401//521/.922 - 9 yrs./141.5mil - 2003-2011 - 16.6mil 2009, 2010... 19.1mil 2011

Cleveland - 14 wins

Ryan Garko - 28 yrs. old - .258 - 1 yr./446K

Victor Martinez - 30 yrs. old - .401/.478/.632/1.109 - 7 HRs - 5 yrs./15.5mil - 2005-2009 - 5.7mil 2009


Well... forget Oakland... Tracy isn't good enough... Helton is having a great year but forget the contract... it comes down to one guy...

add Victor Martinez to the list.