In 2009, the South Atlantic League has been a hotbed of talented young arms as I have had the opportunity to see a number of former high round picks, talented international prospects, and of course, the Sand Gnats staff which consists of arguably half of the Mets best young arms in Jeurys Familia, Robert Carson, and Kyle Allen.  As a former college catcher who took great pride in managing a pitching staff, I can’t help but wonder why the Mets haven’t left their talented arms in more experienced hands like the Greenville Drive (Red Sox), or Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) who also have talented staffs.[...]

MMO – MetsMerized Player Of The Week! 7/12-7/19

Most people won’t be paying attention to the Mets blogosphere anymore, and I can understand why. But that doesn’t mean the bloggers are going to stop blogging! The “Fan Confidence Rating” on Metsblog continues to amaze me by staying above 0%. Really. Because I’ve been reading a lot about giving it in and sadly, it does make sense. I don’t want this season to be a total loss, and I don’t think it is or will be. Rebuilding is for teams that are just bad. We’re just injury plagued. However, this team, as with many others in the past, [...]

The ‘Ropolitans – The next 14

The Mets have 14 very important games coming up. If the season outcome hasn’t already solidified, it will be soon.  The Mets kick off in Washington tonight for a three game series, then on to Houston for three more.  They return home next Monday for four games against Colorado and four more against Arizona.  Those 14 games, coming against the good and the bad of the National League, will be the the true sign of the Mets season.  If the Mets can make some sort of run here, they might just have a shot.  If they flounder like they have been for all of June and July, then the nail is officially in the coffin.

NY Baseball Digest – Mets, Even As Sellers, Not in Great Position

The Houston Astros were dead and buried back in 1990. During the month of August they made a trade which seemed innocuous at the time. The Boston Red Sox, in need of a right handed reliever, traded a rookie named Jeff Bagwell to Houston for Larry Andersen, Houston’s top flight right handed set up man. The Sox made the playoffs only to be swept by Oakland. Bagwell, unknown in the pre-internet dark days, went on to a Hall of Fame caliber career with the Astros.  The Mets are in a position where they will be sellers come July 31st. Can they find their version of Jeff Bagwell?

Mack’s Mets -  Q&A With Mack

Mack, great post this morning. Living in Boston I am surrounded by Red Sox minor league teams that are not only good, but loaded with prospects. I go to the see the Binghamton Mets and and Buffalo when they make to Pawtucket and Manchester NH. I have to tell you, I noticed the sever lack of talent on both teams. Omar has a few stars in the minor leagues, and a few stars on the majorleague roster. But the depth of the system severly lacks. That has to be a reflection on him. Lets hope Adam Rubin’s post about a shake up of the mets roster and front office is correct[...]

1. Omar Minaya, Mets: The Mets never could have conceived a first half this horrendous. Not with an NL-high $140-million payroll, five megastars and sky-high expectations. But while Minaya may not be blameless, and the team has looked sloppy in the field and on the base paths, the main issue is all the injuries. When all the aches and pains are added up, the Mets have a spent a baseball-high $15 million[...]

The ‘Ropolitans – Pedro to Play Phor Philly

Pedro Martinez and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a one-year deal, worth $1 million. There is also a chance for Pedro to earn up to $1.5 million in incentives. After signing the contract, Martinez was placed on the Phillies 15-day DL with a mild shoulder strain. This is to allow him to rehab in the minor leagues before making his first start in the majors. I wrote this the other day and I still stand[...]

Daily News – Newest Mets slugger Jeff Francoeur talks about first trip back to Atlanta

After the Mets put the finishing touches on their 9-7 win over the Reds on Sunday to close out the season’s first half, most everyone in the clubhouse headed home for a little family time.

Three Mets – David Wright, Frankie Rodriguez and Johan Santana – headed to St. Louis to partake in the National League’s latest loss in the All-Star Game, while others like Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado, headed to Florida to continue rehab assignments that the Mets hope will bring them north some day soon.[...]

Always Amazin – Freddie Might Need All the Coupons He Can Get

Let’s preface this by saying it’s speculation. Larry King didn’t present the Wilpons’ bank statement to the writer not offered definitive proof that the Wilpons lost $700 million.

That being said, Wilpon and King are reportedly close friends from the ol’ neighborhood. Wilpon allegedly introduced King to Madoff. I imagine the two discuss finances. And I imagine Larry King might have an idea of what Wilpon’s losses might actually look like, even if Freddie will never publicly admit them (nor should he).

MMO – The Timing Is Right For A Comeback

By August 12, a little less than one month from today, we’ll have a good idea whether the Mets will still be hunt for post season play, or if the 2009 Met season will end in disappointment (like the past three years).

Thursday the Mets begin their first road trip of the second half with four games down in Atlanta. The Braves and Mets are always a good match-up. This series we have the Jeff Francoeur storyline to watch. Will Francoeur, returning to Atlanta as the opposition ( a Met no less), try to show the Braves they were wrong to trade him?

Prospect Update:

I’m going to add to the blog, each week, an update on key prospects that are in line to someday become big-time Mets. I’m going to do this rather than keep updating my top 50 prospect list each month. We’ll update that also, from time to time, but this weekly feature will let you know how some key prospects are coming along.

The 2010 Crop:

The Real Dirty Mets Fan – Draft And Follow 6-20-09

The first (and so far only) member of the Mets 2009 First-Year Player Draft class to see any professional game action is 1B Sam Honeck out of Tulane. Honeck started at 1B for the Brooklyn Cyclones last night, batting third against the Staten Island Yankees. His career did not get off to an auspicious start, as Honeck went 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and grounded into a double play. He did get one base-on-balls so his OBP is .250 in the early going.

The Star Ledger – Rain could be in the way of New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays

The tarp is on the field and, yes, it is raining again here at Citi Field. The forecast does not look promising for baseball, which is supposed to begin at 4:10 p.m. It’s a shame, too, because an intriguing pitching matchup is scheduled. Johan Santana, coming off the worst start of his career, at Yankee Stadium, is back on the mound looking to redeem himself.

Aol.com - Jose Reyes Back to Baseball Tasks

While he wasn’t exactly off to a hot start, Jose Reyes is an extremely important cog to the New York Mets. He’s been on the shelf with a torn hamstring tendon since May 20. The Mets initially played well without him, but have since fallen on tough times. They defeated Tampa Bay Friday night, but have still lost six of their last nine games. It’s true that Reyes’ absence isn’t the only thing ailing the Mets, but he’s such a dynamic player he helps every aspect of the team.

The ‘Ropolitans – From the Comments: Update on Phillie Jerseys in Citi Field

Take this with a grain of salt. First off, we have no idea if the original story is even true, nevermind the update. Still, it could be real for all we know. I haven’t heard anything about this, so I’m leaning toward “myth” but read it and make your own decision.

Here’s the original story.