New York Mets

The Mets have been a hard-luck team for some time.  Oh, there was the Bill Bucker, Mookie Wilson affair to smile back on, and Bobby Valentine did some real good, but it’s been hard times since.  The owners were scammed out of millions by Madoff, and the investments made by them (Johann Santana, Jason Bay) have not panned out.  Things are not exactly looking up, either.  Their entire pitching staff, aside from injury-question-mark Santana, provokes a “who?” out of all but the most meticulous baseball nerd.  They lost their best hitter, Jose Reyes, to free agency.  Aside from David Wright (whose production dropped dramatically last season to .254/14/61), the lineup does not exactly inspire terror in the opposition.  Jason Bay can and should bounce back, but he’s really best as a complimentary hitter, his role with the winning Red Sox, surprising consistently from the #5 slot.  He carried the Sox from here for many weeks, but he was always the extra punch after Manny-Ortiz.  In the Mets lineup he seems like the only mighty island.  He improves with hitters around him, but aside from Wright, the Mets will just have to hope that youth (Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda) provides some spring in their step.

In: -

Out: Jose Reyes (free agent)

Strength: if Santana can bounce back from injury, he was once the most dominant pitcher in baseball.  Daniel Murphy is only 26 and batted .320, and young Ike Davis could establish himself as a solid major league 1B.  Lucas Duda likewise is 26 but produced reasonable numbers (.292/10/50)

Weakness:  the pitching staff is Santana plus a big “who?”  Bay and Wright must regain their form with lines of at least .275/30/90 in order for the Mets to be a proper lineup again

Manager: Terry Collins

Projected Rotation: Johann Santana, Jonathon Niese, Mike Pelfrey, RA Dickey, Dillon Gee

Projected Closer: Frank Francisco

Projected Starting Lineup:

            Ruben Tejada SS

            Daniel Murphy 2B

            Ike Davis 1B

            David Wright 3B

            Jason Bay LF

            Lucas Duda RF

            Josh Thole C

            Andres Torres CF