Sheff, Wright and the Replacements

This is quite a mod squad we have playing baseball out in Flushing this week. No Reyes, no Beltran, no Church, no Schneider.

We still got Wright. And we got Sheffield. But then everyone else is pretty much a replacement. Who cares though as long as you keep winning?

There's nothing like a dose of the Washington Nationals to help an ailing team start to feel better. And it's just what the doctor ordered.

Sheffield continued to swing hit hot bat hitting another home run last night and driving in something like 21 RBIs over the course of the last two weeks. That's insane. Sheffield was a guy that I expected to finish the year with 10 home runs and 35 RBI. He's looked great at the plate, although I could do without his one handed catches in the outfield (use two hands!!!!).

Wright still is striking out more than I like, but his average and OBP tell me that I should quit complaining. How on earth is Wright hitting a shade under .350 with an OPS of .964 when he had such an abysmal April?

Hat tip goes to Livan Hernandez who's a guy I consistently said the Mets should avoid. He's turned out to be a vital asset this season and his rubber arm and Bugs Bunny curveball were just what the Mets needed to give their bullpen a much needed day off.

Santana goes tonight so expect a 1-0 game. Let's hope we have the 1.

In Livan We Trust?

Does the Mets season rest on the shoulders of Livan Hernandez? Heaven help us.

The one starter I've specifically said I didn't want on the Mets for the last 3 years is now the guy that could help sustain this ballclub through the early months of the season into the summer.

Mike Pelfrey's injury is a big question mark with some comparing it potentially to what happened to Billy Wagner last season. To say John Maine and Oliver Perez are inconsistent would be an understatement.

Johan Santana is our rock, but Livan Hernandez could become Mr. Reliable. All of a sudden he's potentially our #2 guy if Pelfrey is out for any extended period of time.

Wow.

The 25 Man Roster for the 2009 Mets

Here it is folks. For opening day, the Mets players in uniform will be...


Starters= Schneider, Delgado, Castillo, Reyes, Wright, Church, Beltran, & Murphy
Bench = Castro, Tatis, Marlon Anderson, Cora, Nick Evans, & Jeremy Reed
Pitchers = Santana, Pelfrey, Maine & Ollie
Bullpen = Putz, KRod, Parnell, Stokes, Feliciano, Green & O'Day

The plan is for Nick Evans to be sent down to Triple A after four days to bring in Livan Hernandez as the fifth starter. Evidently, Jeremy Reed is seen as a better fit than Evans to start the season. However, if I'm Jerry Manuel, I keep a close eye on Reed & Marlon Anderson to see about bringing Evans back if either of these guys struggle.

So there you have it. The 25 guys who'll be in uniform on opening day. Not the most formidable squad you've ever seen, but the lineup has a balance of speed and power that I think can produce runs.

The pitching on days when a man named Santana is not on the mound will be the question mark.

Omar's Wish: Livan is the 5th Starter

It took a few years, but it looks like Omar Minaya's wish will finally come true. Livan Hernandez looks like the 5th starter in the Mets rotation.

I think Livan has been linked to the Mets in trade rumors every year for the last 4 seasons, and somehow we've gotten lucky and didn't give up anything for him. But here he is now and we'll see how much gas he has left in his tank.

The good news about Livan is...well...wait...hold on....ok, he eats up innings...in theory. Frankly, there's not a whole lot of upside to Livan Hernandez at this point in his career. He normally doesn't get injured a lot and he has a history of being able to throw a ton of pitches with zero long term effect.

But he doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of batters, and we're guarnateed to have a 10 run performance at least once a month from him. I have to keep reminding myself that no ballclub has a dominant 5th starter so Livan is merely just bridging a gap until Santana pitches again.

If we get 8 wins out of Livan this season, I'd be pleased. I do expect Jon Niese to make an appearance this summer if Livan becomes unbearable.

But please tell Freddy Garcia to go home.