It's Pay Day for Ryan Church

Ryan Church and the Mets agreed to a $2MM contract for 2008 pretty much making him the starting right fielder on opening day in April.

Here's the crazy part: Church was making $395k last year. So basically he's getting a $1.6MM raise. What were his stats again? Hmmm, Church batted .272 with 15 homers, 70 RBIs and 43 doubles.

So that's worth $2MM in the majors today? What's even funnier is the incentive money that Church can get. He can earn an additional $120,000 in performances bonuses: $50,000 for 450 plate appearances; $40,000 for 535 plate appearances and $30,000 for 550 plate appearances.

So basically church gets a raise if he doesn't get injured or isn't so horrible that Randolph refuses to play him.

In my mind Church has got a lot to prove. This is a one year deal that could amount to something larger if Church is successful. I've always like him as a role player on the Nationals, but a corner outfielder in New York, in my mind, should be a big bat that contributes.

I'd be satisfied if Church bats .275 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs, but if he can exceed those stats he might win over a lot more people that might want him to stick around.

Spring training is right around the corner. I can almost taste it.

The Mets X Factors in 2008

We know what to expect from players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and even Billy Wagner. We know that they'll go through slumps, but for the most part be the rock solid veteran players that we expect.

But on every team there are "x factors." Those players who aren't the focal point of a team. They aren't superstars, but they're performance just as much plays a role in the fate of a team as those who are the central focus of our opponents.

The list below is comprised of a few players in whom I feel will have a direct impact on the type of season the Mets have. Of course if Wright & Reyes have horrible seasons, then the Mets will suffer, but this is a list of complimentary players that need to succeed to support the season we expect from our marquee guys.

1. Pedro Martinez - Pedro used to be a marquee guy, but those days are gone. Sure he's the headliner on our pitching staff, a guaranteed Hall of Famer, but he needs to prove he's still the pitcher we know and love. Pedro showed excellent control in his few starts of 2007. Even though his velocity isn't there, his movement on his changeup and fastball still make him unhittable at times. The question will be if Pedro can give the Mets 25 starts. If he can, and he pitches like he did last year, the Mets are in a great position to win at least 15 starts. If not, we have a bigger hole in our starting rotation that we originally thought.

2. Moises Alou - I fully expect Moises Alou to miss 3 weeks of the 2008 season. If he misses more than that, we might have a problem. Alou proved last year that the Mets are a much, much better team with Alou in the 5 hole than without him. Alou gets hits and drives in runs. He's a hitting machine. Without him the Mets lack that RBI man in the middle of the lineup, especially if Delgado continues to struggle. Like El Duque, I'll give Alou a pass on a few weeks on the DL, but he can't miss 3 months like he did in 2007.

3. Ryan Church - Ryan Church has the opportunity to change a city in 2008. I don't think anyone really expects much from Ryan Church, but if he bats around .250 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs he might be run out of town (along with Omar Minaya). The trade for Church and Schneider was questionable at best, but if Church proves he has the talent Minaya believes he does we could have gotten a steal. Church needs to bat +.275 and be in the 20 homers/80 RBIs range to have an impact. Sure he'll probably bat in the 7th spot, but this is a corner outfielder were talking about. We should expect that to be a power position and if Church can't put up decent numbers, the Mets will be looking to fill a void come the trading deadline and could suffer offensively scoring runs down the stretch.

4. Marlon Anderson - Amidst the late collapse, the Mets found a true gem in the latter months of the 2007 season in Marlon Anderson. Anderson was a beast off the bench and seemed to play a pivotal role in nearly every comeback win the Mets had. Having a pinch hitter like that can help you win at least 10 games over the course of a season. Was Marlon Anderson's success one of those passing moments or can he produce of the bench consistently? If he can, the Mets have a leg up on pretty much every other team in the NL East as our bench will be significantly better with Anderson, Castro, & Chavez as the key bench players. If Anderson can't reproduce his 2007 success, the Mets will again be searching for a big bat off the bench come the trading deadline. And we all know how Jeff Conine worked out.

2008 Mets Lineup if the Season Started Today

Here's what the potential 2008 Mets lineup would look like if the season started today:

1. Jose Reyes - SS
2. Luis Castillo - 2B
3. David Wright - 3B
4. Carlos Beltran - CF
5. Moises Alou - LF
6. Carlos Delgado - 1B
7. Ryan Church - RF
8. Brian Schneider - C

Of course you're looking at a potential platoon at catcher between Castro/Schneider/Estrada. One of them will not make it to spring training in a Mets uniform if you ask me, but which one will be gone is still up for debate. I have a feeling Estrada is the man left out the cold, but I would have told you there's no way Lastings Milledge would be traded for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider yet here we are.

Mr. Milledge Goes to Washington

This was not the trade we've been waiting for and it perplexes me more than interests me. Today the Mets sent Lastings Milledge to their divisional rival, the Washington Nationals, for C Brian Schneider and OF Ryan Church.

Why? Who knows. And please somebody explain it to me if you do know.

Now the Mets will have 3 catchers on their roster in Schneider, Castro & Estrada so I'm assuming one of them has to go. And we've replaced a potential young star in Milledge who was one of our best hitters with runners in scoring position last year with a slightly older, but still young outfielder who bats around .270.

I know Ryan Church has hit well against the Mets in the past, but I think every National looked like a Hall of Famer against the Mets the last week of the season. Is there something in Ryan Church that we don't see? Would you rather see Church in right field than Gomez or Milledge?

It just doesn't make any sense, but I trust Omar has a great plan in place that us plebeians cannot contemplate. The only player on the Nationals that I'd even remotely be interested in is Chad Cordero.

Instead I got Brian Schneider (who is at least a somewhat younger catcher and can play some D) and a middle of the road outfielder in Ryan Church.

Someone wake me up when we sign Dan Haren.