Meet the Mets
Another Grapefruit League game, another senseless beating for the Metropolitan baseball club. The bludgeoners this time were the Houston Astros who pelted Mike Pelfrey for eight runs over two and two-thirds. The comments under that recap are appropriately muted given the time of the year, of course. Also, it gave Adam Rubin the opportunity to get a little pissy.
As for the Pelf, he is totally trolling us thought he threw the ball pretty good. Now obviously we are talking about a tiny sample size of innings during Spring Training. Tim Lincecum struggles in March pretty regularly as well. That said, anytime your ERA is a bad 110 meter hurdle time, there is probably some cause for concern. I still doubt the Mets will unleash the nuclear option this year, so package stores can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Mets are nice enough to take today off to give us all 24 hours to recover from the psychological torture of a Mike Pelfrey start. They did make a move after the game, though, optioning Cesar Puello and Jeremy Hefner to minor league camp. No surprise on Puello, who will probably return to St. Lucie to start the year. Hefner is not really a surprise, either, but the Mets must be fairly confident that Johan Santana will be ready to go Opening Day. Not sent to minor league camp, Josh Edgin, who continues to roll through the month of March. He still has pretty long odds to make the team, but his stuff is arguably the best of the remaining left-handed bullpen candidates. Spring Training has started for the minor league teams as well, and the Mets played a pair with the Marlins affiliates yesterday. Well, at least Darin Gorski pitched well.
Jury selection begins today in the Madoff trial, but don't worry, because the Wilpons are totally going to own the Mets for a long time. You know, assuming they aren't forced to settle and have to sell the team to come up with the cash. Fingers crossed, you guys. Howard Megdal has an overview of the upcoming trial and runs down the crazy amount of debt the Mets' owners are going to have to pay back even if they win. The judge seems unconvinced that Picard can meet the burden of proof, which seems odd, since he set such favorable terms for the plaintiff.
Ugh, that's enough legal news for today. Back in camp, Tim Byrdak is totally no-selling that knee injury and starting his hulk up. By Opening Day he should be at least wagging his finger in your face. The big boot/legdrop combo will be a couple weeks after that, no doubt.
And finally, Adam Rubin catches up with former teenage hitting machine, now twenty-something injury machine, Fernando Martinez. He was nice enough to sign my hat many years ago in New Britain. Sadly, doesn't look like that hat will be putting my kid through college, but I wish F-Mart well. Funny, how the two things the Mets' bench needs most now is a lefty hitting outfielder and a right-handed four corners power bat, yet they dumped Martinez and Nick Evans off the 40 in the offseason.
Around MLB
Bryce Harper will not be making the Nationals Opening Day roster. He didn't post a great line in Harrisburg last season, but I'll be shocked if he doesn't mash in Syracuse and force his way into the bigs by the All-Star break. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of fawning Harper stories like this one to tide you over. In assume fawning Harper story will be the new fawning Strasburg story
In case you haven't noticed, Ryan Braun is totally useless without steroids. I kind of hope he starts 1-20 this year, so beat writers and columnists across the country only have to put the bare minimum of effort into their screeds. I'd hate for them to have to think too hard about baseball or something. Also, the twitter explosion will be amusing to me.
Mike Pelfrey may be, well, Mike Pelfrey, but at least he isn't Jeff Samardzija. Over/under on date Samardzija goes back to the pen: May 25th. But he looks great this Spring!
David Laurila has another great interview posted at FanGraphs, this time with ESPN play-by-play man and friend of SABR, Boog Sciambi.
Robinson Cano took a pitch off the hand yesterday, but should be all right.
Finally, Vin Scully will be calling fewer Dodgers games this year, as the 84 year old has trimmed back his schedule even further. Vin Scully news means I am obligated to link this Posnanski column.