Amazin' Avenue, a New York Mets community

From a Baseball Prospectus Chat today: "Dave (NJ): Jerry Manuel... Was he this bad in Chicago? Christina Kahrl: He was, and he will be. That the Mets were impressed with him was proof they didn't remember that this was what happened last time around: Manuel aced his interview, says all the right things in a conference room, and then handicapped his ballclub with his fascination with ways of insinuating himself into the ballgame. I know it means something to Mets fans if I label the man "Torborgian," but that's what you're working with, with a dash of braggadocio to spice things up a bit." Unnecessary usage of "braggadocio" aside, Kahrl is spot on. It seems like Jerry is more concerned with projecting his personality onto the events of a game rather than giving his team the best chance to win. His on-the-field job is to create the best possible lineup and make smart substitutions, and he's failing horribly at both. I'm fine with the post-game joking and "gangsta" talk, as long as that stuff doesn't make its way into game management. Link via jasondg.

10. Phillies 5. Braves 3. Mets

Jaffe's conclusion: Things may still change as the spring unfolds, both with regards to the staff and our PECOTA tweaks, but this initial reckoning suggests that the Mets are in good shape. Added rotation depth and a significantly improved back of the bullpen should help avoid the late-game and late-season agony of recent years.

For those of you feeling disappointed in this offseason: The Mets and Braves appear to be the division's biggest gainers in terms of help from outside, with the latter likely to overtake the former once Kawakami's projection is added to the ledger. While that may not be enough to help the Braves turn last year's 72-90 club into a legitimate contender, the Mets' activity relative to the Phillies' stasis could certainly make this division race as interesting as ever.

Four-Star Prospects 1. Fernando Martinez, CF 2. Wilmer Flores, SS 3. Jefry Marte, 3B Three-Star Prospects 4. Brad Holt, RHP 5. Jon Niese, LHP 6. Reese Havens, SS 7. Jenrry Mejia, RHP Two-Star Prospects 8. Ike Davis, 1B 9. Bobby Parnell, RHP 10. Eddie Kunz, RHP 11. Scott Moviel, RHP Just Missed: Dillon Gee, RHP; Francisco Pena, C; Cesar Puello, OF [UPDATE by Eric @ 2:02pm]: Where the !@#$ is Josh Thole? !%@#&