http://blog.baseballdigestdaily.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/26/3603901.html

Opening Day Lineup(8)
Reyes
Castillo
Wright
Beltran
Delgado
Clark
Church
Schneider
(pitcher)

Rotaton(5)
Santana
Pedro
Ollie
Maine
Pelfrey

Bench(5)
Anderson
Easley
Pagan
Endy
Casanova (Castro if not on DL)

Bullpen(7)
Wagner
Heilman
Feliciano
Schoeneweis
Wise
Figueroa
Sosa

Gotay is traded, starts the season on the DL, or clears waivers and goes to NO. El Duque goes to the DL. Smith, Stokes, Sanchez and Tatis start the season at NO. I hope Stokes doesn’t make the team. The only way he should make it is if they need a long man because Sosa is put in the rotation.

I would have to agree with you (and that is one of the funnier things I have read on here, btw.) But I’ll never rule out a power arm like his.

As for Lindstrom, he dazzled in the Futures Game in 2006. This is what Keith Law said about him:

“Matt Lindstrom (Mets) closed the win out for the U.S., and it was impressive. His first fastball was 99 mph, and he hit 100 several times (101 on the stadium gun). He also threw a plus slider at 84-85, although he had two back up on him. His control has already made huge strides since last year, and he’s one more small improvement away from pitching late in major-league games. He’s got to be the first player teams will ask the Mets for at the trading deadline.”

Aaaaaaand… we traded him for Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick. AWWWWsome!

Anyway, I don’t think Burgos will develop into anything. Even if he comes back physically, I don’t have much confidence in anyone who buys their lifetime earnings in jewelry and then leaves it in their hotel room. That decision making seems to be like his decision making on the mound-Not very good.

Pelf’s makeup seems very bad. It is one thing to down play yourself like Miane does, but Pelf takes it the nth degree.

In fairness to Burgos, he is significantly younger than Lindstrom, who took a long time to develop.

So far, so good with Parnell and Niese. Don’t forget Rustich, Vinyard, and Kunz down on the farm as well.

Maybe Omar’s assistants can keep him in the dark on this one and he passes.

As I have said, sloppy, I am very critcal of Omar’s talent evaluation (especially unproven talent).

That is why he has not developed the Braves-like minor leagues he said he would.

Case in point in today’s game is Lindstrom. Why he let this guy go, I don’t understand.

Then as you have said he goes out and gets Burgos who is not half the pitcher Lindstrom is.

But, watching Niese and Parnell maybe he does have something with these guys. It’s only a few inn and both of them need time to work on their command but they did not look bad, espcially their breaking pitches.

In fact, I’d say there breaking stuff is better than Pelfrey’s. And where is that 97 Pelfrey FB? But he is gonna get alot of chances. 9th picks do.

Chances that you will need 2 RH pinch hitters in one game or even 1 RH pinch hitter every nite are slim. But you may want to play a RH bat against a lefty SP (you especially would want to do that w/Church).

Hence, if you carry 3 catchers you don’t have that extra RH bat to use as a position player.

I would guess this is Omar’s thinking, and therefore, he and Willie etal, shot down the 3 catcher scenario pretty quick.

It is not that Easely can’t be the RH pinch hitter. I was stating that if more than one RH bat is needed, then Easely is the only one.

So they need 2 RH bats. Since Omar is against the idea of 3 catchers, your only realistic answer is somebody else. I was not endorsing Tatis. I was giving a realistic answer to the problem. I don’t try to think that writing on a blog has any influence on the Mets.

So I try to think of what they will do not necessarily what I think would be great. I guess it comes from the fact that my job is project management. I don’t have time to fantasize about unrealistic scenarios.

That is what is almost always the basis of my posts. And in this case, for better or worse it looks like the guy that fills the need is Tatis.

You say verstility is a guy who can play badly at a lot of places… Anyone can play badly in a lot of plces. Hardly an endorsement.

He needs to work on whatever pitches, mindset or whatever to get him ready.

He is not ready now and Shea is not the place to learn.

We have options.

So who should be the RH bat that you guys are always complaining that the Mets don’t have?

Your choices are slim (Tatis, Clark) or none it would seem.

I don’t like these guys either, but will you be going crazy when your favorite players Church or Scheinder come up against a lefty in the 8th and there is only Gotay to PH?

Can he play any position except 2B (if he can even do that and maybe ss or 3B)?

I didn’t say Tatis was good. But he does play more than one position even if he doesn’t play them well.

That is versatility. It might not be good play, but it is versatility.