2010 is here and for Mets fans that's a dream come true.  2009 was a forgettable one for our Flushing friends and another banner one for the Philly faithful.  The 2008 World Series Championship wounded Mets fans and they vowed to outdo us in 2009, but we all know how that worked out.  The Mets got bit by the injury bug, well, a swarm of injury bugs, all carrying the swine flu or west-Nile to be sure.  The Phillies basically cruised to the division title, despite not playing exceptionally well throughout the season, eventually losing to the better team in the World Series.  But, as I said it's 2010 and all that stuff is now in the past -- we're moving onward!  It's time for some New Years Resolutions:

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Jimmy Rollins: To get on base.  The Phillies' feared and fearless leader and leadoff hitter was none of those things in 2009, putting forth his worst season by far.  Three straight trips to the series might not be possible if he doesn't return to or near his all-star form.

Carlos Beltran: To reconnect with his inner child.  Carlos is one of the best centerfielders in baseball, but he's getting old and he sat a few stretches on the DL last season.  Beltran needs to inject a little youth into that body to produce over a full season again.

Cole Hamels: To be more of a man.  Hamels remains one of the most California people I've ever seen.  His soft personality and laid-back persona make him an easy target for rival and bitter fans alike.  So in twenty-ten, drink some Milwaukee's Best, eat some bacon burgers, and watch all the Rocky movies, twice.  The Phillies need a warrior on the mound who goes out and battles for 7-8 innings every start and Cole can be that like he was the '08 playoffs.  He just needs to man up a little (and stop talking to the media in the playoffs).

David Wright: To start having fun again.  DW looked like a battered wife for most of this past season.  Just watching him play sucked the life out of me.  He was miserable.  The kid needs to start enjoying himself again and all the power numbers will start climbing back up.

Ryan Howard: To stay thin.  This big man dropped 20-30 lbs. last offseason and finished third in the MVP running at the end of the season.  He was a drastically improved defender and lead the Phillies to the series with a scorching hot bat, until he cooled down as the rest of the non-Chase Utley team did.  Stay thin Rhyno.

Francisco Rodriguez: To learn a few more moves.  K-Rod could very well take this rivalry to the next level, he only needs to expand on his post-save celebrations a little.  With some more juice in the finger-point and scream routine, Phillies fans would understandably lose all control and things would get hairy (aka fun).

Raul Ibanez: To ignore the rumors.  Raul's dream season was derailed by an injury and also the speculation that he was taking steroids.  Let's thicken that skin a little and play ball.

Johan Santana: To continue his Buddhist-Monk-like self-control.  Can you imagine how angry you'd be if the bullpen came out and blew you win even half as often as it's happened to Johan in his Mets tenure?  I would causing fist-fights in the dugout on a daily basis.  Mets fans thank god for such a genial superstar -- it could be so much worse.

Roy Halladay: To unleash a holy war upon the National League.  There are two camps of Phillies fans right now:  "The Roy trade was fuckin' awesome we're the shit now" and "I hope Ruben knows what he's doing I'm not sold on it".  Either way, king-sized expectations rest on the shoulders of the Doc.

Angel Pagan: To never come into the game again.  I hate Angel Pagan.

According to Mike Francessa & WFAN, as long as Bay passes his physical, the NY Mets will announce "early next week" the signing of Left Fielder Jason Bay.

No details were released about the terms of the agreement, but it is believed to be a four year deal at around 16.5MM per.

Well, I guess I am happy.  He will immediately help a lineup that is power anemic.  He hit .267, 36 HRs & 100+ RBIs & Runs in 2009.  His average dipped from his .280 career mark, but he OPS was .921.

The biggest concern that has been written about ad nausea is his defense and his age.  He will be 32 next year, and his defense is not getting any better (especially in Citifield).  However, as long as this deal is only for 4 years, I am not too worried about that.  Beltran is one of the best (if not THE best) CF in the game, and will be able to help out Bay.  Francoeur in RF is top 10 defensively as well.   So the Mets should have a solid Defensive outfield.

As far as his age is concerned, he is at the tail end of his prime, but I do not expect to see a HUGE drop off in his production as long as he remains healthy.  I would expect at least two more 30+ HR seasons from Bay before we start seeing a small decline.  I expect his average to remain in the .275 area and continue driving in runs at a 100+ clip.

I guess I had already prepped myself into thinking the Mets have moved on from Bay.  I was hoping for a stop-gap signing like Gomes on a one year deal so they can pursue Carl Crawford and a much stronger free agent class next year.  Oh well.

So the Mets appear to be on their way to making their "splash", something which they shouldn't do just for the sake of making a splash.  But I believe this signing does not fall into that category.  Bay is a legit Power hitter and if the Mets can pick him up for 4 years (when other clubs are dishing out 2 year deals for backup catchers) I would think it qualifies as a solid signing.

So cross LF off the list!  You can also cross off the Bulpen (though I would like to see them sign another lefty) with the Escobar & Ryota deals.  Now we need a solid #3 starting Pitcher, a Catcher & hopefully O-dog for 2B.  I am in Mike's camp in that they should sign Hudson regardless if they can rid themselves of Castillo or not....although a move like that seems unlikely with the signing of Bay.

Let the debate begin...GO METS!

UPDATE:

John Heyman confirms the Mets & Bay have reached a deal.

As much as I want to see the Mets add a big bat for left field, the team's biggest issue is clearly starting pitching.  Every pitcher not named Johan Santana is a huge question mark heading into 2010.  And so far, the Mets have done nothing to address this problem.  I still maintain that Joel Pineiro is the best fit for the Mets because you know exactly what to expect from him.  It's hard to imagine him being the 4.8 WAR pitcher he was last year without Dave Duncan.  But he will eat innings and throw strikes.  He has had an up and down career, but it's quite possible that he's turned the corner thanks to his improved two seam fastball.  To me, the team's first priority should be to bring Pineiro in on a 3 year deal.

That being said, even if the Mets add a reliable middle of the rotation guy, it's time for the trio of Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez to step up.  They have all achieved major league success in the past, and they each possess the potential to excel in 2010.  It's just a matter of whether they can be consistent.  For example, look at the recent success of these relatively young pitchers.

Mike Pelfrey (2008): 13-11, 3.72 ERA, 200.2 IP, 110 K, 3.0 WAR, age 24

John Maine (2007): 15-10, 3.92 ERA, 191 IP, 180 K, 2.7 WAR, age 26

Oliver Perez (2007): 15-10, 3.56 ERA, 177 IP, 174 K, 2.2 WAR, age 25

It's obviously a pipe dream to see all three guys return to form, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.  The funny thing is, looking at the numbers of previous seasons, I think all three guys are obvious victims of the Verducci effect.  And in the case of Maine and Perez, sunsequent injuries.  Have these guys simply peaked at a young age only to never be the same?  Absolutely possible.  But it's also possible that these guys have it in them to perform in 2010, and this would give the Mets a strong rotation.

I think the biggest sleeper is John Maine.  He hasn't been particularly bad the past two years, he has just struggled to stay healthy.  His biggest problem is obviously his lack of an out pitch.  And he remains a five inning pitcher.  But if he could somehow develop a strong offspeed pitch, I think Maine would be a very solid #2 starter.

This is also a big season for Mike Pelfrey.  It's a well known fact that the third full season is critical for starting pitchers.  Look at what Grienke was able to do last year.  I'm not saying Pelfrey is destined for greatness, but he does have the talent to be a top of the rotation guy.  Most people insist that he is a head case, but I don't buy it.  I think he took a major step back last year and it got to him.  But a lot of weird things happened last year that are almost hard to even explain.  He definitely has the talent.

The only guy I really don't have much confidence in is Perez.  He actually was not a bad pitcher for the Mets until last year, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on his knee.  But I think his confidence is rattled, and his chances of returning to form are slim.  Apparently he has been training hard in Arizona all offseason, but I'll believe it when I see it.  Hopefully he can prove me wrong.

To me, the Mets success in 2010 weighs heavily on these three guys.  Maybe someone like Jon Niese will step up and take the pressure off of Perez.  But that would be a lot to expect.  As far as I'm concerned all three of these guys have the ability to form a strong rotation, its just a matter of putting it all together.

There is no real news or fun to talk about these days.  I want to get on here and talk Phillies, but things are pretty stale right now.  We could recap the season or talk highlights or talk about our feelings (what?), I don't know.  So not only do I have to talk Mets, I have to talk Mets speculations... Gross.  Let's get this over with I'm getting squeamish.

Mets fans just so you know we're on the same page:  Luis Castillo sucks.  Okay, now that you know what I'm talking about I'll take it one further:  Luis Castillo surprisingly didn't suck that much in 2009.  Regardless, Louie has to go and the sooner the better!  The preferred option for the Mets is Orlando Hudson (the O-Dog).  Orlando Hudson is the guy that the Mets should have gotten way back when, when Ol' Castillo was brought in to clog things up and drop pop-ups.  Buster Olney ranks obtaining O-Dog as the Mets number one option moving forward and it would be a good move.  The Mets need some more guys rejuvenate their weakened offense both mentally and physically.

Citi Field caused both of those offensive issues and Orlando is the type of guy who can remedy both.  He hits well for average and moderate power and runs well enough. His defense is on point also, making him a sure-fire upgrade over Luis.  Personality wise, from what I hear Hudson is an engaging guy who would do well in the New York media zoo.  What's not to like.  I'll say now exactly what I've read elsewhere and agree with -- sign Hudson and worry about Luis later.  It's time to start taking steps forward if they're going to be serious about competing this year.

I missed this from a few days ago, so I'll pass it along as a Christmas present to all you Mets fans out there!

The Bitterest Met moments of the decade

Some preview! -- Merry Christmas Mets fans!

10 minutes of shame: I was working the night of July 30, 2004 and still remember picking up the phone with Adam Rubin on the other end, "The Mets just traded Kazmir," he said. I was floored. When I heard who they traded him for, I nearly threw the phone and my computer out the window (however, the Daily News windows are about 20 feet above the floor, so it would have been tough). Anyway, cleary the worst trade of the decade was sending Scott Kazmir to Tampa for Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunado. The famous story goes that pitching guru Rick Peterson OK'd the trade by Jim Duquette, saying he could fix Zambrano in 10 minutes. Hah. The Mets also traded for Kris Benson that same day, ending Wiggy's - my favorite Mets of the decade - time in New York. It was a classic Met move as they were 6 games behind the Braves in the East at the deadline, and somehow thought they had a chance to catch them. Of course, they went into Atlanta and got swept, the highlight being the middle game of the series, which Benson lost 8-0. Three days after the trade deadline the Mets were 9 games out. Oh the pain. Of course, the deal did bring us Anna Benson, so maybe it wasn't a bad thing after all.

Hello, Kaz: The Mets got us all excited in December of 2003 when they signed the great Kaz Matsui to a 3-year, $20.1M deal. How great was this guy? He was so great, the Mets even moved prized shortstop prospect Jose Reyes to second base to make room for Matsui. It started well, when Matsui - doing something he would do for three years in a row - homered in his first at-bat of the season (off Atlanta's Russ Ortiz I believe), but then immediately went into the tank, in the field and at the plate.

2. 2006: Swing, Carlos, Swing: Where do you begin with Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS? Do you start with Jeff Suppan shutting down our mighty lineup for the second time in the series? Do you start with Endy Chavez's amazing catch off of Scott Rolen? Or how about Jose Valentin striking out with runners on second and third and one out a half-inning later, when really any sort of contact would've won the Mets the game? Then there was Yadier Molina crushing a two-run homer off of Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth to give the Cards the lead, topped by Randolph sending a hobbled Cliff Floyd up to the plate with the tying runs on first and second and nobody out looking for a home run in an obvious bunting situation. But, of all the disasters in the game, the final insult came when Carlos Beltran - a man who earned his trillion dollar deal from the Mets due to his incredible postseason heroics in Houston two years earlier - stood at the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and the Mets down two runs. It's a situation every kid dreams of being in, hitting the pennant-winning homer. But Beltran, who had a great postseason, kept the bat on his shoulder as Adam Wainwright's nasty curve broke over the plate to end the game and the series. It was painful enough to lose to the Cards, but when they went on to crush Detroit in the World Series, all Met fans realized the 2006 Mets - unquestionably the best Met team of the decade - was pretty much one hit away from winning the World Series. It's hard to believe there is a moment more painful, more embarrassing, more humiliating than this one, but I present the Bitterest Met moment of the decade.

According to Metsblog and Lider en Deportes, the Mets have signed Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year deal.

It is not confirmed if the deal is a Major or Minor League deal, but honestly who cares!  With the way this offseason is shaping up, these are the exact kinds of moves I want to see my team make.  Forget about Bay.  Forget about Molina.  4 or 5 of these types of small acquisitions versus one big signing will help the Mets more, and provide them financial flexibility in the near term (trade deadline) and in the long term.

Glad to see they are not sitting on their hands.  Now sign Gomes.  Also, rumor has it that the Reds & Mets have been trying to work out a deal.  Cincinnati is looking to dump salary in Harrang, Arroyo, Cordero & Phillips.   I would rather have Arroyo or Harrang, but If the mets could get either as well as Phillips & Cordero you could pretty much wrap up the offseason.  It would be a Major improvement.  Of  course that would mean they take Castillo (and prob. some cash), as well as a MLB ready pitcher (Maine or Pelfry) and a prospect or two (F-Mart).  I would still do it.

Anyway, that is my Christmas wish: For the Mets to work out a deal with the Reds.  Then we could put a nice lump of coal in both Bay's & Molina's stocking!

Merry X-Mas WTTTB!  And thanks Again to Mike & Matt for providing this forum.

I just got back from four days in Vermont, and the biggest Mets news to report is the signing of R.A. Dickey.  I'm all for staying patient, but this is getting ridiculous.

But nothing can cheer up a Mets fans like some good old fashioned Philly bashing.  And the best part is, they make our jobs so easy.  Check out this clip from Sunday's Eagles-Niners game.

And Philly fans wonder why people hate them.  Just pathetic.  Does it happen elsewhere?  Absolutely.  But the fans in Philadelphia thrive off of it.  Stuff like this happens week in and week out at Eagles/Phillies games, and they pride themselves on it. To me the worst part about it is the amount of snowballs being thrown.  This isn't just a couple of drunk, rowdy fans.  This is an entire fanbase built on hate and anger. Reading the comments on Pro Football Talk, the general consensus among Eagles fans is that "they deserved it".  What a disgrace.  I'm sorry, but fans in Philly are just a different animal.  Just more evidence of how classless Philly really is.

Normally we don't report on too much divisional news, however, it's been a slow Phillies week and who the hell wants to talk Mets?  My sentiments exactly.  So the Braves dealt Javier Vazquez for Melky Cabrera and some prospects...

It appears the Braves are moving their focus away from this year and moving towards the future.  Giving a pitcher like Vazquez up after the year he just had hurts, however it was the best year he's ever pitched.  He had an ERA under 3.00 for the first time ever and his WHIP was also at a career low -- dealing him now is good maximization of assets.  Saying that, I don't think they got much in return for him.  Melky is a exciting, but serviceable player who'll play good defense and contribute some with the bat.  The prospects, well I know nothing of them.

How does it affect the Mets and Phillies?  It makes the road in 2010 easier, but the Braves preparing to retool and could re-emerge as a strong divisional foe very soon.

It's been ten days since the Mets put out contracts to Jason Bay & Bengie Molina with little to no response or discussion with those players.  Jay Bay is considering his reported four or five year packages while Bengie... sits around and eats vaca frita all day (I do say that's not a bad choice -- but in reality he's Puerto Rican and that's cuban food).  These two are clearly the Mets' targets and the entire offseason hinges on what they decide.  Also, the two deals may not be strictly independent of each other.  Kevin Davidoff (via MLBTR) explains the following: "If the team fails to secure Bay, it will strongly consider raising its offer to Molina. But if Bay signs, the Mets will hold a harder line with Molina."

Why would these two guys have anything to do with each other?  It's New York and the payroll is readily available.  Catcher vs. Outfielder.  I can't say.  It's a whole different story on why they're even going this hard after Molina in the first place, but we've covered that (as have we covered what bringing in Jason Bay means)

Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse twittered that the Phillies have exercised SS Jimmy Rollins 2011 Option.

Yes, you read correctly...2011 Option.

Ok, I understand that Jimmy is a key player for the Phillies on and off the field.  But this move makes absolutely no sense.  Someone please explain to me what good they accomplished by doing this?

Look, Jimmy Rollins is probably going to be a Phillie for a long time, and Amaro may very well wind up executing his option at the end of this season anyway.  But what's the rush?  All  he is doing is limiting his teams financial flexibility; and for a team that is rapidly becoming a "Big Market" team, managing money becomes more important, not less.

What if he sustains a career threatening injury or has an entire year like the first half of 2009?  What if they want to restructure his deal and sign him to a heavily backloaded contract extension to free up money to sign additional players they need?  Exercising Rollin's 2011 option now provides no positives, and only opens up the door a little wider for potential negatives.

I just don't get it.