The Animal Arrives, Finally

On March 15, I wrote: "The last expected position battle is for the last bench spot. The candidates are Mike Jacobs, Frank Catalanotto, and Chris Carter. While most baseball writers and sportscasters say it should be Jacobs or Catalanotto, I say it should be Chris Carter, at least to start the season. My main reason is that he is the only one that is in his prime, and it's time to see what he's got now, because he's probably never going to be any better. Jacobs seems to be starting the downhill portion of his career, and Catalanotto is just trying to hang on. Ideally, the two older guys are willing to go to Buffalo for a while, to see how things shake out, and Carter makes the team as the left handed bat off the bench and backup at 1B and the corner OF spots."

Well, better late than never, I say. Chris "The Animal" Carter has finally been called up, to replace the DFA'd Frank Catalanotto. Good move. Now that Ike Davis is the regular first baseman, Carter becomes the backup to Francoeur, Bay, and Davis, and the number one left-handed pinch hitter. I think he'll do well, but it's possible that he is one of those guys that mashes minor league pitching, but as soon as the lights of The Show are turned on, he shrinks from the glare. Only time will tell, but it's a risk that had to be taken. Go Animal Go! GRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr!

I hope Catalanotto ends up at Buffalo, for insurance, like Jacobs. So this move solves one problem, and leaves one more glaring need among the position players. It's time for the Mets to find another backup center fielder to replace Gary Matthews, Jr. I would not be surprised if Carlos Beltran has played his last game as a Met, or at least, that he will miss the entire 2010 season. I don't really think Angel Pagan is up to the task of being the full-time CF all year, and I believe the Mets need to start planning for the future even if Beltran returns this year.

My long-term choice in CF is Kirk Nieuwenhuis, currently playing well at Double A Binghamton. In addition, I think the Mets should trade for someone like David Dejesus to help Pagan, and fill in if Pagan gets hurt. Maybe Pagan has finally gotten over his fear of success issue and has decided he belongs in the major leagues as an everyday player. I hope so for the Mets' sake and his.

As for the pitching, I'm really happy to see that John Maine is doing much better. I was ready to toss him off the plank a few weeks ago, but maybe he has resurrected his career. That leaves Oliver Perez as the big question mark in the rotation, although he's not really a question mark as much as a negative exclamation point (-!-). It's cute as an emoticon, but a big negative on the field. Time for Ollie to go away, to wherever failed phenoms go. Maybe he will turn out to write really well, like my old friend Pat Jordan.

The plan right now seems to be to wait until Ryoto Igarashi returns from the DL, and then consider replacing Ollie with my favorite pitcher, Hisanori Takahashi. The only question then is what to do with Oliver Perez. I think they should release him if they can't send him to the minors to relearn how to pitch. I doubt anyone will want to trade for him, unless the Mets pay all of his salary minus the league minimum. Maybe they can trade him to the Phillies!

All I can say is thank the baseball gods for Japanese pitchers. The Mets seem to have finally had some successs with their Japanese players after many disasters and disappointments.


Caroms Off The Wall

Jenrry Mejia needs to pitch more often in the majors or go back to the minors and get back to starting. I truly prefer that he goes down and develops some more as a starter, so that the Mets can call him up in a couple of months and put him in the rotation for the stretch run.

Once Igarashi returns, I'd consider calling up another reliever and putting Mejia where he should have been all year, either Binghamton or Buffalo, wherever the best pitching coach is.



© Judy Kamilhor 2010