The John Delcos New York Mets Report Featuring Mets' commentary, analysis and news.

GARCIA: Rough day.

Watching Feddy Garcia labor big time against the Cardinals. It’s early, but it has to be frustrating for Garcia, who has given up four runs on a pile of pitches. Garcia is trying to make the team as the fifth starter.

He’s competing with Livan Hernandez, who threw two perfect innings today, Tim Redding and Jon Niese.

If I were betting, I would say Hernandez wins the job, Redding will get slotted as the long man, Niese and Garcia would open in the minors.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Every time Jose Reyes goes deep, it seems that soon after he gets into a funk where he starts uppercutting and trying to drive everything and gets away from hitting the ball on the ground. He went deep twice today.

If he becomes a 40-homer guy, fine. But, I don’t really see that happening. Hitting two homers is an aberration. I’d rather see him walk twice a game than go 0-for-4 with two flyballs and two strikeouts.

I don’t see what Jerry Manuel sees in batting Reyes third. I’d rather have him hit first with Luis Castillo second.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Johan Santana has been scratched from tomorrow’s start because of tenderness in his elbow. Jerry Manuel said he would pitch during the regular season, which is manager speak for saying, “I don’t want to make a big thing about this right now.”

Santana pitched through a tender elbow last year.

Tim Redding, who is trying to build up his arm strength, won’t throw off the mound tomorrow. Redding will continue to long toss and won’t go off the mound until next week. The Mets are thinking March 8 for when he’ll get in a game.

Mike Pelfrey will start tomorrow.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Luis Castillo drove in four runs with two hits yesterday, but Duaner Sanchez walked two hitters on nine pitches.

It’s only one game, so let’s not get carried away either way, but both are key issues for the Mets this season.

Sanchez might never regain his pre-accident form, but something close is imperative if he’s to become a key set-up again. Wildness is not a good way to do that.

A lot has already been written about Castillo. He’s Jerry Manuel’s pet project this spring. Manuel believes leadoff might jumpstart Castillo. It worked yesterday. But, I still have my doubts. I think he’s more ideally suited to hit second with Jose Reyes batting first.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

TATIS: Looking for a place for his bat.

Fernando Tatis’ position just might turn out to be batter. Jerry Manuel said Tatis would rotate off the bench at the infield and outfield corners, just to get his bat in the lineup. It’s a good idea if it is done with consistency so he’ll get enough at-bats to stay sharp.

Tatis is currently bothered with a swollen hand and won’t play today against Baltimore.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

WRIGHT: Likes WBC intensity.

David Wright is not the one to go to if you want to knock the WBC. He’ll be on the Major League Baseball Network tonight trumpeting its praises.

He’s not buying it will take away from preparing for the regular season.

“I think it will help with the development of getting ready for the regular season because you’re talking about playing in meaningful games, big at bats, trying to get runners over, get runners in,’’ Wright said.

“We were talking today with our manager Jerry Manuel and he likes the idea of a lot of us going to play in the classic because it puts us in those real life game situations where every at bat counts, being unselfish, trying to do things for the good of the team, and hopefully that will put us in a position where we are ready come first week of April.”

Not to mention the last week of September.

When I look at the Mets offensively, the deterioration of fundamentals is the main problem. With essentially the same line-up as Willie Randolph’s, pounding the fundamentals has to be Manuel’s biggest challenge.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

So much for the platoon in left. Manager Jerry Manuel said it is Daniel Murphy’s job to lose, and he’ll see a lot of time against left-handed pitching. That doesn’t mean Fernando Tatis is useless. He’ll get at-bats in right against left-handed pitching, which means less playing time for Ryan Church.

I like the confidence Manuel is showing in Murphy, and I hope it continues even when there’s an inevitable slump. The onus now is on Church to produce vs. lefties so he stays in the line-up.

Manuel’s thinking is Murphy has less holes in his swing and approach than does Church.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

Here’s why you can never have enough pitching.  Fifth-starter candidate Tim Redding won’t throw off the mound for a week because of discomfort in his right shoulder.

Redding underwent off-season surgery to repair a stress fracture in a toe on his left foot, and he said rushing back caused the soreness.

Word is he should be fine, but during the season when a pitcher gets shut down for a week if often means the DL.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09

DELGADO: Who will we get?

Does anybody know for sure which Carlos Delgado we will see this year? The second half terror that made an MVP run, of the first half horror that had him heading out of town?

Nobody knows. Delgado insists it wasn’t a health issue but a mechanical issue.

Outside of Luis Castillo, Delgado has as more pressure on him than any Met to prove himself this year, and that begins with spring training.

Posted under New York Mets 2008-09