Mets Spring Training Thread | Keith Hernandez talking about Daniel Murphy

[The Dark Knight]

According to Brian Costa of The Star-Ledger, the Mets will hold a voluntary minicamp next week as reported via his Twitter account.

Mets will hold a voluntary 3-day minicamp next week in Port St. Lucie. Perez, Santana, Niese, Maine, Murphy among those likely to attend.

I’m sure there will be even more players on hand, but I’m glad to see the initial list includes just about everyon who ended the season on the disabled list last year. We should be able to get some solid updates on the health of Jose Reyes and Johan Santana, both of whom concern me the most.

Also, check out the brand new Spring Training batting practice hats from New Era.

It seems like no matter how hard we keep urging them to get rid of the black, the more they keep sticking it in our faces.

Personally, I think the design is awful, especially with the way the black piping comes down the front of the cap to the black trim on the bill. I guess there will also be new jerseys to match.

http://metsmerizedonline.com/2010/01...#comment-38400

[The Dark Knight]

The Mets will run mini-camp in St. Lucie today, tomorrow and Wednesday, in what are called ‘voluntary workouts,’ but which are also used to see where certain players are in their off-season conditioning. “It’s mostly to see where guys are,” Mets GM Omar Minaya is quoted as saying in the New York Post. “Where are they health-wise and how are they recuperating? It’s mostly to see them on the field and get a real good medical report with baseball guys looking at them.”

According to the report, Johan Santana, Jon Niese, Oliver Perez and Daniel Murphy are expected to attend, while Jose Reyes is not.

John Maine was expected to attend, but he cancelled because of the weather, according to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, who lists a few minor-leaguers who there as well.

…from what i can gather, reyes has been working out on Long Island, and the team has been keeping tabs, watching and working with him… and so there probably isn’t a pressing need to see him in action, right now, St. Lucie…

…i have switched the scrolling Twitter feed in the sidebar from Hot Stove to reporters who are down at Tradition Field, covering the mini-camp…

Ken Davidoff of Newsday is there, and expects to also see Jerry Manuel, Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon during the three days of workouts.

…i also believe this is where manuel meets for the first time with his entire coaching staff, to create a strategy and plan for Spring Training… think long and hard, guys…

Davidoff says Murphy and Perez are already there, and Santana is expected shortly.

…i think johan and ollie will be the focus… ollie, because he’s been hold up in Arizona, out of touch with most media, and so nobody really knows what he’s been up to… and johan, because, well, it’s johan, and nobody has seen him throw since he had season-ending surgery last summer…

http://www.metsblog.com/

[The Dark Knight]

I hope Santana, Niese and Ollie all come back at 100%, we desperately need it...

[The Dark Knight]

Ken Davidoff, who is blogging from Tradition Field for Newsday, said Jon Niese pitched from a mound today for the first time since having season-ending surgery on his hamstring last summer.

Niese told Davidoff he is on track to be 100 percent healthy by Opening Day.

Niese let up seven runs in 11 innings during two starts for the Mets last season, then went to Triple-A, but re-emerged to go 1–1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts before injuring his hamstring.

…i remember feeling so, so badly for niese, because, not only did it stink to see him get hurt, for the team’s sake, but for him, given the standings, last august and september could have been a significant opportunity for him to show his best stuff and really put a claim in on the rotation… now, he’s fighting back, and on the outskirts of the rotation, depending on whether the Mets acquire a starting pitcher, which i have to think they will…

To read more from Davidoff, who talked with Oliver Perez earlier today about his off-season program in Arizona, check out his Twitter feed, here.

http://www.metsblog.com/

[The Dark Knight]

I hope Niese bounces back, he's got great stuff and should only get better with time
he could use a break out year right about now

[The Dark Knight]

The Mets concluded day one of their three-day mini camp in St. Lucie today.

Johan Santana arrived today and told reporters he is feeling good, and will throw off a mound tomorrow for the first time since having surgery to clean out his elbow.

To hear more from Santana, who talks about Oliver Perez and Kelvim Escobar, as well as the Phillies, who replaced Cliff Lee with Roy Halladay, check out Adam Rubin’s blog for the Daily News.

To read more from mini camp, including notes from Jerry Manuel’s and Omar Minaya’s talk with reporters, check out Ken Davidoff’s blog for Newsday.

Lastly, to see video from camp, check out Kevin Burkhardt’s reports from St. Lucie for SNY, which will air tonight during SNY’s SportsNite at 10 pm.

http://www.metsblog.com/

[metsfreak]

Let's hope and pray that everything goes well with Johan and his pre season workouts.

[The Dark Knight]

Johan Santana threw a 25-pitch bullpen session this morning in Port St. Lucie.

He told reporters he was very excited with how he felt today, “I felt pretty good, the ball was coming out pretty good, I feel like I did my mechanics with no problem and I didn’t feel anything in my arm.”

He said he had been working on his mechanics this winter, using a portable mound, but to get out on the field and throw from a real bullpen, ‘and be able to go through my whole routine,’ is good.

Santana said he threw a change up and it had ‘nice motion,’ which tells him, ‘we’re ahead of the game.’

He explained that, last season, because of the bone chips in his elbow:

“I wasn’t able to finish up the pitches. I wasn’t able to lift my leg the way I’m supposed to because I wasn’t able to reach out. That is what I was trying to do today, to see that. Today, I was able to see my leg when I finished the pitch and that’s big, to see that this early is a good sign… I just need to get back to being the old Johan and being aggressive.”

By the way, according to Santana, baseball is about having fun. “That’s what I do,” he said.

http://www.metsblog.com/

[The Dark Knight]

VIDEO via Metsblog: Santana's thoughts on his bullpen session

http://service.twistage.com/plugins/...160&p=link

[The Dark Knight]

Like Manuel said, if Santana looks and feels this great now he could be in for a big season

[metsfreak]

Yeah he could be as healthy/fresh as he's been in years. God knows we need a HUGE year from him

[The Dark Knight]

In a recent report for the Daily News, Adam Rubin said the Mets will not have Bobby Parnell audition for a spot in the starting rotation. Parnell told Rubin:

“I don’t have a burning desire to be a starter, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a starter. If I’m in the bullpen I look at it as a learning opportunity for later on…”

Instead, according to Jerry Manuel, the Mets will have Fernando Nieve audition for a spot in the rotation.

…i think we saw last year that at least right now, Parnell’s upside is as a reliever and i think with his velocity, he can be a very solid arm late in games for the Mets this year…i thought he was a bit overused early in the season in 2009 and he tired quickly, so the responsibility of course is on the starters to improve their efficiency and longevity so they can rest guys like Parnell in the bullpen…but i’ve been saying that for a few years now…

…i’m surprised, considering the Mets have yet to bring in another starter, that Manuel didn’t mention Jon Niese as a candidate, but then again, it’s possible they feel his surgically-repaired hamstring might not be ready by the time the season starts…

In eight appearances with the Mets in 2009, the 27 year old Nieve went 3-3 with a surprising 2.95 ERA, but walked 19 batters and struck out 23 in 36 2/3 innings before he sustained a season ending hamstring injury on July 19 in Atlanta.

In five appearances and four starts in the Venezuelan Winter League, Nieve went 1-2 with a 2.42 ERA, walking just three batters and striking out 26 in 26 innings.

http://www.metsblog.com/

[The Dark Knight]

it would be nice to get a nice streak of good starts by Nieve again, he did to pretty well for us for a while

as for Parnell, leave him in the pen, he can have set up man stuff when he pitches well

[The Dark Knight]

The Mets have signed infielder Jolbert Cabrera, infielder Luis Hernandez and LHPs Bobby Livingston and Travis Blackley to minor-league contracts and invited all four to Spring Training.

In addition, the team extended invites to RHPs Jenrry Mejia and Carlos Muniz, LHPs Eric Niesen, C Francisco Pena, 1B Ike Davis and SS-2B Ruben Tejada and OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

…that is awesome… i am excited to see mejia, ike, tejada and captain kirk in some games this spring… i am surprised to see pena on the list, as well… i had totally forgotten about him…

http://www.metsblog.com/

[The Dark Knight]

glad to see the young guys get an invitation