Carlos Beltran, Hall of Famer?

Beltran in the Hall? You really hate to start predicting whether young guys like Pujols or Beltran will make it into the HoF, but Beltran is not even 28 and has already built up an impressive resume.

"I like challenges," Beltran said. "It might sound crazy. But I want to be in the Hall of Fame. I know I have a long way to go. But I have good health, and I work hard and God has blessed me. I think God is proud of me."

What has he done so far?

Beltran became the sixth player since 1900 to record three seasons with 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 30 steals, joining Barry Bonds, George Sisler, Honus Wagner, Kiki Cuyler and Ty Cobb. In 2004, he joined Honus Wager (4 times total) and Barry Bonds (5 times total) as the only three players to accomplish that feat.

Anyone hear of those guys?

In 2003, Beltran became the first switch hitter and the eleventh overall player in big league history to hit .300 with at least 25 home runs and 40 or more steals in a single season.

After over 100 years of baseball, it's tough to be the first ever anything.

In the 2004 playoffs, Beltran tied Barry Bonds for the most post season homeruns with eight and had a record five consecutive playoff games with a homerun.

The HoF certainly loves people who are October proven.

Beltran is the first player in major league history to drive in more than 50 runs in each league in the same season.

That would be another first.

Beltran's 15 home runs with the Royals, and 23 more with the Astros, allowed him to join Mark McGwire as the only players with at least 15 home runs in each league in the same season.

The first not on steroids, the second overall.

Beltran is the only player in baseball history with four consecutive seasons of 20 homers, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases.

Yet another first for such a young player.

There is no doubt he is full of talent and the complete package. Only time will tell if he can stay healthy enough and keep it up. Although I think a lot of people do not view Beltran as a HoF talent and just as a very gifted player, he has done some impressive things so far. He will need to win with the Mets and the Mets lineup needs to help him out. One thing is for sure, it will be awesome to see him try and get to an immortal level in a Mets uniform and he very well may end up being the best Met position player ever.

People think Omar and the Mets overpaid?

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Why, oh why, does Baseball Prospectus love to kick the Mets around? For those of you who missed this article, it was supposed to be on the Dodgers, Twins, and Giants. Yes, the Dodgers just completed a trade with the Mets, but shouldn't this focus on the Dodgers and what they got? Not how bad the pitcher the Mets got is, even though it was good deal. I'm sure they will undoubtedly unload on the Mets next Triple Play write up too.

I first starting reading the article and got a good laugh with one of the best lines that I've ever read.

He fell out of favor after 21 innings last year, and spent most of the season in Syracuse piloting his favorite airplane, the 7.17 ERA.

I was in good spirits until...

If a Trip to Shea is the Prize, is it Really Winning?

Fuck yeah? It sure beats a one way ticket to Yankee Stadium. Besides, who wants to play in LA anyway? Isn't a game more fun to play when the fans do not arrive in the 3rd inning and leave by the 6th inning regardless who is winning or losing. On top of that, Paul DePodesta did a good job screwing the team up with perplexing deals and letting Beltre walk and giving his money to JD Drew while giving away a pitcher when they plan to do battle with Scott Erickson and Wilson Alverez at the back end of the rotation to start the season. As much as Ishii tried their patience with all the walks, he is WORLDS better then Scott Erickson. The Dodgers are in for quite a rude awakening if they were annoyed with Ishii. Good luck with all that (by good luck with all of that, I mean Erickson sucks).

What's the over/under on the Dodgers shopping for some pitching at some point during the season?

Ishii has walked a ghastly 5.8 men per nine innings over the course of his major-league career while striking out only 1.25 for every walk. Watching him pitch is only slightly less nerve-wracking than watching one's grandmother fend off a saber toothed tiger from an icy driveway with just a broken umbrella.

Who cares? Giving up a backup catcher for a starting pitcher like Ishii who will slot in the #5 spot for a small price of just over $1 million is a good trade no matter how you try and shake it. But damn, it's hard to stay pissed with that analogy.

Unreal. Even when it is not supposed to be about the Mets, they sure find a way to throw them under the bus.

Since I could not listen to the game on WFAN since AM is not so hot in my place and the game was not on TV, I had to listen to it on XM radio. Unfortunately, they had on the Cardinals broadcast instead of the Cohen and Rose. The Cardinal announcer said, "not many people are paying attention to David Wright, but they will be soon."

Living in NY, you foret that everyone does not know about him.

My buddy and I were talking about the Mets and how sick Beltran looked. He pointed out that one of biggest bright spots was not how well Beltran was hitting, but how many runs he had scored. Coming into yesterday's game, he scored fifteen runs in fourteen games played and thirty four at-bats. He is going to be making things happen all year round.

It has to start somewhere.

"I think it's important," said Tom Glavine, who is 16 years older than Wright. "You want to believe that you are a better team, an improved team. The only way you make yourself believe that is to go out and see the results. You certainly want to come down here and play well and back whatever enthusiasm there is. I think the guys are paying attention to this. People are coming in the clubhouse after games saying, 'Yeah, we did it again.' That certainly creates a more upbeat attitude."

Strickland is ready.

"I'm better now," Strickland said. "There's no question. I've got a change-up and the cutter to help take care of the left-handed hitters, which I had some trouble with (lefties hit .293 against Strickland from 2002-03, compared to .194 by righties).

"With those two weapons, I feel better now than I ever was before."

Up next for Strickland is the challenge of pitching on back-to-back days, an effort that should be scheduled by pitching coach Rick Peterson sometime this week. Strickland believes that he will ace that exam as well.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Strickland said. "I'm ready. It's none of this, 'Oh, is he ready yet?' Hell yes, I'm ready."

If the Mets can land Urbina without sacrificing a top prospect and if Strickland is ready, the Mets can add some fire into the bullpen. That is something they have really been lacking.

Jeff Duncan has been removed from the 40 man roster.

"It seems like ages since I was up there," he said. "But I don't even think about it any more. All I can control is how I play. I'm playing for the Mets, but I've got to play for the other 29 teams as well. Hopefully, I can wind up in a situation where I have a chance to get back there."

I love Wayne Lydon's ambition and 100 bases would certainly be impressive, but tell me again why a guy who could be a solid ML player is being blocked from AAA?

An outfield logjam at the organization's top levels is keeping Lydon from playing at Triple-A Norfolk, where 37-year-old Gerald Williams, Ron Calloway, Angel Pagan, Prentice Redman or Jeff Duncan and Victor Diaz (if New York right fielder Mike Cameron's surgically repaired wrist is ready by Opening Day) are clamoring for jobs.

The AAA outfield should be Victor Diaz, Wayne Lydon, and Angel Pagan. Done. No to Williams, no to Calloway, and no to Redman. The Mets have two capable replacements in Diaz and Valent should someone go down with Anderson and Cairo able to play the corner spots as well. There is absolutely no reason for the Mets to collect aging players in the AAA outfield again. Someone needs to remind them that blocking legit prospects with retreads is not an intelligent way to run a farm system.

Get the violins out and make sure to grab a tissue.

Here is another thing that just leaves you wondering how the Mets are constructing their roster. I know it's not written in stone, but just the mere thought of this is crazy.

From the Daily News:

Even with seven relievers, the Mets figured to lose Scott Strickland or Roberto Hernandez. But it now seems possible that Heath Bell could be demoted despite no earned runs in eight innings, a .161 opponent batting average and resounding praise from pitching coach Rick Peterson.

Umm..so forget talent. Configure the bullpen on who has options and who doesn't. GREAT!!! Let's flip a coin to round out the bench while we're at it. Really good message to send to you minor leaguers too. You will not get a spot on the team even if you earned it for retread arms that are not as good as you simply because you have options. Forget winning and fielding the best team, right?

A great article on the phenom Felix Hernandez from the Seattle Mariners posted at Baseball America today.

"I don't like the Yankees. I never did. I don't know why. The Yankees are too big. I could have gone with the Yankees but I really didn't like them. It's not the people. It's the team."

What a smart kid. See? Not EVERYONE wants to be a Yankee.

Jerry Crasnick performs some virtual fellacio on Jose Reyes.

Best of all, Reyes won't turn 22 until June. It makes you wonder what the Mets were thinking when they: a) considered trading him for Alfonso Soriano and b) moved him to second base in 2004 to make room for Kaz Matsui.

True, Matsui probably wouldn't have signed with New York to play second base – even for three years and $20 million – but there wasn't a scout or player personnel person in baseball who believed the Mets were doing right by Reyes. You don't ask Jeff Gordon to drive a school bus or make Gladys Knight sing backup, and you don't ask a dynamic, energetic young shortstop to shift to second.

Good stuff. With Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Diaz, and Milledge either on the team, or in the Mets near future bringing an injection of youth and immense talent should make them contenders for years to come.

UPDATE: BP names three Mets to watch as players who could have breakout years.

Heath Bell checks in at #5 overall suprisingly and BP has shown him some love before. Kaz gets an honorable mention and Bartolome Fortunado gets a mention in the Bell piece.