Predicting the Bullpen

Up for the bullpen is Manny Aybar, Heath Bell, Machado Campos, Mike DeJean, Bartolome Fortunato, Matt Ginter, Aaron Heilman, Felix Heredia, Roberto Hernandez, Dae-Sung Koo, Braden Looper, Blake McGinley, Juan Padilla, Grant Roberts, Jae Seo, Scott Stewart, and Scott Strickland.

Those are the guys who have legitimate chances in my eyes of taking a spot. Of course, there are some givens there, but this is what I predict.

Braden Looper
Mike DeJean
Koo
Felix Heredia
Heath Bell
Machado Campos

With Willie stating he's likely to start the year with a six man pen, which I think is a mistake, and with Strickland and Roberts starting the year in AAA, here is how it may shake out.

Roberto Hernandez has been impressing the Mets and could take the last spot too, but I think that he'll be reassigned to AAA to start the season since no one else will want him. Campos is on loan and I think they will give him a try to start the year off rather than just lose him. After all, if he does bad, they just give him back to the Mexican League or release him and bring up Fortunato, Strickland, Roberts, Ginter, or Hernandez later. He's done nothing to specifically hurt his chances much and I think the Mets would rather try him out than lose him. He could serve as a long man or spot starter as well being that he was a starter in the minors.

Bell has been the Mets best reliever hands down and if he's not on the team, it will truly be a mystery.

Heredia will be there. They have 1,800,000 reasons to put him on the team as long as he actually has feeling in his left hand.

Koo will get his shot. The funky delivery and all. While Stewart has a shot, he has not pitched much better and is not getting $400,000. The guaranteed money will award Koo a spot in the pen and Stewart will be at AAA with Hernandez hoping he gets a shot later.

That's how I see it shaking out right this second and that's not to say that is how I think it SHOULD shake out. Of course Campos could end up with a 25.00 ERA and everything goes out the window, but the Mets will need a long man and have control over Ginter, Heilman, Seo, etc. and have the luxury of keeping them in Norfolk another year. The fact that they lose Machado or have to put him on the team will play a factor with his chances to stick with the club despite him not being perceived to have a very good chance.

* * *

Chris Woodward continues to impress and is starting to look like a lock to back up our very own fragile shortstop.

"I wanted to play in the National League if I wasn't going to start," Woodward said. "In the American League, if you're not starting, you don't get in there. With Milwaukee, I had more of a chance to start, but here, I have a chance to win. I haven't had a chance to win in five or six years."

AL baseball sucks.

What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nothing, you already told her twice.

Moore threw the headset of a phone at Gooden during an argument, and it hit him in the head, said Laura McElroy, the public information officer for the Tampa police. Gooden responded by punching Moore with his fist, and she called the police, McElroy said.

"Basically, there was a bruise starting to form on her face, which was consistent with the story she told," McElroy said. "We arrested him and charged him with one count of domestic battery."

David Sloane's distant cousin flappy just keeps going, and going, and going...

"The chemistry here is what we were searching for in New York," Wilson said. "The guys get along, they razz each other, we play the game to have fun. I fit in better over here, I think."

Vance, get over it. Really. Oh, by they way, nice starting rotation, hope everything works out well for you over there.

Luis Garcia and Victor Diaz smashed some bombs on Sunday in the Mets victory over Vance's Tigers.

Rickey Romero lived up to his billing as a big game pitcher. Cal State Fullerton was ranked #3 coming into a three game weekend series against #1 Tulane. Brian Bogusevic came into the game with a 0.90 ERA, a sub 1.00 WHIP, a 4.43 K/BB ratio, 9.3 K/9, and a .187 BAA. Ricky Romero came into the game with a 4-0 record, 1.93 ERA, .155 BAA, 12.54 K/9, 0.89 WHIP, 4.82 H/9, and 3.9 K/BB. Bugusevic went six innings, struck out 9, and gave 6 ERs on 10 hits in 6 innings. Romero went 6.1 innings, gave up three hits, one run, and struck out 4.

Romero is now 5-0, with a 1.83 ERA, .151 BAA, .88 WHIP, and a ridiculous 4.72 H/9.