Depending on what you read, Johan Santana either remains on pace for a return in July or is actually already dead and the Mets are just covering it up.
Oliver Perez, meanwhile, continues to show unmistakable symptoms of being still around, a malady the Mets should probably cure.
Stillarounditis also continues to be exhibited by Luis Castillo, who hasn’t been medevac’d out of here mostly because no one else has shown any particular talent for playing second base. Not Daniel Murphy, the People’s Cherce despite an uncertain pedigree. Not Brad Emaus, who arrived with a Ricciardi stamp of approval but hasn’t hit. Not Luis Hernandez, appointed the starter by the New York Post but not apparently by Terry Collins. Not Jordany Valdespin, because the Mets appear to have learned their lesson about wasting a year of development, particularly for young players whose names are hell to spellcheck. Not Ruben Tejada, whose skills with the leather aren’t matched (yet) by utility with a length of ash. Not Justin Turner, Nick Evans’ed last year for no apparent reason.
If second base is the disease, we don’t seem to be getting any closer to the cure.
And heck, Willie Harris and Ike Davis have even been in traffic accidents.
As for the club’s financial health, don’t ask.
But lest you think Alderson & Co. have inherited not only bad contracts but also the grim little black cloud that’s followed the Mets around since September 2007, look west, at the other Florida coast.
This is what’s happened to the Phillies so far this spring:
Chase Utley — bad knee, is yet to appear in a spring-training game.
Domonic Brown — broken hamate bone (a bone that only exists to sideline baseball players), surgery, out for a month.
Brad Lidge — biceps tendinitis.
Placido Polanco — hyperextended elbow.
And Cliff Lee and Antonio Bastardo shut down their offseason regimens at certain points before camp.
None of this is desperate news for the Phillies just yet. Their pitching staff is still enviably deep and strong. And they battled a rash of injuries early in 2010 and came through it all just fine. But if what was happening in Clearwater was happening in Port St. Lucie, we’d be near-deaf from the lamentations and thuds of chest-beating, and getting ready to boo the trainers again.
Bad stuff happens to everybody. Even teams that aren’t the Mets.
Yeah, b ut it seems to happen to “us” with a lot more flair…
Everybody Hurts
Went to game last night in PSL. Game was practically a sellout 6900.
I think it was “Don’t CUT me yet Night” ..OP came out to a smathering of boos and walked his first guy, then shut down the Nats!…He’s back!
Castillo played but didn’t do anything to cement himself..Maybe nobody really wants it?
You know, as Japanese nuclear plant-ish as the Mets and the Wilpons are (heeelllooo, Gilbert Gottfried!), these Mets aren’t looking that bad. Baseball Prospectus even pegged them at 85 wins, which is pretty incredible given the circumstances. Chris Young and Chris Capuano could make a good lefty-righty reclamation project, and Pelfrey is due to break out. If we get Johan back in August, and Beltran contributes anything close to his career averages, and the injury bug keeps biting the Phillies, and the Braves and Marlins somehow underachieve…huh, wha, oh, sorry. I hate when I comment during REM sleep.
Wow! Pass me some of that Kool Aid! Now if only Craig Swan can regain his ERA king’s form……….
If the Mets only had the injury problems that the Phillies do, they probably wouldn’t tell us anything more than them being day-by-day, anyway.
Its always great to come to FAFIF and read clear-headed writing.
I know we’re all sick of Castillo, but the guy can still play defense, walk and bunt. And we’re paying him anyway, so why not keep him? Yes, I wanted to lynch him after the dropped pop up, but screw it – if he’s the best guy we’ve got at the position, let’s see if he’s got anything left. I think the Daniel Murphy experiment is as successful as when Mazzilli was trying out at the position 100 years ago, and no one else can hit, so why not give him the job?