K-Rod Switches Agents; Teams up with Boras

According to reports, New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez has dropped agent Paul Kinzer, replacing him with the infamous Scott Boras.

Kinzer, who negotiated Rodriguez's current deal, which could end up being worth $51 million over four years if Rodriguez finishes 55 games, originally sought a deal for five years at around $75 million.

The move could affect the Mets in a number of ways going forward, including trying to trade K-rod to one of the ten teams listed on his no -trade clause, or trying to trade the closer to a team he could setup for rather than close, something the 29-year-old has done his entire career.

Boras has been notorious over the years for manipulating teams in trying to secure an extension for a given player or additional compensation in similar cases to Frankie's.

With the July 31st trade deadline fast approaching and with K-rod at the 34 games finished mark, just 21 away from a vesting option that would kick in and guarantee the closer $17.5 million in base salary for 2012, it will certainly being interesting to see if the Mets can come to terms on an extension for the closer or if they begin to shop him around.

Ike Davis Starting to Make Progress Slowly, but Surely

Here's a tweet cap I did earlier today for Metszilla.com on Ike Davis' injured ankle, you can find this and all your latest New York Mets news and info at Metzilla.com by clicking here: 

Several sources confirmed yesterday that Ike Davis has taken the next step in testing his injured ankle:

Ike Davis is doing treadmill work that is designed to reduce the weight on his feet. Normal running next week. Collins said ankle feels good

about 17 hours ago via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@AdamRubinESPN

Adam Rubin

What does this mean going forward?  Right now, not all that much, but as Jon Heyman points out, this
work will help the team and the first basemen decide if surgery can be avoided:

ike davis jogged on weight-reducing treadmill & was encouraged. a small step forward. hoping to avoid ankle surgery. #mets

about 19 hours ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@SI_JonHeyman

Jon Heyman

Well we can only hope this is the first step in getting back first basemen Ike Davis at some point this
season.

If the Mets can continue to remain in the race and if in fact Davis can avoid season-ending surgery, imagine a lineup that would feature the likes of a healthy Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Ike, to go along with Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, and Daniel Murphy. 

This certainly would be as formidable a lineup as there is in the National League.

7/8 Pre-Game Mets Look to Rebound In Series Opener Vs. Giants

Check out my Pre-Game post for tonight's Mets-Giants I did on Metszilla.com. Be sure to check it out this and all the latest Mets News: http://www.metszilla.com/2011/07/08/pre-game-mets-look-to-rebound-in-series-opener-vs-giants/

After being shutout last night by Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw, the New York Mets look to rebound and get back to their winning ways in the series opener against the San Fransisco Giants. However, it gets no easier for the offense as they will go up against All-Star Ryan Vogelsong, who is 6-1 with a stellar 2.13 ERA this season.



The 33-year-old has been tremendous at AT&T park where he boasts a 3-1 record record with an ERA of just 1.01 (30:9 K:BB ratio). Earlier this season the Amazin’s were just that…..Amazin, against the Giants righty, as Vogelsong pitched a season low 4 innings while allowing 5 runs.

Photo by Michael G. Baron

On the other side, the Mets will counter with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.  For the season Dickey is 4-7 while posting a 3.68 ERA.  In his one start against the Giants this year, which coincidentally came the same night Vogelsong toed the slab for San Fran, the 36-year-old was shell shocked allowing 6 runs, in 6 innings, in a game the Metsies would later go onto to lose.

After Ronny Paulino started three of four games against the Dodgers, Josh Thole will be behind the plate to catch Dickey. Daniel Murphy returns to his familiar role in the cleanup spot after being dropped in the order last night against the lefty Clayton Kershaw.  The rest of the lineup behind R.A. is as follows:

Mets Friday lineup at SF: Pagan-CF, Turner-2B, Beltran-RF, Murphy-3B, Bay-LF, Duda-1B, Thole-C, Tejada-SS, Dickey-RHP

about 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@NewYorkMets

New York Mets

It’ll be very interesting to see how the Mets lineup reacts after being shutout last night while scattering just six hits. With Jose Reyes out for 3 weeks, Angel Pagan will be front and center again at the leadoff spot.  To this point the 30-year-old  has filled in well for Reyes, going a combined 7-23 in the past five games.

Notes:
The Mets look to push five games over .500 away from Citi Field and have a shot tonight to do just that.

Meanwhile, R.A. Dickey looks for his second win in his last five starts, but more importantly, you have to go back nearly a month to find the last time R.A. lost, which came on June 11th at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First pitch is schedule for 10:15 PM/ET, hope you fill up on a lot of caffeine, because it’ll be another late night on the West Coast for the Amazin’s.

What To Do When David Wright Returns?

The Mets are playing great baseball at the moment, maybe the best ball they have played all season long. But as we inch closer to David Wright’s return, which is targeted at late July the question that still remains, is what do the Mets do when the 5-time All-Star returns?

The combination of Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada, and Lucas Duda have filled in well and combined to plug up the holes in the lineup left by Wright and first basemen Ike Davis.

With Ike Davis’ return not anywhere in sight and even potentially lost for the rest of the 2011 season, there are a number of options the Mets have to compliment Wright when he returns.

Given that the Mets have relied on timely hitting, hitting with runners in scoring position, and coming up with the big 2 out hit, I believe when Wright does return the Mets will sacrifice a little bit defensively for a bigger return offensively.

Right now Daniel Murphy is getting the bulk of the playing time at third base, I think when Wright comes back, Murphy goes across the diamond back to first base, where he has been primarily since Ike Davis went down.

The next domino tat could fall in place when Wright comes back, is Justin Turner taking over the second base job full time, the 26-year-old has done an outstanding job all season long and is a given to get on base at least once a game. Last night, was the first game in 29 games that Turner did not reach base safely.

Both, David Wright and Jose Reyes should be in the lineup, as it stands now Manager Terry Collins targeted Reyes return date at July 22^nd. So given this news, expect Ruben Tejada to ride the pine, or even possibly be demoted to Triple-A to get regular everyday playing time.

           

With a guy as young and as talented as Tejada, he’s a guy who needs to have regular at-bats and is someone the Mets can’t let rot on the bench or be used in pinch-hitting duty.

There are a number of scenarios the Mets have, it will certainly be interesting to see what route both GM Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins decide to go when David Wright makes his return. Let’s not forget the Mets are still in the heat of a tightly packed Wildcard race.

Reyes' to DL; Major Blow to Banged up Mets

The New York Mets have placed All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes on the 15-Day Disabled List retroactive to June 3^rd, with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring.

In his place, the Mets have recalled infielder/outfielder Nick Evans from Triple-A to take Reyes spot on the roster.

Evans, who was with the Mets earlier this season, was 0-12 with five walks. For the Bison of Buffalo Evans was hitting .329 (74-225), which included seven home runs and 29 RBI in 57 games. Evans has been hot of late and recently had a 19-game hit streak snapped where he batted a sizzling .514 (38-74) from May 12- June 29.

According to sources, Reyes was told by his doctor that he would have to miss three weeks to rest his gimpy hamstring.

The news couldn’t come out at worse time for the Mets, they are a team who is already without the services of David Wright and Ike Davis, but will be facing the best of the best starting pitchers over their next seven games.

Over their next seven games the Mets will face the likes of Clayton Kershaw beginning tonight, followed by a trip to San Francisco where the Mets will see All-Stars Ryan Vogelsong, 2-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, and Matt Cain.

Following that stretch and the All-Star break the Mets will return home to face the three aces of the Phillies staff: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels.

This certainly will be a tall order for the Mets without the services of Reyes, who has undoubtedly been the Mets MVP, and possibly the National League MVP to this point.

Reyes has carried the team virtually all season long; it will now be up to veterans Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay to carry the torch for the Mets who are still very much alive in the National League’s Wildcard race.

Reyes Expected to Miss 3 Weeks

In case you missed it. New York Mets Shortstop Jose Reyes has been hampered by a Grade 1 Hamstring pull and will be sidelined for 3 more weeks.

Reyes, who has already missed 4 games to so far due to the injury, will now be out the Mets remaining 4 games in LA and San Fran, but will miss his second consecutive All-Star Game on Tuesday Night, the last time Reyes was elected to the game in 2007, he missed the game due to injury.

In his absences the Mets will promote Triple-A utility man Nick Evans to fill the void, and will give the Amazin's a much needed right handed bat off the bench.

As quoted in ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas article:

"The doctor is standing by the original diagnosis, but he suggests proper rest to reduce the possibility of a relapse," the source said.

Again in that same piece Reyes had this to say after last night's 5-3 win over the Dodgers:

"I didn't do anything today. ... Probably tomorrow I don't do anything, either," Reyes said after Wednesday's 5-3 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

However, long Reyes is sidelined it will certainly be a devastating blow to a Mets team that is already without the Services of Ike Davis and David Wright. A team can only endure so many injuries before it finally starts to catch up on them and take its toll.

Let's hope Reyes can make a speedy recover and get back to the Mets ASAP, if the Amazin's have any shot at remaining in the thick of the wildcard race, there is no question a healthy Reyes would do wonders for those chances.

Jason Bay: 2nd Half X-Factor For Mets

Check out my post from Mets Merized Online I did early today. You can view this and more at Mets Merized Online by clicking here: 

Just one month ago at this time Jason Bay seemed to an after thought as a serious threat in the New York Mets lineup. It seemed like Bay couldn’t do anything right and everything that could wrong for Bay at the plate did go wrong.

However, since Bay was benched in mid-June he’s responded and in a big way, at a time where the Mets have needed it most.
Since June 15^th, Bay is batting .347 (25-72), with 4 home runs and 17 RBI, those 17 RBI are tied with teammate Carlos Beltran for tops in the National league in that time period.

In 2 of the Mets last 3 games Bay has been involved in crucial rallies for the Amazin’s. On Sunday, the 32-year-old drew what seemed to be an innocent walk against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera with 2 outs in the 9^th.

Then, a bloop hit by Lucas Duda and single to right field by Ronny Paulino the Mets tied the game at 2-2 courtesy of a Bay walk.

In the following inning, Bay had a chance to end the game and did so with an empathic walk off bases loaded single with 2 outs, leading to a 3-2 Mets win.

In last night’s Mets 6-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Bay was at it yet again. Already leading 2-0 in the top of the 6^th and looking for insurance Bay delivered with a solo home run to the left centerfield bleachers.

But it didn’t end there for the slugger, as Bay came up with runners on 1^st and 2^nd in the 8^th and all but sealed a Mets win with a 3 run home run to right field capping a great night for the Mets left fielder.

With those two home runs from last night, Bay has already tied his total from last year’s six and the former Pirate and Red Sox shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

If Jason Bay can remain as hot as he been over the last month, combine that with what Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran have been able to all year long, and add a healthy David Wright to the order, this offense could be a serious force to be reckon with in the 2^nd half.