Jose Reyes

The New York Mets open the 2011 regular season tonight against the Florida Marlins with Mike Pelfrey set to oppose Josh Johnson.

Heading into this season, the Mets have a lot of questions that need answers. Can the rotation step up without their ace, Johan Santana. Will Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran stay healthy? How will the bullpen perform without Pedro Feliciano, their most reliable reliever last season?

We'll start to get those answers tonight.

That said, here is your Mets 2011 season preview.

I was a little bummed to go onto Metsblog today to see that Rich Coutinho had stole my thunder by saying he thinks the Mets are an 85 win team. Right now I have them penciled in for 85 wins minimum with a chance for a little more and a possible wild card push.

Winter is finally over, and with it one of the most turbulent offseasons in the history of the New York Mets.

Usually, New York baseball during the months of December, January and February are dominated by the Yankees uncanny ability to sign every single All-Star free agent possible. Instead it was a quiet and disappointing off-season for the Bombers, as Cliff Lee instead opted to head back to Philadelphia.

As for the Flushing Bumbers, the Mets have been in the news just about every day.

As a Mets fan I've been wondering five things throughout the offseason and spring training:

When will they release Oliver Perez? Done.

When will they release Luis Castillo? Done.

Who is going to play second base? To be determined.

What's going to happen with the most dynamic leadoff hitter in the game, Jose Reyes? To be determined.

While many baseball experts already count the New York Mets out of playoff contention this early in the spring, the Mets have many athletes that can surpass expectations enough to make a legitimate comeback in 2011.

As the team continues to work hard in Port St. Lucie, here is a list of the seven recovering New York Mets that will have the biggest impact on the 2011 MLB season.

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Lately, while scouring the Internet for any new Mets talk, I have been seeing a lot of discussion about the future of Jose Reyes with the team.  A lot of people are talking about what Reyes could be traded for or possible replacements for him next season, and they seem resigned (or in some cases even receptive) to the idea that next year, a new player will man shortstop.  

The Mets have a the fifth largest payroll in baseball. They have a shiny new stadium, they play in the largest market in America and have a roster loaded with talent.

For all this, the Mets are terrible. In every way imaginable.

With spring training starting to get into full swing, we are learning more and more about the players each day. As a result, I believe it is time to give you my projections for the 2011 Mets.

On Monday, Craig gave his projections for the Mets' Opening Day roster. You will see a lot of similarity between the picks, but you will also see differences when it comes down to some of the last spots on the roster.

At this point, it's no secret the involvement of New York Mets' owners Jeff and Fred Wilpon in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme will have a deep impact on the nature of the ball club. The club has already received a $20 million loan from Major League Baseball.

And although they have roughly $50 million coming off the books after the 2011 season, financial uncertainty has the entire Mets franchise in a state of worry, if not panic.

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest


Here’s an early look at the N.L. only 2011 shortstop rankings.

1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies: It’s really a toss-up between Tulo and HanRam. They are both five-category players. I prefer Tulo because of his ballpark and lineup.