New York Mets

Last year I started a series called “September Call-Ups.” The series highlighted some of the top rookies and prospects in baseball for 2009.

Some of the rookies I highlighted were Andrew McCutchen, Chris Coghlan, Buster Posey, and Tommy Hanson.

With a new season under way, I thought I would continue the series in 2010. The rookie class of 2010 figures to be just as good, if not better than in years past.

As a Braves blogger for the past few seasons, I have seen my fair share of Jeff Francoeur ups and downs.

I have also seen him make claim after claim that he will do certain things in a given season. Jeff Francoeur's batting average makes his prediction record look like Ted Williams' production against Mendoza's: Terrible.

Here is what the Met's right fielder had to say about the 2010 season to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.

Let's get excited for a New Year and some New Hope! So let's trim our Keith's mustache, get out Gary's wig, and say "Aloha" for Ron as we get set for another great year of Mets baseball!
This is my swing at the lineup for our 2010 Metsy's! I think that this lineup offers the Mets the best chance to provide some phenomenal offensive statistics in 2010! If only Jerry would see it my way...

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Jason Bay arrived in Port St. Lucie yesterday, and can you believe it, he was optimistic about the Mets chances in 2010.

He must be new to the system.  Something like that is almost laughable when it comes to the New York Mets.

I think some time in the mid-'70s the sitting mayor of New York made it illegal for the words “Mets” and “optimistic” to appear in the same sentence.

If you're a New York Mets fan like I am, you've got to be thick-skinned.

It's hard enough when you see your entire 40-man roster fall apart at the seams due to injuries, but it's even more painful when you're forced to watch your division rivals face your crosstown rivals in the World Series.

Over the past six seasons, through three managers and what seems like one hundred general managers, the Mets have had an unbelievable stretch of roller coaster up-and-downs.

I have learned a lot of things working in Corporate America over the last 11 years. More importantly, I have learned a lot about how to build a team and maintain success being a manager for the last four years.

Anyone who does any type of managing or coaching knows that you will have strong performers on your team and weak performers. It’s just the nature of the beast.

MLBTradeRumors.com is reporting the New York Mets have come to a contract agreement with free agent catcher Rod Barajas. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com was the first to tweet about this deal.

The agreement is reportedly a one year deal with a base of $1 million. It will also include up to $1 million in incentives, which apparently seem easy to attain.

If nothing else, the Omar Minaya era certainly hasn’t lacked drama.

At first he looked like another Frank Cashen in the making when he rebuilt a floundering Mets franchise. His ability to lure Hispanic marquee free agents, coupled with his ability to find diamonds in the rough (John Maine for Kris Benson?! What a steal!), seemingly appeared to trigger an era in which the Mets would be a force for many years.

"My plan is definitely to win the World Series," answered Johan Santana after being questioned on the Mets expectations for the upcoming season. "That's what we want to do, and that's what we have in mind."

The day before it was David Wright telling a small contingency of reporters, "We feel like we're going to go out there and win the National League East and go deep in the playoffs and win the World Series."

It’s a move that New York Mets’ manager Jerry Manuel has been contemplating now for the last two years. Does he move shortstop Jose Reyes from the leadoff spot to the No. 3 hole in the lineup?