New York Mets

The 800 pound gorilla that lives over the Triborough Bridge (I'll never call it the RFK Bridge), the World Champion New York Yankees, are a team to be reckoned with. A team that redefines what "Championship Caliber" means. 

Three superstars in the infield alone that will be sure to steal away MVP voting from each other for years to come, a strong top half of the rotation that showed it can dominate in the post season, and the best closer of all time.

The Hot Stove is in full baking mode this week and there is much talk about the Mets being interested in Orlando Hudson, Marco Scutaro, and possibly Mark De Rosa.

There are many holes that the Mets need to fill before Spring Training ,but I do not think that second base is one of them.

They need pitching first and foremost, an upgrade at catcher and first base, and an everyday power-hitting left fielder.

I admit this time last year I was one of the first fans to say "Luis Castillo does not belong here, eat his contract and move on please."

Does anyone miss the neon figures on the outside of Shea? 

They weren’t the prettiest or the classiest, but they gave the place a unique character that many Mets fans enjoyed. It’s cool that they incorporated the images into the carpets in the clubhouse, but I think a lot of what people miss about Shea is that uniqueness that right now is missing in many ways at Citi Field.

Several Mets players are participating in winter baseball this year, and Josh Thole and Lance Broadway are in Venezuela where there is incredible political unrest.

Johan Santana is from Venezuela, but does not want to participate in winter ball and Francisco Rodriguez is expected to begin play there in a few weeks.

Baseball related injuries are, to a certain extent, accepted during the games and workouts. However, putting players in a war torn country or hostile political environment for baseball activities is not acceptable .

As the hot stove begins to heat, like last off season the New York Mets are rumored to be shopping their starting second-basemen, Luis Castillo. Unlike last season, Castillo is not untradable. After an injury-plagued 2008, Castillo had a resurgent season in 2009, hitting .302 with a .387 OBP and 20 SB's.

As the hot stove begins to heat, like last off season the New York Mets are rumored to be shopping their starting second-basemen, Luis Castillo. Unlike last season, Castillo is not untradable.

While the 2009 season as a whole was a lost cause for the New York Mets, it did hold some significance for certain players on the team.

One of those players was reliever Brian Stokes .

Last season, Stokes, 30, appeared in a career-high 69 games and pitched 70.1 innings, which were also the most in his four-year career.

All the while, the hard throwing right-hander was able to maintain a 3.97 ERA, which isn’t all that spectacular, but certainly is acceptable.

Johan Santana had long been considered the best pitcher in baseball.  From 2004-2008, there wasn’t a pitcher who could touch him, posting some remarkable numbers, especially when you consider that he called the AL home up until 2008:

Baseball can be a great game, a dream come true, if you will.

However, baseball can also be a fickle game.

That sentiment rings especially true for Edgardo Alfonzo.

Left Field is arguably the Mets biggest need this off season.  They have many holes to fill, but left field stands out the most.  The Mets lacked power last year and that is something that they are looking for in their new left fielder.

The Mets are interested in not only one left fielder.  The Mets are looking at multiple left fielders such as, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Carl Crawford, and Mike Cameron.  All of those players can greatly contribute to the team. 

The 2009 Mets season was caertainly a season Mets fans around the country would like to forget. Near the begining of the season a lot was expected of the Mets, Sports Illustrated even predicted them to be the World Series Champs.

This season went down the drain when the Mets suffered the losses of key players Carlos Beltran, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and many more. The Mets had to play guys like Nelson Figueroa and Wilson Valdez in their absences.

Mets fans would just like to put this season behind us and see what Omar can do for the team this offseason.