New York Mets

It's a tough economy out there. We all know that by now.

(Author's note: This article was originally posted here at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

Growing up in central Connecticut, the start of baseball season was as exciting as any time of year. 

The Mets have made yet another roster move this week.

Newsday’s David Lennon is reporting that the team has designated LHP Casey Fossum  for assignment and purchased the contract of LHP Ken Takahashi from Triple-A Buffalo.

I like to think of myself as a realistic Mets fan.

This offseason, while many of my fellow Mets fans were picking the Amazins to finally overtake the Phillies and win the division, I was quietly optimistic while still taking a wait-and-see approach.

I even picked the Phillies to win the division in my National League East season preview article on Bleacher Report.

With that even-keel mentality in mind, I think it may be a long season for us Mets fans.

Tim Redding moved one step closer to returning to the major league club yesterday, when he pitched four scoreless innings during extended spring training.

Redding had off-season toe surgery and after signing with the Mets he attempted to rush back, resulting in a shoulder issue from over compensating for the toe.

There's a beast playing center field for the Mets this April. Not sure who this guy is, but the announcers keep telling me it's Carlos Beltran. Can't say I'd recognize him if they didn't say so.

Beltran, in his first few years with the Mets, has had a propensity for getting off to a slow start. This usually sparks the calls to talk radio that Beltran isn't any good, that he's soft, that his mole is dragging him down, yada, yada, yada.

Last week I profiled Antonio Bastardo of the Philadelphia Phillies and this week I'm going to be doing Bradley Holt of the New York Mets.

Holt was born in North Carolina on October 13, 1986.

The Mets drafted him in the first round (33rd overall) in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft and sent him to the Brooklyn Cyclones.

For the Cyclones, Holt had a 5-3 record, 1.87 ERA in four games all of which he started.

The Mets have signed Mike Lamb to a minor league deal. While in Houston Lamb was affectionately known as Lambo for his unusual batting stance/swing and his solid power numbers.

As Cardinal fans, we've seen Albert Pujols for the last eight-plus years.  We've seen him do astounding things at the plate, whether it's walk-off shots or multi-homer games.