It's hard to say what exactly needs to be done to make the Mets better, cuz they seem to have done that. Other than a bullpen, the only thing I can say is that they need to cut down on injuries. However, I see no reason why they can't finish ahead of Washington and the Braves at the very least.

all i care about this year is the mets getting to .500, which could still leave them in 4th, but still, I'd be happy with it. The other goal i wanted to see accomplished this year already happened with the waiver of super joe. will he pull a mel mora with the royals? hahahaha.

According to the PECOTA depth charts on Prospectus, the Mets are projected to finish 4th. Here are the win totals for the division:
Phillies 88
Braves 81
Marlins 80
Mets 79

The Mets projection is still based on Trachsel starting, so it'll fall a win or two once the Ishii trade is taken into account.

[Tues. update - somehow, the Mets are now projected for 81 wins, partially because they're projecting more playing time for Piazza now that Phillips is gone, which is somewhat dubious. Braves were bumped up to 82, so we're in 3rd. ZIPS projections have Mets in 2nd with 88 wins, 2 games behind the Phillies. Huzzah!]

I'm watching this absurd Congressional hearing right now. Hall of Famer Senator Jim Bunning took a pot shot at Barry Bonds by stating that Willie Mays and Hank Aaron didn't hit more homeruns in their late 30s than their late 20s. I didn't choose those two players, he did. Unfortunately for him, his statement isn't really accurate for Aaron. Aaron had his career high in homeruns at the age of 37, hitting 47 homers despite only playing 139 games. Aaron missed a lot more time in his late 30s, but if you look at his numbers per at bat, he hit a lot more homers than in his late 20s. Aaron had his best HR rate when he was 39. In fact, his entire late 30s was his best period. His rates during his age 35-39 seasons rank as 5 of his best 6 HR rates. In total, from age 35-39, he hit one HR per 11.8 ABs. From age 25-29, he hit one HR per 15.1 ABs. That's a pretty significant difference, almost 11 HRs over the course of a 600 AB season.

Now I just heard Bunning complain that the ball is "much more souped up" than it was in his day. Why stop at juiced players? Let's have a Congressional hearing about juiced balls.

Wait, now he's complaining that pitchers aren't pitching inside anymore! And that the fences are too short! Sadly, I'm not making this up.

Nice to see that our tax dollars are being spent on a worthy cause.

Morons.

Absolutel Morons.

In a mets.com poll, joe mcewing received 54% of the vote, by far the winner, in a poll asking which backup infielder the mets should keep.
marlon 'the bird' anderson is my choice. why? because his name is not joe mcewing.

It's the sequel to Being John Malkovich.

being jose oquendo?

Best class ever!

ummm, I'm not quite sure what to say about this.

Just put the game on at mlb.com, and there's super joe, striking out as usual on a head-high fastball.

"Joe McEwing, who doesn't figure to make the team as a backup infielder, has drawn some interest from his former club, the Cardinals. Arizona and Anaheim have also inquired about him"

doesn't figure to make the club??? what!!?!?!?! my man super-joe???

Amusing read- The Best Roto Team of All Time

http://fantasysports.yahoo.com/analysis/news?slug=rotowire-hellimeotoeam&prov=rotowire&type=lgns&league=mlb

regarding Chump's post on homegrown players, at least the Mets will have Darryl around this spring training for his memories as a living whatcouldvebeen for all the kids in PStL.

-Learn from me kids, don't make the same mistakes I did. More specifically,
-David, remember to cut the coke first, then inhale.
-Jose, first you ask for sex, then you buy the dope, NEVER do it the other way otherwise they'll charge you for possession too.
-I remember in 86, me and Keith buried a key under the mound. I always knew that mustached bitch dug it up in the offseason.

&c.

The Mets hired Jerry Krause. Huh?

from my maznan Joel Grrrman:
Over four decades is it really possible the best position player that a big-market team like the Mets has been able to develop and keep for an entire career is Ed Kranepool? My kingdom for a Tim Salmon.
Wright has a gap-seeking compact swing that already jeopardizes Bernard Gilkey's team record of 44 doubles. (again imagine position players so bad that Bernard Gilkey owns a team record).