Havens and Gorski DFA'd, both clear waivers

This morning, the Mets designated infielder Reese Havens and pitcher Darin Gorski for assignment. They both recently cleared waivers, and will likely start the season in either Double-A or Triple-A. Havens, a former first round pick, has dealt with several injuries that have limited his playing time. He hit .215 in 94 Double-A games last season. Gorski posted a 4.00 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) for Double-A in 2012. The Mets now have 35 players on their 40 man roster.

It was clear that Havens was an odd man out, considering that he hasn't done anything this spring to prove that he belongs on the roster. If Havens had played well, he would've had a serious opportunity to snag the starting second base job. It is kind of surprising that none of the teams put a claim on him, but I'll consider ourselves lucky that we still have him just in-case we need an emergency second-baseman.

The time is ticking for Darin Gorski as well. At age 25, he will likely be placed back in Double-A, a level where I believe he will able to have success at. The good news is that, with the absence of Johan Santana and the Shaun Marcum's injury that could force him to hit the disabled list, Gorski may have a chance to redeem himself sometime during the 2013 season. I have also heard rumblings about him possibly becoming a left-handed specialist, and I would be excited to see what he could do in that role. 

Burke, Familia win bullpen spots

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Jeurys Familia and Greg Burke have made the Opening Day roster. Familia has looked excellent this spring, posting a 2.19 ERA in 11 games. However, his 5.1 BB/9 ratio caused some doubt as to if he would make the team or not. Burke, on the other hand, posted a strong 1.9 BB/9 ratio, but put up a poor 5.14 ERA in 12 appearances. The side-armer inked a minor league deal with the Mets over the winter.

I am extremely excited to see Familia make the roster because of his high potential. A few years ago, we thought that he was going to be a front-line starting pitcher, but the organization has converted him to a reliever, and he has had some success. Obviously his walk rate is discouraging, and something that will need to be worked out by management. Maybe if they give him the "Bobby Parnell" treatment -- having him lose a few miles-per-hour on his fastball in order to gain some more control -- he would become more dominant. Either way, I am curious to see how he does in the, I'm assuming, eighth inning role. 

As for Burke, he is definitely a nice, feel-good story, and will get his opportunity to prove himself. A deceiving submarine pitcher could be a nice thing to have for Terry Collins and his bullpen, and I expect to see him come in during crucial points of the games. He didn't really have the best spring, but considering the competition, or lack thereof, there was a good chance that he was going to make the team. 

Santana likely has re-tear in pitching shoulder, will miss entire 2013 season

Yesterday it was reported that Johan Santana likely has a re-tear of the anterior capsule in his left shoulder, and that the injury will cost him the entire season, and will put his career in jeopardy. This is the same injury that he suffered back in 2010.

"A second surgery is a strong possibility," Alderson said. "Johan may be lost to the Mets for the season."

Santana is in the last year of a six year, $137.5 million deal he signed back in 2008, and will earn $25.5 million this season. As for 2014, there is a club option worth $25 million, with a $5.5 million buyout.

Johan recently flew to New York to be looked at by doctors, and is not scheduled for surgery yet. Sandy Alderson has said that he hasn't talked to Santana personally just yet, only his agent.

When asked about an insurance policy on Santana's contract, Alderson said "To my knowledge, the contract is not insured."

Santana has failed to live up to expectations in New York, and unfortunately the team will be paying him $25.5 million in 2013 for not pitching a single inning. I wasn't expecting Santana to have a huge impact with the team this season, but this clearly wipes out the opportunity to trade him at the deadline. Johan Santana is a leader, but this team will need to move on. He hasn't been here for us over the past two seasons, and him being on the disabled list for an extended period of time is no strange sight.

As for his future, obviously I want the guy to have success. I don't want him to end his journey here, and I have a feeling that he will eventually build himself back up to a fraction of what he once was. The Mets are going to decline his option for 2014, and he'll likely latch on a pitching-starved team as a reclamation project. 

Mets trade Elvin Ramirez to Angels

The Mets have traded pitcher Elvin Ramirez to the Angels in exchange for cash considerations. Ramirez posted a 5.48 ERA in 25 games with the Mets last season. 

The Mets have been looking to find space on the 40 man roster, and it was recently reported that they were going to attempt to trade their "non-core prospects" in order to get the space they need. Ramirez looked good in the minor leagues, but came up to the big leagues last season and really disappointed. He was known for his ability to throw strikes, but he struggled to do so last fall, and really showed some flaws in his game. I honestly have no problem with the club getting rid of him, despite his age and potential, and I expect more of these moves to come. 

Tim Byrdak reports to the minor leagues

Tim Byrdak has accepted his minor league assignment, and will receive an $100,000 retention bonus. Byrdak had surgery in early September to repair a tear in his shoulder, and also had a surgery to repair a torn ligament in his knee. He then signed a minor league contract with the Mets during the off-season. He made 56 appearances in 2012, posting a 4.40 ERA in 30 and 2/3 innings.

Obviously Byrdak was going to start the season on the disabled list, and I wonder if we will see him during the 2013 season. He is recovering from the same surgery that kept Johan Santana and Chris Young sidelined for a while, and at age 39, we'll see how determined he is to bounce back. 

If he does manage to come back during the season, I expect Josh Edgin to keep his job, meaning that Robert Carson or Pedro Feliciano could be demoted. Byrdak has the ability to play well, but the team just needs to make sure he is 100% healthy before he returns.

Feliciano gets cut, accepts minor league assignment

The Mets have told Pedro Feliciano that he will not make the Opening Day roster, but they would like him to  go to Triple-A and build more stamina. After some debate, Feliciano has decided to accept the minor league assignment, and will receive $100k because of it. In eight appearances this spring, Feliciano has posted a 2.08 ERA in 4 and 1/3 innings pitched.

The Mets have made it obvious that they would carry two lefties this season, and I thought that Feliciano was going to be one of them. Josh Edgin will clearly make the team, and now that Feliciano will be in the minor leagues it will most likely be Robert Carson who makes the team. (Granted, Scott Rice is still in camp, but he will likely get cut soon.) 

I have no problem with both Edgin and Carson, two young pitchers, handling the left handed specialist position. Despite their inexperience, I would really like to see what both of them can do in a full season. However, I would still like to see how Feliciano does, and if does well in Triple-A, you can definitely expect a call-up. 

LaTroy Hawkins makes the team, will be in bullpen

The Mets have told LaTroy Hawkins that he has made the team, and will be on the Opening Day roster. Hawkins has not allowed in a run in 5 and 2/3 innings so far this spring, and opponents are batting just .227 against him. Hawkins put up a 3.64 ERA in 48 relief appearances for the Angels in 2012, and signed a minor league deal with New York back in January.

Hawkins put up a great spring, and obviously deserves to make the team. The bullpen was so weak last year, and he should be able to improve it in 2013. He has a track record, and could become the closer if Bobby Parnell fails at the position. 

Mets send d'Arnaud, five others to minor league camp

The Mets have optioned Travis d'Arnaud, and five others to minor league camp. Sandy Alderson told reporters that he was very impressed with d'Arnaud, and expects to see him sometime during the season.

"I know people talk about control and 'Super Two' and all of that. If John Buck gets hurt tomorrow, Travis d'Arnaud will be our frontline catcher." Alderson said.

D'Arnaud hit .343 in 35 at-bats with the Mets this spring.

The Mets also re-assigned Aaron Laffey, Andrew Brown, Brian Bixler, and Jaime Hoffmann to minor league camp, and outrighted Brandon Hicks to Triple-A, meaning that he is no longer on the 40 man roster.

We all knew that d'Arnaud's chances of making the team were slim, but he put up a strong spring performance, and let us all know what he is capable of doing. I have no problem with delaying his free agency status, most likely because John Buck will be able to handle the catching for a few months. I am clearly going to keep a close eye on d'Arnaud in Triple-A, and anticipate him coming up to the big leagues sometime in July.

As for the other players:

Aaron Laffey- Laffey was in only in camp as rotation depth, but he made the most out of his time. Posting a 3.00 ERA, Laffey will likely see some time as a spot starter sometime during the season if any of the pitchers manage to land on the disabled list.

Andrew Brown- Brown had every opportunity to grab any of the outfield positions, but his hitting really held him back. He was brought in because of his underrated bat, but he hit a mere .244 in 45 at-bats, and only drew one walk. He clearly has some issues to work on at the plate, and if he has a strong showing in Triple-A, I expect to see him on the bench sometime during the season.

Brian Bixler- Bixler is a very versatile player, and his competition was Omar Quintanilla for the backup infield spot. Both players hit moderately well, but the Mets know what Quintanilla can do at the Major League level, and ultimately that is what determined their decision.

Jaime Hoffmann- Hoffmann did show some power this spring (3 home runs in 38 plate appearances), but was simply brought in as outfield depth, and I didn't expect him to make the team.

Brandon Hicks- Many thought that Hicks would make the team as a bench player capable of playing any of the infield positions. His defense was decent this spring, but his hitting was atrocious. He hit .116 in 43 at-bats, but he did put up a .333 on-base percentage. He is another guy that I expect to see up in the Major Leagues if there are injuries to other players.

den Dekker breaks wrist, may need surgery

Matt den Dekker left today's Tigers-Mets game early after injuring his wrist while jumping for a ball in center field. He took x-rays, and they showed that the wrist is broken. He will travel to to Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and he will determine whether he needs surgery or not. den Dekker was hitting .205 this spring, but had several outstanding defensive plays in center field.

I don't think that den Dekker would have made the team, but he was definitely a player to root for this spring. He was very exciting to watch out in center-field, but he also showed some weakness at the plate. What we can hope for now is that he recovers fully, has a bounce-back season in Triple-A, and makes his MLB debut sometime during the summer.