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. 

Wright named captain of the Mets

Terry Collins announced that the Mets have decided to make David Wright the fourth captain in the team's history. Wright will join Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, and John Franco as the franchise's captain.

"This is probably one of the proudest days of my career so far," Wright said. "To be viewed in this light - by ownership, by Sandy and the front office, the coaching staff, and most importantly the players- means a great deal to me. I'm honored and proud to be on the short list of guys of who have been named captain in our history. It's a dream come true, to say the least, and something I am very, very proud of."

Wright also said that he spoke to his teammates seeking their permission before he received the honor. Additionally, the organization agreed the he will not wear the "C" on his jersey.

"A uniform is a uniform for a reason ... Everyone is in agreement we will do without it," Wright explained. 

Wright has done everything right and completely deserves this honor. After signing the lucrative eight year contract extension in the winter, we knew that the organization had faith in him. It is interesting to see how Wright's career has turned out so far. He started out being an extremely hyped up prospect who learned from veteran players such as Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, and others, and now he will be the veteran giving advice to the younger players. 

I'm a bit disappointed that we won't be seeing the "C" on his jersey, but obviously that doesn't play a huge factor in how he is looked at by his teammates. They see him as a leader, and a player who will hopefully continue to have success once this team is back on it's feet again. 

Jon Niese named Opening Day starter

Terry Collins recently told reporters that he will have Jon Niese start Opening Day against the Padres. Niese said that he is excited to receive the honor, but doesn't want to viewed as the leader of the rotation. 

"Obviously Johan and Marcum do a very good job of that," Niese explained. n

With Santana starting the season in the DL, the Mets obviously had a big choice to make when choosing the Opening Day starter. Should they go with the youth in Matt Harvey? Or go with a more experienced pitcher in Jon Niese, which is fully believe is the right move. Niese was a very dependable starter last season, and the organization thinks very highly of him. He has slowly turned himself into a top-of-the-rotation starter, and I expect him to have success against the Padres on Opening Day. 

Valdy may be the teams leadoff hitter, says Collins

Jordany Valdespin has had a very nice spring, so much so that Manager Terry Collins has been thinking about making him the teams leadoff hitter. In 14 games this spring, Valdespin has hit .341 with 4 homers, and only 2 strikeouts. 

"As of right now, that's what we're looking at," Collins said. "He's really worked at the pitch selection. He's got a nice idea at the plate, he makes pitchers work. He can bunt for a hit and he can hit a homer. He's not getting very many easy, first-pitch fastballs." 

Valdespin clearly has plenty of talent, but his attitude has been concerning. Some older players and coaches have been annoyed by his cocky attitude, but many, including Terry Collins, claim that the veteran players will "keep him in line." 

Assuming that he calms down a bit, I feel like he would be an excellent addition to the every-day lineup. Last season I worried about his swing, given that he is/was a free-swinger, and has the tendency to strike out a ton. That is certainly not what you look at in a leadoff hitter, but this spring he has looked so good, and his speed definitely gives him a bonus. 

As for Opening Day, I believe that Collin Cowgill will get the nod in center field (since the team is facing left hander Clayton Richard of the Padres). The organization seems like they want to keep Valdespin in the outfield, so it is possible to see a platoon situation in center field. If that is true, then I would have to believe Valdespin would get the opportunity to be a leadoff hitter. 

Wright out with intercoastal strain, will rest 3-5 days

Sandy Alderson recently told reporters that David Wright has an intercoastal strain, and will rest for 3-5 days. The injury occurred during the World Baseball Classic. Speaking of which, Wright is now officially withdrawn from the tournament. 

"Is it possible that he'll be out for a period of time? Sure. But what he know right now is he's going to rest for 3-5 days" Alderson said. 

We could sit here and point fingers at the World Baseball Classic saying that the competition should be at a different point in the season --perhaps in November-- but I'm not gonna do that. I just can't believe that injuries like this can happen this early in the spring. I am not only talking about Wright, but any player on this team. When camp starts, you should be in top shape in order to avoid these kinds of injuries.

Now that I got that out of the way, we are going to have to move on and prepare to start the season without him. If you recall, Daniel Murphy has missed most of this spring with a similar injury, and is only now starting to appear in a few minor league games. The Mets have a few decent options out there, and if Wright is going to be out for an extended period of time, I'll do a separate article talking about just that.