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. 

Mejia has forearm tendinitis, status currently in limbo

Jenrry Mejia has not pitched in a Grapefruit League game since last Monday due to forearm tendinitis. The Mets do not know when his next appearance will be. Last week, Mejia went to New York to get a thyroid problem checked out, but he was ultimately cleared for baseball activities. Also, it is worth mentioning that he came to camp late due to visa problems.

Believe it or not, Mejia was once hyped up just as much as Wheeler and Harvey. However, the organization hasn't decided what his role would be on the team, so they flip flopped him back and forth between a relief and starting pitcher.

Honestly, I don't think the Mejia experiment is over yet, despite the injuries, because he is still 23 years old and has loads of potential. Forearm tendinitis could sideline him for a while, but when he gets healthy again, I'd like to see him start the season in Triple-A. We have seen his weaknesses with his repertoire of pitches, and it is clear that he still needs to develop. I also hope that the organization makes him a relief pitcher, and sticks with it. He appears like he is capable of putting up high strikeout numbers, and he should thrive in that position if he could lower the walks. 

Mets send three to minor league camp

The Mets have sent Josh Satin, Wilmer Flores, and Carlos Torres to minor league camp. Satin hit .625 in 8 at-bats with the Mets this spring. Flores hit .143 in 21 at-bats. Torres posted a 8.44 ERA in 5.1 innings pitched.

I am very surprised that the club has cut both Flores and Satin. Flores had the chance to take the second-base job from Daniel Murphy, but he really didn't step up and make a good impression. I still expect that he will be closely watched at Triple-A, and possibly considered as trade bait once the trade deadline rolls around. As for Satin, he has no chance to make the team as a starter, but I thought he would be seriously considered to make it as a bench player. He is very versatile, and hit well during his brief stint with the team this spring. 

As for Torres, he didn't show much control on his pitches, and seemed to get rocked every time he was on the mound. He was an easier cut to make. 

Mets need to take a gamble on Boesch

The Detroit Tigers recently released outfielder Brennan Boesch, and the Mets are among the several teams that are interested in signing him. Boesch, 27,  hit .240 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI in 132 games for the Tigers last season. So far this spring, he has struggled mightily, hitting .188 in 16 at-bats. 

While Boesch isn't a franchise-player in any way possible, he would still be an upgrade over many of the options that the Mets are currently looking at. In 2011, he hit .283 with a .341 OBP and 16 home runs. At the time it seemed like he would be a Tiger for a long time, but many roster changes, like the signing of Torii Hunter, have limited his role on the team. 

There is no doubt that the Mets need some power in the lineup, and they should take a chance by picking him up. There is practically no-risk, and he is still young enough to turn his career around. I understand that he is one of the more streakier players in the game, but he is a lefty with some pop, and could seriously help out this team if he finds his old self again.