Kuzul

The New York Yankees, asleep for much of baseball’s offseason, have finally made a big move, signing closer Rafael Soriano to a three-year, $35 million deal. Soriano, 31, will serve as the setup man to current Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, and could also replace Rivera should he retire at the end of his current two-year contract.

Under the terms of the deal, Soriano can opt out after both the first and second years of the contract. He will receive $10 million in the first year, with an additional $1.5 million should he opt out. In the second year, he’ll receive $11 million, with an additional $1.5 million if he opts out. In the third year, Soriano will make $14 million.

After losing out on the best free agent pitcher available, Cliff Lee, earlier in the offseason, the Yankees desperately needed to find a way to strengthen their starting rotation. They have yet to sign a starting pitcher, but the addition of Soriano gives them both strength and depth in their bullpen, almost ensuring that any lead they bring into the sixth inning will stand up.

Soriano will join Rivera, along with David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano to form one of the best bullpens in baseball.

However, despite the tremendous need to improve their team heading into 2011, the Yankees might not be getting the best deal here.

The first thing to look at, of course, is the money. The Yankees are going to pay Soriano closer money to be a setup man.

Soriano led the majors in saves (45) last season, but his agent Scott Boras had said that Soriano would be open to a setup role. Boras called the idea of Soriano setting up for the Yankees “a different scenario” because the Yankees already have the greatest closer in MLB history, Mariano Rivera.

“I don’t think there is a team in baseball where [Soriano] could be asked to be a setup guy other than the Yankees,” Boras said.

In mid-November, the Detroit Tigers signed another reliever, Joaquin Benoit, to a three-year, $16.5 million contract. That deal was certainly going to impact the price tag of Soriano, who is two years younger than Benoit.

The Tigers will pay Benoit an annual salary of $5.5 million per season. And Soriano is getting more than double that amount at $11.6 million?

Even if Soriano takes over for Rivera in the third year of his contract (provided Rivera retires, which it doesn’t appear that he’s ready to do), that’s a hefty price tag for a guy who will only get three outs. And yes, Rivera himself generally only gets three outs each night and he’s getting $15 million per season, but we’re talking about Mariano Rivera here; it might as well be apples and oranges.

Another part of the deal to examine is that Soriano is a Type-A free agent, meaning the Yankees will have to surrender a first-round draft pick. When the question of signing Soriano was raised to Yankees GM Brian Cashman about a week ago, Cashman vehemently said the he was not willing to surrender a draft pick to sign any remaining free agent.

“I will not lose our No. 1 draft pick,” Cashman said, according to the Westchester Journal News. “I would have for Cliff Lee. I will not lose our No. 1 draft choice for anyone else.”

Well, it appears Cashman has had a change of heart, as not only are the Yankees giving up a first round draft pick to sign Soriano, but, as an extension, he has also ensured that the Boston Red Sox will receive a first-round pick for the loss of Adrian Beltre instead of a sandwich pick.

The Yankees needed to sign Soriano, that much was clear. But a first-round draft pick is a first-round draft pick; it’s valuable. If Cashman wasn’t willing to give that up to sign a reliever, even one of Soriano’s ability, that was understandable.

So why the turnaround?

Tough to say. Cashman was contending with a fanbase increasingly frustrated by an uncharacteristic lack of action on the Yankees’ part this offseason. He also might have wanted to take some of the attention away from their questionable starting rotation, which is still unimproved.

From a baseball standpoint, Soriano does help to take some of the pressure off that starting rotation, as having Soriano to setup means that the Yankee starters only have to throw six innings most nights.

Another factor to consider in this deal is that Soriano can opt out of his contract after each of the first two seasons and walk away with big money. If Soriano decides he’d rather be a full-time closer with another team, and walks after the first season, the Yankees will have paid him $11.5 million for a single season of work, which may or may not culminate in a World Series victory.

If the Yankees don’t win anything significant, and by significant I mean the World Series, and Soriano opts out, then what was the point? Big money and a first-round draft pick to have the best eighth and ninth inning relievers in baseball for a season or two?

Not to mention the fact that Soriano’s contract is back-loaded and he’ll make $14 million in the third year. The reason for this is that it sets up Soriano to become the heir apparent to Mariano Rivera as the closer. However, Rivera, even at 40, doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, and if you wanted to bet me that Rivera would retire at the end of his current two-year deal, I’d take that bet.

So, if Rivera doesn’t retire, then there’s no closer role open to Soriano, and he’ll be making even bigger money as a setup man. My guess is that if that happens, and Rivera doesn’t retire, then Soriano will opt out of his contract and go close for another team (the Boston Red Sox perhaps?).

All in all, this was a deal that had to get done. The Yankees needed to make a move after losing Cliff Lee to the Phillies, and even though Soriano isn’t a starter, this move does help the starting rotation by extension.

However, the Yankees need to win with Soriano to make up for the big money and draft pick they surrendered to sign him. Time will tell if this was worth it for the Yankees.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Earlier today, New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson sat down with ESPN’s Adam Rubin and addressed several of the issues surrounding the team heading into 2011.

Rubin is an excellent Mets writer and definitely asked the questions fans are most concerned about. Alderson, to his credit, answered all of them fairly well, but left a lot to the interpretation of the fans.

Chief among the issues addressed by Alderson were the Mets’ second base competition, the fifth starter, the use of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo next season, and potential multi-year deals for several Mets players.

I’ll review the most important questions posed by Rubin, and Alderson’s answers, and give my analysis. Any comments or thoughts…leave them below.

Rubin: You’ve wanted to maintain flexibility for spending in future offseasons. Would that preclude a multi-year deal for any of those arbitration-eligible players?

Alderson: “I wouldn’t rule that out necessarily. Certainly we want to maintain flexibility for next year, but we also want to have flexibility in solving some of the issues we face this year. I wouldn’t entirely rule that possibility out.”

The arbitration eligible players in question are R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey and Angel Pagan. All three are arbitration eligible and Alderson said there hasn’t been much negotiation thus far, and there probably won’t be until the figures are exchanged between the two sides on Jan. 18.

Dickey, at the age of 36, will finally get his first shot at a big pay day. Last season, Dickey went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA and was arguably the Mets’ best pitcher.

Most likely, Dickey will receive a significant pay raise through arbitration, but wont receive a multi-year deal until the Mets see he can duplicate his 2010 numbers.

Mike Pelfrey (15-9, 3.66 ERA, 113 SO) is poised to receive the biggest raise of the three arbitration eligible players. He made just $500,000 last season, and that could increase to $3-4 million for Pelfrey, whose agent is Scott Boras.

Pelfrey is certainly deserving of a mutli-year deal, given his ability, age and the lack of starting pitching depth heading into 2011. Alderson may want to maintain payroll flexibility heading into next year, but Pelfrey needs to be locked up. I don’t think a four-year, $48 million deal is out of the question.

Angel Pagan, 29, had a breakout season in 2010.

He hit .290 with 11 home runs, 69 RBI and 37 stolen bases. He showed he is capable of playing all three outfield positions, but the majority of his starts came in center field. Depending on where the Mets choose to play Carlos Beltran next season, Pagan could, once again, serve as the Mets’ center fielder.

Pagan made $1.5 million last season, a figure which could double though arbitration. Beltran is a free agent after this season and could be dealt at the trade deadline. If the Mets see Pagan as their center fielder of the future, he could receive a multi-year deal. The Mets do have other outfield options, such as Fernando Martinez, and may chose to keep that payroll flexibility by holding off on a multi-year deal for Pagan.

We’ll wait and see what the Mets do, and Alderson said they’re not looking to use multi-year deals as a way of settling arbitration cases.

Rubin: As far as needs for the remainder of this offseason, the Chris Capuano signing does not preclude you from adding another starting pitcher? And how likely is it that you add a starting pitcher of that caliber/contract or greater?

Alderson: “First of all, signing Capuano does not preclude us from signing another starting pitcher. I’d like to sign another starting pitcher — probably the same type of deal that Capuano has [$1.5 million base, with roughly $3 million in performance incentives]. I am hopeful of signing another starting pitcher.”

The Mets’ payroll limitations have kept their focus on low risk/high reward-type players. Two of their offseason signings thus far (Capuano and Taylor Buchholz) certainly fall under that category.

Signing Capuano, though he does have a lot of potential upside, does not immediately solve the Mets’ issues at the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and they should look to add at least two other candidates. The Mets have been connected with names like Jeff Francis and Chris Young, both of whom are coming off injury, and Alderson said the progress with both of those players is “beyond the discussion stage.”

There haven’t been any formal offers yet, but certainly the Mets are in need of starting pitching. It’s unlikely they’d bring in Capuano, Francis and Young, as any one of those could fill the fifth spot, but the No. 4 spot is also possibly open, although Dillon Gee has been penciled into that spot for the moment.

Rubin: In terms of left-handed relief, do you foresee signing someone to a major league deal, or someone very capable to an invite to spring training? Or is the current roster of contenders (Oliver Perez, Mike O’Connor, Eric Niesen, Roy Merritt) the entirety of who is under consideration?

Alderson: “The short answer is yes, I do anticipate signing — or certainly trying to sign — someone to fill that role for us.”

The loss of Pedro Feliciano hurts the Mets bullpen in a big way. He was the Mets’ most reliable reliever (MLB-high 92 appearances in 2010), and he owned the big lefty bats of the NL East. Without him, the Mets need to find a way to keep guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Brian McCann in check.

No Mets fans wants to see Oliver Perez anywhere near the team in 2011 (and Alderson also addressed that issues which I’ll discuss later), but lack of options may leave them no choice. Out of the in-house candidates Rubin mentioned, only Mike O’Connor posted any numbers in the minors to get excited about. In 51 appearances, O’Connor went 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Pat Misch is another in-house possibility, but he can’t be expected to fill Feliciano’s shoes. In terms of free agent lefty relievers, Will Ohman, Joe Beimel and Ron Mahay are available, probably on the cheap. The arm the should target though, if the price is right, is Brian Fuentes, who held lefties to a .128 BAA and righties to a .202 BAA.

Note: Rubin asked Alderson whether or not any Mets personnel had gone to Mexico to see Oliver Perez pitch in person. Alderson replied, “Nobody has gone yet. That hasn’t materialized, and it may not at this point.”

Rubin: In terms of second base, Luis Castillo — in addition to Oliver Perez — is a lightning rod for the fan base. If Castillo does not win the second base job, is there another role for him on this team? He does not have a lot of pop, or run-producing ability as a pinch-hitter. And I don’t know that he’s capable of playing multiple positions. Is it kind of second base or bust for him?

Alderson: “Well, that’s certainly his best role on the team. If he’s going to be on the club, it probably will have to be as the regular second baseman, or somebody who plays quite a bit of the time at second base. He just doesn’t give us enough coverage other places to play a utility role. So I would say he needs to have a role on the team. And I think that’s probably his best and maybe only role — regular duty at second base.”

Castillo appeared in just 86 games for the Mets last season, 74 at second base. Castillo is due $6 million next season and much like Oliver Perez, most Mets fans want him kept away from the team in 2011.

Luckily for the Mets, Alderson certainly gave the impression that Castillo’s only option for making the Opening Day roster is as the starting second baseman, and the Mets have a lot of in-house candidates for the position to compete. Rule 5 pick Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner are all potential second basemen and were impressive in the Winter League this season.

The Mets also traded for infielder Chin-lung Hu, but Alderson has said his role is most likely as a bench player and back up middle infielder.

Castillo has a lot of competition heading into Spring Training and if he can serve no other purpose other than second base, it may be that Mets fans will get their wish and Castillo will be given his money and shown the door.

Rubin: Johan Santana’s timetable for picking up a baseball and tossing following shoulder surgery had been moved up to early January. Has that occurred yet? Is it imminent?

Alderson: “I think he’s supposed to be seen by doctors this week or next — maybe this week — to get a clearance to do that. So I would expect once he obtains that clearance he will go ahead and start throwing. I don’t think that has occurred yet.”

No one can question former Mets GM Omar Minaya’s decision to trade for Johan Santana. At the time, Santana was arguably the best pitcher in baseball and even now, the trade was a steal for the Mets. However, given the Mets’ inability to score runs for Santana and the fact that Santana’s seasons have ended in injury three straight years, his presence in the rotation has been inconsequential.

That said, the Mets desperately need Santana to come back from injury if they’re going to have any chance of contending in 2011. At the moment, the timetable for Santana’s return is some time around the All-Star break. If the Mets are anywhere near contention at that time, and Santana pitched well after his return, that would be a huge boost to the team.

For now though, Mike Pelfrey moves into the No.1 spot in the rotation and the Mets will hope R.A. Dickey can repeat his 2010 success, Jon Niese continues to develop, and the Mets’ No. 4 and No. 5 starters produce.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Three of the Mets‘ best players from the 2010 season—R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey and Angel Pagan—are eligible for arbitration, which began on Wednesday.

Players who have between three and six years of major league experience are eligible.

Dickey, Pelfrey and Pagan are all looking at significant pay raises from last season, and they all chose a great time to perform the way they did last season.

Dickey, at 35-years-old, will receive the first payday of his career. Before the season ended, it was thought the Mets would offer Dickey a multi-year contract instead of going to arbitration. But evidently they’d rather wait to see if DIckey can duplicate his 2010 success.

Last season, Dickey went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA. He’ll finally get a chance to make up for the huge salary cut he was handed when drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1996. Dickey saw the Rangers reduce his salary from $850,000 to $75,000 after it was found that Dickey lacked a particular ligament in his elbow.

Pelfrey is going to receive the biggest raise through arbitration. Last season, Pelfrey had a career high in wins (15) and ERA (3.66). He made just $500,000 last season after his four-year, $5.75 million contract expired after the 2009 season.

The Mets will try to avoid going to a hearing with Pelfrey, whose agent is Scott Boras (which I actually forgot all about somehow). The Mets have only gone to an arbitration hearing twice: with Oliver Perez in 2008 and before that David Cone in 1992.

Pelfrey is due a raise somewhere in the $3-5 million range.

Pagan, 29, also had a career season in 2010. He set career highs in home runs (11), RBI (69), stolen bases (37), runs (80) and hits (168). He made $1.5 million last season.

Pagan will most likely be the Mets’ starting center fielder next season. He’s still under team control for another two seasons, but could easily get $3-3.5 million through arbitration.

All in all, once arbitration is over with Dickey, Pelfrey and Pagan, the Mets’ 2011 payroll will rise to over $130 million.

The trio chose an excellent time to literally have the best seasons of their respective careers. All will seek to at least double their 2010 salaries, and all are deserving of significant raises.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If you need to think about whether or not a player is a hall of famer, then he’s not.

It really is that simple.

The players elected to the Hall of Fame should be the guys who give you goosebumps. The hitters who, when they stepped into the batter’s box, you stopped to watch. The pitchers who, when they took the mound, gave you a chance to see a no hitter or perfect game.

Lou Gherig. Hank Aaron. Willie Mays. Sandy Koufax. Satchel Paige. Those guys.

Today, Bert Blyleven was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His name was included on 79 percent of the ballots (75 percent is required for election).

Wait, 79 percent? So that means 21 percent said “No.” If there are voters who don’t think you are a hall of famer—not just fans, but voters—then you aren’t a hall of famer.

Blyleven won 20 games once. It happened in his fourth year in the majors (1973) and he never did it again in his 22-year career. He didn’t win 300 games (287). From 1976 to 1992, Blyleven tallied 200 strikeouts just twice (1985, 1986).

Is that a hall of famer? Obviously the answer is yes, but did he have the kind of stats to have his name next to the all-time greats?

I’m not saying that everyone in the Hall of Fame deserves to be there. That’s obviously not true.

But that’s my point.

Is Ken Griffey, Jr. a hall of famer? Of course he is. You can answer that question without thinking or looking up any stats.

Is Greg Maddux a hall of famer? Yes. No need to look up stats. Yes, he is.

Pedro Martinez? Yes.

But there are guys that will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in the next few and people are going to be debating whether or not they’re hall of famers. There shouldn’t be any debate. What would be the harm in NOT voting anyone into the HOF one year? Why does someone have to go in every year?

Jeff Bagwell didn’t get in this year. There are guys who are going nuts that he’s not in. Then there are guys who are so sure he’s not a hall of famer. There should be no debate.

On top of that, you don’t get in on the first ballot…you don’t get in. What is this second chance stuff? Roberto Alomar was elected to the Hall of Fame this year, after falling short in 2010. He spit on an umpire and could be a bit curt with the media, so that same media kept him out as punishment.

Now, a year later, he gets 90 percent of the votes. Come on. So he wasn’t last year, but he is this year?

Don’t get me wrong. I think Alomar is a hall of famer. But the idea that he was this year but not last year as some sort of punishment is ridiculous.

When voting for the Hall of Fame, the players who get inducted cannot possibly be questioned. Will there always be debate? Sure. But there are guys who are not debatable, not in any way, and those are the hall of famers.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Heading into 2011, few Mets fans, myself included, are expecting much from the team.

With big strides made by division rivals Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, the Mets haven’t been able to keep up, at least not in terms of names.

Financial restrictions have kept the Mets’ focus on low-risk/high-reward players, which have been able to find.

While there are certainly teams that can call their offseason a disappointment (our neighbors in the Bronx come to mind), the Mets are not one of them.

It’s becoming trendy to pick on the Mets.

How far the Mets have fallen; the Nationals will pass the Mets in the standings next season; management isn’t showing the fans anything: these are all themes of articles surrounding the Mets.

But let’s be realistic here. Only the most delusional of Mets fans thought they would be players in the Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford sweepstakes.

That said, the Mets’ offseason has been far from a disappointment.

Let’s review.

They first added backup catcher Ronny Paulino and relief pitcher D.J. Carrasco.

Paulino will serve as a backup to Josh Thole, who became the No.1 catcher after Rod Barajas was traded. Last season, Thole hit .277 with three homers and 17 RBI in 202 at bats. Defensively, he posted a .992 fielding percentage in 61 games played.

He also threw out 44 percent of wouldbe base stealers. Give Thole 500 at bats, and he could raise some eyebrows.

Paulino was fairly solid last season. He hit .259 with four home runs and 37 RBI last season. He threw out 31.2 percent of base stealers while posting a .991 fielding percentage.

Paulino is simply a right-handed option to play at catcher in place of the lefty-hitting Thole, who hit just .143 against lefties last season.

With the loss of Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano, the Mets needed to improve their bullpen, perhaps even more so than the starting rotation.

Carrasco was one of the better relief pitchers in both the Pittsburgh and Arizona bullpen, respectively (Carrasco was acquired by Arizona on Aug. 1 from Pittsburgh). The majority of his work came with the Pirates, where he posted a 2.05 K/BB ratio.

He’s going to put guys on base (1.30 WHIP and 7.8 H/9IP last season), but his ERA (3.68) was on par with several Mets relievers in 2010 and he also collected 65 strikeouts in 78.1 IP (his 65 Ks would have led all Mets relievers last season except for Francisco Rodriguez).

The Mets’ offseason mentality has been to acquire as many low-risk/high reward players as possible. They continued that trend with the acquisitions of former 18-game winner Chris Capuano and reliever Taylor Buchholz.

Despite the fact that Capuano has had two Tommy John surgeries in his career (2002 and 2008), the Mets have almost nothing to lose here.

The deal is reportedly for one-year, $1.5 million. Capuano’s best season came in 2005, when he went 18-12 with a 3.99 ERA for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Last season, Capuano went 4-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 66 IP. His 7.36 K/9IP mark last season was better than Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey, granted, in a much smaller sample size.

The Mets were looking for a low-risk fifth starter, and they have one in Capuano. Who knows, maybe he’s the next R.A. Dickey.

Buchholz missed all of 2009 and most of 2010 due to Tommy John surgery. His best season came in 2008 with Colorado, when he posted a 2.17 ERA in 66.1 IP. The brightest spot on Buchholz’s resume is that he is an overwhelmingly fly ball pitcher, something which should be a huge advantage in Citi Field.

Buchholz threw only 12 innings last season, so he needs to show he can handle a regular workload, but if he can, he could be an excellent pick up for the Mets.

Again, every single offseason acquisition made by the Mets so far has fallen under the low-risk/high-reward category, which is all the Mets are capable of. Tommy John surgery has been the greatest advancement in sports medicine, and the list of pitchers who have come back from it to have successful careers is a mile long.

The Mets are taking pitchers coming off the procedure and putting them in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball. Fly balls don’t go for home runs like in some ball parks (I’m looking at you, Citizen’s Bank Park).

So far, the Mets have added a possible fifth starter and two solid bullpen pieces, not to mention their two Rule 5 picks (Brad Emaus and Pedro Beato).

They’re also still hot on the trail of another pitcher looking to come back from injury: Chris Young.

All things considered, Mets fans don’t have anything to be disappointed about this offseason. They don’t have the money to sign big name guys, so they’ve had to get creative. The new managerial staff of Sandy Alderson, J.P. Ricciardi and Terry Collins have done a good job so far.

Can the Mets compete in 2011? I’m starting to think maybe… just maybe.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Steroids have destroyed the game of baseball, which is somewhat ironic considering it also fueled its resurrection.

While Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were slugging their way through baseball’s resurgence, everyone, fans and executives alike, turned a blind eye.

Now that it’s all over, those same guys will find the doors to Cooperstown shut in their face. Never mind the fact that their stats more than qualify them to be enshrined among the game’s greats, but the use of PED’s will always keep them out.

The pervasive use of steroids has finally been curbed, or at least we think, with the official use of regular testing. But technology is always advancing, and for players looking for an edge, it’s more than likely that drugs that cant be tested for, will find their way to the market.

Nowadays, any player who puts up big stats, whether it’s consistently or for a single season, people will always question their legitimacy.

For example, Jose Bautista crushes 54 homers in 2010, after never having hit more than 16 in a single season. Steroids? Maybe. Certainly the question was raised.

There are however, for the good of the game, certain players who, if they were to test positive for anything, would cast the darkest of clouds over the game, their respective franchise and the fans.

This list gives 10 examples of such players. Most are active players, while one is retired and another is yet to reach the bigs.

This list is not meant to accuse any players or using any type of PED, so don’t get upset. It’s merely an “if” scenario and the effect it could have.

Begin Slideshow

Every fan has high hopes for his team in 2011; at least, the optimistic fans do.

The cynics and realists might already have concluded where their team is going to finish in their division next season.

Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies fans are ready to buy their World Series tickets, while Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals fans are running out of breath trying to explain to their significant others why you can’t change teams.

That little glimmer of hope keeps fans of the basement dwellers going to games, watching on TV and tuning in on the radio.

So let’s take a look at 2010’s last place teams in each division and see which ones might be moving up in 2011.

Begin Slideshow

As the offseason continues, the Mets continue to make little noise. They’ve made some quiet moves—some quality, some questionable.

However, it would take some big changes to actually improve the team for 2011 because they’ve lost more than they’ve gained.

Johan Santana will be out recovering from shoulder surgery until at least the All-Star break, leaving the Mets’ starting rotation in a state of flux.

As it stands now, we know the rotation consists of Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and most likely Dillon Gee.

Despite the lack of a fifth starter, those names aren’t unknowns or inexperienced prospects.

Mets fans have been watching Pelfrey for over two years now. The big right-hander will need to step up big and keep his sinker down to fill Santana’s shoes as the No. 1 starter. But at least we know who he is.

Dickey was the brightest spot of the Mets’ 2010 campaign, and the idea of him repeating his performance, or perhaps even improving on it, gives the fans something to watch.

Niese, coming off his first full season as a starter, was up and down but certainly showed promise. In 30 starts, he went six innings and gave up three runs or less 13 times. Not too shabby for a first full season in the majors.

Gee only made five starts after a September call-up last season but was impressive, going 2-2 with a 2.18 ERA. His two wins were against divisional opponents Washington and Philadelphia, and he certainly should have won his September 18 start against Atlanta.

So out of their current rotation, though a man short, the Mets don’t have a lot of question marks. We know what Pelfrey is. We saw enough of Dickey to understand his abilities. Niese proved he can pitch a full season of starts, and Gee proved he can beat teams in the NL East, granted in a limited sample size.

At least Mets fans can name four out of five starters heading into 2011. Can we name the guys who will make up the bullpen?

Probably not.

The loss of Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano hurts…a lot. Takahashi was excellent as both a starter and reliever last season, and the Mets definitely needed to retain him but failed to do so.

The loss of Feliciano, who had been the Mets’ most reliable reliever for years, leaves them with just Oliver Perez (gulp) and Pat Misch as left-handed relievers.

Think of this: bottom of the seventh, tie game, bases loaded in Philly. Ryan Howard coming up. Terry Collins walks to the mound, gestures to the bullpen with his left arm…and out trots Oliver Perez?

No thanks.

There are a ton of lefties in the NL East. Atlanta’s entire outfield is left-handed, not to mention Brian McCann.

Philly, of course, has Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez and Domonic Brown (and don’t forget the dreaded Brian Schneider).

Last season, the Mets were actually fifth in the NL in bullpen ERA (3.59); it was a strength.

But should fans expect similar production next season?

Feliciano obviously led the team in appearances (92) last season, but he’s gone.

Takahashi led all relievers in WHIP (1.13) last season, and he’s gone.

Looking over the Mets’ bullpen arms last season, they had a ton of guys with sub-3.00 ERAs, but much of it was the result of one good season after a string of poor ones.

Elmer Dessens had the second most appearances (53) for the Mets last season and posted a 2.30 ERA, the lowest, by far, of his 14-year career.

Manny Acosta made 41 appearances last season. His 2.95 ERA was almost two full runs lower than his ERA the previous season (4.34 ERA with Atlanta).

Bobby Parnell is another example. His 2.83 ERA was a huge drop from the previous season (5.30).

Dessens, Acosta and Parnell combined for the most appearances out of the bullpen now with the loss of Feliciano and Takahashi. If they’re going to be called on as much, or more, next season, what kind of production can the Mets expect? Was it one good season, or can they be counted on to do as well next season? It’s a huge question mark.

Then, of course, there are Raul Valdes (5.23 ERA), Ryota Igarashi (7.12 ERA), Fernando Nieve (5.18 ERA) and Oliver Perez (9.00 ERA as a reliever) lurking in the bullpen.

Is that more of a concern than the starting rotation? I’d say so.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the baseball offseason continues, New York Mets fans become increasingly frustrated. They’ve watched every other team in the NL East make improvements. The Phillies added Cliff Lee, the Braves traded for Dan Uggla, the Nationals added Jayson Werth and the Marlins added good pieces in trades with Atlanta and Boston.

What have the Mets done so far?

They added a bullpen piece (D.J. Carrasco) and a backup catcher (Ronny Paulino).

To their credit, they picked up two nice players in the Rule 5 draft. Infielder Brad Emaus will compete for the second base job, and reliever Pedro Beato should slide into a weak bullpen next season.

But fans are beyond frustrated after four straight disappointing (to say the least) seasons, big-name players going to other teams and GM Sandy Alderson’s refusal to admit next season is a rebuilding season.

If Alderson insists the Mets can compete in 2011, exactly what would he categorize as “compete”?

Can the Mets win the NL East? Considering the addition of Cliff Lee in Philly and big strides by the Braves, a division title in New York seems impossible.

How about a wild-card spot? Well, again the Braves come into play here, as do the NL Central favorite Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and L.A. Dodgers; the Mets don’t seem much better, if at all, than any of those potential wild card contenders.

So if they can’t win a division title, or reach October via the wild card, what has to happen for Mets fans to call 2011 a “success”?

Starting Rotation

As it stands now, the Mets’ starting rotation consists of Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and (most likely) Dillon Gee, in that order.

The Mets desperately need to add another starting pitcher and are very high on Chris Young.

For 2011 to be a successful season, Pelfrey needs to pitch more like the pre-All Star break Pelfrey than the post-All Star break version. Pelfrey won 15 games last season, and if not for an ugly month of July, he could easily have won 17 or 18 games. He’ll need to win that many as the Mets No. 1 starter next season.

R.A. Dickey was probably the best part of the 2010 season for Mets fans. Dickey didn’t make his first start until May 19, but he finished the season with 11 wins and a team-leading 2.84 ERA. Certainly worthy of a multi-year deal from the Mets, with a full season ahead of him in 2011, Dickey needs to continue to pitch late into games (6.4 IP per start) and help shoulder the load for Pelfrey until Santana comes back.

There is going to be a ton of pressure on Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and whoever the Mets sign to fill out the rotation for next season. All three need to step up big time. Mets fans already have one foot out the door, and watching three of five starters struggle isn’t going to put butts in the seats. If Niese continues to improve, Gee adjusts well to a full season of starts, and the Mets’ gamble on a low risk/high reward starter pays off, the 2011 Mets starting rotation will be a success.

Lineup

The biggest question marks in the Mets lineup are Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Jason Bay.

Beltran, coming off an injury which kept him out for most of the 2009 season until halfway through 2010, needs to show he’s healthy. If that means a move to right field is required, then so be it. Beltran doesn’t need to hit 40-50 homers to win back the fan base, but 25-30 homers would be nice, with 100 RBIs, at least. In a contract season, expect Beltran to step up in a big way.

The same goes for Jose Reyes. He missed 29 games last season, hit .282 with 11 home runs, 54 RBI and 30 stolen bases. Reyes has long been the driving force within the Mets offense. An on-base percentage of at least .355 and between 40-55 stolen bases would go a long way towards success next season. Mostly, Mets fans just want to see a healthy Reyes on the field for a change.

Jason Bay was the biggest black eye of 2010 and needs to show fans he was worth the four-year, $66 million contract the Mets gave him. He played in just 95 games before going down for the season in late July with a concussion. Coming off a 36 home run, 116 RBI season with the Boston Red Sox in 2009, Bay hit just six homers for the Mets. He had as many triples as he did homers.

Bay needs to come back healthy (which he says he is) next season and be the big bat in the middle of the lineup that the Mets need him to be. Between 30-40 homers and 100-115 RBI shouldn’t be out of the question for Bay next season.

If the Mets get all three of those guys going at once next season, the Mets lineup should be one of the better lineups in the NL.

Bullpen

The Mets took a big hit when Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano left for free agency. Takahashi held opponents to a .206 BAA as a reliever last season, and Feliciano was once again a workhorse, making an MLB-high 92 appearances in 2010.

The Mets need a left-handed specialist in the bullpen next season to handle the big lefty bats of the NL East. D.J. Carrasco and Pedro Beato should fit in nicely, but if the Mets can’t keep guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Brian McCann in check next season, they’re going to have issues.

Francisco Rodriguez is going to be the most important part of the Mets bullpen next season. His legal issues are finally over, and he needs to show the team he can be a mature pitcher in 2011. In 30 chances last season, K-Rod saved 25. Going into a potential walk year, he needs to show maturity and consistency in 2011.

Coaching

Many fans were disappointed by the hiring of Terry Collins as manager. Most wanted Wally Backman or someone with more recent experience, like Bob Melvin. But GM Sandy Alderson saw Collins’ firery attitude as a big asset to a team seemingly lacking in intensity.

To win fans over, Collins needs to get this team going right from the start. If the Mets open the season 5-9, fans will be quick to turn on him. He doesn’t need to win every game, of course, but even without Johan Santana for half the season, the Mets cannot finish the season under .500 again.

Unfortunately, the Mets have a steep hill to climb in 2011. The division isn’t getting any easier, and there are plenty of improved teams in the National League as a whole—and the Mets aren’t one of them.

The Mets are counting on everything to go right for them next season; Collins and Alderson have practically said so themselves.

If they get the production necessary out of Beltran, Reyes and Bay, and David Wright continues his 2010 rebound, the offense will be there. If the rotation can perform above their ability and the Mets fifth starter, whoever he is, can pitch well, they might be able to match up with all but a few of the teams in the NL. If Collins can find bullpen arms to replace Takahashi and Feliciano and K-Rod straightens up, they just might hold the walk-off losses to a minimum.

That’s a ton of “ifs” for the Mets in 2011, but that’s what fans have filling their heads right now. Maybe that should be there new team slogan—instead of “Ya gotta believe,” we could change it to “If we can.”

The 2011 season doesn’t have to culminate in a World Series title for the Mets to be able to say the season was a success. If they can win 88-92 games and prove the lineup is good when healthy, fans won’t walk away with a bad taste in their mouths again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As soon as free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, all eyes shifted to Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke.

Amid questions of anxiety disorder, the list of teams able to trade for the 2009 Cy Young winner was short.

The New York Yankees, having lost out on signing Lee, seemed likely to target Greinke, but the idea of Greinke being able to handle pitching in New York was a bit far-fetched.

The Texas Rangers, having also lost out on Lee, were also seen as a potential landing spot.

However, in the end, the Royals traded their ace to the Brewers for four prospects: OF Lorenzo Cain, SS Alcides Escobar and minor league pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress.

Depending on your opinion of Greinke, you might view the prospects Kansas City got in return for Greinke to be quite the haul.

Other than his 2009 Cy Young campaign, Greinke has never had an ERA under 3.47 or struck out more than 200 batters.

At one time, Greinke even contemplated quitting baseball.

You have to give him credit for keeping his head down and pressing on through his anxiety issues, but he really isn’t that great of a pitcher.

That said, Greinke was one of the better pitchers available through a trade, so the Brewers made the right move here.

But could the Royals have gotten a better haul from another team?

The Royals’ asking price for Greinke was said to be very high, but you wouldn’t know it from the package they got from Milwaukee.

Escobar, a defensive wonder at shortstop, posted an OBP of just .288 last season in 145 games. He isn’t going to hit for much power, but he still only hit .235. He did collect 10 triples, but triples aren’t important if you only score 57 runs.

Cain is a decent outfielder (career minor league fielding percentage of .976) but has almost nothing to offer in the power department. In six years in the minors, Cain hit just 31 home runs and has a slugging percentage of .416.

In 43 games in the majors last season, he hit .306 with one homer and 13 RBI. There isn’t anything about Cain that jumps off the page or makes you think he’s going to be much more than a defensive outfielder.

As for the pitchers the Royals received for Greinke, patience is going to be key for the Royals.

Jake Odorizzi is just 20 years old and has some promise but pitched in the Class-A Midwest League last season. He has four average or above average pitches with plenty of room to grow. He throws both a two-seam and four-seam fastball, and the two-seamer has good movement to either side of the plate.

Odorizzi should move up the minors quickly since he has a good repertoire, but we’re probably talking three or four years for an appearance in the majors.

Jeremy Jeffress appeared in 10 games for the Brewers last season, posting a 2.70 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10 IP. Stuff-wise, Jeffress has the goods. His fastball is explosive, with 100-plus mph potential, and he possesses a breaking ball that can be a great out pitch.

However, he has served two suspensions for marijuana use while in the minors, so his mental makeup is a question mark.

Over the last few years, teams who have traded an ace pitcher haven’t always brought in a wealth of talent.

When the Minnesota Twins traded Johan Santana to the New York Mets in 2008, they received Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. A quick glance at those names indicates the Mets stole Santana, but it could really go either way given Santana’s injury history since joining the Mets.

Also in 2008, the Cleveland Indians sent ace CC Sabathia to the Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. LaPorta was a big minor league prospect at the time but hasn’t impressed so far in the major leagues.

The Royals had to trade Greinke. They’re going nowhere in their division but have a lot of minor league talent on the way. When Greinke hit free agency in 2013, he was sure to take a big paycheck and pitch elsewhere. Make no mistake—it hurts Royals fans to watch their ace leave, but it was the right move.

Despite the players the Royals received in return for Greinke, they did reasonably well. Escobar will start at shortstop next season, replacing Yuniesky Betancourt, and Cain could patrol center field.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals were also interested in trading for Greinke and were perhaps ahead of the Brewers in the pecking order.

But the Royals wanted Kyle Drabek in any trade with the Blue Jays, and that wasn’t going to happen. Nor were they going to get Jordan Zimmermann from the Nationals.

The trade with the Brewers was the right move and brought in a reasonable amount of talent given Greinke’s ability. The trade could actually go from “OK” to “great” for the Royals depending on the future performances of Jeffress and Odorizzi.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com