Do we ever hear enough “Meet the Mess,” jokes? The line does become overplayed like the latest

Yes, it has been THAT type of season for those Metropolitans as they have now fallen 10 full games behind the Phillies in the NL East. Mets fans have to wonder if their team will even have a chance at reaching the postseason this year. And who could blame them for their mindset? When your perennial all-star at third base hits less than ten home runs by mid-August after putting up four consecutive years of 25-plus homers and over 100 RBIs, it must make one think that their team is jinxed. Wright is the one Met that has been without ailment this season and has played all but one of the team’s games this season. Much has been made of Wright’s lack of power this season but there have not been many answers to the surrounding questions. However, it would be entirely unfair to place the struggles if the Mets this season entirely on his shoulders.

July was not exactly the most encouraging month for the Mets as they finished up with a record of 11-13, but they did end the month on an encouraging note with 6 wins in their final 8 games. In that stretch, they completed a 4-game sweep of the resurgent Colorado Rockies and held them to just 5 runs during the series. As the old mantra goes, “Good pitching beats good pitching,” the Mets were able to string together some good starts from their otherwise disappointing starting staff. Not having lefty Oliver Perez for much of the first half certainly did not help matters but nevertheless, aside from ace Johan Santana, (13-8, 3.00 ERA), the Metropolitans could never muster up enough quality starts to keep them in contention.

John Maine, the other projected big arm of the Mets staff, has been out since June 12 with shoulder weakness in his right shoulder. Being as how Maine was not scheduled to return until September at the earliest, Mets officials are pondering keeping Maine out for the rest of the season as the team looks more than likely to miss the postseason for the third consecutive year. On top of that, the Mets also lost young prospect Jonathan Niese to a torn hamstring for the rest of the year. Livan Hernandez, (7-6, 5.08 ERA), has continually displayed a most frustrating inconsistency all season. Coming off a 3-game streak of quality starts, and after a 4-game losing streak which stretch back from late-June, Hernandez gave up 7 earned runs and 8 hits in his last outing which took place in Petco Park.

Image by paul.hadsall via Flickr

Gary Sheffield, who at one point was considered to be the saving grace of the Mets’ season, missed the entire second half of July with right hamstring issues and now can not even be expected to start on a regular basis. Manager Jerry Manuel has said that he would like to get Sheffield into at least 5 games a week, but with Sheffield’s right hamstring ready to act up at any instant, it is more than likely to appreciate even single appearances per week from Sheff. The former Florida Marlin does lead the team in slugging percentage (.478) and home runs (10) so taking his bat out of the lineup certainly takes the bite out of a lineup which currently sits at 12th in the National League in runs per game (4.31). Compare that to division leaders Philadelphia (5.22) and you have almost a full run difference per game.

This year’s race for the NL East was supposed to be hotter than ever between the Mets and the Phillies as the Mets boasted a bolstered bullpen, a lineup only improved with the addition of Sheffield, the Mets were poised to finally take back the division crown. Six months later and many Mets faithful might have to come to the realization that the all-desired NL East crown will have to wait until at least next year. Blame whatever you would like, the lack of team chemistry, the injuries, any of it. It all still equates to a disappointing season for the boys from Queens.

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2. Despite Ailments, Streaking Mets Keep NL East Tight
3. Phillies Fans It Is Not Time To Panic

It’s officially trade rumor season in the MLB and teams are now just beginning to assess their needs and see what is available on the market. This season marks a special one in the starting pitching department as we have four key names playing for underperforming teams looking to slash payroll and stock their farm system with top young talent. As always, the question must be asked if the team looking to acquire established big league talent is ready to part with younger, untested talent. Here are four teams, in addition to their payroll at the start of the season, who just might be willing to take the plunge and get the ace to anchor their staff through the remainder of the dog days. In addition, we’ll give you the prospects that could be shipped off in return for these aces and what they have done so far this season.

- New York Mets ($135,733,988/2^nd highest in baseball)

While the Mets have been streaking lately, their inability to avoid the injury/illness bug has to have the front office worried and we might have seen the last of Oliver Perez in the starting rotation for the Metropolitans this season. The Mets have finished behind the Phillies for the past two seasons and have not advanced out of the National League since the Subway Series back in 2000, (Edgardo Alfonzo anyone?), and the faithful in Queens are beginning to get a little restless.

Johan Santana was a major addition to the club before the start of the 2008 regular season but it came at the cost of some major talent. The decision to not go after Derek Lowe was a questionable one and now it becomes increasingly apparent that the Mets need another starter to make their rotation legitimate. Erik Bedard could be a low cost option for the Mets as they probably do not want to add much more on to their existing payroll. To avoid arbitration, the Mariners signed Bedard to an incentive-laden one-year deal with a base salary of $7.75 mil.

Bedard has posted solid numbers since recovering from his torn labrum last year. As of June 3, he’s 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 61 Ks. Seems like he’s playing for a contract. Just a thought there. Since the contract is an expiring one, the Mets would probably have to only deal one major player from their farm system and maybe a pitching prospect or two. A thought that instantly comes to mind is Jonathan Niese since he is one of the Mets’ best pitching prospects and has already made a handful of starts for the big league club between last season and this year. In those starts, which is a total of five, Niese is 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA with 21 Ks and 10 BB in 24.2 IP. But what might get overlooked is that he is just 22 and still needs to develop. At this point, he’s due to only get better with major league experience and the Mariners lack starting pitching depth. Toss in Fernando Martinez to play left for the M’s in place of losing Adam Jones in the deal that brought Bedard to Seattle and the Mets just might have themselves a deal.

- Chicago Cubs ($135,050,000/3^rd highest)

“Wasn’t this starting rotation supposed to be one of the best in the NL already,” you probably have asked yourself after seeing the lovable losers on this list. Unfortunately, the Cubs failed in their much-publicized attempt to snag Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres and if not for Peavy’s full no-trade clause, could have lost him to their AL neighbors on the South Side.

As of June 2, the Cubs were in fourth place and four games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the suddenly competitive NL Central. Starting pitching has been a glaring concern for the Cubbies this season as Rich Harden has not made a start since May 17 and has been sidelined by an ailing back. Carlos Zambrano starts at various points because of injury and is currently serving a six-game suspension for his latest on-field tirade at Wrigley Field back on May 27. Ryan Dempster has been a shell of his 2008 self with an ERA of 4.48 in 11 starts this season.

So no, the Cubs do not have one of the best starting five in the NL because of injuries/suspensions and flat out inconsistency this season. The only starter with reputable numbers has been Ted Lilly, going 6-4 with a 3.50 ERA and an even better WHIP of 1.09. Randy Wells has given the rotation a short-term shot in the arm as well with a 1.69 ERA and a WHIP of .97 in five starts. But with the inconsistency of Dempster and Zambrano and Harden’s ailing back, the Wrigleyville outfit will need to add another piece to the staff.

If fans and management alike are tired of getting burned by both Peavy and the Padres then maybe Roy “Doc” Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays could be a nice addition to their staff. So far this season, Halladay has put himself into position to be an early Cy Young award candidate with a 9-1 record to go along with his 82 Ks and a WHIP of just 1.04.

A few names that could be shipped to north of the border would be Jay Jackson, who is currently pitching for Double-A Tennessee of the Southern League. In nine starts, he has a 3-3 record and an ERA of 3.35. Jackson works because he could help replenish the Jays’ minor league system since Jesse Litsch, Shawn Marcum, and Dustin McGowan, all currently on the disabled list, are now in the Jays rotation. Another name who could be included would be Andrew Cashner, who played his college ball at TCU, and is now playing for the Daytona Cubs of the Class A Advanced Florida State League. In seven starts, Cashner has a 1.99 ERA and 20 Ks.

Halladay will be owed $30 million over the final two years of his contract but as he’s proving this season, he’s certainly worth the investment and be a great addition to a pitching staff that is loaded when healthy and hitting their stride.

- Chicago White Sox ($96,068,500/12^th highest)

Alright, so we get the point. Jake Peavy wants no part of the city of Chicago. White Sox GM Kenny Williams will have to get over that sooner much rather than later if he still wants to add an ace to his staff to put pressure on the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. Southpaws Mark Buehrle and John Danks have won a combined 10 games for the Southsiders but are looking for Gavin Floyd to continue making strides as he has done over his past three starts. In those starts, he is 1-1 with a 1.95 ERA 24 Ks. Talk about a revival.

With a payroll of just over $115 million, it is unlikely that the Tigers will make any additions to their payroll and are more likely to hope and wish for Dontrelle Willis to be the fourth reliable starter in that rotation in addition to Edwin Jackson, the young Rick Porcello, and the dominant Justin Verlander. If the White Sox want to avoid a one-game playoff like they had to endure last October, then they will need a fourth starter of their own to give them a solid staff.

“Calling Mr. Roy Oswalt to the office, please. Mr. Oswalt, your presence is needed please. Thank you.” It would be ridiculously unwise for Houston to deal Oswalt within their division to the folks in Wrigleyville so just ship him a few miles south. On the year, Oswalt’s ERA has been a bit inflated at 4.28 and that is thanks to a high amount of hits allowed, (74 in 69.1 IP), in addition to 12 home runs allowed. The Astros currently sit in the cellar of the NL Central, seven games in back of the Brewers but chances are slim that the ‘Stros will make any movement in the division this year.

Oswalt’s contract runs through 2011 with a club option for $16 million or a $2 million buyout in 2012. In order for the deal to be successful, the White Sox know that they would again have to include both Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard. Poreda takes the bump currently for Double-A Birmingham of the Southern League and has a 2.62 ERA in 10 starts this season. His 62 Ks and .214 BAA are remarkable even for the Double-A level. If allowed to progress he could make a difference in the Astros rotation in the near future. Richard is already starting games for the White Sox and through four starts is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Well, the only person to whom it matters if it makes sense or not is Williams himself.

- Philadelphia Phillies ($113,004,048/7^th highest)

Sometimes, it pays to have a little pitching to help carry you to a championship and the Phillies were beneficiaries of clutch starting pitching from Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and most importantly “California Cool” Cole Hamels. But this year is different as Moyer is beginning to show his age with an ERA of 6.75 and 14 HR allowed in 10 starts. Myers will go under the knife to repair a torn labrum in his hip and might not return to the Phillies until late August. Hamels has been highly inconsistent in his first nine starts and has instilled a worry in fans that there might be something wrong with that fragile left elbow of his. He is just 3-2 with an ERA of 5.21 and was torched for eight hits and six earned runs in last start May 30 against the Washington Nationals.

All of this has led to the Phillies having the worst starting staff ERA, near 6.0, in the majors. Even still the Phillies are the current leaders of the NL East thanks to a stingy bullpen and an offense that can score at-will in hitters one through eight in the order. There are several young pitchers who have stepped in such as southpaws J.A. Happ and Antonio Bastardo to fill in while GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. figures out what do to fix his starting rotation problem. The perfect ace to make his arrival in the City of Philadelphia would be none other than Peavy himself.

That might sound a little odd at first considering the Phillies have long been known as a penny-pinching franchise. But since the opening of Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies brass have been shedding their miserly habits and are finally spending the money accumulated from great attendance and benefitting from having one of the more popular fan bases in all of baseball. That is why Peavy makes the most sense for the Phillies. Without a doubt he is an expensive option, but also the best option on the market. Peavy will want to go to a contender and the Phillies certainly have to be in the contending conversation.

Peavy currently sits at 5-6 with a 4.10 ERA this season but has one of the worst offensive teams in the majors playing behind him in the Padres. They have the worst batting average in the NL at .239 and have the second least amount of runs scored in the league with a total of 208. It is clear that they are in rebuilding mode and dealing Peavy will help get them on their way with young talent to replace him. At 28, Peavy is an attractive option based on his youth and skill alone. He will also not need a renegotiated contract because he is currently signed through 2012 and a club option worth $22 million for 2013.

The Phillies would probably have to give up a combination of either shortstop Jason Donald, slugging outfield prospect Michael Taylor, and projected future ace Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco’s stock has dipped slightly since encountering a stumbling block at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In his ten International League starts, Carrasco has surrendered 63 hits in only 55 IP and his ERA is at 5.40. He dealt with a blister issue on the inside of his right thumb and was battling a sore elbow as well. Besides the injuries, his upside is huge and will benefit whoever he starts for when he makes it to the majors. Many have projected Michael Taylor to become the next Ryan Howard and if he blossoms into a major leaguer with the current crop of Phillies the amount of damage that lineup can do is beyond anyone’s imagination. In 168 ABs for Double-A Reading of the Eastern League, Howard, er Taylor, is slugging at a .613 clip with 10 homers, 10 doubles and a .339 average. It takes talent to get talent but this deal could help both teams achieve their aspirations for 2009 and beyond.

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After a disappointing 9-12 April to start the season, the Mets reeled off eight wins out of their first nine games to start the month of May. They also ended the month winning seven out of the nine games to end the month with a mark of 19-9. They survived a grueling 10-game road trip at 5-5 which was highlighted by taking two out of three games at Fenway Park from the Red Sox.

In terms of overall production, the Metropolitans have the best plus/minus rating at plus 26 by scoring the second most runs in the division with 234 and allowing the least amount of runs in the division with a total of 204. Their runs allowed mark has been so low lately thanks to help in the starting rotation from more than just a fellow by the name of Johan Santana. Sure, his ERA for May was about 1.3 runs above his April mark of 1.10 but then again, he’s human after all. His numbers from the two months are not of the “eerily similar” variety but are pretty darn close. The only difference is that he allowed ten more total base runners in the month and let us not forget that he did have to pitch in Fenway as well. Right now, Santana stands at 7-2 with a 1.77 ERA and 86 Ks through 66 IP.

Image via Wikipedia

While we could spend all day discussing Santana’s numbers, there have been other contributors finally in the starting rotation for the Mets. Mike Pelfrey became relevant again as he posted a 2.93 ERA for the month of May in six starts and held opponents to a .257 BAA in 40 IP. Pelfrey helps his own cause by limiting the amount of home runs allowed with just 4 allowed on the season. John Maine busted out in May as well with a sparkling BAA of .212 in 36 IP to help him accumulate 4 wins in the month. Maine too is stingy with giving up long balls, equaling Maine’s mark of just 4 allowed on the season.

Speaking of home runs allowed, their entire staff has allowed the fourth lowest in the NL with 36 allowed on the season. What about that revamped bullpen, you ask? They have the second best save percentage in the NL with a mark of 73% and have blown just 6 save opportunities on the campaign. If they finish the year along the same pace, they will have just 12 blown saves on the campaign as compared to their excruciatingly painful mark of 29 from last season. Luis Ayala, anyone? St. Louis was worse last year with 31, which led the NL.

So with three solid starters going per week and that potent Mets offense… What? Wait, their offense is not so potent now? The injury bug has taken several of their starters out of the lineup, including Carlos Delgado who is due to miss several months because of hip surgery?

Have no fear, Mets fans. Gary Sheffield is here and he has given the Metropolitans all that they could ask for and more. Sheff crushed opposition pitching this past month with a mark of .348 for the month and an OPS of 1.048. His 15 RBIs in 66 at-bats for the month were a crucial part of the Mets’ success. In late and close situations, which is defined by baseball-reference.com as plate appearances in the 7th or later with the batting team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck, Sheffield is hitting .316 with 2 home runs and 10 walks in 19 total ABs. While that is just a small sample-size, we have to remember that he only has 99 total at-bats through the first two months of the season.

But Sheffield too has been bitten by the injury bug as of late. His right hamstring and knee have been ailing him and it only adds to the list of casualties in the outfield, which includes Angel Pagan, Ryan Church, and Carlos Beltran. Beltran had the oddest of ailments with a stomach virus that has sidelined him as well as John Maine. Both Church and Jose Reyes will be in extended Spring Training for the first week of June to rehab their injuries.

So while the Mets are ailing indeed, they are still streaking and will look to get some of their starters back to health, on track and continue what looks to be another epic battle for the NL East crown.

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11. Tim Beckham, SS, Tampa Bay Rays organization

Last year’s number one overall pick in the MLB first-year player draft went to the best team in the AL last season. It is almost scary to think that in about two or three years Beckham could be playing alongside Evan Longoria in Tropicana Field. It seems almost unfair to have those two on the left side of the infield on the same team. Kind of like Jeter and A-Rod in the Bronx.

Currently, Beckham is playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class-A South Atlantic League. He’s hitting at a .277 clip with 23 RBIs, 6 doubles, and 2 triples on the year. However, he has not had a successful time on the base paths, successfully stealing just 1 base in 5 attempts. His on-base percentage has suffered as well with a mark of .317 and what has hurt that percentage is his 34 strike outs versus just 8 walks. Improved technique at the plate and developing discipline is the key for Beckham’s offensive progression.

12. Colby Rasmus, CF, St. Louis Cardinals

This is another situation where a combination of injuries and the presentation of raw skill and talent allowed the 22-year-old Rasmus to make his big league debut this April. He has fared just as you would expect any rookie would as he is hitting .248 through May 19th with 13 RBIs.

He was filling in for the injured Rick Ankiel who was due to come back May 19th. However, that does not mean that Rasmus will get immediately sent down. Left fielder Ryan Ludwick has been the latest Cards’ outfielder casualty to the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. He is due to return from the DL later this month. In the meanwhile, Rasmus will hopefully continue to get playing time and continue his development in the majors as a top prospect.

13. Carlos Santana, C, Cleveland Indians organization

Good catching prospects are hard to come by simply because it is such a tough position to play. Santana is the third highest rated catcher in Baseball America’s Top 100 list and is currently playing for Double-A Akron in the Eastern League. His on-base percentage is at a lofty .420 which is almost unheard of for a catcher. He also has a great strikeout-to-walk ratio of 18-26 and is second on the team in RBIs with 25.

The Indians have a great catcher at the big league level with Victor Martinez handling the pitching staff. But with Martinez at 30, the Indians are not exactly forced to deal Santana as they will continue to be patient with him as he develops. From Sandy Alomar, Jr., to Martinez, Santana looks to be next in a line of great catchers for the Tribe.

14. Josh Vitters, 3B, Chicago Cubs organization

How long before this kid gets the call to the next level? The answer: not long as he was called up due to the injury to Aramis Ramirez. Vitters was just tearing up the Class-A Midwest League, hitting .357 for the Peoria Chiefs. That is good enough for fourth best in the entire league. His on-base plus slugging percentage of .978 is good for third-best in the Midwest League. The only worry about Vitters is his low walk total. He has walked just 3 times in 140 at-bats this year and while he consistently makes contact at the plate, his aggressiveness just might do him in at the more advanced levels. Still, there’s a lot to like about the man the Cubs hope to have manning the hot corner on the North Side in the future.

15. Justin Smoak, 1B, Texas Rangers organization

Talk about putting pressure on a guy. Early comparisons have Smoak being mentioned with former Ranger Mark Teixeira. Try living up to that hype. But the comparisons do make some sense as Smoak resembles Big Tex in how they’re both slugging, switch-hitting first baseman with soft hands and good fielding ability. Currently, Smoak is playing for the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League. He has a great on-base percentage just like most power hitters with a mark of .443 through 148 at-bats. While he has hit a bit of a slide by hitting just .237 through his last 10 games, (from May 12-23rd), he has still managed a way to score 9 runs and drive in 5 more during that span. He’ll have to avoid any extended slides though if he expects to reach Triple-A this season.

16. Fernando Martinez, LF, New York Mets organization

The Mets are one of few teams in the majors who have deep pockets and have a recent history of making big trades for and/or signing All-Star caliber players. The downside is that you lose potential top prospects through operating this way, which is why we have only just now seen the Mets make an appearance on this list.

Martinez was recently playing for Triple-A Buffalo of the International League and has put together solid numbers through his first 40 games. He has 86 total bases, 2 triples, to accompany a .295 batting average and 26 RBIs. The only drawback in his numbers is his lack of walks with just 11 in 156 at-bats. Martinez is another Mets’ outfield casualty away from playing in Queens instead of Buffalo. Since this was written, that casualty has brought him to Queens.

17. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals organization

You might have seen this name late last summer amidst the negotiations controversy with Scott Boras, Pedro Alvarez, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fortunately, Hosmer and the Royals are past all of that and Hosmer has started his first full season of professional baseball.

Unfortunately, for the high school draftee, his first year has not been a memorable one as he is hitting just .240 for Class-A Burlington of the Midwest League. Even with the low average, Hosmer’s on-base percentage of .359 shows a potential to reach base consistently. Hosmer is having a better May than April, with an even higher on-base percentage of .377 and has hit his first 2 home runs of the season. With that said, the Cooper City, FL native’s numbers should take off as he gets more at-bats.

18. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates organization

The first two sentences from Law’s outlook on McCutchen tells you all that you need to know about the talented center fielder’s development while coming up through the Pirates’ farm system. “Andrew McCutchen has been rushed. Repeat after me: He … has … been … rushed.” While the description of McCutchen’s development is a bit comical, the sad part of this is that it was another example of major mismanagement by the previous Bucos’ regime.

Fortunately for McCutchen, he has put together a pretty solid season in Triple-A Indianapolis of the International League. He has 8 triples and 9 steals through 39 games, displaying that same speed which has made scouts and fans drool for the past several seasons. It has only gotten better for McCutchen as he has put together a solid past 10 games, (May 12-23rd), posting a mark of .341 with 7 of his 16 total RBIs during that span.

19. Brett Wallace, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals organization

Aside from whatever detractors might say about his fielding ability, the main thing to remember about Wallace is that he can flat out hit and will make his mark in the majors because of it. The former Arizona State Sun Devil standout has been working on his fielding with the Cards’ to determine where he will be most comfortable. For right now, the Redbirds feel that this is at the hot corner.

Though Wallace was just drafted last year’s first-year player draft, he has already been moved up to Triple-A Memphis of the Pacific Coast League. Through his first seven games, he’s hitting .387 with a home run but only 1 walk for the prospect who is said to have amazing plate discipline. This is, however, just a small sample size of what Wallace can do with advanced pitching staffs. It’ll be interesting to see if those walks, and subsequently his on-base percentage, increase later this summer.

20. Brett Anderson, LHP, Oakland Athletics organization

Any time that the pitching-thin A’s have any talented starters in their farm system, it is most likely that they will see action immediately with the big club. They just do not have the depth like they used to when they rolled out Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, and Rich Harden three of the five days in the week. Since they were forced to part with that luxury and do not have the means to acquire even low-quality veterans, they rely on their youngsters to carry the slack.

Before his last start, Anderson’s performances left A’s supporters asking for more than what they had seen from the 21-year-old. His ERA for May sits at a squeamish 6.43 even after giving up just two earned through six innings at Tampa Bay. His 2.7 walks-per-nine innings has been part of his struggles. But all in all, it must be remembered that this is his first time ever in the majors and will suffer through some growing pains as he continues to develop.

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Back on Jan. 22, Keith Law of Scouts, Inc. wrote a column for ESPN.com that ranked the top 100 prospects in the major leagues for the 2009 regular season. Well, since the most of us do not pay whatever fee that is charged to get ESPNinsider, we only have access to the top 20. So here is a first half list of that Top-20 and tracking what they’ve done thus far in 2009. For some of these young stars, their call up to the majors could be much sooner, rather than later.

1. Matt Weiters, C, Baltimore Orioles organization

This youngster has been the most mentioned amongst scouts, fantasy experts, and anyone else who has an opinion on the game. Some thought that Weiters would make the Orioles out of spring training but it was not to be. Seeing as how Weiters only had experience in Double-A ball previous to this year, asking a catcher to immediately play in the majors at the young age of 22 is just slightly unfair.

As of May 14, Weiters is hitting .263 in 95 at-bats for Triple-A Norfolk and has a respectable on-base percentage of .366. Being a switch hitter, he has struggled against lefties, posting only a .200 average against them in 20 at-bats. By comparison, Gregg Zaun, starting for the Orioles, is hitting just .212 with an on-base percentage of .309. Weiters is likely to see a call up later this summer but could make an appearance in Baltimore sooner if any injuries occur.

2. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays organization

From 2008 ALCS hero to… starting for Triple-A Durham of the International League in 2009? It might sound crazy actually, but moving Price back to the minors was actually a great decision by the Rays front office. Price was expected to compete for a possible spot in the Rays’ rotation this season and actually posted a 1.08 ERA in one start and three games overall this spring. However, concerns about his makeup as a starter persisted and the decision was made to put the Vanderbilt grad back in Durham where he could develop his change up to accompany his powerful fastball and devastating slider.

Rays starters currently have a 5.07 ERA through May 14 so it makes you wonder, how much longer will Price be held in Durham to develop his game, especially if the Rays rotation continues to flounder. Currently, Price is 1-4 with a 4.60 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched this season. If Price doesn’t want to be shuffled between minor league starter and major league reliever, like so many other top prospects, then he will have to develop some consistency as a starter while at Durham.

3. Jason Heyward, RF, Atlanta Braves organization

Only 19, this New Jersey native is at least a few years away from making the big leagues. However, the Braves have shown the ability to develop some top outfielders such as Jeff Francoeur and much recently Jordan Schafer. Heyward, who plays right field now, just as his major league counterpart Francoeur, is a physical specimen at 6-foot-4 and has the potential to be a perennial 30-homer player in the majors.

Heyward started 2009 out at Myrtle Beach in the Class A Advanced Carolina League. So far, he’s hitting at a .265 clip to go along with 13 RBIs and a respectable .832 on-base plus slugging percentage. He should continue to develop and top out at Double A by the end of the season.

4. Neftali Feliz, RHP, Texas Rangers organization

This 20-year-old starter was a part of the Mark Teixeira trade a few years back and has progressed into a top starter in the Rangers organization. Last year, he topped out at Double A Frisco and this year is starting in Triple A Oklahoma City. Aside from Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman, who have ERAs of 2.98 and 2.74 in 12 combined starts, the starting rotation has an ERA of 5.32. Small ballpark aside, the Rangers rotation has been ineffective at times this season. With a potent offense and bolstered by a reliable bullpen, they lead the AL West by 2.5 games as of May 16. Looks like there might not be a need for Feliz to get his call up just yet.

5. Travis Snider, LF, Toronto Blue Jays

Notice how we did not put “organization” next to where Snider plays. Well, that is because he’s the full-time starter out in left for the first-place Jays this season. That’s right, first-place for the sole team north of the border. And it is early May so how long before we stop calling them pretenders and start calling them contenders? It took until July or so before people actually took the Rays seriously and they made it all the way to the World Series.

According to Law, it is Snider’s own fault that he has made it to the bigs so soon, seeing as how he is only 21, because he never encountered any stumbling blocks at any level of the minors. In his rookie campaign, he’s currently hitting .253 with 12 RBIs through 91 at-bats. His history and past performance suggests that he should be hitting for a higher average than where he currently is so we’ll continue to track that as the season progresses.

6. Madison Bumgarner, LHP, San Francisco Giants organization

Law is really big on this 19-year-old who finished last year pitching for Class A Augusta. Bumgarner began the year pitching for the San Jose Giants, another Class A club in the Giants organization. He dominated there going 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in five starts. He also held hitters to a .217 batting average against. Not wanting to hinder his development any further by pitting him against lesser talent, Bumgarner was sent packing eastward and is now playing for Double A Connecticut. In his first start on May 17 for the Defenders, Bumgarner went six strong innings and struck out nine while allowing just one hit. Law predicts that at this rate, the youngster will be in San Francisco “at some point in 2010.”

7. Lars Anderson, 1B, Boston Red Sox organization

According to Law, first base is loaded with plenty of prospects but Anderson has benefitted by being younger than most of them at 21. He finished last season with Double A Portland of the Eastern League. He started back there this season and has struggled to this point of the season, only hitting .233 as of May 17. In his last 10 games, he has hit just .189 with five RBIs and eight strikeouts. On the season, he has struck out 32 times and has an on-base percentage of .310. This contrasts greatly with his career OBP of .410. All good hitters, especially young ones, go through stretches such as this one. Hopefully he will emerge from it without his progression to the majors suffering any damages.

8. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants organization

Posey went fifth overall in last year’s first-year player draft to the Giants and has already developed into one of the top catching prospects. The former FSU Seminole is currently handling the pitching staff for Class A Advanced San Jose and is hitting .287 on the year with 63 total bases accumulated to go along with 22 RBIs and even three steals. Yes, catchers can swipe a base every now and then as well. Besides, Posey has those fresh college legs. As those legs and knees gather more innings caught, however, expect the number of steals to fall or disappear altogether. Steals aside, Posey has a nice future ahead of him as an MLB catcher.

9. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta Braves organization

This 22-year-old is literally one injury away from making his first start in the majors and continues to make his case for getting that call up. In eight games started this year for Triple A Gwinnett of the International League, Hanson is holding hitters to a .172 batting average with a 1.70 ERA in 47.2 innings pitched. He does only have a 2-3 record to show for his efforts but the big wigs in Atlanta are most likely not keeping a tally of his wins and losses at this point.

The Braves are currently in third place in the NL East with an even record of 18-18 as of May 18. They have the second lowest amount of runs allowed in the division behind just the New York Mets. Their rotation is bolstered by the arrival of veterans such as Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez. The youngster from last year Jair Jurrjens leads the staff with an ERA of 2.08. If the rotation suffers any injuries, the Braves will have to determine if Hanson is ready for his big league debut.

10. Rick Porcello, RHP, Detroit Tigers

Law was not kidding when he wrote that the Tigers are usually aggressive with their prospects. Porcello, just 20 years old, finished last year in Top Class A Lakeland. This year, he found himself in the top of the class, starting for the Detroit Tigers. So far, he’s fared well in seven starts, going 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA. He has the stuff to blow guys away and rack up the K’s but part of the reason why he was on the fast track to the majors was because of his ability to develop into a ground ball pitcher with a good 2-seamer. The Tigers might have found a shining light to reverse their starting rotation horrors from last season.

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The boys who used to play in Shea finally figured it out it seems. Fix the back-end of your bullpen, shorten the games to accommodate an under-performing starting rotation and find yourself leading a mildly competitive National League East. Mix all of these factors, shaken, not stirred, in a margarita shaker, along with the Mets playing in a pitcher friendly ballpark and you have a team riding a seven-game winning streak. Riding a streak of this magnitude in early May can pay huge dividends in the confidence department as the season progresses.

As of May 11, the New York Mets are a game up on the now stagnant Florida Marlins, who started the season a sparkling 11-1 but amassed six of those wins against the Washington Nationals. No cellar-type jokes needed here as those become overran by April 18 each season. The book is out on the Phils-Mets rivalry this time around as the teams split two games in Philadelphia at the beginning of this month and the Mets swept a two-game series at brand new Citi Field a nearly a week afterwards.

Because the MLB regular season is such a marathon, not much can be made of the first month-plus of play unless major developments take place. On the pitching rubber for the Metropolitans, the critically acclaimed and restructured bullpen has been stellar thus far, posting a 2.96 ERA in 108 innings pitched. Frankie, formerly known as K-Rod, Rodriguez has been as good as expected going 9-for-9 in save opportunities to go along with a 1.32 ERA. The only problem is the starting rotation, which has given up 81 earned runs in the first month of play.

Mets Ace Johan Santana

Johan Santana, without mention, has been a Godsend once again for the Mets as he has proven time and time again that his golden left arm is no match for meager National League hitters. His 0.91 ERA leads the NL and just seeing his No. 57 on the hill gives the Mets that much of a confidence boost as they head out to the field. But as the Mets proved last season, you can’t win a pennant with just one starting pitcher as the rest of the starters have come up well short in terms of posting numbers anywhere respectable.

So far, General Manager Omar Minaya’s decision to re-sign lefty Oliver Perez to a three-year $36 million dollar deal has not panned out. Four out of his five starts have been absolutely horrendous as he has walked 21 hitters in just 24 innings pitched. In comparison, Derek Lowe, who was thought to be a great fit for the Mets but signed with Atlanta instead, has been a workhorse for the Braves, posting a 3.98 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched. He also has a 4-1 record to show for it.

In defense of Perez, an MRI revealed patellar tendinitis in his right knee, which causes pain in the kneecap. The Mets have placed him on the 15-day disabled list along with demoting him to the bullpen. Once Perez returns, manager Jerry Manuel will have to determine his role in the bullpen with hopes of getting him back on track to being a key contributing starter that the Mets are paying him to be.

There are brighter areas to focus on for the Mets however as their offense has been firing on all cylinders and as of May 11, they have the highest team batting average in the National League with a .288 mark. That might not hold up through early October, but if they can produce somewhere near there, they will give themselves a fighting chance for the postseason. Other key marks for their offense is that their lineup has struck out the least out of all the other lineups in the National League with 168. Their 27 steals lead the NL as well.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Individually, Carlos Beltran is off to a great start with an NL-leading .374 average, an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.067 to go along with his 24 runs driven in. David Wright is also contributing with 18 runs driven in and a .304 average. His 35 strikeouts however will rob him of opportunities to drive in runners, something that he is well known for, as the season progresses. Carlos Delgado seems to have found his hitting stick from the second half of last season as he is slugging at a quiet .521 clip to go along with his .298 average. His 23 RBIs are good for second-most on the team.

But as we enter the so-called “dog days of summer” if the starting pitching does not improve for the Mets, expect that stellar bullpen to get run into trouble as J.J. Putz and the gang will be forced to log innings later this month and through June that were meant for them to use in the latter stages of the pennant chase.

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The Phillies were also faced with the departure of left fielder Pat Burrell, the team’s longest tenured player, who left to swim in the unchartered waters of free agency. The grand marshal of the Phillies’ World Series parade signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, the same team Burrell helped the Phillies defeat to earn the illustrious crown.

New general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., who served as assistant general manager to both Ed Wade and the recently retired Pat Gillick, had to react fast to fill the holes presented by these problems. Amaro responded in December by signing veteran RBI-machine Raul Ibanez to a 3-year, $30 million contract. Ibanez has averaged 25 home runs and 112 RBIs over the last three seasons, all the while playing his home games in cavernous Safeco Field in Seattle.

Another move made by Amaro in mid-December was the free-agent acquisition of right-handed pitcher Chan Ho Park, who was signed to a one-year deal for $2.5 million. Park was originally signed to be a middle reliever, which was the same role that he filled with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. The 35-year-old was actually better as a starter than he was as a reliever last season as he posted a 2.16 ERA in 25 innings in five starts.

Park shined in Grapefruit League play this spring as he posted a 2.53 ERA to go along with four starts and had struck out 25 batters. He was recently named the winner of the fifth starter competition, outlasting J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, and Kyle Kendrick. Carrasco was sent to Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley and Kendrick was demoted to the Phillies’ minor league camp.

In a move that brought relief to many Phillies fans, left-handed veteran starter Jamie Moyer was resigned to a two-year, $13 million contract. The Souderton, Pa. native was the best starter for the Phillies last season, going 16-7 and had a 3.71 ERA. Moyer is the poster child for control over power as his fastball rarely breaks 83 miles-per-hour and is entering his 23^rd professional season with a career 4.19 ERA.

To fill the void “left” by Romero, the Phillies traded catcher Ronny Paulino to the San Francisco Giants for southpaw reliever Jack Taschner. Paulino was acquired back on December 10 in a minor league catcher swap with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jason Jaramillo. Paulino struggled in Grapefruit league play by hitting only .194 in 31 total at-bats and struck out 13 times.

In Taschner, the Phillies get another left-handed option out of the bullpen in addition to Scott Eyre. Last season, Taschner had a 3.03 earned run average in the first half of the season, which bodes well for the Phillies as they wait for Romero to serve his suspension.

All-star second baseman Chase Utley underwent right hip surgery in the offseason to fix an ailing problem that limited him to just eight home runs in the second half of the season. It was originally believed that Utley would be out for the first six weeks of the regular season. But thanks to an aggressive rehab program, Utley began hitting off of a tee early in Spring Training and was ready for Opening Night.

The Phillies, however, received a scare when World Series MVP Cole Hamels was briefly shut down in mid-March with inflammation in his left elbow. After signing a three-year extension worth $20.5 million, the last thing Phillies brass wanted to hear was their young ace sustaining any significant injury. Brett Myers was named as the opening night starter instead of Hamels as it is believed that he still needs time in Clearwater to get ready for the regular season. Hamels is slated to start Friday, April 10 against the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field.

Slugging first baseman Ryan Howard ended the yearly arbitration drama by signing a three-year $54 million contract. The deal allowed Howard to focus solely on baseball and not dollars and cents as the contract runs through the end of his arbitration years. In response to the new deal, Howard has torn through Grapefruit League pitching with a .315 batting average, 10 home runs and an on-base percentage of .400 through 73 at-bats.

Both Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino spent some time away from Clearwater as they played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Their efforts helped lead the U.S. to the semifinals of this year’s tournament and the time spent playing meaningful games helped the young stars get into game shape for the upcoming season.

The only thing that is left to do now is raise the World Series Championship banner for 2008, then comes the title defense.

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