Benjamin Grimm

I think that there's a chance of 90. They could very well turn out like the 1984 Mets on the strength of their pitching, even if Niese misses a lot of time. I think a total in the low 80's is a lot more likely, but the chances for 90 are better than Harper indicates.

The movie was okay, but I don't think it's good enough to be a Best Picture winner. The only other nominee I've seen so far is Gravity, and I liked that a lot more than American Hustle.

Thanks everyone. I'll have to see what I think of the free version I get this year, and maybe if I like it I'll pay for it next year in lieu of Extra Innings. Of course, if it's a two-for-the-price-of-one thing, I might as well stick with getting both.

How did they do on the scoreboard?

And I think Chris Young is more likely to hit .220 than .270. I also suspect that Eric Young will see more outfield time than Juan Lagares. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm getting the sense that Terry is a big Eric fan.

And here's what they're saying in Seattle: Report: New York Mets interested in Seattle Mariners infielder Nick Franklin Posted on February 24, 2014 | By Nick Eaton In need of a shortstop, the New York Mets are reportedly interested in a trade for Seattle Mariners infielder Nick Franklin. Franklin, 22, enamored Seattle fans when he was first called up from Triple-A Tacoma last May. He got off to a hot offensive debut in the major leagues, sustaining his batting average around .290 until he began slumping in July. He finished the 2013 season with a .225 average over 102 games, tallying 83 hits, 45 RBI, 42 walks, 12 homers and 113 strikeouts. A shortstop in the minors, Franklin filled in for a struggling Dustin Ackley at second base last season; the Mariners already had rookie Brad Miller starting at shortstop. Especially with the offseason signing of All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, it�s likely Seattle will trade one of them before Opening Day, and it seems more likely to be Franklin than Miller. The Mets, according to ESPN, on Monday acknowledged interest in Franklin as a shortstop. As ESPNNewYork.com�s Adam Rubin wrote last week, Franklin would �be considered an upgrade� over Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada. Citing an anonymous source, Rubin reported Monday that the Mariners and Mets have been talking since the MLB winter meetings in December. �The talk is expected to pick up in the next month with Seattle having an excess infielder and the Mets having the type of young pitching Seattle desires to obtain in a swap,� Rubin wrote. �The Mets likely would need to further debate whether they feel Franklin can handle full-time shortstop before pulling the trigger on any such deal.�

Ruben Tejada apparently not making a good impression so far. Scott Boras probably likes this news. Kevin Kernan, New York Post wrote: Frustrated with Tejada out of shape, Mets keep eyes on Drew PORT ST. LUCIE � Ruben Tejada still isn�t working out for the Mets. Even though Tejada attended an offseason strength/conditioning and nutrition camp in Michigan, Mets management has not been overwhelmed by the shortstop�s �new�� body. �He looks pretty much the same,�� one source told The Post on Monday. Frustrated with Tejada, the Mets still have a strong interest in signing free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew, two sources have told The Post. They also have shown interest in Seattle�s Nick Franklin. Sure, Tejada made the offseason commitment, but there clearly is a long way to go and that is why the Mets, if they could strike a deal with Drew�s agent, Scott Boras, would do so. But that is one big if. The Mets have reportedly offered a one-year, $9.5 million contract to Drew. �I would not be surprised if we signed Drew,�� one Mets official told the Post, �but at the same time, I don�t expect it to happen.�� Drew could sit out until after the June amateur draft, when the draft- pick compensation rule would no longer apply. The Blue Jays, Red Sox, Mets, Pirates and A�s have shown interest, and the Yankees are always lurking. At this juncture, Tejada continues to hold the position by default. To keep it, Tejada is going to have to have an impressive spring. Tejada already has let one golden opportunity slip through his fingers, not taking hold of the position after the Mets allowed Jose Reyes to sign with the Marlins. And now Tejada, 24, is in danger of allowing the same thing to happen again. Tejada said he is confident he will play well this season, saying, �The [Michigan] camp was good preparation for me for spring training.�� As for Drew, Tejada is not concerned about the free agent or any other shortstop the Mets have an interest in. �I don�t make the decisions,�� Tejada said. �I�m just trying to prepare myself as best I can. You never know what happens here. My concentration and preparation is on the game. I want to show everybody I can play good baseball.�� Asked if he felt an opportunity slipped through his fingers in blowing his chance to replace Reyes, Tejada said, �I do my best every time I go to the field. This year I really think I�ve come here prepared to work hard every day.�� Listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he appears a bit slimmer than last spring when he was clearly overweight, but he is not moving that much better. While the Mets have raved about Wilmer Flores� more athletic body (they don�t view him as a shortstop) and Lucas Duda�s drop in body fat, you have not heard many comments from the Mets about the new Tejada since camp began. Several Mets officials wanted to avoid the subject entirely Monday. �Right now I feel really good,�� Tejada said. �I think the best decision I could make was to go there and prepare myself for the rest of my career.�� Careers can come to a jolting halt. Remember when Eduardo Nunez was going to slide into the Yankees infield? He still hasn�t been able to secure a job. The fact the Mets have made an offer to Drew and shown interest in Franklin shows they have severe doubts about Tejada, who hit .202 last season. To land Drew, the Mets have to come up with big money and with the financial restrictions they have put on themselves, that is a difficult situation. For now, Tejada remains on the job, but so far, nothing is working out at shortstop for the 2014 Mets.

I got an e-mail from Verizon last week telling me that, along with my Extra Innings package this year, I'll get a free subscription to MLB.tv. I looked it up but I didn't really understand what this is going to mean to me. Will I be able to watch live games on a mobile device? Does anyone have MLB.tv who can explain how it's useful? I see that there's a standard and a premium version. Verizon didn't specify which version I'd get, but my guess it will be the standard version.

FLORES A SHORT LOOK Collins reiterated that Wilmer Flores will get a look at shortstop this spring, but also added that he will need to look at him at second base and third as well. He is impressed by the way Flores re-shaped his body this offseason. "I tip my hat to him, he has a whole different body than he did at end of the season," Collins said. "He went to the training in Michigan, he looks tremendous. He came in lighter, he came in more athletic, I am going to let him play some short, I want to see him at second and third," Collins said. "His bat potential is off the charts. Everybody talks about what a big RBI guy he is. Somebody told me they watched him in winter ball and reminds them of Fonzie. That's a big statement. I don't like to compare guys, but Edgardo Alfonzo was outstanding offensive player. "We just go to find a position for him to play." Collins said. Coincidentally, Alfonzo is in camp this spring as a special instructor. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-insider-montero-ball-grapefruit-opener-article-1.1699363#ixzz2uHJLvMHo I wouldn't be too surprised if they tried to shoehorn Wilmer into the lineup at shortstop for a year or two until Daniel Murphy moves on, and then slid him over to second base. I bet that's what 1984 Davey Johnson would do!

Ike Davis wrote: I sucked last year because I sucked. That rings true to me.

I don't recall any "very good" periods in 2013. Unless "very good" is a euphemism for "not completely horrible."

batmagadanleadoff wrote: But on the bright side, maybe there's a medical reason for his underwhelming past performance, rather than that he just isn't up to the expectations cast upon him. I certainly hope this is true, and that Ike once again becomes the player we've seen flashes of, but at this point I'm not going to believe it, or count on it, until it happens. I suspect he's more likely to muddle and suck like he has the past two years.

Yeah, it may be more like "ain't happenin' yet".

One year, $8 million. He's one of the free agents who turned down the $14 million qualifying offer.

Jon Heyman checks in with Stephen Drew He's at a "Boras camp" working out with other still-unsigned free agents. Working at the camp is former Met Alex Ochoa!

If either of these guys are as good as they're made out to be, the Mariners should expect to get back more than Ike Davis or Lucas Duda.

Yeah, but a lot of squatting. He's only 37, so I guess he can handle it. If I were to get a job as bullpen catcher at my age (50), I'd probably have to do it sitting in a lawn chair.

Franklin doesn't look especially "unnimble" in this photo. Adam Rubin says of the two, Franklin is the one more likely to be dealt. Nothing on what the Mariners would want. It seems likely that if the Mets were to trade for him, they'd be sending a young pitcher, since that's where they have depth. (I have no idea which one it would be.)

I wonder what his voice sounds like with all that helium in him?

Mets are thinking about this stuff too: PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Paul DePodesta suggested there are too many variables to give a precise number. But, as a rule of thumb, the Mets VP acknowledged Noah Syndergaard will be permitted somewhere in the vicinity of a 30-inning increase over last season�s total. Syndergaard threw 124 2/3 innings in 2013, including in the Eastern League playoffs and with an inning in the Futures Game at Citi Field. �I would say as a rough estimate, that�s fine,� DePodesta said. �A lot of it�s going to be on how he actually racks up those innings -- how efficient he is in the pitch counts, how much rest he�s getting between starts, how much side work we do with him. �So there are a lot of other things that we factor into it. But, as a general marker, that�s roughly fair. I mean, we may go over that. We end up feeling we have to come short of that. But I�d say it�s at least a fair estimate.� In order to conserve innings for Syndergaard for Double-A Binghamton�s playoffs last season, the top prospect was permitted only 59 pitches in a July 28 start, despite being in the midst of a one-hitter. A week later, he threw 66 pitches and was pulled from a two-hit shutout after five innings. Six days later it was 56 pitches. Then it was 66 pitches. Then Syndergaard was skipped for a start entirely. This year, those second-half starts should come at the big-league level. So the Mets may be shaving his outings earlier in the season in order to ensure innings are left in the tank late. Said DePodesta: �We haven�t laid it all out yet, but I think we are going to try to manage through the course of the season -- not just with him, but with some other guys this year -- so we don�t get to the position in August where we say, �OK, we want to be saving these guys for playoffs.� So we may do some things in May and in June toward that end.� That means more than capping outings at 60 pitches. Syndergaard and others could find themselves in the bullpen at Triple-A for a turn or two of the rotation, pitching an inning on their regular day instead of a full start. �When I was in Los Angeles, one of the things we did was that we took almost all of our starters in the minor leagues and we skipped them once or twice through the course of the summer,� DePodesta said. �But during the time they were being skipped, they would pitch out of the bullpen. Now, they may only go an inning. It would be a scheduled inning. �The purpose behind it was, one, to manage their innings. And, two, was to actually give them experience of what it was like to warm up in the middle of the game and then come in and pitch in the bullpen. Because a lot of guys when they first get to the big leagues, that�s what they do. And a lot of them have never done it before. So at least give them that experience, and also give them a blow in the middle of the season and give them a chance to catch their breath and let their arms and their legs recover.� Will DePodesta rule out Syndergaard temporarily in a major league bullpen later this year? That�s above his pay grade, DePodesta suggested. �That�s not my call, ultimately,� DePodesta said. �There are certain guys that I would say we�re more open to it than others. But, again, ultimately that�s not my decision.� DePodesta said all of the Mets� upper-level starting prospects would be good bullpen candidates because of their solid command. Said DePodesta: �They�re all above-average strike-throwers in terms of the guys that are here -- [Logan] Verrett, [Cory] Mazzoni, [Rafael] Montero, [Jacob] deGrom, Syndergaard.�

Frayed Knot wrote: 38 = d'Arnaud -- Stay. On. The. Field. His first injury-free season since 2011 would help make d�Arnaud a Rookie of the Year contender. Is he still eligible for that?

Ceetar wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Bill Madden speculating that Steve Boras may actually let Drew go unsigned past Opening Day. bluff? It seems like he'd only _lose_ value (unless they're gambling on an injury) as teams get through Spring Training and make decisions and plans for the roster without him. Yeah, maybe Boras is figuring that if Ruben Tejada, for example, has an awful spring, the Mets may become more desperate. (Or the same with the Red Sox and their young phenom, whatever his name is.) And if that doesn't come to pass, then maybe some other team will discover a weakness at shortstop (or perhaps second or third base?) and suddenly become interested. It's definitely a gamble. But Boras has maneuvered his client into a bad spot.

Bill Madden speculating that Steve Boras may actually let Drew go unsigned past Opening Day.

There seems to be some buzz that the Pirates and/or Orioles may have revived their earlier interest in Ike Davis.

I saw him interviewed on Mets Hot Stove. He says the nickname comes from the similarity between "Syndergaard" and "Asgard".