What's with Lennon and the 11AM chats? A few nuggets from today's chat. [Comment From Bill] David, great job covering the Mets for us Mets fans. You think they will keep Santos and find a way to dump either Schneider or Castro? 11:04 Thanks Bill. I'm starting to think that's a real possibility. The front office is not a big fan of either Schneider or Castro, and Manuel has really been talking up Santos. I think they will option Santos back to Buffalo if Schneider is ready to return this weekend. But if Schneider falters, the Mets may have to dump either him or Castro to keep Santos on the roster. It's a possibility. [Comment From Tom] Hi Dave. On the radio it's been mentioned that David Wright, who is viewed as the future captain of this team, cannot openly take charge and lead in the locker room because he still defers to Carlos Delgado when push comes to shove. Is this true and if so, do you think that needs to change for this team to succeed? 11:13 Hey Tom - No, I don't think that's true. I talked to Wright about that in spring training and he said he was not intimidated by anyone in the clubhouse. He's fine with calling people out when necessary. Plus, right now, Wright is not playing well enough to take the reins of this team. He has his own issues to work out at the plate. When that happens, it can be tough for players to look at the big picture. Wright should be captain of this team at some point -- and maybe it won't happen until Delgado's contract runs out at the end of this season. But I don't believe Wright defers to him. [Comment From Sam] How long can the Mets afford to let Daniel Murphy stumble around in left field? At some point, do they have to send him down to the minors to actually learn to play the position, or maybe a different position? 11:17 Hey Sam -- the Mets can't afford to have Murphy make one spectacular misplay per game. It just can't happen at this level. But I'm not sure what the breaking point is yet. Honestly, I think they're a better team with Tatis in LF and Castillo batting second. It just makes more sense. Tatis is no great defender, but he's a significant upgrade from Murphy. That's their best lineup, in my opinion. [Comment From Neil Best] Why are the lines at the Shake Shack longer than in other locations? 11:22 Ladies and Gentlemen ... Neil Best! I'm flattered if this is really you Neil and not some WatchDog imposter. As for the lines, I think Shake Shack -- like its Bryant Park location -- benefits from the hype. The burgers are phenomenal. But when it comes to bang for your buck, I favor the Taco Combo ($9.50) at El Verano Taqueria, which is directly across from Shake Shack. Much shorter lines, a brief wait and THREE different tacos with three different salsas. They even give you a fresh lime to squirt on them. [Comment From Tom] The Mets built Citi Field to be a park that rewards speed, pitching and defense. Why? This team is noticeably deficient in all these areas. 11:36 Well put, Tom. The Mets wanted to make Citi a pitcher's park like Shea and they've succeeded at that. They may need to make more alterations to their roster to take full advantage, however. Having Beltran in CF is a good start, but it's obvious they need to keep Church out there too. Otherwise, it's been a challenge for Murphy. I do believe the Mets can be a good gap-hitting team. They just haven't shown it yet. [Comment From Mitch] Love Daniel Murphy but I think it's time for him to go to AAA and learn how to play LF. Remember when veterans asked if team was "really trying" during Greg Jefferies 2B conversion? Although it appears that team likes/respects Murphy, it's hard to keep playing him with Tatis, Shef, and even Jeremy Reed all on the bench. 11:48 I agree Mitch. But I'm not sure Murphy will ever be a "good" leftfielder. No one works harder than Murphy. He's out there every day before every game. But that doesn't mean he can become something he's not. Maybe he just can't be a solid reliable defender, even if he does go to Buffalo. I think Tatis should be playing there.
