Aaron Heilman is really trying to be quite the stud these days. He's managed to rack up 2 Ass of the Day awards in a week. Really quite the accomplishment. The sight of Heilman jogging in from the bullpen makes me physically nauscous now. And Co-Ass of the Day award goes to Willie Randolph who just looks like a complete ass trying to manage this bullpen.

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The New York Mets won yet another Opening Day contest, defeating the Florida Marlins 7-2.

Good: Where to start? Johan Santana pitched like an ace, giving up two runs and striking out eight in seven strong innings. David Wright began his 2008 MVP campaign by going 2-4 with a walk and 3 RBI. All of Wright's RBI came on a two-out base hit int he fourth. Jose Reyes also came through with a clutch two-out base hit that brought home a run. You have to like how Aaron Heilman looked in the ninth, as well. Heilman sat the Marlins down in order, striking out two in the process.

Bad: Not much. Santana gave up a two-run home run, something that Mets fans may just have to get used to. Face it. Johan gives up the long ball. The bullpen created a Maalox moment in the eighth but didn't give up a run thanks to Jorge Sosa.

Ugly: Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider. Neither had a hit on Opening Day but it really didn't matter. It's always nice when you have to be picky in this portion of the post.

Overall: This is what you like to see. Strong starting pitching, two-out base hits that drive runs home and a bullpen that doesn't give anything up. Every Mets fan is happy with this contest and it's especially nice to beat the Marlins after the final series of the '07 season.

Grade: A
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With pitchers and catchers reporting yesterday, baseball season is finally officially here. The Mets had somewhat of a lazy off season until the Santana trade, so while most of the 2007 Mets will be returning for 2008, let's clear the board and break down the 2008 New York Mets.

Catcher:

First String: Brian Schneider - Schneider may not be the offensive player that Paul Lo Duca (or even Ramon Castro is for that matter), his .235 average, 33 runs scored, 6 home runs and 55 RBIs doesn't exactly make Mets fans salivate, but he makes up for his hitting ability of the defensive side of the game. Scheider has consistently been one of the best defensive catchers in baseball the last few years. Last year he was 4th in the National League in caught stealing percentage, throwing out 31.2% of would be base stealers. Schneider is a veteran leader, and should fit perfectly in the Mets clubhouse as well.

Second String: Ramon Castro - For all intensive purposes Castro is catcher 1A. Castro is easily one of the most under rated players in the game. In only 144 at bats last season, Castro took advantage of every opportunity, batting .285, scoring 24 runs, launching 11 homers and driving in 31 runs. Assuming an average full time catcher's 400 AB a season pace, Castro was on pace for 66 runs scored, 30 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a .285 batting average to boot. The greatest little known fact about Castro is is AB/HR ratio. Of all players with at least 100 at bats in 2007, Castro had the 10th highest AB/HR ratio in MLB, averaging a home run every 13.09 at bats, which placed him between Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun. Castro should continue to be a clutch backup for the Mets, expect him to start at least 50 games this year, which should give Schneider plenty of rest, keeping him healthy and fresh.
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It's been approximately 24 hours since the Mets officially traded Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. During that time, Mets fans have been hitting the blogosphere voicing their opinions of the trade. It's quite obvious that most Mets fans are not happy with the deal.

Our most recent poll is indicating that about 70% of fans do not like the trade, while only 30% do. Our Facebook poll shows similar results, with 66% percent against the trade, 23% in favor, and 11% indifferent.

From what I can gather from various sources, most fans are more upset that we didn't get a pitcher in return than they are because we traded Milledge. Milledge has attitude problems, everyone knows that, but the fact that we got rid of him and didn't acquire the thing we need the most (a pitcher) in the process, has led to Mets fans questioning if Omar really knows what this team needs.

It was my impression that the Mets were inevitably going to trade Milledge this off season anyway, but I was pretty confident that he would be part of a package deal for a starter, or a straight up deal for a reliever. If neither of those two scenarios worked out, most fans would rather have kept Milledge and hoped for the best.

At the end of the day, the Mets traded a young outfield prospect with little trade value, for an older outfielder with similar numbers, and a third catcher.

But then again, this is Omar Minaya we are talking about, nobody seemed to like the Xavier Nady for Roberto Hernandez deal until "The Jacket" worked his wonders on Oliver Perez. Nor did anyone like the Kris and Anna Benson for Jorge Julio deal, until we met John Maine; so sometimes you never know how these trades are going to work out. We shall wait and see...
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The Mets have officially traded OF Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for OF Ryan Church and C Brian Schneider.

Milledge, who was selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft by the Mets, was always highly touted as a prospect, but was criticized for having attitude problems. This led to him being involved in more trade rumors over the past few years than any other player in the Mets farm system. After numerous rumors this off season which had him involved in trades for Johan Santana or Dan Haren, the Mets have settled for Church and Schneider.

Ryan Church, who got his first chance to play everyday for the Nationals last season, hit .272 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2007, and will likely compete with Carlos Gomez and Endy Chavez to be the every day left fielder for the mets in 2008. (That is of course assuming that Gomez or Church aren't traded before then).

In addition, the Mets also get catcher Brian Schneider who has been the Nationals starting catcher since their days in Montreal. In 2007, the 30 year old Schneider hit .235 with 6 homers and 54 RBIs. Schneider is known however for being a very good defensive catcher.

This deal tells me a few things; first, the Mets, and Mets fans, have seriously overestimated Milledge's value, second, the mets look like they will let Johnny Estrada become arbitration eligible in January and let him go, proving the deal for him was done solely to dump Mota. Third, I get the sense that the A's were never really interested in Milledge, and didn't want him in a potential deal for Dan Haren. Fourth, The Mets didn't have confidence in a Milledge Gomez platoon in left field for 2008.

Personally I'm not all that pleased with this deal, for all the hype Milledge has been getting the last few years, leading to the mets selling Milledge jerseys, and Met fans creating Lastings Milledge "facts" sites, all we end up with is a mediocre offensive catcher and an older outfielder who isn't that much better than Milledge to begin with.

Early indications on the reactions of fans are mixed, we will be running a poll on your opinion of this trade later today.
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