Tigers end 2011 by posting their best season ever
Written By Detroit
Tigers end 2011 by posting their best season ever
10/28/2011.
The Tigers finished 2011 with a 91-75 record, the best in franchise history, but pitching continues to keep them from post-season play. A higher payroll ($16MM higher than in 2010), combined with management’s desire to keep ticket prices reasonable, will result in a net loss of under $1MM. Management does not consider this loss is not considered to be significant and in fact expected it if the team failed to make the play-offs.
Hitting is the team’s strong suit and represents the foundation from which to build. The Tigers .306 batting average led the majors, dominating the American League’s leader board in the category with M. Vanni’s .375 leading the league as well as the majors, followed by D. Boyter (.358) and D. Kelly (.350). Other Tigers in the leader’s boards include D. Boyter (#2 in RBIs with 159), J. Pruitt (#3 in RBIs with 154) and D. Brown (#3 in runs with 137). As a team, Detroit was 2nd in homers with 229 and 1st in runs with 1074. No major changes in the lineup are expected for 2012, with the only question mark being who the starting first-baseman will be, with the competition focusing on Ruben Olguin, Patrick Baran and Lucien Fajardo. Baran had an opportunity to nail down the job this year, but hit a very light .195 in 329 at bats, and although management is very high on him as their future 1B, he will need to show them something in the spring in order to get a second chance.
Pitching was the spoiler once again, as the club ranked 24th in ERA at 5.54 and 23rd in runs, allowing 970. Thankfully they were stingy with the walks, giving up only 521 (6th best in the majors). The bright spots in the pitching staff were occupied by rookie closer Carl Woolfolk, whose 18 saves and 90% effectiveness, combined with a 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP will secure his position as closer for next season, and starter Jeremy Johnson who posted an 18-7 record with a 3.43 ERA and 1.13 WHIP while striking out 168 and giving up only 35 walks. That means that only two out of the twelve projected pitching jobs are secure for 2012. The Tigers’ minor league system (now ranked 5th) has started to produce several noteworthy young arms that could play major roles in the near future, with starters Bruce Harrison almost certain to get the call and Amador Escalera having a better than 50% chance of making his major league debut up in 2012. Highly regarded 19 year-old starter Carlos Mercado is considered to be still a year or two away, but expected to develop well enough to claim a job in the rotation in 2013. Among the hitters in the minors, 18 year-old outfielder Chevy Threet is expected to develop into a possible perennial All-Star, as most scouts say that he already has the necessary abilities to play at a higher level, but GM Hernandez does not want to rush him through the system.
Let's Play Two!
Written By NewYorkN
Well, almost... 17 innings, 15 pitchers used in total, 6.5 hours, and you have the Saturday night thriller in Montreal. With Florida beating the home team 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, some nice small ball allowed Montreal to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Florida brought in its shaky closer Justin Maureau (64.1 save %), but rookie George Raabe kept the Spos in wildcard contention with a single. Bunting specialist Chris Stewart came in to pinch hit and did his job by moving the pinch runner Thissen to second. At that point, the Spos bench showed their prowess as Matt Cepicky and his 10 hits in 23 pinch hit at bats (.435 average) came to the plate and doubled in Thissen to tie the game. However, that was the end of the scoring until the 17th inning. Florida had almost scored some go-ahead runs in the top of the 17th when they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, but Florida's centerfielder Bruce Holland and his .184 average could not bring them in. Then the Expos made it worth the wait for the fans who remained as Chris Stewart, who stayed in at catcher, singled in another Montreal rookie outfielder, Ramon Valero, for the winning run.
As the season winds down to a sprint, rather than a marathon, this win is very important to Montreal and they earned it.
Pitching is still a Tiger killer.
Written By Detroit
Pitching is still a Tiger killer.
8/16/11.
True to form, the Tigers are a force to be reckoned with offensively, but nearly as helpless as a newborn when they take their turn on the field.
Offensively, Detroit ranks 1st in the majors in batting average with a red-hot .303 and 1st in runs scored with 793. Catcher Mike Vanni, left-fielder Daniel Boyter and third-baseman Don Kelly are 1-2-3 in average in the American League, Boyter being 3rd in OPS (1.024) and 2nd in RBIs (118) as well, and Dee Brown 2nd in runs scored with 100. Only Kevin Youkilis and Patrick Baran are hitting below .274 among all starters in the Motor City. Second-baseman Joseph Pruitt continues to put up great numbers as he is hitting .327 with 36 homers and 109 runs batted in. Even the bench has made solid contributions, with catcher Tom Banks hitting .342 in 79 at-bats and 1B Ruben Olguin slamming 10 homers and producing 44 RBIs in 238 at-bats.
Fielding has improved as well, with the Tigers ranking 6th in fielding with a .983 average, although lagging behind in turning the double play, currently ranked 19th with only 101, possibly due in part to SS Angel Berroa’s 13 errors.
There is little to rejoice about as far as the team’s pitching is concerned. Other than Jeremy Johnson who is 13-6 with a 3.51 ERA and rookie closer Carl Woolfolk who has a 2.88 ERA and 11 saves (92%) in 25 innings of work, there are no starters or relievers with an ERA under 4.93.
The Tigers’ future staff is in the minors right now, as the team hopes to develop young starters Bruce Harrison, Arturo Castro, Amador Escalera and Wallace Courson as the core of their rotation for 2012 and beyond, while expecting Corey Stuart and Alexander Coger to bring some much needed help to their bullpen. For now, for Detroit to make a run at the wild card they will need to either score more runs yet or get the best performances ever from their pitching staff.
The first move towards that end was made today as Ugeth Urbina was designated for assignment and placed on waivers. He will be demoted to AAA if unclaimed and replaced in the pen by Stuart. It is very likely that the team will bring up some of their promising young hurlers when the rosters expand in two weeks if they feel that they still have a chance to make it to the play-offs at that point.
Reds Shock SG World At The Trading Deadline
Written By Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Reds, long mired in mediocrity, apparently decided enough was enough this year at the trade deadline. Initially just looking to bolster their offense with a single acquisition, to back up their number one rated pitching staff, some opportunities came their way, and on the final day of trading, the Reds GM (often criticized for his inaction in past seasons) managed to snag the leading HR hitters in both the AL and the NL, Juan Callen and former farmhand Wily Mo Pena (who we had traded, of all places, to San Diego seven years ago).
On top of this, the Reds GM actually still managed to bolster the bullpen (the weak point of the pitching staff) and amazingly did all this while lowering payroll -- mainly by including some bad salary contracts in the various trades. This lowered payroll (and increased attendance) should help in resigning a few of the players. Juan Callen has already asked wonder-kid agent Scott Boras Jr. to sit down with the Reds front office and work on the outlines of a new contract. Fan favorite and lifetime Reds outfielder Austin Kearns' new contract is also a priority.
The new players immediately made their presence felt. Juan Callen homered in his first game (against, of all people, former Reds staff ace, but more recently relegated to the minors, Jose Acevedo -- who was traded to San Diego as part of the Pena deal) and was named to his first (of many) NL Player of the Week awards. Pena also got off on the right foot, batting .316 in the four hole behind Callen.
Callen's presence hasn't just excited the crowd, allowing the Reds to sell out every game since his arrival, but also some of the younger players on the team. Callen has been seen talking extensively to new protege Samuel Fruge, who apparently took the advice to heart, blasting four home runs in the first week of August -- the same amount he hit in June and July combined. Of course, hitting in the two-hole in front of Callen obviously didn't hurt.
With so much new attention and excitement surrounding the Reds, the "sour grapes" response from trading partner San Diego, whose trainer (the long discredited juicer, Jose Canseco) has accused both Pena and Callen of taking steroids, has been mostly ignored -- by the players, the fans and the media alike. Pena shook off a question while noting that steroids are from a long gone era. Callen, not always known for being friendly to the media, simply laughed and modeled his 6'2", 190 lb frame and noted that if he were taking steroids, just imagine how scrawny he'd be without them.
Canseco Says Pena Used Steroids
Written By SanDiego
San Diego Padres strength & conditioning coach Jose Canseco says that OF Wily Mo Pena-traded yesterday to the Reds-was using steroids and that is the reason for his spectacular season. "He was using. I personally saw him do it. I didn't inject him, I didn't supply him, but he was doing it.". Canseco called for Pena to be tested-and suspended-immediately. Pena will face the Padres in his first game as a member of the Reds. Canseco also called for the testing of 1B Juan Callen-also acquired yesterday by the Reds. "How can anybody honestly think he's not using? The guy has great power, he's shown that in the past. I don't know if he was using in the past or not. But the guy has 60 home runs at the trade deadline. If that doesn't set off the alarms in someones head, something is seriously wrong with them. I just don't see how it is possible that he's not using."
Braves On Top
Written By Atlanta
The Braves entered the week before the amateur draft 19 games above .500 and in first place in the NL East by four games. While many GMs would stand pat, Moore pulled the trigger on a trade with the Tigers today.
Atlanta traded away hot pitching prospect Carl Woolfolk and reserve 3B Miguel Garcia to the Tigers for promising 2B prospect James Rothermel and OF Jerry Owens.
When asked about the trade, Moore said he was looking to ship in extra arm in the pen to get in extra outfielder to boost the depth of his bench. This trade gave him a promising second baseman who could turn double plays with SS Brendan Griffith for many years to come. Moore also explained that with the current payroll, he would only have around 4 million for next year's off season signings, by trading Garcia this gave him another $3 million in cap room.
Moore said he had no other trade talks in the works, but didn't rule out any deadline deals if needed. We'll keep you updated on any breaking news!
Orioles News
Written By Baltimore
Redman Released, Young Sent To Ottawa
MR Mark Redman(0-1, 9.22 in 5 appearances) has been released, and SP Jason Young(0-3, 13.19 in 4 starts) was sent to Ottawa. MR Nick Neugebauer was designated for assignment pending approval of the trade with San Diego. MR Jesus Colome(1-1, 3.66 in 11 appearances at AAA Ottawa), SP Mike Maroth(4-1, 2.86 in 5 starts at AAA Ottawa), and C Surou Toju(.407-3-7 in 54 at-bats at AAA Ottawa) have been recalled to fill the roster spots.
Maroth Pitchers Shutout
Mike Maroth lost 23 games last year, and didn't make the club out of spring training this year. He pitched well at AAA Ottawa, and was called up when Jason Young was sent down. What happened next, nobody could have predicted. In his first start against Seattle, Maroth pitched a 5 hit shutout. The Orioles certainly hope he can keep it up.
Fogg Suffers Back Injury
Closer Josh Fogg will miss 5 weeks with a strained back. He was placed on the 15-day DL. Newly acquired MR Dave Maurer will take his spot on the roster, and Theodore Bolds will step in as closer. Fogg has saved just 3 out of 6 opportunities.
Orioles Bench Reyes
The Orioles annonced that struggling SS Jose Reyes(.236-4-8, 12 sb) has, at least temporarily, lost his starting job. 2B Freddy Guzman(.335-2-17, 17 sb) will move to shortstop, a position he isn't really familiar with. In an effort to get more offense into the lineup, Edgardo Alfonzo(.340-1-7) will step in at second base.
Drays 2011
Written By TampaBay
The DRays are coming into the year as the defending world champions and are trying to prove that it was no fluke by going back to back in the 2011 season. They will have a tough time as perennial winners Oakland, Anaheim, and Minnesota along with some other good teams like Boston and Cleveland, will be looking to take that away from the AL side, and I am sure the Mets and Dodgers will give it a good shot from the NL side. Let's hope we can hold off these teams to give the franchise another championship.
The offense will once again be playing the small ball game, as we now have two bon-a-fide leadoff hitters, in Goss and Gathright, that can each steal 80+ bags a year. Spurlin and Perez will once again be the meat of the order driving in the bulk of the runs and creating the most offense. Huff, Kennedy, Sweeney, Valderamma, Guzman, and Dubois round out what, again, is one of the best lineups from top to bottom in the entire league.
The pitching staff will once again be anchored by Hudson. Some say that he is getting old and is slowing down, but his control is and overall play is still some of the best in the league. With the acquisitions of Hodges, Marte and Dotel the bullpen is looking strong again to help shut the door on any potential rallies. Young guns like Wylie, Wanamaker and Switzer have come up through the organization and are making themselves known throughout the league. We can only wait and see if the big salaries given to Rheinecker and Seay will give them a good boost to keep pitching the way that they have been.
So far it seems to be a good start to another fine season of DRays baseball, but we can only wait and see as to what the year holds for the 3 time defending AL East and SG World Series Champs. Until then, lets go over to Pats and get some cheesesteaks as we reflect on a great team and a great run that brought us that championship last year. Go DRays!!
Rejuvenated Braves
Written By Atlanta
Atlanta has a new GM for the 2011 season, his name is Kyle Moore and boy does he have plans to shake up the Braves. "This organization has always had a storied history and such a strong will to win. I expect that during my tenure and I hope we can bring many more World Series championships in the future to Atlanta." Moore said while adressing the local media yesterday.
"Now I will make no bones about it, we have a lot of work to do. The NL East is such a tough division, and winning it will be our first goal we'll need to accomplish to become relevent again."
Moore was certainly busy during the offseason signing such vetern talents as: power hitting first baseman Carlos Pena, left handed starter Craig Anderson, catcher Eli Whiteside and resigned second baseman D'Angleo Jimenez. "I was just looking to fill some much needed holes and get the best talent our there. At the same time I wanted to set us up to have a very relevent team for many years to come" Moore stuck with that philosophy by signing young short-stop Brendan Griffith which sent Jose Morban to bench duties.
But the thing Moore is most excited about is the future. "We have some great young talent in the bullpen and some nice young starters to draw from. Mark Frish and Christopher Poulos are both in their mid-twenties."
Moore is also secretly giddy about having the #1 overall pick in this years rookie draft. While he hasn't pubically announced who'd they'd be drafting on June 1st, most bet it will be 17 year old phenom Alejandro Way. When asked about "Pinche," the new general manger had this to say, "Any team would be lucky to have this kid. He is going to be a star in the future. Anyone who can give you 7-8 inninngs, throw 100 MPH, and be relativley injury free is going to be an asset to anyone."
Time will tell if Moore's plan to rebuild the Braves will work. Until then we will keep you updated on all the latest out of the Braves locker room.
Arizona ready to roll in 2011
Written By Arizona
After falling short in the final weeks the last two years, the Arizona Diamondbacks were very active in the free agent market. We think we've improved out anemic offense and fully expect to be playing in October this year.
FA additions include:
Jason Isringhausen - adds depth and experience to the bullpen
Matt Lecroy - will platoon at catcher. He is tough on lefties
Mark Derosa - A sold SS that can also hit.
Eric Byrnes - A solid outfielder that will deliver an .800 OPS
Of course, it'll help if we can avoid injuries. We got crushed by season ending injuries last year.
Have the Tigers found the last piece of the puzzle?
Written By Detroit
Have the Tigers found the last piece of the puzzle?
2/28/2011.
There were two items on the Tigers shopping list this off-season: a quality starter, preferably a lefty, and a quality reliever. The first item was found when Detroit signed lefty starter Bud Smith to a 4 year deal at $7.7MM per, but the quest for a reliever still went unfulfilled.
This year’s rotation will have Bud Smith (15-10, 3.22 ERA), Jeremy Smith (12-3, 3.00 out of the pen last year), Mark Bynum (13-7, 4.08), Terry Buchholz (10-18, 4.27) and Jeremy Johnson (7-12, 5.11). Johnson had a surprisingly weak season in 2010 but the team’s staff expects him to make a strong comeback this season and finally live up to his potential. Dennis Dove (3.64 ERA in 96 IP) will set-up for Ugeth Urbina (36 saves, 77% efficiency), while Steve Colyer, Ken Baugh (3.75 in 69 IP) and converted starters Ron Jensen and Gil Meche round out the bullpen. “This is a better balanced pitching staff with several lefties to work with, and the additions of Meche and Jensen to the pen will help us keep things much tighter than we did last year”, said GM Oscar Hernandez. In 2010, the Tigers were 23rd in team ERA and 19th in runs allowed, and they will need to improve in both departments in order to vie for a play-off spot.
Hitting is the one area that Detroit’s management likes to talk about, since the team was 5th in average (.275) and 13th in runs (756), and did this without the help of their star second baseman Joe Pruitt, who was sidelined for the last couple of months of the season. Pruitt, catcher Mike Vanni and left-fielder Daniel Boyter will be the core of the Tigers’ lineup and need to have typically strong seasons in order for the team to score runs as well as it did last year. Ruben Olguin and Lucio Fajardo will share duties at first-base, with Angel Berroa at short and Mike Kelly at third. Jerry Owens, Dee Brown and Ruben Mateo will share duties at center and right field. Catcher Tom Banks, infielders Kevin Youkilis and Bill Williams and outfielder Pedro Covarubias will be on the bench and provide depth.
After a season which saw Detroit post an $18MM profit, the team has added $14MM to their payroll, bringing it up to nearly $60MM (18th in the majors). While this is not outrageously high, it does represent a gamble by management in the hope that finally Detroit will see baseball in October.
Texas Rangers Name Joel Skinner Manager
Written By Texas
The Rangers have named former Cleveland Indians interim manager Joel Skinner as their new field general. The rest of the staff will return. Skinner spent several years as a major league catcher, mostly as a backup, before becoming a coach and, way too briefly, a manager.
Devil Rays are 2010 World Champions
Written By TampaBay
It is one happy day in Tampa Bay as the Devil Rays have done it!! The DRays are the SG 2010 World Champions, finishing off one of the best and most exciting post season runs by any team, using all 19 possible games to win the whole thing. Even with our two big guys, Hudson and Spurlin, playing well below their usual level, we managed to pull off the impossible and bring the once laughing stock of the entire league to the pinnacle of all baseball.
We beat the team with the best record, Oakland, in the Divisional Series 3 games to 2, then beating their inter-divisional foes and another very good team, the Angels. We had to come back from 3 games to 2 to take the series and move on to the World Series for the 2nd time in 3 years. We then went up against the Mets and their good pitching staff. scoring 38 runs in games 2 and 3, it looked as though the DRays may have a stranglehold on the series with the next two games being at home. Alas, the Mets won the next two and we were set to wonder if we would have a shot at all with the series going back to New York. All looked lost when the Mets took a 3-0 lead into the top of the 6th inning in Game 6, but then ... POW!! A 9 run inning, with 7 hits, 3 walks with NO home runs. The 7th game brought more dramatics, going into the 9th inning the game is all tied up when SS - C. Guzman hits a solo home run to give the DRays a 6-5 lead. Then Izzy came in and shut the door and gave us the win.
2B - M. Derosa & CF - M. Goss will share the Post-season MVP Honors. Together they went 53 for 153 for a .346 BA, with 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR's, 26 RBI's, 29 Runs, and 16 SB's. Goss alone had 14 SB's in 19 games. "They gave the team that good 1-2 punch in the beginning of the order the team needed to help us win the whole thing", said Manager Fiala, "This team and organization has gone through alot of low years and rebuilding and to bring them a championship that is more than well deserved, is just a great feeling of triumph and a huge load of relief".
As per their promise, Pat's Cheesesteak's gave away thousands upon thousands of free cheesesteaks to the many fans that packed the stadium to watch game 7 via the jumbo screen. The organization would like to thank all the fans and everybody that made this possible. Let's go grab another cheesesteak and talk about the great season the 2010 World Champion Devil Rays had!!
Orioles Name New Manager
Written By Baltimore
The Baltimore Orioles today announced their new manager. Replacing Cal Ripken Jr. will be former big league catcher Benito Santiago. Santiago was a player for GM Nathan Jones' team in San Francisco, and he is expected to bring a new level of intensity to the Orioles. Joining Santiago's staff will be hitting coach Andres Galarraga and pitching coach Jose Rijo. The rest of the staff will remain intact.
"It is an honor to be named manager of the Orioles. For the past several years I have thought about being a manager. I did not expect this opportunity to come so soon. I want to thank Mr. Jones for this opportunity and I will not let him down" said Santiago. His first priority? "We need to pick up the intensity and bear down. We have to find a leader for this team. Somebody has to step up. I believe that the catcher should be in charge of the team, if nobody that is here can be the leader we need to find someone who can."
THE ULISES MENDOZA MEMORIAL SERIES
Written By NewYorkN
"In Memoriam: Ulises" was the slogan taped to every locker in the Mets clubhouse by 102 year old manager Art Howe. It was 4 seasons ago that the Mets top pitching prospect was taken in the Rule V draft fresh off a single A season by the dreadful Pirates. The Mets organization quickly cried vengeance, protested to the league office to no avail, and began a war against the Pittsville Pirates that would last to this very day.
"I still remember that kid. His youthful smile. His love for the game," Howe said to reporters on the eve of the 2010 NL championship series. After four seasons, the Mets finally get their chance for revenge against the buccanerds. And after taking this season's series 4-2 against the Pie-rats, the Mets are feeling confident.
Game 1 will see Aaron Heilman get the start and the long time Met starter (his 223 starts were all in a Mets uniform) remembers Ulises fondly. "I was his mentor. Now he is alone. Damn them! Damn them all to hell!" Heilman exclaimed. Heilman has reason to be angry, ever since that fateful day, Mendoza has steadily declined in ability and potential. At 26 years of age, he is now floundering in the White Sox minors.
So this NL Championship series will not only be about reaching the World Series, but it will also truly be a memoriam for Ulises Mendoza.
Injuries Threaten To Derail Reds Comeback...
Written By Cincinnati
After a year of mediocrity, with occasional glimpses of brilliance, the Reds looked like they had a chance to close in on the Wild Card at the beginning of September. However, on the 9th, seeming disaster struck, when ace Aaron Harang ruptured his tricep tendon, knocking him out for 5 weeks, meaning he might (if he's lucky) be back for the World Series.
The team, though, fed off of the adversity, and began closing the gap with Milwaukee, winning 3 of 4 in a head to head battle. However, on the 19th, more disaster struck. Trying to rest up some players heading into the playoffs, manager Pete "You Can Bet On It!" Rose decided to rest the team's leading slugger and star shortstop Samuel Fruge. Sturdy backup Ray Olmedo started instead, only to tear an abdominal muscle while running the bases. Fruge was forced to come into the game, only to rupture his tricep in the SAME game.
Both will not be back this season and are unlikely to be available for the post season.
So, with both their best pitcher and best hitter (and his backup) out for the count, the Reds have fired their trainer, Greg Anderson, and will be replacing him with Bob Alejo.
The Reds have brought up career minor leauger Hector Tiburcio, who had a great year in AAA at age 29. While mostly known for his stellar defense at all four infield positions, Tiburcio surprised the AAA by hitting .315, smacking 29 homers and driving in 85 runs.
With the Reds just one game out from the wild card race, and facing chief rival Milwaukee for the final four games of the season, Reds mgmt is hoping that the Tiburcio magic can carry itself over into the major leagues. While the team claims they can carry on, the site of Fruge and Harang, both with their triceps wrapped up tightly has to be a distressing sight for the team.
Test ..
Written By Cleveland
Test ... Test .. Test ..
Sorry, just had to do that! :-)
Mets On the Way to Third Consecutive NL East Win
Written By NewYorkN
Well, the early part of the millenium looked at times like the early 1960s for Mets fans. Fortunately, the Amazin's have been nothing short of Amazin' since 2008, with two first place finishes, a division series win and a world series win under their belts. Now the Mets are poised to win the NL East pennant for the third time in a row, and look to do more damage in the playoffs.
Much is the same from last year's team. The only positional players who were not here last year are 2B Daniel Holmes and utility man Angel Sanchez. Also to note are an outfield corps that sees both the 2008 and 2009 rookie of the year winners, Eric Duncan and Juan Valdes. However, Juan Valdes has hit a bad sophomore slump, despite stealing 23 bases so far, he has only hit .248 and lost his job to Eric Duncan. Eric Duncan has had his own troubled in his short career, with a torn back muscle that sidelined him last year early on. But he has returned to his old form, albeit with less power, and the Seton Hall Prep grad has maintained a fan favorite status at Shea.
Ichiro has also been a fan favorite at Shea and the Mets have just signed a surprising 4 year extension with the native son.
However, after this year there are many changes in store for the Mets. Craig Brazell, who has manned 1B at Shea since 2005, has not agreed to any extension offers from the Mets and negotiations have reached an impasse. The Mets feel okay about letting him reach the open market and trying their chances there, however.
Also looking to depart is 2006 Rule V Draftee Fehlandt Lentini, who is having an amazing walk year hitting .333. However, the Mets would rather pay him as the .282 hitter he was in 2009.
As if these weren't enough, All-Star starter Rob Henkel, the staff's only lefty, and the Mets have been unable to come to an agreement. This will be the biggest blow to the Mets. "We generally like to keep stability with our club. Scutaro and our closer Grant Roberts have both been here since 2002! So this saddens me deeply," the Mets' GM said to reporters.
Other changes are surely ahead for this team that has been together for quite a few years, but for now they are content on another succesful season and a defense of their champion status.