12/18/13

The LTJ Report: Donate Coats for Mets Coat Drive, Colon becomes our new SP4, and why Wheeler is going for HARVEY-like numbers in 2014

The LTJ Report
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

If you are able to donate some old/still usable coats on Wednesday, December 18th, 2013 at Citi Field from 9:00am – 5:00pm EST I'm sure the New York Mets will be extremely grateful. Living in New York is brutally colder when you are less fortunate and don't have a coat, so if you are able to, please do so! You can donate them at the Mets Team Store inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. As a treat, you will get a voucher for two free tickets to a Mets home game in 2014. You will also get a coupon for a 15% discount off regularly priced merchandise in the Mets Team Store for that day only. Also note, if you attend between 11:00am – 11:30am EST, both Starting Pitcher Zack Wheeler and Second Baseman Daniel Murphy will be on hand to greet and thank fans!

I was very happy to hear that the Mets were able to bring in Starting Pitcher Bartolo Colon to the team on a reasonable deal. He was offered and accepted a two-year/$20 million deal and effectively becomes our fourth Starting Pitcher in our rotation. Confirmed for the most part are Wheeler, Gee, Niese, and now Colon. I'd like to see maybe Mejia get that 5th spot but I still see the Mets grabbing one more veteran arm to throw in there as he continues to develop and come back from injury. Mejia had some bone spurs removed from his throwing elbow, so if anything, he should come back better. Another big reason why Colon makes sense is because his experience of over 15 years in baseball will help give the younger pitchers around him some invaluable advice in pitching. Overall, nice acquisition.

You know a starting pitcher has a good head on his shoulders when all he wants to do is prepare ahead of everyone else before deadlines hit. Wheeler stated that he plans to be in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday February 5th, 2014, ten days before pitchers/catchers report. I love his mentality and willingness to start preparing because now, the spotlight will be on him since Starting Pitcher Matt Harvey will be out for most of if not all of the 2014 season. I've always believed that the early bird gets the worm, and now, he can focus on making us all not miss Harvey too much in 2014. I predict he will have a breakthrough season, I'm sure Harvey will be chiming in his ear to make him continue his progression.


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