A pleasant good Monday to you, the last one in 2014. Here’s some news and notes to get your abridged workweek started.
A picture went viral on Twitter showing that Las Vegas has the Mets at 12:1 odds to win the World Series in 2015. On one hand, those odds are probably skewed low by too many people betting on the Mets to win, while on the other hand, it’s really cool to see the team raked highly by Vegas for the first time in what seems like forever.
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro has gotten himself into a good bit of trouble, and has been arrested in connection with a night club shooting in the Dominican Republic that left six people injured. The arrest comes three weeks after Castro was cleared in a previous night club shooting.
Lewie Pollis penned a great piece of research originally behind the Baseball Prospectus paywall that was also published by Fox Sports about MLB Salary Inflation. If you’re interested in the business side of baseball and haven’t already, this piece is highly recommended.
Mets don’t need a bad character like Castro.
And you know what, Flores might even out hit him. 280, 15 homers, and 80 RBI is a good possibility.
I think that might be a career year for Flores. He’s really only ever shown consistent power in Vegas, so I’m still hesitant to expect 15 dingers. I can see .270 and 65 RBI though.
Carrying a firearm in D.R. is not a rarity. It’s the norm. So maybe he should just try to stay home a little more often?
I used to be on the Castro to the Mets bandwagon, but I’m fine sticking with Flores, and glad to see the Vegas odds. Still not sold on the Mets winning the World Series, but I definitely see them competing for a Wild Card spot, and possibly the division.
I’m with you James. The bull pen shouldn’t be a disaster like it has been for the last few years. Imagine how many leads will become wins this coming season instead of blown opportunities? No more over-the-hill reclamation projects like Farnsworth or Valverde to worry about. I think if Wright and Cuddyer can stay healthy this team can be competitive day in and day out. What a different attitude already!