The Mets fell to the Tigers on Saturday in Lakeland, FL, by a 7-2 final. Angel Pagan was one of the few bright spots for the Amazins, reaching base 3 times, stealing a base, and scoring one of their runs. The 27 year old switch hitting outfielder appears to be a long shot to make the club, despite having some success last year before he injured his left shoulder. Pagan faces competition from Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed - whom the Mets acquired in the J.J. Putz trade - among others. David Lennon actually thinks Pagan is the favorite for the fifth outfield spot, although - as much as I like Pagan and his strength from the right side of the plate - it’s hard to get too worked up over the battle to be the #5 outfielder.
Photo from SportingNews.com. AP Photo.
Not to get into the whole Santana/WBC thing again (ref our thoughts on Marty Noble’s report), but it was interesting to note in Bart Hubbuch’s Mets blog that JS does not agree with pitching coach Dan Warthen’s assertion that prepping for the WBC was the cause of the lefty’s sore elbow… in fact, Santana believes it was Warthen’s “aggressive schedule” that led to the soreness. Personally, I think it’s time for Warthen to shut his pie hole. First, it doesn’t matter what caused the injury, until and unless that plays some role in getting the Met ace healthy. Second, Warthen’s own words - “speculation” jumps out - suggests that he doesn’t have anything concrete to offer to support his claim. Third and most importantly, there are 135+ (as in $MM) reasons the Mets are going to side with Santana over the coach.
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Tags: angel pagan, Grapefruit League, johan santana, Mets