Mejia pissed for a reason: Give him a chance

Give the guy a chance. He had a 4.62 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 2010.

On the heels of our piece on the debate about how the Mets plan to use Jenrry Mejia comes word Mejia is not enthused about the prospect of being called up as a reliever later in the year.

Mejia says he will do whatever the organization wants, according to Steve Popper of the Bergen Record. "I don't know about that," Mejia said. "I want to be a starter. I liked it when I was starting in the big leagues last year. When I pitched in the Dominican [winter league] I was a starter. I come here now [to camp] as a starter. I want to be a starter. But I can't worry. It is what it is. It's the big leagues. I'd like to be a starter, but if they call me I have to be there. It's the big leagues."

Terry Collins plans to send Mejia to Buffalo to open the year as a starter, but allowed for the possibility he could help the Mets later in the year as a starting pitcher or in the bullpen.

A Mets Manager Dies

Joe Frazier, the manager of the Mets in the turbulent period between the tenures of Yogi Berra and Joe Torre, died Tuesday in Broken Arrow, Okla. He was 88 and a longtime Broken Arrow resident.His death was confirmed by the Christian-Gavlik Funeral Home in Broken Arrow.Frazier, who spent almost a half-century in organized baseball, primarily as a right fielder, was chosen to manage the Mets for the 1976 season after successfully leading the Tidewater Tides, the team’s Class AAA affiliate.

The Mets were in decline after World Series appearances in 1969 and 1973. Berra, their popular manager, had been dismissed during the 1975 season.In Frazier’s only full year as manager, the Mets won 86 games and finished third in the East Division of the National League. With a rotation that included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack, the team had excellent pitchers but few good hitters.

Frazier’s ship listed in 1977. The Mets’ owners were unwilling to bid for newly minted free agents, prompting Seaver, Matlack and the slugging outfielder-first baseman Dave Kingman to criticize management.Frazier was fired at the end of May after the Mets won only

15 of their first 45 games. A few weeks later, Seaver and Kingman were traded. Matlack was traded after the season. The Mets finished in last place in 1977 and in the next two years. Attendance fell sharply just as the Yankees turned into a powerhouse.

Frazier was succeeded as manager by Torre and never managed in the majors again.Joseph Filmore Frazier was born Oct. 6, 1922, in Liberty, N.C. He played 17 years in the minor and major leagues, including parts of four seasons with the Indians, the Cardinals, the Reds and the Orioles. He batted .241 with 10 home runs as a major leaguer.He is survived by his wife, Jean; two sons, Joe Jr. and Marty; a daughter, Cindy Means; a sister, Marie Jordan; and six grandchildren.

The All-Over-the-Place Story of Yorvit Torrealba and the Mets

Yorvit Torrealba was signed by the Texas Rangers this winter to be their starting catcher. That was the same plan the New York Mets had for him before failing to finalize a $14.4 million agreement 3½ years ago.With Torrealba in camp with the AL champion Rangers, arbitrator Shyam Das ruled Thursday that the Mets had the right not to complete their three-year agreement with Torrealba in November 2007."I'm not ready to make a comment on that," Torrealba said Friday. "(My agent) told me what's going on. I know I lost the case, but I'm not 100 percent ready to say what happened and what's going on. When I find out more of what happened I'll have no problem talking about it."The agreement signed by the Mets and Torrealba's representative said the deal was subject to a physical that was satisfactory to the Mets. The team concluded it had concerns about his throwing shoulder, which caused him to miss three months of the 2006 season.

Torrealba then re-signed with the Colorado Rockies, getting a $7.25 million, two-year deal. The players' association filed a grievance against the Mets the following April.After the Rockies, Torrealba played in San Diego for $1.25 million last season before signing a $6.25 million, two-year deal with the Rangers to be their starting catcher.Texas manager Ron Washington has already made it clear that the plan is for Torrealba to be the starter. Matt Treanor, who shared catching duties with Bengie Molina the second half of the season, was re-signed this offseason and the Rangers also acquired catcher-first baseman Mike Napoli.Torrealba has been primarily a backup catcher in 669 major league games for San Francisco (2001-05), Seattle (2005), Colorado (2006-09) and the Padres."That was really hard for me the last few years. It's hard because you've got to try to know your pitchers but I only could give my advice on the bench," Torrealba said. "If you're behind the plate you have a different feel for what's working. ... This year, being the guy, I can focus from the get-go."Torrealba hit .271 with seven homers and 37 RBI in 95 games with San Diego last season. He started 89 games, and the Padres were 53-36 in those games with a 3.14 ERA, the lowest to a catcher in the majors since the Los Angeles Dodgers had a 2.73 ERA with Paul Lo Duca behind the plate in 2003.The only time he has appeared in more games than last season was 113 in 2007, when he helped the Rockies reach the World Series. He then became a free agent and reached his deal with the Mets before instead re-signing with Colorado.At Rangers camp, Torrealba is catching two or three pitchers a day and plans to work with the entire staff. He talks to pitchers after workouts to see what their preferences are, and has studied most of the staff on film."Knowing you're going to be the guy gives me more time to get to know them," he said. "It's hard for any backup catcher because, like last year with San Diego, I had a really good idea of what they should do but if you're not playing, they can be like 'OK, OK' or they might listen and then not do it. This makes my job easier and it makes their job easier." (NY Times)

ESPN's Burning Questions

With spring training right around the corner, ESPNNewYork.com looks ahead at five issues facing the Mets.

No. 1: CF: Beltran or Pagan?

No. 2: Hu's on second?

No. 3: Staff sans Santana?

No. 4: Bullpen minus workhorses?

No. 5: How will TC run camp? (2/15)

Is 2011 Going to be a Bullpen Nightmare?

Who will not only match Feliciano's success against National League East left-handed batters, but also duplicate his durability?Those are major questions manager Terry Collins must determine in spring training.Feliciano set franchise records for appearances in three straight years -- 86 in 2008, 88 in 2009 and 92 last season -- while having success against the Phillies' top left-handed hitters. Ryan Howard has a .194 career average against Feliciano. Chase Utley's career average is .222. They have a combined three homers in 72 at-bats."When you've had a guy that's pitched in 90 games two or three or four years in a row, do we have that kind of a guy? I hope so," Collins said. "I really hope that he's in this camp. And Takahashi obviously did a great job coming out of the bullpen last year."In terms of getting the ball to K-Rod, Collins foresees a one-two punch of right-handers D.J. Carrasco and Bobby Parnell.Carrasco, who went a combined 3-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 63 relief appearances with the Pirates and Diamondbacks last season, received the only multiyear deal given to a free agent by general manager Sandy Alderson during the offseason -- two years, $2.4 million.Parnell opened last season at Triple-A Buffalo, received a June call-up and ultimately.

"I've talked to Bobby already," Collins said. "Carrasco is going to get us to him. He's going to get us to K-Rod."As for who will retire the division's lefty hitters, Collins said having a specific lefty-on-lefty specialist is overrated. Still, the Mets signed a pair of left-handers to minor league deals: ex-Marlin Taylor Tankersley and ex-Astro Tim Byrdak. Tankersley has held lefty batters to a .223 average over parts of four major league seasons. Byrdak has held lefty batters to a .202 average over nine major league seasons.Collins also advised not to discount former Nationals left-hander Mike O'Connor, who spent last season entirely with Triple-A Buffalo."What I saw last year in Triple-A, all he did was get people out," Collins said of O'Connor. "He's got a little different delivery and throws all of his pitches for strikes. We're going to give him a shot."Added third baseman David Wright: "I think sometimes it gets a little overrated as far as the matchups go with lefty-lefty, righty-righty. If you've got a righty that can go out there and get lefties out, I don't think that's too big of a deal. But we've got some lefties that can fill that role as far as going out there and attacking some pretty good left-handed hitters."The biggest thing that people don't mention much is that we still with Frankie [Rodriguez] at the end of that bullpen have got one of the better closers in the league shoring up the ninth. So if we could just bridge that gap and have some guys step up, that's really when you get a good bullpen -- when you get a little mix of those homegrown guys and then go out there and have some hidden gems that you bring into camp."Rodriguez's legal situation stemming from striking his girlfriend's father at Citi Field is resolved, assuming the closer attends mandated weekly anger-management sessions for a year, including during spring training in Florida.The closer made a pair of appearances in the Venezuelan winter league after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, so the biggest question with K-Rod will be whether he finishes 55 games. If Rodriguez reaches that total -- which he achieved five straight seasons before 2010 -- his contract will kick in for $17.5 million for 2012. Otherwise, the Mets owe him a $3.5 million buyout in addition to his $11.5 million salary for this season.

Will the Mets turn it around under new skipper Terry Collins? Spring will be here before you know it! Collins indicated he did not know yet whether the Mets will carry six or seven relievers -- since it directly affects whether the Mets carry five or six bench players. But given teams more often go with seven-man bullpens, and given the Mets' starting rotation might not go deep into games (particularly with Chris Young and Chris Capuano yet to reestablish themselves following surgeries), seven seems like a safer bet.If that's the case, who gets the nods beyond K-Rod, Parnell and Carrasco?Right-hander Taylor Buchholz went 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in nine appearances with the Rockies and Blue Jays last season after missing all of the previous year due to Tommy John surgery. An elite setup man in 2008 with Colorado, he would be logical as a fourth member of the relief corps.Tankersley, Byrdak or O'Connor could emerge as No. 5 and the lefty specialist.In a seven-man 'pen, that leaves room for a long reliever, potentially left-hander Pat Misch, who is out of options and would need to clear waivers to be sent to the minors.And if all that materializes, one spot remains for a large field that includes Rule 5 pick Pedro Beato, Ryota Igarashi (owed $1.75 million in 2011), Manny Acosta, Oliver Perez and the other two left-handers from that specialist competition.The Mets have indicated Jenrry Mejia is poised to open the season in Buffalo's rotation to develop as a starting pitcher."That's what the camp is going to be about -- the competition for those last few spots," Collins said.