Cutnpaste: - Jose Reyes, Mike Baxter, Angel Pagan, Chris Schwinden, J.J. Putz

Here's why I have no problem with what (Jose) Reyes did: SNY, for a little over a month, gave us Jose Reyes Batting Race Updates before and after every single game. Met fans wanted this. It was the only thing to look forward to at the end of another disaster of a season. Everybody who has a personal/professional stake in the Mets wanted this to happen. So when Reyes does something to ensure this happens, he gets killed for it? Met fans turn on him and root for Ryan Braun? Is this serious? I get that people were upset that they couldn't say good-bye to Jose Reyes one final time, but we knew his departure was possible for months now and had plenty of time to cheer for him. And if this was such a big deal, then were was the giant walk-up crowd for tickets? Tell me. - http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2011-articles/september/the-jose-reyes-manifesto.html

Mike Baxter — Baxter slammed his first major league home run in the team's final game of 2011, but that's not what makes his story special. He's a local kid, who grew up in Whitestone and attended Archbishop Molly High School in Queens. He even helped the Stanners win the Catholic High School Athletic Association city title in 2002 at Shea Stadium. Baxter is living proof that dreams do come true. -  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9174449

Alderson did not offer a ringing endorsement of outfielder Angel Pagan, who is a candidate to be non-tendered. After two strong campaigns, Pagan floundered in 2011. His .694 on-base plus slugging percentage was nearly 100 points below his average from 2009-2010. His defense regressed, according to advanced metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating.  Plus, Pagan’s injury woes resurfaced. After completing his first full big-league season in 2010, he played in just in 123 games this year. In all, he left the front office unimpressed. - http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_constant_rash_of_injuries.html

9-30-11: - With the season over for the Mets, (Chris) Schwinden's offseason began Thursday as he flew back home to Visalia. He's been instructed by the New York Mets organization to not play winter ball and was told to rest during the offseason. He said he'll be in contact with the Mets' brass throughout the offseason and will follow the workout plan that he was given by the team's strength coach. "I reached and went over my innings pitched, so they're just going to have me relax and have me prepare for the offseason," he said. "The big thing, though, during the offseason is fine tuning my mechanics and getting my body in shape.  - http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110930/SPORTS/109300333

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks -- The D'backs meteoric rise to the MLB Posteason resulted in a thorn in Mets' fans sides finally being dislodged. With Arizona KOing any chance for the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to repeat, it means this 2011 postseason will be the first since the Collapse of 2007 in which Guillermo Mota will have nothing to do over the next few weeks. Putz didn't exactly win the hearts and minds of the Shea Faithful with an injury-plagued and sub-par tenure, but it was the comments following his departure about his handling by the team's medical staff that finally made the media focus in on what Mets fans knew what a glaring problem under Minaya. That's more than current teammates and Mets expats Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco as well as current D'Backs hitting coach and former Mets bench coach Don Baylor ever contributed, and for that, we thank him. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/30/2459916/a-mets-fans-guide-to-recognizing-your-saints-in-the-2011-mlb-playoffs

I May Be Wrong, But…

1. I sadly hope that Adam Rubin is correct about Angel Pagan leaving. I have enjoyed Pagan during the time he has been a Met, but I’m committed to the 2013-2014 plan and he just isn’t in it. I have been more disappointed in his defensive…err… skills this season and he just isn’t the center fielder that is needed to cover CitiField. There’s no reason to spend $5mil in 2012 on him when the solution to this problem is either still in the pipeline (Matt den Dekker, Kirk Nieuwenhuis) or on the 2013 free agent list (Michael Bourn, Matt Kemp, B.J. Upton). First, I would play Nick Evans somewhere on a winter ball team and cut a deal with them to play him only in CF. After that doesn’t work, go sign someone in the $2-3mil range to hold the fort down for one year, while Evans stays up as a utility OF/3B/1B.

2. As I understand it… and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong… but the Madoff –mess judge has ruled that the MAXIMUM amount that the Mets could owe those that are suing, is $83mil, which was based on profits over a 2-year period. I assume that could also be paid over a 2-year period, which would be $41.5mil per year. Continuing on this, I also assume that both parties could settle this right now for around $30mil a year for 2-years. So, if Cot says the 2011 payroll was #143mil, then the team could operate 2012 and 2013 at $110mil and be done with this by 2014. Kewl… oh… just read they could owe close to $340mil… err… never mind.

3. Wednesday might have been the most outstanding night of baseball… ever.  Four teams trying to get in the playoffs and most of them go into extra innings… are you kidding me? There is no way to beat what we watched late into Thursday morning. This is why we watch baseball. This is why some of us write about it. Unbelievable.

4. Should the Mets try and resign 40-year old Miquel Batista? I mean, a two-hit shutout to finish the season? I can’t see anyone giving him a multi-year deal so why not bring him back for the 2012 season while the kids mature down in Buffalo?

5. We’ve added another great writer here at Mack’s Mets. Frank Gray, of The Bleacher Report, has joined us and will start off by posting twice a week, Monday and Thursday, at 2pm EST. Our goal here is to continue to bring you the best information on the New York Mets, by the best independent writers out there on the Internet. Welcome Frank.