Citi Field's black hole: the left field platoon

A group of New York Mets' players arrived at the team's Spring Training facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., during the past week. The group included third baseman David Wright as well as pitchers Johan Santana and Oliver Perez.

The entirety of the team's pitching staff and catching corps are required to report to camp by Friday, Feb. 13.

Outfielder-in-training Daniel Murphy was also an early arrival.

Murphy, 24 by opening day, has been penciled into a platoon with veteran utility man Fernando Tatis, 34, to play left field for the 2009 Mets.

The two split time in left field during August and September of 2008 for the Mets, until an injury ended Tatis' season.

Although effective in 2008, the combination was composed of a rookie, Murphy, and a come back surprise, Tatis.

Neither of the two players showed proper indications that their 2008 contributions were their capable level of play; instead, both players overachieved logical expectations.

Tatis was rewarded as the National League's "Comeback Player of the Year" for his 2008 performance.

Murphy, a 13th round draft pick in 2006, broke out last season and excelled all the way to the Major Leagues, where he impressed fans, scouts and teammates.

However, despite their success in 2008, projections for 2009 suggest that the Mets would be wise to acquire an everyday left fielder, displacing the surprise duo to bench duties, and even a return to the minor leagues for Murphy.





Although the Feb. 1, 2009, projections from PECOTA, represented as PEC, and the 2009 Bill James Handbook, represented as BJH, vary greatly for Daniel Murphy, the two both expect
Tatis to be a less than adequate left fielder.





Plenty of options still remain in the free agent market. Right handed Manny Ramirez tops the list, while left handed hitters Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn provide significant upgrades as well.