If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?  Unless you’re the Mets, in which case you try to break it right from the get-go.

If Jerry Manuel’s plan of batting Jose Reyes third in the lineup is to succeed, the Mets manager will need either Matthews or Angel Pagan to emerge as a reliable leadoff hitter. Manuel seems committed to batting Luis Castillo second and Reyes third, at least until Carlos Beltran returns to action.

Matthews reached on an error, walked and stole a base in yesterday’s intersquad scrimmage. Pagan was the leadoff hitter for the opposition and finished 1-for-2.

Now I generally don’t put too much weight into lineups unless it’s something egregious (like Pujols batting 8th), but what the fuck is Jerry Manuel doing?  It’s not like Reyes distracts pitchers when he’s on base, right?  Taking him out of the leadoff spot and batting him third must seem like a real vote of confidence for David Wright, too, but he should be fine after hitting like two home runs all of last year.

What’s worst of all isn’t that Reyes is out of the leadoff spot, it’s that Gary Matthews, Jr. might be the new top-of-the-order guy.  Good luck with that – replacing one of the best leadoff hitters in the game with a guy nobody wanted and who had a frigid .336 OBP last season.  I guess if the medical staff isn’t going to destroy the players, the Mets have to figure out different reasons to suck.  Manuel’s definitely onto something.

How long until Manuel is fired?  I give it until July.  That’s gangsta.

[NY Post]