The Mets have placed 28-year old lefty reliever/starter Pat Misch on waivers to make room on the roster for Manny Acosta. Misch pitched in 22 games (7 starts) for the Mets last season and he was 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. He pitched in 7 games (1 start) this spring for the Mets in which he was 0-0 with 1 save, a 1.38 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. The Mets are hoping that they can sneak Misch through waivers so that they can keep him and send him to AAA to start the 2010 season. That might be wishful thinking because almost every team in baseball is always looking for a lefty pitcher with a pulse and Misch qualifies as one of those.

UPDATE: Misch somehow cleared waivers so he will start the season in the minors for the Mets.

The Mets have claimed 28-year old righty reliever Manny Acosta off waivers from the Braves. Acosta pitched in 36 games (0 starts) for the Braves last season in which he was 1-1 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. He has now pitched in 103 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 5-7 with 3 saves, a 3.55 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Acosta does have control issues as he has walked 59 batters in 114 career innings in the majors so if he starts throwing more strikes the Mets might have something good here.

The Mets were only 70-92 (43.2%) under manager Jerry Manuel last season. With all of the injuries the Mets endured in 2009 I think they were very lucky to win as many games as they did. I give Manuel some credit for that. He has managed two years for the Mets now and he is 125-130 (49%). Manuel has now compiled a 325-301 (51%) record in his 8 years as a major league manager. If the key players stay healthy for the Mets in 2010 I think Manuel will have them in the wild card hunt in the N.L.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE MANAGER IN 2010: B-

The Mets have lost 37-year old righty swinging catcher Chris Coste on waivers to the Nationals. Coste played in 10 games this spring for the Mets and he was 4 of 13 (.308 avg, .862 OPS) with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. The Mets won’t miss Coste as they have more than enough catchers still on the roster.

The Mets will have a bunch of 30+ year olds in the pen setting up for closer Francisco Rodriguez. 28-year old righty Francisco Rodriguez will be the main man for the Mets again in 2010 in the pen. I have a feeling he will get back to the pitcher he was for the Angels and that is what the Mets are hoping for. Rodriguez pitched in 70 games (0 starts) for the Mets last season and he was 3-6 with 35 saves, a 3.71 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He only gave up 51 hits in 68 innings last season while whiffing 73 batters, but he walked 38 and that is too many. I think he will tighten up his control and keep his ERA under 3.00 in 2010.

30-year old righty Ryota Igarashi could be the top set up man for the Mets in 2010. He pitched in 507 games in his career in Japan and he was 47-29 with 54 saves and a 3.25 ERA. He has pitched in 8 games so far this spring and he is 1-0 with 1 save, a 5.00 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. It will be interesting to see how well Igarashi adjusts to pitching in the show.

33-year old lefty Pedro Feliciano is the hardest worker in the pen for the Mets as he worked in 88 games (0 starts) last season in which he was 6-4 with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. In his last four years with the Mets, Feliciano has pitched in 316 games (0 starts) in which he is 18-12 with 4 saves, a 3.04 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He is very dependable.

35-year old righty Kiko Calero was signed away from the Marlins over the winter. Calero pitched in 67 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Calero only allowed 36 hits in 60 innings last season for the Marlins while whiffing 69 batters showing what kind of stuff he has. If his shoulder holds up, Calero will be a huge asset to the Mets in 2010.

30-year old righty Sean Green did not pitch too well in his first year for the Mets in 2009. He pitched in 79 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 1-4 with 1 save, a 4.52 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Green has good stuff but he needs to tighten his control to be effective as he walked 36 hitters in only 69 2/3 innings last year.

33-year old righty Kelvim Escobar is seriously considering retiring as his shoulder still appears to be bugging him a bit. He pitched in 1 game (1 start) for the Angels last season and he was 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. Escobar also pitched in 3 games (all starts) in A+AAA-ball last year in which he was 0-0 with a 2.30 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP.

39-year old righty Elmer Dessens will likley make the Mets’ bullpen in 2010. Dessens pitched in 28 games (0 starts) for the Mets last season and he was 0-0 with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He also pitched in 27 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season in which he was 3-2 with 11 saves, a 2.31 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. The Mets are hoping that Dessens can give them some solid work in middle relief in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2010: B