The Mets have released 33-year old righty starter/reliever Josh Fogg. Fogg didn’t even get into a game this spring for the Mets due to the depth of the pitching staff. He pitched in 24 games (1 start) for the Rockies last season and he was 0-2 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Losing Fogg won’t hurt the Mets one bit as they have a lot of pitchers better than him in spring training.

The Mets hope they only need 5 starting pitchers in 2010 but they have 13 pitchers in camp who could start for them at some point this year if needed. It all starts with 31-year old lefty Johan Santana. Santana started 25 games for the Mets last season and he was 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He has now started 59 games in two years with the Mets and he is 29-16 with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. The Mets must keep Santana healthy in 2010 if they want to have a chance to be competing for a playoff spot come September.

26-year old righty Mike Pelfrey was mis-cast as the Mets’ #2 starter most of last season. He started 31 games for the Mets in 2009 and he was 10-12 with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. Pelfrey has decent stuff but the Mets would be better served if he were to be their #4 or #5 starter in 2010.

28-year old righty John Maine will likely be the Mets’ #2 starter if healthy. He started 15 games for the Mets last year and he was 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Maine has pitched in 88 games (87 starts) in his four years with the Mets and he is 38-29 with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. The Mets need to keep Maine healthy because he has the potential to win 15+ games in 2010.

28-year old lefty Oliver Perez will probably get a starting job for the Mets because of his silly contract. Perez started 14 games for the Mets last season and he was 3-4 with a 6.82 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. The Mets need Perez to get back to the pitcher he was in 2007+2008 when he started 63 games for them and he was 25-17 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Perez has the stuff to dominate but only when he’s throwing strikes.

23-year old lefty Jon Niese is the Mets’ #6 prospect heading into this season according to Baseball America and they want him to win the #5 job in the rotation for 2010. Niese started 5 games for the Mets last season and he was 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. He also started 16 games in AAA-ball last year in which he was 5-6 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. He definitely has the stuff to excel in the majors as long as he can stay healthy.

27-year old righty Fernando Nieve got off to a good start for the Mets last season before he got injured. Nieve pitched in 8 games (7 starts) for the Mets last season and he was 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He will have to cut down on his walks as he had 19 of them in only 36 2/3 innings for the Mets last season.

34-year old lefty Hisanori Takahashi has pitched really well this spring as he is making a move for the #5 job in the starting rotation. The Mets signed him over the winter. He has a career record of 79-66 with a 3.70 ERA in 10 years in the Japanese League. If he doesn’t make the rotation he will likely work out of the pen.

35-year old righty Nelson Figueroa will likely pitch for the Mets at some point in 2010. He pitched in 16 games (10 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 3-8 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Figueroa has now pitched in 32 games (16 starts) for the Mets the last two years and he is 6-11 with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.

25-year old righty Bobby Parnell will likely be in the pen in 2010 but the Mets are giving him a shot at the rotation this spring. Parnell pitched in 68 games (8 starts) for the Mets lasst season and he was 4-8 with 1 save, a 5.30 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.

28-year old lefty Pat Misch pitched decent at the end of last season for the Mets. He pitched in 22 games (7 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Overall with the Giants & Mets last season Misch pitched in 26 games (7 starts) in which he was 3-4 with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

35-year old righty knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is also trying to win a job this spring with the Mets. Dickey pitched in 35 games (1 start) for the Twins last season and he was 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. The Mets should really use Dickey as a last resort.

27-year old lefty Bobby Livingston pitched in 27 games (25 starts) last season in AA+AAA ball and he was 9-7 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors in 2007 with the Reds. Livingston has pitched in 13 games (10 starts) in his major league career and he is 3-3 with a 6.31 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. His best asset is that he is left handed.

27-year old Travis Blackley is also in camp trying to win a job with the Mets. He pitched in 38 games (12 starts) in AAA-ball last season and he was 4-7 with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors in 2007 with the Giants. Blackley has pitched in 8 games (all starts) in his major league career and he is 1-3 with a 9.35 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ROTATION IN 2010: C-

The Mets have lost 27-year old switch hitting infielder Anderson Hernandez on waivers to the Indians. Hernandez played in 46 games for the Mets last season in which he was 34 of 135 (.252 avg, .685 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 2 homers, 14 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. He played in parts of four years for the Mets appearing in 81 games in which he was 46 of 222 (.207 avg, .563 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 3 homers, 17 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. I would have thought the Mets would have held onto Hernandez due to Jose Reyes’ injury. They shouldn’t miss him too much however as he is not that good of a player.

The doctors have told starting shortstop Jose Reyes to take 2-8 weeks off from any physical activity due to a thyroid problem. It’s looking like he will start the 2010 season on the D.L. and that is horrible news for the Mets who will already be without Carlos Beltran for the first month of the year. Alex Cora and Anderson Hernandez would likely share shortstop if Reyes misses the start of the 2010 season for the Mets. That is a huge dropoff.

The Mets have signed 35-year old righty reliever Kiko Calero to a minor league deal. He will make $850,000 bucks if he makes the Mets with an opportunity to make another $650,000 in incentives. 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 gave up 36 hits in 60 innings last season while whiffing 69 batters which shows how nasty he can be on hitters. Calero has now pitched in 313 games (1 start) in his major league career and he is 14-12 with 7 saves, a 3.24 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. This was a good signing for the Mets as Calero will help them if he can just stay healthy in 2010.