The Mets are expecting big things out of 26-year old lefty swinging Daniel Murphy in 2012. He played in 109 games for the Mets last year and he was 125 of 391 (.320 avg, .809 OPS) with 49 runs scored, 6 homers, 49 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Murphy has now played in 313 games in his first three years with the Mets and he is 301 of 1,030 (.292 avg, .784 OPS) with 133 runs scored, 20 homers, 129 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Murphy only had 2 errors in 24 games at 2B last year for the Mets at 2B while showing pretty good range. The Mets are hoping that Murphy can stay healthy in 2012.

27-year old righty swinging Justin Turner is likely going to be the backup 2B and 3B for the Mets in 2012. Turner played in 117 games for the Mets last year and he was 113 of 435 (.260 avg, .690 OPS) with 49 runs scored, 4 homers, 51 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. In his first two years with the Mets, Turner played in 121 games in which he was 114 of 443 (.257 avg, .686 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 4 homers, 51 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. He has now played in 138 games in his first three years in the majors and he is 117 of 470 (.249 avg, .666 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 4 homers, 54 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. Turner had 8 errors in 78 games at 2B for the Mets last year while showing off pretty good range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2B IN 2012: B

The Mets are hoping for a return to health of 24-year old lefty swinging starting 1B Ike Davis. Davis played in 36 games for the Mets last year before his season ended due to injury and he was 39 for 129 (.302 avg, .925 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 7 homers and 25 RBIs. He has now played in 183 games in his first two years with the Mets and he is 177 for 652 (.271 avg, .817 OPS) with 93 runs scored, 26 homers, 96 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Davis only made 1 error in 36 games at 1B for the Mets as he continues to improve as a defensive player.

27-year old righty Josh Satin played in 15 games in his first taste of the majors for the Mets and he was 5 for 25 (.200 avg, .499 OPS) with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Satin also played in 132 games in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 156 for 483 (.323 avg, .906 OPS) with 77 runs scored, 12 homers, 76 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Satin played in 8 error-free games at 1B for the Mets last year. He could get his big shot if Davis suffers a setback this spring.

27-year old lefty swinging Mike Baxter could also be in the mix a little bit at 1B for the Mets in 2012. Baxter played in 22 games for the Mets last year and he was 8 for 34 (.235 avg, .791 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 1 homer and 4 RBIs. Baxter also played in 33 games in A+AAA-ball last year and he was 29 for 116 (.250 avg, .672 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 1 homer, 13 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Baxter has now played in 31 games in his first two years in the majors and he is 9 for 42 (.214 avg, .687 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 1 homer and 5 RBIs.

33-year old righty swinging Val Pascucci is also hanging around with the Mets. He played in 10 games for the Mets last year and he was 3 for 11 (.273 avg, .818 OPS) with 1 run scored, 1 homer and 2 RBIs. He also played in 130 games in AAA-ball last year and he was 117 for 443 (.264 avg, .851 OPS) with 58 runs scored, 21 homers, 91 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Pascucci has now played in 42 games in his first two years in the majors and he is 14 for 73 (.192 avg, .623 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 3 homers, 8 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Pascucci made 1 error in 1 game at 1B for the Mets last year.

If something were to happen to Ike Davis, the Mets could shift Daniel Murphy from 2B to 1B. Murphy played in 52 games for the Mets at 1B last year and he had 4 errors. He is slightly below average defensively at 1B.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 1B IN 2012: B-

25-year old lefty Josh Thole will likely at least start against righty pitchers in 2012. He played in 114 games for the Mets last year and he was 91 for 340 (.268 avg, .690 OPS) with 22 runs scored, 3 homers and 40 RBIs. Thole has now played in 204 games in his first three years with the Mets and he is 164 of 595 (.276 avg, .707 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 6 homers, 66 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Thole played in 102 games behind the bench for the Mets last year and he had 2 errors and 16 passed balls (most of them came when R.A. Dickey was pitching which is somewhat understandable given that he is a knuckle ball pitcher). He threw out 14 of 82 (17.1%) base stealers last year and Mets’ pitchers had a 4.23 ERA when he was behind the plate.

29-year old righty swinging Mike Nickeas will battle Rob Johnson and Lucas May this spring for the backup job at catcher this spring. Nickeas played in 21 games for the Mets last year and he was 10 for 53 (.189 avg, .510 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 6 RBIs. Nickeas has now played in 26 games in his first two years in the majors and he is 12 for 63 (.190 avg, .493 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 6 RBIs. Nickeas played in 20 games behind the plate for the Mets last year and he didn’t have any errors, but he did have four passed balls. He has thrown out 2 of 13 (15.4%) base stealers and Mets’ pitchers had a 2.94 ERA with him behind the dish.

28-year old righty swinging Rob Johnson is going to try to win the backup job for the Mets this spring. He played in 67 games for the Padres last year and he was 34 for 179 (.190 avg, .544 OPS) with 9 runs scored, 3 homers, 16 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Johnson has now played in 228 games in his first five years in the majors and he is 128 of 649 (.197 avg, .573 OPS) with 57 runs scored, 8 homers, 58 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. Johnson played in 63 games behind the plate for the Padres last year and he had 2 errors and 5 passed balls. He threw out 11 of 64 (17.2%) base stealers and Padres’ pitchers had a 3.28 ERA with Johnson behind the plate.

27-year old righty swinging Lucas May played in 77 games in AAA-ball for the Royals and D-Backs last year and he was 59 for 248 (.238 avg, .757 OPS) with 40 runs scored, 10 homers, 44 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. His only major league experience came back in 2010 for the Royals. He has played in 12 games in his major league career so far and he is 7 for 37 (.189 avg, .421 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 0 homers and 6 RBIs. He is going to be a longshot to win a job for the Mets this spring, so he will likely start the year in AAA-ball.

31-year old righty swinging Vinny Rottino will also be in camp to try to win a job on the Mets’ this spring. Rottino played in 8 games for the Marlins last year and he was 2 for 12 (.167 avg, .452 OPS) with 1 run scored. He has now played in 26 games in his first four years in the majors and he is 7 for 36 (.194 avg, .506 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 0 homers, 4 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He is a longshot to win a job this spring with the Mets.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CATCHERS IN 2012: D

The Mets have revamped the bullpen for the 2012 season and for the better. They aren’t going to be losing games late like they did last year. Here is a look at the bullpen as it stands right now:

Closer: Frank Francisco: 32-year old righty Frank Francisco will give the Mets a fireballer as the closer in 2012. He pitched in 54 games (0 starts) for the Blue Jays last year and he was 1-4 with 17 saves, a 3.55 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Francisco has now pitched in 331 games (0 starts) in his first 7 years in the majors and he is 18-19 with 49 saves, a 3.72 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. I look for Francisco to save 30+ games in 2012 for the Mets if he can stay healthy.

Set-Up Man: Jon Rauch: 33-year old righty Jon Rauch pitched in 53 games (0 starts) for the Blue Jays last year and he was 5-4 with 11 saves, a 4.85 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He has now pitched in 468 games (11 starts) in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 39-31 with 58 saves, a 3.82 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Rauch has a lot of closing experience, so the Mets are covered at closer even if Francisco is ineffective or gets injured.

Righties: Ramon Ramirez: 30-year old righty Ramon Ramirez came to the Mets in a deal with the Giants over the winter. He will be the new 7th inning guy for the Mets. Ramirez pitched in 66 games (0 starts) for the Giants last year and he was 3-3 with 4 saves, a 2.62 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He has now pitched in 359 games (0 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 20-17 with 8 saves, a 3.16 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. I look for Ramirez to have another good year in 2012.

Bobby Parnell: 27-year old Bobby Parnell probably has the best arm in the Mets’ bullpen, but he has not really learned how to pitch. He pitched in 60 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 4-6 with 6 saves, a 3.64 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Parnell has now pitched in 175 games (8 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 8-15 with 7 saves, a 4.32 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. He needs to start pitching better for the Mets this year if he’s going to have a future with the team.

Pedro Beato: 25-year old Pedro Beato was a Rule 5 Draft pick for the Mets and for that reason he stuck with the team all of 2011. He pitched in 60 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Beato will need a good spring to start the 2012 season in the Mets’ bullpen.

Manny Acosta: 30-year old Manny Acosta pitched in 44 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 3.45 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. He has now pitched in 85 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Mets and he is 7-3 with 5 saves, a 3.22 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Acosta has now pitched in 188 games (0 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 12-10 with 8 saves, a 3.41 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Acosta is a late bloomer who appears to have found a home with the New York Mets.

D.J. Carrasco: 34-year old D.J. Carrasco had a rough year in 2011 for the Mets. He pitched in 42 games (1 start) for the Mets last year and he was 1-3 with a 6.02 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. Carrasco has now pitched in 286 games (24 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 24-21 with 2 saves, a 4.48 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Carrasco will have to pitch good this spring to keep his job with the Mets.

Jeff Stevens: 28-year old Jeff Stevens pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Cubs last year and he was 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. He has now pitched in 33 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 1-0 with a 6.27 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. He is going to be a big time longshot to win a job in the Mets’ pen this spring.

Fernando Cabrera: 30-year old Fernando Cabrera was outstanding in AAA-ball for the A’s last year. He pitched in 53 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 4-3 with 9 saves, a 2.71 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Cabrera last pitched in the majors back in 2010 for the Red Sox. He has now pitched in 132 games (0 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 8-7 with 1 save, a 5.24 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. If the Mets can get Cabrera to throw more strikes, they might have something in him as he has nasty stuff.

Lefties: Tim Byrdak: 38-year old Tim Byrdak pitched decent for the Mets in 2011. He pitched in 72 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 2-1 with 1 save, a 3.82 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Byrdak has now pitched in 415 games (0 starts) in his first 10 years in the majors and he is 11-11 with 4 saves, a 4.29 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. The Mets are hoping the Byrdak can be their top lefty in the pen in 2012.

Daniel Herrera: 27-year old Daniel Herrera came to the Mets last year in a deal with the Brewers. He pitched in 16 games (0 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 0-1 with a 1.13 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Herrera pitched in 18 games (0 starts) overall last year for the Brewers & Mets in which he was 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. Herrera has now pitched in 131 games (0 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 5-8 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.

Chuck James: 30-year old Chuck James converted to being a reliever last year and he looked good in the minors. James pitched in 38 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year for the Twins and he was 3-2 with 1 save, a 2.30 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He also pitched in 8 games (0 starts) for the Twins last year and he was 0-0 with a 6.10 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. James has now pitched in 72 games (55 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 24-19 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.

Garrett Olson: 28-year old Garrett Olson will be a longshot to win a job in the Mets’ pen this spring. He pitched in 4 games (1 start) for the Pirates last year and he was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Olson also pitched in 24 games (15 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 4-3 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. He has now pitched in 103 games (44 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 14-22 with 1 save, a 6.14 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2012: B

The Mets hope that they will get improvement out of the starting rotation in 2012. Here is a look at how the rotation looks as of right now:

#1: R.A. Dickey: 37-year old righty knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has finally seemed to master one of the toughest pitches to throw and the results have been outstanding the last couple of years for the Mets. Dickey pitched in 33 games (32 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 8-13 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He has now pitched in 60 games (58 starts) in his first two years with the Mets and he s 19-22 with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Dickey has now pitched in 204 games (106 starts) in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 41-50 with 2 saves, a 4.34 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. I don’t see any reason to think that Dickey won’t be successful once again for the Mets in 2012.

#2: Jonathan Niese: 25-year old lefty Jonathan Niese was being shopped around this winter, but the Mets decided to keep him. He pitched in 27 games (26 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 11-11 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Niese has now pitched in 65 games (64 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 22-23 with a 4.39 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The Mets are hoping that Niese picks up the pace a little bit in 2012.

#3: Dillon Gee: 25-year old righty Dillon Gee is a winner, plain and simple. He pitched in 30 games (27 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 13-6 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Gee has now pitched in 35 games (32 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 15-8 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Gee doesn’t have the best stuff but he almost never gives in to hitters and the results have been pretty good. The Mets hope he keeps up the good work in 2012.

#4: Mike Pelfrey: 28-year old righty Mike Pelfrey should be better than he is. He pitched in 34 games (33 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 7-13 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Pelfrey has now pitched in 150 games (146 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 50-54 with 1 save, a 4.40 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The Mets need to see some improvement out of Pelfrey or they might replace him in the rotation at some point in 2012.

#5: Johan Santana: 32-year old lefty Johan Santana missed all of last year due to a shoulder problem. He looks like he is going to be ready to go for 2012, but the Mets are going to have to monitor his workload to ensure that he won’t get hurt again. Santana has pitched in 88 games (all starts) in his first four years with the Mets and he is 40-25 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Santana has now pitched in 339 games (263 starts) in his first 11 years in the majors and he is 133-69 with 1 save, a 3.10 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. The Mets are hoping to get around 25 starts out of Santana in 2012.

Chris Schwinden: 25-year old righty Chris Schwinden is likely going to get another shot in the rotation for the Mets at some point in 2012. He pitched in 4 games (all starts) for the Mets last year and he was 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Schwinden also pitched in 28 games (26 starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 8-8 with a 3.87 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.

Miguel Batista: 40-year old righty Miguel Batista was very effective last year for the Mets, so he could get a shot to start some games for them in 2012. He pitched in 9 games (4 starts) for the Mets last year and he was 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. One of his starts was a complete game shutout for the Mets. Batista pitched in 35 games (5 starts) overall last year for the Mets & Cardinals and he was 5-2 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Batista has now pitched in 623 games (243 starts) in his first 17 years in the majors and he is 101-112 with 41 saves, a 4.48 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE STARTING ROTATION IN 2012: C-