Matt Meyers: Greetings, and welcome to the Mets top 10 chat. We already have a bunch of questions awaiting me and like last year, I have a slew of Queens' rappers lined up on iTunes to get my mind right for some Mets talk. Let's rock.

Matt Meyers: Martinez got the nod over Gomez because he has such an advanced bat. Gomez offers a more well-rounded package, but the bat is what makes you a star in the big leagues. Gomez made major strides this season, but he still has a lot of work to do at the plate. Martinez is about as advanced of a hitter you will see at the age of 18. Furthermore, Martinez is a at least average with all his other tools, it is not like he is some sort slug who has a bat and nothing else.

Matt Meyers: I heard the same rumor, but from what I understand they expect him in spring training and he will not be pitching at URI. I am not 100 percent sure about this because it is obviously a sensitive issue, but if you check the URI website, he is not on the roster.

Matt Meyers: Guys who can dominate righties can be pretty valuable. Mets fans should know all about this after the way Chad Bradford pitched for them in 2006. That being said, he certainly has a chance to be a guy that is effective against righties and lefties because his fastball has some sink and fade, which is hard on lefties. He'll need a better change if he wants to get big league lefties out, and right now it is below average.

Matt Meyers: It's not like the Mets are set in right field. Shawn Green looked pretty close to done in the postseason and I can envision a scenario where they cut bait with Green if he looks about as bad as he did last October. If I am not mistaken, they are only on the hook with him for about $4 million or so. If Green is done, they will still have Milledge around to step in.

Matt Meyers: Milledge stuggled last year, but I think Mets fans were spoiled in 2003 and 2004 when Reyes and Wright were impact players from day one. Granted, Reyes had some growing pains, but he was very good for his first half season in 2003. I think Mets fans expected the same from Milledge, and while it is clear his attitude has rubbed people the wrong way, he is still a great talent. I don't think he will be as good or Wright and Reyes, but that is not an insult when you consider they are each among the best five or six players at their position.

Matt Meyers: Word, a question from France. My mother (who was born in France) would not be happy if I ignored this one.

Matt Meyers: Ruckle and Devaney are similar pitchers in that they both have had success despite a fastball that Jose Reyes could probably outrun. Although they have had good numbers, neither is a great prospect. Ruckle has a an odd bow-and-arrow delivery that causes some deception, but his fastball sits at about 85-86 mph. I just don't think it will play at higher levels. Devaney fits in towards the back end of the top 30 (available in the Prospect Handbook!!!) and his fastball sits at 88 mph. He also has a big looping curve that causes bad swings. When you grade out his stuff, he is not a prospect. But since he has had success as high as Double-A, he has some legitimacy. If he does this again in 2007, he will be worth paying attention to.

Matt Meyers: You answered your own question to some degree. When I talk to scouts and coaches, they often talk about how important it is to pitch off of your fastball. Pelfrey not only pitches off of it, he can control games with it and it has the chance to be the type of special fastball you speak of. Humber's curve, while fantastic, is not as unique as Pelfrey's fastball. Let me put it this way: There are a lot more pitchers in the minors with a curve like Humber's than there are with a fastball like Pelfrey's. He is just a more unique talent as far as I am concerned.

Matt Meyers: Probably 9 or 10. I think I would have given him the nod over Smith though because finding power hitting catchers with plus arm strength is not easy.

Matt Meyers: It's pretty low, when you consider that 80 percent of his hits were singles. He makes good contact though and controls the strike zone. I had one scout put an Orlando Palmeiro comp on him and that seems to be about right. If he becomes Palmeiro, the Mets will have themsevles a solid bench player. That won't sell tickets, but not bad for a fifth-round pick.

Matt Meyers: You make a fair point, and this is something the Yankees have exploited in the last couple of years with the signings of Austin Jackson ($800,000) and Dellin Betances ($1 million) in the 8th round. The sense I get is that Minaya does not like go over the slot recommendations very often and would rather respect the commissioner's office. Mets' fans saw this when they did not sign Pedro Beato last year.

Matt Meyers: There is nothing in place to prevent teams from going over slot, but by trying to stay close to slot, you can keep bonuses down throughout baseball. Minaya was essentially employed by the commissioner's office when he worked for the Expos, and that might have something to do with it.

Matt Meyers: Unlike Martinez and Guerra, I don't see Pena beginning his pro career in a full season league. Catcher is the most demanding defensive position on the field and I think they will bring him along more slowly. He is the son of a big leaguer (Tony Pena) and has an advanced feel for the game so it would not shock me if they challenged him with an assignment to low Class A Savannah. My guess is that he will begin his career in the GCL.

Matt Meyers: I noticed the same thing and it is a bit of an odd disconnect. The best I can explain it is that when we do our Best Tools list for each league, it is done by a vote of the managers in that league and he won the vote in the FSL. However, when I did my calls for the Mets top 10 I was told by scouts that he is solid, but unspecatcular and has some weaknesses. Most notably, he needs improvement on receiving throws. Clearly, he is doing some things right because he impressed a number of FSL managers.

Moderator: He in the 11-20 range. He had a nice season and shows a good bat and solid tools acroos the board. At the same time, he was a senior sign out of college who spent the season in the NYPL. I think his ceiling is as a fourth outfielder, but if he can continue to hit .300 and add some power, the Mets might have a little more than that.

Matt Meyers: Yanks, particularly after the Sheffield and Johnson trades that gave them a bunch more arms. But Mets fans shouldn't be as concerned about that as they have in the past. Not only do the Mets have comparable top-tier talent, but they went further than the Yankees this year in the postseason, and isn't that what it is all about?

Matt Meyers: 1)At some point this season. 2)Yes, and possibly sooner.

Matt Meyers: It is not a history of injuries, it is one major injury. I realize that the recovery rate from Tommy John surgery is fantastic, but I will still be a little skeptical of him until he stays healthy for 150-200 innings. His performance in 2006 was encouraging, but his durability is still a question. Yes, he does have better command of his secondary stuff than Pelfrey but as I said earlier, I think Pelfrey's fastball is a major separator as few pitchers can match it. Also, Pelfrey is yet to have major arm surgery.

Matt Meyers: We have a copy of a game program in our office from when the Orioles played Cuba in an exhibition in 1999. According to that document, Abreu was born on February 10, 1975. Since the age of Cuban players has always been questioned, I tend to believe that document and that means he will turn 32 in February. As a result, I don't see him having much of a future with the Mets. Furthermore, he is a first baseman and he was playing at Double-A.

Matt Meyers: Right now, Hughes is a better prospect so I give him the nod. However, it is very possible that Pelfrey turns out better. But if you asked every GM in baseball who they would pick, I think almost all of them would take Hughes.

Matt Meyers: Stoner was a very pleasant surprise coming out of a small college in West Virginia, and he fits in the 21-30 range in the Prospect Handbook. He was a two-player in college and you can see his athleticism in the way he fields his position. He has good command of his fastball, but is still streamlining his repertoire. He is a long way off, but he is worth keeping an eye on and will probably be in Savannah to begin the year.

Matt Meyers: He will probably be in a short-season league, either Kingsport or Brooklyn. He has a huge arm, just not much of an idea how to use it. He projects mostly as a big arm out of the pen, but the Mets want to use him as a starter to see if he can develop three pitches.

Matt Meyers: His ceiling is probably Charlie O'Brien. Mets fans will surely remember him from the glory years of 1990-93. Great defense, not much else. If all breaks right, Butera will be a big league backup and he certainly will be able to handle it from a defensive standpoint.

Matt Meyers: I'll never say never, but it is hard to work your way up the minor league ladder as a righthanded hitting first baseman. Particularly when you slug .419 in low Class A.

Matt Meyers: I already addressed Stoner and Martin, but I love Stinson. Area scout Benny Latino has a history of finding deep sleepers in Louisiana, as he signed both Chad Gaudin and Joey Gathright after the 30th round when he worked for the Devil Rays. He signed Stinson out of the 37th round and the Mets were willing to go above the slot recommendation to sign him. Stinson has a good sinker and gets a lot of ground balls. The fact that the Mets promoted him to low Class A in his first half season right out of high school shows that they like him too.

Matt Meyers: Humber threw just 78 innings last year and was always on a strict pitch count. I can't imagine he is ready to handle a full season in the big leagues where he would be asked to throw 175-200 innings with around 100 pitches per start. If the Mets do that, they are asking for trouble. The biggest thing for Humber is building up his endurance. I think the Mets would rather have Vargas open the season in the rotation so that both Pelfrey and Humber can hone their stuff in the minors in a more controlled environment.

Matt Meyers: You can never have too much talent and I am sure the Mets will gladly cross that bridge if they come to it. I'd say it is more likely one of them flames out or is traded before it is an issue.

Matt Meyers: There were some murmurs of a bad attitude last year, but Henry acquitted himself well in 2007 by finally reaching full season ball while transitioning to the outfield. He is a fine athlete with some speed and pop who showed good aptitude in the outfield. There are some things to like, but it took him almost three years to get out of Rookie ball so that has to be a bit of a concern and he will turn 22 in April. He is at the back end of the top 30.

Matt Meyers: Scouts always liked Bowman but he has battled injuries and the inability to make contact. I would say he is the most likely of the bunch, but it is not an impressive bunch. I would not bet my lunch money on any of them ever making the big leagues.

Matt Meyers: I doubt it. While everyone talks about how bad the Mets starting pitching was (and on paper, it was bad), it was their hitting that deserted them. The fact that they made Weaver and Suppan look like Spahn and Sain had much more to do with their downfall than any starting pitcher problems. Would Zito have pitched any better than Maine or Perez pitched in Game 6 and 7? I don't think so.

Matt Meyers: If by "real deal" you mean "a decent prospect," then yes. He has solid tools across the board with the exception of power, and he does the little things well. His arm might be a little short for shortstop, but the Mets will keep him there and worry about moving him to second base down the road if they need to. If he does pan out, there is no way he displaces Jose Reyes so if he is an everyday MLB shortstop, it will not be with the Mets. That won't be an issue for a while though as Garcia is likely headed to Savannah.

Matt Meyers: "Bernie from Watertown, you're live on WFAN..."

Matt Meyers: Like I said, I think Mets fans had unrealistic expectations of Milledge in the big leagues. He hit .277.388.440 at Triple-A as a 21-year-old, that is darn good. Furthermore, Norfolk is a very tough place to hit and he hit .261-.385-.325 at home and .293-.391-.560 on the road. He probably would have remained No. 1 on the list.

Matt Meyers: When I did the SAL top 20 list, I ranked Tabata higher. But after hearing reports from Martinez in the Arizona Fall League, I think I might rank him higher. I honestly don't know, but I think the fact the Martinez is a little more athletic and hits lefthanded gives him the nod at this moment. It is a great debate and I hope it continues for years to give us a modern day version of Mantle vs. Mays. We are a long way from that though.

Matt Meyers: Gomez has 17 home runs in over 1,300 minor league at-bats while Soriano has hit 40 homers in a season in the big leagues more than once. While Gomez has always been young for his league, I have a hard time projecting that kind of power for him. The Mets believe the power is there, but I think if he reaches his ceiling his offensive game will be more reminiscent of Jose Reyes than Alfonso Soriano.

Matt Meyers: Soler has two major problems. First, he does not seem committed to staying in shape. While you can get away with that when you are an established big leaguer like David Wells, it does not look good when you are trying to make a good impression. Second, he does not pitch to his strengths. Soler should be going after hitters with his fastball and slider, instead he nibbles. He pitched scared against the Yankees and Red Sox and refused to attack the zone. That won't cut it.

Matt Meyers: You make a fair criticism. My point was that Alou has aged far more gracefully than Green and is still very productive while Green has deteriorated a lot since his prime. Therefore, while a lot of people think the Mets have blocked Milledge by bringing in Alou, I think they might be pushing Green out. However, since Alou has missed a lot of time as you pointed out, it is fair to say that Milledge should serve as insurance for both of them.

Matt Meyers: For what it's worth, I did think Green was a defensive liability in the postseason. He looked like he had a piano on his back as he tried to chase down balls in the gap. And while he got on base at a good clip, his power is gone.

Matt Meyers: He fits into the 11-15 range. Rumors were that he was going to sign for close to $2 million so it was surprising that the Mets got him for $750,000 but I don't think he is overrated. I think it was just a little confusion over his demands and the state of the market. He is an advanced defender who needs to refine his overall approach offensively.

Matt Meyers: Bernie is getting fired up! If not for the Nationals selecting him in the Rule 5 draft.

Matt Meyers: Ok, lightning round...

Matt Meyers: Anderson Hernandez is the only one that is close, and he took a step back in 2006. He could win a job with a strong spring, but Jose Valentin is likely to be the guy again.

Matt Meyers: 75.5 percent of his hits were singles. So yes, Corey Coles could be the next Pete Rose. Hopefully this does not get taken out of context and I see something like this posted on the web, "Corey Coles could be the next Pete Rose." --Matt Meyers, Baseball America

Matt Meyers: Pretty close. Mulvey is first of the three because he is the most advanced and Niese is next because lefthanded pitching is so hard to find. Carp is interesting, but first base is typically one of the easiest positions to fill because it not demanding defensively and he is third of the bunch.

Matt Meyers: Not all innings are created equal. Minor league innings are less stressful because their is less emphasis on winning. When you get bombed in the minors, you talk to your pitching coach about what went wrong and how to fix it. When you get bombed in the big leagues, you have to face a dozen beat writers and get ripped on sports radio. Also, it is more taxing to pitch in the majors because the hitters are tougher. Furthermore, in the minors when you are on a strict pitch count they will take you out when you hit the limit regardless of the situation. You can't do that in the big leagues. You can't take Humber out of a big league game when he hits 75 pitches if it is the fourth inning and two men are on. Maybe once in a while you can, but not every time. He needs to prove he can reliably pitch deep into games.

Matt Meyers: That's high praise, but he would be up there. However, Felix had nasty breaking stuff at the same age and Guerra's breaker is still fringy.

Matt Meyers: Yes. Maybe not in terms of wins because Trachsel had 15, but that was luck. His ERA was 4.97 and I feel confident Pelfrey can top that.

Matt Meyers: Gomez in right because his arm is better.

Matt Meyers: They did it with Stinson, though going over slot in the 37th round is not as big of an expenditure as going over slot in the first 10 rounds.

Matt Meyers: Mark Messier

Matt Meyers: Stinson, as mentioned earlier, as well as lefthanded reliever Eddie Camacho who could make the big leagues at some point next season and was signed as a nondrafted free agent a couple of years back.

Matt Meyers: As Homer Simpson once said, "Default? Woo hoo! The two sweetest words in the English language. De-fault! De-fault! De-fault!"

Matt Meyers: He just wasn't that good, and he turned out to be a couple of years older than we thought he was when people were high on him in 2004. Excellent raw tools, but unlike ODB, we don't like it raw.

Matt Meyers: Alright folks, that is all I have time for today. Thanks for the fantastic questions. It is always a pleasure to interact with such a passionate fan base. Take care, and enjoy 2007.