These Are The Times Where We Miss Santana

With the Mets nowofficially the worst team in baseball, and no clear way to end the bleeding, these are the times we miss aceJohan Santana. Without Santana, the Mets have no legitimate stopper in the rotation, something they are in desperate need of. But granted that we shouldn`t realisticallyexpect Santana to yield until July, what are the Mets to do in the average time?

With the revolution in complete flux and no clear solution, the absence of Santana can be clearly felt. The Mets have dropped 12 of their last 14, winning only with Chris Young, whohas since been placedon the DL, and Dillon Gee, who has only six starts in the majors inhis career. The healthy mainstays in the rotation, Pelfrey, Dickey and Niese, have combined for a 1-8 record to start the season, hardly acting asstoppers. As the Mets continue to dive down the standings of the NL East, no clear solution seems to be in place. Could Santana have made a divergence so far this year? No question.

Santana, who is expected back at the earliest late June, has been the Mets` stopper since being acquired prior to the 2008 season. Now without the 32-year old southpaw, the pitching staff in falling apart at the seams.

The faculty has mustered an abysmal 5.18 ERA, a design that ranksat the cellar of the National League and 29th in all of baseball, second alone to the Boston Red Sox.

Although Santana should return sometime mid-season, the ailing ace may never be the Cy Young caliber pitcher he formerly was. The character of injury Santana has sufferedcan compromise careers of pitchers. Even though that does not seem to be the case, some scouts are saying that Santana will yield not as an ace quality pitcher, but as a 3rd starter at best.

While Mets fans pray this is not the case, any bit of the former Johan Santana we can get salvage from him can help put a band aid over the gaping hole that has somehow get the 2011 Mets rotation. Someone has to block the bleeding before this gets even more embarrassing, will it be Dillon Gee? Chris Young? R.A. Dickey? who knows. All we live is this revolution is much different without Santana.