RF Ryan Church never truly recovered from his concussion suffered in 2008. When he got traded away for RF Jeff Francoeur in 2009 it appeared that the Mets had upgraded. And when he got traded away to the Texas Rangers the Mets outfield picture for 2011 became clear. They might not know which positions everyone will be playing, but they know which players they're going to use in all three spots.
1. Angel Pagan: Pagan had his first full season in the Majors last year and he didn't disappoint, batting .290 with 37 stolen bases. He started off the year as a fourth outfielder but quickly usurped OF Gary Matthews Jr. in center field. When Beltran returned from injury Pagan replaced the concussed LF Jason Bay in left. And when Francoeur was traded to the Texas Rangers Pagan took over in right. He'll play right field this year (there's a small chance he and Beltran may be flip-flopped) and the Mets are hoping that he can follow up his breakout season of last year with another strong year. Though he'll be a starter all season long, he may still fill in for Beltran and Bay.
2. Fernando Martinez: Martinez is still considered to be a top prospect in the Mets system. He's still trying to make the jump to the Majors and stay healthy all at the same time. So far he hasn't lived up to his potential at any level. There's not much room for him on the Major League roster so he'll likely start the year at AAA again. The Mets are hoping he can find himself as he continues to age and mature. They better hope so, because he only batted .167 in 18 at-bats last season.
The Mets appear to be strong in right field, even though it will virtually be a one-man show. Pagan is a strong fielder and a good speedster at the top of the order. They still have high hopes for Martinez but he hasn't looked good in the Majors yet.
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