Now we’re getting to the nitty-gritty. Speaking of: If you’ve got ideas for Mets over-unders, feel free to send them my way. I came up with 30-some when I first started and figured I’d certainly think up a handful more before Opening Day. But that hasn’t exactly worked out. Note: They must be something we can actually keep track of.

Context: Mike Nickeas, who appears set to be the Mets’ backup catcher in 2012, is lauded for his defense. He threw out four of 13 attempted basestealers last season (31 percent) but had a 38 percent rate in his Minor League career. The league average last season was 28 percent. Of catchers who caught in more than 30 games, seven were at or above 38 percent: Ivan Rodriguez, Henry Blanco, Kelly Shoppach, Miguel Montero, Rene Rivera, Chris Stewart and Lou Marson. Obviously the pitchers are a factor in this too.

[poll id=”86″]

For the most part, it’s hard to point and laugh at anyone the Mets are planning on playing. There are competent players all around the field, and more than that, there are players who might have something of a future with their current team. But the organization can’t do much to help them out until some of the gigantic contract situations are resolved. It’s a team caught between two eras, but they aren’t doing all that bad, considering.

– Grant Brisbee, SBNation.com.

Not surprisingly, Brisbee puts out the fairest national Mets preview I’ve seen yet, avoiding most of the overblown LOLMets memes and pointing out that seems like the front office knows what it’s doing.

Context: Jason Bay has a career .863 OPS, but it’s only .723 since he joined the Mets. He’s 33, but the fences, etc.

[poll id=”85″]

I had a buddy who used to have a bear, a pet bear. When he’d get mad, the bear would go kick him around the cage and then he’d find his [something inaudible] back down to Earth again.

– Terry Collins.

Wait… what?

I didn’t see Terry Collins’ rant/tirade/explosion/mild irritation today so I’m not going to pretend like I did. Your interpretation is as good as mine.

I do wonder, though, to what extent teams normally publicize minor Spring Training injuries like the ones that recently sidelined Andres Torres and Lucas Duda for a game apiece, to what extent they’re normally reported, and to what extent the Mets’ recent history of questionably handled and reported injuries impacts the way they disclose them now.

If Collins is frustrated, it suggests what the Mets are going through is atypical. But maybe he’s just caught up in the Spring Training bubble and wants his infielders.

I heard earlier this week that Mike Baxter said last year he was not comfortable playing center field, which seems important now that the Mets appear to be looking for a left-handed bat and a backup center fielder. So I asked Baxter about it.

“I heard the same thing,” he said. “And it’s not true.”

Baxter explained that when he got called up, the team asked him the positions where he’s most comfortable. He listed them in order of experience: Right field, then first base, then left field, then center.

“The best way to explain it is the repetitions,” he said. “If you’ve played twice as much at one position, you’re going to be more comfortable there.”

Baxter played 392 games in right, 150 at first, 73 in left and 43 in center in the Minors. He explained that he spent a lot of time in right simply because more heralded prospects like Will Venable commanded playing time in center. And he added that he felt no anxiousness or hesitance about playing center.

For what it’s worth, Baxter played third base and first base in college and even played an inning at second in a Minor League game in 2006. Baxter’s Single-A Fort Wayne team suffered a rash of injuries and had an 11 a.m. game, so he was forced into duty in the middle infield. He played an inning and recorded a putout on a caught stealing before the replacement infielder arrived to the stadium to take his place.