On the Mets beat

Hate to bring up such a bad memory on the eve of tomorrow's opener, but with the Mets at Tropicana Field today, it seemed like a good time to say hello to Scott Kazmir. In one of the most regrettable trades in franchise history, the Mets sent Kazmir, their first-round pick in the 2002 draft, to the Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano only hours before the 2004 trade deadline. When Zambrano turned out to be "damaged goods" that trade led to an overhaul of the entire Mets organization, starting with the hiring of GM Omar Minaya.

"I understood exactly what was going on at the time that I was traded," Kazmir said. "It was something where they needed a pitcher at the big league level at that time to get to the playoffs and they thought I wasn’t ready for it so they got someone that was. It turned into a blessing in disguise. Just being here and being able to get the experience. I’ve learned so much every year just going through it, every start. So it turned out for the best."

The Mets wouldn't agree. Zambrano was non-tendered by the Mets this winter, but won a spot in the Blue Jays rotation. Kazmir, still only 22, pitched in last year's All-Star Game and will start Opening Day against the Yankees in the Bronx.

"It’s going to be amazing," Kazmir said. "You can’t pick a better spot to pitch opening day. There’s going to be a lot of adrenaline there. You just have to harness it."