Martin does the question-and-answer crossover with Metsblog once or twice a year when we play them. This time he asked D.J. from Metsblog some questions and I, in turn, answered some of D.J.'s questions concerning the Braves as we head into this three game set with the Mets. If you would like to read my Q.A. just click this right here. Here is what D.J. had to say:

1. If the NL most valuable player were awarded today, would it go to Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, or David Wright, and why? (Bonus points given for objectivity.)

No contest here. Chase Utley by a longshot. He has been completely locked in since day one.

2. Which Carlos -- Beltran or Delgado -- has been more of a disappointment for the Mets this year?

Delgado is becoming a major concern. I'm beginning to come to grips with the strong possibility that he will never be the same hitter again. I'm sure the hip has something to do with it. Even though Beltran hasn't been hitting home runs, he has hit eight doubles and provides tremendous defense in center. I'm confident he'll be fine.

3. With all the catcher movement the Mets did in the off-season, are you happy with the work of Brian Schneider so far? Was he worth the cost of Lastings Milledge?

Schneider has had a rough week. First, he sat out a few games nursing a pretty nasty bruise on his right forearm. Now, it looks like he could be DL-bound because of an infected thumb. Bizzare. I had worries about the Schneider/Ramon Castro combo primarily because Castro is so injury-prone. Now that both catchers are down, we are looking at a Raul Casanova/Gustavo Molina combo, which is far from ideal. It's a shame because Schneider has exceeded my expectations offensively, defensively and strategically, specifically his gameplans with the pitchers. As far as the cost of Milledge, don't overlook the fact that the Mets also got Ryan Church in the trade. Church has been the most consistent hitter in the lineup besides Wright up until this point. Meanwhile, Milledge keeps making the same mistakes he made two years ago as a "rookie." I can't say he is missed at the moment.

4. Would you judge the Mets starting pitching injuries (Pedro and El-Duque) to be more of an impact on your rotation than the Braves starting pitching injuries (Glavine and Hampton)?

It's almost a wash. The way I look at it, none of the four pitchers were expected to be the anchors of their respective staffs. Hampton or Pedro haven't pitched on a regular basis in a couple seasons. No Met fan is surprised that El Duque is out. The real surprise is Tom Glavine going on the DL for the first time in his career, if only because of how well conditioned he is. It seems that age is finally beginning to catch up to him. Part of me would like to see him pitch in this series, just to see the Mets knock him around...you know, like the Braves always used to do when Glavine was on the Mets.

5. Does it concern you that the Mets are currently (as of Tuesday) tied for last in the NL with only 10 homeruns as a team? Can your team compete in the power-hungry NL-East with light-hitters like Pagan, Schneider, and Castillo (and to some degree Church) composing a large part of the lineup?

Only a little bit. I mean, if David Wright had the April he had last year, then we'd really have a problem. I expect Carlos Beltran to come around. Ryan Church has been a very pleasant surprise. Honestly, out of the teams in this division, the Mets were built more with pitching, speed and defense in mind. So if they don't have the thump in the lineup, theoretically, they can compensate in other areas.

Thanks a lot to D.J. for participating with us.