PORT ST. LUCIE — Endy Chavez has joined Carlos Beltran in the prediction business.
The Mets’ recent trade for ace left-hander Johan Santana is “a guarantee for us to make the playoffs,” Chavez excitedly told The Post yesterday after reporting to camp early yesterday.
Beltran was so excited by the Santana acquisition that the veteran center-fielder broke character over the weekend to brand the Mets — not the defending-champion Phillies — as the NL East’s team to beat.
Chavez also was pumped up enough about his Venezuelan countrymate’s arrival to predict big things right away.
“[Even] if he has a bad year, we’re going to get 15 wins out of it,” the backup outfielder added. “I mean, he’s unbelievable. If he stays healthy, we’re going to be in for a great season.”
Chavez suffered hamstring and ankle injuries last December while playing winter ball in Venezuela but said he feels fine and shouldn’t miss any Grapefruit League games.
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Carlos Delgado considers ex-teammate Jose Canseco a fraud, and the veteran first baseman isn’t afraid to say it.
Delgado, who played with Canseco on the Blue Jays in 1998, says Canseco is out of line with his books and media comments on steroids in baseball.
“Canseco is a joke,” Delgado said yesterday. “He’s a guy who calls himself a guru, a scientific [expert]. I saw Canseco put some [performance enhancers] in his mouth, [use] a bottle of water and go from there. Don’t go out there saying you’re an expert.”
Delgado added that he didn’t attend the infamous 1998 party at Canseco’s house that Brian McNamee claimed in the Mitchell Report was the impetus for Clemens’ alleged steroid use.
Delgado also said he has paid “not one bit” of attention to Clemens’ current troubles.