Red King of the Diamond

Alternate Holliday Options

2009-10-23T15:01:00.004-04:00

If the Mets decide not to sign Holliday, what should they do?

Alfonso Soriano may be on the chopping block and although his contract is quite large, the Mets may not have to give up much if they are willing to pay for most of the contract. Outside of this past year, he has been very productive and has actually been a good LF.
Bringing Mike Cameron back would be nice if it's for a low price. He's a solid hitter who can hit 15-20 HRs, get on base at a decent clip, and run the bases well. This is all not to mention he is still a good outfielder despite his age. The only problem with getting Cameron would be the need to upgrade another position significantly offensively.
A Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez trade would be fantastic although it would wipe out the Mets farm system. Fielder has immense power and has improved on defense so he is nearly exactly average at 1B. Gonzalez is a slightly worse hitter and slightly better fielder. I would prefer Fielder over Gonzalez. The only people I'd be hesitant to give up in a trade for either would be Mejia, Flores and F-Mart. Would a Davis, Holt, Niese, Parnell deal get the job done? Possibly. We'd probably have to give up F-Mart and our farm system would be depleted.
A Fielder trade and Mike Cameron signing would be very nice and we'd have enough available money to sign Lackey. Would he be worth it? He is an good pitcher and has done well in big games but he does come with a bit of an injury history and at 30 years old would he be worth more than a 4 year deal?

I've Been Thinking...

2009-10-19T13:15:00.011-04:00

I've been thinking about the last post about my offseason moves and I've changed my mind on several things. Here is my updated offseason semi-realistic wish list along with contractual agreements for the year.
Right now the Mets roster looks like this:

C - Omir Santos - $400K
C - Josh Thole - $400K
1B - Daniel Murphy - $401K
2B - Luis Castillo - $6MM
SS - Jose Reyes - $9MM
3B - David Wright - $10MM
IF - Anderson Hernandez - $400K
LF - Angel Pagan - $575K+
CF - Carlos Beltran - $18.5MM
RF - Jeff Francoeur - $3.375MM+
OF - Cory Sullivan - $600K+
OF - Jeremy Reed - $925K+
1B/LF - Nick Evans - $403K or OF - Fernando Martinez - $400K

SP - Johan Santana - $21MM
SP - John Maine - $2.6MM+
SP - Mike Pelfrey - $1.3125MM
SP - Oliver Perez - $12MM
SP - Jon Niese - $400K

Other candidates: Fernando Nieve - $414K, Tim Redding - $2.25MM+

RP - Francisco Rodriguez - $11.5MM
RP - Pedro Feliciano - $1.6125MM+
RP - Sean Green - $471K+
RP - Pat Misch - $402K
RP - Bobby Parnell - $400K
RP - Brian Stokes - $410K
RP - Carlos Muniz - $402K

Other commitments: J.J. Putz - $1MM buyout

If they keep their payroll about the same as this year (approx. $140 mil.) they should have about $25-$30 million to spend. That also doesn't include the fact that the Wilpons said that $ wouldn't be an issue but who knows with them.

Here is what I would do:

Keep Castillo, Reyes, Wright, and Beltran at their positions.
Don't pick up Putz's option but resign him to a deal that could be worth up to about $8 million with incentives.
Keep F-Mart, Niese, Holt, Mejia, and Flores.
Trade some mid-level prospects for either Ricky Nolasco or Aaron Harang, both coming off of poor, unlucky, and injury riddled years. Both are good pitchers who could benefit from a change of scenery, particularly Harang who would benefit from the Mets' strong outfield defense and large dimensions.
Trade some minor leaguers for Chris Ianetta if he's available. If not sign Gregg Zaun to a one year deal with Santos as the backup. Also try to bring Brian Schnider back on a minor league deal.
Sign Mark Prior, Chad Cordero, and Jorge Julio to minor league contracts.
Sign (preferrably) Erik Bedard, Ben Sheets, or Rich Harden to a one year incentive based deal.
Put Parnell back in the bullpen.
Keep Nieve and Figueroa in the minors as back up SPs.
Send Reed an Sullivan to minors or non tender them.
Use Carter, Evans, Valdez (who I would resign), and Pagan as the back ups.
Sign Holliday to a 4 or 5 year deal at around $20 million/year and I'd be willing to go as high as 6 years at $115 mil.
If there's enough money sign Delgado to a one year incentive based deal while turning Murphy into a super-sub. If there's not enough $ then...
Keep Murphy at first. He was the second best defensive 1b in the NL this year according to UZR. He is developing as a hitter and had a solid second half. I'm not saying he'll end up like him BUT Tino Martinez's rookie season and Murphy's are nearly identical.
Possibly bring Hank Blalock to platoon with Murphy. He has legitimate power and is a solid 1b (even if it is a small sample size) coming off of a unlucky season.

I'm Back

2009-09-11T18:03:00.004-04:00

I really haven't posted in a long time because I've been writing a good deal for playerpress.com but I wanted to come back here too so I'll post on both. I miss the ignorant comment battles. Before I start talking about what I want the Mets to do in the offseason I want to say that I knew Pedro would be pitching well and it hurts to see him on the Phills. Anyway moving to the offseason:

Resign Delgado to a one year incentive based deal.
Turn Murphy into a super-sub. He is not the 1b of the future, Ike Davis is.
Sign Holliday to a 4 or 5 year deal. He is good on defense as well as offense.
DO NOT TRADE Beltran, Reyes, or Wright.
Trade Francouer and a minor leaguer for Aaron Harang.
Pick up Putz option.
Put Parnell back in the bullpen
Bring back Tatis back on a one year deal.
Replace Sheffield with Nick Evans.
Sign Chad Cordero, Jorge Julio, andMark Prior to minor league deals.
Sign either Bedard or Sheets to a minor league deal if they would accept it. If not a one year incentive based deal.
Try to trade for Chris Iannetta or Chris Snyder but if either are too expensive bring back Schnider on a minor league deal and stick with a Thole/Santos platoon in the majors.
Bring back Xavier Nady to play RF on a one or two year deal.

Player Press

2009-06-11T17:08:00.001-04:00

Hey guys I got a job of sorts writing for playerpress.com so go check that out as well as here.

Bad News for Mets

2009-06-05T16:56:00.002-04:00

Mets have recently learned that Reyes has a tear in his hamstring and will not return until about the All-Star Break. J.J. Putz will also have surgery to remove the bone spurs in his elbow and should return in about 3 months. The good news for the Mets is that Alex Cora is back so we don't have to deal with Malo or any other no hit SS to continue to fill in 100% of the time. In other good news is that Ryan Church should back Sunday. What Manuel is planning to do is split time at SS between Cora and Valdez with Cora getting the majority of starts. As for the outfield situation Manuel plans to have Beltran start in CF, continue start Fernando Martinez (who has hit around .333 since his 0 for 9 start) in left or right, and having Sheffield and Church split time in order to keep Shef fresh. I hope and still think that Church can be a productive starting right rielder while Sheff can continue to be a productive bat (although he needs to stay healthy).

To replace Putz on the roster the Mets have called up former top prospect Fernando Nieve. Nieve has always had good stuff but had failed to put it all together. He has done a pretty good job in the minors posting FIP's of 2.98 and 3.61 at AA and AAA with K/9's of 9.33 and 8.51. Hopefully this is Nieve putting together all the talent he has and making the most out of his chance with the Major League club.

As for the Mets line up Omar should make a play for a bat such as Nick Johnson or Jermaine Dye. If I were Omar I would try to make a trade for Nick Johnson and Joel Hanrahan (who has pitched much better than his stats would show). He has a 11.1 K/9 and a 3.90 FIP. He walks a little much but he also has a completely unsustainable .458 BABIP. Johnson would be a great pickup because of his great OBP and ususally good defense at 1b (although this year so far he has not been so good). He has however had a bit of luck on his side with a .383 BABIP which boosts his BA. Getting Johnson would also mean that Carlos Delgado would not have to be rushed back. The only setback would be that he can only play 1b and that would mean moving Murph back to the outfield while sending F Mart back to the minors (or possibly sending Murph to the minors). Hanrahan would be a good addition to the bullpen. Josh Willingham would also be a nice addition in place of Nick Johnson. If we could get these guys relatively cheap I would jump on the opportunity. We do not need to clear out the farm system for guys like Carlos Lee or Matt Holliday. Keep FMart, Holt, Mejia, Thole, Flores, Marte, etc.

If Omar however does not make a trade, the Mets should hope and pray that they can stay afloat in time for Perez, Putz, Wagner, Reyes, and Delgado to come back. Please be smart Omar and make a move for a solid but not spectacular bat like Johnson or Willingham.

Castro for Broadway?

2009-05-30T13:52:00.003-04:00

Last night after Omir Santos' heroics won the game for the Mets, Omar traded Ramon Castro to the White Sox for RHP Lance Broadway thus ensuring that Omir and Brian Schnider will be the Mets' catchers from here on out. Lance Broadway was a former top prospect in the White Sox organization who has not put up good numbers. The good thing about him is that he has a good GB/FB rate at 1.70 for his minor league career. Now as for right now I have to say I do not like the trade. Maybe this could turn out to be another Maine type of trade where Omar picks up a former top prospect who fell out of favor and then can turn it around with the Mets. However until we get there I cannot approve of the trade. Is it possible that Omir is a late bloomer offensively and has finally come into his own? Yes, of course it's possible. But likely? No. He is 28 years old and has never put up an OPS more than .700 other than this year whereas Castro has a career OPS of .729. Omir may be a better defender but I don't feel like the difference in their defense is enough to justify the trade. The front office thinks that his defense and his ability to call a game makes him so valuable. Even with the good year he is having so far his OBP is still only .306. That is not good by any stretch of the imagination. I hope that I am wrong and he has finally turned a corner and will continue to be good for the rest of the year. I also hope that Broadway turns out be another John Maine-type of deal. Prove me wrong guys. Please.

F-Mart Has Arrived

2009-05-26T19:30:00.002-04:00

The Mets have placed Jose Reyes and Ryan Church on the 15-Day DL and thus called up top prospect, 20 year old Fernando Martinez. They also acquired 31 year old SS Wilson Valdez from the Indians for cash. I'm cautiously optimistic and excited about what F-Mart can do. Yes he is 20 years old but his age hasn't stopped him at any other level of the minors where he has continuously been among the youngest players in the league and still continued to perform. I wouldn't be surprised about anything the kid does. If he comes up and rakes I wouldn't be surprised. On the other hand if he comes up and does nothing, I also wouldn't be surprised. As for Valdez, he is obviously just a stopgap for the Reyes injury. He is more experienced and a better defended than Ramon Martinez.

Also, watching tonights game versus the Nationals makes me wish the Mets had done a little bit more during the offseason. Adam Dunn would have been a great pick up for the Mets. He just picked up his 1000th career hit , 29% of which have been hit for homeruns. He is only second on the list of people with 1000 hits in that percentage trailing only Mark McGwire who hit almost 36% of his hits for HRs. The Mets would have that power bat which they lack with Delgado on the DL. I also wish the Mets still had Pedro just so we could have 3 Martinez's on the roster. He also most likely would be pitching better than Livan who isn't pitching terribly but also not pitching great either.

Injuries, injuries and more injuries

2009-05-25T01:31:00.004-04:00

So the Mets have just come off of a 5-5 road trip which is actually good considering the events surrounding the games. First the Mets started off by winning 3 of 4 from the Giants. They then lost 3 straight to the Dodgers who hold the best record in baseball (and a spectacular home record). Then we won 2 of 3 from the Red Sox who also have a great home record. Now what is amazing (especially the Sox games) is that the Mets did this without their clean up hitter Delgado, their starting catcher Schnider (although Santos has been great), their number 4 starter Perez, and their lead off man Reyes. Also they lost superb backup Alex Cora to a torn ligament in his thumb.They lost Ryan Church to a hip and hamstring issue (which had been bothering him since spring training). Putz was dealing with shoulder soreness in the beginning of the trip. Beltran's knee started acting up and wasn't able to play the field against the Sox. K-Rod had back spasms that forced him to break down and go to a hospital immediately although he appears fine now. It is amazing that the Mets won the series against the Sox. They won against Dice-K and then Big Pelf stepped up against Beckett and both pitched great games but Omir came out the victor against Papelbon and some great defense from Wright, Martinez (who is also now hurt), and Castillo ended a great game.

Now the Mets have some issues to address heading forward. With Church likely to go on the DL (which he should) should the Mets call up top prospect Fernando Martinez (who is playing great so far in AAA despite being 20) and play him everyday? Or do the Mets call up Willy Mo Pena for some much needed power with Delgado and Church being out? Or should the Mets make a trade for someone such as Nick Johnson or Jermaine Dye? I love Johnson but think Dye would be a better fit because he may come cheaper and the Mets could keep Murphy at first rather than moving him back to LF. The pitching has been solid with Santana continuing to be Santana and Big Pelf being very solid (despite some yips that caused balks) especially when his secondary pitches were working like they were against the Sox. Maine seems to be coming around while Redding and Hernandez are pitching well enough. Perez was pitching in some simulated games and pitched pretty well and normal. He stuck out a lot and walked alot. Vintage Perez. Hopefully Sean Green can figure out whats wrong and come around. Hopefully Putz and K-Rod can get and stay healthy. Hopefully Parnell continues to be awesome (he hit a career high 100mph on the radar gun Saturday against the Sox by the way). I remain cautiously optomistic because of what I saw against the Sox this weekend. The Mets never gave up and played some good baseball (despite some errors and poor pitching Sunday).

Carlos Voltron

2009-05-23T18:35:00.001-04:00

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2009/05/22/five-things-you-may-not-know/

Appreciate What We Have

2009-05-08T11:06:00.003-04:00

I want to take this time to appreciate a couple of Mets: one who never gets the credit he deserves and one who usually does but it took some time last year for Met fans to warm up to him. I'm of course talking about Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana.

Carlos Beltran has been spectacular not only this year but for his entire career as a Met with the exception of 2005 where he still played fantastic defense. In Beltran we may have the best CF in baseball. You can argue all you want about CF's who do things better than Beltran but there is not one out there who does everything as well as Beltran. Does Hamilton hit for more power than Beltran? Does Carlos Gomez play better defense? Does Ichiro hit for a higher average than Beltran? Yes they all do. However Beltran is one of the truly underappreciated players in the game today. He plays like a superstar and doesn't get the credit for it. He is a real 5-tool player. He hits for power and a decent average. He plays fantastic defense in the outfield and has a great arm. He has good speed and is a smart base running (all time leader in SB success rate). Beltran makes everything he does look easy especially playing the outfield. He is a quiet guy but wants to win. At first I was not a fan of Beltran but now he has become one of my favorite players. He is underrated by Met fans and does not deserve to be seeing as he excels at every aspect of the game. This year he has been one of the best hitters in the league hitting .383. While that is not going to stay that high as shown by a ridiculous .430 BABIP. Beltran could be on his way to have a monster year.

The other Met who was at first underappreciated is none other than Johan Santana. Santana is spectacular. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball. This year he has a remarkable 6 game start to the year with a K/9 at 12.25, an identical WHIP and ERA standing at .91, and only a 4-1 record. Since last July Santana has been unstoppable even after getting knee surgery in the offseason. Another scary part is that Santana's opposition's BABIP is .275, not far off from his career .286 mark. Santana has been ridiculous and rightfully won NL Pitcher of the Month for April. Santana could be on his way to the one of the best seasons by a Mets pitcher (although Seaver's '69 and Gooden's '85 will be hard to top). Thank you Omar for bringing him in which is now looking like a steal for the Mets even though there is still time for the youngsters in the Twins organization to bloom. There has been talk about the Mets rotation being bad behind Santana. However lately everyone outside how Oliver Perez has been doing their part with solid outings from Livan, Maine, and Big Pelf. Niese will get a start tonight against the Pirates and Redding's return on the horizon. Things are looking up for the rotation especially if Ollie's DL trip sets him straight.

Perez

2009-05-06T23:09:00.005-04:00

Oliver Perez was first demoted to the bullpen but now he is being put on the 15 day DL with patella tendinitis. Hopefully, he can return from the injury strong and hopefully live up the potential he has flashed at times in his career. The Mets will call up Jon Niese to start Friday. He is not pitching well at AAA but I can't say I dislike the move. It will be good to get him some more innings versus MLB clubs but in no way do I think he is ready to be on the MLB club full time. He still needs time to develop in AAA. I probably would have called up Figueroa but I can't say this is necesarily a bad move.

Update: I actually was not thinking when I originally wrote this article. Calling up Niese is a good move because he doesn't have to be put through waivers to go back tot he minors unlike Figgy.

Peavy

2009-04-29T00:33:00.002-04:00

Right now the Mets are not playing great baseball. They have been decent their last 5 games, winning 3 of them. The biggest concern with the Mets is probably their rotation. If I were Omar I would get on the phone with Kevin Towers, Padres GM, and try to work out a deal for Peavy. Yes, Peavy does have a no-trade clause and can dictate if he wants to come to the Mets or not. If Peavy wants to win it would be smart to accept a trade to the Mets. This also wouldn't be a rental player for the Mets because Peavy is signed through 2012 with an option for 2013. He is making $11 this year, $15 million next year, $16 million in 2011, $17 mil in 2012, and $22 in 2013 if the club picks up the option (or $4 mil buy out). The Mets would probably have to give up Fernando Martinez and Jon Niese along with some other players (Flores, Marte, maybe even Dan Murphy). Would the Mets farm system be depleted? Yes, but in my eyes it is worth it because of what we are recieving in return. The Mets would have the deadliest 1-2 punch in baseball in both their rotation and bullpen in Johan, Peavy, Putz and K-Rod. It would take pressure off of Perez and Maine, both of whose biggest problem is their own mind. With Peavy, the Mets could have the best rotation in baseball depending on how Pelfry's arm holds up, if Ollie can reach his potential, and if Maine can build off of his last start versus the Marlins. The Mets time to win is now and Peavy could be the piece that puts us over the top. Plus he is having a not so great season so we maybe able to get him for a bit cheaper than usual. Win now while Beltran and Johan are in their prime and before Delgado's production falls off.

Redding, Church, LOB, and Pitching

2009-04-26T15:55:00.006-04:00

So in about 10 days Tim Redding will be ready to come back from the DL and join the major league club. The question is where will he be put? He could be the long man out of the pen or the 5th starter. If he goes to the pen who will be cut? Parnell has options so he can be sent to the minors without chance of losing him but he has been good so far and has become one of Manuel's favorites out of the pen. The logical choice would be Casey Fossum who has not done well at all for the major league club and almost cost them Figureoa. However he is the only other lefty out of the pen besides Feliciano. I would cut Fossum and hope he doesn't get claimed off of waivers. The other option would be to cut Livan and have Redding take over as the 5th starter, or cut Fossum and move Livan to the pen to be the long man which could make sense because Livan has been solid the first few innings and then blows up. The Mets could also try to send Ollie to the minors although he would have to accept the assignment. Ollie has had one good start and 3 bad ones. He needs to turn it around.

Ryan Church has been everything the Mets could have asked for this year. He has had the most pressure put on him from a roster POV. From Manuel claiming Murphy would be the regular LF and Church may lose playing time, to singing Sheffield and Willy Mo Pena. Church has responded well by playing his usual good defense, and hitting well (.358 BA). Manuel however continues to bench him against lefties in place of Tatis (who is one of my favorites) and Sheff (who I'm begining to like a little bit more) . I understand the need to have Tatis and Sheff getting at bats but I think Church has showed he should be in the line up everyday. If you want to get Sheff and Church at bats bench Delgado (who could use a day off because he has been slumping lately) and Murphy and put Sheff and Tatis in. I love Church and think he has done everything we could have asked and is the main reason the trade is looking more and more like a success.

The Mets have done a terrible job at hitting with men on base. The Mets should be doing much better than their record shows. They have several players hitting over .300, with Beltran and Castillo being 1 and 2 in hitting in the league. They will eventually start to hit with men on base but it is a serious problem now. They are putting too much pressure on themselves in these situations.

The Mets other problem is their starting rotation. Santana has been absolutely amazing. He is leading the league in ERA and has just been fantastic. Maine had a rough opening to the season but should come back around and has had a solid outing last game. Pelfry pitched good yesterday but was terrible earlier in the year when dealing with his tendonitis. I don't think he'll be as good as the Mets expected this year. I like Big Pelf alot and think he will eventually be a very good number 2 possibly even number 1 pitcher, just not yet. Livan has been ok and actually better than expected. He pitches good early in the games and then falls apart which has also been Ollie's problem. Ollie has been terrible. He pitched one good game against the Padres and has been terrible otherwise, usually beeing good early in the game then falling apart around the fifth inning. I think he will turn it around but his velocity is down and he needs to make some changes because he can't continue pitching like this.

The one truly bright spot is the bullpen. The Mets pen has been spectacular and should continue to be throughout the year. The Mets for the first time in history have a power pen with Parnell, Stokes, K-Rod, and Putz all bringing the mid-90's heat. Putz's velocity has been down a little bit but I think it'll be back soon. Feliciano hasn't been great but he should get a little bit better. Fossum hasn't been good and I would have liked to see Figuroea stay as the long man after his decent start. I'm really glad he came back after the way the Mets screwed up by cutting him for Fossum. I love Figgy and he'll be good as depth for the rotation/bullpen. Redding will be back soon which will strenghten the bullpen. The Mets will definitely be playing better the rest of th year and won't continue playing as poorly has they have.

WILLY MO!!!!

2009-04-20T20:18:00.002-04:00

The Mets signed Willy Mo Pena to a minor league contract. I love Willy Mo since he was playing on the Staten Island Yankees. This is a good low risk/high reward type of move because Willy Mo is still young and has tremendous power.

Figueroa's DFA and Fossum's Up

2009-04-19T18:57:00.002-04:00

Nelson Figueroa was designated for assignment today after pitching a decent game in place of Pelfrey. The Mets called up Casey Fossum to replace Figueroa. Fossum was once a top prospect but never panned out. He's a lefty starter who will be used out of the bullpen. I love Figueroa but it makes sense to bring up Fossum because he has more upside and is another lefty to compliment Feliciano.

O'Day Gone and Figueroa's Back

2009-04-19T12:59:00.002-04:00

With the news that Mike Pelfrey has tendinitis in arm and will thus be skipped today in the rotation, Nelson Figueroa will be called up to take his spot in the rotation and Darren O'Day will be placed on Rule V waivers, which means if no team claims him he must be offered back to the Angels. I liked O'Day and would have put Pelfrey on the DL instead. However it looks like he will be able to make his next start. I love Nelson Figueroa so I cannot be too upset about the move, especially since he will be the long man out of the bullpen for those days when Bad Ollie shows up. The Mets rotation is clearly the biggest question mark this season. Will Oliver Perez live up to his potential? Will John Maine get back on track after his minor surgery in the offseason? Will Pelfrey live up to his potential and avoid the "Verducci Effect"? Will Livan Hernandez stay solid or will he go back to the guy who had an ERA over 6 last year? Will Johan Santana continue to be absolutely amazing? I am optimistic about the rotation when it comes to Johan, Maine, and Ollie. Pelfrey I am not as optimistic about for this year. I actually love Pelfrey but I dont think he will have as good of a year as everyone expects. I think he will be a very good pitcher in a year or two but I don't think that year is now. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Sheff is a Met

2009-04-04T11:53:00.003-04:00

The Mets signed Gary Sheffield yesterday. Sheff was released by the Tigers earlier in the week. I personally hate Sheff more than any player with the exception of Roger Clemens. However this may not be that bad of a move. He was signed for the league minimum which means it won't be a problem to cut him. He is a right handed power bat off the bench which is exactly what the Mets needed. As long as Sheff's personality doens't cause too much turmoil in the clubhouse then I think this move could turn out to be a pretty decent one. The signing will probably end Marlon Anderson's time with the Mets which I have mixed feelings about. He was terrible last year but he was also battling injuries the whole year. I had high hopes for him because I do really like him but he was a bad fielder and a left handed bat without a lot of power. He was however a great clubhouse figure and a good leader. Hopefully Sheff's onfield prescence can overcome Anderson's off field prescence. Also, Sheff going for his 500th HR may bring some more fans into the stands from the Wilpons' point of view.

Ollie P and Consistency

2009-03-27T12:17:00.003-04:00

For all of those who claim that Oliver Perez is inconsistent, go check out this article over at Amazin' Avenue. As you can see from the article, while the measurement may not be perfect, Perez is not as inconsistent as fans may think. I've always been a fan of Oliver Perez and I think (and hope) he will be able to get his head straight and lower his walk totals during the course of his contract with the Mets. If he does, he will be one of the better pitchers in the league.

Mets Season Outlook

2009-03-20T20:48:00.004-04:00

As of writing this I am going to assume the Mets make no more acquisitions this offseason. For the 2009 season I think the Mets' success will depend on their health (much like it did last year). If everyone can stay healthy I think that the Mets will win the division and go far in theplayoffs. That is a big IF however. Santana has already had a spring training injury scare and he is a huge part to the Mets success. I'm not worried about Maine as much as other people are considering he is coming off of minor offseason ebow surgery. Along with Perez, Maine is the other wild card in the rotation. Maine has potential to be a Cy Young winner in my opinon (and of some scouts). Maine needs to keep his pitch count low and go after hitters more rather than pitcher around them or pitch for the K. He also needs to think less and pitch more. Perez also has a ton of potential but is very inconsistent but when he's on he is one of the best as witnessed by his past July. If he can lower his walk rates, he will be one of the better pitchers in the league. It's all a matter of harnessing his mind and control. Pelfrey is a concern because of the "Verducci Effect" which basically states that if a young pitcher pitchers a significant amount of innings more than his previous year, he is due for an injury. I think he'll be fine and have a good year but maybe not as much as some optomists. As for the fifth starer, I do not think Livan will have a good year. I would much rather see the Mets resign Pedro and have him pitch in the 5th staters spot. He has more upside and is a smarter pitcher. Livan and Garcia will be useful in AAA for when Pedro or another starter gets injured. I would also advocate signing Sheets later in the year for when he is able to come back.

The Mets will have a good offensive going into next year although they won't be great. They could possibly be the beset 3,4,5, in baseball with Wright, Beltran, Delgado and thats not even including Reyes at leadoff. Church, Murphy, Castillo, Scnider/Castro, and the Pitcher won't be great but they will be solid. I expect a solid year from Castillo. Due to their solid core, they will be one of the better offensive teams in the league.

As for the bullpen, if K-Rod and Putz are healthy, the Mets will have the best 8th and 9th inning combo in baseball. Feliciano is a solid lefty and the rest of the 'pen is still to be determined. Parnell, Green and Stokes appear to be the candidates for the reset of the 'pen. Like in '06, the Mets could have one of the best pens in the league.

So assuming everyone stays healthy, the Mets will essentially be last year except with a better bullpen, which would win them in the mid-90's in wins. However, no one can assume no injuries so I'll predict 92 wins and a division title.

Mets Offseason

2009-03-20T16:40:00.004-04:00

So far this offseason the Mets have added K-Rod, JJ Putz, Sean Green, Alex Cora, Cory Sullivan, Jeremy Reed, Tim Redding, Bobby Kielty, Darren O'Day, Rocky Cherry(offered back to O's but they rejected, and could be resigned), Connor Robertson Jose Valentine, Freddy Garcia, Livan Hernandez, and resigned Oliver Perez and Fernando Tatis. The Mets lost Pedro Martinez, Duaner Sanchez, Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Endy Chavez, Scott Schoenweis, Mike Carp, Ezequiel Carrera, Maikel Cleto, and some minor leaguers (not very noteworthy). All in all I think it was a good offseason (especially considering how Madoff screwed the Wilpons), although they could have done better.

Bad Moves: From an offensive standpoint I think the Mets still should have signed Dunn, Abreu, or Orlando Hudson (especially Abreu seeing as he signed for about $5 million) to play left field (and move Dunn to first after this year) and kept Murphy in the minors for one more year but it's not a terrible move seeing as Murphy continues to impress me (although I still feel many Mets fans overrate him). Tim Redding was signed for too much seeing as he doesn't have much upside and he is coming off of offseason surgery and is now injured. Cora was signed for too much as well to be a back up infielder. Combined they'll make about $5 million which is about what Abreu signed for and while I'm not an Abreu fan, he's way too good to turn down for that price. Also, I think that the Mets should have gotten more for Schoenewies, who for all the shit he took was a very effective LOGGY. As for the fifth starer's position I would have tried to get one of the two starters the Red Sox got: Smoltz or Penny. Smart moves on the Sox part. I also would have (and still would) sign Pedro because he has more upside than Livan Hernandez or Freddy Garcia. Although reports are that the Mets have made Pedro a $1-2 million dollar offer with incentives, which is a very smart move. I feel last year was a fluke because Pedro was never able to get into a groove due to injuries and the death of his father (whom he was very close to).

Good Moves: The K-Rod aquisition was a very good move (although I may have gone in a different direction) especailly seeing as he should be entering his prime now. The Mets also made a potentially great trade by obtaining JJ Putz, who was arguably the best closer in baseball from 2006-2007. Last year was injury filled and if he can bounce back to anywhere around his 06-07, form he'll be better than K-Rod. Reed who came in that trade, could play a big part this year if he makes the team. He is supposedly a great defensive outfielder who was once a top prospect becaue of his bat. If he can ever reach some of his potential he'll have a big year. Sean Green could also big a big part of the bullpen as a ground ball specialist. Hitters have said their at-bats against Green are always "uncomfortable" which is always a good thing from a pitchers standpoint. The Oliver Perez signing was good for a few reasons: 1) His deal is better than what the Braves gave Lowe because of their age and upside. 2) The timing of the deal. If Omar had waited, Sheets injury would have come out and demand would have gone up for Perez. 3) No other reliable options on the market. The Tatis signing was good as he could be a solid bat off the bench. I also really like the Jose Valentine minor league signing because although he won't make the team, he'll be good to have as a mentor in camp and in the minors as a backup. The Darren O'Day Rule V pick looks like a smart one as he may make the team as a Chad Bradford-type of pitcher. I would like to see the Mets sign Shawn Hill to a minor league deal (he was just cut by the Nationals).

So far the roster looks like this (with a few questions about last bench spots):
1b: Delgado
2b: Castillo
3b: Wright
ss: Reyes
c: Schnider
lf: Murphy
rf: Church
cf: Beltran
bn: Castro
bn: Anderson
bn: Cora
bn: Tatis
bn: Sullivan (?)
bn: Evans (?)- I think he should stay in minors
bn: Kielty (?)
bn: Reed (?)

sp: Santana
sp: Maine
sp: Perez
sp: Pelfrey
sp: Hernandez
rp: K-Rod
rp: Putz
rp: Feliciano
rp: Green
rp: Stokes (?)
rp: O'Day (?)
rp: Parnell (?)- I really like Parnell in the bullpen

Starting Back Up

2009-03-12T17:04:00.001-04:00

Yea I was pretty lazy/busy for most of the offseason so I didn't really post much. Now that Spring Training is here I'm starting the blog back up.

No Lowe for the Mets

2009-01-13T11:55:00.002-05:00

So it is being reported that the Braves have signed Lowe to a 4 year deal worth $60 million dollars. This comes just as I was warming up to the idea of having Lowe on the team. At first I was hesitant to sign a guy who is in his late 30's to a 3 and possibly 4 year deal. It doesn't matter now though because he is going to the Braves who I feel have overpayed for him. The Mets now NEED to sign either Oliver Perez, who they offered a 3 year deal worth around $30 million, or Ben Sheets, the ultimate high risk/high reward guy. I would be thrilled with Sheets because if he stays healthy the Mets would have 2 bonafied aces. I would also be happy with Oliver Perez because I feel he is bing underestimated. He can pitch like an ace when he's on top of his game and if he learns how to cut down on walks he will be a great number 2 pitcher. If the Mets do not sign either of these guys or a strong bat for LF I will consider this offseason a failure because they addressed the bullpen issue but did nothing about the rotation nor the lineup.

Yankees

2008-12-16T22:14:00.000-05:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/yankees-sign-iraqi-hurler_b_150950.html

Bye Bye Show

2008-12-12T19:37:00.002-05:00

Mets have traded Scott Schoenewies to the D-Backs for righty relief pitcher Connor Robertson. Robertson was a throw-in in the Dan Haren trade. He is 27 years old with a 2.82 ERA in 217 career-minor league games, during which he struck out 382 batters in 305 innings. He has not pitched much in the majors and when he has, he was not effective. I do not know much about Robertson but as of now I am not a big fan of this trade unless Omar is cutting salary in order to sign Sheets, Dunn, Lowe, Perez, etc. Show was great as a lefty specialist and that's it. He was really only bad when he was misused (aka used against right handed batters). I liked Show (more than Feliciano, although Feliciano is probably better if he can get back to his 2006 level). I hope Omar didn't sell low on him.

Phillies and Ibanez Agree to Deal

2008-12-12T10:58:00.002-05:00

The Phillies and Raul Ibanez agreed to a 3 year $30 million dollar deal today. I am actually not upset about this deal. While I am a fan of Ibanez and did want the Mets to possibly get him at the trade deadline last year, I did not want the Mets to get him this year. He is old and probably the worst left fielder in baseball. He is also a Type A free agent which means Phillies lose their first round pick to the Mariners as the Mets did to the Angels with K-Rod. This also means that the Mets have more of a reason to sign Adam Dunn. GET ADAM DUNN!! He's in his prime years, has a ton of power, and excellet OBP, isn't a type A free agent, and we can move him to 1b in 2010. With Dunn we could possibly have the best 1-5 line up in baseball to go along with our best 8th-9th inning duo of Putz and K-Rod.

Phuck Cole Hammels

2008-12-11T19:59:00.002-05:00

I read this quote from Cole Hammels over at Metsblog.com and it makes me dislike Hammels even more than I already did. I already disliked him for his bitching over the amount the Phillies were offering for arbitration last year. You're one of the better pitchers in baseball and are sure to make a ton of money when you hit free agency and you're complaining about one year's raise? It annoyed me especially when John Maine was saying that he was happy with whatever he was being offered for arbitration. Now Hammels comes out with this quote that they see the Mets as choke artists. Even if you do, that's just unprofessional to say to the media. Get off your high horse.

Hello New Bullpen!

2008-12-10T23:24:00.004-05:00

UPDATE: The Mets also gave up OF Ezequiel Carrera and RHP Maikel Cleto in the trade. So overall the Mets get Putz, Reed, and Green. The Mariners get Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, and Franklin Gutierrez. The Indians get Joe Smith and Luis Valbuena.

So today the Mets completely revamped their bullpen. First Omar signs K-Rod to be the closer. Then Omar trades Mike Carp, Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez (all players I like; Chavez and Smith being most Mets fans' favorites), and an unnamed second prospect for JJ Putz, Sean Green (relief pitcher; not ex-Met OF), and Jeremy Reed (backup OF). As much as I liked Smith, Carp, Heilman, and Endy I have to say this is a very good move. Putz was a dominant closer for two straight years (2006 and 2007) only to get injured last year but still have a relatively good year. Now the Mets have two very good closers for the 8th and 9th innnings (could possibly be best 8th/9th in baseball). If K-Rod gets injured we have a legitimate closer in waiting. Now I would love to see Omar go out and get Chad Cordero and maybe Brandon Lyon or Eric Gagne (preferrably Lyon, but whoever comes cheaper) for the bullpen. This also means that with Mike Carp gone, I see even more of a need to sign Adam Dunn so he can replace Delgado after next year.

Johan, K-Rod, and importance of brand names

2008-12-10T16:30:00.002-05:00

I just read this article over at Metsblog.com and think that it is great. This to me shows how important a single player on a team can be regardless of the numbers he puts up. I am a big fan of team chemistry and this is only a good sign. I also think that this article helps show my point that regardless of what Pedro did on the field his off the field presence was very very important to the Mets organization for the present and even more so the future.

Mets Sign K-Rod

2008-12-09T15:58:00.004-05:00

The Mets and K-Rod have agreed to a 3 year deal worth $37 million along with a 4th year option that kicks in depending on innings pitched. I am actually happy with this move (although I would have gone in a different direction) because it is only for 3 or 4 years and not a ridiculous amount of money per year. I have always like K-Rod and am happy to see him become a Met. I personally would have signed Kerry Wood because of draft picks but that's just me. Now I would love to see the Mets get Chad Cordero, Adam Dunn, Houston Street or Brandon Lyon, Pedro Martinez or Brad Penny, Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, and a few reclamation projects like Derrick Turnbow, Eric Gagne, Mark Prior, Mark Mulder, Bartolo Colon, etc. (minor league deals).

Arbitration

2008-12-04T16:58:00.003-05:00

Well the date has passed when teams had to decided to offer their free agent players arbitration, which for those of you who don't know is an offer to negotiate a one year deal for more money. If a player declines and he is ranked A or B, the team gets compensatory draft picks when he signs with another team. If a ranked player is not offered arbitration, the team that signs him does not have to surrender any draft picks to the team losing said player. Here are the ranked players who were and were not offered arbitration:
Type A free agents who have been offered Arbitration:

Jason Varitek, Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Rual Ibanez, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Darren Oliver, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez, Orlando Hudson, Juan Cruz, Orlando Cabrera

Type A free agents who were not offered Arbitration:

Edgar Renteria, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Bob Howry, Russ Springer, Trevor Hoffman, Kerry Wood, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, Jamie Moyer, Doug Brocail

Type B free agents offered Arbitration:

Mark Grudzielanek, Casey Blake, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Brian Shouse, Brandon Lyon, Milton Bradley, David Weathers, Dennys Reyes

Type B not offered Arbitration:

Ivan Rodriguez, Gregg Zaun, Jeff Kent, Garrett Anderson, Moises Alou, Braden Looper, Gregg Maddux, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Luis Ayala, Joe Beimel, Eric Gagne, Jason Isringhausen, Frank Thomas, Alan Embree, Randy Johnson, Paul Lo Duca, Mark Loretta, Juan Uribe, Luis Gonzalez, Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Wolf, Arthur Rhodes, Rudy Seanez

First off I would have liked to see the Mets offer Luis Ayala arbitration because if he sings accepts, he wouldn't make that much money and is a solid pitcher. If he declines we get a Sandwich draft pick (comes between 1st and 2nd rounds of draft; David Wright was picked in this round btw). The two biggest names that I would have liked the Mets to sign before arbitration decisions were made just got sweeter because of these decisions: Kerry Wood and Adam Dunn. The Mets could (and should) sign both of these players because neither was offered arbitration. Kerry Wood comes with injury risk and Adam Dunn plays a poor left field, K's too much, and has a low BA but the upside to both of these players is much greater than the risk. Kerry Wood was a gritty fan favorite in Chicago and wouild be loved by New York. He had a phenominal year as his first as a closer. He has great stuff and posted a better WHIP than K-Rod last year. I would additionally trade for Houston Street (or another player with closer experience) to be an injury back up (sign Chad Cordero). As for Adam Dunn he is still only going to be 29 next year which still puts him in his prime. He has tremendous power and gets on base at close to a .400 clip which seeing as he only hits .250 is amazing. He also could potentially move to 1b when Delgado leaves after next season. A line up 1-5 of Reyes, Dunn, Wright, Beltran, Delgado is amazing. There is the potential to hit 150 homeruns, take 400 walks and score 500 runs. The most important thing is that we do not have to surrender draft picks when we sign them thus helping our farm system. We would only have to sign one type A free agent (starting pitcher) and we would get draft picks back in return anyway because of Oliver Perez (and if we sign him, we don't lose picks). All of this being said, I highly doubt that the Mets are going to sign either of these players unfortunately.

Bobby Abreu?

2008-12-01T20:28:00.002-05:00

So reports are that the Yankees are not offering Bobby Abreu arbitration which means that whoever signs him will not have to surrender draft picks. While I think this is a dumb move by the Yanks, it could end up being good for the Mets. While I do not like Bobby Abreu and never have, he is a solid player. If he does not have a high asking price I would sign him for 2-3 years. He is probably the cheapest option out there because you would not have to surrender draft picks. The Mets would be getting a solid bat to shore up the OF until F-Mart is ready while being able to keep their draft picks.

Furcal at 2b?

2008-11-24T10:24:00.002-05:00

Rafel Furcal is a 31 yr old speedy SS who also happens to be an unranked free agent. According to Metsblog.com, the Mets have made an offer to Furcal to play 2b. This is an interesting move because the last time Furcal was a free agent there was speculation about the Mets getting him. Furcal has always been a productive player when healthy. However he has had trouble staying healthy. He has a cannon for an arm and while that does not mean much at 2b, it does not hurt. He is speedy and can hit for a relatively good average. I'm unsure about how I feel about the move. On one hand if Furcal can stay healthy and can maintain his level of production, the Mets would have an amazing infield and very good and speedy 1 and 2 hitters. He also would not cost any draft picks to sing due to lack of playing time the past few years. However on the flipside, he is injury prone and would command a 4 year contract (sound like another 2b on our team?). This would also block Murphy from playing 2b in the future which I think is the best move for him. I do not think he has the power to play a coner outfield spot or 1b. His bat would be above average at 2b but I don't think that is how the Mets see him in the future.

Mets Prospects

2008-11-22T14:49:00.002-05:00

Here is a list of the Mets' top 30 prospects according to Mets Prospect Hub. I want to say a few things about the Mets' farm system and its prospects. It is both overrated and underrated. The Mets farm system carries around a reputation as one of the worst in baseball and does not have much talen. This is flat out not true. The Mets may not have one of the better minor league systems but it is not as bas as many make it out to be. The Mets do not have a lot of major league ready talent which is why they have this reputaiton. However the Mets have a lot of good young talent (Flores, F-Mart, Marte, Mejia, etc.). Mets prospects are overrated beause of the pure fact that they play in NY. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers all have their prospects overrated because of where they play and the large fan base that surrounds it. For example: Dan Murphy is not a god. He has a solid to above average bat but he is not amazing. He does not have a whole bunch of power. While he is a good player, he is not a super star.

Also my philosophy on trading prospects is that if you are getting a proven and relatively young star, trade prospects. I would give up F-Mart and others for a Jake Peavy. I would also give up prospects for Carlos Lee (although maybe not F-Mart). I just think that if you are getting a proven star, then it is acceptable to trade away people who only have potential. I am not an advocate of trading away higher prospects for unproven non-stars (aka Zambrano/Kazmir).

I also want to say who a couple of my personal favorite prospects are because it is my blog and I can do that: Mike Carp, Jenrry Mejia (very excited about him), Francisco Pena, Ruben Tejada, Reese Havens.

Lucky Charms 11/20/08

2008-11-20T23:59:00.004-05:00

Dan Murphy has been diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain and should be ready for spring training. He'll be working out to stay in shape for the rest of the winter.
Chase Utley had hip surgery and should be out until at least May.
The Mets added Mike Carp to added to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule V draft.
Aaron Heilman still wants to be a starter but does not necessarily want to be traded according to his agent. Once again I feel that trading Heilman now would be selling low because he does have the talent to be good. Switching him to starter may be the type of change he needs. If we could trade Heilman for what he is worth, I am all for it.
Also since the Astros are trying to shed some contract, maybe trying to bring Ty Wiggington back to play 2b if we can also trade Castillo for someone valuable? He could also be a super sub.
Joel Sherman wrote in an article for the NY Post “Luis Castillo requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season…Mets officials were pleased that Castillo did not want to flee from the problems. Instead, he stated a desire to play and win as a Met, and change the fans’ booing opinion of him, as well.” I still think Castillo can be a productive Met. Before he was on the Mets he was described as "hard nosed" and "gritty", exactly the type of player many Mets fans say the Mets don't have but they need.

Lucky Charms 11/19/08

2008-11-19T20:28:00.003-05:00

So the Red Sox have traded Coco Crisp to the Royals for relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez. This is a good move for the Sox who are trading a pretty good who's underused for a solid relief pitcher which improves their bullpen which was arguably their weaksest link last year. This also gives the Royals seven outfielders. This could mean the Mets could trade for one. I would not like to get Jose Guillen but I would love to see them get David DeJesus.
Mike Mussina said he's retiring which means the Yankees need to spend big this offseason to improve their rotation. I personally never liked Mussina and was pissed when he won his 20th game. With Mussina gone (along with Sheff and possibly Giambi) I can begin to like the Yankees more.
Reports are that the Yanks offered CC a 6 year $140 mil contract. This is too much money for CC but it is one that the Yankees need to make, who do not have a true ace. However CC is reported to have a desire to stay in the NL and possibly on the West Coast. So even though the Yankees will have the highest bid, it does not mean he will be a Yankee next year necessarily.
Ryan Dempster signed with the Cubs for 4 years $52 million.
Nick Swisher was traded to the Yankees for very little. Pretty good move by the Yankees in my mind because they did not have to give up much.
It is beginning to look like Jake Peavy may not be traded.
The Astros are looking to dump salary this offseason. Carlos Lee and Jose Valverde may be two trade targets for the Mets. I would LOVE to see the Mets get Carlos Lee. He would be a perfect fit for the Mets: a relatively young LF who hits for both average and power.
Dan Murphy has "discomfort" in his right knee and is currently not playing.

Santana vs. Lincecum: 2008 Cy Young

2008-11-13T16:32:00.003-05:00

First off let me say that if you had told me 2 or 3 weeks before the season ended that Tim Lincecum would have been the NL Cy Young I would have been extremely happy because at that point he did deserve it. I really did not want to see Brandon Webb (who I actually really like) win a Cy Young award that he did not deserve. However the rest of the season played out and the NL Cy Young ended up being Lincecum follwed by Webb then Santana, when in reality Santana should have won the award. Here Santana, Lincecum, and Webb's stats : QS/GS=quality starts/games started

Lincecum: 18 W, 227 INN, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 265 K, 26/33 QS/GS (Lincecum pitched 4 innings of 1 run relief in which he picked up a win on April 2; doesn't count as a start)
Santana: 16 W, 234.3 INN, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 206K, 28/34 QS/GS
Webb: 22W 226.7 INN, 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 183 K, 24/34 QS/GS

Webb was only put into consideration because of his win total which is a huge problem with the way Cy Youngs are chosen. More emphasis should be put on ERA, WHIP, and QS/GS and much less on wins. I think that ERA is the most important statistic for a pitcher because it reflects how well a pitcher did what a pitcher is supposed to do: prevent runs from scoring. Santana had the lowest ERA in the MLB. WHIP is also a great indicator of how well a pitcher pitches because he keeps players off base. QS/GS is good because it gives the total number of games a pitcher could realistically keep his team in it to win. Sanata led the top 3 in each of these categories. Webb should not have even been in the top 5 in the Cy Young voting let alone top 3.

Some argue that Lincecum played on the Giants so his wins totals are amazing because he was on a bad team. First off, if anything playing for the Giants made it easier for Lincecum to pitch but more on that later. Lets take a look at the run support for Lincecum and Santana. The average number of runs scored in games Lincecum pitched in was 4.441176. The average number of runs scored in games Santana pitched in was 4.735294. WHOA! Huge difference. The Mets scored on average 0.294118 runs more than the Giants in those games. Santana had 9 games where the Mets scored 0, 1, or 2 runs compared to only 7 by the Giants. Also there are 15 games that Johan gave up 3 or less runs that he recieved either a No Decision or a Loss. Lincecum only had 10.

Now as for why pitching for the Giants was more helpful to Lincecum is due to two big factors: pressure and media scrutiny. Pitching for the Giants who were realistically in the running for the playoffs did not pitch under the same amount of pressure as Johan Santana who was brought in to be the Mets savior. I can't even count the number of times I was watching Santana pitch and heard people say "He needs to win this one" or "This is why he was brought here." As for the media scrutiny, I do not live in San Francisco but I doubt that it is the same type of enviornment as New York. When there is a free agent possibly going to NY people ask if they can handle the pressure. You never hear that about SF. I actually believe that the SF media is just glad to have a bright young amazing pitcher on their team. Santana on the other hand pitches under a microscope every game because of the NY media and fans. Santana was viewed as a bust in the beginning of the year because he wasn't shutting every team out but was still pitching very well with an ERA in the low 3's. Santana was even booed after one of his games which he didn't actually pitch terribly in. I highly doubt that happened in SF to Lincecum.

Then there is the argument that since Lincecum is on the Giants he doesn't get to pitch against the lowly Giants while Santana gets to pitch against the Nationals. This argument is easily shot down when you take a look at the divisions. Lincecum pitched against the Padres (the lowest scoring team in baseball) 6 times, the Dodgers twice (24th highest scoring), and the Nationals once (the 3rd lowest scoring). Santana however pitched against the Giants only once (2nd lowest scoring), the Padres twice, Dodgers once, and the Nationals 3 times. Colorado and Arizona are also in the lower half of the league in scoring (18th and 20th) who Linceucm faced 6 and 4 times. Santana only faced Arizona twice and did not get to pitch against the Rockies. On the other hand Santana faced the Phillies (9th highest scoring team) 5 times and Yankees twice (10th highest) while Lincecum only faced the Phillies twice. The Marlins and Braves are in the middle of the pack offensively (14th and 16th) who Santna faced 3 times each while Lincecum only faced the Braves twice and Marlins none at all.

Let's also add that Santana pitched the last month of the season with an injured knee and did not tell anyone about it. He got surgery a week after the season ended. Santana also pitched an absolutely historic gem on the second to last day of the season on 3 days rest to keep the Mets' post-season hopes alive.

Lincecum had more strike outs than Santana but K's are just a flashy statistic. Fans like lots of runs scored, lots of strike outs, and lots of home runs. The Rangers scored the most runs, Detriot hit the most home runs (FLA 3rd), and AJ Burnett had the 3rd most strike outs. None of those 3 teams made the playoffs and Burnett wasn't that great this year. While flashiness is fun and draws fans into the stands, it doesnt always equate to wins. Santana finished 5th in baseball in K's by the way so it's not like he had none.

Anyway in conclusion, Johan Santana should have been the NL Cy Young Award winner. Lincecum had an amazing season and has a bright future ahead of him but his season was not as good or as valuable as Santana's. Webb shouldn't have been in the top 5 for Cy Young.

Lucky Charms 11/11/08

2008-11-11T19:43:00.002-05:00

Cubs C Geovany Soto won the NL Rookie of the Year award almost unanimously losing only one first place vote to Joey Votto. This was an obvious choice and he deserved to win. Soto batted .285 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs.
Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young. I am not very surprised. I had a feeling that Webb would win it and I had a little hope that some people were smart enough to see than Johan Santana was the best pitcher over the course of the year. You can look at my argument here. I hate the way the Cy Young is chosen. Lincecum had a great year and deserved second place but he wasn't as good or as valuable as Santana. If the Mets had a halfway decent bullpen, Santana would have been the near unanimous Cy Young.
Mike Piazza is writing a book about his time in baseball that is due out in 2010. I'm excited about this book. I love Piazza and would love to hear about his stories and his time in the majors with people like Pedro, Bobby V, and Ricky Henderson.
Matt Holliday was traded to the Okland A's which at first may not seem like it has an impact on the Mets. However this trade is very important to the Mets for two reasons. 1. The Phillies, who were rumored to be in the hunt, don't get Holliday. 2. Houston Street goes to the Rockies. The Rockies are rumored to want to trade Street which immediately puts the Mets in the discussion. I never really liked Street but he is a solid pitcher and if we can get him for Heilman, Evans, and a lower level prospect I may not be opposed to a trade.
The Nationals get Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen from the Marlins in exchange for 2B Emilio Bonifacio and minor leaguers RHP P.J. Dean and OF Jake Smolinski. Mike Jacobs was also traded a little while back to the Royals for Pitcher Leo Nunez. This allows the Marlins to move Uggla to 3b or 1b because of his terrible defense. The trade also still gives the Nationals a surplus of OF. Now they have Willingham, Elijah Dukes, Willy Harris, Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena. The Mets and Nationals have made trades before (Ayala, Church, Milledge,etc.). The Nats declined Willy Mo's $5 million option but he exercised his $2 million option. It's not sure where he fits into the Nationals plans and is only 26 years old. He has MONSTER power and can be a poor man's Adam Dunn. I've always loved Willy Mo and think if he can be a very solid Major League player. I'd love it if the Mets traded for him because even if he doesn't pan out, he can still be a power bat off the bench. I don't see the Mets getting him and think they'd prefer Kearns.

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

2008-11-07T00:36:00.002-05:00

Clever title right? Here's another idea for a starting pitcher who may be cheap. Brad Penny just filed for Free Agency and is coming off of a poor and injury plagued season. However Penny was a very effective pitcher before last year and was even the opening day starter for the Dodgers. He is also a former All-Star who has good stuff when healthy. If Penny can come back and stay healthy he will be a very good addition to the Mets. He is also only a Type B free agent so he won't cost as much draft pick wise as Lowe, Perez, Sabathia, etc. Penny has the potential to be a solid number 2 pitcher and could come cheap. Santana, Maine, Penny, Pelfrey, and another starter (Lowe, Perez, Pedro, Prior, Sheets, Vazquez, Jackson, etc.) would be quite the rotation.

Closer Situation

2008-11-06T21:48:00.002-05:00

Apparently word is that K-Rod said he is willing to be flexible in regards to contract situation. This could possibly be because he heard that the Mets weren't interested with the high price tag. Maybe he wants to be a Met or it could be that the Mets will help raise the bidding war for him. With a lower price tag (in particular length of contract) I would want to get K-Rod. I have always really liked K-Rod but don't want him for 5+ years on one contract.
Brian Fuentes is looking for a four year dear worth around $44 million. I think this is very reasonable although I would try to knock it down to three years for a little more money. This looks good for the Mets although there will most likely be other teams involved in the bidding.

Lucky Charms 11/5/08

2008-11-05T22:38:00.004-05:00

The Hot Stove Talk begins. I love the Hot Stove discussions. It's fun to theorize and make up different scenarios that will most likely not happen.
Mets are looking at Raul Ibanez to shore up left field. Ibanez is 37 years old and one of absolute WORST fielders in baseball. On the flip side, he is a very solid middle of the line up bat and a great clubhouse guy. Peter Gammons at ESPN.com had this to say of Ibanez "“His 338 RBIs the past three years are more than Ramirez, Teixeira, or Vladimir Guerrero; he is a leader, a tremendous person and a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat.” Ibanez is also a native New Yorker and a friend of Carlos Beltran. If the Mets can sign him for 2 years I'd definitely take a good look at him especially since he has said he wants to play in New York. His defense won't be as big of a factor because of Beltran being the best defensive CF in baseball which brings me to the next point.
Congrats to Carlos Beltran and David Wright for winning Gold Glove Awards for the 3rd and 2nd straight years. Reyes seemed to have a bad year in the field but he should be getting some in his future. The only reason Santana probably did not win one was due to Greg Maddux winning his 18th.
Ryan Church spoke about Mike Francessa's comments about how Church hates playing in NY for the Mets. Here is a more detailed story at Metsblog.com. Basically Church likes it here and said he would like to finish his career here. Sounds good to me.
Rays still like Aaron Heilman (with good reason) and there are rumors of Edwin Jackson/ Andy Sonnanstine for Heilman and another player. I have mixed feelings about this. I think Heilman still has a lot of protential and I'm not sure about this trade if it happens. I think the trade for Jackson could end up being pretty good but I probably wouldn't do it for Sonnanstine. I would try to pry Crawford away from them and although we'd have to give up a lot I think he is worth it.
There are also rumors about the White Sox shopping around Javier Vazquez. Now I have never been a fan of Javier Vazquez but he has always put up solid numbers especially his K ratios. Also there has been rumor of Castillo for Vazquez. Now altough I've never been a fan, and do like Castillo, it would be dumb not to make this move. Murphy can go to second and we would have a very solid pitcher on our hands. That being said, this trade probably won't happen.
Word is that Russell Martin is on the trading block as well. It would obviously be great to get him but I really don't see it happening. I am perfectly content with Schnider/Castro behind the plate and think that there are more things we need to improve on.

Why do the Phillies hate the Mets so much?

2008-11-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

Honestly I don't get it. I understand some healthy competition but what the Phillies are doing is ridiculous. Everything about the Phillies World Series win seems to have to do with the Mets. This isn't a Red Sox/ Yankees type of situation where there has been years and years of history and rivalry. I don't even consider the Phillies the Mets rival. The Mets' rival is the Braves and will always be. Everything out of Jimmy Rollilns mouth seems to be about the Mets. Why can't your victory be about the Phillies winning not the Mets losing? It's ridiculous. I have a feeling that if the Mets had won the WS Reyes and other players won't be talking about the Phillies..... Ridiculous..

List of 2008 Free Agent Players

2008-10-31T01:44:00.003-04:00

I got this from MLBTradeRumors.com : Also remember that options can be exercised and in several cases will definitely be exercised (Delgado etc.). Also remember this are just estimations about Type of FAs but they should be pretty accurate. Also some people may retire from the MLB.

Catchers
Brad Ausmus (40)
Paul Bako (37)
Rod Barajas (33) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Josh Bard (31)
Michael Barrett (32)
Henry Blanco (37) - $3MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33)
Jason LaRue (35)
Paul Lo Duca (37) - Type B
Miguel Olivo (30) - $2.7MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.1MM buyout - Type B
Ivan Rodriguez (37) - Type A
David Ross (32)
Javier Valentin (33)
Jason Varitek (37) - Type A
Gregg Zaun (38) - Type B

First basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Sean Casey (34)
Tony Clark (37)
Carlos Delgado (37) - $12MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout - Type B
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with a $5MM buyout
Eric Hinske (31)
Doug Mientkiewicz (35)
Kevin Millar (37)
Richie Sexson (34)
Mark Teixeira (29) - Type A
Daryle Ward (34)

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Grudzielanek (39) - Type B
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31) - Type A
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41) - Type B
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37) - Type B
Nick Punto (31)

Shortstops
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Orlando Cabrera (34) - Type A
Alex Cintron (30)
Alex Cora (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
David Eckstein (34)
Adam Everett (32)
Rafael Furcal (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Cesar Izturis (29)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Edgar Renteria (33) - Type A
Juan Uribe (30) - Type B
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Omar Vizquel (42) - $5.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout

Third basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Casey Blake (35) - Type B
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Aaron Boone (36)
Russell Branyan (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
Joe Crede (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Mark Loretta (37) - Type B
Juan Uribe (30) - Type B
Ramon Vazquez (32)

Left fielders
Moises Alou (42) - Type B
Garret Anderson (37) - Type B
Milton Bradley (31) - Type A
Emil Brown (34)
Pat Burrell (32) - Type A
Adam Dunn (29) - Type A
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Luis Gonzalez (41) - Type B
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Raul Ibanez (37) - Type A
Gabe Kapler (33)
Kevin Mench (31)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Craig Monroe (32)
Greg Norton (36)
Jay Payton (36)
Manny Ramirez (37) - Type A
Juan Rivera (30)

Center fielders
Rocco Baldelli (27)
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Mike Cameron (36) - $10MM club option for '09 with a $750K buyout - Type B
Jim Edmonds (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Mark Kotsay (33)
Corey Patterson (29)
Scott Podsednik (33)

Right fielders
Bobby Abreu (35) - Type A
Casey Blake (35) - Type B
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Brian Giles (38) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout - Type A
Ken Griffey Jr. (39) - Type B
Gabe Kapler (33)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Brad Wilkerson (32)

DHs
Milton Bradley (31) - Type A
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with $5MM buyout
Mike Sweeney (35)
Frank Thomas (41) - Type B
Jose Vidro (34)

Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season - Type A
Paul Byrd (38) - Type B
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32) - Type A
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29) - Type B
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
Kenshin Kawakami (34)
Jon Lieber (39)
Braden Looper (34) - Type B
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36) - Type A
Greg Maddux (43) - Type B
Pedro Martinez (37)
Sergio Mitre (28)
Jamie Moyer (46) - Type A
Mark Mulder (31)
Mike Mussina (40) - Type A
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout - Type B
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27) - Type A
Andy Pettitte (37) - Type A
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Glendon Rusch (34)
C.C. Sabathia (28) - Type A
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30) - Type A
John Smoltz (42) - Type B
Koji Uehara (34)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option - Type B
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32) - Type B

Closers
Chad Cordero (27)
Brian Fuentes (33) - Type A
Eric Gagne (33) - Type B
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41) - Type B
Jason Isringhausen (36) - Type A
Brandon Lyon (29) - Type B
Francisco Rodriguez (27) - Type A
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout - Type B
Kerry Wood (32) - Type A

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30) - Type B
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32) - Type B
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42) - Type A
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30) - Type A
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09 - Type B
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39)
Bob Howry (35) - Type B
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout - Type A
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout - Type B
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38) - Type A
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32) - Type B
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Glendon Rusch (34)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40) - Type B
Russ Springer (40) - Type A
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39) - Type B
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34) - Type B

Fernando's back!

2008-10-30T21:19:00.002-04:00

The Mets and Fernando Tatis have a greed to a one year deal. I think this is a great move by the Mets. He is a very valuable bat off the bench and can start if necessary. Good move Omar.

Congratulations Phillies

2008-10-30T18:07:00.002-04:00

The Phillies won the World Series last night just as I had a feeling they would once the Rays were their opponent. Congrats, they deserved it. I don't hate the Phillies like a great deal of Mets fans do, I just don't like them. Also, I do not see the Phillies as our rivals. Our rivals are and forver will be the Braves. The Rays aren't the new rivals to the Red Sox just because the Yankees weren't in the equation this year. I don't like Jimmy Rollins, Brett Myers, or Cole Hammels but I do like Ryan Howard, Lidge, and Utley. I hate Phillie fans more than I hate the Phillies themselves. Anyway, Mets '09!

Garret Anderson?

2008-10-29T12:01:00.003-04:00

The Angels have just declines next year's option on Garret Anderson. Anderson is a left handed LF who hit .293 with 15 HR and 84 RBI in 145 games this season. He has always put up solid number but he is also 36 and played a good chunk of his games this year at DH. He could be willing to sign a one or two year deal to play LF until F-Mart is ready. The Mets could go this route if they decide not to go with one of the bigger FA's or explore the trade market. He should be fairly cheap and the Mets could spend the extra money on pitching. I wouldn't sign him unless Manny wants 4+ years, we don't go for Dunn or Ibanez. Thoughts?

Matt Holliday

2008-10-27T12:36:00.003-04:00

It is rumored that the Rockies have made outfielder Matt Holliday available to other teams for mainly pitching. The Mets are one of several teams rumored to be interested. If you are the Mets how much would you be willing to give up. Holliday playing half his games at Coors Field is one of the best hittters in the game. He will no doubt be a good hitter playing half his games else where but how good is the question? He is great at Coors and only good elsewhere. As a fan would you want the Mets to give up a package of Niese, Murphy, Kunz, and Heillman for Holliday? I would actually probably say no to this deal (although it would be a tough call). I would say no because there are a few OFs on the Free Angent market who we could sign without giving up these players: Dunn, Manny, Ibanez, Burrell, Abreu, etc. While only Manny is the only one who is as good/better than Holliday the others are still solid options.

Poll

2008-10-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

On the right I added a poll. Answer and comment here if u choose other.

Congrats Fernando Tatis

2008-10-23T21:06:00.002-04:00

Fernando Tatis was voted NL Comeback Player of the Year by fellow MLB players. "The career of Tatis, 33, took a steady downturn after his breakout season of 1999, when he batted .298 with 34 home runs and 107 RBIs with the Cardinals. By 2003 with the Expos, Tatis had skidded to .194 in 53 games. He did not play professionally in 2004 or 2005."- MLB.com This year Tatis in 92 games with the Mets hit .297, with 11 homers, 47 RBI and 33 runs scored. Also remember that Tatis did not start all of those games. Tatis was a huge part of the Mets resurgance in teh second half and helped them contend for the NL East title. Tatis hurt his shoulder in mid September and missed the rest of the season. Tatis is one of my new favorite players. The only reason Tatis came back to professional baseball after the 2005 season was so he could make enough money for his hometown so they could build a church in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He is a good guy and a hard worker. I love when he hits a homeroom and he does his sidestep, clap, and point to God. I think it's very classy without being too show offish. Here is a video of an interview with Tatis after he found out about his winning of the award. I really hope the Mets bring Tatis back next year. He was a great addition to the team and was a catalyst for the team for a long period of time. He provides the Mets with a great backup outfielder/infielder who can start when needed.

CentSports

2008-10-22T00:22:00.003-04:00

Hey guys I am doing this thing where you bet imaginary money on actual games and when you make $20 or more you can cash out and get real $. It's pretty cool. If you click on this link http://www.centsports.com/?opcode=256759 and sign up we become "cronies" and when one of us wins we get 5% of the other person's bet so it's a good way to rack up some money. It's pretty fun. Try it out. The link is also on the top right of the page.

Prior and Mulder

2008-10-21T19:48:00.002-04:00

Today the Cardinals declined their option on Mark Mulder's contract for next season thus making him a free agent. Mark Prior is also a free agent. Both of these players have had a lot of success when healthy, but their problem is staying healthy. Prior is only 28 and Mulder is only 31. I personally am a huge fan of signing talented guys coming off of surgery to minor league deals with incentives. I would sign both of these guys to contracts because neither would cost much and could probably sign both to minor league deals. I wouldn't rely on either but if even one of them could help out the team he would be a huge boost and cheap. Signing them, especially Prior, is one of the ultimate low risk/high reward type of move. Think about if Mark Prior could come back healthy pitching even in the realm of his prime, we would have a good rotation. If BOTH of them could come back and pitch like they have the ability to, we would have a great rotation. I am a big supporter of signing both of them to minor league deals. Please Omar listen to me for once and sign them.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: World Series

2008-10-21T14:41:00.002-04:00

Well the Red Sox were eliminated but did come close to winning it. As soon as they put in Price to close the game I knew it was over for the Sox. It's a Phillies vs. Rays matchup. I want the Rays to win but I have a gut feeling that the Phillies will. I love Cliff Floyd and Carl Crawford so I am pulling for the Rays. They should win because of their superior pitching but many many times the best team does not win. So here we go. I can't wait unitl the Hot Stove begins, one of my favorite parts of the year.

Jake Peavy

2008-10-19T15:20:00.003-04:00

There have been rumors going around that Jake Peavy is being shopped around. While I personally do not see him getting traded, I wouldn't be shocked if he did. Some teams that have been mentioned to trade for Peavy are the Braves, Yankees, and Astros, among others. Peavy is only 27 years old and is owed $59 million over the next four years with a $22 million option for 2013. Peavy also currently has a no-trade clause so he can pretty much choose where he goes. Peavy is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The only issue with Peavy is that he is an injury risk. He has had injury problems in the past and could have problems in the future but he is not Ben Sheets-injury prone. While I do not see the Mets giving up their young talent to get Peavy, I think they should if they have the opportunity. GM Kevin Towers is reportedly looking for pitching and middle infielders in the package. If I were Omar I'd give up F-Mart, Niese/Parnell, Murphy, and Carp for Peavy. Obviously there are other combos you could go with but basically in my mind the only future star you are giving up is F-Mart and he has injury concerns. Murphy is a bit overhyped but he is a good hitter. In my mind though aces are much harder to come by than anyone else. Think about that rotation next year.
1. Santana
2. Peavy
3. Maine
4. Pelfrey
5. FA

That would be the best rotation in baseball regardless of which free agent the Mets sign. While I see none of this happening, it is nice to dream...

Joba the Drunk

2008-10-19T15:11:00.002-04:00

Joba Chamberlain was arrested yesterday on DUI and speeding charges. Joba also was driving while having an open container in his car. Following in the footsteps of fellow Yankee pitcher Sydney Ponson, Joba has made a great decision. I just don't understand it. If you're as talented as someone like Joba Chamberlain (or even Ponson) why in God's good name would you get involved in stupid shit like this.

Things That Annoy Me

2008-10-17T13:12:00.003-04:00

I have been meaning to put up some things about baseball games that really annoy me. Here is my list of things that should never happen at baseball games.

Leaving a game early. If you paid for tickets (or even if you got them for free) to a game, regardless of the score, stay for the whole game. There are only 2 reasons a fan should leave a game early: 1. An emergency that needs attending to. 2. Bad weather (and even this one is iffy). The first one is obvious. The second one I would not personally leave a game early for bad weather unless the game is delayed so long and I have to be somewhere important. If you ever find yourself at a baseball game and the game is a blow out and you get up to leave, do me a favor and please don't call yourself a "fan." Look at last night's game between the Red Sox and Rays. The Rays were up 7-0 with one of the better bullpens in the game this year and so called Red Sox "fans" got up and left. It's a f*cking playoff game. ARE YOU CRAZY!? ALCS tickets at Fenway are a ton of $, why not get full value out of it. I bet the people who left last night are very disappointed they didn't stay to see an amazing come back victory with a walk off in the bottom of the 9th.
The Wave. STOP. Plain and simple, keep the wave away from baseball. I don't like it at ANY sporting event. It's fun to do in random situations like at rallys or in school but not during a game. It is dumb. ESPECIALLY in close games in important situations. Sign the Petition here.
Thunder Sticks. Do I even need to explain how annoying and stupid these things are? Keep them away from baseball.
The Tomahawk Chop. THE. MOST. ANNOYING. CHANT.
UPDATE: Booing players on YOUR team. It's perfectly fine when at Shea to boo Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Jimmy Rollins, etc. But don't boo you own players, especially when they don't deserve it. I'm not a fan of booing your players at ANY point in the game regardless of how they're doing. It can't help the team. It can only hurt. It can get in players' heads and cause them to do even worse and thus create more booing.
UPDATE: Negative chants (outside of booing opposing teams). So-and-so sucks. I don't like it. It just annoys me. Especially if your saying X sucks when X clearly does not suck.

Luis Castillo

2008-10-13T14:23:00.004-04:00

I was thinking about writing an article about this even before I came across this article on another blog . Mets fans are calling for Omar to get rid of Luis Castillo at any cost. I think that Luis Castillo, when healthy, can be a very productive (while not great) hitter. He gets on base at a good clip (.370 OBP), can hit around .300 and can steal 20+ bases (He stole 17 out of 19 bases this year despite his injuries). He is not nearly as good defensively as he was in his Gold Glove but is still solid. Omar did sign him for too long of a contract. 4 years for an aging player with knee problems is too much. Castillo is a "gritty" and "hard-nosed" player that soo many Mets fans call for. He played through injuries and is currently planning to play winter ball to get back on track. This is a good sign. It shows that Castillo is not going to just assume he has the starting role because of his past and his contract. He wants to earn the starting job. Mets fans should be happy to hear this. I feel it would be ill-advised to cut or trade Castillo now because his value is at its lowest ever. Give him a chance to prove himself. Why go out and overpay for Orlando Hudson (who also has had injury problems btw) when we have a solid player already. We can use that money towards areas that really matter (RP, LF, SP).

Rumors: Beltran and Church

2008-10-10T10:37:00.004-04:00

There have been several rumors floating around about the Mets shopping around Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church. One such rumor is a Beltran to the Yankees trade. The Mets would send Beltran and in return get Cano (with the Yanks eating some salary), either Jose Veras or Brian Bruney, Ian Kennedy, and another prospect from the Yankees system (WasWatching.com). Why on earth would the Mets trade the best CF in baseball for an overrated 2b, a middle relief pitcher, an overrated prospect who was terrible this year, and another prospect? The Mets would then have 2 second basemen on their hands and 0 starting centerfielders. Who would the Mets put in center? It's not like they have a MLB ready prospect ready to take over to Beltran. They could put Chavez in center and sacrifice a ton of offense or move Church over and sacrifice defense and leave the question of who will play RF. Also, officials said the Mets aren't necescarily "shopping" Beltran or listening to "offers" but will be hearing "inquiries" from other teams. This makes it unlikely that he will be moved but has a better chance of being moved than Wright or Reyes. I do not think that this rumor will ever happen because it makes no sense on the Mets part.

Another rumor floating around for the past couple of weeks is the idea of trading Ryan Church. Church burst onto the NY scence and quickly became a fan favorite in his first year in NY before he suffered multiple concussions that forced him out of the lineup for many weeks. When he returned Church did not play at the same level and was never able to get into a rythm. He was also playing the last couple of weeks of the season with a hip injury. Mike Francesa said on his show that his sources told him that Church hates playing in NY and does not like the Mets team. However, when Church first came off the DL and played his first game since the concussions he got a standing ovation that moved both him and his wife. He said his wife cried at the ovation. Church also said at the time he would be open to signing a long term contract and buying out his remaining arbitration years. I like Church and actually want to buy a Los Mets Church jersey. I would be open to signing him to a long term contract. He is a very good outfielder with a very strong and accurate arm. He can swing a good bat and hits for a decent average with good pop. He even showed he can hit left handers this year and in past years. I would be open to trading Church depending on who we get. The only Mets I would be completely be opposed to trading are Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Maine, Pelfrey, and Santana. I also don't see Church getting traded because we also don't have anyone to replace him. I just don't see it happening but I wouldn't be shocked if it did happen.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: Championship Series

2008-10-08T10:28:00.004-04:00

Well my NL hopefuls got eliminated while my AL hopefuls got through. Now the two match ups are Dodgers vs. Phillies and Rays vs. Red Sox. I am hoping for the Sox to win and then go on to win the World Series. I think the Red Sox have a good shot a doing so, especially with the Cubs out of it. I really don't care much about who wins the Dodgers vs. Phillies matchup. I'll hope for the Dodgers because Lowe and Manny playing against the Sox in Boston would be very interesting. Like I said before, the Dodgers are deceptively good and are better than most people think. They have a legitimate shot to win the series vs the Phillies. I think that it will be a Sox vs. Phillies matchup but I'm hoping the Dodgers can beat the Phillies.

My Favorite Shea Moments

2008-10-07T18:00:00.006-04:00

In honor of Shea Stadium being demolished and Citi Field being opened next year, I decided to write about my favorite memories at Shea. I have not been to many games in my lifetime because everyone in my family is Yankee fans. However there are two games in particular that I attended that were truly amazin' in my mind.

The first game that sticks out was on Saturday, April 15, 2005. My godfather called my dad the day before and asked if we wanted to go to a 1:00PM game the next day. The Mets were playing the Marlins and injured starter Kris Benson was being replaced by none other than Mr. "Jeckle and Hyde" Aaron Heilman. For the Marlins, former World Series MVP, Josh Beckett was starting and newly acquired 1b Carlos Delgado in the heart of the lineup. On teh way to the game my godfather tells us that he could have gotten us tickets for Sunday's game but he couldn't have gone with us. Of course my two favorite starters were pitching against each other, Pedro Martinez and Al Lieter. We joked around with my godfather giving him grief for not giving us tickets to Sunday's game instead. We were kidding of course and just glad to be going to in the first place. My dad joked and said "Watch Heilman pitches the first Mets' no-hitter in history." He nearly did. The game was amazing as Heilman blanked the Marlins to throw a one-hit complete game shut out. The one hit by Luis Castillo was a dribbler to 2b Miguel Cairo which I thought could have been considered an error but the offical scorers disagreed. Regardless, the game was great. Heilman only walked 3 and struck out 7 Marlins including one to the heavily booed at the time, Carlos Delgado. To make the game even better for me my favorite Met Mike Piazza went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Reyes had also had a double but Wright unfortunately had the day off because of back spasms. The Mets won 4-0. The Mets won the Sunday game 4-3 with a walk off single by Ramon Castro, but I don't think it could have matched the Mets game I went to. Even Wright not playing could not take away from a great game and possibly the best game I've ever been to.

Game two was this July 27th, my birthday. My friend had tickets to the game and the four of us took the ferry and the train to the game. New Met ace Johan Santana was going up the Cardinals' Kyle Loshe. The Mets would go on to win the game 9-1 with Johan Santana tossing his first CG as a Met and the first CG by a Mets pitcher in 2008. The game was amazing with Johan taking a no hitter into the 5th. Wright, Castro, and one of my new favorites, Fernando Tatis hitting home runs. Johan Santana became a new favorite when he got a hit and ran the bases like a real player, not wearing the jacket and running hard. The CG came after the Mets bullpen struggled the night before and the Mets needed a long outing from Johan. He delivered and didn't give up a run until 7th giving up a solo shot to Albert Pujols. The Pujols HR came right after Carlos Beltran robbed Ryan Ludwick of a HR and being the top play of the day on ESPN. Another great play in the game came in the third when Endy Chavez bunted Jose Reyes to third. Chavez was hustling to first and dodged the tag and slid head first into first. My friends and I were going crazy. It was truly an Amazin' game which I will always remember. The game just helped give me one of the best birthdays of my short life.

World Series Homefield advantage

2008-10-07T15:46:00.005-04:00

Let's take a look at how home field advantage for the World Series is determined. Prior to 2003 the home field advantage for the World Series was alternated between NL and AL. However after the 2002 All-Star game ended in a tie, commissioner Bud Selig changed the rule and made the winning team of the All-Star game have the home field advantage for the World Series. While to many home field advantage may not seem like much, it can have a significant impact on any game, especially the World Series. I personally do not like the current way of having the All-Star game decide who has home field advantage. You may think that I think this because I am a fan of the NL and the Mets. This is not the case however.

I think it is unfair that the All-Star game decides the World Series because many times the best players do not play in the All-Star game. Those who play are voted on by the fans. This year Wright was only on due to Soriano injury and Reyes was not on the team at all despite the fact that he had an historically good first half becoming the first player in history to have 10 home runs, 10 triples, 20 doubles, and 30 stolen bases before the All Star break. Santan was not on the team despite having one of the lowest ERAs in the NL at the time. These are just 3 snubs from the Mets this year and does not take into account everyone else in the league for every other year. Also, the All-Star game is an exhibition game meant for fun. This means that the fans want to see all players get in the game so many times managers take out their starting and sometimes best players for backups who may not even deserve to be on the team in the first place.

My solution would not be to go back to alternating years (although it is better than the current All-Star game method). The World Series home field advantage should be determined by the team with the better record throughout the year. This rewards teams who play in an exceptionally tough division who have to win more games to get into the playoffs because of their division. Also, it gives teams who are lightyears ahead of the rest of their division motivation to continue winning games and not slack off. In the case of a tie for best record in MLB in both leagues (Yankees & Mets in 2006, although neither made it to WS) then you go to a coin toss or opposite of who had the advantage in the previous year. This system is more fair and would make the teams continue to play rahter than slack off and take the rest of the season lightly after clinching a post season birth. Also, it forces managers to be more stategic. For example if a team has the best record in the MLB and is in the AL but the best NL team is only a couple games behind them with a week left to play, do you rest your regulars or go for the best record and a chance for home field advantage? More managing and strategy = better baseball. (which is why the DH makes it easier to manage in the AL, but that is a whole other can of worms).

CC, Manny, and K-Rod

2008-10-06T16:58:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: According to MLBTR.com Manny may be looking for 5 years for $85 million years. NO WAY do I go for it if these are the conditions. 5 years is way too many.

The three major free agents this offseason are CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, and Francisco Rodriguez. Listening to Mets fans talk, they want all three. This definitely will not happen as all three will be demanding large and expensive contracts. CC will probably be asking for 5-7 years. Manny will be looking for at least 3-4 years. K-Rod will be looking forat least 4-5 years. I think that all 3 of these contracts at their asking price will be too much because Manny is 37 and has been injured in the past, CC has thrown a ton of innings the past 2 years and any 7 year deal is alot, K-Rod has lost a few MPH on his fastball and has a violent motion. Having any 3 of these players would significantly change the view on this team. Having a lineup starting Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Manny, Delgado is ridiculous. Johan and CC would be the best 1-2 punch in baseball. K-Rod is a significant upgrade over Luis Ayala/closer by comitteee that the Mets finished with. There are guys I would sign over each of them due to age, $, or shorter contract term (Dunn, Perez/Sheets/Lowe, Fuentes/Wood). However I would not be against signing any 3 of these guys, which I think readers thought after my last couple of posts. Manny would be a great signing for a 2 and possibly even 3 year deal as long as we can keep him happy. Manny is also known as a "clutch" player which many believe is important. Although if you look at it statistically, clutch is an overused term but thats aside from the point. K-Rod is great but will be overpaid because of the flashy but relatively hollow saves record. He is a top 10 closer and would be a good signing but he may take away $ to improve the rotation, lineup or rest of the bullpen. CC is probably the riskiest signing because of the lenght of the contract and the innings he has pitched. It would also be the most lucrative contract because teams like the Yankees and Angels will also be involved in the bidding but the Mets may have an edge up on them because we are in the NL.

The Gangsta Years

2008-10-04T03:15:00.002-04:00

Jerry Manuel agreed to a 2 year deal with a third year option as manager of the New York Mets. I like this move a lot and like Jerry. He is very fun to listen to and always has good quotes from his threatening to stab Jose Reyes on the field to Johan's gangsta performance on the second to last day of the season. Manuel motivated the Mets and did overall a very good job as manager. He was also manager of the year with the White Sox in 2000.

Lucky Charms 10/3/08

2008-10-03T09:57:00.003-04:00

The Mets announced that Omar Minaya's contract has been extended through 2012 with team options for 2013 and 2014. It is a good move in my opinion.
Minaya said the Mets intend to pick up Carlos Delgado's $12 million option for next year. Another smart move.
The Mets have reportedly offered Jerry Manuel a 2 year $2 million dollar deal but he has yet to accept it, possibly holding out for more. Give him more and bring him back or get Bobby Valentine back. Either would be fine with me.
Cubs are down 2 games to the Dodgers and barring 3 straight wins (which is definintely possibly) the Cubs are all but done. God must really hate the Cubs. Dodgers are like I said a deceptively good team.
Brewers are also down 2 games to the Phillies but I can't say I'm surprised about this. CC should have pitched game 3 on more rest rather than yesterday. Hindsight is 20/20 thought.
Rays are up 1 game on the White Sox.
Red Sox are up 1 game on the Angels.

Ambiorix Burgos is Hell-bound

2008-10-01T19:03:00.004-04:00

According to the Daily News, Mets pitcher Amiorix Burgos is wanted for allegedly hitting and killing 2 women in the Dominican Republic with his Hummer. Burgos is also wanted for a gun possesion charge. Brilliant. This is one quality guy. Trade him ASAP. Some team who doesn't really care about the character of their players (Yankees possibly) because Burgos does have a lot of talent. Just get rid of him.

Johan Santana = New Favorite

2008-10-01T18:51:00.002-04:00

Johan Santana today underwent knee surgery because he had a torn meniscus. How long has Johan Santana been dealing with pain in his knee one may ask? How about the whole month of September. Yes September, the same month he won pitcher of the month. Truly amazing. He did not tell the team about the pain. He pitched with a torn meniscus on the second to last day of the season on 3 days rest. A game in which he threw a 3 hit complete game shut out. Johan Santana is truly amazin'. He should win the Cy Young regardless of this new news. However now that we know this, there is no doubt in my mind he should win the Cy Young. This shows the type of player and competitor Santana is. Johan Santana will go down as a legend in Mets lore, even if they did not make the post season.

Off Season Moves : The Bullpen

2008-10-01T13:21:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: I've been thinking about this more and thinking that the Mets should give Kunz and Parnell a shot to make the pen given a strong spring training. Also signing Lyon would be good to have as a back up closer.

The Bullpen is the area that needs the most work this offseason. As of now Smith, Schoeneweis is under contract with Heilman, Feliciano and Sanchez arbitration eligible. Lets take a look at who to keep, who to get rid of and who to go out and get.

I know I will get ripped for this but strictly from a pitching standpoint Scott Schoeneweis is very good at his job and terrible at anything else. His job is to get lefties out. He put up a .174 BAA for lefties and .333 BAA for righties. He is a good left handed specialist but that is it. If the Mets want to carry a left handed specialist he is the guy to keep since he is under contract and very good at getting lefties out. There is a problem of the fans hating him. I personally like him. He is a competitor and pitched all of last year hurt. He was in tears following the game Sunday. I would keep Schoenewies unless we can get someone better in a trade.

Pedro Feliciano has shown he can be very good at getting lefties out and he has also shown he can be just as bad at getting righties out as Show. He was pretty good against righties in '07 and '06 but was terrible this year (even worse than Show). I would offer him arbitration and give him another shot (altough I have never particularly liked him) especially if we trade Schow.

Aaron Heilman. I really like him. He had a terrible terrible year though. He just did not get the job done, especially against lefties (which is odd because his change up makes him usually very effective against lefties). He actually did decent against righties who hit .222 against him. He has been battling tendonitis all year. He did not use this as an excuse though for his poor season. He has good stuff and can be very effective and has shown it in the past. The fans hate him for this season though and it would be tough for me to argue to not trade him but I will do it anyway. He has a lot of potential and can be very useful. I would hate to see him traded for less than he is worth.

Duaner Sanchez was effective at times but forthe most part did not get the job done this year. This was his first year pitching since his terrible injury from the taxi incident in 2006. He should have been given more time off this year and it showed in his decreased velocity towards the later parts of the seaosn. I think we should bring him back for another year and see how he does. He can still be quite effective and it showed at points this season.

Joe Smith is coming back as the rightie groundball pitcher.

As for the closer situation I would love for the Mets to get Kerry Wood but he is probably going back to the Cubs. The Mets should go get Brian Fuentes. K-Rod will cost too much for too many years. His season was good but will be overrated because of his save totals. I love K-Rod and wouldn't mind signing him but I think a smarter move would be for Wood or Fuentes.

Brandon Lyon could be signed as a middle reliever who could potentially close for us in case of injury. Juan Cruz is an undervalued pitcher who could be a very good signing. Also bringin back Stokes and Wise may not be bad moves either. I thought Ayala did a good job and could be brought back as a decent middle reliever.

Burgos has a great arm and could be a sleeper pick for closer if the Mets decide to go internally for closer. He is a hot head who beats his girlfriend but there have been many jerks who have had success in the big leagues (Sheffield, Clemens, Myers, etc.).

Kunz is another pick to close but should be kept in the minors for another year. He could be used in the bullpen in the 2009 season but not as the closer. Bobby Parnell was converted to a starter but many believe he will be better in the bullpen and the Mets may decided to switch him back and while he may not be a closer he could possibly be a good middle reliever.

There is also the trade possibilities of Houston Street, Francisco Cordero, and possibly Joakim Soria. I love Soria but do not see the Royals trading him. I like Francisco Cordero but he may cost too much in prospects, altough he is a very intriguing option. I have always felt Street was overrated and do not want the Mets to trade for him because the A's will ask for way too much and we would likely end up being fleeced for him.

I know there is a lot of rambling just now but to clear things up here is what my 2009 bullpen would look like:

Fuentes
Smith
Schoenewies
Heilman
Cruz
Long Man (Knight or Figueroa)

Johan Santana and the Cy Young Award

2008-10-01T13:20:00.001-04:00

I have a huge problem with the way the Cy Young Award is handed out. The Cy Young award is supposed to be handed out to the best pitcher in the league. However many times the award is handed out to the pitcher who has the most wins, which is a terrible reflection on how good a pitcher really is. The goal of a pitcher is to prevent runs from scoring. There is a statistic that measures how good a pitcher is at doing that. That statistic is called ERA. In my opinion the pitcher with the lowest ERA in the league (given that he has pitched enough innings) deserves the Cy Young. A pitchers win-loss record is many times a reflection on how lucky he was, how good the bullpen was, or how good his offense was (something which for the most part is out of a pitcher's control). Take for example Steve Trachsel and Randy Johnson in 2006. Steve Trachsel finished the year with 15 wins (1 shy of the league leader) but had a 4.97 ERA. Randy Johnson finished with 17 wins (2 shy of the league leader) and an ERA of 5.00. It is amazing how these two pitchers had so many wins yet pitched so poorly. Now these are extreme examples but take this year for instance. The Cy Young candidates are Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, and Johan Santana. The front runner for this award is probably Brandon Webb because he has 22 wins. Yet Santana has on average given up nearly a full run less per game than Webb.

I'll give you these stats anonymously and you tell me which pitcher you would rather have.
A: 227 INN, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 265 K, 26/33 Games started were quality (GS/QS)
B: 253 INN, 2.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 251 K, 25/35 GS/QS
C: 234.3 INN, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 206K, 28/34 GS/QS
D: 226.7 INN, 3.3o ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 183 K, 24/34 GS/QS
E: 206.7 INN, 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 187 K, 21/33 GS/QS
F: 227.3 INN, 3.09 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 196 K, 23/33 GS/QS
(I only included K's because people love them but in the grand scheme it is not very important and just very flashy.)

I would take pitcher C over the rest of them followed probably by A then C then E then F then D. A is Lincecum, B is CC Sabathia, C is Santana, D is Webb, and E is Dempster. F is Hamels. Interesting how those stats stack up to one another when they are anonymous w/o wins. Santana has the lowest ERA in the MLB (yes even lower than Cliff Lee). He was undefeated since June 28th. If CC was in the NL the whole year and put up similar stats I would of course have to go with him. He wasn't though and didn't put up similar stats in both leagues. This award is for the year, not half of the year. Santana outpitched the rest of the league and if all the pitchers had the same run support and same bullpen, Santana would have the most wins. He pitched under more pressure than any other pitcher because of the NY media and fans. He was brought in to be the savior of the team and he did his best to be just that. He pitched one of the greatest games on the second to last day of the season. CC did a great job down the stretch as well but for the whole year Santana was better overall. The Cy Young Award should go to Santana but because he only has 16 wins and Webb has 22 and Lincecum has 18 it is unlikely Santana will win the award. This is not the only time in history where a pitcher will be robbed of the award. It has happend many many times before. It happend to Pedro the year Zito won. It happend last year with CC. It happend when Colon won it. It happened when Carpenter won it. It happend to many many others in the past. Johan should win but most likely won't and may not even finish top 3. It is a shame that the Cy Young award doesn't usually go to the best pitcher in the league.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: 1st Round

2008-10-01T12:57:00.001-04:00

Here are what I hope and what I think will happen in the first round:

MIL Vs PHI: I think that with a healthy Sheets the Brewers would win the series because CC and Sheets healthy are better than anyone the Phillies have (even Hamels). However Sheets is not healthy. I hope the Brew Crew wins but the Phillies will probably win.

CHC Vs. LAD: This is a tough call because the Dodgers are deceptively good. Not many give them credit. However I am going to hope and think that the Cubs will win with my boy Rich Harden and Kerry Wood. The Cubs have a great 3 man punch in the rotation in Dempster, Zambrano, and Harden. They also have a good bullpen with Wood and Marmol. I am going to go with the Cubs and hope they make it to the W.S,

LAA Vs. BOS: This is another tough call. Both teams are very good. Healthy the Sox probably have a better team but they are not healthy. It will be a good fight but I think overall the Sox will probably pull off a series win. I also hope they make it to the W.S.

TBR Vs. CHW: I think and hope the Rays have this one. I don't really feel like going into why because I am tired but yea Rays.

Off Season Moves : The Line-Up

2008-09-30T17:33:00.005-04:00

First off let me start by saying anyone who wants to trade Wright, Reyes, or Beltran are crazy. These are arguably the best or second best players at each of their respective positions. That is also not to mention that Wright and Reyes are the faces of the franchise, are entering their prime years, and the front office would receive the wrath of the media and fans of NY for trading them. A Beltran trade would not aggravate NY like a Wright or Reyes trade would but it is nearly as dumb as trading them. He is the best center fielder in baseball. Beltran is in his prime and also one of the few players who contributed in the last few weeks of the season. So Wright, Reyes, and Beltran are deemed untouchable by me and we would be crazy to trade them.

Now the toughest offseason decision may come with the decision on whether or not to pick up the option on Delgado's contract. Delgado had a great bounce back year after an injury plagued 2007 and a slow start to 2008. Delgado finished 5th in the NL (8th in MLB) in RBI's with 115 and 3rd in MLB and NL in HRs with 38. This was all after a terrible start to the season. Delgado is an average 1b defensively but does a good job at catching wild throws. He was a legitimate MVP candidate until the Mets fell out of it and will probably finish top 5 in the voting this year. His option is for one year $12 million dollars but it would cost $4 million to decline the option. I would pick up the option. $8 million dollars is cheap for the production Delgado can put up. He is getting older and is injury prone but there are not many better options out there besides Texiera who will draw a ton of interest from other teams. I would pick up Delgado's option.

2b is currently manned by the injury prone Luis Castillo. Omar made possibly the biggest mistake as a Mets GM by signing Castillo for 4 years. Believe it or not, Castillo (healthy) IS a better option that Argenis Reyes. O-Dog Orlando Hudson is the best defensive 2b in the game right now but other than that he is a very average player. He doesn't hit for power, doesn't have a lot of speed, and has a career BA of .283. He has been hurt several times in the past 2 or 3 years and I don't see how signing him to a large pricey contract will be a smart move. I like him but I think sticking with Castillo would be a better option. I have heard the rumor that the Mets could possibly trade Castillo for Eric Byrnes. I would probably make that trade but I just don't see that happening even if the Mets do eat a lot of contract. He had a good year in 2007 but was terrible this year when he did play and has not been very good through his career. He is however a lively, hardnosed, gritty player which fans feel like the Mets need. So if the Met could make this trade I would go for it and have Murphy play second or sign a guy like Grudzielanek or Loretta to be a backup option.

As for LF (if the Mets do not make the Byrnes trade) I would sign Adam Dunn to a no more than 3 or 4 year deal. I have always been a big fan of Dunn. He is only 29, has a ton of power and gets on base a lot. On the flipside he strikes out a lot, doesn't hit for a good average, and isn't very good defensively. Reports however are that the Mets front office is not very big on him so I don't see this happening. I don't think that a platoon of Evans and Murphy is good enough for the whole year (especially if we use Murphy at 2b) so I would sign a stop gap player to a one or two year deal until F-Mart or someone else can take over. Raul Ibanez, a native New Yorker, expressed desire to come here and Carlos Beltran has said he is a great guy. He is also durable. Juan Rivera also would aslo be a younger and righthanded guy to go with. I would aslo sign Kevin Mench to a mior league deal if he would accept it. Manny Ramirez is without a doubt an amazing hitter but he is getting older, has been injury prone the past few years, and can be a huge headache. If he would go for a one or two year deal I would take a shot at him.

As far as catching goes I would stick with the tandem of Castro and Schneider although there has been rumors about Pudge coming to the Mets. I like Pudge but I wouldn't cut either Castro or Schneider for him. Depending on who we could get in a trade I may consider trading one of them and bringing Pudge aboard. However I would just stick with Castro and Schnider.

Right Field is Church. I wouldn't trade him unless we could get someone real good and I don't see that happening. I like Church alot and he should be the starting day RF.

Now finally to the Bench. Castro as the backup catcher. Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis as the 4 and 5th outfielders. I would bring Trot Nixon back on a minor league deal and give him the shot to make the team because he is the ideal gritty tough nosed gamer. I would aslo bring Angel Pagan back on a minor league deal to see if he can recover from his injruty. I would ring Robinson Cancel back on a minor league deal. Argenis Reyes is a nice back up option for 2b. Easley is a solid and good player but he may be a little too old and injury prone to bring back. I would also have Valentino Pascucci as a backup 1b and possibly give Chris Aguila a shot as a backup OF.

So here is my ideal situation:

C: Schneider
1b: Delgado
2b: Castillo
ss: J. Reyes
3b. Wright
LF: Dunn
CF: Beltran
RF: Church

BN: Castro
BN: Chavez
BN: Pascucci
BN: Tatis
BN: A. Reyes

The Other Side of Things in the NL East by T-Stro

2008-09-30T12:12:00.000-04:00

A look at the Phillies by Tim Mastro

In March 2007 Jimmy Rollins had the “audacity” to claim that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East, not the Mets. After this comment he was abused and hated for what he said (what is he suppose to say? "The Mets are better than us"?). It was almost laughable to some at the time, how was a Phillie team made up of some unproven young players, some never-wases, some supposedly has-beens, and some good players here and there, suppose to be better than the free-spending, headline grabbing New York Mets. Fast forward to now; with a MVP award on his shelf and back to back NL East titles, its J-Roll that’s having the last laugh.

As a student at the University of Delaware I’m basically right in the heart of Phillie country. Two of my roommates are from the Philly area so I’ve watched almost every Phillies game since we moved back in. The only baseball I get here is the Phils (aside from the occasional O’s or Nats game on MASN). As a Met fan I’m suppose to hate the Phillies and root against them and I do, but they are just so fun to watch, aside from possible the worst commentary team in the history of sports. *RANT* I understand Harry Kalas is a legend but he is so annoying. Gary Matthews has the IQ of a four year old and sounds like he’s chewing on rocks, while Chris Wheeler is probably the most biased color man ever. “Wheels” is only outdone by the bias on the post-game show (especially you Mitch Williams, two words: Joe Carter), love those announcers that use the words we and us. *RANT OVER*

While watching the Phightin Phils one thing sticks out to me in particular and that is how much they remind me of the 99-00 Mets. The quality that both these teams share is that neither was ever out of a game. This whole September even if the Phils were down, somehow you think they would win, meanwhile with the current crop of Mets even if they were up, somehow you think they would find a way to lose. Just like the 2000 Mets it seemed almost like a different person every night would step up and be the hero for the Phillies. Both teams had so many weapons that could change the game at any point in time. They both were also so good at doing the little things like going from first to third, hitting behind the runner, sacrifices etc.

What is it that makes the Phils so good? It starts with the pitching. Young Cole Hamels was slowly brought up a couple years ago and is now turning into one of the premier pitchers in the game. The wily veteran Jamie Moyer is still going strong into his 40s while Brett Myers has shaped up his sometimes erratic behavior on and off the field and while doing so has found his ace potential stuff. A midseason trade saw the Phils acquire Joe Blanton as a solid number 4 starter. Then there is one of if not the best bullpens in the National League. Led by closer Brad Lidge, who they took a big risk on (that Pujols homerun is still probably traveling in orbit somewhere) and it certainly has paid off as Lidge did not blow a single save this year. Its not just Lidge however, the pen also contains solid and reliable relievers like J.C Romero, Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson, Rudy Seanez, and Chad Durbin (so this is what a functioning bullpen looks like… neat).

The Phils also have one of the most fearsome lineups in the league, its strong, fast, balanced, and has tons of pop, complete with a solid bench as well. Jayson Werth has figured out how to hit right-handers and has emerged into a legit star. Pat Burrell started the season off looking like an MVP candidate, and while he did find himself in a slump in August he woke up at the end of September to help the Phils into October. Shane Victorino is one of the best sparkplugs in the game and Charlie Manuel’s decision to move him down in the order to provide energy to the bottom of the lineup proved to be a genius move. Ryan Howard started off the season terribly but he turned it around and managed to help power the Phils and get himself a mention in the MVP race. J-Roll proved to be a tough leader and an energizer for this offense. This is J-Rolls team and he wants the pressure on himself to take this team to the next level, J-Roll thrives on this pressure and he almost always seems to come through in tough situations (are you taking notes Mr. Reyes?). Finally the Phillies have something so important it deserves its own paragraph:

They have Chase Utley.

33 HRs 104 RBIs and 113 Rs are some crazy good numbers for a second baseman. Also consider that Utley finished the season hitting safely in 18 of his last 19 games while the Phillies were making their surge past the Mets into first and into October. The last time I’ve seen a player that was as pure as a hitter as Utley was Edgardo Alfonzo. Alfonzo developed into a star in the late 90s and early 2000s and was amazingly clutch for the Mets back then. Utley right now is developing into probably the best player in the NL behind Albert Pujols.

Last year after the Mets’ collapse it was clear that the Phillies did not really win the division as much as the Mets lost it. The Phillies were thrilled with making into the playoffs that they were quickly dismissed by the Rockies. This year it seems like the Phillies really won the division. This year the celebrations at Citizens Bank Park were much more subdued than last year. Its like the Phillies expected to make the playoffs this year, they have higher goals than just making it this time around. This year they are not just happy to be there, they are actual World Series contenders.

Off Season Moves : The Rotation

2008-09-29T17:43:00.002-04:00

This is going to be the first of several editions of my ideas on what the Mets should do this off season. (Silver lining for my day yesterday: I won my fantasy league and $300) I'm going to do this series in parts. Let's all not try to overreact to the defeat yesterday and move on. Part 1: the Starting Rotation.

So for next season we have 3/5ths of the rotation already under contract: Johan Santana, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey. All 3 of these guys have ace potential. Santan however is the only known commodity (should win Cy Young this year but probably won't). Pelfrey pitched many innings over his career high so people worry about an injury risk for next year/ bad year due to wear down. I don't think this should be much of a problem though. Maine has the potential to be an good number 2 guy and hopefully he rebounds quickly from his offseason surgery to remove the bone spurs from his elbow. Now that leaves 2 spots open with possibly the best 1 -3 punch in baseball if all stay healthy and live up to expectations.

Free Agent pithcers: Oliver Perez, Ben Sheets, CC Sabathia, Pedro Martinez, Randy Wolf, Kyle Loshe, Derek Lowe, AJ Burnett (possibly), Freddy Garcia, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny (possibly), and Mark Prior just to name a few.

I am a huge fan of both Sheets and Perez as far as top of the line starters go. Sheets is one of the best pitchers in the league when healthy but he can't stay healthy. Perez is one of the best pitchers in the league when in the zone, however he often loses his head and his control goes along with it. I would be happy with signing either of these guys but the prices may be too high. I would be happy with signing one of them and Pedro. I know he sucked this year but this was the first real year he pitched without his "stuff". He was never able to find a groove and he is one of the smartest pitchers in the game. He is a clubhouse leader and a fun guy. He won't cost draft picks because he is not Type A or B free agent. He can come back as a number 5 starter and he could end up pitching like a number 3. Look at Mike Mussina. Great year this year after he was supposedly done and he is not nearly as good of a clubhouse guy as Pedro. If we decide to go for cheaper options than Perez or Sheets, I would definitely love to get Lowe. I say sign a combo of Sheet/Perez and Pedro or Lowe and Pedro. I also really like Paul Byrd but wouldn't sign him over Pedro. Freddy Garcia also wouldn't be a bad signing. I do not think Niese is ready to start in the Majors yet.

As for minor league depth. Bring back Claudio Vargas, Tony Armas, Nelson Figueroa (love him), and Brandon Knight. Knight and Figueroa could both be good long men. Also sign Mark Prior to a minor league deal. I love low risk/high reward moves like that. I was all for signing Colon this offseason to a minor league deal and if he'd go for why not again this year.

Playoff Predictions by Stevie D.

2008-09-29T17:22:00.001-04:00

Hers playoff predictions from Stevie D. I'm surprised because I agree with most of it but I'll do mine later.

Play-offs predictions:
National League:
The Cubs are the National League Favorites, having the best pitching, starting with Zambrano, Harden, Lilly, and Dempster, and bullpen, in the NL and maybe in baseball. However, 100 years of sadness, chokes, and near-misses come to mind. The Phillies present the biggest challenge to the Cubs, having a better line-up, a solid bullpen anchored by Lidge who hasn’t blown a save this year and a decent starting rotation, anchored by the young gun Cole Hamels and the old vet, Jamie Moyer. I see these two teams meeting in the NLCS, with the Cubs and their better pitching prevailing, as pitching wins in the postseason.

American League:
The American League is much tighter and more complex than the National League. The ALDS gets off to a great match up with the Angels playing the Red Sox. I believe the winner of this series will represent the American League in the World Series. The Angels are healthier, have the better bullpen, and have as good as a rotation. The Red Sox have a strong rotation and a better line-up, as well as more play-off experience and you can never count out the defending champs. I’m going to go with the Angles, though I hate both of these teams and wished there was a way they would both lose, but it cannot happen. The Rays, the young, surprise AL East winners, will take on the winner of the AL Central. Though they may have play-off jitters, I see them moving on. In the Rays vs. The Angels, it’s the young scrappy team that has won with timely hitting and solid starting pitching against the high priced team with great pitching and a powerful middle of the line-up. I think that the Angels experience and pitching will be too much for the Rays to handle and that they will move on to the World Series.

World Series:
I predict it as the Cubs vs. the Angels. If this is the Series, be prepared for a well pitched exciting series in which every game comes down to the late innings. The Cubs have the edge in the starting pitching and it’s a toss-up on the bullpens. The Angels have the better line-up, with more weapons in the middle. The Cubs also have the expectations of 100 years on their back, which might make them tight. However, I believe that the Cubs are going to win in 7 games, behind Zambrano and Harden, who will each win two games and just enough hitting to support those guys.

AL vs. NL by Stevie D.

2008-09-29T17:15:00.002-04:00

Here's another post by new writer Stevie D. I disagree with a decent amount of the stuff in here and will almost definitely write a response to this.

AL vs NL

By Steven Delianites

There is a growing gap between the two baseball leagues. The American League has been dominating the National League for the last two years. “The Junior Circuit” or the American League as it’s called, in the last two years has posted a 286-217 record (.569 winning percentage) in interleague play over the last two years, going 149-102 in 2008, whipping “the Senior Circuit.” The American League has also gone unbeaten in the last 11 all-star games (10-0-1). The Worst division in baseball is in the National League, the NL West and the best is in the American League, AL East. This year, the Yankees and Mets finished with the same record, the Yankees finished 6 games out of the wild card, the Mets only 1. Last year, the Red Sox crushed the Rockies in the World Series, sweeping them and out-scoring them by a huge margin. 3 out of the top 4 records in baseball are in the AL. The AL has home field advantage again in the World Series. All four play-off teams in the National League have under .500 records against the American League, as opposed to the American League play-off teams who are all over .500 against the NL. All these signs point to an American League team winning the World Series again and distancing the AL as the superior league. There are several reasons for this. The first and foremost is better pitching, both starting and in the bullpen. One of the most telling signs is AL pitchers coming to the NL and having better stats and being much better pitchers, though there are exceptions (Barry Zito). The AL’s ERA is lower than the NL’s ERA. The American League also has more offense. The more traditional baseball fan would argue that the DH is ruining baseball and has given the AL this big advantage, but it’s not just the DH that is giving the AL more offense. The National League has fallen behind in terms of talent, attendance, and in spending wisely. The NL needs to win the World Series this year to show they are just as good and can hang with the “big boys.”These figures are important with the World Series coming up.

Who's to Blame?

2008-09-28T22:09:00.003-04:00

Who is to blame for the Mets missing the post season in 2008? There are many different people and moves that can be blamed for the Mets season. I personally agree with what Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said today "I feel totally different than last year. I think last year we underachieved. This year we overachieved.'' I have to agree with him. I think that the Mets were lucky to be where they were. Without injuries I feel that the Mets were the best team in the league. They would have had the best rotation in baseball. Their offense would have been drammatically better and the bullpen would have been better. If you have to blame one single thing, blame injuries because we had a ton. Check out my earlier post for all the injuries "Goodbye Shea and 2008 Mets." If you want to blame individual people, there's alot to be spread around. You can blame nearly every member of the bullpen because at one point in time they blew a game. You can blame Manuel for his use of the bullpen. He overused the same guys day in and day out regardless of the situation. Even today he left Schow in when a right handed PH was announced. You can blame Wright for not hitting enough with runners in scoring position all year. You can blame plenty of people. I don't blame individuals. The offense didn't show up and the bullpen choked. In reality the Mets overachieved due to all of the injuries. You cannot really blame them for this. Sure it sucks that they didn't make the playoffs but thats life. Last year they should have made it. Last year they choked. This year is a little different in my eyes. Life goes on. Next year guys.

Spirit- by A, Gochal

2008-09-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

This is the first post that is not by me (The Red King). It is by new writer Gochal. Here it is, copy and pasted right from the email.

Spirit

Watching the Mets is one of the most exciting things professionally sports has to offer. In looking at other teams in the league no one appears to have quite as much fun as the Mets have day in and day out. I mean isn’t that the fundamental aspect of baseball. Anyone whose played little league has heard at least 100 times “Just go out there and have fun”, or “win or lose you’re here to have fun and play baseball”. The Mets simply love the game and love to have fun. They are in touch with that inner spirit of the game, and that is why they are the best team in baseball. Look at what happens when you just have fun, your fans have fun, you win games, and you make unbelievable plays. I mean if your just having fun then you’re not thinking about the pressure. The obvious Met who love to have fun of course is Jose Reyes, but take a look at Endy Chaves. Time after time he comes up with big plays, and why is that? He’s not thinking about the pressure he’s just there to play the game. It’s a known fact that when you’re relaxed and not nervous you play better, and Endy is a perfect example of this.

One conversation I always seem to have with people is the difference between college and professional sports. The general idea that I get is that college sports are more enjoyable to watch. For the most part I agree with this. In college, athletes seem to play harder because it is for their own reasons, their own reputation. Professional athletes seem to lose that edge once they start getting paid. They tend to focus on making money, and playing like it’s their duty to play, not because of their love for the game. In general I would agree with these people, college sports are more enjoyable, except the Mets. The Mets have that spirit, that edge, that love for the sport and it shows every play.

Most simply stated, The Mets have fun, love the game, and that makes them the best team in baseball.

Goodbye Shea and 2008 Mets.....

2008-09-28T17:15:00.002-04:00

Well the Mets lost in dramatic fashion today and for the second year in a row will not make the postseason. I am obviously very upset and pissed off right now but thinking about the season as a whole, I can't be too upset. I mean it is amazing that we got this far considering all that has happened. We missed the post season by 1 game again this year but it was a good chase. I enjoyed it. I mean look at what has happened to this team and tell me they didn't do good considering. First all the drama with the firing of Willie and Peterson had to effect the players in a negative way. It was a huge distraction for everyone on the team.

Second, the injuries. The Mets lost their number 5 starter for the whole year in El Duqe. Their number 2 starter, Maine, missed a good amount of time and when he did pitch did it with bone spurs in his elbow. Number 4 starter, Pedro, was hurt all season and dealt with the death of his father. He was never able to get into a consistent groove. They lost their starting right fielder Church for half the season and was not able to perform when he did come back. They lost one of the best closers in the game for a significant amount of time. We also lost our starting left fielder Alou for the whole season (except 15 games or so). We lost our fourth outfielder Angel Pagan for most of the season. We also lost Fernando Tatis down the stretch. We lost groundball pitcher Wise at the start of the season. Luis Castillo missed significant playing time and played hurt when he was playing. Both starting catchers, Schnider and Castro, both missed significant time due to injuries. Beltran and Delgado both had surgery in the offseason which can be attributed to their slow starts. 2b Easley got hurt down the stretch. We also lost Trot Nixon to injury. Chavez and Marlon Anderson also missed time due to injuries. 3 of our backup SP lost time due to injuries in J. Vargas, C. Vargas, and Armas. Also consider that Aaron Heilman pitched the whole year with tendonitis which was probably a big factor as to why he sucked. Duaner Sancehz also was pitching for the first time in a year and half since having his pitching shoulder separated.

If I were to tell you way back in April that the Mets would lose all of these guys, chances are you would have probably said the Mets would finish sub-.500 for the year. Yet they didn't. They came within a game of the postseason. It was an exciting season with an amazingly interesting finish to the season. Goodbye Shea Stadium and the 2008 Mets. So Mets fans we'll just have to wait until next year again.

FUCK!

2008-09-28T17:07:00.001-04:00

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!

You Gotta Believe!

2008-09-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

LETS GO METS!!!

NEW WRITERS WANTED!!!

2008-09-25T19:47:00.002-04:00

OK here's my master plan. I want to get some other writers in order to spread the popularity of the blog. My goal would be to get fans (people who actually know what they're talking about) to write about their favorite team. I know there's some Red Sox and Yankees fans reading my shit so if you would like you can write for this blog. Of course any other teams' fans are also welcome to write as well, I just don't know many people who like other teams... This is just an idea right now and I could end up saying screw everyone else its my blog but if you want let me know and most likely you'll be able to write.

Maine out of the Bullpen?

2008-09-24T12:27:00.003-04:00

UPDATE 9/25: Reports are now indicating that Maine will not be used for the rest of the year.

Today John Maine is expected to be activated today from the DL and is expected to be used out of the bullpen. I'm not really sure how I feel about this move. On one hand Maine is effective and helps us get to and through the playoffs I can't say much against it. On the other hand however Maine could have been shut down several weeks ago and had the surgery to remove the bone spurs from his elbow. Doctors have said that pitching now will not further damage the elbow but Maine will be pitching with pain. I probably would have shut Maine down earlier when he first was put on the DL and had him have the surgery then because it would have allowed him more rehab time. Also, Maine is a competitor and he has said that he wants to go out there and pitch because it is fustrating to just sit there and cheer on the team without having a real effect on the games. I have a cautious optimism about this move and we'll see how it turn out....

Lucky Charms 9/22/08

2008-09-23T22:30:00.004-04:00

The Red Sox clinched their playoff spot tonight with their win against Cliff Lee and the Indians. I'm personally pissed because I have tickets to tomorrow night's game and was really hoping to see the clincher.
The Mets have reportedly singed Omar Minaya to a 4 year extension. I think this is a very good move. Minaya has turned this organization around. The Mets have very good players now and have a lot of talent in the lower levels of the minors. The Mets are and will be a good team for some time to come under the rule of Omar.
Santana stepped up tonight to beat the Cubs 6-2 by throwing a career-high 125 pitches in 8 innings of 2 run ball. Things got dicey in the 9th with Feliciano coming in and getting one out but allowing 2 men to reach base. Luis Ayala came in and got the save.
The Phillies lost tonight putting the Mets 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies. The Brewers beat the Pirates and are 1 game behind the Mets.
Santana is amazing and will not get nearly enough conisderation for the Cy Young award. Barring an terrible outing by Lincecum, Santana should finish 2nd in the voting but probably won't. More on this subject to come.

Mets Retired Numbers

2008-09-23T19:06:00.010-04:00

The Red Sox will retire Johnny Pesky's number Friday before the Sox start their final series of the season against the Yankees. They are breaking their rules for retiring numbers for Pesky. The rules for a Red Sox number to be retired are this :that he is in the Hall of Fame, that he ended his career with the club, and that he played at least 10 seasons for the Red Sox. Johnny Pesky is not in the Hall of Fame. This got me thinking about the number of numbers the Mets have retired. There is 42 which is universally retired for Jackie Robinson, 41 for Tom "The Franchise" Seaver, 14 for Gil Hodges, and 37 for Casey Stengel. That means only 3 Mets have had their numbers retired. Only 3 Mets have had their numbers retired. Also, there is no system in place that has requirements for one's number to be retired. So why haven't more Mets numbers been retired?

First we'll look at the 3 who have had their numbers retired. Tom Seaver without a doubt deserves it. He afterall was nicknamed "the Franchise." He is the only player who is in the Hall of Fame as a Met and is one of the best pitchers of all time. Gil Hodges was one of the original 1962 Mets. He also came back in 1968 to manage the Mets and a year later managed the 1969 Miracle Mets to a World Series Championship. The '69 Mets are without a doubt one of the best Cinderella stories in baseball. Casey Stengel was the first manager in Mets history and does not merit much of a reason to have his number retired other than that.

Now lets look at players who should possibly have their number retired. Number 17 Keith "Mex" Hernandez, although his best years may have been with the Cardinals, has been one of the most important Mets of all time. He was the first captain in Mets history and he helped lead the Mets in 1986 to their second World Series Championship. He is agruably the best defensive first baseman of all time and he has won an MVP and finished in the top 5 several other times. Not only was he a fan favorite and a key to the dominant Mets teams of the late 80's. Keith has also been important to the Mets even after he ended his career as a player. He has been the Mets color announcer for years and is one of the best broadcasters in the game today. He is also in the Mets Hall of Fame.

The other Met from the 80's whose number many Met fans call to have retired is number 8, Gary "Kid" Carter. Gary Carter, as well as Hernandez, was a main part of the '86 World Championship team. Carter is in the Mets Hall of Fame as well as the MLB Hall of Fame. He requested being inducted to the Hall of Fame as half Met and half an Expo. When his request was denied he asked to be inducted as a Met because that was where he won his only World Sereies Championship. Carter's request was denied because he only played 5 years as a Met as opposed to 12 as an Expo and his years as an Expo were the ones that earned his induction. After his retirement as a player, he worked with the Mets organization and was managing a minor league team in the Mets system. Carter was the second Mets captain and was co-captain with Keith Hernandez in '88 and Hernandez and Mookie Wilson in '89. Carter is one of the best catchers of all time and arguably the best overall catcher the Mets ever had.

The final player whose number should be retired is future Hall of Famer, number 31 Mike Piazza. Mike Piazza was traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins and from the Marlins to the Mets within a week in May of 1998. Piazza was great with the Mets and the Mets only missed the playoffs by one game in '98. The Mets made the playoffs in '99 and the World Series in 2000. Piazza also hit one of the most memorable home runs in history in 2001 in the first game played in NY after 9/11. With the rival Braves up 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th, Piazza hit a go ahead, game winning 2 run HR. This HR mean so much for the whole city of NY because it came only 10 days after tragedy struck the city on 9/11. Piazza is the best offensive catcher of all time and although he didn't have a good arm, he was known for calling a good game. Piazza passed Carlton Fisk for most home runs as a catcher on May 5, 2004 with his 352nd as a catcher. Piazza meant so much to the Met organization and should be inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Met, not a Dodger. Piazza is arguably the most popular Met of all time and his number 31 should be retired.

The Mets should retire Piazza's 31, Hernandez's 17, and Carter's 8. I definitely belive that the Mets should retire Piazza and Hernandez's nubmers and am indifferent about Carter's. Citi Field should have at least 6 (and possibly 7) numbers retired within the next few years: 42, 41, 14, 37, 17, 31, and 7.

The Bullpen

2008-09-22T10:16:00.012-04:00

The Mets bullpen has been terrible. They've blown 29 saves this year. Yes, 29. Think about that. The Mets record today is 86-69. If the bullpen had not blown even HALF of those games, the Mets would be 100-55. That would give them the best record in baseball with 7 games left to play. Yet the Mets do not have the best record in baseball. They are in 2nd place in the NL East and leading the Wild Card race. The Mets are 1 game back of the Phillies in the loss column and 2 games up on the Brewers in the loss column. This pen is a long way away from the bullpen of 2006, arguably the best in the league. The Billy Wagner injury was an obvious devestation for the Mets bullpen. Here is my take on what I would have done with the bullpen.

If I were Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya, I would have made several differnt decisions regarding the bullpen. First off lets start with which relievers we have. The only thing different I would have done in regards to the bullpen is called up Kunz on Septemeber 1. This would have given the Mets two young live arms in the bullpen in Kunz and Parnell. Now on to if I were Manuel. If I were Jerry Manuel, I would have done several things differently. First off, I would have used the call-ups more frequently and given the main guys (Smith, Schoeneweis, Heilman, Sanchez, and Feliciano) more days off. These guys have been over used and nearly all of them are among the league leaders in appearances out of the bullpen. I would have used Al Reyes, Parnell, and Kunz more often and in better situations. Reyes was a closer last year for the Rays and Kunz was a minor league closer this year. I have however liked Ayala as the closer because he has done a solid job, except for that game against the Braves, but it couldn't hurt of course to try one of those guys out as well.

There are many Mets fans calling for the death of Aaron Heilman and with good reason. He has been either terrible or great this year, mostly the former. I think he is being effected alot more by the tendonitis than he is willing to admit. This is a huge problem because he does have a good arm with good stuff and has proven to be an effective set-up man. The last thing that you want to do with a guy with tendonitis is over use him and that is exactly what has happened. I think the Mets would be making a mistake to trade him this off-season beause he will not get the market value he deserves. He does deserve some of the shit he gets from Mets fans but I personally hate booing people on the team I am a fan of because it does nothing but harm. It gets in some players heads and makes them ineffective. Should they be able to deal with it? Definitely. But not everyone does.

The Mets bullpen is in crisis mode and that is mainly due to overuse by Jerry Manuel. He is running the bullpen like Willie Randolph was, going to the same guys over and over again despite poor results. I think Manuel has done a little bit better job at handling the bullpen than Randolph but still too much of the same.

UPDATE!: I just read this article over at ESPN.com NL East Race being decided by relief pitching

The Youngsters: Murphy and Evans

2008-09-20T20:55:00.005-04:00

By request I am doing an article on the youngsters Murphy and Evans. I already posted on Niese. I am pretty tired while writing this so sorry for the less than spectacular depth.

Dan Muprhy- He is a 23 year old whose position in the future right now is uncertain. He plays 1b, 2b, 3b, and LF. It looks as if the Mets will try to turn him into an everyday 2b which would be great because his bat would be above average at the position. Murphy has been described as a"professional hitter" and looks to me like a Kevin Youkilis type of hitter. He is very patient and works deep into counts. He will hit for a pretty good average around .290 with decent power. Murphy is known for his hard work ethic, which has and should continue to make him a popular player. He has been great for the Mets this year and his stats for this year look like this as of 9/16:

MLB: .360/.448/.528, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 15 BB, 16 K – 89 AB, 37 G

AA: .308/.374/.496, 26 2B, 3B, 13 HR, 39 BB, 46 K – 357 AB, 95 G

Nick Evans: He is a 22 year old who is a 1b/LF/RF. He is mainly a 1b and is said to be a very good firstbaseman defensively. Evans has been overshadowed by his good friend and fellow rookie Dan Murphy. However Evans has been very good as well as Murphy. When he was first called up, he was overmatched but has been very productive as of late. The biggest problem with Evans is facing righties. Look at his splits this year.

AA (Binghamton)
	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	AB
Vs. LHP	.366	.438	.699	1.137	93
Vs. RHP	.286	.330	.498	.828	203

MLB
	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	AB
Vs. LHP	.338	.386	.508	.893	65
Vs. RHP	.143	.158	.200	.358	35

Unless Evans can better learn how to hit righties, he will be relegated to platoon duty starting against only lefties. He does however crush lefties as shown by his stats above. Evans has potential to be an above average 1b or corner outfielder. Here are his stats for this year as of 9/16.

MLB: .270/.305/.400, 10 2B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 22 K – 100 AB, 43 G

AA: .311/.365/.561, 18 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 26 BB, 64 K – 296 AB, 75 G

Pedro- Mistake or Great Signing?

2008-09-17T10:05:00.007-04:00

In the offseason after the 2004 season, Omar Minaya, GM of the NY Mets, signed Pedro Martinez to a 4-year, $53 million dollar deal. There is no denying Pedro in his prime was one of, if not the, best pitcher of all time. However let's take a look at his time as a Met. In 2005, his first year with theMets, Martinez posted a 15-8 record with a 2.82 ERA, 208 strikeouts, and a league-leading 0.95 WHIP. Since that time Pedro has been plagued with injuries and has pitched only 46 games in the past 3 years (most of them pitching while injured). There is no denying that since 2006 Pedro has been merely a shell of his former self. He has put up ERA's of 4.48, 2.57 (5 games), and 5.47(season is not over yet). This is obviously not good at all and not worth the money he is getting. This brings up to the main question: (which may obviously change is Pedro is very effective for the rest of the seeason and helps the Mets to a World Series Championship) Was the Pedro signing a mistake for the Mets?

Based purely on the numbers the answer is no. He had a great year in 2005 and posted a better ERA and WHIP than Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter. However since then his injuries have caused him to miss significant time and for the most part be ineffective when he did pitch. But who would say paying $53 million for 1 great year and 3 years (not full seasons) of poor pitching is a great singing? The answer is me.

Pedro Martinez's signing was a great signing for several reasons. The first reason being his influence on other players on the team. He is one of the smartest pitchers in the game and was able to pass on knowledge to other pitchers on the team which helped them develop. He also is a great clubhouse guy and always seems to be smiling and joking around.

The second reason being that that signing showed other players in the MLB that the Mets were serious about winning which allowed them to go out and sign players like Billy Wagner, Moises Alou, and the best CF in baseball, Carlos Beltran. I also have the gut feeling that if the Mets were not serious about winning, Johan Santana probably would not have approved a trade to come here.

The third and arguably the most important reason being the influence on the international market. Pedro is a huge figure in Latin American countries, especially in his native country of Dominican Replublic. A short list of some of the international signings the Mets have made since the Pedro signing: Fernando Martinez, Deolis Guerra, Wilmer Flores, Francisco Pena, Ruben Tejada, Jefry Marte, and Ceaser Puello. Many Mets fan and non-Mets fans alike may not recognize any of these names outside of Fernando Martinez. All of these players are under the age of 20 with tons of potential. These players turned down much more lucrative deals from other teams to sign with the Mets. This is the "Pedro Effect." Deolis Guerra was one of the four prospects dealt to the Twins for Santana. Fernando Martinez is the Mets number 1 prospect. Wilmer Flores, in some people's view, has even overcome Fernando as the top prospect. These players are young with tons of upside and could become star players in the future. These players also could be dealt in trades for impact players. The Mets are so high on some of these players they have refused to include them in deals for players like Santana.

Pedro Martinez's signing was a great one.

Jon Niese

2008-09-14T23:16:00.014-04:00

By request I am writing an article about Jonathan Niese, Mets prospect who shut out the Braves for 8 innings on Saturday, due to a request for it. I like to honor the requests of my readers (all 3 of you).

Jonathan Niese is a lefty starting pitcher drafted by the Mets in the 7th round of the 2005 draft. He is a tall guy standing at 6-3 and weighing in at around 190 lbs. Niese is 21 years old and was born on October 27th 1986 in Ohio. Here are Niese's minor league stats for the Mets:

Season	Team	ERA	G	IP	H	HR	K	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP
2006	Mets (A)	3.93	25	123.2	121	7	132	9.61	4.51	2.13	0.51	0.258	1.48	0.345
2006	Mets (A+)	4.5	2	10	8	0	10	9	4.5	2	0	0.221	1.3	0.305
2007	Mets (A+)	4.29	27	134.1	151	9	110	7.37	2.08	3.55	0.6	0.285	1.35	0.346
2008	Mets (AA)	3.04	22	124.1	118	5	112	8.11	3.18	2.55	0.36	0.252	1.3	0.321
2008	Mets (AAA)	3.4	7	39.2	34	4	32	7.26	3.18	2.29	0.91	0.233	1.21	0.273

Jon Niese's Arsenal: Niese has an average fastball which tops out at about 93MPH. Considering his young age, 21, it is a possibility that as he grows he will add a few MPHs on his fastball. One of Niese's problems is keeping his velocity consistent late in the game. This is also something that should come along with work and growth. Niese also has a change up which he improved this year by learning to throw it with the same arm speed as his fastball. The change up has some sinking action and is sometimes percieved as a splitter. The change up usually clocks in in the high 70's/low 80's. This year Niese added a cutter to use against righties which sits in the high 80's in terms of velocity. This is a big reason why Niese has been able to have so much success this year because last year he was hit much harder by righties than lefties. Niese's best pitch is his 12-6 curveball which sits in the mid 70's. This is his out-pitch and is very good when he can locate it.

Niese's ceiling is probably a Major League #2/3 starter. He got roughed up in his first start against the Brewers giving up 7 H, 4 BB, and 5 ER, in only 3 innings. He looked very nervous and anxious which is reasonable considering he is 21 years old and pitching his first game of his major league career against a playoff contender in the Brewers and for a playoff contender in the Mets. However in his second start he was phenomenal against the Braves. He gave up 7H, 1 BB, 0ER, and 7K in 8 shutout innings. Despite this very good performance I do not think that he is ready to start the year next year in the major league rotation. I think the Mets should go out and sign 2 SPs but I'll do an offseason post later on. Niese has good potential and is the Mets best pitching prospect at this time and can help them out during these last few weeks of the season.

Carlos Beltran = best CF in baseball.

2008-09-13T13:38:00.007-04:00

I read this article over at WasWatching.com which basically analyzes another article which says that the Yankees missed the boat on Beltran and Santana. However they go on to say that Beltran is "soft" and the Yankees are better off with out him. He also goes on to say that Johnny Damon has been arguably just as good with the bat outside of Beltran's 2006 season. Let me say that it is an absurd to say that Damon is as good as Beltran. Beltran is best center fielder in the game. I bet while reading that you probably disagreed right away. Take a minute to think about the rest of the center fielders in the MLB right now. Who is better? Beltran is not only the best center fielder in the game right now but he is also one of the most underrated players in the game right now.

The only other CF's who are worth arguing for are Josh Hamilton, Grady Sizemore, Ichiro, and Curtis Granderson. Defensively, Beltran is the best out of the group with only Ichiro a close second. Hamilton without a doubt is having a monster season and has the potential to be the best (although it would be close because of his defense) but I wont give him the title as the best after only one season. Sizemore is very good and is in the midst of a great season but his defense and his arm especially are average. Beltran has the potential to be a 40 HR guy but he has been a bit unlucky this year and despite putting up low HR totals has still had a great overall season. He is one of the smartest players in the game and has the best stolen base success rate in history. Beltran is a 5 tool player. He plays great defense, has a great arm, has good power, has good speed, and can hit for a decent average. Sizemore does not have a good arm and hits for an average even lower than Beltran's. Ichiro does not have good power at all. Hamilton is not fast and does not possess Gold Glove defense. Granderson is also a 5 tool player but is not as good as Beltran at this point in time. This current season Beltran ranks third among CF's in VORP (value over replacement player) (behind only Sizemore and Hamilton) and 17th overall. VORP also does not take into consideration a player's defense. This is quite amazing considering how everyone is considering Beltran's season as a disappointment and because of the slow start Beltran had due to his recovery from off-season knee surgery. Beltran has recently gotten hot and is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. This is also when the Mets needed him most with the Phillies only 2.5 games behind.

Here are Beltrans's overall stats for the year.

Avg .285
HR 24
RBI 103
Runs 108
SB 21

Carlos Beltran is a great player and the Mets are very lucky to have him. He is a quiet leader and is a good guy. He is the best center fielder in baseball today.

Don't Sign K-Rod!

2008-09-11T19:49:00.004-04:00

"The fact is, Rodriguez's performance this season has not been special for any closer, and it's been below average for 50-save closers. Even among his peers in 2008, Rodriguez's run prevention has been ordinary; Rivera, Soria, and Joe Nathan have lower ERAs, RAs and higher VORP scores. K-Rod is chasing the record not because he's having a season like Eckersley's '90 or Gagne's '03, one that raises the bar for short relievers, but because his teammates have given him more chances to save a game than all but one pitcher in MLB history has had. If the Angels had Nathan, Soria or Rivera, those pitchers would have a higher save percentage than Rodriguez has posted -- and would perhaps have already set the record for saves in a season -- and the Angels would have more wins. Quite frankly, earlier versions of Rodriguez would have been more productive as well; this is one of the lesser seasons in his six-year career."- by Joe Sheehan on Sports Illustrated.com

I want to use this excerpt from Sports Illustrated to show why I believe the Mets should not sign Francisco Rodriguez during this upcoming season. Also, Billy Wagner's injury is not covered by insurance which means the Mets will be on the hook for his 2009 salary which could and should be a deterrent from them signing K-Rod. I think the Mets would be making a mistake to sign K-Rod because his proabably record breaking year will make him overrated coming into the offseason. I feel the Mets should sign somone like Fuentes or Wood to a 2 or 3 year deal until someone like Kunz, Burgos, or Parnell (if they switch him back to a RP) is ready. Fuentes and Wood have both had similar years to K-Rod in terms of ERA and WHIP. (Although Wood has struggled a bit lately). They are cheaper options who could do just as good of a job.

Delgado for MVP

2008-09-11T00:56:00.006-04:00

I was going to wait to write this post but someone basically pushed me to do it. I believe at this point in the season Carlos Delgado of the New York Mets should be the National League MVP. Delgado got off to a terrible start this year batting only .229 with 11 HRs and 35 RBIs through the first 77 games this season. His current stats are .264 BA, .868 OPS, 36 HRs, 104 RBIs, and 84 Runs. That means in his last 68 games he has 69 RBIs and 25 HRS while batting around .300. For a whole season that puts his numbers on pace for .300 BA, 60HRs, and 164 RBIs. Wow. The Mets record after the 77th game of the season was 38-39 (.494 winning %). Since then the Mets record is 42-24(647 winning %). Delgado has also come up big in clutch situations as shown but the last game against the Phillies and the first game against Nationals in this series. Delgado has carried the Mets and when he got hot the Mets got hot. I believe the reason Delgado was doing so poorly in the beginning of the year was because he was still recovering from wrist surgery. Last year was a disappointment but he was also injured most of the year and I did say he would have a bounce back year this year. Delgado has also set/tied 2 Mets records this year. The first being most RBIs in a game with 9 against the Yankees on June 27th (the day he got hot). The second record being multi-HR games in a season with 7 (tied with Dave Kingman). Carlos Delgado has been more valuabe to the Mets arguably than any other player has been to their team this year.

While I believe Delgado should win MVP at this point in the season, I feel he probably will not. The Mets already have 2 other players who will garner some MVP votes in David Wright and Jose Reyes. Carlos Beltran also deserves alot more credit than he recieves. Also it is hard to ignore the phenomenal year Albert Pujols is having. Ryan Ludwick came out of no where to be in the running for MVP as well. Playing for a team who will not make the playoffs definitely hurts their chances (same goes for Delgado if the Mets do not make the playoffs). Howard and Utley will get votes although a .230 average hurts Howard and Utley has cooled down since the first few months of the season. Aramis Ramirez may receive some votes but I have heard very few people discuss him as the MVP. Lance Berkman is also in the running although he has slowed down as well and does not play for a contender. Ryan Braun also deserves some consideration for being the big bat in that line-up when Fielder is in a quite disappointing season. I feel that there is no one in the NL West who has a real good shot at winning the award.

Delgado may not be the best player in the league. He may not even be the best on the Mets, but he is their MVP and the MVP of the league.

Lucky Charms 9/10/08

2008-09-10T21:50:00.005-04:00

I am going to call this section Lucky Charms. It will be where I do not feel like writing a whole article and just want to have a few quick posts.

Ambiorix Wayne Burgos was arrested yesterday for beating his wife. Wow. This truly disappoints me because I liked this guy. I thought and still think that he has a chance to be a good major league relief pitcher. I was hoping it was going to be with the Mets but now I have changed my mind and he is now on my shit list. I do not like guys on my team with bad character. I never supported the Mets trading for Sheffield because of his personality. I even try to avoid picking guys I do not like for my fantasy team (assholes, hot heads, wife beaters, Braves, etc.). Hopefully Burgos will raise his value within the next year and the Mets can trade him.
Being in Boston I do not get to watch Mets games so I've been watchin Red Sox games with my roommate who is a Red Sox fan. Sunday and Monday night we questioned Francona bringing in Papelbon with a 6 run lead on Sunday (and the Rays coming to town the next day) and bringing him in in the 8th on Monday. As the post-season draws closer we figured you would want him to be rested not overused. Sure enough Tuesday night Papelbon blows the game against the Rays with a chance to take first place in the division. We knew it was a bad idea and hate when managers make odd moves like that.
Mets should not sign K-Rod next year. (I'll do a full article on that later)
My current picks for the awards. AL MVP: Pedroia BOS, NL MVP: Delgado NYM, AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee CLE, NL Cy Young: Lincecum, NL ROY: Soto CHC, AL ROY: Longoria TBR (I'll also do a full article on awards later on)
Why hasn't Jerry Manuel used Al Reyes? Why didn't Omar call up Nixon? I feel both could be solid contributors on the field and off the field (Nixon).
What happened to Aaron Heilman? He is either very good or very very bad this year. I honestly really like him and his talent. The Mets would be making a mistake to cut him so people should stop calling for that.
I hate when fans boo members of their own team.
Stop the wave at baseball games.
Any ideas for the favorite/hate teams on the side of the page are welcome.
Also, Thanks J-Money for the Blog title. It sounds better than Leprechaun Baseball.

That's all for now,
The Red King

Welcome

2008-09-10T16:30:00.006-04:00

Hello readers,

I have decided to make a blog about baseball because of my love for the sport. The blog will mainly be focused around the New York Mets. There will also be posts about other teams and sometimes things that have nothing to with baseball at all. The title of Red King of the Diamond comes from my first name which means "the Red King." The diamond part is pretty obvious. I'll try to post as frequently as possible. Feedback about what you would like to see on the site or if you would like to write for the site would be nice also.

Thanks,
The Red King