Failure at the deadline...

I will give Omar one compliment before I absolutely rip into him, at least he didn't make a horrific, desperation move in an attempt to save his job.

But the argument that every trade would have cost us valuable prospects that will be future contributors just doesn't hold water.

Omar once again proved, to me, that he's a horrible in-season tactician, it seemed like half the league was traded and for the third straight year Omar decided that not one trade made sense. Something in this equation is wrong, based on the law of averages alone by now he should have fallen into a trade. Either he is way over valuing every farm hand, becomes extremely tentative or club don't like dealing with him and are attempting to fleece him.

Now I never expected nor did I want some huge blockbuster trade, I would have been satisfied with a nice hole filling type of deal. NYBD reported this morning that they were hearing rumblings about Reed for Murton and then a second deal for LHRP Downs. These would have been the perfect type of deals in my opinion. Both players are under control beyond this year, they wouldn't cost much and would serve to shake-up the roster.

In the grander scheme of things, Omar needed to make a move, he needed it to establish that he was still in charge, for the players in the locker room, the free agents this off-season and to show ownership still truly supported him. Now the questions will continue to swirl about just how short a leash he's on and how much power he actually has, if he does make it to the off-season these questions could effect signings.

But there are many of us in the fan base who needed to see Omar make a deadline deal, after not acquiring a starter in 2007 and a reliever in 2008, many of us needed to see a move made even if it didn't make a difference this year it just might have re-stored our faith in him as an in-season tactician.

I also think it's extremely important for this team to maintain a buzz around themselves to keep attendance up, so that they have the revenue to make deals in the off-season. Attendance is already down but if we can't stay close in the wild card race, there could be a dramatic drop in attendance which could effect this winters plans.

For those who are praising Omar for not making a move because they were afraid of it costing key pieces take a look at what these players actually cost, none of these cost multiple prospects and most wouldn't cost our untouchables ( to name just a few).

Nick Johnson- cost Aaron Thompson Marlins #15 our equivalent Eric Beaulac

Ryan Garko- cost Scott Barnes Giants #12 our equivalent Dillion Gee

Joe Beimel-cost two minor leaguers not even in the Rockies top 20

Rafael Betancourt - cost Rockies #5 Connor Graham our equivalent Reese Havens

Freddy Sanchez- cost Giants #3 Tim Alderson our equivalent Jon Niese

Mark DeRosa- cost Cards #3 Chris Perez our equivalent Jon Niese ( plus a PTNL)

Orlando Cabrerra- cost #13 Tyler Ladendorf our equivalent Scott Moviel

Jerry Hairston Jr.- cost Chase Weems non-prospect minor leaguer

Think Small Omar...

As I logged in this morning I've seen several posts from around the Metsblogosphere, warning against expecting a major move.

I posted yesterday that I feel it's absolutely essential for Omar to make a deal, but I think trying to make a huge deal would be a mistake. My biggest knock on Omar are his in-season tactics, he's been unable to make adjustments, his roster moves at times are dumbfounding and he seems to be constantly shut out at the deadline.

In regards to the deadline, Omar seems to get stuck on the big splash deal which rarely occurs for the Mets because they are so invested in their prospects. I really have no problem with their unwillingness to over pay ( which is always going to happen at the deadline it's the nature of the beast) but while Omar is stuck trying to make that pie in the sky move, serviceable type B players are coming off the board at reasonable prices. By the time he gives up on Roy Oswalt (2006) and Chad Cordero ( 2007 ) it's 4pm and he's once again been shut out.

NYBD is reporting that the Mets maybe looking to swap Matt Murton for Jeremy Reed and picking up LHRP Downs for Toronto, these would be the perfect deals in my opinion. Small obtainable players who have more then a year left and won't cost the farm....

Omar has to make a trade...

If Omar Minaya ever wants to restore any of his ability to manage this organization, he needs to make a move before the deadline at 4pm tomorrow. This team needs a trade on many different levels to rebuild the damage that has occurred over the last month.

First of all, this is an all to familiar situation for Mets fans. We enter the season with holes in the roster and are assured that they will be filled come the trade deadline. But when the deadline approaches, with multiple trades being made by other teams, Omar always says that nothing makes sense and stands pat, while reminding us that he'll look for waiver wire deals after the deadline. If Omar wants to lose the perception that he's a poor in-season manager and take the focus off his press conferences he needs to make a deal.

Secondly, this patch work team has over achieved, they remained close for much longer then I expected them to and just when it appeared they had fallen apart, they found a way to put their current winning streak together. This group of players deserves some re-enforcements and one more player might just be enough to make a true run as players return from injury ( look what Francoeur alone did for morale).

Third, many of us were on the brink of giving up on this season and now we actually have hope that they are back in contention. The bottom line is that a trade will increase interest in the team and put fannies in the seat, a team six games under 500 isn't generating revenue for next year,s signings. But with this new found hope along with the buzz from a trade and you just may see Citi Field full in Aug./Sept..

Finally, five game winning streak or not, we are still the laughing stock of the league and need to restore a little bit of our stature around the league. Sitting on our hands at the deadline with this many players moving around the league will make the team appear to be in disarray over the controversy. They need to restore organizational credibility as fast as possible, come the off-season our image will impact free agency.

I'm not looking for a major deal, which I think is often Omar's problem at the deadline, he looks for the all or nothing deal. All I expect is a serviceable player who will help them keep afloat and then be be a nice complimentary player when/if everyone returns. I know some teams have over paid in some of these trades but not everybody has, it will be unacceptable if for the third year in a row Omar says nothing made sense. It will look like Omar either is indecisive or the Wilpon's have taken his power and will only help seal his fate. I believe his only chance of keeping his job after this season is to make a strong run in the second half and a trade right now is absolutely necessary for that to happen.

Buried relievers should get a chance...

One of the allegations against Tony Bernazard was that players who got on his bad side could be buried within the organization. Now, this isn't another Bernazard bash post, in fact I'm trying to focus on baseball and the people who are still around that are making the decisions.

But there are at least two players who I feel should get a chance with the major league team, that seem to have been buried in the organizations.

Eddie Kunz was the 42nd overall pick in the 2007 draft, he was selected based on on an impressive collegian career as the closer at Oregan State. He seemed to rapidly progress through the Mets system until his debut with the Mets in August of 2008. Kunz appeared in four games and allowed four runs ( 13.20 ERA), the team briefly flirted with the idea of using the rookie as the closer when Billy Wagner went down but the youngster was so tentative that they ended up trading for Luis Ayala.

If you believe the rumors, Kunz reported to spring training out of shape and has faced the wrath of Bernazard since. While he might not be the potential closer they hoped for he at least has the numbers to be a solid ROOGY. In Buffalo he's appeared in 27 games ( 42 innings) with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 3.80, while batters are hitting .208 over all. Against righties he has an ERA of 3.46 and they're hitting .176, compared to lefties hitting .258 and his ERA is 4.32.

Adam Bostick represents one of Omar Minaya's trade busts, while Matt Lindstrom has served as the Marlins closer ( in between injuries) Bostick took two years to advance past AA ( Owens / Vargas are a wash). As a starter Bostick struggled through injuries and control issues but since becoming a reliever he has been lights out. Bostick advanced quickly through AA and has had great numbers in AAA.

As a reliever in AAA Bostick has appeared in 14 games ( 19 innings) in which he has an ERA of 0.95 and batters are hitting .127. Against left handed hitters he has a O.OO ERA in which batters have a BA of .200, while righties have a BA of .143 and his ERA is 1.63. The 26 y/o left hander could be the lefty their supposedly on the market for.

Has Pagan convinced them he's a starter...

The Mets continue to claim that they are buyers and in fact had a big conference to discuss what they'll look to acquire as the deadline approaches.

To my surprise what came from that discussion was a left handed reliever, they're not looking for a power bat, 1B, LF or bench depth ( at least not that they're willing to leak).

Trying to look at the roster as players begin to return from injuries, it's hard to figure out why they're not on the market for a bat. Unless Angel Pagan has convinced them he's a starter, otherwise; they're still missing someone in left field.

Reyes returns, replacing Angel Berroa on the roster and moving Alex Cora to the bench. Carlos Delgado returns, replacing a reliever ( they're carrying an extra bullpen arm) on the roster and moving Murphy to the bench. Carlos Beltran returns moving Angel Pagan to left and bumping Cory Sullivan from the roster.

The line-up would look like this: Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Delgado, Wright, Pagan (switch hitter), Francoeur, Schnieder.

With a bench of: Santos, Cora, Tatis, Murphy and Reed.

I omitted Gary Sheffield who I would view as a bench player and think that considering him a starter is a recipe for disaster. While he's done a tremendous job filling in, his injuries were inevitable from over use and I believe will reoccur if he cont. to start. I feel Sheffield is best suited for starting 1-2 times a week and being a power bat off the bench. I still think approaching the the deadline it comes down whether they view Pagan as their left fielder or need to acquire one.

Sheffield's spot should be determining whether Tatis has run his course, they should use Reed's option, give Cora's thumb a rest when Reyes returns or carrying one less reliever.

Every time Pagan stays healthy and plays he preforms, he is currently hitting .295 with four triples and five doubles. My biggest concern is his injury history, but are you convinced Pagan is better then what they can acquire for what they're willing to spend...

Teams have mild interest in Royals players...

According to Royals Report one of the bigger Royals blogs, Kansas City has quietly been recieving calls about Mark Teahan, David DeJesus and some of their relievers.

No specific teams have been mentioned and it doesn't sound like there have been any substantial offers, but I passed it along because the Mets have had a long history of trading with the Royals, including during Omar's admin. and Teahan would be a perfect fit...

Real quiet at this point for the #Royals on the trade front. Teams looking at Teahen (mainly), DeJesus and relievers But not offering much. source twitter Royals Report

Mets & Rays discussed Kazmir

According to the NY Post the Rays are looking to move pieces, either to simply shed salary as they've begun to fade in the AL east or to free up room and salary for a blockbuster deal.

It's been reported that the Rays contacted the Mets and had at least initial discussions regarding Scott Kazmir. For those who want the organization to come full circle, just rem., Kazmir has been injury prone and there have been rumblings about his work ethic.

The Rays are also looking to move Carlos Pena and will entertain Carl Crawford discussions, Crawford would have me dipping into the untouchable list and Pena's 25 HRs is awfully appealing especially for this team but his .214 BA not so much.

The Rays have shopped Kazmir around a bit, even calling the Mets, who expressed initial interest but nothing more. Tampa is trying to see if they could trade Kazmir, Carlos Pena and in the right blockbuster even Carl Crawford to free up dollars to make a bigger trade. source NY Post

Mets seeking a lefty reliever...

I can be honest and admit it; for me over the past three years, come the trade deadline when numerous teams are acquiring numerous players, I'm jealous. No, I don't want my team to make a bad deal but I do want them to do something, I feel like the kid stuck at his friends house for Christmas who is forced to watch everyone else open their gifts.

The Mets had a pow-wow yesterday to determine what direction they would take approaching the deadline, apparently they still see themselves as buyers but aren't willing to mortgage the future, just salvage this season. Of course I don't want them to mortgage the future, but I have a hard time believing that everyone they're passing on, would have cost what they consider to be their future, once again Omar is coming across extremely tentative and indecisive with in-season moves.

What I found to be curious was that during the meeting the Mets decided they need a second lefty. First of all, they spent all spring passing on lefty relievers and telling people they didn't feel they need one. Second, of all their holes the last thing I would think they needed was a second lefty, Pat Misch has been decent and Adam Bostick is in the minors making a solid transition from starter to reliever.

#mets seek a lefty reliever. apparently wanted to give p. feliciano a break. some candidates: beimel, grabow, downs. source Twitter SI_jonheyman

Kris Benson was a hint we didn't notice...

On January 21. 2006 the Mets traded their #3 starter for Jorge Julio and John Maine, many forget how unpopular that trade was at the time, because Benson's career has been injury plagued while John Maine turned into a solid middle of the rotation contributor.

At the time many felt Benson was being traded because his lovely wife made some derogatory remarks towards newly acquired Carlos Delgado's refusal to stand for "God Bless America" in protest, over test bombing in Puerto Rico. What compounded the trade was that the Mets received a struggling Hispanic closer in Jorge Julio, Maine was perceived as nothing more then a throw-in.

Omar went on the talk radio circuit to defend himself, refuting the claim that he was attempting to build an all Hispanic team or that Benson was traded for PR purposes. Omar defended himself by saying he didn't see Benson in the rotation come playoff time, so when he saw he had value he traded him.

What we didn't realize at the time, is that Omar was giving us an insight into his roster building philosophy that would plague the team for the next three seasons.

Omar has done an excellent job of acquiring the players you absolutely want on your team, come playoff time: Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran ( to name his big ticket deals).

But he fills the rest of the roster with reclamation projects and diamonds in the rough. Now he has done an excellent job of keeping the right players ( Pelfrey, Wright, Reyes, Parnell) and has had great success with reclamation projects ( Valentin, Easley, Tatis, Anderson) but his rosters always seem to be missing one piece.

I believe it goes back to that hint he gave in defending himself over the Benson trade, if he doesn't see the player in game seven, ninth inning with the game on the line, on the field, then why bother paying for him when he can get a fill-in for league minimum.

What has been missing each year, are those type B players, who are just as intricate a part of making it to the playoffs as are the stars who win the playoffs.

During the long grind of the regular season the Type B players are the glue that helps a team make it through injuries and slumps to the stars. When those spots are mostly filled by youngsters and journeyman, they get over used and over exposed resulting in team slumps.

You need experienced starters in the middle of the rotation, proven veteran arms in the pen and everyday players who aren't all-stars caliber but also aren't great comeback stories or just breaking in players.

Too often there have been good solid players, whether through trade or free agency that we've passed on, because the Mets haven't valued their contribution versus their cost. You absolutely need guys you know are going to give you consistent numbers on a daily basis, they won't be All-Star numbers but they will be consistent.

Right now we're top heavy, we have more All-stars, then most teams, that we depend upon to produce and then the drop off in consistency is tremendous. For Example; this year instead of having a guys you know are going to hit .290-.270 no matter what, we have multiple guys who could have hit .300 or .240 or instead of having a starter you know will win 12-15 starts we have guys who could win 18 or 8.

There have been too few Ryan Church, Jeff Francoeur, Brian Schnieder, Paul Lo Duca, Pedro Feliciano types on this team.

For years we have passed on the Gil Meche, Ted Lilly, Jon Rauch, Scott Linebrink, Mark DeRosa, Bobby Abreu, Casey Blake, Ryan Garko ( to name a few) types.

To me it comes back to the playoff philosophy, it seems like the team scoffs at these middle rung players cost and under values their potential contributions, it seems like they say; I'm not giving up that or paying that for him, when I can fill that spot at league min.

This off-season Ollie had the most potential to be an All-star player, but Randy Wolf or Jon Garland would have provided more consistency and would have allowed them to sign two more middle rung players like Abreu and Hudson. You would have spent almost the exact same amount of money and although you lose potential, you gain consistency. I believe any of us would agree; Wolf/Garland, Abreu and Hudson ( even off the bench ) would put us in much better shape then Ollie, Tatis and Murphy.

Omar what have you done...

The Mets had the perfect opportunity to take a ugly situation and turn it into some positive public relations.

Look, I have no idea whether the Tony Bernazard allegations had any validity but I prescribe to the theory of "where there's smoke there's fire" and there has been smoke since Willie was fired, from numerous sources.

The Mets had a chance to give the fans exactly what they wanted, a sacrificial lamb and really Tony B. gave them ( the Mets) a perfect opportunity. There was enough bad publicity about Bernazard that he had become an easy target, couple that with the attacks on the farm, that he was in charge of and suddenly you have a win/win situation.

But instead of receiving some much need positive publicity, Omar Minaya single handily turned the press conference into a complete and utter circus.

From the start of the conference Omar looked forced and angry, at one point he said something about the investigation might not have been on others time line but it was on there's. Then Omar went on to accuse Adam Rubin of lobbying for a job in the organization.

I guess it would be unethical by writers standards to ask for a job from a team your covering and Rubin is the writer who broke the Bernazard story. The bottom line is that the Mets did their own investigation and regardless of Rubin's motives, they found enough to fire Tony.

But to bring theses allegations into this press conference with Rubin sitting in the room was uncomfortable and completely counter productive to what they were attempting to accomplish.

Instead of creating some positive news during a bad year, Omar Minaya turned it into another negative incident, which will be added to the long list of public mis-hap's during his tenure.

Omar looked like his anger got the best of him in his initial press conference but then he had a second press conference with Jeff Wilpon and came across as arrogant. Omar apologized for bringing up his allegations in the press conference but refused to retract them.

For all I care Rubin could have walked up to Omar, said give me Tony's job or I'll ruin him ( I'm not saying he did, it's an example) and this was still not the place air it. If that was your belief, then you should have been out in front of this a long time ago and not holding it in your back pocket. Once it becomes a mess like this you have to lose the fight and blame everything you said on emotions, even if you have dirt, otherwise; as I said, you look arrogant which has been a dig on this team before.

Bottom line is that we look like a circus, and I'm tired of this team being the laughing stock of the league. Mr. Wilpon take control of this mess, clean house and bring in a veteran professional GM to run things like when Joe Mac was brought back for a second tour.

Mets would be smart to inquire about Aaron Harang

Omar Minaya said that the team would continue to consider itself a buyer as the trade deadline approached, but he also said the team wouldn't be looking for rental players. In other words; if there's a player available who will help the team in the future, that another team wants/needs to move, then the Mets will consider making a deal that makes sense, something like the Francoeur trade.

While I'm sure the price will be to high, the Mets should at least inquire about Aaron Harang. The Reds are going to wait until the last minute to decide what direction they take at the deadline but ultimately they may become sellers. Harang is having a down year and has a big contract for a small market team. The Reds may want to move him before he loses even more value and ridding themselves of the big contract would allow them to improve their strategy for the off-season.

Harang is owed 11M this year, 12.5M next and if traded his club option becomes a mutual option worth 14M with a 2.5M buyout for 2011.

The 31 y/o right hander is the solid #2-3 starter, that the Mets have needed for years. He's played all but one season ( rookie year in Oakland) of his career in Cincy's band box stadium. He has a lifetime record of 74-77 with an ERA of 4.25, this year he's 5-11 in 21 starts with a 4.27 ERA.

The Mets might be one of the only teams willing to take a risk on a struggling pitcher who might respond to a change of scenery at the cost of his contract.

“I am looking either way as far as acquiring veterans or prospects,” he said. “I’m just looking for what is the best way to improve the club. I will not do anything that is going to be short-term. It has to be something to help the team down the road.” source Dayton Daily News

Will the Mets make a play for Mark Kotsay...

The Red Sox designated Mark Kotsay for assignment to make room for newly acquired Adam LaRoche. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets make a play for Kotsay when he becomes a free agent in 10 days.

Kotsay is a 33 y/o left handed utility player, who can play all three outfield positions and first base. This year he's only hitting .257 in 27 games, but is a lifetime .280 hitter and just last year with the Sox/Braves hit .276.

Even as he's struggled this year, he'd be an improvement over Tatis, Berroa, Sullivan and Murphy.

"It wasn't a fun decision or a fun message," Francona said. "This is a guy that came in last year and immediately became a leader in our clubhouse. He's as professional as they get. You learn quickly to admire people like that, and that will certainly never change." source MLB.com

While the team has come full circle so has Luis Castillo

Joe D. of Metsmerized online has an interesting post today on how the Mets have come full circle under Omar Minaya. As most of you know, my opinions are very similar to Joe's in regards to Omar.

He has been very good at acquiring the big name stars, filling the obvious holes and finding the major league level diamonds in the rough.

But during Omar's reign, the team always seems to be one piece short of being that top team and that's because he fails to bring in the "B" level players to fill out the roster.

Omar's biggest flaw has to be his approach to the farm system, the fact that not one prospect has come up and provided legitimate contributions ( aside from Niese today) and the next group is years away, speaks volume about his approach. So as Joe put it this morning, I agree the team has come full circle under Omar.

While I was watching the game today, on a more positive note, I was thinking that it seems like Luis Castillo has come full circle as well.

When the Mets acquired Castillo they thought they were getting a pesky, table setting offensive player and gold glove caliber second baseman. But in 2008 Castillo looked completely rattled under the NY pressure cooker and washed-up on bum knees. I'll admit I wanted him out at any cost, I can also admit that I was wrong and Castillo has been one of the few bright spots on this team.

Aside from his Bronx mishap he has played a solid 2B and has made some incredible plays ( rem. the Boston stretch play in the 9th). Not only did he have seven hits in three games, raising his average to .301 but he also shows signs of being that pesky table setter he was with the Marlins and Twins. For the second time in a couple weeks Pagan and Castillo successfully teamed up for a safety squeeze, Louie has 47 walks this season and a .398 OBP.

Where is the injury disconnect...

Today there are reports that John Maine, after missing several months of the season is now seeking a second, independent recommendation on his ailing shoulder.

There are also grumblings that Carlos Beltran is not happy with the treatment of his knee injury. If the rumors are true, by Beltran playing through his knee injury, he may have caused the injury to worsen which could cost him the rest of the season and possibly still may result in knee surgery. Many are reading between the lines that Beltran went for a second opinion because he wasn't satisfied with the Mets medical staff or how the Mets training staff approached the recommendation...

One thing is clear about the Omar Minaya regime, the handling of injuries has been very questionable. The injuries have become a focal point this season because of the amount of them to key players, but this administration always seems to mishandled them.

It seems like every year this team has a player that starts day-to-day and after the team plays short handed for too long, the player ends up on the DL. Then the DL stint, for what is initially labeled a minor injury, seems to miraculously get worse until months pass or surgery is required. Just to name a few over the years, there was Cliff Floyd's ankle, Moises Alou's groin, Ryan Church's concussions and this year half the team.

The Mets use one of the top medical facilities in the country, the New York Hospital of Special Surgery. Their reputation is impeccable, they handle numerous teams and athletes without these types of complaints. The disconnect appears to be occurring once the hospital makes a recommendation and how the Mets are interpreting/handling those recommendations.

Ray Ramirez was hired as the head trainer in 2004 shortly after Omar took over, prior to that he spent 13 seasons as the assistant trainer for the Texas Rangers, so it's clear he's an Omar guy. With the amount of injuries that have occurred, with the same disturbing pattern, if there was any element of the training staff possibly miss handling even one injury they would have already been used as the scapegoat.

This appears to be an organizational problem, something appears to be occuring within the organization that is resulting in these players not responding to treatment. Whether it's the team listening to the player more then the medical staff or the training staff using different methods of therapy then the players would respond to, something is creating a distinct pattern, that is reoccuring over several years to multiple players with different injuries.

Couple that with questionable medical decisions that sources say have prompted the Players Association to explore the issue - and even Beltran to privately become upset. source Daily News

Ryan Garko could be available...

Omar Minaya continues to call his team a buyer despite the chances of them making the playoffs near impossible. I hope he's not delusional like Rob Neyer suggested but Umpbump does make a very good case for removing Omar before he does something desperate and stupid.

Of Course, the last time Omar was in charge of a team that was a buyer and seller at the same time he orchestrated a trade in which he bought an ace pitcher ( Colon ) at the cost of his entire farm and then the very next week sold his best hitter (Floyd). The Colon trade with Floyd consideration is currently being ranked the worst trade of the decade by MLB Fanhouse.

Aside from hoping that calling the Mets buyers would keep ticket sales up, I believe Omar will make a deal that will help the team next year, if he can find one.

The Indians have been selective sellers this month, trading players who are no longer in their long term plans. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com covering the Indians believes that Ryan Garko could be the next player on the block.

Garko is currently blocking top prospect Matt LePorta from taking firstbase and the Indians have incentive to turn the position over to the prospect. Garko is making near league min. but next year he begins his first year of arbitration, which means he will recieve a large raise. For a mid-market team with a top prospect in the position who is ready for the majors, Garko becomes a luxury but for a large market team in need of a 1B Garko is a cheap player they control for three years.

Ryan Garko is a 28 y/o right handed hitter with a lifetime BA of .282 and a Slg. pct. of .446. During the Indians 2007 World Series run he hit .314 with 1HR , 2 doubles and 5 RBIs. In 2007 he hit 21 HRs and the next year had 90 RBIs. This year despite the trade rumors and a struggling team he is hitting .280 with 9 HRs, 9 doubles and 34 RBIs. He's spent his entire major league career at 1B until this year when he started playing the corner outfield ( 12 games).

Garko is the type of trade that Omar should be looking to make, this year he can platoon with Delgado when he returns and could play the corner outfield, if Manuel wanted them both in the game. Not only would he put a buzz in the stadium and help win a few games but he would then be around for at least the next three years.

If Garko was making the Major League minimum or something close to it, his position on the active roster would not be much of an issue. But that won't be the case beyond 2009. Garko is entering arbitration-eligibility this winter, and if you look at his comparables around the league, he's in line for a hefty raise. It appears he could certainly command more than the $1.95 million Shoppach received in arbitration last year.

Garko has proven to be an effective run producer when he plays consistently (he drove in a team-high 91 runs last year), but his slugging percentage is what it is, and the Indians have never seemed enamored with him as a regular. source MLB.com

Is Omar Delusional

Funny quote, that just adds to the hang your head low embarrassed Mets fan feeling, Rob Neyer responded to Omar's comments about being buyers approaching the deadline instead of sellers...

Realistically? Stop it. Just ... stop. Optimism is one thing, and often it's a good thing. But the notion that these terribly hobbled Mets are, right now, just a couple of wins or a spare outfielder away from being in a position to leapfrog six or seven teams and grab a brass ring ... well, I'm afraid that it borders on delusional. source ESPN

I know Omar can't admit to being a seller in NY and might not auction off players with no long term value, for next to nothing to make room for prospects, but acting like we have a chance and are buyers just sounds silly. It's true that we may make a deal, if possible Omar will try to find a player to keep people coming all summer and help next year, but that doesn't make us buyers. In case you missed it here are Omar's comments...

"Right now we do not envision [being a seller]," Minaya said. "If we're 6 ½ [back] in the wild card with a couple of teams in front of us, we are still kind of trying to find out how we can improve this team, if we can improve it through trades." source MLBTR

This is nothing new with Tony Bernazard...

I believe in the old adage; Where there's smoke there's fire and in regards to Tony Bernazard there has been lingering smoke for a very long time.

Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not naive, I see what's happening, this is a bad team and blood is in the water, right now the sharks are circling around Bernazard. But I'm one of the sharks, I want wholesale changes to the entire organization and Bernazard seems like a good place to start.

This is not about one isolated incident involving an alleged tirade on minor league players, which the players themselves have called blown out of proportion. But this is about a dysfunctional organization; that has run a contending team into the ground and never properly developed a farm system, at which Tony Bernazard seems to be at the center of most of the dysfunction.

Going forward, if the Mets hope to have any credibility they need to remove the meddlesome Bernazard from the equations. That's not to say the rest of the organization gets a pass and he's the sacrificial lamb, but it would be a very big move in the right direction.

As I said before, this is not the first incident involving Bernazard since he's been a member of the Mets hierarchy. If you'll recall, it's believed that Bernazard was instrumental in the firing of Willie Randolph. It's expected for an executive to give his opinion on personnel decisions but the rumors were that he was undermining Randolph to the players. Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball did an excellent article on Bernazard around the time Randolph was fired.

“(Thankfully) he's Minaya's problem,” said one baseball official, who spoke with Gotham Baseball Magazine on condition of anonymity. “He and Goldis are peas in a pod.” soure Gotham baseball Mag.

In another article at that time, from Newsday by Ken Davidoff, this was what he heard about Bernazard.

The truth, however, is that Bernazard's reputation has taken a pummeling. Take this for what it's worth, but Wednesday, I received two phone calls from industry contacts — the first, a longtime friend of many Latino players, and the second, a scout from an American League team. Both, unsolicited, brought up Bernazard, both professed to not know him and both offered the same sentiment:

"I hear he's a really bad guy." source Newsday

Another aspect of this is that, the Mets know exactly who Tony Bernazard is and the only reason it appears they are investigating this matter is because the media got a hold of it. If they decide to act it may only be because of "the pile on the rabbit" mentality that has taken over and the team stars who are now speaking out, instead of not wanting what appears to be an unprofessional bully in a prime position in the organization. After all, the characteristics that are now getting him in trouble are what got him hired...

"You don't jog to first base on my team," was the way Bernazard put it. "You had to police yourselves on a team and that's what we did. "I got in a lot of players' faces. I'm not going to say who, but that's just the way it was. I was a very good athlete but others were more talented. How do you get better? By working." source Daily News 6/22/2008

Ask anyone about Bernazard and they'll say this is nothing special, but Tony to a capital T: determined, passionate and charming enough to close the deal. "When Tony goes after something," says close friend Lou Melendez, Major League Baseball's VP of international baseball operations, "you might as well put it down as done." source Times Herald Record 6/25/05

Alex Cora sore & the Mets pass on Julio Lugo...

I'm not even talking about being competitive, but the Mets need revenue to rebuild this team. I still say the team needs a trade, not to try and comeback, but to give the non-die hard fan a reason to stay interested. Attendance is already down 10,400 per game and the last thing we need is for it to plummet so much that they are unwilling to spend during the off-season.

Julio Lugo seemed like a perfect fit for the Mets, he wouldn't cost much, played a position in need and was a better offensive player then half our line-up at .283. All indications were that Lugo would either be traded for or signed by the Mets upon his release. Once again Omar took the patient approach and was waiting for his release, instead of sending next to nothing to Boston ( as reports indicated) to insure his acquisition. It appears the Cardinals have swooped in and grabbed Lugo by paying much more ( Chris Duncan) then the Mets would have or would be required to have paid.

To add insult to injury, as the Cardinals trade is being announced, the Mets were reporting that Alex Cora would be sitting out do to his thumb injury being aggravated and Angel Berroa who is hitting under .200 would be starting.

Laughing stock of Baseball...

I did a post comparing Omar Minaya to Steve Phillips, not that I'm in anyway a Phillips supporter but more that I feel it's time for Omar to go. In that post, what surprised me was how good Phillips was over his first five years, but he was just as awful by the end and needed to go, which is about the same way I feel about Omar.

Their plight's are extremely similar, both were once heralded scouts who took over very bad Mets teams ( Phillips- took over after 1996 when the team finished in 4th place with a .438 winning pct. / Omar took over in 2004 after the team also finished in 4th place with a .438). After several good years ( Phillips 1998- 2000 / Minaya 2006-2008 ) the entire Mets system seemed to completely fall apart while they were at the helm.

When I completed that post, I had one commenter in particular, who was obviously an adamant Omar supporter, what struck me was that he said "Phillips was the reason the Mets fell into a half decade slump and the laughing stock of the league". He reminded me of just how bad things were between 2002-2004 which Phillips still credits to the financial tug-of-war between the Wilpon's and Doubledays, just as Omar is attempting to blame this crisis on unforeseen injuries.

At the time the commenter was right; we weren't the laughing stock of the league, but I think as of today the organization that runs the team I love, has brought us back to those dark days, that have so often haunted it. Whether it was the worst record ever, trading "the Franchise" because of a war with the GM, dismantling a World series team twice ( 1990's/2000's) or making one of the worst trades in league history ( Kazmir), this team has several times been the laughing stock of the league.

No longer are we just a team that has been incredibly stricken by the injury bug, but we are now an organization that the entire baseball world is watching unraveling right in front of their eyes and all but us Mets fans are laughing as it happens.

Whether it's the medical staff who can't seem to properly diagnose a single injury, despite having so many chances to get it right and learn not to call anything day-to-day.

A GM who needed to act swiftly and boldly, but instead seemed to be indecisive and bungled the roster moves he did make. That same GM who has failed to build a roster of supporting players around his superstars, which has left too many holes for this team to over come and make the playoffs for three consecutive years.

Having a farm system that they are constantly defending but the players they have called up have been unable to make a significant impact ( Evans, Murphy, F-Mart, Parnell, Niese) while their two highest levels of the minor leagues are in last place and any other prospects are years away from being ready.

But if there was any shred of respectability left around the league for this organization, that was considered the class of the NL in 2006 - early 2007 it is all but gone with this latest scandal. Reportedly the Asst. GM ( or whatever his actual title is) Tony Bernazzard went into a tirade in the double A locker room in which he allegedly took off his shirt, used profanity in front of minors and challenged players to fight. This is on the Heels of another alleged incident in which he scolded a Mets employee in front of a section of fans at a game because of a seat. The fact that the Mets are investigating these allegations makes me believe that there is some credibility to the reports.

Those Omar supporters, don't believe me, but before you call me an over reacting fan, take a look at some of the National outlets and our NL east rival blogs, we are the laughing stock of the league...

Now I praised the Wilpon's in a post for financially supporting the team, spending the most money since they've been a 50 % partner in the organization and allowing the GM to build this team. I now implore them to prove that they are good owners by making massive wholesale changes to the organization.

Time to move on from Fernando Tatis...

Marlon Anderson was an incredible story in 2007, being claimed off waivers, he seemed to have a clutch hit every night and was one of the only leaders in a clubhouse that was falling apart. But he stayed for much too long, it seemed like the entire 2008 season and into 2009, his spot was held, hoping to see a glimpse of what he once was.

The same could be said of Fernando Tatis; what an incredible story he was last year, not playing in the majors regularly since 2003, he was the comeback player of the year and an intricate part of the teams second half run. But just as the org. didn't know how to finish Anderson's run, they seem to be in a similar situation with Tatis.

It was Tatis' clutch hitting that kept him in the line-up last year, he's really not that good defensively no matter where you put him. In the infield his reaction time has slowed and in the outfield he lacks range, especially for a team that doesn't score much and relies on defense. Now that he isn't hitting, he isn't playing and when he does, he's become a liability.

Tatis is hitting .240 with a Slg. Pct. .380 and .310 OBP while hitting into 12 double plays. It's time to thank Tatis for his service and give Nick Evans a chance to get major league experience with less pressure.

Oliver Perez was just a bad signing...

I really don't want to hear about untapped potential and flashes of brilliance, anyone who has watched this team for the last three years knew at some point Oliver Perez was going to be inconsistent. What we didn't realize was how bad he would be and for how long.

I venture to say that Perez is Omar Minaya's worst signing, with Luis Castillo you could at least rationalize a long term track record of outstanding success and even in Sept. of 2007 he was excellent in NY.

With Ollie what was the track record; six starts in a row, a good record in some big games and good strike ratios at times in his career. This is a guy coming into the season with a lifetime losing record and an over 4 ERA, that was given big money/multiple years contract.

Part of the GM's job when evaluating players for New York, is whether they have the mental make-up to play here, I'm not sure Ollie has the make-up to play anywhere long term. Omar rolled the dice on Ollie and anyone could have seen that this was a bad risk.

Many have stuck up for Omar by saying he approached this off-season with a restrictive budget that limited his moves and the real culprit is the Wilpon's. Well first of all, the Wilpon's have allowed the second highest payroll of any team in the league and have spent significantly more then at any other time in team history ( based on ranked payrolls).

If Omar had limitations financially, then he shouldn't have taken such a large risk on Ollie and signed a pitcher he knew was more mediocre but would allow him to sign more pieces. For 1-2MM more then Ollie you could have signed - Randy Wolf or Jon Garland ( both have ERAs half of what Ollie has), Bobby Abreu and Orlando Hudson...

Oliver Perez has been better since returning from his rehab stint, in fact it's the best he's looked all year. In July, he's made three starts going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA, over 17 innings he's allowed 9 ER off 13 hits and 17 walks, while striking out 12. Those are good numbers compared to the start of the season when he allowed 24 runs and 21 walks in 21.2 innings of work. Ollie is on pace to allow a walk an inning and just under a run per inning, this season in 38.2 innings he's allowed 33 ER and 38 walks.

While I'm not on the Wilpon's case for spending, I am frustrated with their inability to cut their loses when they make a bad investment. We've seen all over the league, when a player isn't working out teams are willing to absorb the losses and move on ( Sheffield/Lugo). Not only will Ollie be here from the next two years but if somehow they get talked into cutting him he will be considered part of the budget and not a loss as many teams operate...

More on Julio Lugo...

Think of last year, imagine the ire towards Luis Castillo if Dan Murphy was playing 2B, hitting over .300 during his injuries, and Castillo attempting to comeback early, to replace Murphy. No matter what Castillo did, he would be absolutely hated by Mets fans. There would be complaints about everything from his bloated contract, poor fielding, to his lack of power, basically Mets fans would not accept Castillo no matter what.

That appears to be what happened to Julio Lugo in Boston. Many fans felt that GM Theo Epstein over paid for Lugo, but what compounded things was that Lugo went down with injuries and a homegrown shortstop replaced him. Not only did Jed Lowrie replace him but then Nick Green another homegrown kid proved to be a serviceable back-up.

Because it appears that we may pick-up Lugo, I've been doing some extensive reading of any Boston material I can find. First of all, most fans absolutely hate Lugo similar to reading Mets material on Castillo last year. Some of the complaints were that he's injury prone, lacks range, has a weak OBP and is a bad clubhouse figure.

Lugo has been injury plagued during his time in Boston but as a platoon partner/bench player he's not being counted on for regular playing time. Also compared to some of the players we're fielding a .283 BA and OBP .346 would be a welcome addition.

But the two biggest complaints are about his range and clubhouse demeanor, in regards to his range I found a Boston Globe report that he rushed back early to help the team, which not only speaks for his character but also to a degree explains his range.

"Talked to Lugie today, he came back quick," Francona said. "I don't think he's moving yet like he's gonna. I told him to take the next day or so and get with [strength and conditioning coach Dave Page] because I think putting him out there sometimes is a little unfair. I thought [Sunday] he got put in some situations where plays were hard for him to make.

"He will be better. I know that. So does he. So, in the meantime, I'll try to balance it the best I can where we're looking out for our guys and we're winning games. Just communicate honestly with both of them [Lugo and Nick Green], that's the best way I know how to do it. I thought I had a good talk with Lugo." source Boston.com

I found tons of threads from Boston fans who accused Lugo of being a bad clubhouse guy, but I can't find one article, printed verifying that accusation. Now, I'm not saying that Boston fans don't know their players, all I'm saying is I can't find an incident that speaks of his bad demeanor. I know if you read Mets threads about Castillo you would think he was the worst player in the league and he's obviously still a serviceable second baseman. It sounds like Lugo had a hard time adjusting to being a role player, which is the only negative quote I can find from his manager.

"The communication isn't bad. I think sometimes, he doesn't agree with what I say," Francona said. "I think it's tough on anybody. They all want to play everyday. source Mass.live

Coming in, Lugo would know that he wasn't a full time player on a big contract, I also think this just might be the right place for him to attempt to revive his career. As I said before, what would it hurt, he doesn't cost anything and his numbers are better then what we have. Here's Lugo talking about playing in NY in 2000...

"It's unbelievable," Lugo, a Brooklyn native, said. "I have all my people here and when I come out of the clubhouse, everyone is waiting for me with flags and cheers."It feels great to be home." source Daily News

Fernando Nieve DL - Cory Sullivan promoted

Anyone who saw last night's game knew that Fernando Nieve was going on the DL. It's a shame really, Nieve looked strong in the first inning and has really been a pleasant surprised since being claimed off waivers from Houston.

He's made seven starts with a record of 3-3 and an ERA of 2.95, four of his seven starts were considered quality outings. Some had grown concerned that the league had figured him out, since he had back-to-back rough outings against Philly and Milwaukee, but those were top tier teams and the rest of the starts were solid for a #5 starter.

While he's out of options, he still has two years of arbitration left, so I'm sure if we don't see him again this year, we'll see him in spring training...

The Mets promoted Cory Sullivan, if you've read this blog you'll know that I feel Sully should have been promoted a month ago. He's been hitting .290 in the minors as a lead off hitting and while his primary position is center field, he also has extensive experience in both corners. In the majors he is a lifetime .279 hitter and in his one playoff appearance, through three series he hit .333. The Mets can have him under control for two more years and should see what they have in him.

Former Rockie Cory Sullivan has been added from Triple-A Buffalo. Fernando Nieve has landed on the disabled list source Daily News

Move Dan Murphy to 2B, promote Nick Evans 1B

If we're really out of it and it's time to evaluate what we have, then instead of sticking with players who have no true future with the organization; lets see where, what we have fits.

While showing nice hands at 1B, Murphy doesn't have the power to be a National League 1B and his batting average isn't high enough to compensate for the lack of power. Last off-season Murphy played 2B in the Arizona Fall league but received less then stellar reviews, after seeing him fielding grounders this season, I'm more inclined to give him a second chance at the position. After all, even in his struggles at the plate this year, if his defense is as solid at 2B as it's been at 1B, then his offense would be similar to many full time second baseman.

Nick Evans, last year in AA was considered the better defensive 1B and he projects to have more power then Murphy. I thought in his brief stay this year Evans had some solid at bats, in 44 plate appearances he hit .250 with four doubles, one home run and six RBIs. Bring Evans up and see how he handles 1B on a full time basis for the next two months, see if he can hit major league pitching for more then a cup of coffee and if he has better hands then Murphy at the position.

I know some will say; your going to move Murphy again, but it's Murphy who has put himself in this position by being absolutely awful in left field and then playing 1B nicely but not being able to hit like a first baseman, without the DH it's essential to get production from 1B...

I mean, why not; it's not like they're going to cost us any meaning full games, see what these kids have, they were projected to have roles on this team to start the season, Murphy in LF and Evans as the first call-up. At least you can evaluate them at positions they could actually fill and decide how to progress during the off-season.

Sure Luis Castillo will stew on the bench when Murphy blows a double play that he could have made or if Murphy continues to hit .240 when he's hitting .280, but Castillo doesn't have a long term future here, this is about finding a spot for Murphy and seeing if both Murphy and Evans are major league material in 2010.

Would Chad Tracy make sense...

As many know, I was a big proponent of making a significant, aggressive trade, but that was over a month ago. In my opinion, whats transpiring now was predictable, I said without a trade, the team would begin to fall behind and then a losing mentality would set in, taking the team into a tailspin. By the time the trade deadline came around or players returned from injury, the deficit would be too big to over come. Being 7.5 games behind and hearing Gary Sheffield talk about this team waiting for the next shoe to drop, it appears my fears have come to fruition.

So while I will still look at trade candidates, my focus has slightly shifted from players who could help salvage this season to players who can help us in the near future without costing us the future we already have. I wouldn't be against becoming a seller but I don't think we have anyone of value we're willing to part with, who would net anyone of value.

What will we need next year; a left fielder, first baseman, power threat and a number two starter ( basically everything we needed this year - Delgado was predictable). Looking at the 2010 free agent lists (source MLBTR), there's not much out there.

The D-Backs maybe looking to move Chad Tracy, the 29 y/o left hand hitting player has a club option for next year. Tracy is having a horrible year hitting .222 with 5 home runs and 29 RBIs but in July he's showing signs of life hitting .308. Arizona has a very similar player to Tracy in Mark Reynolds and have brought up their #1 prospect a 1B named Josh Whitesall.

Tracy was a top prospect, in 2004 he was the #35 prospect on the top 50 list, that year David Wright was #9, Jeremy Reed #10 & Jeff Francoeur # 45. Injuries have slowed Tracy progress but he's still had some very solid years in Arizona.

His original position was 3B and he's played 334 major league games at the position with a .939 fld. pct.. He successfully transitioned to 1B, which over the past two seasons has been his primary position, playing 218 major league games. He has also played 52 games in the outfield ( 47 in RF) with a fielding percentage of .980.

He's a lifetime .281 hitter with a Slg pct. of .456, in 2005 he hit .308 ( 145 gms) with 27 HRs and 70 RBIs. The next year he had similar numbers but from 2006-2009 his playing time has diminished due to injuries and a crowded roster, his average each year has still been around .260.

This year his offensive numbers are very similar to Murphy's but it appears he's starting to come around and aside from 1B, Murphy's fielding pct. fail to come close. Unlike Murphy, Tracy has a major league track record of success and was identified by scouts, as having major league potential. Tracy maybe in a similar situation to Francoeur, needing a change of scenario to succeed.

Hitting .222 and the team squeazing him out, he shouldn't cost much, if the price is right, I say he's just the type of player you bring in. If he's a bust you don't pick-up the option, but if he works out you have a relatively young player ( 30 y/o next season) at a decent price, who is a solid fielder at three positions and has the potential to be a decent big park bat ( singles hitter ).

Tracy, meanwhile, is wondering about both his short-term and long-term future
with the club. The club has an option on his contract for next season.

“Obviously, I want the playing time, I want to be out there every day,” he said. “Right now, there are a lot of question marks, especially for me, and some of the other guys that are on their last year of their contract or have some value to be traded, so I think we're probably at that point now where anything can happen. I wouldn't be surprised by anything. source AZ central

Dead man walking- Tim Redding

Under Omar the Mets have really become to be known as an organization that mishandles injuries and roster moves, even the manager is making fun of the medical staff.

In regards to roster moves, the team makes some strange decisions, carrying multiple players at one position while playing short in others, but more importantly they have become very indecisive and impersonal. Usually the bad moves are made to one of the roster players on the roster, so not much is made of the decision but it still doesn't make it right.

The most glaring move in recent times was the Nelson Figeruoa move, Figgy makes a solid start and minutes afterward, while he's still celebrating the victory he's DFA to bring up Takahashi.

Now it's Tim Redding's turn, rumors swirl throughout the clubhouse that Redding is going to be cut, as ineffective as he's been, you have to feel sorry for the guy as he describes the clubhouse atmosphere. If the Mets are trying to wait out the 10 days to obtain Lugo, that's an unfair position to put Redding in for that long.

I still don't understand why it's Redding who would go to make room for Lugo, why not DFA Berroa who can't hit at all, instead of carrying three shortstops. If they're to cut Redding because he's ineffective, that's one thing but all reports seem to indicate, Redding is going to make room for Lugo.

"I'm not an idiot," Redding said. "I've been around the game long enough to know what's going on, with the way I've been used."

Redding had the look of a Dead Man Walking before the game. He sat alone at his locker, scrolling through a Blackberry, with nary a teammate nearby. If the Mets do plan to release him - and eat the prorated portion of his $2.25-million salary for
this season - it was a curious decision to keep Redding with the club Saturday.

Not only was it uncomfortable for Redding - who complained that "half the guys won't even talk to me" - but the Mets could have used another bench player. source Newsday

Redemption for Jeff Francoeur...

It's usually the Mets who move a player and the next time they meet him, that player has a big game or series, but today, turn about was fair play for Jeff Francoeur...

Francoeur was the face of the Braves, there are still gigantic billboards, outside the stadium with Chipper and him welcoming fans to Turner Field.

The Braves trading Francoeur is the equivalent of the Mets trading David Wright after 2010 if he has a similar season to this year.

Not only had the Braves become frustrated with "Frenchy" but they must have lost complete faith in his ability to hit, since today they walked David Wright three times in front of him. The first two times it paid off for the Braves, but the third time resulted in an important RBI single for a tack on run.

Overall, Francoeur went 2-5 and has started his Mets career with a .286 BA, while Church is hitting .200 in the same amount of games.

Wright (right) was intentionally walked three times, matching a career high. On each occasion, a Met was in scoring position and first base was vacant. For that reason, former Brave Jeff Francoeur said he wasn’t insulted by Bobby Cox’s decisions. Francoeur, hitting behind Wright, actually had a pair of hits in those situations. “Bobby’s always done that,” Francoeur said. “I played for him for four years. If there’s ever a base open with the best hitter up he’s going to walk him, regardless if it’s me or anybody else.” source Daily News

Bullpen rumblings: Brian Stokes, Pat Misch & Pedro Feliciano

Here's a few interesting tidbits that have come out in the last few days from the bullpen...

Last week Billy Wagner was discussing his role upon returning to the team, sometime this season. Wagner sees himself as having a minor role, possibly pitching once week and described himself as having a Brian Stokes type role. Apparently Stokes wasn't happy with Wagner using his name, or down playing his role on the team. Good for Brian, I think the coaching unappreciated Stokes and under/misuses him, but to have a teammate use his name in describing a minor role should infuriate anyone...

"He's nobody to me," an angry Stokes told The Post yesterday, his voice quivering as he spoke. source NY Post

SF Giants have been very good at developing young pitching talent, Pat Misch was once considered one of those young pitchers who was considered, as recent as last season as a possible 3-4 starter. Misch never blossomed as a starter and in a roster crunch the Giants had to give up on him, but Misch was pitching in the Giants pen and he has quietly become the Mets second lefty.

"I never thought I'd be over here [with the Mets]," Misch said, "but I'm glad that they picked me up and trying to do the best I can every time out there." source NY Post

Finally the Daily News has an article suggesting we become sellers, one of the pieces they feel has value is Pedro Feliciano. It is hard to find consistent lefties and a contender would be willing to give up at least one prospect for him, still I want him for next years bullpen.

So maybe the Mets already are starting to head down the seller's path, and if so, they might start with Pedro Feliciano, who has one more year before he's eligible for free agency and has established himself as one of the most durable relievers in the majors - not to mention one of the most effective against lefthanded hitters, holding them to a .169 average this year. source Daily News

Tim Redding out, Julio Lugo in appears imminent...

The Daily News is reporting that it appears the Mets are close to releasing Tim Redding. The right handed journeyman has been a disappointment to the organization during a miserable season. He had off-season toe surgery, that should have heeled by spring training, but by the start of camp he arrived over weight and favoring the injured toe. He started the season on the DL due to straining his shoulder, while compensating for the toe.

Since being activated he has pitched as a starter and reliever, unfortunately; more of his work has been ineffective then effective.

Redding pitched very well last year for a very bad Nationals team, the Mets thought they were getting a 30 y/o righty with good numbers against the NL east who had finally figured it all at, what they probably got was a guy who had a career year, which wasn't even that good a year by major league standards. I'll admit, at the cost and looking at last year's numbers I thought Redding was a solid pick-up and I was wrong.




The Mets have been carrying one extra reliever and only a four man bench, since prior to the All-Star break. If Tim Redding is released it appears that the Mets are attempting to pick-up Julio Lugo to replace him on the roster. Since Lugo was DFA, Boston has 10 days to trade him or release him, after the 10 days, they are responsible for the entire contract and Lugo is a free agent. Seeing Berroa wildly swinging at anything last night and knowing that Lugo is hitting .284 he automatically becomes my back-up SS candidate, regardless of his baggage. If they pick-up Lugo, I would then DFA Berroa and call up an outfielder ( with Sheffield limping), my candidate would be Cory Sullivan.

And the Daily News has learned that Tim Redding (right) is imminently in danger of being released, while Julio Lugo already is working out at the Mets’ complex in the Dominican Republic source Daily News

Gary Sheffield reportedly only cramps...

I don't believe a word this teams medical staff says anymore, until I see a player on the field and playing pain free, I'll have my doubts about there return.

I know some of the experts say all medical staff's go through these types of situation, between the organizations wanting their stars on the field and players wanting to play, it's hard to give a true diagnosis unless something obvious shows up. That the Mets just seem to be in the forefront because of the amount of injuries they have had this season.

Still, to me every player goes from a minor injury, where they'll be out day-to-day, to long term rehabilitation.

The latest was F-Mart who went from tendinitis to knee surgery, that fact was brushed under the carpet during a press conference to give updates on all the other injured.

So when Gary Sheffield pulls up lame on a fly ball, I automatically think his season is over, it's a blown hamstring. After all, they're lucky they got what they have from a 40 y/o Sheffield and using him as much as they have, it's only a matter of time until he's hurt.

While I breath a sigh of relief that reports indicate he was only cramping, I'll believe he's OK when I see him running on the field...

"They're calling it cramps . . . surgery on Thursday," Manuel said before erupting in laughter. source NY Post

Mets should pick-up Julio Lugo...

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox are willing to pick-up almost all the remainder of Julio Lugo's contract if a team is willing to take the SS off their hands, in return all Boston is expecting is a marginal prospect.

Lugo just doesn't fit in Boston and while their willing to do anything to get rid of him, that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't have value to another team.

Lugo is a average SS who can also play 2B and the outfield, despite Boston's willingness to give him away, he's still hitting .284. The Mets have no time frame for Reyes return and Cora, Murphy, Tatis and Berroa all are hitting below .250.

I kinda see it as another Sheffield situation, it isn't costing you anything to bring him in ( both salary & players traded) so give it a try, what would be the harm, he's considered a good clubhouse guy. At 33 y/o and a right handed table setting bat, if he does work out you also get him next year for virtually nothing.

The Red Sox, facing a roster bind as they prepare for the returns of shortstop Jed Lowrie and third baseman Mike Lowell, have informed teams that they are willing to assume virtually all of shortstop Julio Lugo's remaining salary in a trade, according to a major-league source. source Fox Sports

Berroa promoted...

The Mets replaced Argenis Reyes with Angel Berroa, not much of a surprise in this move, it's been expected since Reyes was sent down before the All-Star break. Berroa hasn't done much this year in his short stint with the Yankees but he does has a successful track record in the past. Berroa has struggled the past three seasons, but still has a .260 lifetime BA. He can play SS, 2B, 3B and OF ( minor league exp.).

Berroa, 31, won Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 with Kansas City when he hit .287 with 17 homers and 73 RBIs. In all or parts of eight big league seasons coming into '09, he was a .260 batter, but hit just .136 in 22 at-bats for the Yankees in 21 games before being released in late June. source MLB.com

Thanks, Ed- Heeeeerrrrrrreeeeeee's Johnny!! (Okay, Here's David)

Hi all- some of you may remember me from my old blogs, Shea Nation and Mets Trades. I've since "retired" from daily blogging, but thanks to Ed Ryan, an old friend of Shea Nation, I'll be offering commentary on our beloved (I think-LOL) Mets from time to time.

Just in time for the 2nd part of the season, I'll be back tomorrow (Friday) with a recap of "part one" and this Sunday, I'll post my annual baseball book review. Some of the books reviewed include "Munson", "Satchel" and books by Darryl Strawberry and Ron Darling.

Again, thanks Ed, and to the many fans of Mets Fever, it's a pleasure to share our beloved Metsies with you!!!

Let's hope for a better, and less injury-riddled second half!!

And, as always,
LET'S GO METS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wilpon gets a pass...

With unmet expectations come disappointment, couple that with back-to-back heart breaking endings to seasons, after what was thought to be a building block year ( 2006) and you have an extremely disgruntled fan base. This isn't a Mets thing, this is a sports thing, any fan base that had endured what Mets fans have over the past 2 1/2 seasons would act and feel the way many Mets fan do.

It's human nature to assign blame and for Mets fans we have been pointing in several directions.

The simple fact maybe that the team had an unprecedented amount of injuries to impact players and it was simply too much to over come, for the team itself and the organization as a whole.

Many have pointed to the errors players have been making on the field and simply believe that players are under preforming. While I agree they have cost themselves numerous games on routine plays, I still believe that's a result of players who don't belong in the majors, players out of position or role and what regulars who are left playing tight and pressing.

Jerry Manuel has been the focus of many fans ire, while I agree he makes some odd moves and says strange things, I can only think of a few games where I felt his decisions directly cost the team a game. In my opinion, Manuel has held this roster together pretty well, he's accused of not holding players accountable and making strange decisions but with what he has to work with, I think he's kept the team focused on playing and in the race.

In my opinion, Omar is at fault for the struggles of this team, he simply gambled in too many spots and once injuries started to occur he didn't have the depth to cover the losses. Re-signing Oliver Perez, using a platoon of Tatis/Murphy in left and not building a stronger bench with an aging Delgado, injury prone Castro and slumping ( last year) Castillo were all mistakes. While I praise the Frankcoeur trade, I also feel a trade of any kind came a month late.

Recently I've started to hear a lot of fans voice disapproval of the Wilpon's, the Freddy Coupon comments are starting to surface again. Even I've said, Omar is smarter then how he handled the off-season, he must have had budgetary restraints.

I think that gets compounded by sharing the city with the Yankees, who always seem to sign the big free agents and make big in-season trades. They're budget is astronomical compared to the rest of the league and while we share the same city, I don't believe we receive the same amount of revenues.

I was un-bias entering this post, as I said; I've thought several times that I wished the Wilpon's would have authorized Omar to spend a little more and get one more player over the last four years, but I've never really blamed them for the seasons outcome. I decided to take a close look at the numbers and see if the Wilpon's have really restrained Omar and the level of players he could bring in. I've also heard some fans say they hoped Doubleday was still the owner instead of the Wilpon's, so I've gone back to 1986 to compare reigns.

Nelson Doubleday purchased the team in 1980, at the time Fred Wilpon had a 1 % share in the team. In 1986 Fred Wilpon purchased 50% of the team and in 2002 he bought full ownership. All information sources are at the bottom of the post, below my summary, Notes; The attendance rankings are of the national league only so it's out of 16 teams while the salary ranking is of the entire league, the USA salary ranking starts at 1988. I added the GM and Mgrs. to the list, so you could see who was running the team and making decisions, for graph purposes I used their first and last full year not half years ...

Year-GM-MGR- Standing- Salary- Rank Salary- Attendance-Rank Attendance- # All-Stars

1988-Cashen-Johnson- 1- 15.M - #4 - 3M - #1- 4
1989-Cashen- Johnson- 2- 20M- #3- 2.9M- #3- 1
1990-Casehn-Harrelson- 2- 21.8M- #2- 2.7M- #2- 3
1991-Hunsicker-Harrelson- 5 - 32.5M- #4- 2.2M- #5- 2
1992-Hunsicker-Torborg- 5- 44.3M- #1- 1.7M- #8- 1
1993-Harazan- Torborg- 7- 38.3M- #5- 1.8M- #11- 1
1994-McIlvaine-Green- 3- 29.8M- #17- 1.1M- #11- 1
1995-McIlvaine- Green- 2- 24.3M- #24- 1.2M- #11- 1
1996-McIlvaine- Green- 4- 23.4M- #21- 1.5M- #12- 2
1997-Phillips-Valentine- 3- 38.4M- #16- 1.7M- #10- 2
1998-Phillips-Valentine- 2- 49.5M- #9- 2.2M- #9- 2
1999-Phillips- Valentine- 2- 71.3M- #6- 2.7M- #7- 1
2000-Phillips- Valentine- 2- 79.7M- #6 - 2.8M- #8- 3
2001-Phillips- Valentine- 3- 93.6M- #4- 2.6M- #10- 1
2002-Phillips- Valentine- 5- 94.6M - #6- 2.8M - #5- 1
2003-Duquete- Howe- 5- 117.1M- #2- 2.1M- #11- 1
2004-Duquette- Howe- 4- 96.6M- #4- 2.3M- #11- 2
2005-Minaya-Randolph- 3- 101.3M- #3- 2.8M- #6- 3
2006-Minaya_ Randolph- 1- 101.0M- #4- 3.3M- #3- 6
2007-Minaya- Randolph- 2- 115.2M- #3- 3.8M- #2 - 4
2008-Minaya- Randolph- 2- 137.7M- #2- 4.0M- #1- 2

The numbers don't lie, Wilpon has put his money into the team and while you can say he has been rewarded by the best attendance in the National league, he has also spent the most in the National league. Even in the lean years when he first took complete control his worst salary ranking was 4th compared to an attendance at 11th of 16 teams ( NL only ) for two straight years. While the team has only made one playoff appearance in the Wilpon years, they have had 19 All Stars, in the 14 prior years as partial owner the team had 25 All stars combined.


Most fans rem. Doubleday for demanding Mike Piazza, what they don't rem. is just how bad this team was prior to the 1998 season. Now I have no idea what the dynamic was between the two owners, but I do know that while Doubleday was the senior partner the team was completely dismantled for five seasons (indicated in Red). After the 1992 season when the team was dubbed the worst team money could by, with the highest payroll, a fifth place finish ( seven team div.) and only one All-Star ( Cone) the next year the numbers became stark. Those were years the team was not supported by management, trailing most of the league in salary and attendance while putting a poor product on the field ( min. A.S. per year).



USA Today Salary and rankings

BA GM list

Baseball Ref. Attendance

Baseball Ref. Mets page

Ultimate Mets Database Mets All-Star listings ( listing is of players who played - I included nominated as well from MLB.com Mets History ).

Pinch hitter/utility fielder Oscar Salazar maybe available

I think over the span of the of the first half of the season, I have been misunderstood, so let me explain myself...

First I think some readers are under the belief that I discount the impact of the injuries, however; I appreciate the significance of the injuries and am amazed that the team has remained as competitive as they have.

My contention is two fold, if Omar had gone about the off-season better by getting a left fielder ( Dunn, Abreu) and improving the bench with a super utility player ( Hudson) we would be in much better shape. Also Omar should have acted more swiftly to obtain someone before the rut really set-in.

Although, I have been one of the biggest advocates of trades, I'm not saying I would mortgage the farm for a rental player, in fact I would be surprised if the team obtained or sought an impact player.

I feel that the trades the Mets should be looking at fall into two categories; (1) low risk, low cost deals that may or may not contribute, (2) long term additions, higher cost.

The first group, many are saying why bother with these players they're a waste of time, but my thought is that they won't cost much and maybe you catch lightning in a bottle.

But I'm also willing to give up prospects for a player who is under control or if re-signed has the potential, because of there age to be a long term player. I believe Francoeur falls into this group, yes he cost an everyday player but he has the potential to be a long term contributor.

The reason I decided to further explain myself is because the player I'm about to profile is the type that I generally get complaints about, that they'd be a waste of time or that they wouldn't save the season. I'm not looking for them to save the season and they very well maybe a waste of time, but at what they'd cost I'm willing to take the risk that they may contribute more then the guys who are hitting .250 or less and struggling in the field.

The Orioles may look to move utility player Oscar Salazar, the O's need to make room by July 20th and while Salazar has been a serviceable bench player, he's not part of their future and is out of options.

The 31 y/o right handed batting utility player has played all four infield positions and left field. Over the last two seasons with Baltimore he has approx. a .950 fct pct. ( 28 gms fielding one error at SS). In 2008 he had 81 AB in which he hit .282 with a .506 Slg. pct. and .372 OBP. This year in 31 AB he's hitting .419 with Slg. pct. .613 and .455 OBP.

Prior to the past two years Salazar hadn't appeared in the majors since he had an unsuccessful stint with the Tigers in 2002. He's spent time in Italy and Mexico, along with a career .309 BA in seven seasons at the AAA level.

Now maybe, Salzar would be a bust but at what he would cost, both in trade and in contract it would be worth the chance of a .300 hitting pinch hitter and serviceable utility fielder.

He is batting .419 (13 hits in 31 at-bats) and is 4-for-11 as a pinch hitter."It seems that when he's come here and he gets opportunities, he hits,"

Trembley said. "He's been an incredible guy to be able to sit on the bench for three or four hours and come up and hit, or not play for four or five days and then hit. To me, that's a pretty special quality."

Salazar, 31, has bounced around in several organizations and also played in Italy and Mexico. So he's not getting comfortable in Baltimore. Because he is out of options, he has been the subject of trade rumors. And the Orioles will have to make another roster move July 20 when Hernandez is recalled to make his next start. source Baltimore Sun

Mets one of the teams tracking Mark Teahen ?

According to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star teams are keeping an eye on Mark Teahen. The 27 y/o left handed hitting utility player has one more year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent. He avoided arbitration this year by signing a 3.575MM, based on his numbers he appears to be a type B free agent after 2010.

What makes him appealing is his versatility, Teahen has two full seasons at 3B (335 gms.) and the OF along with a few games at 1B (24 gms.) and 2B (3 gms.). In the outfielder he's played the most games in right field ( 234 gms.) but has several games in left (31 gms.) and a few in center 96 gms.). Although, it's his natural position he has an awful fielding percentage at 3B (.953) but the other positions he holds a solid .967 Fld. pct.

Over his five years he has a BA of .272 with a Slg. pct. .425 and an OBP .335. Three of his seasons he's hit .285 or better and 55 or more RBIs per season. This year he's hitting .294 with 19 doubles, 9 home runs and 29 RBIs.

I'm not sure if the Francoeur acquisition takes us out of the running for Teahan but his versatility would definitely make him a fit even when everybody returns.

Several teams are tracking Teahen as the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline approaches. The Red Sox took a hard look this weekend in their search for alternatives in case Mike Lowell continues to struggle with his injured hip. The Giants, White Sox, Cubs and Mets have also shown interest. source Kansas City Star

Do the Mets need to let go of the 2006 off-season trades...

Since Omar Minaya took over the Mets after the 2004 season, he has traded approx. 53 players ( missing several PTBNL that I couldn't track down & some smaller deals), 19 of those players are currently on major league rosters ( indicated in bold) including the DL and only one has had an All-Star nomination since leaving ( Heath Bell).

Meanwhile, the Mets have acquired approx. 42 players ( again some PTNL maybe be missing and some smaller deals), 15 of them are either with the Mets or on another teams major league roster ( bold) including the DL and three of those players made the All Star team while with the Mets ( Delgado, Lo Duca, Santana).

When Omar was hired he had a reputation as a very aggressive GM who was willing to take risks. His early results, supported that reputation, as he was constantly wheeling and dealing. Now, I personally like an aggressive GM and am willing to accept the occasional mistakes. As long as the GM is a solid talent evaluator, which I believe Omar is, from my point of view the reward out weighs the risk.

But during the off-season of 2006, prior to the 2007 season, Omar made a series of three trades which have long been perceived as bad trades. In fact, many fans still clamour about these trades, as if the players lost were keys to our future.

While I agree that the Bannister and Bell trades turned out in favor of the other team, I hardly call either a Kazmir type of deal. At the time, the relievers traded were not seen to have futures in the organization or were injury risks and Bannister was pretty far down the depth charts, in regards to starters. In return the Mets thought they were getting a workhorse middle innings reliever ( Adkins), an upside outfielder (Johnson), a potential closer ( Burgos) and two young lefties ( Bostick, Vargas).

None of the trades seemed to work out in our favor and it seems like since those trades there has been a significant shift in the organizations approach. Since then the organization has been very Conservative, it has made five trades; Castillo, Santana, Ayala, J.J. Putz, and Schoeneweis (not including 2009). The deals made have been either blockbusters, due to injury out of absolute necessity or when they finally dismantled the pen.

Now, some will say that it's because Omar was finally satisfied with the roster and had used all the chips he deemed expendable from the prior GMs system.

But the team has had needs each season and the organization, since those three deals, seems reluctant, almost snake bitten to make a move. While I agree that the Bannister and Bell deals have turned out bad for the Mets, they are hardly moves that would change my philosophy. It almost feels like they need to shake off those deals and return to what seemed more successful, when they were more aggressive. Fans were brutal over those three deals, but I wouldn't consider those trades that significant and one of the deals I don't think you can call a failure anymore...

I think it's time that the Vargas/Bostick for Lindstrom/Owens trade be removed from the list of bad deals. The Mets were right about both Lindstrom and Owens, while having some success in Florida both have struggled with injuries and in addition to injuries, Owens also has been susp. for PED. Vargas never achieved much success with the Mets but he had enough value as a chip to be part of the J.J. Putz deal and was recently called up for a stint in Seattle's rotation. Bostick after several unsuccessful years as a starter is now making a great transition into the bullpen, in Buffalo he has 11 appearances with a 0.64 ERA, prior to that he made 11 appearances in AA with a 2.60 ERA.

If you agree with the a more aggressive GM, hopefully; Omar will be reminded of the intangible impacts of trades from the Castro and Francoeur deal. I feel it's no mistake that the team is 2-0 since the deal, and no, I don't believe Francoeur is an impact player who is carrying the team, but it's the energy of change, a spark and some new hope. As I've said before sometimes a team needs a trade just for trades sake, teams get stagnant and need a shake up...

As i've said before; I don't mind Omar being a gunslinger, in fact, I prefer it and if you look at his record he's pretty good at it, but the number of moves drastically dropped after those three deals and my issue is more with his recent conservatism...

Traded

2004-2005 -Mike Stanton, Vance Wilson, Ian Bladergroen, Jason Phillips, Pat Mahomes, Andy Dominique, Matt Ginter, Jed Hansen, Mike Cameron, Mike Jacobs, Yusmeiro Petit, Grant Psomas, Gaby Hernandez, Dante Brinkley

2006- Jae Wong Seo, Tim Hamulack, Kris Benson, Angel Pagan, Jorge Julio, Robert Manuel, Geremi Gonzalez, Kazuo Matsui, Jeff Keppinger, Xavier Nady, Evan MacLane, Victor Diaz, Heath Bell, Royce Ring, Henry Owens, Matt Lindstrom, Brian Bannister

2007- Dustin Martin, Drew Butera, Jose Castro, Sean Henry, Guillermo Mota, Lastings Milledge

2008 - Corey Coles, Ryan Meyers, Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Anderson Hernandez, Scott Schoeneweis, Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, Ezequiel Carrera and Maikel Cleto

2009- Ramon Castro, Ryan Church

Acquired

2004-2005 -Felix Heredia, Anderson Hernandez, Doug Mientkiewicz, Kazuhisa Ishii, Fernando Lunar, Benji Gil, Steve Colyer, Xavier Nady, Carlos Delgado, Tike Redman, Paul Lo Duca

2006-Duaner Sanchez, Steve Schmoll, Jorge Julio, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez, David Williams, Mike Adams, Eli Marrero, Ruben Gotay, Roberto Hernandez, Oliver Perez, Guillermo Mota, Shawn Green, Mike Nickeas, Jon Adkins, Ben Johnson, Adam Bostick, Jason Vargas, Ambiorix Burgos

2007- Luis Castillo, Chad Hermanson, Luis Matos, Jeff Conine, Johnny Estrada, Brian Stokes, Ryan Church, Brian Schneider

2008- Angel Pagan, Johan Santana, Trot Nixon, Luis Ayala, Conor Robertson

2009- Lance broadway, Jeff Frankcoeur