Conor Jackson maybe available

Maybe if this was last off-season this would be an exciting idea, but this year it would be more of a cross your fingers and hope for the best. It would mean bringing in another injury risk player but in the Mets financial situation, these might be the only types of moves the Mets can make and at least age isn't a factor.

Conor Jackson was one of the rising stars in the league; a good defender at 1B/LF, solid batting average, decent power and on OPS over .800 but at age 27 y/o instead building on the prior three years he spent most of the season on the DL. Jackson played in only 30 games and hit .182 before going on the disabled list in May, since then he has been diagnosed with something called Valley Fever and has been unable to rebuild his strength.

Valley Fever is actually Coccidioidomycosis, but got its more well-known name, according to azhealthinfo.org, because it was discovered in California's San Joaquin Valley. It occurs when a pair of spores, which typically reside in soil, are inhaled. It is not an uncommon ailment in Arizona as it's the fourth most common disease reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services. source MLB.com

According to MLBTR the D-Backs may not be willing to offer arbitration since it would cost them at least 2.4 MM due to arby rules.

As I said, the 2008 Conor Jackson would be an incredible pick-up and while he'll only be 28 y/o who knows what his condition will be. I know the Mets won't want to take on an injury risk but they maybe forced to due to their financial situation...

Beltran making strides towards returning

Carlos Beltran has been working out pain-free and was finally able to run the bases. Beltran is now going to have an MRI on the bruise to ensure that running the bases hasn't caused any further injuries. There's still no guarantee that sometime in the future he won't need micro fracture surgery but for now Beltran is hoping to get back out on the field to test the knee before the end of the season.

Next up for Beltran is another MRI, likely at some point this week, in the hope that the bruise has decreased in size. The Mets are optimistic because Beltran has been working out pain-free and the All-Star centerfielder wants to finish the season with a few games under his belt as he heads into the winter. source Newsday

Mets cancel developmental league to save money..

Actions speak louder then words and while Fred Wilpon continues to profess his financial stability the Mets financial decisions contradict those statements.

Whether it was not acquiring a left fielder, second starter or deeper bench in the off-season, to not making trades early on before the injuries were insurmountable, to allowing injured players to continue rehabbing or playing for ticket sales and finally the beginning of the salary cuts with Livan Hernandez and Billy Wagner, the Mets are showing signs of economic distress.

But the most egregious decision a team could make is in regards to the development of it's prospects, especially for the Mets who did not have one prospect who was developed enough to make a significant contribution to the major league team when there were multiple opportunities to do so.

Former Mets GM Jim Duquette is reporting that the Mets have canceled an instructional league for the purpose of saving money. If this is how tight money is, as I said in another post then the Wilpon's need to take out a loan or take on a partner. Otherwise, it's going to be a bad off-season and next year might not be any better...

Now the rumors within the scouting circles are that they can't afford - which it roughly costs about 300 grand to staff and to invite and fly down all the players, to having meals throughout for about, it's like a 4 to 5 week program. It gives you a chance to extend the development of your young players, of your prospects. And they're not gonna have it. They have cancelled it for this fall. And to me, being a development guy, that's big news. If you're development oriented, it's not a good decision in my opinion." source Daily News

One things this year's shown us is we have a solid bench...

If there's anything positive that can be drawn from this lost season, it's that we've gotten a very good look at the players who should compromise the bench next year and as long as they're bench players we will have a very strong bench.

What are the Mets missing for starters next year in regards to the position players; a left fielder, first baseman and catcher.

None of the players currently starting no matter how good they look shouldn't be perceived as starters, unless financially they can't afford to fill all three roles. As Jerry Manuel has said, we have to be careful not to reward mediocrity and I'm concerned, as they did with Dan Murphy last year, one of these players maybe rewarded with a starting job next year.

While I'd prefer to see them fill all three roles, if they said all we can afford is one big bat, I could accept that answer but if they try to insult our intelligence (again) by convincing me a role player is ready for a starting job, I think the Mets will be gravely underestimating the ire of the fan base.

Santos, Castillo, Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Francoeur is a solid group of starters, especially if you add at least one big bat. Of course I'd like two offensive players but could live with a competition for 1B between Murphy, Evans and Carter or a competition between Pagan and Sullivan ( & Reed who seems a distant 3rd now) for left field, depending upon what position the player acquired filled.

But the point of this post was the bench and based on what I've seen this season we will have a solid bench next year. The fourth and fifth outfielders are Pagan and Sullivan, the middle infielder Anderson Hernandez, the corner infielder competition between Murphy/Evans/Carter and then a back-up catcher( if Santos is promoted).

There's a reason we got J.J., don't forget why...

There's a reason why the Mets went out and obtained two closers during the off-season. For the second straight year the Mets missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. While 2007 was a freakish slump in all aspects of the team, which resulted in a historic collapse, 2008 had an easy to identify culprit, the bullpen.

Since Duaner Sanchez in the first half of the 2006 season, the Mets never truly had a dominant set-up man. Guillermo Mota, Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Scott Schoeneweis, Brian Stokes and Pedro Feliciano all had runs and strings of success, but none of them established themselves as a true set-up man. When Wagner went down, a team that was already struggling to fill the 8th inning couldn't handle the "lack of roles" and blew a record number of save opportunities.

So in the off-season the Mets not only filled the closer role but they also went out and filled the set-up man's role with a closer. The thinking was they would have a dominant 8th and 9th inning tandem while having a back-up plan if K-Rod was injured.

With Wagner already gone and many speculating that J.J. will be as well at the end of the season, I concerned that were about to repeat the same trend that got us in a mess in 2008. Who is our set-up man next year and if K-Rod goes down who's our closer. Just as in 2007/2008 Parnell, Stokes, and Feliciano have held the position at times this year but have never been consistently dominant.

Now 8.5MM for a season, after being injured this entire year is an awful big risk to take, which is why I would have kept Wagner for the year and picked up J.J. with the intent of dealing him. J.J. made 5MM this year so offering him arbitration would be a low risk, but if he chooses to leave then were left without a set-up man or back-up closer.

So the Mets have a dilemma in the 8th inning, they can over pay J.J. or hope he accepts arbitration, go in-house in which Elmer Dessens is there best option ( really look at the numbers, he has the lowest ERA in the majors in our pen and the most saves in Buffalo) or look at the free agent list ( source MLBTR) but there aren't many that are inspiring.

Here's an idea, thinking out of the box; many are speculating that John Maine is at risk of being non-tendered. Just this week on SNY the booth discussed that the team may not tender Maine a contract if he doesn't pitch again this year. Since his 15 win season in 2007, Maine's wins and innings pitched have decreased while his ERA has risen.

Aside from being an injury risk, the biggest concern with Maine is his pitch count, his secondary pitches just aren't good enough on a major league level to get hitters out, resulting in long at bats as his fastball gets fouled off multiple times. Despite his struggles to get deeper then the fifth inning his fastball is still good enough to have a great strike out ratio. The reason the Mets acquired him in the first place was his league leading minor league strike out ratios ( 3.2/1).

If the Mets put Maine in the bullpen as the set-up man, he could be the power pitcher that rack up all those strikeouts in the minors and put less pressure on his shoulder. Regardless of where they use Maine, it would be a poor decision to not tender him next season.

Don't get too excited about Carter...

NYBD explained why the Yankees put in a claim on Chris Carter, apparently the Yanks felt the need to tweak the Sox after losing out on Paul Byrd.

I don't think Boston's roster spots are that critical and in the grander scheme of things, the move impacts the Mets more then the Red Sox's. Who knows maybe the Yanks are mad at us for claiming Angel Berroa, if they want we can give him back.

But it was important for the Mets to see what they were getting in Carter during games in Sept., so they knew what direction to take in the off-season. Was Carter a major leaguer who was simply blocked in Boston or is he a AAAA type of guy who the Mets will be making a mistake with if they go with him as a starter.

Mack sees him as a stop gap, Mike Jacobs type of guy who can fill in for a year until Ike Davis is ready in 2010, but Jim Callis doesn't even see that much potential in him.

Mark (NJ)
How does Chris Carter project if he can get a solid amount of at bats in the majors? Can he play 1st for the Mets next year and replace Delgado (or even caddy him in case of injury) so that money can be spent elsewhere in an attempt to turn this team around?

Jim Callis
(2:21 PM)
Carter (the Red Sox version, not the A's version) is rumored to be one of the players to be named in the Billy Wagner trade. I don't see him as a viable regular on a contender, so the Mets are going to have to look elsewhere. source SportsNation ESPN

Hat tip NYFS

Where do the Wilpon's really stand...

I said on Tuesday, when the Mets traded Billy Wagner for all his contract instead of better prospects and then admitted to allowing Johan Santana to pitch the second half despite warning signs, that money was dictating their moves.

Yesterday, Matt at Metsblog reported that Erin Arvedlund has a new book out indicating that the Wilpon's maybe forced to sell in 2010 due to the Madoff loses.

When asked by reporters about his financial situation Fred Wilpon denied the severity of the Madoff scheme and made it seem like the Mets would be the last assets he would sell. Also in the article Bod Dupuy, president of Major league baseball reports the Mets finances show no distress.

“My long-term goal has always been to have my son and my grandchildren involved with the Mets, if they choose to be, and Jeff has chosen to be,” Wilpon said. “Would I sell a building on whatever street, in whatever city? I have no problem with that. I have no emotional attachment to them.”

The Mets “are part of our lifestyle, what we feel in our hearts,” he said. “You feel great when they play well, you feel wounded when they’re not. The team is what we want for our next generation. It’s for them.” source NY Times

Reyes could require surgery

The Mets announced on Friday that Jose Reyes may require surgery on his hamstring tendon. According to the report if Reyes doesn't respond to his latest therapy then surgery is an option. I'm lead to believe that the hamstring tendon surgery is a much less significant procedure then other leg injuries and even if he has surgery, he will be 100% by spring training.

There have been reports all season that some, maybe even players have grown frustrated with Reyes slow recovery and what's perceived to be his "gun shy" approach to pushing his leg. There was even a report that players play through this type of injury such as Jorge Posada. I know nothing about injuries and don't want to risk any player who relies on their legs as much as Reyes until their 100%.

What frustrates me is this seems to be the exact same way they treated Moises Alou; first they are day-to-day with a bruise, then on the 15 day DL with a strain, then when an incredible amount of time has passed for a strain it's suddenly a tare.

Reyes has been receiving extensive physical therapy for what the Mets referred to Friday as "a torn hamstring tendon," an injury that earlier they only described as "a partial tear." The Mets' statement concluded with "should he not respond to the physical therapy, surgery is an option." source North Jersey.com

My expectation are too high for Mike Pelfrey...

I admit after his last outing when Mike Pelfrey gave up four runs in 5.2 innings on 11 hits and five walks, I was frustrated. Even after the game I had a conversation with another Mets fans and we both agreed that Pelfrey had taken a step back this year.

But in reading an article by Brian Costa of the Star Ledger on Lance Broadway I realized that my expectations might be too high. Broadway was traded to the Mets for a back-up catcher, is having a horrible year in the minors and was called up as a last resort.

What made me connect Broadway to Pelfrey, the 2005 draft (source Baseball Reference).

A first-round draft pick (15th overall) of the White Sox in 2005, Broadway has pitched in only 19 major-league games over the past three seasons. And on Aug. 14, it was hard to envision him pitching in another one this year. source NJ.com

Mike Pelfrey ( # 9) was the third pitcher selected in that year's draft and is arguably the most accomplished pitcher from that round. The two pitcher's selected before Pelfrey are still in the minors and the very next pitcher selected is none other then Broadway. Broadway the the #2 prospect in the White Sox organization in 2007 but has only appeared in 19 major league games (40 innings-.500 winning pct./ERA 4.69).

Chris Volstad (#16) has a better winning percentage and ERA ( 5.17/ERA 4.07) but in only half the games (40 gms- 234 innings), the only starting pitcher to appear in more games is Matt Garza with 79 gms. ( 476 innings) and a has a better ERA but worse winning pct. (.464 /ERA 3.93).

What other pitchers from the 2005 first round draft are in the majors, relievers Craig Hansen (#26- ERA 6.34 in 93 innings), Joey Devine (#27 - ERA 2.48 in 65 innings) and Ryan Tucker (#34- ERA 8.27 in 37 innings). Garrett Olson (#48) has a .419 winning pct. /ERA 6.56 in 44 starts/57 games (240 innings) with the Orioles/Mariners.

Then there's the much heralded Boston pitchers Clay Buchholtz (#42) and Michael Bowden (#47). Buchholtz has 28 games ( 141 innings) with a 5.40 ERA and a .350 winning percentage, while Bowden has appeared in nine games ( 9 innings) with a 9.00 ERA.

Including the two minor leaguers selected in front of Pelfrey there are 15 pitchers from the first round that haven't even broken into the majors ( overall 48 players selected in the round 25 were pitchers) of the seven starters Chris Volstad is off to a fast start but really doesn't have a big enough pool for a comparison and Matt Garza has a better ERA by 0.50 but a worse winning percentage.

While I wonder in the long run, how rushing their players through the system will effect them, Mike Pelfrey at 25 y/o with 74 starts ( 441 innings) under his belt, a winning percentage of .482, an over all record of 27-29 and an ERA of 4.47 is building a wealth of experience to draw upon.

It's hard to hide Ricco is becoming the front man

I'm not sure what the team will do in the off-season, after the Rubin fiasco I thought the team would have to remove Omar but the longer time goes by, it seems like the team is just hoping it all just goes away. However, the media is still ready to pounce, the one time Omar surfaced their were negative articles on his forgetfulness about Johan's elbow ( source NY Post ). Omar has always tried to spin the media, when your winning it's gregarious but when your losing and losing bad it's deceitful.

I could see the Wilpon's basically saying this year was due to injuries and Omar is still in-charge but with John Ricco answering more questions or there's speculation that Omar could move to another role while Ricco becomes the GM.

Under Omar the assistant GM has been a more prevalent post then I've ever seen, there were more quotes from Bernazard and Ricco then any other assistant GM on any other team. After the Bernazard firing and the Rubin incident, I agreed with Matt at Metsblog that we were reading too much into Ricco quotes, after all they all always rotated road trips and the fiasco occurred when Ricco went out with the club.

However, since then Ricco has taken a much more prevalent role and it appears that the Mets are promoting that appearance. When Jeff Wilpon went on a fence mending tour of Buffalo and Binghampton, it sure seemed orchestrated that everyone was aware that Ricco accompanied him on the trip.

Today, Jayson Stark of ESPN posted an article with sections on K-Rod ( posted earlier) and Johan Santana. The quotes from the Mets organization were from Ricco, I'm sure, I'm not the only one who noticed how polished Ricco sounds, while Omar couldn't remember Johan's elbow soreness in spring training, "you know what I'm saying". Also Ricco didn't sound like he was speaking for an organization "We" but more like a GM talking about his players...

If the Mets keep Omar as the GM, I think the Wilpon's are underestimating the negative impact that will have and no matter how secure Omar is in his own skin, the situation being set-up would make anyone feel undermined.

"I don't personally feel like we put him in any jeopardy," Ricco said. "Knowing what we know now, I still don't think we would have made that call" to shut him down weeks ago. source ESPN

And they wonder why we hate them...

Even if you wanted a left handed 1B/OF, which I highly doubt, you couldn't show us a little mercy and let us get excited about a fresh face. You had to put a claim in on him, I try to keep my Yankee bias to a minimum on this blog but this was a complete tool move and some wonder why they're so hated.

The Yankees have more then they need in players, they're running away with the American League, but felt they needed to put a claim in on Chris Carter our player to be named later.

This may have been done to tweak the Sox but it effected us more then Boston.

It would have been nice to see a new face, but all it really means is that we'll have to wait until after the season to obtain Carter. After the Yankees claimed him, the Red Sox's pulled him back, so now instead of getting a good look at him in Sept. we'll see him in spring training...

Frankie denies injury...

Jayson Stark's of ESPN wrote today that he's heard from several officials from other teams that they wouldn't be surprised if K-Rod is the next Met to go on the DL. Those officials cited his rapidly declining first pitch strike ratio, which is the worst of his career. After the game several beat writers tweeted that K-Rod says he's fine...

"Fastball command has been an issue for him for a while," Ricco said. "But there's nothing, to my knowledge, that's physically wrong. If there is something wrong, it's not something I'm aware of."source ESPN

K-Rod scoffed at the ESPN rumor that he's hurt. "I'm 100 percent healthy," he said. source Bart Hubbach Twitter

Are the injuries the Mets fault...

It's funny for the last two years the Mets have been criticized for their lack of mental toughness and gritty players.

During which time the Mets employed one of the biggest bullies in the league.

Now as the team's injuries have compiled to historic levels, it seems like the organization rewarded toughness and frowned upon the injured.

But there has to be a happy medium between overly protective and reckless abandon.

The Mets seem to have gone from a soft team to the other extreme; where guys aren't admitting to injuries until it's too late, the team has buried their head in the sand in a "Don't ask Don't tell" mode and those that take longer then expected to return are seen in a negative light.

While many see this year as a freak event which occurred under uncontrollable circumstances, some are starting to look at the organization...

The Mets say that all is well, that Santana should be ready for spring training. To be sure, it's not as if they're losing him in the middle of a pennant race. But with four years left on Santana's six-year, $137.5 million contract, the Mets should have been extra-cautious. And there is little to suggest that they acted in such fashion.

The Mets can say what they want. After a while, the disabled list does not lie.
Cramps today, surgery tomorrow. source Fox sports

Matt Murton available Mets have been interested before..

Matt Murton has been designated for assignment by the Rockies, Murton is out of options and teams have three days to claim him, after which he can accept assignment ( which it sounds like he would do) or become a free agent.

There's part of me that says, how many Jeremy Reed's, Angel Pagan's, Cory Sullivan's and Chris Carter ( soon to be ) types can we have on one team, does five 4th outfielder make two starters. I know Murton has the potential to be a starter and was a huge prospect with a high cieling, but at 27 y/o with some calling him "Hurten Murton" due to frequent injuries and on his second team, I'm left wondering if he's a bust.

Of course, the other side of that, is in this season, throw anything against the wall and see what sticks. Especially if this organization is going to be under budgetary restraints, then they're going to have to hope some guys making close to nothing break out and live up to their potential or surprise some people. Murton has two more years of arbitration before he's a free agent.

Being towards the bottom of the standings is a good thing in the waivers process, we have the opportunity to claim players from the NL sixth, only the Nats, Pads, D-Backs, Bucs, and Reds are ahead of us. Many bad teams have claimed a player at this time of year, who were starters the next year for them.

The Mets have been interested in Murton in the past, back in early 2008 there was a rumor of Heilman for Murton ( which I argued against ugh) and then just this deadline, NYBD had a Murton for Jeremy Reed rumor.

Murton has to go through a 48-hour procedural window to clear waivers, given his status as a player with three years or more on a big league roster, and he is hopeful that after finishing August with the Sky Sox he'll be back with the Rockies for the playoff push. source MLB.com

Two moves that signal dark days ahead...

There has been a great deal of speculation in regards to just how much the Madoff Ponzi scheme has impacted the Mets ability to conduct business. While the Wilpon's have vehemently denied their personal money has any connection to the business accounts and they have stated numerous times that it's business as usual for the Mets, with the amount of money being speculated to have been lost, it seems almost impossible for it to not effect operations.

Since the scheme broke there have been several head scratching incidents, but for me the two that occurred on Tuesday solidified my belief that the Mets are in an economic crisis.

You can justify not signing Manny and Lowe because of their age and Manny's side show. Or passing on an outfielder because you truly wanted to see what you had in Daniel Murphy. Even at 1MM not putting Orlando Hudson on your bench, makes sense if you express concerns over the impact it will have on the sensitive Louis Castillo. Not making trades during the season can be blamed on either too many injuries ( season over theory) or waiting for the injured to return ( not enough room theory).

But in one day's transaction, for me anyway, the Mets made me say to myself this is all about Madoff and that there are dark days ahead.

The first move was their handling of Billy Wagner, it was more important to the Mets to unload his salary, then what they received in return. The more money the Mets sent to Boston in the deal, the better the picks, instead Boston picked up the entire bill and the Mets won't even get the equivalent of the compensation picks for allowing him to leave as a free agent. Not only were the Mets looking to dump his salary but they couldn't risk offering him arbitration, only to have him suddenly accept because the market for his services was bare ( an expensive lefty wasn't an option). For a large market team like the Mets to be haggling over 3MM, which is probably the food sales of a home stand, when a mid market team like Detroit eats Sheffield's entire contract ( 14MM) is alarmingly telling of their financial situation.

Chris Carter could end up a major league hitter and our first baseman next year, who was buried in a deep system, that also had the money to spend on players from outside the organization, that's not the point. Wagner was worth two compensatory picks, Carter at 27 y/o and not even mentioned in any ones top 20 prospect list is hardly fair value for what are now Boston's picks, except when you consider that they also paid 3MM for them.

The second incident was the handling of Johan Santana, nothing stinks more of risking the health of the franchise, for financial gain, then what has occurred the second half of this season with our star pitcher ( just my opinion). Many who follow this team closely have been whispering that Johan doesn't look like Johan since the Boston game, now we find out that he had an MRI during the All-Star break and has been skipping his side session. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to figure this one out, what was the attraction for this injury plagued team in August, Johan Santana. But putting your head in the sand and allowing him to pitch despite these obvious warning signs, is what got us in this injury mess to begin with and is simply reprehensible. Then for Omar to say he didn't remember the elbow being an issue in spring training is insulting ( please stop letting Omar talk), heck; I rem. some speculating about his velocity and the elbow when he was traded.

I said when the injury bug hit in May and early June that the Mets needed to make a trade, not only to win games but also to give people a reason to come, make an artificial buzz around the team. Otherwise, in August and Sept. the place would be empty, sure the tickets are already sold but what about the secondary sales ( walk up tickets, parking, merchandise, food, beverages, etc..) and as I said then, once the place is empty we're going to start hearing about budget cuts for next season.

Well it appears, at least from an outsiders prospective, that the Mets decided not to make a move and I now guess it had more to do with the budget then the prospects ( since many players traded didn't require significant prospect packages). Instead they used Johan Santana as there attraction, despite the possible risks and only decided to shut him down when an attraction was no longer needed because the season was that dismal.

Look, I could be way off base on Johan but I'm telling you, that's what it looks like from my prospective and many Mets fans I've spoken to. They closed there eyes and rode their competitive horse until there was no reason to ride him anymore, despite the potential consequences. If I am right, for a team to risk their most precious player ( even if it's just ignoring the warning signs) to ensure attendance is more alarming then trying to dump a mere 3MM contract.

One thing is for sure, the Mets need to vastly change their practices with the handling of injuries and communication of those injuries, this has been going on for several years and is only now snow balling now. From Floyd's ankle, El Duque's bunion, Alou's hamstring, Church's head there is a history of this which only this year had devastating results.

As far as financial considerations, just as Omar isn't getting a pass for injuries I'm not giving the Wilpon's a pass on the budget. If they expect me to pay, what I pay for my ticket package, plus $18 for parking ( or $40 on the train), $8 a beer, $30 in food and $30 in the merchandise shop and they are hurting, then they better take out a loan or get a new partner. If this team remains the same and all they do is bring back the injured, then I probably not renewing ( SNY for me)...

Misch & Broadway recalled

It's hard to keep up with all the rosters moves, but Pat Misch was recalled with Nick Evans and is scheduled to join the rotation on Friday. I'm curious to see how Misch does for the rest of the season, we can control him next year and the young lefty may end up in our plans come spring training.

I have very few expectations for Lance Broadway, basically he was a throw-in to get Ramon Castro out of town, when he wore out his welcome. Broadway's numbers in AAA and his brief major league stints are awful, basically he's a roster filler on a bad team with no prospect ready to call-up.

Righthander Lance Broadway, who was acquired from the White Sox for Ramon Castro, is being promoted by the Mets to replace Oliver Perez. source Daily News

Add Oliver Perez to the done for the season list...

So maybe Oliver Perez really has an injured knee and wasn't just using it as an excuse for his struggles this season. It seemed like every time Perez would have a bad outing, suddenly his knee was acting up, but Perez has been shut down and will have season ending surgery.

The Mets are going to try and call this season a wash because of the knee, but that doesn't exonerate them from a hideous contract, that's going to hinder them this off-season.

"I would say his knee issue probably had an affect on his conditioning," Manuel said. "Even though you try to do different things, a lot of times pitchers have to get out and hit the ground running instead of doing things in the gym that they feel might be comparable. For the most part, you see guys out running and hitting the steps. That's what he was able to do last year." source NY Post

Nick Evans up to replace Wags on the roster

It appears that Nick Evans will finally get back to the majors, David Lennon bumped into Evans at a coffee shop and there's no other reason for him to be here other then to fill Wagner's vacated roster spot.

Evans has been red hot this mouth and deserves another look in the majors. In August Evans is hitting .289 with a .557 Slg. pct...

Just bumped into Nick Evans in the coffee shop. Still had his bats and Bisons bag. Guess we'll see him 2nite for Wagner. source David Lennon Twitter

Johan Santana best of bad news...

Jon Heyman at his twitter account is reporting that Johan Santana will under go surgery on his pitching elbow and will miss the rest of the season. However, the prognosis is much better then Tommy John surgery which would have cost him at least 14 months ( starters take longer to recover then relievers). Santana will have the elbow cleaned up and should be ready to start spring training...

Update on Wagner..

According to multiple sources, Billy Wagner has been traded to the Boston Red Sox. Boston has agree to pick-up the entire remainder of the contract including the 1MM buyout for next year.

Wagner was reassured he will only be used every three days, and that his option won't be picked up, to which he waived his no trade clause.

The Red Sox reserved their rights to offer arbitration so that they can protect the compensation picks.

The Mets will receive two AA mid-level players, who will be named later.

Good luck Wags, you were a good Met and a stand up guy, I wish the Mets kept you in a John Franco role...

Looks like Wagner is heading to Boston..

After all was said and done, it appears that all three sides were about to work everything out and Billy Wagner will be a Boston Red Sox.

While nothing official has been announced, according to multiple reports Boston will pick-up the rest of Wagner's contract.

The Mets will get two players to be named later, with Wagner requesting the Sox not offer Arbitration the Mets know that Wagner was going to free agency so hopefully they get the equivalent of a first rounder and a sandwich pick.

I'm not sure if Wagner got his guarantees in regards to his option year and arbitration, but he must have been reassured that he wouldn't be over used. A issue arose that he could only pitch every three days.

Jon Heyman is keeping everything up to date at his twitter...

Johan shut down and having an MRI

Well this makes sense, because Johan hasn't been Johan since the Boston game. But to hear Johan, elbow and Dr. Altchek's in the same sentence is enough to bring the toughest Mets fan to his knees, begging for mercy.

The Mets have announced that Johan will miss his next start and will have an MRI on his pitching elbow. Apparently Johan has been pitching through pain since the All-Star break, so much so that he's been skipping his side sessions. Both his velocity and accuracy have been off in the second half and finally caused the Ace to shut it down.

Many of his teammates believe he's going to need surgery...

The Mets offered minimal information, i.e., no specific diagnosis or theories, about the problem that manager Jerry Manuel said began to develop before the All-Star break. But Mike Pelfrey, Santana's fellow starter, said, "I don't think anyone expects good news." And Jeff Francouer said he anticipates Santana will require surgery after speaking with the pitcher in the clubhouse Monday. source MLB.com

Francoeur has a torn ligament in his thumb

The results of the MRI on Jeff Francoeur, of course revealed a torn ligament and of course, the Mets are listing him as day-to-day. Francoeur injured his thumb while diving for a ball in the 9th inning of Sunday's game and was scene in the dugout today with a brace on the hand. If it needs surgery then Frenchy get it done and be ready for spring, lets see what Jesus Feliciano can do...

"If I can swing a bat, I'm going to get out there and play," Francoeur said after the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Phillies. "I know things are difficult around here, but at the same time, I feel good. I'm not just going to call it quits for the year unless I can't play through it."source Newsday

"Get Thee To a Nunnery"- Wilpon Endorsement

Sorry to those I confused with the title, but Hamlet's soliloquy seemed so fitting for the events that transpired yesterday.

On a day in which Fred Wilpon gave guarantees and ringing endorsements to Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel, Jeff Wilpon was on a tour of the beleaguered minor leagues with Omar's possible replacement John Ricco.

Just as people have debated what Hamlet meant by his comments, many are left to wonder and question what Wilpon meant. Is his endorsement a "kiss of death" like Valentine and Randolph or did he literally mean that they will return.

Mike Silva of NYBD looks at the Mets dysfunctional system, while Joe Janish of Mets Today has a great post at what we could do to resolve this Mess.

What great irony played out on the field yesterday, as the prodigal son, Pedro Martinez returned but in the opposing uniform, while the black sheep outcast, Oliver Perez opposed him in the uniform we only wish he wasn't in. The mound was occupied by Omar's greatest accomplishment ( first signing= return to credibility) and his worst signing; Ah, it was the best of times and the worst of times...

I know Pedro's contract was a bust and he was asking for 5MM to start the season, but his interview's on the Mets own network, SNY was just another black eye for the organization. When Pedro's price came down to 1MM and we were carting Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding and Nelson Figueroa to the mound; it had to make the hierarchy cringe to here him say they wouldn't believe I was healthy, my beloved Shea and I waited for them to call but they didn't.

To add insult to injury, while Pedro was effective his counter part was once again a complete mess. Oliver Perez couldn't even make it out of the first inning, he was given the ultimate insult by being pulled in the middle of an at-bat to a pitcher. Perez is the worst contract Omar has signed as a Met, because Perez had no track record to provide reasonable justification for the size of the deal. Perez was signed based on age and potential, but he's been exactly what his record shows, inconsistent. At least with Castillo ( which is a bad contract, regardless of this year) there was a track record and in 2007 he preformed well, you could justify the signing even if you felt the deal was too long.

Based on what I've seen I believe Omar and Jerry might actually be staying and Wilpon's comments aren't just lip service. I believe it might serve the Wilpon's well to keep both of them around and it's why they've blamed everything on injuries.

Until June 22 when Carlos Beltran went down the injuries weren't too overwhelming to overcome, this was an under preforming club and a poorly built organization. Despite the injuries this team lacked depth, minor league prospects that could contribute and an innovative GM who could make trades that assisted the team without costing the entire farm. Fancoeur was a great trade but it falls into the category of too little too late, for three straight years we've heard no trades were worth the prospects they would cost, the same prospects who never seem major league ready.

Jerry Manuel I think has done a good job with what he's been given to work with but this team still has lacked the basic fundamentals, he has made questionable decisions and is attached to whatever happens to Omar. While I think Jerry doesn't deserve to be fired, I feel that the entire organization may need a change of leadership, just to wash away the losing message of the last three years.

So what makes me think that Omar and Jerry might actually return; from the Wilpon's endorsement of both, to the attempts to blame everything on injuries and the rumors that salary maybe reduced, it all adds up to them returning.

Just like when they fired Willie, everyone said the cross hairs were now firmly on Omar. If the Wilpon's fire Omar and Co. there's no one to blame for this Mess but them and without spending significant money this team isn't being fixed next year. If they leave Omar out in front of this team without giving him a budget to spend, he remains the bad guy and their not paying for two GM/Mgrs.

Some fans are willing to right this year off as a result of the injuries and are willing to give Omar and Co. a reprieve, while Omar gets a chance to prove what he built isn't actually as bad as it currently looks. Given that they may not spend much this off-season and know that it might be a bad year, the Wilpon's will keep their sacrificial lamb for next year, while they become comfortable with John Ricco.

If the rumors are true that the Wilpon's maybe looking at a budget of 100MM and they've already committed to 92MM, then really, all they have to spend is arbitration and a few role players. That means no #2 starter, big bat, left fielder, catcher, set-up man or first baseman. Left field will be Angel Pagan, #4 OF Sully, 1B Murphy/Evans, #2 Pelfrey, Stokes to set-up and Catchers Santos/Thole.

If the Wilpon's are really looking at this scenario then they'll bring back Omar and Co., then fire them mid-season if were in 4th place again. You bring in a GM and a Mgr. in the off-season and this team flops, then the focus will be on the Wilpon's spending not the others.

Omar and Jerry's return will be less about injuries and chances at redemption then it will be about spending ( both on them and players) and image ( give the fans a bad guy other then us).

Jeff Francoeur latest injury...

In the top of the 9th of yesterday's game, Jeff Francoeur made a tremendous catch but in doing so rolled over his thumb/wrist. Francoeur would have a X-ray on his thumb, after the game, that was negative. But over night there was significant swelling and this morning, Francoeur was sent to the hospital for an MRI. Hopefully, it's just a bruised thumb...

I like Francoeur a lot, he has a great personality, has rapidly become a clubhouse leader and his bat seems to have welcome the change of location. Hopefully, he's considered part of the core, I'd like to see a line-up including Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Francoeur...

"He's getting checked as we speak," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "From what I understand, he has some swelling. He's pretty much day-to-day right now." source Star Ledger

Pat Misch down, Taki up...

Pat Misch has been optioned to AAA to make room for Ken Takahashi ( source Daily News).

Misch pitched a terrific game yesterday in relief of Oliver Perez and Nelson Figueroa who were ineffective against the Phillies offense. Misch went four scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit, while striking out four and not walking anyone. Misch had just started on Aug. 20th ( 4 innings) in AAA, so I'm willing to give him a pass on his first appearance ( Aug. 22nd) in which Chase Utley blasted a two run bomb off him.

A 27 y/o left hander with options, a rubber arm and was highly thought of by a very good pitching org. ( SF), is someone I take a long look at in Sept. For those wondering why SF would give up on him, while they are very good at scouting pitching they also have very little patience, they were about to give up on Sanchez before his no hitter, while they were out of patience in the the major league rotation Misch was a roster decision they needed room and he was the odd man out, otherwise he would have been in AAA.

The Mets needed a longman and Misch had options, so he went down to make room for Ken Takahashi. The pen has been over used and no one knows what they'll get from Parnell, Takahashi had his best longman outing against the Phillies early this year...

The Wagner situation...

As I've said before, while I think it's highly unlikely, I'd rather keep Billy Wagner then trade him, but if your going to trade him, this is exactly why you don't pitch him before he clears waivers.

Of course, someone may have claimed Wags without seeing him pitch but at 2.7MM for the remainder of the season, that would have meant one of two things. The other team was simply blocking and you weren't going to work out a trade or a team was desperate for a closer and your in the cat bird seat.

After seeing him pitch, now he's appealing to a team who'd like to have him but doesn't necessarily need him.

Your options are limited to working with one team and that team doesn't have to have the player. Because your options are limited, now there isn't the demand to negate variables such as personalities, player demands and cost in players.

Competition generally erases all of those concerns, when there's more then one team involved, there's usually someone willing to tell his players to shut up, waive an option or throw in another player.

Boston is now in the cat bird seat; they have a ceiling ( in prospects) and know they can't be out bid, but also the more distractions ( Pap. Vs Wags) and demands Wagner makes, the less appealing the idea becomes. The only thing pushing them to make a deal is the deadline and their true evaluation of their own pen.

As for the Mets, they already made a mistake by activating him a day early which resulted in his claim, hopefully they won't compound it by accepting too little in return for him. The Mets should accept no less then the equivalent of the two compensation picks they will receive after the season.

Two high level prospects for a two month rental is a steep price but Wagner has tipped his cap and the Mets should operate under that premise. It's believed that Wags informed Boston that he would waive his no trade clause if the Sox would agree to waive his club option and not offer arbitration.

Now the Mets know Billy isn't accepting arbitration and are going to get two picks when they offer in the off-season. They also know that Billy believes he's worth more then 8MM and can work the phones for the rest of the year to see if they can find a match to pick-up the option and trade him to a team in need of a closer who wants him at that 8MM price tag.

Boston without competition and a lead in the wild card race, is going to have a hard time justifying two prospects for a rental player ( if they agree to Wags demands) and then they have to take into consideration the bullpen chemistry with the way Papelbon is acting.

It seems like a long shot for this deal to get done at this point, the worst case scenario for the Mets is that they offer arbitration to Wags, he accepts and they have a very expensive Lefty in the pen but then in 2011 they get the two picks when Billy becomes a free agent. If Billy gets stuck with the Mets next year he will play in 2011 because he has save milestones he wants to accomplish.

The Sox and Stringfellow were trying to work out a couple of things, one being that Wagner does not want the Sox to pick up the $8 million 2010 option on his contract and that the team not offer him salary arbitration. Why would Wagner do this? Basically it gives him the ability to sign wherever he wants after this season. But he’d be giving up the $8 million, which would seem tough for him to obtain elsewhere after Tommy John surgery. source Boston.com

Sheffield makes nice...

Gary Sheffield clarified himself and was backed on his story by the seldom seen anymore Omar Minaya.

Sheffield disputed that he demanded an extension or a trade, Sheffield is his own agent and reports that he wanted to know what his future is with the team. Someone might have told Gary not to ask Omar since he might not be the one making the decisions next year.

Reading between the lines, Sheffield was brewing over being pulled back off waivers and finding out from the media instead of Omar directly. When he was asked about his future and was told we'll talk after the season he blew a gasket.

Gary has vowed to be a good soldier for the rest of the year and finish the season with the team.

"He called me in the office. I was in the lineup and he just went over the whole waiver thing with me because I guess a lot of people in the media were speculating a lot of different things and he wanted to clear that up," Sheffield said. "So I asked him after that, 'Well if you pull me back and you're keeping me from going to a contending team, what's my future?' And basically I got a maybe, maybe not. And that's basically not much of a future." source Newsday

More on Wagner..

As I said earlier, I think the Mets made a tactical mistake by pitching Billy Wagner prior to his waivers expiring at 1:30pm today. If the Mets wanted to simply ensure that someone picked up the tab on Wagner then getting a claim was the safest way to accomplish that.

However, if they were looking to obtain the most for Wagner getting him through options would have given them the best opportunity. Once Wagner passed through waivers the team would have been free to negotiate with anyone, and the more teams involved the better the chance of getting something of value.

But the Mets may have gotten lucky, all reports indicate that the Red Sox's are the claiming team and are serious about obtaining Wagner. If they were only looking to block another team then they wouldn't be willing to give up anyone of consequence, and the Red Sox have a very deep system so a prospect may not be missed as much...

Fernando Cabrera is available - claim him...

The Mets were reported to be interested in Fernando Cabrera this winter ( source MLBTR) but allowed him to slip by to the Red Sox on a minor league contract.

The 27 y/o right hander is a hard throwing reliever who has the potential to be a set-up man, while dominating the minor leagues he has struggled in the majors.

In six seasons in AAA with the Indians, Orioles and Red Sox's affiliates he has an ERA 2.31 in 130 appearances and 233 SO in 198 innings.

He's been coming to the majors since 2004, all partial seasons except 2006 ( 51 appearances/ 5.19 ERA), overall he has an ERA of 5.00 in 129 appearances and while his ERA isn't great he has great strike out ratios 192 SO in 172 innings.

The Red Sox Designated him for assignment (source MLBTR), the Mets don't have many hard throwing pitcher's with strike out potential and a funky delivery, the Mets should put a claim in on Cabrera if he makes it too them...

The roster blunders continue, Wagner gets claimed

I said yesterday, in one day, the Mets made three roster blunders. One of them turned out to be inconsequential ( Livan) while the others are continuing the nightmare mess of a season that has plagued the Mets and the front office.

1) Livan Hernandez was cut just an hour prior to an Oliver Perez side session, if Perez's knee didn't hold up, it could have cost him at least his next start. It's bad enough that the Mets are putting Redding into the rotation but they may have been forced to use Figeruoa, Broadway or Misch as well, because they choose not to wait until the session was over.

2) Billy Wagner was activated last night, but his waivers didn't expire until 1:30pm today. No team was going to take a risk on him at 2.7MM for the rest of the year without him throwing a pitch, but instead of waiting until the waivers expired the Mets activated, he pitched well and someone claimed him. Now, instead of having multiple teams competing for Wagner, the Mets are limited to what one team is willing to pay, they have lost all the leverage.

3) The Gary Sheffield circus, how could this have been avoided, in several ways. Since the Mets weren't bringing anyone in at the deadline, they could have traded him when they controled the situation. Don't put him on waivers, if he continues to be a model citizen then you have your homerun draw but if he starts to make trouble you have the waiver options. Once you put him on waivers and he gets claimed, you have to let him go even if all the Giants were doing was blocking another team and weren't giving up anyone of value, because eventually he's going to get disgruntled on a loser and make waves.

The last thing Omar or this organization needed was another circus, now it's just piling on. But I have said all along my biggest problem with Omar is that he never learns from his mistakes and his moves while under the microscope have once again proven that true, Omar has always been an awful roster manager ( starting with Flores pre 2006 season) and he still is....

Billy returns and reminds me of John Franco

As Enter Sandman blasted on the PA and the small crowd, for the first time all night had something to cheer about, Billy Wagner ran across the field to take the mound for the first time in over a year. There were goose bumps on my arms, and I rooted for Billy like it was game seven of the World Series.

He threw a 96mph fastball that had a nasty bite and froze the hitter for a called strike two and I said to myself I can't believe were giving this guy away, then I watched him use sliders and changeups to get our arch nemesis Chipper Jones. As he walked off the mound after a perfect inning to a standing O, I wanted to plead to anyone in the front office who would listen to not let Billy the Kid go...

This is John Franco all over again.

Franco was our long time closer, tough as nails, stand in front of his locker and call it as it was, that we grew to love and hate on a nightly basis. From 1990- 1998 he was our closer for better or worse but in 1998 the Mets brought in Armando Benitez, now we all know how Benny turned out but when he first got here everybody believed Jonny was a goner, sick of a soft tossing closer, Benny was the opposite harder is better. Steve Phillips schmoozed it over by saying Benny was going to set-up for Jonny, but injuries made him relinquish the role.

Instead of moving on, Franco the lunch pale, blue coller heart and sole of the team remained for several more years, somehow the team found away to get the aging veteran to accept a more important role then closer as bullpen leader. In 1998 they shared duties, by 1999 it was Benny's job for better or worse, but when the emotional and often times wild Benitez needed a night off, Franco was there to pick-up the pieces. It was nice to have that opposite armed pitcher with all that closing experience down in the pen, waiting to set-up the close or even get one, once in awhile.

Now I'm not comparing K-Rod to Benny by any means but it would be nice to have a left handed closer like Billy the kid down there for the 8th and as a security blanket in case K-Rod needs a night off. Next year if K-Rod is injured and the Mets let both J.J. and Billy go, when they could have controlled either with a club option, who's closing Sean Green, Bobby Parnell, Eddie Kunz or are we making a trade for the Luis Ayala's of the world.

"If anyone ever counted John Franco out, they don't have a clue about what they're talking about," Bobby Valentine said. "John Franco is what he is and has done what he's done because he's a very special athlete and an integral part of this team."

GM Steve Phillips signed Franco to a two-year contract extension last summer, which runs through 2000. Then he landed Benitez in the three-team trade that sent Todd Hundley to the Dodgers. Instantly, skeptics began predicting the hard-throwing Benitez would soon take over Franco's role.

"We didn't get Armando to replace John," Phillips said. "We got Armando to set up John. There's no reason to believe John can't keep pitching as a closer these next two years." source Daily News 4/15/94

More on the Sheffield Incident

There are all kinds of rumors swirling around Gary Sheffield, one thing is for certain, Sheffield was a late scratch from the line-up due to what Jerry Manuel called an emotional and physical break. According to rumors Sheffield requested an extension and when Omar denied the extension, he threaten to walk out on the team. When cooler heads prevailed, Sheffield was on the bench and pinch hit in the 8th inning.

If Sheffield is our starting LF and power bat in 2010 something has gone terribly wrong, but at a reasonable cost I wouldn't be against him on the bench as a role player.

I'm not sure if Gary understands the waiver rules, if he quits on the team he can't sign with another team until after the season and there's no way the Mets should let him walk for nothing ( which after pulling him off waivers is what they would have to do), especially since the Marlins are the most interested.

Manuel has a long history with Sheffield so if anyone can schmooze him it will be Jerry, Jon Heyman reported at his twitter that even Doc Gooden told him "Don't make waves" and reported that the Giants are the team that claimed him. If the Giants were the team and not an NL east club why did they pull him back from waivers if he's not in next year's plan, is it another roster blunder by Omar or was his extension request unreasonable.

Buffalo lefties pitch in doubleheader possibly for rotation spots

The Mets may need to fill rotation spots for a number of reasons; ineffectiveness, injuries and rest for certain starters ( Johan/Pelfrey).

Two of the pitchers who would sit at the top of the depth chart both started today for Buffalo in a doubleheader.

Pat Misch started the first game but for unknown reasons only went four innings ( 67 pitches) in which he allowed one run on three hits, while not allowing a walk and striking out seven. Unfortunately the Bisons were shut out and Misch was given the loss. Arturo Lopez a 26 y/o left hander who was found by the Padres out of the Mexican leagues and ended up being claimed off waivers by the Mets pitched the last three innings in which he allowed two runs, Lopez is holding a roster spot on the 40man roster.

In the night cap Ken Takahashi took the mound, the knock on Taki is that as a left handed pitcher he struggles against lefties hitter and has an easier time against right handers which is the opposite of most lefites. At 40 y/o I just don't see what kinda a future he has with the Mets, but he continues to put up decent numbers. Tonight, he shut out Syracuse over seven innings in which he only allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six. Taki had a 3.00 ERA in the majors ( 15 appearances/ 18 innings) and has a 2.38 ERA in 18 appearances ( 7 starts/ 56 innings).

Redding to start in place of Livan

Fresh off his three run relief outing, Tim Redding will take Livan Hernandez's place in the rotation. I completed this post today about the alternatives for the rotation, to be honest I'd rather see Redding released and a guy like Pat Misch get a chance.

In other pitching news Oliver Perez had his side session and deemed himself fine for his next start, so really Livan's release didn't matter.

source twitter Ed Price

What's going on with Gary Sheffield

Remember when Gary Sheffield was signed, there were many who felt that he would be detrimental to the clubhouse, especially to Dan Murphy who at the time was the starting left fielder and Sheffield would be sharing time with.

But Sheffield has been nothing but a model citizen to his fellow players and even became a major contributor offensively to this team. Even Sheffield said on several occasions that he never expected to be this relied upon, there were several stories about him changing the climate in the clubhouse and helping players with their hitting.

Sheffield hasn't always been easy on Jerry Manuel, but that was fighting to stay on the field and not go on the DL or get a day off.

However, over the last two weeks things seemed strained between the two sides. Sheffield wasn't happy with the length of his days off after his hamstring bothered him. Then he was claimed on waivers, a move many expected and even he embraced the idea of being a bench player on a contender but the Mets pulled him off waivers, indicating that the claiming party was in the NL east or they had plans for Sheff. next year.

Yesterday, Sheffield was quoted as saying he didn't expect to finish the year with the club, but after being pulled off waivers that would mean the team let him go for nothing, which didn't seem feasible.

Now today, Sheffield was a late scratch from the line-up and stated that he needed to clear his head. Reports from a player are that he may have been granted his release, if this is the case it's another example of a roster blunder as the Mets behalf by getting nothing for him and he can now sign anywhere, compared to getting something and directing where he went, prior to the trade deadline.

At twitter both Steve Popper and Brian Costa have the rumor of his release

Is it bad timing on the Wagner for Hernandez move..

Multiple sources reporting that Livan Hernandez has been released to make room for Billy Wagner. I'm not really sure I understand this move, for a team that seems to constantly make roster mistakes, last night I finally had the chance to praise them but this may negate that praise.

Hernandez was destine for release since the opening day of the season, he has been nothing but consistent over the last few years, getting off to a hot start and then running out of gas. The only thing that kept him in the rotation for the last five starts was the lack of alternatives. But the timing is off, Oliver Perez was set to test his knee today and the Mets released Hernandez prior to that session, by the end of the day they could need two starters.

Billy Wagner's waivers expire at 1:30 tomorrow after noon, so it would make sense to wait until tomorrow night to activate Wagner because it would be very rare for Wags to be claimed without throwing a pitch. If he gets in the game tonight and looks good a team could claim him prior to the deadline.

I question the timing but agree that it was time, however; I owe Livan big time, in case you missed it check out this post...

Rays & Marlins interested in Wags...

This is why it's so important for the Mets to slip Billy Wagner through waivers before anyone sees him pitch in the majors, so that the Mets have control over where he goes.

No way I'm giving the Marlins who have knocked us out of the playoffs two years in a row a top notched closer and watch him come in for the rest of the year to beat us up. Besides the Marlins are more of a quantity over quality farm, they've found so many prospects because of the firse sales and the amount of minor league players they have brought in, which means anyone you receive in return is hit or miss.

Now the Rays on the other hand, aren't in our league and have a great farm system. They also have budgetary constraints, meaning that a deal could work out for both sides and could happen through several avenues. The Rays could want to shed the salary of a major leaguer who they feel is replaceable or they could sweeten the prospect by how much of Wagner's contract were willing to accept.

Two teams that other clubs' scouts believe have some interest are the Rays and Marlins. But Wagner's $10.5 million contract (which has more than $2.5 million remaining through the end of the season, plus a $1 million buyout of his 2010 option) likely would be too pricey for both of those teams. But other clubs believe that the Mets will have to eat a major chuck of that money if they expect to land a decent prospect in return for Wagner. source ESPN

Who's next in the rotation..

Aside from Johan Santana and inconsistent Mike Pelfrey do we even have a rotation anymore...

Oliver Perez is either a question mark because of whats under his hat or his right knee.

Livan Hernandez has done what we all expected, he had a great first half ( as he did with the Twins) and then fallen apart, the big problem is none of his second half replacements worked out ( Freddy Garcia, Tim Redding, Casey Fossum). Now were forced to stick with Hernandez who has averaged five runs a start since the beginning of July ( 8 starts).

Despite one good start Bobby Parnell has shown his secondary pitches aren't ready for starting. The bigger question becomes, is Parnell going to be groomed as a starter or the set-up man. With the potential for J.J. and Wags to be too expensive to return, Parnell seems like the only viable in-house option for the 8th inning unless Kutz is going to find his way out of the doghouse while getting lefties out.

Tim Redding has been a disaster as a Met, after stringing along several good outings as a reliever, Redding is back to giving up multiple runs per appearance and his ERA is hovering around 7. The only reason to put him in the rotation, is to save the young arms if they don't think they're ready.

Nelson Figueroa isn't much better then Redding, while Redding's ERA is closer to 7, Figgy's is closely behind him at 6.50. Last night Redding gave up three runs and Figgy followed with two more. I will say that Figgy has been much better then Redding as a longman but Figgy has allowed nine runs in two starts.

While Elmer Dessens has started in the past, not only has he been an effective reliever ( ERA 3.24, 7 earned runs in 14 appearances) but it would take too long to stretch his arm out since he's been relieving all year.

So who do they have in the minors to call up:

Pat Misch the 27 y/o left hander acquired from the Giants off waivers, since being sent down had made two starts going six innings and allowing two runs in each of those starts, then last night he was used as a lefty reliever for a scoreless inning.

Acquired for Ramon Castro, Lance Broadway has been dreadful, the 27 y/o right hander has made 13 starts with a record of 4-7 and an ERA of 6.47.

Tobi Stoner is the only top starting pitching prospect in AAA, Stoner didn't make Sickels list but was an honorable mention while not being mentioned by BA or BP and placing 8th on Mack's Mets. The 25 y/o righty was a mid-season call-up to Buffalo and has made 12 starts going 4-7 with a 4.58 ERA.

The Mets could dip into the pool of re-treads Kyle Snyder ( 11 starts, 3-5 record, 4.04 ERA), John Pettyjohn ( 10 starts, 3-8 record, 4.10 ERA) or Ken Takahashi ( 6 starts, 0-3 record, 2.72 ERA).

Nobody in AA appears ready for the jump, the only prospect that has pitched there the entire year is #19 prospect Dylan Owen ( 21 starts, 4-9, 5.58 ERA), several pitchers like Brown and Antonini are on the DL, others don't project well like Niesen, Caultas ans Sanchez, while the top prospects are struggling in their first partial season at the AA level in Holt and Meija.

Because they already have roster spots I believe we'll see Misch, Takahashi and Broadway in that order.

Mets make a slick move with Wagner

There have been many questionable roster moves by the Mets during Omar Minaya's tenure but tonight they have made a very savvy one. The Mets are reported to have placed Billy Wagner on waivers, the waivers will expire before Wagner returns. So a claiming team would have to be willing to accept the remainder of this year's contract ( 2.7MM) without seeing him pitch.

Because of the way they handle Wagner's waivers, it's more then likely that he won't be claimed and they will retain control of the situation. Once Wags makes it through waivers the Mets will be free to discuss deals with any team and won't be forced to work with a claiming team or hold onto ( if they don't want him) him because they couldn't work something out.

It's unlikely Wagner would be claimed, since any team claiming him would be on the hook for approximately $2.7 million of his $8.5 million salary for this year, plus a $1 million buyout of his option for 2010. So if, as expected, he goes unclaimed, the Mets would be able to trade him to any interested club. source ESPN

Putz is getting closer

J.J. Putz will pitch a simulated game and if his arm holds up well, he'll make an appearance in Single A. While no time frame has been given, Putz appears to be inching closer to a return. The Mets gave up six players for J.J. Putz and he only appeared in 29 games. Putz has a club option for next year worth 8.5MM ( 1MM buyout) I'm not sure they can justify passing on it after all they gave up for him, but they may end up dealing him to a team that needs a closer. I'm sure the Mets are as interested as other clubs are in how he does over the final month of the season.

The exact timing of Putz's comeback from surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow will depend on how he holds up during a simulated game Saturday at Citi Field and in a rehab appearance Monday at Single-A Brooklyn. source NY Post

Sheffield not staying ?

It was an interesting comment this morning from Gary Sheffield who stated he didn't think he'd finish the year as a Met.

What made the comment strange was that Sheffield was already placed on waivers, claimed and pulled back.

The Mets would have to place him on irrevocable waivers in which they would receive nothing in return and wouldn't have control of who claimed him. I'm guessing the reason they pulled him back was because a team in the NL east claimed him and they didn't want to see his bat for the rest of the year or he's in their plans for next year as a bench player.

I don't believe Sheffield was attempting to force the team into his release because he stated that if he was traded to a team he didn't want to go to he would go home to the couch. Even Jerry Manuel was confused by Sheffield's comments when he appeared on the radio today.

"Based on what I know now, no, I do not think I will be here," Sheffield said before the Mets' 9-4 victory over the Braves at Citi Field. "But if I am sent to a team that I don't want to play for, I would go home. source NY Post

Ollie tweaks his knee

I have to say, in my opinion Oliver Perez is hands down the worst signing of Omar Minaya's reign. What makes things worse is that everything Perez has exhibited this year, could have been predicted prior to his signing and for this team it's exactly what they didn't need.

Behind Johan Santana the Mets have too many variables, what they needed to sign was a consistent pitcher, not a pitcher known for being inconsistent. Ollie belongs on a team with a solid 1-2 punch rotation and a 500 level innings eater, where his contributions are less relied upon.

By signing Ollie what Omar did was virtually bring in three pitchers at the same level ( Ollie, Maine, Pelfrey), that would tax the offense to compensate for their inconsistent starts and if the offense struggled the team was sunk.

What compounds things is that Omar gave Ollie a #2 starters salary to be an inconsistent #4 level pitcher and passed on some more affordable but more consistent starters ( Garland/Wolf).

Now the one thing that could be said for Ollie, that he was always healthy, is no longer true. He spent most of the first half of the season on the DL and last night he tweaked the knee again, at this point in the season they just need a warm body on the mound and Ollie may not even be able to provide that.

With rumors circulating about the team cutting spending, you have to wonder if they'll be willing to spend on that #2 starter that they desperately need or Ollie's deal will inhibit them from making such a move...

“I want to see how it feels tomorrow,” Perez said. “I want to just rest and be ready for my next start. Let’s see how my knee feels.” source NY Times

We'd have to pay Wagner's tab ?

There has been a great deal of speculation about the possibility of Billy Wagner being traded prior to the Sept. 1st roster deadline. If the Mets could get a solid prospect in return for Wagner I could see a deal making sense, but what team, that is still in contention needs a closer bad enough that they'll be willing to give up a prospect for a one month player. I could see Wagner waving his no trade clause but I could also see him telling a team to agree not to pick-up his option, which makes him the ultimate rental player.

Ken Rosenthal believes that it would take us picking up his salary to trade him, which would confirm my notion to keep him. I still believe they should pick-up his option for next year and make him the set-up man.

Mets left-hander Billy Wagner, throwing 93 to 94 mph on his rehabilitation assignment at Class A, could be a reasonable gamble for a contender in search of relief help. Wagner, coming off Tommy John surgery, is owed the remainder of his $10.5 million salary this season plus a $1 million buyout. The Mets would need to pay most or all of that money to trade him. source Fox Sports

Wilson Valdez returns to replace Cora

The Mets have recalled Wilson Valdez to replace Alex Cora on the roster. Valdez should have been up a long time ago, he's the only true short stop option we have and should have never been replaced by Argenis Reyes or Angel Berroa.

Valdez has decent range, veteran savvy at the position and a strong arm. None of the replacements have a good bat, so you might as well go with the best defender. While he has a .210 lifetime batter, he did seem to be in the middle of a few rallies during his first stay.

What's happening with our draft...

Look I know very little about the draft or minor leaguers, I rely heavily on what I read from sites I've grown to respect over the years.

I know that when Omar took over, the farm was barren and the club was awful, resulting in the trading of what prospects they had and foregoing draft picks to sign free agents, I get that part of the equation.

For the past two years there seems to be a huge debate over just how good or bad the teams farm system truly is...

Now, from strictly a fan of the NY Mets I've grown frustrated with farm systems inability to do what I feel it's purpose is, which is to either provide players for the major league team or to have prospects to trade for players we need.

The Mets have made two substantial trades since 2007, Johan Santana and J.J. Putz between those two trades only three of the prospects were in our top ten prospect list ( Humber, Gomez, Guerra). Since then they have been a competitive team that has holes, but the GM seems uncomfortable with the depth of the farm to make the deals the major league team has needed to fill those holes.

While not making trades, numerous prospects have attempted to make the jump to the majors. I'd say the prospect who had the best success in the majors was Joe Smith with Mike Pelfrey a close second. But even those two along with a long line of other prospects have appeared rushed and not ready for the majors; Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Nick Evans, Dan Murphy, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell ( I'm sure I missed a few). Some of them stuck it out and made the adjustment, while most needed to return to AAA for further development. But not one of them was overmatching AAA players and hit the ground running in the majors, like we see happen some many times with other organizations.

The system seems to be reflective of this opinion as both AAA and AA are horrible, while the lower minor league teams are getting glowing reviews. Which leaves the organization in a dilemma, they see great potential in these very young players and don't want to trade them, but they can't contribute to the major league team for years to come.

One of my biggest knocks on Omar is that he fails to learn from his mistakes, well after a year in which they couldn't help themselves through the farm and were unwilling to trade prospect to help the team, I would hope that they would change their draft philosophy.

Once again the Mets drafted very young and it seems made some questionable decisions.

There’s no light to shine on how the Mets chose their draft picks. I thought Steve Phillips picked horribly, but Omar & Co. made no sense whatsoever this past draft. source Macks Mets

While the draft occurred prior to the injury collapse of '09' how they handled the signings is consistent with past practices. As Toby Hyde of Mets Minor league blog stated last night before the deadline:

As far as I’m concerned, the Mets need to bring in as many of the unsigned picks as they can. There’s some very fine talent in the Mets system, but the cost of bringing in amateur talent is so much less than the cost of bringing in free agents that a relatively small additional expenditure can bear big, big rewards. source Mets Minor league blog

By the deadline the Mets had gone out of slotting to sign there top pick but were still considered draft losers by Baseball America for not signing two hard throwing pitchers. Alex Nelson at Mets Geek did a great write up on the players the Mets drafted including the two we missed on.

The Mets failed to sign their fifth- and sixth-rounders, and only had two players—Matz and 13th-round pick Zach Dotson, a Georgia prep lefty signed for$500,000—who signed for as much as the Yankees gave their 44th-round pick. No large-revenue team uses its money less in the draft than the Mets. source Baseball America

At NYFS they have a great thread going on draft and whether the two we didn't sign were really that important or not.

Now I don't want to be completely negative, it's great that they signed Steve Matz and while he looks very young most reports I've read say he'll advance rapidly.

Wilpon disappointed over Buffalo

Jeff Wilpon visited Buffalo just a week after Omar Minaya was sent up to thier AAA affiliate to do damage control. Buffalo is a big minor league baseball town and the Mets knew going in, that they expected a winning team, now with the Bison's in last place the media is already discussing whether the mets will be re-signed when the contract is up in 2011. Here's what Wilpon had to say as part of the damage control:

"There's disappointment in the fan base and ownership here as well as ownership in New York with how they've performed. We have to fix that," Wilpon said. "It's something we want to do better and we will do better for the city of Buffalo and for the Mets. It's good business to do better and it's also the morally right thing to do because Buffalo has opened its arms to us and we really appreciate that."source Buffalo news

Looks like Billy Wagner returns Friday...

All indications point toward Billy Wagner returning to the Mets on Friday. While fiercely fighting to return, Wags seems to understand his limitations and sounds comfortable as a Met. Instead of taking some no-name lower level prospect I would still rather keep him and pick-up his option for next year. What a great 1-2 punch, in the lefty Wagner and righty K-Rod, as the season develops if Wags is excessive then trade him at the deadline...

"I'm a competitor," Wagner said. "You want to compete, and you really don't like for somebody to tell you that your career's over. I want to go out on my own terms and finish up that way." source NY Post