It's time for complete change...

I was never the biggest Willie Randolph supporter, I thought he lacked the interpersonal skills for the managerial position and made poor tactical decisions that cost his team several crucial games.

So maybe my initial approval of Jerry Manuel was more my disapproval of Willie Randolph but in my opinion he turned around the 2008 team and all the way into July of 2009 I felt he had an injury riddled team over achieving.

But as the months have gone on, I have soured on Jerry and am even at the point where I feel the team needs a new manager. Whether it's a AA player who's way over his head or an ALL-Star gold glover/silver slugger this team has played poor fundamental baseball, which I feel is a direct reflection upon the manager.

Not only that but in Jerry's short time he has shown a propensity for ostracizing players, whether it was Ramon Castro, Ryan Church or currently Nick Evans, Manuel has said or done things to set these players up for failure.

Finally and more importantly this team has quit on the season, the Nats had more urgency and sense of pride in playing over the past three days. Jerry himself has sent a defeatist message to the fans and his team during his news conferences and that message has translated into the play on the field.

I have talked for months about how I felt Omar and his entire staff needed to be replaced, now Jerry and his staff should be in the same position. We were told that barring a complete collapse Jerry and Omar would be back, well if this isn't a complete collapse then I don't know what one is and don't want to know. This team has lost 41 of the last 59 games and is set to have it's second worst season since 1995. Only the 2003 team won less games with 66 then this team who have completely quit...

The Mets have lost 41 of their last 59 games, a woeful .305 percentage. That can't be attributed solely to a talent disadvantage. That screams, "White flag." As do Manuel's numerous public comments and team meetings urging his players not to give up, which never seemed to take. source Newsday

Reyes torn hammy likely needs surgery

More bad injury news, Jose Reyes has a torn hamstring and will likely need surgery. According to multiple reports, this is a new injury and he still has a tear in the hamstring tendom. Reyes attempted to run this week and after feeling discomfort an MRI revealed the new tear. It's known how long the new injury will sideline him, but it looks like the Mets may need to find a second tier SS as a back-up plan instead of just a bench middle infielder.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes tore his right hamstring Tuesday while running to test his torn hamstring tendon, a new injury that will likely require surgery. The tear was revealed Wednesday afternoon when Reyes underwent an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery. source NJ.com

I agree Valdez over Cora...

Here's how I believe a five man bench should be constructed;

1) back-up catcher,

2) corner infielder ( 1B/3B) who's more of a bat then a glove

3) fourth outfielder who is a good defender in all three spots

4) fifth outfielder plays the corners but more of a bat

5) middle infielder (SS/2B) who is more of a defender then an offensive player.

According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News Alex Cora is likely to re-sign, but Cora isn't a defensive infield specialist nor is he a corner infield power hitter and he makes much more then most players who would fill the position.

As Matt at Metsblog pointed out, I hope the Mets don't make the same mistake again by signing a guy to an expensive two year deal because they like the intangibles he brought to the club; ie... Franco and Anderson.

I have to agree with Amazin Avenue on this one, Wilson Valdez would be a much better pick for the bench then Cora, R. Martinez or Anderson Hernandez. Valdez would be cheaper, while he's a better glove and arm then any of the other players.

With Reyes coming back from an injury and Castillo getting older, a defensive middle infielder will be essential moving forward.

Ahern still has options and was horrible at SS, Valdez could serve as the back-up infielder while Ahern awaits a recall in Buffalo.

The likelihood is the Mets re-sign Alex Cora as the backup middle infielder, which would leave Hernandez and Wilson Valdez as extras who could potentially fit at Triple-A. source Daily News

Clarification on Chris Carter

The other day Chris Carter was designated for assignment which lead to speculation that either he wasn't the PTNL or that the Mets may lose him.

It's a very complicated process but I believe from what I've read this is simply a clerical move and nothing more.

It is true that initially Carter was placed on waivers, presumably so the Mets could get a look at him in Sept. and that the Yanks claimed him to complicate that Boston roster.

Once a player is claimed and pulled back, if the team decides to place him on waivers again, it's irrevocable, meaning that if a team claims him they have no recourse.

When a team designates a player for assignment, he is immediately removed from the 40 man roster but the team has 10 days to decide what to do with him; they will either release the player, trade him or place him on waivers.

However, trades do not have to go through waivers once the regular season is over, by designating Carter with 8 days left in the season Boston acquired a roster spot with no true risk of losing the player, before their 10 days expire they can freely move the player after the regular season.

I still believe Carter is the PTNL, the Mets moved Oliver Perez to the 60 day DL and the only reason to do that would be to make roster room for another player.

A major league baseball player is designated for assignment when his team wishes to remove him from the 40 man roster. The player is instantly removed from the 40 man roster and must be traded, waived, or released within 10 days. If the player clears waivers, the team can outright the player to the minor leagues. An outrighted player is no longer on the 40 man roster but still receives all money from a major league contract. source Sonssamhorn

Between the end of the regular season and July 31, a player may be traded without passing through waivers. source Biz of Baseball

The purging of the Tony B. regime...

With the recent rash of firings there seems to be one common thread, Tony Bernazard. Either Omar or the Wilpon's appear to be cleaning house, but more specifically they appear to be cleaning house of anyone connected to Tony Bernazard.

Of course, the organization will say that they've encouraged Omar to make these moves and that these are his decisions as their GM.

But if these guys are truly connected Tony B., I have to question how many of these moves are Omar's and how many of these moves are John Ricco or Jeff Wilpon's.

After all, Omar was so irate about firing his close confidant (Tony B.) that he nearly committed professional suicide by attacking Adam Rubin in a press conference.

Of course, this is all speculation but there appears to be a connection to Tony B. with each staff member who has been let go.

Now in all fairness there could be absolutely legitimate reasons for these guys to be let go, each one of them had other issues going on and/or were connected to the Florida complex where the major leaguers unsuccessfully rehab all season. Lets not forgot that the farm is taking a heavy hit this year and these guys are all on the developmental side.

But if all these guys were connected to Tony B., then it's becomes apparent that Tony B.'s style of development was more prevalent then one rouge team official and the more staff connetced to him who are let go, the bigger the indictment of Omar.

At four members of the organization the more it becomes clear Omar had to know, which leads me to one of three conclusions, he lost control of the Tony B. group, he had his head in the sand or he agreed with the tactic.

The implications of Omar letting go of a group of staff members with a connection to Tony B., as I see it, are as follows;

1) Omar is having his staff removed from him.

2) There was a power struggle within the org., Omar won & he's cleaning out Tony's guys

3) Omar is distancing himself from his guys

4) Omar truly believes he needs to make changes & these are just honest moves

5) These staff members are scape goats

He barely sipped a cup of coffee for the Tigers in 1991 before retiring, but that tenure does coincide with Pena's and could at least leave the door open for a chance encounter leading to a long-time friendship among the duo. So who is the Fourth Gang Member? Tony Bernazard.

We know that recently-dimissed Luis Aguayo joined the Mets in part due to Bernazard chasing away longtime Mets field coordinator Tony Tijerina. Pena's arrival and Toledo's departure conveniently fits that mold, too. source
NJ.com

"I'd put my head under an 18-wheeler that what happened here has been blown out of proportion," Oliveras said. "Tony doesn't deserve what he's going through right now." source Newsday

"Julio needed some guidance," said the Mets' special assistant to the general manager, Tony Bernazard, who formed a double-play combination with Franco from 1984 to 1987 with the Cleveland Indians. "I'll leave it at that."
source NY Times

Would the Rays-Mets flip bad contracts ?

I certainly hope the Mets wouldn't entertain the idea of flipping Oliver Perez for Pat Burrell, at least with Milton Bradley he has the numbers ( still don't want him either) but Burrell reported to the Rays out of shape and ineffective, to go along with his regularly bad defense.

Burrell played in 117 games where he hit .225 with 14 HRs, 15 doubles and 62 RBIs. He's owed 9MM for the 2010 season...

15. Is there any way to get rid of Pat Burrell?

Short of swallowing his $9 million salary and cutting him? It's not going to be easy, but don't discount the creativity of exec VP Andrew Friedman. The Rays could slice the price by agreeing to eat some of the money, but first they'll look for trading partners seeking to move similarly bad contracts, such as Milton Bradley (Cubs) or Oliver Perez (Mets). There's also a theory that Burrell, heading back into free agency, will return much more motivated and in better shape. sourceTampaBay.com

Chris Carter to play VWL

The player to be named later in the Billy Wagner trade, who barring an unforeseen incident will become Mets property shortly after the season's end, will be playing winter ball this year.

Carter has been racking AAA for four straight years, posting a .304 BA with a .493 Slg. and .373 OBP.

The 26 y/o left handed 1B/OF has been blocked most of his career due to his defense, originally in the Arizona system; blocked by Chad Tracy, Mark Reynolds, and Conor Jackson all around the same age and playing the same position he requested a trade.

The DBacks traded him to Washington who immediately flipped him in the Wily Mo Pena deal to Boston. For the last two seasons he has been blocked by Kevin Youkolis, David Ortiz and an All -star corner outfield (Bay/Drew).

He's had two brief stints in the majors; in 2008 he hit .333 in nine games, 20 ABs with 6 hits, 2 walks, 3 RBIs and 5 runs. In 2009 he won a spot out of spring training as a bench player in 4 games ( 5 AB) he did not record a hit before being sent down to make room for a reliever.

Carter finished the AAA season with a BA of .294 with 16 HRs, 25 doubles and 61 RBIs. After hearing of his trade he hit .317 in August and .545 in Sept. ( only 6gms).

As we know the Yanks blocked the trade from being completed to mess with Boston's roster and instead of seeing him this Sept. we have to wait until spring.

In the minors he's played 340 gms at 1B, 114 in LF and 44 in RF , according to reports he has a major league bat, the question will be whether he has the hands for the NL or is he a DH waiting to happen.

Andres M. found an article and translated, in which Carter has signed to play in the VWL. Babel fish butchered the translation but here's the link and it's clearly Carter...

According to the Tigres de Argua Official site, OF Chris Carter (PTBNL on Wagner's trade?) is also coming to the VWL...

Neyer rips Murphy...

I've never believed that Dan Murphy was a starter at any position, he's filled in the best at 1B but that still doesn't make him a starting 1B in the major leagues. If he does become a major league starter it should be after he develops those skills in the minors and not through on-the-job training in the majors.

Moving forward it's a mistake for the Mets to believe they can live with the mistakes Murphy makes at first, for those only counting errors, it's much more subtle then that. He is constantly out of position, effecting other players positioning and fielding while making then compensate for his deficiencies.

I actually feel bad for Murphy, the Mets truly did him a disservice, they decided not to go for a left fielder in a deep market and covered their tracks by promoting the home grown kid, off a 49 game hot streak straight out of AA. I believe eventually Murphy will become a Miguel Cairo type, but he shouldn't be the starting 1B next season...

Rob Neyer of ESPN takes on the idea of Murphy as a starting 1B, his position addresses Murphy's offense.

This season, 23 major league first basemen have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. Among them, Murphy ranks 20th in slugging percentage and 22nd in on-base percentage. He's just not getting the job done, and isn't likely to. source ESPN

Meeting about the coaches...

It's being reported that Jerry Manuel will meet with Omar Minaya about the coaching staff, the day after the season ends. When asked about his staff Manuel didn't give any indications either way as to their status. Apparently Howard Johnson and Dan Warthen are safe but Razor Shines and Sandy Alomar Sr. are unknowns.

The Mets have a history of keeping a manager but taking away the members of his staff that are closest to him. They did it to Valentine in 1999 and Randolph in 2007, I discussed this undermining in this post. If the Mets chose to cut Shines they will be repeating the same behavior all over again.

Look I think the entire staff should go, this team, regardless of injuries has been fundamentally unsound in all aspects of the game which is an indictment for the entire staff. The pitching staff, situational hitting, defense and base running in all aspects of the game they have made egregious errors.

It's one thing for a team to get beat because the other team is more talented but it's the coaching staff's fault when the team regularly makes mental errors to allow the other team to win. When the fundamental flaws of a team become so prevalent that sound players like David Wright and Carlos Beltran start to make them, then the coaching staff needs to be held responsible.

With that said; if the Mets have truly decided that Jerry Manuel will remain the manager then I think it's important for him to be allowed to select his staff and it's a recipe for disaster to remove his most valued confidant. I don't like how Shines has handled 3B what I would do is move Alomar into some sort of minor league position and make Shines the bench coach...

Manager Jerry Manuel said he expects to meet with general manager Omar Minaya and possibly the club's owners the day after the season ends to discuss, among other things, the fate of the coaches. Manuel provided no insight into what might develop, but there have been indications that batting coach Howard Johnson and pitching coach Dan Warthen will be retained. There have been no such indications involving third-base coach Razor Shines. ... source MLB.com

Mets interested in Milton Bradley ?

Most of us expected the Mets to be connected to Milton Bradley, hopefully that becomes nothing more then speculation as the two sides seem to be a good fit.

The only teams that are going to look at Bradley is a team desperate to find power and looking to dump a bad contract, both of which are the case for the Mets.

The Mets desperately need to find a homerun hitter and they may look to dump the contracts of Oliver Perez and/or Luis Castillo. Either one of those contracts are almost identical to what Bradley is making and on paper he is exactly what the Mets need.

I made my case against Bradley in this post last week when Jon Heyman twittered that the teams might consider a Perez/Bradley switch.

Back to the old debate over intangibles, where Francoeur's value IMO is increased by the extras he brings to the table while Bradley takes himself out of contention due to the headaches he makes for the organization...

Heyman isn't the only one who believes the Mets could be in on Bradley, MLBTR posted a video link of Ken Rosenthal who also links the Mets to Bradley.

Teams have already called the Cubs about Milton Bradley. The Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets are among the clubs with possible interest. The Cubs are confident they can deal Bradley without paying the overwhelming majority of the $21MM still owed to him over the next two years. They could either trade Bradley's bad contract for another bad contract, or use the old sliding scale of "the more money we pay, the better the players we get in return." source MLBTR

Hitting Coach- Hojo has support but is Jaramillo lurking

Rudy Jaramillo is considered one of the top hitting coaches in the league, he was the runner-up for the Mets managers position in 2005 and was considered for the hitting coaches position in 2007 when his contract expired in Texas.

In 2005 the Mets decided to go with a NY guy ( Randolph) and then after deciding to keep Randolph, they didn't want to undermine him in 2007. Jaramillo has an impeccable record with numerous All-Star caliber hitters who have come through the Rangers organization and with him becoming a free agent again this year, I have quietly wondered if Omar would go after him again.

Last off-season after the worst offensive year of his career Jeff Francoeur went to Jaramillo during the winter. I'm not sure where the connection came from but more then likely it was Mark Teixeira who was traded to the Braves and came up through the Rangers organization or Jarrod Saltalamacchia the guy Atlanta sent to Texas in that very same trade.

For the specifics on what Jaramillo worked on with Francoeur check out this Bleacher Report article. The initial results of the visit to the hitting guru were excellent as Francoeur hit .333 to start the season but it appears the visit had done permanent damage to his relationships in Atlanta.

According to the Journal-Constitution, the Braves weren't thrilled when Francoeur went to Texas to work with Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Said Terry Pendleton, the Braves' hitting coach: "I asked Jeff, ‘Why didn't you come to me?' Obviously he felt the need to go elsewhere. It's his winter. [But] it bugged me at first. Not hearing it from him, that got me more than anything. I told him, ‘I thought our relationship was better than that.' " source Yahoo Sports

It also sounds like now that Frenchy is no longer in Atlanta, he wasn't that satisfied with Pendleton, in speaking about his performance this year in NY he takes a small shot at his former hitting coach.

Francoeur said "just having people believe in you" is a big reason for his increased confidence. He said he appreciates the Mets wanted him not as a throw-in but as the main return in the Ryan Church trade. source NY Post

I've been highly critical of Howard Johnson, I feel that this team has failed to execute the basic fundamentals offensively on a consistent basis. Too often it seems that this team has failed to bunt, hit behind the runner, elevate the ball for a RBI sac fly and make contact when that's all that's needed ( bases loaded no outs). But the numbers betray my perception the Mets offense has had solid numbers compared to the rest of the league and it appears this perception might be a result of how effective the opposition has been against our pitching staff.

But more important then my perception is the players themselves, just this week Hojo was given a ringing endorsement by two players who stand to be big components of next years offense. David Wright and Jeff Francoeur stated that they will spend two weeks at Hojo's home in Florida working intensively on their power swing. In an article by the NY Post Francoeur elaborates on his on his success in NY and credits Hojo's for much of it. This winter Frenchy will be at Hojo's house not Rudy's...

Though he raved about his time with Jaramillo and began the season with an opening-at-bat home run, he says the main problem with the relationship was that the two were not on the same team. So when Francoeur struggled, he didn't have Jaramillo in the clubhouse or the dugout to dig him out of his hitting funk.

With Johnson, Francoeur said the two have "clicked" and easily have been able to remedy initial struggles to ensure they don't last. source NY Post

K-Rod giving Marlins payback...

Despite not being here for the last two years in which the Marlins knocked the Mets out of the playoffs, on the last day of the season. K-Rod has at least learned the history and is supporting his teammates, who were here then by relishing the role of spoiler. This team first attitude will go a long way next year in a winning season...

Props to KRod, who despite not being here the last 2 years said last night it was nice to give the Marlins a little payback. source twitter KBurkhardtSNY

Redding wants to return & is making a case...

After getting off to a horrible start, Tim Redding is making a strong case to return next year. Redding's base salary this year was 2.25MM and he can be controlled next year by offering him arbitration.

Since August his ERA is 3.55 in 8 relief appearances and 7 starts. Four of those starts were quality, while in two he gave up four runs but went past six innings and in his first start back from the pen he shut out the Phillies for five innings.

"I'm feeling strong," Redding said. "I think having the six months off at the beginning of the year with the injury and rehabbing has given me a litlte extra oomph at the end of the year to help me come on strong. I'm just hoping I'm doing enough to warrant a chance to come back next year. That ball is in the organization's court as far as offering me arbitration. If not, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to play in New York and hope that somebody else will give me a chance. source Daily News

MLBTR looks at the worst off-season signings

One of my favorite sites MLBTR took a look at the worst signings of the 2009 season, now that most of the year is already over. As I could have predicted when it happened Oliver Perez tops the list...

Oliver Perez - $36MM over three years - He allowed 51 runs in 66 innings for an ugly 6.82 ERA. Knee injuries shortened his season, but he still managed to walk 58 batters, almost one per frame. source MLBTR

Mets have interest in Chapman

Newsday is reporting that the Mets are one of the teams interested in Aroldis Chapman.

The 21 y/o Cuban defector is a hard throwing left hander who was just granted free agency.

Numerous teams will be involved in a bidding war for his services and while it's reported he'd prefer the west coast, apparently the Mets will still express some interest.

It's unclear how involved the Mets will become, would Omar risk a big contract on an unknown commodity with his job on the line...

A person familiar with the situation said Friday that the Mets will speak with Athletes Premier International, the agency representing Chapman, in an effort to gauge where the market is headed in the coming weeks. The Mets have scouted Chapman extensively in international competition, and there is plenty to like about a lefthander who has been clocked at 102 mph. source Newsday

Dotel likes the Mets

According to the Chicago Sun-Times Octavio Dotel doesn't have a future with the White Sox's and the relievers first choice this off-season is the Mets.

The Mets will need a set-up man and Dotel makes a lot of sense. The 37 y/o veteran right hander has a lifetime ERA of 3.73 in over 700 innings, with 83 saves in 122 opportunities. Dotel started his career with the Mets in 1999 before being traded.

Octavio Dotel said he approached the club about his immediate future and a contract extension last month and was told he wasn't in the plans. The reliever at least appreciated the Sox being upfront with him. As he turns his attention to free agency, New York is atop his wish list. The Mets are his first choice and the Yankees second. source Chicago Sun-Times

Delgado done, Reyes close to same...

The only reason Carlos Delgado was working so hard to return, was to audition for free agency and more then likely an American league team in need of a DH.

As much as we need home run power it's simply too much of a risk for Omar to bring him back, especially in a make-it-or-break-it year. It's now being reported that Delgado will not return this season and has gone home for the off-season.


While Jose Reyes situation isn't as clear cut, it does appear that his chances of returning this season have greatly diminished. Reyes was suppose to test his hamstring on Friday but the session was canceled due to a family issue.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said Friday that Delgado has gone home and will not try to play again before the regular season ends Oct. 4. source NJ.com

Jack Egbert foreboding sign for the Mets farm...

As most of us have read the Mets have claimed Jack Egbert off waivers (source Newsday) . First of all, there's no harm in this move, all it took was placing Fernando Martinez to the 60 day DL. Egbert is a Long Island native who graduated from Rutgers University, maybe the return to his home town will do his career some good.

The 26 y/o right handed made his first two major league appearances earlier with the White Sox. In 2.2 innings he allowed 8 runs on 8 hits and two walks without striking out a batter and quickly found himself back in AAA.

Since being selected in the 13th round of the 2004 draft by the White Sox, he seemed to steadily advance through the minor league levels. In 2004 in Rookie ball he made 17 appearances ( 9 starts) with a 3.38 ERA; 2005 in single A he made 25 starts with a 10-5 record and a 3.12 ERA; 2006 he split time between adv. A and AA posting a 2.67 ERA in 29 starts; and in 2007 he made 28 starts with a 12-8 record and a 3.06 ERA.

The same year he started to be recognized is the same year he started to struggle, Egbert showed up on the White Sox prospect list with a much higher ranking in 2008 the same year he advanced for the first time to AAA. In AAA he didn't fare very well, making 22 starts with a record 4-12 and an ERA of 4.65.

This year he had a chance to make the major league team out of spring training but after missing the cut, he was sent to AAA where he split time between the rotation and relieving. In all he appeared in 30 games, 18 starts with a record of 6-11 and an ERA of of 5.05.

A 13th-round pick way back in the 2004 draft, Egbert has made a slow but steady climb through the Sox system. While he's never been a white-hot prospect, he does project as a solid back-of-rotation pitcher in the next few years.

Though helped by a pitchers park (a luxury he won't have if he reaches Chicago), the finesse-righthander posted impressive numbers: over 28 AA Birmingham starts, Egbert went 12-8 with a 3.07 ERA, showing off a K:BB rate near four. He didn't fare quite so well in AAA when moved up in 2008 (4-12, 4.65), though he appeared to wear down during the end of the year.

Egbert's change and curve could be tested in the bigs sometime in 2009, and if he holds up, he'll compete for a full-time job the next season. source Scouting book

Egbert appeared as the #4 prospect in the White Sox's organization in 2008 with a B- grade from Jon Sickels of Minor League ball who's is a very tough grader.

By this Sept. with his struggles in AAA and the majors Sickels had already dropped to the #18 prospect spot and C grade.

My thoughts aren't of us finding a steal but more concern with our own system, so many of our top prospects are young guys in AA or below who seem like can't miss players, just as it appears Jack Egbert was in Chicago and within a year at the advanced levels of the minors he was already a marginal prospect and let go after two major league appearances.

These firings speak volumes of our developmental system

While this post will address the recent announcement that several members of the organizational staff have been let go or will not return next season, it is a separate issue then what I discussed earlier today in another post. In that post I addressed the pattern of the Wilpon's keeping a Mgr. or GM passed when they should have but then undermining them by letting go key figures in their hierarchy.

Let me start by saying this post does not include Sandy Johnson whom I hope they talk out of retiring and is considered a great scout around the league.

I don't believe it was a mistake to terminate those members of the staff who were let go, the mistake was that the entire staff wasn't let go from Omar all the way down to Jerry and his staff. This post is to address what those firings represent for this organization, which is a structure wide failure to build a competitive system.

Since 2004 when Omar Minaya took over the organization this is the third major restructuring of the developmental staff, for the same GM in only a five year period to have to revamp his entire developmental staff is a telling sign for the GM himself. Either he has repeatedly made severely poor decisions in the hiring process, he lacks the vision to direct his subordinates into developing a successful farm system or he has repeatedly been allowed to blame them for his short comings.

The group that is currently being let go, there's been speculation that they were disciples of Tony B., by seemly acknowledging ( if the speculation turns out to be true) that there was more then one administrator impacting your farm based on inappropriate tactics is an even further indictment of your organization. One rouge executive can be easily explained, even with the visibility Tony B. had but if in fact Ramon Pena and Luis Aguayo also used similar tactics to Bernazzard then either Omar approved of the methods or had his head in the sand.

Regardless of how they conducted themselves the more pressing issue is the results, in five years this organization has not developed one single player who is an impact player. An impact player would be an All-Star or on the verge of becoming an All-Star. Not one player drafted or signed as a amateur has had an impact on the major league club nor has a player who has been traded by this team developed into that sort of player for the team he was traded to.

The most established players this regime has developed are Mike Pelfrey, Lastings Milledge, Joe Smith, Carlos Gomez, Mike Carp and Dan Murphy none of them at this point can be considered impact players. Most of the players who have been traded and are at least starters were drafted or signed prior to Sept. 2004, that includes; Brian Bannister, Aaron Heilman, Mike Jacobs, Matt Lindstrom, Henry Owens, and Heath Bell.

For Omar Minaya to be on his third developmental staff in five years, in which not one impact player has been developed and those shining stars of the system are still years away from impacting the major league team speaks volumes for the ineptitude of the organization. Especially taking into consideration that this is a major market team with significantly more scouting resources and financial resources ( until this year ) then most teams...

I am not discounting the youngsters in the lower levels of the farm who have a real chance of becoming stars, but the bottom line is that five years is plenty of time to have developed at least one impact player even if that player was now with another organization...

In fact, other than Jose Reyes, a Steve Phillips-era addition, the Mets have no players on the major-league roster who were signed as international free agents besides Martinez. Martinez, who underwent surgery on his right knee, hasn't appeared in a game since July 3.

There isn't an influx on the immediate horizon, either. Hard-throwing righthander Jenrry Mejia 19, from the Dominican Republic is being sent to the Arizona Fall League and could make the big-league team in the bullpen next season, but little other impact is expected in 2010. source Daily News

But so far the plan has not been an overwhelming success; very few top Latinprospects have emerged in the minor league system. That was why Pena,who was hired after the 2005 season, was dismissed.

Over the last five years, the Mets have not had a homegrown player as dynamic as Reyes, who was signed in 1999, when Minaya was assistant general manager. source NY Times

Wright & Frenchy heading to Hojo's

David Wright and Jeff Francoeur plan to spend two weeks of the off-season at Howard Johnson's home in Florida.

The two players plan to work intensively with the hitting coach on their power swing. Johnson has be critcized this year for the lack of power David Wright has exhibited after the two worked to make him a gap hitter this past winter, now it appears Wright is looking for his power stroke to return.


Not only does it show the three men's dedication to the team but it also appears to show that the organization still believes in Howard, as do his players. Francoeur really seemed to be fitting into this team ...

Jeff Francoeur and David Wright already have scheduled an offseason trip together. They're headed to coach Howard Johnson's house in Florida for a couple of weeks for an informal hitting camp. source Daily News

Niese blames himself and looking to return

Anyone who watched Jon Niese's last start cringes whenever they think of the young left handers knee buckling as he attempted to make a warm-up pitch.

He had just sprinted to first base to cover a double play and over stretched his leg while catching a wide throw, hobbled by the stretch, Niese, with all the training staff around him, attempted a warm-up pitch, that sent him to the ground and ultimately the operating table.

It's unclear whether the hamstring was already damaged or the warm-up pitch was what finished it off, but many have blamed Jerry Manuel and the training staff for allowing him to throw the pitch. Niese speaking to the NY Post made it clear that he was making that warm-up pitch no matter what. More important then identifying blame for his injury, Niese is determined to be ready come spring training...

"There's no doubt in my mind," Niese said when asked if he can build on this season's promise. "Every year I want to get better, and I truly believe that I can get better and I will get better. Just right now is a hiccup in the year. I'll just continue it like nothing happened next year." source NY Post

LaRoche makes nice with Mets..

According to reports Adam LaRoche was almost a Met at the trade deadline ( source NYBD).

Obtaining LaRoche might have made things very interesting, since earlier this season Carlos Beltran exchanged jabs with LaRoche.

"I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism," LaRoche told the newspaper. "When somebody says that, they know what they're saying, and they know it's going to get out. He knows we're not going to be real happy about it. source NY Post

Ultimately he was traded back to the Braves when they were willing to give up more then the Mets.

Since then LaRoche has made nice with Beltran, after all the Mets may need a 1B and he would be a solid fit, plus keeping yourself open to the large market teams always helps your value.

LaRoche is a 29 y/o left handed 1B with a lifetime .273 BA and a Slg. pct. .505, he known for his extremely slow starts to his seasons but each year he puts up at least 20 HRs and 80 RBIs.

"I respect him," LaRoche told the Daily News' Kristie Ackert. "We talked the first day here. It's fine. We both said things we shouldn't have but we cleared it up. It's no big deal. It seems like a very long time ago, almost a different season. Daily News

Seems like the Wilpon's are undermining again...

It's all too reminiscent of 1999 and while Doubleday was still involved, the power struggle for hold of the organization had already begun. The Wilpon's have been highly criticized for their inability to make adjustments and learn from their own mistakes.

Once again it appears that history is repeating itself, in 1999 Steve Phillips and the organization as a whole was dissatisfied with then Manager Bobby Valentine but instead of firing him they decided to fire three of his closest coaches, mid-season. The result was a 1999 Wild card birth and a 2000 World Series appearance which probably re-enforced the idea that the shake up was an effective tool.

Apodaca and Robson are considered two of Valentine's closest allies, along with Benedict. Often when a team fires its coaches they are either hoping the manager will step down in protest, or they are making it clear their sights are on him. But Phillips gave the opposite indications during a conference call last night. source Newsday

But long term, the true result was that Valentine became extremely paranoid and the GM/Mgr engaged in a bitter long term power struggle that would result in the demise of both, while bringing the organization to one of its lowest points ever.

Fast forward to 2007, the team that missed the World Series by one game the year before was under achieving, many blame the then mgr. Willie Randolph. At the All-star break instead of firing Randolph they let one of his closest coaches Rick Downs go ( sound familiar), initial the team rebounded and had a more competitive season but in the long run Randolph's authority was undermined and it would lead to his dismissal.

But even in dismissal the entire staff wasn't cleared out and some of the coaches selected were seen to have front office ties ( Luis Aguayo), once again undermining the authority of the manger.

Now it's Omar Minaya's turn to see how it feels to be forced to have his confidants taken away from him and to have a position he truly doesn't have. I know some see this latest round of front office firings as a sign that Minaya is in charge but what I see is the Wilpon repeating the same behavior they always have. Unwilling to make a tough decisions until they absolutely have to, scolding their employees like they're children by taking personnel away from them and trying to put bands aids on major wounds.

It's not that the moves should or shouldn't have been made ( in fact I think everyone should go), it's how they are made. Either you have confidence in the person your leaving in the position and are going to allow them to move forward or you no longer believe in them and should remove the entire staff. Leaving Omar in charge but removing all the personnel he selected to assist him is setting him up for failure and if that's the case then just remove him. What makes me think that the Wilpon's are behind the move, first of all they have a track record of this type of behavior and comments like the below quote from Newsday...

The Wilpons have been simmering behind the scenes about the Mets' terrible performance this season and this week's firing of Peña is the first of what is expected to be a bigger housecleaning within the organization. source Newsday

Misch back to the pen..

After his last outing it was obvious that Misch wasn't long for the rotation. I still think he has the potential to be a solid second lefty in the bullpen. This season he posted a 2.89 ERA in 15 relief appearances ( 18 innings) this season, I expect him and Bostick competing in camp for that second lefty spot...

Manager Jerry Manuel said Pat Misch will be available out of the bullpen Wednesday and could be replaced in the rotation Sunday by Tobi Stoner or Lance Broadway. Misch (1-4, 5.59 ERA) gave up eight runs in 1 1/3 innings Monday against the Braves. source NJ.com

Sheffield update

He's an entertaining guy to say the least, you never know what's going to come out of his mouth.

I still have questions about Sheffield's injury, it just seems like such a coincidence that briefly after his protest night he suddenly had a back injury that has almost finished his season. This coming from a guy who admitted to dogging it to get the Brewers to trade him.

Sheffield says that he will definitely play next year and is going to work extra hard in the off-season so he's healthy enough to play 150 games, that was said hours before it was reported he will not play the field again this year ( source Daily News).

I think it's a mistake for the Mets to bring back Sheffield, it just reminds of Moises Alou. The Mets will end up relying on his power bat even though they'll say he's only a complimentary player, he'll end up getting injured and hurting the offense. Of course, I know he'll sign with the Marlins and kill us all year long.

Sheffield was pretty tough on his current teammates, saying that they needed to find an identity and made it sound as if the team was willing to blame the season on injuries...

"This team needs to focus on its identity," Sheffield said. "Anybody can get hurt. But the line has to keep moving, even when there are injuries. You can't have a team built on, 'If these guys don't come through, we're going to lose.' " source NY Post

Not so fast on the O-Dog...

I was one of the big supporters of obtaining Orlando Hudson, even if we were stuck with Luis Castillo I thought bringing in Hudson made sense. His infectious attitude and high energy personality would be a welcome addition to the clubhouse. In the minors in addition to 2B he also played a significant amount at 3B and about 2o games in LF. Especially at what it appeared he cost, it would have been worth it to bring him in as a bench player. After seeing him make play after play almost in right field when we were in LA, I thought we really made a mistake but now I'm not so sure.

Much to my surprise many fans still want to see Louis Castillo traded during the off-season despite having a comeback player of the year season and probably being the runner up for MVP of the team. I apologized and backed off Louie in May but some are still ready for a change at 2B, there is even a rumor that the Mets will look to move him during the off-season. Despite returning to being a tremendous table setter this season, Louie does play a lazy 2B and it would be the right time to move him if that's there decision but who would replace him. Castillo is hitting .311 with a .398 OBP, he is only owed 12MM over two years.

Orlando Hudson didn't end up being as cheap as he was initially perceived to be, Hudson's base salary was 3.38MM but he's already up to 7.63MM through incentives and is making 10K per plate appearance ( source MLBTR). But Hudson is struggling to stay in the starting line-up, overall on the season he's hitting .288 but in Sept. only .250. Ronnie Belliard is starting to take time away from Hudson who Mgr. Joe Torre thinks is fatigued (source LA Times). In addition to the 30 point difference in BA ( 60 points in Sept./ Castillo .309BA) his OBP is .354 almost 50 points below Castillo's.

So we would be paying more for a player who isn't hitting as well, despite playing the same amount of games in the same age range Hudson is fatiguing and on the verge of being replaced by a suspect defensive player ( never been a fan of Belliard's glove). Here's an example of the intangibles ( Hudson is always listed as a big clubhouse guy) not making sense because the two players aren't preforming at an equal level, therefore, it doesn't become a tipping point in the discussion.

But if Hudson now gets a multi-year more fitting of his present-day value...eh. He turns 32 this December, and while he's still quite valuable for a second baseman, his defense has slipped dramatically, according to UZR. He actually hasn't been playing much lately, resting in favor of Ronnie Belliard - for which Joe Torre has drawn criticism.

To pay Hudson at his peak market value, and then pay a large part of the freight to ship Luis Castillo out of town...I don't think that's a wise use of resources. I'd rather take my chances with Castilo in 2010 and look to make up for his shortcomings (power) elsewhere in the lineup. source Newsday

Marquis has support & interest in NY

One day this spring my son wanted to watch the Little League World Series when it was on TV, the team that was on that day was from Staten Island, each kid said their name and there favorite player. At least 20 of the 25 players named Jason Marquis as their favorite player, the veteran pitcher was a NYC LL hero who threw a no hitter in the LL World Series .

The kids from his home town aren't the only ones who support the local star, Jeff Francoeur is quoted today as saying Marquis approached him about becoming a Met this off-season and Frenchy thinks it's a good idea. Francoeur a former teammate of Marquis feels he provides just what the Mets need 200 innings and 12-15 wins.

Marquis has been on the Mets radar for a long time, going all the way back to his days with the Cards. In 2006 the Cards looked dead in the water at the deadline and there was a rumor that the Mets looked into the cost of Marquis. In 2007 the Cubs tried to move him straight up for Endy Chavez and then again in 2008 for Aaron Heilman. I think both times with the Cubs it was more about his contract then the players in the deal, in 2007 the Cubs signed him to a three year 21MM deal.

The 31 y/o right hander is has a lifetime ERA of 4.46 with a record of 94-81, for six straight seasons he has recorded 11-15 wins and between 167 -207 innings.

I think bringing in Marquis would be a good move if he's the second starter they acquire, but if he's the only starter then it simply isn't enough. If it's Lackey or Marquis then there's no question they have to obtain Lackey but if Lackey falls through then Marquis and Wolf or Garland makes sense.

Here's my concern; Omar has always been interested in Marquis and the organization will see him as a big draw regardless of the standings, between his Staten Island roots and the support he will receive from the large NYC Jewish community ( I don't mean this in anyway derogatory the Mets since Shawn Green have tried to strongly support the Jewish community) I could see them making him their one big pitching acquisition of the off-season, which simply wouldn't be enough...

"He'd love to come here," Francoeur -- who indicated Marquis broached the subject to him and David Wright earlier this month when the Mets played at Colorado -- said before last night's 11-3 Atlanta win at Citi Field.

"He'd be a great fit. He's from Staten Island. He's a New York type of guy. He'll probably be coming off the best season he's ever had." source NY Post

Frenchy seems to have a lot of Talent as well...

The other day I took a lot of heat for supporting Jeff Francoeur, but more specifically for appreciating the intangibles that he brings to the game. I'm not really sure why, but there's a group of fans who seem to become extremely up-set whenever intangibles are brought up.

Look, I agree baseball is 90% talent/skill but professional athletes are so close in there skill set that the other 10% plays into the outcome of a season. I'm not saying I'd rather have David Eckstien play short stop because he has so much more grit then Jose Reyes. But two players of equal talent can have significantly different impact on the exact same team depending upon their personality and the collective personality of that team.

I seemed to be on the unpleasant end of some ridicule over using Hadley Ramirez as an example of a player who I felt brought a significant amount of these intangibles to the table, especially in the last series of the season for the past two years.

In 2007 on the second to last day of the season Ramirez took exception to Jose Reyes and it's been reported that he was firing his team up to knock us out of the playoffs. Before Glavine could even settle into the game Ramirez was on base and some believe he rattled him into a big inning, of course it could just be a coincidence and his junk talking had nothing to do with Glavine's bad outing or Florida's energetic game on the last day of a losing season.

The next year Ramirez didn't even play in the game, so for some it's even more of a grasp that he would have an impact on the game. But again he was reported to be firing his team up, to knock us out of the playoffs and again his team came through. Many people want a fiery coach to lead the team but they quickly dismiss the impact of an influential player as a fiery cheerleader from that very same bench.

Maybe it is a coincidence but if you've ever been in a dugout or locker room you know the impact emotions can have on performance and sure talent usually wins out especially over a long season but in a short series or single game I believe those intangibles can have an impact. I also believe that it's as important to build a talented team as it is to develop the right locker room chemistry in making that team a winner, over the last three years we've had the talent but I think we've missed the chemistry.

Plain and simply, I believe Francoeur brings both of those elements to the team, I'm not sure why that concept brings so much ire from some fans. After all, I not saying we bring in a lesser talented player for the position, so that we have more grit on the team. Francoeur was the top prospect, best athlete and best defensive outfielder for the Atlanta Braves organization entering the 2005 season, as rated by Baseball America.

The next year John Sickels did a series called crystal ball where he tried to predict top young prospects offensive numbers for their career. During his analysis Sickel's gave Francoeur's career possible comparisons to: Dale Murphy, Jim Rice, Joe Carter. In his forecast which he predicted several offensive down seasons over a 17 year career but over a BA .268. At the end of the seasons Sickel's deemed his predictions for at least that year a success.

We have all read the reports that he has struggled for the last two season in his home town of Atlanta. While some are willing to accept the idea that he needed a change of scenery because the pressure put on him in Atlanta was just too much. Others want to dismiss his early numbers as an aberration and that he just isn't that good. However, all reports on his talent levels aren't from his distant past.

Entering the 2009 season, Hardball times who uses all kinds of numbers I barely understand ( dramatic license of course) ranked his arm the 9th best amongst right fielders in all of baseball. Francoeur has a 170 Kill+, 101 Hold+, 2.0 runs and 2.6 runs200. Basically Frenchy's arms stops two more runs then most, only three players had significantly better arms.

Also entering this season Rob Neyer of ESPN ranked him the 10th best young right fielder in baseball and by now I think he's passed a few since Lasting Milledge was 9th.

Just last season he was ranked by Today.com as the 5th best defensive outfielder in baseball, not for his bat or arm but his strong routes to the ball and keen eye for the ball off the bat.

So while I may like that he beats up on water coolers there should be enough proof that the talents there for those who need numbers to substantiate his worth, bottom line should be that we have a young talented right fielder to help us win moving forward...

Comments from players on VWL

As I've said before, Andres M. is a big Mets fans who passes along items he comes across on the international sites, it so hard to find more then box scores and generic MLB updates from the winter leagues that anything he comes across is greatly appreciated.

Andres has agreed to pass along what he comes across this winter along with translating it for us ( since a lot is missed in the bablefish interpretation).

Today he has a few quotes from guys who are planning to play winter ball...

Lance Broadway " I hope to keep improving, I have to make some adjustments to my mechanics to be a better pitcher, I think that I would be able to work on that on the WL" said Broadway. " What I'v been doing lately has not been enough to get outs, me ERA is about a million, so I have to Improve. Or I can keep pitching like that and soon be unemployed or I find a better way to pitch. I'm trying to throw from different angles.

Broadway said that he will travel to Venezuela on October 8 " I will stay over there depending on my performance. I haven't pitch to many innings so I feel strong. I want to pitch"

"When you talk to other players they always tell you that's is and a completely different experience, but details wise , I don't know much" said the pitcher. "I don't have any idea what to expect, besides a very enthusiastic fan base, and lots of passion that's is going to make it fun for us"

Josh Thole "The only thing that I have to get is my passport, but I'm working on that" The 22 year old catcher said. "Im very excited because it has been a pretty good year for me. I'm going to finish here, go home for three days and I'll be ready to play for Caracas"

"I know That I'm going to have a good time" Thole said. " Franciso (Rodriguez) told me that it will be having one of the greatest experiences of my life and I hope that will be the case. I know that the fans are very passionate and that's very Important. I hope to go do my job and win a championship.

Bobby Parnell "I havent thought too much about that" said the starter/reliever rigthander, " I'll go over there in November, so i have October to think about it. But I haven't made a decision on the team that I will be playing for. My agent have talked to a couple of people"

When Parnell was asked from witch team he would be pitching he said that he dosen't have any idea....

source El Universal

Thoughts on Milton Bradley rumors...

I was once a huge advocate of the Mets acquiring Milton Bradley, I was willing to accept the 50lbs. of baggage he brought with him for the talent he would provide.

Since 2003 he has hit .267 or better every year and four of those years he hit over .300 with a lifetime Slg. pct. .450 and OBP .371. In 2008 he was selected to the All-Star team and received League MVP votes (17).

He is an injury risk but nothing significant over the past five seasons he averaged 132 gms. per season with his high point being 141 in 2004 and low 75 gms in 2005.

In 2007 Bradley was signed by the A's, during the season he was injured and the team asked him to slow his rehab to get a look at a youngster, when he refused he was DFA. The Royals ended up picking him up but it was rumored that the Mets loosely kept an eye on his situation.

Now I admit when I'm wrong, as I said before I was a big advocate of the Mets acquiring Bradley and not just in 2007 but again in 2008. One of the most convincing aspects that he wouldn't be a clubhouse problem was the reviews he was receiving with the Rangers...

He, not Hamilton, leads the AL in the Sabermetric Triple Crown categories: on-base percentage (.451), slugging (.630) and on-base plus slugging (1.081). Those are truly amazing numbers, and what contender wouldn't want a switch-hitter who is putting up that kind of offensive production? source Dallas News

But after this season I no longer have any interest in Milton Bradley, his talent no longer out weighs his baggage. Bradley has been seen yelling into the stands at fans and has been taking on the Chicago media, in NY regardless of how thick skinned Bradley thinks he is, if he acted like that the pressure would be overwhelming.

Lou Pinella is known as a players manager and Chicago has several players with strong personalities, but none of them could keep Bradley in line and the team ended up suspending him for the rest of the season. I think Bradley with some of our quieter leader types would effect the the clubhouse chemistry and be detrimental to the team moving forward.

Not only has he become a complete distraction but now he's not preforming, Bradley only hit .257 this year before being sent home.

I knew the minute Bradley was suspended ( source Chicago Tribune) the Mets would be linked to Bradley and sure enough this morning Matt at Metsblog reported that John Heyman speculated about an Ollie for Bradley trade in a tweet. As much as I'd like to get rid of Ollie, I'm not even willing to take on Bradley to get it done...

In a post to Twitter, SI.com’s Jon Heyman wonders if the Mets and Cubs will eventually discuss swapping Milton Bradley for Oliver Perez. source Metsblog

Domincan rookie draft...

Prior to the Domincan winter league the teams hold a rookie draft, generally players are loyal to the teams that draft them and play with that team each year they play in the league. Teams select players who might not even play for future considerations.

Andres M. is a big Mets fan and whenever he finds something in the international news he passes it along, as always I appreciate anything Andre brings us since it's usually tidbits we'd never have access to. Here's Andre's comments on the draft and I have to agree it's interesting the order these players went in...

Also, I Recently I found out that prior to the Dominican Winter League Season takes a place a Rookies draft of 100 player (PIT Pedro Alvarez taken No.1 Overall), that draft took place on during August 19, and the following are the Mets players taken on the draft.. (I found interesting that Marte and Valdespin were taken before Mejia and Familia)

11- Jefrey Marte 3B (Toros)

15- Jordany Valdespin 2B (Licey)

21- Jenry Mejia P (Licey)

24- Jeurys, Familia P (Gigantes)

42- Rafael Fernandez RF (Gigantes)

source LIGA DE BEISBOL PROFESIONAL DE LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA, INC.

Is Jeff Francoeur our Paul O'Neill

I'm not much of a bandwagon type, for example; I didn't feed into the Murphy hype and I want to see a veteran catcher next year with Santos as the back-up instead of a Santos/Thole platoon.


I know Jeff Francoeur has his flaws, he averages 120 K's per year and Braves fans were fed up with his lack of clutch hits; last year with RISP he hit .192, RISP w/two outs .175 and bases loaded .182.

Since coming to the Mets, Francoeur has been impressive, he's a decent fielder with a great arm and loves to use it, all the while hitting .315 ( 60 gms) with 33 RBIs and 7 HRs.

But whats been more important is the intangibles that he's brought to the table, he seemed to immediately become a main clubhouse figure and team leader.

He brings a hard nosed, passion to the team that has been missing for years. Playing through a thumb injury in meaningless games because he wants to.

I know there's a large debate in baseball as a whole, as to whether passion ( gritty/fiery) has any impact what-so-ever on a team, I mean the bottom line is you have to pitch, catch and hit or your not going to win games and usually the more talented teams win, not the teams who want to win more.

But with that said, two teams of equal or relatively equal talent, generally; over the course of a season the team with the better intangibles end up having the better head-to-head records. In 2007-2008 the Mets were an immensely talented team that somehow couldn't find a way to win just one more game, while Hadley Ramirez single handily willed his team to win the last game of the season two years in a row to knock us out of the playoffs.

Watching Jeff Francoeur beat-up a water cooler after making the last out of another meaningless loss reminded me of another fiery player, Paul O'Neill. Many Bronx fans call O'Neill the "Heart and Soul" of the great Yankees run of the 90s and their owner nicknamed him "Warrior".

Francoeur has not come close to O'Neill's accomplishments but aside from their penchant to take out their frustration on the water cooler, there are other similarities.

Despite being a solid member of the 1990 World Series Reds with an All-star appearance and MVP votes ( #19 in 1990) to his credit, O'Neill had began to struggle, all while wearing out his welcome in Cincy. In 1992 he hit a career worst .246 in 148 games, while getting under the skin of his then manager Lou Pinella. Upon being traded to the Yankees he would go from a .270 hitter to a .300 hitter with four All-star appearances, annual MVP votes and four more World Series rings. O'Neill never the most talented player on the team, was considered by many to be one of the most important players on the team. He was a lifetime .288 hitter that averaged 92 SO, 100 RBIs and 22 HRs per season.

Jeff Francoeur was suppose to replace Chipper Jones as the face of the Atlanta Braves, in 2005 he was #3 in ROY voting and in 2007 he won a gold glove. By 2008 he was hitting a mere .239 with 111 SO, 77 RBIs and 11 HRs. At the same time he struggled offensively the organization had become frustrated with him going outside the organization for help with his hitting and his stubbornness. So far in his young career he is a lifetime .271 hitter that averages 120 SO, 92 RBIs and 20 HRs per season ( aside from the higher SO ratio strikingly similar to O'Neill at that age).


As I said before, Francoeur isn't even close to filling O'Neill's shoes at this point in his career, but they seem to have comparable personalities and offensive statistics while following similar paths. One can only hope that the change of scenery helps Francoeur break out as O'Neill did while Frenchy has a similar impact on the clubhouse...

Adam Bostick to play in VWL

Adam Bostick came into his own this season as a reliever, the 26 y/o lefty has been considered a disappointment as a starter to the extent the Mets removed him from their 40 man roster and were still able to retain him when no one else was interested.

Overall he's made 123 starts of 176 appearances with a 4.36 ERA through all levels of the minors. In AAA over four seasons he has an ERA of 5.17 with a 9-14 record. But this year he went to the pen full time and posted a 3.28 ERA in 27 appearances, against lefties his ERA was 1.69 and they hit a mere .211.

I was disappointed that Bostick wasn't called up this Sept. as an audition for the second lefties spot in the pen next year, but maybe he's being rested for winter ball. Thanks to Andre M. for finding an international article linking Bostick to playing in VWL...

original source Lider De Portes translated Babelfish

Cañizares was not the unique one mattered signed yesterday by sharks. Also they forged a restrictive practice with Adam Bostick, to pitcher left-handed, relevista, who enters branchs AA and AAA of the Mets of New York left 3-3 record and 3,05 of PCL in 56 entrances, in which hits received 49, gave 22 tickets and ponchó 63, with 1,2 of whip and one relation of 10,1 ponches by each nine innings.

Heyman on the NY Mess

Even national reporter Jon Heyman is calling our team the NY Mess. Heyman takes a look at the Mets and how they can be fixed, he seems to have a much rosier opinion of the Mets finances. According to Heyman the Mets will explore the big name free agents and while they'll try to curb spending they maybe forced to spend near what they did this year.

It obvious what they need, about the biggest debate is whether they can get away with just filling one of LF and 1B or that they need to fill both. Heyman sees us looking at Wolf while I think the Mets need to set their sights higher. The biggest question will be how much the Wilpon's will spend this off-season.

Reports have suggested the Mets plan to cut from an NL-high $145 million payroll, but even a small reduction might be a tough sell in their second season in Citi Field. The guess here is the payroll stays about the same. Mets people already are discussing big-name free agent targets -- though, of course, that doesn't guarantee they'll actually sign any of the big ones. source SI.com

Parnell to the pen...

Bobby Parnell made his last major league start of the 2009 season, according to Jerry Manuel he has been put back in the pen.

Parnell was completely ineffective as a starter and the team couldn't just keep sending him out there to get beat up, no matter how tough he is, I'm sure it starts to weigh on you. Parnell could have made 2-3 more starts but what a way to end the season if he continued to preform as he did as a starter.

In 8 starts he has a record of 1-5 with a 7.93 ERA.

At least as a reliever Parnell had stints of success and maybe he ends the season on a positive with a success inning of relief. Parnell posted a 3.74 ERA in 45 innings of work as a reliever.

The Mets plan to send him to winter ball as a starter which tells me that they still believe he is more of a starter then a reliever. Hindsight is 20/20 and I liked Parnell in the pen, but if they really saw him as a starter then maybe 20 innings in AAA wasn't enough.

If they saw Parnell as a starter and he was killing AAA but they had no room in the rotation, then putting him in the major league pen makes sense. But if you see him as a starter and he only has 20 innings in AAA there's no way his secondary pitches are ready and when you put him in the rotation your only setting him up to fail.

Could there be a complete spending freeze...

Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 NY radio just tweeted that an associate of the Wilpon's says they might not spend at all this off-season. Apparently the only way to get the Wilpon's to spend will be public pressure.

I know if they actually pull this, this site will be dedicated to blasting their business tactics, I can appreciate the Madoff scandal but that still doesn't exonerate them from not putting out a better product ( take out a loan/ or get a partner). I know I won't be renewing my small inconsequential ticket plan, if this happens. Paging Mr. Carton please find your bullhorn...

There was a rumor several weeks ago the Mets may attempt to reduce payroll to 100MM, interesting enough is if the Mets don't bring in a single contract and only pay their current players that their obligated to, along with a few arby eligible and then fill the rest with league min. deal it comes out to about 107MM ( for the math go here).

An associate of the Wilpons ftells me that the only way to get them to spend this offseason is with public pressure and that might not work. source AndrewMarchand twitter

The Rocket ride of Ike Davis

It seems like everywhere you turn in the Metsblogosphere Ike Davis is being mentioned, now those accolades have even begun to suggest that the young first baseman could end up in Queens next year.

After years of watching Omar over inflate prospects and rush them to the majors, only to have them flop, I'm leery of anyone being placed on an accelerated path with him in charge.

I've asked this several times, since Omar took over and began this accelerated program that is suppose to push prospects to meet their potential what has it produced.

In five years, Mike Pelfrey advanced faster then any other pitcher from his draft and now he can't decide whether to balk or throw the ball into the ground half the time ( of course that's an exaggeration ).

Any other player on this team from the farm you could say the same thing about, they need more seasoning. Now; Nick Evans, Josh Thole, Tobi Stoner and Lance Broadway you could say were a result of injuries but guys like Dan Murphy, Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell were by design.

The fact that with all the injuries, which SNY posted a number the other night which was over 1,000 games missed, the Mets went through all the journeyman ( Figgy, Redding, Misch, Taki, Dessens, Valdez, Nieve ) and then into the prospects and not one was ready speaks volumes for the farm system.

I know we have a group of promising young prospects in the lower levels but still, in five years to have not developed one player better then how Pelfrey is currently preforming, tells me something is amiss.

I'm a big proponent of trade, so maybe it's my own fault since I'm always screaming for trades, maybe we've traded our future stars away. I just don't see anyone we traded who is an All-star caliber player; Lasting Milledge and Carlos Gomez could someday but one brought us our franchise Ace and the other has issues. Brian Bannister, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, Henry Owens, Matt Lindstrom still only seeing contributors at best, well Heath Bell is an All-Star but I don't see him sustaining that level and he wasn't selected by this group nor did they seem to like him.

The point is this, in five years they have not developed one all-star caliber player who is on this team or somewhere else in the majors, using their approach. So any player with promise who starts to receive the type of buzz Davis is receiving I'm concerned they're going to rush to the majors and retard their development, like they did with Milledge, Gomez, Pelfrey, Martinez, Parnell, Murphy, etc...

Most of these guys spent very little time in AAA and for most of them, the exact same thing was said about each and everyone of them, they could use more seasoning. The mistakes they made or are making are a result of being rushed and not properly developing through the farm system.

I'm glad Davis is taring it up in the minors and looks like he's our future 1B, I can't wait to see him in 2011 but if their answer is Ike in 2010 because he tore it up for Team USA, Binghampton and Arizona then they're making another mistake. Come July if Ike Davis is destroying AAA and you want to bring him up to replace a guy on the bench hitting .240, I would have no problem with that but if he's in camp competing for the starters job at 1B in March there's an issue...

In my opinion, Dan Murphy is what he is ( Miguel Cairo) a utility player, making him the first baseman again next year with Davis waiting to be brought up only compounds the mistakes made. Murphy should be the utility player next year with a solid 1B brought in on a one year deal. A Russell Branyan, Adam LaRoche, Nick Johnson, Doug Mientkiewicz ( again) type guy who won't cost a fortune, do a solid job and only demand a one year deal.

Davis has been tabbed as the Mets’ Sterling Minor-League Player of the Year and could unseat Murphy at first base sometime in 2010. source Daily News

Is Beltran preparing to demand an extention...

Carlos Beltran is one of the best center fielders in the league, he is the quintessential five tool player, but at 32 y/o and coming off a knee injury that cost him most of the season, it would be irresponsible to not consider trading him.

However, the Mets could not get in return equal value for what Beltran means to this team and they don't have a clear cut replacement in the field or at the plate. Beltran has increased his value to this team by becoming a clubhouse leader and has really become irreplaceable to this current core. There is no coincidence that since he went on the DL, June 22nd, the team fell apart, but coming off the injury his value wouldn't be high enough to garner a major package.

It has seemed a bit odd that Beltran, who has two years remaining on his contract, would risk surgery by coming back at the end of a meaningless season. If Beltran was in a walk year or it was near the trade deadline, you would think he was auditioning for other teams but that's not the case and we're left to believe Beltran's answer that he needed to return for his own psyche.

However, there now seems to be a bit of speculation that Beltran may have returned to angle for a contract extension or a trade. In a post at Metsblog about Beltran trying to find himself, Matt speculated ( clearly just speculating) about how Boras ( Beltran's agent) operates and considered the possibility of him requesting an extension. Later in the day, Mike Francesca on WFAN sounded more matter-of-fact that Beltran would ask for a two year extension or a trade.

There was a rumor earlier in the year that Beltran wanted to be traded which he adamantly denied. I'm under the notion of keeping the stars happy and if Beltran is demanding a two year extension, I say give it to him...

Give Perpetual Pedro the years...

Pedro Feliciano was a classic late blooming lefty, even though he's 33 y/o his arm has very little mileage.

His first exposure to AAA was in 2000 with the Dodgers and from then until 2004 he only appeared in 280 minor league innings ( overall he only has 180 innings in AAA).

In 2004 at the age of 27 y/o he was in Norfolk with a 5.30 ERA in 32 appearances, with his career going nowhere he was allowed to play in Japan.

While playing with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2005 Pedro posted a solid 3.89 ERA in 37 appearances.

When he returned the pitching coach was Rick Peterson who changed his arm angle, between the 3/4 arm angle and his international experience he became a very effective left handed reliever.

Over the last four seasons Pedro has been one of the most effective and consistent relievers in the league, posting an ERA of 3.09 in 202 innings. Sure he's been used a lot over the last four years, but he has shown no signs of injury and was used very little in the minors.

It's being reported that Pedro will pursue a multi-year deal from the Mets in the off-season, he is in his last year of arbitration and is hoping the team will forgo the last year for two more years of guaranteed service. An effective lefty is going to cost the team a three year deal anyway, so they might as well keep a known player.

Feliciano, 33, is arbitration-eligible and under the Mets’ control for the 2010 season. Then he is eligible for free agency. But both Mets officials and Feliciano (right) expect to speak about a multi-year deal this winter. Either way, Feliciano is due a raise from the $1.6 million he’s earning this season. source Daily News

On the Bubble: John Maine

Ok, this is the last installment of the "On the bubble" for the pitching staff, the rest of the staff is either locks or are inconsequential to next year's staff.

A quick recap:

The rotational locks are Johan Santana, Oliver Perez ( due to his contract), Mike Pelfrey and I'll address John Maine in this post.

The pen: Franscico Rodriguez, Pedro Feliciano, Brian Stokes, Pat Misch, Nelson Figueroa, Bobby Parnell and Sean Green ( trade bait).

The idea of non-tendering John Maine just doesn't make sense to me, a 28 y/o hard throwing right hander who you can control for the next two years and has had recent success in the NY market isn't someone you just give away.

Even as an injury risk, Maine only made 2.6MM and will only make 15 starts this year, so how much could he be awarded this off-season. Relatively speaking what Maine will cost for a possible 15 win pitcher is cheap compared to what one will cost on the open market.

But I still think Maine is pitching out of position, Maine has always struggled to work his secondary pitches into his repertoire and strike out hitters, which has resulted in Maine being a five inning pitcher. Despite his struggles to go deep into games, Maine has always had great strike out ratios and when he was in the minors his ratio was incredible, most minor leaguers rely on there hard stuff.

I know I'm in the minority on this one but I'd like to see the Mets pick-up J.J.'s option, the pen is really missing a dominant set-up man. But in all reality, the Mets aren't going to pay 8.5MM for a reliever, they may offer him arbitration hoping he accepts and willing to take the pick if he doesn't.

Back to Maine, if the Mets don't keep J.J. and don't pick-up another set-up man then I'd like to see them move Maine into that role. Allow Maine to just rear back and be a power pitcher, he has the strikeouts to prove he can do it and it would eliminate him from taxing the pen with his five inning outings.

Of course, if Maine was moved to the set-up role it would mean the Mets were in the market for two starters and I can't see them spending that much money on the rotation. With Maine in the rotation they will be able to fill one starters spot with a free agent and then have Niese and Nieve as their back-up plans...