Mets Merized Online

Happy (almost) New Year fellow Mets fans! I hope you all had a great Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or a mix of all three. As usual, gifts were plentiful under the tree but sadly scarce at Shea stadium. Since fresh topics are about as rare as Christmas hams this time of year, I figured I’d just jot down some random thoughts on the Amazins’ possible 2008 rotation.

Most of us have been begging Omar to go out and get us a frontline starter this winter. As time progresses the likelihood of that happening grows ever distant. I would love to have a Johan Santana or Erik Bedard starting on opening day 2008, but it seems more likely that it will end up being a (hopefully) healthy Pedro Martinez taking the ball. Pedro Martinez on a bad day is thankfully a lot better than some pitchers on their best. I hope I get to finally see him pitch live this April.

Some might disagree but I think John Maine has earned the number two spot in the rotation (barring a trade). He seems to have the makeup of a future ace and certainly showed it at times last year.

Ollie Perez…what ever will we do with you?! Seeing him pitch sometimes can leave you awe stricken at his incredibly nasty arsenal of pitches. It’s just when he gets that lost beagle look in his eyes that makes me nervous. Too much of that this year, and I’ll be begging Omar to relocate him closer to Mexico…and FAR away from Shea/Citi Field.

El Duque, hopefully you will be relegated to the bullpen and placed in traction to save you from yourself. Although if not, we could certainly do worse than having you as a number four guy in the rotation. I do believe that Omar will eventually sign Livan “McNugget” Hernandez, your chunky brother, to take your spot in the rotation.

Finally, Mike Pelfrey the onetime jewel amongst our young pitchers… Will this be your break out season? I certainly hope so. It isn’t that Mets fans don’t like you, it’s more of the urge to win now that makes us seem impatient or irrational. Take the ball and win…it’s all we ask Mikey!

I hope everyone has a great New Year and we enjoy many one sided Mets victories this coming season! These are just some opinions…what are some of yours?

Fred Wilpon – I promise to spend every red cent from the 20-30% increase in ticket prices, and add it to the team’s payroll budget so that Omar can go out and sign the best free agents available. I will enable Omar to have the same financial freedom as his Yankees counterpart, Brian Cashman. I will also use a portion of that money to relocate the Homerun Apple to the new Citi Field.  

Omar Minaya – In 2008 I will shake up our Minor League Operations and replace all of my good friends with qualified baseball people who have a reputation for being exceptional at evaluating talent at all levels. We will do whatever it takes to rebuild our farm system, and will no longer be deterred by amateur players who may have high signing bonus demands. Instead of going after the lowest priced bargains, we will draft players with the best skills sets and highest ceilings.

Willie Randolph – I will be firm and fair in 2008 when disciplining my players. I will not single out some players for lack of hustle while allowing other players a free pass. I will stress the importance of fundamentals at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field. This team will never be complacent again under my watch.

Rick Peterson – I will promise to stop wearing a jacket during the hot summer months when the temperatures on the field are sweltering. I will also give strong consideration to replacing my seventies hair style to one that doesn’t make me look like Robert Plant. Most of all, I promise to stop grumbling in Willie Randolph’s ear whenever one of my starters has surpassed 90 pitches.

Mr. Met – I promise to buy a higher caliber rocket launcher so that my free T-shirts will reach the upper deck in 2008. Despite not being named in the Mitchell Report, rumors still continue to haunt me regarding the size of my head, and how I have not aged much in the last 30 years. I am now committed to submitting to monthly blood and urine testing with all results to be made available to the public. Hopefully the rest of Major League Baseball will follow my example.

While rumors are swirling about the Mets actually being in the Johan Santana race, I don’t want to give up the New Orleans Zephyrs to ultimately spend $200 million on Santana. Sorry ’bout that. I want Carlos Gomez; we’d be unstoppable when it comes to stealing bases. I want Philip Humber; we haven’t really seen much of him but I could see him as either a future starter or a long reliever. I want Mike Pelfrey; I really feel he could be another success story from our ‘pen.

In fact, there’s another former top draft pick who found success within our bullpen: Aaron Heilman. In 2001, Heilman was the 18th pick overall out of Notre Dame. He made his MLB debut in 2003. Okay, so he pitched a one hitter against the Marlins but he posted a 5.63 ERA as a starter. In the middle of the 2005 season, Willie Randolph did something that would change our outlook on Heilman forever: he moved him into the ‘pen. After that, Heilman posted a 0.68 ERA for the rest of the 2005 season and ended that year with a 2.14 ERA. Okay, so he gave up The Home Run in Game 7, but he’s still the best reliever we have.

At one point in the season last year, Mike Pelfrey was 0-7. I was excited when he got the 5th rotation spot but after a while I cringed when he took the mound. Pelfrey would definitely not be the first pitcher to shift to the ‘pen. Even before Heilman, we had Jason Isringhausen. Lets just say he did a better job as a closer for the Cardinals than as a starter for the Mets. Putting Pelfrey in middle relief or short relief may not be such a bad thing. Okay, so we have Duanar Sanchez coming back from the prison I like to call the Florida Highway System, but putting Pelfrey in there also would hopefully provide stability to an otherwise shaky bullpen. We have Matt Wise, but lets face it, his numbers weren’t exactly great with the Brewers. And when Billy Wagner blows saves, there back to back to back to back to back. I can ttrust Heilman and Feliciano. I love Joe Smith, but he may need more time in the minors.

Putting Pelfrey in the ‘pen would at least give him a chance to prove himself in the majors. We’re not going to get much for him aftr he went 3-7 last year. Okay, so you package him with Humber, Gomez, and Mulvey but as a GM, I would be like, "That’s it?" We have NOTHING to trade. Put Pelfrey (and why not Humber as well?) in the ‘pen. It worked for Heilman and Isringhausen. As for a starter, I really thought we should have dealt Milledge for one of those guys in Oakland but now our best bet may be Livan Hernandez.

All off season long, we kept hearing about how there was so little interest in any Mets prospects. Less than a month ago we even traded our one time jewel of the system, Lastings Milledge, for a couple of serviceable players who are what they are.

We are being told that the Mets do not have the prospects to make a deal for a pitcher like Erik Bedard or Johan Santana, and yet both pitchers are still wearing the same uniforms they ended the season with.

I would love to see either pitcher throwing fast balls for the Mets next season, but I’ve already moved past that notion a long time ago. Was I too premature in writing off the idea of either of the pitching for the Mets in 2008?

The following appeared on ESPN.com in an article by Jason Stark…

The Twins continue to stay in contact with the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets and Mariners about a Johan Santana deal. But those talks have moved so slowly it’s now possible a Santana trade may not get done "for several weeks," according to one source with knowledge of the discussions.

The most surprising aspect of those talks to some baseball people is that the Mets remain in the mix. It may be because the Twins would like to move Santana to the National League if possible. But while the Mets have made a four-for-one offer built around center fielder Carlos Gomez, indications are that the teams remain far apart.

It’s believed the Mets offered Gomez, two of their three best young pitchers (Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey) and another prospect for Santana earlier this month. But according to one source who has spoken with the Mets, the Twins want the Mets "to rip up their whole farm system" for Santana.

Another source said he believes the Twins countered by asking for all three pitchers, along with Gomez and much-ballyhooed outfield prospect Fernando Martinez. The Twins originally asked for Jose Reyes. But one baseball man with knowledge of those talks says that possibility was dismissed "a long time ago."

How badly would you love to see the Mets win a World Series while playing their final season at Shea Stadium?

Bad enough to give up five of the Mets tops prospects to see Johan Santana in a Mets uniform for the next seven seasons?

Tough questions to answer aren’t they? Since Omar Minaya took the control of the team, the Mets have not had one minor leaguer grab an everyday job as a hitter in three years. They have not had one pitcher make any significant contribution or grab a regular rotation spot or bullpen assignment in three years either. In today’s game, three years without any help coming through your system is almost unheard of, but yet that is exactly what the Mets have gotten from their system. Of course that doesn’t include all the ones that got away like Brian Bannister, Heath Bell, Matt Lindstrom, etc. But when you consider that the Mets have nothing to show for any of those players, it makes you wonder what is going on with the state of the Mets Minor League Operations?

My point is this…

If we can finally use whatever talent we have in the minors to get a pitcher like Johan Santana who is only 28 years old, shouldn’t we do it? It’s not like our system has produced any fruit for this team in the last three years anyway…

Maybe the cost of waiting will expose a guy like Carlos Gomez to the point that we end up trading him to the Nats for someone like… well like Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. Things can change fast in this game. Last year we thought we had it all with Pelfrey, Humber and Milledge, and only one season later they are not even regarded as top prospects anymore.

Now those names have been replaced by Carlos Gomez (2 HR, 12 RBI, .232), Fernando Martinez (AA – 4 HR, 21 RBI, .270) and Kevin Mulvey (AA – 11-10 3.32). Neither of these players have established themselves in the minors, let alone the majors. Each of them are no different than any prospect on any team. Lot’s of potential, but none of it realized. Lot’s of talent, but a work in progress. You’ve heard it all before…

Maybe if I looked at Fernando Martinez and saw 32 HR, 97 RBI, I’d be like wow, we can’t trade this guy. But, I gotta tell you, aside from all the Mets hype… I don’t see anything that gets me excited.

Compare Carlos Gomez to his contemporary Jacob Ellsbury who hit .323 and stole 41 bases and had an OPS of .811 in the minors and then gets called up and hits .353 for the Red Sox with 3 homers and 9 stolen bases without getting caught. Now that gets me excited.

What exactly are we really giving up if we were to offer these guys for Johan Santana? Will any of them ever sniff an MVP Award or Cy Young Award like Santana consistently does? Maybe if our farm system had produced anything remotely close to Joba Chamberlain, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitski, Jonathon Papelbon, etc. in the last three years, I’d look at it differently. But when the cupboard is dry and somebody offers you a lifetime supply of free groceries for it, shouldn’t we take it?

I don’t even know how to feel about it. Maybe I’m just so frustrated by the lack of contributions from the farm over the last three years… What do you think about the farm system, the quality of our prospects, and of course Johan Santana?

It’s hard to believe that 2007 is finally coming to a close. Not only did "Your Season" not come, but it looks like for most of us, "our off season" hasn’t come either. Now that we are only days away from the official start to 2008 everyone seems to be getting a little retrospective this time of the year.

I came across a pretty good article by Marty Noble on Mets.com yesterday that seems to do a pretty good job in reviewing 2007 month by month.

They had played 87 games, produced a 21-12 record in the first 33 and split the subsequent 54. For the equivalent of one-third of a big league season, the Mets had played .500 ball. And when they paused at the traditional midpoint of the season, they didn’t recognize that 27-27 run for what it was… a warning.

The Mets looked back and saw their first 33 games and sensed 2007 was merely an extension of the 2006 regular season, a set of 162 they had dominated. Their vision must have been impaired when they glimpsed the 54 games that directly preceded the break; that or they thought 54 games of mediocrity were the aberration and 33 games were the true indication. Whatever the reason, no one was alarmed.

The downfall was epic — until the 2007 Mets, no team with a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining was unable to finish in first. It nuked the Mets in every way, picking at the scab of Yadier Molina and making the 2006 shortfall worse. It tarnished any and all individual achievements in 2007, and it threatens to contaminate ‘08.

Of course, Marty speaks the truth… There were many bloggers at the All Star Break including a few right here that saw the warning signs and wrote about it extensively. Unfortunately it was looked at as some Mets fans over-reacting and being negative, when in fact they were the voice of reason.

I wrote this in a post in late July…

I have suggested that the Mets make some moves to get some younger players on the team. As we enter the final turn in the race for the division, I am absolutely fearful of having our season derailed due to injuries. With a team that is counting heavily on  El Duque, Tom Glavine, Moises Alou, Shawn Green, and even Pedro if he ever returns, the Mets should cover their bets, before we end up covering our eyes.

And this was posted in early July…

Our batters really need to step up. Our offense has been better, but it needs to be consistent. You can’t go score 7-9 runs one game, and then 1-3 runs in the next game. That’s not going to get you very far.

The Mets need pitching, the Mets could really use an extra bat in the line-up. Omar Minaya should do something about this. We are the Mets. This is New York. Lets get something done. 

There is a world of talented and capable relief pitchers out in the trade market, and even though Omar Minaya is reluctant to pull the trigger on a trade, it may be the team’s undoing if he don’t.

It’s 2007 and this game has changed dramatically in the last 3 years The team with the best bullpen wins all the marbles… and that funny looking gold trophy with all the little flags on it.

Seeing the warning signs is hard to do when you ignore the obvious. Pointing out the warning signs is even tougher…

Getting back to Marty Noble’s article, it’s a must read. On his month by month breakdown, it even includes October through December which includes his thoughts on the Mets off-season so far…

We all know that one day in the near future David Wright will be named captain of the New York Mets. It may be in two years or it may even take three years, but it’s going to happen.

I think it should happen now… maybe in spring training before the team heads up north to embark on the new season.

It’s not that I want to rush the process, but after a disastrous end to last season and an off-season that has yet to fire up the fans, this team needs something to rally around, and naming David Wright our captain and emotional leader will bring joy to the masses.

His work ethic is unquestioned and he continues to improve year after year as a ballplayer. In the past the Mets have always chosen captains who were past their prime and I think it’s time we finally name a captain who can lead both on and off the field. By naming David Wright captain, we give him the respect that he so richly deserves.

His stats speak for themselves and his 30/30 season last year is just a small glimpse of what is yet to come. He will not cost the Wilpons any additional money and we do not have to give up any prospects to get this team the leader it so desperately needs.

We all know that Willie Randolph is not the on-field, vocal leader we need, and he readily admits it. Paul Lo Duca tried to do it, but most of the team never took him seriously. David Wright however, will succeed where Randolph and Lo Duca could not, and is the perfect man for the job.

Unlike many of the other Mets… win or lose, David Wright stood tall and faced the media each and every day. He remained optimistic right down to the last day of the season even though the weight of what was happening could be seen in his eyes. He feels what we feel. He is a role model for the young and an inspiration for us all.

The Mets desperately need some positive vibes. Naming Wright captain will do just that. It may be just the spark this team needs to feel good about themselves once again.

The Mets have an opportunity do something really good and really positive for the team. They have an opportunity to erase the bad memories of last season. I urge Omar and Willie to consider all the positives of such an action and follow their hearts.

We all know he is ready, so why wait?

Yesterday I affirmed my belief that the Mets are the team to beat in 2008. Despite all the negativity that has arisen from the lack of adding a top starter, I still believe that the Mets will in fact win the National League East and go to the post season with a drive and burning desire to win it all.

I have many reasons to back up my claim, and I have already explained one of those reasons as the re-signing of Luis Castillo. There is another reason even more compelling than the addition of Luis Castillo… It is the addition of the powerful middle of the order hitter the Mets had been lacking all season last year. No, I’m not talking about Brian Schneider or Ryan Church, although their contributions will both be positive upgrades in 2008. I speak of our lumbering first baseman, Carlos Delgado, whose prodigious power was missing in action last season.

When the Mets showed up for spring training last year, it was clear that Delgado had not yet fully healed from his two off season surgeries. He did all that was asked of him and showed up in perfect shape, but when you are 34 years old, your body does not heal like it once did when you were 24. In his willingness to help the team, he altered his stance and his swing so that it wouldn’t be as painful. Instead it only put more pressure on other parts of his body and caused him to go through a half dozen changes in his swing throughout the year. His poor production affected his psyche and soon his focus. In the end, he finished the season with the lowest homerun and RBI totals of his career.

His poor production greatly affected the performance of Carlos Beltran who flourished with Delgado hitting behind him in 2006. It called for drastic measures and by mid season, it was David Wright who was batting cleanup instead of Carlos Delgado. The lineup never really clicked. The Mets missed their big clutch RBI machine who was once the most feared hitter in our lineup. It caused both Beltran and Wright to go after pitches outside the strike zone, and changed their approaches at the plate. Runners were being stranded on the bases at an alarming rate, and it became very clear how much the Mets needed their left handed power-hitter to emerge from his funk. It never happened.

This season will be different. Carlos Delgado is completely healthy and determined to prove that last season was an aberration. He is 100% confident that he can still be the dominating presence in the middle of the lineup that he once was. His workout regimen this off season only hints at the comeback he has planned for the 2008 season. Another thing working in the Mets favor is that Delgado is in his walk year. Never underestimate the impact that a contract year can have on a players performance.

I believe Carlos Delgado will have one of the best seasons in his career in 2008. Most importantly… he believes it too. He is a proud man and a vocal leader in the clubhouse. He believes he let the team down and aims to rectify that in the upcoming season.

A solid year from Delgado will bring out the best in Carlos Beltran and David Wright. It will allow the lineup to work they way it should have last year. No more will pitchers pitch around Beltran or Wright so that they could get the big guy out. The Mets will have the clutch hitter that they sorely missed last year and everyone else in that lineup will feel more relaxed and thus become more productive.

I for one can’t wait to see Delgado launch a 450 foot blast on Opening Day and set the tone for what is bound to be another magical thrill-ride for the New York Mets in 2008. The power bat we have all been yearning for has been on the team all along. A word of warning to the pitchers of the National League East… Beware of Carlos Delgado!

In the past two months it seems that every Mets post on every Mets site has to do with pitching. I understand why Mets fans are so concerned when you consider the myriad of questions in our rotation as currently configured. Despite what some consider to be a flawed rotation, I still believe the Mets will win the division with the current cast of players.

I believe the Mets will be a far greater offensive team than they were last season. For one, they will have Luis Castillo for the entire year and not just August and September like last year. The two hole in the lineup had become a game of musical chairs going back to spring training of last year when rumors first surfaced that David Wright was going to take over that spot in the lineup. Eventually he did play a few games at the number two spot, along with Jose Valentin, Paul Lo Duca, Ruben Gotay, Endy Chavez, Carlos Beltran, Shawn Green, well… you get the picture.

Filling that two hole with Luis Castillo finally gave the Mets something they had been lacking for almost two years. Castillo brings a solid presence at the top of the order who can take a couple of pitches and allow Jose Reyes to do what he does better than anyone in the game. Even when Castillo is down in the count he has the ability to bear down and either leg out a hit or drive one over the infield. He has a great sense for the game, and is also one of the best bunters in the league. In the last five years he has drawn more walks than strikeouts, and only fanned 45 times last season in 550 at-bats. Despite his balky right knee, he was still a threat on the base paths, and stole 19 bases last season on a bum knee. His knee is now fully healthy again after having it scoped out. Defensively, only a very few are better. By seasons end, he was considered the best defensive infielder on the Mets.

Re-signing Luis Castillo was largely viewed as a no-big-deal signing. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was a big deal, and it may prove to be one of the wisest decisions Omar made in the off-season.

One of the last things I saw on my TV during the last Mets game of the season, was Luis Castillo sitting alone in the dugout in obvious mental anguish after the Mets collapse. He sat and stared at the ground filled with anger, disappointment, and all the same emotions us Mets fans were feeling. I didn’t see anyone else out there in that dugout… only Luis Castillo. The others ran into the clubhouse faster than you can say choke.

Luis Castillo is a winner. For two months he played his heart out for the Mets and he was justifiably rewarded for his efforts. There are a few more reasons why I believe the Mets will their division in 2008. Tomorrow I will lay out my case for Carlos Delgado.

MLB.com is reporting that the Seattle Mariners have in fact signed free agent pitcher Carlos Silva to a 4-year, $44 million dollar contract. The 28 year old pitcher has a career record of 55-46 with a career ERA of 4.31, and has proven to be a solid innings eater. He pitched six or more innings in 24 of his 33 starts last season.

Of the few free agent pitchers the Mets were rumored to be interested in, I liked Carlos Silva the best. Mostly because he is younger than Livan Hernandez and Bartolo Colon, but also because he has more upside and has won some big games for the Twins over the years. 

I definitely like Carlos Silva better than Kyle Lohse who is rumored to have an offer on the table from the Mets.

Am I alone in saying that I think I would rather have Mike Pelfrey pitch an entire season, rather than take on a guy like Lohse for four years, or Livan for three years?  Is Kyle Lohse or Livan Hernandez worth $40 million dollars more than Pelfrey? Believe me, I’m no big Pelfrey fan, but why throw good money after bad?