26
2008
If At First You Don’t Succeed… You Must Be Carlos Delgado
An article by 
They say that money can’t buy happiness, but in the case of Carlos Delgado it’s even worse than that. The $16 million dollars he is being paid, actually $20 million with the option included, makes Carlos Delgado the highest paid player on the New York Mets and first base overall. Yes, even more than Albert Pujols! And yet, for Delgado the enormity of that contract has become his own personal cross to bear. He carries it on his back with every single at bat and on every singe play at first base.
Today Joel Sherman of the NY Post takes his shot at Delgado with some biting remarks.
The Mets cannot pretend what is going on with Delgado is a blip, because blips don’t last a year and a month. There was always a rate of exchange with Delgado – accept the poor defense get 35 homers and 110 RBIs. But the defense is worse than ever, and the offense would be unacceptable for a middle infielder in 1968.
What he says is true. This slump dates back too long to call it a slump. It is a certain decline that 80% of 36-year olds go through unless they are on steroids…
It is hard to imagine the Mets offense ever taking off if Delgado continues on this path: one homer, nine RBIs and a .555 OPS, the second worst among 28 qualifying first basemen (Pittsburgh’s Adam LaRoche is at .429). At this point, Delgado’s 24 homers and .781 OPS that so appalled the organization and Mets fans last year would be a godsend.
I’d take last seasons numbers in a heartbeat!
Nevertheless, with Delgado two months shy of his 36th birthday, we should expect regression rather than rebound. That the Mets did not protect themselves for this contingency off of Delgado’s plummeting 2007 is a real blemish for Omar Minaya. Nobody on the roster is a full-time answer.
I wouldn’t say it was a real blemish for Omar, maybe just one of those mornings when you wake up with a pimple on the day of your big date… a $20 million dollar pimple.
Mike Carp is tearing up Double-A. But three scouts said the 21-year-old lefty thumper said is not ready for the majors. "I like him," one scout said. "But he is a level-to-level guy who is going to have to do Triple-A, as well, because he has a lot still to learn."
They should promote him to AAA already!
There will not be a happy ending where Carlos Delgado is concerned. He got a free pass last season, but so far this season he has become the poster boy for all of the Mets failures. He is fast becoming as big of negative impact as Guillermo Mota was in 2007.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
Went to my first Mets game, a Mayors Trophy game at Shea, in '73. We beat the Yankees 8-4 and I was hooked. I marched in two Banner Day parades, and before the Grand Slam single, there was the "Hendu Can Do" grand slam - I was there. I've collected Mets memorabilia all my life and started Mets Merized Online to feed my addiction.
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Hey, it’s OMar you should boo not Delgado. I have to assume Delgado is trying, he’s been a good player and a good guy throughout his career. He’s probably through, watching him last year was a good sign. It is Omar who made no contingency plans. It is Omar who spent 135 million and has no 1B man!
Can’t abide by the boos in April, folks. It’s not cool, and it doesn’t help. I feel bad for Delgado, who always appears to be a decent guy, and IS trying and is clearly bothered by what’s going on. Unfortunately, he’s looking pretty done…
Do not even think about bringing Carp up here yet. This was done with Pelfrey and he is STILL messed up from the pounding he took. I would agree that Carp should move on to AAA and there he should stay until September callups or next year’s ST.
Old Timer-
Good Point. The one that really deserves blame is Omar. For basically bringing back the same team that collapsed last year, and is loaded with guys that can’t stay healthy. Thank God I have the football Giants cuz there’s nothing worse in baseball than having a team of over priced / past thier prime vets.
Delgado IS A DECENT GUY! He is also 36 and Omar should have seen this coming. He’s 36!! Players retire at that age not have comebacks!
hate to say it but delgado looks done. his swing looks tired and he can barely move around the bases.
Outside of Delgado, can someone please tell me HOW IN THE WORLD a damn major league player with training staffs and doctors all over the place is placed in the hospital for an infected thumb. Please let me know how that happened Schneider, what are you like seven? That is just ridiculous (like this rant is). I am sick of seeing Raul “im not much of a” Casanova. We need you out there Brian so maybe if you keep your thumb out of your a$$ you can stay healthy and get our pitching situation straightened out.
Trade for Xavier Nady. Do it Omar. Do it, now. It makes too much sense. He’d add so much depth and offensive power to this team.
Here’s the problem in my opinion…This Mets team was pretty much put together to win the world series in 06. The pieces were all in place, but Pedro & El Duque got hurt and we folded against The Cardinals in the NLCS. The rest, as they say, is history. A sense of apathy and indifference seems to have set in ever since and we’re now left with some of the aging carnage from that ’06 team…Pedro, Delgado, El Duque, Billy Wagner (who’s pitched very well so far but will undoubtedly deteriorate once August comes around), etc. So now we’re left with a few guys who were considered key contributors at the time but now are either constantly hurt as a result of age or simply washed up…And they’ve got massive contracts on top of that, which will thankfully be expiring! What The Mets need to do is try to make the playoffs this year with the pieces they have, let the some of these contracts come off the books after this season, and try to retool intelligently during this upcoming offseason.