14
2009
The Mets Need to be BOLD
An article by 
As one of Omar Minaya’s biggest supporters, I do believe it will be time to demote him after this season. When you take a look around the big leagues, you notice there are eight teams that will continue to operate with a team salary of over $100 million. Those teams are the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Phillies and Dodgers.
There seems to be one glaring difference between their General Managers and ours, and one word comes to mind thanks to some Theo Epstein quotes in “Yankee Years.” That word is, Bold. In case you haven’t read the book, Epstein discusses in detail how it took one big off-season to really create a rivalry and legitimize the Red Sox franchise. That off-season was 2003, and he credits it to the fact that they were Bold in their efforts.
While I was in San Diego, I saw Minaya on the field with the team, and surrounded by reporters. Word was starting to come out that maybe John Ricco would become Minaya’s replacement, something that if it’s true, will come as no surprise to Minaya. All I kept thinking about was how no matter who has this job next year; their goal needs to remain the same. They need to figure out how to turn this franchise, into those other 8 teams. Those other eight teams are not only putting a consistently good team on the field, but they are also giving their fan base what they want during the off-season, and in the trade market. Effort.
Whether it’s Omar Minaya or John Ricco, the Mets have catching up to do. Here are a few items I think are realistic goals for the off-season, and will not only build a competitive team in 2010, but also set a tone for winning consistently, not just winning in a four year timeframe. Again, keep in mind, whether we want to admit it or not, 2007 and 2008 were not Minaya’s fault. He did enough to build a championship caliber team. The problem was, this year, 2009, was likely the end of the plan.
Let me just say, these are of course opinion. None of us are qualified to make real baseball decisions, but we can try to find realistic solutions to the problems that drive us to drinking. I keep reading how the Mets have something like only $20 million to spend on salaries next year in free agency. I don’t believe it. The main reason I do not believe it is if next year’s team plays as poorly as this year’s team but without major injuries, the Wilpon’s know it’s on them and nobody else. You can’t build a brand new stadium in New York with a lot of taxpayer money, and then claim you don’t have the money to make aggressive offers in free agency to get a winning team here.
So here we go!
#1 – Re-Assign Omar Minaya and promote John Ricco: I truly believe Minaya loves being a part of this franchise. He has a good relationship with a lot of players, and for the most part the media enjoys working with him (except, well you know.) Minaya has absolutely no chance (none) of getting another General Manager job anywhere else, anytime soon. His style of management is being weeded out by a younger generation, and without positive results to back himself up, and of course with the disaster that was Adam Rubin, Minaya’s best bet is to stay within the organization and become a useful asset to the new General Manager.
#2 – Re-structure the on-field management: I love Jerry Manuel as the manager of THIS team. I think no other manager could at least keep the fan base’s hopes alive for as long as he did. Again, take a look at the other managers in the above group. Girardi, J. Manuel, Pinella, Francona, Leyland, Scioscia, C. Manuel, and of course, Joe Torre. Can anybody honestly bring an argument to the table that Jerry Manuel isn’t at the bottom of that list? He’s not a championship manager, nor is he a manager that can attract players to come play in New York under his reign. Guys like Larry Bowa, Bobby Valentine, Buck Showalter are veteran guys who could light a fire in New York just in time for the free agents to make decisions. Another group could consist of Ken Oberkfell, Gary Carter, or Tim Teufel as former players who are all currently managing, and also had respectable careers on the field. Either way, it starts from the top down. You can’t convince a top tier free agent to come play at Citi Field if the manager isn’t somebody they feel can win the big one.
#3 – Trade Carlos Beltran: Mr. Beltran, thank you for all that you have done for this franchise, but we need to move on. Beltran turns 33 around Opening Day next year, and this team is not going to win a championship during the remainder of his contract. He is still one of the best outfielders in baseball and should garner a lot of interest if he were made available. The Red Sox have always been interested in Beltran. The Mets would have to get a big league player in return. With Boston, you have to think Jacoby Ellsbury would be a great fit for this franchise, but if you look at Los Angeles, the addition of Beltran to that lineup would make them a huge threat. The Dodgers could send the likes of Matt Kemp and Russell Martin to the Mets in my opinion, unless Josh Thole is really a big league catcher next year? Either way, Beltran has to go. His contract is too big, and he has to know his time in New York to win a championship has run out. If Thole is not major league ready, the Mets would HAVE to get an outfielder and catcher in this deal in my opinion.
#4 – Be Bold in the free agent market: There are possibly four players who are likely to file for free agency that the Mets should make a Yankees-like push and do whatever they have to in order to get them. In most cases, the Mets would not be competing with a lot of the big market teams for these players.
The first player is Nick Johnson. Quite possibly the most underrated first basemen in the major leagues. A player like Johnson would not only make Keith Hernandez proud, but he’d also make a guy like David Wright a better player in the middle of the lineup. What happens to Daniel Murphy if this happens, is likely he either rides the bench for the year and works on becoming a 2B (which was once the plan,) or he becomes trade bait for a young player. Either way (And I’ve owned Murphy t-shirts since August 08), Nick Johnson would be a perfect 1B for this team moving forward.
The second player is Carl Crawford. I’m assuming here that the Rays will decline his option, since it seems like every year they want to trade him, and they have the young talent to replace him. Crawford would be a perfect fit for the Mets and Citi Field. Close your eyes and imagine a top of the lineup consisting of Crawford and Reyes! He is a very aggressive player, and hustle is never an issue with one of the best base runners in the Major Leagues today.
The third (and this is really in no order,) is either John Lackey or Rich Harden. I think Lackey is more of a realistic acquisition for the Mets, and really is that a bad thing? The Mets wouldn’t ask either of these guys to lead their staff, and as long as they are offered top dollar, why wouldn’t they want to pitch behind Johan Santana? Lackey to me would be a better fit for the Mets, as he is more of a proven big game pitcher than Harden. Either way, the Mets can NOT enter 2010 without a legitimate number two starter. Pelfrey or Maine are third and fourth starters respectively and should not be asked to do more than that. That leaves Oliver Perez as the 4th starter, and then my new 5th starter!
The fourth and final big push would be for Joel Pineiro. We all know about Pineiro by now right? He’s a 30-year-old crazy groundball pitcher. He’s not a superstar, and will not be getting offers for big money spots on a depth chart. He’s a solid 4/5-type starter and a fit for this franchise probably more than any other player available in free agency. He’s not a top tier pitcher, so getting him shouldn’t be too big a problem. To me, a guy like Pineiro would and should love the idea of pitching for the Mets.
#5 – Consider trading John Maine or Mike Pelfrey, along with Jon Niese: Look, Oliver Perez is going nowhere. We’ll have to live or die by his contract, just like we’ve had to do the same with Luis Castillo. Of course, the only way I’d do this is if the Mets could sign Lackey/Harden and grab Piniero fairly cheap. If they can sign then, Maine or Pelfrey can help the Mets gain either quality young prospects or perhaps arms for the bullpen. Starting pitching is at a premium, especially young starting pitching. There would be a market for these guys, but only if they can sign my new #5 guy!
This all could not only help the Mets play catch-up with their competition, but can also build a winning culture within this franchise for several years. Why? Because we’re spending money to make money, while keeping our farm system in tact. There would be no reason to trade the likes of Fernando Martinez, if the Mets take gambles that are certainly worth taking. Imagine what a guy like Martinez could learn with the power of Jeff Francoeur and the speed of Carl Crawford on the big league roster?
Sure, maybe it’s all a dream. But the only other option is to revert back to 2001 and simply waste the talents that guys like Santana, Wright and Reyes have. They are 3 players any team would love to have as their core, and to me there is no sense in sitting around and waiting. There are very few teams who can make strong free agent push’s like the Mets, so they simply need to be the best this off-season. They have the money, they have the atmosphere, and they have the ability, now all they need to do, is be BOLD.
About the Author: Michael J. Branda
I work for a non-profit organization, working closely with all of our fundraisers in hope of one day finding a cure. My time with MMO began in July of 2009 when I wrote a Fan Post defending Omar Minaya (before it was cool to do that.) I grew up a Mets fan with the mid 1980's teams. My favorite Met of all-time is (and was) Wally Backman. When it comes to sabermetrics versus old school thinking, I like to think I meet in the middle. I believe thinking of new ways to get answers is helpful, especially when the same way has not produced results. However, I think over-thinking certain situations can get you into trouble. I'm excited for the new regime, because I believe they have pieces in place to focus on several aspects of the Mets organization. I've waited this long for a World Series, waiting a few more years for another chance isn't going to kill me.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 20 | .565 | 1.0 |
| Mets | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Marlins | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 23 | 23 | .500 | 4.0 |
Last updated: 05/25/2012
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I stopped reading after ….. ” As one of Omar Minaya’s biggest supporters…. “
That is quite a plan you have there. I wouldn’t mind moving Beltran to the Dodgers for Martin and Kemp, but you haven’t convinced me why the Dodgers would make this deal. Do they have a catcher waiting in the wings?
As for Lackey and Pineiro, I like both of them. I don’t think the Mets will tender Maine in arbitration. Also, just because we have to pay Perez it doesn’t mean we have to play him in the rotation.
I do like Elsbury and wouldn’t mind trading Reyes for him. The Red Sox like Reyes and Jose is too immature and his play is erratic despite his immense talent. Beltran still has at least 4-5 solid years ahead of him, and there’s none better in CF.
As for Reyes replacement, maybe it’s time to usher in the Ruben Tejada era.
Excellent post.
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACCOMODATION
WALTER, SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS; BUT ANYONE WHO TRADES AWAY A YOUNG TOP TALENTED BALLPLAYER BECAUSE OF “IMMATURITY” IS SHORTSIGHTED & IMMATAURE(MY 17 YR OLD SON IS IMMATURE TODAY; THAT DOESN’T MEAN I’M COUNTING ON THE SAME FOR NEXT YEAR). WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF TEJADA’S MATURIZATION LEVEL? THERE WAS A LOT OF THE TEAM’S ENERGY THAT DIDN’T GET OFF THAT FLIGHT TO SF IN MAY. AS I RECALL ANOTHER IMMATURE TALENT WE TOLERATED WAS STRAW; BUT JUST BECAUSE HE HIT HRs IN DROVES IT WAS OVERLOOKED THERE WERE MANY,MANY CRITICS THAT CASTIGATED HIS WORK ETHIC & ACCUSED HIM OF DOGGING IT & PLAYING TOO DEEPLY, NOT WILLING TO DIVE FOR BALLS, ETC OR RUN HARD ON EVERY GB OR POPUP. WONDER HOW FAR ’86 WOULD’VE GONE SANS STRAW? I HAVE TO AGREE WITH JESS THAT WITH THE PROPER REPLACEMENT, BELTRAN IS THE MOST EXPENDABLE OF THE 3 CORE POSITION PLAYERS. TOO LITTLE IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT OF THE DISPARITY BETWEEN FAN DESIRES & OWNERSHIP DESIRES. FANS WOULD LOVE TO REMAKE THAT ’86 TEAM WHILE FRED WOULD PREFER DEATH! IT’S WHY THERE IS LITTLE ’86 PRESENCE ON THE FIELD OR BEFORE THIS HOMESTAND IN THE STADIUM! PROMISING MEANINGFUL GAMES IS A FAR CRY FROM PROMISING CHAMPIONSHIPS AS RECREATING “THE BOYS OF SUMMER” IS A UNIVERSE AWAY FROM RECREATING THE “’86ers”.
Yeah they were bold. And pretty bold too in encouraging their players to use steroids.At least the mets lost fair and square
Aye: Every team took steroids. Every team.
Wishful thinking by the way. No one is gonna give top talent, jacon ellsbury??? are you kidding for beltran and his 17 million contract and the word microfracture being thrown around everyday. Matt kemp and russel martin for beltran and his 17 million contract?? Are you high?? This isnt playstation or baseball mogul. Whats next? Billy wagner for Roy Halladay?
Also, you really didnt say the mets should sign nick johnson? How many times has he been injured???
Dreams, nice ones, but time to live in reality. If youre gonna write blogs and expect to gain credibility please do not fantasize or propose playstation trades.
You’re acting like Nick Johnson has common hamstring injuries or something. The guy has had some back issues, sure.
But his main injuries were a freak accident at Shea in 2006 when he broke his femur and a ball that took a wicked hop and ended up breaking his cheekbone.
He is also the nephew of Larry Bowa, who many believe could be a good fit to manage the Mets.
He is a legit 1B, power and on base threat and as good as they come for what the Mets could be in the market for. You got a better idea for 1B based on talent available? I mean if you’re going to tell me Murphy is the 1B and you’d rather have him over Nick Johnson, then I’m sorry you’re wrong. Look at his numbers this year, 06 before the injury and 05. You telling me you wouldn’t want that on the Mets?
If the Dodgers are a step away from a Championship, thus 1 final year with Manny…why wouldn’t they want an heir to the throne in Beltran who can also help them get over the hump?
Just because Kemp is young doesn’t mean he’s going to be some stud. He probably won’t be any better than he is now and he brings in what 15hr 70 rbi year? Russell Martin is a .700 OPS catcher, he’s a good player at best… but to say that idea is a playstation type deal is ridiculous. Beltran would do more for that team now than Martin and Kemp combined.
BecauseSimply Kemp is much younger than beltran is and not OVERPAID. Your argument is in no way shape or form REALISTIC. neither are your trade proposals!!! They are super absurd.
Back injuries are the one thing you want to stay away from. 2 words for you: Rico Brogna
Two words for you. Vlad Guerrero. Remember his back problems that forced the Mets to shy away from him? Remind me again what award he won the very next year?
Tell ya what. I’ll put your insults aside. I haven’t seen a better idea from you so I’ll give you a chance.
Assume Daniel Murphy is not a starting 1B for a team attempting to win a division.
Who is our 1B next year? There’s no point in getting an over the hill 1B. Haven’t we had enough of these 2 year wonders and then having to go back to the drawing board?
So you know you can’t have:
Cabrera, Pujols, Youk (3B/1B), Prince, Morneau, Teixera, Adrian Gonzalez, or Ryan Howard.
That leaves:
Nick Johnson
Kendry Morales- No way he can be had
Billy Butler
James Loney
Casey Kotchman
Jorge Cantu
Adam LaRoche
Carlos Pena
So tell me. Who plays 1B on a team desperate to make some sort of competitive run, while also not being over the hill. Unless you want Delgado back next year?
To me it’s a no brainer on that list of players that Nick Johnson would be the best player possible/obtainable.
And one more thing? What insults? That your trade proposals are ridiculous? Youre writting for a website. As a writter, expect CRITICISM…and when you write well, compliments. Didnt they teach you this in Writting 101???
That is quite a plan you have there. I wouldn’t mind moving Beltran to the Dodgers for Martin and Kemp, but you haven’t convinced me why the Dodgers would make this deal. Do they have a catcher waiting in the wings?
—- Plenty of free agent catchers avail, and I wouldn’t mind sending Thole or Omir.
As for Lackey and Pineiro, I like both of them. I don’t think the Mets will tender Maine in arbitration. Also, just because we have to pay Perez it doesn’t mean we have to play him in the rotation.
—- Yeah it does actually. There is absolutely no way Oliver Perez is not in the rotation next year unless somebody really wants to take a risk on him in the trade market. His contract practically reserves him a spot… if it didn’t, they wouldn’t have taken so many steps to get him back.
I do like Elsbury and wouldn’t mind trading Reyes for him. The Red Sox like Reyes and Jose is too immature and his play is erratic despite his immense talent. Beltran still has at least 4-5 solid years ahead of him, and there’s none better in CF.
— Reyes is how old? And we want him to be mature? He’s not even in his prime years yet. Beltran is going to be 33 and suffering from an injury that some say it could take over a year for him to be the same again, specifically players who have had this injury.
Why rush Tejada to replace the most explosive player we’ve had? How about you let him develop and learn to play 2B full time for when Castillo is finally gone?
Wow is this a conversation between Jessep and Jessep? Are you really Jessep or are you Rickey Henderson speaking in the 3rd person? Omar did take care of the issues that held Mets back in the past 3 years but he has never been pro active, he has been re-active and not planning for the eventual departure of Delgado is un-excusable and what does he have to show from the past 3 drafts that the Mets can count on for 2010 or 2011? For the great thinker out there that always wants to trade Jose, come on, can’t you come up with something different? The Reyes thing is so old and over played, he was hurt this year and I think the blame is 50/50, his and Mets for allowing him to play in LA when he was hurt. He has averaged over a 155 games last 3 years and let NL in hits last year and would have led in runs if the hitters behind him had at least come thru 33% of the time. Reyes is an extra ordinary talent both at bat and on the field as demonstrated by his replacements who cannot cover like he can. You know I am so tired of the immature thing with Jose. He complains about not wanting to come out of game and he is villified. He is a entertaining and gifted athlete that was hurt his early years with Met cause they tried to change his running style and make him play 2nd base, sheesh, come on Jessep come up with something original not what the intelligent radio jocks comment on all the time. Any team out there would take him in a heartbeat except for the harsh Met bloggers who have now become talent experts like Omar. Ha give me a break. Why would Beltran ok a trade to Boston and what do you think Boston is going to give considering his problem with his knee this year? So many pie in the sky trades that if half the trades suggested were done then the mets would not be competitive and look like a fantasy team.
LOL
My last comment will address the Mets farm system:
1 Who’s brilliant idea was it to rush young players to play at levels that “challenged” them to make them better. Show me a team that does this and their results cause I think this hurts players especially the really young ones and the pitchers.
2 Who was the architect of our farm system? Omar, Tony, Ricco? Mets need to pay their draftees what ever it takes within reason and not always pay slot cause it hurts our getting good players.
3 Where is the massive influx of international players that the Mets and Omar promised us? Still waiting and soon there will be a draft and you can kiss your connections to players goodbye. I want Mets to bid as they did for Dice-k and go after those players that are great internationally.
4 If Buffalo and Binghamton are going to lose as bad as they are then you should have the young and upcoming kids there, not the over the hill vets that Omar likes to sign. If I lived in those cities I would be embarrassed to go to those awful games. That is a reflection on Omar and Tony and possibly the Wilpons.
5 And then we wonder why our prospects are not ready for primetime when they are taught a losing mentality while in minors. Look at how the Twins do it and the Angels. They have a plan for their minor leaguers, that is available for any scout or GM to see and imitate, that include hitting with RISP, making contact better, taking the extra base. This is why Twins are always in top of avg with RISP every year even if they don’t hit for a high avg.
Just my 2 cents Jessep and please stop it with the Rickey thing cause it is troubling.
hey…
“Wow is this a conversation between Jessep and Jessep?”
- I mean I was in SD to see Rickey get honored but I am pretty sure all of my responses were to other comments…
Not going to quote your paragraph about Reyes… but I never once said nor have I ever said in my life that the Mets should deal Reyes. That was somebody else on here responding to me.
It’s too bad the Mets didnt make the Yankees-esque moves last off season. The yankees had just traded for 1B Nick Swisher and still they went after Tex. The Mets should have never picked up that option on Delgado. They simply should have gone after a younger and better Tex. As for Lackey and Harden, we should have went after Burnett or Sabathia.
hmm.. i have an idea, how about a new medical staff???!!!!??? they suck and they’ve screwed up big time this year. those doctors need to be replaced.
secondly, reyes and beltran stay. they need not to be moved and in this GREAT CHANGE (im being sarcastic) whose our power guy. your bringing in more singles and doubles hitters. heres a thought, how about trading for adam dunn??? he could be had, the nats owe him $10 mill next year and you think they want to pay that? he could be a possibility, or even prince fielder who would be a bit pricier but he could be a possibility as well (a bit more unlikely but better than nick johnson) hes going into arbitration again and how much more money will he ask for this time? do u really think the brewers will continue to pay him what he feels he needs to be paid? i didnt think so either.
another suggestion would be a second lefty reliever. that could help us because john switzer isnt on my mind when i think about a great bullpen. your going to need a setup man for frankie next year, given that wagner and putz will be gone.
i say take a chance on john maine next year. you wont have to pay him a ton and he has nothing on his side for arbitration. he won 15 games a year or two ago. HE HASNT DONE A THING THIS YEAR. lets see how he works out.
pay lackey his money! he is pretty good pitcher that could be put into this rotation behind johan and, if healthy, could do great things. also, keep an eye on bobby parnell. the kid looked good tonight but see how he develops and if he could really be apart of the rotation next year.
1.santana
2.lackey
3.perez (because hes another lefty)
4.maine or pelf (if they keep him and hes healthy)
5.parnell (hes more of a wait and see kind of guy right now)
you really cant predict the rotation for next year this early, but i couldnt help but wonder. doesnt look horrible and looks better than what we have now.
in conclusion, i believe that your illogical thinking has led you to failure of assembling this ball club. YOU FAIL!!!
im not saying mine is better but your too drastic and your moves make very little sense.
We should be all over Dunn. Is he a horrible fielder. Yes. But if we put him at first we can kind of negate that a little. I think the offense he would give us would far outweigh his liability in the field (as long as we played him at first).
Mets fans would hate Adam Dunn by June. He’s a strikeout machine. He’s a .230 hitter having a career year that doesn’t match any other season he’s ever put up. I’ve said it before, you think Toronto’s GM just made up the fact that GMs in baseball think Dunn has 0 passion for the game? I don’t think so. He’s terrible defensively and would just be a sideshow to a disaster. He’s not a winning player.
Let me throw in my two cents here…
I dont think Dunn is anymore of a strikeout machine than former MVP Ryan Howard. Plus Dunn has higher OBP by far which means Howard makes more outs per nine innings than Dunn does.
They are ten days apart in age, but Dunn has 100 more homers and 200 more RBI’s. And 500 more walks. Six straight seasons of 40+ HR and 100+ BB an MLB record.
Dunn is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball more so than Howard. 15 IBB vs. 3 IBB.
Last three year K’s:
Howard – 181, 199, 199 – rising
Dunn – 194, 165, 164 – going down
Dunn don’t play in a bandbox.
Dunn would be an improvement over Murphy at first base any day.
Think of the difference Dunn would have made in those 30 one-run losses.
You just inspired me to blog about this, lol.
Let me throw you my 1.46 cents back
If Dunn is so feared and such a great player to have. Why did he sign with the Nationals? And why did it take until early Feb for him to sign? You think if Ryan Howard was a free agent it would have taken that long for him to sign last year, and he certainly wouldn’t have been forced to sign with the worst team in the league.
Adam Dunn is on pace for 184K’s in a full 162 game season this year… so your 3 year projection of his #s going down is inaccurate.
“They are ten days apart in age, but Dunn has 100 more homers and 200 more RBI’s. And 500 more walks. Six straight seasons of 40+ HR and 100+ BB an MLB record.”
—- Dunn’s also been in the big leagues since 01, Howard since 04. Howard has a better career OPS, SLG, AVG, and a better 162 game average in HR, RBI.
“Dunn is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball more so than Howard. 15 IBB vs. 3 IBB.”
— Also an inaccurate assesment of the facts. If you IBB Adam Dunn you’ve been forced to pitch to in most occasions Josh Willingham, Cristian Guzman or Austin Kearns. If you IBB Howard you put a runner on for Ibanez or Werth. No brainer as to why Dunn’s are so much higher than Howard’s. Has nothing to do with 1 being scarier than the other, it has to do with the person they are trying to get to.
“Dunn don’t play in a bandbox.”
Howard has hit more HR on the road than he has at Home, and just FYI… Citi Field has a larger HR Park Factor than Citizen’s Bank…
Howard is a much better player than Dunn. Dunn is a stats accumulator. He’s not a winning player. If you’re telling me you’d rather have Dunn over Howard, you’re insane.
Adam Dunn is a nice player to have on your team for #s but if he’s asked to be a leader or a middle of the order guy to get your team to a championship, he’s not an answer at all.
Sorry Jessep, comment was towards other poster who has the “Trade Reyes” no matter what he does, even when he is hurt it is his fault.
Prior to Beltran going on the DL he carried this team. It wasn’t until he went out that this team began to totally fall(in my opinion). I would not make a deal for Nick Johnson unless its for just one year. He is injury prone. And quite frankly I am not a fan of Prince Fielder. I like Joel Pinerio and would possibly pick him up as well as try for Lackey. I have often thought about the possiblity of trading Reyes to Boston because they need a SS. However, the question becomes who would play SS for the Mets? And what would we get in return? I am not sure I am ready to let go of Reyes.
This team has a great deal of needs and I just hope that the management address them….
I don’t see the advantage in trading Beltran, at least not for Ellsbury. Beltran will be just fine by spring training, and he is the MVP of this team. Like Rachel said in another comment. it wasn’t until Beltran went on the shelf that this team fell apart. We were doing just fine without Reyes and Delgado and were fourth in the league in runs scored and third in batting until Beltran got hurt. If anybody goes it should be Reyes who has some of the worst fundamentals I’ve ever seen in a six-year major leaguer. Plus he is nearing free agency so once he proves he’s healthy, ship him off. We have two shortstop prospects that have scouts drooling. In another 18 months either of them could be ready and Flores is the shortstop of the future, not Reyes. Reyes gave us some thrills and had a solid skills set, but he had nothing upstairs and cost us plenty of games due to bad decisions. Speed only kills when you know how to use it. In Beltran we have someone who could cover the vast grounds of CitiField better than anybody, and is a better base stealer than Reyes ever will be even though Reyes is faster. Beltran is the Mets best run producer. He is a warrior and I hope he retires as a Met. I’d trade Reyes for Ellsbury in a heartbeat and slide Beltran to LF to lessen the wear and tear. Unfortunately, I think the Red Sox would laugh at us unless we kicked in another player.
Wow…I agree on some things but Beltran isn’t going anywhere…esp now. And even if they do trade him he has a no-trade clause and an agent named Boras who would def ask for an extension. I agree on Omar, but the Mets can keep Manuel. Alomar has to go and Reassign Hojo and Warthen. I would try to pry Duncan from the Cardinals but thats unlikely. Number one priority for the Mets offseason after solving the GM problem, is get a new medical team. One that is willing to place players on the DL instead of playing short all the time or making an injury worse. As far as the team, Santana and Oliver are staying not by choice but becuase of contracts. Pelfrey and Maine should be packaged…and here is the BOLD move, with Reyes for a blockbuster deal. Whether together or seperate they should go and fill some holes. I’ve always said Jose Reyes will end up with the Yankees some day…not saying to trade him to them but if he ever becomes a FA book it. But the team that could use Reyes the most is the Redsox…in which I would ask for Reddick, Lowrie and Bowden. As for 1B forget Johnson… they need a big bat, Pena comes to mind but I prefer Loney. Dodgers might be willing to trade him for pitching. And I would trade Pelfrey for him. Maine would go to the Texas Rangers or Dback for a backstop. The Mets do need to get a number two pitcher…which would be Lackey but I wouldn’t mind Escobar if healthy. All in all team i would love to see next year:
SANTANA, LACKEY, OLIVER, BOWDEN, PARNELL (NEIVE,NIESE, HOLT, MEJIA DEPTH)
CASTILLO,WRIGHT,BELTRAN,FRANCOUER,LONEY,YOUNG,SNYDER,LOWRIE
KROD,STOKES,FELICIANO,BOSTICK,FIGUEROA
SANTOS,TATIS,CORA,MURPHY,PAGAN (BENCH)
FMART, REDDICK, THOLE, DAVIS, HERNANDEZ, TEJADA (DEPTH)
TRADES
REYES-REDDICK, LOWRIE, BOWDEN
MAINE,KUNZ,PENA-SNYDER, YOUNG (FRANCOUER TRADE ATMOSPHERE)
PELFREY,DUDA-LONEY
Why would trading a 26 year old all-star SS make more sense than trading a 33 year old high priced outfielder?
I honestly can’t wrap my brain around this Nick Johnson hatred. He’s played in 110 games this year, perfectly acceptable total. Again, if there’s a better 1B fit out there, name it. Johnson fits perfectly in the lineup, and if they can manage to keep Murphy they have protection in case of injury… but Johnson’s #s when healthy are very good and he’s proven this year he can stay healthy.
While I agree trading Reyes with his potential could be a bad move…he’s the only player of any value the Mets have. If Beltran was willing to get traded and not force an extention issue than I would agree with you. Beltran could easily go to the Redsox and bring back a better package than Reyes…
Johnson to me is still injury prone…why not just give Murphy the base and have Ike Davis as depth. The Mets and fans just don’t give their players any chance to develop in the big leagues. Murphy schown he can hit, field while learning and has the grit everybody wants. I love Loney so I was playing “favorite” when I picked him…Murphy is more than capable of staying at first. If Beltran and Wright power come next year they don’t need as much power from 1b.
In all reality the Mets have to get younger and stop bringing in old players or anybody past their 30 unless they’re an ace.
I would love to see Reyes, Hudson, Wright, Beltran, Holliday, Francouer, Snyder, Murphy…next year but the Mets aren’t going to spend the Money. Having Murphy, Parnell, Niese, Bostick in the team saves them money…
Your article was on a roll with steps 1 and 2 and should have stopped there. Step 1 is the new GM. Great move, but Omar needs to be completely out of the organization, not in it as an advisor. What is he going to advise about? Let’s go BOLD as you say and cut him completely loose and get a real BB exec in to do this job. Step 2 is the new field mgr. Great move again. Let’s have a mgr on the caliber of those you list, if not one of them. What would it take to get Mike Scioscia in here? The stop there and put all the rest of that stuff in the can please. Leave those things up to the new GM you just recruited. He will know more about it than you do. Don’t trade Beltran. Look at other 1B’s before settling on Nick Johnson. Trade off Murphy and Pagan to fill a hole somewhere. Upgrade the pitching staff – sure! Trade for Carl Crawford, even with Beltran here – sure!
Let’s leve all that stuff to the new GM. But first let’s make sure we get the new GM and totally void the Mets organization of Omar’s poison.
Scoiscia is signed through 2018 with the Angels
OK, but we should be able to improve upon Jerry. Was it JoeD who waved Ryne Sandberg at us recently? He would stand up in the company of the first class mgrs you listed.
Jessep,
I’m replying here because our threads only go five deep.
There’s no way in hell I’d take Dunn over Howard, I’m simply pointing out that they are not that dissimilar in the grand scheme of things.
As for never winning, Cincy hasn’t won in quite some time and that’s not Dunn’s fault, but if we had Dunn’s power on the Mets this season, we could have easily won a dozen more of those one-run losses and that would change the playoff landscape dramatically.
Winning comes down to being better than your opponent. Given the Mets power shortage they were more inferior most of the time. Dunn would have changed that dynamic and improved our output from the cleanup spot which may have dramatically given Wright more fastballs to swing at too.
I guess we’ll just agree to disagree on him though. No biggie.