In the words of the legendary 1990′s grunge band, Soundgarden’s lead singer Chris Cornell, the Mets have “fell on black days”.
This season has been one filled with injuries, heart break and disappointment. There haven’t been many bright spots as we head into the final full month of the regular season. Even the younger unproven intriguing players players, who were called up, such as Jon Niese and Fernando Nieve, have been stricken by injuries that will sideline them for the rest of the season.
Other players, who the Mets thought would be mainstays on their roster have yet to pan out, such as Daniel Murphy, w
ho had to change positions mid-year due to horrendous defense in the outfield.
However, in my eyes one player has really stood out and embraced his role as a starter quite well. That player is Angel Pagan.
Pagan, who spent many years in the Mets farm system before having a cup of coffee with the Cubs, was not projected to have a role with the team beyond a possible fifth outfielder spot. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even begin the season at the Major League level.
However, after the rash of injuries that brought down star center fielder, Carlos Beltran, Pagan got his big break.
As my colleague here at Mets Merized Online, Ed Leyro pointed out back at the end of July, Pagan had just begun his fine season. One that I think few people would have thought would continue. Well here we are in September and Pagan is still looking strong.
Since July 10th, Pagan has appeared in 44 games. Over the course of the season, he has amassed 221 at-bats, which is by far more than he has had in any of the prior three seasons in his career.
He has also surpassed his previous career totals in hits, doubles, triples and home runs. The most significant increase in these categories falls in the triples category.
Prior to this season, Pagan hit a total of six triples throughout his entire Major League career. On September 1st, with still over a month of baseball to be played, Pagan already has seven triples in this season alone.
It should be noted that Pagan did not start off as well as he would have liked. He suffered some injury setbacks, and as I had reported back in May, spent some time in police custody for not paying numerous traffic violations. Like many of his teammates, he also spent sometime on the disabled list.
Those struggles make his accomplishments this season even more impressive.
I would, however like to issue a disclaimer of sorts on Angel Pagan. While he has certainly, exceeded expectations this year there is no reason to believe that he is capable of being an everyday outfielder in the 2010 Mets lineup.
In his almost four year career, Pagan has only had 630 at-bats. That may sound like a lot, but consider this last season Mets shortstop Jose Reyes had 638 at-bats. What troubles me more so is that in every season that Pagan has played at the Major League level (including this one), he has spent at least fifteen days on the disabled list.
While I look forward to seeing him next season, his role would the team should be as a solid bench player, who plays the outfield every once and a while, and not someone who is an everday player.
I agree on the bench role for Pagan as I think he would be fine as the 4th OF’er. That begs the question of whether the Mets will go out and get a productive LF’er during the off-season. The current evidence is that the answer is probably NO. So where do we go from here? Most likely wait 2 yrs for Nieuwenhuis to be ready.
MASK, ONE CONDITION ON THAT BENCH ROLE, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE BUY HIM A GPS TO USE ON THE BASES? LMAO
That was really bad last night.
The way we have been going Pagan might end up a starter. LOL
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we see Pagan in the Opening Day 2010 starting lineup because the Mets are looking for cheap capable players. Pagan is certainly a capable player, but the question is can his body endure a full season in the big leagues, and to be honest I don’t think it can.
The way it’s gonna go is if Mets get a first baseman then Murphy is benching, Pagan is starter in left and batting second.
If Mets get an outfielder Pagan is bench, Murphy starter @ first and batting second.
Pagan still has to work on his game…his overall fielding and base-running. I do like him as a 4th Outfielder/spot-starter..however
his fundamentals are still very questionable. If he wants to graduate to be a starater he still needs to improve:
1) His base-running – He needs plenty of work here. I’ve also seen him blatantly ignore 3B coach Razor Shines as well.
2) His fielding – a CFer needs to take charge and as recently as the other day vs. Cubs he backed off to let a back-peddling Castillo try and catch a ball that was his.
His over-all baseball smarts need a good tune-up to take him to the next level. If he can do that then he may be able to become a starter, if not, he’s a good career 4th outfielder. He has talent but he plays the game like a backup.
I would start Pagan in leftfield next year under the following conditions:
1. We sign Matt Murton, who can platoon either with Cory Sullivan or Chris Carter;
2. We invest the money we would have spent for a FA import, such as Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, in a top-tier starter, such as Roy Halladay.
3. We trade for Brandon Phillips, who would offset the loss in power we might otherwise expect from a corner outfield position.
4. Pagan bats leadoff and Reyes bats second. Pagan has better plate discipline, and Reyes would be required to have better plate discipline as the No. 2 hitter. He would also be protected in the lineup, presuming Wright is hitting behind him.
5. The lineup looks something like this:
LF – Pagan
ss – Reyes
3b – Wright
CF – Beltran
2b – Phillips*
1b – Murphy
RF – Francouer
C – Santos/Thole
P – Santana, Halladay, Pelfrey, Ollie/Niese, Maine/Nieve
Comments:
*Kiss F-Mart & Maine good-bye and trade Castillo while he has credible value.
I really want Brandon Phillips on our team. He has an effervescence remiscient of Mookie. He loves the game and would be a great teammate to guys like Francouer and Wright.
Francouer bats 7th to anchor the lower 3rd of the line-up with some power production.
Excellent – I agree with this 100%
That’s not a good lineup
Reyes is not smart enough to be a 2 hitter.
His recklessness better suits him for the leadoff spot, hitting number 2 you have sometimes have to take pitches to allow the leadoff guy to steal..he won’t do that. Hitting 2nd also sometimes takes situational hitting and that’s not Reyes. Hitting second will also take away from Reyes’ running game. Late in a game if he’s hitting second, gets a hit and steals 2B you increase the chances of the 3rd or 4th hitter being intentionally walked. Leave Reyes in the leadoff spot so he can do his thing.
- I’m not convinced yet of Pagan as a starter and he’s not too bright upstairs as well. Pagan & Reyes are not a championship 1 & 2 duo.
- Murphy is not a starter, he’s a backup/platoon player.
- I would prefer Francoeur up in the lineup more to get more ABs. I don’t subscribe to someone anchoring the bottom of the order because the lower you are in the order, the less ABs you get. You want your good hitters up in the lineup as much as possible. Francoeur should hit no lower than 6. Of course if we get 2 sluggers or a slugger and a number 2 hitter than Francoeur would hit lower by default and that’s a good problem. If I remember correctly, Hojo used to hit 7th sometimes and hit 30+ Hrs.
- Don’t be so sure Thole is ready to be on the roster in 2010, geez, we haven’t even seen him yet.
- Santos is another backup
Given the budgetary constraints, I beg to differ – its a very good line-up.
I disagree wholeheartedly that Reyes is not “smart enough” to be a no. 2 hitter. That’s quite demeaning language. The fact that he’s impulsive and electric doesn’t necessarily diminish his cognitive capacity. Indeed, he may not adapt to a no. 2 role…so feel free to invert nos. 1 and 2, and have Pagan bat second if that works better. Rather, I believe Reyes’ “recklessness” works against him, and that the no. 2 slot would impose some discipline on his ABs.
Further, you sell Daniel Murphy quite short. He’s an excellent contact hitter who could thrive in the right situation. Bear in mind, that if we’re developing from within, Ike Davis should be ready to assume 1st base duties, and Murphy could morph (sorry) into a supersub of sorts (sorry, again).
Aaaannnd, if the Wilpons really want to invest their money wisely, in 2011 they will snap-up Carl Crawford, and make Pagan the supersub in the outfield, at the ready anytime Beltran’s knees get achy.
Omir Santos is a gamer, I’ll just leave it at that. Piazza has retired.
Be patient, Mets Fan. How’s this line-up for 2011?
Crawford
Reyes
Wright
Beltran
Phillips
Ike Davis
Francouer
Santos/Thole.
Bench: Thole, Pagan, Murphy, Merton, AHern.
I kinda like it.
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACCOMODATION
TOMMY, PLATE DISCIPLINE? USUALLY BEST INDICATED IN OBP. NO?
REYES’ CARRER OBP .337 Vs PAGAN @ .325. REYES BEST .358 IN ’08 WORST WAS MISERABLE .271 IN ’04
PAGAN’S CAREER OBP .325 WITH A BEST OF .346 ALSO IN ’08 WORST OF .306 FROM BOTH ’06 & ’07.
REYES HAS AVG’D 37 BB PER YR Vs PAGAN @ 13.25 PER WHILE ANGEL CERTAINLY Ks FEWER TIMES @ 28 PER AVG Vs REYES’ 45 PER.
I DON’T SEE PAGAN AS AN ACTUAL “GAME CHANGER” ala REYES. THIS YR IS HIS FIRST WITH MORE THAN 200 AB IN HIS 4 YR MAJOR LEAGUE CAREER. REYES CONTINUES TO BE THE MOST UNDER APPRECIATED PLAYER ON THIS TEAM. HIS VALUE HAS BEEN MASKED BY ALL OF THE MISSING INGREDIANTS THIS YR, UNFORTUNATLY HIS ABILITY TO IMPROVE THE STATS OF WHOMEVER IS BATTING #2 ISN’T BEING ULTIMIZED BY A LIGHT HITTING SLAP HITTER CASTILLO, RATHER PAGAN BEHIND REYES WOULD LIKELY ADD 30 PTS TO PAGAN’S NUMBERS DUE TO STEADY FASTBALL DIET. PLEASE DON’T TRY TO CRITICIZE JOSE FOR BASERUNNING BLUNDERS IN THE SAME POST U R RALLYING BEHIND ANGEL WHO’S BASERUNNING FOPARS ARE ONLY EXCEEDED BY MARVIN THRONEBERRY.
I WISH THE ECCONOMICS OF THE NYM REALITY SUPPORTED THE CHANGES YOU PROPOSE; BUT OTHER THAN YOUR POINT ON PAGAN & REYES, I’M IN FAVOR OF IT THOUGH I DOUBT CASTILLO IS MOVABLE, MAINE WOULD HAVE TO PITCH THIS SEASON TO HAVE ANY VALUE. PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE A PAYROLL BUFGET TO 120-130M IS IN THE OFFING & DOUBT THAT COULD ACCOMODATE ALL OF YOUR WISHES, NO MATTER HOW PROMISING OR PRODUCTIVE.
Nice job on your post, Phil. I’m in total agreement with you. Whether or not Pagan is in the starting lineup in 2010 or on the bench, he should definitely be in the Mets plans for the foreseeable future. He hit his eighth triple tonight and continues to be more than just a singles hitter. He’s had me sold for a few months now. I’m excited to see what he can do over a full season. If only he could stay healthy for an entire year!