“We don’t feel the need to make a trade for a shortstop because we expect Jose Reyes back in a month.”

That quote wasn’t from last year it was from this morning.

People have different definitions of what a backup player should be. In my opinion the backup must be someone who can step in when injury strikes and at the very least provide adequate production and defense, but most importantly they should be able to shoulder the burden of playing everyday.

I’m not saying the backup should be an all star caliber player, not at all, but considering Reyes was still questionable in November, Minaya should have waited before shelling out millions for Cora, or sign a player who would have represented an upgrade just in case. Maybe a Mark DeRosa who not only would have covered the shortstop position but also first and third and outfield as well. I think we all agree how important versatility can be on the bench.

Felipe Lopez is a defensive laibility and has not played SS in over a year. I am not implying Alex is to replace Reyes, not at all. Just to plug the hole till reyes is back. Alex is a decent defender who makes all the routine plays and is consistent.

Just because the Mets gave the 2 Mil to Cora doesn’t mean that if they didn’t, they would have used somewhere else.

Cora is familiar with the team, plays hard, a gamer, decent defender, sub-par offense.

Felipe would be new to the team, possible chemistry issue, downgrade at defense, upgrade at offense.

To me it’s Mox Nix, and having Cora or Lopez start is not ideal either way.

I don’t think that anything I say will convince you that resigning Alex Cora was a near-sighted move by a GM who has tremendous loyalty for marginal players who had no interest from other teams.

You’re free to rave about Cora, but I prefer to do the opposite.

Thanks for the comment.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2004/12/st-louis-cardinals_111971260115041890.html

http://metsmerizedonline.com/2010/02/cardinals-sign-felipe-lopez-for-1-75mm.html

You can’t expect the team to make preparations for if all starting players were to go down, that they could just pop starters in off the bench.

Hindsight is 20/20, and if the gods sent a letter saying Reyes was going to miss 2-8 weeks and prepare accordingly, well then maybe the Mets go another direction than Cora.

Get off the Felipe Lopez bandwagon cause he hasn’t played SS in years.

Since 2001 Felipe Lopez has committed 145 Errors vs. Cora’s 100 errors from 1998-present. Thats 45 less errors with three mor years of playing

Last year Cora had 8 errors (6 at SS). Felipe Lopez had 17 Errors non at SS since he has not played shortstop in a more than 1 1/2 seasons.

Yeah Lopez has better batting stats last year, but he also has more than twice as many at-bats.

Last year Lopez struck out 100 times in 604 AB (16.6%), Cora struckout 28 times in 271 At-Bats (10.3%)

Cheaper Maybe, improvement NOT

No hit, no field, Ruben Tejada is plan C.

All this from the team who had the highest payroll in the NL last season.

We deserve to finish in last place because we keep pissing off the baseball gods.

You needed to have a backup who COULD play everyday because odds are you would need him to.

PLUS!!!!

Cora was not fine because he was comeing back from two surgeries himself!

Signing him was as fine as signing Castillo was.

Here is my bench!

SS – Alex Cora $2MM vs Felipe Lopez $1MM

OF – Gary Matthews $2MM vs Andruw Jones $500K

1B – Fernando Tatis $1.2 MM vs Ryan Garko $550K

Total savings = $3.2 million

And your bench is a thousand times better and infinitely more productive.

the Mets will be fine if they only have to go a couple weeks without him. the timetable is weird as well. he could be better in 2 weeks but who knows and i think he could honestly be back by late april/ early may.

Position — Met Starter —- Proposed Backup for 2011

1B — Daniel or Ike —- Pujols
2B — Castillo —- Pedroia
SS — Jose Reyes —- Jeter
3B — David Wright —- A-Rod
RF — Francour —- Braun
CF — Beltran —- C. Granderson
LF — BAY —- M. Cuddyer

SP — Johan Santana —- C.C. Sabathia
SP — John Maine —- Roy Halladay
SP — Mike Pelfrey —- John Lackey
SP — Oliver Perez —- Justin Verlander
SP — Nelson Figeroa —- Felix Hernandez

Alex Cora is a SOLID defensive “back-up” and no one is claiming him to be a top teir starting Shortstop. That job falls to Jose Reyes.

Perhaps the Mets should sign Derek Jeter to back up Jose Reyes next year incase Jose gets injured again.

Heck, while we are at it lets go out and get backups who are all starters for other teams.

Position: Ny Mets Starter: Back-Up:
1B Daniel or Ike Pujols
2B Castillo Pedroia
SS Jose Reyes Jeter
3B David Wright A-Rod
RF Francour Braun
CF Beltran C. Granderson
LF BAY M. Cuddyer

SP Johan Santana C.C. Sabathia
SP John Maine Roy Halladay
SP Mike Pelfrey John Lackey
SP Oliver Perez Justin Verlander
SP Nelson Figeroa Felix Hernandez

You get the point. Alex is a solid player who will work hard and give 100% whenever he is called upon. It’s wrong to judge and critique him as a starter, because he is not a starter, he is a backup.

If Jeter gets injured, do you think all hell breaks loose and everyone yells at Cashman for not having a starting SS waiting on the bench to just hop in and not skip a beat. No…

If you want to be mad, be mad that Jose is out, but don’t be mad that the Mets don’t carry two legitimate starting SS. In fact, if Manaya went out and dropped $6 million on a second starting SS, you all would be in hear typing your little B$&ch & moan comments on how Manays wastes money and spends $6mil on a starting Shortstop to sit on the bench.

$2-million for Cora is pennies, considering the 2 errors Anderson Hernandez made yesterday, hell I would chip $5 towards Cora’s salary now that Jose is out 2-8 weeks.

Enough with the 2010 Doomsday comments and predictions. Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve, rants are unproductive and uninspiring. You want to cry and whine, keep it to yourself. This is what we got for a team, deal with it, or jump ship!!!

(PERIOD)