11
2011
Give The Kid A Shot
An article by 
Assuming Carlos Beltran isn’t available to the Mets by Opening Day, replacing him shouldn’t equal the dilemma CBS will have in replacing Charlie Sheen on “Two and a Half Men.”
Both of Beltran’s knees are aching and he’s down for the week. Maybe he’ll come back next week; maybe he won’t.
So, who will the Mets use to replace the aching outfielder with a huge $18.5 million contract?
Veteran bench players Scott Hairston and Willie Harris can be plugged in and won’t embarrass the ball club. But, will they carry it? History says no, because afterall, they are role players. Their job is to temporarily fill a hole.
I want to see what Lucas Duda can bring to the table. Duda was a September call-up who started slow but closed hot. While Hairston and Harris could be somewhere else next season, or who knows, maybe even dealt in July to a contender, Duda could have a future with this team.
Duda is strong – he had four homers last year – so there’s power potential. He didn’t sparkle defensively and can only get better. Duda is off to a good start this spring and homered yesterday. We know what Hairston and Harris can do; Duda is an unknown.
However, for a team not expected to do anything this year, what’s the harm in giving him an audition?
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
23 Comments + Add Comment
Recent Comments
- Metsie: on Can The Mets Turn This Sinking Ship Around Before It’s Too Late: NO! Because it was already too late...
- Hotstreak: on Can The Mets Turn This Sinking Ship Around Before It’s Too Late: SA is the captain and he is...
- srt: on Can The Mets Turn This Sinking Ship Around Before It’s Too Late: The majority of the blame goes to...
- Dave In Spain: on Things Spiralling Out Of Control For Ike Davis Offensively And Defensively: Alex, nobody needs to do a post...
- Gene S.: on Sacking Terry Collins Now Would Be Unfair: Typical geeky English major Mets reporters who...
MMO Mets Chat
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5370 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1269 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
the last line is the key. If you really don’t think the Mets can be contenders this year, then there is no reason to use old retread/journeymen/bench players instead of young guys with a future.
Live with a few growing pains, and hopefully it pays off in future years.
Or, play castillo and H/H instead, then next year, you have to live with the unknown rookie and growing pains.
Duda could be the one who gets to fill in for Beltran as the Mets have not sent him to the minors yet.There waiting to see if Carlos can play in St. I also like to article the other day about how Murphy encouraged him by texting him last year and how he has listened to him in the clubhouse. Murphy isnt a long term vet yet but helps his fellow players.
Duda’s a much better option than Harris or Hairston. If Beltran is indeed out with injury for an extended period of time, then Duda’s the guy. I just don’t want to see Duda sitting on the bench in the majors or wasting an option for a week or so if Beltran just needs a blow.
My only issue with Duda is he is about as fast with two good knees as Beltran is with two Bad knees.
But if Beltran is hurt I have no problems with throwing Duda in there.
i agree with this logic in all similar situations where the kid can get AB. bench guys are chumps with experience. any time you have real AB available every day temporarily, call up a kid. if he sucks, call another kid. retreads are a waste of time.
WoW Martin for once we totally agree!
I still would rather have Nick Evans start the season over Duda. I am not sure if we can send duda down but I know we cant with Evans.
duda they can send up and down all they want this year.
Evans has to clear waivers.
so if it is a matter of say the first week as a fill in, it makes sense to keep Evans as they sort out the roster.
Congratulations Delcos. You got it right! If Alderson goes with the aged mediocrities he picked up, it will show that he is incompetant. He didn’t do anything to help the team win, yet if he plays the hard hitting Harris it will show that he doesn’t have the balls to rebuild openly. We shall see what you are Alderson.
Well while we see what Alderson is, we already know what you are, a bitter man that doesn’t know what is going on, or what has been going on for years around here.
Did you opening bitch when Frank Cashen took over and it took him 4 years to put together a good team? Sure, he had less to start with, but the season hasn’t even started and you are aready to run the guy out of town.
Brilliant – why aren’t you the GM? In your own demented mind you are the only one that knows the game – ha
Harry, you have to admit there is a huge difference between a bench guy, and a potential future starter (young prospect). Bench guys on every team are of the harris/hairston mode. And if you have a regular that is going to be out for a few games, then you use your bench.
Real prospects normally will be in the minors (especially if they are not a fully complete, developed player) playing every day until a job is open for them.
That is why you won’t normally see a top prospect up sitting on the bench, or in reserve while the starter sits for a few days. Wastes time, and options/service time.
right now, Beltran is effectively day to day. If he opens the season on the roster but limited (maybe playing every other day, or sitting the first few games out) you will see the bench dudes playing.
if he has a set back and is missing at least the 1st month, then almost guaranteed you see someone like Duda getting the bulk of the PT.
Dude Alderson could play Hall Of Famers at every position and you would STILL claim he is incompetent!
Who the hell do you think your fooling?
Circle Gets The Square.
Harry C. usually gives me a morning chuckle or guffaw with his outlandish stuff. He’s seemingly not mean spirited but I can’t say I agree with many of his zany comments.
[...] Mets Merized Online Posted under Mike Pelfrey and tagged with Give, Shot Comments (0) [...]
John shame on u for your Beningo(Chicken Little) impersonation here:
“Both of Beltran’s knees are aching and he’s down for the week. Maybe he’ll come back next week; maybe he won’t”
While I live in NC reliant upon incomplete internet dailies from NY newstands. I HAVE NOT seen any viable reportage that indicates anything negative about his right knee “aching”.
As u step back from the ledge’s edge, realize this is 4,5 DAYS not 4,5 WEEKS.INFLAMATION NOT INJURY!
Significantly, unlike the prior regime, considerable planning is apparently being initiated as Everyone knows the 2 most likely regular positioners to depart midseason are Beltran & Reyes, rather than being ostriches it appears that their two most likely internal replacements(Tejada & F-Mart) have already been removed to the Minors side of Camp Alderson. That’s most certainly a step in the correct direction as despite Duda’s exceptional power, the hands down more complete Beltran internal replacement should be Martinez based solely on superior outfield defense & experience.
On a related parallel tangent I want to share a little insight I uncovered during researching a retort for my “dyed in the itchy wool” NYY fan cousin. My position was that this upcoming Reyes decision is likely the single lynchpin in this Franchise’s future inasmuch as not retaining Jose, makes retaining Wright illogical and without Reyes & Wright Ike & the 7 remaing ddwarfs will be playing in the empty lot once named Citifield
While we’ve ALL used/heard the phrase” AS REYES GOES, SO GOES THE METS” here’s the proof to that statement:
OVERSTATEMENT? OVERSIMPLIFICATION? hardly, consider this ratio:
Games played by Reyes, total RS by Reyes: victories attained by Mets
YEAR GMS RS WINS
2003 69 47 66 <.500
2004 53 33 71 .500
2006 153 122 97 >.500
2007 160 119 88 >.500
2008 159 113 89 >.500
2009 36 18 70 <.500
2010 133 83 79 <.500
IT'S CERTAINLY VERY CLEAR THAT THE ONLY SEASONS +.500 IN THE REYES ERA WERE THOSE IN WHICH HE PLAYED WITH NO MAJOR D/L STINTS.
Lose Beltran & Reyes? Why keep Wright & Santana? After 3 surgeries & 3 yrs older can Santana possibly improve upon 16Ws he achieved with REYES,BELTRAN,DELGADO all in there for complete seasons? Especialy with ALL 3 gone! Who's kidding who? Lose Reyes, Lose the Franchise so the saying is still intact AS REYES GOES SO GOES THE METS. REYEAS DEPARTS, METS JUST AS WELL SHOULD ALSO!
It seems like so much hyperbole until u actually begin to think about it!
In Johns defense you have to assume that his surgically repaired knee is also somewhat hurting him as he decided to move to RF on his own accord.
No it may not be injured but it should be clear that he was favoring the surgically repaired knee and stressed out the other by compensating.
But it will not be as bad as the time he missed last year.
And even if he does require a few days off here and there it is not like he is going to need two months to get the Bat going again like he did when he missed half a season.
We were in the division race without Beltran in there up until he came back. His slow bat after the time missed is a huge reason for our July August swoon.
If we have Beltran’s Hitting even partly for most of the season then there is no reason why we can’t take the lead and hold it.
EVEN if all the rest of the team hits the way they did last year!
METSIE, HOW VERY SWISS OF YOU, I’D CONCUR IF NOT FOR THE REFERENCES TO THAT KNEE “FEELING GREAT” MADE BY BELTRAN AS REPORTED BY BURKHARDT! IN MY WORLD(REALITY) DIRECT QUOTES TO THE CONTRARY OVER-RULE NEGATIVE ASSUMPTIONS! AS SOMEONE WHJO HAS BEEN CRIPPLED BY DEBILITATION, I CAN ASSUREDLY ATTEST TO HOW A “GOOD”LIMB CAN GET OVERTAXED BY FAVORING A DEBILITATED ONE!
LET’S REMEMBER, THIS ID TENDINITIS(INFLAMATION), NOT A REINJURY. HE WASN’T TOTALLY SHUTDOWN; ONLY RUNNING PROGRAM WHICH A VALID ASSUMPTION WOULD BE, AS A PRO ATHLETE, HE OVER DID IT BEYOND WHAT PRESCRIBING DOCS ENVISIONED. ALL IN ALL A VERY LIKELY, WE SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT, NOT NECESSARILY A SETBACK PER SE. CAN WE ALL JUST GET OFF THE SUICIDE WATCH! LET’S THINK UNDERDOG TO OVERCOME & NOT FAVORITE TO DISAPPOINT! CERTAINLY HISTORICALLY POSITION THIS FRANCHISE SPECIALIZES IN AS EVERY POSTSEASON APPEARANCE EXCEPT ’86 WAS AGAINST EARLY ODDS!
I never claimed this new knee issue is serious. Just saying that you don’t usually favor a knee unless it is not really all as good as beltran is letting on.
Lots of reasons for that and a big one is he wants to get a good payday at the end of the year.
But I am not sweating this all too much.
I don’t think he maks it past the trading deadline no matter what his condition is unless it is so bad that he can’t get on a field at all in which case no one will want him.
I can see them resigning Reyes if the situation warrants it but I don’t see any scenario where Beltran wears a met uni next year regardless of performance or health.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t just means I think it highly unlikely.
Starting the kid at the big club then sending him down would use an option. if for some reason he stays in the minors the whole year we save that option. One week of no Beltran is not a reason to burn an option. Now the second Beltran is traded/done for a month + I’m all for finding the young new RF and dropping Beltran the way we should have dropped Perez and Castillo 5 months ago.
If u are a genius as u claim in your moniker, you certainly must be a PRODIGY(child)
Only a child can reason that a Francise barely treading wayer financially should EAT 37M in contracts than pay additional salaries to replace the departeds. I believe your abacus is missing more than a few beads, my friend.
“I believe your abacus is missing more than a few beads, my friend”
ROFL, i think i’m gonna start using that line with my buddies….awesome
Without question, the Mets need Duda’s bat in the heart of the order if Beltran’s a no go for the start of the season. Call me pessimistic, but the more I read about news of Beltran’s knees, the more I’m not sure anymore if those knees of Beltran will even hold up for at least 80-100 games this season. He could be reduced to playing part time. Bring Duda up north with the team and start him in LF. Move Bay to RF. Beltran’s knees could probably allow him to play a few games a week so give the bulk of playing time in Right to Bay…that is, until things change about the state of Beltran’s knees.