Are you saying they won’t be able to get the same pitching next year? (meaning we will be much closer in the standings since our Offense is just as good)

Or do you assume they are going to get the SAME pitching they got this year and any improvment on our side isn’t going to help?

Bottomline is WE HIT AND SCORE as much or more than they do!
So the regulars in the lineup are not the problem!
It’s pitching that is the difference in our respective records!

Are we going to get enough to match what they got this year? prob not, but if we get more and their pitching comes down a bit then we are going to be in the race unless Washington takes us all over!

The Phillies have gotten some incredible pitching as well.

Those teams can get by with less offense than we can and we’re about 5 top shelf pitchers away from matching their production.

It is our most glaring need to be sure but we’re not going to be able to close the gap on either of those teams very easily in that area.

Defense is another part of it. Catching for sure.

We really need to close the gap using whatever upgrades are possible anywhere and do it without disturbing the future.

Resigning Reyes is job #1.

Everyday you have a new angle and/or different direction to come from so you can attack the way the Mets do thing as organization. You do it with every single word you type every single day.

First of all the starting catcher wasn’t the issue in 2007 and 2008 so regardless of who it was or how they produced the starting catcher did not come into play in deciding our fate in Sept of 07 and 08.

Forget 2009 cuz everybody AND the backups were hurt.

In 2010 we had a very good starting catcher in Rod Barajas. Too bad he stopped hitting after a couple months but otherwise he did a very good job for us and handle the pitchers very weil. Barajas is a professional catcher and I believe he’s regarded as one of the better defensive catchers in the league. Anyway, too bad he stopped hitting after getting off to a great start and he priced himself out of the Mets budget. I think he signed for about 4 million or so with Los Angeles? I’m not about to go look up the exact number.

He’s hitting .233 in around 280 ABs this year with 15 HRs and 44 RBIs so his production for the amount of playing time he’s had this year is pretty darn good. I’m not interested in his OBP because that’s not what he’s on LA for. He’s there to drive in runs at the bottom of the order and handle the pitching staff. That’s his job – not get walks.

So maybe this year maybe wasn’t a banner year for the Mets catching but it’s not as bad as you make it sound either. And it hasn’t been as bad or as relevant to our successes or lack of success in 2007 and 2008 either.

You just want to attack the way the organization works any chance you can get.

The thing is with so MANY holes to fill how can you allocate so much of your total team payroll to someone who pitches just 60 innings a year? A critical 60 innings for sure but just 60 innings nontheless.

A regular starting catcher has more impact on the season than a closer anyway and we haven’t had a good season out of our starting catcher since 2006. How long can that continue? A good starting catcher is not only a spot in the lineup but also a part of the pitching staff as well. His contribution affects up to 12 other players performance to varying degrees and he’ll usually perform for you in about 1000 innings, not 60.

It’s a matter of priorities. It’s not that uncommon for a relief pitcher to have a great season out of nowhere or a combination of them to do the job but a catcher’s not going to suddenly play over his head for 1000 innings. At some point he’ll settle into what he is and that has to be better than what we’ve gotten over the last five years cause frankly it’s not cutting it.

And it’s not like catcher is the only spot that that can be said of.

If we make him a starter and he has to miss a start it means (most likely) bringing up and starting the MLB service clock on some kid from the Minors to take his place. If he’s sore or not up to it as a closer you simply use other Pen arms in his place.

Pitching one inning a day three or 4 consecutive days might be as much stress as pitching 5 consecutive innings every 5th day but at least you can go day to day with him in the pen, rest him more when he needs to rest by considering him unavailable where as a starter if he can’t go you can hurt the entire rotation and burn up the pen anyway!

And Tex, they are paying him anyway. If he can’t start, at least it is something!

It’s about not having to count on Santana for 6 or 7 innings every 5th day and only having to count on him for one in games where we have a lead.
It allows you to control how he is used better, Gives him less stress on any given day and allows him to build up his strength without having to carry another guy who can finish what Santana can’t every 5th Day!

If you went a bought a good closer you would pay almost as much. We are paying Santana that much regardless of if he pitches or not!

It’s really a matter of do you want to get 4 or 5 innings over 5 days as a starter or 4 or 5 innings over the same time as a closer.

At least as a closer if he tires out after an inning or two your no worse off than a regular closer in that situation!
But as a starter it has a ripple affect across the entire pen!

hey, a big part of closing is supposed to be the mental toughness (killer instinct?) so what better way to prove it than winning the job in a sink or swim competition?