11
2012
Former Mets Shining In Playoffs; Beltran, Pagan and O’Day Coming Up Big
An article by 
The Mets’ fear in releasing Jason Bay is he would suddenly find it somewhere else. They had the same trepidation with Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo.
Watching these playoffs, it is easy to see their thinking, but that doesn’t mean it is justified.
Outfielders Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan, and reliever Darren O’Day all distinguished themselves yesterday, and wouldn’t you know it, those are all holes for the Mets.
Angel Pagan had a huge day in the leadoff slot – another Mets’ hole – with two hits, two walks, two runs and two RBI in three at-bats. The homer was to lead off the game to get the Giants rolling so could live another day.
I don’t know what the Giants’ plans are for Pagan, but he certainly played better for them than Andres Torres did for the Mets. Pagan was an inconsistent player here and often let his concentration wander on the bases and on defense. Maybe he wasn’t ready, but he was definitely old enough where he shouldn’t have been making rookie mistakes. Perhaps the Mets weren’t patient with him.
I hoped it would work out when the Mets moved him to center and shifted Beltran to right, but Pagan never took the way he did the preceding year when he played when Beltran was injured.
Beltran, who homered twice in Game 2, had two more hits yesterday as the Cardinals took a 2-1 games lead over Washington. Beltran, who shines in the postseason, is hitting .417 in the series. And this, is after coming off a superb season.
Belran was injured at the end of his stay with the Mets, but when healthy produced. He moved without a hitch to right field and he played hurt. What else could the Mets want from him? Oh yeah, they wanted him to do it for half the price.
The Mets paved the way for Beltran’s exit with the flap over his knee surgery. After that, there was no way he was staying. Especially considering their financial situation.
O’Day appeared in four games for the 2009 Mets, but was released when they couldn’t find a spot for him on the roster. Mike Pelfrey was ailing at the time, but balked at going on the disabled list. He couldn’t make a start and the Mets had to bring somebody up to replace him for a turn. That meant somebody had to go and it was O’Day.
Rather than exerting his authority and judgment, Omar Minaya gave in to Pelfrey and it cost the Mets. O’Day was quickly signed by Texas and became a bullpen stalwart that season and he was terrific for the Orioles this season with a 7-1 record, 2.28 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Plus, he only made $1.35 million this year.
O’Day put the Yankees down in order last night.
Wouldn’t you know it? The game was decided by Raul Ibanez’s two homers. Ibanez was a player the Mets wouldn’t consider after he left Philadelphia. An outfield plug and power bat off the bench? Nah, that wouldn’t fit in Citi Field.
There are plenty of others with ties to the Mets this October, including Endy Chavez – did I mention the Mets need outfield help? – and coach Chip Hale and manager Bob Melvin in Oakland, and, of course, Davey Johnson in Washington.
There’s always an explanation for why somebody doesn’t work out for a team, and Beltran, Pagan and O’Day all left for different reasons.
But, were they good reasons?
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.
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Former Mets Shining In Playoffs; Beltran, Pagan and O’Day Coming Up Big”
So?? We have wheeler, ramirez and andres the good guy in SF torres…
better not mention O’day. That was a huge bollocks move by Omar losing him, in a major roster management screw up.
wait…Darren O’Day was released in April of 2009…Pelfrey didnt have any shoulder injuries til July…he was released b/c they needed a spot starter…and they brought up Nelson Fig.
when they released him, he had only pitched 3 IP up to that point…and was not exactly impressive
Sandy Alderson let our best option for RF go…w/o making him an offer
Sandy Alderson let our best option for CF go…trading him for an older, more injured CF
Sandy Alderson let our best option for SS go…w/o making him an offer
Omar Minaya has the greatest free-agent signing in Met history ( RA DICKEY )
and ur here yapping about a journeyman thats been on 4 teams in 5 years
LMAO @ Met fans
Legends are born once they leave Flushing
Great line,Clayton!!!
I will have no problem if the Mets release Bay and he goes on to be an MVP somewhere else on our dime. I have no confidence he’s going to be even remotely useful here.
Me either, just get Bay out of our sight.
It will take years for people to determne if Zack Wheeler was worth it but as said before, had the Mets not been operating like a small market team and in tremendous debt these guys would have still been with us and who knows who else would have joined them so we would at least have been in the hunt.
There was no need to tear down the club based on the personnel it had and how they were performing. None of the moves were baseball decisions as they were financial (Pagan being two for virtually the price of one)
Joey, do you honestly, in your heart, think that Beltran had any interest in remaining with the Mets after last year (assuming he was not traded?) Without at least being overwhelmed with a contract offer (think Bay’s deal)?
because if not, then getting anything for him was the best thing the team could have done. What Beltran did this year is nr more relevant to the Mets than what Pujols or Feilder did. or any other FA from that class.
the only thing the Mets lost was the last 2 months of a season where they were out of the running. And I would bet 99% of the fanbase would rather have Wheeler right now, than the memories of Beltran for 2 more months before he bolted.
Yes stick, I do, based on what his public comments were going back to the time he was first going to meet with Sandy.
Must take him at his word about that. Even before the trade he said he hoped to remain with the club but understood business was business.
And if he was not going to remain a Met…, well, it’s the circumstances of the trade that upsets me (the Mets in the wildcard hunt and one or two acquisitions instead of our closer and top hitter being shipped off) more than the trade itself. It depends if one believe the 2011 Mets had a shot like R.A. and others like me thought they did.
Would love to find out Sandy’s true feelings inside – whether in his heart he felt the Mets were a good club but business being business, saving $2.6 million was still saving $2.6 million for an ownership in desparate need to reduce operating costs as much as possible to meet their upcoming debts and team obligations.
No way, IMO, Beltran was re-signing with the Mets. Not even if we offered him double what the Cards did. This is the same organization that handled the original deep bone bruise injury badly – giving him a cortisone shot and sticking back out there days later b/c, as our GM said – ‘We have to weigh the advice of all the doctors and specialists with the idea of putting our best players on the DL’.
No way after they threw Carlos right under the bus, claiming he went ahead with surgery w/o the team’s knowledge/consent. This after speaking to the GM the night before the surgery.
Not a chance in hell after this same organization looked into voiding his contract b/c he supposedly violated it by getting unauthorized surgery. Anyone want to take a guess as to why the Mets didn’t go ahead with that threat?
Doesn’t matter anyway, because we couldn’t afford to offer him even half of what the Cards did – not with slashing the payroll some 50 MIL so the Wilpons could hang on to their ‘beloved’ team.
All this along with the fact that Beltran had a full no trade clause, which he had no problem waiving to be traded to San Francisco for a few months. Does not sound like a player that wanted to remain in Queens for the rest of his playing days.
Yup, bridge was burned long before Alderson got here.
well considering he still has his organization here…his business here…his wife and her family also moved up here….
I think offering Beltran at least the same amount of money to stay in NY after u already go wheeler for him would’ve been ideal…
if he turns it down…then fine….
but at least offer…
Had Sandy traded away Beltran…then got him back for even cheaper the next year, I would give Sandy alot of kudos for that…
but Sandy is watching the clock in NY til he goes back to 42nd and Park…
we’ll get a real GM when the Wilpons sell
Hi Joey…..
“had the Mets not been operating like a small market team and in tremendous debt these guys would have still been with us and who knows who else would have joined them”
Do you truly believe that a knee brace wearing Beltran and K-Rod, whose best years were clearly behind them, were the kinds of players the Mets should have built around. And even if it was for just the remainder of the 2011 season, at what price should they have invested into other players to surround them with?
Nope……I think breaking down the team at the time they did was the smart thing to do regardless of the debt the team may have been in. A smart GM with more payroll flexibility may have done the same thing. Its a shame they couldn’t break it down more.
Im 2008, after the second late season collapse, Francesa was talking then about breaking up the nucleus of the team and perhaps trading Wright, Reyes or Beltran at that time. We all thought he was crazy then, but he may have had something there.
knee brace wearing?
Beltran had more SB than anyone on the met roster…including golden boy wonder David Wright…
and we replaced him in RF with Lucas Duda…
Rather than cut mr. gritty scrappy Jason Bay and move Paul Bunyon to LF…and at least match STL 2 year 26 mil offer….
no…
we would rather have a weak bat in LF, a weak glove in RF and have something to complain about all year…
LMAO @ Met fans
Yep……knee brace wearing and averaging only about 250 AB’s in his last 2 full seasons with the Mets. And now at 35 y/o they should re-sign him and give him 26 mil because he stole a couple of bases. Thats smart. Oh wait I guess if you’re a Monday morning, crystal ball carrying quarterback you’d know that he was going to have the year he had this year. I guess everyone should have known that.
Yep you’re right ……LMAO at fans
And after they re-signed him I guess they should have gone out and gotten this one and that one and spent another 50 mil. on every top shelf player available. BTW I always loved when fans say “they should have gone out and signed”…..like signing a ballplayer to a contract is not a 2 way street. Like the player has no say in where he signs. Like its such a simple process to sign a player. How exactly does a team do that (go out and sign a player)? Do they go to THE BALL PLAYER STORE and pick them off the top shelf and then proceed to the check out counter.
Oh yeah….you’re right….LMAO harder at Mets fans
Your paragraph on the two way street made me laugh. Reminds me of a many a lost hours saying the very same thing.
avg 250 AB’s ???
had the mets not goofed up the bone bruise…his knee would’ve been perfectly fine…had Beltran listened to Jeffy and Fred’s advice in Jan 2010 about never getting surgery…his career would’ve been over…
so basically…screw with a guy’s career….blame him for taking action…then when he comes back healthy and establishes himself as the best player on ur team…u can say he only avg 250 AB’s !!!
that makes TOTAL SENSE !
FYI – Carlos Beltran with his knee brace played MORE GAMES than any Met OF in 2011 or 2012….
Carlos Beltran and his knee brace STOLE MORE BASES than ANY MET PLAYER in 2012…
Carlos Beltran in 2012 made less money than Jason Bay + David Wright…not sure why u lumped in the entire sum of his contract when its a TWO YEAR DEAL…
o thats right…u have to make him look more cost prohibitive than he really was to defend Sandy Alderson’s logic in not even making him an offer !
that’s real intelligent
The guy was clearly a gamble….Oh I forgot, the power of the crystal ball some of us have.
Ya know what else is comical? How brazen, bold and free fans are with other peoples money, disregarding any inherent risks on investments.
Its still a business…….LMAO at fans
A Roid must have a stash somewhere for the team. Ibanez was so done last year, the Phils (and fans) could not wait to get rid of him. he was a carcass in the OF, and not doing much with the bat.
he’s a swinging machine in a t-ball field. Of course he’s going to look good.
LOL
Haven’t followed this division series as much as the wildcard round but It’s good to hear Beltran and Pagan are doing well in the post season. I don’t think Beltran could of picked a better place to sign than St Louis which has a reputation for being a great baseball town. Pagan playing in San Francisco has been to the Giants like the 2010 version of Andres Torres. Though when it came to the post season Torres did very little in the LCS. He did his best work in the W.S. I guess.
What the Mets need to do is to at worst find either the 2010 version of Torres or the 2012 version of Pagan in 2013. We already know that the 2011 Pagan and the 2012 Torres were not that good.
For those who said Beltran was going to walk:
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-07-16/sports/29796560_1_david-wright-phillies-at-citi-field-mets-gm
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6773844/new-york-mets-carlos-beltran-want-finish-my-career-here
And remember back in 2010?
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/carlos_puts_it_all_on_table_PPUYpnqDDFmNh4ud1txOzM
Now it is true – we’ve heard many a player say he wanted to stay with his team and then went for the biggest contract, however, think of how much a team player he was – he was willing to give up center field for the good of the team and didn’t make a stink about it. Having returned from knee surgery he risked re-injuring it by going out of his way taking out an infielder as payback for what they did to a teammate.
Eh…Reyes said that in the beginning, when they first started asking him as well.
Just about all of them do. Remember Pujols?
I would have loved to have Beltran back for a year or two. But no way they were going to spend the money he deserved. Not with slashing 50 MIL from the payroll.
SRT,
100 percent right. Which is why many of us contend the moves made the past two seasons had little to do with the team on the field but the family in the front office.
Yes, I would imagine Reyes and Pujols would’ve preferred to stay in NY and STL…
and the Wilpons and Busch families preferred to not spend that money on them..
THE DIFFERENCE is the Busch family REINVESTED in Beltran and extending Molina…
The Wilpons…not so much…
You’ll get no argument on me about the Wilpons…..
Beltran was a great pickup by the Cards. But we all know they only did that after losing the Pujols sweepstakes, which freed up the money they were going to pay him. Otherwise, I doubt they sign him.
And if I’m not mistaken, the Angels only picked up 3 games on their last year’s record even with Pujols.
Cards got the better end of that deal, IMO.
right i agree…if they sign Pujols, they move Berkman to RF…
in the end, I heard they offered Pujols a 5 year 180 mil deal…which was about 100 mil less than what LA offered….
but what ur forgetting is they ALSO resigned Berkman…they ALSO resigned Molina…on TOP of getting Beltran….not to mention hiring a new manager, new pitching coach, and a whole new staff…
all that change and upheaval and they STILL make the playoffs…
STL is a well-oiled machine and its embarrasing to even compare any part of their org to ours…
what folks dont understand though…is that MLB is like a coop…each of the owners is part of 1 big group…they all have a vested interest in seeing the mets be a financial powerhouse…and it hurts the GROUP as a whole when a team they depend upon to contribute into revenue sharing is lacking…
This is why Selig forced the dodger sale…b/c the owner was taking out money that belonged in the pot…
Selig, who placed Sandy in SD and cleaned their finances before they sold….has done the same thing with NY…
Sandy arrived in SD from 05-09…they sold in ’11…
Sandy arrived in NY in 2010…i wont be surprised if this is just Sandy prepping them for a sale
Few other former Mets I’ve seen… Endy is in Baltimore, you got Nady in SF and Dotel in Detroit.
Hi Jessep,
…. not to mention a former Met manager in the Washington dugout
Remember Jeff Kent….now there was a chance to have a very good second baseman in our history books. He was only so/so in his time with the Mets, plus the whole clubhouse problem that was reported on ad nauseum back in the day. We traded him in part b/c of that and what does he do? Goes on to have an MVP type career.
More often than not, we seem to be on the losing end of these deals. We either get a player who was good and falls off completely once they get here (think Bay and a good half dozen others), or we trade them and they go on to have a HOF type career (think Nolan and Kent).
Yup…and Valdespin/Ike will be our new Kevin Mitchell / Jeff Kent
Unlike some others, I really don’t think Ike is going anywhere this off season.
Valdespin, on the other hand, I have no idea…..If some team requests him in a packaged deal we’re trying to make, I don’t think they would have any problem letting him go.
Lol, I know I wouldn’t. Ike isn’t getting traded either IMO.
so on a team that lacks young talent…has absolutely no one in the outfield that can both play offense and defense…and is financially strapped…you wouldnt mind trading a player under 25 years old, making 435K a year and is faster and more powerful than most of the other position players on the team…
yup…ur a mets fan !
Jeff Kent is a contestant on the current season of Survivor that just started a few weeks ago. Almost blew out his knee 2 minutes into the game.
Really? LOL
Probably not as bad as Victorino doing analysis on MLB network.
Yep Jeff Kent a guy who was considered good but not good enough, Since he wasn’t enough to win anything was not worth having, Worth something in trade that might fill a bunch of holes since we had so many….
Yep….Good name to bring up these days!
Yeah but they were all done and were the reason we hadn’t won all those years you know…
And anyway we got Wheeler and…er… Oh yeah we got Wheeler!