First, as reported by Dan Graziano in the Star-Ledger,  the Mets could have sent much-beleaguered reliever Aaron Heilman to the Cubs for Marquis.  The Cubs would also have paid part of Marquis’ nearly $10 million salary, but the Mets passed on the deal because they were trying to include Heilman in a deal for relief pitching.  Instead, Heilman was sent to the Mariners as part of a three-team, 12-player trade that netted the Mets J.J. Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed.  Putz had been scuffling along until he was placed on the disabled list in early June. Green has been maddeningly inconsistent this season with an ERA of 5.00. Reed has been serviceable, but this Mets fan will remember him for the throwing error he made against the Dodgers while playing out of position at first base to give Los Angeles the extra-inning victory.  The irony of this story is that Heilman was eventually traded to the Cubs by the Mariners.  The Cubs desperately wanted Heilman and eventually got their man.  The Mets were left with an injury, a scrub and a defensive replacement.  Strike one.

The Mets continued to discuss a trade with the Cubs for Jason Marquis in December.  Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that the Mets could have sent whipping boy Scott Schoeneweis to the Cubs in exchange for Marquis.  For the second time, the Cubs would have paid part of Marquis’ salary to make the deal more attractive to the Mets.  Once again, the deal was not made.  Instead, the Mets traded Schoeneweis to the Diamondbacks for reliever Connor Robertson.  So what has Roberston done since his trade to the Mets?  Absolutely nothing!  He had been languishing at Triple-A Buffalo, with an 0-3 record and a 5.46 ERA and was designated for assignment in late June.  Strike two.

After the Mets failed to pull the trigger on a deal for Marquis, the Cubs stopped being patient and made a deal on their own.  They traded Marquis to Colorado for reliever Luis Vizcaino, who was eventually released and signed by the Cleveland Indians.

So why am I making such a big deal about what might have been?  After all, Jason Marquis had always been no more than a back of the rotation starter.  He was barely over .500 coming into this season (79-70) and had not pitched 200 innings since 2005.  He even found a way to lead the league in losses for a team that won the World Series, by going 14-16 for the 2006 Cardinals.

Well, my friends, after pitching eight shutout innings last night against the Nationals, Marquis is now 11-5.  His 11 victories now lead the major leagues.  He was also recently selected to represent the Rockies in the All-Star Game.  Think about that for a moment.  He pitches in Colorado.  That’s not exactly a place where pitchers thrive.  Normally, they only go to Colorado for the excellent school system. (Right, Mr. Hampton?)  Yet Jason Marquis has not only pitched well in Colorado, but this season he has become one of the best pitchers in the league.  Along with his 11-5 record, his ERA is 3.61.  He has also only allowed nine home runs in 117 1/3 innings, while pitching half his games in a ballpark that gives up its share of long balls.

Obviously, we can’t possibly know how he would have performed for his hometown Mets (Marquis was born in Manhasset and raised in Staten Island), but every time Tim Redding or Fernando Nieve takes the mound, think of what that scene would have looked like if it was Jason Marquis on the hill.  With the Mets still somehow within reasonable distance of the first place Phillies, Marquis could have made a difference.  With the Cubs willing to pay a portion of his salary, he would have been a cheaper option than Oliver Perez without the long-term commitment.  Even if the Mets would have signed Marquis to a long-term deal, they probably could have gotten him for less than the $12 million average annual salary that was needed to sign Ollie.

Omar was slow to make a deal for Jason Marquis and is now paying for it.  The team has struggled to keep a consistent starting staff together.  No one could have predicted the injuries that have decimated the team, but a healthy and consistent Jason Marquis could have alleviated some of the suffering that the fans have been forced to endure watching this team attempt to compete.  Strike three.

Okay, okay so nobody expected that we would get swept in L.A. this week, except for Mike Francesa, but it wasn’t all bad news. Yes losing is never good, but losses sometimes lead to good things. To begin, a big hand of applause for how Dan Murphy played first base last night, he’s no Keith Hernandez, but he’s not Mike Piazza either… or Jeremy Reed.

Also, Livan Hernandez is settling in quite nicely as the Mets 5th starter, or is it 4th starter now? Either way, he’s become somewhat dependable and mixed in with some mediocrity he has manged to sprinkle in a couple of very solid starts. Putz, on the other hand, didn’t fare too well as evidenced by the “L” next to his name in the boxscore. It must have been that adrenaline thing again or maybe this time it’s his neck.

It’s amazing to me that Carlos Beltran is batting .370, and David Wright is right behind him with a .364 average, and yet the Mets can still get into these slumps where they struggle to score runs. Are we too top heavy? Also where has the power gone? The Mets have not homered in their last 307 plate appearances.

Should the Mets explore trade options right now? Ed at Mets Fever believes Mark DeRosa would be a nice addition, and I keep hearing his name a lot lately. The guy’s a grinder.

The Jose Reyes situation is currently weighing heavy on all of our minds. Andrew at The ‘Ropolitans takes a look at some options, and here is some information on the different grades of a calf strain.

With the Red Sox series ushering in another season of inter-league baseball, the Mets will have Johan Santana on the mound to get things started on the right foot… or left arm? Anyway, here are the probable starters for the weekend. Oh, and by the way, if you thought the Mets might miss out on Kevin Youkilis, think again, he was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday.

Jake Peavy is very close to becoming a White Sox… or maybe not… Wow!

In case you missed it, Nelson Figueroa accepted his assignment to AAA Buffalo. Unlike last time he was DFA’d, he refrained from testing the free agent waters. Hang in there Figgy, sooner or later those options gotta run out.

Darryl Strawberry has been making his rounds throughout the city doing his book tour, but he found some time to sit down with Mets Blog’s Matt Cerrone and answer some questions. Check out the video here.

Finally, sometimes as a fan you get so caught up in winning and losing, cheering and booing, you almost forget that the players are as human as you and I. Then something like a tragic death scrolls across your google reader and it’s a sobering reminder of just how fragile and real baseball can be. Our condolences to Scott Schoeneweis on the passing of his wife Gabrielle. Here is an interview of Gabrielle by Jimmy Scott of High and Tight.

Keep bleeding blue and orange!

The wife of an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher was found dead today in the couple’s Fountain Hills home, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.

Thirty-nine year old Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis, wife of relief pitcher Scott Schoenweis, was unresponsive when deputies came to the home on Kern Court at about 12:11 this afternoon, said Lindsey Smith, sheriff’s office spokeswoman. A call to the sheriff’s office was made by one of the couple’s children.

The 14-year-old girl told deputies she found the mother of four on the floor of the master bedroom. Schoeneweis was dead at scene, Smith said.

Detectives are investigating. The cause of death is yet to be determined.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott and his family.