If some of you are waiting to see what players the Mets might be targeting at the trade deadline, don’t hold your breath. According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Omar Minaya has no master plan to fill the left field or bullpen vacancy via a trade. Instead, Omar feels the Mets can fill any needs by promoting from within.
Sherman gives three great reasons for why Omar may be reluctant to pull off another big trade.
1) The organization is cautiously optimistic will soon return, making a righty-hitting left fielder to replace out-for-the-season the main priority. Minaya has been unable to identify a player significantly better than a Fernando Tatis/Endy Chavez platoon to make it worthwhile to sacrifice prospect chips.
2) The Mets are finding the asking prices for relievers they have interest in, such as Colorado’s Brian Fuentes, to be too steep.
3) To reach the level of contender, the Mets have expended a lot of prospect artillery the past three years, and Minaya recognizes he must protect the farm system and let it rebuild.
"We can’t keep doing four-for-one deals," Minaya said.
Minaya said he expects super-prospects Fernando Martinez and Jon Niese to possibly be ready to contribute in August, and also high praise for Nick Evans and Carlos Muniz who are already on the team.
He sees Evans developing into a .280 hitter with 20 homers and 80 RBI’s annually, and compared Muniz to Chad Cordero.
I don’t know about you guys, but I love the fact that the Mets are thinking this way. I don’t want to see them trade the farm for an over-priced aging left fielder who will be a free agent in a year or two.
Check out the rest of Sherman’s article which is loaded with plenty of quotes from our GM. In Omar we trust!
