On June 17, 2008, Jerry Manuel was promoted from bench coach to manager of the New York Mets. That day ushered in a new day for the New York Mets: The Era of the Gangsta! Jerry is as different as you could get from Willie Randolph. Willie was very reserved with the media, would not answer their questions where as Jerry Manuel is open and loose with the media. He has a way of giving the media an answer without showing all his cards and he's always good for a soundbite.
Willie was someone who was very conservative, unwilling to make adjustments in the way he ran the team. Everybody knows in baseball that sometimes adjustments must be made in order to succeed and that is something that Jerry Manuel does well. Willie Randolph was not a manager to think outside the box, Jerry in his first spring training is thinking outside the box, some would say very outside that box. .
This spring Jerry has been thinking outside the box as far as baseball is concern. He is stressing team work over individual success. It's quite refreshing to hear about his team only approach in this day and age when it seems to be about individual numbers. Jerry has stressed he cares more about wins and losses and their is no room for "I" on the team this season. The idea of having Jose Reyes bat 3rd in the lineup and Castillo bat lead off is one example of this way of thinking. By placing Jose 3rd in the lineup that is going to limit Reyes' stolen base numbers for the season as he will have David Wright and Carlos Delgado batting behind him. While Reyes will have to be more careful stealing, this could lead for more overall runs scored for the Mets. Luis Castillo will not be able to strikeout with men in scoring position or end a rally by hitting into double plays which would lead to more runs scored for the Mets.
This spring Jerry has instituted a new hitting drill. We've all read about the drill and it sounds tiring. I find this 80 hit drill very encouraging. Jerry saw how the Mets lineup was unproductive down the stretch so he introduces a new drill to get these guys to hit the other way. Once again thinking outside the box. The conventional approach does not always work and instead of trying to get the offense to respond to the same old tired drills Jerry comes up with a new and interesting way of getting our guys to hit.
Jerry rewards the players who hustle and work hard for the team. There were several instances last season where guys were given a day off and their replacements for the game had a good game, Jerry would not sit that guy back down on the bench the next day for the regular player, he would let the sub have another day to play. I think this contributes to the team psyche in so many ways. You know that if you play hard you're going to be rewarded. These guys are good players who want to play and contribute. They know that if they contribute their contributions are not going be forgotten. That way of managing also shows the regular guys in the lineup that you must play your hardest and contribute to the team in a positive way. The everyday guys will not take their spots on this team for granted and will play harder resulting in more victories for the Mets. Another example of Jerry rewarding good talent is Daniel Murphy being made the everyday left fielder for the 2009 season. Daniel impressed a lot of people last season with his ability to wait for his pitch and run up the count in his favor. He was not an outfielder but when the Mets needed him to play the outfield he went out and did his job. Murphy showed up this spring earlier than most guys did. He is one of the first guys to arrive for workouts and more often than not it seems the last guy to leave. He is constantly in the cage working on his bat and trying to improve himself. Jerry sees this guy working his butt off for this team and rewards him by giving him the everyday spot. To the young guys like Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell, Nick Evans, etc.. this shows that if you work hard you will be rewarded for that work ethic.
Jerry's attitude is very good for this type of team. He is loose and encourages the guys to enjoy the game of baseball. He likes to have fun but still treats the game seriously. Watching the interviews on the news you can see guys like David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado are a lot more loose than they were last spring. I believe that is a direct result of the manager and the kind of leadership he provides to his guys. This is the kind of leadership that will lead the Mets to victory this season.
February 26, 2009
K-Rod Couldn't Have Said It Better!
It's that time of year again. Pitchers and catchers have reported to Spring Training and position players start reporting for workouts this week. Fortunately for them the weather is in the high 60's and up while we freeze here in New York waiting for the 2009 baseball season to start. The Mets this year will be playing games in their new home Citi Field. With a new ballpark comes a new chapter in the history of the New York Mets. The slate is clean to start building a new history in our new beautiful ballpark. The demons of the 2007 and 2008 are not present in Citi Field and that is what we need going into the 2009 season.
With the way the past 2 seasons have ended there are many reasons for Met fans to be less than optimistic coming into the 2009 season. The lineup is exactly the same as it was last season. The same goes for the starting rotation minus Pedro Martinez. The Mets didn't sign Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn or Orlando Hudson. There are reasons however to be optimistic this season. The bullpen has new additions such as Sean Green, J.J. Putz and closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez. Met fans were in agreement that the bullpen needed to be overhauled after blowing 29 saves in 2008 and being the reason the Mets failed to make the playoffs again. Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman are thankfully no longer with the club. With all that said and done why are Met fans still so pessimistic for the 2009 season?
The lineup is the same and we know that down the stretch the lineup was not very clutch. David Wright has been criticized to no end the last several months for "choking" down the stretch even though Wright hit .302 with 33 HR's and driving in 124 RBI's . We all know Luis Castillo would end a rally with a double play or a strikeout with men in scoring position. Brian Schneider is not an offensive threat. Ryan Church is a wild card in the lineup this season as we don't really know what to expect with him. Last season he was having an MVP type season before suffering a concussion in Atlanta. Church's return left a lot to be desired behind the plate. Fernando Tatis was a streaky hitter but did come up in clutch situations. Tatis struck out 59 times in 273 appearances at the plate before getting injured. Daniel Murphy was a pleasant surprise. He exhibited patience and excellent plate discipline that is beyond his years. He is another wildcard entering this season. Scouts have had time now to properly scout him and the book is out on him. Pitchers will be making adjustments going up against him and therefore Daniel must adjust as well.
This off-season there were many good hitters on the free agent market such as Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, and Orlando Hudson. Met fans have been foaming at the mouth for a least one of the above free agents to join the Mets in Citi Field this upcoming season. Having said that the lineup was not the problem in 2008. The Mets scored 799 runs which was second to the Chicago Cubs in runs scored and tied with World Series champions the Philadelphia Phillies in the same category.
I think the bullpen was part of the problem for the lineup not coming up in clutch situations. Not only were the Mets facing an opposing team's pitching staff but they were trying to outscore their own bullpen. For the Mets to win they had to score 8 or 9 runs in every game so that when the bullpen came in they would win a game by 2 or 3 runs on a daily basis. Take for example a game played on September 14, 2008 at Shea Stadium against the Braves. David Wright had a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st inning as well as a 2 run home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Mets went into the 9th inning with a 4-2 lead and the bullpen quickly blew the game by allowing 5 runs to score in 1 inning. That is just one example of the Mets scoring runs only to have the bullpen blow all their hard work. David Wright hits 2 home runs in one game, drives in 3 RBI's and the team still could not win the game, a game that if we did win would have left us tied with the Brewers in the Wild Card race.
Our front 4 in the rotation are Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez. Joining the front 4 could be Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, Livan Hernandez or Jonathan Niese. The rotation last season lost John Maine who was hurt most of the season which caused him to under perform and Pedro Martinez would make a start then have to miss at least one start due to not feeling loose enough. Pedro had a tough year professionally and personally. He got injured his first start into the season and his father had a long illness and unfortunately passed away. Pedro is gone this season and I wish him well unless he pitches against the Mets. The rotation was missing two starters but was still able to keep the Mets in the game until the bullpen came into pitch.
Johan Santana would have had at least 7 more wins last season if it was not for the bullpen. He would have been in the running for a Cy Young Award if the bullpen did not come in and constantly cost him game after game after game. Pelfrey had a great year, showing the Mets that he is a workhorse and that he is not another prospect that was all talk. Pelfrey pitched well over 200 innings last season. Jerry Manuel had made it known that they wanted to rest Pelfrey down the stretch but unfortunately could not due to the lack of depth in the bullpen. John Maine did not have his best season last year. He got injured and had to have season ending surgery on his shoulder. Maine did not walk a lot of guys but he goes to 3-2 counts against too many hitters and is usually out of the game by the 5th inning while exceeding over a 100 pitches by that time consistently. Maine has said that his shoulder was bothering him for most of last season but is now throwing and is 100% better. Oliver Perez is as inconsistent as they come. He will shut down the Yankees but can't make it out of the 3rd inning against the Pirates. He just signed a nice big contract and all eyes will be on him this season to justify the contract. He is 27 and has great stuff. Ollie has a hard time staying focused throughout the game and that needs to stop this season. Left handed pitchers take more time to mature so hopefully he is at the point where he can stay focused whether it's against the Phillies or the Pirates.
The bullpen last season blew 29 saves. Think about that number. You cut that number in half with a capable bullpen and it comes out to 14.5 games. The Mets would have won 104 games last season. Not only would the Mets win the National League East but that would've been the best record not only in the National League but throughout Major League Baseball. The Mets came into last season not knowing who was the 8th inning guy and having a setup guy by committee. By the end of last season Billy Wagner went down with season ending surgery which would cost him to miss all of the 2009 season as well. Jerry had no choice but to have a closer by committee. This proved disastrous for the 2008 season as there was no pitcher in the pen that could come out and close the game. Omar Minaya saw this and went out and got the best closer on the market in K-Rod. He traded Heilman away to Seattle for Sean Green and their closer, now our 8th inning setup guy J.J. Putz. Now the bullpen has 2 potential closers in the bullpen. If K-Rod has to save 3 games in a row and the Mets need a closer to go out for that 4th game in a row Jerry Manuel has the option of resting K-Rod that day and sending out Putz to save the game. How about if the Mets do have a good lead in the division and they want to rest K-Rod for the playoffs? Putz can closeout the remaining games giving him some work and giving K-Rod some much needed rest. If K-Rod does have a pitchers slump Putz can be called to save a few games while K-Rod gets his head on straight. This year the Mets have options for the bullpen. Something that was not available last year for them. In turn this will help the starters in the rotation as well as the guys in the lineup to better perform.
Many fans including myself throughout most of the off-season have been criticizing Omar and the Wilpons for not going after the flashy free agents the way the Yankees did with C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. Last season the Mets didn't make the playoffs because of the bullpen, not the rotation and not the lineup. It was not David Wright's fault that the Mets did not make it to the playoffs. Omar went out and improved the bullpen which was what he needed to do. Will K-Rod and the improved bullpen blow save opportunities this season? Most likely yes. Will they blow 29 games this season? No! I don't even think they will blow 14.5 games this season. The bullpen has the best 1-2 punch in the majors. Sean Green is a workhorse and will be a great addition to the pen. I believe that Sanchez could become the 7th inning guy and be part of the bridge to get to K-Rod. Barring injury I think the Mets have a great chance on winning the N.L. East. Are the Mets the team to beat? I have to agree with K-Rod and say the Mets are the team to beat. What do you readers think?
With the way the past 2 seasons have ended there are many reasons for Met fans to be less than optimistic coming into the 2009 season. The lineup is exactly the same as it was last season. The same goes for the starting rotation minus Pedro Martinez. The Mets didn't sign Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn or Orlando Hudson. There are reasons however to be optimistic this season. The bullpen has new additions such as Sean Green, J.J. Putz and closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez. Met fans were in agreement that the bullpen needed to be overhauled after blowing 29 saves in 2008 and being the reason the Mets failed to make the playoffs again. Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman are thankfully no longer with the club. With all that said and done why are Met fans still so pessimistic for the 2009 season?
The lineup is the same and we know that down the stretch the lineup was not very clutch. David Wright has been criticized to no end the last several months for "choking" down the stretch even though Wright hit .302 with 33 HR's and driving in 124 RBI's . We all know Luis Castillo would end a rally with a double play or a strikeout with men in scoring position. Brian Schneider is not an offensive threat. Ryan Church is a wild card in the lineup this season as we don't really know what to expect with him. Last season he was having an MVP type season before suffering a concussion in Atlanta. Church's return left a lot to be desired behind the plate. Fernando Tatis was a streaky hitter but did come up in clutch situations. Tatis struck out 59 times in 273 appearances at the plate before getting injured. Daniel Murphy was a pleasant surprise. He exhibited patience and excellent plate discipline that is beyond his years. He is another wildcard entering this season. Scouts have had time now to properly scout him and the book is out on him. Pitchers will be making adjustments going up against him and therefore Daniel must adjust as well.
This off-season there were many good hitters on the free agent market such as Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, and Orlando Hudson. Met fans have been foaming at the mouth for a least one of the above free agents to join the Mets in Citi Field this upcoming season. Having said that the lineup was not the problem in 2008. The Mets scored 799 runs which was second to the Chicago Cubs in runs scored and tied with World Series champions the Philadelphia Phillies in the same category.
I think the bullpen was part of the problem for the lineup not coming up in clutch situations. Not only were the Mets facing an opposing team's pitching staff but they were trying to outscore their own bullpen. For the Mets to win they had to score 8 or 9 runs in every game so that when the bullpen came in they would win a game by 2 or 3 runs on a daily basis. Take for example a game played on September 14, 2008 at Shea Stadium against the Braves. David Wright had a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st inning as well as a 2 run home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Mets went into the 9th inning with a 4-2 lead and the bullpen quickly blew the game by allowing 5 runs to score in 1 inning. That is just one example of the Mets scoring runs only to have the bullpen blow all their hard work. David Wright hits 2 home runs in one game, drives in 3 RBI's and the team still could not win the game, a game that if we did win would have left us tied with the Brewers in the Wild Card race.
Our front 4 in the rotation are Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez. Joining the front 4 could be Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, Livan Hernandez or Jonathan Niese. The rotation last season lost John Maine who was hurt most of the season which caused him to under perform and Pedro Martinez would make a start then have to miss at least one start due to not feeling loose enough. Pedro had a tough year professionally and personally. He got injured his first start into the season and his father had a long illness and unfortunately passed away. Pedro is gone this season and I wish him well unless he pitches against the Mets. The rotation was missing two starters but was still able to keep the Mets in the game until the bullpen came into pitch.
Johan Santana would have had at least 7 more wins last season if it was not for the bullpen. He would have been in the running for a Cy Young Award if the bullpen did not come in and constantly cost him game after game after game. Pelfrey had a great year, showing the Mets that he is a workhorse and that he is not another prospect that was all talk. Pelfrey pitched well over 200 innings last season. Jerry Manuel had made it known that they wanted to rest Pelfrey down the stretch but unfortunately could not due to the lack of depth in the bullpen. John Maine did not have his best season last year. He got injured and had to have season ending surgery on his shoulder. Maine did not walk a lot of guys but he goes to 3-2 counts against too many hitters and is usually out of the game by the 5th inning while exceeding over a 100 pitches by that time consistently. Maine has said that his shoulder was bothering him for most of last season but is now throwing and is 100% better. Oliver Perez is as inconsistent as they come. He will shut down the Yankees but can't make it out of the 3rd inning against the Pirates. He just signed a nice big contract and all eyes will be on him this season to justify the contract. He is 27 and has great stuff. Ollie has a hard time staying focused throughout the game and that needs to stop this season. Left handed pitchers take more time to mature so hopefully he is at the point where he can stay focused whether it's against the Phillies or the Pirates.
The bullpen last season blew 29 saves. Think about that number. You cut that number in half with a capable bullpen and it comes out to 14.5 games. The Mets would have won 104 games last season. Not only would the Mets win the National League East but that would've been the best record not only in the National League but throughout Major League Baseball. The Mets came into last season not knowing who was the 8th inning guy and having a setup guy by committee. By the end of last season Billy Wagner went down with season ending surgery which would cost him to miss all of the 2009 season as well. Jerry had no choice but to have a closer by committee. This proved disastrous for the 2008 season as there was no pitcher in the pen that could come out and close the game. Omar Minaya saw this and went out and got the best closer on the market in K-Rod. He traded Heilman away to Seattle for Sean Green and their closer, now our 8th inning setup guy J.J. Putz. Now the bullpen has 2 potential closers in the bullpen. If K-Rod has to save 3 games in a row and the Mets need a closer to go out for that 4th game in a row Jerry Manuel has the option of resting K-Rod that day and sending out Putz to save the game. How about if the Mets do have a good lead in the division and they want to rest K-Rod for the playoffs? Putz can closeout the remaining games giving him some work and giving K-Rod some much needed rest. If K-Rod does have a pitchers slump Putz can be called to save a few games while K-Rod gets his head on straight. This year the Mets have options for the bullpen. Something that was not available last year for them. In turn this will help the starters in the rotation as well as the guys in the lineup to better perform.
Many fans including myself throughout most of the off-season have been criticizing Omar and the Wilpons for not going after the flashy free agents the way the Yankees did with C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. Last season the Mets didn't make the playoffs because of the bullpen, not the rotation and not the lineup. It was not David Wright's fault that the Mets did not make it to the playoffs. Omar went out and improved the bullpen which was what he needed to do. Will K-Rod and the improved bullpen blow save opportunities this season? Most likely yes. Will they blow 29 games this season? No! I don't even think they will blow 14.5 games this season. The bullpen has the best 1-2 punch in the majors. Sean Green is a workhorse and will be a great addition to the pen. I believe that Sanchez could become the 7th inning guy and be part of the bridge to get to K-Rod. Barring injury I think the Mets have a great chance on winning the N.L. East. Are the Mets the team to beat? I have to agree with K-Rod and say the Mets are the team to beat. What do you readers think?
The Blog Is Back Online
I'm sorry for not updated the last couple of weeks, it's been a hectic time but now we are back online and will be working on bringing all New York Mets news and opinions to you so stay tuned.
February 5, 2009
Fernando Martinez Injured Again
MLB.com is reporting that the Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez is suffering from a sore elbow and is on his way to New York for a checkup. Martinez said of the injury:
“I felt my elbow tighten up the day before yesterday,” Martinez told MLB.com. “It was a little swollen. It’s better. I feel I can play again. I don’t think I need to fly to New York to get a check up but the Mets want me to.”On Tuesday F-Mart a two-run home run against the Puerto Rico team that won the game for the Tigres de Licey.
This is not the first injury scare for the 20 year old Martinez. F-Mart missed half of the 2007 minor league season with a contusion. In 2008 he injured his hamstring twice during the season.
This injury does not sound serious but it does worry me. F-Mart is only 20 years old but keeps on getting injured. The Mets have turned down a lot of good trade offers over the years for the young outfielder on the idea that when he is seasoned and ready to join the show he will be a dominant player. Early last season there was talk of F-Mart being a September call-up but due to the injuries he sustained his development was pushed back. F-Mart when healthy has the potential to be a perennial all-star. The Mets have banked on F-Mart to be the future of this team for years to come. I ask you do you think that F-Mart will stay healthy enough to live up to his potential or is he a younger version of Moises Alou?
February 2, 2009
The Case For Adam Dunn
With today's signing of Oliver Perez the hole in our rotation is now complete. The bullpen has the best 1-2 punch in the league I believe with Putz and K-Rod. That being said the Mets still need to sign a everyday outfielder and another left handed specialist for the bullpen and I think the Mets will be complete and ready for the 2009 season.
We all know that Manny Ramirez is the best free agent outfielder on the market. We also know that it is going to cost money that the Mets don't want to spend in order to sign him. Last week I talked about Bobby Abreu and what he would bring to the team. This week I would like to propose Adam Dunn.
Dunn is 29 years old and has a lot of power. His career numbers are:
The knock on Adam Dunn is that he strikes out a lot. If you look at his strike out totals for 2007 and 2008 he lowered his strikeout total. He walks a lot. In fact is you look at his walk total he draws over 100. For the last 4 seasons he had at least 40 home runs. I think he would be better in the outfield than the proposed platoon of Tatis and Murphy. Tatis last season had 59 strikeouts in 92 games played. Nobody is in the market for Dunn, he will be forced to lower his expectations.
We all know that Manny Ramirez is the best free agent outfielder on the market. We also know that it is going to cost money that the Mets don't want to spend in order to sign him. Last week I talked about Bobby Abreu and what he would bring to the team. This week I would like to propose Adam Dunn.
Dunn is 29 years old and has a lot of power. His career numbers are:
| Year | Age | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | TB | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 21 | Cincinnati | NL | 66 | 244 | 54 | 64 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 43 | 4 | 2 | 38 | 74 | .262 | .371 | .578 | .949 | 141 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2002 | 22 | Cincinnati | NL | 158 | 535 | 84 | 133 | 28 | 2 | 26 | 71 | 19 | 9 | 128 | 170 | .249 | .400 | .454 | .854 | 243 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 8 |
| 2003 | 23 | Cincinnati | NL | 116 | 381 | 70 | 82 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 57 | 8 | 2 | 74 | 126 | .215 | .354 | .465 | .819 | 177 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 4 |
| 2004 | 24 | Cincinnati | NL | 161 | 568 | 105 | 151 | 34 | 0 | 46 | 102 | 6 | 1 | 108 | 195 | .266 | .388 | .569 | .957 | 323 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 8 |
| 2005 | 25 | Cincinnati | NL | 160 | 543 | 107 | 134 | 35 | 2 | 40 | 101 | 4 | 2 | 114 | 168 | .247 | .387 | .540 | .927 | 293 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 6 |
| 2006 | 26 | Cincinnati | NL | 160 | 561 | 99 | 131 | 24 | 0 | 40 | 92 | 7 | 0 | 112 | 194 | .234 | .365 | .490 | .855 | 275 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 8 |
| 2007 | 27 | Cincinnati | NL | 152 | 522 | 101 | 138 | 27 | 2 | 40 | 106 | 9 | 2 | 101 | 165 | .264 | .386 | .554 | .940 | 289 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 12 |
| 2008 | 28 | CIN/ARI | NL | 158 | 517 | 79 | 122 | 23 | 0 | 40 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 122 | 164 | .236 | .386 | .513 | .899 | 265 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 7 | 7 |
| Totals: | 1,131 | 3,871 | 699 | 955 | 201 | 8 | 278 | 672 | 59 | 19 | 797 | 1,256 | .247 | .381 | .518 | .899 | 2,006 | 2 | 21 | 81 | 58 | 57 | |||
The knock on Adam Dunn is that he strikes out a lot. If you look at his strike out totals for 2007 and 2008 he lowered his strikeout total. He walks a lot. In fact is you look at his walk total he draws over 100. For the last 4 seasons he had at least 40 home runs. I think he would be better in the outfield than the proposed platoon of Tatis and Murphy. Tatis last season had 59 strikeouts in 92 games played. Nobody is in the market for Dunn, he will be forced to lower his expectations.
Root, root for Luis Castillo
I'll be the first to admit that I am don't want Luis Castillo to be the Mets 2nd baseman. He's got bad knees, does not have much of a range anymore and his bat is a rally killer. Having said that Luis Castillo is our 2nd baseman. He is a part of my favorite team in all of sports. Castillo had a horrible year last year, I don't think anyone can say otherwise. That was last year and now we are on the brink of a new season in which the Mets will be playing ball in a new state of the art ballpark.
The new baseball season erases everything that happened last year. The new season gives players a clean slate. I would hope Met fans keep that in mind. Jeering Luis Castillo would prove fruitless for our goals of playing baseball in October. Castillo knows he had a horrible year, he knows that the Mets have committed a lot of money and time in him. He knows he will be under constant pressure from his teammates, manager, coaches, fans, the media and Omar Minaya as Omar took a big chance on him and signed him to this big contract. Omar has been criticized to no end since that deal was announced last year. Do we really need to boo him when his name is announced? Do we really need to heckle him when he is trying to get on base or drive in a run for our team? Does he need this added pressure? The answer is no. Luis Castillo needs the support of his home fans. It's like the classic song says "root, root for the home team." That includes the players on the home team as well. When Luis Castillo's name is announced on opening day at Citi Field get up off your seats, clap your hands and root for Castillo to have a great season.
The new baseball season erases everything that happened last year. The new season gives players a clean slate. I would hope Met fans keep that in mind. Jeering Luis Castillo would prove fruitless for our goals of playing baseball in October. Castillo knows he had a horrible year, he knows that the Mets have committed a lot of money and time in him. He knows he will be under constant pressure from his teammates, manager, coaches, fans, the media and Omar Minaya as Omar took a big chance on him and signed him to this big contract. Omar has been criticized to no end since that deal was announced last year. Do we really need to boo him when his name is announced? Do we really need to heckle him when he is trying to get on base or drive in a run for our team? Does he need this added pressure? The answer is no. Luis Castillo needs the support of his home fans. It's like the classic song says "root, root for the home team." That includes the players on the home team as well. When Luis Castillo's name is announced on opening day at Citi Field get up off your seats, clap your hands and root for Castillo to have a great season.
Mets are very much into Oliver Perez!
Hope everybody had a great Superbowl weekend. Sorry for the lack of posts this weekend, I had computer problems but they are all fixed and we shouldn't have anymore problems.
The big news today is that the Mets have signed Oliver Perez to a 3 year contract valued at $36 million dollars. There was rumor of a 4th year vesting option but no credible sources have confirmed that.
The Mets might have gotten a great steal for the services of Oliver Perez. Ollie has the potential to throw a no hitter. He's 27, just coming into the prime of his career. With Ollie signing the Mets front 4 of the rotation looks like this:
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia and Jon Niese will be battling in Spring Training for the 5th spot. From where I sit behind my laptop that is a sweet rotation.
I still think the Mets need to go out and sign another outfielder and if it's not Manny why not Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn?
I also wouldn't mind another left hander in the pen like Joe Biemel but with the rotation set and the addition of K-Rod and Putz the Mets have had I think a pretty good if somewhat quiet off-season. I can't wait for Spring Training.
I still think the Mets need to go out and sign another outfielder and if it's not Manny why not Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn?
I also wouldn't mind another left hander in the pen like Joe Biemel but with the rotation set and the addition of K-Rod and Putz the Mets have had I think a pretty good if somewhat quiet off-season. I can't wait for Spring Training.
January 30, 2009
Free Agents Signing After Opening-Day
I got the idea for this post over at MetsMerized, which is a great New York Mets blog. In the blog Joe D. mentions a post on Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports in which he talks about several free agents may wait until Opening Day or later to sign with a team.
Ben Sheets comes to mind as someone who might get a better deal if he waits. Surely there will be a team that will have a starting pitcher that will go down for part of the season and will be in need of a pitcher to replace said injured player. Sheets will have time to rest his arm and only pitch half a season. He will probably get a better deal if this is the case.
Another player that comes to mind is infielder Orlando Hudson. For some reason this guy is still a free agent and the talk about him is very quiet. Hudson is a good player who doesn't get hurt.
As of right now the Mets have Luis Castillo playing 2nd base. No matter what Met fans feel about Castillo he will be a 2nd baseman come opening day, that's a guarantee. Another guarantee about Luis Castillo is his history of getting injured. We know Met fans that Luis Castillo will spend time on the disabled list this coming season. If Castillo does get hurt and miss significant time there are not many options for the Mets within the organization besides Argenis Reyes whose bat is worse than Castillo's.
Could Omar justify signing Hudson to Fred and Jeff Wilpon if Castillo goes down for a significant amount of time? As long as Hudson keeps himself in shape it would not be a bad deal as Hudson would not have played a full season, he will be rested and ready to go.
Ben Sheets comes to mind as someone who might get a better deal if he waits. Surely there will be a team that will have a starting pitcher that will go down for part of the season and will be in need of a pitcher to replace said injured player. Sheets will have time to rest his arm and only pitch half a season. He will probably get a better deal if this is the case.
Another player that comes to mind is infielder Orlando Hudson. For some reason this guy is still a free agent and the talk about him is very quiet. Hudson is a good player who doesn't get hurt.
As of right now the Mets have Luis Castillo playing 2nd base. No matter what Met fans feel about Castillo he will be a 2nd baseman come opening day, that's a guarantee. Another guarantee about Luis Castillo is his history of getting injured. We know Met fans that Luis Castillo will spend time on the disabled list this coming season. If Castillo does get hurt and miss significant time there are not many options for the Mets within the organization besides Argenis Reyes whose bat is worse than Castillo's.
Could Omar justify signing Hudson to Fred and Jeff Wilpon if Castillo goes down for a significant amount of time? As long as Hudson keeps himself in shape it would not be a bad deal as Hudson would not have played a full season, he will be rested and ready to go.
January 29, 2009
Pedro coming back to the Mets?
Pedro Martinez could be a Met this season. The Associated Press is reporting that Omar Minaya has expressed interest in resigning Pedro for the 2009 season.
MLB.com reports "a person familiar with the Mets' activities confirmed Minaya met with Martinez in the pitcher's homeland on Wednesday. He said no offer had been made." The person indicated "he club intends to begin the season certain it will have sufficient starting pitching depth so we have five competitive pitchers available all year."
Before the signings of Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia I was all for bringing Pedro back to the Mets but with Redding, Garcia, and Niese competing for the number 5 spot in the rotation I figured Pedro would join a new team or retire.
I have a lot of respect for Pedro, he was one of the most dominant pitchers of his time and is a future Hall of Famer. That said he has been injured more than healthy since he joined the Mets, he is getting older and I do not believe that he will be able to last a whole season healthy. The only reason I can see for bringing Pedro back is that talks with Oliver Perez are going nowhere and perhaps are breaking down and the Mets are getting desperate.
It was revealed this week that Ben Sheets has a tear in his elbow. John Garland yesterday signed with the Diamondbacks, Randy Wolf looks to be headed to the Dodgers and Andy Petite signed with the Yankees. Quality pitchers are slowly, but surely getting signed to teams, the Mets need to stop playing the waiting game and sign a pitcher.
MLB.com reports "a person familiar with the Mets' activities confirmed Minaya met with Martinez in the pitcher's homeland on Wednesday. He said no offer had been made." The person indicated "he club intends to begin the season certain it will have sufficient starting pitching depth so we have five competitive pitchers available all year."
Before the signings of Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia I was all for bringing Pedro back to the Mets but with Redding, Garcia, and Niese competing for the number 5 spot in the rotation I figured Pedro would join a new team or retire.
I have a lot of respect for Pedro, he was one of the most dominant pitchers of his time and is a future Hall of Famer. That said he has been injured more than healthy since he joined the Mets, he is getting older and I do not believe that he will be able to last a whole season healthy. The only reason I can see for bringing Pedro back is that talks with Oliver Perez are going nowhere and perhaps are breaking down and the Mets are getting desperate.
It was revealed this week that Ben Sheets has a tear in his elbow. John Garland yesterday signed with the Diamondbacks, Randy Wolf looks to be headed to the Dodgers and Andy Petite signed with the Yankees. Quality pitchers are slowly, but surely getting signed to teams, the Mets need to stop playing the waiting game and sign a pitcher.
January 28, 2009
Aaron Heilman returning to the National League
Aaron Heilman has been traded again this off-season, this time to The Chicago Cubs for infielder Ronny Cedeno and left-hander Garrett Olson. This trade comes as a surprise to Heilman "Heilman told MLB.com on Tuesday night that he knew nothing about his involvement in any trade talks. He was assured over the weekend that he would compete for a spot in Seattle's deep starting rotation."
It was no secret that Heilman always wanted to start for a club and it looks like he's going to get his chance this season with the Cubbies.
It has to be tough being traded twice in a such small time frame. Aaron I think will be a good pitcher whether out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation but was just not a fit for New York. He had a great second half to the 2006 season when Sanchez went down and Aaron became the setup guy for Wagner up until game 7 of the NLCS when Molina hit that homer off him that would send the Cards into the World Series. Aaron didn't have the same look on the mound the following season even though that was his best season as a Met.
I think Heilman was in agreement after his dismal season that a trade would be in order. Fans would cringe when the gate of the pen would open and he would come out, it was not a good working environment. It will be interesting this season when we face the Cubbies to see how Heilman will do against us, his former team
It was no secret that Heilman always wanted to start for a club and it looks like he's going to get his chance this season with the Cubbies.
It has to be tough being traded twice in a such small time frame. Aaron I think will be a good pitcher whether out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation but was just not a fit for New York. He had a great second half to the 2006 season when Sanchez went down and Aaron became the setup guy for Wagner up until game 7 of the NLCS when Molina hit that homer off him that would send the Cards into the World Series. Aaron didn't have the same look on the mound the following season even though that was his best season as a Met.
I think Heilman was in agreement after his dismal season that a trade would be in order. Fans would cringe when the gate of the pen would open and he would come out, it was not a good working environment. It will be interesting this season when we face the Cubbies to see how Heilman will do against us, his former team
Bobby Abreu lowers his expectations
MLBTradeRumors reports that outfielder Bobby Abreu has lowered his expectations for a 3 year deal and that would cost the team the signed him 10-11 million dollars. Abreu is willing to take a 1 year offer from a club. Word is that there are several clubs interested including Mets, Braves, Angels, Giants, and Red Sox.
Since it looks like the Mets will not be going after Manny Ramirez, Abreu deserves to be looked at. His numbers are:
The lineup would improve greatly with him in it I believe. I know that he is a left handed batter and we would benefit more with a right handed batter but Abreu can still hit and drive in runs. He will only be 35 this March.
Since it looks like the Mets will not be going after Manny Ramirez, Abreu deserves to be looked at. His numbers are:
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLG | AVG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 156 | 609 | 100 | 180 | 39 | 4 | 20 | 100 | 287 | 73 | 109 | 22 | 11 | .371 | .471 | .296 |
| Career | 1799 | 6490 | 1174 | 1946 | 454 | 53 | 241 | 1084 | 3229 | 1160 | 1405 | 318 | 103 | .405 | .498 | .300 |
The lineup would improve greatly with him in it I believe. I know that he is a left handed batter and we would benefit more with a right handed batter but Abreu can still hit and drive in runs. He will only be 35 this March.
Another Free Agent Pitcher off the Market
Free agent right-hander John Garland has signed a 1 year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The contract is valued between 6-8 million dollars with both a player and a club option for 2010.
It was said a lot this off-season that the Mets were interested in acquiring Garland but nothing ever materialized. The Mets still have a rotation spot open and there are 16 days left until pitchers and catchers report to Florida.
Word going around is that talks have somewhat stalled between Oliver Perez and The Mets. Scott Boras tried to conjure up the famous mystery team(s) that are interested in Oliver but it's believed that the Mets are the only real players for Perez' services.
Whatever the Mets are going to do it needs to get done now! I don't think the Mets want to go into Spring Training with a hole in the rotation and I know Met fans don't want that either.
It was said a lot this off-season that the Mets were interested in acquiring Garland but nothing ever materialized. The Mets still have a rotation spot open and there are 16 days left until pitchers and catchers report to Florida.
Word going around is that talks have somewhat stalled between Oliver Perez and The Mets. Scott Boras tried to conjure up the famous mystery team(s) that are interested in Oliver but it's believed that the Mets are the only real players for Perez' services.
Whatever the Mets are going to do it needs to get done now! I don't think the Mets want to go into Spring Training with a hole in the rotation and I know Met fans don't want that either.
Citi Field Tickets Selling Well
Tickets for Citi Field are selling well according to the NY Post. The post reports "that just 1 to 2 percent of people who placed deposits for season tickets at Citi Field failed to follow through with their purchase, and the New York Mets have sold about 25,000 seats per game for the first season in the ballpark."
The Posts reports that "the Mets have sold all 49 luxury suites that were available - reserving two for individual game sales - some inventory remains among the 10,000 premium seats, which include club level. Single-game tickets for the 42,000-seat ballpark will not go on sale until early March."
I think the Mets will sellout or near sellouts at Citi Field on a regular basis, we do have a good team plus the new park is going to look amazing.
The Posts reports that "the Mets have sold all 49 luxury suites that were available - reserving two for individual game sales - some inventory remains among the 10,000 premium seats, which include club level. Single-game tickets for the 42,000-seat ballpark will not go on sale until early March."
I think the Mets will sellout or near sellouts at Citi Field on a regular basis, we do have a good team plus the new park is going to look amazing.
January 27, 2009
Jerry Manual says he wants Manny!
I missed the original broadcast of Daily News Live yesterday on SNY but I was able to catch the interview online this morning. It was a good interview, Jerry is very entertaining, has a way of answering a reporters questions without giving away too much. The one part of the interview that got me excited was when he commented on Manny Ramirez. I debated with myself today whether or not to write this as I have written a lot on Manny in the short time I started this blog but in the end I decided to share my opinion on the matter.
Jerry said "I'd love to have the opportunity to watch Manny hit every day." I couldn't agree more with that, Manny has an amazing swing and he also makes pitchers go deep into the count which is surprising with a power hitter. Jerry went on to say "Manny Ramirez just might be one of the greatest hitters in our generation." Look at his numbers, kind of hard to argue that logic.
One of the concerns of Met fans, the media and perhaps the front office is "Manny being Manny." Jerry said "I don't have a problem with people that produce in the form and fashion that Manny Ramirez produces." Jerry also says "I don't have problems with strong willed ballplayers who play like he does. I've managed Albert Belle and Frank Thomas and they said the same things about them. We had no problems and were quite successful."
Say what you want about Jerry but he does speak his mind when asked a question no matter what the subject is. Last week I reported that COO Jeff Wilpon said the Mets have no interest in Manny and Omar said they are looking to sign a low cost corner outfielder. David Wright commented last week that he wouldn't mind if Manny came to the club and several other players throughout this long off-season have said similar.
I hope the players and manager will put some pressure on the front office staff to get Manny. With Manny in the lineup and our improved bullpen we will go far into the post season, a World Series appearance would not be out of the question. How nice would it be for CitiField to be a co-host of the World Series in it's first year of existence?
Jerry said "I'd love to have the opportunity to watch Manny hit every day." I couldn't agree more with that, Manny has an amazing swing and he also makes pitchers go deep into the count which is surprising with a power hitter. Jerry went on to say "Manny Ramirez just might be one of the greatest hitters in our generation." Look at his numbers, kind of hard to argue that logic.
One of the concerns of Met fans, the media and perhaps the front office is "Manny being Manny." Jerry said "I don't have a problem with people that produce in the form and fashion that Manny Ramirez produces." Jerry also says "I don't have problems with strong willed ballplayers who play like he does. I've managed Albert Belle and Frank Thomas and they said the same things about them. We had no problems and were quite successful."
Say what you want about Jerry but he does speak his mind when asked a question no matter what the subject is. Last week I reported that COO Jeff Wilpon said the Mets have no interest in Manny and Omar said they are looking to sign a low cost corner outfielder. David Wright commented last week that he wouldn't mind if Manny came to the club and several other players throughout this long off-season have said similar.
I hope the players and manager will put some pressure on the front office staff to get Manny. With Manny in the lineup and our improved bullpen we will go far into the post season, a World Series appearance would not be out of the question. How nice would it be for CitiField to be a co-host of the World Series in it's first year of existence?
Are we ready for the new season?
Today is January 27th of 2009. Our rotation is missing a starter, our offense is filled with questions marks such as "How many double plays will Luis Castillo ground into this year?" and "Will Tatis strikeout more this year?" or "How will Dan Murphy adjust now that he has been properly scouted?"
This whole off-season Mets fans have said "don't panic, it's still early, we will have our team ready for spring training." There are now just 17 days until catchers and pitchers report. That is not a lot of time to get this team in order. There are still free agents out there that can help this team such as Oliver Perez as a starting pitcher as well as Ben Sheets who would be risk.
For our outfield there is of course Manny Ramirez but Adam Dunn is still available as is Bobby Abreu who has played in New York and handled himself pretty well in the big apple. My question is why aren't Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya as worried as I am? This team has collapse the last 2 seasons down the stretch because of a bad bullpen especially in 2008 but we also didn't have any clutch hitters down the stretch this past season. How many runners did we leave on base the last week of the season? Those games against the Cubs are perfect examples that the Mets needed last season better run production. The last 3 games of the season, all must win games we scored 5 runs. If it wasn't for Johan Santana the Marlins would have swept us in the last 3 games at Shea.
I don't think we're ready for the season at all, hopefully Mets management agree with my sentiment and get to work. There are only 17 days until pitchers and catchers report.
This whole off-season Mets fans have said "don't panic, it's still early, we will have our team ready for spring training." There are now just 17 days until catchers and pitchers report. That is not a lot of time to get this team in order. There are still free agents out there that can help this team such as Oliver Perez as a starting pitcher as well as Ben Sheets who would be risk.
For our outfield there is of course Manny Ramirez but Adam Dunn is still available as is Bobby Abreu who has played in New York and handled himself pretty well in the big apple. My question is why aren't Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya as worried as I am? This team has collapse the last 2 seasons down the stretch because of a bad bullpen especially in 2008 but we also didn't have any clutch hitters down the stretch this past season. How many runners did we leave on base the last week of the season? Those games against the Cubs are perfect examples that the Mets needed last season better run production. The last 3 games of the season, all must win games we scored 5 runs. If it wasn't for Johan Santana the Marlins would have swept us in the last 3 games at Shea.
I don't think we're ready for the season at all, hopefully Mets management agree with my sentiment and get to work. There are only 17 days until pitchers and catchers report.
January 25, 2009
Pictures and Video's of shea being demolished.
This being a slow news day with no word on Oliver Perez signing with the Mets I came along these 2 sites.
This is a site of still pictures of Shea Stadium being destroyed.
This is a youtube channel of Shea being destroyed.
Say what you want about Shea not being pretty on the eyes but it's still sad to see these pictures and video. I spent a lot of time at that stadium over the years, a lot of good times, some bad times. I won't ever forget Shea.
This is a site of still pictures of Shea Stadium being destroyed.
This is a youtube channel of Shea being destroyed.
Say what you want about Shea not being pretty on the eyes but it's still sad to see these pictures and video. I spent a lot of time at that stadium over the years, a lot of good times, some bad times. I won't ever forget Shea.
January 24, 2009
Maine ready to go, responds to Cole Hamels
I was reading the NY Post online website today and stumbled on an article written by Kevin Kernan about RHP John Maine. Kernan reports that Maine has been throwing pain free "five, six times a week" following a season ending surgery on his shoulder. Kernan reports that this season we will see a different John Maine as Maine says "I'm a little meaner than people think and I'm not as naive as people think. As clichéd as it is, I can't stand losing. It drives me crazy. I hate losing more than I like winning. It really aggravates me when things don't go all that great."
Asked about the Phillies and Cole Hamels calling the Mets choke artist Maine says "They won the World Series and I say, "Congratulations.' Let them celebrate it, but just don't worry about what's going on in New York. We'll take care of it. And if I can remember; we beat them head-on last year, didn't we?"
I have to say I like that the Mets are not shying away about their opinions on Hamel's statements. Maine is usually a man of very few words after a win or a loss. It has been said for the last 2 seasons that the Mets don't have a spark and are not fired up enough but I think Hamel's labeling them choke artists really did something to these guys and we will see a different mindset from the Mets this season.
If you want to read the rest of the article with Maine which was very good as Maine talks about rehabbing and a nagging problem he has dealt with for awhile go to the article
I have to say I like that the Mets are not shying away about their opinions on Hamel's statements. Maine is usually a man of very few words after a win or a loss. It has been said for the last 2 seasons that the Mets don't have a spark and are not fired up enough but I think Hamel's labeling them choke artists really did something to these guys and we will see a different mindset from the Mets this season.
If you want to read the rest of the article with Maine which was very good as Maine talks about rehabbing and a nagging problem he has dealt with for awhile go to the article
Mets not interested in Manny Ramirez!
Mets COO Jeff Wilpon spoke to Danielle Sessa of Bloomberg.com about signing Manny Ramirez. Wilpon said that Mets GM Omar Minaya has not brought the idea to ownership because the baseball staff is not interested in Manny.
I find it hard to believe that the baseball staff has no interest in bringing Manny to CitiField this season. I have outlined in another post what Manny would bring to this team. He instantly improves any lineup, why wouldn't the baseball people want to sign a guy who can hit 30+ HR's and over 100 RBI's? Plus he makes sense from a business perspective as well. How many more people are going to buy tickets to see Manny play? How many fans are going to buy his jersey's and bobble head dolls?
I know the Wilpon's lost a lot of money in the Ponzi scheme but instead of admitting that they can't afford a starting pitcher like Oliver Perez and K-Rod along with Manny they shove Omar under the proverbial bus.
I don't understand why Wilpon would try and insult the media and more importly fans intelligence. It has been known for years that Omar loves Manny and tried to get him to Queens a few years ago from Boston. You would think that Jeff Wilpon working all these years with his father would know better than to do this. Just admit that you feel you can't afford Manny or don't want to deal with "Manny being Manny" instead of insulting our intelligence.
Since we're on the topic of Manny Ramirez, David Wright told Newsday reporter Anythony Reiber "Omar knows what he’s doing. He knows what we need on the field and he knows what we need in the clubhouse. I do not know Manny very well at all. But I know what he’s done on the field, and that’s impressive. When you can single-handily takes a team and carry them into the postseason, and then once you get to the postseason, the numbers speak for themselves.”
David loves this team, he knows what the team needs but at the same time he's respectful of the team. I hope more of his teammates come out and talk up Manny for the Mets.
I find it hard to believe that the baseball staff has no interest in bringing Manny to CitiField this season. I have outlined in another post what Manny would bring to this team. He instantly improves any lineup, why wouldn't the baseball people want to sign a guy who can hit 30+ HR's and over 100 RBI's? Plus he makes sense from a business perspective as well. How many more people are going to buy tickets to see Manny play? How many fans are going to buy his jersey's and bobble head dolls?
I know the Wilpon's lost a lot of money in the Ponzi scheme but instead of admitting that they can't afford a starting pitcher like Oliver Perez and K-Rod along with Manny they shove Omar under the proverbial bus.
I don't understand why Wilpon would try and insult the media and more importly fans intelligence. It has been known for years that Omar loves Manny and tried to get him to Queens a few years ago from Boston. You would think that Jeff Wilpon working all these years with his father would know better than to do this. Just admit that you feel you can't afford Manny or don't want to deal with "Manny being Manny" instead of insulting our intelligence.
Since we're on the topic of Manny Ramirez, David Wright told Newsday reporter Anythony Reiber "Omar knows what he’s doing. He knows what we need on the field and he knows what we need in the clubhouse. I do not know Manny very well at all. But I know what he’s done on the field, and that’s impressive. When you can single-handily takes a team and carry them into the postseason, and then once you get to the postseason, the numbers speak for themselves.”
David loves this team, he knows what the team needs but at the same time he's respectful of the team. I hope more of his teammates come out and talk up Manny for the Mets.
Mets offer Oliver Perez a new deal
MLB Insider Jon Heyman is reporting that the Mets have offered Oliver Perez a new contract. No word on how much or how many years the offer is but the Mets expect an answer from Ollie in the next few days.
For the last few months now I had been pushing for Oliver Perez over Ben Sheets but now I would rather have Sheets on the team. Sheets proved last year that when he stays healthy he can dominate on the mound. Ollie has always been very inconsistent to say the least. He'll pitch a great game against the Yankees and then throw 100 pitches by the 4th inning against a team like the Pirates.
For the last few months now I had been pushing for Oliver Perez over Ben Sheets but now I would rather have Sheets on the team. Sheets proved last year that when he stays healthy he can dominate on the mound. Ollie has always been very inconsistent to say the least. He'll pitch a great game against the Yankees and then throw 100 pitches by the 4th inning against a team like the Pirates.
January 23, 2009
Freddy Garcia signs with The New York Mets
Adam Rubin of the Daily News is reporting that the Mets have signed veteran right hander Freddy Garcia to a minor league contract. The contract is loaded with incentives making it worth potentially 8-10 million dollars.
I think this is a good signing for the Mets. Garcia came cheap as I said above most of the money is in incentives such as innings pitched, appearances, games started, etc... While Garcia is a good pickup and will compete with Tim Redding and John Niese for the 5th spot in the rotation, he's not the answer for the rotation problems. The Mets still need to sign a good number 2 be it Olliver Perez or Ben Sheets.
Whoever wins out between Garcia and Redding for the number 5 spot one of them will be placed in the bullpen I believe as a long relief guy and that only increases the strength of our pen in my opinion.
January 21, 2009
Mets avoid arbitration with Church and Pagan
Sorry for no posts recently, blogger was having a problem uploading blogs but everything is all fixed right now.
It's been a slow news week for the Mets, I guess you can say it's been a very slow off season for the Mets in general.
Yesterday the Mets avoided arbitration with outfielders Ryan Church and Angel Pagan.
Ryan Church agreed to a 2.8 million dollar deal for one year. This is a pay raise of $800, 000 from last year.
Angel Pagan agree to a one year contract as well worth $575,000. This is a pay raise of $173, 500.
Both outfielders broke out strong last year, Pagan being a real surprise but both suffered injuries, Church with his concussions and Pagan had a tear in his left shoulder.
Pagan if healthy could be a nice bat off the bench, can play anywhere in the outfield and will help our guys down the stretch.
Church was having an MVP type season until that concussion in Atlanta. I don't know exactly what to expect from him as I don't think he will be like he was in the beginning of last season but I know he is better than the way he played at the end of last season.
The Mets still have 2 players who are arbitration eligible in John Maine and RP Pedro Feliciano.
It's been a slow news week for the Mets, I guess you can say it's been a very slow off season for the Mets in general.
Yesterday the Mets avoided arbitration with outfielders Ryan Church and Angel Pagan.
Ryan Church agreed to a 2.8 million dollar deal for one year. This is a pay raise of $800, 000 from last year.
Angel Pagan agree to a one year contract as well worth $575,000. This is a pay raise of $173, 500.
Both outfielders broke out strong last year, Pagan being a real surprise but both suffered injuries, Church with his concussions and Pagan had a tear in his left shoulder.
Pagan if healthy could be a nice bat off the bench, can play anywhere in the outfield and will help our guys down the stretch.
Church was having an MVP type season until that concussion in Atlanta. I don't know exactly what to expect from him as I don't think he will be like he was in the beginning of last season but I know he is better than the way he played at the end of last season.
The Mets still have 2 players who are arbitration eligible in John Maine and RP Pedro Feliciano.
January 20, 2009
Mets playing in the World Baseball Classic
Yesterday the provisional rosters for the 2009 World Baseball Classic were announced. The following Mets players will be representing their respective countries:
Carlos Beltran: Puerto Rico
Shawn Bowman: Cananda
Angel Cuan: Panama
Carlos Delgado: Puerto Rico
Jesus Feliciano: Puerto Rico
Pedro Feliciano: Puerto Rico
Nelson Figueroa: Puerto Rico
J.J. Putz: USA
Jose Reyes: Dominican Republic
Fransisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez: Venezuela
Johan Santana: Venezuela
Brian Schneider: USA
Ruben Tejada: Panama
Stefan Welch: Australia
David Wright: USA
Best of luck to all the Mets playing in the WBC but please, please stay healthy.
Carlos Beltran: Puerto Rico
Shawn Bowman: Cananda
Angel Cuan: Panama
Carlos Delgado: Puerto Rico
Jesus Feliciano: Puerto Rico
Pedro Feliciano: Puerto Rico
Nelson Figueroa: Puerto Rico
J.J. Putz: USA
Jose Reyes: Dominican Republic
Fransisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez: Venezuela
Johan Santana: Venezuela
Brian Schneider: USA
Ruben Tejada: Panama
Stefan Welch: Australia
David Wright: USA
Best of luck to all the Mets playing in the WBC but please, please stay healthy.
January 19, 2009
Duaner Sanchez and Mets agree to new contract
Right handed reliever Duaner Sanchez and The New York Mets have avoided arbitration and have agreed on a 1 year contract worth $1,687,500. Sanchez was a good reliever for the Mets in '06 until he was in a taxi cab accident and had to have shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the rest of the '06 season and all of the '07 season. His numbers for last season were:
Not great but not horrible either, especially with the rest of the pen that was plain horrible. Obviously with J.J. Putz now on the Mets Sanchez is no longer the setup guy for our closer but I think he could still be a good middle reliever, perhaps our 7th inning guy to help with the bridge to K-Rod.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 1 | 4.32 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 58.1 | 54 | 28 | 28 | 6 | 23 | 44 |
Not great but not horrible either, especially with the rest of the pen that was plain horrible. Obviously with J.J. Putz now on the Mets Sanchez is no longer the setup guy for our closer but I think he could still be a good middle reliever, perhaps our 7th inning guy to help with the bridge to K-Rod.
January 18, 2009
Mets should have avoided Arbitration last year with Perez!
This past week The Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration with two of their best players, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. It got me thinking how arbitration can really hurt the relationship between a player and a ball club.
Last season the Mets and Oliver Perez could not reach an agreement and had to enter into salary arbitration. The Mets were offering Perez $4,725,000. Ollie and his agent Scott Boras felt that Oliver was worth more than that. The Mets and Ollie entered arbitration and Oliver Perez won, being awarded $6,500,00.00.
Arbitration is a lot like a trial to put it in simple terms. The Mets are making a case in why Perez should not have gotten more than their proposed offer while Ollie and his agent have to prove that the Mets are wrong and they are justified in wanting more money.
The team is pointing out all your faults to the arbitrators. We all have faults in life as well as in our jobs while we try and do our best. How would you feel if you worked your butt off and wanted a raise but your employers are sitting there before a bunch of people and bad mouthing you?
The Red Sox saw that with their young talent it would have been wise to avoid arbitration and sign them up for a few years.
Now I know Ollie wasn't going to sign a long term contract last year but I think the Mets should have tried harder to come to an agreement before it went to arbitration. I wonder if Perez is exacting a little revenge against the Mets this off-season knowing that the Mets are desperate for his services to help rotation. His numbers in '07 were much improved from the '06 season, he had delivered a great performance in a must win playoff situation '06 and the Mets to top it off grossly overpaid for Luis Castillo last year, I see where he was coming from in desiring more money than the Mets offered.
Last season the Mets and Oliver Perez could not reach an agreement and had to enter into salary arbitration. The Mets were offering Perez $4,725,000. Ollie and his agent Scott Boras felt that Oliver was worth more than that. The Mets and Ollie entered arbitration and Oliver Perez won, being awarded $6,500,00.00.
Arbitration is a lot like a trial to put it in simple terms. The Mets are making a case in why Perez should not have gotten more than their proposed offer while Ollie and his agent have to prove that the Mets are wrong and they are justified in wanting more money.
The team is pointing out all your faults to the arbitrators. We all have faults in life as well as in our jobs while we try and do our best. How would you feel if you worked your butt off and wanted a raise but your employers are sitting there before a bunch of people and bad mouthing you?
The Red Sox saw that with their young talent it would have been wise to avoid arbitration and sign them up for a few years.
Now I know Ollie wasn't going to sign a long term contract last year but I think the Mets should have tried harder to come to an agreement before it went to arbitration. I wonder if Perez is exacting a little revenge against the Mets this off-season knowing that the Mets are desperate for his services to help rotation. His numbers in '07 were much improved from the '06 season, he had delivered a great performance in a must win playoff situation '06 and the Mets to top it off grossly overpaid for Luis Castillo last year, I see where he was coming from in desiring more money than the Mets offered.
Are the Mets considering Sheets over Ollie?
With negotiations going nowhere with Oliver Perez the Mets have all of the sudden become very interested in signing often injured pitcher Ben Sheets. Here is a list of injuries that Ben Sheets has endured in his career:
2003: Bulging Discs in lower back
2005: Inner ear infections that caused dizziness and a loss of balance
2006: Shoulder tendinitis
2007: A strained hamstring
2008: Right triceps tightness, right groin tightness, right forearm tightness, elbow pain
Last year when his team was fighting with the Mets and Phillies for the NL Wild Card he went down with an injury when his team needed him the most.
With all that said Sheets has amazing stuff when healthy. Here is Sheets stats for the 2008 season.
He just missed 200 innings with his latest injury. He started last years All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. He pitched a complete game shutout against The Giants and also struck out 8 batters in that same game. He can hit 96-98 on the gun.
I think part of the interest the Mets have in him is trying to show Scott Boras and Ollie Perez that there are other pitchers out there who are just as good or better then him. Omar tried using the same tactic with Lowe and we know how that turned out.
Having said that Sheets should be given a legitimate look at by the Mets. I wouldn't give him more than a 1 year contract that would be heavy with incentives to increase the money he would make. Some incentives is to stay off the DL and throw 200 innings.
2003: Bulging Discs in lower back
2005: Inner ear infections that caused dizziness and a loss of balance
2006: Shoulder tendinitis
2007: A strained hamstring
2008: Right triceps tightness, right groin tightness, right forearm tightness, elbow pain
Last year when his team was fighting with the Mets and Phillies for the NL Wild Card he went down with an injury when his team needed him the most.
With all that said Sheets has amazing stuff when healthy. Here is Sheets stats for the 2008 season.
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 13 | 9 | 3.09 | 31 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 198.1 | 181 | 74 | 68 | 17 | 47 | 158 |
He just missed 200 innings with his latest injury. He started last years All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. He pitched a complete game shutout against The Giants and also struck out 8 batters in that same game. He can hit 96-98 on the gun.
I think part of the interest the Mets have in him is trying to show Scott Boras and Ollie Perez that there are other pitchers out there who are just as good or better then him. Omar tried using the same tactic with Lowe and we know how that turned out.
Having said that Sheets should be given a legitimate look at by the Mets. I wouldn't give him more than a 1 year contract that would be heavy with incentives to increase the money he would make. Some incentives is to stay off the DL and throw 200 innings.
January 16, 2009
Freddy Garcia interested in the Mets
Word is that right handed pitcher Freddy Garcia is interested in joining the New York Mets. Garcia overall is: 118-77 with a 4.07 E.R.A.
He has played for the Mariners, White Sox, Phillies and Tigers.
To be honest I don't think this would be a good signing for the Mets unless the cost of getting is cheap. Garcia had a good 2006 with the White Sox but did not live up to expectations in 07 when he went down with an injury to his shoulder.
He has played for the Mariners, White Sox, Phillies and Tigers.
To be honest I don't think this would be a good signing for the Mets unless the cost of getting is cheap. Garcia had a good 2006 with the White Sox but did not live up to expectations in 07 when he went down with an injury to his shoulder.
Edgardo Alfonzo making a comeback?
Reports are that former New York Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo has been impressing scouts with his performance in the Venezuelan Winter League. Alfonzo has lost some weight and there are clubs interested in him. Fonzie was at Shea last year for the last game and has worked with them in the minors in the past.
I was a fan of Fonzie's and I'm happy for him that he's giving his career another shot. I wouldn't mind it if the Mets invite him to Spring Training and perhaps give him a minor league contract if he impresses the coaches. Fonzie could work his way up in the organization and perhaps be a mid season callup.
In 2006 Jose Valentin was considered down and out but he had a good season and last year Fernando Tatis had a good comeback until getting hurt, perhaps 3rd times the charm for a Met player making a comeback?
It looks like the signing of Cora earlier this week and renewed interest in Alfonzo could mean that Castillo's days as a Met are numbered and it would not have cost the Mets that much more money.
January 15, 2009
David Wright not on the plane that crashed in the Hudson
There was a rumor going around that David Wright was on the plane that crash into the Hudson River earlier this afternoon. MetsBlog.com has stated that a team spokesman says that David Wright was not on the plane.
The Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez has been cut by the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League. The president of the team says "Martinez is a great player, but unfortunately he couldn’t hit as we hoped."
I don't know what to make of this. F-Mart has been deemed untouchable by the Mets the last few years and now has been cut from a winter league. There were many offers for different players over the years for Martinez but we turned the trades down thinking he was the future of the franchise. He has been injured the last 2 years and now this happens. I hope F-Mart will not be another disappointment like Lastings Milledge was.
January 14, 2009
Owners want a salary cap
Over at MLB.com there is an article about some major league owners calling for a salary cap. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio says "At the rate the Yankees are going, I'm not sure anyone can compete with them, frankly, the sport might need a salary cap." Oakland A's managing partner Lew Wolff says "I think there's a lot of owners that would like to have that right now." The article goes onto say that with the Braves signing Derek Lowe earlier this week the rest of Major League Baseball has fianlly surpassed the amount of money in free agent signing that the Yankees spent this year: The number is the signing of 58 players equals 491 million dollars, the Yankees spent 442 million on just 4 players!
I think there is something wrong with those numbers and I do believe a salary cap needs to be instituted. Having said that it will never happen. The Players Union will never allow a salary cap, there is just too much money to be made for a salary cap. Baseball cannot afford another strike, there won't be Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa around to get baseball thriving and if a salary cap is brought up I fully believe the union will issue a strike.
I think there is something wrong with those numbers and I do believe a salary cap needs to be instituted. Having said that it will never happen. The Players Union will never allow a salary cap, there is just too much money to be made for a salary cap. Baseball cannot afford another strike, there won't be Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa around to get baseball thriving and if a salary cap is brought up I fully believe the union will issue a strike.
Andruw Jones back to the Braves?
MLB Hot Stove is reporting that The Dodgers are expected to release Andruw Jones tomorrow. Yesterday Jones was seen working out with the Braves which is the team he had all of his success with, will The Braves take a chance and sign him?
I think that Andruw will have a better year than last year after coming off an injury and playing on his old team. Look more good news for The Atlanta Braves and more bad news for the Mets.
The World Baseball Classic
The 2nd World Baseball Classic is approaching shortly. Players from the Major Leagues are getting ready to represent their native countries in the tournament. 2 years ago when the first World Classic was introduced it had mixed reactions from owners such as George Steinbrenner bashing it publicly. Some argue that since it interferes with spring training season it should not happen in March, while proponents of the Classic argue that it actually helps the players get ready for the season by having them compete in competitive games instead of games that don't really matter.
Personally I like the World Classic. It's fun to see our favorites playing with other great players and representing their countries. We get to look at some other players from other countries like Cuba and Japan who might one day play in the majors. I also think that playing competitively is better than the meaningless spring break exhibition games. I think the mindset is a lot different in wanting to help your country win the trophy, therefore you start redeveloping your skills instead of perhaps trying a new stance or a new windup. It puts the player in the mindset to win right away that carries over to the start of the regular season. This could benefit players such as David Wright who has had a slow start in the pass as well as crosstown first basemen Mark Teixeira who is notoriously a slow starter. I know Derek Jeter said of the last classic that it got him going better for the regular season.
I personally think it's better than Winter Ball in one of the winter leagues. There are more injuries from the winter leagues than there were from the World Baseball Classic.
Johan Santana and the World Baseball Classic
On October 1, 2008 Johan Santana had surgery to repair a tear in his meniscus. A few days earlier Santana took to the mound one last time at Shea Stadium in a must win game against The Florida Marlins. Santana was coming of 3 days rest and pitched an amazing 3 hit shutout showing baseball and the Mets faithful that the talent the Mets traded to Minnesota and the money they are paying Santana was well worth it.
Santana has been rehabbing, getting ready to have another spectacular season for the Mets. Before the season starts Santana has said he wants to represent his native country of Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic but must first get clearance from the Mets medical staff. Santana on MLB.com says "I'd love to represent my country but I'm not going to do anything crazy. We'll see how everything is with my knee. I'm hoping the doctors will give me the OK."
I understand his desire to play and represent his country but he is being paid a lot of money to be the number 1 starter for the Mets and with the lack of depth in the rotation right now I would rather him not pitch in the classic. He is too valuable to lose for any amount of time be it just one start or in worst case scenario the entire season. Santana turns 30 on March 13th and he is going to need to be the Santana we saw in the second half for the entire season if the Mets want to be playing baseball in late October.
Santana has been rehabbing, getting ready to have another spectacular season for the Mets. Before the season starts Santana has said he wants to represent his native country of Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic but must first get clearance from the Mets medical staff. Santana on MLB.com says "I'd love to represent my country but I'm not going to do anything crazy. We'll see how everything is with my knee. I'm hoping the doctors will give me the OK."
I understand his desire to play and represent his country but he is being paid a lot of money to be the number 1 starter for the Mets and with the lack of depth in the rotation right now I would rather him not pitch in the classic. He is too valuable to lose for any amount of time be it just one start or in worst case scenario the entire season. Santana turns 30 on March 13th and he is going to need to be the Santana we saw in the second half for the entire season if the Mets want to be playing baseball in late October.
Omar Please Bring Manny Ramirez to New York
I know there are a lot of people who do not like Manny Ramirez but you cannot deny that he is a superstar player. He won 2 World Series with The Boston Red Sox, in the 2004 World Series he was named Series MVP, appeared in 2 World Series with the Cleveland Indians. Manny is a 12 time All-Star, he has won the Silver Slugger award 9 times.
He has a bad reputation but wherever he goes that team's lineup improves greatly. The Dodgers would not have made the playoffs without aquiring Manny last season in July. His career numbers are:
.314 Lifetime Batting Average
527 Home Runs
1,725 RBI's
Manny would also take a lot of the pressure of our hitters, especially David Wright. Towards the end of last season Wright was not very clutch, at every at-bat you could see he was pressing. There were reports that he was not sleeping at night worrying about the team. With Manny batting behind Wright in the number 4 spot pitchers are not going to be able to pitch around David, he is going to get good pitches to hit, he will get on base, drive in base-runners which is something he could not do late last season.
Manny also brings excitement to the ballpark. He will be chasing 600 Home Runs as well as 2,000 RBI's if he signs a 3 year deal with an option for 4 years. The fans will come out to see him play and to see him chase history. Fred, Jeff and Omar get on the phone, contact his agent and sign Manny to play Left Field in CitiField.
Video Footage of Citi Field
I was on MTV's website and came across this for MLB 09: The Show for the Playstation 3.
Mets sign Alex Cora
The Mets have signed Alex Cora. The deal is said to be for one year and valued at 2 million dollars. Cora has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1998 to 2004. During his time with the Dodgers he was a 2nd Baseman as well as a shortstop, moving to fulltime 2nd basemen when Cesar Izturis joined the team. Cora has since played for the Cleaveland Indians playing left fielder and for the Boston Red Sox playing 3rd Base.
Cora is known for having an 18 pitch at bat against Matt Clement. Facing a 2 ball, 1 strike count Cora fouled off 14 straight pitches before hitting a Homerun.
Below is Cora's stats as of 2008.
| Games | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 1034 | 2805 | 303 | 688 | 117 | 34 | 34 | 242 | 33 | .245 |
I personally think this a very good pickup by the Mets. Cora can play several posistions, including second base, would be nice to have a backup there for Luis Castillo. Cora adds a good bat off the bench, can give a lot of the regulars a day off down the stretch when needed.
Oliver Perez and the Mets
With Derek Lowe not accepting the Mets offer and signing a contract with the Atlanta Braves yesterday the best free agent pitcher on the market is left hander Oliver Perez. As we all know Ollie can be great in a big game against the Yankees and Phillies but can be god awful against a team like the Washington Nationals.
The Mets made an offer to Oliver Perez' agent Scott Boras for 3 years and valued at about 30 million dollars. Carlos Silva a pitcher not the caliber of Oliver Perez got a deal for 48 million dollars. Oliver Perez has shown he has the ability to pitch a no hitter but on the flipside he has also had a hard time keeping that pitchcount down to 100 by the 5th inning. He does not always stay focused on the mount, he constaantly needs encourgement.
Oliver is young, throws hard and most importantly is left handed. It is also known that he would like to play for a West Coast time but the Padres are cutting their payroll, the Giants are trying to get Manny Ramirez as are the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks have shown zero interest. I don't think Ollie wants to go to the American League where hitting is better than the National League, leaving his options limited.
I think given the free agents left on the market Ollie is the best bet for the rotation. After Rick Peterson was fired and replaced by Dan Warten Ollie started to show his potential.
If the Mets want Ollie they are going to need to up the offer otherwise the rotation is not going to be strong enough to last the season.
The Mets made an offer to Oliver Perez' agent Scott Boras for 3 years and valued at about 30 million dollars. Carlos Silva a pitcher not the caliber of Oliver Perez got a deal for 48 million dollars. Oliver Perez has shown he has the ability to pitch a no hitter but on the flipside he has also had a hard time keeping that pitchcount down to 100 by the 5th inning. He does not always stay focused on the mount, he constaantly needs encourgement.
Oliver is young, throws hard and most importantly is left handed. It is also known that he would like to play for a West Coast time but the Padres are cutting their payroll, the Giants are trying to get Manny Ramirez as are the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks have shown zero interest. I don't think Ollie wants to go to the American League where hitting is better than the National League, leaving his options limited.
I think given the free agents left on the market Ollie is the best bet for the rotation. After Rick Peterson was fired and replaced by Dan Warten Ollie started to show his potential.
If the Mets want Ollie they are going to need to up the offer otherwise the rotation is not going to be strong enough to last the season.
Welcome To The Blog For Die Hard Mets Fans
Welcome to Die Hard Mets Fan 4 Life. This is a blog that will cover the Major League Baseball team New York Mets. If there is major news around the major leagues this blog will post it, but we are primarily covering the Mets.
I have been a Mets fan for all my life. I love talking about anything Mets and on this blog we will bring you news on trades, signings, injuries, post game stats and analysis and everything else that goes along with the New York Mets. Opinons will also be a big part of the blog, comments are welcomed, right now they are open to everyone with no moderation so please be polite.
Please have fun, I look forward to interacting with all you Die Hard Mets Fans throughout this season, Lets Go Mets!
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