Reading the Smoke Signals

For a team as pained as the Mets to reduce ticket prices for next season, you know there have to be some major concerns about who's going to be paying to keep the lights on. But you've really got to wonder how to read between the lines when they follow that up with an email stating we plan to improve the ball club through a combination of player signings, trades, enhanced player development and continued commitment to one of the highest player payrolls in Major League Baseball.Given the Mets history regarding honesty, doublespeak, communication faux pas, and public relations nightmares, you'll have to forgive me if I'm less than enthusiastic about what any of this means.

On face value you'd believe the Mets plans to sign big names, trade dead wood, and build a minor league system that it can grow from, while keeping its salary commitment at #2 in the Majors. But you can almost hear the finagling going on in the back office, as to what management might be planning and how you really should decipher their words:

A - We will try to sign players from a thin free agent pool, but - just like you can't blame us for a bad year because of all the injuries - you can't blame us if there's no one to pick from, or if prices are simply not what we're going to pay.

B - This year proved that our depth is sorely lacking, and a bunch of the guys you saw on the field this year need to go away. To that end, we're going to trade them off to anyone who'll take them, and in return we're sure to get back from them just as much talentless mediocrity as we're peddling.

C - Our player development has been horrendous, so we're not really starting with the bar being set too high. We are committed to enhancing player development, and at this stage we could probably fulfill that commitment by looking for pointers from a couple of those kids from the Little League team in Staten Island.

D. We are committed to one of the highest payrolls in the MLB. This year we were #2. There are 30 teams in the league. If we drop to #6 next year, that still puts us in the top 20%. So even if we lower payroll, we could still say that's one of the highest payrolls in the Majors, right?

Am I jaded? You betcha. The truth of the matter is that the ticket price reduction should have simply be presented as "we stunk up our new field this season, and we want to do something for our fans to show our appreciation for sticking with us." That would be layman's honesty. Instead, they packaged that bit of news as a sensitivity to the economy. If they really were sensitive to the economy, wouldn't they have reduced prices this season, long before all hope was lost? Yes, they did end with a small note about loyalty and support, but the bigger spin was that they're reacting to next year's economy. There's a crystal ball I wish I had...

Speaking of crystal balls, my prediction of July 8 has come true: The Mets will end the season in 4th place in the NLE. Right now the only prediction I can make for next season is that when it comes to the Mets, you'd better listen to what's being said out of both sides of the mouth.

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The NY Mets' 2010 Agenda - To Patch or Tear Down? That is the Question!

For the Mets, the sole goal for the rest of 2009 should be focusing on what they need to do to turn this mess around next year. The team needs to evaluate every player on the roster as well as those in their minor league system. They also need to evaluate the personnel in the front office, the coaching, medical and managerial staff and figure out once and for all what changes need to made. Clearly, the winds need to shift in Flushing to remove the awful stench emanating from Citi Field.

First and foremost a decision needs to be made as to the fate of both Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. While I don’t always agree with Manuel’s tactics, the truth is, he has done a pretty good job of steering this sinking ship of injuries through the muck. Unfortunately for Jerry, if Omar is fired or moved to a different position within the Mets organization, he is probably a goner. And if Manuel is ultimately let go then the only person I would want to see the Mets hire as manager is Bobby Valentine. If Valentine could lead the 1999 and 2000 teams to the post-season with an outfield of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton, Timo Perez and Derek Bell then clearly he can make this motley crew into winners. And you can bet that any “bad seed” players that have trouble following orders won’t be long for the team if Valentine is manning the helm.

If the Wilpons decide Omar needs to go or be moved elsewhere within the organization, whomever they hire for the GM position needs autonomy to build the team as he sees fit. The Wilpon meddling needs to stop. Sign the checks and shut the F$% up. Whether they promote John Ricco to GM and hire a strategist like Gerry Hunsicker or Buck Showalter to work alongside him remains to be seen, but personally, I don’t know enough about Ricco to have confidence solely in him. If he had some reputable advisors working with him, that’s another story. Another name that has surfaced recently as far as GM goes would be Oakland’s Billy Beane. Could Billy be lured away from the left coast by the Mets giving him double the player payroll to work with? It remains to be seen.

With regard to the medical staff, this is a short one. Fire everyone. Whomever you replace them with, make sure they have medical licenses to practice on humans in the United States of America. Some references would be good as well. Stay away from candidates names Kevorkian and Spacemen.

As far as the players go, now is the time to see what we’ve got from these replacements and some of the minor leaguers once the rosters expand. Clearly, the core of the team is Wright, Reyes, Santana, Beltran and K-Rod. Everyone else is pretty much expendable at this point and Reyes could be included in this group if there was a mind-blowing offer made. I’m liking what I have seen from Francouer thus far in right field so barring any tailspin you have only left field open next year. Can Fernando Martinez handle it? Unfortunately, his earliest try-out will probably be spring training. I hate to give up on a prospect so young but I have to say, from what I have seen of him, F-mart is not that impressive…maybe he just isn’t ready for the majors. It also doesn’t help that he is always hurt. The other in-house option for left field is Angel Pagan. Pagan looks good but is he an everyday player and will he hustle like one? Now is the time to find out…Otherwise, the Mets need to find someone to play left field who can hit for power. Not having a bat who can tie a game with one swing is a huge detriment that needs to be fixed.

For the infield, third and short are fine with Wright and Reyes, providing Reyes is healthy for 2010. Castillo must be commended this year for bouncing back to form so if he is at second and can be productive that is fine. First base, though, is a giant question mark. Delgado is not coming back, and as mentioned, we seriously need someone in the line-up besides Beltran with some sort of power. Can we afford to go with Daniel Murphy at first? He’s shown promise and you have to give the kid credit for sticking it out through the horrendous batting slump and learning a new position. With that being said, though, we need a bat…we really need a bat. And unfortunately, Murphy has proven his outfield skills are non-existent. He’s too young to be a bench player so I’m not really sure what to do here…I had high hopes for him but the truth is, if they can get some power at first base and can trade Murphy to an AL team where he can play first and DH then maybe that’s the best scenario for everyone involved.

As far as pitching goes, aside from Santana, the starting rotation is a mess. Pelfrey has clearly demonstrated he is not a #2 starter. He needs to use the rest of this season to prove to management and fans once and for all what he is capable of. Stop with the hand-licking, the balking and the yips and just get it done. Either that, or the Mets need to Isringhausen him so he can become a star for another team. Hey, we all know that’s what usually happens when the Mets trade home grown talent (Melvin Mora, Marco Scutaro…dare I continue?).

Oliver Perez is another giant question mark. His last outing was very good but you never know what you are going to get from him. If the Mets can possibly move him with that outrageous contract, they probably should. Doubtful but…

As far as the rest of the rotation goes, Jon Niese may or may not be a factor depending on how he heals from the hamstring injury. I would like to see him back to take Livan Hernandez’s spot in the rotation but that remains to be seen. If not Niese, perhaps Parnell will be in the rotation but I tend to think Parnell is of more value in the bullpen.

There is also some question for John Maine as well. Maine is always hurt but worth taking a chance on for a one year incentive-laden deal. Worst case scenario> With a cheap deal, if he can’t hack it you release him or try to trade him. Honestly, I trust Maine more than Pelfrey and Perez at this point. Despite the injuries you get the feeling that he gets it as far as pitching goes and he seems to not be afflicted by attention deficit order like Perez or anxiety like Pelfrey.

As far as the bullpen goes, obviously, K-Rod is the closer, though with 2 blown saves in his last 3 opportunities that can be debated. Feliciano has proven to be reliable as has Stokes. Sean Green, not so much. He is somewhat expendable though I don’t know what kind of trade value he has.

Putz’ fate somewhat depends on whether he returns this season. If he does and proves he can get people out, I would pick up his option. If the Mets don’t opt to keep him they can always trade him. Plenty of teams need closers so they might actually get something worthwhile back. The same can be said for Wagner. If he can come back before the waiver deadline and prove he can pitch someone might claim him for the stretch run.

As mentioned earlier, though, once the 2009 season is over the first thing that needs to be done is for the Mets to figure out their front office and managerial situation. This needs to be done relatively quickly. The indecisiveness and dragging stuff out can’t happen. If you are firing people, do it and move on. Hire their replacements, set a goal for 2010 as far as the direction this team is going, make a plan and stick to it. Either patch the glaring holes and try to win in 2010 or cut your losses, clean house and rebuild. There is no real middle ground. The Art Howe years proved that you can’t fence sit in New York or you will quickly continue on the path to irrelevance that 2009 kicked off.
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Wanted: 9 Healthy Starters and an Exorcist

I’ve not been one to look at injuries as the reason the Mets have been hosting a losing season. With any level of depth, my reasoning has been, the lack of a star or two should be able to be absorbed by the reinforcements and the bench. And as much as I don’t believe you can judge how a team will fare by their play the first few weeks of a season (see: Yankees), the beginning of this season left the Mets looking like there would never be a level of strength and synchronicity on this team for it to dominate the division as it did in 2006, or even contend to the end as it did in 2007 and 2008. The injuries seemed like a convenient excuse for a team that had been believing its own press.

We’ve reached a point now where the reality of how decimated the team has been must be acknowledged. Just in the past 2 days, 3 more injuries and yet another setback for a returning starter. The cries for mercy have been structured as “Imagine what the (insert team name here) would be like if they didn’t have (insert numerous star player names here).” Understanding the Mets this year requires this now be taken to a different level – Imagine if you had 2 or 3 starters on your roster and regularly rotated the remainder of the team onto the field each day from a mix of aged veterans, green pre-rookies, and odds and ends who’ve been recruited for pick-up games in A ball. The New York Mets that are playing the second half of the season are not the team Sports Illustrated ordained pre-season. No one would have ever envisioned this team would exist, and it only does because for 56 more games, a team must be fielded. That they’ve won at all is a testament to the law of averages more than skill. With all the known players occupying the triage unit, it’s a true wonder there’s a team that could possibly have a worse record in their division, let alone in baseball.

Earlier today I quipped that the banner outside New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery should read “Official Clubhouse of the New York Mets.” Somewhere, someone must surely be to blame? Is it the training staff, who some have argued hasn’t put nearly enough effort into making sure their athletes were properly conditioned? It could be, but these athletes have been playing baseball competitively almost since they were children. They didn’t just forget how to run or lose coordination because a trainer didn’t make sure they were properly warmed up.

Maybe this season is simply cursed. There was a rumor pre-opening that in building Citi Field, three Phillies jerseys were buried into the concrete as it was poured by a construction worker from Pennsylvania. When it happened in the Bronx, they dug the Sox jerseys up. I’m not a big believer in curses, but at some point you’ve got to wonder if there’s something to it when players drop like flies in unheard of numbers. Maybe those shirts need to be exhumed so peace can be brought back to Flushing.

This season is history. It would be nice to think a clean slate can begin in 2010. I’m not holding my breath. Citi Field has been devoid of any sense of Mets identity since it opened, and I’m not optimistic that any new championship drapery will be earned any time soon. I’ll still root for my team, but right now I’m still waiting for my team – the whole team - to take the field.

As an aside, lets go back about a month and revisit what I posted on July 8th:

“”For the record, I’ve got some predictions for the second half: I don’t expect Carlos Beltran to return to the team for any appreciable length of time this season. I believe the bruise he has will be found to be a more severe injury that will require more radical treatment. Similarly, I don’t expect Jose Reyes to be able to make a triumphant return, but will rather re-injure his leg quickly and either play out the season at much less than 100% or require season ending surgery. John Maine seems almost inevitably on the road to another medical intervention. Of the major players, I believe Carlos Delgado and Billy Wagner will come back just in time to show they still have enough talent to be worth something on the open market next year.

And unless there’s an epiphany within management or talent well before the end of July, I’m sticking with a prediction I made after just 2 weeks of this season had passed: This team, even healthy, doesn’t have what it takes to win enough, and will end the season in 4th place in the NL East.”

There are still about 8 weeks left to the season, but right now I’m looking like Kreskin. If only I could conjure up 6 good Lotto numbers as easily…
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