The Few Bright Notes of 2009

As painful as the Mets' 2009 season has been, as September draws to a close, it’s time to examine the few bright spots that give us hope that 2010 will be a better year. Amidst the misery that comprised much of this season, a few players stand out for either having exceptional seasons, overcoming adversity or for just plain gutting it out as team players when so many others clearly played for individual stats. So with this in mind, some kudos to those who rose above the cumulative mediocrity and gave us fans something to cheer about.

Luis Castillo

After a horrendous 2008 season where he batted a mere .245, Castillo came into spring training in better shape and determined to prove that last year was an aberration. While Castillo isn’t the best defensive second baseman, he has hit well in 2009, with an average hovering around .311. He has been in the middle of countless scoring rallies and also gets bonus points for the way he handled the dropped pop-up which cost the Mets a game against the Yankees in June. He has played in over 140 games this season and since that infamous dropped pop-up game, has batted .337.

David Wright

While David’s sudden lack of power and increased strikeouts this season has drawn the ire of many critics, the fact is, he is still hitting over .300 and has gutted it out to play pretty much every game aside from the few he spent on the disabled list. At various points this season, he was the lone Met regular in the line-up and deserves credit for not only playing without any rest whatsoever but also for coming back after being dangerously beaned in the head.

Daniel Murphy

After Murphy’s failed experiment in left field, most young players would not have had the confidence or ability to learn a new position midseason and show promise in the field. Murphy has done just that and has even shown some flashes of brilliance at first base. Though he struggled with the bat the first half of 2009, he has been hitting much better since July, raising his average to .266. Murphy is hitting .304 this September and is tied with Albert Pujols for the most extra base hits this month. He also leads the team in doubles (36) and home runs (11 – yes, pathetic…). Sadly, Daniel probably will become a star for another team next year as unless the Mets find some power in left field or behind the plate, his 11 home runs just won’t be enough from a first baseman.

Pedro Feliciano

Pedro Feliciano seems to have been in every game this season, challenging his own record for the most appearances in a single season set last year. The lefty specialist reliever is pitching to a 3.02 ERA and lefties are hitting just .227 against him. If only the rest of our bullpen was half as reliable…

Jeff Francouer

When the Ryan Church for Jeff Francouer trade first happened, I must admit to not being thrilled. In hindsight, though, this was a very good move by Omar Minaya. It seems a change of scenery injected new life into Francouer, who in 64 games with the Mets is batting .314 with a .342 OBP, seven HR and 34 RBI. You also have to love the grittiness and the desire to win that Francouer exudes. He is a true team player and a clubhouse difference-maker for 2010.

Honorary Mentions – Carlos Beltran and John Maine

Carlos Beltran and John Maine deserve kudos this year not for on-field accomplishments but for gutting it out through their injuries. The fact that both came back for the final weeks of September in a losing, meaningless season speaks volumes about their character as players. Most players these days would have just mailed it in and collected their paychecks until spring training. Here’s hoping both Beltran and Maine remain healthy and can play significant roles in the Mets’ 2010 comeback.
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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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