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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From pitiful to passable ...

After some recent unwatchable games, the New York Mets played a fairly solid game this afternoon. Not spectacular by any means, as they were helped by some defensive shortcomings on the part of the Padres', but solid enough.

Johan Santana pitched a great game and even helped him self out with a double. I know Santana is one of the only bright spots the Mets have left and they don't want to jeopardize that, but with the way the bullpen has been pitching, why pull him after the eight? I know most teams are extremely cautious about the number of pitches their starters throw, but Santana had made it through eight and threw 109 pitches. Why not at least give him a chance in the ninth?

Is Jerry Manuel being conservative? Does he realize the season is pretty much over for his team so instead of risking a late game injury to one of the only stars he has left, he pulls him? But if the season is just about over, why not give him a shot? Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe I'm trying to blame someone, or something (as other writers on this blog have mentioned).

I'm getting bored as a fan. I love my team, but they go from pitiful to passable like it's nothing - it's like dealing with a moody teenager. I don't want to give up on them, but I almost wish they'd just be pitiful. I can't take much more of this. Read more!

All Talk and No Action Makes Omar a Dull Boy

Yesterday was of those all talk and no action days for the Mets. As if to take the focus off the weekend’s debacle series against the Braves, GM Omar Minaya addressed the media to update everyone on the status of his and manager Jerry Manuel’s job security, as well as on the Mets’ stance on the looming trade deadline. Since Omar often speaks in a circumlocutious manner, let’s analyze the meaning behind the giant puffs of hot air spewing forth from his mouth.

Job Security

In addressing reporters on Monday, Minaya spoke of an encouraging conversation with Jeff Wilpon that ironically occurred just as the Mets were being swept by their cross-town rivals, the Yankees. In this ill-timed conversation, Jeff Wilpon said, "I want you to be our general manager, and I want Jerry to be our manager." In an amusing twist, when Jerry Manuel was asked about this vote of confidence prior to the game, he said that he hadn’t recently spoken to Jeff Wilpon about this! Perhaps Omar should have filled Jerry in that he was about to rehash an old conversation to the media! Where’s PR Director, Jay Horowitz in all of this? Maybe still hanging out in St. Louis from the All-Star game?

Ok, I digress…But now, considering this vote of confidence came about two weeks ago before the wheels completely came off the bus, what was the point of Omar bringing this up to the media now? Could it be a message to the fans that Omar and Jerry bear no culpability for the state of this season given the injury situation? Or is it more of a message to the players that both Omar and Jerry will be back next year and to not mail it in the rest of this season? Players give up when they sense a manager’s mortality. Maybe this is management’s way of saving Jerry Manuel from becoming a lame duck. Who knows really what they are thinking. After all, this is the same front office that flew Ryan Church with a concussion, flew Willie Randolph from New York to California to fire him at 3AM and flew Carlos Delgado to Los Angeles to put him on the disabled list. Clearly, at the end of the day, what they say and what they do are two totally different stories. It may just be that with the whole Bernie Madoff loss, the Wilpons really don’t want to fire Omar and still have to pay him for the three year extension they so foolishly bestowed upon him last year. The same goes for having to pay Jerry Manuel for 2010. As we all know, though, the Mets change their minds as frequently as they change their underwear so only time will tell if one or both still hold their jobs next season when the Mets finish 2009 in fourth place.

Trade Deadline

In an effort to save face with the legions of disappointed fans, yesterday, Omar addressed the team’s stance on the looming trade deadline. "Are we buyers? We're going to continue to talk to different clubs," he said. "If we have the opportunity to improve the club, does that make us buyers? Yes. We're going to continue to talk to clubs."

Pardon me for asking, but what exactly does this mean, Omar? Are you sure you have command of the English language because essentially, this is a giant circle of BS and you are tap dancing around a straight answer. All we as fans ask is to just be honest. Are you buying or selling at the trade deadline? Or are you standing pat? What is the approach here?

Clearly you really have nothing to sell that’s going to bring you anything of value. And you really have nothing with which to buy with. The Mets have no real prospects of interest, and again, I have a sneaking suspicion that thanks to good old Bernie M., the Wilpons either don’t have the funds or don’t want to spend them. If they do have the funds and the rumored Halladaytrade proposal from the Blue Jays is true, you would have to be smoking crack not to jump at the deal. Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell and Ruben Tejada for Halladay is a no-brainer if you can get Halladay to agree to an extension. This is as one-sided a deal as the Santana coup was. Martinez looks more and more like the bust Alex Escobar was every day. Niese projects to be a fourth starter at best. Parnell has shown cracks in his armor the last two months and Tejada will likely never play shortstop for the Mets unless Reyes is unloaded. You have no farm system as it is so what’s a few more mid-level prospects? The Jays aren’t even asking for your two best prospects in Brad Holt and Jenryy Meijia. Even though the Mets look done for 2009, to have Halladay and Santana pitching next year is about as dominant as you can get. You add a bat to replace Delgado’s and you’re 85% on your way to a division title. And Halladay doesn’t go to the Phils or any other NL East team. What are you thinking?

Somehow, I get the feeling this trade proposal really is a rumor because if it isn’t and the Mets just won’t even consider it then Omar definitely needs to go…and if it’s the Wilpons being reluctant to let Omar do this then they should just sell the team, make back some of that lost Madoff money and call it a day.

And what did Omar have to say about all of this? "That rumor's out there right now, but I'm not going to comment about rumors.”

Well, Omar, do you know what I have to say about this? Until you and the front office are forthright with the fans about what your plans are for this team and how you plan to fix this giant mess, maybe you ought to keep your mouths closed instead of spewing a bunch of nothing as a placebo. Mets fans are loyal to a fault. We have put up with way more losing and disappointment than success and yet we return every season with new hopes and dreams. Clearly, we hate ineptness, but we can deal with it. Deception, however, whether intentional or not, is unforgiveable so don’t go there…We deserve better. Oh, and come September, if anyone is thinking of making Jerry Manuel take the fall for this lost season, you had better make sure Bobby Valentine is locked in to take his place. He’s probably one of the few people I trust to put words into action and turn this ship around. Read more!

Is it time to think about next year?

I'm not one to give up easy, I usually hold out hope until it seems completely hopeless, but I'm starting to think it's time to think about next year. Surprisingly, I'm not all that bitter about it. A number of sports reporters (thank you Peter Gammons)picked the Mets to go all the way at the beginning of the season, and had they stayed healthy, maybe it would have happened. But with all of their injuries and bone-head plays, that doesn't seem to be in the cards anymore.

I know the season is just half over, but they're nine games out and I don't think they can come out of it. So at this point I think it's time to start thinking about next year, and I think Oman Minaya has to take into consideration the impact this season's injuries could have. Is it time to really shake things up and trade one of their stars? Or do they try to add some solid "supporters" like they tried this year?

Minaya made a ton of changes to the bullpen and I'm not sure how much better it is. No doubt we have a solid closer, but is the rest of the bullpen really an improvement over last year? I know earlier in the season they saved some games and got out of some tough spots, but they seemed to sink.

How about the manager, Jerry Manuel? Maybe it's just me, but I didn't have that much of an issue with Willy Randolph. How can you really tell when it's the manager or the team just isn't that good? I also don't like the way they got rid of Randolph, but that's a different story. Manuel makes a lot of moves I don't agree with. But then again, how much of that is him and how much is Minaya? Does Manuel really have control over his team or does he differ to a higher power?

I'm honestly not all that sure what they need to do to be a contender next year, because I thought they did a good job of that this season and look where they are. SO am I speaking prematurely? Is there still a chance? Or do we just bow our heads and wait till next year? Read more!

The Brotherhood of Chlorophyll Facials

By now you know the story of last night’s installment of “The 9 Stooges Play Baseball.” The abundance of lowlight reel additions during the 4th inning alone would be enough to give any fan reason to pull out their hair longer than Fernando Martinez will be pulling grass from his teeth after his inability to put one cleat in front of the other. How appropriately symbolic for an entire club that’s fallen flat on its face all over the field.

For weeks, the cry in Queens has been centered around the abundance of injuries this team has had to overcome, but in reviewing the gaffes that have really cost games, it’s largely been a bunch of veterans who have been to blame: Church (missing 3rd base), Castillo (4-legged base running and the pop up), K-Rod (Mariano’s walk), Santana (Yankees meltdown and overthrowing Wright yesterday), and let’s not forget the manager (among others, how do you even throw one pitch to Jeter with the pitcher due up?). That, in itself, counts 6 game changers. Think about what reversing even just half of them would mean to the standings right now.

It’s one thing to be bruised, it’s another to offer yourself for tattooing. Bruises heal, the impression of a tattoo lasts forever no matter what you do to remove it. 2007 and 2008 have left their mark, and this 2009 team has already tattooed itself, with the remaining veterans being the ones spilling the ink and creating this brotherhood’s legacy. Sure, players of every age have caused oodles of other errors, miscues, and mental hernias that have contributed to too many losing efforts, but this is precisely the time when veterans need to take the reins and bully the team through its hardships. Not in the dugout, not in the clubhouse, not in the media. On the field. The only place it actually counts is on the field, measured by how many times you cross the plate (although judging by the LOBs you’d believe someone thinks you get a few bonus points for the other 3 bases).

That said, all the leading by example can’t make a fundamentally flawed team sprout fundamentals. Even in its best incarnation, before being decimated by medical issues, this had not appeared to be a team that would dominate. If they’re going to be serious about making a run for the NL East or Wild Card this season, the Mets need a cavalry greater than what they may have returning "sometime after the All Star break." I’m not for selling the future haphazardly, but the core of this team needs to be denser. If they want seats in the post season that don’t come from StubHub, Omar Minaya can’t afford to let this team drown in preventable losses and Jerry needs to do more than preside over 28 minute hugfests.

The bugles need to sound soon, or when they finally do they may be playing taps.
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2009 Survival Guide for Mets Fans

Mets fans are a passionate bunch who are incredibly resilient and loyal to a fault. For the most part, we take the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe" to heart. But is there ever a time when you need to detach from the chaos to save your sanity? For the 2009 season, that time might be right now.

The Mets are finishing up June with a 9 and 17 record for the month. Now granted, with the ridiculous amount of injuries that have befallen them, the under .500 record is understandable. You can even argue that earlier in the month there were quite a few games that they should have won if they had managed to play error-free, solid fundamental baseball. As the month has progressed, however, you can’t even remotely say that. A bleak situation has turned even bleaker with the loss of Carlos Beltran. When news of this first broke last week I was pleasantly surprised to see the team rally and take 3 of 4 from the Cardinals. But losing this bat combined with the Triple A line-up of replacements, bad bullpen work, circus-like mental mistakes and a general lack of hustle, is too much to overcome.

All of this became painfully evident over this weekend’s series against the hated Yankees and it started in the first inning of Friday night’s game. I generally hate interleague play - especially the Yankee series because even though games within our own division mean more with regard to the standings, losing to the Yankees is pretty much unbearable. It is like salt in the wound in a city where your team and its fans are second class citizens. Granted, for the past few years the Subway Series has been pretty evenly matched, but the fact that we lost the World Series to the Yankees in 2000 (thanks, Armando!) was the ultimate blow and I am scarred for life by it. It was after that World Series that I learned how to save my sanity by resorting to a SIMB. Now, you may ask yourself, what is a SIMB? A SIMB, my friends, is a sanity saving tool for any fans of losing sports franchises. It is a Self-Imposed Media Blackout.

I am a die-hard Mets fan. I will always root for them and always support them, but every once in a while it is necessary for me to tune them out and sort of pretend they don’t exist. For example, while most Mets fans were in agony during the Art Howe years, I simply tuned most of it out. Much more pleasant than getting upset over a situation you can’t control.

After the collapse in 2007, I was forgiving enough to believe in them for the start of the 2008 season. When that got off to a ridiculously slow start with the Willie Randolph debacle, I again resorted to short-lived SIMB. Before I could bring myself to believe in them, they had to give me some reason to believe. And then true to form, they did give me a reason to believe in July and August. Of course, in September, they once again kicked me in the shins, but hey, as Mets fans, we have come to expect the worst and we usually get it!

Now, in 2009 with the new ballpark and a much improved bullpen, I once again gave the team the benefit of the doubt and had faith that they would redeem themselves for the past two black Septembers. I have been very patient all through this June swoon because of all of the injuries, but at this point I just can’t stomach what I have been seeing the past few games to continue watching. It is like a comedy of errors. Not only do they not hit, they also do not pitch. And the lack of hustle and the lethargic, sloppy play are just too much for me to take. So I won’t. I’m tired of all of it. Tired of the losing. Tired of the ineptness. Tired of hearing about the injuries. Tired of Jerry Manuel talking about treading water (inexcusable). Would Bobby Valentine be happy with treading water? Hey Jerry, how about losing the Zen and lighting a fire? I have news for you, Mahatma Manager, Omar can trade for whoever is available but one or two deadline acquisitions are not enough to help this team if Beltran is out for the season.

So at this point, if the Mets don’t show up for games, why should I? SIMB, baby! I will watch and listen from a distance and detach myself emotionally. Hopefully, they’ll surprise me like they usually do and turn things around once a few of the walking wounded return from the salt mines. But until then, I’ll let the games play out in the background and watch from afar. Sometimes good things happen when you least expect them but if they don’t, at least the disappointment will be over long before the last day of the season.
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Jerry’s Lemonade Stand

The trauma center known as the Citi Field claimed its latest victim early this week when Carlos Beltran was sidelined with an ongoing deep bone bruise of the knee. With 9 major components of the team on the DL, Jerry Manuel seems to have gotten a free pass for the season. How can you blame the manager for the play of a team that is a shell of what it should be?

A good manager never takes credit for the success of the team, and all the blame for its failures (well, unless it’s Omar’s fault, but that’s another story). In the process, a good manager should also be able to overcome adversity and create winning opportunities. So while the current pandemic in Queens may breed a safe cocoon, I’m thinking that more than ever this is the prime time to be scrutinizing the skipper’s ability to be functionally creative. Before the cavalry comes back to try and clean up whatever mess may happen in the coming weeks, let’s see how Jerry’s able to make lemonade out of lemons.

Fernando Tatis has been batting cleanup the past two days, an experiment Jerry has explained as giving the opportunity to see if he can reclaim some of his spectacular rejuvenation during last season. In the process, Tatis has single-handedly redefined the art of sparking double plays for the opposition. Both days his already scary proclivity for doing so would be even greater had David Wright reached base ahead of him a few more times. Placing a slumping player in a lineup position normally relegated to cartoonish behemoths with questionable hormone levels has to raise the eyebrow of anyone paying attention. Let him rejuvenate, just don't do it there. I don’t doubt Tatis’ heart or the possibility of rekindling the fire in his offense, but this is the major league, not a feel-good Disney movie, and cleanup isn’t the place for batting practice. Mix it up and get Reed or Church in there, with a displayed ability to get hits when they’re in a groove. If you’re going to give someone a chance at redemption, don’t you want them to start with the bigger bat?. If Tatis is going to find his groove, he can find it at 6 or 7 just as easily. Would Cora, Church, Santos and Wright be a less effective front 4 than what’s up now? If Jerry’s going to think out of the box, maybe he needs to think farther out.

There was no way the Mets were going to win against Pineiro yesterday, who had a masterful game. But with Livian Hernandez batting, Jerry called for a very rare hit and run. The questionability of this is overwhelming. That’s not creativity, or working with the tools you have. It’s grasping at straws, but the team that won the night before certainly didn’t look like it required desperate moves. The season still has a lot of time, but it’s past the time when you can afford to give up games carelessly. I realize these examples only spotlight two games worth, but these past 3 months have generated plenty of other possible inclusions.

As engaging and insightful as he can be when describing wins post-game, Jerry has a way of sounding awfully like Willie Randolph when the team loses. The standard lines of “tomorrow’s another day” and “we just have to put this one behind us” have gotten old even before halftime. I’m not about to drink the Kool-Aid that says Jerry can’t win with the team he has, he’s not to blame because of it, and we shouldn’t worry as long as the team that’s playing .333 ball is over .500.

I’m waiting for lemonade.
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