Tag: Mets

Omar Minaya should read this story before lengthening his rumored four-year offer to Jason Bay or two-year to Bengie Molina. Both are good players who may not pay off for that long — Bay is a not particularly athletic outfielder who strikes out a lot and was in the midst of an extended stretch of mediocrity with Pittsburgh before being traded to Boston last year.

(By the way, I predicted the Soriano deal would prove a bad one longterm for Chicago back in 2006 right after it was inked. Do I get points for that?)

I’d bring Carlos Delgado back to the Mets if I were Omar Minaya, provided he appears healthy. He’s their best option at first, far better than Adam LaRoche, and he has a real presence in the lineup. He’s older, but he could probably be had for short term and it would allow the team to go hard at Matt Holliday to play left, which is a major need (Jason Bay would be a possible backup, though how he might fare in Citi Field worries me). The team also desperately needs a No. 2 starter and will be shopping in a weak market: Joel Pineiro, late of the Cardinals, seems like a fluke; Randy Wolf has too many injury questions to bring onto a staff with injury and consistency issues; Jason Marquis and Jon Garland are innings eaters, who would seem to be the best fits, but not only if the money is right.

Also on the radar, apparently, are Orlando Hudson (if the Mets can rid themselves of Luis Castillo) and Bengie Molina, who still has some gas in his tank but is not the player he was when he signed with the Giants three years ago.

In the best of all worlds, the Mets lineup would look like this:

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. 3B David Wright
3. CF Carlos Beltran
4. LF Matt Holliday
5. 1b Carlos Delgado
6. RF Jeff Francoer
7. C Benie Molina
8. 2b Orlando Hudson

Wright hitting second? Only because it seems silly to push Francoer to the seven spot. What I like about the structure of this lineup is its balance — 1, 3 and 5 are either swith hitters more comfortable as lefties or lefties, while 2, 4 and 6 are righties.

And yet, I just have this sense that the Mets will be running some mix of mediocrities out there in left and that Henry Blanco will be getting way too many at bats for the Mets to contend.

The title of this post says it all, but what else can I say? The Phillies are hot and not likely to go into a tailspin, the Mets can’t get out of their own way (losing two of three to the Nationals?), the Braves seem rejuvenated and the Marlins remain in the hunt.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way, but injuries, ineffective pitching (Ollie Perez’ meltdown, Mike Pelfrey’s inconsistency, and injuries to John Maine and JJ Putz), sleeping bats and all-around bad play have conspired to make this a lost season.

Omar Minaya says the team will be buyers as the deadline approaches, but I think Joel Sherman is right: start planning for next season. Put Brian Schneider, Gary Sheffield, Luis Castillo and Livan Hernandez on the block. Assume you’re going into the season with your core of Reyes, Wright and Beltran, offer a contract to Jeff Francouer, find a No. 2 starter so you can slot Pelfrey No. 3 and Maine and Perez four and five and find out about the following players:

• Omir Santos: He appears to be good enough defensively, but can he hit longterm. After a good start with the big club, he’s slumped. Let’s find out what he can do.
• Jon Niese: Give him a shot in the rotation. Livan Hernandez is nothing more than a stop and could bring back a prospect or two.
• Daniel Murphy: Let him play everyday at first until Carlos Delgado gets back and them send him to left again and leave him out there. We need to know if he is an everyday hitter.
• Nick Evans: Make him the first bat off the bench and give him some time at first and in the outfield.

As for the offseason, go hard after Orlando Hudson, who is the kind of hard-nosed player and clubhouse guy this team desperately needs. And find another bat.

Jerry Manuel, Omar Minaya and Tony Bernazard — the team’s braintrust — appear safe. But Manuel, in particular, should have the shortest of leashes and Bernazard should be cut loose. And Minaya should be put on notice that his team must produce at least a playoff berth next year or he’ll be looking for work.

All in all, this has been as disappointing a season as I can remember in years — coming on the heels of a pair of huge disappointments.

This has not been the season Mets’ fans were hoping for, with six of their most important pieces spending significant time on the DL, plus a host of others joining them for various periods. But injuries are part of the game.

What has been so disturbing has been the lack of baseball IQ exhibited by this team. I can accept physical errors, but the mix of mental mistakes and terrible managerial moves makes this team look like the Washington Nationals or the Pittsburgh Pirates, rather than a legitimate contender for a division title.

Outfielders turn the wrong way on fly balls, turning easy plays into adventures. Luis Castillo drops an easy pop-up against the Yankees costing a game. There have been more missed cut-offs, throws to wrong bases, baserunning blunders and lost at-bats this year than any team that calls itself a contender should be allowed to make.

This paragraph from today’s Mets Notes, in The New York Post, is a good example of what has helped drive this season off the rails. It focuses on veteran catcher Brian Schneider:

Manuel said he chided catcher Brian Schneider for not helping Sheffield on Wednesday when Sheffield barely scored while standing up in the third inning.

Schneider was in the on-deck circle, and it’s customary for that player to stand near the plate and direct his incoming teammate. Schneider was nowhere to be found, prompting a postgame talk from Manuel.

And there you have it. A 10-year, 32-year-old veteran who allegedly is on the roster for his glove and baseball IQ (it’s certainly not his bat) breaks one of those rules you learn in Little League. It may seem small, but it is typical of the way this team has sleepwalked through this season.

On the 40th anniversary of Tom Seaver’s near-perfect game against the Cubs — the most dominant pitching performance in Met history — Livan Hernandez managed to go just four putrid innings,

Hernandez (5-5) allowed hits to his first three batters and was hammered for four innings while dropping his fourth straight start. Serving up his usual array of soft stuff, the right-hander yielded eight runs and 11 hits — both season highs — while walking four.

Three of the 12 outs made by the Dodgers while he was on the mound came when runners were thrown out on the bases, including a pickoff play. Another out came on a sacrifice bunt.

Three other pitchers followed, culminating by a two-inning stint from Tim Redding, who gave up six hits and three runs.

Tom Seaver these guys weren’t. Hell, they weren’t even Craig Swan.