I woke up Sunday morning, a little bit after noonish, with what can only be described as a forgiving hangover, and the first thing that popped in my mind was...shit, I gotta update my fantasy squads. Looking back, my biggest regret of the day was not starting Plaxico Burress, (he's becoming a game-time decision annoyance) who ended up playing and scoring a tah-dow. Nonetheless, the benching didn't have any effect on the overall outcome of that match-up. I would have lost either way.
In other news, the Mets lost Sunday afternoon, 8-1, to the Florida Marlins and as a result, didn't make the playoffs. I was hurrying out of my apartment just around when Tom Glavine was warming up, and felt an uneasy degree of confidence that he would start the game on a good foot. Instead, he started the game on the worst foot possible. Imagine a foot with gangrene like in that anti-cigarette commercial, with athletes’ foot and boils, and the stench of death. That was Tom Glavine on Sunday.
After that horrific inning - when the Mets failed time and time again to rally (after Castro's shot fell short, it literally felt over) and the Phillies fastened their clasp of the division by laying it on the Nationals, the team that really took us out of post-season contention - me and my friends switched over to football. The topic of conversation for the day switched mostly to fantasy talk, as it quickly became apparent among us, the Mets collapse wasn't worth our time or empathy.
I'm still a die-hard Mets fan. The truth is, this Mets team didn't lose in heartbreaking fashion, despite all those crying faces in Shea on Sunday. If you really follow and love this team, the month of September should have frustrated the hell out of you, to the point that you didn't want to care anymore. Call me quitter, but last time I checked, I have no team to watch today or tomorrow on TBS. I think they quit first. When next year rolls around, the resentment I feel for the 2007 Mets will surely be a distant memory, well, distant enough.
Now there are plenty of question-marks as to what caused the "worst collapse in baseball history," - a term I've read in every baseball related article this week - but rather than trying to sort it out in paragraphs, I've decided to run down as many relevant Mets as possible, management and roster, to determine what their fate should be for the 2007 season (although Minaya has already decided one of those). I'm not going to speculate on who the Mets should bring in, management or roster, because it's too early for that. Let’s hold on that talk until the Winter Meetings. Until then, here is my “initial instinct” version of should they stay...or should they go…now.
Omar Minaya: Stay. But someone has definitely got their work cut out for them. Priority numero uno senor...shore up this bullpen. Look, I am the first to admit that relievers are often unpredictable, and sometimes, general managers just get lucky. Last year, however, Omar simply didn't make logical decisions in this department. I don't know the exact financial ramifications of keeping Darren Oliver and Chad Bradford, but something tells me it wouldn't have broken the bank. And signing a reliever with a career ERA close to five is just plain irrational. Scott Schoeneweis should never have sniffed a Mets uniform. This winter, Minaya needs to sign three guys with either upside, blazing speed, or proven track records (hey, why not one of each). They are always out there, he just needs to bully the market, and prove he is the great, persuasive GM we thought him once to be. Getting an ace or two will require trading players, and to make an appealing package, Minaya must loosen his grip on players whose names don't end in Wright or Reyes. And no, I am not leaving anyone out.
Willie Randolph: My opinion here is moot. Minaya has announced that Willie is coming back, and hopefully the pulse of the nation can now breathe easy. Seriously, what was with some baseball analysts who thought it was crude for Minaya to wait two days on Willie's fate? That isn't a long amount of time by any margin, and who is to say he should make the decision quickly anyway? Why should he rush on a decision so important, as in who is managing the team six months from now? In my opinion, Willie is not a capable in-game manager, proven several times this year if you actually watched Mets games. That means you Michael Kay, whose best defense of Willie is what a nice person he is. Wow, he's a nice guy? I am fucking sold. For a second there I thought his capability of managing a baseball team was important. I also think managing a baseball team is highly overrated, and Willie only needs to improve an a few key things to make him look smart next year. We can only hope he possesses the humility to learn from his mistakes.
Rick Peterson: Go. Pains me, really does, because I once viewed this guy as some sort of pitching genius…who just so happens to look like a lost Beach Boys member. But it’s hard to not equate the Mets downfall - almost solely caused by pitching - with the pitching coach himself. My guess is he got a little too comfortable, and when his prized pupil Sosa got demoted to the bullpen, things started to unravel. The Mets thought they had their fifth starter resolved kudos to Peterson, but apparently that wasn't the case. It didn't look good for him, and soon after, the foundation of his pitching staff collapsed from within. I don't know if Peterson is to blame for bullpen management, but he obviously did not have a remedy, or even a last resort solution for taking the slump of guys he had and at the very least, making them respectable. Then again, Peterson works his magic with a philosophy of pitch counts, so when your starters cant go the distance and your relievers innings go up, that theory will inflate worse than...inflation. Basically Peterson is not the guy you want when the going gets rough. He's more of a laid back guy who likes to think about the good vibrations, perhaps…head citations.
Howard Johnson: Stay. The Mets hit better with him at the helm. Especially Wright, who appears to have emulated Hojo's knack for hitting and running the bases will perfection. Was Johnson's impact evident in a guy like Jose Reyes though? I could only hope not. Makes me think that baseball should break down its batting coaches into categories, kind of like how the NFL has linebacker and defensive back coordinators, etc. The Mets could have a top of the order coach (1-2), heart of the order coach (3-5), and bottom of the order coach (6-8). A novel idea right? Nonetheless, we need someone to save our leadoff hitter from his power complex (not to mention lack of hustle. Reyes? really?) and right now, Hojo is that guy. Hopefully a full off-season will help the issue.
And now...the 2007 New York Mets! "Your time...to take hold of first place for 95 percent of the season, give fans the impression that you are still a world series contender, only to crash and burn by blowing the most prolific lead in September baseball history and giggle about it in the process...is now!"
Carlos Delgado: Go. Lets face it, this is the deepest position in major league baseball, and while Delgado's final power numbers were respectable (24 HR, 87 RBI), his percentages (.333 OBP, .448 slug.) told the real tale of his season. Delgado has not his consistently for his first two years now as a Met, as his bat speed and inability to hit out of the shift has made him hard to watch, through those long unproductive stretches. And the truth is, there is no reason to believe these problems will improve, they will most likely get worse. He’s a great guy, he’s just going to have to win Humanitarian award elsewhere. As for his replacement, the Mets should see if Carlos Pena is expendable. I honestly feel like they still owe us for Kazmir.
Luis Castillo: Stay. When I think about it, there isn’t a whole lot better the Mets can do next year at second base than a healthy Castillo. He does have a bulky knee, but when you compare his injury problems to other Mets, the severity is not quite as serious. I feel he will benefit from an off-season to get healthy, and then a full spring with the team, when he and Reyes will figure out whether or not they can become the 1-2 punch we desperately needed in September. If anything, Castillo held up to his part of the bargain a lot better than our shortstop. Castillo needs to add a little drive to his swing, because his inability to hit for extra bases as a Met is detrimental towards our team speed. We need to show our ability to score out of scoring position. Viable replacements include Tad Iguchi and Marcus Giles, the latter hitting something like .190 this year. I rather just spend our money elsewhere and keep Castillo.
Jose Reyes: Stay. Surprisingly, a number of other fans are suddenly having a different opinion. I wonder why. If you’re a Mets fan frustrated with how awful Jose played down the stretch, sure your saying trade him now, but I would love to see how you’d feel if such a move actually happened. It would be a little unsettling, and later regrettable, trust me. Reyes still finished the season batting .280, which while low, still proves how great he can be if focused. He was hitting well over .300 when he was zoned in, early in the season. It’s not unthinkable to believe he can have a great full season, because he did it one year ago. The problem is, everyone thought he needed to improve ten fold, with 25-30 homers, and close to 100 RBI. Reyes is an amazing lead-off guy, but he is not a power hitter, even a better-than-average one, and shouldn’t be encouraged to become one. I bet he saw Rollins and Hanley smacking them out of the park, looked at his paltry half-season total, and decided it was time to play catch-up. That would explain his penchant for pop-ups after the All-star break. He needs to understand that his primary goal in the offense it to get on base and score runs. When RBI opportunities come up, his approach should change, according to the status of the game. Ideally, Reyes should lead the majors in runs scored, stolen bases, and be up their in hits. That’s all I want out of him. He could hit single digit jacks, I could honestly care less.
David Wright: Stay. I’m not going to waste my keypads on this one (and several other guys who don’t errant debate for whatever reason), only to say that Wright is now clearly our best all-around player, and the leader of this team. He played with heart all year-long, and his solid production in every aspect of the game has pinned him as the guy to lead this bunch into glory. Problem is, in his first year as the supposed leader, the team had the, ahem, “worst collapse in MLB history.” Not the type of leader debut you’d like to make. I liken it to Gary Cherone’s debut with Van Halen, and the aptly titled album Van Halen III. Come to think of it, it’s nothing like that.
Moises Alou: Go. Unless he accepts a role off the bench, where it is established that three outfielders are ahead of him on the depth chart. Obviously, he has proven to be a ferocious contact hitter with decent pop when he’s healthy, but I don’t need to state the obvious to baseball fans – those instances have been few and far between in the past few years. We can’t roll the dice that Alou is going to have a bounce back season health-wise. I don’t like uncertainty in the outfield, it has plagued the Mets enough in the past, and we have plenty of young guys who deserve, or semi-deserve an opportunity to start. So unless Alou accepts a bench role, which would be nice, we can’t commit to him as a starter. The Mets really need to start investing in guys who play the majority of the season’s games, as blatant as that sounds.
Carlos Beltran: Stay. Beltran is the most intriguing player I will evaluate, and here is why. He obviously isn’t going anywhere via free agency, we have him locked up for four more years. So that means, do you trade the Mets biggest free agent signing ever, after two straight productive seasons. I honestly think no. There still seems to be a good amount of Beltran haters out there, and I feel many of these people are frustrated that his numbers are only comparable to guys in the league. Granted, his numbers are comparable to some really good players. Mets fans need to realize that Beltran isn’t A-Rod, never was, and never will be. He had one ridiculously hot October with Houston, and it’s as if people are waiting for him to compile that production through the course of one year. It’s not going to happen, especially not in Shea. What he is, is a consistent 30-100-100 plus guy with decent yet declining speed, and amazing range in centerfield. I’m sorry, but I’m not about to get rid of this guy for a package of prospects, if such a deal did arise. However, while I do like Beltran, I’m not in love with him. He isn’t a player I would hate to see go…if it meant improving the team overall. So, let’s say these Johan Santana for Beltran trade rumors becomes a reality. If we could pull something like that and then sign one of the two top centerfielders available, Torii Hunter or Andruw Jones, well, then…
Shawn Green: Go. Going to make this brief. While I would love to keep our only true chosen player on the team, the same applies to Green that applies to Alou. I don’t want him to start, obviously for different reasons than Alou, plus I feel his replacement is already on the team. Green doesn’t have the feel of a bench player, probably because his defense doesn’t make him an ideal double switch guy. I don’t know, for some reason Shawn Green on the 2008 Mets doesn’t sound like we had a productive off-season.
Paul LoDuca: Go. I really like the idea of getting power out of a position not usually associated with power, which translates into – Ramon Castro should start next year (we’ll get to him later). Obviously, this means LoDuca has to go, and it’s kind of a shame. LoDuca had a really inspirational first year for the Mets, when it seemed like he was our most reliable guy for a base hit. Not a homer, but just a little single, a base knock if you must. Now after a solid year at no. 2, he moved down the lineup for a number of lineup experimentations that never worked, and LoDuca never got a chance to return to the role he thrived in last year. This is one of Randolph’s most under-looked blunders, as I think it caused LoDuca to become one the team’s most disgruntled players. I also think he got a bad wrap, but it’s too late now. He’s become expendable in the business world of baseball.
Ruben Gotay: Stay. I like Gotay’s future on the team, and he’s currently a solid backup for Castillo at second. We had a log-jam of second basemen at the beginning of the year, yet Gotay still got the most out of his at-bats. When Castillo came along, his at-bats went down and so did his productivity it seemed. Still I like him a lot, and his defense isn’t as bad as people plague it to be. One note for Ruben, or should I say Hojo - scratch off switch-hitter from his resume. This guy is a lefty bat, and should focus on that side of the plate.
Marlon Anderson: Stay. Best pinch hitter in the game, plain and simple. No reason to expand that role and especially, no reason to get rid of him.
Jose Valentin/Damien Easley: Yeah I’ve combined two players (I’ll admit, I’m getting a little tired, but I have good reason). Honestly, flip a coin and pick one of these guys. I don’t think the Mets really need either, since I have Castillo and Gotay ranked ahead at second, but they are both solid veteran bats, and it’s always nice to have one of those guys hanging around for emergency situations, or in limited roles. I suppose Easley has the slight edge because he can play the outfield. However, I also like Valentin’s underrated defense. Uh, like I said – flip a coin.
Anderson Hernandez: Go. The guy is just a worthless bat, who is never needed off the bench. He’s backing up a guy who plays almost all of his games, and god forbid Reyes does get hurt, do we really want Hernandez as our starting shortstop?
Endy Chavez: Stay. Gotta love the string-bean, and that weird milk drink he promotes on bus stops. However, I don’t think Endy needs to start, but he is the perfect spot starter/fourth outfielder guy, who shines when given the opportunity, whether it is those few starting games or a pinch-hit drag bunt and steal in the ninth. If he did get the chance to start I would definitely be rooting for him, just don’t see it happening.
David Newhan: Go…pray in someone else’s dugout you weirdo. This guy was never a Met in my mind.
Lastings Milledge: Stay. Remember when I said Green’s replacement was already on the team? Obviously, I was talking about Lastings. The guy still hasn’t been given a chance to start every game, so let’s hold off on our expectations of him until such a chance is given. I know a lot of people want to package him in a trade for a pitcher and consider him a big piece, but the truth is Milledge’s trade value has gone down quite a bit in one year, and the team’s misuse of him is almost as much to blame as his attitude problem. For some reason though, me and my brother just like him, maybe because of his energy, newfound potential in the field, and his swagger at the plate. I could care less if he celebrates after every homerun or go-ahead score. God forbid our players show excitement when doing well. He’s not lewd or disrespectful in how he does it, so everyone needs to cooooooooool out! In my mother’s defense, he does spit a lot. He can definitely cut down on the spitting.
Carlos Gomez: Stay. Part three of the Citi Field outfield of the future. For some reason, if all goes right in my book, Gomez, Milledge and Beltran should be our starting outfield in 2009. If they can all play to their potential, and stay healthy out there, that is a very energetic, ground-covering outfield we got. I would only worry about them running into each other often on plays. As for his bat? I haven’t been impressed yet. Going to need to see more.
Ramon Castro: Stay. I’m not going to say I’m 100 percent confident that Castro will shine in this spot, because his arm still leaves nothing to be desired, and it’s uncertain how he will hold up during a full season of crouching. At the same time, I am still willing to give him a chance to become the Victor Martinez of the National League. I see a strong potential for 25-30 homeruns, which would be a solid power surge for the Mets that doesn’t require the signing of a new check. However, we need a reliable backup, one who preferably can call a good game, and maybe, for once on the Mets – throw runners out.
Mike DeFilice: Stay. Honestly, he’s not a bad third string catcher to resurrect from the minors if needed, but only that. Plus he’s got some spunk. Did you see him during the brawl? He was the rowdiest Met of all, and rightfully so, since a Defilice suspension wouldn’t exactly effect our postseason hopes (especially now obviously). Seriously, he looked like Michael Chiklis all going after a perp on a heated episode of “The Shield.”
Sandy Alomar: Go. The same cannot be said for this old fart. Did you ever see Old Yeller?
Tom Glavine: Go. I’d really hate to summarize a player’s career with one infamous start, but sorry Tommy, you’re that guy. You blew it for us in the biggest spot possible, and while it was the bullpen that really caused our downfall, you were the final nail in the coffin. You did give us some memorable performances, post-season included, but that all seems irrelevant now. If anything, his start is a wake-up call that we need younger pitching, and immediately, before our rotation needs to sign up for Mensa, or whatever it’s called.
Pedro Martinez: Stay. Uggh, I suppose. It’s hard to say goodbye to Pedro, and I probably would have had to if it wasn’t for his strong starts at the end of the year. But like his fellow senior citizens, If Pedro is back, he must be viewed at as a low-end player. That means the fifth starter on our team, and only that. If we go into the season with him at the top of our rotation, we are fooling ourselves.
Oliver Perez, John Maine: Stay. Another mash-up son! You cannot blame either of these guys for our downfall, even at their worst, because they did enough to get us into the playoffs. With starting pitchers, final numbers simply do not lie, and for Maine (15-10 3.9 era) and Perez (15-10 3.5 era) they had the lines that any team would accept to their rotation. The problem is, neither of them is an ace. And while I may sound greedy, neither of them make for a strong number 2. I would love for the Mets to be in the position where we can have these guys as our third and fourth starters, it would mean we have the best rotation in baseball, perhaps. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we will get two guys to make such a bump possible. With one proven ace, and then another low-end rotation guy, who preferably can pitch deep into games, I am confident enough that either Maine or Perez can step into the spot and be our second best pitcher. Maine has proven to be more solid, but I still think Perez has the better stuff. Regardless, both of these guys should be back.
Jorge Sosa: Stay. The truth is, while it was a downer to see him leave the rotation, he became a solid middle reliever, for a month or so. I don't know, I associate Sosa with the Mets downfall, but don't blame him. It's an odd cause and effect. I just think he foreshadowed the impending doom of the Mets pitching, how the starters never carried them, and how the bullpen never saved them. Nonetheless, I don't see any reason in getting rid of a guy who showed promise in both pitching roles.
Brian Lawrence: Go. Shouldn’t exist as far as I’m concerned.
Mike Pelfrey, Phillip Humber: Go. Here is where I may lose some of you, unless of course, I already have. I honestly don’t know what is to be with either of these guys. Could they potentially become productive starters? I suppose. Are they in the same breath of guys like Lincecum and Hughes? No. Pelfrey honestly worries me more. He was inserted into the lineup this year at a time when the Mets were relatively cruising, in good shape atop the division, and he totally shit the bed. Towards the end of the year, he showed positive signs, but was inconsistent. As for Humber, his one major league start was awful, but it may not be enough to judge. I’m not too sure how much value these guys hold on their own, but together? Who knows, maybe someone out there is karmic enough to think that one mans gold is always the Mets garbage. If we somehow package these guys for an ace, whoever he is, I have to believe it’s worth it.
Billy Wagner: Stay. A tough one, but come on. The guy is still a dominant closer, who was overworked at the end of the year. I don’t know why Randolph brought him in for so many non-save situations, but I don’t know the reasons for a lot of what Willie did this year (wow, by going over every player on the team, I keep running into Willie problems. Then again, he’s such a nice guy). I do think that Wagner is shaky at times, and it does tend to happen in big spots. But he isn’t as prolific a choke artist as people have him pegged out to be. He doesn’t have that much playoff experience. People forget he was already in Philly when the Astros made it to the World Series. That year, it was Brad Lidge who blew it for them. Anyway, I feel like I may regret this one, but for now, the hick stays.
Pedro Feliciano: Stay. Another solid year for our “true” lefty specialist. I know he had some bad outings towards the end, but that’s when the Mets entire bullpen was in a free-fall. I’m convinced we had two really bad relievers (I’ll get to them in a minute), who infected the rest of the staff like a virus.
Scott Schoeneweis: Go! I needed some exclamation for that one. This was clearly Minaya’s worst signing, and even worse, we were stuck with him all year. Seriously, why can’t bad players get injured? Aside from that, I don’t understand why a team must keep such detrimental players, especially relievers, on a team just because we paid them money. This is how I see it. You’re paying this guy millions to help your team. If his pitching is negatively affecting your team, doesn’t it make sense to ship him to the minors so he has no chance of doing anymore detriment? Wouldn’t that be the best way to vindicate the signing? Get the most bang for your buck? And this just in…Schoeneweis allegedly took the juice. He even sucks when cheating. What a miserable loser.
Dave Williams: Stay. The guy still needs a chance in my book. In his limited work last year, he was as average as they come. I say, with the current state of the Mets pitching staff…let’s go average! I welcome his mediocrity!
Willie Collazo: Stay. Don’t know enough about this guy. I’ll be honest…I’m not sure who is who between him and Carlos Muniz. I know one pitched against the Nationals and got rocked, so I currently dislike both, but don’t know enough to assess either.
Carlos Muniz: See Collazo, Willie.
Aaron Sele: Go. Die.
Guillermo Mota: Go. Die Harder. The day I don’t see Willie go to Mota from the pen will be a happy one.
Joe Smith: Stay. OK, at first it looked like we had a younger Chad Bradford, and it was relieving, remember? Wasn’t it? Turns out, we were wrong, because Smith became very hittable, and now there is doubt if he is even ready for consistent work in the majors. Suffice to say, it’s a lot of pressure for a guy we plucked from the Single A Cyclones, so I’m not ready to give up on him just yet, and I still think his future is bright. He deserves another year in the bigs, if his spring is steady.
And finally…
Orlando Hernandez: I went and saved the best for last. Well, Wright is the best, but he wasn’t worth debate. As for El Duque, we really owe it to him. Meaning, if he wants to come back, we owe it to him to let him come back. Will he be effective again? Who knows. The twilight brilliance El Duque showed is similar to Glavine last year. It came after it looked like he was only on the decline, and was so magnificent it felt like it needed to be preserved in a bottle. It’s very possible that El Duque, who can be 50 years old for all we know, has nothing left in the tank. And it would be a shame. Call me strange, but I associate the most of my Mets grief this year with him, and none of it is his fault. Forget the fact that the Mets didn’t give him nearly enough run support, the most tragic El Duque memory I have is when the Mets were forced to bring him in from the bullpen in the final games of the season. There was something about that move that felt so desperate and out of place, even though I said he would have been a great reliever in the playoffs. Unfortunately, we’ll never know the answer to that.
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