Disgruntled Mets Fan

I think it’s becoming clear that Omar Minaya is no longer the only guy calling the shots in the Mets front office.  Between his absence at the Carlos Beltran Drama Conference and the emergence of John Ricco as the mouth of the organization, Omar may well be on his way out.

The fact that the news broke today about Bengie Molina rejecting the Mets latest offer should not be looked at negatively.  If anything it shows a change in philosophy at the top of the organization that will help the team get better in the future.  That change is patience.

The Mets have continually displayed patience this offseason.  They haven’t over-payed for anyone.  They haven’t tied up tons of money for tons of years in an attempt to appease the disgruntled fan base.

Instead they’ve put their offers on the table, with a “go out and find a better offer” approach.

Molina wants a three year offer, the Mets offered him a year with a team option for a second.  How a thirty five year old catcher can think he’s going to get a three year deal is beyond me, and apparently beyond the Mets.

As early as last season, when Omar was the guy captaining the ship, you could have almost guaranteed Molina would have signed already, happily inking his name to the three year contract he’s asking for months ago.  Now it seems that times have changed.

If Molina finds a better offer, the Mets will likely beat it, meaning Molina will likely end up a Met before the start of the season anyway, but this way they won’t be bidding against themselves.

Perhaps while Bengie is out “shopping” the Mets can focus on the area they need to address the most, starting pitching.

I believe that at least one of Joel Pinero, Jon Garland and Ben Sheets will be a Met by the start of the 2010 season.  I’m certain we need at least one of them to fill the rotation, and two of them to bolster it.  After all, 80% of the rotation will be coming back from injuries or surgery and the other 20% is Mike Pelfrey.

Looking forward to some good news, but for now I’ll settle for good playing from the J E T S Jets Jets Jets.

I’m not called the Disgruntled Mets fan for no reason.  I describe myself as a self-hating  fan that wishes he had no morals so he could switch allegiances to a team that did not aggravate him so much.  But alas, after 20+ years of aggravation, I’m still here.

In my first off season blogging, I found myself unsuccessfully trying to think of things to write about.  My writing style is more about gut reactions to things that are happening on the field rather than reporting on the day to day news about transactions and signings.

The off season was pretty uneventful up until a few weeks ago, when the Mets landed their version of the “Big Fish” in Jason Bay.  Bay may have been the smallest big fish out there this season, but there’s no doubt he’ll be an upgrade in left field.

The main problem I had with the Bay signing, was that Bay was not a starting pitcher.

The Mets have a gaping hole that makes up the last four spots in their rotation.  Johan Santana is the only guarantee they have.  They have what amounts to three No. 3/4 starters vying for the No. 2 spot in the rotation, and a huge question mark at the No. 5 spot.

The Mets have let opportunities pass in the starting pitching market this off season.  John Lackey was the guy to go out and get, and they missed their chance.  Whether Lackey didn’t want to play for the Mets or not, a big money offer would have changed his mind.

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It was the bottom of the seventh inning, the Mets were down 4-2, and a fresh off the DL Carlos Beltran came up to bat with two outs and the bases loaded.

The stage was set…

A single would have tied the game, an extra base hit may have given the Mets the lead, and a grand slam would have sent Mets fans into the kind of frenzy they haven’t felt in a long, long time.

Brian Sanches fell behind Beltran 2-0 on two straight fastballs off the plate.  He came back with a third that was fouled back, and was threw one last one right in Beltran’s wheel house that Carlos seemed to turn on sending a long shot down the right field line.

Off the bat, I thought it was a home run.  I thought Carlos did it.  I thought the stadium was going to erupt.  I thought the bench would be filled with smiles all around.

The ball seemed to hang up in the air for an eternity.  As right fielder Cody Ross settled in a few feet from the right field wall, I was sure the ball would land in the Pepsi Porch and the Mets would have their triumphant come back.

Unfortunately, the ball cleared the Subway sign, and fell harmlessly into Ross’ glove for the third out ending the Mets inning, and squashing their last threat at getting back into the game.

This one at bat is a sample sized serving of the Mets franchise as a whole since the end of 2006.  So close to something great happening, but never quite getting there.

You can imagine the same ball being hit off Chase Utley’s bat catching the wind and finding it’s way into the right field bleachers.  I’m sure the wind was blowing against Beltran’s ball last night.

That’s just the way it goes for the Mets.

I contacted Michael over at Marlin Maniac to do a quick Q&A regarding the Mets and the Marlins both in general, and about the series kicking off tonight at Citi Field with Tim Redding matching up against Rick VandenHurk.

MM : Carlos Beltran could be ready for tonight’s game versus the Marlins. How important is it to have Beltran in the lineup for the remainder of the season? Would it be better if he sat out the year to avoid more injury risk?

DMF : The Mets were able to stay competitive despite all their injuries before Beltran went down.  They’ve been in a downward spiral ever since.  I said a while back that he should be shut down, along with all the guys fighting to make it back because the team has not been competitive for some time.
That being said, Beltran’s hard work and desire to come back may put to rest some of the criticism against him regarding his drive and “guts”.   I’ll be happy to see anyone on the field that was there on opening day.

MM : Bobby Parnell is scheduled to start Game 3 of the series. He was taken out of the bullpen and has started six games so far this year, with average peripherals but bad results. How has his stuff looked so far and can he stick as a starter?

DMF : Bobby Parnell’s starting pitching adventure has been an interesting one.  He’s made a few above average starts, but also made some where he’s looked terrible.  I’d like to see how he finishes, getting a few more starts under his belt, but I don’t see him in the long term plans at starting pitcher.
This team needs to go out and sign a No.2 starter since they’ve got an ace and a bunch of No.4 guys, and adding another starter leaves Parnell in the bullpen.
He was excelling there so I’m not sure it’s a bad thing.  JJ Putz will likely be gone next year and it’s my guess that Parnell will be pitching eighth innings for years to come.

MM : What player would you most like to see back from injury and in a Mets uniform before season’s end?

DMF : I would have loved to see Jose Reyes come back from what started as tendinitis in his calf.  Setback after setback has made that impossible.  I feel like he’s going to be the only injured star that won’t play in 2009 that’s a part of the plans for 2010 so it’s most important that he shows he can still be the player he was before his injury (or at least show other teams that might be interested in him).

MM : How do you think the series will go? Do the Mets matchup well against the Marlins’ trio of starters for the series?

DMF : It’s growing impossible to guess how a Mets series will go.  They’ll likely take the third game of the series, as that’s what’s been happening recently regardless of match ups.  Some nights they can’t scratch a hit across, some nights they get 17.  The starting pitching has had a few good starts in a row, so I’m expecting the worst this week.
Do teams even take the Mets seriously anymore?

Here are my questions for Michael:

DMF : The Marlins are currently sitting in 2nd place six games out in the division and 5.5 out for the Wild Card with less than a month remaining.  What’s the general feeling among Marlins’ fans about this team making the post season this season?

MM : The general feeling that I’m getting from fans is that this team is simply too inconsistent to make the playoffs. The Marlins stand way too far back to be able to make it by “just” winning two of three in every series, and letting leads slip away via the bullpen like the one that left us on Sunday versus the Nationals is exactly the thing we can’t afford as the race continues. Marlins fans are sort of happy a lot of times just to be in the race in September, but with the way the team is going now fans are frustrated that the team is letting opportunities slip away.

DMF : What exactly is going on between Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez?

MM : Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez are probably fine. They had a spat about effort and hustle, but for the most part both of them were to blame for the incident. Ramirez should not have complained to the media, but Uggla should not have questioned Ramirez’s drive and willingness to play through injury when Ramirez is the team’s most valuable asset. Both have said they’ve put the issue behind them, and hopefully so. And to be honest, it probably got blown a bit out of proportion because the media caught it; such things may be happening in every clubhouse without us even knowing it. In addition, baseball isn’t like basketball, when you HAVE to work together as part of the nature of the game; baseball is mostly an individual sport, and they’ll have a decent but small amount of interaction whether they like each other or not.

DMF : Any Mets fan will tell you that Josh Johnson is a legitimate ace.  Where does the rest of your pitching staff rank in your opinion?  I know they’re all young, but do they have what it takes to win a division or more?

MM : The rest of the rotation right now is questionable. Ricky Nolasco was mostly unlucky before in terms of results, but he’s “back on track” now and pitching as well as he has all year, evident by his 3.55 FIP. Though it’s hard to believe by just looking at his ERA, he’s pitched much better this year, striking out a batter per inning and while still keeping a low walk rate. He’s just been unlucky with balls in play and his strand rate; if he continues to pitch like he’s been pitching all year and gets some luck back behind him, he’ll be ace material as well.

With regards to the rest of the rotation it’s a crapshoot. Chris Volstad regressed this year, Andrew Miller may never be good, and the other starters the team has tried have had mixed results, usually on the bad end. If the Marlins want to compete, one or two of these guys have to stabilize and become solid starters at the back end of the rotation, which could easily still happen. I like the team’s rotation and its chances of carrying us toa  division, just not this year.

DMF : With the NL East seeming to have at least three competitive teams for the near future, what do you think the Marlins need to do to make the jump to the top of the mix?

MM : The big thing the Marlins need to do is improve their defense, particularly in the outfield. The team’s back end starters give up a decent number of fly balls, so it goes without saying that the Marlins should use some better players on defense in the outfield. Right now, they generally are starting two far below-average performers out there in Jeremy Hermidaand Chris Coghlan. It appears Hermida is on his way out and stud prospect Cameron Maybin will get to man center field. Moving Coghlan back into the infield, where he played all of his pro career before reaching the majors, should help. If Uggla is moved, either to third or out of town, it would improve the infield defense much more as well, though the offensive hit will be evident.

Thanks Michael…

This season, I started out with skeptical optimism regarding left field.  I was very high on Daniel Murphy as a player, and thought he could do a decent job playing the outfield every day.

Apparently, I was wrong.

Murphy’s blunders in left, while not daily, were frequent and costly enough for him to lose his spot.  He’s since been replaced by a platoon of outfielders including Gary Sheffield, Jeremy Reed, Angel Pagan, Fernando (6-4-3) Tatis, Nick Evans, Fernando Martinez, and Corey Sullivan.

A few of those guys, specifically Reed and Pagan, would make great fourth outfielders, and I hope they are both in the future plans of the organization, but they are not every day guys by any means.

With none of the players on that list what I would like to consider a starting outfielder on a contender, I think the Mets may again need to look toward free agency to fill a void.

There are a few big name left fielders coming into free agency in the off season.  This position, with the exception of starting pitching, is the one hole I feel is the most important for the Mets to fill.

The Mets have solid offense and defense at the other two outfield spots lined up for next year with Carlos Beltran (assuming he’s able to return healthy) and Jeff Francoeur.

Adding a power bat with some speed would round out the outfield, and make up for the power outage at other key positions like first base.

The player I’d love to see more than any other become a Met is Carl Crawford.

The 27 year old lefty is having an incredible season for the Rays.  He’s batting .312 with 12 HRs, 55 RBIs, and 55 stolen bases already.

The Rays have a $10 million option to resign him for next season, but I’m sure Crawford will be able to make more as a free agent, and he’s sure to do so.  The only question for the Mets is will they be willing to spend what it will take to lock him up?

What I like best about Crawford is that he can also play center field if Carlos Beltran’s mobility is so limited that he can no longer do so.  He’s got 20 HR/80 RBI potential which is much more than the Mets have gotten from a left fielder in a while.

Crawford is not the only option I like.

Jason Bay will be a free agent at the end of this season as well, and I think he’s someone that should be strongly considered for a spot on the Mets.  He’s a guy that can give you a 30 HR/100 RBI season with some solid defense to back it up.

His career batting average is just under .280, he always draws a lot of walks.  He’d be a great addition to the middle of any batting order, and he may come with a more affordable price tag than a guy like Crawford.

He was able to succeed without much protection behind him when he was with the Pirates, and that success has only grown on a team with a solid line up, the Red Sox.

Another option that the Mets should consider, and should have considered at the trade deadline, is Matt Holliday.

He was a 35 HR/120+ RBI guy in Colorado.  He’s a professional hitter, and a professional run producer.  He finished second to Jimmy Rollins for the MVP Award in 2007, when he put together a .340 BA with a .405 OBP, 36 HRs and 137 RBI.

His power numbers dropped off considerably leaving the friendly confines of Coors Field.  In little more than half a season with Oakland this year, Holliday was batting .286 with 11 HRs, but he still knocked in 53 RBIs and had 12 stolen bases.

The thing I like best about Holliday is the way he carries himself on the field.  He’s one of the “character” guys I think the Mets need to stock their clubhouse with in order to become successful enough to be champions.

I’m not sure there’s a bad option with any of these three players, although I’d like to see Crawford come to the Mets most because of his speed.  Speed in a stadium as big as Citi Field may be the best attribute to possess if you’re going to succeed.

Unfortunately, I don’t make the decisions.  Omar does.

We all know how well that’s worked so far.

We all know the long list of Mets players on the disabled list this season.

Most of them have been there for quite some time, and there have been rumors swirling around about possible returns at different times all season.

Mid- to late August seems to be the most recent time table for the returns of guys like Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, J.J. Putz, John Maine, and Billy Wagner.

But here’s why I think the injured players that may be rushing back should not: It’s time for the Mets’ management to make a responsible decision and shut them down before they hurt themselves any further.

The Mets are currently a paltry 50-55.  With all the teams involved in the Wild Card race, the Mets will likely need to win 90 games to make the postseason.

That means they’d need to go 40-17 through the remaining games to make it. Even if everyone I listed above came back today, I doubt the Mets would be able to string together a stretch like that.

Beltran, Reyes, and Maine, in particular, have injuries that either surgery or more rest will heal correctly. Rushing back from these injuries for a losing cause (the 2009 season) is a foolish decision that might worsen their physical situations.

Beltran’s knee bruise hasn’t improved, so he should reconsider the micro-fracture surgery that was discussed when he first went out. I know there’s a huge risk involved with the surgery, but his injury has shown no improvement to date and has an approximately eight-month recovery time.

If he has the surgery now, and all goes well, he’ll be able to start baseball activities again by next April. If he waits and needs the surgery down the line, he may miss the better part of two seasons.

Reyes’ recovery has suffered from setback after setback. He’s obviously not ready to return, but he is trying to hurry back to remedy the dire situation that’s going on in Flushing. He should take the rest of the season off, rest his leg, and come back at full strength next year.

Maine’s shoulder fatigue somehow has not gotten any better, even though an MRI recently showed he had no structural damage. The best medicine for “fatigue” is rest, so let Maine get his rest and get ready to pitch next season and beyond, because he is obviously in the long-term plans for this team’s future.

Delgado, Wagner, and Putz are all coming back from surgeries, and all seem to be progressing well. These are three guys that I feel could and should make an effort to come back, but not before they’re ready.

Delgado will be auditioning for a spot on next year’s roster. Wagner will be auditioning for other major league teams to show he’s not washed up and worthy of a contract next year. Putz needs to rebuild his confidence, as well as raise his possible trade value, as I have a feeling he might not be back next season.

It’s time to think about the future of the franchise and the well being of the players that make up this franchise. In some cases, like Beltran’s, their careers could be in jeopardy. And since this season is a wash, returning this season should be a low priority.

Unfortunately, for the fans, this is the type of season where these discussions come up at the beginning of August. It’s been a tough one to watch, and it’s only going to get worse.