Looking Ahead: 2006

[Elster88]

When did we get Wil Cordero?
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This post had the designation 157) Alex Ochoa

[Valadius]

July, I think. We released him a short time ago, though.

[Guest Spacemans Bong]

Trading Beltran for Manny is Gammons writing with his Red Sox hat on.

Why would the Mets logically trade Beltran for Manny? Manny is a great hitter, but if they can get Carlos Delgado for nothing, best to take him, as it kills two birds with one stone (premier slugger, first base).

[nymr83]

Spacemans Bong wrote: Why would the Mets logically trade Beltran for Manny? Manny is a great hitter, but if they can get Carlos Delgado for nothing, best to take him, as it kills two birds with one stone (premier slugger, first base).

why are the two mutually exclusive? beltran/ramirez aren't far a apart in salary and piazza coming off the books allows delgado to fill that "salary slot"

[Guest Rotblatt]

]Why would the Mets logically trade Beltran for Manny? Manny is a great hitter, but if they can get Carlos Delgado for nothing, best to take him, as it kills two birds with one stone (premier slugger, first base).

Well, here are a few options: 1) the Mets think Beltran has already plateued and won't be much better than he has been this year, 2) the Mets think Manny, in addition to being one of the best hitters in baseball, will draw more of a crowd than Beltran, 3) the Mets lose in the Konerko & Hernandez sweepstakes and want to make a splash/add an impact bat, 4) we think Milledge is the real deal and will be ready in 2007, when Cameron's contract is up and we don't want Beltran blocking the way.

I tend to agree that we're not likely to want to do this, unless we're confident that Beltran will never be able to reach 2003/2004 levels again.

That being said, who knows? I'd much rather do this than trade Petit &/or Milledge for Soriano or Delgado.

[nymr83]

]3) the Mets lose in the Konerko & Hernandez sweepstakes and want to make a splash/add an impact bat

i know i was once high on him, but i'd feel like i won the booby prize if we won the "hernandez sweepstakes"

[smg58]

The Mets aren't the only team who would bid on Delgado, especially if Konerko stays in Chicago; we'd be competing with the Red Sox, for example, and possibly the Yankees. Plus, if teams in worse shape than the Marlins (like the Devil Rays) can refrain from a fire sale, I can't see the Marlins just giving players away again, especially to a division rival.

There's a "sweepstakes" for Ramon Hernandez?

I had suggested here in August that the only way the Mets could deal for Manny without the money transfer turning into a logistical nightmare was to offer Beltran. It would have been too disruptive midseason but afterwards... I've been hoping that Beltran would give me a reason to think this wouldn't be a good idea, but he hasn't yet.

[Guest Spacemans Bong]

The idea of trading a 29 year old Beltran for a 35 year old Manny is goofy.

Manny's BA is dropping, and this has been speculated by some as a good sign of decline; it's gone from .324 in 2003 to ~.285 this year.

Beltran has been hurt in one way or another almost the entire season and he's not really a brittle player. To give up on him for an older player and one who does one thing better than Beltran and nothing else is silly. It'd be typical Mets short-term thinking.

Adding Manny to LF in place of Floyd or someone else would be a net plus for the Mets; but trading Manny for Beltran adds a piece of the puzzle while removing a piece.

The Mets would be better off with Delgado, and I think they have a chance to get him. The Yankees have a 1B, and no prospects. The Red Sox signed a Cuban 1B and seem to be loath to trade any prospects anyway - I think the Mets could snag him. He would also fill THE biggest Met hole - the 1st base job, which is probably the biggest reason they aren't in contention.

[Guest Rotblatt]

I'd agree with you, Bong, if we didn't have Cameron locked up for another year.

Cameron, when he was healthy, outperformed Beltran in every aspect of the game. Well, I'm not sure about defense--tough to tell--but I'd say Cam's a better defender at CF than Beltran.

We'd definitely have some juggling to do, since we'd suddenly have 2 left fielders, but I don't think this idea is as ludicrous as it sounds.

Diaz & Manny as full-time corner outfielders is a little scary, but maybe we can move Floyd to right and use Diaz as a fourth OF? Or 1B, I suppose.

As for the "Hernandez sweepstakes," I think there'll be a bidding war for him and that the Mets are going to feel pressure to land him--get the best C free agent on the market and all. Maybe I'm wrong.