Gather the wood. . .time to fire up the Stove!!

[Mex17]

For anyone who cares or wishes to get the Hot Stove going immediately, here are my out-of-the-gate thoughts on what the Mets ought to do this winter. . .

Listed in order of importance. . .

1) Trade for Manny Ramirez

-I am going on the asumption that this deal was very close to happening at the deadline, would have took place if the Devil Rays didn't back out, but could not have been rekindled in time or in enough of a way for the Red Sox to save face and get enough back for them to stay in the 2005 race. It certainly appears as if Esptien has been trying for awhile to get rid of that contract so he can spread that money around to other areas of the team. You have to expect that Omar is not going to simply forget about this. . .especially when the need for a big righthanded slugger in the middle of the lineup is so obvious and he has the salary space created by the depature of Piazza to work with. I expect Omar to agressively pursue this. Names that might go back to Boston include: Cameron/Diaz/Seo/Zambrano/Petit/Milledge.

2) Sign B.J. Ryan or Billy Wagner

-Obvious? Yes. The Mets are fortunate to have two of what they need to choose from in free agency. Ryan is significantly younger than Wagner, but Wanger had a slightly better season in 2005. Either one will do nicely.

3) Sign Ramon Hernandez or Bengie Molina

-Any sentimental rambling about how Piazza, at this point, is a better fit then either of these two is just that. Just like the Ryan/Wagner situation, the Mets are fortunate to have two of what they need to choose from in free agency, and, similarly, either one will do nicely. Castro will continue to be a good backup.

4) Sign Jarrod Washburn

-I'm certain that not many people are thinking about this, but I sure am and I hope that Omar is also. Steve Trachsel is nice. If they want to pick up his option so that we can have some rotation depth going into Spring Training and/or trade bait to further enhance the bullpen or add depth to the minor leagues, so be it. But we need another reliable lefty to put in this rotation along with Glavine. Washburn had a good season this year, appears to be eligible for free agency (7 years of experience as per espn.com and not signed for 2006 as per http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/) and should translate well to the NL and Shea (especially with Peterson around).

5) Sign John Olerud

-The perfect guy to get as insurance to Jacobs at first base. The defense alone is worth it, and he actually had a nice little comeback with the bat this year. They never really recovered from losing him to homesickness after 1999. Let's bring him back now to fill a role on the bench.

6) Re-up Roberto Hernandez

-The bullpen was obviously a weak spot this year. We cannot strengthen it while losing a key bright spot to it at the same time.

7) Excise Kazuo Matsui and make sure Marlon Anderson and Chris Woodward come back.

-Hopefully we can find a smaller market team to take Matsui for somewhere around 50 cents on the dollar and see if he is a little better without the eyes of NYC on him (and hopefully Matsui himself will see that this is best for him and allow it to happen). Anderson and Woodward are needed as veteran insurance at second base. In a perfect world, either Anderson Hernandez or (assuming he is healthy) Jeff Keppinger will take the bull by the horns and earn a starting gig at second.

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LINEUP
1) Reyes-ss
2) Beltran-CF
3) Wright-3b
4) Ramirez-RF/LF
5) Floyd-LF/RF
6) Ra. Hernandez Molina-C
7) Jacobs-1b
8) A. Hernandez Keppinger-2b
9) pitcher

ROTATION
Martinez
Glavine
Benson
Washburn
Seo Zambrano Trachsel Heilman

BULLPEN
Ryan Wagner
Ro. Hernandez
Heilman (if not starting)
Ring Hamulack McGinley
Graves Padilla Bell Fortunado Moreno Yates {anyone else you can think of to fight for a spot in Spring Training}

BENCH
Castro
Olerud
Diaz (if not traded)
Anderson
Woodward

[Valadius]

B.J. Ryan would be the PERFECT Mets closer. Throw everything at him.

[nymr83]

1) sure. if manny is available go get him.
2) yes. get a veteran established closer.
3) no thanks. ramon will command too much money and i think he's both a health risk and not as good as i thought he was prior to this year.
4) no thanks. the mets dont need starting pitching and would be best served spending money elsewhere.
5) IF we decide to hand the job to jacobs then a veteran presence makes sense, i'm the world's biggest olerud fan too.
6) i'd like to bring hernandez back BUT at his age i'd hate for anyone to think that he'll repeat this incredible year. don't plan on making him the 2nd most important guy in the pen again.
7) i want to get rid of matsui and cairo very badly. i'd like to bring back ONE of woodward/anderson but i think both is a bit redundant.

lineup- i'd love to see the lineup you projected, except the catching position. also if we cant get manny i want a big bat at 1b, sorry jacobs.

rotation- i will be upset with any rotation that doesnt include jae seo. i wouldn't mind trading zambrano for bullpen help or in a manny trade, re-upping traschel sounds good too. my rotation would be- martinez, glavine, benson, seo, traschel with heilman waiting for anyone to screw up.

bullpen- sign a closer, hernandez, heilman, bell, and let young guys fight it out for the remaining spots.

bench- Diaz, Woodward OR Anderson, a veteran backup to jacobs OR jacobs, backup catcher (castro unless he is starting)
this might leave us short a shortstop which is one reason to prefer woodard to anderson. not too concerned with backing up 3B...he'll play 155+ i hope. you MUST keep Diaz on this team unless he is needed to get manny. with floyd and cameron out there an injury will come.


now for who i DONT want to see on this team:
1. matsui
2. cairo
3. ishii
4. willie....ok i know i cant have that
5. anyone over the age of 35 that doesn't have a potentially productive bat (this means you, gerald williams)
6. any "veteran" reliever whose only "advantage" over our kids is that they've played alot (and proven that they shouldn't play much more)

[Frayed Knot]

]6. any "veteran" reliever whose only "advantage" over our kids is that they've played alot (and proven that they shouldn't play much more)

You mean like Hernandez was coming into this year?

Thing about these "veterens" - Anderson, Robo, Tony Clark 2 years back, etc. - is that as long as you don't go committing yourself to locked-in contracts [stanton, Franco, etc.] then they're easily disposable if/when they don't perform (DeJean, Aybar). Robo was no more of a lock coming into the season then any one of a host of other pickups that are on every roster everywhere.

[Elster88]

If Ramon Hernandez or Molina is hitting in the sixth slot next yeara, then we've got problems.

[seawolf17]

1) Fine, but not for Beltran.
2) Blah.
3) Molina, yes. Hernandez, no.
4) I like Washburn, but I'd rather spend his money elsewhere.
5) Loved Oly in 1999. Don't love him now.
6) No. No way he performs as well next year as he did this year.
7) I'll take Marlon & Woody, but I still just don't know what to think of Matsui.

[Theoldmole]

I'm not convinced Matsui is a disaster, tho I probably should be.

I think Olerud backing up Jacobs makes sense.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't know what is confusing -- asking for a veteran reliever on the first list but not a "veteran" reliever on the second, or putting "veteran" and "advantage" in quotes, as if there's ambiguity in what these words mean.

You don't want the Mets to sign bad people. Neither do I.

The Mets may not have had the best bullpen this year, but they did well staying out of entangling multi-year deals with any of them. And the more we spread the myth that it was the pen that undid this team, the more likely it is that we'll see multi-year guaranteed deals offered to relievers whose performance is less guaranteed.

It'll be very interesting to see the Mets go after Billy Wagner. They've tradtionally built their own closers. Even the exceptions weren't fully exceptions. Benitez was traded for, but promoted from a lesser role. Franco was traded for, but we dealt our own closer in a challenge trade.

Loops is like the only free agent closer the Mets have signed, and he was a B-Lister.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]Loops is like the only free agent closer the Mets have signed, and he was a B-Lister.

Even then, there were no illusions as to what he'd bring to the table: Some upside given a good arm and an opportunity but all along he was viewed as the kind of closer with whom a struggler could 'get by' and he was paid as such.

Ya know, I'm not all that hot for Wagner. Maybe that's cuz it's not really time to fire up the stove till after the WS.

[Guest rpackrat]

Hasn't Heilman earned a shot at the closer job?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sure, but signs have the Mets looking closer at him for a starter's job as well.

[Guest martin]

i still would like to see matsui given one final shot next year. i like his speed and athleticism. maybe he can finally stay healthy and be comfortable enough with the team and culture to hit all the doubles i think are still in his bat.

is matsui too terrible to even be a bench player? at least he is fast?

i have trouble believing he is as bad as he has played.

[metirish]

]is matsui too terrible to even be a bench player? at least he is fast?

not for the money he's making Martin, from what I read Kaz expects to be back as a Met and that's what he's gearing up for.

[Valadius]

If only we could send Matsui to some form of Instructional League...

[Guest SI Metman]

Edgy DC wrote: Sure, but signs have the Mets looking closer at him for a starters job.

Which I personally think is the stupidest thing I ever heard. This guy has great stuff out of the pen. He needs another pitch to be a successful major league starting pitcher.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Which I personally think is the stupidest thing I ever heard.

Really? I can think of many fine starters who transitioned out of middle relief. I can also think of many fine starters who featured two pitches.

He also had the top start of the year for the Mets.

Dumbest thing you ever heard?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Here's a surprising little tidbit I spotted in the Daily News this morning:

They report that they've heard reports that free-agent-to-be Rafael Furcal has been saying that he'd like to play second base for the Mets.

[Elster88]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: They report that they've heard reports that free-agent-to-be Rafael Furcal has been saying that he'd like to play second base for the Mets.

The playoffs start today, and the rumors are already making my head spin. And this one includes a guy who has a game to play today. This rumor, if it was put out there by someone who is connected to Furball, is probably specially constructed to drive up prices.

[Guest holychicken]

Edgy DC wrote: I can also think of many fine starters who featured two pitches.

Who? I was always under the impression that 2 pitches just wasn't enough and when talk about Heilman being a starter came up, I thought something similar to what SI said.

I just can't imagine that you can fool major league hitters their second time against you, let alone their third and possibly fourth times, when you are only throwing two pitches.

[Elster88]

holychicken wrote: ="Edgy DC"]I can also think of many fine starters who featured two pitches. Who? I was always under the impression that 2 pitches just wasn't enough and when talk about Heilman being a starter came up, I thought something similar to what SI said. I just can't imagine that you can fool major league hitters their second time against you, let alone their third and possibly fourth times, when you are only throwing two pitches.

Well, Doc Gooden featured only two pitches in his 1985 campaign. In fact, I've heard that adding a third pitch screwed him up. (Thanks, Mel, you're a genius!) But most guys don't have his talent.

Tom Glavine featured one pitch in the pre-Questec era.
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This post had the designation 141) Kevin Appier

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Who? I was always under the impression that 2 pitches just wasn't enough and when talk about Heilman being a starter came up, I thought something similar to what SI said.

Well, Roger Clemens for most of the last ten years, for one.

Young Gooden is indeed a good example. He was fastball/cuve. He threw one or two changes per game to remind people that he had one.

[Guest Edgy DC]

How about Tom Glavine? A slow fastball and changeups off of that. Maybe a few breaking pitches per game, never over the plate.

The only change over his entire career is that the fastball has slowed down.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Heilman, on the other hand, has been throwing three pitches effectively. Change, slider, and fastball.

His fastball has been up a lot. But he still uses all three liberally.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Furcal? Holy shit, I love that idea. It might not be practical, money-wise, but he's great defensively, he's fast, and he does a fine job of getting on base. He's also got a little pop.

Man, that'd be a fun infield to watch.

I'm a little torn about Jacobs. We'd have a much better idea of what we're getting from Konerko, but Jake has certainly impressed me and you've gotta think he'll be able to put up a >.800 OPS--a big upgrade from this year in and of itself.

We'd really need a quality backup for him, though, and if you ask me, it should be a righty with some pop. Not sure who.

I'm down with Manny, depending on what we give up, but I don't want him playing right. Floyd looked good this year, so maybe he could transition, but I'm not wild about that either.

In my ideal world, we'd pass on Manny, trade Cameron for prospects and a fourth OF, and get someone like Wilkerson (I know, I know--he had a terrible year, but he was pretty solid before that)--a regular who can play 1B, plus OF. With that kind of flexibility, we could play a lot of Jake & Diaz without having to count too much on them.

C: Castro?
1B: Wilkerson / Jake
2B: Furcal / Matsui
3B: Wright
SS: Reyes
LF: Floyd / Wilkerson
CF: Beltran / Wilkerson
RF: Diaz / Wilkerson

Y'all will probably tell me we're still lacking a righty power bat, but I'd take this lineup into 2006 and be pretty darn happy. Clear upgrades at 1B & 2B, a likely downgrade in left as Floyd regresses, and a possible downgrade at C, but everyone else is likely to stay the same or get a little better--or, in Beltran's case, a lot better.

Throw Konerko in there instead of Jake, and we've got a flat-out dominant lineup. Ditto if we throw Dunn in there instead of Wilkerson.

Since Wilkerson's got a reverse split against lefties anyway, maybe a

1. Furcal, S
2. Beltran, S
3. Wright, R
4. Floyd, L
5. Wilkerson / Konerko, L / R
6. Diaz / Jake, R / L
7. Castro, R
8. Reyes, S

until Reyes learns to get on base. Then we slip him into leadoff & put Beltran either in the 3, 5 or 6 hole.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Furcal is a stretch.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Edgy DC wrote: Furcal is a stretch.

I'm inclined to agree. However, I thought the same thing last year about Pedro and Beltran. So you never know.

[Valadius]

NO. We are NOT getting Mr. Steroid-Head. Not in a MILLION YEARS. I'll have none of it.



He is the poster child of gigantic steroid-heads. Let him have his head explode on the Nats.

[MFS62]

Just to keep the mental gymnastics going, here's a list of players who will be free agents:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-10-04-free-agent-list_x.htm

Aside from the high profile players who have been discussed (Konerko, Fecal, Molina, Ryan, et. al) I spotted a few role players who might be an improvement/ fill a niche over who are currently on the roster:

If they will be going with Jacobs at first, and want some lower cost backup insurance, how about John Olerud, Scott Hattieberg, or Olmedo Saenz (a professional right hitter)?

And for the backup 1B/3B/of role, how about John Maybry? The only problem with him is that he's a Cardinal and St. Louis is like baseball's black hole - players come in and then never leave because they like the place so much.

Later

[smg58]

When did Doc get a third pitch? I always thought that the lack of a decent third pitch made it inevitable that hitters would adjust to him.

The Furcal rumor is interesting. I wouldn't put it beyond him to try to use the Mets as leverage with the Braves, but the Braves have Wilson Betemit and limited resources so I'll wager they're willing to let him go. I wouldn't oppose bringing him here. I'd like to see the Mets bring in one or two .400 OBP guys, but I don't think you'll find too many second basemen who fit that description, and to say that he'd be an upgrade at second would be a major understatement.

The Mets have enough resources at the major league level that they shouldn't give up major prospects to bring anybody in, or need to get everything through free agency. It's too early to figure out most of the players that will be on the block, so I wouldn't be too quick to narrow a wish list to a few specific players.

[Valadius]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=rotowire-engieolinaeadedtoewo&prov=rotowire&type=lgns

Bengie Molina headed to New York?

Molina, a free agent after the season, may be targeted by both the Mets and Yankees this offseason, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Molina, one of the best defensive catchers in the game, batted .295 with 19 homers and 69 RBI in 119 games during the regular season, and could be in line for a huge payday in free agency. The other catcher the Mets figure to pursue is Ramon Hernandez.