The Valentin Factor

[Guest Edgy DC]

How seriously are you taking Valentin at second beyond this year?

[metirish]

]He did the job this year. Sign him for another, but bring in other options, young and old, as he himself was an alternative option.

Sign him as an option,at the least he'd be a good bat on the bench,Julio Lugo is a FA IIRC.

[Guest sharpie]

He's done nothing to warrant not getting a 1-year deal but we should have other good option available.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I voted "He did the job this year. Sign him for another, but bring in other options, young and old, as he himself was an alternative option."

But if there's a top notch free agent available and willing to be wooed, I'd switch my choice to the one below the one that I chose.

I think of Valentin as this year's Ray Knight. And the original Ray Knight wasn't invited back. (Of course, many think that the departure of Ray Knight is what prevented the Mets from winning again. I'm not a member of that group, though.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Thing is, he may not sign if he's not the top option available, as other teams may be willing to give him a starting job and starting money.

[metsmarathon]

i wonder how much nomar would command...?

not that i'm seriously saying we should go hard after him - just raising the question.

[soupcan]

]Thank him for his work, sign a free agent, and move on.

I think his asking price would be too high for a bench player.

I don't know if we should necessarily bring in an FA but Soriano at 2nd wouldn't exactly bother me.

[HahnSolo]

I went with the third option as well. But how things play out in the postseason can definitely affect what happens next year. A big postseason and there's no way the Mets can't re-sign him. A so-so postseason and it may cause the Mets to at least explore other options.

I'm reminded somewhat of Ray Knight in '86, where the Mets clearly had made up their minds before the postseason that he would not be in their plans. Of course, it was easier to let Knight go, despite his WS MVP, with Hojo and Dave Magadan waiting in the wings.

[MFS62]

I voted "Thank him for his work and move on", because here were my thoughts about some of the other options:


He did the job this year. Sign him for another and pencil his ass in.
Who is to say that he wouldn't revert to what he did last year? Likely? Unlikely? Too iffy.

He did the job this year. Sign him for another, but bring in other options, young and old, as he himself was an alternative option.
If they sign him for another, but bring in a younger regular (names I've seen include Vidro and Belliard), as an irregular, he might not be as good on the field as he is on the bench. The numbers I saw eralier in the year indicated that this year he has been as awful a pinch hitter as he has been good as a regular. But signing him as a coach, the activating him if needed due to injury to the new regular might be an idea to pursue.


Thank him for his work, sign a free agent, and move on.
My vote. Then go hard for one of the bettersecond basemen out there. (Trade or free agency)

Turn to the prospects in the system, thank him for his work, and move on.
Pickings for second basemen in the organization are kinda' slim.

Later

[metirish]

Please stay away from Vidro,he's injured all the time.

[smg58]

He's not an easy decision. He could easily regress, given his age and the fact that this season could produce a career-high OPS, but he's earned at least strong consideration for a return engagement. A lot would depend on his asking price, and the other options and their asking prices.

[Guest Edgy DC]

HahnSolo wrote: I'm reminded somewhat of Ray Knight in '86, where the Mets clearly had made up their minds before the postseason that he would not be in their plans. Of course, it was easier to let Knight go, despite his WS MVP, with Hojo and Dave Magadan waiting in the wings.

I didn't think this was clear. I thought the Mets negotiated with Knight in good faith after the World Series.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Maybe this belongs in baseball confessions thread but I hardly ever vote in these polls.

Whether they intend to make JV the starter next year or not they'll still provide him a few nominal competitors for his services. Even if it's not here they'll do that.

To me he seems like a good bet to decline next year and I'd guess the Mets look for a "younger, faster and more athletic" guy to play there next year if at all possible.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's not the vote but the milling about across the street from the polling place.

[Frayed Knot]

I'd like some sort of alternative whether he's kept or not.
Like Knight, you can make an offer for next year at a reasonable price hoping he'll stick around, but if someone else is offering multi-years you've got to be smart enough to pull the plug.

The other situation - besides Knight - that this reminds me of is Mariano Duncan as the 2nd baseman for the '96 MFYs.
Duncan - who had only once before hit as much as .290 - batted .340 for that team at the age of 33. But Chuckles Knoblauch was available and they took the plunge. Duncan was still around the following year but got only 170 ABs (.244 BA) before finishing out the season AND HIS CAREER in Toronto.

Valentin turns 37 next month.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

And all those who lament that the departure of Knight derailed the Mets future overlook that from 1987 on, Knight never did much of anything.

[Guest cooby]

Hey, finally I'm not the only one

[Guest Edgy DC]

Another Yankee secondbase parallel is Miguel Cairo. (Raise your hand if you chanted his name when Kaz Matsui came up to bat. Higher, please.)

The difference is that, unlike Duncan and Cairo, Valentin has hit before. In fact, he's whacked the snot out of the ball before.

[Gwreck]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: And all those who lament that the departure of Knight derailed the Mets future overlook that from 1987 on, Knight never did much of anything.

Close parallel to Edgardo Alfonzo.