Pelfrey optioned to AAA, Gomez up

[Frayed Knot]

And back to the Gomez topic for a sec;
I think I've already spouted off on this before, but don't be too quick to assume that Gomez has made Lastings expendable.

Gomez is actually a shade older making his ML debut than Milledge was making his last summer and Lastings already had more AA time plus some AAA under his belt by then. He was also rated - and still is - considerably higher than Gomez by those prospects surveys. Gomez still has yet to show much power in the minors and needs work on plate discipline; not uncommon shortcomings for developing players, but not every prospect overcomes them.

In effect, Gomez needs a good season in the minors this year just to get himself to where Milledge was, and I don't think Milledge has fallen all that far - especially after a good ST - except maybe to those eyes who are looking at his age 21/22 seasons as make or break. I trust most teams (including his own) aren't going to do that.

One could even envision a scenario where the NYM "whispers" that have made their way to newspapers since the Spring about Gomez possibly passing Milledge by in some eyes is in-house hype in order to pump up then trade HIM, counting on his raw athleticism and "potential" to attract, and maybe extract, a king's ransom.
Speed may still be over-valued by many, even in this post-Moneyball world.

[nymr83]

its not really Gomez alone that i see as the issue, there Martinez coming along as well, the Mets may very well see Milledge as the most tradeable of the three based on a combination of talent and trade value

[Frayed Knot]

And it's not like I have a philosophical objection to trading Milledge. Hell, I'll trade anyone if it'll help the team and I'm pretty sure Omar will too. (I was reminded this week that he once dealt Grady Sizemore ... albeit under different circumstances).

It's just that I'm sensing a growing school of thought among Met fans (not just here) that Milledge is now something akin to excess baggage because of Gomez & Martinez as if the success of those two is more assured than his. Much of that speculation is a product of the backup quarterback syndrome.