Luis Castillo

[nymr83]

Hunter is two years older than Beltran, and his career obp and slg are each 20-30 points lower than beltran's. Hunter has never sniffed a season half as good as the one Beltran has last year. Hunter's best OPS+ was 126 in 2002, Beltran has topped that number 5 times and is only 3 pts under it this yaer.
i wouldnt make that deal and anyone who would is crazy.

[Guest cleonjones11]

Nymr83 wrote: Hunter is two years older than Beltran, and his career obp and slg are each 20-30 points lower than beltran's. Hunter has never sniffed a season half as good as the one Beltran has last year. Hunter's best OPS+ was 126 in 2002, Beltran has topped that number 5 times and is only 3 pts under it this yaer. i wouldnt make that deal and anyone who would is crazy.

Hunter plays...Hard...Next time we see Beltran on the field and getting a 2 out hit with runners on get back to me. Hunter plays a better CF also. You're nutz..

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I was kinda against the Mets getting Castillo 4 years ago so I'll keep to that position, at least mildly. We're not giving up much and he just might be a Type A FA.

The D should be a plus but I'm only OK on singles hitters. He better keep that OBP up.

[seawolf17]

Who would you rather have? Player A or Player B?

Player AABRH2B3BHRRBIBBHBPSOSBCSAVGOBPSLGOPSMen On, 2 out2967479171138221260188.267.320.463.783

Player BABRH2B3BHRRBIBBHBPSOSBCSAVGOBPSLGOPSMen On, 2 out22610364170167946347426.283.411.571.982

[seawolf17]

Nuts. Someone can feel free to fix my html.

[nymr83]

cleonjones11 wrote: ="Nymr83"]Hunter is two years older than Beltran, and his career obp and slg are each 20-30 points lower than beltran's. Hunter has never sniffed a season half as good as the one Beltran has last year. Hunter's best OPS+ was 126 in 2002, Beltran has topped that number 5 times and is only 3 pts under it this yaer. i wouldnt make that deal and anyone who would is crazy. Hunter plays...Hard...Next time we see Beltran on the field and getting a 2 out hit with runners on get back to me. Hunter plays a better CF also. You're nutz..

Beltran is a legit goldglover, where can i get whatever you've been smoking, it must be good stuff.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And it's not his quad that Beltran hurt.

What does getting a two-out hit with runners on have to do with playing hard?

Any idea how many Hunter has?

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I like the trade. Didn't cost us much -- like Bordick did -- and Gotay is still there if it doesn't work out.

As for saying you'd rather have an outfielder, well, who is to say Omar's not working on getting one?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, I'm going to argue that Bordick didn't seem to cost us much at the time. I don't think that Melvin was on anybody's list of blue chips.

But, yeah, my point was less about the compensation, more along the line of exaggerating the need in the infield vs. the outfield, and getting a name brand rather than an actual contributor.

[nymr83]

i loved the Bordick deal at the time, some things just don't work out

[Frayed Knot]

The Mets already had Torii Hunter, we just called him Mike Cameron at the time.

[metirish]

I like this trade,Castillo is a smart player with post-season experience,can hit second and will form a dynamic double play combo with Reyes.

[metsmarathon]

this year and last year, beltran has a higher zone rating than hunter. this year, beltran has a whopping two errors to hunter's one. last year, hunter had four, beltran only two.

um, lets see... how exactly is hunter a better centerfielder?

[nymr83]

in clownjones11's world anyone who isn't on fire the past week or so is a horrible player who should never have been brought in.

[Gwreck]

Kinda scratching the head at this one. Not that we gave up anything major, but I guess they're serious about shoring up the D, because I wonder if Castillo is really that much of an offensive upgrade over an Easley/Gotay platoon.

New lineup at full strength: (??)

Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Beltran CF
Wright 3B
Delgado 1B
Alou LF
Green RF
LoDuca C

[Guest cleonjones11]

Nymr83 wrote: in clownjones11's world anyone who isn't on fire the past week or so is a horrible player who should never have been brought in.

Thank you very much..What has Beltran really done for us..one good year..thats it...Lotta nice catches...But my opinion and apparently mine alone he is an overrated primadonna that doesn't give his all. yeah he came back in 5 games after a bad injury.its his job.

Lets see how much more money Hunter gets than beltrans makes. Then the Yankees will have the best CF in town.

[Guest Edgy DC]

• Along with Jeff Conine and Rick F. Helling, one of only three Marlins to play for both of their championship clubs.


• The only one of the three not to leave and come back in the interim.


• Flew out to once and future Met Jay Payton to end the Twins 1997.


• Is coming to New York for a catcher who is underperforming at AA and an outfielder who is too old for his league at A+.


• His favorite player growing up: Alfredo Griffin.


• Tore a labrum and had it surgically repaired back 2002.


• Taught himself to slide feet-first (imagine) to protect his sore sholders.


• Recently missed a team flight to Canada, when he forgot his resident visa back home in Miami.

[TransMonk]

Gwreck wrote: I wonder if Castillo is really that much of an offensive upgrade over an Easley/Gotay platoon. New lineup at full strength: (??) Reyes SS Castillo 2B Beltran CF Wright 3B Delgado 1B Alou LF Green RF LoDuca C

IMO, that's a pretty potent lineup at full strength. Is Castillo a better offensive player than Easley or Gotay straight up? Probably not, but Castillo batting second should prove to be more consistent in balancing the lineup than Easley, Gotay or anyone else in that spot. It also improves the bench as well. Now, whether or not we'll ever see that lineup at full strength is an entirely different story.

[Guest Edgy DC]

If the Yankees want to pay Hunter more money than Beltran, they can have him.

Castillo thread.

[Farmer Ted]

"His favorite player growing up: Alfredo Griffin."

Alfredo Griffin sold me a pair of sneakers. While toiling in the minor leagues in the 70s, Alfredo was playing for my hometown minor league team. He had a part-time job at a local sporting goods joint. Slapped a pair of adidas on my feet and thanked him very much. Should have gotten an autograph.

But I digress. I'm in the Gotay corner. Play Ruben NOW!!

[metirish]

Castillo thrilled about leaving.

] "That's a little surprise for me, because the team this year, I think we're still in the race," Castillo told Minnesota reporters, referring to the Twins. "I've seen this team come back from 10 games before, and we're 6-1/2 games, and I think we can turn it around. ... I don't feel too good because I like the team and I think this team can do a lot. And I've had fun this year."

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm sure he'll have a different perspective when he talks to the New York media.

"Sure, I didn't want to leave the Twins, because they're a great group of guys. But I'm really excited to be joining the Mets, a team in first place, and with a great shot at winning the World Series. And that's what it's all about."

[Willets Point]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I'm sure he'll have a different perspective when he talks to the New York media. "Sure, I didn't want to leave the Twins, because they're a great group of guys. But I'm really excited to be joining the Mets, a team in first place, and with a great shot at winning the World Series. And that's what it's all about."

I hope not. I hate sycophants.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Elephants with a persistent cough.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, what do you expect him to say? "Gosh, I wish I was still in Minnesota. I've always hated New York. I've already won two World Series so I don't need another ring. I'd rather stay in third place where there was no pressure and I could relax. And anyway, Omar only traded for me because I'm Hispanic."

[metirish]

I wonder how much influence if any Randolph had in Minaya trading for a better glove at second.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm on board with this deal despite being against signing him when he was the popular choice among many as a FA 4 years back -- although considering that the alternative was Matsui is wwould have turned out better than the choice we made.

Back then I wasn't sold on his lack of power (amazing how many fans like to put down power when evaluating players), his over-rated base-stealing skills, and his general slap-happy hitting style.

But getting him then meant committing for 3-4 years and a decent amount of money. Now, it's for 57 games and at the cost of just two semi-prospects.
He also fills two holes we currently have:
- solid OBP guy in the 2nd hole (.350 - .390 in each of the last 6 seasons)
- and a good defensive 2nd sacker

The biggest complaint is going to be how Gotay is getting tossed aside after having a great month or more but, even beyond the glove questions, there are signs that the offense isn't going to continue. First there's the non-existant walk rate: 7 in 130+ PAs; and (as someone pointed out somewhere) the almost insane BABiP numbers he's putting up. Not that he's not stinging the ball now and then, but even those who don't fully buy into that theory should be noticing from just casual observation that virtually every ground ball this guy hits has been finding a hole. Eventually that worm's gotta turn, and now Gotay can become a decent threat off the bench and remains a possible option ofr the future.

Not turning cartwheels here, but I think we're a better team today than yesterday and the future wasn't damaged to get there.

[duan]

"I wonder how much influence if any Randolph had in Minaya trading for a better glove at second."

THAT is an important question and also one that'll probably remain unanswered. I do think one of the fears with Willie and MOST managers that i've seen is their failure to trust young players in situations like this and their desire to 'get a guy who's done it before'. It's a risk minimisation thing BUT i do think it's the biggest single failing of baseball's current front office & management people. You can argue that the mets have the $ to spend and if THAT is how they risk manage (paying more for certainty) that's ok, but too often they seem to actually reduce the margins rather then improve the midpoint.
We KNOW that Luis Castillo will get on base at a 330+ a bit clip, that he'll play OK defense, but he's not going to go all Chase Utley on the league, which is what Ruben Gotay is doing now. Sure, Gotay could tank for the next 50 games, but how far would he have to fall for it to be worth NOT taking a chance on him having made a step forward.

FWIW's this IS NOT something that's unique to the Mets by any stretch of the imagination.

[metirish]

I like the trust angle and the fact that Willie was a good second baseman plays into this I think,perhaps he's watching Gotay there not making plays that he knows should be made.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hear what you're saying, but I think this is the kind of move you really ought to make given the time of year and the Mets position in the standings.

If they were in fourth place, I'd strongly be in favor of them letting Gotay play every day the last two months to see if he's an option for next year. But August and September, in what may be a very tight pennant race, isn't the time to experiment, or to worry too much about 2008.