I'd Love to Have Green on the Team Next Year

[Elster88]

As a bench player.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

If the price is reasonable, I'd be fine with that too. He would be pretty good as a 4th, that can back up at first base, and provide a little pop off the bench. He seems to have a good, team oriented attitude as well.

I guess it will come down to whether or not he gets offers to be a fulltime player elsewhere.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I think it'll come down to whether someone in a better city (in Green's estimation) asks him to be a backup I would guess.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

Who Green plays for next year and in what capacity is pretty low on my
planning for 2008 Mets campaign list.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, the 2008 Mets are a little of a back burner priority right now.

[Elster88]

Kid Carsey wrote: Who Green plays for next year and in what capacity is pretty low on my planning for 2008 Mets campaign list.

Thank you for contributing.

[G-Fafif]

I wonder if there's a Daniel Joseph Staub finishing school that converts aging everyday former stars into pinch-hitters deluxe. So far Shawn seems unsuited to that role, but I wonder if with a little Le Grande training if he could do a little of that as well as a little of first (a very little of the outfield). Of course Marlon's already an awesome PH and he's unsigned.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

E88: >>>Thank you for contributing<<<

Thank you for acknowledging my contribution (or making sport of me, it's
hard to tell with you).

I don't really see how:

a: I want Green as bench player next year

or

b: I ain't thinking about Green and where he plays next year

is much of a riveting contribution on either end so go chew on a mitt instead
of singling me out in your dead-end thread.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think the problem with the Staub model is that our 24-hour bitch cycle of contemporary sports media has very little patience and tolerance for a diminsihing star.

[RealityChuck]

I don't dislike Green, but I can't see any reason to keep him. He's bound to want more than Millege or Gomez or Endy. Keep Alou if you want a veteran who can hit (though he would certainly prefer to be a regular).

[Guest attgig]

Alou should be a DH or play platoon. he probably won't figure into the mets plans next year. green could be a decent utility guy, but after paying him 10+ this year, i just feel bad keeping him around and throwing more excess $$ at him.

[Benjamin Grimm]

If the Mets do, in fact, go with a starting outfield of Beltran, Milledge, and Gomez next year, then I'd like to see a veteran reserve on the bench who can step in and play as little or as often as needed.

Green can be that guy, or someone else can. (I don't think it would be Alou, though.)

Right now my guess is that they'll be willing to plan on Milledge being an everyday player in 2008, but they may still feel they haven't seen enough of Gomez. If that's the case, they may sign another veteran to a one-year deal and let Gomez be a reserve outfielder.

Committing to Gomez over the winter would be a daring move (for the Mets, anyway) and I'd be pleased if they did it, but I'd also be at least a little surprised.

[Centerfield]

Milledge OPS: .796

Gomez OPS: .630

I would not be happy at all if these were the corner outfielders next year considering our question marks at 2B, C and declining production at 1B.

[Valadius]

I am not at ALL comfortable with Gomez. Milledge is getting there, but Gomez might be ready to start in 2009, if at all. I'd keep Alou around, and I like Green, but keeping Green is not a must. However, if we let Green go, we need to bring in an older, more proven bat for a year, similar to what Reggie Sanders was doing a few years back, bouncing around the league while hitting 20 homers every year.

[soupcan]

Is 2B a question mark?

If Castillo's a FA I would like to think they'd sign him.

[metirish]

Agree with CF........not much pop in that outfield either,they might hit 15-20 home runs between them at Shea over a full season.

As for Green yes I think he would be a good fit playing of the bench,probably play more than the usual bench player though and still contribute.

Edit to answer Soupcan...Castillo is a FA.....

[TransMonk]

="attgig"]green could be a decent utility guy, but after paying him 10+ this year, i just feel bad keeping him around and throwing more excess $$ at him.

Actually, when Green was traded from Arizona he had $12.75M remaining on his contract for the remainder of '06 and '07. Arizona kicked in $6.3M towards that amount. So the Mets as a team have only paid $6.45M to Green for this year and a month of last year. The Mets were left with the $10M option for '08 with a $2M buyout.

I feel there are far more pieces that need to fall into place before the Mets know whether they should commit another $8M to Green:

-Is Moises' option picked up? If so, it could make Green redundant...especially if the regular outfield is going to be Beltran, Gomez and Milledge next year. Alou's option is cheaper than Green's and he's going to provide more offense if he's healthy.

-Is Castillo resigned? If not, is Gotay going to be the starting 2B in 2008? If so, is Valentin's option going to be picked up? Not that Green will play second, but if Alou, Castillo and Valentin are all gone next year, the Mets got really young really fast. My guess is they will stick with 2 of the 3 2B, but you never know.

-What is Delgado's problem? If Delgado's offensive problems are mental, then that's one thing, but if it is physical either through injury or decline, then that's another. To be perfectly honest, with the way Delgado has played this year, I feel the lineup is just as potent with Green playing first and Milledge/Endy in RF at this moment in time. Not that Delgado won't eventually get back to his old form and maybe even soon, but I have this sinking feeling that Delgado is hurt more severely than he or the club is letting on...who knows if he'll need offseason surgery with rehab time or how much time he may miss next year due to nagging injuries like he's out with now. Green could serve as a backup at 1B as well as the OF.

-Who's catching next year? Loduca seems all but gone. Castro seems to go on the DL for long periods of time each year. The FA catching market is thin. Again, like with 2B, Green is not going to catch. But it's another postion where we may be starved for offense next year if it and other positions go down with injury.

The only non-question marks next year are Beltran, Wright and Reyes. In my mind all of the other offensive positions have issues. Some are more positive questions than others (Milledge/Gomez), but some are glaring (Delgado, 2B, C). Green could provide some consistent insurance should the Millegde/Gomez/Delgado questions go the wrong way.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Alou's option not picked up yet, some observers (the radio guys) think they will unless Alou retires. Good point about the relative cheapness of the optins, that should come into play. Green btw has also spoke of retiring after this season.

Gotay will not be an everyday 2B for the Mets or he would already. Castillo looks practically crippled most of the time out there but he has done a fine job on balance. I think they try to re-hook him 2 yrs. Valentin -- longshot as a bench option I would guess. Gotay -- if he could learn some OF could be a super valuable bench guy.

I was going to remark shorttly before his injury that Delgado to me looked.. well, if not fat, lumpier than he had in the past, especially around the ass. I think he's getting old.

I think we trade for or sign a new catcher or three.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Is Pudge Rodriguez a free agent? I wouldn't be surprised to see him on a short-term deal, though I'd like them to find the catcher of the future, the guy who's going to be around for the next six to eight years.

[TransMonk]

Pudge has a $13M club option for next year with a $3M buyout.

[Valadius]

We could look down to the minors for some help in these areas. If Delgado gets hobbled, I honestly would like to give Andy Tracy a bit of a look as a backup. He's 34, but he put up good numbers this year at New Orleans. Or we could look at Brett Harper, who tore the cover off the ball for the B-Mets. I also like Chip Ambres as a better long-term option in the outfield over Carlos Gomez. We'll figure out what we're doing at second base, but finding another catcher is going to be a huge challenge.

[metirish]

The Tigers have a 13M club option,3M buyout.


contracts.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/

[metirish]

Val really there are two things wrong I can see there,it's Andy Tracy and he's 34.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

] I also like Chip Ambres as a better long-term option in the outfield over Carlos Gomez.

No you don't.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That raised my eyebrows too.

[metirish]

Sometimes I wonder if Val really is Omar on here getting a feel for things...know what I'm saying?

[Valadius]

Huh. I thought Ambres was like 24. Turns out he's almost 28. Oh well.

I just would like to see more power out of our corner outfield spots, and Ambres put up power numbers in the minors. The search continues, I guess.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that right now the long term plan for the outfield is Beltran, Milledge, Gomez. Whether that happens in 2008 or 2009 remains to be seen.

I think Milledge would hit 20 or more homers playing full time. If Gomez is short on power, Beltran makes up for it. (It's normal to have one outfielder without a lot of home run power. Usually it's the centerfielder, but, if in this scenario it's a corner outfielder I don't see that as a problem.)

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

The thing with Gomez is, he's a big guy who, if he "fills out" looks like he could be a power hitter. Look at him the next time he hits. He's big! He's got... projectability!

[Guest attgig]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I think that right now the long term plan for the outfield is Beltran, Milledge, Gomez. Whether that happens in 2008 or 2009 remains to be seen. I think Milledge would hit 20 or more homers playing full time. If Gomez is short on power, Beltran makes up for it. (It's normal to have one outfielder without a lot of home run power. Usually it's the centerfielder, but, if in this scenario it's a corner outfielder I don't see that as a problem.)

where does martinez go in a year or two? i thought scouts liked him more than they liked gomez.