Billy's elbow ... and surgery!!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Valadius wrote: Whoa. Okay, who's on the market this offseason?

Brian Stokes. What do you think?

[metirish]

That's tough for Wagner but I can't be worried right now about next year.

[Valadius]

Oh shut up.

Personally, I'd love to see the Mets make a run at Joakim Soria. Kansas City's not going anywhere for a few years. Maybe they'll take a package of Nick Evans and Bobby Parnell? Or something of that nature?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

F that. I've got Bobby Parnell auditioning death-metal entrance songs already.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Is Ambroix coming back next season?

[Vic Sage]

from FK's lips to Omar's ears.

I love the fact that we're succeeding in Wagner's absence. And while i, too, hope the Mets learn the proper lesson from this experience, I'm confident they won't. Omar is old-school... ie., an idjit, yaknowwhatimean?

[Guest AG/DC]

In fairness to Val, he followed that post up with

]In my immediate reaction, I momentarily forgot about our minor league system.

So...

[Guest attgig]

Ayala. full time closer role.

he's been doing pretty well so far. if he can maintain through the rest of the season (and beyond?), he's our front runner.

[Vic Sage]

what about Al Reyes. Is he healthy enough to be useful?

[Benjamin Grimm]

My first guess at what a 2008 post-season pitching staff (should we be so fortunate) would look like:

Santana
Perez
Pelfrey
Martinez
Heilman
Schoeneweis
Feliciano
Sanchez
Stokes
Smith
Ayala
Figueroa


Figueroa and Stokes can potentially be used as emergency starters. Figgy can also be the "long man" that Pat Mahomes and Darren Oliver were.

Had Wagner been healthy, I think he would have supplanted Figueroa from the roster.

[Centerfield]

Vic Sage wrote: what about Al Reyes. Is he healthy enough to be useful?

Is he even eligible for the post-season? He was added after September 1, no?

[Benjamin Grimm]

With Maine and Wagner on the DL, the Mets could choose anybody to replace them, as long as they were in the Mets organization by August 31.

[Centerfield]

Oh good. Thanks. It is weird though, that after having bullpen guys rack up all these appearances, should the Mets make the post-season, they'd be turning to guys like Ayala, Stokes and Reyes.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm thinking Figueroa is more likely than Reyes, since Jerry's been using Figgy and not Reyes.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

I want Bobby Parnell to be our K-Rod.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd rather see him make it as a starter.

[Frayed Knot]

Just a quick Francisco Rodriguez note (I'm sure we'll be reproducing this argument during the winter) but he's going to be ridiculously expensive on account of all the CY votes and even MVP votes he's going to get this season as a result of setting the single-season *SAVE!* record and being the titular closer on a team that's going to win 100 games (and would win about 98 if some generic closer were being used instead).

But here's a 3-year total (2006-2008) for both him and Wagner

	IP	Hits	Runs	ER	BB	K	HR	WHiP	ERA
F-Rodrig	197	148	57	52	92	258	13	1.22	2.38

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree. I don't want to see the Mets overpaying for a guy who set a not-very meaningful record for another team.

I'm more interested in Brian Fuentes. He won't come cheap, but he'll be a hell of a lot cheaper than Rodriguez.

[Guest AG/DC]

Minaya stood in the face of a tornado when he didn't deal for a name-brand reliever at the deadline. Perhaps he will again.

For now, the bidness at hand calls us.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'd rather see him make it as a starter.

I want Bobby Parnell to be our Wainwright.

[Guest AG/DC]

I want Rufus Wainwright to be our Louden.

[Centerfield]

If we're talking about what we want, I want KRod as our closer with Fuentes as a lefty setup guy. I want to re-sign Oliver Perez as our fifth starter behind Santana, Sabathia, Pelfrey and Maine. I want Manny in left and Orlando Hudson at second. I want to find a better catcher (don't know where to find one myself but there are people paid lots of money to accomplish this).

[Guest AG/DC]

Damn. Stop that.

Those guys are the enemy and should be viewed with, at best, suspicion.

I'd actually prefer derision.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Wagner wants to come back after surgery.

Maine may be interested in the closers role.

[Centerfield]

That story is interesting. It reveals that the tear took place on Saturday, and that he was rehabbing even though they were aware that the forearm was increasing the stress on the ligament. If this is true, it's colossally irresponsible on behalf of the Mets. Wagner was under contract for next season. Now they need to fill the closer role.

They better not repeat this mistake with Maine.

[duan]

want a conspiracy theory?

Mets, knowing that Wagner's either going to explode or be perpetually teetering decide to see if they can force the issue.

If he gets through and is ok - wah hey - we got ourselves a primo reliever down the stretch and in the playoffs - he goes down, he's out for a season and we get to cash in the insurance we took out and can spend that on someone else in the off season.

Course I've no idea if they've got the contract insured but ya want a conspiracy theory i've given you one.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not sure that there's insurance.

The Daily News today quoted "Mets insiders" as saying that the Mets won't be going after a top reliever this offseason because they're already paying Wagner $10.5 million for 2009.

While I don't agree with the conventional wisdom that you need a "top reliever" I also don't like any signs of purse-tightening from the Mets front office. I like that they've become a team that will do what it takes to win. I want them to keep their eye on the ball even after this (hopefully) championship season.

[Frayed Knot]

There's also a difference between "purse-tightening" and saying that you don't want to be dedicating $25+ mil to the closer's spot for next year.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, but the $10.5 million isn't dedicated to "the closer's spot" if it's going to a guy who's not going to pitch a single inning. They have to look at it as overhead and still do what they can to deploy the best possible team for 2009.

[metirish]

I just don't see the Wilpon's or Minaya hatching a plan like that , I could see Wagner pushing the issue though for different reasons , wanting to get back quickly.