smg58

I don't see any reason not to trade a major league-ready pitcher for somebody like Overbay or Tracy -- we'd be trading our abundance for theirs, and it's not like these guys can't play and wouldn't be huge upgrades at first. Both teams might be in a position to demand more than that, though. As for Floyd, I'm pretty sure the Brewers and D-Backs are covered in the outfield corners, plus replacing him would be dicey. I think Diaz could replace Cameron's bat but Floyd's would be another story. I'd consider moving Floyd and Zambrano for a really good pitcher, but only if I had some assurance that Brian Giles would sign here.

I suppose I should have said that the next six weeks were critical to my personal and subjective assessment of Reyes, rather than to anything the Mets wouldn't likely do with him. He's shown flashes of greatness, but I'll be frustrated if, after the hot streak he just had, he winds up with pedestrian numbers outside of stolen bases.It would take a lot for me to part with Reyes too, but I'll be honest and say that I'm not sold on him. It's obvious that good things happen when he gets on base, but that's not very meaningful if he can't get on above 30% of the time. It's possible that the hitting streak is the start of him getting it as a hitter, and I think we can all agree that that's what we want, but it's also possible that he'll wind up with a similar BA/OBP/SLG to what he did last year with his season being constantly interrupted. I don't think it's unreasonable to demand a .700 OPS before declaring somebody off limits.(To answer your next question, Wright is untouchable, and I'd put only him and Pedro beyond all consideration.)

The top priority should be offense, but dealing some quantity for quality on the pitching end of things wouldn't hurt. Fifth in ERA isn't bad, but it won't get you to the Series. I'd put a legit #2 starter on the wish list.Yes, the Mets need a first baseman. Badly. That's why if they do deal for Manny, they have to be careful about how much money they take on and how many young guys they part with.The Brewers might want major-league pitching for Overbay, which would be good news for the Mets. Chad Tracy wouldn't be a bad fit, either. There's a reason Choi keeps getting dealt. There'll be looting in Philly if Howard gets dealt, and the National Guard would be called in if he's traded to the Mets. I'd also ask the Astros about Lance Berkman. The contract extension he got is big enough that the Astros might be having second thoughts, but damn his OBP could help us out. A long shot, but you never know till you ask.As for Konerko, I'm always leery of power hitters with relatively low batting averages coming from a hitter-friendly park to here. The Mets could certainly do a lot worse than him -- hell, they're doing a lot worse than him right now -- but I'm guessing they'd have to overpay to get him.

The next six weeks are crucial for Reyes. Is he a keeper, or a teaser? Anderson Hernandez does not appear to have the same pop in his bat, but does look like he has comparable speed and defensive skills, and would likely make less outs. Reyes needs to finish with an OBP comfortably above .300 before I'd consider him untouchable.

The more I think about it, the more I think we were going about the Manny deal the wrong way. The only way to deal for Ramirez without turning the money issue into a logistical nightmare is to offer Beltran. After 06, the salaries are similar (Beltran's contract is backloaded), and the difference next year would be made up by throwing in Matsui. If the Sox were really eager to deal Ramirez, I'd bet that Beltran and Matsui for Manny and Shoppach would have done the trick. And may still, especially if Damon asks for too much.The free agent who intrigues me the most is Brian Giles. Given how a couple of would-be homers by Floyd turned into flyouts last week, I'm inclined to agree with the statistics that suggest Petco is death on left-handed hitters. If most teams simply look at him as a 35-year-old with declining numbers, he could be a steal for somebody.There are enough young catchers with their paths apparently blocked that I think youth is the way to go there, with Castro hanging around as a contingency plan. As much as I like Piazza, I think the team needs to move forward.

This is what mlb4u.com had on Glavine:Tom Glavine: 3-Year worth 35M- will make in 11M in 2003, 10.5M in 2004 and 2005- + the deal includes a Mutual Vesting Option for 2006 worth 6.5M or a 3M buyout- + 2006 option can vest at 10.5M if he has 600IP between 2003 and 2005 and with at least 200IP in 2005- + if he pitches between 580 and 600 innings between 2003 and 2005, with at least 200+IP in 2005 then the his contract for 2006 will vest at 9M with the oppurtunity to earn 1.5M in bonuses- + if he pitches between 560 and 600 innings between 2003 and 2005, with at least 200IP in 2005, then his 2006 salary would vest at 8M with the oppurtunity to earn 2.5M in bonuses- + if none of the above veting options are achieved the two sides can exercise the Mutual Option worth 6.5M by Nov. 1st, 2005- + if he exercises the Mutual Option, then the team must make its decision by Nov. 10th, 2005- + if the Mutual Option is exercised by both sides then he has the oppurtunity to earn 4M in bonuses in 2006- + BONUSES he has received: 50K bonus for 2004 All-Star selection- + he has a complete NO-TRADE clause Agent: Gregg Clifton Service Time: 17.052So who's right?

It would be a crime against humanity to demote Seo at this point. I think Zambrano would make the most sense as a reliever, but six starters has some viability. It would give everybody two starts (over the 13-game stretch) to establish their place in the pecking order. And anything that hurts Glavine's chances of reaching 200 IP helps the team in the long run.

Also, while Iguchi's K/BB ratios varied quite a bit in Japan, he had significantly more plate discipline on the whole than Matsui -- a AAA player with Matsui's K/BB ratios would not be considered a top prospect. And given the difference in pitching and shorter parks, I'd expect 25 HR there to translate to 15 here; Iguchi has 9 HR so far, so I don't really think he's modified his game that dramatically.

I have to wonder what their pitching coach did differently this year, because the entire staff is having career years.

Wow, what a great lamp! And it only cost me Kaz Matsui!

Could you please explain the DIPS stuff in a bit more detail? I'm still trying to figure out how strikeouts could be irrelevant for hitters but vital for pitchers, and how what happens when a ball is put in play depends heavily on the hitter but not at all on the pitcher.

Mets will earn some wins, then lose some, then earn some more wins, then lose some more...

It's tough to tell with Cincy how much of that is ballpark-related.I'm shocked that Milwaukee's rotation of guys at third is ahead of David Wright.Keep in mind that Mintkiewicz' OPS is significantly higher than the overall OPS at first.I'm still a lot more disappointed with center than I am with first, given the level of investment and expectation. Second is another story, because we did make a significant investment in Matsui.The Marlins are last at third base. Who saw that coming?

The Mets need to make room for at least one of Seo, Heilman, and Bannister in next year's rotation. And then deal the others, rather than continue to block them. That's the 5th starter. If Glavine doesn't make 200 IP, you buy him out and pick up Trachsel's option. Otherwise, you (probably reluctantly) buy out Trachsel. That's your 4th starter, leaving an opening for Petit in 07. Benson is #3, and Pedro's the ace. Zambrano should be moved as well, and a solid #2 brought in.Everybody the Mets spoke to leading up to the deadline appears to have insisted on Milledge rather than asking for pitchers that could have been much more easily had -- the Mets' past history most likely played a role there. Hopefully teams will be more flexible in the offseason.

I think the circumstances required him to ask Pedro for 8, if not 9.As for yesterday, a lot of it is damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't. Anything you do that doesn't work will result in a bunch of angry callers.That being said, there's no point in going with seven relievers if you only use five. You can't ignore the bottom rung relievers, because you'll need them, even they need to stay sharp, and a little vote of confidence just might do them some good.

Have fun. You catching Halliday?

But the time to do that was before now. If he makes one start and then goes straight down when Trachsel gets activated, especially if he pitches well, you might be doing his psyche more harm than good. Unless something else is up...

There's no doubt that good things happen when Reyes gets on, which is why him getting on even at an average clip would mean so much.While I agree that our pitching has gotten too much attention lately -- especially the pen, which bailed out Zambrano in a huge way tonight -- it's important to remember that our home park favors pitching, so the pitching numbers will look better (and the hitting numbers worse) than they really are. And while being 5th in ERA isn't bad, 5th can still be improved upon.

They basically gave Graves the minimum for this year, with and option for $5M or a 500K buyout. Right now, the buyout is looking a bit more likely.Notice how well Bell, Ring, and Aybar are doing in Norfolk with consistent innings. Bell especially. And then there's Hamulak, who's come out of nowhere. I don't think we can afford another Dan Wheeler to slip through our grasp. Which means not continually blocking their paths with veteran mediocrity. Honestly, the bullpen would get my lowest priority this offseason.

We can't complain about the pitching, that's for sure.Castro is worth keeping around. I'd still like to grab one of the rookie catchers that should be available over the offseason, but Castro would be more than adequate insurance.Otherwise, waiting for Beltran is getting like waiting for Godot.

I would guess they'd try to deal Ishii. He might actually be an upgrade for one or two contending teams. He could be useful in the pen, but I'd really prefer not to demote somebody for his sake.

I would imagine that anybody on the 40-man would have to clear waivers in order to be dealt.I think it's also standard practice to try and put everybody on waivers over the first couple of days, so that GM's know who can and can't be dealt.

We need to play Kaz, if for nothing else than to improve his palatabilty to somebody else in the fall.Mintkiewicz' trend is upward, which is why I don't understand why Randolph saw the need to bench him against Houston. I'd like to have Valent up here as well, but I'd still give Minky the benefit of the doubt.

I do think the biggest losers in the trade deadline were all the "sellers." It was their market, and they took an "all your best prospects or no deal" attitude and wound up with nothing. The Reds had to make at least one deal, with Casey being the obvious guy. Even giving him away would have given them money to spend on pitching.

Making a complicated deal for Jeromy Burnitz while the Braves made a simple deal for Gary Sheffield.Jason Isringhausen for Billy Taylor.So would the Orioles have taken McEwing instead?In fairness, he did put the 1999/2000 teams together, and Vaughn-for-Appier was probably a push given that Appier was released the following year.Dunn was made for the Reds' home park and vice versa. I'm shocked that every effort wasn't made to deal Casey, though, because a first baseman with no power at that park is deadly.