Mex17

The kid looked good the first game and was then overmatched. Hopefully he can adjust and be able to contribute.

Looking good at Binghamton. Hopefully he will get a mid-season call up to AAA and maybe the big club in 2009 if everything breaks right.

I've even been wondering whether or not he might be a tick better next season when he (hopefully) will not be coming off surgery.

I know that this is a relatively small thing, but what di you think the chances are that they can get these guys to New Orleans for depth purposes in spite of one being out of options and the other a Rule 5 guy? http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/02/23/2008-02-23_mike_pelfrey_joe_smith_ready_fast_pitch.html

I would seriously consider starting Endy in LF for pretty much every one of Santana's starts. Doing this would. . . -Give Johan (a fly ball pitcher) the best defensive outfield that we can put out there. This might virtually guarantee a win, especially if he is really on that day. -Will give the 42 year old Alou regularly scheduled breaks so that he can hopefully last throughout the entire season. -Keep Chavez pretty sharp and not rotting on the bench. Thoughts?

Making that game count (as opposed to killing it) would have been an EXCELLENT idea!!!! Surely a better one than playing in Japan! I would love to see the best players in the world playing in that little intimate park.

The Pirates, Padres, and Phillies ought to return to those 1976 logos. While they are at it, the Padres should return to that color scheme as well (and the Rays should not have changed theirs).

Yep, Omar is looking. . . http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/11/24/2007-11-24_mets_interested_in_freddy_garcia.html Best case scenario: The surgery and rehab takes and he puts them over the top in the division after the All Star Break and is a fixture in the rotation for years to come. Worst case: A perennially injured albatross who is signed long-term.

Being that Burgos just had TJ surgery and Sosa is still arbitration eligible (ergo: not a FA and still property of the Mets), I suggest that Burgos go off and Sosa go on.

I have broken down in my mind three general areas of a catchers defensive game. They are, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (this will be important later on): -The ability to throw out baserunners. -The ability to handle a pitching staff/call a good game. -The ability to handle himself around the plate area (prevent wild pitches and passed balls, block the plate on a play at home, that sort of thing). Your mission is to now rank the priority of these three areas from most to least important. Have fun and I look forward to reading the results and opinions.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11212007/sports/mets/mota_motive_134133.htm Estrada is arbitration eligible in January, and a team source indicated it's possible the Mets will simply allow him to become a free agent. Either the Post is making crap up or Omar is out of his mind. Estrada should be the starting catcher for this team!!!! This was a gift from Heaven.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: OK, so our two big vacancies have been filled at the cost of just Guillermo Mota and cash, but they've been filled with a couple of light-hitting, adequate defenders (adequate at best for Estrada), both slowed recently by injuries. I don't think we can reasonably expect too much more out of Alou, Delgado, or Wright than we got in '06. Maybe Beltran either. Reyes will hopefully improve. A healthy Castillo and Estrada are known quantities. People, I think we need a bat in RF. A big one. I disagree with you in that: -Castillo and Estrada are not "light hitters". They are just not power-hitters. Castillo is perfect at #2 and Estrada is a very serviceable offensive player for #7 or #8. -I do expect more in '08 from Alou (will play more games) and Delgado (will bounce back in year leading up to option. . .and will be more acclimated to fatherhood as opposed to last year when his son was born. . .and he was surely afflicted with the late-night feedings/diaper changes/up and down all night crap assuming the wife and/or a nanny didn't do it ALL. . . just before the season started).

metsmarathon wrote: fukudome? YES!!!!!!!!

So if they can get Estrada for Mota, then why can't they get a solid #1-#2 pitcher for Gomez-or-Milledge and Pelfrey-or-Humber-or-Mulvey?

"Okay, this is from a site that will not be MentiOned FOr several reasons" Did you say hi to Paulie?

The one other thing that I would also do to maximize the return on our "chips" is NOT try to get a catcher via trade. Really, Jason Kendall is just fine by me if you do not want to give up a draft pick for Barrett. But don't trade Fernando Martinez (and only one of Pelfrey/Humber/Mulvey)

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spmets205469007nov20,0,1783437.story The most prominent major-leaguer to be traded could be reliever Aaron Heilman, who still has value among opposing teams. The Mets have long held Heilman out of trade discussions, but Minaya clearly wants to pull off a big deal. So imagine a Rotation of: 1) "Mystery Ace Obtained via Trade" 2) Martinez 3) Maine 4) Perez 5) Competition of "Mystery Mediocre Free Agent Innings-Eater" along with whoever is not traded amongst Pelfrey, Humber, and Mulvey (and maybe throw Vargas in there to make it more of a competition) And then a Bullpen of: Wagner Sanchez (better hope he is healthy) Feliciano Schoenweis Mota (yep. . .he'll be back I am betting) Hernandez/Sosa (you can add these guys into the 5th starter race as well) Smith/Padilla/Collazo/Muniz So then, in this model, you are not only not adding to the bullpen at all but subtracting from it, but you are adding to the rotation. Can improving the rotation get more out of what we already have in the bullpen? Better starters can make for more rested and effective relievers. I think that this is what Omar is thinking. Fine, but just don't trade Fernando Martinez (and only one of Pelfrey/Humber/Mulvey please). . .maybe adding Heilman can help to satisfy those two wishes.

. . .is that they keep a) Fernando Martinez, and, trade only one of the Mulvey/Pelfrey/Humber trio when and if they make this move for a big time pitcher. Is this unrealistic?

People are assuming that this is a non-issue (like the NY Post, who stated today that ". . .the infield and outfield appear set after yesterday's announcement that second baseman Luis Castillo has signed a four-year contract worth $25 million."), but it isn't. If Milledge is traded in a package for a pitcher (which is very possible), and Gomez is not yet ready to take on a full-time role in the majors (also very possible. . .in actuality he lost a lot of AAA development time last year in that he was called up for emergency duty and can probably use close to a full season in New Orleans). Then who is playing rightfield???? I doubt that this is going to happen, but I think that the Mets should try to have that wrapped up prior to the winter meetings. I would try to lock up the Japanese player (Fukudome. . .moderate risk but high reward IMO) and think about Geoff Jenkins as a backup plan. Having a replacement already in place would make trading Milledge easier. If a deal is not struck, then you have depth (not a small consideration considering Alou will miss at least 40 games).

4 years/$25 million as per Ken Rosenthal, Rotoworld, and some Spanish website.

Another thing, I sure as hell do not want them to not be able to trade for an ace starter now because they had to go and waste a chip on a catcher.

Michael Barrett is out there, seems like the only plausible choice as I am certain that LoDuca will now have zero interest in signing with them.

"I don't like giving big multi-year contracts to set-up guys" Only he is not a set up guy. He is a closer who you are using in the 8th inning because you have another closer. Like Rivera and Wettland in 1996. If you can get that you go for it.

Assuming that we offer him the closer's $$$ that he deserves, do you think that there is a chance that he will agree to be the 8th inning guy for a richer team (like the Mets) that possibly has a better chance to be great as opposed to insisting on the 9th inning but going with a team with a lesser chance? This is not to say that the Brewers suck (because they do not) but teams like the Mets will always have the resource advantage over the Milwaukee's of the world (which is not the total puzzle, even though it is a significant piece).

"Dealing Heilman and Milledge would create two needs on the major league level, though, so I'd prefer to deal from the farm system." This leads me to what I have been thinking about for days. If they really want to make a trade for Haren or some other legit top of the rotation starter, I think that they have to make some FA signings in other areas to set up a package to get it done (much like a football team will use the run to set up the pass or how a pitcher will use an one type of pitch to set up for another type). I think that, to make a deal of this type, it is going to take: a) Milledge or Gomez One (and possibly two) of Pelfrey/Humber/Mulvey c) Maybe even Heilman It's gonna cost, so they better use free agency to fill in the gaps beforehand. They are going to need an rightfielder (to replace Milledge or Gomez. . .I like the idea of Fukudome as I have already stated in that thread), a back-end starter (to compete with who is not traded among the aformentioned three young rightys), and bullpen help (which we need already but even moreso if Heilman is going in a package).