Mets News from Today

According to El Duque's agent, in Mark Hale's Column, he wants to come back to the Mets, but the Mets might not be willing to give him a multiyear deal he is looking for.

Who can blame the Mets though, nobody in America knows how old this guy is, probably not even El Duque, he had to have lost track once he went over the hill.

In the same article it says relievers Guillermo Mota, Chad Bradford and Roberto Hernandez all filed for free agency.

I believe the Mets will pursue Mota and Bradford extremely hard this winter and Hernandez could be back if one of the previous two don't re-sign. I hope that Mota and especially Bradford are back, these two were incredibly productive and it's almost impossible for rightys to hit off Bradford.

Apparently Heilman has told management he wants to be a starting pitcher again.

This could lead to a few things. Either a trade to another team or depending on Sanchez's return, Heilman returning to the rotation. For some reason Mets brass don't like Heilman in the rotation, where he excelled at times in the past.

7 Mets File for Free Agency

According to Mets.com 7 Mets have officially filed for free agency so far this offseason. Jose Valentin, Michael Tucker, Cliff Floyd, Orlando Hernandez, Steve Trachsel, Chris Woodward and Ricky Ledee.

Out of these players, i can see Valentin, Floyd, and Woodward possibly coming back, but probably in lesser roles than they have had in the past, Valentin would possibly be a bench player, but if you remember from last year, he had a tough time with that in the beginning of the season. El Duque may come back, but the only way i see him coming back is if Glavine returns to Atlanta. I don't think the Mets want two older starters in their rotation with all the cheap, young talent. Ledee and Trachsel are absolutely gone and Tucker will most likely sign elsewhere as a bench player. If Valentin doesn't return the Mets will look elsewhere for a starting 2nd baseman, Julio Lugo may be an option through free agency.

Here We Go Again

Another Winter, Another Manny Rumor....Just like last winter, and the july deadline before that the Manny Ramirez rumors are back, Mark Healy of Gotham Baseball that a source in Boston says that the Sox are interested in Aaron Heilman as a possible closer for next season and are still very high on Lastings Milledge. They also say that the Mets would have to pickup a large portion of Manny's remaining $39 million over the next 2 seasons.

I truly don't see this being in the Mets best interest for the future. Not only would they be trading for a guy who is getting older, but who's production has gone down a little recently and can be prone to the injury. Also, he's been considered very lazy and lives in his own little world...Do we really want Manny being Manny at Shea next year? You can't argue with the numbers, but whereever Manny goes, a headache is sure to follow.

2007 New York Mets Outlook

2007 New York Mets Outlook

Locks to Return:

Pitchers: Pedro Martinez (July at Earliest), Billy Wagner, Duaner Sanchez, Pedro Feliciano, Mike Pelfrey , Phil Humber, Royce Ring, Henry Owens, Juan Padilla

Catchers: Paul LoDuca, Ramon Castro, Mike DeFelice

Infielders: David Wright, Jose Reyes, Julio Franco, Ruben Gotay

Outfielders: Carlos Beltran, Endy Chavez

Still Signed, Possibly be traded, but likely to return:

Pitchers: John Maine, Aaron Heilman, Brian Banniseter, Oliver Perez, Dave Williams, Alay Soler, Heath Bell, Victor Zambrano, Matt Lindstrom

Infielders: Carlos Delgado (has option to demand trade), Anderson Hernandez, Mike Carp

Outfielders: Shawn Green, Lastings Milledge

Free Agents, Possibly to Return:

Chad Bradford, Guillermo Mota, Jose Valentin, Tom Glavine (Team/Player Mutual Option), Cliff Floyd, Orlando Hernandez, Chris Woodward

Free Agents, Not Likely to Return:

Darren Oliver, Steve Trachsel, Roberto Hernandez, Victor Zambrano

Potential Free Agent Targets:

Pitchers: Barry Zito, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Suppan, Mark Mulder, Gil Meche, Vicente Padilla, 2006 Met Free Agents Listed Above

Position Players: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Moises Alou, David Delluci, Rich Aurilla, Eric Byrnes (Arbitration Eligible with Arizona), Adam Kennedy, Julio Lugo, Mark Loretta, Frank Catalanatto, Ronnie Belliard

Possible Trade Targets (Rumored):

Pitchers: Dontrelle Willis, Erik Bedard, Jake Peavy, Rodrigo Lopez, Freddy Garcia, Jason Jennings, Jason Westbrook

Position Players: Manny Ramirez, Eric Byrnes, Carl Crawford

Untouchable Prospects:

Mike Pelfrey, Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez,

Position by Position Analysis:

Starting Pitching: Last year 13 different players started games for the Mets at different points of the season, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, Steve Trachsel, John Maine, Jose Lima, Jeremi Gonzalez, Alay Soler, Mike Pelfrey, Victor Zambrano, Oliver Perez, Dave Williams, and Brian Bannister. With the way John Maine, who is rumored to be working on a splitter with Rick Peterson in the offseason, and Oliver Perez pitched in the most important games of the season in front of a packed house at Shea Stadium most Mets fans feel they have what it takes to be a big part of the future rotation of the Mets. Pedro Martinez should be nice acquisition around the Trade Deadline after rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Tom Glavine is deciding between the Mets and Braves as the spot he wants to celebrate his historic 300^th victory next season pending a disaster, though I’m sure the Mets brass would love to have him back. The next time Steve Trachsel pitches in Shea Stadium he’ll be taking his time in a visitor’s uniform. The rumors floating around El Duque is that he wants to test the free agent waters, but I feel if Minaya offers him a one year deal for a few million dollars ($2-4 Million) he’ll be back at Shea after the way his season ended so disappointingly in ’06 with a freak calf injury before Game 1 of the playoffs. The Mets definitely need a veteran pitcher, especially if Glavine or El Duque aren’t back. Look for Minaya to get one of the big names free agents out there, whether it’s Zito, Schimdt or Matzusaka, but after the way Jeff Suppan carved apart the Mets in the NLCS I wouldn’t be surprised if he were the 3^rd or 4^th starter in Flushing next season. Chances are one of the big three listed above with be pitching on the mound at Shea next year. I imagine Zito has the best chance of getting signed, he comes from the American League and is a proven successful pitcher. Schmidt can be fragile and after the Kaz Matsui disaster the Wilpon’s are scared to invest in Japanese players, especially when it costs atleast 30 million just to start negotiating a contract with him. Another interesting pick to fill out the rotation would be Aaron Heilman, but I feel he will be traded by the organization before he is taken out of the bullpen. His one bad pitch he made in the playoffs will never be forgotten by Mets fans, which is a shame because of the way he picked up the slack after Sanchez went down in July. I just don’t see Heilman ever starting again with the Mets. With any luck Lima Time will never happen at Shea again, talk about disgracing the number 17. Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber may still be a year from being ready to go out every fifth day in the bigs, but they show signs that it will be well worth the wait for Met fans. Bannister and Soler will almost definitely start the season in New Orleans with the new AAA squad and Dave Williams could settle nicely into the role that Darren Oliver could leave open if he isn’t resigned. And last but not least, which is debatable, most Mets fans will never want to see the NY on Victor Zambrano’s hat again, unless it’s a white NY with a navy background. I’d imagine the Rotation to start the season next year will look a little something like this:

1) Barry Zito

2) El Duque

3) John Maine

4) Oliver Perez

5) Jeff Suppan/Mike Pelfrey

But remember, Pedro Martinez will be back in late July and judging by the way the rotation went this year, there is no way that those are the only pitchers that start for the Mets next season.

Catcher: Paul LoDuca will remain the backstop for the Mets next season. The way he handled the pitching staff and continually hit for a high average has Mets fan really loving this guy. Ramon Castro is a very serviceable big league back up and the off season will allow him to rest his injury. Mike DeFelice will remain in the minors working with Pelfrey, Humber and the rest of the pitching prospects.

First Base: Although Carlos Delgado has the right to demand a trade because he was traded after the first year of a multiyear contract I say that chances are he’ll remain with the club. Though, he might use this to renegotiate an extension with Minaya to make sure he plays with the Mets longer and guarantee his financial security through retirement. Only if the Ageless Wonder, Julio Franco, retires he won’t be a part of the Mets next season. This should provide not only a decent bat off the bench and a late inning spell for Delgado in the field, but more importantly the invaluable wisdom and experiences he provides for younger players in the clubhouse. An interesting note, will Mets’ Prospect of the Year, Mike Carp get any time with the club in 2007 before September?

Second Base: This Position is a huge wild card for the team. Jose Valentin played a great 2^nd base throughout the season, went 63 games without an error and played incredibly throughout the playoffs on the defensive side, but his offense really struggled through the end of the season and into the playoffs, will Minaya keep ridin’ this horse or will he realize that he might have used all of what Valentin had left. He’s a great clubhouse guy and the team liked him, but is it worth keeping him around as a starter? He played well enough where he can go to a smaller market and start, but will he want to stay as a bench player, something he really struggled with? I doubt it. The in-organization options are players like Anderson Hernandez and Ruben Gotay, which the team doesn’t seem to incredibly high, though they love Hernandez glove, they have to think it’s a concern he simply can’t hit. You would have to think they will go to the Free Agent Market for this position. Alfonso Soriano is a “sexy” player to put here, but his defense is not even average and he is too much of a free swinger and can often be a lazy player. The talent is there, no doubt, but is it worth it for the Mets to give him a bad contract that they will probably regret in 3 years? Probably Not, but I wouldn’t put anything that would really help the teams offense, which really struggled in October, past Minaya. I think Julio Lugo, who wouldn't mind playing for the Mets, has a good shot of getting picked up or maybe someone with lower production, but who can excel on defense, like a Loretta or a Grudzielanek. I think it’s either going to Lugo or Valentin going out to second base next year. I don’t see the Mets having Soriano at second, even if they do sign him, he’d probably play the outfield because of his bad infield defense.

Shortstop: Jose Reyes is locked up for the next four years at 6 million a year, a real steal for the Mets, which is ironic, because Reyes is the one who is so good at stealing. Reyes really matured this year at the plate doubling his walk today from the season before and is only 23. Just think how he could turn out to be in a few more years. The sky is the limit with this kid. Anderson Hernandez or a Chris Woodward type player will be able to back him up on the occasional off day that Willie will give.

Third Base: With all the troubles the franchise has had at third base throughout the years it seems they made a smart call locking up David Wright for 6 years at about 10 million a year. Although he struggled in the second half of the season and in the NLCS Mets fans have complete confidence that he will be fine next season and carry this franchise into the future and beyond. Wright gets only a handful of days off a year, and whoever the Mets carry as their utility infielder will spell him on those days. Wright and Reyes provide the front office with a couple of very young, home grown players who are locked up through at least the opening of the new stadium in 2009. This is not only great for the Mets management, but also for fans who especially in New York love seeing homegrown kids become stars in the big city (Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Derek Jeter, Etc.), hopefully Reyes and Wright will be added to this list within the next couple seasons, if they aren’t on it already.

Left Field: There are a few places the Mets could go for this corner outfield spot. One could be Endy Chavez, who maybe made the best catch in playoff history in game 7 of the NLCS but struggled a little bit as an everyday player, he played much better when he wasn’t expected to produce everyday as a starter. Mets fans have grown to love Endy for his gold glove caliber play and constant hustle, but he may not be the best solution for the outfield, he still sometimes swings for the fences a little too much for a speed guy. Cliff Floyd probably won’t be resigned, even though he is a fan favorite he is clearly a little past his prime as is very fragile. It is time for the Mets to part ways his Floyd, respectfully. Lastings Milledge is another option for this position. The highly touted prospect struggled last year defensively at times and has yet to get a major league bat in the small sample we saw him, although there were flashes of brilliance. The biggest knock on this guy is that some people seem think he could become a clubhouse cancer people, if he isn't already. The infamous “know your place rook” incident really hurt this guy and may eventually lead to him being traded for some pitching this winter. The free agent options are Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano, those guys like Moises Alou and David Delluci are much more realistic fits in my opinion. If Milledge gets traded this winter expect Minaya to sign one of those two, if not I’d imagine that Chavez and Milledge would both see time in left next season if not. And there are always the Manny rumors, but I don’t think Minaya likes the idea of Manny coming to the Mets anymore, he’s not what they need at this point, in 2005 at the deadline it would have been nice, but the offense can be worked out in other spots for much less (money and prospects).

Center Field: Although some Mets fans are down on Carlos Beltran after going down looking to end the season with the bases loaded in Game 7 it is impossible to argue that he didn’t have a great year and helped the Mets tremendously throughout the entire season. I expect the same next season. Beltran really fell into a nice groove in New York in his sophomore season and should play well again next year. He also has gold glove qualities in the field and truly displayed all five tools in 2006. The Mets will be fine in center field for the next few years.

Right Field: This position is a real toss up for the team as well. It looks like it probably will be Shawn Green, but there is a chance Minaya tries to dump his salary and look elsewhere to fill the position. It could be filled in a trade. Rumors circiling around the league are for a smaller trade or free agent signing if Green is no longer with the team. Again, it could be Alou or Delluci, or a trade for a player like Eric Byrnes or possibly, but very far from likely, Carl Crawford. Acquiring Crawford would probably cost too much in prospects and somehow the Devils Rays always end up ripping people off, especially the Mets (Cough, Cough…Kazmir). I imagine that Shawn Green will end up staying in right field and be spelled by Milledge or Chavez if the Mets acquire a big name player for left field through free agency or trade.

Bullpen: The Mets will most likely carry 7 guys in the bullpen (12 all together with 5 starters). Wagner is definitely coming back, although like every other closer in Mets history, fans sometimes still hold their breath until the last out. Sanchez should be back and healthy after the devastating blow he took in a taxi accident in Miami. Minaya hopes to resign Guillermo Mota and Chad Bradford. Aaron Heilman will most likely be back as a right handed setup man. If Darren Oliver is not signed, Dave Williams could fit into the long relief role quite nicely. The forgotten man in the ‘pen, Pedro Feliciano, had a great year posting an ERA slightly above 2. Juan Padilla could be a nice addition if comes back healthy from the surgery he needed in the middle of the 2006 season. The Mets bullpen was the best in the NL most of the season and I don’t see much reason that it won’t be again next season. If Heilman were to be traded or Mota or Bradford aren’t back look for Henry Owens, Royce Ring, or Heath Bell to fill in these spots, while spending time in New Orleans also. Also, look out for the Futures Game closer in 2006 Matt Lindstrom to maybe get a shot in the ‘pen at some point during the season. Lindstrom has a fastball that reaches the low 100s.

Bench: The Mets had a great bench in the 2006 season and helped them win their first division in 18 years. Endy Chavez and Jose Valentin started the year on the bench, but their play earned them spots in the starting lineup for most of the second half. Julio Franco still amazes everyone by playing at age 48 and constantly slapping hits the opposite way. Chris Woodward may or may not be back, but if he isn’t Omar Minaya will find another great bench player in the rough like he did so well the past two years. Look for Anderson Hernandez to work on his swing this winter and probably secure a spot on the 25 man roster come April his glove and speed are already top of the line, but he is a very below average hitter, though he showed some promise in September. Ramon Castro will serve as backup catcher and clubhouse comedian again next year. There is a chance that Lastings Milledge finds a spot on the bench, although if he’s not playing everyday he’d be better off in the New Orleans getting at bats and live action.

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Sources:

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-york-mets.html

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007_mlb_free_agents/index.html

http://www.hardballdollars.com/

Welcome

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to figure out a title for my new blog. I have gone from clever Mets phrases that are already being used, to some of the dumbest thing I've ever thought of, but in the wake of yesterday's 20th anniversary of the Buckner play and the victory of Game 6 of the World Series, who said it better than Vin Scully and instead of making up a Mets catchphrase for the name, I figured why not use something that has since ever been remembered by Met fans. "A little roller up along first....Behind the Bag...It gets through Buckner, here comes Knight and the Mets win it." Now a little about my history, I've been a die-hard Mets fan for about 10 years, since I was about 12 years old and went to my first Met game with my family. I've just graduated from Syracuse university and wanted to share my fanaticism with other Met fans all over the world. After reading many other New York Mets and baseball blogs I decided I wanted to start my own. I appreciate you taking the time to come and look around if you like what you see, drop me a line or tell other baseball fans to swing by. Thanks, Adam.



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