First off let me start by saying anyone who wants to trade Wright, Reyes, or Beltran are crazy. These are arguably the best or second best players at each of their respective positions. That is also not to mention that Wright and Reyes are the faces of the franchise, are entering their prime years, and the front office would receive the wrath of the media and fans of NY for trading them. A Beltran trade would not aggravate NY like a Wright or Reyes trade would but it is nearly as dumb as trading them. He is the best center fielder in baseball. Beltran is in his prime and also one of the few players who contributed in the last few weeks of the season. So Wright, Reyes, and Beltran are deemed untouchable by me and we would be crazy to trade them.
Now the toughest offseason decision may come with the decision on whether or not to pick up the option on Delgado's contract. Delgado had a great bounce back year after an injury plagued 2007 and a slow start to 2008. Delgado finished 5th in the NL (8th in MLB) in RBI's with 115 and 3rd in MLB and NL in HRs with 38. This was all after a terrible start to the season. Delgado is an average 1b defensively but does a good job at catching wild throws. He was a legitimate MVP candidate until the Mets fell out of it and will probably finish top 5 in the voting this year. His option is for one year $12 million dollars but it would cost $4 million to decline the option. I would pick up the option. $8 million dollars is cheap for the production Delgado can put up. He is getting older and is injury prone but there are not many better options out there besides Texiera who will draw a ton of interest from other teams. I would pick up Delgado's option.
2b is currently manned by the injury prone Luis Castillo. Omar made possibly the biggest mistake as a Mets GM by signing Castillo for 4 years. Believe it or not, Castillo (healthy) IS a better option that Argenis Reyes. O-Dog Orlando Hudson is the best defensive 2b in the game right now but other than that he is a very average player. He doesn't hit for power, doesn't have a lot of speed, and has a career BA of .283. He has been hurt several times in the past 2 or 3 years and I don't see how signing him to a large pricey contract will be a smart move. I like him but I think sticking with Castillo would be a better option. I have heard the rumor that the Mets could possibly trade Castillo for Eric Byrnes. I would probably make that trade but I just don't see that happening even if the Mets do eat a lot of contract. He had a good year in 2007 but was terrible this year when he did play and has not been very good through his career. He is however a lively, hardnosed, gritty player which fans feel like the Mets need. So if the Met could make this trade I would go for it and have Murphy play second or sign a guy like Grudzielanek or Loretta to be a backup option.
As for LF (if the Mets do not make the Byrnes trade) I would sign Adam Dunn to a no more than 3 or 4 year deal. I have always been a big fan of Dunn. He is only 29, has a ton of power and gets on base a lot. On the flipside he strikes out a lot, doesn't hit for a good average, and isn't very good defensively. Reports however are that the Mets front office is not very big on him so I don't see this happening. I don't think that a platoon of Evans and Murphy is good enough for the whole year (especially if we use Murphy at 2b) so I would sign a stop gap player to a one or two year deal until F-Mart or someone else can take over. Raul Ibanez, a native New Yorker, expressed desire to come here and Carlos Beltran has said he is a great guy. He is also durable. Juan Rivera also would aslo be a younger and righthanded guy to go with. I would aslo sign Kevin Mench to a mior league deal if he would accept it. Manny Ramirez is without a doubt an amazing hitter but he is getting older, has been injury prone the past few years, and can be a huge headache. If he would go for a one or two year deal I would take a shot at him.
As far as catching goes I would stick with the tandem of Castro and Schneider although there has been rumors about Pudge coming to the Mets. I like Pudge but I wouldn't cut either Castro or Schneider for him. Depending on who we could get in a trade I may consider trading one of them and bringing Pudge aboard. However I would just stick with Castro and Schnider.
Right Field is Church. I wouldn't trade him unless we could get someone real good and I don't see that happening. I like Church alot and he should be the starting day RF.
Now finally to the Bench. Castro as the backup catcher. Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis as the 4 and 5th outfielders. I would bring Trot Nixon back on a minor league deal and give him the shot to make the team because he is the ideal gritty tough nosed gamer. I would aslo bring Angel Pagan back on a minor league deal to see if he can recover from his injruty. I would ring Robinson Cancel back on a minor league deal. Argenis Reyes is a nice back up option for 2b. Easley is a solid and good player but he may be a little too old and injury prone to bring back. I would also have Valentino Pascucci as a backup 1b and possibly give Chris Aguila a shot as a backup OF.
So here is my ideal situation:
C: Schneider
1b: Delgado
2b: Castillo
ss: J. Reyes
3b. Wright
LF: Dunn
CF: Beltran
RF: Church
BN: Castro
BN: Chavez
BN: Pascucci
BN: Tatis
BN: A. Reyes
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as I had my own ideas about the mets off-season and you started it, I'm going to respond. First, I say the mets don't pick up delgado's option. He's old and only performed when people expected him to be terrible so far in NY and I see this past season as his last hurray. Then, I would re-sign pedro as the 4/5th starter and use him as leverage. Now, I'm sure you're asking pedro as leverage... for what. Very Simple: BRING IN MANNY RAMIREZ. Manny and Pedro love each other, and Manny said he wants to play in NY. The guy is a winner wherever he goes, still has plenty of pop, and can hit in the clutch (something the mets desperately need). Manny would be a fan favorite and give the mets easily the most feared line-up in the NL and maybe in baseball. Who would want to face Reyes, Manny, Beltran, and Wright on any given night? (I say all this as a guy who dislikes Manny). I think you gives the young guys a shot after that. Put murphy at 1B and put evans at 2B and let him split time with castillo. Then, bring in a guy like Byrd as the 4/5th starter. Pedro and Byrd will both be cheap, and that extra money plus the delgado money could go to Manny and also re-tooling the bullpen. Get a lefty not named schoeneweis,and a set-up/middle guy. Keep tatis, he was a nice addition to the team this year, as well as both the catchers. always keep chavez around, and sign a back-up IF just in case. Here's what I think Mets should look like next year:
C: Schneider
1B: Murphy
2B: Evans
SS:Reyes
3B:Wright
RF:Church
CF:Beltran
LF:
Bench: Castillo, Chavez, Castro, Tatis, and another infielder.
LF:Manny**
I wouldn't be opposed to bringing in Manny but I would resign Delgado and saying that he only performed when fans expect him to be terrible is just plain dumb. He was hurt all of last year and was recovering from wrist surgery the beginning of this year. Also how do you explain 2006 and when he continued to preform after he was expected to? Definitely bring Pedro back along with another starter but one of better quality than Byrd, someone like Lowe or Sheets or my boy Ollie. I already discussed that in the starting pitching offseason moves one. I'm finishing up my bullpen moves now.
Also Murphy would play 2b and Evans 1b not vice-versa.
of course the plastic wants us to sign manny.
i don't want manny. i don't want dunn they dont fit what this team is.
if we do sign a LF i hope its ibanez. milton bradley wouldnt be terrible minus the character issues. and juan rivera might be ok too. maybe bring jay payton back as a bench player :). i wouldnt mind willie bloomquist either
carl crawford also might be available would love him.
if we do pick up the option move murphdawgs to 2B or teach him how to play LF and sign the O-dawg. David eckstien can also play 2B might be a good utility player and provides a spark, exactly what this team needs.
i would take easley back though
I frankly don't care what the Mets do, I think it would make the most baseball sense and have the biggest impact on the team bringing in Manny. Buster Onley wrote a column about how Wright's nervousness in the clutch should be worrying the Mets and Met Fans. So, why not bring in a guy who has two rings already and understands what being clutch means. and "fit what this team is" wise, you mean a team that blew two september leads? O ya, Manny definitely wouldn't fit in with that
Manny Ramirez is the best left fielder available in baseball. You're saying he's getting too old, but then you're advocating picking up Delgado, whom I agree with Steve gave his last gasp of talent out last season. And who the hell cares if Manny is a headache for the team. Take a motrin and finally get into the playoffs like you should have the last two seasons. The Red Sox put up with him for eight years. They had a crazy headache, yeah. But they also have two World Series rings to go along with it. This is a team that Manny would fit in very well with actually. When he had problems with the Red Sox, it was usually when guys like David Ortiz was hurt or when Pedro left. You have Pedro on this team, and essentially his main role has been to be a good personality in the clubhouse for the Mets considering he's too old and hurt all the time. Manny Ramirez is one of the best hitters in this league when he's happy. This is evident from his switch to the Dodgers. There was no sign of slowing down on his part. He's 36. It would be absolutely insane of the Mets not to pursue him. ABSOLUTELY INSANE.
And plus, Manny is not injury prone. He's unhappy-prone. Most of the "injuries" he suffered with the Red Sox were not serious at all, and could have been played through. If Manny's happy, he's healthy.
Listen if Manny would take a one or two year deal I said I would go with him but he is looking for 4 years. The whole philosophy of the front office now is to get younger. He will also cost over 20 million a year. so 4 years 90-100 million is looking like what he wants. I would pick up Delgado because it is one year and that's it. He only costs $8 million extra to sign him because his option is for 12 million but it would cost 4 million to decline. That is a bargain if he can give us .270-30-110. I would love Manny for a couple year and wouldn't even mind that much getting him for 4. I am not against it. I am just saying that I would go get Dunn because he is cheaper and younger. That extra $ can go towards pitching. I would be happy with a Manny pick up though. Stop misinterpreting what I say.
I refuse to stop misinterpreting what you say!- J-MOney
the reason this team wins is based on pitching we went to the world series with an outfield of a fat hawaiian, the artist formerly known as timoniel perez, and the #1 prospect that never lived up to expectations jay payton.
yup delgado's option is only for one year so pick it up, i'm not in the mood to shell out a multi-year contract for man ram. sign ibanez for two years hes boys with beltran and hes a handy player.
we need a two hitter. that might be murphy. if it isn't ibanez would be solid in that role as would church there and rivera 6th.
also a possibility, sign kevin millar until younger nando is ready and have him play LF
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