What's the rush?

Oliver Perez is in camp and basically is viewed as a dead man walking. Odds are he'll be out on he butt in about two/three weeks.

This isn't really speculation. It's pretty much expected unless he manages to find a few mils an hour on his fastball and stops walking people.

I have heard the question though... "why is he even in camp?"

Well, basically... why not? The Mets have to pay him anyway. His being in camp could possibly (albiet doubtfully) do two things:

1 - He could actually pitch well enough that he earns a spot. Likely in the bullpen if this was to happen. It's doubtful. VERY doubtful. Chances of happening: about 10%.

2 - Could pitch well enough that the Mets could trade him, while eating about 90% of his contract. Also doubtful, but slightly more possible considering the lack of depth in pitching for many teams. Chances of happening: about 16%.

Listen, I don't want Perez taking up innings that someone who will really benefit will miss out on (say Dillion Gee, Pat Misch or D.J. Carrasco) but for now the Mets don't lose anything in having him in camp. While I doubt it'll do anything much for the Mets, the slim chance it could work out is worth the amount of time. I just hope the Mets know when to draw the line and in reality, I think they do.

Would Michael Young make sense for the Mets?

The Texas Rangers are looking to trade long time infielder (and bascially long time face of the franchise) Michael Young after signing Adrian Beltre during the offseason.

Young has played shortstop, second base and third base for the Rnagers in his ten years with the club. He's been basically a selfless guy, moving his position more than once despite being a six-time all-star. He hit .284, with 21 hrs and 91 rbi last year. He would go a LONG way towards solving the Mets 2nd base issues.

Of course there is the simple fact that the Mets are not on Young's list of teams he can be traded to, but that doesn't mean it's not possible (or that it is or is not a good idea).

Young is due to make another $48 million over the next three years which is a lot of money. However what if the Mets tried the following?

Offer to send Ollie Perez (and his $12 million contract) to the Rangers, along with a younger mid-level player. They then ask the Rangers to pick up $11 million of Young's contact.

The Rangers save $25 million. They get a lefty pitcher in Perez who might just need to get the heck out of New York and how actually has a history of pitching very well against the Yankees. They get a mid-level prospect for it also.

The Mets in the end really only wind up spending $25 million for three years of Young. That is about $8.15 million a year. They get a veteran in the clubhouse who is respected and suddenly have one of the best hitting 2nd basemen in the league.

The line up would look like this:
Reyes
Pagan
Wright
Beltran
Young
Bay
Davis
Thole

And DAMN if that isn't an exciting thought.

Yeah it's unlikely on both ends and I make it sound MUCH more simple than it could really ever be.... but the idea has some merit. Doesn't it?

Is the Walter Reed Medical Center Controversy really that big of a deal?

So by now odds are you’ve heard about the Mets trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Tuesday to visit wounded soldiers.

There were four Mets absent from the team’s visit. One was Dillon Gee, the rookie who was starting that evening against the Nationals and had been excused. The other three were Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez.

Since the report was made that these three missed the scheduled trip (of which the Mets have gone each year for the last few years) and the rest of the team was there, a lot has been made about it. A report came out saying the Mets front office was “very unhappy” with the three players and the fans and media coverage have blasted the trio.

Beltran wound up explaining he missed the trip (which was NOT mandatory by the way) because he had a meeting with his foundation (The Carlos Beltran Foundation) to discuss plans to build a high school in his native Puerto Rico. He also explained that he visited the Veteran’s Hospital in the offseason with owner Fred Wilpon. He said he had “liked it. And I wanted to go. But I had my own things to do.”

Castillo and Perez had less “explanation”. Castillo felt he would have been too traumatized by the sight of injured soldiers and would have not been comfortable seeing them. Perez gave no explaination at all saying “I don’t answer (questions about) anything about outside the stadium.”

The reports go on: The Wilpons are mad, their team-mates are mad, the fans are mad, the media is mad.

However, is this really something that is the big deal they are making it out to be?

Beltran’s explaination was a pretty good one. He had been to the hospital before and the meeting he was at was for charitable reasons.

Castillo’s may sound weak, but we don’t know the extend of his ability to filter out the situation. I know of people who lost children to a particular issue, be it accident or cancer or whatnot who are not able to visit other kids in a children’s hospital because of the memories it drudges up. Perhaps Castillo has a simular situation in his past with soldiers/wounded vets.

Perez… his refusal to give an explanation doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one. (However I would actually think it’s more likely Perez is in no rush to do anything for the Mets he doesn’t have to do.)

Listen, was the move a public relations mistake? Of course it was, especially with the seasons each is having. Right now, it seems the fans and media is looking for any excuse to pile on these players. I’m actually surprised that Perez is able to walk around in New York right now listening to how much he seems to be disliked by the team and fans.

Supporting our Military Veterans is something I very strong about. I don’t take anything like this lightly, however the players not only had the right to not go, it seems that people haven’t even considered that there was legit reasons they didn’t.

With all of the problems the Mets have right now, making this an issue is just stupid. Celebrate the players who went and how the visit made them feel, but enough is enough with killing the few that didn’t go.

Oliver Perez is Insane

So Oliver Perez, during a conversation with Kevin Burkhardt of SNY, recently remarked that he feels he is being treated unfairly by the Mets, basically being a forgotten man and rarely pitching.

My first reaction to hearing this was “Onion headline”. Then I went on with my day.

Then I heard from other sources that this was a true quote. Metsblog.com and Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen during last night’s game both confirmed it. So my second reaction was “WHAT THE &$@#?”

Perez is out of his mind if he seriously thinks this. The Mets gave Perez oppertunity galore and he failed. Then when they wanted him to go down to the minors and work out his issues, he refused. Now the Mets bascially play every game with a 24 man roster since Perez is pretty much usable except in games like yesterday where it’s a blowout and you want to try and save the bullpen a little.

I’m sick and tired of hearing this joker’s name. No matter what they have to eat, the Mets need to cut Perez loose. If they are so worried that he’ll go out and pitch well somewhere else, they really shouldn’t be. The only way I see him having some success is with a team like the Royals or even back with the Pirates where the team will throw him out there every fifth day no matter what and he’ll have games like he did here where he’ll be masterful but the overall body of work will be uneven and full of walks and nightmare innings.

Listen, back when they resigned Perez I thought it wasn;t a bad move. Perez had shown some serious flashes of brilliance and I honestly thought he was a very capable #3 pitcher. I mean at one point the guy was like 9-2 with an ERA under 3.00 against the Braves, Yanks and Phillies in a Mets uniform. However, those days are long gone. The gutsy pitcher from game seven of the 2006 NLDS and the 15 win promising pitcher from 2007 is likely never going to be heard from again. Looking at how much Derek Lowe signed for with the Braves and what was available back then the Mets actually didn;t have a h lot of choices. I don’t think ANYONE could have predicted on how bad overall this would be.

But now, Perez is not just an albatross on the team and isn;t just a basical Pariah from his teammates, but is now also sounding like a crazy idiot by saying he’s being treated unfairly. The Mets are paying him millions, yet he refuses to accept responsiblity for his terrible performances and at least do something to help the franchise by going to the minors and working it out and letting them have a servicible pitcher in his spot. To me, this must be the last straw. The Mets aren.t getting anything for their money anyway… at least get rid of him to clear the spot for someone useful. I don’t care if the orsters go to 40 men in a few days. Enough is enough. The Mets are the punchline to many jokes as it is, at least take control of this.

Big Pelf Does it Again

This is something Met fans could get used to.
Mike Pelfrey is making a serious case to be taken seriously here. He’s now 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts (plus 1 for 1 in save oppertunities which is wild considering he’s a starter).

This, just one day after Jonathan Niese pitched another strong outing and young phenom Ike Davis made his major league debut. Add in the fact that Jose Reyes went 4-5 with a triple, 2 RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base tonight and suddenly the Mets 2010 isn’t so bleak as it seemed a few days ago. Thanks Cubbies!!!

Ok, the past two days doesn’t mean the Mets are suddenly a 95 win club, but the pitching situation certainly is not the nightmare everyone has been worried about. Pelfrey and his shiny new split fingered fastball, and Niese’s solid composure on the mound has lessened the concern a little. Oliver Perez’s excellent outing against the Cardinals was a nice thing, but Ollie’s turned in big gems before. I’d like to see a little consistancy from him before I consider him fully on track. That leave John Maine as the guy dragging the rear.

Also, the Mets bullpen, considered a huge problem when the season started, leads the National League in ERA and is looking pretty damn solid so far, although Ryoto Igarashi pulled up lame afte trying to field a bunt in the 8th inning. He is scheduled to have an MRI in the morning and hopefully the injury bug hasn’t bitten again.

So, enjoy the Mets first offical winning streak of the season. Two in a row and three out of four. Also enjoy this thought… Pelfrey, Niese, Davis… even Reyes tonight… are all homegrown. When’s the last time a handfull of young homegrown players made the Met fans so happy?

It’s way too soon to start considering the Mets suddenly a strong contender, but the last few days have certainly been a step in the right direction.

Spring Ahead: Barajas, Perez and Escobar

Couple of quick notes from spring training in Port St. Lucie:

The Mets have come to a minor league agreement with Rod Barajas, who immediately becomes the frontrunner to be the starting catcher. Barajas has good power but is not an overall consistant hitter. He could hit 20 homeruns but also bat .230… however his strong defense, combined with Henry Blanco’s excellent defense suddenly gives the Mets a strong catching platoon. I would expect Barajas to get the majority of starts and play at least four times a week. I could see his numbers being roughly .240, 17, 70 which wouldn’t be that bad at all since I would have expected pretty much the same (with a better batting average but not a much better on-base-percentage) from Bengie Molina… just for $11 million less. Overall, I’m happy with this move, and it makes the catcher position better than it was yesterday.

The overall word on Ollie Perez so far is that he reported looking like he has lost a lot of weight and seems to be ahead of the rest of the starters when it comes to control. There are a lot of good reports coming out which is very good considering how out of shape and behind everyone else he was in spring training last year. The Mets MUST have two of the three of Perez, Maine and Pelfrey step up and have a solid year. Hopefully this is a sign Perez is ready to move forward and start earning that huge contract he got last year. Of course, there is always one guy who’s ready to give negative info and Steve Popper from the Bergen Record said that Perez has a “gut” and “grey hair” which is “not bringing thoughts of an elite athlete.” However, I haven’t heard anything like this from anyone else so who knows. The overall accounts I’m hearing is positive.

There were reports that Kelvim Escobar is hurting already and can’t even grip a baseball, but Johan Santana said he played catch with Escobar today and that was totally untrue. However I’m already concerned that we’re getting health issue reports about him after he’s only been in camp for a few days. This is something to watch.

Biggest question marks: Mets

Yeah I know, the Mets have a LOT of question marks. However instead of this being a sixteen page post, let’s keep it to the largest ones, shall we?

I’m going to limit this to five (with a bonus one!). I’ll do the Yankees next.

1. Can this team win with this starting rotation?
Well… yeah. It can. Is it likely? I guess that is a harder question. Listen, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez have ALL had good seasons in the last few years. If the Mets get the 2008 Pelfrey and the 2007 Perez and Maine then the Mets starting rotation suddenly looks pretty strong. However the odds of all three doing that aren’t the best. The one I have the most faith in is Pelfrey. I think he is a very legit starting pitcher and can rise to the top and be a solid #2… but the defense needs to improve behind him and he needs to have his head on a little straighter. Perez is an enigma. He’s been almost lights out against teams like the Braves, Phillies and Yankees for most of his Mets career and fairly terrible against the Pirates, Marlins, Nationals of the world. The guy makes no sense. Odds are, without an addition to the rotation via trade at some point in the season, the team’s starting pitching will be a weakness.

2. Will the offense be ok without Beltran for the first month of the season?
If we’re only talking a month into the season then I think the offense is ok, that is if everyone else is healthy. If we’re talking longer (like two to three months or more) then, no… the offense will need a more solid link in the chain than an Angel Pagan/Gary Matthews Jr. platoon. Listen, Pagan can hit. He’s not going to give you power, but the guy CAN get on base and create some extra base opportunities out there. A month of him would be ok (with the occasional Matthews afront I suppose) as long as the other players are pulling their weight. However, Pagan is a very solid and useful #4 outfielder overall at this point in his career. From what we have seen of him, he’s not going to be able to be a full time centerfielder for a full season. Too much time out there will expose him. In other words, Mets fans need to pray that Beltran is back in May.

3. Is Reyes healthy enough to become the force he needs to be?
Everything I have seen and read leads to to belive that YES, Reys will return and be REYES. This offense is dependant on Reyes being the MAN. He needs to get on base and cause total havoc on the basepaths. He can only do this if he is 100% healthy. I know many naysayers point to his early career injury history as a reason to feel he won’t get through the season healthy, but before last year’s debacle, Reyes had a number of healthy seasons in a row. He should be fine and with him the offense will greatly improve.

4. Who’s going to catch?
Well, from what it looks like it’s going to be a platoon of Omir Santos and Henry Blanco. Neither one will strike fear into opposing pitchers, with Santos being the better hitter of the two. Both are decent defensively, with Blanco being the better of the two. I myself would like to see them offer free agent Rod Barajas a one year $2 million dollar deal. The guy plays decent defense and has some real pop. However, suddenly it seems the Mets are done spending. Count on the Santos/Blanco platoon being it for the year making the position neither a plus or minus… just being about average.

5. Will Omar and Jerry make it through the season?
My first thought is to say no to both… but then upon reflection it really comes down to this: Will the Mets contend? If this teams starts off 13-25 then yeah I think both are gone and rather quickly. However, if the team fights to a record around 17-17, 18-16 or even a 16-18 start with Beltran on the way back and positive signs like close games and no little mistakes that drove us all crazy last year (not stepping on third base anyone?) then they’ll get to the all-star break. If the team is within five games of a playoff spot, then they’re likely ok for the year unless they fall completely apart in late July (like losing 13 out of 15). All in all, if the team contends it will be hard to dismiss the GM and manager. I do believe that short of a playoff spot they’re both likely gone at the end of the season however. The fear here is that the NL has a shaky year and the Mets manage to blunder their way into a wild card spot and both Omar and Jerry get three year extentions.

BONUS QUESTION: So, will they contend or what?
Questionable starting rotation spots #2-5, your best player on the DL for at least a month to start the season, a lot of important players returning from injury, your GM and manager on the hot seat before the season even starts, an organization seemingly in chaos… how in God’s name CAN this team contend? Well… believe it or not. They can. Consider this: They have one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, a top five player at three positions (that would be Wright, Reyes and Beltran… with a top ten player at a 4th positon in Bay), a pretty decent offense and a top notch closer. Plus, the Mets often seem to traditionally do better when they are NOT favorites. This team is NOT as good as the Phillies. They don’t pitch as well as the Braves. They don’t seem as brash or confident as the Marlins. But you know… who in the NL outside of the Phillies is really a powerhouse? The Cardinals? The Dodgers? Nope. There is going to be a lot of scrambling for that wildcard spot, mark my words. A playoff spot is not out of the question for the Mets, abeit it’s not likely either… but this is a team that should be able to fight to about 83 wins and a few bounces their way that 83 could be 86 or 87. With a trade for someone like Broson Arroyo that number might be close enough to put the wild card in their sights. Hey, you never know.