Manuel: At his first press conference. He should have another soon.
Minaya on Manuel: “Jerry did a very good job in a tough situation, overcoming injuries to [John] Maine and Billy [Wagner]. … I was very pleased with the job he did.”
I’ve been saying Manuel should return. Agree? Disagree?
The Mets blew 29 save opportunities so far this season, and with them, perhaps a chance at the playoffs. Adding a top notch closer such as Francisco Rodriguez would improve the bullpen, but not put it over the top.
Billy Wagner blew seven save opportunities, but even worse was the bridge leading up to him. It was more than just a bad season.
Here’s how I see the pen:
-Billy Wagner: Won’t pitch for the Mets again. No brainer. However, he will get paid $11 million by them, and that will inhibit what they do this winter. I don’t see them paying both Wagner and Rodriguez.
-Aaron Heilman: They’ve resisted trading him the past two winters. They should pull the trigger if they get an offer this time. Heilman wants to start and since the Mets won’t give him that opportunity, they should try to get what they can. If they wanted to give Heilman a chance at being the fifth starter, I’d entertain it because it is clear this bullpen thing isn’t working out.
-Scott Schoeneweis: I can’t believe they gave him three years. (I mistakenly said he was done after this year. He’s signed through 2009).
-Joe Smith: Has his moments, both good and bad. Will be brought back.
-Pedro Feliciano: I’ve always been cool on him for some reason, even when he’s pitched well. I think they’ll bring him back.
-Luis Ayala: He saved a few games. Big deal. I don’t see him as the answer at closer. I do see him coming back.
-Carlos Muniz: Wouldn’t miss him.
-Ricardo Rincon: Ditto.
-Duaner Sanchez: He doesn’t have his fastball anymore. Certainly not a set-up man or closer type anymore. Not a loss if they don’t bring him back.
-Brian Stokes: More good appearances than bad. I’d like to see him back.
-Nelson Figueroa: Feel good story early this season. Very hittable.
-Brandon Knight: Pitched decently. Long man?
-Bobby Parnell: Can bring the heat. Let’s see what he can do in spring training.
Aaron Heilman wants to be a starter and the Mets needed a starter for tonight. They came up with Brandon Knight.
Why not finally give Heilman his shot?
Well, for one thing, he hasn’t proven he can get hitters out in one inning, much less five or six. He’s only thrown 1 1/3 innings this month. Obviously, Jerry Manuel has no faith in him, and consequently, Heilman has no faith in himself.
Heilman struggled much of this season and he had one chance to piece together his fragile confidence, and that was when Billy Wagner went down. Manuel gave Heilman a chance to close a game and he blew it. Manuel then pulled the plug on Heilman in the closer role.
You want to crush whatever confidence he had left, and that’s the way to do it.
Anyway, Heilman was good in his role for the Mets, but he never seemed to recover from giving up the homer to Molina in the 2006 NLCS. He said all the right things, but something was missing.
The Mets resisted dealing Heilman the past two winters, but I don’t see that this time around. If they are offered a package they’ll bite. They have to.
Billy Wagner underwent successful Tommy John surgery today. He’s expected to be out through the end of next year.
-Billy Wagner will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow. He will miss this year and probably all of next year. He’s not ready to retire and said he would win a championship for somebody someday.
-Manager Jerry Manuel flipped Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez in his rotation for next weekend against the Braves, with Santana going Friday and Martinez Saturday. Protecting Martinez is yet another sign he’s not able to help the Mets.
-ESPN Radio Andrew Marchand reported reliever Francisco Rodriguez will be seeking $75 million over five years. He says the Mets, Angels, Los Angeles, Detroit and St. Louis would have interest. Want to bet that list grows this winter?
For those thinking Ambiorix Burgos could be the closer next year in place of Billy Wagner, I’d guess again. He was reportedly arrested this morning for beating up his girlfriend at a hotel near Shea Stadium.
He is to be arraigned today in Queens on assault and harassment charges.
Stuff like this infuriates Fred Wilpon and I can see the Mets figuring out ways to get rid of Burgos.
There a couple of ways at looking at Billy Wagner’s injury.
One, the Mets are without their closer down the stretch, but so far the committee has worked.
Two, and most importantly, they know the severity of the injury and can prepare not only for the remaining three weeks of the season and possibly the playoffs, but the next year. I never liked the waiting they did for Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez (a Met trivia question), and now they are spared it with Wagner.
They don’t have him. They won’t have him next year. Fine. Now they know they need a closer. How bad would it have been had Wagner closed out the season only to blow out his elbow next year in spring training?
When Billy Wagner was healthy and popping off on a regular basis, he often joked about retirement. He liked the idea of going out on his terms.
That’s gone now.
Wagner will have surgery to repair a torn MCL in his left elbow, and with recovery time of one year, we’re talking 2010. Wagner has his money, but what remains to be seen is whether he’ll have peace of mine and be willing to leave like this. No athlete wants to leave the game injured.
“That was a scenario that I was not expecting,” general manager Omar Minaya said today.
Wagner walked off the mound during a bullpen session Sunday afternoon. At 37, he has one year and $10.5 million left on the contract signed before the 2006 season.
The Mets hold an $8 million option for 2010, which they likely would not pick up without having seen him pitch next year.
Wagner saved 101 of his 385 career games with the Mets and was a two-time all-star. He lived up to his end of the bargain. Yes, he had blown saves, but nobody quite blew a save like Wagner.
Wagner went on the DL with a strained left forearm, Aug. 5, and the team has gone to a closer-by-committee role. Things were spotty at first, but Luis Ayala settled into the role by converting five of six save opportunities.
“Surgery was always a possibility if things did not get better,” Minaya said. “And we’re at the point right now where things did not get better. … In a lot of ways, you almost got the feeling that we were going to have to do this without Billy. Baseball is not about one guy. It’s about a team, and the concept of togetherness.”
