Tag Archives: Offseason

Sep 07

Pelfrey remains enigma

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Good morning.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. I was away, but still followed the Mets scores even though I wasn’t able to watch the games.

PELFREY: Is a concern.

The last two days typified the season in that it was a blowout win followed by a blowout loss. Two opposite ends of the spectrum. Good and bad. It has been that way all season. Consistency, but in a mediocre way.

It was disappointing to see Mike Pelfrey’s performance. He’s been great for an extended period, then lousy for a time, seemed to turn it around and now has lost it again.

Of all the issues in the final weeks of the season, the question of Pelfrey is the most pressing to me. I was optimistic of a strong finish to enter the offseason on a positive note, but now I’m wondering what it’s going to take for Pelfrey to put it together for a full season. Even Jerry Manuel called him “an enigma,’’ after the game. That’s a word that has been tossed around for several years about Pelfrey.

At one time Pelfrey was 9-1 and cruising. Now he’s 13-9, sputtering and there’s nothing you can hand your hat on with him. Pelfrey, his skills and potential notwithstanding, is a career 41-40 after yesterday’s loss.

This year was supposed to be a breakout season for him. Instead, it has defined him as an average pitcher with a lot of work to do.

Aug 17

Voiding K-Rod’s contract won’t be a slam dunk.

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Let’s hope the Mets’ front office shows more fight, more spunk and aggressiveness in dealing with Francisco Rodriguez’s contract than it did in addressing their myriad of holes in the offseason.

RODRIGUEZ: Another Mets mess

Since this one is about saving money, bet on it.

In a punkish rage, Rodriguez hit the 53-year-old father of his girlfriend and tore a ligament in his throwing hand, and consequently will be lost for the season.

No matter the igniting words, Rodriguez was out of control did not act like a professional, but a thug. With a history of confrontations on the back of his personal baseball card, Rodriguez had know his behavior was under examination.

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Aug 10

The best of Beltran over?

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Remember all that talk in early July about how things would be different when Carlos Beltran returned from the disabled list.

BELTRAN: Are the good times over for him?

Getting Beltran back was like making a trade for another bat and it would only help the Mets and possibly spark them into making a run.

Some rust was to be expected, but nothing like this. Beltran isn’t hitting, he’s a step or two slow in the outfield, and his presence has forced Angel Pagan to play out of position.

Based on the numbers, both Beltran’s and the team’s W-L record, it appears the Mets pushed his return too soon. And, batting clean-up and playing center was a definite mistake.

But, he’s going to keep playing. That won’t change. Hopefully, he might play well enough for a team to make a waiver deal for him, although with $18.5 million remaining it’s a longshot anybody would claim him.

The Mets, of course, have to test those water to see what interest is out there if any. Thinking practically, nobody would trade for Beltran with that contract and injury history, leaving one more year of this for the Mets next season. Beltran’s value to the Mets lies in the potential of his recovery, of which there’s been little positive signs.

Assuming this is the end of the line for Beltran as a full time productive player let along being a star, then it doesn’t bode well for the Mets.

Along with Beltran, the Mets are saddled with contracts of $12 for Oliver Perez and $6 million for Luis Castillo. That’s roughly $40 million, or maybe 25 percent of their payroll on non-productive players.

So, it’s hard to imagine any substantial additions or spending in the offseason. It’s hard to imagine 2011 being much different from 2010.

Jul 31

Mets Chat Room; Playing out the string.

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Game #104 vs. Diamondbacks.

Well, another trade deadline has come and gone without your Mets doing anything substantial. Wait, I meant, without doing anything at all. I have no problem with the organization wanting to protect its prospects. I can’t get on Omar Minaya for that.

As a general manager, his job is to protect the franchise, and that’s what he did when he said no to those vultures wanting Ike Davis, or Jonathan Niese, or Josh Thole, or Jenrry Mejia.

What I can find fault with is ownership not moving in the offseason to address its pitching needs. I didn’t like it at the time, and I’ll repeat: Their priority last winter was pitching and not Jason Bay.

With what Bay has given them, it isn’t out of line to wonder if his contract will fall in the same bin as that of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. It might be too early to jump to that conclusion, but I’ll bet I’m not the only one to wonder.

What the Mets have done today and for the last month as they floundered was choose their future over their present. They have told us they do not think they are good enough to win this season without a miracle finish.

They were further behind with less time remaining in 1969, but won. Mathematically, it is still possible. But, I’m not counting on any miracles this time around.

Hell, they haven’t been able to beat Arizona. How can we expect them to run the table?

Jul 27

Wishing and hoping ….

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The trade deadline is four days away and the Mets aren’t linked to anybody. Not anybody good enough to turn things around. They have even passed on the opportunity to make a symbolic splash by shaking up their coaching staff. And, of course, they’ve passed on several chances to make what would have been an impact decision by cutting Oliver Perez.

The Mets have done nothing to help their team, and did nothing last offseason to address their biggest need, which is pitching. Instead, the Mets have remained stagnant and they are what they are, which is barely a .500 team.

They are reduced to hoping things will jump start for the same tired cast of mediocre characters. They are hoping players who have shown little ability to sustain over time will sudden do so and perform at an All-Star level. That’s Beltran, Bay, Wright and Reyes – the core four.

They are hoping for the offense to kick it in gear. They are hoping Mike Pelfrey will regain his form from the first two months. They are hoping the bullpen can get outs and they won’t have to use Perez. They are hoping to win with 24 players.

They are hoping what hasn’t worked will suddenly work. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The Mets are hoping for a miracle … and won’t get one.

Jul 01

Mets Chat Room; Getting Santana back on track.

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Game #79 at Nationals

Johan Santana takes the mound tonight looking to avoid losing his third straight start when the Mets go to Washington.

Santana (5-5, 3.55 ERA) has been uncharacteristically poor recently, going 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA in his last four starts.

“Is he frustrated? I don’t know, but he’s a competitor,’’ catcher Rod Barajas said. “He wants the ball every five days and when he doesn’t pitch as well as he thinks he should, he takes it hard. I don’t know if frustrated is the word, probably a little anger because he knows he has the stuff.’’

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Jun 06

Perez’s MRI evaluated by MLB

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Eyes had to be raised when after Oliver Perez, who so vehemently refused a demotion to the minor leagues, suddenly came up lame with patella tendinitis after a MRI the day before the Mets activated Jon Niese from the disabled list.

PEREZ: In better times.

Major League Baseball reviewed the MRI because, shall we say, of the convenient timing of all this for the Mets.

Manager Jerry Manuel said Perez complained of knee pain Friday when he arrived at Citi Field, then had a MRI than revealed the tendinitis.

“He says he’s not able to pitch the way it is right now,’’ assistant general manager John Ricco said. “When a player tells you he’s injured and a doctor confirms that, from where I sit, that’s what the DL is for.’’

Maybe it is convenient, but the truth is Perez had surgery on the same knee in the offseason and this spring has had nothing on his fastball. To say it’s coincidental would be true; to say there is a link would also be true.

“I thought that with the velocity not ever getting to what I saw in 2008, that always concerns me to some degree,’’ Manuel said.  “But the athlete tells you that he’s fine, he’s fine, doesn’t feel anything, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.’’

Perez will rehab his knee at Port St. Lucie, but the team does not have a timetable for when he’ll throw again.

Perez is 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA in 11 appearances, seven of them starts, and has allowed 76 base runners in 38 2/3 innings.

Apr 21

April 21.10: Although news not good on Beltran, it was still a good signing.

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The news isn’t good on Carlos Beltran, who was examined Tuesday in Vail, Colo. Beltran remains in neutral with no word on a potential return that is anything other than guesswork.

Beltran, who underwent knee surgery in the offseason, hasn’t been cleared to start running. And, until he runs there’s no telling when he’ll begin baseball activities, and after that a return to the line-up.

Initially, the prognosis was up to six weeks following running for a return in May. That’s not happening. Try June now, or maybe after the All-Star break. Who is to say? I mean, who is to say with any authority?

“It’s kind of unfortunate,’’ manager Jerry Manuel said. “But what we have to do is we have to continue to play the way we have the last three or four games and hope that Carlos recovers quickly. He’s obviously an integral part of our lineup, but Angel (Pagan) is playing real well.’’

Maybe so, but there’s a reason why Pagan is a role player and Beltran a perennial All-Star.

Let’s assume at least until the end of June at the earliest. For now, Pagan is the center fielder. Gary Matthews will be kept for insurance. For now I don’t believe they’ll bring up Fernando Martinez as long as Pagan is producing.

I’ve always liked Beltran. He works hard, he hustles and he plays hurt. This was an unfortunate injury, but it would be unfair to say he was a bad signing.

This is a player who played hurt. I don’t think it would be fair to say just because this injury has lasted that the Mets should regret signing Beltran. This guy showed what he is made of when he played with a broken face after his collision with Mike Cameron.

The only thing of hindsight was the issue of the surgery. It should have been done last year, not last winter. Had it been done in September instead of trying to get him back in a lost season they might have him now.