My 2008-09 Mets Off-Season Wish List
The MLB winter meetings start today, and with it, the hope (once again) of reclamation after a bitter, bitter close the the season prior. With arguably more questions this year than last, but with smaller gifts in store, the winter guarantees to disappoint. Nevertheless, Omar Minaya and team are off in Las Vegas, shopping for arms and bats.
Here’s what I hope they bring back to New York.
Infield/Catcher
I like the Schneider/Castro pseudo-platoon, especially with Jerry Manuel’s meritocracy platoon system — you succeed today, you start tomorrow. Schneider is a great defensive asset if you can afford his bat. Right now, though, the Mets can’t. But swapping out Schneider for a better offensive catcher is not treating the disease. The Mets should hold pat at catcher and move on — unless Schneider can be traded away as an asset, instead of as a dead-weight contract.
First base, shortstop, and third are spoken for, as they should be. The caveat here is the multi-purpose infielder that the Mets needed in 2008. The rumor mill has Omar interested in Nick Punto, but his 52 (!) OPS+ in 2007 tells me all I need to know: No thanks. Admittedly, I lack suggestions here, but here are some ground rules: (1) has to be able to field the SS and 2B positions — I’m willing to accept Tatis as a backup 3B; (2) should either be good for a .340 OBP without fear or be paid basically nothing.
Second base, there lies trouble. With Luis Castillo enlisted for three years at $6m per, the Mets either need to find a a patsy or stick with junk. In hoping for the former, I do not fault Omar finding himself stuck with the latter (although it was his fault in the first instance).
I am not interested in a Castillo for Jose Guillen swap, as I find it critical that the Mets acquire a right-handed corner outfielder who, frankly, does not suck. That eliminates Guillen. If the Mets cannot dump Castillo, well, the good news is he’s only healthy enough to play 90 games. If they can, I’ll take Orlando Hudson, or Rafael Furcal if he’ll play second.
Outfield
Oh, if Carlos Beltran could play all three positions.
I see Fernando Tatis as a super-sub of sorts — able to play third, first, left, and if need be, right. I am hoping Danny Murphy plays a similar roll, but the fact is that the Mets have more “okay” bats than they need, and not enough “good-to-very good” bats. For example…
Ryan Church, historically, cannot hit lefties. I like him in either right or left — he had played mostly left, but some center before joining the Mets — in a platoon situation. If Nick Evans can match his 79 plate apperances versus lefties (.319/.380/.514), we’re done. If he can’t — and he can’t, not with a BABIP of .382 (!!) — then we have to hope he at least progresses enough to make up for the unsustainable good luck.
That is four players for two positions, none of whom are true every-day starters. Church, again, is best suited as a platooned guy; Tatis is anyone’s guess; and Evans and Murphy are not yet quite ripe.
Bullpen
Ye gods.
It sucks, we all know it. Except for Joe Smith, I’d be okay if not a single Mets reliever came back. That’s not happening.
We need a closer and an 8th inning guy, at bare minimums. We also need four to five other bodies. We need to dump Aaron Heilman, which I say as a die-hard Heilman apologist. And finally, we need to dump either Pedro Felciano or Scott Schoenweis (which I misspelled, surely), as both are best suited as LOOGYs and you don’t need two of those.
Starting Pitching
Three questions:
How screwed — how absolutely, royally screwed — would the 2009 Mets have been had Omar not traded for Johan Santana last year?
Is John Maine going to be a capable, healthy 4th starter in 2009?
Can Jon Niese really put up 25 (or more) league average (or better) starts already?
I don’t question that Mike Pelfrey will give us enough to be a servicable-at-worst #3. If I did — or, rather, if he fails there — us Mets fans are in for a long, long season. I do not think I am asking for too much: 190 IP with a 3.75 ERA is roughly what Jamie Moyer and Huroki Kuroda last year, as did Pelfrey. I’d take 180 and 4.00. Ted Lilly-type numbers, minus some IP but saving some runs.
But after Johan/Pelfrey… well, that’s wish-list territory. So, let’s get there already.
What I Want
Priorities are more important than details here. So:
First, the Mets need a #2 starter. I prefer Derek Lowe but do not expect to get him. My preference, though, is based in large part out of fear that it’s either Lowe or bust, which is unacceptable.
Second, the Mets need a big bat for the outfield. Yes, this is more important than a closer — much more important. I would have gladly given up Bobby Parnell in a deal to get Jermaine Dye.
Third, two relievers. Getting one isn’t a solution, so you shouldn’t go crazy. But the right relievers matter — ideally, K-Rod is one of the two. Yes, he is not as good as his save-record suggests, but he’s also a 10+ K/9 closer who has succeeded in the spotlight. I’d have given Feliciano and Heilman to Colorado for Huston Street and something (a utility IF?) if Street were okay with not closing.
Next, figure out what to do when Jose Reyes and David Wright need a break — especially if you end up dumping Castillo. My dream situation involves signing Rafael Furcal to play second, dumping Luis Castillo for a junk prospect, and maybe a Schneider for Ryan Freel swap (although he may be worse than Punto at this point), but I’m going to live with Castillo returning.
And then, finally, a fifth starter.
That leaves me with;
Lineup:
- SS Reyes
- CF Beltran
- 3B Wright
- 1B Delgado
- LF Dye
- RF Church/Evans or Murphy/Evans
- C Schneider/Castro
- 2B Castillo (but please try Murphy here!)
Rotation:
- Santana
- Lowe
- Pelfrey
- Maine
- I really don’t care. Heck, try Heilman if you have to.
Bullpen:
- K-Rod
- Street
- Joe Smith
- Some LOOGY
- Two other guys, maybe three.
Bench:
- Tatis
- The other guys on the platoons: Evans, Murphy, Castro
- Nick Punto, only not Nick Punto
- And Endy Chavez, for no good reason.
1 year ago
