1. Becomes a viable trade chip (in a package) at the deadline.

2. If he remains in the bullpen, he may qualify as a type A or B free agent and allow the Mets to receive draft pick(s) when he signs with another team.

This move, IMO, was a near no-brainer.

bringing sosa back sucks.
he was okay but then he just blew important games for us.

nice to hear about dauner.

Aye yaye yaye…. I hope your suspicions are accurate, as a starter on geritol and a middle reliever who had his share of ups and downs last year coming back is certainly a reason to be in a state of desperation……

I think it only makes business sense to view Duque as a 5th starter until someone takes it from him.

You never want to act out of desperation. Many of the chips Minaya thought he would be able to dangle either had unimpressive seasons or were injured (Duaner Sanchez). Omar’s going to need to pull one rabbit out of his hat this offseason. But it’s probably unreasonable to expect two.

I’m starting to think that th best plan for Duque is maybe to start him in the rotation, but have his understudy waiting in the wings.

He is stong when healthy (OK, between DL stints). And on the last year of his conract. So, why not role him out as the 5th starter, and just use whatever he can give you? If it is 1/2 a season, take it, put him on the DL, then to the pen if (when?) he comes back.

If they do hang onto prospects, Duque is better than Livan, and probably most of the other innings eaters being considered. Let Humber of Mulvey start in AAA, and if they are doing well, bring them up when Duque goes down.

Or, put the extra guy (Pelf or Humber) in the pen to get work, and be ready to step in for an injury.

Sosa, Humber, Pelf – one of those guys (or a surpirse one) can cover the uque role in the pen, which I assume is the long man (old Sele/oliver role?)

Now Sanchez could be big. If he is healthy and close to what he was, it is like trading for a dominant set-up man/future closer, and giving up absolutely nothing. Same with Pedro actually if he can put together a full season.

And Matt and Chris, all excellent points on this post. I’m especially hoping that Duaner can come back and for him to focus on the field. The newspaper report on him sure makes him sound (hard to say if this was real or spin – I’ll take it as true and sincere) like he has been working super hard, cooking his own dominican food, staying in and watching DVDs in boring Port St. Lucie – sort of going through what could be called acts of baseball contrition. I will also state for the record that I’m not sure if it has been confirmed that he has done anything more wild than going out for late-night ethnic food and showing up late for a few spring training practices. Loved the guy when he was healthy – maybe the best reliever we had in years when he was on that roll.