Monthly Archives: September 2008
In the Arizona Republic, columnist Nick Piecoro speculates that the D’Backs could look to trade OF Eric Byrnes, though it would be a ‘tough deal.’
Piecoro wonders if the Mets would be interested in acquiring Byrnes, and his two-year, $22 million contract, in exchange for Luis Castillo, who is due to earn $18 million through 2011.
In 2008, Byrnes was derailed by a torn hamstring, however he enjoyed his best overall season in 2007 with career highs in games (160), at-bats (626), batting average (.286), runs (103), hits (179), RBI (83) and steals (50).
…he has been mentioned by analysts in the last few days as one of the those “intense” type of players the mets need on their roster…if the mets move Nick Evans in a deal for pitching, he would be a good fit…and if it is for castillo, i don’t think many mets fans would complain…
John Maine received arthroscopic surgery today to remove a lesion from the back of his shoulder socket.
Maine will begin rehabbing the injury immediately and should be fully recovered in time for Spring Training.
Tagged Ted Berg |To watch SNY.tv’s New York Baseball Today, in which Matt and Alex Belth discuss the Mets’ and Yankees’ offseason plans, click play below:
E-mail the show your hot stove questions at baseball@sny.tv. Tagged Ted Berg |
Fernando Tatis finished fifth in voting behind Jorge Cantu, Ryan Ludwick, Kerry Wood, and winner Brad Lidge for the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Tatis was a good story this year, and I liken it to the unexpected contributions that Jose Valentin made while with the team.
I assume the award goes to the player who rebounds the most from one season to the next, but if there was an award for in-season comebacks, Carlos Delgado would get my vote.
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
For those keeping score, John Maine, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez and Pedro Feliciano are all eligible for salary arbitration this off-season.
According to Rotoworld.com, Church, Pagan and Maine are under contract through 2011, while Heilamn, Sanchez and Feliciano are under contract through 2010.
Tagged Pedro Feliciano, Ryan Church |
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If you’re interested, download this application and e-mail it to intern@sny.tv.
Johan Santana has been named the National League’s Pitcher of the Month for September, during which he was 4–0 with a 1.83 ERA.
He had a 2.09 ERA in his last 17 starts.
The way I see it, Santana should win the Cy Young award because no other pitcher in the league was on the mound longer and no other pitcher had a lower ERA over the course of the entire season – and to me, that’s what it’s all about.
However, C.C. Sabathia pitched on three days during each of final three starts of the year, during which he let up just three runs, dragging Milwaukee in to the post-season, while going 11–2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts for the Brewers after being acquired in July, which is why he’ll probably win it instead.
I am shocked that people actually believe the Mets may entertain trading Jose Reyes or David Wright, two of the best young players in baseball, who are under contract at an affordable rate for the next few seasons.
That is hilarious. Of course, Omar 
Minaya didn’t help out reality when he suggested all options are on the table yesterday, as he should say, but which allows cover for this silly debate to continue.
Look, the Mets were never trading Reyes to the Twins for Johan Santana, following a poor 2007 season, so why would they trade him now, following what may be the best season of his career?
The current debate about whether to trade Wright and Reyes, which is occurring today on message boards, other blogs and talk radio, is nothing more than a fun, time-killing discussion point for what is going to be a very quiet, uneventful October for New York baseball, and I understand that – just like I understood it last October, when we were forced to listen to countless conversations about trading Reyes and shifting Wright to first to accommodate Alex Rodriguez, which, too, was never going to happen.
Carlos Delgado has a $12 million option in his contract for 2009, or the team can buy him out for $4 million making him a free agent.
The Mets have until five days after the World Series to make an official decision on Delgado’s future.
Delgado explained that he does not have an option on his contact, adding, ‘They have the option, and they have to make the decision whether to bring me back or not.’
Delgado, on his future, while speaking to reporters yesterday from Shea Stadium:
“I don’t know (if I’ll be back), I don’t know, I’ll guess we’ll find out whenever they make the decision…I’d like to be back. I like this group of guys. I think we have a great team, so we’ll see what happens…At this stage of my career, you don’t want to be bouncing around any more than you have to, but the decision is in their hand. I had a good time here, it’s been a great experience and I’m looking forward to coming back if that’s the case…I want to come back, I feel like we have some unfinished business.”
Look, I understand the argument in favor of bringing Delgado back, especially since, technically, he will only cost the Mets an additional $8 million in salary, half of which – I think – can be deferred to future payrolls.
However, as I wrote yesterday, my gut is telling me the Mets need to change the dynamic of this team.
They need to shift from a team led by older, aging veterans, like Delgado, Pedro Martinez and Moises Alou, who are supported by players trying to find their way, like David Wright, Jose Reyes and Mike Pelfrey, and, instead, they must rebuild as team that is led by Wright, Reyes and Johan Santana, and supported by experienced, gritty role players, like Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were in the mid-80s.
Also, let’s not lose perspective here. At the end of the day, he is still a soon-to-be 37–year-old, limited-range first baseman, who may or may not need hip surgery one day, who hit .204 in April, .258 in May, .229 in June and .248 in August.
This is not to downgrade his stellar September, which was impressive, but, there is a reason so many of us wanted him cut in May, including the team he works for, and we should not lose sight of that simply because he hit incredibly well during six of the season’s 24 weeks.
Like I said, I can probably be convinced he should stay, and I may even come around to that position when I look a bit more closely at the free-agent and trade market. However, since we are not building a fantasy team, for now, my hunch is that, despite his stellar July and September, next year’s team – as a whole – may be better with out him.
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John Maine will have surgery today to remove a bone spur on his right shoulder.
Speaking with reporters yesterday from Shea Stadium, Maine said he will be 100 percent by spring training.
…from what i have been told, the reason for concern here isn’t the surgery or the bone spur, but the fact that he got the bone spur in the first place, which suggests he could have weak ligaments, which could lead to other more-serious injuries down the line…
Maine, on the end of the season, while speaking to reporters yesterday from Shea Stadium:
“It’s tough. I think, obviously, last year was a tough let down and this is too, but, you know, it’s tough…For the most part, I think the core group is good. But, changes are not my area, I don’t know…It was tough just sitting down there watching, knowing there was nothing I could do. You know, I don’t know…I mean, I missed six weeks, seven weeks, I feel like maybe if I had been pitching I could have made up two games and maybe we get in right there.”
Maine finished the season 10–8 with a 4.18 ERA, while striking out 122 hitters in 140 innings pitched.
Prior to being put on the disabled list, Maine had been on pace to win 13 games – two less than he won in 2007.
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