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On Tuesday, Mets RHP Ambiorix Burgos surrendered himself to authorities in the Dominican Republic and will serve three months in jail awaiting trial for allegedly killing two women in a hit-and-run accident last week.
In a post to his blog, Big League Stew, ‘Duk posts a picture of Dominican authorities taking a smiling Burgos into custody while wearing a White Sox hat.
Burgos, who missed the entire season due to elbow surgery, was also arrested last month for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend while staying at a hotel near Shea Stadium.
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Burgos, we hardly knew ye.
“South SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE!”
Yawn
So apparently he faces a max of 2 years? How do you run 2 people over with your car, leave the scene of the crime, and only get 2 years?
Especially considering that there are reports that the hit wasn’t an accident…
have a nice 20 to life.
anything in the agreement with KC that we get Bannister back if Burgos cannot pitch due to fulfilling a debt to society?
Too bad he’s gone, I’m sure Omar would’ve extended his contract like Mota’s.
Alot of you guys should get off your high horse. You say you won’t root for a “bad guy” like Mota.
But Castro had a rape charge against him when he was in Florida, and yet many want him to have more playing time.
Gooden and Straw were cheered even though they were doing drugs and alcohol. Straw also beat his wife.
And EVERYONE loves Keith Hernandez . The only reason we were able to get him is because the Cards didn’t want him while he was doing coke.
So, we cheer guys who are less than Boy Scouts as long as they are good players.
Yeah, its not great that Burgos is in trouble, but at least be consistent, and not only root for the troublemakers if they play well.
Comparing Burgos’ crime to Keith’s partying is absolutely ridiculous. Being violent towards a girlfriend and running over people with your car are not, to quote Jules Winfield, in “the same ballpark, not even the same f***ing sport.”
Keith had problems with drugs for a while, which is of course bad, but is absolutely nothing like beating a woman or killing anyone. In addition, Keith was a leader on and off the field and helped lead two teams to titles, and was the undisputed leader of the 1986 Mets.
So don’t be saying that those of us who worship Keith would feel the same about him if he committed hideous violent crimes. The day Keith smacks a woman or kills someone is the day he ceases to be my favorite Met.
Get off the rather silly high horse yourself man.
Really, I think it’s all just hypocrisy. Everyone knows that the reason why Keith is not in the HOF is because he took the deal in the Pittsburgh drug trials and implicated his fellow players. It really gets me when guys like Joe Morgan go on and on about how evil drugs are in baseball and how these guys cheat when they themselves were the ones popping amphetamines and using every edge they could get. At least Keith and Maz stayed silent during the whole Mitchell thing. Better to say nothing at all than to ream out other players for doing drugs while you got a sweetheart deal to keep playing by testifying against your dealers.
Do you think Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb were saints? Think again. Do you think that Mickey Mantle had a good liver? Think again. Do you think that any of these drunk, abusive people didn’t ever hit a woman? Come on. It just wasn’t as publicized then. Unfortunately, that kind of thing was kept hush and didn’t make for scandals.
The scrutiny that today’s players get is ridiculous. Burgos is no different from any other miscreant that’s played the game. I honestly don’t think there’s anything wrong with separating players’ personal lives from their baseball careers. I hope Barry Bonds gets in the HOF unanimously on the first ballot. Otherwise, I think that we should remove guys like Ty Cobb or virtually every player from WW2 to 2005 since they were all doing amphetamines. It’s only fair.
And while we’re at it, unless someone can prove that Pete Rose ever bet against his own team, he belongs in the HOF as well.
2 years. what a joke!! one of the girls he knew! sounded premeditated….the guy is out of control….
thereal will probably smack me down now because he is innocent until proven guilty.
I think that only applies for players people like.
I hope this swine spends the rest of his life in jail
“But people get by and people get high
In the tropics they come and they go.”
lyrics by . . . . . . . . . .
RELEASE BURGOS
I can’t believe Ramon Castro arrested him
Come on now……..
That man’s head is far too small, and he is far too handsome to be confused w/ Ramon Castro…….
Funny comment though, I laughed out loud in my office.
thuggery 101
LMAO
dont you wish we still had bannister now? no? he’s still terrible? oh well, Omar not one of your better moves, yet still didnt cost us in the end…
I heard Luis Castillo ran over a 3rd base bag with his car and killed it, when asked his motivation he said “it was the first time I got to hit 3rd base since June”
way to make one of the most UNINTELLIGENT posts ever bro..
Yes because Omar KNEW that Burgos would run people over when he traded for him..
he was sitting in his office and went “hmmm…that burgos kid, sure looks like a woman beater and a killer…no no, not on the field…like, he will kill woman..I need him on my team….lets trade for him”
and you know what? Bannister isn’t doing that great…so my god, lay off Omar on this one….
i am an a-hole, i kind of misread… ugh…either way, blaming omar is dumb
I didnt blame Omar, I am making fun of all the people who have this notion that because Bannister had a decent 5 innings for the Mets and 2 good starts in his career with the Royals that somehow this guy wouldve been the savior in NY. He wouldnt ever make this roster. but because Burgos was a bust we now have to say how GREAT bannister is….its ridiculous
I guess we never shoulda rid ourselves of Roberto Alomar either because Royce Ring was worthless….
yea bro, my bad…as I said..I misread…..
I was against the Bannister trade because he had shown some ability with us before his injury, and because Burgos had a 7 ERA with the Royals. Sorry, but a relief pitcher like that isn’t worth trading a potentially decent 5th spot starter for.
In the end it didn’t turn out to be that big a deal, as both have fizzled.
He had a high ERA with KC, but he was like 21 and threw heat. At the time with Pelfrey and Humber still in our system so to an extent Bannister was expendable, Burgos looked like he had future closer upside and if nothing else could be a power bullpen arm.
My issue with the trade comes from the fact it wouldn’t have been necessary if we hadn’t traded Lindstrom and Owens. We traded two power bullpen arms for marginal starting prospects and then turned around and traded a marginal starting prospect for a power bullpen arm. It really didn’t make any sense IMO.
what you are missing is age and service.
IIRC, owens and Lindstrom where at the point where they either had to be in the show or they would be lost (maybe rule 5? or mil fa). Plus, they weren’t young.
So he traded 2 late 20’s BP arms, that had never done diddle in the majors, and marginal in the minors, for a 21 YO that was under control for a lot longer and had ML experience (although for sure he was rushed).
Omars logic was that by now, he would be the power set up guy, and the replacement closer, that we are sorely lacking!
Just release this thug.
From the Mets.
Not from jail. ;)
The all thug bullpen -
6th inning – Julian Tavarez ( guy is a lunatic…only a matter of time before he snaps on someone)
7th inning- Burgos (hit and run, gf beating )
8th inning – Ugeth Urbina (wasn’t he on trial for murder…might be wrong on this)
9th inning – Brett Myers (wife beater and a punk…was a decent closer in 07)
Extra innings – Kevin Brown pulled a gun on someone didnt he?
and Bobby Cox is the manager
Urbina’s serving a 15 year sentence in a Venezulan Prison for attempted murder.
Listen I’m Latino so I could say this. Why do most of the crazy people in baseball have to be Latino relief pitchers? Question if Myers was pitching for the mets and pitching well, would we root for him? I would probably boo.
I’d boo. He’s really a scumbag.
that’s gangsta
“All Gangstas on Deck”
Burgos is obviously just trying to make the team next year.
Oh Ambirox, can you do anything right?
I’ll bet you he can come a whole lot closer to spelling his name right
since when did carlos ruiz become a real baseball player? uggggggh im sick of this
wow the phils are going to win the NL…..the same phils who we owned all year, and who get to play the most ridiculously easy playoff schedule, all b/c the cubs couldn’t beat the brewers, and then came out lifeless against a mediocre dodgers team.
God knows, no ones ever come back from a three run deficit, nor a two game deficit it the NLCS
4 runs, all with 2 outs, aided by an error and a base hit from the pitcher. the dodgers are showing why they were a .500 team…..i actually may root for the red sox b/c they are actually a tough team that the phils won’t just get lucky to face.
hey furcal, you are atrocious.
dodgers have no business being in the playoffs……..pathetic.
Swept the Cubs…
who had best record in NL…
You have no idea what you’re saying
the cubs are the most cursed franchise in baseball….did you see how they played? the nationals woulda beaten the cubs in that series!
Hell, even the Mets probably would have beaten them
i wouldn’t be suprised however if the phils are stealing signals as they did all last year.
brett myers is 2 for 2 with 4 RBI……great job billingsley.
honestly, pretty much any team would have beaten the cubs in that series. this wasn’t about the dodgers being good, it was about the cubs coming out and playing their worst, tightest, most pathetic baseball of the year.
the dodgers are a .500 team. face it. the series is OVER. the phils did not have to play a real team at ALL in the playoffs. the brewers without Sheets, and with CC on his 5th 3days rest start. And the .500 dodgers. It is ridiculous.
Oh, get real.
The Phillies completely deserve to be here..
So what if the Brewers didn’t have Sheets? They scored ONE run in Game 1, and I seriously doubt Sheets would have thrown a shutout.
It was actually CC’s 4th start on 3 day rest, and they murdered him. No excuses….
Finally, so what if the Dodgers were basically a .500 team? Weren’t the Cardinals in ‘06? What happened there?
Mets fans on here need to get over their bitterness, and just accept that the Phillies are a very good baseball team…
the phillies are not a great team. they are a good team, but not great. they have not dominated a legit team all year.
What does that even mean?? Regular season records against other teams mean nothing in the playoffs…
The Mets were 11-7 against the Phils this year, and right now, they’re probably on one of Beltran’s golf courses…
thanks to your boy castillo.
I will accept the Phillies deserve to be here, but I will NOT get over my bitterness!
watching these phils run around the bases like this is making me sick to my stomach
hey mattie, magic number?
yea great job dodgers…..horrrrendously average team that got to face a completely out of sync cubs team. dodgers had NO BUSINESS in the playoffs.
and can we please stop with the manny = world series……he doesn’t.
Manny does = Homerun,
Homerun tends to = World Series sometimes
Yay Manny!!!!
Why exactly was he wearing a White Sox cap? lol Because they lost? Because the Mets hat didn’t look good? I don’t know. I don’t see why teams don’t just cut ties with troubled players. What’s the purpose of holding onto him? If they just released him than ESPN probably wouldn’t mention him so much. Not tagged to the Mets at least.
umm ok manny…….
Manny doesn’t mess around
This is why we need him but I wouldn’t rely on anyone else in LA doing anything.
The Phillies are going to beat the Dodgers. It’s too obvious. It’s either that the Phillies got luck in their hands or other teams ice up when they play them. The Dodgers had momentum before getting here. But Brett Myers gets 3 RBI’s? How does this happen?
I’m split on the ALCS series. I’d love to see Tampa Bay win it because there a team that you can enjoy rooting for. I know the Red Sox would take real good care of the Phillies though. The reason why the Phillies have won is because they’ve started all their series out at home and played well. I really don’t care if they get there, I just don’t want to see them win it all. If they do though, maybe it’ll press Omar to really revamp this team.
Got damn Manny.
Manny is a freaking beast…
nope, no one takes your evaluations seriously, as you want luis castillo on this team.
how badly do you wish luis castillo was playing today so you could root for him?
who wants luis castillo on the mets? lol
sylar
i don’t think anyone wants castillo on this team lol if it were up to me, they could trade release him.
Luis Castillo to the Mets = Stephon Marbury to the Knicks
not according to sylar.
no, when argenis reyes played, the Mets won. When castillo came back, they fell apart. and you would rather watch Castillo play over Argenis, at the cost of the Mets winning.
Those two 2nd baseman had NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with the Mets W/L records at the time they played.
how do you know? all i know is that the record showed when argenis played they won, and when luis played, they lossed. yet you preferred losses, so that you could feel good knowing our team was fille with old former all stars.
So because I wanted Castillo to play over Reyes, ignoring stupid W/L records that have so many more other factors that they can be attributed to, I like losing???
Makes sense if your a moron….
apparently you do like losing if you prefer castillo to reyes.
The Phillies have done everything the Mets couldn’t. When the Mets were in the spotlight in ‘06, they couldn’t even get to the WS. They played as if they were the team to beat. Like the game was boring.
It took a Cardinals team with similar skill to the Dodgers of ‘08 to play them in a tight series and win. It’s true that the Mets had more injuries than the Phillies, but the Mets shouldn’t look for so many old players.
The Phillies bullpen has been lights out. They can score. There starting pitching isn’t even all that amazing, but they’ve done everything right. For who’s left, there’s no doubt the NL is weaker than the AL so there’s a larger margin for era.
You and MetsyMad should get together and start your own blog…
And you both could piss and moan all the live long day
The more I watch Manny in the NL, he reminds me of how Delgado was for a couple months. The big difference is Manny doesn’t stop doing it. At some point, Carlos can’t even maintain mediocrity. I don’t generally like signing aging players, but Manny’s proven he’s a difference maker. I don’t know if they’ll get him, but if they don’t at least make a reasonable attempt to get him I’ll be pissed.
Brett Myers is 3 for 3. Has he become a good hitter all of a sudden or do the Dodgers just not care?
it’s called luck.
Yeah it has to be. I said it had to be that too when he was 2 for 2. If he doesn’t pitch his way out of the game, he’ll probably be 4 for 4 in a matter of time.
jimmy rollins some MVP and clutch guy right francessa. the guy is a career .277 hitter, and is 30.
Rollins really isn’t all that much of a special player. I used to watch him in Scranton when he was coming up. I knew he’d be a good ball player, but he doesn’t have the same kind of potential as Jose Reyes. He had a great season last year. Since last year though, he’s been really overshadowed by their other stars like Howard and Utley.
The biggest joke I’ve heard on here is that Beltran trade rumor. The difference between a rumor and BS is the source. It’s not a rumor just because a bunch of pro-Yankees talk radio people want to rip the Mets off. I’m not saying I don’t like Cano, but Beltran’s a really good player. He turned it on late while others were off. The Mets probably won’t have a defensive CF like him for a long time after he leaves.
i would trade beltran for soria and dejesus, but of course that would never ever happen.
I would too. KC would never want to pay out Beltran’s salary. They were the ones who traded him for that reason. I doubt they’d trade either one of those two guys unless they were given an overwhelming deal.
I saw other people say we should look to trade prospects for Putz, Street or Ryan. In my opinion, all of those moves really don’t make sense when you got two really good closers out on the FA market. Mainly Brian Fuentes being the guy who the Mets should set their sights on. If KC wants to trade Soria though, I’d definitely inquire.
A lot of people think getting 2 or 3 closer’s is the way to go. I don’t think it is because when a closer isn’t in that role, they don’t always thrive.
krod is better than fuentes, money aside. plus they are both type A’s. krod is better, younger, and has more upside.
Fuentes put up better numbers this year…
I would not sign K-Rod. Although he’s only 26, he has a lot of innings on his arm, his numbers have been getting worse every year, his delivery is incredibly violent and it’s going to cause an injury, and he’s going to want 5 years.
Yes. All of this is true. Money and years will probably be more of the issue though. Without a doubt, FA’s or trade availabilities – I still think Fuentes is the second best closer on the market. He’s got similar numbers and is the same age as Ryan and if the Mets got offered him for say Delgado, I don’t think they’ hesitate.
Signing K-Rod would lower the Mets chances are getting Hudson or Ramirez. Or Sabathia if they choose that route. I don’t know what kind of money the Wilpon’s are willing to spend so it really depends. The main difference between K-Rod and Fuentes is that K-Rod’s getting 4 or 5 years. Fuentes is getting 3.
If I were to choose though, no doubt K-Rod. He’d do really well with this team. The only thing that worries a little is his lack of postseason success in recent seasons.
fuentes is also a type A……
and last year had his career best year……he is 33…..enough with signing older players out of their prime.
Yes. It’s true. The problem with Wagner was he was even older though and the Mets gave him a 4th year.
If the Mets are open to looking on the open market for say Huston Street who’s been knocked out of the closer’s role like Fuentes before though, it’d still make more sense to use the money on Brian rather than waste F-Mart and/or Niese.
As long as it doesn’t cost the Mets signing a good set up man or two, I’m all for signing K-Rod over Fuentes. They have enough money coming off the books for it to still be possible to get K-Rod + set up men. Once they trade away Show and Heilman, they should have enough shedded to get Lowe or re-sign Ollie at a reasonable price.
I wouldn’t sign K-Rod if he wants 5 years unless the 5th was a team option with a possible buyout. I wouldn’t give more than 4 though. The younger age may be the clincher though. They’ll lose the same picks so it really doesn’t matter.
I think it’d be better if the Mets had a right-handed closer anyway. I’d look to gain more depth from the left side in set up men with a guy like Reyes. The problem isn’t even Manny, Hudson or Sabathia though. It’s that what ever extra money that’s used on K-Rod could be the extra money the Mets would have left over for Fuentes.
So if we were thinking of it economically and applying it to the Mets bullpen, which would look better?
K-Rod – 4yr/60MM
Fuentes – 3yr/37MM + D.Reyes or Biemel 3yr/15MM + Weathers or Springer on a 2yr/8MM deal. Or Cruz from the right and maybe Affeldt, Shouse or Rhodes from the left.
They’d be spending a similar amount of money on K-Rod + no one versus Fuentes + two good core set up men, so I think the better way to go will be to get Fuentes.
I can really play both sides of this because both are good pitchers. I don’t know what the open market will command on these two guys nor the Wilpon’s willingness to spend though so it’s really all speculation. Fuentes looks more practical, but K-Rod looks more enticing. I think signing Fuentes qualifies as signing old like Wagner though. I think throwing money at K-Rod is more justified. Fuentes has been knocked out of the closer’s role too in the past. K-Rod has been good year in year out. So we’ll see I guess. As long as it’s one of these two I’m happy.
i say neither one is really special and am not crazy about using a type A on a closer. that said, if we do, it’d prefer it to be the much younger, overall much better Krod.
Manny is perfect as a met. He hates Brett Myers!!!
nice effort dodgers.
btw im convinced JC Romero cheats, as does lidge. their turnarounds are ridiculous.
I don’t understand why the Red Sox lets go of Romero when he wasn’t even doing all that bad for them. Who knows how they did it? In a way, maybe Philly winning it is a good thing. Once they reach the top there motivation and drive will dwindle. They aren’t like the dominating Red Sox. I could be wrong tohugh. The Dodgers are just weak but hey Nomar got a hit so maybe they got something going.
Of course they’re lucky. Just look at that Victorino catch. It’s useless to even watch this game because the only way the Dodgers won’t get swept is luck.
why can’t shane victorino just get polio or something?
Watching the Phillies really is like a slap in the face of every New York Mets fan. They’re doing all the things this team had the potential to do, but couldn’t. Or choked.
This girl isn’t singing too smoothly lol
Maybe if all of us start rooting for the Philles they’ll start losing
that casey blake hit was such a tease…..it really seemed like it was going to tie that game up.
Myers 3 for 3 with 3 RBI’s and Rollins gets a golden sombrero. It doesn’t make any sense. If Myers didn’t have those three RBI’s it’s a tie game, so maybe the Dodgers just are doing a better job at representating their win total than we think. I think Torre left in Billingsley too long anyway. Typical deadhead move. If it weren’t for Steinbrenner’s wallet or the Manny acquisition, people probably wouldn’t second guess that.
Im trying to look at this as positively as possible. I cant see the phillies being as good next year. I mean the bullpen alone cant possibly repeat what they did can they? You have to figure moyer will retire especially if they win it. burrell will be gone, and rollins is getting older and will prove even more so that 2007 was a total abiration. Obviously the mets need to fix their issues too. i dont know maybe im wrong just trying to be positive.
or the more phillies success in the post season, the more money they have to spend…….and furcal is a JOKE….
they dont really make those big splash free agent signings though. not to mention they dont need alot of those big name guys like tex or krod. and i doubt they are going to get sabathia.
The Phillies just happened to get hot at the best time. And the Mets iced down at the worse time. The Mets should save the juice for August and September next season instead of July and August instead of mid-summer.
The Phillies will be good. I don’t know what kind of a contract Burrell will be able to get, but he might be back in Philly. They’ll have some money to spend. The Mets can’t be thinking about them though. They Mets got knocked out by themselves. Not the Phillies or Brewers. They let down everyone.
right, and then the phils get to play the terrible brewers and the mediocre dodgers to get to the playoffs. it is a joke.
btw does anyone else hate watching games on fox, they definitely add 5 mph to everyones fastball on the gun. i really want the mets to make the playoffs next year so i can see maine or pelfrey hit the gun at 99.
the dodgers are proving they are a .500 team…..manny is only 1/9th of the squad. they are a joke, and the phillies get to play them for the NL crown???? it’s so tiring.
it is incredibly frustrating but i mean we couldnt beat the marlins or the cubs when they didnt care.
GET MANNY RAMIREZ. THE DODGERS ARE SCRUBS WITHOUT HIM, HE’LL GET US TO THE WORLD SERIES NEXT YEAR CAUSE THE REST OF OUT TEAM W/ THE EXCEPTION OF THE BULLPEN IS BETTER THAN THE DODGERS
the dodgers are a .500 team…….one man can’t carry you in the playoffs.
I KNOW BUT THE METS ARE BETTER THAN THE DODGERS AND IF THEY HAD MANNY THEY’D BE GODLY
no they wouldn’t, b/c they have no pitching……..pitching wins.
ryan howard just got booed lol…….basically this game was ALL about luck for the Phils.
Howard did not get booed. The fans were booing Manny because he made the play on that ball. Don’t be a moron.
only the phils would play a game in which their starter goes 5 innings giving up 5 runs, and win the game.
I really do hate the games on FOX. Joe Bucks is annoying, but Tim McCarver is so dumb. He tries to tell people about what a slider or a pick off is as if they’ve never watched a game lol
They didn’t want to have anything to do with Manny. I see a long inning for Lidge coming. Like 40-50 pitches. Some way, some how though the Phillies will win 8-7.
Oh well, maybe not. Manny and the scrubs. The Beat LA chant is getting old. They know they’ll beat them lol Some challenge. The Red Sox or Rays will eat em up
the dodgers had no business being in this series…..cubs just choked so bad.
Yeah and we said the same thing about St Louis in ‘06 lol It’s amazing how the Phillies have done so much better after bouncing in and out of the leads. The Mets really weren’t tested in ‘06 which worked against them. Had the Mets had that roster after having having two heart breaking seasons like this and they might have won game seven.
Look at that crazy Phillies fan lol
Can Loney do it?
i miss in-game threads here.
how will i survive the offseason when it hasn’t even been 2 weeks and i am already struggling?
Swing at good pitches you idiot.
Didn’t that swing remind us so much of Ryan Church?
just goes to show you, how important the mets need of krod is
STUPID GARCIAPARRA!!!!!!!!!!!
I suppose you could look good batting against Lidge?
Nomar wtf. the pitch wasn’t even over the damn plate.
I was just thinking the same thing, Gina. He looked ridiculous swinging away out there.
wow nomar, that was quite possibly the worst at bat ive ever seen. a high school hitter probably wouldve at least taken 1 of those pitches.
The Phillies showed a lot of confidence late in that game. They knew they were going to win. If that were us, we’d be asking how many more innings can we survive?
Signing Manny is adding to a team. Not getting a bullpen is not even putting a team out there. You can score as many as you can but if you can’t hold it, what’s it matter?
Did Myers hurt himself celebrating?
could this be the beginning of a new curse against the white sox?
the curse of the burgos!
Burgertime!
I don’t frequent this site often but clicked on the article to find more about Bugos supposedly killing two women. And all I find is 100 or so Mets fans with a hard-on for their “arch rivals”. Whats up with that?
whats up with that is your team did not deserve to be in the playoffs, they stink except for manny, and have looked pathetic against our hated team.
SIGN MANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, who then, did deserve it? The Mets? The Dbacks? The Marlins? The Cardinals?
Teams that don’t deserve to be there are generally gone after the first round. No?
well the mets are and were a better team than the dodgers playing in a real division, with a better record, so yes the Mets. The Marlins also deserved to be there over the Dodgers. The dodgers are basically the 2004 red sox plus scrubs.
jose canseco got arrested for smuggling drugs at the Mexican border,lol. It’s in the dailynews wbsite
guys, look at this article by Bob Warja (Senior Writer)
Now that we’ve had some time to mourn the collapse of the 2008 Cubs, I figure it’s time to move on and start trying to help GM Jim Hendry figure out how to fix this mess.
Of course, there are two schools of thought here. One says this isn’t a mess at all. Hell, the Cubs won 97 games during the regular season and have now won back-to-back N.L. Central titles.
The other school, and one from which I’m currently attending, says that changes must be made to avoid a three-peat of sweeps in the postseason. Even teams that win championships face changes in this age of free agency and ever-escalating salaries.
I mean, really, do we actually want to go through another three-and-out in the playoffs? I know I don’t.
All of which means we need to identify our gaps and try to fill them, understanding that this team is pretty well set, based on contract status and other factors. But nobody said this was going to be easy. This will take some creative thinking and perhaps some creative financing as well.
The first thing I’ve learned is that we need a left-handed power bat somewhere in this lineup. We thought Fukudome would provide that bat, but alas, he looks more lost at the plate than a wino in the middle of a highway.
I understand Hendry has $38 million committed to the man, so fixing the left-handed power problem may require the Cubs to pay a heck of a lot of money for a defensive replacement.
As unpleasant a taste as that would leave in Jim Hendry’s mouth, I have a better idea. Focus on center field as your fixer-upper position, leaving right field to the faint hope of a Fukudome resurgence or, more likely, a Mark DeRosa fill-in. But whom, you might ask?
Well, how about Carlos Beltran? Yes, there is an Internet rumor that the Mets are dangling Beltran. The rumor goes on to say that the Mets are in discussions with the Yankees on a deal that would send Beltran to the Bronx for Robinson Cano and a few other pieces. Again, it’s an Internet rumor; so take it for what it is.
Author Poll
Do the Cubs need to make major changes this offseason?
Yes, otherwise they will continue to get swept in the playoffs. Heck no, they won 97 games with this team, why fix what isn’t broken? vote to see results But it makes sense that the Mets might want to free up some cash to make a splash in free agency. Let’s say a CC Sabathia or a Manny Ramirez, for example. Whatever the motivation, we don’t care, as long we get our guy. And our guy could be Beltran.
Consider this: He is a switch-hitting power outfielder that runs well and plays terrific defense in center. With one addition to the lineup, the Cubs would be improving their hitting, their defense, and team speed. On the surface, what a godsend, right?
Of course, there’s the not-so-minor issues of Beltan’s salary and whom the Cubs might have to give up to get him.
Beltran will earn $18.5 million in ‘09, ‘10, and ‘11. And he has a full no-trade clause. But he is only 32, so he should be declining just as his contract expires. And no-trade clauses are meant to be bought out.
With Carlos Delgado a free agent, what about sending Derrek Lee as part of a package to the Mets for Beltran? Lee will earn $13 million in each of the next two seasons, offering Hendry some salary relief from the addition of Beltran’s contract. The Mets get their first baseman, and the Cubs get one other important thing from the deal.
They get a guy who has performed well in the postseason.
That’s right; check the results. In 82 career at-bats, Beltran is batting .366 with 11 home runs and 19 RBI. He has also stolen eight bases without being caught once. Granted, the majority of his output came in a huge 2004 with Houston before he signed with the Mets as a free agent, but his 2006 performance dwarfs any that the Cubs so-called sluggers have produced over the past couple years.
In addition to sending Lee to the Mets, we can throw Ryan Theriot into the deal as a low-cost second-base option for the Mets. To fill the gap created by Theriot’s departure, we sign Rafael Furcal as a FA to play shortstop.
We all know Hendry made a strong play for him the last time he was a free agent. We might also have to include a pitcher in the deal, perhaps Sean Marshall.
The only question remaining, then, is who would play first base? The cheap solution would be Micah Hoffpauir. He’s certainly looked solid in his short time with the Cubs thus far. But before we get too giddy over that prospect, remember he’s a 28-year-old career minor leaguer for a reason.
He’s too old to be a prospect. So we would probably need to go out and get a first baseman, but they are much easier to find than almost any other position.
How about this lineup for 2009?
Furcal, SS
Fontenot, 2B
Beltran, CF
Ramirez, 3B
Soriano, LF
Hoffpauir/trade, 1B
Soto, C
DeRosa/Fukudome, RF
Depending on whom we get to play first base, that’s potentially four or five left-handed hitters (including switch-hitters Furcal and Beltran) in the lineup. Suddenly, this lineup is much more balanced and speedier—with a real leadoff hitter.
Hendry would still have some issues with the pitching, namely the FA status of Dempster and Wood. But that’s talk for another day. Right now, let’s focus our attention on a more balanced lineup with a true leadoff hitter.
Of course, if you can’t get Beltran, it’s all a pipe dream. Still, it’s fun to consider the possibilities. Come to think of it, change is in the air. It will be interesting to see if Hendry decides to go with the hand he’s dealt or try to go all in.
is this guy serious?
you want beltran, but you are only giving a declining derek lee, an avg 2B and a lefty specialist.
what do you guys think?
the reason the cubs got swept this year is b/c:
-soriano is a career .218 postseason hitter, batting leadoff.
-they started ryan dempster in game 1.
-they didnt let ted lilly pitch any of the first 3 games, when he was their hottest pitcher
-rich harden is a 4-5 inning pitcher and very overrated.
-they basically went on vacation for the brewers series, lost their edge, and got their starters out of rhythm.
oh and they committed like 5 errors on Zambrano.
but ultimately it’s also b/c they are the Cubs….and b/c lou pinella thought they’d cruise, and completely underestimated everything.
do you agree with this trade?
no….it’s a sideways move…….if we trade beltran it should be for pitching only.
what about soto and marmol for beltran?
they would never do it, but i would do that in a second……but let me stress, they would NEVER do that.
Who’s playing center field???
See ya; wouldn’t wanna be ya.
poor rays…..i thought they were gonna win it all…..but id rather have the redsox fighting the phils than the rays, b/c if there is one team i want to win the world series less than the redsox, it’s the phillies.
Dude everytime the Red Sox win the WS it’s a heartbreak for Yankee fans, so go Sox!! but yeah id still rather see the rays in there.
this is true…..also, the rays knowingly fleeced us handing over an injured zambrano…..it was still the idiot mets fault for the kazmir trade, but they still were shady, so screw them.
Yeah, I think Yankees fans are getting used to losing though lol It’s not like seeing the Rays would be much of a consolation to either the Yankees or Red Sox either. Who would have thought they could take the division? And possibly get to and win a world series?
Kind of like the Jets with New England, when someone just wins over and over you get used to it. Until you do something about it or the other guy just gets weaker.
If the Phillies won it this season, it’d itch at this club and its fans much more than the Yankees with the Red Sox. If it were up to me, I’d want to see Tampa and LA there. I know this probably won’t happen though so as long as anyone except for Philly wins, I’m happy.
The Red Sox really did dominate in this game. They got out of tough situations. I don’t see them sweeping Tampa, but I seeing them winning. Probably in 6. The Red Sox will do it again. They did it last year. It’s just a feel they got like how the Patriots had for a while.
I can’t get mad at the Rays either for trading Zambrano for Kazmir. I remember back when we had him. Kazmir was rated as one of our top prospects – if not our top. They loved him. And they trade him for an alright pitcher. A guy who wasn’t amazing. I really didn’t even see the purpose. The Mets chances in 2004 were unrealistic. Trading Wigginton for Kris Benson was a pure waste too. It didn’t seem like it was because we re-signed him and later on turned out and traded him for Maine & El Duque. I don’t know what made Omar trade Keppinger for Gotay though.
Omar makes moves. Sometimes they’re the right ones and sometimes they’re not. We need to see him do big and little. The only big move he made this season was Santana. Everyone else was minor. I don’t know if he will, but I do know that he can make this team better for next season. With the exception of the bullpen, it hasn’t been like he’s put bad teams out there.
I don’t see Beltran ever getting traded because he has too much value to this team. He’s given this team great production the last three years in a row. There are points when he’s off and there’s points when he’s on. That can be said about lots of players though. The Mets would have to get overwhelmed to deal him away. The only thing that looks like can do it would be pitching.
I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of trading Reyes and Wright. I would entertain the idea about Delgado if they can get some good relievers or prospects. I think they need to do what ever they can with the FA market though before considering the idea of trades. They’ll work something out I’m sure.
For the better or the worst though, most of the Mets we see on this roster will be here next season. Pretty much all of the line up. Maybe except for one new guy. And pretty much the same rotation or something similar to it. The only thing that needs to change tremendously is the bullpen.
Well, Ron Darling was interviewed by Mike Francesca on WFAN today and called it as it was: the core group of players — i.e. Delgado, Beftran and Reyes — did not play hard for Willie and if they had, we would have most likely been in the playoffs and that those players have to look at themselves in the mirror.
He also said we lacked toughness and agreed that we need a Ray Knight or Keith Hernandez type of player.
To listen to interview, go to wfan dot com.
wow did he say that? i think it’s clear that beltran and delgado did not respect willie at all, and i think castillo’s arrival is what really unhinged things in the locker room.
i like beltran, but throughout the season i think he drove me the most nuts with his 2 out RISP .180 batting average. and in fact his entire time as a met, his close and late average is .260, and his RISP 2 out average is .226…..
So if trading him could help us out, while freeing up money, i’m all for it. (and btw, in the same categories endy chavez has the same close and late avg, and a better RISP 2 out avg. just for some perspective.)
I’d love a three team deal in attempt to pry Dejesus and Soria from KC.
Presently there is a dearth of centerfielders that are strong defensively and offensively. Right now Beltran is the best all around centerfielder in the game. He is the complete package. No, he is not Willie Mays but who is? I can think of no one that can replace him nor would I want to replace him (and Mays is too old). :)
The problem with Beltran is the problem that most players exhibit when they are under the microscope for an entire season. The fans see all the warts that they don’t see in other players on other teams that are not under the local microscope. It’s all about perception. Trading Beltran just opens one hole to solve another one.
The Phillies strength comes from Pat Gillick. Yes he makes his mistakes but he has had a long and successful career and reminds a little of Frank Cashen.
Man, the Beltran stuff never dies, does it?
Good article, well thought out, but with a fatal flaw. Yes, the Cubs on paper would be better with Beltran (offset by losing Lee of course). But they still won 97 games, and as someone else noted, it isn’t fixing the problem that kept them from advancing.
Same with the Mets. Yeah, you can make on the field moves to change parts, but if you don’t fix the root cause problem (the back end of the pen), the results aren’t likely to change.
The Cubs, frankly, looked like they just choked under pressure. maybe if they played hard and to win against the Brewers (and actually, to some extent, the Mets) they would have done better.
Anyway, I don’t advocate trading Beltran. But this kind of deal could be intriquing (not neccesarily these players), if you could fill 2 problem areas with good players (say LF and 2B), plus get a real arm for the pen. Something like that.
But the key would have to be, having a replacement on hand for CF. That is the only way I trade a star in his prime, if there is an uber prospect being blocked. And with the Mets, their ain’t.
So maybe if the Cubs gave up a young stud CF type of the future, there would be logic to it. But it still aint happening.
also, with the Phils, I am tired of hearing about how they “win when they have to”. If they are such a gritty, clutch team, with all that heart and fire, why do they stink for 5 1/2 months every year, and only wake up for the last 2 weeks? Meaning if the team they are chasing every year just wins at a normal pace, they don’t get into the PS?
also their offensive core is overall older, by a lot, than the Mets. And man, they got some serious lucky with guys. No way the pen can replicate this success next year. Just law of averages if nothing else!
And finally, forget Gillick. His contract is up, and he has already packed up his office. He is gone. One of the a$$istant GMs (probably Ruben Amaro) is probably going to take over. Not that he did that much. He got the nickname “stand pat Pat” for a reason.
Too bad the Mets didn’t follow Wagners advice this time and get Lidge as a set up guy. That 1 move would almost definitely have changed the balance of power.
You think Lidge in the Mets pen and Madson/Gordan closing for the Phils might have meant a few win swing in the standings?
Hey Eli and Metsy, look up the word dumb@ss in the dictionary, both of you have pictures there.
did you just make that catch phrase up, it’s so brilliant and ive never heard it before. hey weren’t you a big time castillo guy?
I wasn’t a “Castillo guy”. I just did not want to see Awful Reyes within 1000 feet of the Mets infield…
ah yes, a luis castillo fan who preferred to see the team lose than have his fantasy numbers impacted. aka not a real Mets fan. reyes meant wins, castillo meant losses. and now they will trade castillo, b/c you were wrong.
if castillo had never been brought back, we’d be in this series right now. thanks for your support of the biggest team cancer!
Oh it’s you!! I didn’t recognize you at first, because of your new screenname, but now I remember, your the racist retard who treated Castillo like he was Satan!!
Sorry for mistaking you with someone who has an IQ over 40,…..
sylar, you defended castillo, when i said his return would mark a Mets return to .500 ball. who was right? you love castillo, b/c u are either a yankees or phillies fan.
You know, if you really have problems I can hook you up with a pshyciatrist.
no one takes u seriously as a Mets fan when you prefer losing to watching argenis.
shouldn’t you be celebrating? the Mets enemy just won, which is something you love.
OJ got sent to prison, shouldn’t you be celebrating with your Klan buddies?
actually im the one suggesting we need O-Dog, Cliff, and trading for Edwin Jackson
you are the one who celebrate the return of the mets curse/cancer, who led us to losing the division.
just seeing if my new nickname comes up
Who cares…